LESSON THEME: Jesus is Alive!
Scripture Mark 16:1-11 records the discovery of Jesus’ empty tomb on the first day of the week after his crucifixion. When Mary Magdalene and other women arrive to anoint Jesus’ body with spices, they find the stone rolled away and encounter an angel who announces Jesus’ resurrection. Though initially afraid, Mary later sees the risen Jesus and shares the good news with the disciples, who struggle to believe this miraculous event.
WELCOME STATION CRAFT: Jesus Loves Me Mobile 6:15-6:30 p.m.
ITEMS NEEDED
Jesus Loves Me Mobile
Water Paint (or crayons)
Stickers
Children should water paint (or color) their mobile and add stickers to it. The mobile is already pre-assembled.
WELCOME STATION CRAFT: He is Risen Chain 6:15-6:30 p.m.
ITEMS NEEDED
1 Pipe Cleaner (per child)
10 Pony Beads (per child)
Cut out easter story pieces.
Stapler
He is Risen Bead & Yarn Craft Template
1. Children string beads on their pipe cleaner.
2. Children color their Easter story pieces.
3. Adult turns pipe cleaner into a “bracelet”
4. Adult has child talk about each piece as adult staples the piece to the bracelet in order.
This activity may take more time. Kids should start on it after they have finished their Jesus Loves Me mobile.
WORSHIP JESUS THRU MUSIC: 6:15-6:30 p.m.
Move kids to the Sunday School Room for singing, prayer, and Bible Lesson.
- Repeat “Jesus Loves Me” from last week (doing hand motions)
- Teach “Jesus Loves the Little Children”
WORSHIP JESUS THRU PRAYER: 6:30-6:40 p.m.
Transition kids to circle for prayer time.
Ask each kid if they have something bothering them that Jesus can help with. Ask them to ask Jesus for help.
BIBLE STORY 6:40-7:00 p.m.
ITEMS NEEDED
A large rock
A garden pot (to represent the tomb)
Various mild spices in small containers (cinnamon, vanilla, cloves, etc.)
Small fabric pieces to represent burial cloths (optional)
READING AREA
Go over the rules.
1. Bubbles for our mouth. (Demonstrate putting a bubble in the mouth)
2. Open our ears. (Demonstrate opening ears)
3. Clap 3 times. (Demonstrate time to return to be quiet)
Introduction
Welcome, friends! Today we’re going to learn about something amazing that happened after Jesus died on the cross. It’s the most exciting part of the Easter story! Let’s discover what happened using our special objects.
[Place the garden pot on its side and put the rock in front of it]
When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body.
[Take out the spice containers]
Activity – Spice Exploration: Let’s smell these special spices! Pass them around carefully and take a gentle sniff.
- What do these smell like to you?
- Do you like the smell?
- The women brought spices like these to take care of Jesus’ body because they loved him very much.
Teacher: Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?”
[Point to the rock in front of the garden pot]
Question Time:
- Look at our rock. Do you think it would be easy or hard to move?
- Have you ever tried to move something really heavy? What happened?
- The women were worried because the stone was too heavy for them to move by themselves.
Teacher: But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away.
[Move the rock away from the garden pot entrance]
Activity – Stone Rolling:
- Watch what happens when I roll the stone away!
- Can you see inside the tomb now?
- God did something amazing – He moved the stone away!
Teacher: As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.
Question Time:
- Have you ever been surprised by something unexpected?
- How do you think the women felt when they saw someone in the tomb?
- The women weren’t expecting to see anyone there! They were surprised and a little scared.
Teacher: “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him.”
[Look inside the empty garden pot]
Activity – Empty Tomb Exploration:
- Look inside our tomb. What do you see?
- Is Jesus there? No!
- Where do you think Jesus went?
- The angel told the women that Jesus wasn’t there because He was ALIVE again!
Teacher: “But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.'”
Activity – Good News Telephone Game:
- Let’s play a special game! I’m going to whisper some good news in the first person’s ear.
- [Whisper “Jesus is alive!” to the first child]
- Pass the message around our circle, whispering it in each friend’s ear.
- [After the message goes around] What was the good news? “Jesus is alive!”
- The angel told the women to share this good news with Jesus’ friends, just like we shared our message!
Teacher: Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.
Question Time:
- How do you think the women felt? Were they excited? Scared? Happy?
- Sometimes good news can be so surprising that we don’t know what to do!
- Have you ever been so surprised you couldn’t talk?
Teacher: When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons.
Question Time:
- Who did Jesus visit first? (Mary Magdalene)
- How special do you think Mary felt when she saw Jesus alive?
- Jesus cared so much about Mary that he wanted her to be the first to see him!
Teacher: She went and told those who had been with him and who were mourning and weeping.
Activity – Good News Telephone Game (Round 2):
- Let’s play our telephone game again!
- This time, let’s pass the message: “I saw Jesus!”
- [Play the telephone game with the new message]
- Mary couldn’t keep the good news to herself – she had to tell everyone!
Teacher: When they heard that Jesus was alive and that she had seen him, they did not believe it.
Question Time:
- Have you ever told someone something true, but they didn’t believe you?
- How does that make you feel?
- The disciples had a hard time believing such amazing news! Sometimes God does things that are so wonderful they’re hard to believe!
The amazing news of Easter is that Jesus is alive! The tomb is empty [point to garden pot], the stone is rolled away [point to rock], and Jesus is alive forever and ever!
Let’s say it together: “Jesus is alive!” [Have children repeat]
Now when you see a garden with stones like this one, you can remember the amazing Easter story about how Jesus came back to life!
CLOSING LESSON PRAYER
Dear God,
Thank you for sending Jesus to die on the cross so we could have everlasting life. Thank you for loving us.
In Jesus name, Amen!
BIBLE CRAFT OR ACTIVITY: Pet Rock & Tomb Assembly 7:00-7:10 p.m.
ITEMS NEEDED
Pet Rock & Tomb Handout
Googly Eyes
Hot Glue Gun (Teacher)
Rocks
Permanent Markers
Pot planters (small)
Stickers
Have a small hole cut out of the planter already for each child to represent the tomb where Jesus was buried.
Each kid will spend craft time decorating their tomb with stickers and permanent markers.
Children should also create a “pet rock” using the markers. A teacher will help each child glue Googly Eyes to the rock.
At the end of the craft, remind kids that while the tomb and stone remained, Jesus went to Heaven. Their pet rock can now live beside the tomb (or inside the tomb), and each time they play with it, they should remember that the stone was rolled away on Easter morning and Jesus is alive!
Kids should leave with a Pet Rock handout, where they can name their Pet Rock. If kids finish early, there is an area where they can draw what the tomb looked like on the handout.
SNACK 7:10-7:25 p.m.
Return to main classroom for snack. Kids can eat snack. Once snack is done, kids can play with toys in the room or color the extra sheet sitting on the table. Kids Christian Music CD should be playing.
DISMISSAL 7:25-7:30 p.m.
Prepare for dismissal. Do clean up.
Jesus is Alive (Freeze Dance) (2:08)
