TRIUMPHANT. An Edge Night on Jesus Resurrection and Ascension LEADER OVERVIEW

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1 TRIUMPHANT An Edge Night on Jesus Resurrection and Ascension LEADER OVERVIEW Jesus died a real human death. He gave up His spirit and breathed His last breath. He was taken down from the cross and laid in a tomb. Before Jesus death, the gates of heaven were not opened to humanity; rather, when any man or woman died they went to a waiting place where they waited for the redemption of humankind. When Jesus died, He went to this place, He descended into hell, and brought all of the righteous souls with Him to heaven. We too participate in Jesus Death and Resurrection in our baptism. For we are immersed into the water and, in a sense, die, then we are raised again out of the water into new life with Christ. When Christ died, He destroyed death once and for all, Jesus the author of life by dying destroyed him who has the power of death, that is the devil (CCC 635). (CCC ) After Jesus death, He was resurrected from the dead; the resurrection of Jesus is the crowning truth of our faith in Christ (CCC 638). The resurrection of Jesus is a real event with historically verified manifestations of Jesus. Mary Magdalene and other holy women were the first to see Jesus after He rose and the first ones to spread the news that He had risen. After Jesus rose from the dead, He had a glorified body He was not a ghost, and He proved it to His disciples by eating and drinking with them. This glorified body had new properties, and He was no longer confined by time or space and had the freedom to appear in anyway and in any place that He wanted. (CCC , Luke 24:41-43) The whole Resurrection was the work of the Divine Trinity, and it proves that everything Jesus said about Himself was true. He really is God and really did save us from our sins, and He proves this by coming back to life after destroying death. He opened for us a new way to life and a way to heaven as adoptive children of God. (CCC ) After Jesus rose from the dead, He spent 40 days with His disciples, and then He ascended into heaven where He remains for all of eternity, seated at the right hand of God. At God s right hand Jesus is given dominion, glory, and a Kingdom that will never pass away or be destroyed. Because of what Jesus accomplished, we now have His promise: and I, when I am lifted up from earth, will draw all men to myself (CCC 662). Jesus gives humanity the ability to reach divine life. He makes it possible for us as adopted children to have access to God s life and happiness. Because of Jesus Christ, we have hope that after our deaths we, too, will rise again to new life and ascend with glorified bodies into heaven and eternal happiness forever. 61

2 TRIUMPHANT An Edge Night on Jesus Resurrection and Ascension EDGE NIGHT OVERVIEW GOAL The goal of this Edge Night is to help the youth understand Jesus Christ s triumph through His Resurrection and Ascension and how these two events changed the course of human history and our lives. SUMMARY The Edge Night begins with a fun Gather game where the youth will be challenged to race with balloons. The Proclaim focuses on Jesus descent into hell, His Resurrection, and His Ascension into heaven. The Break gives the youth an opportunity to make cookies to enjoy while they discuss the teaching. The Send ends the Edge Night with a time for praise and worship. MAIN IDEAS Jesus was dead for two days before He rose on the third day, but even during those days Jesus was at work. After His Death and before His Resurrection, He descended into hell. The Resurrection of Jesus is the crowning truth of our faith, meaning that it changed everything. Jesus proved to us that He is God, that He is all powerful, and that He did in fact come to save us from our sins and death. (CCC 638, ) After spending 40 days with His disciples and appearing to countless people, Jesus ascended into heaven. ENVIRONMENT Carry over the environment from the previous Edge Nights except switch to all gold and white cloth covering the elevated throne. If possible, purchase lilies and other Easter flowers to put around the throne. On one side of the throne chair project an image of the Resurrection and on the other side of the throne project an image of the Ascension. Hang gold and white streamers and gold and white balloons from the ceiling above the throne. MEDIA Edge Video Support August 2017: Apostle Snap Story: Part IV (lifeteen.com) Life Teen Video Support September 2013: The Resurrection (lifeteen.com) and (youtube.com) Christ is Risen, Matt Maher (Alive Again, 2009, Paul Moak) More than Conquerors, Rend Collective Experiment (The Art of Celebration, 2014) 62

3 SCRIPTURE Matthew 27:57-61; Luke 24:13-35; Luke 24:41-43; John 14:1-3; John 16:5-15; John 20:11-18; John 20: 25-29; Acts 1:9-11 CATECHISM , Notes: 63

4 TRIUMPHANT An Edge Night on Jesus Resurrection and Ascension EDGE NIGHT OUTLINE GATHER Snap Story (5 min) As the youth are walking in, play the Apostle Snap Story: Part IV from the Media Suggestions. Edge Night Introduction (5 min) Welcome the youth, introduce anyone who is there for the first time, and begin in prayer. Give a brief overview of the topic of the Edge Night using the following as an example: Jesus died on the cross for us. He endured an incredibly painful death in order to save us from our sins. And we know that His death was not the end because Jesus overcame death. On the third day He rose again and He defeated death and darkness once and for all. He rose from the dead and that changed everything. After He rose from the dead, He spent 40 days on earth in His glorified body until He ascended into heaven where He waits to welcome us into eternal glory. Rise Up Race (20 min) This game is played in small groups. 1. Break the youth into their small groups. 2. Give each youth in the small group one balloon. 3. Create a start line and a finish line. The finish line should only be about ten feet from the starting line. 4. Instruct the youth to line up single file in their small groups on the start line. 5. The first youth in line blows up his or her balloon (do not tie it off), and then lets it go in the direction of the finish line. 6. He or she must go wherever the balloon lands, and pick it up, blow it up, and let it go again in the direction of the finish line until the balloon crosses the finish line. 7. Once the youth s balloon crosses the finish line, the next youth in line repeats steps five and six. 8. This continues until all the youth in the small group have made it across the finish line. 9. Have a prize for the small group that does this the fastest. SUGGESTIONS If you have a large group of youth consider playing this game as a relay race where the youth blow up a balloon, tie it off, and then have to hit and keep the balloon in the air as they race from one end of the room to another. 64

5 PROCLAIM Triumphant Teaching (10 min) This teaching can be found on pages 68 to 70. BREAK Sweet Celebration (10 min) Have a cookie decorating assembly line set up at the back of the room. Before the Edge Night, bake (or buy) plain sugar cookies and purchase icing and sprinkles. After the Proclaim, call up the youth one or two small groups at a time and allow them to each decorate a cookie to bring with them and eat during their small group discussions. Small Group Questions (10 min) Break the youth into their small groups and use the following questions for discussion: Can you think of any movies or stories where the main character comes back to life? What is your general feeling when this happens? Do you think that people truly believe that Jesus rose from the dead? How should the Resurrection change the way that we live our life? How does it make you feel to know that Jesus is waiting for you in heaven and has given you everything you need to get there? Jesus ascended so that the Holy Spirit could be sent to us. What can you do in your daily life to let the Holy Spirit help you? 8th Grade Adaptation (10 min) Instruct the youth to read John 20:24-29 and use the following questions for a more challenging discussion for 8th grade youth: Which one of the disciples said he wouldn t believe Jesus had returned unless he saw the nail prints? What name did he get as a result of this? [doubting Thomas] Why do you think he had to see the material evidence to believe it was Jesus? Do you think it is okay to doubt? What kinds of things cause you to doubt? How do you turn your doubt into faith? 65

6 SEND Triumphant Testimony (5 min) Have a Core Member or a guest share a story about how he or she has come to realize the greatness of the Resurrection and how it has changed his or her life and outlook on death. Praise and Worship (10 min) Bring the youth back into the large group. Create a prayerful setting by either dimming the lights or lighting candles. Invite your music minister to come and lead praise and worship, utilizing both upbeat and very prayerful songs that relate to the Resurrection and Ascension. See the Media Suggestions for song ideas. SUGGESTIONS Create a powerpoint or handout with the song lyrics so that the youth will be able to participate. Also explain to them the different postures of prayer and encourage them to freely praise God through the music. Notes: 66

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8 TRIUMPHANT An Edge Night on Jesus Resurrection and Ascension TEACHING GUIDE GETTING STARTED To cover the basic information follow along and craft the talk based off of the bullet points. If your youth are ready to take it deeper, start incorporating a few of the Going Deeper call out boxes (like the one below) by picking the ones your youth would relate to the most. GOING DEEPER Check inside these boxes for tips and ideas on how to take your youth a little deeper with the Proclaim. HE DESCENDED Last week we ended our Edge Night reflecting on the last words of Jesus from the cross, and while we know that His death was not the end, it was still a very sorrowful event. But what does it mean that death was not the end for Jesus? A couple of different things happened after Jesus died. First of all, He actually died and was laid in a tomb. (CCC , Matthew 27:57-61) Project an image of Jesus being laid in the tomb. He was dead for two days before He rose on the third day, but even during those days Jesus was at work. After His Death and before His Resurrection, He descended into hell. Hell before the death of Jesus is not like it is now. Before Jesus died there was no way for any human, even a really holy one, to make it into heaven. Jesus death opened up the gates of heaven for the first time. So before Jesus death, anyone who died went to hell which was, at this time, a place of waiting. Ask the youth to respond: Has there ever been a time in your life where you had to wait a really long time for something that you wanted? How did you feel as you waited? Now imagine how it must have felt for all of these holy souls who passed away to wait for the coming of Jesus to save them and bring them to heaven. When Jesus died, He descended into hell and brought up with Him to heaven all the righteous souls that had been there waiting for their redemption from the beginning of time. (CCC ) Jesus, by His death on the cross, destroyed the power of death and the power of the devil once and for all. (CCC 635) 68

9 HE ROSE Project the an image of St. John Paul II with the quote Do not abandon yourselves to despair. We are the Easter people and hallelujah is our song. After Jesus descended into hell and brought all the holy people up to heaven, He rose from the dead. Mary Magdalene and the other holy women were the first ones to see the resurrected Jesus and the first ones to spread the Good News. (CCC 641) Read John 20: The Resurrection of Jesus is the crowning truth of our faith, meaning that it changed everything. Jesus proved to us that He is God, that He is all powerful, and that He did, in fact, come to save us from our sins and death. (CCC 638, ) GOING DEEPER Discuss how we participate in the Resurrection of Christ through the Sacrament of Baptism which makes us adoptive children of God. (CCC 628) The whole Divine Trinity Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit were a part of the Resurrection. It is not just some nice idea or some sort of metaphor; it is a real event with historically verified accounts of Jesus appearing to countless people. (CCC , ) Ask the youth to respond: How do you think you would react to seeing Jesus after He died? What do you think your expression would be when you saw Him? When Jesus rose from the dead He had a new glorified body. He still looked like He had before, He was not a ghost and He proves that by eating in front of His disciples, but His body now had new properties. For example, He was no longer confined by time or space and had the freedom to appear as He wanted. (CCC 646, Luke 24:41-43) GOING DEEPER Discuss one of the accounts of Jesus appearing in His glorified body such as the story of The Road to Emmaus, Doubting Thomas, or the account of Jesus eating with His disciples (Luke 24:13-35, 24:41-43; John 20:25-29). By His Death and Resurrection, Jesus truly freed us and saved us from our sins and opened up the gates of heaven to us. Death is no longer the end. We have hope for eternal happiness and salvation with Jesus and He shows us how to live our lives so that we will make it to heaven. Ask the youth to respond: What do you think it means to be an Easter people? What would this look like in your daily life? We have hope, when St. John Paul II says that we are an Easter people it means that we should never forget what Christ has done for us and that His death has saved us forever. HE ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN After spending 40 days with His disciples and appearing to countless people, Jesus ascended into heaven where He remains for all of eternity at the right hand of God. (CCC ) 69

10 Read Acts 1:9-11 and project an image of the Ascension of Jesus. Ask the youth to respond: Why do you think Jesus ascended into heaven? It was necessary for Jesus to go to the Father in heaven. He went to prepare a place for each one of us there, and He had to go in order to send us the Holy Spirit who teaches us and guides us in truth. (John 14:1-3, 16:5-15) Jesus had to ascend into heaven so that we could follow Him where He goes. On our own we cannot access God s life and happiness, but in Christ we are now able to not only live a blessed and happy life but to follow Him to heaven. (CCC ) Jesus sits at the right hand of God in heaven for all eternity. Jesus is given dominion, glory, and a Kingdom that will never pass away or be destroyed. And it is this Kingdom that we are all destined for. (CCC ) Never forget the reality of what Jesus did for you and the power that He has over all death and darkness. He came to save you, He loves you more than you could ever imagine, and He wants nothing else than for you to live a blessed life and to one day join Him in eternal happiness in heaven. Notes: 70

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