The decision to add Matthias to the apostles was determined by lot. This could mean so many things, drawing straws, flipping coins or rolling dice to name a few. This choosing dice craft for the younger ones makes dice that determine actions too.
To make this craft, you will need the 1-page template printout, glue and scissors.
Cut out the large shape.
Fold every line as a mountain fold (ink on the outside). By using this layout, you are folding the squares against themselves, which I found simpler.
Add glue to all the tabs and then, starting at one end, begin to glue the cube together. The six sides of the dice read : pray, listen, jump, run, hop, and shush!
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There are multiple things going on in this story of replacing the twelfth apostle, and it’s easy to get lost in the mechanism rather than see why this completion was important. These games look at the idea of completion and the act of choosing.
A team game where you’re challenged to complete ‘sets’. Write out some sets of four connected things to get the started. Teams are given the set title or, for younger kids, all but one of the set, and asked to guess what the set consists of. Examples of set types: compass points, gospels, band members, bedroom furniture. Link: The Apostles felt incomplete.
Apostles dominoes
All Ages
Small group
Requires setup time
Quiet game
Can be seated
The classic game of dominoes is a fabulous teaching tool because while you play, it’s easy to talk about what you are seeing. These dominoes feature the 11 apostles and one with a question mark on his face: who will be the new 12th? There is an image of who is who on the post too. ((Link to post)) Link: The Apostles were linked.
Dice symphony
All Ages
Small group
Requires setup time
Noisy game
Can be seated
Label the keys of a keyboard or xylophone with the numbers 1-6. Have the child compose a tune by rolling a dice to choose each note. Works on any instrument or even pots and pans! Link: Casting lots stops us from changing the decision
Replace the missing piece
All Ages
Any size group
Requires setup time
Noisy game
Space needed
Print some photo images. Remove one or more small sections from each image and stick it onto a piece of card. Write a letter on the cards with sections, and number each large image. The object of the game is to match the letters and numbers. Link : Completing the twelve
Here are the images you need for the hero’s attributes linked to ‘Incomplete: A New Apostle (Acts 1)’- where Matthias is chosen to replace Judas as the 12th apostle.
Each hero set contains a high quality graphic of the character, a take home bible card and a colouring page.
The images are displayed small here, click on the image you wish to have, then save the image that loads. (These images are not copyright free, they are for personal/classroom use only.)
Large image for illustrating the story or putting on a large screen.
Grab the Phone background here.
When we talk about replacing the 12th apostle, it’s a great time to review the other 11. This little domino game is a perfect way to do that. This is a mini domino set, it has small cards and a reduced number so it can be printed on one page. It’s best suited to younger kids.
Numbers are of such massive significance to the scriptures that it’s not surprising the apostles felt unsettled by being 11 and not 12. Clearly they decided to do something about it, though later passages will show their number would soon be persecuted and replacements no longer were an option to choose. It is noted that although Matthias is selected, Justus went on to become a prominent bishop, and so his story does not end with not being picked.
This retold version of the Bible passage is supplied for inspiration, feel free to omit or embellish to give it your personal voice.
Why did Jesus choose twelve apostles? Do you know? I wonder if you have a favourite number? In many cultures around the world, seven is considered a lucky number; some people think thirteen is unlucky. The Bible has lots of numbers that appear many times.
The number three is often used to mean complete. Many things are in sets of three. I wonder if you can think of an example? Numbers became special to the people who studied scripture. The numbers three, seven, twelve and forty appear in stories again and again.
So when Jesus chose apostles, it wasn’t surprising that he chose twelve. That number had often been used to represent everyone. There were twelve tribes of Israel, and so twelve was often used to represent a fair government. Even today, you often have twelve people on a jury in court. The problem was that there weren’t twelve apostles anymore. Judas had betrayed Jesus, and now there were only eleven. The twelve were incomplete.
We often think of Jesus travelling with just twelve men, but that’s only part of the picture. Jesus travelled with a whole crowd of people. Men and women who didn’t get chosen to be apostles, all people who had met Jesus and whose lives had changed forever. Around 120 people were in the crowd after Jesus left the disciples and went up to Heaven to be with his father.
Peter stood up and talked to everyone. They had all heard what had happened to Judas, how he had died. Peter asked if there was anyone there who had been with the group since John baptised Jesus, anyone who had travelled all the places Jesus had travelled, heard all the teaching he had shared, and seen Jesus after he came back from the dead. Peter asked if someone could complete the number by being the new twelfth apostle.
Slowly the people started to whisper; “When did you join the crowd?” “How about you?” “I think I missed that bit!” Eventually they found just two men: Justus and Matthias. The disciples prayed; then they decided they would cast lots.
Casting lots could mean a lot of things. Sometimes it meant rolling a dice or flipping a coin or drawing sticks to see who gets the shortest. It may seem like a strange way to decide something, but they believed God would make sure of the right outcome.
The lot fell to Matthias; he was named the new apostle. The twelve were complete again and ready for the next stage of their great Jesus adventure.
