ALIVE
WELCOME TO WEEK 3
Did you know Jesus is alive? What great news! Awesome news! News that is too good to keep to yourself! The disciples thought so too! They were excited about that news when they realized Jesus had rose from the dead. This week we will remind ourselves of why we celebrate this time of year, Jesus is alive!
BIBLE STORY
There are lots of bible verses that speak to Jesus’ death and resurrection. Do you know the rest of these verses? Listen to the verse I will read and see if you can fill in the blank with the missing word or words?
The wages of _____ is _______. (Sin/death)
All have ______ and fallen short of the glory of God. (Sinned)
I have ______ you with an everlasting love. (Love)
By His ________ we are healed. (Stripes)
I am the ________ and the life. (Resurrection)
And God raised the Lord, and will also _______ us up by His power. (Raise)
Death no longer has _______ over Him. (Mastery/dominion)
He is not here; He has ________ (risen)
Jesus entered the city of Jerusalem on a donkey while people shouted hosanna and waved branches. They wanted Jesus to be their reigning king, but they did not realize He was not going to be king right then. They did not realize what was about to happen. Jesus was going to die for their sins so they could live forever with Him. This week we will see how Jesus conquered death. When He died even His disciples did not understand it, but when they saw Him conquer death, they understood more fully what He had been telling them all along.
Read or listen to the scripture Luke 24:1-12
After Jesus died, what did the women do at the grave? (Took prepared spices and went to the tomb)
When they came to the tomb, what did they find? (The stone was rolled away)
What did they find when they entered the tomb? (That Jesus’ body was not there)
Who appeared to the women at the tomb? (Two men in clothes that gleaned like lightning)
What did the men tell the women? (Why do you look for the living among the dead, He is not here, He is risen)
What did the women do after they left the tomb? (They told the 11 disciples and others who were with them what happened)
What did the disciples do? (They did not believe them)
What did Peter go and do? (Ran to the tomb and found the stripes of linen lying by themselves)
BIBLE STORY ACTIVITY
Activity
Complete this treasure hunt and go on a journey of the resurrection story. Use the clues to know where to find the next clue. Read the card and complete the activity listed on the sheet before moving on to the next clue. Leave a special prize at the last location for your child to find or open. We know that the road to the cross was not easy for Jesus, but He did it out of His love for us. He loves us and wants to be in relationship with us, so He died so our sins would not separate us from Him.
Materials: Scavenger hunt printed and placed in various areas.
Alternate
Have you ever known something was going to happen, good or bad, but as the date got closer you became more and more anxious about it? Tell about a time this has happened to you. Did worrying about the event help you be more prepared? Jesus knew He came to die for our sins from the beginning, but did He become more anxious about the event as His death became closer? How did Jesus find peace? How can we find peace in the midst of an anxious event?
Materials:
Independent activity:
A handprint cross. On a sheet of yardstick or construction paper, use masking tape to create a cross in the center of the paper. Use a variety of paints, each person dips their hand in the paint and stamps it around the paper. Once the paint is dry, gently lift the tape to reveal the clean part of the paper in the shape of a cross. Jesus knows each one of us and died for every single person. Just as our fingerprints are unique to us, God knows each one of us as our own person and died for each person.
Materials: Large sheet of card stock or construction paper, variety color of washable paint, masking tape.
ARTS & CAFTS
CRAFT 1
Coloring page
Materials: Printed coloring sheet, crayons
Craft 2
Coloring page
Materials: printed coloring sheet, crayons
FOLLOW-UP
Read or listen to Romans 6:8-11
When Jesus paid the price for our sins, He died and then rose again from the grave. He conquered death and when we die in Jesus, we conquer death as well. Not because of anything we have done, but because of everything Jesus did. He died to sin once and for all. This verse reminds us “In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” When we ask God to forgive our sins, we accept his gift of forgiveness and salvation through Jesus.
What sins did Jesus commit?
Did Pilate think Jesus had committed any sins worthy of death?
Why did the people want Jesus to die when they had just celebrated him as their king a week prior?
Did Jesus know He would die?
Do you think it would be difficult to be punished for someone else’s wrongs or sins?
What are some sins you might commit on accident?
Do you ever commit any sins knowingly?
Do you think we are forgiven even for the sins we knowingly commit?
How did Jesus conquer death?
What good news about Jesus could you share with others?
Practical Application at Home
Before beginning this activity, print the following sheet and cut sentences into strips. Place the strips of paper into a box and then wrap the box nicely so it looks like a gift.
Jesus gave us a gift when he died on the cross for us.
Present a nicely wrapped gift on the table. If you have another person to complete this demonstration, present the gift to them, if not, pretend as though the gift is for you from God.
Have your partner present the gift to you.
Point out how nice the gift looks and how pretty it is. Thank them for the gift but never pick it up from the table, leave it there and admire it from a distance.
Have your partner offer it to you again and describe how excited they are for you to have it and how they picked it up just for you.
Continue to thank them, even offering to pay for it while your partner to continues to convince you to take the gift and open it.
You know, God has presented us with a gift as well. We can be happy about the gift and excited about the gesture, but what did I fail to do with my gift? I didn’t open it! I didn’t take it! When someone gives us a gift, its free, we just need to say thank you and accept it! We can accept our gift by taking it and using it. Let’s open our gift now.
When you open the gift, read the strips of papers inside the box. God wants to give us all of these things, for free! We don’t have to pay God back, we don’t have to earn it and we don’t have to save it for later. That is the good news of the gospel. Jesus died for our sins so we He gave us the gift of salvation, forgiveness, and acceptance. Can you think of any other gifts God gives us that were not mentioned from our box?
We can share this gift with others. Think of a person you would like to share the love of God with, whether they already know Jesus or not. Think of a gift you think they would enjoy. Wrap the gift and add a card that tells them this gift is given out of love, just as Jesus’ gift to us is given out of His love for us. Present the gift to them, or leave the gift in a place they will find and be surprised!
Additional Resources
Outings to Reinforce Lesson
Enjoy the cool weather and take a nature walk. Observe the things God created and how they work together in His plan. What part do each of us play in God’s plan for us?