VERSES: Matthew 26:57-75; Mark 14:53-72; Luke 22:54-71; John 18:12-27
MEMORY VERSE: Matthew 26:75 "And peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly."
BOOK TO REMEMBER: Obadiah. Write "Obadiah" on small slips of paper and hand out at the end of class, so the students may memorize another Old Testament book at home.
PRAYER: Pray that we will not be ashamed of the Gospel. Let us tell everyone about our loving Savior.
SPECIAL SONG: Jesus Loves The Little Children (see February 2014 - Songs We Sing In Bible Class #2 on this blog. Click on orange circle to hear tune.)
VISUAL AID: Large Activity (see below)
LESSON POINTS:
- While Jesus was being led first to Annas, the high priest, the scribes and elders gathered together and tried to find witnesses who would say things about Jesus that were worthy of death, but could not find one. Finally they found witnesses who lied about Jesus, but they did not say the same things about Him.
- Where were Jesus' disciples? All of His disciples had run away because they were afraid that they, too, might be arrested. Many of the disciples were nowhere to be seen, but only Peter and John followed Jesus from a distance away, watching to see what was going to happen. As the mob led Jesus, John was able to go into the palace of the high priest with Jesus because the high priest knew John, but Peter was not allowed inside.
- So, as Peter stood outside the door, John went outside and spoke to the young maiden who was the doorkeeper and, finally, was able to bring Peter inside. When the young girl saw Peter, she asked him, "Aren't you also one of this man's disciples?" meaning Jesus's disciples. Peter said, "I am not." (Uh-oh! Peter denied Jesus!) As the servants and officers who stood nearby, a fire had been made because it was cold. Peter warmed himself beside the fire with them.
- Meanwhile, the high priest asked Jesus questions about His disciples and His doctrine, or what He taught. Jesus answered the high priest, "I have done nothing secretly. I spoke openly to everyone. I taught in the synagogue and in the temple. Why are you asking me these things? Ask those who heard me what I said to them. They know." When Jesus had finished speaking, one of the officers who stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand and said, "Why are you answering the high priest like that?" Jesus replied, "If I have answered wrongly, tell what the wrong is, but if I speak the truth, why did you strike me?" Then Annas sent Jesus bound to Caiaphas, the high priest and his son-in-law, who beforehand had told the Jews that one man should die for the people.
- As Peter warmed himself by the fire, some of the men asked him, "Aren't you one of Jesus' disciples?" Peter again denied that he was Jesus' disciple. (Uh-oh! that's the second time Peter denied Jesus!) One of the high priest's servants who was related to Malchus, whose right ear Peter had cut off with a sword in the Garden of Gethsemane, said to Peter, "Didn't I see you in the garden with Jesus? Surely, you are one of them. We can tell from your speech that you are from Galilee." Peter, again denied Jesus for the third time, by saying, "I don't know this man."
- While Peter was speaking was when the rooster crowed. At that moment, Jesus turned His head and looked at Peter. It was then that Peter remembered what Jesus had said about denying Him three times before the rooster crowed twice. Peter went out and cried bitterly.
- Two high priests? Annas had been taken out of power by the Romans, but the Jews still looked upon Annas as the true high priest. Caiaphas merely held the position for Annas.
- Read Luke 22:61. Only Luke tells us about Jesus turning and looking at Peter. Jesus knew everything that happened before it happened and He still does.
- When we are convicted of our sins, like Peter was, it makes us very sad, so sad that we completely change our ways and go in the opposite direction as we will see Peter does in later lessons in the book of Acts.
Materials needed: 12" x 18" yellow construction paper, crayons, marker, tape.
- Hand out yellow paper.
- Fold paper in half, width-wise.
- Fold paper in half again.
- Unfold paper.
- Fold one panel the opposite way, so the paper will make a box.
- PANEL 1: The top panel will be blank. This will be the panel that will be taped under Peter's panel when finished as support.
- PANEL 2: At the top of this panel, write, "JESUS Stands Before The High Priest." In this panel, draw the high priest, Jesus, and at least one officer. Draw Jesus' hands bound. In the blank areas in this panel, write the things that Jesus said to the high priest, for example, "I have done nothing secretly." "I spoke to everyone openly" "I taught in the temple and synagogue "Why are you asking me these things?" "Ask those who heard me, what I said to them" and "They know." Color the picture.
- PANEL 3: In large letters, write "MEANWHILE..." and, in small letters, write, "Matthew 25:57-75" "Mark 14:53-72" "Luke 22:54-71" and "John 18:12-27." Color the word, MEANWHILE...
- PANEL 4: At the top of this panel, write, "Peter Denies Jesus 3 Times." In this panel, draw three boxes numbered at the top of each box.
- In Box 1, draw Peter and John and the young girl by the door. Beside Box 1, write "Aren't you one of this man's disciples?" and "I am not." Circle "I am not."
- In Box 2, draw peter warming himself by the fire with a man. Beside Box 2, write, "Aren't you one of Jesus' disciples?" and "I do not know Him." Circle "I do not know Him."
- In box 3, draw Peter and an officer. Beside Box 3, write "Didn't I see you in the garden with Jesus?" and "I do not know this man."
11. Tape sides.
12. Rehearse story with students, if time permits.