Jesus promises to return
key words
biblical reference
John 14:1-4 and Acts 1: 1-11
lesson objective
To help the students understand that Jesus is alive and will return some day.
memory verse
“That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord ... (Philippians 2:10-11, NIV*).
prepare yourself to teach
The most important decision that your students can make is to allow Jesus to be their King. It’s one thing to recognize that Jesus, when he entered Jerusalem, was a King misunderstood by people, and quite another to accept him as the King who governs their lives. As the second person of the Trinity, Jesus is the Lord. He rules with the Father and one day he will return as what he is, King of kings and Lord of lords, recognized throughout the earth.
Since this is such a crucial decision, pray for the students. Prepare your lesson carefully and seek the direction of the Holy Spirit. Your testimony may be the only opportunity for some of them to make this decision. For those who come from homes of unbelievers, you may be the only Christian they know.
Ask yourself these questions:
- Do my students understand what it means for Jesus to be the King of their lives?
- Who has a personal relationship with Jesus?
What can I do to help those who still don’t know Jesus personally?
Sometime during this week take a few minutes to evaluate the development of your group. Let the following questions help you see your ministry from a different perspective: What do your students hear? Is everything that’s said and done focused on God? What is the purpose of your group? Does the same purpose that was proposed in its original mission continue, to teach the students to know and follow Jesus Christ? Think about the methods you use or decide not to use. Are these helping them understand and know God more, declaring his purpose in an obvious way?
biblical commentary
Everyone stared in amazement at the sky. At that moment, two men appeared in shining white gowns. They looked at the people, then at the sky and finally asked them, “Why are you standing there? This same Jesus will return.”
This scene - a group of speechless people looking up at the sky without seeing anything at all - was undoubtedly strange. Life had been so different in those last days! Their beloved Master had been brutally murdered; then his body had disappeared, and within a few hours people began to say that they had seen him. Finally, the risen Jesus appeared to his disciples and others to assure them of the reality of his resurrection and presence. But now, he was gone again, and this time the disciples knew for sure that the return of his physical presence would not be immediate.
One wonders, while the angels spoke to them, if the disciples remembered what Jesus said to them at the last supper: “My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” (John 14:2-3)
The word “rooms” is often translated as “mansions,” but the best definition would be “the place of dwelling.” This approach doesn’t take into account the size, shape or quality of the places of the dwelling but, first, Jesus would return, and second, that he would take his followers to be with him for eternity. During the forty days following the resurrection, Jesus met for the last time with his disciples here on earth. It becomes obvious from the question that the disciples asked Jesus about the kingdom of Israel that they still didn’t understand their purposes. The Israelites had seen God as the sovereign King of their nation. And human kings, like David, were representatives of God. When the Israelites lost their independence, remaining under Roman rule, everyone, including the disciples, expected God to act in the sphere of politics. If Jesus was the Son of God, he would certainly deliver his people from Roman oppression! It’s possible that the disciples had interpreted Jesus’ statements about the coming of the Holy Spirit as the arrival of the earthly government they were waiting for.
Jesus ended those hopes, but offered them something better. Instead of ridding the Israelites of human oppression, Jesus came to deliver all people. Now the time had come to leave, but he assured his followers that he would return. Meanwhile, he would send a powerful helper: the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit would give the disciples power - which means courage, boldness, trust, knowledge, ability and authority - to testify of Jesus anywhere. That would include Jerusalem (their own city), Judea (their own country), Samaria (another culture near their land) and the whole world.
The angels’ question in verse 12 caused the disciples to “come back to earth”. Why are they standing there? “This same Jesus will return.” It’s true that we have to be in expectation of his second coming. But while we wait, we don’t have to stand “looking at the sky”. Rather, in the power of the Holy Spirit, we have to follow Jesus, our King, and give the Good News to everyone he puts on our path.
teach the lesson
Do these activities to help the preadolescents better understand the biblical story and apply it to their lives.
Jesus will return
The following characters will be needed: A narrator (the teacher or a helper), Jesus (one of the students), the disciples (a student who represents all the disciples, or two who read at the same time), two men (two students ) and the chorus (the rest of the group). If you have a small group, a student can read more than one part.
Narrator: A few days before dying on the cross, Jesus prepared his disciples for everything that would happen to him. He knew that they would be sad, discouraged and confused when they saw him on the cross, so he wanted to comfort them and give them hope of his return. So, he began to teach them about heaven. And this is what he told them.
Jesus: “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I’m going there to prepare a place for you?”
Chorus: Trust! Trust! Return! Return!
Narrator: After the death of Jesus, the disciples were afraid and discouraged. They didn’t remember the promise Jesus had made to them that he would be resurrected from the dead. They also forgot that Jesus would prepare a place for them in heaven.
Mary and many others saw Jesus. For 40 days, Jesus visited them and taught them about the kingdom of God. One day, Jesus told his disciples to do something.
Jesus: “Don’t leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. . . but in a few days, you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
Narrator: The disciples didn’t know who the Holy Spirit was. They still didn’t understand what Jesus meant when he talked about the kingdom. So they asked him.
Disciples: “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”
Jesus: “It isn’t for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you.”
Chorus: The Holy Spirit will come! Jesus promised it.
Jesus: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Chorus: To the ends of the earth!
Narrator: “After Jesus said this, he was taken up before their eyes and a cloud hid him from their sight.” The disciples were amazed! And for a long time they continued looking towards the sky. Suddenly, two men dressed in white appeared.
Two Men: “Why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”
Narrator: The disciples heard the promise that Jesus would return again. And finally they believed!
Had he not returned from death as he had promised? The disciples were extremely sad when they saw Jesus leave them. But they knew that he would keep his promise to send the Holy Spirit to be with them forever. Now they could say bravely: All: We will be his witnesses to the ends of the earth and until he returns again. Jesus will come back for us, as he promised. Glory to God!! (This Bible story can be found in John 14:1-4; Acts 1:1-11.)
After reading or dramatizing the story, discuss the following questions (found in the activity sheet under the title: “Reflection.”)
- What did Jesus tell the disciples to do? (They were to stay in Jerusalem and wait for the arrival of the Holy Spirit. They were to be Jesus’ witnesses.)
- How do you think the disciples felt when they saw Jesus ascend into heaven? (The answers can be varied: scared, sad, worried, confident about the promise that he would return, or other ideas.)
What did the two men dressed in white tell the disciples? (That Jesus, just as he had gone to heaven, would return.)
Jesus the King
To help you see if the students understood the Bible story, read the following phrases and ask the students to complete the statements.
1. Jesus came to be _____ a. the King of our lives. b. the King of our country.
2. The Kingdom of Jesus is a kingdom of _____ a. love. b. military power.
3. Jesus told the disciples to wait _____ a. three days. b. for the Holy Spirit.
4. The two men dressed in white told the disciples that Jesus _____ a. would return. b. was gone forever.
5. The disciples decided to _____ a. run away. b. wait.
(Answers: 1. a, 2. a, 3. b, 4. a, 5. b)
introduce the lesson
Thoughts about heaven
Hand out Student Activity Sheet #382-A (Thoughts about Heaven), and read the verses that are written there, which give a brief description of heaven. Then ask the students to draw or write on each cloud what the instructions indicate. Then have everyone share their answers with the rest of the group if they feel comfortable.
Say: "We don't really know much about heaven, but the Bible tells us some things. We know, for example, that there are dwellings for us and that there is the throne of God. We also know that there will be no crying or pain, and that people will be praising God the Father and Jesus day and night."
Since we don't know many details about heaven, many people have different opinions about what it will be like. Even the disciples weren't sure they knew what Jesus meant when he spoke of heaven and his kingdom. In today's Bible story, Jesus tells his followers a little more about heaven and about his return. Let’s find out what the disciples learned.
Distribute Student Activity Sheet #382-B and #382-C.
connect the lesson
How can we be ready for the second coming of Christ?
Say: “Before Jesus ascended to heaven, he promised that he would return. The following statements mention some things that people believe can help us be ready to meet Jesus when he returns.” Read the statements and ask the students to tell if they believe will help us to be ready for Jesus’ second coming. Discuss which are the correct phrases and which are the wrong ones, and tell them why the wrong statements aren’t good ways to be ready for the second coming. Below are the statements and the answers to the wrong actions with their explanation:
- Go to classes where they teach the exact moment when Jesus will return. (Only God, the Father knows when Jesus will come again (Matthew 24:36). It’s not good to try to solve this for ourselves. We have to be ready to meet Jesus anytime.)
- Obey Jesus every day. (Correct)
- Worry and be afraid for Jesus’ second coming. (For people who love Jesus, his second coming will be a time of hope and joy. There will be no more sin. We’ll live with Jesus forever.)
- Plan to become a Christian when you grow up. (Since Jesus can come at any time, that’s dangerous. We have to be ready to meet him at any time.)
- Tell others about Jesus so that they can be prepared for his second coming.. (Correct)
- Pray for people who don’t know Jesus. (Correct)
- Live however you want to because Jesus will take a long time to come back. (We don’t know when Jesus will come back. It could be today.)
- Become a Christian now if you haven’t already done so. (Correct)
practice the memory verse
A fun way to learn the verses is to repeat the different parts of it separately, and then add the separate parts bit by bit, until repeating the entire passage. They can use for example a certain rhythm (such as: rap, hip hop or other music), clap to the rhythm of what they sing, etc. Divide the verse into the following parts and repeat each one quickly and with rhythm. This way of memorizing will facilitate the task:
“That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow (take a short pause)
in heaven and on earth (take another short break)
and under the earth, (short pause)
and every tongue acknowledge (short pause)
that Jesus Christ is Lord” (short pause) (Philippians 2:10-11).
Repeat it several times until they learn it by heart.
Distribute Student Activity Sheet #382-D and help the group apply it to the memory verse.
wrap-up
Pray
Pray for the students. Provide an altar for your group where they can have the opportunity to accept Christ and be ready for his second coming.
Encourage
Encourage the group to tell their families and friends they are ready for the second coming of Jesus.
Invite
Finish by singing an appropriate chorus. Encourage them to attend the next session which will begin a new unit of lessons.