Bible heroes and villains series
Gather
Prepare the space
Project the word Betray. Give the children the opportunity as they enter the room to say the words they think of when they hear the word ‘Betray’.
You can use this activity to illustrate that we all have different ways of seeing things. Judas understood things differently, but took it too far!
Introduce the theme
- Judas had a great love of money and violence. He was the trusted disciple with money for the whole group, but it was ultimately money that led to Judas betraying Jesus. Judas most probably came from a group called the Zealots. They had an understanding of the Old Testaments prophecies, seeing the Messiah coming and overthrowing the Romans and establishing his kingdom through physical force.
- Does money always have to be bad?
- When can money do good?
Gathering activity
Beforehand, ask the children to bring a donation of copper coins for a chosen charity with them to the session.
Invite them to lay their coins down side by side and see how far they can get across the space you are meeting in.
Open the Word
Read Luke 22.1-6, Matthew 26.20-25 and Matthew 47.1-50.
Judas was good at maths! Ask the group what they discover about Judas.
Ask the children to think about why Judas is a villain.
How did he reject God?
Respond
I’ll do it my way
A musical activity.
- Ask the group to sing a song they all know.
- Invite them to work in groups to devise new actions for the song.
- Invite everyone to sing as a group with everyone doing the actions that mean something to them!
- Explain that we all translate things differently: thankfully it doesn’t always have the same drastic effect as it did when Judas interpreted the Scriptures differently to how Jesus did.
Be impressed
A brass-rubbing activity.
You will need: a range of coins; some A4 sheets of paper; wax crayons.
- Ask the children to create a picture from rubbing the crayons over a piece of paper on top of some of the coins.
- Explain that just as the Pharisees’ villainous behaviour rubbed off on Judas, bad behavioural traits can rub off on us.
- Discuss how we protect ourselves and how this is difficult when something we want is offered to try to sway us.
Session material on Bible villains: