During the lesson, the information for you to know is written in regular type, and what we suggest speaking or reading aloud to children is in bold. All resources for this lesson, including the Teacher Guide and Student Page, can be downloaded in a ZIP file by clicking on the following link:
In some lessons you will find "resource articles." These are articles written by experts from around the world to help equip you for your work with children and adolescents. Share them with parents or guardians if you consider it appropriate.
Before class, think of animals that make distinctive noises. You will need to think of 1 animal for every 3–5 children in your class. If you use the optional slips of paper, write the animals on the slips of paper so each child will get a paper. You will want 3–5 children to have the same animal.
To prepare for today’s class, read the entire story of Jesus’ arrest, trial, and death in Mark 14:32—15:41.
The Lord your God your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.
Zephaniah 3:17
We do not serve a distant God. He is not dead or sleeping. He is not reclining on His distant throne in heaven looking down on us with disgust or boredom. No. Instead, our God cares so much about us that He left heaven to live among us as a man—Jesus. Our God wore flesh. He was sad and lonely. He prayed and wept. He was abandoned and betrayed.
Have you been abandoned or betrayed? Has someone in your life let you down? God knows how you feel. He understands your hurt. As you prepare to teach children the important truth that Jesus knows the pain of abandonment and betrayal, spend a few minutes in prayer. Talk with God about happened has happened to you and how you feel. Ask Him to help you heal from the pain. And rest quietly in His presence, giving the Holy Spirit space to heal, speak, and rejoice and sing over you. Pray that the children will also come to know this God who knows their pain and can heal them.
Let the families of your students know that in this lesson their children will learn that Jesus was abandoned and betrayed and understands their own feelings of hurt. Encourage the families with the truth that God is not distant. He is not dead, sleeping, or uninterested in our lives. When they and their children pray to Him, He hears them and cares!
Teacher Tip: If possible, email or text the Family Connection Card to the families of your students.
Greet children by name as they arrive. Shake their hands or give them each a high five. This simple physical gesture communicates that you notice them and are happy they are in class.
If you are using the optional slips of paper you prepared before class, give one to each child now. If you are not using the optional paper, call each child to come to you and whisper an animal in his/her ear. Be sure to give the same animal to 3–5 children. They should not tell anyone what their animal is. Once children have received their animal assignments, they can sit quietly until everyone has an animal.
When you say, “Go,” the children will make their animal noises as they wander throughout your teaching area. They will listen to other children’s animal noises and will get into a group with the other children making the same animal noise. Once they have found everyone with the same animal, they should sit together quietly as a group. If needed, help children to find their groups.
Have children discuss these questions with their group:
Discuss the next questions as a class. If children are spread out throughout your area, have them gather together so they can easily see and hear you.
The word “abandon” means to stop looking after or caring for someone.
They would most likely die.
Allow the children to offer their ideas before sharing the information below.
The word “betray” means to be disloyal or unfaithful to someone who trusts you. Some of you may have been abandoned or betrayed by people you trusted. Today we will learn that Jesus was also abandoned and betrayed. We will learn that Jesus understands how you feel and He can help you.
You can read this story as it is written or practice it ahead of time to tell it from memory. Use emotion in your voice as you tell this story. Be sure to read the direct Bible verses from your Bible. If that is not possible, you can read the Bible verses directly from this guide.
I will tell you a story that comes from the gospel of Mark in the Bible. Every time you hear about Jesus being abandoned, betrayed, or let down by His friends, quietly make an “X” with your arms.
Demonstrate how to make an “X” with your arms by clenching your fists and crossing your forearms. Invite children to practice doing the same.
When Jesus taught the people about God, huge crowds gathered to hear Him. Although many people loved hearing Jesus’ teaching, He had some enemies who did not like Him at all. These enemies were the religious leaders of the Jewish people. They were jealous of Jesus because He was so popular. They thought, “Everybody is listening to Jesus and not to us.” So they decided to get rid of Jesus. They tried to kill Him, but it was not time for Jesus to die yet, so He escaped.
Sometimes Jesus criticized these religious leaders because they said they loved God but they did not act like it. His criticism made them even angrier. They wondered, “How can we get rid of this man? We know we cannot capture Him in the daytime when everybody is around.” Somehow they had to find out where Jesus was going to be at night, when His followers would not be around.
They thought, “We will have to find someone who knows Him well to tell us where Jesus will be at nighttime.”
Judas, one of Jesus’ followers, went to the religious leaders and said, “If you give me money, I will tell you where Jesus will be at nighttime.” The leaders gave him money for this information. Soon after that, Judas knew Jesus would be praying in the Garden of Gethsemane that night. So he went secretly to the religious leaders and told them.
Pause to cross your arms in the shape of an “X” because Judas betrayed Jesus. Encourage children to do the same. Show the class the accompanying Action Bible picture if possible.
Jesus knew the time for Him to die was near, and He was very sad. He asked His friends to pray and to keep watch with Him in the garden while He spent time alone praying to His Heavenly Father. But it was late and His disciples were tired, so they fell asleep instead. Jesus came back to check on them 2 times, and each time they were sleeping. Jesus’ friends let Him down.
Pause and cross your arms in the shape of an “X,” and encourage children to do the same.
Let’s read the Bible to find out what happened the third time Jesus checked on His disciples.
Returning the third time, he said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners. Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!”
Just as he was speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, appeared. With him was a crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests, the teachers of the law, and the elders. The men seized Jesus and arrested him. Then [all the disciples] deserted him and fled.
Mark 14:41–43, 46, 50
Show the Action Bible picture if you can. Pause to lead children in crossing their arms in the shape of an “X.”
The men took Jesus to the Jewish religious leaders. Jesus went with them peacefully and did not fight. When the men arrived with Jesus, the religious leaders knew they could not kill Jesus because it was against the Roman laws for Jews to do that. Only the Romans could put someone to death. So the Jewish leaders took Jesus to Pilate, the Roman governor. Because Jesus had not done anything wrong, people told lies about Him.
Pause again and cross your arms in an “X.” Wait for children to follow your lead.
As Pilate listened to these angry men, he noticed that Jesus did not defend Himself. He knew Jesus had committed no crime. Pilate did not know what to do. He thought, “This man has not done anything wrong.” So in front of all the people, Pilate washed his hands. He said, “I am washing myself of all responsibility for the death of this man. I do not think He deserves to die.”
The crowd said, “We will take the blame for killing Him.” So Pilate sentenced Jesus to be killed.
First Jesus was whipped by Roman soldiers—a punishment so severe that some people died because of it. Then Jesus was beaten by another group of cruel soldiers. They pushed a crown of thorns into His head, slapped Him, spit on Him, and made fun of Him as the “king of the Jews.”
Quietly cross your arms in an “X.” Wait for children to follow your lead.
Jesus was taken outside Jerusalem to a place called Golgotha, which was likely a little hill that looked like a skull. There the Roman soldiers crucified Jesus on a cross. Nails were hammered into His hands and feet. He would hang there until He died.
Show the class the accompanying Action Bible picture if you can.
This is today’s story. But remember, this is not the end of Jesus’ story.
Optional: If you are using The Action Bible, have the children read this part of the story on pages 631–633, and 636.
Encourage the children to talk about the story.
Answers might include the disciples, Judas, the religious leaders, and the crowd.
Read the next 4 questions and give children about 1 minute to think quietly about their answers. Then have them pair up with another child near them and share their thoughts with her. Assure children that they do not have to share, but remind them to still listen respectfully to their partners.
If you have been abandoned, betrayed, or let down by someone, Jesus understands how you feel. He came down from heaven to live, suffer, and die among human beings. He knew He would be betrayed and abandoned. He knew He would feel sad and lonely and angry. But He willingly went through these things because He loves you. He will never leave you, betray you, or let you down. Jesus knows how you feel, and He wants to help you when you are sad and feeling emotional pain.
I did not tell you the ending of this true story. Can anyone share the wonderful ending with us?
If no one answers, share how Jesus rose from the dead and is alive and seated at the right hand of God the Father.
Wow! What an incredible true story! Jesus did not stay dead. He defeated death and rose again. He is alive, and He is with us!
Some of you may have a lot of pain in your heart because you were betrayed, abandoned, or let down. This is a normal feeling. But if this hurt takes over your life, it will be like a sickness in your heart. It will be all you think about and will cause even deeper sadness or anger. So how do you get rid of the hurt? You can begin by asking Jesus to help you. You already know that He understands. He went through exactly the same feelings. He cares about your pain.
Invite the children to respond to what they have heard from God’s Word by praying through the next 4 steps slowly. Invite them to close their eyes in prayer. Encourage them to hold their hands out in front of them with their palms open as a symbol of releasing their emotional hurts to God. Pause as needed for children to pray silently, in a whisper, or out loud. When you are finished, you can review the steps and tell the children that they can pray this way any time they feel hurt from betrayal or abandonment.
Step 1: Speak to Jesus in your own words. Tell Him how you have been betrayed or abandoned by someone you know (father, mother, brother, sister, uncle, aunt, friend, or teacher).
Step 2: Tell Jesus how the memory of betrayal or abandonment upsets you every time you think about it. Listen for a moment and know that He hurts with you. He understands your pain and wants to comfort you.
Step 3: Ask Jesus to lessen or take away the horrible feelings that you feel every time you think about being betrayed. You can also ask Him to help you endure what you are going through and to use it for His glory.
Step 4: Thank Jesus because He is with you and can help you think less about being betrayed. He loves you very much. The Bible tells us these words.
If you are using the optional Memory Verse poster, show that to the children while you read the verse directly from your Bible.
The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.
Zephaniah 3:17
Optional: If you are using the Student Pages, allow the children to create the prayer dove reminders.
Every time thoughts about being betrayed or abandoned enter your mind, repeat this truth: “God is with me. He sings over me with His love.” Keep saying that until the bad thoughts begin to fade. You can practice saying the words now as you pray.
Once children have finished praying, close your time by speaking this blessing over them:
Blessing: When you are sad and hurting, may you always remember that Jesus understands how you feel. He loves you and rejoices over you with singing. He will never leave, abandon, or betray you. God’s love will never disappoint you.
Lead the children in singing this quarter’s song if possible.
Life on Life ©2020 David C Cook. Reproducible for home or classroom use only. All other uses require written permission from David C Cook [email protected]. All rights reserved.
