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    • Optional Memory Verse: 

    Today's Theme:

     

     

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    Today's Story:

    		Jesus is Alive!
    Matthew 27 & 28, Mark 15 & 16, Luke 23 & 24,  John 19 & 20 
    Optional Memory verse: 
    		"For God loved the world so much that he gave his only 
    Son. God gave his Son so that whoever believes in him 
    may not be lost, but have eternal life." John 3:16
    International Children's Bible, New Century Version
     
    Jesus died on the cross so that we can be friends with God.
    • Materials Needed:
    		Promised Land mat,
    Christ figure,
    blocks and rocks (enough to make a tomb for the Christ figure),
    silk flowers, leaves, etc.
    2 Fisher Price or similar type women figures,
    1 man figure and 2 soldiers or 3 men figures,
    Tissue or paper napkin to use for grave clothes,
    2 angel figures (from a manger set, or use an angel cookie cutter and play dough to make some)
    Optional Drama: kids can make props from the following items to act out the Easter story:
    		2 sheets of poster board
    aluminum foil,
    scotch tape,
    rubber bands,
    an old sheet,
    some old shirts for dress ups

     

    • Game:  Looking in all the wrong places!
    		Before class cut out or draw on index cards some pictures of
    		Birds and 
    Fish.
    Cut out enough pictures for each child to find at least one.
    Hide them in the room:
    		Tape all the fish up high, on the ceiling or hide them in high places around the room.
    Put all the birds in hidden places on the floor (under rugs, etc.)
    Tell the kids that you have some birds and  some fish hidden around the room and that you need them to find them. 
    But before they go and look for them ask them where they think would be a likely place to find a bird?  a fish?
    		Birds would be in trees, up high. 
    Fish would be under the sea, low.

     

    • Closing Discussion:

    • Close in Prayer: 

    • Telling the Story: 
    		Did anyone find a fish in a low place?
    What about the birds.  Were they in the high places in the room?
    That was a silly game wasn't it.
    They were all  in the wrong place.
    The fish were on the ceiling and the birds were under the rug.
    In today's story some women are looking for something or someone.
    But they're looking in the wrong place.
    I want you to listen carefully to the story to find out what they were looking for and why it was the wrong place.
    Last week we learned that Jesus was killed on a cross.
    		Lay out the Promised Land mat.
    After he died, a man named Joseph of Arimathea took Jesus' body down from the cross.
    		Place a Fisher Price or similar type man figure on the mat to represent Joseph of Arimathea.
    Joseph of Arimathea had made a tomb for himself among some rocks in a garden.
    It was like a little cave.
    		Make a tomb with some rocks and blocks.
    		Make a ring of blocks then put some rocks on top.
    Let the kids add silk leaves and flowers to make a garden.
    He decided to put Jesus' body in his own tomb.  
    So he wrapped Jesus' body in some cloth.
    		Wrap the Christ figure in a piece of paper napkin or tissue.
    He put Jesus' body inside the town that he had made for himself.
    		Put the Christ figure inside the tomb.
    Then he rolled a great big rock in front of the entrance.
    		Put a rock in front of the cave entrance.
    Some of the women who had been followers of Jesus followed Joseph there so they could see where Jesus' grave was.
    		Place 2 women figures nearby as if watching.
    Then the women went home to prepare spices to put on Jesus' body.
    		Walk the women figures away.
    Place 2 or 3 blocks together to represent their house.
    That was a common thing to do in Bible times.
    But it was Friday evening and it was getting too late.
    The women knew they would have to wait until Sunday to put the spices on Jesus' body.
    They couldn't go the next day because it would be Saturday.
    Saturday was their day of worship and all of God's people were not allowed to do any work on Saturdays.
    		Remove the Joseph figure.
    Now Jesus had told his disciples that he was going to come back to life.
    This worried the priests who had wanted Jesus to be killed.
    They didn't believe that Jesus could really come back to life.
    But they were afraid that Jesus' disciples would come and steal his body.
    Then they might lie and tell everyone that Jesus had come back to life.
    So the priests got permission to have soldiers guard the grave so that no one would steal Jesus' body.
    		Place 2 soldiers in front of the grave (or 2 Fisher Price type men figures) to represent guards.
    The guards put a big seal around the rock.
    Then they stood in front of the rock to make sure that no one could go near it.
    Very early on Sunday morning there was an earthquake.
    Then an angel came down from heaven and rolled the stone away from Jesus' tomb.
    		Act this out with an angel figure.
    The angel was as bright as lightening.
    The soldiers were so frightened that they became like dead men.
    		Move them aside.
    Jesus had come back to life.
    		Remove  Jesus from the tomb,
    Remove the tissue and place it in the tomb.
    Then Jesus went to a place called Galilee up near here:
    		Place Jesus' figure next to the Sea of Galilee.
    Remove the angel.
    The women who wanted to put spices on Jesus' body got up very early to go to the tomb.
    		Walk the women toward the tomb.
    On the way there they asked each other, "Who will move that big heavy rock away from the entrance so we can get in?"
    		Walk them to the cave.
    But when they got there, the rock had already been rolled away.
    The tomb was empty.
    The women were frightened.
    Suddenly 2 angels stood beside them.
    		Place 2 angels next to the women.
    The angels said to them, "Why are you looking for someone who is alive in a grave where only dead people belong? Jesus is not here.  He's alive!"
    Full of joy, the women hurried away to tell the disciples that Jesus was alive!
    		Hurry the women figures away from the grave.
    What were the women looking for?
    		Jesus' body
    Where were the women looking for Jesus?
    		In a tomb where dead people are put
    Was a grave the right place to look for Jesus?
    		No.
    Why was a grave the wrong place for them to look for Him?
    		Because He isn't dead anymore. He's alive!
    Last week we learned that Jesus died on the cross to forgive us for all the wrong things that we do.
    But there's another reason why Jesus died on the cross.
    Do you know what it is?
    So that we can be friends with God.
    What is a friend like?
    		They are someone to talk to, tell our troubles to, have fun with, etc. 
    How do you want a best friend to treat you?
    		Discuss kids ideas.
    How can you make God your friend?
    		By asking Him to forgive me for all the wrong things I do and to be my best friend.
    How should we treat Jesus if He is our best friend?
    		Tell Him our secrets, our worries, our fears,
    Ask Him to help us every time we need help,
    Learn about Him in our Bibles,
    Don't do anything that would make Him disappointed in us.
    Asking Jesus to be our best friend,
    Asking Him to help us to talk to Him and treat Him like a best friend.
    Optional Drama:
    		Have the kids make a tomb by covering a circle of chairs with a sheet.
    		They can pretend that a chair is the rock used to cover the entrance 
    Help them make 4 angel wings from poster board:
    		Cut them about the length of their arms, 
    Make them narrow at the wrist and shoulder so you can attach them with rubber bands,
    Let the kids cover the wings with foil
    Help them cut 2 swords from the rest of the poster board cover them with foil.
    The kids can dress up in the men's shirts:
    		2 kids can be angels,
    2 can be soldiers,
    The others can be the women and the disciples.
    Have the kids act out the different Easter accounts as you read them aloud from a children's Bible.
    They can take turns being angels and soldiers.
    • Optional Snack:  'Jesus is alive angels'
    		Option 1: Angel shaped cookies
    		Optional: kids can decorate them with icing and sprinkles
    Option 2: Easter egg angels.
    		Bring in a pre dyed Easter egg for each child,
    Let the kids make 'He's alive angels' by: 
    		drawing faces on with crayons,
    cutting wings out of construction paper (or foil) and taping on.
    They can take their angels home and tell their parents the message that the angels told the women, "Jesus is alive!"

     

    Supplemental Bible Readings:  The Home Sower,
    (Suggested daily readings)

     

    • Materials Needed for Next Week:  
    		Promised Land mat,
    Christ figure,
    blocks 
    5 or 6 Fisher Price or similar type men figures,
    Snack - not optional - Box surprise
    		A favorite snack for the kids
    		The kids will unknowingly run with it in a relay race so make sure it doesn't easily crumble or break apart.
    2 boxes to put the snack in:
    		Make them different such as a shoe box and a packing box.
    Tape to tape the boxes shut.

     

    © 2000 Linda Lawler.  
    Permission granted to copy for personal use only.  Not for resale.

    Home Sower 43    Lesson 41    Home Sower 41    Lesson 42    

    Home Sower 42    Lesson 44    Home Sower 44    Lesson 45    

    Home Sower 45    Lesson 46    Home Sower 46    Lesson 47    

    Home Sower 47    Lesson 48    Home Sower 48

    Lesson 49    Home Sower 49    Lesson 50    Home Sower 50    Lesson 51  

    Home Sower 51    Lesson 52    Home Sower 52

    Hit Counter     

    Lessons 1-12    Lessons 13-27     Lessons 28-33    

    Lessons 34-40    Lessons 41-46    Lessons 47-52