Curriculum

I've Just Seen Jesus

I've Just Seen Jesus Go to Curriculum multi-week pack

Bible Background

What Kids Will Learn

After such a dark and devastating Friday, Easter Sunday is a true celebration. Jesus died a terrible death on the cross, carrying all of our sin. Three days later, He rose from the dead just as He said He would.

Scripture Summary

The disciples and Mary Magdalene were devastated that their friend, their Lord, was dead. They all went through understandable stages of grief and unbelief when they encountered the risen Lord. They didn’t believe it could be possible. Just as Peter did, they wanted to gather facts to help them understand. When Jesus appeared to them personally, they knew it was true. And finally, they embraced the presence of the risen Lord.

The strips of cloth were left in the tomb because Jesus passed through them. The headpiece was left in the shape of a head and at the right distance from the other cloths. There is no way a grave robber could have removed Jesus’ body and left the cloths in this undisturbed condition.

The disciples were confused as they discovered the empty tomb and strips of cloths. When they remembered the Scriptures, and what Jesus had said, the disciples remembered that Jesus said He would rise from the dead.

Mary didn’t recognize Jesus, and then He spoke her name. Immediately, Mary knew her Lord had risen. Mary wanted to hold onto Jesus. It was just too painful to lose Him. But Jesus’ work was not yet complete. He needed to ascend into heaven in order for the Holy Spirit to come and dwell with the believers.

Why Is This Important

Jesus did what He said He would do. He fulfilled prophecies, He died for our sins, and He rose from the dead. Jesus is alive! And just like Mary Magdalene, Jesus calls each of us by name, inviting us into relationship with Him. We can respond as Mary did—with excitement and obedience to share Jesus with others.

Teacher Devotion

Scripture

By Name

“But now, O Jacob, listen to the LORD who created you. O Israel, the one who formed you says, ‘Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine.’” (Isaiah 43:1)

I have a unique first name. In fact, of the few million other babies born the same year, I share my first name with only 300 babies born that year.

My name has been misspelled and mispronounced, and there has never been another student in my class with the same name. I remember endlessly searching through souvenir racks of personalized coin purses and plastic combs for one with my name. My unique name is just as unique as I am.

What do you like about your name? Do you have a unique nickname? What is the story of why your parents chose your name? Have you discovered the biblical meaning of your name?

Jesus knows each of us and calls us by name. He knows how incredibly unique we are—for He created us. Jesus knows us inside and out, our strengths and weaknesses, and what brings us joy as well as our darkest fear. And yet, He wants an ongoing relationship with us. Jesus pursues each of us. Individually. Uniquely.

Our journeys are as unique as our names. We all have highlights as well as embarrassments. Achievements and losses. I can be tempted to hide the negative and display the positive in order to be more like others. Though it’s the joy as well as the hurt that makes us unique. Jesus knows it all. And Jesus calls us by name.

Prayer

Dear God, thank You for creating me to be unique. And thank You for calling me by name. It means so much to me that You know me, You love me, and You want to be my friend. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Get the full Sunday school lesson plan

  • Bible Memory Verse
  • Interactive Bible Experience
  • Animated video with companion questions

Bible Memory Verse

You’ll Need: Plastic eggs, Permanent markers, Bibles - one per child

Get Ready: Before class, write a word from the memory verse on each egg and hide them in the classroom.

“Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: ‘I have seen the Lord!’ And she told them that He had said these things to her.” John 20:18

Lead kids in these steps:

  • Explain to the kids that eggs are hidden around the room with memory verse words on them.
  • Instruct kids to open their Bibles to John 20:18.
  • Invite kids to find the eggs as quickly as possible and then try to put the eggs in order of the memory verse.
  • Read the verse aloud several times as a class.

SAY: Great job finding the eggs and putting them in order to complete the memory verse. You all really had to open your eyes to find those eggs. And I’m so glad you saw them all. Today we’re going to talk about someone that saw something they would never forget. I can’t wait to tell you about it.

Interactive Bible Experience

You’ll Need: Bible times costumes or name tags

Get Ready: Gather Bible times costumes and props for today’s lesson. Designate these parts in your room for the play: Jesus’ tomb and the disciples’ place.

“Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: ‘I have seen the Lord!’ And she told them that He had said these things to her.” John 20:18

Cast kids to play the following parts:

  • Mary Magdalene
  • Peter
  • “Other disciple”
  • Disciples
  • Mary
  • Jesus
  • Two angels

Read the following script and have the actors silently play their parts.

SAY: Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. (Mary walks to the tomb.)

So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, (Mary runs to the two disciples and gestures wildly.) and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put Him!”

So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. (The two disciples race toward the tomb.) Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. (The other disciple examines the linen.) Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. (Peter walks into the tomb.) He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen. Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. (The other disciple joins Peter inside the tomb.) He saw and believed. (The other disciple has an “aha” moment.) Then the disciples went back to where they were staying. (Both disciples go back to their place.)

Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. (Mary cries outside of tomb). As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. (Angels sit six feet apart in tomb.)

They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?” (Angels make questioning gesture.)

“They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put Him.” (Jesus stands behind Mary outside of tomb.) At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. (Mary turns around where she’s standing outside of tomb.)

He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” (Jesus makes questioning gesture toward Mary.)

Thinking He was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have put Him, and I will get Him.” (Mary makes begging gesture toward Jesus.)

Jesus said to her, “Mary.” (Jesus calls out to Mary.) She turned toward Him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni,” which means “Teacher.” (Mary embraces Jesus in a hug.

Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father.” (Jesus talks to Mary, pointing her toward His disciples.) “Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”

(Mary runs back to the disciples.) Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that He had said these things to her.

Gather the props and have everyone gather together, seated.

ASK:

  • What were some feelings you had as we listened and acted out Mary’s experience?
  • If you were Mary, how would you have delivered the news that Jesus is alive to your friends?

Snack

Seeing Snacks

You’ll Need: Graham crackers - one per child, Large marshmallows - one per child, M&Ms candies - two per child, Paper plates - one per child, Napkins - one per child, Plastic knife - one per child

Follow these steps to make the “Seeing Snacks”:

  • Give each child a paper plate, napkin, plastic knife, and a large marshmallow.
  • Instruct kids to use the plastic knife to cut their large marshmallows in half.
  • Give the kids a graham cracker and direct them to put the two halves of their marshmallows on their cracker to look like eyes.
  • Give them each two M&Ms and have them place the candies in the middle of each marshmallow as pupils.
  • Enjoy.

ASK:

  • Tell about one way you’ve seen Jesus in your life or how you’d like to see Him.

SAY: Mary knew Jesus had been killed and when He wasn’t in the tomb she was confused and upset, and then she heard her name. She saw Jesus face to face. The impossible had been done. Jesus defeated death and was fully alive in her sight. Jesus is here for us, too!

Game

Out of the Tomb

You’ll Need: Masking tape

Follow these steps to play “Out of the Tomb”:

  • Place a masking tape line down the middle of the room.
  • Invite children to stand on the line.
  • Explain that the right side of the line is “in the tomb” and the left side of the room is “out of the tomb.”
  • Call out one of the sides. If the children fail to jump or jump to the wrong side, they are out.
  • Keep playing until you have a winner.

SAY: Great job listening and jumping to the correct side of the tomb. Thankfully, the “in the tomb” side doesn’t matter anymore because Jesus is no longer there. Jesus died on the cross for our sins, but He didn’t stay dead. Jesus is alive and that is amazing news!

Craft

Clay Tombs

You’ll Need: Air-dry clay, Toothpicks - one per child, Paper, Pens - one per child, Paper plate - one per child, Glue

To make the “Clay Tombs,” have kids follow these steps:

  • Give each child a paper plate and a lump of clay.
  • Invite kids to form an empty tomb with a large stone rolled to the side out of their clay.
  • After their tombs are complete, give them a toothpick and a small piece of paper.
  • Instruct kids to write “I’ve Seen Jesus” on the paper and glue one end to the toothpick.
  • To finish their tomb, ask kids to stick the toothpick into the clay tomb.

SAY: Your empty tomb creations are amazing. The best thing about them is they remind us that Jesus is no longer dead. Our Savior is alive. We can be confident of this because Jesus appeared to many after He was raised from the dead and their lives would never be the same.

Prayer

Jelly Bean Prayers

You’ll Need: Multi-Colored Jelly Beans, A large sheet of paper or white board, A marker or dry erase marker

Get Ready: Write the following on the paper or white board for kids to reference as they pray:

Red = thank Jesus Yellow = you Green = family
Purple = pastor/teacher
Other = choice

SAY: Today we are going to use jelly beans to pray. For a red jelly bean, you’ll thank Jesus for what He did on the cross. For a yellow jelly bean, you’ll pray for yourself. For green jelly beans, pray for one of your family members. For purple jelly beans, pray for your pastor or your teacher. Any other color, you get to pick what you pray for.

  • Give kids a small handful of jellybeans and instruct them to follow your color/prayer assignments.
  • After everyone has had time to pray, close in prayer.

PRAY: Dear God, thank You for Jesus. Thank You for the cross and thank You that Jesus is alive. Help us to see You each day. Help us to share Your love with others. In Jesus’ name, amen.