Aim to be familiar with the main facts of the Easter story

Aim
* to be familiar with the main facts of the Easter story
* to understand what happened when Jesus resurrected

Materials
• Bible passages – (Matt: 27-28; Mark: 15-16; Luke: 23-24; John: 19-21)
* First Bible Stories, illustrated by John Dillow
• Visual Aids – large pictures of the story
• Craft materials – large paper plate, black, brown or grey tempera paint, brown paper bags, scissors, white glue or a stapler
• Worksheets

Lesson Outline
1. Introduction
2. Story
3. Questions
4. Activities – worksheets, retell the story, paper craft
5. Review the aims
6. Prayer

1) Introduction
* Review the story so far. Jesus died because no one believed he was the Messiah, so Satan could take his life. Because Jesus willingly gave his life he paid for the sins of people and opened the way for all those who believe in him to be saved.

* Explain the key words
– tomb – a place underground or in a cave where people are buried
– resurrect – to bring a dead person back to life

2) Story
Main events
1. Jesus is buried in a tomb, covered with a large stone and guarded
2. On the third day Mary Magdalene finds the stone rolled back and the tomb empty.
3. An angel tells her Jesus has risen from the dead as promised
4. Mary brings Peter and John
5. Jesus appears to Mary alone
6. Jesus appears to two disciples on the road to Emmaus
7. Jesus appears to all the disciples in a closed room
8. Thomas doubts Jesus is real until he feels his hands and feet
9. Jesus asks Peter three times if he loves him
10. Jesus asks Peter to look after his followers

3) Questions
a) Who took Jesus’ body away for burial – Joseph of Arimathea
b) Why was the tomb guarded? – to prevent Jesus’ followers from saying he had come back to life
c) Who discovered the tomb was empty? – Mary Magadalene
d) What did the angel say? – Jesus is not here. He is risen from the dead.
e) Which two disciples did she tell? – Peter and John
f) Who first met Jesus after he had died? – Mary Magdalene
g) Who did she think he was at first? – the gardener
h) What happened on the road to Emmaus? – Jesus appeared to two disciples
i) Who didn’t believe Jesus was alive until he felt his hands and feet? – Thomas
j) Who did Jesus choose to be the leader of the disciples? – Peter
k) What happened when Jesus resurrected?

– Jesus’ spirit appeared to his disciples It wasn’t his physical body, even though his disciples could feel his hands and feet, and he could eat. A physical body cannot appear in a closed room. Only a
spirit body can. For 40 days, God gave Jesus the ability to appear as a physical person to his disciples

– Jesus appeared to his disciples for 40 days. This was to give them hope, so they could spread his message to all people.

4) Activities
* Retell the story – put pictures in the correct order
* Worksheets – Jesus’ Resurrection, The Road to Emmaus. Jesus appears to his disciples
* Craft – The Angel Rolled the Stone Away

5) Review the lesson aims
What have they learnt from the story. Ask each child. Refer to the lesson aims
* to To be familiar with the main facts of the Easter story
* to understand what happened when Jesus resurrected

6) End with a Prayer