Jesus, the living king
key words
biblical reference
Luke 24:36-49
lesson objective
To help children know that Jesus is our King and the Son of God
memory verse
“At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth” (Philippians 2:10, NIV*).
prepare yourself to teach
After Jesus’ death, the disciples were very frightened. The hope that they had in Jesus had disappeared. They had expected the salvation of Israel, and what they got instead was the death of their Teacher.
However, there were rumors that Jesus was alive and had appeared to Mary Magdalene, and two disciples on the road to Emmaus said the same thing.
Jesus appeared to his disciples suddenly in their midst, surpassing the laws of nature. He greeted them saying: “Peace to you!” indicating that he came to bring them comfort, courage and hope.
At that moment, Jesus invited the disciples to look at the scars of the wounds in his hands and in his feet. And, his sweet voice said to them: “I am myself! Touch and see.” This removed the fear that, for a moment, had occupied a place in the heart of each of the disciples. That is why Jesus ate to show them that he was not merely a spirit, but that he had risen after defeating death and the grave; thus showing his infinite power.
He also reminded them of what he had taught them, and now the disciples understood the Scriptures.
Children at this age do not quite understand what death means. So it is important for them to know that death is not the end of a person, but a step that we will all take.
The plan of salvation is God’s way of reconciling the world to himself since the world is separated from him because of sin. To achieve this plan, Jesus, God’s Son, had to suffer the cross of Calvary, the contempt of others, the cruel suffering, and the confrontation with death itself. The forces of evil thought that they would destroy Jesus, but scripture says that Christ would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day.
God the Father resurrected Jesus, his Son, and he will never die again. He lives today and will live triumphantly for eternity.
introduce the lesson
Talk with your children and remind them about some of his disciples during his ministry on earth, for example, feeding the five thousand, calming the storm, etc. Highlight the power of God through his Son Jesus. If possible, have or draw pictures of these miracles.
Explain that Jesus also announced his death and resurrection. Choose one of your children and place a blindfold over this child’s eyes so he/ she cannot see. Then have the others try to explain an object in the room to them without saying what it is. Have them describe its characteristics. When they are done with their description, ask the blindfolded child if he/ she understood what the group was describing. Most likely, their answer will be no. They could not understand when their eyes were blindfolded.
Take advantage of this moment to explain to your children that this is like how the disciples understood Christ. They were not prepared to fully understand or comprehend the mission of the Son of God.
teach the lesson
Ask volunteers to read the parts of Jesus, James, Andrew, Peter, and John. You will be the narrator.
It is a spirit!
Narrator: It is the third day since the crucifixion of Jesus. Ten of his disciples are talking in a room. The doors are closed and locked because they are afraid of the authorities.
James: All this is so confusing. We saw Jesus die. We saw him buried.
Andrew: Yes and a large stone covered the entrance of the tomb. They sealed it and put soldiers there to guard it.
James: But Mary Magdalene says she saw Jesus, and that he spoke to her early this morning.
Andrew: Peter and John went to the tomb. They saw that the stone to the entrance of the tomb was rolled to one side and that the tomb was empty.
Peter: Yes! The tomb was empty and the grave clothes were left there!
John (thoughtfully): The shroud covering the face of Jesus was perfectly folded and separated from the rest of the important things Jesus had while he lived with the cloth.
Peter: Exactly!
Andrew: And now Cleopas and his friend, who were going to Emmaus, say that they saw Jesus on the road.
James: And not only that! They invited him to dinner with them! And when he blessed the bread, they recognized him.
Andrew: What does all of this mean?
Narrator: At that very moment, Jesus appears among them and speaks to them.
Jesus: Peace to you!
James: It is a spirit!
Andrew: Yes, it is a ghost!
Jesus: Why are you troubled and why do doubts rise to your mind? Look at my hands and my feet, I am myself. Touch me and see, a spirit or ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.
Andrew: Look! There are the scars of the nails with which they crucified him!
Peter: It looks so real! Maybe we are all dreaming.
James: It is too good to be true!
Jesus: Do you have something to eat?
John: Yes, here is some fish leftovers from dinner.
Peter: Look, he is eating! A spirit cannot eat!
James: Jesus is alive!
John: Yes, he has risen!
Jesus: This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.
Andrew: It is Jesus; there is no doubt about it!
Narrator: Then Jesus opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.
Jesus: “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.”
All Together: We will do everything you say, Lord!
Continue to talk with your children about the role-play. Ask them the following questions and listen to their answers. Encourage all your children to participate. Ask them:
• “What happened after Jesus died?” (Jesus was buried in a tomb by Joseph of Arimathea.)
• “To whom did Jesus appear?” (First to Mary Magdalene, then to the disciples on the road to Emmaus, and finally to the eleven disciples who were meeting together.)
• “What did Jesus show his disciples and why?”(He showed them the scars on his hands and feet so that they would be convinced that he was not merely a spirit.)
• “What did Jesus command his disciples to do?” (To stay in the city of Jerusalem until they were filled with the power of the Holy Spirit.)
connect the lesson
Activity: They saw him!
Distribute Student Activity Sheet #276-A, #276-B and #276-C. Guide the students to review the lesson. The disciples had trouble believing that Jesus was alive. But after they all saw him, they wanted to announce the good news. Look at Student Activity Sheet #276-B and #276-C entitled “They Saw Him” and have them choose a character from the activity sheets. Instruct them to read the Bible verses for their character and then write down what that person supposedly told others about Jesus’ resurrection.
The characters are:
1. A Roman soldier sent to guard the tomb of Jesus. [Matthew 27:65 and 28:2-4] (There was a great earthquake, the tomb was opened and an angel appeared.)
2. Mary Magdalene. [John 20: 11-16] (The body of Jesus was gone. I asked him, when I thought he was the gardener, where they had put Jesus, but that man was Jesus! He lives!)
3. Cleopas on the Road to Emmaus [Luke 24:13- 16, 28:31] (This man joined us on the road as we were walking. We invited him to dinner with us and when he prayed for the meal, we realized it was Jesus.)
4. Simon Peter [John 20:1-7] (I went to the tomb and saw that Jesus’ body had disappeared. Later, he appeared to us while we ate. Jesus was sad because we did not believe he was alive.)
Activity: Jesus lives today!
Give each one Student Activity Sheet #276-D, “Jesus Lives Today!” Have three children read the verses aloud. Then have the children write on their postcard what they think Jesus is doing for all of humanity today.
practice the memory verse
Divide the children into 2 groups and have each group form a circle. Each group will say one word of the Bible verse, taking turns until they say the whole verse. For Example:
• Group 1: will start - they will say “At”
• Group 2: “the”
• Group 1: “name”
• Group 2: “of ”
When they are done, do it again, but now let group 2 start.
wrap-up
Pray
To finish the session, have the group share their prayer needs. Then pray aloud, thanking God for the resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
Encourage
Encourage the children to tell their family and friends about the resurrection of Jesus.
Invite
Thank your children for their attendance and announce something about the next lesson to increase their interest. Encourage them to invite friends.
* Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™