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This web-site is for everyone interested in learning more about the Bible.
This section helps Sunday school teachers find new ways of teaching familiar materials. Our goal is to augment lessons you may already have in your Sunday school curriculum.
Due to the importance of the Passion Week and subsequent meetings Jesus had with his disciples after his resurrection, we have taken March and April to explore these events. April will cover the crucifixion, resurrection, and interactions with the disciples in the days leading up to Jesus’ ascension. While he spent forty days with the disciples before he ascended, we will incorporate these details in one month. We are also studying the book of Hebrews. Some exercises look deeply into the Bible characters listed in the Hebrews Hall of Faith in Hebrews 11.
BibleWise is interested in helping children and adults realize the significance of our Master’s actions (although in all likelihood, Easter eggs and the Easter bunny will get more publicity than Jesus’ resurrection). Jesus was in complete control of that week. Recognizing his dominion, patience, forgiveness, and love on the way to and from the cross gives us a heads-up on how to follow in Jesus’ footsteps. Jesus was teaching specific lessons not only to the twelve disciples, but for all of us for all time. Even though we are spreading this information over nine Sundays, (four in March and five in April), we cannot begin to give it the detail it deserves. Nonetheless, this is a beginning and an essential one for Sunday school pupils to understand.
Jesus was NOT a lamb led to the slaughter. He approached every aspect of this week with dominion. He prepared the hearts and minds of his disciples in the days that followed his resurrection. The greatest proof we have of Jesus’ victory over death is the changed lives of the disciples. Before the resurrection, they mentally limped along. Jesus was giving them special instructions for his church in the 40 days before his ascension. By the 50th day after Jesus’ resurrection, while celebrating Pentecost, they caught the spirit that altered the course of history. Please help your students embrace this story, so they may understand their part in discipleship. In May, we will discuss Pentecost and the early Christian church.
Teachers, The Passion Week - Chronology of Events (2007) had additional materials added to it. Print this out for a quick reference. The questions and answers highlighted in blue (links) take you to some of the most frequently asked questions about these events.
The entire Activities section is divided into Memory Work, Activities, and Discussion Questions. You can go to any of these sections and select what best works for your pupils.
You can now download all three sections for ease in using these materials for teaching. |
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MEMORY WORK |
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Teachers and Parents
It is so important to encourage our little ones as well as ourselves to memorize Bible verses and stories – to become so familiar with the passage or story that its timeless relevance appears to us more and more clearly with every retelling. A major difference was evident between Sunday school pupils required to tell the story versus those who gave nodding recognition to the same story. Three years ago, our pupils were asked to tell Bible stories to the pre-school children. Now they ask all the time when it’s their turn to tell a story. The children in the pre-school class can’t wait for a story and are quite vocal in asking the older children to come and tell them a story. There are some preschoolers who are anxious to try their hand at telling the stories as well. On a recent class visit of 4th graders with 3 and 4 year olds, the preschoolers didn’t hesitate to add details to the story of the three Hebrew boys.
We cannot overlook the significance of memorizing a verse or story.
Consider sharing with your Sunday school pupils and parents ways to help little ones learn the verse and understand the impact of the message on their lives.
- Write out or type this week’s Bible verse on a card and place it on a mirror the child uses each day.
- Place the verse for the week in his/her lunch box.
- Ask the child to recite the verse before or after grace at the dinner meal.
- Practice as a family at dinner, going around the table with each one saying a word until the verse is complete.
- Put the verse to music. Create your own tune for each Bible verse. Create pictures to help remember the verse.
- Write it in a Bible verse notebook as many times as you can.
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Bible Verses
Work with your child and your students to learn each verse. Then, discuss the meaning of the verse and how it can be applied to everyday lives. On Sundays during class, riding in the car, or at dinner, it's fun to share stories of how the children have used the verse in their lives that week.
We provide memorization verses for each week. You can add your own.
Sunday April 1
Heb 10:35
Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.
- What is meant by “confidence” in this verse?
- What does “recompence” mean?
- How does our confidence have “recompence of reward?”
Sunday April 8
Heb 13:8
Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to-day, and for ever.
- Why is Jesus Christ the same always?
- Why is that comforting?
- How do you know Jesus Christ today?
Sunday April 15
Heb 11:1
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
- How would you explain this definition of faith?
- How do you define “faith?”
- The Interpreter’s Bible Dictionary defines “faith” as “man’s yes to God.” How does saying “yes to God” work with the verse from Heb. 11:1?
Sunday April 22
Heb 10:23 (to ;)
Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering;
- What do you profess as your faith?
- How secure is your faith?
- What, if anything, makes you doubt your faith?
- Is it possible to have a faith that doesn’t waver?
- Who are some people in the Bible whose faith wavered?
- How were they able to renew the strength of their faith?
Sunday April 29
Heb 12:1 let us run
let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
- What kind of race are we each running?
- How will patience help us run the race?
- What is the goal?
Sunday May 6
James 4:8 (to .)
Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.
- Why is it important to get close to God?
- How do you get close to God?
- What’s the reward for getting close to God?
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Bible Stories
This month we look at Jesus’ days leading up to the resurrection.
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ACTIVITIES |
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Bible Overview covers the book of Hebrews.
Hot Topic deals with Communication.
Explore Hatred vs. Humility on Parenting with the Bible.
This month we are reviewing Bible stories related to Jesus’ crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension, as well as looking at the Hebrews’ Hall of Faith in Hebrews 11. There is so much more that could be included. Check the Chronology of Events of the Passion Week for additional information that you might want to teach. |
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Exercise:
Re-enact Jesus’ trials – without the spitting and hitting. Students or teachers can write out the scripts from the Bible verses. Or you can discuss each of the places Jesus is taken after his arrest and discuss the fairness of the trials.
The first stop is to meet with Annas. He asks Jesus incriminating questions, which he isn’t allowed to do. Jesus is hit by a soldier.
Then Jesus is taken to Caiaphas before the Sanhedrin. The high priest, Caiaphas, questions Jesus. When Jesus says he is the Son of God, the Jews hit the jack pot – now they can take him to the Roman officials for blasphemy since the Jews can’t kill him by crucifixion. Crucifixion was a crime only carried out by the Roman government. If the Jews could kill him, it would have been by stoning.
Pilate doesn’t want anything to do with Jesus’ death. He thinks he’s innocent. He realizes the Jews are jealous of Jesus. But the Jews blackmail him into acting.
Pilate sends Jesus to Herod Antipas because Jesus is a Galilean and not under his jurisdiction. Jesus doesn’t say anything to Herod so Herod lets his soldiers mock Jesus by dressing him in a purple robe and a crown of thorns and shouting: Hail King of the Jews.
Jesus is sent back to Pilate where he is scourged 39 times. Then Pilate suggests they follow a tradition and let a prisoner go free. The crowd wants Barabbas freed and they want the Romans to kill Jesus.
Why couldn’t Jesus get a fair trial? |
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Exercise:
You might open the discussion with: Have you ever boasted you’d do something and then discovered you couldn’t? Talk about Peter’s boasting that he’d always be there for Jesus. Jesus told him that before the rooster crowed for the next day, Peter would deny knowing Jesus three times.
Fill in the boxes in Peter’s Denial.
 Print/Download Peter's Denial
Print/Download Peter's Denial Answer Sheet
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Exercise:
A good exercise to help remember the names of Jesus’ disciples - Who Were the Disciples that Followed Jesus? After the students have listed all twelve disciples, take twelve index cards. Put the name of a disciple on each of the cards. Ask the students to list all the things they know about each disciple. If they don’t know much or anything, make it a class project to learn more about each of the disciples.
Print/Download Who Were the Disciples that Followed Jesus
Print/Download Who Were the Disciples that Followed Jesus Answer Sheet
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Exercise:
I am… after completing the exercise about the disciples above, assign each student a disciples’ name and then have them create clues about who they are.
For example: Clues:
- I fell asleep in the Garden of Gethsemane.
- I cut off a soldier’s ear.
- I bragged I’d always defend Jesus.
- I denied Jesus – 3 times.
- I helped start the early Christian church.
Answer: Peter
The class members try to guess the name on the first clue. They earn the points of the numbered clue that leads to the right answer. Lowest score wins. |
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Exercise:
Thomas. To believe or not believe. What didn’t Thomas believe? Why didn’t he believe that Jesus came back from the dead? Complete Thomas’s Unbelief.
Print/Download Thomas's Unbelief
Print/Download Thomas's Unbelief Answer Sheet
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Exercise:
The road to Emmaus. Have the students read the story in Luke 24:13-37. Discuss how they might have felt in the presence of Jesus. What did Jesus do that caught their attention? Complete On the Road to Emmaus.
Print/Download On the Road to Emmaus
Print/Download On the Road to Emmaus Answer Sheet
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Exercise:
Review the eight sheets of paper you labeled Sunday through Sunday last month. Add more to your list of all the events that the students know happened each day from Jesus’ triumphal entry through the resurrection. Add another two sheets. Label one Sightings and the other Ascension. Put them on the wall in your class. List all the times Jesus appeared to the disciples on the sightings sheet. List the qualities Jesus expressed that made ascension a possibility. If you aren’t sure what happened, look at the Chronology of Events or read directly from one or all of the Gospels. |
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Exercise:
Who Am I? Part II (Part I was those leading up to the crucifixion)
Use index cards to list the statement about the individual. On the reverse side of the card, give the person’s name. This group of statements is about individuals during the time leading up to Jesus’ ascension.
| Statement about the Individual |
Answer |
| Jesus overturned my tents in the temple. I questioned him before going to Caiaphas. (Luke 18:13-24) |
Annas |
| I am the high priest. I wanted Jesus killed. I asked him if he was the Son of God. (Matt 26:3-4) |
Caiaphas |
| I killed an innocent man to keep my job. I’m a Roman governor. My wife told me not to let anything happen to Jesus. (Matthew 27:2) |
Pilate |
| I denied Jesus’ three times. (Matthew 26:75) |
Peter |
| I let my soldiers make fun of Jesus. (Luke 23:11) |
Herod Antipas |
| A Roman soldier picked me out of the crowd to carry Jesus’ cross. (Matt 27:32) |
Simon of Cyrene |
| I told John to take care of my mother. (John 19:26-27) |
Jesus |
| Jesus promised me a place with him in paradise. (Luke 23:43) |
one of the men crucified with Jesus |
| I asked Pilate for Jesus’ body. (Matt 27:57-58) |
Joseph of Arimathea |
| I brought spices for Jesus’ body. (John 19:39) |
Nicodemas |
I was the first one at the tomb. I discovered the rock rolled away and ran to get Peter and John
(John 20:1-2) |
Mary Magdalene |
| I doubted that Jesus was alive. (John 20: 24-25) |
Thomas |
| I was walking to Emmaus when Jesus joined us. (Luke 24:13-32) |
Cleopas |
Obviously, you can add more, but that gives you a general idea. Keep the cards for review each Easter season. |
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Exercise:
Who Am I? Part III Famous Hebrews (Part II was about the people leading up to the ascension)
Use index cards to list the statement about the individual. On the reverse side of the card, give the person’s name. This group of statements is about individuals listed in Hebrews 11 Hall of Faith.
| Statement about the Individual |
Answer |
| My brother, Cain, killed me. |
Abel |
| I walked with God and never saw death. |
Enoch |
| God ordered me to build a great ark. |
Noah |
| I “looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.” |
Abraham |
| I doubted that I could have a child in my old age. |
Sara |
| My dad almost sacrificed me until he saw a ram in the bushes. |
Isaac |
| We were twins who both wanted Isaac’s blessing. |
Esau and Jacob |
| My father, Jacob, blessed both my sons after he moved to Egypt. I helped keep the famine from killing off people. |
Joseph |
| My parents hid me when I was three months old. Pharaoh’s daughter discovered me. In my later years, I led the Children of Israel out of Egypt. |
Moses |
| I hid Joshua’s spies so the soldiers in Jericho didn’t kill them. |
Rahab |
There are many more for you to add. This is just a starter set. No doubt you and your students can create more Who I Am cards as a reminder of the major people in the Bible. |
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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS |
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Garden of Gethsemane
Read Matt 26:36-46; Mark 14:26, 32-42; Luke 22:39-46 Jesus Prays in Gethsemane
- Ask the students to tell the story of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane.
- Why is Jesus in the Garden?
- Who is with Jesus?
- What did he ask them to do?
- What did they do instead?
- Do you think you could have stayed awake and prayed with Jesus?
- Why was it so hard for Peter, James, and John to stay awake?
- What did Jesus ask God?
- What is the difference between human will and divine will?
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Jesus’ arrest
Read Matt 26:47-56; Mark 14:43-52; Luke 22:47-53; Jesus is Arrested
- When was Jesus arrested?
- Who brought the soldiers to Jesus?
- What was the sign so the soldiers knew whom to arrest?
- How did Jesus greet Judas?
- Could you have called someone your friend if he or she had you arrested?
- What did Peter do to one of the soldiers?
- Who healed the soldier’s ear?
- What does that tell you about Jesus’ character?
- Why didn’t Jesus and the disciples fight the soldiers?
- What did Jesus tell the soldiers?
- How did Judas feel after they arrested Jesus?
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Peter’s denial
Read Matt 26:69-74; Mark 14: 66-72; Luke 22:54-65; I Don’t Know Him; Peter’s Denial
- Why was Peter so confident that he’d stand beside Jesus?
- How would you have felt if Jesus told you, you would end up denying you even knew him three times before the next day?
- When did Peter lie about knowing Jesus?
- Why did he lie?
- Would you have lied about knowing Jesus? Why or why not?
- How did Peter feel when the rooster crowed?
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Jesus’ trials
Read Matt 26:57-75; 27:1,2; 11-31; Jesus Goes to Pilate; Barabbas; The Darkest Day in All the World
- Where was Jesus taken first? [Annas – owned the tents that the money changers were thrown out of in the Temple. They also needed a place to keep him until the 70 members of the Sanhedrin arrived.]
- Did Annas have any authority? [No, but he wanted to get even with Jesus. He asked him questions that he wasn’t allowed by law to ask.]
- How did Jesus respond? [He told him to get witnesses and do it right.]
- Why did the guard hit Jesus? [Because he didn’t think Jesus should tell Annas how to do his job.]
- Where did they take Jesus next? [to Caiaphas. the high priest before the Sanhedrin (Supreme Court of the Jews)
- Did the Jews have the authority to kill Jesus?
- What did Caiaphas ask Jesus? [Are you the Son of God?]
- What was Jesus’ response? [different Gospels give different answers – compare the responses]
- Where did Caiaphas send Jesus? [Governor Pilate – Roman official]
- Did Pilate think Jesus was guilty of any crime?
- Where did Pilate send Jesus? [Herod Antipas]
- Why did he send him to Herod? [Jesus was a Galilean and Herod was in control of that area]
- What did Herod ask Jesus to do? [miracles, talk]
- What did his soldiers do to Jesus? [put a purple robe and a crown of thorns on him, spit and hit him]
- Where did Herod send Jesus? [back to Pilate]
- What did Pilate have the soldiers do to him? [scourge him]
- What is scourging?
- Why was it barbaric? [ 40 lashes would kill a man, so they only whipped Jesus 39 times.]
- What was the Roman tradition at Passover? [to release a Jewish prisoner]
- Which prisoner did the Jews want released? [Barabbas]
- What were his crimes?
- Why wasn’t it possible for Jesus to get a fair trial?
- What do you learn about hate from this experience?
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Jesus’ is Crucified
Read Matt 27:32-56; Mark 15:21-41; Luke 23: 26-49; John 19:17-37;
Jesus Dies; Jesus is Buried; The Grave’s a Place
- After the release of Barabbas, what did they do to Jesus? [They made him carry the horizontal bar of the cross through town to be crucified.]
- Who was hanged on either side of Jesus?
- What had they done wrong?
- Who was at the foot of the cross? [each gospel is slightly different]
- What kinds of things did people say about Jesus?
- Did he take any of the medicated drink for the pain?
- What did he drink? [vinegar to quench his thirst]
- What did Jesus say on the cross?
- There are seven sayings:
- Luke 23:34
- Luke 23:43
- John 19:26,27
- How thoughtful of Jesus to care for his mother when he was on the cross!
- Matt 27:46 read Ps. 22:1 with this
- Do you think Jesus really thought God had forsaken him?
- Why do you think Jesus quoted Ps. 22:1?
- John 19:28
- John 19:30
- Luke 23:46
- What do all these verses say about Jesus’ character?
- What happened after Jesus said, “finished?”
- What is significant about the veil in the temple being ripped in two? [The veil (actually it had become a thick curtain, about 4 inches thick) covered the Holy of Holies where the Jews believed God lived. Only once a year could a priest could go into the Holy of Holies. Now people would have free and direct access to God. Fulfilling Jesus statement, “I and my Father are one.” We, too, would be one with God]
- Who asked if he could bury Jesus’ body? [Joseph of Arimathea]
- Who did he ask? [Pilate]
- What did the soldiers do to prove Jesus was dead? [Put a spear in his side]
- Who helped Joseph with Jesus’ body? [Nicodemus]
- Why did they have to get Jesus in the tomb before 6:00 PM? [They couldn’t work on the Jewish Sabbath.]
- What did the Jews ask Pilate? [To put guards around the tomb to make sure no one took Jesus’ body.]
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He is Risen!
Read John 20:1-10; Luke 24:1-8; Surprise; Easter Morning; The Brightest Day of All the World
- Who was first at Jesus’ tomb? [Read each Gospel – the answers are different.]
- What did “they” discover?
- Who went to get Peter and John?
- What did they do? [They out-ran Mary Magdalene.]
- What did they discover?
- Who recognized Jesus wasn’t a victim of grave robbers? [John]
- When Mary Magdalene returned to the tomb, what did she find?
- Whom did she think she was talking to?
- When her name was spoken, how did she respond?
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Walk to Emmaus
Read Luke 24:13-32
- Who did Jesus encounter on the walk to Emmaus?
- What did they tell Jesus about what had happened in Jerusalem?
- What did Jesus tell them?
- What did they feel after Jesus told about himself in the scriptures? [their hearts burned within]
- Why did Jesus look like he was going on past Emmaus? [He didn’t want to intrude on their dinner.]
- What did Jesus do at dinner?
- When did they recognize Jesus?
- What did they do when they recognized Jesus?
- Did they moan and complain about how stupid they were?
- They didn’t let self-consciousness get in the way of telling the good news about Jesus’ resurrection.
- How did Jesus’ disciples greet each other after they found the empty tomb? [He is risen!]
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Thomas believes
Read John 20:24-31; Cautious Thomas
- Which one of the disciples said he wouldn’t believe Jesus had returned unless he saw the nail prints?
- What name did he get as a result of this? [doubting Thomas]
- Why do you think he had to see the material evidence to believe it was Jesus?
- What kinds of things cause you to doubt?
- How do you turn your doubt into faith?
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Morning Meal
Read John 21:1-24; Fish for Breakfast; The Stranger on the Shore
- Where was Jesus?
- Where were his disciples?
- What did Jesus ask them?
- What did Jesus tell them to do?
- Who jumped in the water to get to shore?
- How many fish did they catch?
- What was different about this catch from the first time Jesus told them to drop their nets? [The first time the nets broke, but they didn’t this time.]
- Why is it significant that the net didn’t break this time?
- What did Jesus fix them for breakfast?
- After breakfast, what did Jesus ask Peter?
- How many times did he ask?
- What do you think he meant by “these” in “lovest thou me more than these?”
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Jesus Ascension
Read Luke 24:50-51; Jesus Goes Home
- How many days did Jesus spend with his disciples after his resurrection?
- Why didn’t he just stay on earth and continue to heal people?
- What did he tell his disciples to do?
- Why did Jesus ascend into heaven?
- What did you learn about Jesus’ character leading up to the ascension?
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Hebrews’ Hall of Faith
Read Hebrews 11; Living by Faith
- This is a great Bible review.
- What is faith?
- What kind of faith did these people have? [Make a list of the different types of faith.]
- How many people do you know?
- What does verse six say about faith?
- Name two women who get mentioned.
- Why do you think there is so much information about Abraham and Moses?
- Why isn’t Joshua mentioned by name?
- Name some women who saw their dead children revived.
- Who stopped the months of lions?
- Who quenched the violence of fire?
- How has your faith been strengthened?
- How can you help others have faith?
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