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Week 4: The Resurrection Overview of the Lesson Video: Be sure to check out the video above for a brief introduction to the study and some brief reflections on the passage. Scripture: Primary text: Matt 28:1-10; Supporting texts: Mark 16:1-8; Luke 24:1-12; John 20:1-10 Age Specific Breakdown:

• Preschool – Page 2 • Children – Pages 3-4 • Avenue 56 – Page 4 • Youth – Page 5 • College – Pages 6-8 • Activity Pages – 9-14

Family Activity/Prayer: Today we invite your family to recite out loud Dr. Barnette’s weekly benediction. As you know, the end is always tailored to the message from the sermon. So, we’ve added a little piece at the end related to Jesus’s resurrection.

Depart now in the fellowship of God the Father.

And as you go remember: That by the goodness of God you were born into this world,

And by the grace of God you have been kept all the day long, Even until this very hour.

And by the love of God fully revealed in the face of Jesus Christ, You have been redeemed and you are being redeemed

And so go, Quickly and tell the world he has been raised from the dead. Amen.

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Preschool Jesus is Alive! Please read the lesson from the Bible, Bible Storybook, or the lesson provided at the very end of the Weekly Word. Lesson: Matthew 28:1-10, (See attachment #1 below, see attachment #2 below - teaching picture) John 20: 1-18 (see attachment #3 below - teaching picture) Please watch the Weekly Word opening video for teaching on the words, “Jesus is Alive!” Follow up questions: What is the good news of Christmas? Jesus is born. What is the good news of Easter? Jesus is alive! How did Mary recognize Jesus? His voice. How can we talk to Jesus since He is alive, but we cannot see His body? Prayer. Does Jesus know our names and everything in our minds and hearts? YES! Reinforcing Activities:

• Sing: YouTube One, Two Three by Matt Turner, June 9, 2014 • Coloring Page (See attachment #4 below) • Please watch Ms. Sylvia’s backyard video of the Resurrection Egg Play (emailed to

parents), and if you have made the resurrection eggs (instructions attached to the end of Weekly word lesson 1 – now on sidebar), ask your preschooler to follow along with the video to recall the events of Holy Week while using the eggs as visuals.

• Make a paper plate empty tomb (See attachment #5 below - photo) Family activities: Arrange on a table the following symbols of the Easter story. Let each family member explain the importance of a symbol of their choice.

1. Cross made with two sticks—John 3:16, 2. Large stone—Matthew 27:60, Matthew 28:2, 3. Piece of cloth—Luke 24:12, 4. Vase of flowers—John 20:15, 5. Candle—John 8:12 Jesus is the Light of the World as He conquered death and

darkness on the cross. Prayer: Make a circle with your family members and holding hands ask each member to pray with thanksgiving reasons they are so happy that the tomb is empty.

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Children

There is a tradition of greeting each other on Easter Sunday with these words: Greeting: “Christ is Risen”. Response: “He is Risen Indeed”. Begin by repeating this greeting in your family. Read the scripture together. (Matthew 28:1-10) Remind the children of where you left the story last week: Jesus had just died on the cross and his body was put in a borrowed tomb with a stone rolled in front of it. The Jewish Sabbath began at sundown and, as was their tradition, no work could be done until after the Sabbath had ended. So, early in the morning on Sunday, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to the tomb but when they arrived the stone was gone and so was the body! Print out the timeline cards and put them in order referring to the scripture as needed.

Bible skills development: Remind your child that the Bible has 66 books but they are divided into 2 main divisions: Old Testament and New Testament. Ask if they know which division has the book of Matthew. (New Testament). Matthew is the first book in the New Testament and is one of four Gospels. What are the other three Gospels? (Mark, Luke, John). How many of the 66 books in the Bible are in the New Testament? (27)

Bible story review: · Ask the following review questions from the story:

1. After a large stone was rolled over the entrance of the tomb, who guarded the tomb? (soldiers)

2. Who visited the tomb on Sunday morning? (Mary Magdalene and the other Mary) 3. What happened when Mary Magdalene and the other Mary got to the tomb? (the

earth shook and an angel rolled back the stone) 4. What did the women do when they saw Jesus? (they knelt and worshipped him) 5. What did Jesus say to them? (Do not be afraid. Go & tell my brothers to go to

Galilee.) · Who Am I? guessing game: (option 2: if desired, play Hangman with the characters names)

1. Make a list of all the people involved in Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection. Put each name on an index card or small piece of paper.

2. Give out two cards (without looking at the names) to each family member (help younger children as needed) and write facts about their Bible character.

3. Take turns reading the facts or acting out something their Bible character would have said or done. Everyone else in family tries to guess. Person with correct answer goes next.

Live it Out: · Talk about how Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection impacted (made a difference) in the

lives of the other people in the story. Explain that Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection continues to impact people today. Name one way that this story makes a difference in your life.

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Pray: “Dear God, thank you that you sent your son Jesus, to die for our sins. Thank you that he arose from the dead and is now living; and because he lives, we can have eternal life. In Jesus’ name. Amen. As you complete the lesson, repeat the Easter greeting referenced above:

“Christ is Risen!” “He is Risen, indeed!”

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Read Matthew 28:1-10 aloud with your child. Encourage them to read portions of the scripture aloud and help with words or phrases they might be confused on.

2 W and an H Questions:

Review with your Student What was in the story? Ask general questions for a recap of the scripture you just read. Some examples would be…

· Who were the women that went to the tomb? · What happened when the women got to the tomb? · What did the angel say to the women? · What did the angel tell the women to do? · Who arrived at the end of the story?

Ask your students Why this story is important to the overall story of the Bible.

This is what the entire Bible has been building up to. Ever since creation and the sin that Adam and Eve committed against God, there was a need for a sacrifice that could pay for their sins. This is the sacrifice that paid the price.

Jesus rising from the dead is such a big deal, because without this part of the story, Jesus would not have been who he said he was. He would have simply been a good prophet. But because he resurrected, it proves to us that he is who he said he is.

Finally ask your student How this story applies to their life today.

Just like the women that went to see Jesus at the tomb, we should go out proclaiming the resurrection of Jesus. Who is in your life that has not heard this good news? Try to think of that person and figure out ways that you can share this good news with them.

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Youth He is Risen! He is risen, indeed! What a glorious thing that is. The darkness of Good Friday has been redeemed with a light so bright. Death has been defeated. Sin’s grip has been loosed. Jesus Christ is risen. I am reminded this Holy Week that our faith is not one that shies away from hard things. Our faith does not promise an absence of hardship and suffering. Just look back on this last week of Jesus’s life. But the great promise of our faith is that God both sits with us in that suffering and is working to bring about life from death, light from darkness, hope from despair. Our faith hinges on this moment we read about in Matt 28:1-10. Jesus did not simply die, he conquered death. The resurrection is unbelievable, unprecedented, unimaginable. That is precisely what makes him the one to be worshipped! (seriously, you’ve got to read what Mark has written below—his reflection on the “silly talk” of the empty tomb is wonderful!) My prayer today is that you catch a glimpse of God’s resurrecting beauty. Savor it. Know that God is good. Know that Jesus is indeed still risen and ruling. Know that the power of God’s Spirit is alive and active. Amen. Introductory Questions:

1. What’s your favorite Easter memory or tradition? Reflect back on this unique Holy Week, what has this week been like for you? What was difficult? What was meaningful?

Digging Deep: Take some time as a family to read each of the accounts of Jesus’s resurrection - Matt 28:1-10; Mark 16:1-8; Luke 24:1-12; John 20:1-10 Ask:

1. What stands out when you read these stories? What are some differences you notice between the four accounts? (might be a great opportunity to talk about the ways each Gospel account has it’s own “flavor.” One of the more unique parts of our Scripture is the appreciation the Bible has for four different perspectives on this incredible story!) Side note: Mark’s account has always fascinated me! (and it should end at v. 8, but that’s a conversation for another day. The suspense is tense and exciting!)

2. Why does the resurrection matter? For Jesus? For the world? For you? 3. Verse 8 says that the women “left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy.” Fear and

joy, two seemingly opposing emotions, have you ever had a moment where you felt fear and joy at the same time? Why do you think these were the things the women felt? How is it possible to experience these two things at the same time?

4. How do you see “resurrection” around you today (or how have you seen it in the past?) Reflect: the Gospel accounts invite us to slow down and experience the text. Read the story and imagine yourself in the scene. Where are you? What do you see? Feel? Hear? Close by going around and voicing things you are thankful for this week. Offer a prayer of thanksgiving to God for his life giving power.

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College “What are we going to make of Christ?” There is no question of what we can make of him, it is entirely a question of what he intends to make of us. You must accept or reject the story.” C.S. Lewis For the past 3 weeks, I’ve mainly focused on Mark’s account of the Easter story. This week, I’ll be focusing mostly on Luke and John’s accounts. Read Luke 24:1-12 and John 20:1-10. (The parallel passages are Matthew 28:1-10 and Mark 16:1-8).

1. Take note, write down, and reflect on anything that sticks out to you from the passages.

2. I’d encourage you to not read these passages in a way that only shows you “know the story.” How can you believe the Easter story all the more so that you can live the Easter story all the more?

I have another Spotify playlist for Easter Sunday…would love for you to give it a listen, if you feel so inclined! Link: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1WRJ8MdT8TmCdGs1EKBgDA?si=FBRVUwqpS9S54rW44VvAQA Questions to Consider:

1. Why were the women taking spices to the tomb? What do you think their reaction was when they saw the stone rolled away from the tomb?

2. Look closely at the accounts from Luke and John. What do you notice about the details in each of their accounts?

3. What is significant about each of the two accounts? Which details are the most important, or the ones most crucial to what happened?

4. Why do you think the angels first said, “Why do you look for the living among the dead?” as they greeted the women at the tomb?

5. Why do you think the angels want the women to “remember?” What was it that was important to remember?

6. In Luke 24:12, Peter goes to the tomb and sees it empty but wonders to himself “what had happened,” even after the women came and reported what they saw. Why do you think this was?

“Silly Talk.” This is how Luke 24:11 reads literally in Greek: “And appeared before them like silly talk the words of the women, and they (the apostles) were not believing them.” When the women came racing back from Jesus’ empty tomb to tell the apostles what they had witnessed, this is what the disciples thought. It’s silly talk. It’s folly. Many versions of the Bible (including mine) say “nonsense.” An empty tomb was nonsense, or silly talk. It could be nothing more. But out of curiosity, Peter decided he might as well check things out. When we look at John’s gospel, we find out that it was he and the Beloved Disciple who decided to go visit the tomb

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as well. And wouldn’t you know it- the women knew exactly what they were talking about. More to the point, the women knew exactly what they had seen; namely, an empty tomb. Think for a moment about the reactions of the characters in the Resurrection story. Luke says that initially, the women were puzzled and frightened (vv. 4-5). Moreover, they had to be told to remember Jesus’ own words about his death and subsequent resurrection. The women come racing back from the tomb to tell the apostles the news. I can only imagine how fast the women must have been talking, knowing what they had seen. I can imagine that in some way, the women probably didn’t make a whole lot of sense, which is why the apostles concluded their news must be silly talk. If the news of an empty tomb was silly talk, then the apostles could have just laughed such news off. John’s gospel makes it a point to note how the Beloved Disciple beat Peter to the empty tomb. We’re not exactly sure why John goes into so much detail about he and Peter’s race to the tomb. I can imagine that if Peter was even somewhat skeptical about the empty tomb in the first place, he wasn’t entirely concerned about getting there first. But here is one of the details that I find fascinating: at the sight of the empty tomb, the Beloved Disciple (John) saw and believed (John 20:8). But John doesn’t say the same about Peter. In fact, Luke says Peter left the empty tomb, wondering what the heck happened. Good ole Peter. His scouting report might have included something like the following: “Fervent follower of Jesus. Can sometimes be a little afraid, revealing a lack of trust. Hard-worker and has good intentions. In the face of adversity, doesn’t seem to be 100% reliable. Runs away from difficulty.” I’m not sure about you, but Peter’s scouting report sounds a lot like mine. So let’s cut Peter a little slack. And yet, Peter saw the empty tomb! How could he have left wondering what happened? Part of the problem, at the very least, is Peter’s memory. Luke 24:7 gives us as readers a helpful detail: “The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.” This is a detail we have the luxury of having as readers and that was told to the women as they came to the tomb. But wait- look at Luke 9:22 really quickly. Jesus actually says the exact same thing, and guess who was in the audience? Peter! In the face of different, confusing, and agonizing circumstances, Peter had neglected his memory. It’s why he wondered what had happened at the empty tomb. Think back to all the times in your life when you’ve had to look back in order to make sense of the present and to journey forward faithfully into the future. There’s a reason they say “hindsight is always 20/20.” We gain clarity and assurance by looking back. Given the circumstances, Peter couldn’t look back. At this point, Peter thought his life was characterized only by his most tragic denial of Jesus. To Peter, there’s no way there could be angels, an empty tomb, and resurrection when his denial of Jesus consumed his thoughts. Yes, I believe that Peter should have looked back to understand what Jesus was trying to say all along: suffering will lead to death, which will lead to the empty tomb. And yet, the empty tomb made a claim upon Peter. The empty tomb makes a claim upon us. Like the Beloved Disciple,

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do we see and believe? After we’ve come to the realization that the empty tomb does in fact lay hold of us, do we, and will we, come back to see and believe it all the more? Peter’s memory, and really his whole being, were shaken to the core following Christ’s crucifixion. Like Peter, we so desperately want to see and believe, but we know this is more difficult for us for reasons only the Lord knows. This is why John makes it a point to show Peter’s story isn’t over. No, Peter’s story can’t be over because the empty tomb, and therefore the resurrection, have made a claim upon Peter. It took going back to his first job of fishing (with breakfast thrown in) to help Peter realize that the claim of the empty tomb is even bigger, more joyful and more hopeful than he could have imagined. Peter’s story wasn’t finished, and neither is yours. But ask yourself: what is my reaction to the news of the empty tomb…is it news that I file away when I think need it? Or is it news that causes me to sprint from the tomb to the world to share with everyone? Ask yourself: do I look back at my life knowing Christ’s resurrection has laid hold of me and that everything I do, say, or think is because of this Great Claim? Ask yourself: do I, and will I, accept the always present invitation to “come and see?” (John 1:46). Ask yourself: can I accept that I’ve been accepted into Christ’s resurrection (Romans 6:5)? And since this is true, will I live in light of resurrection? The resurrection is all of our hope. It started with an empty tomb. But remember, it was “silly talk.” Folly. Nonsense. The apostle Paul asked, “Has God not made foolish the wisdom of the world?” (1 Corinthians 1:20). C.S. Lewis asks, “The question is, I suppose, whether any hypothesis covers the facts so well as the Christian hypothesis. That hypothesis is that God has come down into the created universe, down to manhood- and come up again, pulling it with him. The alternative hypothesis is not legend, nor exaggeration, nor the apparitions of a ghost. It is either lunacy or lies. Unless one can take the second alternative (and I can’t), one turns to the Christian view.” The cross, the empty tomb, the resurrection- is silly talk, which is exactly why it’s good news. Dig into the texts and the story any way you feel led and go where the Holy Spirit leads you! Instead of more application-type questions, here are some “themes” that might be worth thinking about as you reflect, pray, and study:

1. How does the good news of the resurrection make a claim on you? 2. In what ways does the world view Christ’s death and resurrection as “silly talk” or

“nonsense?” 3. Where do you see hope right now in the world because of what Christ has done for us? 4. How do love and grace show up in the resurrection story? 5. Where in your life right now do you need to be reminded of this good news?

Worship and celebrate on Easter Sunday! Finish your time in prayer.