BIBLE EXPLORE / NEW TESTAMENT / JOHN / JOHN 20

Book of John: Chapter 20

John 20:1-18

The aim of today is to understand that Jesus rose from the dead and brings us hope of new life in him, and that something happy and wonderful can come out of something very sad.

Intergenerational Services

Intergenerational Services from Scripture Union

Wrapping the Cross

I wonder questions

  • "I wonder what Mary was thinking when she saw the empty tomb?  Turn to the person next to you (if you have many kids) and tell them"  or ( with a small group) "Would anyone like to share what they're thinking?"
  • "I wonder why Mary didn't recognise Jesus when she first saw him?"
  • "I wonder what you would have been thinking if you'd gone to Jesus' tomb and found it empty?"

Worship Resources

The Church of Scotland have some worship resources for today

Gospel Reflections

Those who preach have the odd situation in Holy Week where they need to prepare a sermon for Easter Sunday while they themselves are walking with Jesus through the betrayal, torture, death, and emptiness of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday. So, for those people, here are some insights from Kelvin, Jan, Michael and Peg to help you along! For those who watch this just for interest, bless you - but maybe wait until Sunday to view it rather than flipping through the story to the final page too quickly!

Easter Bubbles

Last year, Strandz put together some 'Easter Bubbles' resources to help families navigate the Easter story at home. This would be good for those families who cannot join in the Easter celebrations this year, and who want to do something at home. 

Easter Egg Relay Race

This is a great game for people of all ages; children and adults can both be accommodated easily.

What you need:
  • 1 teaspoon, tablespoon or soup ladle per 2-4 players
  • 1 hard boiled egg or plastic egg that's weighted with lollies per 2-4 players
  • Tape, rope or chalk to mark the two starting points- point A and point B
  • If desired, kind of small prize for the winning team

What you do:
  1. Divide the players into teams of 4.  If you have a small group, you can have teams of 2.  
  2. Divide each team into two groups, 2 players at Point A, and 2 players atPoint B. 
  3. The first player at point A is given an egg in a spoon to carry from Point A to Point B. At that point the egg and spoon are handed off to the next player in their team who carries it back to Point A to the third player and then to the fourth.  If players are using different sized spoons, allow them to use their fingers to move the egg between the implements. A dropped egg means that the person carrying the egg must go back to where he or she started from. The first team to complete the relay wins.

Variations:
  • For younger children, allow them to carry the egg in a ladle. 
  • Adults and old children can use a teaspoon or tablespoon.
  • If the teams are mixed age (which is fun) give each team one of each kind of spoon so that play is fair.
  • If you fill plastic eggs with lollies, allow each team to eat their lollies at the end.

Transformation

There is a sermon from the Church of Scotland, which uses a simple upside down face as a visual aid, to describe the transformation between Good Friday and Easter Sunday. This could be helpful for families with younger children. 
Source: Rev Rosie Frew, Church of Scotland

Bead Necklaces

For our craft activity today we are going to make bead crosses which you can take home and hang up somewhere, or wear to remind you that God loves you, even you, always, even when you forget about Him, He never forgets about you!

The Easter Story Cross

Easter story sequence cards to colour, cut out and paste into the form of a cross. Found on the Teachers Pay Teachers website (you'll need to sign up for a free account) here

Cross Crafts

Danielle's Place website has a page dedicated to making different cross crafts, including:
  • Cardboard and Yarn Cross Craft
  • Snowflake Cross Craft for Kids
  • ​Chalk Marker Doodle Cross Pictures
  • Aluminum Foil Tape Cross Craft for Sunday School
  • Glowing "He Lives" Easter Cross Sunday School Craft
  • Plastic Canvas Cross Bible Craft
  • Paper Mache and Wire Cross Craft for Kids
  • Stained Glass Window Cross

Hand printed cross

This activity could be done on a large sheet of newsprint paper, to include everyone's handprints on the one sheet, or each child could have their own smaller piece of paper to make a cross.  It could be done as described, with the hands forming a cross, or in reverse, with the handprints providing the background to a white cross (as per the pictures below).
Craft idea was taken from this website
​
"PAINTED HAND PRINTS: Spread some paint on each child's one hand and let them place their painted hand print on a poster board and all the hands need to be in a formation of a cross when the prints are completed. When I did this activity, I did these cross-formation-hand-prints on our class room wall for decoration. The kids loved it and enjoyed it for years!"

Papier Mache Tombs

Note: These tombs take a long time to dry.  If possible, children should take them home still wet on their paper plate. Those that are left will be dry by the following week. 
What you need:
  • A partially blown up balloon for each child and a few extras
  • school glue watered down a little in shallow bowls
  • newspaper to spread on your work surface
  • scissors
  • lots of string and yarn cut into 10-15 cm pieces (older children will be able to handle slightly longer pieces)
  • paper plates or trays for drying the tombs
  • a bucket of warm water (or access to a sink) and paper towels for washing and drying hands
  • Felts for naming the plates
What you do:
  1. Put the cut pieces of string and yarn and the bowls of glue on the newspaper on each table.
  2. Give each child a balloon, explaining that everyone is going to make an empty tomb to help remind us of the empty tomb that Mary found.  When we see what we make, we'll be able to remember that Jesus was dead, but then he was alive again.
  3. To make the empty tomb, dip one piece of yarn in the glue and then wring it out gently by sliding your fingers down the length of the yarn.  
  4. Wrap the yarn around the balloon. 
  5. Repeat this process until the balloon is about 3/4 covered with yarn. 
  6. Leave to dry.  
  7. Once the yarn framework is completely dry, pop the balloon and pull it out through any of the openings to create the empty tomb.

Media

Seeing is believing (John 20:19-31)

This story looks at Jesus appearing to his disciples, and how Thomas doubted that he was really the resurrected Jesus. 

Gospel Conversations

Jesus appears to his confused, scared, doubting disciples - 2000 years ago and still today! Joel Stutter joins Michael Godfrey and the Dunedin Diocese 'Gospel Conversations' team for the first time, with James Harding and Trish Franklin, as we move deeper into the joyful season of Easter.

Interviewing Thomas

Write a script for a 'Resurrection Interview', where a journalist can interview Thomas. Thomas can describe the impact the resurrection had on the disciples and then on himself. You can do this sketch live, or prerecord it using a camera or phone. It is a great way to get young people involved in your all age services.

Questions can include:
  • Thomas, we hear you weren't in the room with the disciples, when Jesus visited... where were you? 
  • What did you think when you heard their stories? 
  • Why didn't you believe them? 
  • What happened next? 
  • What did you think when Jesus appeared again? 
  • What did you say to Jesus? 
  • What do you think of the other disciples calling you 'Doubting Thomas'? Do you think it will stick? 
You can adapt and change this interview to suit your congregation and needs. Let us know how you get on. 

For a script of something similar, see the All-Age Lectionary Services: Year C from Scripture Union

Telescope Craft

One of the key messages in today's passage is in John 20:29b -- Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed
We may never see Jesus face to face on earth, like his disciples, but we are reassured that we will be blessed by believing in what we have not seen.
What you need
  • Print out of this template
  • Cardboard tubes if printing template out on on A4 paper. You can print on thicker card if available. 
  • Pens, felts
  • Glue
  • Decorations, googly eyes
What to do
  • Print out the template for the telescope
  • Today we're going to make a telescope to remind us that we don't need to see Jesus face-to-face to believe that he is real. 
  • Give one sheet to each child and talk through the memory verse on the paper. Talk about how Jesus says we are blessed by believing in him, even though we have not seen him face-to-face. 
  • Decorate sheet with felts, pens, glitter, googly eyes. Be creative and add your own decorating ideas! 
  • Glue one edge of the paper and roll into a cylinder. 
  • Get the children to look through their telescope and tell you what they can see.

Doubting Thomas game

A game with paddles and true/false questions, from the Easy Breezy Sunday School website. See the website for instructions on how to make the paddles. Each child gets an "I Doubt It" sign, which they use to respond to a list of unusual facts about the bible/life etc. If they doubt the fact, they show the 'I doubt it' side, but if they believe the statement, they do nothing. Give the correct answer and award a point 
Possible statements could include: 
  • The disciples were hiding in the room because they were afraid of dinosaurs (false)
  • Jesus appeared and all the disciples were in the room (false)
  • Thomas wasn't there when Jesus appeared, but he believed everything that his friends said (false)
  • Thomas wanted to see Jesus for himself before he believed his friends (true)
  • Jesus showed Thomas his ears and fingers (false)
  • Jesus showed Thomas his hands and his side (true)
  • When Thomas saw Jesus' wounds, he replied, “You are my Lord and my God!” (true)
  • Even if we haven't seen Jesus, we can still believe in him (true)

Visio Lectio

A beautiful image from the Visio Lectio project, created by the Anglican Diocese of Auckland. © Sarah West. All Rights reserved, shared with permission. ​
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Preschool brainstorm

Young children can have difficulty distinguishing between fact and fantasy, so do not worry too much about explaining things that are not real to them in today's session. 
Brainstorm a list of things that we know are real, including things we can touch, taste or see, e.g.
  • I know flowers are real
  • I know my food is real
  • I know my pet is real
  • I know the sun is real
  • I know the wind is real
  • I know my family is real
  • I know that Jesus is real

Activities
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