Jesus chooses his disciples
key words
biblical reference
Matthew 4:18-22; Mark 3:13-19; John 1:35-51
lesson objective
To help students to be followers of Jesus.
memory verse
“And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man” (Luke 2:52, NIV*).
prepare yourself to teach
Elementary students believe that they cannot do much for Jesus because they’re so small. It is important that they know that God values them and is not indifferent to our needs. Today, Jesus needs followers to help spread the Good News: that God loves and cares for people. There are many ways that children can be Jesus’ helpers. This lesson will help the children to begin to understand what it means to be a follower of Jesus and to identify ways in which they can help in God’s work in today’s world.
There are examples throughout history in which children were instruments chosen by God to guide their parents to Christ. If you know of any case, tell your students. Ask your pastor to visit your group and tell a story about how children have helped make a difference. These stories will encourage your students.
biblical commentary
Jesus was prepared to do the work that his Father had sent him to do. He publicly announced this at his baptism. Jesus was an obedient Son and said “yes” to the will of God. Also, even when no one observed him during the temptations in the desert, he showed that he was an obedient Son.
Jesus knew he was ready to begin his special work for God. He knew he could not do things by himself. He also knew that he would not remain on earth after his resurrection. That’s why Jesus chose the 12 disciples as companions, to help him with the task entrusted to him by his Father God. Jesus recognized that he needed to choose and teach a group of people who would be with him each day. After his resurrection, these men and women would be prepared to take the Good News of the gospel to the whole world and tell others how much God loves them.
The first people Jesus met to help him were two brothers: Andrew and Peter. They were fishermen on the Sea of Galilee, as were the other brothers, James and John. Later, Jesus found Phillip and told him to join his team. Philip found Nathanael and told him that Jesus, the Messiah, was looking for some good helpers. So, in a short time, he had six people who would join with him in God’s mission.
A few days later, others joined the group of disciples, like Matthew, the tax collector. Finally, Jesus had to choose 12 of all the people who followed him. They would be a group that Jesus would depend on to bring the Good News of God’s love to the whole world. These 12 saw and heard almost all the things that Jesus did and said. It was a wonderful privilege to be a follower of Jesus, so admirable that each disciple left what he was doing to accept the call to follow him. What we know is that the fishermen did not leave their jobs gradually. Matthew did not leave his work in a gradual way either. They did not hesitate to be one of Jesus’ disciples, they did it immediately, at the first opportunity, without hesitation.
Your students can learn that we must be ready to respond when Jesus calls us to follow him. They should also know that when they follow Jesus, they become part of the important task that began 2,000 years ago and continues today: to tell the whole world that God loved us so much that he sent his Son Jesus to die on the cross to save us from our sins. This message is called the “Good News” or the “gospel”. Let’s communicate to the children that God has placed under our responsibility that they must respond quickly to Jesus’ call to fulfill this task throughout the world.
introduce the lesson
Receive your students with affection and ensure that the room is clean and tidy when they arrive. Before entering today’s topic, review briefly the three previous sessions and ask your students to give some examples of how faithful they have been to God during this month.
Do this activity to emphasize today’s teaching:
Simon says…
Ask: “In what places are we given instructions, about what should we do?” (Allow children to explain. Possible answers: at school, at an amusement park, at a shopping center, when an object is put together, etc.) Say: “Now let’s see how well you can listen and follow instructions.”
Play “Simon says ...” with the children. Give them several instructions and on certain occasions do not say, “Simon says ...” Those who carry out the instruction without you saying “Simon says” is out of the game. For example: Simon says, touch your nose. Simon says, jump on one foot. Jump twice. (If the children jump this time, they will be out of the game.) Ask: “What must you do to win ‘Simon says ...’?” (Listen to the instructions and do what Simon says.) You have to follow the instructions. It is very important to listen carefully.
Today’s story tells us about some people who listened and followed instructions. Let’s listen to who they were, and what we should do to follow like them.
teach the lesson
After his baptism and temptation, Jesus began his ministry. One day, while walking on the beach of the Sea of Galilee, Jesus saw some fishermen. They were at the water’s edge and were throwing out their nets to fish. Their names were: Simon, called Peter, and his brother Andrew. They were busy fishing the moment Jesus called them. “Come follow me, and I will make you fishers of men,” Jesus told them. Peter and Andrew looked at each other, looked at their nets, and left them at once to follow Jesus.
While they were walking with Jesus on the beach, they saw two of their friends, James and John. The two men were sitting on the fishing boat, fixing their nets. They waved at Peter and Andrew as they passed by. Jesus looked at them and said, “Follow me and learn to catch people.” Quickly, James and John stood up, jumped out of the boat, and followed Jesus.
After a few days, Jesus the Nazarene decided to leave the Galilee area. And he found Phillip, who was from the same city as Peter and Andrew, and he also called him to follow him. Philip then found his friend Nathanael. “You must come and meet someone,” he said. “His name is Jesus of Nazareth and he is the promised Savior, of whom Moses and the prophets wrote.” “Did you say he’s from Nazareth?” Nathanael asked. “Can anything good come from there? “Come and see,” Phillip replied.
Nathanael went with Phillip. When Jesus saw them coming, he said, “Here is a true Israelite in whom there is no deception!” Nathanael was really surprised. “From where do you know me?” he asked. “I saw you when you were under the fig tree, even before Philip called you,” Jesus replied. Now Nathanael was more than surprised. He knew that Jesus was not an ordinary person. “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” he exclaimed.
Jesus looked at him. “Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these!”
Jesus and his followers traveled through the region. Many joined the group that listened to his teachings and saw his miracles. One day, Jesus climbed a mountain. He invited some of his friends to go with him, and said to the 12, “You will be my assistants. You will be called apostles. I want you to stay with me and learn. I will send you to preach and give you authority to fight against the enemy.”
The names of the 12 were: Simon, called Peter; Andrew; James; John; Philip; Bartholomew; Thomas; Matthew; James, son of Alphaeus; Taddaeus; Simon, the Zealot; and Judas Iscariot. These 12 came to be Jesus’ special helpers. They traveled with him and helped him in his ministry here on earth. They were also called “disciples”.
Jesus still needs helpers to follow him, to learn from him, to obey him, to serve him, and to be his disciples. You can be those people. This is a good time for children to write their name and draw a portrait or paste a photo of themselves in the oval of the students’ resource illustration.
connect the lesson
Take a look at the story. Get figures or pictures that illustrate Jesus with the fishermen who started following him. You can make the figures for the children to color. Make in advance, on cardboard, a scene for a mural. Draw a background of the sea, beach and some boats; You can do it with simple and fast strokes. When telling the story, allow students to place the relevant figures on the mural. The figures of Jesus, Peter and the other apostles can have tape on the back, or you can stick a magnet to them so that they are firm when placed on the mural with the sea and beach background. Children will feel great about being “teacher’s helpers” during the course of the Bible story.
It would be very interesting if you could prepare figures of additional people, including children, from today’s time (you can copy them from magazines). Put on these figures the names of each student in your group. They can paint the figures. Then, when making the invitation to follow Jesus, the children can go over and place the figures with their names following Jesus, next to the figures of Peter, Philip, John and the other disciples.
Drama: this story is appropriate for the children to dramatize the scenes of the fishermen, Jesus, the nets (may be a blanket or old sheet) and the 12 followers of the Master. With a simple “Come, follow me,” they will grasp the idea of what Jesus did and the decision that the disciples had to make.
Teacher, remember that for children of any age, it is easier to understand ideas when they are visualized or acted out.
When they finish placing the figures with their names, everyone can stand near the mural.
Give the children Student Activity Sheet #214-A and #214-B. Instruct them to write their name on Student Activity Sheet #214-A. Then, help the complete the Matthew 4:19 search in Student Activity Sheet #214-B.
Encourage the children to take home their activity sheets to share the lesson with their families and friends.
practice the memory verse
Growing
Give each child a sheet of paper and something to write with. Write the memory verse on the chalkboard: "And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man" (Luke 2:52). Then, tell the group to write at the top of the paper: "Dear God, thank you for sending Jesus to be our Savior. I am glad he grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man." Next, have them write a few sentences asking God to help them grow "in wisdom, stature, and in favor with God and people". At the end of the paper, have them write their names.
Sweet verses
You will need: Student Activity SheetS #214-C, #214-D and #214-E, plus a (candy) jar, scissors, construction paper larger than the jar, and colored pencils or crayons. Throughout this year's units, you will find additional items to cut-out, such as the memory verse for each unit, in candy or candy forms with the verses written on each one. When a child has memorized the memory verse, allow the child to cut out the candy from that unit and stick it inside or around the jar. At the end of the year, they will be able to take the jar with “sweets” to their homes. That way they can repeat to their families the verses they learned.
wrap-up
Pray
Pray for each child to be a true disciple and follower of Jesus.
Encourage
End with an appropriate song or chorus.
Invite
Remind the children about the next session that will begin a new unit and encourage them to attend with friends.
* Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™