Encounter Christianity: In Questions about Jesus lesson plan 3

Lesson three - Jesus is left behind (pages 6-7)

Aims for the book

To introduce pupils to key events from the life of Jesus and the way in which these raise questions about the person of Jesus.
To enable pupils to understand the importance of these events at the time of Jesus.
To enable pupils to reflect on the relevance of these events for Christians
To encourage pupils to raise questions about these events in the light of their own experience today.

Learning objectives

To help pupils recognise the influence that people exert on each other.
To help pupils recognise the importance of dialogue.

Text from the book

Why do you think Jesus felt at home in the Temple?

When Jesus was twelve, he and his parents left their home town of Nazareth to go to Jerusalem. At the end of their visit, Mary and Joseph set off home, but unknown to them, Jesus was still in the Temple. He was talking to rabbis, religious teachers, who were amazed at his knowledge and understanding. When his parents discovered he was not with them, they went back to look for him. They found him in the Temple. His mother was cross with him. Jesus could not understand why she was so cross, because he felt at home there. He did as he was told and went home with them.

Background

Jesus was, of course, Jewish and it was natural that he and his parents would go to the Temple to celebrate the Passover. This is the great festival remembering the Israelites’ escape from Egypt led by Moses. The story depicts Jesus as a remarkable youth whose parents don’t understand who or what he really is. He is, even in his youth, able to engage religious leaders in debate and the Temple in Jerusalem is his spiritual home. He has earthly parents, Mary and Joseph, but already he speaks about his ‘Father in heaven’ and says he must be about ‘my Father’s business’. They find him on the third day, prefiguring his death and resurrection.

Ways of using the picture

Discuss with the pupils how we learn from each other.
Were Jesus’ parents careless not to miss him for so long?
Discuss why the Temple, destroyed in 70 CE, was such an important place for Jews. There was only one Temple so why was Jesus drawn to it?
What do you find most interesting about V.S. Masoji’s picture?

Bible reference

Luke 2.41-52

Key words

Dialogue
Company
Discussion
Enthralled
Comfortable
Influence

Activity

Reflect and discuss with the pupils who are the significant influences in their lives.

Discuss the situations in which they are most comfortable and at ease. Where are they most at ease and in whose company?

Pupils can draw a similar picture to that shown on page 6 of the situation in their own experience which they feel ‘at home’. What is being said by whom? Who listens?

Set up a role play. Wonder at what might be being said in this picture by Jesus and the scholars.

Learning outcomes

Pupils will;

have reflected on the influences in their lives and with whom they feel most comfortable;
be aware of the way in which both pupils and teachers learn from each other;
know that in Luke’s Gospel, Jesus was shown to be a remarkable person with very special qualities.

Extension work

Dialogue and exchange of views is important in Judaism. Place pupils into groups. Put a question or Biblical quotation in the centre of a large sheet of paper. (You could use some of the questions posed in this book or extracts from the Bible references).

In groups, pupils discuss the meaning of the text and then write their individual views on the sheet. This large sheet could then be passed to the next group in order that they can add their understandings, having the benefit of the views of the previous group – keep passing the large sheet on. Reflect on the helpfulness of this in understanding writings.

Web site links

A photocopiable version of the image can be downloaded from http://www.christiananswers.net/

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