LESSON OVERVIEW EASTER John 19:16–20:18 Parents Dig In Dig In to the Bible • Read: John 19:16–20:18

• In This Passage: Jesus dies on the cross, which is the punishment for a criminal. Jesus had never done anything wrong, but he takes the punishment for our sins. Jesus is buried in a tomb, but three days after his death, his friends find his tomb empty! Then Jesus—alive—shows up and talks to his friend Mary!

• Bible Point: Jesus died for us.

• Summary Verse: “But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners” (Romans 5:8).

Dig Deeper • You’ll Be Teaching: Jesus died for us. This lesson is the most critical piece of Christianity. Don’t assume your

kids know and understand it. Kids who’ve heard about it may not understand why Jesus had to die.

• Think About: What’s one thing you can do this Easter to thank Jesus for his death and resurrection?

Dig In to Prayer • Ask God to prepare your kids’ hearts to believe in him and receive his gift of salvation.

CORE BIBLE DISCOVERY FOR YOUNGER KIDS Easter (John 19:16–20:18)

Supplies • Bible

• “Symbols” handout (1 per child)

• “Clues” handout (1 copy)

• resealable plastic bags (1 per child)

• 2 envelopes

• brown or green towels, blankets, or pillows

• bucket of water

• rocks

• calendar

• Easter treats (1 per child)

• upbeat music

• music player

Easy Prep • Write your family’s name on 1 envelope. Place the letter from the “Clues” handout in the envelope and seal it.

You’ll use this letter to lead kids in the hunt for clues.

• Create 4 clue stations throughout the house. At each station, you’ll place a stack of symbol cards that kids will collect and a clue to lead kids to the next station. Cut apart the “Clues” and “Symbols” handouts.

• At the first clue station, pile the towels, blankets, or pillows to make a hill. Place the “Clue 2” card and 1 “cross” symbol card per child at this station.

• At the second clue station, place the bucket of water so it’s out of sight. Place the “Clue 3” card and 1 “pile of cloth” symbol card per child at this station.

• For the third clue station, make a pile of rocks just outside a closed door. Place the “Clue 4” card and 1 “rock” symbol card per child at this station.

• For the fourth clue station, hang the calendar and hide the Easter treats nearby. Place the final clue card and 1 “angel” symbol card per child inside the other envelope. Tape the envelope behind the calendar so it pokes out slightly.

Tip • Consider repeating the worship songs from today’s lesson during the activity. You can find them at OCEC.net.

Follow the Clues Gather the family. Show them the envelope with the letter. Say: Wow! A letter for us? Do we want to know what it says? Pause. Let’s take a look. Open the letter and read it aloud. Hold up the Bible excitedly, and then open it to John. Say: John wrote part of the Bible. I can’t wait to see what he’s going to share with us! Say: Okay, I’ll read the first clue again. Read aloud the first clue, and then lead kids around the house looking for a hill. Eventually lead them to the hill you made ahead of time, and show them the “Clue 2” card and the “cross” symbol cards. Say: Look, John left us another clue! Read aloud the clue card, stopping before the bold text. Share about a time you were very sad. Ask: • Tell about a time you were very sad. Children might share about losing a toy or even losing a loved one. Say: Jesus’ friends were so sad when Jesus died. Jesus died for them and for us. Give each child a “cross” symbol card, and read the description. Give kids each a plastic bag to store their cards in.

Say: Okay, let’s read the next clue. Read aloud the “Clue 2” text in bold. It sounds like we need to look for a bucket of water. Lead kids in searching around the room for the bucket of water. When they find it, show kids the “Clue 3” card and the “pile of cloth” symbol cards. Say: John left us a third clue! Read aloud the clue card, stopping before the bold text. Jesus’ friends took good care of his body. That’s because they loved Jesus so much. Share about something or someone you took good care of. Ask: • What’s something you take good care of? Children might talk about a favorite toy or stuffed animal, or they might mention a baby sibling or pet. Say: We take good care of people and things we love. Jesus’ friends loved Jesus a lot. Give each child a “pile of cloth” symbol card, and read the description. Have kids place their cards in their plastic bags. Say: Seems like you’re ready for the next clue! Read aloud the “Clue 3” text in bold, and then invite kids to share what they think they need to look for next. After some discussion, lead kids to understand that “door” is the important part of the clue, and lead kids to your door. If you have more than one door, lead them to the other doors before you end up at the door with the next clue. Open each door and look outside. At the correct door, reveal that there’s a new clue and some cards with rocks on them. Say: There’s a fourth clue! Read aloud the clue card, stopping before the bold text. Give each child a “rock” symbol card, and read the description aloud. Have kids put their cards in their plastic bags. Say: On Sunday, Jesus’ friends went to visit Jesus’ tomb. Share a few things you do on Sundays. Ask: • What kinds of things do you do on Sundays? Say: Okay, let’s read the clue. Read aloud the “Clue 4” text in bold, and then ask kids if they know what a calendar is. Without looking at the calendar, describe what it looks like, and then invite the children to find it. Point out the envelope poking out from behind the calendar, and show kids that you found the clue. Celebrate! Read aloud the final card from John. Give each child an “angel” symbol card, and then invite kids to look for the special treat. As kids enjoy it, say: We celebrate Easter because Jesus is alive! Jesus died for us so we can be friends with God. That’s worth celebrating! Let’s enjoy our snacks and sing some songs about Jesus! Allow time for kids to enjoy their snacks, and then turn on some upbeat music. Lead kids to sing and dance to celebrate that Jesus died for them.

CORE BIBLE DISCOVERY FOR OLDER CHILDREN Easter (John 19:16–20:18)

Supplies • Bible

• “Detective Notes” handout

• fake flowers

• Cross Clues:

o wooden block

o large nail

o paper sign that says “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews”

o torn piece of fabric

o dice

o sponge

o ointment or spices

• Tomb Clues:

o pebbles

o table

o cloth that can cover the table all the way to the floor

o fabric to fold

o brown construction paper

o green construction paper

o facial tissue

Easy Prep • Cut apart the notebook pages on the “Detective Notes” handout.

• On one side of the room, scatter the cross clue items, 1 fake flower, and the Detective Notes notebook pages that are labeled “Cross Clues.” Hold on to the "Tomb Clues" notes.

• Create a garden section in a corner of your room. Fold several sheets of green construction paper in half the long way so they can stand like a tent, and fringe the top of the tents to resemble grass (see picture below). Stick fake flowers in the grass.

• Place the table in the center of the “garden,” and cover it with the cloth.

• Under the table, place some folded fabric. Scatter pebbles in front of the table.

• Cut out footprint shapes from brown construction paper, and tape them to the floor so 1 set is coming out of the tomb and walking around to the side and the other set is approaching from outside the garden toward the side of the tomb. The 2 sets should meet as if 2 people are approaching each other. Place a crumpled tissue next to the set of footprints that’s coming from outside the garden.

Tip

• This lesson has more prep than usual, but that’s because it’s such an important story! Children will remember for a long time being immersed in the clues of Jesus’ death and resurrection.

Gather Clues Look around the room suspiciously. Say: Something has happened here. Can’t you just feel it? But I’m not quite sure what’s going on. There’s been a lot of buzz about Jesus. He says he’s God’s Son, but plenty of people think that’s a lie. I heard he was going to get in trouble! Maybe something happened with the Roman governor, named Pilate. Let’s see what clues we can find to learn about what happened to Jesus. Have kids look for clues, staying out of the garden area for now. Then have kids gather and show you what they found, including both notes and items. Examine Cross Clues Point to the wooden block. Say: Oh! That looks like the same kind of wood they use to build crosses. Did anyone find any clues that talk about a cross? Have the child with the John 19:17 note read it aloud. Say: Oh wow! That wood must be from when Jesus carried his cross up the hill. Look at the large nail. This isn’t good! That’s what they use to put people on crosses! Does anyone have any notes about a nail? Have the child with the John 19:18 note read it aloud. Say: This is terrible. Jesus appeared before the Roman governor, a guy named Pilate. Apparently, Pilate ordered Jesus’ death by crucifixion. That means nailing him to a cross of wood! And…what’s that sign you have? Have the child holding the sign read it aloud. Then have the child with the John 19:19 note read it aloud. Say: People were making fun of Jesus. Ask: • Tell about a time someone made fun of you. Share your own story first. Say: Jesus must’ve suffered so much. But (point to the torn fabric) that fabric looks like part of his clothes! And I wonder what the dice are for? Have the kids with the John 19:23 and John 19:24 notes read them aloud. Say: What a sad, sad day. Jesus was hurt, made fun of, and humiliated. What do you suppose this sponge is for? Point to the sponge. Have the child with the John 19:28-30 note read it aloud. Say: After he drank from that sponge, he died. But what happened next? Hmm…I see some ointment [or spices] like what they put on bodies before they bury them. Do you think that’s what they used it for? Let’s find out. Have the child with the John 19:38-40 note read it aloud. Say: Aha! They did bury him. I wonder if we can find any clues about where his tomb is. Maybe we could visit his tomb to pay our respects. Wait! What’s that flower? Point to the fake flower. Have the child with the John 19:41-42 note read it aloud. Say: We’re so close! That flower must be from the garden where his tomb is! Does anyone see a garden? Explore the Tomb Clues

Lead kids over to the garden. Point out the pebbles in front of the table. Say: Pebbles, huh? Those look like they fell off a much larger stone. Maybe there used to be one here. Give a child the John 20:1 note to read aloud. Say: Hmm…that’s weird. If there was a big stone covering the entrance, why do you think it’s gone now? Maybe we could find more clues in the tomb. Do you think anyone’s been in there yet? Oh! Here’s a note from a detective who’s checked out the scene. Give a child the John 20:3-5 note to read aloud. Say: Well, let’s head in and see what we can find. Have kids take turns going into the tomb, observing the folded cloth. Ask: • Well, did anyone find Jesus’ body in there? What did you find? Say: If Jesus didn’t need his grave clothes anymore, does that mean he’s alive? Give a child the John 20:6-7 note to read aloud. Say: Maybe if we follow these footprints we can figure it out! Have kids observe the footprints and speculate on whose they might be and what happened. Kids may also note the crumpled tissue. Say: A tissue, huh? So maybe someone was crying. Here’s a clue that can help us find out whose footprints these are. Give a child the John 20:14-16 note to read aloud. Review the Clues Say: Wow! We’ve learned a lot about what happened here! So let’s see if we can put all the clues together and figure out everything that happened. Have kids review the clues they found and retell the story. Say: It’s clear what happened here. Jesus died, but more importantly, Jesus died for us. We all deserve to be away from God forever because we’ve all done wrong things. When Jesus died, he took our punishment for those wrong things. Jesus died so that God could forgive us and we can be with him. And the best news is, Jesus didn’t stay dead! We’ve seen plenty of evidence that the tomb is empty because Jesus is alive!

CRAFT FOR ALL AGES Jesus Loves You

Supplies • copier paper (preferably cardstock) folded like a greeting card – write “Jesus Died for You” on the inside

• painter’s tape

• washable markers

Easy Prep • Make a sample craft to show kids, but leave the tape on.

Talk About Good News Say: When we have good news, we want to share it with everyone! Tell about some good news you’ve shared. You may have gotten to tell your family you were expecting a baby, you may have gotten to tell a friend you got a new job, or you might have told your brother you were getting married. Ask: • Tell about a time you shared some good news. Kids may say they’ve told a sibling that Grandma was coming, a friend that they were having a birthday party, or Mom that they learned a new song in school.

Say: Today we’re learning about some good news—the best news ever! Jesus loves us so much that he died for us on the cross so we can be his friends forever. But he didn’t stay dead. Jesus came back to life! Share the Good News Say: Let’s make something to remind everyone about the good news we celebrate at Easter—Jesus died for us. • Help kids fold their papers in half.

• On the inside of the “card” help them write (or write for them) “Jesus died for you”

• Give each child two pieces of painter’s tape, and help kids put the tape on the front of the card in the shape of a cross.

• Encourage kids to color the front of the card with markers, making sure the entire front, including the tape, is colored. Kids can also draw pictures on the inside of their cards if they would like.

• After kids have finished coloring, carefully remove the tape from your sample craft to reveal the cross to the kids. Then help them carefully remove their own tape from their cards.

Say: When Jesus died for us, he took away all the wrong things we’ve done. Now our hearts are clean, just like the crosses on our cards. We can give our cards to people to tell them how much Jesus loves them and that Jesus died for them, too.

OBJECT LESSON FOR ALL AGES Risen

Supplies • M&M’s candies

• small cups of water (1 per child)

Place M&M’s in Water and Watch What Happens Say: Easter is all about how Jesus died for us, but death couldn’t hold Jesus down. Jesus came back to life, and it was an amazing surprise! Let’s celebrate Jesus and Easter with a fun surprise that rises. • Give each child a cup of water. Have them carefully drop several M&M’s in the cup with the “M” on each piece

visible.

• The M&M’s need to sit and soak, and something surprising will happen. The dye in the candy shell will melt away from the candy, but within about 10 minutes, the M’s on the candies will detach and rise to the top of the water.

• While everyone waits and watches for the surprise to rise, invite kids to share about a big surprise they’ve had. Share an example of your own first, such as friends organizing a surprise birthday party for you.

• Kids can report on what they see happening to the M&M’s in their cups.

• Help kids identify when an M has risen in a cup.

Talk About It Say: The candy sank to the bottom of the cup, but the water couldn’t hold the M’s down! The M’s are made of tiny pieces of paper that’s okay for us to eat. As the candy sits in the water for a while, the paper comes off the candy and floats to the top. It’s a sweet surprise! Ask: • What do you like about surprises? • What do you like about the surprise that Jesus came back to life? Say: The greatest surprise ever happened when Jesus died for us and then came back to life. It’s the reason we celebrate Easter and that Jesus is alive!

OBJECT LESSON FOR OLDER CHILDREN Sin Is Erased

Supplies • permanent markers

• dry-erase markers

• whiteboard

• dry-erase erasers or paper towels

Try to Erase Permanent Marker Say: Today we’re learning that Jesus died for us to take the punishment for our sins. Jesus made a way for our sins to be erased. Let’s see what it would be like to try to erase our sins all on our own. • Give each child a permanent marker.

• Allow time for each child to write his or her name and the word “sin” just below it on the whiteboard.

• Then have kids take turns trying to erase their “sin” with erasers or paper towels.

• You can even allow kids time to brainstorm and try ideas for being able to erase the “sin,” such as putting a little bit of water on the eraser or using a pencil eraser.

Say: It looks like all this sin is permanent and there’s nothing any of us can do about it. That’s true about our actual sins, too. We can’t erase or undo our sins. But Jesus can wipe them away. Erase Permanent Marker With Dry-Erase Markers • Distribute the dry-erase markers, and allow time for kids to cover the “sins” they wrote just below their names

with a solid coat of dry-erase marker.

• Right after covering the permanent marker ink in dry-erase marker, each person should immediately use a dry-erase eraser or paper towel to wipe away the ink. Both the permanent marker and the dry-erase marker will come off the board.

Talk About It Ask: • What did you think when it looked like we’d ruined the board with permanent markers? • How did you feel when you saw that the dry-erase marker could make the “sin” disappear? Say: There was no wiping the “sin” away on our own. We needed the help of the dry-erase marker to dissolve and lift the permanent marker ink. We need Jesus. When Jesus died for us, he wiped away our sins. Once the sin is gone, what’s left is Jesus’ love for us—and his love is permanent.

HIGH-ENERGY GAME FOR ALL AGES Come and See

Run Fast Say: When Jesus’ friends heard that Jesus came back to life, they ran to the tomb to see for themselves. They ran fast like they were in a race. Let’s play a game where we race to someone. • Have kids line up along one wall. Stand on the opposite side of the room.

• Call kids by name to race to you and give you high-fives. After giving you high-fives, kids can run back to the line.

• Call out characteristics of kids that should run to you. Some characteristics could be:

o clothing color

o shoe style

o gender

o hair color

o food preferences

• Continue calling characteristics of kids as time and interest allows.

Talk About It Say: It was fun seeing you race to give me high-fives. Jesus’ friends raced to the tomb because they wanted to see what happened to Jesus. When they finally saw Jesus, they were so excited to see him. Share an example of someone you would be really excited to see. It may be your sister who lives far away, your mom, or a favorite singer. Ask: • Who would you be super excited to see? Kids may say a good friend, a grandparent, or a character at Disneyland. Say: When we love someone, we’re excited to be with that person. Jesus died for us because he loves us so much. Now we can be with him forever! Let’s pray and thank Jesus for his love. Lead kids to pray and thank Jesus for loving them and dying for them.

LOW-ENERGY GAME FOR YOUNGER KIDS Roll Away the Stone Relay

Supplies • large garbage bag

• scrap paper or towels (enough to fill the garbage bag)

• upbeat music (optional)

Easy Prep • Fill the garbage bag with crumpled paper or towels and tie or tape it closed.

Tip • Consider repeating the worship songs from today’s lesson during the game. You can find them at OCEC.net.

Roll the Stone Relay Say: After Jesus died, people rolled a giant stone in front of his tomb. They thought that was the end of Jesus’ story. But we know that Jesus came back to life. An angel moved the stone out of the way, and everyone could see that Jesus wasn’t there anymore. Let’s play a game where we roll a stone of our own. • Help kids line up on opposite walls.

• On your cue, kids will take turns rolling the “stone” to the opposite side. That family member will take the stone and roll it back to the other side to hand it off, relay style.

• Encourage kids to cheer for each other.

• Repeat as time allows.

• If you’d like, play upbeat music while kids play.

Talk About It Say: People rolled the stone in front of Jesus’ tomb because he died for us. The angel moved the stone out of the way to help Jesus’ friends see that Jesus wasn’t dead anymore. Sometimes we need help to do something. Share an example of something you needed help with. You may have needed help with figuring out math, fixing your car, or painting your house. Ask: • What’s something that’s hard for you to do by yourself? Kids may say they need help making their breakfast, riding their bikes, or getting going on the swings. Say: One thing that’s impossible for us to do on our own is to make our sins go away. We need God’s help. Jesus died for us to take the punishment for the wrong things we’ve done. Now we can be his friends forever!

LOW-ENERGY GAME FOR OLDER CHILDREN Weighed Down

Move Across the Room Say: Let’s play a game to see how sin can weigh us down and why we need Jesus to free us from sin. • Have family members go to one side of the room, form teams of three, and designate one person as the

Runner.

• Have teammates act as “weights,” lying on the floor and holding on to the Runner’s legs so the Runner must drag them.

• On “go,” Runners try to move forward and touch the opposite wall. Once at the wall, teammates will let go, and the Runner can run back the starting point with no one holding on to his or her legs.

• Most Runners won’t be able to make it to the first wall, as this is a significant challenge, so challenge all Runners to try to make it to the wall and back in a certain amount of time.

• Switch roles each time, and play two more times.

Talk About It Ask: • What was it like trying to run while your teammates held on to your legs? • How does sin weigh us down like that? • What was it like to be freed from your teammates? Say: It was hard to move forward when we were weighed down by our family members holding on to us. But we were free to run when the weight was lifted. Jesus died for us. He took the weight of our sin when he died on the cross. And he gives us freedom from sin because he didn’t stay dead but came back to life.

TALK-ABOUT VIDEO He’s Alive!

Supplies • “He’s Alive” teaching video (from OCEC.net)

Discuss and Watch “He’s Alive!” Say: We’re learning that Jesus died for us. Ask: • What do you think it smelled like in Jesus’ tomb? • Peter and John raced to the tomb after Jesus came back to life. Why do you think John won? • What do you think Jesus’ friends thought or said when they found his empty tomb? Say: Let’s see this Bible story as told by some kids like you! We’ll see how they answered those questions. Watch “He’s Alive!” Ask: • Which parts of this story do you think show the way it really happened? Which parts were just kids’ imagination? Say: Jesus died for us. But he didn’t stay dead! While some of the details of Jesus’ resurrection are up to our imagination, the important thing is that Jesus is alive! We know for sure that he came back to life!

MUSIC VIDEO All Creatures of Our God and King

Sing Songs to God (songs are streamed from OCEC.net) Sing the three songs in any order. Sing and do the motions together as a family! • “I Am the Resurrection and the Life” (John 11:25)• “No Greater Gift” • “Rescue Me”

MEMORY VERSE GAMES Memory Verse for Easter Sunday: “But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” (Romans 5:8). PopcornBeginning with the reference, say part of the verse, then stop and sit down. Family members then pop up and continue with the verse until you pop up, causing them to stop and sit down. Repeat several times, popping faster each time. Sort the Verse Write one or two words of the verse on index cards or small pieces of paper. Mix up the cards and then have kids sort the verse into the correct order. Repeat! For an extra challenge, time them as they sort the verse and challenge them to set a personal best time.