Rotation.org Writing Team

JESUS IN THE TEMPLE

COOKING WORKSHOP

PASSAGE

Bible Passage: Luke 2:41-52
Key/Memory Verse: Luke 2:52

PURPOSE

Objective(s) for rotation

After completing this Rotation, participants will be able to:

• Locate the story in the Bible;
  
• Identify the book of Luke as a New Testament Gospel;
  
• Tell the story of Jesus in the temple as a young boy;
  
• Explore the ways this story shows us that Jesus is human as well as divine;
  
• Identify Jesus' priority to learn in the house of God and relate our need to do likewise;
  
• Realize that participation in a community of faith helps us to learn our identity as a child of God;
  
• Compare Mary and Joseph's search for Jesus to our own search for God's presence in our lives.
  

Objectives for Cooking workshop

The kids will gain a better understanding of what it was like to travel in Jesus' day, and specifically, what it might have been like as he and his family traveled to and from Jerusalem for Passover. This workshop requires movement, it is not just a kitchen activity.

PREPARATION

Read Bible Background.

Materials list

• Apples, oranges, or other fruit with thick skin
  
• Baskets or cloth bags to carry food
  
• Beef jerky
  
• Bibles
  
• Honey
  
• Metal cups or mugs (Optional)
  
• Olives
  
• Pita bread
  
• Raisins or other dried fruit
  
• Rope (Optional)
  
• Water jugs, gallon size -- enough water for each kid to have a cup
  

Advance Preparation Requirements

Determine a route, inside and outside the building if possible, for the journey.

PRESENTATION

Open -- Introduction

Begin by talking about trips the kids have taken - to Grandma's, to Disney World, to summer camp.

Ask: How did you get there? How would you get there if there were no cars, airplanes, trains, or buses? What if you had to walk to get to where you wanted to go? How long would it take to walk to Disney World, to New York City?
Say: In Jesus' day, they had to walk everywhere, or if they were real lucky or wealthy, they might have had a horse, donkey, or camel to ride. All the Jewish people had to go up to Jerusalem at Passover, if they possibly could. This meant there were crowds of people walking along the roads to Jerusalem. Do you know that it would take around three days to walk to Jerusalem from Nazareth, where Jesus lived? What do you think that might have been like? Do you think the kids would be running around and playing? Do you think some people were walking slower or faster than others were? Who? (Older people, women with babies, very small kids might be slower.)

Were there 7-11s to grab a drink and a snack along the way? What about McDonalds? How would they eat? They'd have to bring their food with them, wouldn't they? And what about at night? Were there Holiday Inns all along the route? There might have been a few inns, but mostly, people would have to make camps for the night. That sounds like fun, doesn't it? All the people camping in groups, kids running and playing, food being cooked over fires, sleeping in tents or under the stars.

Given the crowd, confusion, noise, and so forth., do you think it's surprising that Mary and Joseph didn't notice Jesus wasn't there right at first? Jesus was 12 at the time. What would most 12 year olds be doing under these circumstances? (Playing games with their friends, climbing trees, racing each other).

Dig – Main Content

Distribute Bibles and read the passage from Luke 2:41-52. Discuss the rest of the story.

Say: Now, we're going to pretend we're with that crowd on the way to Jerusalem. We'll have to make some stops on the way, but first we have to get our supplies ready.
We'll need water. And we'll have to have people to share the carrying of the water, because it's heavy. (Assign kids to carry gallon water jugs, switching at each stop along the way).

We'll need food. What kind of foods do you suppose they might have taken with them? Remember, no refrigerators, no coolers, no microwaves, and you had to be able to easily carry it. (Listen to suggestions). Hand out foods from list in cloth bags or baskets. Make sure everyone has something to carry. Have everyone line up together and stress that they have to stay together, so they can all camp together. If you can, it's a neat touch to give each kid a metal cup to put in their bag or tie to their belts before setting off on their "trip" to use as a drinking cup for their water.

Lead the kids on as long a walk as you can, given your facilities and the time of year. If you can go outside and "camp" by a campfire while you eat your food, that's extremely cool. However, if you can only use one room, walk in a winding pattern around the room, simulating climbing up and down, crossing over streams and so forth, before you sit down to "camp" and have your food.

Give each kid a cloth napkin or a piece of heavy cloth to put their food on. Remind them there were no paper plates, and wooden plates would have been too heavy to carry very far. Divide up the food, giving everyone a chance to taste everything.
After eating their food, choose some kids to retell the story. Then walk together back to their original site. Be sure and have them pick up any trash, and carry back in their bags or baskets, emptying them when they get back.

Reflect -- Closure

Close with prayer as the children are dismissed.

CONTRIBUTOR: Joy Feemster