Bible Explorers Gospels Lesson 4

This is lesson 4 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 4: Genealogies

 Scripture references:

Matthew 1:1-17

Genesis 5:1-32

Genesis 11:10-27

Luke 3:23-38

Materials:

Bible

Cutouts with the names from the genealogies on them. See appendix.

Black and white markers

Introduction:

1.    Ask the kids questions about their families.

2.   Discuss family trees and family lines.

Activities

 Object Lesson 1: Jesus’s Family Tree

Purpose- to see the family line of Jesus recorded in scripture

1.    Prepare cutouts with each name from the genealogies in Matthew and Luke. Keep them in the right order for moving smoothly through the lesson.

2.   Starting with Adam, make a line across the floor with the leaves. Stop at David. For time’s sake, you may want to prepare this part ahead. Discuss what the Bible says about each person.

3.   Go back and add in the women mentioned in the genealogies next to the men. (there are 5)

Hands on Activity 1: Guess Who

Purpose- To connect the names listed to other places in Scripture.

1.    Play a guessing game with the names in the line. Mark the names in the line that we just discussed (not all of the names have additional information recorded about them). You can place a small object in front of each name. Secretly choose a name. The kids take turns picking who they think you have chosen and give a fact about that person. If they chose the right one, they win and they are now the one to choose the next name. If they guess wrong, another child guesses.

2.   Variation: give clues until the kids guess the right name

Note: depending on the ages of the kids in the class and their engagement in the guessing game, you may need to stop here and continue next week. Have the names already covered on the floor when the kids come in, then continue with David.

Object Lesson 2: Two Genealogies

Purpose- to see the family line of Jesus recorded in scripture and why there are two different genealogies

1.    Add David to the line. Talk about him and the fact that he was a king.

2.   Continue the leaf lines for the genealogies. The lines split after David. Discuss why the two genealogies are different (Joseph and Mary). If the kids can read, distribute the leaves among them. Call out each name as you need to add it the line. Note that one line will be longer than the other. Discuss why (skipping generations).

Hands on Activity 2: Good Kings/Bad Kings

Purpose- To learn about the kings who followed God and those who didn’t. To see the reason for captivity and the end of the kings.

1.    Prepare black and white markers. Othello game pieces work well for this. You can also tear little pieces of black and white paper.

2.   Go through the kingly line and mark each with black or white depending if they were recorded as good or bad. Discuss that the good ones weren’t perfect, just followed God. Note that the kingly line stops at Jeconiah (Jehoiachin). Talk about the Babylonian captivity.

David- Good

Solomon- Good

Rehoboam-Bad (1 Kings 14:21-31)

Abijah (Abijam)-Bad (1 Kings 15:1-3)

Asa- Good (1 Kings 15:11)

Jehoshapat- Good (2 Chronicles 17:3-6)

Joram (Jehoram)- Bad (2 Kings 8:16-18)

Ahaziah- Bad (2 Kings 8:26-27)

Uzziah (Azariah)- Good (2 Kings 15:1-3)

Jotham- Good (2 Kings 15:32-34)

Ahaz- Bad (2 Kings 16:1-2)

Hezekiah- Good (2 Kings 18:1-3)

Manasseh- Bad (2 Kings 21:1-2)

Amon- Bad (2 Kings 21:19-20)

Josiah- Good (2 Kings 22:1-2)

Jeconiah (Jehoiachin)- Bad (2 Kings 24:8-9)