BIBLE EXPLORERS GOSPELS LESSON 20
This is lesson 20 in our journey through the Gospels chronologically. This will likely take 3 years to complete, teaching weekly through the school year. The material is geared for elementary age kids. Each lesson will have a list of Scripture references, materials, introduction, object lessons, and hands on activities. Most lessons can be completed in 1- 1.5 hours. A few may need more than one class time. New lessons will be posted weekly. The posts will not have pictures because I will not be posting pictures of other people’s children. At the end of each school year, a printed version of the curriculum will be made available for purchase. This will include an appendix with printouts, game pieces, and other classroom helps.
Lesson 20: First Rejection at Nazareth and Move to Capernaum
Scripture references:
Luke 4:16-31
Matthew 4:13-16
Materials:
Bible
Whiteboard and markers
Paper scrolls
Bible Storybook
Introduction:
Ancient synagogue services and our modern day church services are quite different. It is also important to remember that the people did not have the entire Scripture at this point in time. The common people did not have their own copies either. They heard scripture read and discussed in the synagogue, then retold the stories at home.
Activities
Hands on Activity 1: Missing Scriptures
Purpose- To see how much of the Bible they had at Jesus’s time.
1. Write all the books of the Bible on the board. Do this before class.
2. Erase the New Testament
3. Discuss the fact that the remaining books would have been grouped together on scrolls, some individually and some combined.
4. Move the books into groups on the board.
Torah: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy
Prophets (Nevi’im): Joshua, Judges combined with Ruth, Samuel (one book), Kings (one book), Isaiah, Jeremiah with Lamentations, Ezekiel, and the 12 Minor Prophets combined
Writings (Ketuvim): Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Song of Songs, Ecclesiastes, Esther, Daniel, Ezra with Nehemiah, Chronicles (one book)
Note: there are 22 books listed here in line with Josephus historical records. Jewish Bibles today have them split into 24.
Object Lesson 1: Synagogue Service
Purpose- To show the difference between synagogue services in Jesus’s time to our modern day church services.
1. Act out a synagogue service. Be sure to read from scrolls, not bound Bibles. Set up the chairs in a square facing eachother.
Notes: Men and women both attended synagogue services, but gatherings required a quota of 10 men to be official. A jew was consiered an adult spiritually after their Bar or Bat Mitzvah at 12 or 13 years old. Any adult Jew could read and teach from the scrolls. Then everyone would discuss the reading together. There were additional rooms in the synagogue for children’s study, copying scriptures, and prayer. The synagogue was used throughout the rest of the week as a community meeting place, like a courtroom or city hall.
2. Discuss: what is the same and different? What do the kids like and dislike about each?
Object Lesson 2: Words in Red
Purpose- To understand Jesus’s words and the people’s reaction
1. Read through and discuss the account in Luke 4:16-27
2. Stop and do Hands on Activity 2
3. Read and discuss Luke 4:28-31
Hands on Activity 2: Story Time with Jesus
Purpose- to give an overview of the Old Testament account Jesus talks about in the passage.
1. Read the stories of Elijah and the Widow and Namaan’s healing in a Children’s Story Book Bible, or tell the story from memory. Egermeir’s Bible Story Book and The Jesus Storybook Bible are good choices. The Jesus Storybook Bible does a great job with Namaan’s story but does not have Elijah’s.