Elementary Family Lesson for April 11 & 12, 2020

Bible Story: The Easter Story (Matthew 26, 27 & 28) Today’s Takeaway: I am blessed because Jesus is alive! Series Verse: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.” (James 1:2-3 NIV)

Weekly Verse: “He is not here; He is risen, just as He said.” (Matthew 28:6a)

Discussion Questions:

1. Why did Jesus die? (to pay for our sins, He was the perfect sacrifice, etc.)

2. Why is Jesus rising from the dead so important? (it showed He conquered death, that He was really God’s son, it gives us new life…birth into a living hope, etc.)

3. What would you say are the best parts of being alive in Christ here on earth?/ Are there any hard parts? (We can say no to sin that destroys us, we are loved unconditionally and forever, we get to participate in God’s story, we have the power that raised Christ from the dead living inside of us, God promises to always be with us…He gives us strength, comfort, peace, joy, patience, self-control, hope, etc.) / (We still go through suffering, we do not belong here on earth, we cannot understand all of God’s ways, etc.)

4. What do you think living with Jesus forever in heaven will be like? (Dream and imagine a little with this one, but also mention for sure things like there will be no more death, sickness or suffering.)

5. Have kids look up these verses and discuss them as a family. Romans 6:8-11; 1 Corinthians 6:14; 1 Peter 1:3;

Activity Ideas:

1. Rescue Mission Scavenger Hunt **KIDS SHOULD NOT READ THE REST OF THESE INSTRUCTIONS ON THE FOLLOWING

PAGE BECAUSE IT WILL RUIN THE GAME FOR THEM**

What You Need:

o A beloved toy to be rescued

o Rescue Mission Task Cards (Parents, go to the last page of this document to print them out or

to copy them – yes, I mean actually write them out using your own hand…crazy, I know )

o Paper for printing or writing out tasks and clues

o Action figure or doll to hide for task 3

o Paper for tearing in task 5

What You Do:

o Gather your kids in a room where they will not be able to see you prepping the Rescue Mission

Scavenger Hunt.

o Then, hide your kids’ beloved toy in the dishwasher.

o Next, put out the task cards in their proper locations (remember that you keep the first one with

you).

o Once the scavenger hunt is prepped and ready, go back to your kids and read them the first

Bible Story Point from the list below.

o Then give them the first task card.

o Have them read (or help them read) the first task and complete it.

o Once the task is complete, read them the first clue.

o When they figure it out, they will go to that location to find the second task card.

o Continue like that until the kids find and rescue their beloved toy.

o Once they do, read Bible Story Point 8, and finish the game with a dance party to celebrate.

o Throughout the hunt, remember to read them the Bible Story Point that corresponds with each

task.

Bible Story Points & Clues:

1. The Easter story is very sad and hard because of the awful suffering Jesus goes through, but

God uses it to bring about the best news in history!

CLUE #1: I make it possible to have fresh food. Everyone agrees I'm one cool dude.

2. Jesus talked to God when He was sad, and we can too!

CLUE #2: I take your garments for quite a spin. First, they get wet. That's how I begin.

3. The Jewish leaders along with their army find Jesus in the garden and arrest Him.

CLUE #3: I'm filled with feathers or other soft fluff. A night without me can be quite tough.

4. Jesus carried our sins onto the cross. He bore the weight of all the evil in the world as He

hung there.

CLUE #4: I have four legs, but I don't have feet. I come in handy when it's time to eat.

5. When Jesus died the earth shook and the veil of the temple (that separated man from God’s presence) was torn! CLUE #5: For faster preparations, I am tops. And, oh, that good smell when my popcorn pops!

6. Jesus’ dead body was put in a tomb. He was in the tomb part of Friday, all of Saturday and part of Sunday = 3 days! CLUE #6: I'm not a selfie, but I do show faces. Find me in bathrooms and a few other places.

7. An angel rolls away the stone in front of Jesus’ tomb, and Jesus is alive!

CLUE #7: I'm loaded and unloaded, but I'm not a truck. Having a helper like me is a great piece of luck.

8. God sent Jesus on a rescue mission to save us…and Jesus completed that mission! We are

rescued! We are alive because Jesus is alive and we will one day live with Him forever in

heaven!

2. Pictionary or Playdoughnary

What You Need:

o Paper and drawing utensil or Playdough

What You Do:

o Take turns drawing or molding each of the following words from the true story of Easter.

o It would be good to not let your kids see this whole list, but whisper one word in the drawer or

molders ear.

o Have anyone not drawing/molding try to guess what is being drawn/molded.

o Continue with the next word, but choose a new drawer or molder.

o Talk about how each word is related to Easter.

Easter Words:

1. World – Jesus offers salvation/ rescue to the whole world!

2. Garden – Jesus went to a garden to talk to God when he was sad about having to die on the

cross.

3. Ear – Peter chopped a soldier’s ear off when they came to arrest Jesus.

4. Crown – the Roman soldiers put a crown of thorns on Jesus’ head to make fun of him saying

that He was supposed to be the king of the Jews.

5. Cross – Jesus died on a cross to pay for our sins. He took the punishment we deserve for the

bad things we think and do.

6. Sun – the sun stopped shining in the middle of the day while Jesus was on the cross.

7. Hand – Jesus committed His spirit into God’s hand before He died.

8. Tomb – Jesus’ dead body was put in a tomb with a huge stone rolled in front of it and with

Roman soldiers to guard it.

9. Angel – Easter morning, an angel rolled away the huge stone that was in front of Jesus’ tomb.

10. Jesus – God’s son, our savior and rescuer, the perfect lamb that took away the sins of the

world, God in the flesh that conquered sin and death once and for all, etc.

Family Prayer:

Take a few minutes to pray as a family to wrap up your time together.

Rescue Mission Task Cards

TASK #1

Tell me three other Bible

stories that include a really sad

or hard situation that God

ends up using for good.

TASK #2

Say these tongue twisters

quickly and without errors:

1. Fuzzy Wuzzy was a bear, Fuzzy

Wuzzy had no hair, Fuzzy Wuzzy

wasn’ t very fuzzy, was he?

2. One smart fellow, he felt smart.

Two smart fellows they felt smart.

3. If a dog chews shoes, whose shoes

does he choose?

TASK #3

___________ (one of your

kids’ action figures or dolls) is

hidden in __________

(whatever room you hid it in)

and you must find it and bring

it to me.

TASK #4

Carry a sibling on your back or

have them carry you (or have

mom or dad carry you) around

the whole house – in and out

of every room – and then back

to where you started.

TASK #5

Tear a piece of paper into an object of your choice and have someone else guess what it is.

TASK #6

Go get 3 items that start with “t” like tomb.

TASK #7

Jump as high as you can raising your arms up and cheering loudly, “Jesus is ALIVE!”