Christian Religious Studies - Junior Secondary 3 - Peter's first speech

TERM: 1^ST TERM

WEEK: 2

CLASS: Junior Secondary School 3

AGE: 14 years

DURATION: 40 minutes

DATE:

SUBJECT: Christian Religious Knowledge

TOPIC: Peter’s First speech

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES: At the end of the lesson, the learners should be able to

1.) Give an account of Peter’s speech after the Pentecost

2.) Outline the effects of his first speech

INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNIQUES: Identification, explanation, questions and answers, demonstration, story-telling, videos from source

INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS: Recommended Christian Religious Knowledge textbooks for Junior Secondary School 3

INSTRUCTIONAL PROCEDURES:

NOTE

PETER’S FIRST SPEECH (Acts 2:14-41)

In Acts 2:14-41, after the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples at Pentecost, Peter stood up with the eleven apostles and addressed the crowd. He began by clarifying that the disciples were not drunk, as some people thought, since it was only the third hour of the day (around 9 AM). Peter explained that what they were witnessing was the fulfillment of the prophecy from the book of Joel, in which God promised to pour out His Spirit on all people in the last days.

Peter then shifted his focus to Jesus of Nazareth. He reminded the crowd that Jesus had performed miracles, signs, and wonders, all of which testified to His divine mission. Peter emphasized that although Jesus was crucified according to God’s plan, God had raised Him from the dead, as prophesied by David in the Psalms. He explained that David, speaking prophetically, had anticipated the resurrection of the Messiah, who would not be abandoned to the grave.

Peter further testified that he and the other apostles were witnesses of Jesus’ resurrection and that Jesus had now been exalted to God’s right hand, receiving the promised Holy Spirit from the Father. This same Spirit, Peter said, had been poured out upon the apostles, resulting in what the crowd saw and heard. He concluded his speech by declaring that God had made Jesus, whom they had crucified, both "Lord and Messiah."

EFFECTS OF PETER’S FIRST SPEECH

1. The crowd was deeply moved and “cut to the heart” by Peter's message, realizing their role in Jesus' crucifixion.
2. Many listeners asked the apostles what actions they needed to take in response to Peter’s words.
3. Peter called them to repent, be baptized in Jesus’ name for the forgiveness of sins, and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
4. About 3,000 people accepted Peter’s message, repented, and were baptized that day.
5. This event marked the birth of the early Christian church, as a large, diverse group of new believers began to follow the teachings of Jesus.

EVALUATION:

1. How did Peter explain the unusual events at Pentecost, and which Old Testament prophecy did he reference to clarify the situation?
2. What key points did Peter emphasize about Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection in his speech?
3. According to Peter, what was the significance of Jesus being raised from the dead and exalted to the right hand of God?
4. How did the crowd react to Peter’s message, and what specific question did they ask in response?
5. What actions did Peter instruct the people to take, and what was the outcome in terms of the number of new believers that day?

CLASSWORK: As in evaluation

CONCLUSION: The teacher marks their books and commends them positively