The Resurrection of Jesus Christ (Easter)

Purpose

To help each child understand that Jesus Christ was resurrected.

Preparation

Prayerfully study Luke 23:33–24:12, 36–40, 51. See also Gospel Principles (31110), chapter 12.
Materials needed:
1. A Bible.
2. Picture 1-3, Jesus the Christ (Gospel Art Picture Kit 240; 62572); picture 1-16, The Nativity (Gospel Art Picture Kit 201; 62495); picture 1-55, Sermon on the Mount (Gospel Art Picture Kit 212; 62166); picture 1-59, The Crucifixion (Gospel Art Picture Kit 230; 62505); picture 1-72, Jesus Praying in Gethsemane (Gospel Art Picture Kit 227; 62175); picture 1-73, Burial of Jesus (Gospel Art Picture Kit 231; 62180); picture 1-74, Jesus Shows His Wounds (Gospel Art Picture Kit 234; 62503).
Make the necessary preparations for any Enrichment Activities you want to use.

Learning Activities

Invite a child to give the opening prayer.

Attention Activity

Hold picture 1-3, Jesus the Christ, face down in your lap. Tell the children that you are going to talk about someone who is very important. Ask the children to guess who this person is after you give them the following clues:

This person loves everyone very much.
He lived on the earth long ago and organized his church.
He taught us how to live and be happy.
He blessed people and told them to be kind and loving.

When the children have guessed (or you have told them) that the person is Jesus, display the picture.

Jesus loves us

Remind the children that Jesus is Heavenly Father’s son. Heavenly Father sent Jesus to earth for an important purpose.

Story

Show picture 1-16, The Nativity. Briefly tell about Jesus’ birth. You may wish to have the children help you tell the story. Remind them that Jesus was a special baby.

Show picture 1-55, Sermon on the Mount. Explain that when Jesus grew up, he organized his church and taught the people how to live and to love each other.

Song

Have the children stand and sing or say the words to “Jesus Said Love Everyone” (Children’s Songbook, p. 61), using the following actions:

Jesus said love everyone (spread arms out wide);
Treat them kindly, too (nod head up and down).
When your heart is filled with love (put hand over heart),
Others will love you (hug self).

Show picture 1-72, Jesus Praying in Gethsemane.

What is Jesus doing in this picture?

Explain that before Jesus died, he went to pray in a place called the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus suffered there for our sins so we could repent and be forgiven of the wrong things that we do. Jesus was the only person who had the power to do this for us. He did it because he loves us so much.

Jesus was resurrected

Explain that many people who lived during Jesus’ time on earth loved him. However, some people did not like Jesus. They did not believe he was Heavenly Father’s son.

Story

Show picture 1-59, The Crucifixion. Explain in simple terms the Crucifixion, as described in Luke 23:33–46. Explain that the people who didn’t like Jesus were very cruel to him. Soldiers drove nails through Jesus’ hands and feet and hung him on a cross. They left Jesus on the cross until he died. (Use caution in telling this story and doing the activity verse below. Some children may be very sensitive to the idea of people hurting Jesus.)

Explain that when Jesus died, his spirit left his body and went to heaven. Remind the children that each of us has a spirit. Our spirits cannot be seen, but they are what make us alive.

Show picture 1-73, Burial of Jesus. Explain that people who loved Jesus took his body and wrapped it carefully in cloths. They carried Jesus’ body to a tomb (a cave-like place where people were buried) and gently laid his body there (see Luke 23:50–56).

Show picture 1-74, Jesus Shows His Wounds. Explain that three days after he died, Jesus was resurrected. He was alive again. When Jesus died, his spirit left his body. When he was resurrected, his spirit came back into his body. Jesus was the first person to be resurrected.

Explain that many people saw Jesus after he was resurrected (see Luke 24). Jesus taught his friends and showed them his resurrected body (see Luke 24:36). He had his friends touch him so they would know that his resurrected body had flesh and bones (see Luke 24:39–40). After teaching the people, Jesus went to live with Heavenly Father again (see Luke 24:51).

Why did Jesus want the people to touch him? (See Luke 24:36–40.)
Where did Jesus go after he left the people? (See Luke 24:51.)

Explain that the day Jesus was resurrected was the first Easter. We celebrate Easter each year to help us remember that Jesus was resurrected.

Activity

Have the children stand and do the actions to the following verse with you:

Jesus came alive again
Three days after he died (hold up three fingers).
There were nail prints in his hands and feet (point to palm of hand and to feet)
And a spear wound in his side (point to side).
Jesus came and taught us all (spread arms out)
To live the gospel true (fold arms).
Because Jesus was resurrected,
We’ll be resurrected too (nod head up and down).

We will be resurrected

Help the children understand that Jesus came back to life after he died. Jesus is alive right now in heaven, and he will never die again. Explain that Jesus made it possible for us to be resurrected like he was. This means that each of us will live again after we die.

Do you know anyone who has died?

Explain that when people die, their spirits are still alive. Someday they will be resurrected, which means their bodies and spirits will come together again like Jesus’ did. You may want to explain to the children that we may not be resurrected after three days, like Jesus was, but we will all be resurrected someday.

Have the children repeat the word resurrected a few times and tell what it means.

Point out how wonderful it is to know that all the people we know and love—our parents, brothers, sisters, grandparents, and friends—will be resurrected. We will all live again after we die. Jesus made this possible.

Testimony

Bear your testimony that Jesus loves each of us. Because of his great love for us, he suffered and died and was resurrected so that each of us can also be resurrected someday.

Enrichment Activities

Choose some of these activities to use during the lesson.

Briefly discuss some Easter experiences and customs the children are familiar with. Acknowledge that secular Easter customs are fun, but help the children separate those ideas from the real meaning of Easter.
Show the children a glove or mitten. Compare our earthly bodies to a hand with a glove on it. Show how the hand (the spirit) makes the glove (the body) move. Take off the glove and explain that this is like physical death. The spirit and the body are separated, and the body cannot move. Put the glove back on your hand and explain that this is like being resurrected. Now the spirit and body are reunited. Remind the children that because Jesus Christ was resurrected, all people will be resurrected someday.
Make copies of the handout entitled “Jesus Is Our Loving Friend,” found at the end of lesson 6, and let the children color them.
Toss or hand a beanbag or other soft object to a child and have him or her respond to one of the questions below (or a similar question) before tossing or handing the beanbag back to you. Continue until every child has had a turn to answer a question.
- Why do we celebrate Easter?
- Who was the first person to be resurrected?
- What does it mean to be resurrected?
- Where was the body of Jesus placed after he died?
- After Jesus was resurrected, did many people see Jesus?
- Why did Jesus have people touch his resurrected body?
- Who else will be resurrected because Jesus was resurrected?
Help the children sing or say the words to “Did Jesus Really Live Again?” (Children’s Songbook, p. 64) or “Jesus Has Risen” (Children’s Songbook, p. 70).

Additional Activities for Younger Children

Help the children do the actions to the following activity verse as you say the words:

Jesus Is Risen!

Here is the place where Jesus lay (point);

See, the stone has been rolled away!

Stoop down; look in (stoop down and shade eyes with hand).

He is not here (stand up)!

Jesus is risen! Be of good cheer (clap hands)!

(Dana Eynon, in Bible Story Finger Plays and Action Rhymes [Cincinnati, Ohio: Standard Publishing Co., 1964], p. 29.)
Explain that Jesus died and was resurrected in the springtime. The springtime is a time of new life. Trees and flowers begin to grow again. Many animals are born in the spring. Let each child draw a picture of flowers or baby animals. Show picture 1-3, Jesus the Christ, and explain that because Jesus was resurrected, we will all live again after we die.
Help the children sing or say the words to “Jesus Loved the Little Children” (Children’s Songbook, p. 59) or “Jesus Is Our Loving Friend” (Children’s Songbook, p. 58). Remind the children that we celebrate Easter to remember Jesus and his resurrection.