MIRACLES OF JESUS

Devotion Motion #1

This lesson plan is copyrighted and belongs to the Kirk of Kildaire Presbyterian,

Cary North Carolina. It may be used for non-profit uses only.

DEVOTION MOTION 1 This workshop will last 45 minutes.

SCRIPTURE: The Wedding at Cana, John 2:1-11 Key Verse: “Jesus did this...and his disciples believed in him.” (John 2:11)

OBJECTIVES: The children will be able to identify this as Jesus’ first miracle.

The children will learn to understand that Jesus showed God’s glory. The children will understand that his followers saw Jesus’ specialness and believed in him.

CONCEPT: Define “miracle” for children (miracle - a wonderful event which shows us the power of God, or an especially vivid moment when as a result of an unexpected and surprising event, one becomes aware of the presence and power or God at work).

The children will vividly remember this the first miracle of Jesus through the fun, yet thought provoking, experience of foot washing and making grape juice. This activity will provide the Kinesthetic learner with the movement that facilitates high level retention and creative thought.

PROCEDURE:

1. Welcome the kids. Open the time with prayer. In your prayer, thank God for each person gathered there and ask God to open your ears and eyes that you might all see/hear/experience God’s awesome power. If you are not comfortable using your own prayer, find one in a resource book in library, ask someone to write one for you to use.

2. Make sure you know each child’s name and use their names when speaking with them. You may want to have each child introduce themselves in a game appropriate for DEVOTION MOTION.

For example: Hi, my name is ______________and my favorite food is _____________.

3. Introduce the bible lesson. You may choose to tell the story, read the scripture from your bible, have kids find bible passage and you read it, have kids find it and volunteer to read it, have it written on scroll and read it, have it printed out in large print for all to read together - you choose how you feel is best for you and your teaching style. What method best suits the story? How old are the kids? For the younger kids you might try the book The Feast That Almost Flopped, Arch Publishing. This might also be okay for older kids, but you may need to modify the written words - use the pictures, but use your own more detailed story.

Whatever method of introducing the bible lesson you choose, it is recommended that you use either the New Revised Standard Version or Contemporary English Version.

4. Activity: The children will press “wine” (grape juice) from grapes. See instructions below.

Assemble your ingredients: Green grapes, at room temperature,

clean large pans or small children’s pool (a new one is best)

clean pillowcases

towels and basins for feet washing

clean plastic drop cloth (thin, cheap one from hardware)

a. Put a clean plastic drop cloth under the pans or pool you will use to crush grapes.

b. Have kids sit around edge of plastic cloth and remove shoes and socks.

c. Workshop leader and shepherd will go around and wash each child’s feet. Discuss

significance of foot washing in Jesus’ time and now.

cc. People washed feet anytime they entered anyone’s house. Roads were dusty and most people wore sandals. Servants usually did this. Jesus washed the feet of his disciples to show them he served them. Why do we wash our feet today? When do kids wash their feet (before they get into the pool, after they play outside, when they bathe or shower, etc.)

d. Have each child pull off the larger stems from about 2 handfuls of green grapes that are

at room temperature (more juice will be produced if the grapes are not cold).

e. Put the grapes into the pillowcases. Have 1 pillowcase for every 2-3 kids. Twist the

top of the case down until the twist reaches the grapes. Place the grapes in the case

in a shallow pan or child’s wading pool.

f. Have each child, with clean feet, step into the pan/pool and trod on the pillowcase.

Allow each child in the group of 2-3 to have a turn trodding on the grapes.

g. When all the juice has been forced out, strain the juice into small cups.

h. After the juice is made, serve it with crackers around a table or area set aside in a circle

Say a blessing before sharing your juice.

5. Discuss the experience of making juice and the miracle story of the water into wine. Ask questions like the ones below. Be sure to include both fact recall type questions and questions that ask the kids what they think (higher level thinking type questions). There are no “right” answers to those questions, but there are to fact recall questions.

a. What happened in the story? (Sequence questions help kids understand story) b. How do you think the disciples felt when they saw what happened? c. Who asked Jesus to help?

d. Why did Jesus perform miracles?

e. How would you have felt if you had been on the scene for this miracle?

f. Would you also have “believed in (Jesus)?” (John 2:11)

Questions will need to be tailored to the age of children you will have. More fact recall questions for younger kids and more higher level thinking questions for older kids. HOWEVER, be sure to ask each group BOTH types of questions.

6. Review the memory verse and remind kids this was Jesus’ first miracle. Remind kids that Jesus was doing God’s work. We, as Christians, are called to take our example from Jesus and do God’s work. You may want to ask the kids what they know about or have heard or experience about Jesus that, like the disciples, makes them “believe in him”.

7. Clean up the remains from the juice making.

8. Have kids put either a stamp from your workshop, a sticker or a small item (grape stem?) in their journal to help them remember where they went and what the workshop was about. This is to help them when they do their journal writing at the end of the day.

CLOSING:

Close with a prayer. For example: Wonderful God, you have given us so much. Thank you for our blessings! May we share the joy of belonging to you with others. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

TEACHER PREP IN ADVANCE:

1. Preview grape juice making instructions and perhaps try it at home to “smooth” out the process in advance.

2. Get all the materials you are going to need.

3. Write opening prayer or “get” one you like.

4. Decide how you want to present the bible lesson and practice whatever method you choose. Practice telling the story and get any props you might wish to use (nothing to elaborate for props!)

5. Write questions for discussion. Be sure to include both fact recall questions and “thinking” questions. Be prepared to answer questions kids might have. For example, Did Jesus really make wine or grape juice? Can’t people do that now, so is it really a miracle? Wasn’t Jesus just doing what his mother told him to and not really God?

6. Decide what you want to use to ‘mark’ kids’ journals. This sticker/stamp/item (seed from a grape, drop of juice?) to help them remember what they saw, did, learned in your workshop to help them at journal writing at the end of the day. It is NOT to be a craft they do, just a small item you have for them to place in their Daily Journal to encourage them to respond to what they have experienced.

7. Decide how you want to close. Have prayer written - are you going to read it, have kids read it together, one kid read, etc. What if you have extra time? Are there other activities you could do? Have something else “up your sleeve” just in case you have a few extra minutes.

MATERIALS:

*Juice making supplies

*The Feast That Almost Flopped book if you choose or other bible story book

*Cups, napkins and crackers for sharing of juice

REFERENCES:

“Jesus’ Miracles”, J. Nowak, Memorial Presbyterian Church, Xenia, OH