Lesson 5: The empty tomb.
Passage: John 20:1-18 - Early in the morning, on the Sunday after Jesus’ death, Mary Magdalene came to visit his tomb but found that it was empty. She thought that someone must have stolen Jesus’ body and so she went to Peter and another one of the disciples to tell them what had happened. They ran to the tomb to see for themselves and found it empty as Mary had said and left. Mary was standing by the tomb weeping when she saw two angels who asked her why she was crying, and she told them that Jesus’ body had been taken away. She then saw a man who she thought was the gardener, and asked him if he saw where they had taken Jesus. When the man said her name, she realized that it was Jesus and that he had risen from the dead, so she ran to tell the rest of the disciples the news.
Big Idea: Jesus defeats the power of death.
For Teachers:
Lesson plan.
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Welcome Activity: (5 minutes) - All leaders
Have one leader greet the children with the iPad roster outside the classroom door. Check-in the children in your classroom as they arrive.
Have another leader invite the children in to sit in a circle on the circle time rug.
Leader: It’s good to see you all today! Today is a special day! Do you know what day it is? Easter!
That’s right! Does anyone want to share something that’s special about Easter to them?
Transition to Bible Lesson
Leader: Thank you for sharing, today I’m going to read us a story about Jesus and a special Easter morning, Can everyone find a seat so you can see the pictures? Can you let me know you are ready to listen by giving a thumbs up?
Read ‘Tiny Truths Bible: Jesus comes Back
Leader: What did you think of the story?
Prayer — Bible Story Leader
“Dear God, thank you so much for the story of Easter Sunday, and how Jesus came back to life again. Thank you that Jesus is still alive today and lives in our hearts, filling us with your love which can change our lives and change the world. Please help us to know how much you love and care for each one of us, and that you are always with us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
Transition to Play
Leader: Good listening friends, I think we should get some wiggles out before we do our craft could everybody stand up?
Body Break Activity: — (3 minutes) Freeze Dance
Select Freeze Dance or from Activity Playlist from Youtube
Following freeze dance move to the tables for craft time.
Activity: (10 minutes) Easter Egg Surprise drawing
Use crayons and stickers to decorate the Easter drawing
If a child is uninterested in the activity, allow them to move to free play.
Dismissal: Dismiss children manually with Roster Ipad and make sure each child leaves with their caregiver.
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Grades 1-3
Welcome Activity— All leaders
Welcome the children to the classroom and check them in using the Ipad roster. Invite the children to sign the ‘Jesus is alive banner with crayons, outline a hand print on the banner and colour it in.
Leader: Good work kids let’s have a seat to listen to our story.
Invite them to find a seat where they can see the picture book.
Preliminary Discussion
Today on Easter, we learn that Jesus actually came back to life again after three days! And that’s why we celebrate Easter.
Read ‘Mary and the Gardener'‘
Now let’s watch our video for today to find out more about the story…
Follow Up Discussion — Bible Story Leader
From the video, do you remember which one of Jesus’ followers was the first to see Jesus after he came back to life again?
When Mary Magdalene first saw that Jesus’ tomb was empty, what did she think happened?
Then when she saw Jesus, who did she think he was at first?
Why do you think Jesus was able to come back to life again?
How do you think his disciples must have felt when they saw Jesus again?
Prayer — Bible Story Leader
“Dear God, thank you so much for the story of Easter Sunday, and how Jesus came back to life again. Thank you that Jesus is still alive today and lives in our hearts, filling us with your love which can change our lives and change the world. Please help us to know how much you love and care for each one of us, and that you are always with us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
Activity: Easter Egg Surprise Drawing. Kids will use markers and crayons to decorate their surprise drawing.
Dismissal: Dismiss children using Ipad Roster, make sure each child leaves with their care-giver.
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Welcome — All Leaders
Introduce yourself and welcome the kids to class. Check in students using the Roster Ipad.
Warm Up Activity: 5 second spring trivia game
Preliminary Discussion — Bible Story Leader
Happy Easter everyone! Today we’re going to be talking about the last part of the Easter story.
Can anyone remember what we’ve learned about so far in the story?
Week 1: Jesus came to Jerusalem riding on a donkey, and the people were praising him as king.
Week 2: Jesus went to the temple and got angry because people had turned God’s house of prayer into a marketplace.
Week 3: The people who didn’t like Jesus and his teachings had him arrested and brought to the governor Pilate to be questioned. That’s when Jesus taught that his kingdom is not an earthly kingdom but a spiritual one that is in our hearts.
Week 4: Jesus was sentenced to death on the cross, even though he hadn’t done anything wrong.
But today, on Easter Sunday, we celebrate the fact that Jesus’ death wasn’t the end of the story, because after three days he came back to life again, defeating the power of death.
Let’s watch our video to find out more about this part of the story…
Video Lesson — Bible Story Leader
Follow Up Discussion — Bible Story Leader
Can anyone remember which of Jesus’ followers was the first to see Jesus alive again?
What did Mary Magdalene think when she first saw that the tomb was empty?
When she saw Jesus, who did she think he was at first? What did she do once she realized the truth?
How do you think the disciples must have felt when they heard that Jesus was alive?
What does Jesus rising back to life again mean to you personally?
Prayer — Bible Story Leader
“Dear God, thank you so much for the story of Easter Sunday, and how today we celebrate Jesus coming back to life and defeating the power of death. Thank you that we have hope knowing that Jesus is alive and working in our hearts and in the world around us. Even in times when we may feel afraid or confused or alone, you are there bringing light into the darkness, as well as hope in all circumstances. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
Activity: Easter Egg surprise drawing- kids will decorate their folded Easter drawing.
Dismissal: Use Ipad roster to dismiss children and make sure each child leaves with their caregiver.
For Parents:
Follow-up questions.
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What was the story you learned about in class today?
What do you think about Jesus came back to life again after three days?
Do you think that it proved that Jesus really was telling the truth that he’s the Son of God?
If God is powerful enough to bring Jesus back to life, what other amazing things do you think God is able to do in our lives too?
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What was the story you learned about in class today?
What do you think it teaches us about Jesus that he came back to life again?
Do you think that Jesus coming back to life proves that he really is the Son of God? Why do you think so?
Do you think God also has the power to do other amazing things in the world? What are some things God is still doing in the world today?
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What was the story you learned about in class today?
Was there something that particularly stood out to you about the story?
What does it mean to you that Jesus rose from the dead? What do you think it meant to his disciples?
Do you think that Jesus is still alive and at work in the world today? In what ways?
