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Title: Primary Sabbath School Program, June 10, 2000

From: NAD Children's Ministries (author: Lisa Seeders)

Date: April 30, 1997

Length:

Abstract: Activities to use in place of program helps 
to teach the lesson, THE DAY JESUS DIED
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Lesson Aim: Jesus loves me so much that He died, 
because that was the only way to save me from sin.

Memory Verse: "Greater love has no one than this, that 
he lay down his life for his friends."  John
15:13, NIV


GETTING THEIR ATTENTION

LOVING ACTS
[Materials needed: 1 large heart cut from poster 
board (make the heart as big as you can from the
poster board); permanent black marker; yard stick; 
plastic tack or some other adhesive to stick
the heart to the wall at eye level for the Primary 
children; blindfold]

[Directions: Tack the heart to the wall.  Using the 
yardstick, draw straight lines to divide the heart
into 6-8 pieces.  (For a larger Sabbath school, divide 
the group into smaller groups with 4-6 children in each.  
Make a divided heart for each group.  Instruct them to 
listen and follow thedirections they hear from the 
front.)  Ask the children, "What would be the most 
loving thing your parents or someone close to you 
could do for you?"  (Write every answer submitted 
in one of the divisions of the heart.)  Some possible 
responses might be: Take me to Disney World, Take me 
to Toys R Us and buy me whatever I want, Give me a 
$100.00 bill, Stop fighting, Spend a whole day with 
me, etc...Call for a volunteer.  Blindfold the 
volunteer and place them approximately ten
feet away from the heart, facing it.  (This is 
similar to Pin the tail on the donkey.)  Spin the 
child three times and head them in the direction of
the heart.  They are to place their finger somewhere
on the heart.  Take the blindfold off and see what 
loving act they landed on.  Continue the game for 
anyone who wishes to participate.  If you were 
separated, come back together as a whole
group.  Discuss the following questions:
     1.  Were you happy with the loving deed you 
landed on?  Were you disappointed?
     2.  Do you wish this was real and not just a 
game?
In our Bible story today, a very loving deed was 
done.  The most loving deed that has ever been
done.  It's for you and me, and it's not a game.  
It's real!  GO STRAIGHT INTO THE BIBLE
STORY.


GETTING INTO SCRIPTURE

MOCK TRIAL
[Materials needed: Children's script parts below 
printed on poster board.  The script parts are said
in unison according to the lesson in the quarterly; 
Adults to play the parts of Jesus, Pilate, Herod
and Barabbas, a pulpit chair to serve as Pilate and 
Herod's throne]
[Directions: Send the adults a copy of the lesson 
story from the quarterly ahead of time.  Highlight
their speaking parts.  The story is narrated by the 
leader.   Jesus has no speaking parts at all. 
Whenever there is a crowd speaking a part, the 
children say it together from the poster board
script.  "He deserves to die."
     "Free Barabbas.  We want Barabbas."
     "Hail, King of the Jews!'
 "If you are God's Son, come down from the cross."
     "Truly, this was the Son of God!"
At the end of the mock trial discuss the following 
questions with the children:
     1.  What do you think about Jesus' trial?
     2.  Would you have wanted to have been there?  
Why?  Why not?
     3.  After today's story, how would you describe 
Jesus?  What kind of picture words
would you use?


MATCHING GOD'S LOVE TEXTS
[Materials needed: Texts listed below; twelve 
8 1/2" x 11" sheets of paper; ]
[Directions: Print all the phrase I verse words 
on six of the  8 1/2" x 11 sheets of paper, one
phrase to a sheet.  Print all the phrase II verse 
words on the remaining six sheets of paper.  Shuffle
the papers well and spread them out face down on 
the floor about two feet apart in a large square. 
(Four in each row horizontally and three vertically)  
The first child chooses two sheets to step on
and turn over.  If the verse phrases go together they 
keep the match.  If not, they turn them back
over and the play proceeds on to the next child.  
Continue in this manner until all the verses have
been matched up.  Add additional verses for longer 
play or larger groups.]

(Phrase I                      
Phrase II)

Greater love has no one than this            
that he lay down his life for his friends.  

God so loved the world that He               
Gave His only begotten Son                   

Whosoever believeth in Him shall not
Perish but have everlasting life.

And walk in love as Christ also hath loved us     
and hath given Himself for us.......

...God sent His only begotten Son into the world      
That we might live through Him.

We love Him                             
Because He first loved us.

...Unto Him that loved us, and washed us          
from our sins in His own blood.