Lesson 7: Jesus' Childhood

Aim:
1. To learn the background to Jesus’ childhood & life in Palestine
2. To understand that Jesus was a special person chosen by God

Materials:
* Bible story of Jesus in the temple – Luke 2:41-52
– Lion First Bible enlarged pictures
– Display words for Jesus, Mary, Joseph, teachers, Nazareth, Jerusalem, Temple
* Map of Bible lands
* picture of Jerusalem & the temple
* worksheets
* Materials for drama activity – signs for Nazareth & Jerusalem, cups, water

Lesson Outline
1. Introduction
2. Tell the story
3. Questions about the story
4. Relate the story to children’s lives
5. Activities – act out the story, play hide-and-seek, worksheet
6. Review the aims
7. Prayer

1) Introduction
* Ask the children what they know about Jesus
When did he live?Where was he born? Who were his parents? Who brought him gifts?

* We know very little about Jesus’ childhood. He lived 2,000 years ago in what is now Israel. (Show a map) He was descended from Abraham and David. Jesus’ parents were Joseph and Mary, He had four brothers (James, Joseph, Simon and Judas) and two sisters. His cousin was John the Baptist.
John’s mother was Elisabeth, the sister of Mary.

* Jesus lived in Nazareth. His father was a carpenter

2) Tell the Story
Use the large pictures to tell the story. You can show the pictures again and ask the children to tell you the story in their own words. Test their knowledge by asking questions about the story.

3) Questions about the story
1. Where did Jesus live? – Nazareth
2. How old was Jesus in the story? – twelve
3. Where did he travel to with his family? – Jerusalem
4. Why did they go there? – to celebrate the Feast of the Passover
4. When they went home, where did they think Jesus was? – somewhere in the group they were traveling with
5. When did Joseph and Mary notice that Jesus was missing? – after one day
6. How long did Joseph and Mary search for Jesus in Jerusalem? – for three days
7. Where did they find Jesus and what was he doing? – in the temple with the teachers, listening and asking questions
8. Why were Joseph and Mary angry with Jesus? – They were very worried, searching for him. He hadn’t told them where he was going
9. What did Jesus mean when he said, “My father’s house”? He meant Heavenly Father’s house, the temple where people pray and study God’s word.

4) Relate the story to children’s lives
Have you ever been lost? What happened? How did you feel? How did your parents feel?
Jesus’ reaction (Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?) was very unusual. What did he mean? From an early age it shows that he thought a lot about God. He prayed a lot, studied God’s words a lot and had many questions.

5) Activities
* Drama Activity – This activity also includes two games (Hide-and-Seek & Simon Says)
– Use signs for Nazareth & Jerusalem.
– Use paper and cups for refreshment

* Worksheet – Colour the picture, answer the questions.
1. When did Joseph and Mary discover that Jesus was missing? – after one day
2. How long did they search for Jesus? – three days
3. Why were they angry with Jesus? – They were worried, He hadn’t told them where he was going
4. What did Jesus mean when he said “my Father’s house”? – the temple
5. Was Jesus usually obedient? – yes

* Maze – Help Joseph and Mary find Jesus in the Temple

6) Review the Lesson
1. To learn about the background to Jesus’ childhood & life in Palestine
2. To understand that Jesus was a special person chosen by God

7) Prayer