(15–20 minutes, easy set-up)
Students will study Luke 24:1-12, 36-49 to examine the evidence that Jesus was no longer in the tomb, but was alive.
Provide a copy of the Student Worksheet and a pen for each student.
Learning Goal: Students will examine the evidence that Jesus was no longer in the tomb, but was alive.
Say: Imagine that you have been a follower of Jesus for a while. You followed Him to Jerusalem, you were there when He was found guilty, and you watched Him carrying the bar for the cross through the city and to the place where He was crucified. Ask: After Jesus died, what do you think you would be feeling and thinking? (sadness, anger, frustration, humiliation, hopelessness) State that those who had loved Jesus had watched Him face an excruciatingly painful and humiliating death. Say: His followers watched and cried, but could do nothing. The women who had been with Jesus in Galilee even followed along as His body was carried to a burial chamber and placed inside. And, because of the lateness of the hour and the approaching Sabbath, they again could do nothing. Share that, at sunrise, when the Sabbath had ended, the women rushed to the tomb to do the one thing they knew how to do for Him . . . to prepare His body in death. Distribute a copy of the Student Worksheet and a pen to each learner.
1. Because Jesus was alive, His tomb was empty (Luke 24:1-12).
Ask: What feelings might the women have approached the tomb with? (grief, sadness, deep resolve) Call on a student to read verses 1-5. Call attention to the activity section on the Student Worksheet entitled WHAT DID THEY SEE? Instruct students to work with a partner to identify what the women who came to the tomb saw. After a minute or so, call for responses (which should include the entrance to the tomb was open and Jesus’ body was missing; two angels who asked why they were looking for Jesus’ dead body).
Call on a second student to read verses 6-8. Ask: What do you think was the most important part of the angels’ explanation of where Jesus was? (Responses should include that Jesus had risen from the dead, and that Jesus had fulfilled what He had promised He would do.) Point out that the fact that Jesus had risen from the dead, just as He had promised them, demonstrates that Jesus is God and Savior. Encourage students to complete the first statement on their worksheets with “empty.” Emphasize that Jesus had already left the tomb––alive!
Call on a third student to read verses 9-12. Encourage students to put themselves in the place of the women who had just received the news of Jesus’ resurrection and lead them to suggest how their message to the disciples would have sounded (such as breathless, excitable, passionate, joyful). Ask: How did the disciples respond to the women’s news? (They didn’t believe it; they thought it was “an idle tale.”) Ask: What did Peter’s response indicate? (He must have believed them, or he wanted to believe them, because he ran to the tomb to see the evidence for himself.) Ask: What did Peter do after he found the empty tomb? (He went away marveling at what he had seen.) Share that in verses 13-35, Jesus appeared before two of His followers, who shared with Him the news the women had shared and that some of the group had gone to the tomb to find it empty. Say: Even though many of the disciples didn’t believe the news the women brought, they continued to talk about it and share it with others.
2. Because Jesus was not in the tomb, He appeared before His disciples (Luke 24:36-43).
Share that after Jesus appeared before two disciples on the road to Emmaus, they returned to Jerusalem to share with the other disciples about Jesus’ appearance. Read verses 36-37. Ask: What would have made the disciples frightened at Jesus’ sudden appearance? (shock, disbelief, confusion, questions) Call attention back to the activity section on the Student Worksheet entitled WHAT DID THEY SEE? Instruct students to continue to work with a partner to read verses 38-43 and to identify what the disciples in Jerusalem saw when Jesus appeared. After a minute or so, call for responses (which should include He appeared to them in a miraculous way; He was there physically, not as spirit; He called attention to His hands and feet which had the scars from His crucifixion; they heard Him speak; they saw Him eat).
Point out that Jesus identified their reactions as coming from a place of disbelief. Ask: Why did Jesus encourage them to touch His physical body? (Possibly to help His disciples understand that He was not there as a spirit but as flesh and blood. Say: By eating, Jesus showed that He still needed sustenance. Emphasize that Jesus’ humanity and divinity are both shown in this encounter: His resurrection from the dead shows His divinity; His physical presence points to His humanity. Ask: How did the disciples respond to confirming Jesus’ physical presence? (They responded with joy and wonder.) Encourage students to complete the second statement on their worksheets with “appeared.”
3. Because Jesus was about to ascend into heaven, He explained what was to come (Luke 24:44-49).
Call on a student to read verses 44-48. Then, lead students to discuss:
Encourage students to complete the third statement on their worksheets with “ascend.” Conclude by sharing Steven Cole’s questions about Jesus’ resurrection: “If Jesus Christ is not risen from the dead, then He Himself was a liar, since He predicted His own death and resurrection on numerous occasions. Why believe in and follow a liar? If Christ is not risen from the dead, then His death on the cross did not secure the forgiveness of our sins.” (1 Cor. 15:17).