Jesus and His Siblings for JSS 2

Class: JSS 2
Term: First Term
Week: 6
Age: 13 years
Duration: 45 minutes
Subject: Christian Religion Studies
Curriculum Theme: Jesus Christ
Previous Lesson: Virginity Be
Topic: Jesus and his family.
Subject Matter: Jesus and his siblings; Matthew 13:53-56,; Matthew12:46-50

Specific Objectives

By the end of the lesson, pupils/students should be able to:

Cognitive Domain

• Identify the names of Jesus’ siblings mentioned in the Bible.
• State the Bible passages that describe Jesus’ family.
• Explain Jesus’ teaching about his true family.

Affective Domain

• Appreciate the importance of both biological and spiritual family.
• Develop a desire to live according to God’s will to be part of Jesus’ spiritual family.

Psychomotor Domain

• Locate and read the specified Bible passages (Matthew 13:53-56 and Matthew 12:46-50) from the Holy Bible.
• Participate in discussions about the meaning of the passages.

Reference Materials

The following resources were used in planning this lesson:

• 2025 Revised 9 Years Basic Education Curriculum
• Relevant State Unified Scheme of Work
• Christian Religion Studies for Junior Secondary Schools, Book 2
• The HeadTeacher Scheme of work

Instructional Materials

The teacher will teach this lesson with the aid of:

• Bible story book showing the pictures of Jesus family.
• The holy bible.

Rationale for the Lesson

This lesson helps students understand Jesus’ human connections and his profound teaching on spiritual family. It clarifies common questions about whether Jesus had siblings and encourages students to reflect on what true kinship with God entails. By studying these passages, students can deepen their understanding of Christian discipleship and the nature of the church.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Students should have prior knowledge of Jesus’ birth, his early life, and some basic understanding of the New Testament.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

Jesus and His Family

Jesus and His Siblings (Matthew 13:53-56)

The Bible indicates that Jesus had biological brothers and sisters. When Jesus taught in his hometown of Nazareth, the people were amazed and questioned his authority, asking:

1. “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas?”
2. “Aren’t all his sisters with us?”

This passage clearly shows that Jesus had four named brothers and at least two unnamed sisters.

Jesus’ True Family (Matthew 12:46-50)

While Jesus was teaching, his mother and brothers came seeking to speak with him. Jesus used this opportunity to teach about a deeper form of family connection. He asked, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?”

Then, pointing to his disciples, he said:

1. “Here are my mother and my brothers.”
2. “For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”

This teaching highlights that spiritual kinship, based on obedience to God’s will, is more important than biological ties in the kingdom of God.

Memory Verse

“For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” – Matthew 12:50

Bible Reading

Matthew 13:53-56

Matthew 12:46-50

Moral Lessons

1. Jesus had a human family, just like us, which helps us relate to him.
2. Obeying God’s will makes us part of Jesus’ spiritual family.
3. Our actions and obedience to God are highly valued by Jesus.

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

Discussion, Explanation, Question and Answer, Bible Reading, Group Work

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Introduction

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Review/Engagement

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the students and reviews the previous lesson briefly. The teacher then asks students if they know anything about Jesus’ family, aside from Mary and Joseph, to introduce the topic of Jesus’ siblings.

Pupils’ Activity: Students respond to questions about the previous lesson and share their thoughts on Jesus’ family.

Learning Point: Activating prior knowledge

Step 2: Introduction to Jesus’ Family

Time: 7 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explanation/Discussion

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains that Jesus lived a full human life and had a family. The teacher introduces the idea that the Bible mentions Jesus having brothers and sisters, and leads a class discussion on this concept.

Pupils’ Activity: Students listen attentively and participate in the discussion, asking questions where necessary.

Learning Point: Jesus’ human family

Step 3: Reading Matthew 13:53-56

Time: 8 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided Reading/Interpretation

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher instructs students to open their Bibles to Matthew 13:53-56. The teacher calls on a few students to read the passage aloud, then asks questions about what the passage reveals about Jesus’ family.

Pupils’ Activity: Students locate the passage, read it aloud, and answer questions about Jesus’ brothers and sisters mentioned.

Learning Point: Identifying Jesus’ siblings

Step 4: Discussing Jesus’ Siblings

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Clarification/Reinforcement

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher clarifies the names of Jesus’ brothers (James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas) and mentions that he also had sisters, as stated in the passage. The teacher ensures students understand that these were biological siblings.

Pupils’ Activity: Students confirm their understanding of Jesus’ biological family members.

Learning Point: Names of siblings

Step 5: Reading Matthew 12:46-50

Time: 7 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided Reading/Analysis

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher directs students to Matthew 12:46-50. The teacher explains the context of the passage (Jesus’ mother and brothers seeking him) and asks students to read it, focusing on Jesus’ response.

Pupils’ Activity: Students read the passage and identify Jesus’ statement about his true family.

Learning Point: Jesus’ true family

Step 6: Understanding Spiritual Family

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explanation/Application

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains Jesus’ profound teaching that those who do the will of God are his true family. The teacher encourages students to reflect on what it means to be part of this spiritual family.

Pupils’ Activity: Students listen and share their thoughts on how they can be part of Jesus’ spiritual family.

Learning Point: Obedience to God

Step 7: Evaluation/Review

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Questioning/Assessment

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher evaluates the learning by asking the following questions:

1. Mention two of Jesus’ brothers.
2. Which Bible passage tells us about Jesus’ biological siblings?
3. According to Matthew 12:50, who does Jesus consider his true family?
4. State one moral lesson from today’s topic.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils answer orally and in writing.

Learning Point: Understanding Jesus’ family

Step 8: Note-Taking

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided Writing

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher guides pupils/students to copy the essential Board Summary notes on Jesus and his family into their notebooks.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils/students copy the notes carefully into their notebooks.

Learning Point: Recording lesson notes

Step 9: Conclusion

Time: 0 minutes

Teaching Skill: Consolidation

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher reminds students that while Jesus had a biological family, his teaching emphasizes that doing God’s will makes us part of his eternal family. The teacher encourages them to strive to obey God.

Pupils’ Activity: Students listen and reflect on the lesson’s main message.

Learning Point: Spiritual family importance

Continuous Assessment/Further Study

Type: Homework

Instruction: Answer the following questions in your CRS notebook:

1. Read Matthew 13:53-56 and list all the names of Jesus’ brothers.
2. In your own words, explain what Jesus meant when he said, “whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”
3. How can you show that you are part of Jesus’ spiritual family in your daily life?

Lesson Keywords

• Siblings – Brothers and sisters.
• Biological family – Family related by blood.
• Spiritual family – People united by faith and obedience to God.
• Obedience – Doing what is commanded or asked.

Differentiation

For struggling learners, the teacher can provide simplified summaries of the Bible passages and guide them in identifying key information. Faster learners can research other Bible verses that mention Jesus’ siblings or discuss the theological implications of Jesus’ statement about his true family.

Suggested Lesson Videos

For further understanding, search on YouTube for: “Jesus and His family JSS 2 CRS” or “Jesus’ brothers and sisters Bible lesson”.

Teacher Guide for Using This Lesson Plan

Before the lesson, ensure you have enough Bibles for all students or group them such that each group has access to one. Prepare to lead a lively discussion on the passages, encouraging students to express their understanding and ask questions. Emphasize the distinction between Jesus’ biological family and his spiritual family, ensuring students grasp the moral lessons. During the note-taking phase, circulate to ensure students are copying correctly and provide support where needed. Encourage students to internalize the memory verse and apply the moral lessons to their lives.