CRUCIFIXION PROPHECIES FULFILLED LESSON THIRTY-THREE THE PARENT PAGES Crucifixion Prophecies Fulfilled John 19:16-30 Overview of the Story The Lord reveals to the New Church that the cross is the symbol of the His final victory over all the evil flowing from hell that had afflicted people since the beginning of time. When Jesus was arrested, He could have summoned more than twelve legions of angels to help Him (Matthew 26:53). He could have come down off the cross. But He didn t stop Judas from betraying Him and He didn t stop the crowd from crucifying Him. Leaving people in freedom was more important in His divine plan, for without this freedom we would not be human. His supreme mission was to restore spiritual freedom to a human race that no longer knew Him nor the way to heavenly happiness. In order to restore our freedom the Lord had to meet and overcome evil directly. To do this He took on a finite humanity from Mary so that He could come into contact with these evil forces. It took His infinite courage and love to win victory after victory until He faced the final and most grievous temptation on the cross. His triumph assures us that evil and falsity have no ultimate power over goodness and truth. His resurrection can give us courage when we feel weak. Using His power and our co-operation, our spiritual battles can be won. Important Ideas for Your Child Prophecies from the Old Testament were fulfilled in the New Testament. The Lord rose again from the dead to prove that He truly is God. The Lord let the scribes and Pharisees try to kill Him so that He could conquer the hells and open the way to eternal life. From the Heavenly Doctrine The Lord had two purposes in coming into the world, redemption and the glorification of His Human; and by these He saved both people and angels. These two purposes are quite distinct, but still they are combined in effecting salvation. Glorification, is the uniting of the 266
LESSON THIRTY-THREE CRUCIFIXION PROPHECIES FULFILLED Lord s Human with His Father s Divine. This took place by stages and was completed by His passion on the cross. True Christian Religion 126 Angels know the deepest joy when they are thinking about the Lord and about the salvation of the human race, which took place because the Lord made the Human within Himself Divine. Also, to enable angels to go on experiencing that most heavenly joy and at the same time wisdom, a full description of that Divine process has been given in the internal sense of the Word. This sense includes at the same time the process by which a person is regenerated, for a person s regeneration is an image of the Lord s glorification. Many will perhaps be wondering what angels talk about to one another and consequently what people after death who become angels talk about. Let those who so wonder know that angels talk about the kinds of matters that are contained in the internal sense of the Word, that is to say, about the Lord s glorification, His kingdom, the Church, the regeneration of people by means of the good of love and the truth of faith. But when they do so they use profound ideas which for the most part are beyond description. Arcana Coelestia 5249 Discussion Ideas The story of the Lord s crucifixion is terribly sad for young children to hear. In heaven, children are spared this sadness. There is therefore no need for us to dramatize or focus on this aspect of the Easter story with young children. However, children can begin to see that the Lord had a divine purpose for allowing this cruelty to happen. Discuss the importance of eternal values in your child s life. Talk about how knowing the truth about the judgement after death and eternal life helps affect our behavior, rather than thinking that life in this world is all there is. Examples may include: the kindness to young children and animals, respect for adults, obedience to rules. Help your child see that these virtues are ones we need on earth and in heaven. It takes great courage to stick to what one knows is right especially when worldly pleasures and wants conflict with eternal values. Talk about a time when you or your child found it difficult to stay the course. What kinds of thoughts make it easier to keep doing what is right when it is not the popular or easy thing to do? 267
CRUCIFIXION PROPHECIES FULFILLED LESSON THIRTY-THREE Crucifixion Prophecies Fulfilled Reading from the Word: John 19:16-30 New Words to Understand crucify to put a person to death by nailing to a cross treason a crime of disloyalty to your own country testify to make a statement of what is true or of something witnessed resurrect to raise up and restore to life fulfillment when something that has been promised happens The Holy Supper In our previous lesson we learned about the first Holy Supper. Do you remember why the Lord began the celebration of the Holy Supper? The Lord was giving His disciples and all believers a new way to remember Him and to remember the good and true things that He had come on earth to teach people. Today Christians still follow the Lord s command to remember Him when they come to the Holy Supper. The Garden of Gethsemane After the first Holy Supper, as Jesus and His disciples walked to the nearby Garden of Gethsemane, He told them plainly that some prophecies were about to come true. He reminded them of this prophecy from Zechariah 13:7: I will strike the Shepherd, And the sheep of the flock will be scattered. At this moment none of the disciples believed that they could ever leave the Lord. But later that very night they would all scatter and leave in discouragement when Jesus was arrested. Then He told them that He would be raised up. But they probably did not understand that He spoke of His rising into heaven. Jesus Is Captured After praying in the Garden of Gethsemene Jesus let the crowd capture Him right there. The religious leaders of the Jews, the scribes and Pharisees came in one large group. They were worried Jesus would take their places as religious leaders. They wanted a king who would overthrow the Roman government that was ruling 268
LESSON THIRTY-THREE CRUCIFIXION PROPHECIES FULFILLED them. Most of the Jewish people wanted a king who would make their nation great again. They would have gladly followed Jesus into battle against the Romans, but they did not want to battle against their own self-centeredness. They did not want Jesus as their king because His kingdom was not of this world. If the Lord is to be king, it can only be in the hearts and minds of people who love Him more than they love power and riches. This happens when we turn to the Lord and fight against our desire to always put ourselves above others. Because the Jewish people at that time were ruled by the Romans, Jesus was turned over to the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate, in the hope Jesus would be put to death. But Pilate could find no fault with Jesus because He had not broken the law. So Pilate tried to return Jesus to the Jews but they cried out to Pilate Crucify Him! Read the Story from the Word: John 19:16-30 For what crime was Jesus crucified? Even though He never said He would be an earthly king this was the charge against Him. Pilate had a sign put over the cross which read Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews. This was written in three languages. What were the three languages? (Hebrew, Greek and Latin.) The Romans considered it treason for anyone other than Caesar (the Roman ruler) to be hailed as a king, as the Lord had been on Palm Sunday. And now, even though they hated their Roman rulers, the Jews proclaimed we have no king but Caesar because they wanted the Lord to be condemned by the Roman governor Pilate. Could Jesus have saved Himself? He could have come down from the cross because He was God. He did not have to suffer physical death. But if He had 269
CRUCIFIXION PROPHECIES FULFILLED LESSON THIRTY-THREE saved Himself, He would not have shown us by His resurrection, which is His rising into heaven, that the death of the body is not the end of life. And such a great miracle in front of His enemies and disbelievers would have forced people to believe in Him without changing what was in their hearts. The Lord wants us to freely choose to love Him. Jesus Garments Let s see what other prophecy from the Old Testament came true at this time in the Lord s life. Did you notice what happened to Jesus garments? The soldiers divided his clothes into four parts and each took a part. However, Jesus inner tunic was woven in one piece without seams, so it was not easily divided. How did the soldiers decide who would get the tunic? They simply cast lots and by this act another ancient prophecy about the Lord came true. They divided My garments among them, And for My clothing they casts lots. Psalm 22:18 270
LESSON THIRTY-THREE CRUCIFIXION PROPHECIES FULFILLED Jesus Is Risen When the Lord had finished all that He came on earth to do He called out from the cross, I thirst! And when He had received a small drink of sour wine He said, It is finished! In verse 30 of our reading it says He bowed His head and He gave up His spirit. That night Jesus body was taken by one of his followers and buried in a new tomb. A guard was put by it to keep watch so that nothing could be disturbed. However, in the morning the women and the first disciples who came to the tomb found a great surprise. The body was not there! Angels told them not to weep. The Lord had risen as He said! In the next few days the Lord came to visit His disciples. He walked, talked and ate with them. Can you imagine how amazed and happy they must have been to see Him again? Then after forty days, the Lord ascended into heaven as His disciples watched. Prophecies of the Lord s Life Preparation for the Lord s life on earth had been made years before with many prophecies. There are more prophecies about the Lord s birth and life than can be told in these lessons. One reason for the prophecies was to give people hope that the Lord would come and save them. It was important for the Lord to pass through 271
CRUCIFIXION PROPHECIES FULFILLED LESSON THIRTY-THREE the death of the physical body to show His disciples and all people that He is the resurrection and the life, as He said (John 11:25). He showed that the death of the body does not change the person we really are. Death is only a doorway in our lives. It is a doorway that opens into eternal life. Because of what happened on Easter day and the events immediately following, we know that the Lord still lives with us. He is with us just as He was with His disciples and He always will be. We can find Him in His Word, in prayer, and in special, joyful moments when we make good choices or try to love the Lord and our neighbor. Recitation Learn the recitation by heart: Mark 16:4-7. But when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away for it was very large. And entering the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a long white robe sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. But he said to them, Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. But go, tell His disciples and Peter that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you. Activities Choose several from the following: 1) Journal: Resurrection. Choose one or more of the ideas below to write about on your journal page. By His death and resurrection, the Lord showed people that life goes on forever. How do you think the disciples recognized the Lord after His resurrection? Do you think He looked and acted the same as before? Tell how the disciples must have felt to see Him again. What does the Lord s death and resurrection teach us about death? What would you tell someone who is afraid of death that might make them feel better about it? Some people say that it is impossible to know about life after death because no one has come back from the dead to tell us about it. But when we read from the gospels we know that many people saw the risen Lord. His 272
LESSON THIRTY-THREE CRUCIFIXION PROPHECIES FULFILLED disciples did not go back to their homes discouraged but went out and courageously told the whole world about Him. And in the New Church the Lord has given us many new teachings about the life to come. Tell how you might have felt if you were one of the Lord s disciples and saw Him after He rose on Easter morning. 2) Activity Book Word Search activity. Easter Story Line activity. 3) Art projects Easter Diorama. Angel project. 4) Other activities Show that you want the Lord to be King of your life by doing kind deeds for others on Easter Day. Every day can be a new beginning. If there is something you are discouraged about, give it a fresh start today. 5) Songs Lo! They Come in Glad Procession Track 31 Lift Up Your Heads, Rejoice Track 32 273
Lesson 33 Crucifixion Prophecies Fulfilled Story Line Activity An Introduction to Making a Story Line This is an exercise that can help children reflect on which parts of a story are happy or sad. This can generate considerable discussion in a family, depending on the story. We are enclosing an activity sheet that can be used for this activity and an alternative. The first step is to identify 6-10 key events in a story. List events in the Lord s life on earth or you could limit it to the events of the last week leading up to His resurrection on Easter. Write each of these in one space on the bottom row of the chart. To make the story line, you will need to decide whether each event is happy or sad or somewhere in between. Take for example, the Lord and His disciples at the Last Supper. Is this event happy, sad, or somewhere in between? There is a neutral, middle line. Anything above the line is happy, and anything below the line is sad. The degree of happiness or sadness is shown by how far away from the middle line it is placed. The story line can be plotted out on the paper. You can also write the events on index cards, place them in sequential order, and then arrange them on a table or the floor (making the neutral line with a rope or masking tape). Discussion is key here!
Make a Story Line for the Lord s Life Decide whether each event is happy or sad. Draw a line going up and down from left to right to show how the different parts of this story make us feel. Very happy Rather happy A little bit happy Neutral or mixed feelings A little bit angry or sad Rather angry or sad Very angry or sad
Lesson 33 Crucifixion Prophecies Fulfilled AN EASTER DIORAMA This is adapted from a project designed by Eudora Sellner Walsh. Materials needed: Markers, crayons, colored pencils, or water color paints Scissors Glue stick or scotch tape Procedure: 1. Color the angels, the tomb, and Mary Magdalene. The clothing of the angels is shining white. What color do you want to make Mary s clothing? The tomb was probably a cave in a hillside, so you may want to draw grass on the front and top. 2. Take Part B: Angels at the Tomb and fold the bottom part toward you. 3. Take Part C: The Tomb and cut away the doorway of the tomb. Then fold along the dotted lines, folding each part back away from you. 4. Attach Parts B [Angels] and C [Tomb] by taping the top fold of Part C [Tomb] to the top of Part B [Angels]. Then tape the bottom fold of Part C [Tomb] to the bottom of Part B [Angels]. There should still be room in front of the tomb for Mary. 5. Cut out the long rectangle and the figure of Mary Magdalene. Bend the rectangle into a semicircle, taping one end to each side of the figure at the bottom. The semi-circle supports Mary and lets you move her around the diorama to peek into the tomb. Diagram of Assembly Procedure: Part A: Mary Magdalene
Part B: Angels in the Tomb Cut along line solid lines. Fold along dotted lines.
Part C: Tomb Cut along line solid lines. Fold along dotted lines.
Lesson 33 Crucifixion Prophecies Fulfilled Angel Project Angels are often messengers for the Lord. When the women and the disciples came to the tomb on the first Easter morning, angels gave the good news that the Lord had risen from the dead. Here is a simple angel project for you to make. Materials: Clothespin Markers Small pieces of white fabric (eyelet is especially nice), felt or tissue paper Needle and thread Directions: 1. Cut a piece of the fabric, felt or tissue paper into a rectangle. The height should be as tall as the clothespin you are using and the width should be twice that measurement. 2. Using a needle and thread, make small running or gathering stitches across one of the long edges. 3. Gently pull the thread to gather the fabric around the neck of the clothespin. Tie in a knot. 4. Using markers, draw a face and hair on the angel. 5. If you use felt or other stiff fabric, the angel will stand alone.