3. jesus is alive! - 10:10 kids! -...

Easter: The Resurrection

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© 2012 10:10 Kids! All rights reserved. www.tentenkids.com

Wonderful News: Jesus is alive!

Big Idea: Jesus is alive!

Key verse: John 11:26 - Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who

believes in me will live, even if he dies.”

Thoughts for leaders What a week to have a party! This is the best part of the Easter story: Jesus is alive! The

impossible has become true! Take time to celebrate this day with your group. If you

can, throw a real party with party food & favours, and take time to celebrate not just

the traditional “Easter” chocolate & eggs, but the true reason for the party: life!

All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version®,

NIrV® Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

www.zondervan.com.

The “NIrV” and “New International Reader’s Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and

Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™


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Supplies list:

Attention Grabber Small Group Memory Verse

- 2 tables

- 3 chairs

- Choir robe

- Suit jacket

- Doctor’s smock

- Gavel

- Papers

- Bible

- Celebration foods

(ie ice cream or

chocolate Easter

eggs)

- prayer journals

(optional)

- John 11:26

Memory Verse

printed on

colourful paper

(pages 11-17)

- Scissors

- Ribbon

- Tape

Craft Table Games Teaching Time

- Hard-boiled eggs

- Food coloring

- Vinegar

- Boiling Water

- Rubber bands

Or alternate craft: - plastic eggs

- stickers

- Easter treats

- Printouts of Easter

eggs (pg 20) No supplies needed


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Set the stage as a courtroom scene: table and chair (with a gavel if possible) for

the judge to sit behind, a chair beside for the witness, and a chair and table facing

the judge for the lawyer.

Costumes:

Choir robe for judge

Fancy suit for lawyer

Doctor’s smock for Luke

Paper on lawyer’s desk

Characters:

Judge: Stern-looking individual, dressed in choir robe

Lawyer: Professional looking, wearing suit jacket

Luke: doctor/scientist, wearing white jacket

Bailiff: bit part, can be dressed normally.

The People versus Jesus

Scene opens with lawyer sitting behind a table, and bailiff entering the room.

Bailiff: All rise!

Lawyer rises, Judge enters the room, and seats him/herself behind the bench.

Judge: You may be seated.

Lawyer seats him/herself, and bailiff moves to beside the Judge.

Judge: The court is now in session. The case before us is The People versus Jesus,

whereby Jesus is being charged with fraud in that he claims to have died and come back

to life. Defence, you may call your first witness.

Lawyer stands to address the judge, then sits down again.

Lawyer: The defence calls Dr. Luke, your honour.


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Luke enters the room and sits down on the witness stand. Bailiff approaches, and Luke

raises his right hand.

Bailiff: Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so

help you, God?

Luke: I do.

Luke lowers his hand. Bailiff exits. Lawyer stands.

Lawyer: Please state your name and occupation for the record.

Luke: Luke. I am a doctor. A scientist, if you will.

Lawyer: And what is your relation to Jesus?

Luke: I have never met him. Not in person, at least.

Lawyer: We submit Dr. Luke as an expert in this case, your honour.

Judge: Proceed.

Lawyer: Would you please tell the court how you came to be involved in this case.

Luke: Yes, well, my good friend had been hearing these outrageous rumours about

Jesus – of the miracles people said he did, and he became very interested. He is quite

wealthy, your honour, so he had it in his mind to travel to Jerusalem to meet this Jesus.

Then when he heard Jesus had died, he was quite upset. When rumours reached him

that Jesus may have come back to life, he considered coming himself but decided

against it. He hired me to investigate the rumours and report back to him whether or

not Jesus was alive, and if this was all a hoax or not.

Lawyer: So you were hired, as a scientist, to investigate Jesus for fraud.

Luke: Yes, your honour.

Lawyer: Have you concluded your investigation?

Luke: Yes, your honour.

Lawyer: And what were your findings.


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Luke: Remarkable, actually. My sources confirm that Jesus did actually die. As you

know, this court had sentenced him to death for claiming to be a king when, in fact, as

we all know, Ceasar is king over Israel. There were some questions as to whether this

was a fake charge, no offense your honour, since Jesus was not really involving himself

in politics, but it was the decision of the court to sentence Jesus to death in any case.

Lawyer picks up paper from table and brings it to the judge.

Lawyer: The defence submits court rulings 30992 as evidence. Please continue, Dr.

Luke.

Luke: Yes, well, as you know, Roman soldiers are – ahem – experts in executions and

rarely mess one up. In this case, there were several soldiers who confirmed Jesus’

death. In fact, when they took him down from the cross, they stabbed him just in case.

He was definitely dead. This was confirmed by higher Jewish authorities who took the

liberty of burying Jesus.

Lawyer: So, in your opinion, there is no way that Jesus could have faked his death.

Luke: No, sir. None at all.

Lawyer: Could he have faked coming back to life?

Luke: Well, your honour, that was my question as well. I thought perhaps it was a joke,

or a look-a-like, or his brother or something, but my investigations lead me to believe

he very much was alive.

Lawyer: how is that possible?

Luke: Only through God, I suppose. There simply is no other explanation. His friends

claim to have seen him. Complete strangers have met him. He’s not a ghost – he eats

fish and bread like any normal person. He’s not a look-a-like: people have touched his

hands and seen the scars from his death. Over 300 people have seen him at different

times. I personally, have not met him, but there are too many reports that are

consistent with each other to dismiss. It seems the impossible has happened. It seems

Jesus is alive!

Lawyer: Forgive me, but why are you grinning? I thought you didn’t know Jesus?

Luke: I’ve never met him, if that’s what you mean, but don’t you get it? Don’t you know

what this means? This means Jesus really was who he said he was: it means he really is

God!


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Lawyer: So?

Luke: So? So!? Jesus – God – DIED for us! It means he loves us! It means God is real

and alive, and HERE! It means that he actually CAN forgive our sins, like he said he

could! It means I don’t have to try to be good to get to heaven, because Jesus has

forgiven me! It means my life can totally be changed – just like his friends have! I

mean, have you MET Peter? The guy was a loser, and now that he’s following Jesus he’s

becoming this big-time preacher: PETER! I can’t WAIT to see what he’ll do with me! In

fact, excuse me, your honour, but I really have to go. Don’t you get it – Jesus is alive!

I’ve got to follow him – I can’t wait to see what life will be like with Jesus in it!

Luke runs out the room.

Judge: Defence?

Lawyer: Uh… sorry about that…

Judge: Do you want to call your next witness?

Lawyer: (still looking after Luke) Uh, yes… no – Excuse me, your honour, I think I’m

going to follow this Jesus, too. Lawyer runs out the room.


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It was early in the morning, and some of the ladies who had been friends with Jesus

were going to his body to get it ready for the funeral. They were probably quiet & sad,

the way we might be if our best friend had died. They knew his body is in a cave, called

a tomb, and that a huge stone had been put across the entrance and there were even

guards there, because the king wanted to make sure everyone knew Jesus was dead

and wouldn’t steal the body.

I bet the women were talking, and hoping that the soldiers would help them roll away

the stone. It was too big for just one or two people to do: it would need everyone’s

help.

Maybe they were glad and relieved when they got to the cave and saw the stone wasn’t

even there anymore. Maybe they thought someone had got there first to help get

Jesus’ body ready for a funeral. Maybe they even wondered where the guards had

gone, because when they got to the tomb, the stone had been rolled away & no one

was around!

The went inside the cave, ready to put spices on Jesus’ body and clean him up so he

looked okay in the tomb, but when they got there, the clothes he had been wearing

were neatly folded… and the tomb was empty!

What do you think you would do? Would you call the police, and tell them someone

stole the body? Would you go to the king and demand the body would get put back?

Would you try to find the soldiers? Would you cry?

The women didn’t know what to do, but Jesus’ body being gone made them very sad

and very afraid. Then, out of nowhere, two men showed up: only they weren’t just

men. They were huge, and it was like they were glowing – the Bible said they looked

like lightening! The women were super scared! Then the men said a strange thing: they

said, “Why are you looking for the living among the dead? Jesus is not here, he’s risen!

Don’t you remember when he said that he would be crucified and on the third day, he

would rise again?”

The women all of a sudden remembered: when Jesus had said that, they didn’t know

what he was talking about. But now the first part had come true: Jesus had been

crucified! Could it be true? Had the second part come true, as well? Could Jesus really

be alive?


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The women ran back to find Jesus’ other friends, the disciples, and tell them what they

had seen. But one woman, Mary, stayed behind and cried. A man came up to her and

asked why she was crying, and she said, “They took Jesus’ body away. I want to get it

back.” She thought the man must be the gardener. Then the man said her name,

“Mary,” She looked up and – it was Jesus! And he was alive! She was so happy! “Now

go tell your brothers,” Jesus told her, so she ran back to the disciples to tell them that

she had seen Jesus!

Now, this might sound too amazing to be true: not many people get raised from the

dead! But Jesus proved he really was alive. He went and visited with his best friends,

and he let some of them touch his hands where the nails had been. He showed up to

talk to some other men and when he started teaching them, they recognized him and

realized he was Jesus! He had supper on the beach with his best friends, and he even

taught a crowd of over 300 people. It’s hard to trick that many people! And it wasn’t

just once, either. He stayed on earth for a few weeks, just to make sure everyone knew

that he had the power over death: he really was alive and well even though that was

impossible!

Now that people knew Jesus could do the impossible, they had to admit he really was

God. And if God can raise himself from the dead, surely he could do all the other things

he said he could do! That meant that when he said he has the power to forgive us from

the wrong things we do, he really can do it! When he says that he wants to bring us to

heaven to live with God, he really can do it! When he says he can give you peace and

joy even when life stinks, he really can do it!

Jesus isn’t lying or pretending to be someone he’s not. He’s not making fake promises,

or telling us things to make us feel better. He’s telling the truth and he has the power to

keep all his promises!


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Bible for reference

Celebration food (ie Ice cream or chocolate Easter eggs)

Prayer journals (optional)

Leader: What are some promises from the Bible that Jesus has given us?

Allow for answers. Some examples:

• Romans 10:9 – that if we confess with our mouth and believe in our hearts, we will

be saved

• Deuteronomy 31:8 – God is with us (so don’t be afraid!)

• James 1:5 – God will give us wisdom when we ask

• 1 John 1:9 – God will forgive us when we ask

• 1 John 5:14-15 – God hears our prayers

Leader: How do we know he has the power to do what he says?

Allow time for answers.

Leader: Let’s celebrate that Jesus is so powerful even death could not beat him!

If your group has a favourite way of celebrating, go for it! If not, having a special treat

together, like a bowl of ice cream or chocolate Easter eggs can be a fun way to celebrate.


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Printout of John 11:26 on colourful paper (pg 11-17)

Ribbon

Tape

Scissors

Monthly verse: 1 Corinthians 15: 3b-4 : [This is the good news: that] Christ died for our

sins, just as Scripture said he would. He was buried. He was raised from the dead on the

third day, just as Scripture said he would be.

Weekly verse: John 11:26 - Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who

believes in me will live.”

Activity: Print out the party banner on coloured paper, cut out and string around the room

as a celebration that Jesus is alive! As you cut & string the paper, recite the verse together.


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John 11:26 Memory Verse (7 pages)

I am

the


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resurrection

and


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the

life.


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Anyone

who


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believes

in me


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will

live.


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John

11:26


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Option 1 (real eggs)

Hard-boiled eggs

Food coloring

Vinegar

Boiling Water

Rubber bands

Mix 1 cup boiling water, 20 food coloring drops and 1 tablespoon vinegar in a bowl to create a dye

for the eggs.

- Have children wrap rubber bands around a hard-boiled egg.

- Dip the eggs in dye solution

- Give a few seconds to dry to the touch

- Take off the rubber bands for a tie-dyed egg!

Option 2 (plastic eggs)

Plastic eggs

Stickers

Easter treats

- Give each child a plastic egg

- Decorate with stickers

- Fill the egg with fun Easter treats.


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Printout of Easter eggs (pg 20), cut out and hidden throughout your space.

Alternately, hide real Easter eggs or candy instead.

Assign children to teams of 4-6 people (small groups work great). Assign each team an

Easter/farm animal such as chickens, donkeys, roosters, cows, etc. Each team now must decide

who are the “finders” and one person to be the “catcher.” Only the catcher is allowed to

actually touch any Easter egg. Give a time limit, and on your mark, allow the children time to

find the eggs. Once they find one, without touching it, they must make their animal noise until

their “catcher” comes and picks it up. When the time is finished, children may trade their paper

eggs for real treats!


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Easter Eggs Printout

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