First Easter 3

This is the text of the story from the second session of the Sunday School program that I wrote for Palm Sunday, Easter Sunday and the Sunday following Easter for 2011. I based the story text on Luke 22:47-24:53 and Acts 1:1-14. This session is based on Luke 24:50-53 and Acts 1:1-14. The story for the first session can be found here. The story for the second session can be found here.
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Jesus is God’s King, the Christ. The Jews asked Pilate to sentence Jesus to death by crucifixion, so Pilate sent Jesus to the cross. Jesus died on the cross to save us, so we may live in heaven with Him.

On the third day Jesus’ body was missing, because Jesus had risen from the dead. Jesus met Cleopas on the road to Emmaus and showed him that all of the Old Testament points to Jesus. Jesus reassured the disciples: “Everything must happen that is written about me in Scripture.”

After Jesus rose from the dead, He spent a lot of time with His disciples. Jesus lived and ate and talked with His disciples for 40 days after the First Easter Sunday, when He rose from the dead. For 40 days, Jesus taught His disciples about God’s Kingdom and about the Holy Spirit.


Jesus talked with His disciples about the Kingdom of God. His disciples had lots of questions about God’s Kingdom. One day while they were meeting together with Jesus, the disciples asked Jesus, “Lord, are you going to make Israel into a great kingdom again right now?” The disciples thought that now that Jesus had risen from the dead, nothing could stop Him if Jesus wanted to be king of Israel – not the Jewish leaders, not Pilate, not Herod, not Caesar nor any other human leader. The disciples knew Jesus is God’s King, and they wanted Jesus to start reigning as King right away!

But Jesus told His disciples that they didn’t need to know what time God had decided things would happen. That is God’s business, because God is the King in heaven.

Then Jesus told His disciples that soon, they would get power – special power, some of Jesus’ kingly power – when the Holy Spirit came upon them. But first they had to wait!

“Apostles” means “People who are sent out to do a task.” Jesus called His disciples by the name “apostles” because Jesus was going to send them out into the world with a very special message about Him. Jesus told His apostles that when they had some of Jesus’ kingly power, when the Holy Spirit had come upon them, they would tell people all over the world about Jesus. But first, Jesus told His apostles to wait in Jerusalem. The apostles would tell people about Jesus in Jerusalem as soon as the Holy Spirit had come to them. Jesus taught His apostles about God’s Kingdom and about the Holy Spirit, for 40 days.

After 40 days, Jesus led His apostles out to the Mount of Olives, a hill near the town of Bethany. It was only a short walk outside the city of Jerusalem. Jesus lifted up His hands [lift up your hands] and blessed His apostles. As Jesus was blessing them, He was taken up, lifted up into the sky. The apostles watched with their faces tilted upwards [look upwards briefly] until Jesus was hidden by a cloud. Then the apostles couldn’t see Jesus any more. Jesus had been taken up to heaven while His apostles were watching.


Jesus was gone from the earth. Jesus was not with His apostles any more. They stood staring up to the sky where they had seen Jesus covered by the cloud. “What would happen now? Would Jesus ever come back to them again?” they wondered.

All of a sudden the men realised there was someone else with them. It wasn’t Jesus. Standing next to them were two men, dressed in white. They were angels with a message from God, just like the angel messengers that the women had seen at Jesus’ tomb 40 days before. The angels asked the apostles why they were looking up into the sky. The angels said, “Jesus has been taken from you into heaven. Jesus is not in the sky, He is in heaven. And the same Jesus who has gone to heaven will come back. Jesus will come back from heaven in the same way you saw Him go into heaven.” The angels told the apostles that Jesus will come back from heaven.


The apostles wanted to worship Jesus. So they went straight back to Jerusalem, and they worshiped Jesus at the temple, the place where Jews worshiped God. The apostles praised God for sending Jesus. They praised Jesus for dying on the cross to save them. They praised God for bringing Jesus back to life as God had promised in Scripture.


The apostles met together with other people as well. These people were also followers of Jesus. They had seen Jesus after He had died, after God had brought Jesus back to life again. Jesus’ mother Mary met with the apostles in an upstairs room in Jerusalem. Jesus’ brother James met with them as well. Later, James would write a letter to Christians all over the world about what Christians do. But for now, all the Christians were in Jerusalem, praying and praising God. The apostles, with Mary and James, prayed and worshiped God in Jerusalem. They were obeying Jesus’ instructions to wait in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit to come upon them.
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All illustrations are copyright 2011 Chrissie D. She drew them specifically for our program. (Isn't she wonderful?) The illustrations have deliberately been resized to about 10% of their original size to prevent people copying and re-using Chrissie D's original art without permission.

If you would like to use this story, the illustrations or the accompanying program including materials for activities and songs with your children or church or in some other way, please leave a message on the blog and I will get back to you directly.

First Easter 2

This is the text of the story from the second session of the Sunday School program that I wrote for Palm Sunday, Easter Sunday and the Sunday following Easter for 2011. I based the story text on Luke 22:47-24:53 and Acts 1:1-14. This session is based on Luke 23:50-24:49. The story for the first session can be found here.
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The following explanation is part of an activity that our church kids did before the Bible story. It helps the kids to understand what Jesus is talking about later in the story:

When Jesus lived, the Jewish people did not have the same Bible that we have today. The Jewish people called their Bible “The Scriptures”. Today, we call it “The Old Testament”. The Old Testament Scriptures have many books. They include the books called “The Law of Moses”, which were written by Moses. Then came the books called “The Prophets” which told the history of the people of Israel and what God said to them through the prophets God sent. There were also “The Psalms”*, which included the Book of Psalms and some other books such as Proverbs.

* "The Psalms" was also called "The Writings", but in this passage of Luke, Jesus refers to these books as "The Psalms".
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Jesus is God’s King, the Christ. The Jews asked Pilate to sentence Jesus to death by crucifixion, so Pilate sent Jesus to the cross. Jesus died on the cross to save us, so we may live in heaven with Him.

Jesus was dead. When people die, other people bury their dead bodies. So a man named Joseph asked Pilate if he could bury Jesus’ body. Joseph took Jesus’ body down off the cross on the hill. Then Joseph wrapped strips of linen cloth around Jesus’ body. And Joseph put Jesus’ body in a tomb cut into rock.

The women who had seen Jesus dying on the cross, who had cried when Jesus died, watched Joseph bury Jesus’ body. It was getting late in the day and they could not put sweet-smelling spices on Jesus’ body now. The women would not go near or touch Jesus’ body on the next day, because it was a holy Sabbath day. The women knew they would have to wait until the day after the Sabbath, the third day, to come and put spices on Jesus’ body. So they went home to get the sweet-smelling spices ready for the third day.

Very early on the morning of the third day (it was a Sunday), the women took the sweet-smelling spices and went to the tomb where they had seen Joseph bury Jesus’ body. When the women arrived at the tomb, they got a shock: the big stone that should have been in front of the opening to the tomb had been moved. The stone had been rolled away. The women could see right inside the tomb. But Jesus’ body was missing! They looked and searched but they could not find the body of Jesus anywhere. It was the morning of the third day since Jesus had died, and Jesus’ body was missing. “I wonder where Jesus’ body is!” they said to each other.


And while they were wondering about it, they had an even bigger shock: suddenly two men were standing beside them. Their clothes shone very bright, like lightning. They were angels with a message from God. The angels said to the women, “Why are you looking for someone who is alive in a tomb for dead people? Jesus is not here in the tomb. Jesus is risen!”

The women ran to tell the disciples that Jesus’ body was missing, because Jesus had risen from the dead. At first, no-one believed them. So Peter went to the tomb to look for Jesus’ body. When Peter got to the tomb, he looked inside. All Peter could see was the strips of linen that Joseph had wrapped around Jesus’ body. The linen strips were lying by themselves. Jesus’ body was missing because Jesus had risen from the dead.

Later that day, two of Jesus’ followers were walking from Jerusalem to a nearby town called Emmaus. Cleopas and his friend couldn’t stop talking about everything that had happened to Jesus. And as they were walking and talking, a man came up and began to walk along with them.
“What are you talking about?” the man asked Cleopas and his friend.
They could not believe that the man had not heard the news about Jesus dying on the cross.
“What has happened?” the man asked them.
“Jesus of Nazareth was a powerful prophet,” Cleopas and his friend told the man who walked with them. “The leaders of our people, the Jews, asked for Him to be sentenced to death, and Jesus died on a cross. We had hoped that Jesus was going to save our people. But now it is the third day since Jesus died, and some women told us that Jesus’ body is missing. Peter went to the tomb and found out that the women told us the truth.”


The man said to Cleopas and his friend, “You are very foolish because you do not believe what the Prophets have said. Didn’t you know that God’s King (the Christ) had to suffer? Didn’t you know this had to happen before God’s King (the Christ) could enter His glory?” And the man started to explain to Cleopas and his friend all about what was said in all the Old Testament Scriptures about Jesus. Cleopas’s heart felt like it was on fire inside his chest as he listened to the man begin with the Law of Moses, and then talk about the Prophets. At last Cleopas and his friend understood that all of the Old Testament Scripture points towards Jesus.

Cleopas was very excited. When they got to his home in Emmaus, he invited the man to come in. They sat down to have a meal together. As the man prayed thanking God for the meal and then held up some bread to break it into pieces for each of them, Cleopas suddenly recognised the man. It was Jesus who had been walking and talking with them! It was Jesus! Jesus had risen from the dead!

But then, just as mysteriously as Jesus had come to walk along with them, He was gone. Cleopas ran all the way back to Jerusalem to tell the disciples what had happened. The disciples told Cleopas that since they had left for Emmaus, Peter had seen Jesus as well. They knew it was true: Jesus had risen from the dead!

As everyone was talking together, Jesus came into the room. The disciples were shocked, but they were also frightened. Was this really Jesus, or was it a ghost? Jesus said to them, “I am not a ghost. Look at the wounds on my hands and feet where I was nailed to the cross. Touch me! I am not a ghost.” Then Jesus ate some fish with the disciples to show them He was real. Jesus was not a ghost, Jesus had risen from the dead!


Then Jesus helped His disciples to understand the Old Testament Scriptures. Jesus said, “Everything that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms must happen. It must come true.”
Jesus explained to them, “The Scriptures say that the Christ, God’s King, must suffer and rise from the dead on the third day.” Jesus died on the cross and then rose from the dead just as God had promised His people long ago, when the Old Testament Scriptures were first written.

Jesus said, “People in every country will be told that they should repent of their sins and their sins will be forgiven in my name, the name of Jesus Christ, God’s King. You have seen everything has happened to Me just as God promised in the Scriptures. Soon you will tell people everywhere about Me.”
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All illustrations are copyright 2011 Chrissie D. She drew them specifically for our program. (Isn't she wonderful?) The illustrations have deliberately been resized to about 10% of their original size to prevent people copying and re-using Chrissie D's original art without permission.

If you would like to use this story, the illustrations or the accompanying program including materials for activities and songs with your children or church or in some other way, please leave a message on the blog and I will get back to you directly.

First Easter 1

This is the text of the story from the first session of the Sunday School program that I wrote for Palm Sunday, Easter Sunday and the Sunday following Easter for 2011. I based the story text on Luke 22:47-24:53 and Acts 1:1-14. This session is based on Luke 22:47-23:49.
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It was very late at night. Jesus had been praying in his favourite quiet place, in a garden near a hilltop, out under the stars. Jesus’ disciples were with Him, just as they had been for the three years that Jesus had gone through Galilee and Judea, teaching people about God and doing miracles. In the three years they had been with Jesus, the disciples had learnt that Jesus is God’s King, the Christ.

Only one of Jesus’ disciples wasn’t there in the garden. Judas was missing. Judas did not believe that Jesus is God’s King, the Christ. Earlier, while Jesus and His disciples ate dinner, Judas had left to talk to the Jewish leaders about how he could betray Jesus. Judas had made a plan to bring the temple soldiers to Jesus when He was in His favourite place, away from the crowds. Then the temple soldiers could arrest Jesus in secret.

And all at once, Judas was there in the garden. Judas boldly walked up to Jesus, and gave Him a kiss on the cheek [blow kisses] as if to greet Jesus as his friend. But Jesus knew Judas was betraying Him.

When Jesus’ other disciples saw Judas there with the temple soldiers and the Jewish leaders, they wanted to fight to get away safely. But Jesus said He was not leading a rebellion. Jesus knew it was time for the Jewish leaders to do what they wanted with Him.

The temple soldiers arrested Jesus, and they took him to the Jewish council. Jesus was on trial. The Jewish leaders accused Him:
“If you are God’s King, the Christ, tell us!” they said to Jesus.
And Jesus agreed with the Jewish leaders. “You are right,” Jesus said, “I am the Christ.”
The Jewish leaders were outraged! They did not believe that Jesus is God’s King, the Christ.


The Jewish leaders took Jesus to Pilate, the Roman governor. They told Pilate that Jesus claimed to be the Christ, God’s king. The Jewish leaders knew that the Romans said only Caesar could be king. Once again, Jesus was on trial. Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?”
Jesus agreed with Pilate. “Yes,” Jesus said, “It is just as you say, I am King.”

Jesus is God’s King, the Christ.

The Jewish leaders were very surprised when Pilate refused to say Jesus was guilty. So then they took Jesus to Herod. Herod teased Jesus. He put an elegant robe on Jesus, dressing him up to look like a king. But Herod didn’t really believe Jesus is God’s King, the Christ. Then Herod sent Jesus back to Pilate.

Pilate didn’t agree that Jesus was guilty. But the Jewish leaders kept telling Pilate to punish Jesus. And now there was a big crowd of people filling the court area. Pilate offered to let Jesus go free, but instead the people shouted that Pilate should kill Jesus!
“Crucify Him! Crucify Him!” the people shouted.
So finally Pilate agreed with the Jewish leaders and the shouting crowds. Pilate sent Jesus to be crucified.

Jesus walked up to another hilltop. It wasn’t peaceful and quiet on this hilltop. Women were crying, terribly sad that Jesus was going to die. This time, there were no stars shining in the sky. It was the middle of the afternoon, but the sun stopped shining, and it was dark for three hours.

On that hilltop, Jesus was crucified. Jesus was put on a cross to hang until He died. On the cross where Jesus was crucified, there was a sign. The sign said, “This is the King of the Jews”.


Jesus’ disciples had been with Him in the hillside garden, but now next to Jesus were two criminals who were also sentenced to die. One of the criminals called out to Jesus in a rude voice:
“Aren’t you the Christ, God’s King? If you are, save yourself and save us!”

But the other criminal believed that Jesus really is God’s King, the Christ. That man said that Jesus had done nothing wrong.
Then Jesus said to the second criminal, “I tell you the truth: you will be with Me in paradise.”
Jesus promised that He would save the criminal, so that he could be in heaven with Jesus.

Many other people teased Jesus, making faces at Him. “Let Him save himself if He really is the Christ, God’s Chosen King,” they said.

The people didn’t understand that Jesus chose not to save himself. Jesus is God’s King, the Christ. And staying hung on the cross to die was the most important job Jesus had to do as God’s King. Jesus was the only one who could do it. Jesus died on the cross to save us, so that we can live with Him in heaven.

If Jesus saved himself, and did a miracle to get down off the cross and make himself safe, we would not be saved from our sin. We would never live with Jesus in heaven. So Jesus, God’s King, the Christ, died on the cross to save us.
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All illustrations are copyright 2011 Chrissie D. She drew them specifically for our program. (Isn't she wonderful?) The illustrations have deliberately been resized to about 10% of their original size to prevent people copying and re-using Chrissie D's original art without permission.

If you would like to use this story, the illustrations or the accompanying program including materials for activities and songs with your children or church or in some other way, please leave a message on the blog and I will get back to you directly.

Easter in Albany

Kojonup playground, on the way down:
Granny's and Gramps's house:
Most of the rest of these photos are from the Strawberry Jam Christian Music Festival at Albany.
On the Jumpy Castle at Strawberry Jam on Sunday. Abi (pink pants), Anna (white top, fallen down), Sam (green top behind Abi) and Josh (white top, black jeans jumping up centre back):
Article One (from Canada) - the violinist was something special!
Petra! Yaaay!Not good photos tho' just too dark by that time. They played "Gravedigger", "It is Finished!" and "Judas Kiss" among others. Listening (and singing along to) the songs again made me wish I had listened better to the lyrics the first time I heard them as a teen. I heard them - I still could sing along with them two decades later - but I never took the message in. After the set I spent some time asking God's forgiveness for my stuborness as a teen refusing to listen to the gospel message of salvation through faith in His Son, Jesus.

The girls watching Walter on Monday in the pouring rain:
Fans of Sean W Smith:No photos of Sean W Smith playing - I was too busy dancing along to his songs with the kids!

Success at goose shooting on the farm: