Thi lesson plan reviews Jesus’ sacrifice with Scripture, stations of the cross, a worksheet, a dynamic activity and a fun review game.
Key Points
Jesus is the Redeemer because his death frees us from our sins. The Stations of the Cross help us learn about his suffering and death. The events of Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday (the Triduum) enable us understand Jesus’ sacrifice.
Vocabulary
Stations of the Cross, Triduum
Opening Questions
Who put Jesus to death?……[Jewish priests and Roman leaders that did not like the power he had]
Why didn’t he save himself?……[He knew he had to sacrifice his life to save us from our sins]
How old was Jesus?……[30 years old]
What happened after Jesus’ crucifixion?……[3 days later God raised him from the dead]
Scripture: On the Cross [Luke 23:39-43]
Set the Stage
Draw on the whiteboard this image of 3 crosses.
Explain that 2 other men were crucified when Jesus died.
They were thieves. One was on Jesus’ left side and one was on the right side. Jesus was nailed to the cross. The other 2 were attached to their crosses by ropes.
Read the Scripture
Together read Luke 23:39-43 from your Bibles or read using on-line Bible passage.
Discuss the Scripture
Why did one of the criminals who was put to death with Jesus mock him?…..[he was afraid, he thought Jesus should save himself]
Why did the other criminal ask Jesus to remember him?……[he recognized that Jesus was the son of God]
Why did Jesus say to him, “This day you will be with me in paradise?……[to indicate that he will be saved because of his faith in Jesus]
Which man do you feel is closer to how you response to Jesus?……[answers will vary]
How can we be more like the second man?….. [answers will vary]
Pray the Stations of the Cross
To experience the Stations of the Cross, use the guides in this post. Both a short 2 page version and longer booklet version are offered as well as an on-line version.
These guides succeed at being relevant by focusing on how Jesus’ “Way of the Cross” shows us the “The Way” to live like him.
Worksheet: Stations of Cross Unscramble and Reflect
This worksheet “Stations of the Cross Unscramble and Reflection” works well as a review of the stations of the cross. See my store in TPT for download.
In the top half, missing words need to be filled in by unscrambling. In the bottom half, reflection questions are used to allow students to think deeper about the experience.
Activity: Events of the Triduum Activity
Use this engaging activity to review the Passion of Christ. With some simple printing and cutting, an opportunity is given to reflect on the deep meaning of the Triduum, the three holiest day of Holy Week. See all details in this post.
Game: Holy Week Mashup
Closing Reflection: How Big Was Jesus’ Sacrifice?
Use this self-reflection to discover what sacrifices you would do for a friend. This exercise helps us understand Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice and his call to do sacrifices for others. Very appropriate for adults and kids to do together. See this post for full details.
