"The Lamb of God"
The theme we will be using with the Gospel of John is "fishing" and "sheep". We will learn some fishing tips so we can be like Jesus and the disciples whom Jesus made "fishers of men". And how The Good Shepherd tends His flock and how important the flock is to the shepherd and each other..
Project 1
Materials needed are: a stick, string, paper clip, magnets, glue, poster board, printer and/or coloring material of your choice.
Have each child go outside and pick out a branch they would like to use as their old fashioned fishing pole. Okay Dad can go out and do it too if he wants. : - )
While they are looking and peeling off bark, get your string out and cut lengths about 12"- 24" each. Print out pictures of fish from your computer or draw your own or have the children draw and color their own. You can also look up pictures of fish in catalogs or get a book on fish at the library and run off copies of them.
After you do your fish, glue them to your poster board and cut them out. (Make sure your fish are big enough to write scripture verses on.) After you've cut them out, attach a paper clip to each one. The paper clip can have two benefits. 1. You can just write or type your scripture verse out; cut it out and slip it into the paper clip. 2. The paper clip will allow the magnet to attach to the fish.
Tie the string to one end of the stick, and glue on a magnet (about ½ to 1 inch) at the other end of the string. (If you don't have a regular magnet, cut a refrigerator magnet that has advertisement you may not need on it. (Walmart and craft supply stores sell different sizes of magnets also).
Now: we can fish without a Sea of Galilee to put your fish in, so can get a large bowl or bucket, and build a scene around it using sheets, plants and artificial trees. Or you can make your own trees. Let you imaginations roll!
Play time:
During the lessons ahead there will be verses you will want your children to remember. Write or type the verses, cut them out and attach them to the fish. At the end of the lesson, let the children, (old and young ) go fishing for the verses. Let them fish for however many verses you want them to learn or memorize or to just read for the day. They can even make their own fish bucket to store their fish in. Don't forget about a tackle box for their fishing lures too.
Another idea is to paint/color pictures of different lures on their magnets and store them in their own tackle box for bait. This way they can change their baits to make it more interesting and fun.
PART 1
Below is a list of words found in verses 1-42 of chapter 1. For each word, fish for the verses that use it and write that verse/verses in your own words. (This helps each person or instructor to know that you comprehend the meaning of the verse). You can also use the words for vocabulary and have each person write sentences with it or the definitions.
Darkness
Light
WorldLaw
Wilderness Grace
WaterBorn
Straight Word
Testimony Loose
Deny Baptize
Beginning Witness
Lamb Messiah
Spirit
PART 2 FISHING TOURNAMENT
We are now going to have our first fishing tournament!
You need a stopwatch or timer and someone to write the times. Select someone to start the tournament. Upon that person's signal see who can fish through verses 29 to 51 for the answers to the following questions the fastest. They each have to write them down. Write down the time of the winner and for each tournament try to beat that time. (You should have a separate one for different age groups. Then each age group, can see if they can beat their own time or the other age groups timing during each tournament.
Questions:
1. What day did John the Baptist see Jesus coming toward him?
2. When John sees Jesus coming, who does John say Jesus is? (For 10 bonus points): Why did John refer to Jesus in this manner?
3. Who does John say was before him and how can that be if John was born first? Give the verse in vs. 1-13 that supports your answer.
4. What did John see land on top of Jesus? What did this represent?
5. How does John know for sure who Jesus was?
6. What does John testify about Jesus?
7. When John's two disciples heard John speak about Jesus what did they do?
8. Who is named as one of John's disciple and who is his brother? (2 bonus points)
9. On the "following day" whom did Jesus find and what did He say to him?
10. What city were Phillip, Peter and Andrew from?
11. Who else did Jesus call in these verses?
12. What did Jesus tell Nathaniel that he would see?
13. In verse 39 John says that it was about the tenth hour: In Jesus day, time began at 6:00 a.m. What time would the tenth hour be? (2 bonus points)
Closing thought:
The next time you go fishing, remember that Jesus and His disciples were fishermen, as well as "fishers of men". Why not invite Jesus to go fishing with you and watch what happens.
