Peter’s Healing Miracles and the Raising of Dorcas for JSS 3

Class: JSS 3
Term: First Term
Week: 10
Age: 14 years
Duration: 45 minutes
Subject: Christian Religion Studies
Previous Lesson: Peter and Simon the Magician
Topic: THE Ministry OF PETER
Subject Matter: Healing miracles of Peter; Raising of Dorcas from the dead Acts 9:36-42 Peter converts Cornelius Acts 10:1-48; 12:1-14

Specific Objectives

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

Cognitive Domain

• Describe Peter’s healing miracles.
• Narrate the raising of Dorcas from the dead (Acts 9:36-42).
• Explain Peter’s encounter and conversion of Cornelius (Acts 10:1-48).
• Summarize Peter’s miraculous escape from prison (Acts 12:1-14).

Affective Domain

• Appreciate God’s power demonstrated through Peter’s ministry.
• Recognize the importance of faith in God.

Psychomotor Domain

• Locate the relevant passages in the Bible.

Reference Materials

The following resources were used in planning this lesson:

• 2014 9 Years Basic Education Curriculum
• Relevant State Unified Scheme of Work
• The Holy Bible (Acts of the Apostles)
• FCT ERC/NAPPS Scheme of work

Instructional Materials

The teacher will teach this lesson with the aid of:

• The Holy Bible
• Pictures or charts depicting Peter’s miracles (e.g., Dorcas’s raising, Peter’s escape)
• Whiteboard and markers

Rationale for the Lesson

This lesson helps students understand the continuation of God’s work through His apostles after Jesus’ ascension, demonstrating His power to heal, raise the dead, and save. It reinforces the importance of faith, prayer, and obedience in the Christian life, showing how God uses ordinary people to achieve extraordinary things.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Students have basic knowledge of the New Testament, the life of Jesus, and the early Christian church.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

THE Ministry OF PETER

Bible Reading

Acts 9:32-43, Acts 10:1-48, Acts 12:1-19

Memory Verse

Acts 10:34-35: “Then Peter began to speak: ‘I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right.'”

Healing Miracles of Peter

Peter, empowered by the Holy Spirit, performed many miracles, demonstrating God’s power. One notable healing was:

1. Aeneas in Lydda (Acts 9:32-35): Peter found Aeneas, who had been paralyzed and bedridden for eight years. Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and roll up your mat.” Immediately, Aeneas got up, and all who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.

The Raising of Dorcas (Acts 9:36-42)

In Joppa, there was a devout woman named Dorcas (Tabitha in Aramaic) who was known for her good works and charity, especially making clothes for the poor. She became ill and died. The disciples in Joppa, hearing that Peter was nearby in Lydda, sent two men to plead with him to come quickly.

When Peter arrived, he found the widows weeping and showing the tunics and other clothes Dorcas had made. Peter sent everyone out of the room, knelt down, and prayed. Then he turned to the body and said, “Tabitha, get up.” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter, she sat up. He took her hand and helped her to her feet. He then called the believers and the widows and presented her to them alive. This miracle became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord.

Peter Converts Cornelius (Acts 10:1-48)

Cornelius was a Roman centurion in Caesarea, a devout and God-fearing man who gave generously to the poor and prayed regularly. He had a vision where an angel told him to send for Simon Peter, who was staying in Joppa.

Meanwhile, Peter also had a vision while praying on a rooftop. He saw heaven opened and a large sheet descending, filled with all kinds of four-footed animals, reptiles, and birds. A voice told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.” Peter refused, saying he had never eaten anything impure or unclean. The voice spoke three times, saying, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” This vision taught Peter that God’s salvation was not just for Jews but for Gentiles too.

When Cornelius’s messengers arrived, Peter, guided by the Holy Spirit, went with them to Caesarea. Peter preached to Cornelius’s household, explaining that God shows no favoritism and that anyone who fears Him and does what is right is acceptable to Him through Jesus Christ. While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the message, and they began to speak in tongues and praise God. Peter then commanded that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, marking the first recorded conversion of Gentiles into the Christian church.

Peter’s Imprisonment and Miraculous Escape (Acts 12:1-14)

King Herod Agrippa began to persecute the church, having James, the brother of John, executed. Seeing that this pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter during the Festival of Unleavened Bread. Peter was imprisoned and guarded by four squads of four soldiers each, with plans for a public trial after the Passover.

However, the church was earnestly praying to God for Peter. On the night before his trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the prison gate. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared, and a light shone in the cell. The angel struck Peter on the side and woke him up, saying, “Quick, get up!” The chains fell off Peter’s wrists. The angel then instructed him to put on his clothes and sandals and follow him.

Peter followed the angel, passing the first and second guards, and then the iron gate leading to the city, which opened for them by itself. They walked down one street, and suddenly the angel left him. Peter realized that the Lord had sent His angel to rescue him. He went to the house of Mary, the mother of John Mark, where many believers were gathered and praying. When Peter knocked at the outer door, a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer. Recognizing Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed that she ran back without opening the door, exclaiming that Peter was at the gate. The others thought she was out of her mind or that it was Peter’s angel, but Peter kept on knocking. When they finally opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. Peter explained how the Lord had brought him out of prison and then left.

Moral Lessons from Peter’s Ministry

1. God’s Power: God uses His servants to perform mighty works, demonstrating His power over sickness, death, and imprisonment.
2. Importance of Faith: Peter’s faith and the faith of those who sought God’s intervention were crucial for the miracles.
3. Power of Prayer: The earnest prayers of the church led to Peter’s miraculous release from prison.
4. God’s Inclusiveness: The conversion of Cornelius showed that God’s salvation is for all people, both Jews and Gentiles.
5. Obedience to God: Peter’s obedience to the visions and divine guidance led to significant breakthroughs in the early church.

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

Discussion, Explanation, Question and Answer, Storytelling, Bible Reading

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Introduction

Time: 3 minutes

Teaching Skill: Engaging/Recalling

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the students and reviews their previous knowledge about the early church and the apostles. The teacher then introduces Peter as a prominent apostle and states the lesson topic: “The Ministry of Peter,” focusing on his miracles and key encounters.

Pupils’ Activity: Students respond to greetings and recall previous lessons. They listen attentively to the introduction.

Learning Point: Introduction to Peter’s ministry.

Step 2: Peter’s Healing Miracles

Time: 7 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explanation/Narration

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains that Peter, empowered by the Holy Spirit, performed healing miracles similar to Jesus. The teacher narrates the healing of Aeneas from Acts 9:32-35, emphasizing Peter’s words, “Jesus Christ heals you.”

Pupils’ Activity: Students listen to the narration and may locate Acts 9:32-35 in their Bibles.

Learning Point: Peter’s healing power.

Step 3: Raising of Dorcas

Time: 7 minutes

Teaching Skill: Storytelling/Discussion

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher narrates the story of Dorcas’s death and Peter raising her from the dead as recorded in Acts 9:36-42. The teacher highlights Dorcas’s good deeds and the impact of her resurrection on the community.

Pupils’ Activity: Students listen to the story, read along in their Bibles, and discuss the significance of the miracle.

Learning Point: Dorcas’ resurrection story.

Step 4: Peter Converts Cornelius

Time: 7 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explanation/Analysis

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains the story of Peter and Cornelius from Acts 10:1-48, detailing both Cornelius’s vision and Peter’s vision of the sheet. The teacher emphasizes the significance of this event in opening the gospel to Gentiles.

Pupils’ Activity: Students listen, follow the Bible passages, and ask questions about the visions and their meaning.

Learning Point: Gentiles’ conversion.

Step 5: Peter’s Imprisonment and Escape

Time: 7 minutes

Teaching Skill: Narration/Questioning

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher narrates Peter’s miraculous escape from prison as described in Acts 12:1-14, highlighting the church’s earnest prayers and God’s divine intervention through an angel.

Pupils’ Activity: Students listen to the narration and discuss the role of prayer in Peter’s release.

Learning Point: Peter’s miraculous escape.

Step 6: Moral Lessons

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Discussion/Application

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher guides students in a discussion to identify the moral and spiritual lessons from Peter’s ministry, such as the power of God, faith, prayer, and God’s inclusive love for all people.

Pupils’ Activity: Students contribute to the discussion, identifying and explaining various moral lessons.

Learning Point: Lessons from Peter’s acts.

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. Describe one healing miracle performed by Peter.
2. Narrate the story of Peter raising Dorcas from the dead.
3. How did Peter come to convert Cornelius?
4. Briefly explain how Peter escaped from prison.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils answer orally and in writing.

Learning Point: Understanding Peter’s miracles.

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 Peter’s ministry, including his healing miracles, the raising of Dorcas, the conversion of Cornelius, and his escape from prison, into their notebooks.

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

Learning Point: Recording lesson notes.

Step 9: Conclusion

Time: 2 minutes

Teaching Skill: Summarizing

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher briefly summarizes the key events of Peter’s ministry discussed, reiterating God’s power and faithfulness. The teacher encourages students to apply the lessons learned to their lives.

Pupils’ Activity: Students listen and reflect on the summary.

Learning Point: Ministry of Peter reinforced.

Continuous Assessment/Further Study

Type: Homework

Instruction: Answer the following questions in your notebook:

1. Research and write a short paragraph about the significance of Peter’s vision of the sheet with unclean animals.
2. Identify two moral lessons from the story of Peter and Cornelius that are relevant to our society today.
3. Draw a simple sketch depicting Peter raising Dorcas or his escape from prison.

Lesson Keywords

• Peter – One of Jesus’s twelve apostles, a leader in the early church.
• Dorcas (Tabitha) – A devout woman in Joppa raised from the dead by Peter.
• Cornelius – A Roman centurion, the first Gentile convert to Christianity.
• Joppa – A coastal city where Dorcas lived and Peter stayed.
• Lydda – A town where Peter healed Aeneas.
• Caesarea – The city where Cornelius lived and was converted.
• Herod Agrippa – The king who persecuted the early church and imprisoned Peter.

Differentiation

Support: Provide simplified summaries of the Bible stories for students who struggle with reading comprehension. Pair weaker students with stronger ones for Bible reading and discussion. Use visual aids like pictures to reinforce understanding.

Extension: Encourage advanced students to research other miracles performed by Peter or other apostles and present their findings. They can also explore the theological implications of the conversion of Cornelius for the spread of Christianity.

Suggested Lesson Videos

YouTube search for Peter’s miracles Dorcas Cornelius JSS3 CRS