Rotation.org Writing Team

JESUS AND PETER: DO YOU LOVE ME?

SCIENCE WORKSHOP

PASSAGE

Bible Story

John 21:1-17

Background Scripture passages for teacher preparation include:

John 13:33, 36-38

John 18:15-18, 25-27

Key/Memory Verse

John 21:15-17

PURPOSE

Objectives

Students will:

Locate the story of Peter’s denial and restoration in the Bible, learning that the story is in the New Testament Gospel of John

Retell the story in their own words.

Contrast Jesus’ love for Peter, even after Peter denied knowing him. Jesus was giving Peter another chance.

Discover that we, too, do wrong things sometimes – but God forgives us and gives us second chances.

Explore Peter’s statement of faith – “Yes, I love you.”

Recognize that Statements of Faith are hollow words without Statements of Action.

Develop their own Statement of Faith and Action, pledging support to Jesus.

Connect Jesus’ breakfast with his disciples, and his questions to Peter with our own “breakfast with Jesus” – communion – and understand that sacrament as a pledge to Jesus that we will minister to others in Christ’s name.

Objectives for Science Workshop

To learn the story by using science experiments.

To see how Jesus called Peter and us to active caring for others.

To realize that we can be reconciled to Jesus, no matter what we have done.

PREPARATION

Read Bible Background.

Materials List

• Bibles
  
• Books
  
• Cups, Styrofoam®
  
• Marbles
  
• Nail or sharpened pencil
  
• Pitcher of water
  
• Rulers with a center groove
  
• Scissors
  
• Sink or large bowl/bucket
  

Advance Preparation Requirements

Take the nail or the sharpened pencil and punch two holes in the bottom of a Styrofoam® cup, as close together as possible without the two holes merging into one. You’ll need one of these for each station you’ll have of experiment #1.

Cut a 1.5” to 2” square from the rim of a Styrofoam Cup for each station you’ll have of experiment #2.

PRESENTATION

Open – Introduction

Have the students introduce themselves and tell you their favorite animal.

Be sure and introduce yourself.

Open by saying the Lord’s Prayer together.

Does anyone know what we’re studying this rotation? We’re talking about Jesus & Peter.

Is this in the Old Testament or the New Testament? We read about Jesus and his disciples in the New Testament.

Our story this rotation is in the book of John. Where is John in the New Testament? (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, the 4th book).

What do we call the first four books of the New Testament? (Gospels)

What does the word Gospel mean? (Good News)

After Jesus died on the cross, what was the Good News? (Jesus rose from the dead.)

This story happens after Jesus has risen from the dead.

Dig - Main Content

Have a student help pass out Bibles.

Help everyone open the Bibles to the middle to find Psalms (The book that begins PS for younger kids). Then, open the back part to the middle to find the beginning of the New Testament. Now, flip through Matthew, Mark, and Luke to find John. In John, we’re looking for chapter (big number) 21. We’re going to start with verse (little number) 15.

For older students, have students take turns reading verses 15-19. Always ask for volunteers; never force a child to read.

For younger students, read the story out loud to them.

What did Jesus keep asking Peter? (Do you love me?)

What did Peter say? (Yes)

What did Jesus tell him to do? (Feed my sheep, tend my lambs, and feed my lambs)

Did Jesus mean for Peter to take care of animals? (No)

What did he mean? (Take care of God’s children)

Experiment #1

Show the students the cup with the holes in the bottom.

How many holes are in the bottom of this cup? (2)

There are 2 holes -- one for Peter and one for Jesus.

What will happen if I pour water into this cup? (It will leak out the bottom)

Will I get two streams of water or one? (Let students vote.)

Let’s check it out together.

Have a student hold the cup over the sink or large bowl or bucket.

Have another student pour the water into the cup.

Using your thumb and index finger, quickly pinch the two streams of water from the bottom of the cup together. You may have to do it several times to get it to work.

The water molecules are attracted to each other. This is called Cohesion. All it takes is a little pinch and this attraction makes the two streams into one stream.

What do you think the water experiment had to do with Peter and Jesus?

Because of some bad things that happened the night Jesus was arrested (Peter denied Jesus three times), Peter felt separate from Jesus, just like the streams of water were separate at first. Through this special time together, Peter had the chance to affirm his love for Jesus and they were reunited.

If time allows, repeat the experiment and let others take turns participating.

Let’s look at another experiment.

Experiment #2

On a table, lay the ruler so it is groove up, with one end on a book and the other on the table. It should look like a ramp. At the bottom of the ramp, set the cup with the square cut out of it. Put the square over the end of the ruler so the marble will roll off the ramp into the cup.

Peter said that he loved Jesus. That gave him a lot of potential to do good things, just like the potential energy this marble has if I put it here at the top of this ramp.

[Put the marble at the top of the ramp, but hold on to it.]

What Jesus told Peter was that he had to use that potential by actually doing something. He had to take care of Jesus’ people.

What happens if I let go of the marble?

(Let go of the marble.)

The marble rolls down the ramp into the cup, moving the cup. The marble changed its potential energy into kinetic energy, or energy of motion. The kinetic energy carried the marble down the ramp and it was strong enough to move the cup.

(If time allows, repeat the experiment, possibly making the ramp taller by stacking more books, and let others take turns participating.)

Reflect – Closure

In the water experiment, we pinched the two streams together to make them one. This showed how Jesus and Peter ended their separation. What sorts of things can be that pinch if we feel separated from Jesus? (Attending church, praying, reading Bible, talking to a friend or adult about God, and so forth.)

How can we be that pinch that helps others feel closer to God? (By living as God wants us to, by witnessing with our lives, not just our words)

In the marble experiment, we saw that we can turn potential into action. What sorts of action did Jesus want Peter to do? (Teach people more about God and Jesus, clothe naked, feed hungry, visit those in prison, and heal sick. Matthew 25:31-46. Micah 6:8)

What sorts of action does Jesus want us to do? (Be nice to new kids at school, pray for people who are mean or bullies, share with others, obey parents.)

Does anyone know the memory verse? (If so, let them say it.)

Let's say it together.

"Do you love me? Then feed my sheep." John 21:15-17

(Repeat several times.)

Go around the room and give the children time to share Joys (happy things) and Concerns (sad things).

Close with prayer. If you wish, you may pray like this:

Thank you God, for the chance to be here today and learn more about you. Remind us that you are always with us. Help us to live our lives as you would have us live them. In your name we pray. Amen.

ADDITIONAL SUGGESTIONS

Adaptations - Younger Children

Read the story from a children’s Bible.

Adaptations - Older Children

You can have the students prepare the Styrofoam® cups in class and do the experiments themselves.

Have the older children read John 18:15-18 and John 18:25-27 before answering what Experiment #1 had to do with Peter and Jesus. Ask: Who caused the separation between Peter and Jesus? (Peter) After answering that question, have them read Romans 8:38. Say: No matter what we have done, Jesus always loves us and wants to be with us.

SOURCES

Breckenridge, Judy, Muriel Mandell, Anthony D. Fredericks, and Louis V. Loeschnig. 365 Super Science Experiments With Everyday Materials. New York: Scholastic, 2004.

VanCleave, Janice. Janice VanCleave’s 201 Awesome, Magical, Bizarre & Incredible Experiments. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1994.

CONTRIBUTOR: Jo Oehrlein