Year B. 2nd Term. Lesson 2. The Emmaus Road and Upper Room

 Scripture: for teacher background:  Luke 24:13-49   John 20:19-29 Mark 16:12,13

Acts 1:3  1 Corinthians 15

 (this passage helps us understand the resurrection of OUR bodies one day)

Making contact:

Demonstrate a kettle – - fill it with water and watch it get hot – You could switch it on during the worship. Can we see the electricity? What about the wind? Can you see wind? No – but can you see what it is doing? Yes – it’s waving the branches….

Can we see electricity? No, but we can see the result - boiling water.

Today we are going to learn about people who couldn’t see Jesus, but then they could see Him. Maybe we are like that too.

 Exploration:

On the day that the women had seen the risen Jesus at the tomb, the disciples were huddled together in a locked room.

Cleopas and someone else, his wife or a friend decided to go home to Emmaus and they were busy walking home when a stranger joined them and walked with them.

It was Jesus and they didn’t realize it.

The man asked them why they were so sad. They told him about all the confusing and tragic events that had happened in the last few days – how Jesus of Nazareth had been put to death by crucifixion, just when they thought he was going to set Israel free.

 Then to add to all the confusion some of the women had come and told them that they had seen angels and that Jesus was alive. 

The “stranger” told them that they were very slow to believe what all the prophets in the Scriptures had said. 

He explained to them how the Messiah of Israel had had to suffer and die. He told them what was said about Him in all the scriptures. 

As they came to Emmaus, Jesus made as if to go further. They invited Him to stay saying it was nearly dark. He sat down to eat with them and as He broke the break they realized whom He was. 

He disappeared from their sight and they asked – weren’t their hearts burning in them when He spoke on the road. 

They decided to go back to Jerusalem straight away to tell the others. You can tell they had lost their fear and sadness. They didn’t even care that it was late and getting dark!

In the meantime, Jesus had also appeared to Peter.

Now, back in the upper room they were all talking about this when suddenly Jesus Himself stood there and said “Peace be with you.” 

They were terrified, thinking it was a ghost that had come through the locked door. 

But He said – “Look at My hands and feet. Feel me – it is me – here, give Me some fish and I will eat it in front of you.”

 He explained to them how He had had to suffer and die and now the message of the repentance of sins and forgiveness must be preached everywhere.

One of the disciples, Thomas, wasn’t there that day and when they told him about all these events he wouldn’t believe. 

He said he would have to put his hands in the wounds to prove it was Jesus. 

Well the next Sunday, they were all together in the same place and then suddenly Jesus stood before them again. 

He said “Peace be with you.”

 He then spoke to Thomas and said he could touch His wounds, and stop doubting, but Thomas just fell to the ground saying “My Lord and my God!”

After that Jesus appeared to them many other times and talked with them about the Kingdom of God.

Application

Do we realize like Thomas did that day that Jesus is GOD?

! Are we "Doubting Thomases?"

 He isn’t that any more and should get a new name – "Believing Thomas!"

I pray you’ll be like Thomas and you’ll fall on your face and pray – “My Lord and my God.”

  

Jesus walks with us everyday, but like Cleopas and his friend on the way to Emmaus, we don’t always recognize that it is He.

As He taught them along the way, He also teaches us the truth as we go through life, using Sunday school teachers and ministers and our own Bibles and our own consciences.

Maybe we can’t believe because we can’t see Him…do you believe in electricity – can you see what makes your T.V. work? …No…. and this kettle? 

And yet you believe in electricity and switch the light and the kettle on?

You could also explain death to the children like this. An acorn has to die and be buried in the ground. It comes to life in an oak tree, - a huge beautiful tree.

When we die, our bodies will be buried, but our “tree” will be with Jesus in Heaven. But even more special, one day our bodies are going to be like Jesus glorified bodies – can touch, but can go through walls!!

Challenge to Mission

 Take a bag of peanuts (the ones in shells) to someone and tell them about how you are not scared to die, because you are a nut who believes in Jesus, and the shell dies and gets buried but the real YOU is going to be with Jesus in heaven.

For people who are afraid of death – Read Hebrews 2:14,15    and Psalm 46:2 and Psalm 91

Consolidation

There is a work sheet with pictures showing the story of the Emmaus road and Thomas kneeling in front of Jesus.

There is a board game to play. 

Memory Verse

Jesus said to him: “Do you believe because you see Me? How happy are those who believe without seeing me.”  John 20:29