“June 26–July 2. Matthew 28; Mark 16; Luke 24; John 20–21: ‘He Is Risen,’” Come, Follow Me—For Primary: New Testament 2023 (2022)
“June 26–July 2. Matthew 28; Mark 16; Luke 24; John 20–21,” Come, Follow Me—For Primary: 2023
Feed My Sheep, by Kamille Corry
June 26–July 2
Matthew 28; Mark 16; Luke 24; John 20–21
“He Is Risen”
Children with a testimony of the truths in these chapters have a firm foundation on which to build their faith. How will you invite the Spirit to testify of these truths?
Invite Sharing
Seeing a picture can help children remember things they learned at home or in other settings. Perhaps you could show the picture in this week’s outline in Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families and ask the children to share what they know about the story shown in the picture.
Teach the Doctrine: Younger Children
Matthew 28; Mark 16; Luke 24; John 20:1–23
I will live again after I die, just as Jesus did.
The Atonement of Jesus Christ, including His Resurrection, is the most important event in history, and it is the foundation of Christian faith. As you read about the Resurrection, ponder how you will help the children build their faith in Jesus Christ.
Possible Activities
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Tell the story of Jesus’s Resurrection in your own words. (If needed, use “Chapter 54: Jesus Is Risen,” in New Testament Stories, 139–44, or the corresponding video on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.) Explain that when Jesus died, His spirit left His body. When He was resurrected, His spirit and His body came together again. Ask the children to take turns repeating the story back to you. Ask the children how they would have felt if they had seen Jesus alive again.
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Show the video “What Happens after We Die?” (ChurchofJesusChrist.org), and tell about someone you know who has died. Share your testimony that everyone will be resurrected someday. Invite the children to share their testimonies.
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Sing a song about the Savior’s Resurrection, such as “Did Jesus Really Live Again?” (Children’s Songbook, 64). Ask the children to imagine what it will feel like to see Jesus. Let them share their thoughts with the class.
I can have faith in Jesus Christ even though I can’t see Him.
Consider how you can help the children understand what faith is and how they can exercise faith in the Savior.
Possible Activities
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Show the picture Christ Approaches Thomas (ChurchofJesusChrist.org) while you tell about Thomas’s experience in John 20:24–29. Repeat the story, but this time ask the children to provide some of the details.
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Show a box with an object inside that the children can’t see, and describe the object to the children. Ask them if they believe the object is really inside the box and why. Then show them the object, and explain that faith is believing in things we can’t see. The most important faith we can have is faith in Jesus Christ.
Behold My Hands, by Jeff Ward
I can show my love for Jesus by serving others.
How can you inspire the children to love and help those around them?
Possible Activities
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Read John 21:15–17, or show the video “Feed My Sheep” (ChurchofJesusChrist.org). Help the children understand what Jesus wanted Peter to do: share the gospel and invite everyone to believe in Jesus. Give each of the children a paper sheep, and ask them to write or draw on it something they can do to help someone they know to come closer to Jesus.
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Help the children think of things they are doing to love and serve others. What else can we do to show our love?
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Write the name of every child in your class on pieces of paper cut into the shape of sheep, and scatter these sheep around the room. (Include the names of children who don’t attend regularly.) Invite the children to gather the sheep by finding the one with their name on it. Help the children think of ways they can reach out to a friend who doesn’t come to church.
Teach the Doctrine: Older Children
Matthew 28; Mark 16; Luke 24; John 20:1–23
Because Jesus was resurrected, everyone will be resurrected.
It’s natural for children to wonder what happens after we die. Consider how you can teach about the Resurrection in a way that will build their faith.
Possible Activities
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Invite the children to close their eyes and imagine that they are sitting by Jesus’s tomb while you read John 20:1–17 or summarize the story of His Resurrection (see also “Chapter 54: Jesus Is Risen,” in New Testament Stories, 139–44, or the corresponding video on ChurchofJesusChrist.org). What does it mean to be resurrected? What would it have been like to see the resurrected Savior?
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Ask each child to study the experience of someone who saw the resurrected Savior and share with the rest of the class what he or she learned.
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Watch one or more of these videos with the children: “Jesus Is Laid in a Tomb,” “Jesus Is Resurrected,” “Christ Appears on the Road to Emmaus,” and “The Risen Lord Appears to the Apostles” (ChurchofJesusChrist.org). Invite the children to share why the Savior’s Resurrection is important to them.
I can have faith in Jesus Christ even though I can’t see Him.
How can you help the children strengthen their faith in Jesus Christ?
Possible Activities
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Invite the children to read John 20:24–29. (See also the video “Blessed Are They That Have Not Seen, and Yet Have Believed” on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.) How can we know Jesus Christ lives, even if we can’t see Him?
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Write each word in the phrase “Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed” on separate pieces of paper. Invite the children to put the words in order. Invite them to tell of experiences in which they felt the Savior’s love even if they did not see Him.
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Invite the children to draw pictures of things they can do to strengthen their faith this week. Ask them to share what they drew, and share what you have done to strengthen your faith in Jesus Christ.
I can show my love for Jesus by feeding His sheep.
Children can greatly influence those around them. How can you encourage them to strengthen others in the gospel?
Possible Activities
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Read John 21:1–17 together. When you read verses 9–13, ask the children to think about a time when someone made a special meal for them, and invite them to think about ways that Jesus feeds us spiritually. When you read verses 15–17, replace Simon’s name with names of the children. Who are Jesus’s sheep? How can we help Him feed them?
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Share a simple snack with the children. As they are eating, ask them how sharing the gospel with someone is like feeding them.
Encourage Learning at Home
Invite the children to use this week’s activity page to teach their families about the Savior’s Resurrection.
Improving Our Teaching
Follow up on invitations to act. When you invite the children to act on what they are learning, follow up on your invitation during the next class. This shows the children that you care about how the gospel is blessing their lives. As they share their experiences, they will be strengthened and will help one another live the gospel.