This Easter lesson was created to focus on the importance of the resurrection and reviews what the students have learned from studying the Book of Acts.
This lesson was prepared for older students but can be adapted to the needs of your ministry.
Learning Goal: Students will learn that the resurrection is vitally important in sharing the Good News.
Optional Activities: You can print our free Easter coloring sheets or watch a video clip about Jesus Resurrection. If time allows, you might consider a special craft for Easter.
Bible Story: Resurrection Facts from Acts
Scripture: Various verses from Acts
Target Age Group: Age 9 – 11 (U.S. 3rd – 5th Grade)
Learning Context: Sunday School
Target Time Frame: 60 minutes
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Supply List: Bibles, Visuals for the lesson, verses on slips of paper for students to look up in advance of Bible lesson, Easter Books, Resurrection Eggs, plastic eggs for memory verse,
Learning Activity #1: As students arrive they can choose a slip of paper with Bible references verses on it from this lesson. Using their Bible they will discover who the resurrected Jesus appears by locating these scripture passages.
Learning Activity #2: Use resurrection eggs to tell the Easter Story.
Memory Verse: John 11:25-26 “Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?”
Memory Verse Activity: Place words/phrases of verse in plastic eggs and have an egg hunt looking for all eggs. When all eggs are recovered put the verse together in the correct order.
Bible Lesson: Resurrection Facts from Acts
(Open with prayer.)
For several months we have been journeying through the Book of Acts. We have discovered that the followers of Christ have been powerful in spreading the Good News because after Jesus ascended into heaven God sent the Gift of the Holy Spirit. In our last lesson we learned that the Holy Spirit empowered Paul to be patient as he was imprisoned waiting to be sent to Rome. This week we are going to pause and have a lesson to prepare our hearts to celebrate Easter.
Why do Christians celebrate Easter? (Allow responses) Christians celebrate Easter because Jesus died on the cross for our sins, was buried and was raised to life on the third day.
We live in a cultural with many different beliefs about God. Christians hold a very different worldview than the different religions. A Christian is a follower of Christ who has placed his/her faith in Jesus. We believe that all men, women, boys and girls are born sinners because Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s one commandment (Romans 3:23). Through Adam and Eve’s sin, death entered God’s created world (Romans 5:12). Sin separated God’s most special creation, people from Him. God cannot allow sin in His presence. God had a remedy for the sins of all people. Before Adam and Eve ever sinned, before the foundation of the world, it was God’s plan to send Jesus His Son to die and shed His blood (Revelation 13:8) to cleanse people from their sins and make them righteous in His sight. (2 Corinthians 5:21)
What we are going to do today is take what we have learned from the Book of Acts so far and refresh our hearts with the truth about Jesus’ resurrection and why it is an important truth that cannot be removed from the message of the Good News.
Convincing Proof
In one of our earliest lessons from our study of the Book of Acts we learned that Jesus stayed on the earth for 40 days after His resurrection. In Acts 1:3 Luke tells us that over those 40 days Jesus gave many convincing proofs of His resurrection.
Who saw the resurrected Jesus? (Allow students who have looked up the Scriptures of witnesses of Christ’s resurrection to share. Matthew 28:1-10, Mark 16:9-11, Luke 24:13-15, 33-34, 36-43, John 20:24-29, John 21:1-14, Mark 16:14, 1 Corinthians 15:6, 7)
Each of these eyewitness accounts of seeing a resurrected Jesus is recorded in God’s Word so by faith we can believe that Jesus died was buried and is alive!
Convicting Truth
In Peter’s first sermon after God sent the Gift of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost he boldly proclaims the Good News which includes the resurrection of Jesus. Choose volunteers to read Acts 2:22-24 and 2:31-33.
When the crowd heard Peter teach about Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection there was a response. They were convicted. Let’s read Acts 2:37.
There will always be a response when the Good News of Jesus is shared. Either a person will respond by believing in Jesus or by rejecting Jesus. As the person hears that Jesus died on the cross for our sins, was buried and rose again on the third the Holy Spirit convicts his/her heart to respond. He/she will respond by rejecting the message or accepting the message.
Accepting the message: Acts 2:41, 4:4
Rejecting the message: Acts 4:1-3, 18 The religious leaders were very disturbed by what the apostles were teaching so they arrested Peter and John and put them in jail.
How did Peter respond to their question of what power or name was the lame man healed? Read Acts 4:10-12. (Notice that each time Peter shares the Gospel message it always includes Jesus’ death and resurrection.)
The religious leaders did not accept the Gospel message and believe. Instead they commanded the apostles not to teach at all in the name of Jesus. (Acts 4:18)
The message of Christ’s death, burial and resurrection is powerful. A person who accepts by faith that Jesus is the Savior will be saved and receives eternal life. A person who hears this same message and chooses to reject the gift of salvation remains in his/her sinful state and is an enemy of God who will face the punishment for sin. (Death and separation from God forever (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9))
We have seen throughout our study in Acts those who have believed the message of Christ’s death, burial and resurrection and those who have rejected the message.
Those who have rejected the message persecuted believers. Can you remember any examples from Acts where believers were persecuted by those who don’t believe? (The apostles Acts 5:17-42; Stephen Acts 7; the Church Acts 8; Paul Acts 9:23-30, 14:19-20, 16:22-24, etc.)
- Which of these groups do you belong to?
Committed to Truth
From our study in Acts so far we have seen that Christ followers are committed to sharing the truth about Jesus no matter what. They didn’t allow trials or persecution keep them from spreading the Good News throughout the world. They didn’t change the message of salvation to make their life easier. They were committed to the truth.
In our current lessons about Paul we see that he is on trial because of his belief in the resurrection. (Acts 23:6, 8; 24:15, 21; 25:19) Paul was being unfairly treated by those who didn’t believe that Jesus died, was buried and rose again. He faced some very difficult circumstances as a result in his decision to obey God and clearly proclaim the truth about Jesus. He didn’t compromise the message of salvation so his life would be free of difficulty.
The same is true for believers today. Believers must be committed to the truth of the message of salvation. Believers have been commanded to go into all the world and make disciples. To make true disciples of Jesus we must be committed to the truth from God’s word no matter what trials or difficulties we face as a result.
Just as it was for the believers in the Book of Acts all believers have the privilege and responsibility of proclaiming the truth about salvation. Many people today add to or take away from the truth about how to be saved. The message of salvation is very important! It is a matter of eternal life or death!
In a day when there are so many beliefs about God, it is very important to know why we believe what we believe and that what we believe is found clearly taught in Scripture. (“Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints.” Jude 3)
To be committed to Truth we must:
- Study and know what God’s Word teaches. (2 Timothy 2:15)
- Obey God’s Word. (Acts 5:29)
- Boldly proclaim the Truth. (1 Peter 2:9)
Let’s close in prayer asking God to help us to boldly proclaim the message of Christ’s death, burial and resurrection during this week before Easter and every day after. If you are not a believer and want to know more about how you can be saved please speak to us and we will show you from Scripture how you can be saved.
(Close in prayer.)
Review:
- How long did Jesus remain on the earth after His resurrection? (40 days)
- Name some witnesses who saw the Resurrected Jesus?
- What is the Good News that all believers are to share? Jesus died on the cross for our sins, was buried and was raised from the dead three days later.
- What do you do on a daily basis that reveals you are committed to the truth of the Gospel?