Easter Sunday

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Bible passage: Luke 24:1-12

Background: Easter Sunday is the day that everything changes for Christians. In the last session we explored the gravity and sadness of Jesus’ death, and today we remember afresh the utter absurdity and hope of the resurrection! Today’s session plan incorporates play and silliness, celebration and creativity as we take time to marvel at a saviour who died for us, and then rose again!

 

GATHERING TIME

5 minutes

Invite the group to gather. Take some time to recap on the last session of Good Friday, remembering that in the passage we last read Jesus had just been crucified. Between then and today’s session came Saturday, the Sabbath day, where the disciples were left waiting with their grief, unable to prepare Jesus’ body for burial because they were not allowed to work on the Sabbath. Ask the group if they have ever had a day like that Saturday.

 

INTRO ACTIVITY

5 minutes

You will need: wrapped Easter eggs in various sizes; the twelve verses from today’s Bible passage, each printed or written out on a strip of paper

Here comes a moment of nostalgia for your group! Prepare an Easter egg hunt. This may seem childish, especially if you’re group is mostly older teenagers, but hopefully the promise of chocolate (or non-dairy sweets if your group requires them) may give them some motivation to get stuck in. Find a spot where this might work. Maybe there is some outside space you can use. If you think the young people would enjoy it, bring an element of competition by splitting the group in two to see which side can collect the most eggs!

Include a variety of sizes: little ones and some bigger Creme Eggs. Have twelve Creme Eggs altogether, and attach one of the verses to each one. You may need to encourage the group to share the eggs more evenly if it is clear that some people have done much better than others (and keep a few up your sleeve to make it more even if needs be).

 

BIBLE EXPLORATION

10 minutes

You will need: verses from ‘Intro activity’; Bibles

Ask the group to separate the twelve passages from the Creme Eggs and lay them out. Challenge the group to put the passage back together in the right order. Have some Bibles ready if this proves to be a challenge.

Ask the group to think about the before and after of this story. How were the women feeling when they were on the way to the tomb? What were they talking about? What did they say when they went back to see Jesus’ other followers? How do you tell people that your friend who was dead is now alive?

Go on to think about the end of the story. What did all the participants – the women, Peter and the other followers – do next?

 

CHATTING TOGETHER

5 minutes

Use the following questions to tease out the meaning of the passage and explore what Easter Sunday is about:

• Why do you think eggs are associated with Easter?
• Who do you think the ‘two men in dazzling clothes’ were?
• If you had been in the women’s shoes, what would you have thought when you saw these men? Would you have believed what they said?
• Do you think that it is significant that the women heard about Jesus’ resurrection first? If so, why?
• If you weren’t one of the friends present and heard their account of what they had seen later on, what do you think you would have made of it?
• What do you think it meant that Jesus rose from the dead? Why is it so significant to Christians?
• What does Jesus’ resurrection change for us today?
• How can we still remember to be as surprised and delighted by Jesus’ resurrection 2,000 years later?

 

CREATIVE RESPONSE

10 minutes

You will need: large sheets of paper; art materials; examples of creative typography

This passage is so significant in relation to who we are as Christians, why we follow Jesus, why we believe in him and in the hope we have that Jesus conquered death. Invite the group to make posters from this passage that you can put up in the space where you meet to remember this day and this passage.

Find some examples of creative typography posters to show the group for inspiration. Search on Pinterest (or Google) for ‘Bible typography’, and you will find some great posters of Bible passages set in interesting and creative lettering.

Give the group members the items they need to make their posters. You could give them technological options such as tablets and laptops if that’s possible (this may be preferable for young people who are good at using these things). Also provide card, pens, scissors, glue and good pens for illustration. You could even find some guides to help them with the lettering.

Ask the young people to choose a phrase from the passage, either on their own or in groups. Some options could be: “He is not here, but has risen”, “He has risen”, “The Son of Man must be handed over to sinners, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again” or “Amazed at what had happened”. You could use different translations of this passage for inspiration, such as The Message.

Give the group time to design and create their posters, and then hang them up on the walls of the room where you meet.

 

PRAYER

5 minutes

You will need: video of ‘Rescuer’ by Rend Collective and the means to show it

The song ‘Rescuer’ is about Jesus as our rescuer, a song that celebrates the hope Jesus represents to us and our world! Show the group the video (available on YouTube) and turn the sound up! Let them enjoy the fun and silliness of the song and video. After all, Easter Sunday is a day for celebration and the surreal!

At the end of the session pray a prayer of thanksgiving and amazement about the resurrection of Jesus, or ask a volunteer to do so.