Hamburger Series: I am the RESURRECTION and the LIFE

Scripture: for teacher background:  John 11:1-44

 (Cheese layer of hamburger.)

Making contact:

Sometimes in the world a thing has to be buried in the ground before it can live. It seems as dead as can be and then a green shoot comes from it and it lives.

 From a single acorn buried in the ground can come a huge oak tree. From one maize seed comes a whole maize plant with lots of maize on it.

One day a man was walking in the woods near his home. As he was walking he bent down and picked up two acorns lying in the path. When he got home he examined the two acorns. He found the one to be perfect, beautifully shaped and without blemish. The other was a bit deformed and had been cracked, possibly by someone standing on it as it lay in the path. He decided to keep the "perfect" acorn, and put it in his display cabinet. The other one, the deformed cracked one, he threw out into the garden.

Now many years later that man died. As his children were sorting out his things they found the "perfect" acorn that he had, all those years ago, placed in his display cabinet. As they picked it up it crumbled to dust. 

Not being used, the potential within it had died.

Later the children had tea in the garden under the shade of a magnificent oak tree, the same tree where they had had so much fun when they were growing up. 

The little deformed, cracked acorn that the man had thrown out into the garden had done what it was designed to do. It had grown into an oak tree.

People are very scared of death because it seems to be the end.

 A person is put in a coffin and buried in the ground or their body is burned and their ashes are scattered or buried.

Ask the children if they know of anyone who has died. 

It is such a part of life in this modern world that even children are coming into contact with the reality of death. 

It is very real and very close and we, as Sunday school teachers need to talk about it openly and let them talk about it. Don't push it aside with stories and lies.

Death is very real. But is it the end REALLY?

This lesson will put the teachers on the line.

It will be a powerful lesson if the teachers are convicted that Jesus is the resurrection and the life.

Children will see right through a teacher's doubts. 

 Exploration:

When Jesus was on earth, He felt what we feel.

He got tired and hot and sad.

 He also cried when His friend died. 

There was a very special family who lived in Bethany. There were two sisters, Mary and Martha and their brother Lazarus.

For Jesus, it was like home. He could go there and relax and the two sisters would fuss over Him and He could chat to Lazarus. 

This was the Mary who adored Him so much that she poured a whole perfume bottle over His feet and dried them with her hair.

One day, Jesus was in another place and the sisters sent an urgent message to Him. “Your friend Lazarus is sick. Please come quickly.”

They knew he could heal their brother but Jesus didn’t come rushing. He waited a few days and by the time He came Lazarus had died.

First Martha ran out and told Him. “If you’d been here, this wouldn’t have happened!” She wailed.

Jesus said: “Your brother will rise again.” “Yes, I know we will all rise again one day.” She replied, but Jesus had something else in mind.

He said: “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in Me, even though they die will live.” John 11:25

Mary also went out to meet Jesus and when Jesus saw her weeping He just broke down and cried. Then He said – “Take me to the tomb!” 

They said this wasn’t a good idea, but when he got there he told them to move the stone that covered the entrance. He called Lazarus out. 

This “mummy” wrapped in white cloths came staggering out and Jesus told the people to unwrap the cloths.

Application

 Jesus is the great “I AM” and He can raise people from the dead. He raised Lazarus and He Himself was raised.

But Lazarus must have died again because he isn’t around today.

So what does Jesus mean?

What He means is that even though this body dies, we will live forever in heaven if we believe in Him.

Our bodies are like a peanut shell, and they might get sick and all wrinkly, but the real peanut inside lives forever. 

It is like that acorn that gets buried in the ground. After that a beautiful tree grows. Life comes after death.

Challenge to Mission

 (It is in times of death and bereavement that the faith of a child is such a witness. A child can speak into the situation with such freshness.)

 If you know a family where someone has died, maybe see if you think it is appropriate to comfort them with the words of Scripture. You could recite today’s memory verse. Another verse is: “There are many rooms in My Father’s house and I am going to prepare a place for you.” John 14:2

Consolidation

 Worksheet. The worksheet shows an acorn that gets buried and then an oak tree of new life. It then shows Lazarus’s tomb and his new life after Jesus raised him to life. 

The memory verse is printed on a picture of cheese.

Memory Verse

“I AM THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE. Those who believe in Me, even though they die will live.” John 11:25