Jesus Is Alive! (Easter Sunday)

Dear Parents, Guardians, Teachers:

Resurrection Sunday (Easter!) has to be the most wonderful weekend of the year. Christmas is amazing but as Paul said Jesus’ resurrection is THE reason (“And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile…” 1 Cor. 15:17) we can trust the message of the gospel.

Our lesson explores the most important event in all the Bible: the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ. There are several reasons why this story holds significant weight in the believer’s life. First, the resurrection was an undeniable witness of God’s absolute power and authority. Second, the resurrection confirmed the claims of Jesus – most importantly that he was the Son of God. Finally, the resurrection of Jesus Christ validated the Old Testament prophecies which predicted the suffering, death and triumph of God’s Messiah. The resurrection proved Jesus to be the absolute fulfillment of all that God had promised.

Scripture Reference: Matthew 27:50-28:15; Mark 15:42-16:14; John 19:38-20:31; Luke 23:50-24:44

Memory Verse:

“For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him.”

Romans 6:9 (NIV)

Way to Introduce the Story:

Be sure to practice this one at home! You will need water, two clear tall drinking glasses, two identical medium-sized plastic buttons, and an unopened bottle or can of clear fizzy drink (like Sprite). Wash hands and clean all items. Fill each glass 2/3 full (one with water and the other with the fizzy drink). Drop one button into the glass of water and the other into the fizzy drink. Both will sink to the bottoms of the glasses at first but fizzy drink bubbles will collect underneath the button and make it float to the surface. (If the button has any oil on it or the drink is not fizzy then this will not work.)

Before class ask the children what will happen when you put the button in the glass. Drop the first button into the glass of water. “Remember how sad it was when Jesus died on the cross? Jesus’ friends thought that they would never see Jesus again. Everything seemed to just sink and get worse like this button.” Sometimes we feel like Jesus’ friends. We think things are very bad and that they cannot change. But God is powerful. He can make things good even when they seem very bad. God can do things that are impossible! God makes things happen like this button (Drop the second button into fizzy drink and watch it rise). In today’s story, we are going to learn about how God made a very bad thing good. With God things look up!

The Story:

Jesus used to tell the apostles and his friends that he was King. He told them that he would be raised on the third day. His followers listened to Jesus but they did not always understand what he meant.

Then something happened that made them forget everything. Jesus was put to death on a cross. Even after he was dead the soldiers were mean to him. One Roman soldier stuck a spear into his side after he was dead- just to make sure. How could Jesus be king if he was dead? This was on a Friday and it was the saddest and most hopeless day that has ever been. The apostles and Jesus’ friends thought everything was over.

After Jesus died two friends came to get his body. They were Joseph (from Arimathea) and Nicodemus. They washed Jesus’ dead body and wrapped it in long strips of cloth with lots and lots of spices in between the cloths. They put the body into a tomb that had been carved out of a solid rock. Then they rolled a very big stone in front of the doorway to the tomb.

The Jewish leaders were afraid that someone might steal Jesus’ body and say that he was raised from the dead. So they asked Pilate to put a special seal on the stone in front of the tomb and put guards in front of it. That was still on Friday (the first day).

Saturday (the 2nd day) passed and all was quiet. Then, on the third day (Sunday) some women sadly made their way to the tomb. It was a custom for women to come and put sweet-smelling spices on the body of the person that died.  But the women were worried.  They had heard about the big stone in front of the tomb.  Who would move the stone so they could put spices on the body of Jesus?

When the women arrived at the tomb they saw that the stone had already been moved. A man dressed in white (an angel) was beside the tomb and he said, “Don’t be afraid. You are looking for Jesus from Nazareth, the one who was killed on a cross. He has risen from death. He is not here. Look, here is the place they laid him. Now go and tell his followers and Peter, ‘Jesus is going into Galilee. He will be there before you. You will see him there as he told you before!’”

This is what had happened just before the women had arrived. There was a violent earthquake and an angel of the Lord came down out of heaven like a lightning bolt. His clothes were as white as snow. The angel went to the tomb and rolled back the huge stone and then sat on it.

The guards were so afraid that they couldn’t move. Finally, they ran away to tell the Jewish leaders what had happened. The Jewish leaders didn’t want anyone to know the truth so they gave the soldiers lots of money and told them to tell everyone that the disciples had come during the night and stolen Jesus’ body.

The women left to tell the other followers of Jesus. Peter and John both came to see. Everyone was amazed.

But one of the women, Mary Magdalene, stayed behind. She was in the tomb crying because she still could not understand how Jesus’ body could be gone. How could the tomb be empty? Maybe someone had stolen it.  But Mary was not alone in the tomb.  Two angels spoke to her and asked her why she was crying. She began to explain but then heard another voice.

At first she didn’t know who was speaking but then he heard him say, “Mary”. When she heard him say her name Mary knew that it was JESUS, her teacher, speaking. Jesus had come back from the dead!

Jesus spoke to Mary and told her to go and tell the others that he would spend some time on earth with them but that he would be returning to his Father soon. After Jesus rose from the dead he appeared to many people. Two men were walking along a road talking about Jesus when he just appeared right there with him.

His apostles had gathered and he appeared right there in the room with them. He ate with them and even let them touch the scars he had from when he had been crucified.

More and more people began to realise that Jesus was no longer dead. JESUS WAS ALIVE!

Learning Activities After the Lesson

1. Have your kids watch the animated story: He is Risen

2. Let’s do this craft: Easter Chick Handprint Card

Easter chick handprint card

Materials:
1. Yellow and White construction paper or card stock
2. Scissors
3. Wiggle eyes
4. Orange construction paper
5. Glue stick and craft glue
6. Yellow feathers
7. Black pen or maker

Directions:
1. Trace your child’s hand with pen onto your yellow paper
2. Cut out the out line of their hand
3. Place white paper over the bottom half of your yellow hand and trace a half circle across the bottom and a zig zag across the top half
4. Fold the white paper at the bottom of the egg shell and cut it out (you should have 2 matching pieces of egg shell
5. Glue on half of your egg shell to the bottom back side of your handprint
6. Place the matching half on the front side and glue along one side/ corner (creating a flap)
7. Glue wiggle eyes and a cut out beak to the front of your hand just above the egg shell
8. Draw on eyebrows
9. Under the front flap of egg shell write a note (“Happy Easter”)
10. Glue some yellow feathers to the back side so they poke up through the fingers

Sources: Mission Bible Class, Share Faith Kids, The Keeper of The Cheerios