Year B. 2nd Term. Lesson 6. The Ascension of Jesus

Scripture: for teacher background:  Acts 1:6-11     Luke 24:45-53   Mark 16:19  

 Matthew28: 16-20

Making contact:

Talk about water vapour. Can you see water vapour? 

When it touches a cold surface it condenses and then you can see it – it makes little drops. 

Explain how on a hot day, the air is rising and there is water in it – from the dams and rivers, but it is invisible.

This is called evaporation. The air higher up is cold, so the water vapour condenses and makes little drops. We can see these – they are clouds. 

When the drops get bigger they fall down to the earth – it rains.

It’s like that with Jesus – sometimes Jesus has been visible and other times invisible.

 Exploration:

Jesus appeared many times to his disciples after He was raised from dead.

 For 40 days He visited them and taught them that they were to go throughout the whole world and preach the Gospel to everyone. They must baptize those who believe and they would be saved. 

Then He told them that they had to wait in Jerusalem until they were filled with power. The Holy Spirit would come upon them and then they would be powerful witnesses.

He promised He would never leave them.

As He was busy explaining all this to them, He was taken up to heaven.

 As they watched Him a cloud hid Him from their sight. 

They were gazing upwards when suddenly two men in white appeared next to them. 

They said: “Why are you standing looking up at the sky? This Jesus who was taken from you into heaven will come back in the same way that you saw Him go to heaven.” (Acts 1:11)

 Now Jesus is in heaven at the right hand of God the Father.

God sent Jesus back to earth and He came as the Holy Spirit. This is Jesus, but we can’t see Him. We can feel Him and He is very powerful.

He isn’t an “it”, but HE. He is Jesus with us.

Application

This is called the Ascension of Jesus – ascend means to go up. 

How come Jesus promised He would never leave them and then He did just that………He went up to Heaven?

Did He leave them? No. 

He is so great, that He is with us and in Heaven at the same time. .....because He gave us His Holy Spirit.

But one day Jesus will come back in the clouds and the whole world will see Him in PERSON...........King of kings and Lord of lords! 

Challenge to Mission

 The world cannot see Jesus – He ascended, but now they should see Him is a way as they look at us, because His Spirit lives in our hearts. 

They can "see" Jesus reflected when we do things that Jesus would do.

What can you do this week for people to see Jesus in you?

 Consolidation

On the worksheet the children must cut around the cloud, leaving the bottom still attached, and fold it to cover the picture of Jesus and stick cotton wool on it. You’ll need glue and cotton wool.

Memory Verse:

 “This Jesus, who was taken from you into heaven will come back in the same way that you saw Him go into Heaven.”    Acts 1:11

Write each word of the memory verse on a cardboard cloud and get children to hold a cloud. As they get to know the verse turn the cloud over.