Lesson 7: Jesus Is Put on Trial

Welcome

            Thank kids for coming.

            Just for fun, have kids pat the people next to them on the back.

            Make announcements.

            Introduce new kids.

            Celebrate birthdays by having kids say “Feliz cumpleaños” (fay-LEES coom-play-AHN-yos) (“happy birthday” in Spanish).

            Collect the offering.

Introduce the Lesson

            Say: Today we’ll hear that Jesus understands suffering.

            Ask: • What does suffering mean?

            Say: Jesus understands suffering because he had to go through some unfair treatment in the Bible.

Share

            Tell kids about a time you were treated unfairly.

            Have kids form pairs and talk about times they were treated unfairly.

            After partners have discussed, ask two or three kids to share with the whole group what they talked about with their partners.

Summarize

           Open a Bible, and say: We’ve all had times we’ve suffered. We’re not alone when we suffer because the Bible shows us that Jesus understands suffering. The Bible is amazing! It’s full of incredible stories—and they’re all true! God gave us the Bible so we can know him better and hear from him. Let’s hear from him right now as we dig in to the Bible.

            Pray, thanking Jesus that he understands our suffering.

Tip 

• Don’t have internet in your classroom? That’s okay! You can download the videos before class using the “download” button at the link provided, or just purchase this quarter’s DVD here.

Sing Songs to God

          Sing the three songs in any order.

Fill a Balloon

            Have kids form mixed-age pairs or trios. Give each pair a tray or piece of newspaper, a funnel, about ½ cup to ¾ cup of corn starch, a spoon, and a balloon for each person. Have kids work over the newspaper to help each other fill both balloons with corn starch. One partner will hold the funnel in the balloon, and the other partner will scoop corn starch into the funnel, pushing it down with the end of the spoon as needed. This will be very difficult for preschoolers, so trios might be better able to accomplish this task. Otherwise, walk around and help as needed.

            When kids have filled their balloons, they’ll tie them off, leaving just a small amount of air.

            Say: You’ve just helped each other make a stress ball. You can help each other in hard times, and your stress ball can help, too. A stress ball is something you can squeeze when you feel stressed. Squeezing the ball can help you feel less stressed.

            Tell kids about something in your life that’s stressful.

            Have kids tell their partners about things in their lives that are stressful.

Add a Face

            Say: Let’s decorate our stress balls.

            Have kids draw eyes, a nose, and a mouth on their balloons. The mouth should be a straight line so when kids squeeze their balloons the mouth curves into a smile or a frown.

            Have kids squeeze their stress balls so the mouth curves into a smile.

            Tell kids about something in your life that makes you happy.

            Have kids tell their partners about things in their lives that make them happy. Then ask a few kids to share with the whole group.

            Next, have kids squeeze their stress balls so that the mouth curves down into a frown.

            Tell kids about something sad in your life.

            Have kids tell their partners about things in their lives that are sad. Then ask a few kids to share with the whole group.

Talk About It

            Ask: • What emotions do you think Jesus felt when he went through his trial and was whipped?

            Say: Jesus knows how we feel whether we’re stressed, happy, or sad. He knows what it’s like to experience real pain because Jesus understands suffering. He experienced a lot of pain! When you feel stressed, sad, or like you’re suffering, squeeze your stress ball and talk to Jesus about it. He understands!

            Have kids take their crafts home to use when they feel sad or stressed. Encourage them to tell their friends or families what the stress ball shows about the Bible story. Remind kids to keep the stress balls away from sharp objects.

Hold the Ice

            Say: Today we’re going to discover that Jesus understands suffering. Let’s see how long we can stand a little suffering.     

            Set the trays around the room, and have kids each take a cup. Say: When I say “go,” everyone has to pick up an ice cube. Your goal is to hold it tightly in your hand for three full minutes. If at any point you get uncomfortable, you can put it back in your cup—no one is forcing you to keep holding the ice. But there’s something you should know: I have a reward for anyone who can hold the ice the entire time Ready? Go!

            Start the timer, and have kids pick up their ice cubes and hold them tightly. Kids may try to encourage one another, but make sure kids know they can let go of the ice if they want to. After three minutes, have kids put their ice cubes back in their cups. Distribute rewards to the kids who succeeded.

            Ask: • How did it feel to hold the ice for that long?

            • Explain why you decided to either keep holding it or let it go.

            Say: What we just experienced was uncomfortable, but it wasn’t true suffering. It hurt a little, but we’ll see that what Jesus went through hurt a lot. Because Jesus is God, he had the power to stop his suffering at any time. But Jesus understands suffering—he was willing to suffer so we could get the reward. Jesus suffered and died so that we could have the reward of being forgiven. Let’s see what kind of suffering Jesus experienced.

Pick a Person

            Have two kids come up to the front of the room. Stand behind one child and say: [Name of child] represents a kid at school who is always getting in trouble. [She or he] breaks the rules, interrupts the teacher, draws on the desk, comes to class late, says bad words, and so on.

            Stand behind the other child. Say: [Name of child] represents a kid at school who’s a straight-A student, has never broken a rule, and is involved as a leader in a lot of clubs.

            We need one of these two kids to get in trouble. Who do you think it should be? Allow the class to vote.

            Say: In the Bible, the people got to make a similar choice. Let’s read about it.

            Read Matthew 27:15-18.

            Say: Barabbas was a real criminal. He had murdered someone and started a rebellion. Jesus, as we know, was perfect. Let’s see who the crowd chose to release—Jesus or Barabbas.

            Read Matthew 27:20-23. Make the “straight-A” child stand in the corner for a minute, and then let the child sit back down.

            Have kids discuss the following questions in mixed-age pairs.

            Ask: • Tell about a time a “bad kid” got something you thought you deserved. Share your own example first.

            • How does it feel when you’re not treated fairly?

            Say: Jesus understands suffering. He understands what it’s like when you do the right things but still get in trouble—while someone else who deserves punishment doesn’t get it. He understands what it feels like to have everyone rooting against you. If you’re going through something like that, Jesus understands.

Ruin a Paper

            Have kids sit in mixed-age circles of no more than 10. (It’s okay if you have just one circle.) In the center of each circle, put a large piece of paper that says “JESUS,” some whole cloves, one cut rubber band per child, a spray bottle, some pencils, and a few rulers. This experience should be somewhat somber, so you may wish to dim the lights if possible.

            Say: Now let’s see what happened to Jesus. We’ll use our pieces of paper. Let’s be respectful of Jesus by keeping a calm, quiet attitude during this time.

            Read Matthew 27:26. Have kids take turns whipping their rubber bands at the paper.

            Read Matthew 27:27-28. Have kids tear the edges off the paper.

            Read the first sentence of Matthew 27:29. Have kids poke the cloves into the paper and leave them there.

            Read the rest of Matthew 27:29. Have kids scribble on the paper and then crumple it to represent mocking.

            Read Matthew 27:30. Have kids spray dirty water on the paper to represent “spit” and then hit the paper with a ruler to represent the stick.

            Read Matthew 27:31. Have kids carry the paper and set it near the trash can.

            Ask: • Compare how your paper looked before we started reading to how it looks now.

            • How do you feel knowing that’s like what happened to Jesus?

Pray

            Say: Jesus understands suffering. He experienced pain. He experienced a whole crowd cheering against him. He experienced being mocked. Maybe you’ve experienced some of those things.

            Share an example of a time you suffered.

            Have kids get into mixed-age pairs and share their own examples of suffering.

            Say: Jesus knows what it’s like to go through that! Jesus understands suffering. Let’s thank Jesus for understanding our suffering.

            Pray: Jesus, thank you that you suffered for us. Help us turn to you when we suffer, knowing that whatever we experience, you’ve suffered worse. Thank you that you understand our suffering.

Tip 

• Don’t have internet in your classroom? That’s okay! You can download the videos before class using the “download” button at the link provided, or just purchase this quarter’s DVD here.

Discuss and Watch “I Understand”

          Say: Jesus went through a lot of suffering, so Jesus understands suffering. He understands what it’s like when we feel sad, lonely, or scared. As we watch this reflective video, think about how you relate to what the kids are saying.

          Watch “I Understand.” When instructed, pause the video, and discuss these questions.

          Ask: • Which of the feelings described is something you’ve felt?

          • Tell about a specific time you felt one of those feelings. Share your own example first.

          • How are negative feelings like being torn up?

          Say: When you feel sad, scared, or lonely, you’re not the only one. Other people have felt that way, too. But no other person can completely understand your hurts…except Jesus.

          Play the rest of “I Understand.”

          Ask: • How did you feel hearing that Jesus understands all your hurts?

          Say: Jesus really does understand our hurts because he went through everything that video talked about. He’s been ignored. His friends walked away from him. Not everyone picks him. People made fun of him and laughed at him. And he even went through more than that—people whipped him and hurt him. Jesus understands suffering, and he can bring understanding and healing when we feel hurt.

Tips

• Caution kids to touch their partner’s arm lightly and gently. They should press gently so as not to hurt their partner. 
• This object lesson may seem simple, but it’s a big wow! Regardless of the card used, they’ll all feel like just one poke on the upper arm. As kids poke on their palm and thumb, they’ll be able to feel with more accuracy.

Make Cards

            Say: Our nerve endings send messages to our brains that cause us to feel pain. More sensitive areas of our bodies have nerve endings that are close together, and less sensitive areas have nerve endings that are farther apart. Let’s do an experiment to test how nerve endings communicate to the brain.

            Have kids form groups of three, with each group having at least two elementary-aged kids. Give trios each four index cards and six paper clips. Using the prepared index cards as a guide, explain how to unbend the paper clips, measure the correct distance to place them, and then tape them to the cards. Have kids number the cards 1 through 4 in any order.

Experiment and Record Data    

            Give each trio two “Sensitivity Data Sheet” handouts, and tell kids to write their names at the top. Have kids each roll up a sleeve. With eyes closed, allows an older member of the trio to gently touch his or her arm with one of the cards in the area listed on the data sheet. With eyes still closed, the first child states “one” or “two” depending on how many points he or she feels. The second child marks correct answers with a checkmark on the data sheet and then repeats the process with the other three cards. Then the second older child takes over and repeats the process on a new subject. It’s best only to have elementary-aged kids perform the test and record results, so one child will perform the test twice.

Talk About It

            Ask: • What did you notice as your teammate touched your arm in different spots?

            • How would you have reacted if your teammate had pressed really hard on more sensitive areas?   

            Say: Our Bible story tells how Jesus suffered for us. He was beaten, and he must have felt incredible pain. We may not suffer the same level of hurt Jesus did, but there are times in our lives we might experience suffering and pain, too.

            Ask: • How does knowing that Jesus also suffered help us when we go through painful experiences in life?

            Say: Since Jesus understands suffering, we can go to him for love and support, knowing that he experienced the worst pain possible. He’ll help and comfort us when we need it the most.

Play a Hand Game

            Have kids form pairs. The older partner in each pair will be the Slappee, and the younger partner will be the Slapper.

            The Slappee will put his or her hands out at about waist height, palms down. The Slapper will put his or her hands out palms up under the Slappee’s hands, just barely touching the Slappee’s palms.

            The Slappers’ goal is to quickly bring their hands over to slap the top of the Slappees’ hands. The Slappees will try to jerk their hands back quickly when they think they’re about to get slapped. If they succeed, they switch roles. If they jerk their hands back when the Slapper wasn’t trying to slap, or if the Slapper hits their hands, the roles will remain the same.

            Play for several minutes.

            Ask: • Why would you want to avoid getting slapped?

            • What are some things you’d like to avoid having happen in your life?

            Say: Today we’re discovering that Jesus understands suffering. When we suffer, he knows what we’re going through. But we all do our best to avoid suffering, just like you tried to avoid getting slapped. Nobody wants to suffer! So if we’d rather avoid it, and God is good, then why does he allow suffering? Let’s dig in to that.

Dig Deeper

            Give each child a Bible. Have kids form four mixed-age groups numbered 1-4. (It’s okay if you need to have groups of one, but you will need a reader in each group.) Assign one of the following verses to each group, and have kids read their verses and determine what the purpose of suffering is, according to their Scripture references.

• Group 1: 2 Thessalonians 1:4-5
• Group 2: 2 Corinthians 1:4-5
• Group 3: Hebrews 12:11
• Group 4: 1 Peter 5:10

            After groups have read their verses and identified a purpose of suffering, have kids bookmark the page with their fingers. Then have kids form new groups of four with each group having someone from Group 1, someone from Group 2, someone from Group 3, and someone from Group 4. Have these new groups discuss what they learned from their Bible verses.

            After the new groups have discussed, ask a few kids to share their discoveries.

            Ask: • Why do you think God allows suffering?

            • In your opinion, do these results make suffering worth it? Explain.

            • If good things come out of suffering, why do people try to avoid it?

            Say: One day, everyone who believes in Jesus will go to heaven where there’s no more pain or suffering. But while we’re here on earth, suffering will happen. We live in a broken world with people who do things that can hurt other people. Even when we suffer, we can trust that Jesus understands our suffering, and he can bring good things out of our suffering.

Tips

• You can find large adult shoes at a local thrift store. Or you can use old shoes of your own. Spray all shoes with disinfectant before using them in this game.
• If you used the Music Video block, consider repeating the songs from today’s lesson during the game. You can find the album here.

Recommended for 8 or more kids.

Run a Relay

            Gather kids together on one side of your meeting area, and have kids form groups of four. Explain to kids that they’ll be running a relay with one team member at a time getting to the other side of the room and back as fast as possible. Tell kids there’s a catch: Kids must wear a pair of large adult-size shoes while completing their section of the relay. If you think the adult-size shoes will be way too large for your preschoolers, ask some of the elementary kids to volunteer their shoes for the little kids to wear.

            Have kids form lines. Give each group a large pair of shoes. Have the first child in each line put on the large shoes; then start the relay.

             If you’d like, play music while kids play. If time allows, have kids run the relay again.

Talk About It

            Ask: • Explain why you think the shoes helped you or hurt you in this relay.

            • There’s a saying that goes, “You can’t understand someone else until you walk a mile in their shoes.” What does that mean to you?

            • How did Jesus live out the phrase “walk a mile in their shoes”?

            Say: Walking in someone else’s shoes helps you understand what someone else is going through. Jesus walked a mile in our shoes when he came to earth to live with us as a human. Jesus experienced good times, but he also went through some really horrible suffering. Jesus understands suffering because Jesus has “walked in our shoes.”

Recommended for 6 or more kids.

Learn a Foreign Language

            Have kids sit in a circle.

            Say: I want to teach you a new language—Ubbi Dubbi. To translate an English word into Ubbi Dubbi, all you have to do is add “ub” before every vowel sound in the word. So “Hello” becomes “Hubellubo,” and “Hi, how are you?” becomes “Hubi, hubow ubare yubou?” Got it? Now that I’ve taught you how to speak the language, you’ll get a chance to talk or listen to your friends speaking only in Ubbi Dubbi.

            Give each reading-aged child one slip of paper with an Ubbi Dubbi phrase and translation on it. Encourage kids not to let anyone else see what’s written on their slips of paper. Give kids one minute to practice saying their phrases in Ubbi Dubbi to themselves.

            Then have kids who can read find a non-reading partner. (If you have more readers than non-readers, readers can pair up.) Tell kids they should speak their phrases to their partners without giving away the translation. If their partners understand the Ubbi Dubbi phrase, they will respond to the command. After one minute, have kids find new partners and repeat the process. Continue by having kids find new partners and share their phrases as time allows.

Talk About It

            Ask: • What was it like when no one understood you in this game or when you couldn’t understand someone?

            • In real life, how do you feel when it seems like your family or friends don’t understand what you’re going through?

            Say: Sometimes when we go through hard times, we feel like we’re alone and no one can understand what we’re going through. Jesus had people make fun of him and physically hurt him when he was here on earth. Jesus understands suffering, and Jesus understands what you’re going through, too.

Do a Wall Sit

            Say: Jesus understands suffering. We’re going to talk to him about our suffering right now, but we’ll do it in a somewhat uncomfortable way.

            Have everyone do a wall sit. To do a wall sit, kids will lean against the wall and get into a sitting position as if there is a chair under them. This is a difficult position to hold for a long time.

            If you don’t have enough wall space, kids can just squat in a way that will be difficult to hold.

            Then have kids take turns finishing this prayer aloud: “Jesus, thank you that you understand when…” Kids who are uncomfortable sharing a specific example of suffering aloud can simply say, “Jesus, thank you for understanding my suffering.”

            Have kids hold their wall sits or squats until everyone has shared. Then have them stand or sit comfortably.

Wrap Up

            Ask: • What was it like to hold that position for so long?

            Say: It wasn’t really suffering to hold a difficult position for a long time, but it sure was uncomfortable! When we go through difficult times, whether they’re uncomfortable or really feel like suffering, we can take comfort knowing that Jesus understands suffering. We’re never alone when we suffer!

            Thank kids for coming, and invite them to come back next week.

          Distribute a copy of the “Dig In @ Home” handout to kids as they leave, or email it to parents during the week.