VERSES: Matthew 26:1-5; 14-16; Mark 14:1, 2; 10-11; Luke 22:1-6
MEMORY VERSE: Luke 22:6 "And he promised, and sought opportunity to betray him unto them..."
BOOK TO REMEMBER: Ezekiel. Write "Ezekiel" on small slips of paper for the students to take home and memorize.
PRAYER: Pray that we will always be a good friend like Jesus was. Jesus gave His life for His friends.
SPECIAL SONG: No, Not One -(see June 2014 - Songs We Sing In Bible Class #6 for the words and tune to this song. Click on orange button.)
VISUAL AID: Large Activity (see below). Perhaps use real silver coins.
LESSON POINTS:
- It was almost time for the Feast of the Unleavened Bread which was also called the Passover. We remember that on the Passover, God's people, the Old Testament nation of Israel, were to remember how God had led His people out of Egyptian slavery. On the tenth and last plague, God had commanded His people to put the blood of an unblemished lamb on both sides of their doors and over their mantles. When the LORD saw the blood on the door, then the LORD would "pass over" that home and that family would be spared the death of their firstborn. The reason God's people observed the Passover feast year after year was to remember (see Lesson - Plague #10 - May 2014). It was to be a memorial for them (Exodus 12:14). This was the feast that Jesus said was coming in two days and Jesus, the Son of Man, was to be betrayed and crucified.
- The chief priests, the scribes and the elders of the people gathered together into the palace of Caiaphas, the high priest, and talked about how they might slyly take Jesus and kill Him. But they did not want to to kill Jesus on the feast day because they were afraid that the people might get into an uproar.
- Meanwhile, Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve of Jesus' disciples, was greedy, selfish, and did not love Jesus with his whole heart. Judas went privately to the chief priests and asked them what they would give him if he delivered Jesus to them. The chief priests gladly promised Judas thirty pieces of silver if he would tell them which man was Jesus. By always being grouped together with the disciples, the chief priests did not exactly know which one of the men in the group was Jesus, but Judas promised to tell them. After that meeting, Judas looked for an opportunity to betray Jesus when the crowds of people were not around. Satan was behind Judas' betrayal of Jesus, but it was Judas who chose to betray Jesus.
- To betray someone means to give information about a friend to an enemy. or to pretend to be a friend, but really you are not. Judas said he would betray Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. Thirty pieces of silver was not much money, but Judas was greedy. Judas held the disciples' purse that they used for their expenses and Judas stole from this purse his own purposes. Judas was definitely selfish and thought only about his needs and desires.
- Read Luke 22:6. After Judas promised to give Jesus to the chief priests and scribes, Judas looked for an opportunity to betray Jesus, Truly, Judas chose to betray his friend, Jesus.
- This was only the beginning of Judas' betrayal of Jesus. By going to the chief priests, scribes, and elders with this proposition, God's plan for redeeming man by the blood of Christ would soon come to pass.
Material needed: 10" circle of thin black material, 30" of yarn or lace or twine, 8.5" x 11" piece of silver poster board (less expensive white poster board can just as easily be used, but I had to purchase a roll of aluminum foil at the Dollar Store. If money is tight, the students can color the white poster board gray or silver), 3" x 3" scrap paper, hole punch, scissors.
- Preparation: I have found that preparing the circles in advance is quite helpful. Simply find a 10" circle--I used a lid to a cooking pot--and trace on black fabric with a white crayon. I tried white chalk, but I could see the crayon easier. Cut out circles.
- Hand out circles of fabric.
- Fold fabric in half.
- About 1/2" down from the edge of the fabric, cut a small circle large enough for yarn or ribbon to fit through.
- Leaving the fabric folded, cut another hole on the opposite edge.
- Refold fabric on, so that the already-cut holes are in the middle of the fabric's edge.
- Cut two holes opposite of each other. (see picture below)
- Refold fabric, and continue to cut holes in the fabric around the circle. The advantage of cutting the fabric this way is that is will not be necessary to count to the holes to make certain there is an even number. If there is an odd number of holes, the yarn or ribbon's ends will not be threaded through on the same side. Eight evenly places holes should be enough.
- Hand out ribbon (see above picture).
- Thread ribbon through holes. Both ends should come out on the same side.
- Turn black circle over. (This way, when the coins are counted on top of the purse, the purse can be closed easily.)
- Hand out poster board.
- Cut out 30 tiny circles (about 1/2" each). These are the 30 coins.
- If using white poster board and foil, hand out foil in two 4" x 12" strips. Tear strips of foil to cover coins. Cover coins. It is easier to count coins as they are covered. I placed mine in groups of five.
- Hand out scrap of paper.
- Punch a hole in top right corner of scrap of paper.
- Write, "A Plot To Betray Jesus" and "Matthew 26:14-16." This is the label.
- Thread label onto one end of ribbon.
- By pulling on both ends of ribbon at one time, the fabric will naturally be pulled into a 'purse."
- Tie ribbon ends into a bow.
