April 1, 2018 Easter Day Acts 10:34 43 Ps. 118:1 2, 14 24 1 Cor. 15:1 11 Mark 16:1 8 Raised! Goal for the Session Third- and fourth-graders will celebrate and wonder about the resurrection of Jesus Christ. n PREPARING FOR THE SESSION Focus on Mark 16:1 8 WHAT is important to know? From Exegetical Perspective, Beverly Roberts Gaventa Generations of interpreters have been so disturbed by Mark s ending that they have rushed to supply their own. But Mark s story defies such control. The final words of the young man, words from Jesus himself, remain to be fulfilled. They are not to be fulfilled by the faithfulness of the disciples, since the disciples are not heard from again. Neither will they be fulfilled by the obedience of Mary Magdalene, Mary, and Salome, whose terrified departure is not to be smoothed over by reference to other Gospel traditions. Only God s faithfulness will complete this story. WHERE is God in these words? From Theological Perspective, Serene Jones God breaks through the wall that our flight from God has constructed around us, just as God also breaks through the waves of grief that flow out from us when we refuse to flee from the horror and stand speechless and undone in its presence. Both of these breaks are needed for an honest account of who we are as people of faith. We are always both the faithless abandoners and killers of God and the faithful mourners and lovers of God. Here, where we expect to find Jesus dead, the tomb does not hold him. And with often unspoken force, grace abounds. SO WHAT does this mean for our lives? From Pastoral Perspective, D. Cameron Murchison Dealing with death is inevitably complex. Grief is almost always in the forefront. But other feelings swirl through the experience as well relief, to name one. The women on their way to anoint Jesus body in the tomb were making peace not only with the death of Jesus but with the death of Jesus claim to embody the reign of God for the well-being of the world. In Mark, a tension is manifest between the trustworthiness of the message of God s present and powerful reign and the fearful response of disciples more ready to make peace with the death of the gospel than to enter into its promise. NOW WHAT is God s word calling us to do? From Homiletical Perspective, Gail R. O Day He has been raised puts the focus on Jesus as the object of the action done by another. That the women flee in terror and amazement indicates that they know exactly the identity of the unnamed subject of that verb. Terror and amazement are words that describe one s response to a revelation of God. It is God who has raised Jesus and altered the rules of their known world. Silence is not a failed or inadequate response. The women s silence creates a space for the voice and presence of God to resound. We also stand hushed in awe at the cosmic power of God to take away death s sting. 1
Raised! FOCUS SCRIPTURE Mark 16:1 8 Focus on Your Teaching Children this age have experienced surprises of many kinds. They may have wondered how something surprising happened and what would happen next. The story of Jesus resurrection is filled with surprise and mystery. Expect questions such as, How could this have happened? Resist the temptation to offer quick or simple answers. We cannot fully understand the mystery of God s power in the resurrection and the promise of new life that it gives us. We can, however, be witnesses like the women at the tomb filled with awe and wonder at what God has done this day. Victorious God, make me a witness to the mysterious power of your infinite love through Jesus Christ, the risen Savior. Amen. YOU WILL NEED white cloth gold ribbons or streamers (one per child) white batterypowered Christ candle 6 balloons confetti, funnel straight pin paper, pens permanent markers Color Pack 10, 11, 32 Resource Sheet 1 Singing the Feast, 2017 2018; CD player plastic Easter eggs that open For Responding option 1: copies of Resource Sheet 2, materials listed there option 2: Bibles option 3: flat stones, acrylic paints, paintbrushes n LEADING THE SESSION GATHERING Before the session, for Gathering fill five balloons with air and tie them off. Balloons in deep colors work best. Using a funnel, put confetti inside the sixth balloon, and then inflate and tie it. Use permanent markers to write Easter phrases on all six inflated balloons, such as: Christ is risen, Alleluia, Joy, Jesus lives. For Closing, make an Easter surprise egg for each child: On a small piece of paper, write Jesus Christ has been raised from the dead! Pass it on. Place the paper inside a plastic Easter egg. Make a few extra eggs for visitors. As children arrive, greet each one by saying, Happy Easter! Invite learners to help you arrange the white cloth in the center of your meeting space. Have them place the Christ candle on the cloth and arrange ribbons or streamers in a joyful design. Gather the group. Light the Christ candle and say: Today is Resurrection Day, the beginning of the Easter season. Today we praise God for raising Jesus Christ from the dead. Today we praise God s creative power at work in the world. Form two groups to sing Hallelujah! Praise Ye the Lord! (Color Pack 32; track 10 on Singing the Feast, 2017 2018), with one group singing Hallelujah and the other singing Praise ye the Lord. Have children wave ribbons or streamers from the worship cloth as they sing. Return ribbons or streamers to the worship cloth. Place the balloons in the center of your group. Pick up one of the empty balloons, hold it high, say, Alleluia! and pop it quickly with a pin. Without commenting, repeat these actions with all the balloons, popping the balloon with the confetti last. Ask: P How did you feel when I started popping the balloons? P When have you been surprised by something that frightened you at first but then made you happy? 2
Raised! Hallelujah! Praise Ye the Lord! Hal - le - lu, hal - le - lu, hal - le - lu, hal - le - lu - jah! Hal - le - lu, hal - le - lu, hal - le - lu, hal - le - lu - jah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Invite a youth or adult to come in costume and tell the story of Mark 16:1 8 as a firstperson account. EXPLORING To set the scene and refresh learners memories about the events of Good Friday, show Color Pack 10 as you read aloud the information on Resource Sheet 1 (To the Tomb). Tell children that the photo on Color Pack 10 is of a replica of the type of tomb where Jesus body was laid. Tell learners that the Bible story for today is full of surprises, just as the balloons you popped earlier. Distribute Bibles and work together to find Mark 16:1 8. Read the story aloud as children follow along in their Bibles. Ask: P Who went to Jesus tomb? Why did they go there? (vv. 1 2) P What were they worried about as they were walking to the tomb? (vv. 3 4) P Who was in the tomb when the women arrived? (v. 5) P What did this man in white say to the women? (vv. 6 7) P Why do you think they were afraid to tell what they had seen and heard? (v. 8) Show Color Pack 11, inviting comments about what the children would have added to this picture of the Bible story if they had been painting it. Wonder with the children about what might have happened after the women left the tomb. Ask: P What do you think the women did right after they ran from the tomb? Several hours later? The next day? P How do you think the women s lives might have been different after they saw the empty tomb? P If you had been one of the women, what would you have done after you left the tomb? P What is most surprising to you about this account of the first Easter in Mark 16:1 8? Jesus promises that, because God raised him from the dead to live with God forever, God also will love us forever. Ask: P What is the good news of Jesus promise? What questions do you have about this good news? P How will you celebrate Jesus resurrection today? RESPONDING Mark the activities you will use. 1. Easter Surprise Tubes The Easter story is one of surprise and joy. Children can proclaim a message of Easter joy to others in many ways. Distribute copies of Resource Sheet 2 (Easter Surprise Tubes). As a group, read about the surprise tubes and the directions for making them. Have each child make one to take home to a family member and another for someone they know who needs to hear the good news of Easter. 3
Raised! EASY PREP If acrylic paints are not available, mix two parts liquid tempera paint with one part white glue. 2. Create a Pantomime Telling the story of Easter is at the heart of the identity of Jesus followers. Have children review Mark 16:1 8 in their Bibles and decide on how they might tell the story without words. What facial expressions, actions, and movements would they use to tell the story? Learners can also include what they imagined the women did after running from the tomb. Plan to perform this pantomime for another church school group or during fellowship time after worship. 3. Easter Stones When the women reached Jesus tomb, they were amazed to find that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. Children can paint Easter stones to remind them of the surprise of the empty tomb. Give each child a flat stone, and have her or him use acrylic paints to paint Easter phrases on the stone, such as: Jesus lives! Alleluia! Christ is risen! Go and tell of Easter joy! Christian Easter symbols such as crosses or butterflies can be added. Ask learners to think of where they might put these stones to help other people remember the story of the empty tomb. CLOSING Gather the group around the Christ candle and light it. Invite learners to tell their favorite part of the Easter story or a way they like to celebrate Easter. Perhaps worship leaders will want to give message eggs like the ones you gave learners to worshipers as they leave the Easter service. With excitement, remind children that we can tell others that Jesus Christ is risen. Explain that each learner will receive a plastic egg, an Easter symbol of new life. Inside each egg is a message. Tell the children to open their eggs and read the message after they leave your meeting space. Then they should put the message back inside the egg and give it to another person, who hopefully will do the same. As you give each child a plastic egg, offer this blessing: (Name), God bless you with Easter joy. Go and tell the good news of God s Easter love! 4
April 1, 2018 Raised! Grades 3 4 Resource Sheet 1 Jesus died on a Friday. The Jewish Sabbath begins at sundown on Friday. The Sabbath lasts from sundown on Friday until sundown on Saturday. Following God s commandment in Exodus 20:8 11, no work can be done on the Sabbath. Friends laid Jesus body in a tomb before Sabbath began that Friday night. Jesus body was probably placed in a tomb dug out of a rock wall on the side of a hill. Inside these tombs were small rooms with ledges where the bodies were placed. The opening of the tomb was covered with a huge stone. It was an important tradition for the Jewish people to put special oils and spices on the body of a person who had died. Usually, women in the family did this. There wasn t enough time on Friday to do this for Jesus before the Sabbath began. Mary Magdalene and the other women waited until after the Sabbath to go to the tomb to put these special oils and spices on the body of Jesus. They went early on Sunday morning. They were worried about how they would move the huge stone away from the opening of the tomb. But when they got to the tomb the stone was already rolled away! To the Tomb 2018 Westminster John Knox Press
April 1, 2018 Raised! Grades 3 4 Resource Sheet 2 Easter Surprise Tubes Like the disciples, Christians today are called to witness to the surprising joy of Jesus resurrection. Surprise tubes can help you do this. These are similar to crackers, a British tradition for celebrations. For family fun, make one surprise tube for each person. Open them as a group by standing in a circle, holding a cracker by the ends between each pair of people. On the count of three, all say, Happy Easter! and pull on the ends of the crackers until they open, then scramble to collect the items that fall out. YOU WILL NEED small cardboard tube, such as a toilet-tissue tube or 4" piece of paper-towel tube colorful lightweight wrapping paper or tissue paper gift-wrap ribbon or yarn glue sticks confetti small, wrapped Easter candies strips of colorful paper stickers: butterflies, crosses, or flowers DIRECTIONS 1. Cut a 12" X 8" piece of wrapping paper. 2. Apply a strip of glue down the length of the cardboard tube. Put one end of the wrapping paper onto the glue and stick it down, leaving equal lengths of paper on each side. Roll the rest of the paper around the tube. Apply glue to the edge of the paper and stick it to the tube. 3. Gather the paper and tie one end of the wrapped tube with a piece of ribbon or yarn. 4. On a small strip of colorful paper, write: Alleluia! Jesus Christ is risen! 5. Put this strip of paper, confetti, candies, and stickers into the tube. 6. Gather the paper on the open end of the tube and tie it with a piece of ribbon or yarn. 7. Give the Easter surprise tube as a gift to someone. Tell him or her to pull both ends of the wrapping paper at once to open the surprise! 2018 Westminster John Knox Press