WHY DID THEY DO THAT?

Scripture: Genesis 27:1–17

Time: 20–25 minutes

Workpage: Why Did They Do That? (optional)

Prompt: Rebekah overhears Isaac and Esau—and immediately starts making a plan involving Jacob.

Why?

Directions: Read the passage and list everything Rebekah says and does. Look for any reason she gives for her actions. Then separate what you know about her motive from what you might guess.

Take It to the Margin: Read Genesis 25:21–23 too. Does that earlier information affect the questions you have about Rebekah's decision? Does it answer all of them?

For the Grown-Up: If your student immediately labels Rebekah as good or bad, redirect them toward observation. Ask, “What exactly did she do?” Then, “What does Scripture actually tell us she was thinking?” Let moral questions remain part of the discussion without allowing them to replace careful reading.

Scripture: John 18:1–11

Time: 15–20 minutes

Workpage: Why Did They Do That? (optional)

Prompt: People arrive to arrest Jesus.

Peter responds with a sword.

But does John actually tell us what Peter was thinking?

Directions: Find what Peter does, how Jesus responds, and what Jesus says afterward. Then write one possible reason Peter may have acted—but clearly label it as an inference unless the passage states it.

Take It to the Margin: What does Jesus' response tell you about whether Peter's action matched what Jesus wanted him to do?

For the Grown-Up: Your student may reasonably infer that Peter wanted to protect Jesus. Instead of confirming or rejecting the inference, ask, “Can we prove that from John's account?” Help them distinguish a plausible explanation from an explicit statement.

Scripture: Jonah 1:1–3; 4:1–3

Time: 20–25 minutes

Workpage: Why Did They Do That? (optional)

Prompt: Jonah 1 tells you that Jonah runs.

Jonah 4 may help you understand why.

Directions: Read Jonah's departure in chapter 1. Write your first guess about why he ran. Then read Jonah 4:1–3 and update your answer using Jonah's own words.

Take It to the Margin: What does Jonah say he already knew about God's character? How does that connect to his decision to flee?

For the Grown-Up: Let your student make their initial hypothesis before reading chapter 4. The contrast is part of the study. If they assumed Jonah was simply scared, ask them to compare that assumption with Jonah's later explanation.

Scripture: Matthew 26:14–16, 47–50; 27:1–5

Time: 20–25 minutes

Workpage: Why Did They Do That? (optional)

Prompt: Judas' actions are clear.

His entire inner world isn't.

Directions: Track what Judas agrees to do, what he receives, what happens during Jesus' arrest, and what Judas does afterward. Separate facts about his actions from conclusions about everything he may have been thinking.

Take It to the Margin: What changes in Judas' response after Jesus is condemned? What does Matthew explicitly tell you?

For the Grown-Up: Avoid turning Judas into a cartoon villain. Help your student observe the money, betrayal, later remorse, and outcome while recognizing that Scripture doesn't narrate every motive or thought he had.

Scripture: Genesis 42:6–24; 44:1–34

Time: 30–40 minutes

Workpage: Why Did They Do That? (optional)

Prompt: Joseph recognizes his brothers.

They don't recognize him.

And Joseph doesn't immediately tell them who he is.

Directions: Follow Joseph's actions and the brothers' responses. Pay special attention to what the brothers begin saying about what they did to Joseph years earlier and what Judah eventually offers to do for Benjamin.

Take It to the Margin: What changes in the brothers during Joseph's tests? Does Genesis directly tell you every reason Joseph designed the tests this way?

For the Grown-Up: These chapters are long. Use the selected verses rather than requiring the surrounding narrative all at once. Help your student distinguish what the tests reveal from claims about exactly why Joseph designed each one.