Rotation.org Writing Team

Jesus Raises Lazarus

"I am the resurrection and the life"

Bible Skills and Games Workshop 

Summary of Activities

The Lazarus story presents a special challenge because of its great length (44 verses) and big theological concept (resurrection). To set up the point of your lesson, you'll first lead them in a "fake" game about "how to get into heaven." You'll then quickly introduce the whole story of Lazarus using a free short video clip depicting the Lazarus story (see it below). Then, using the attached handout, you are going to take your students on a deeper dive into the scripture text itself by playing a game we call "How Few Can You Do?" This game was invented by a Rotation teacher for long passages to help students identify key words and concepts in daunting passages!  Finally, they'll play a "Resurrection synonyms" game to help kids understand just what the word "resurrection" means and how it can begin TODAY in their life.  See the adaptations for using these games with non-readers.

For those not familiar with Writing Team Rotation-style Game lessons, we strive to do most lesson activities using a fun gaming technique, and this lesson has several of them!

Scripture:  

John 11:1-44

Key/Memory Verse: John 11:25,26 (Good News)

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me will live, even though they die; and those who live and believe in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

Lesson Objectives

See the Bible Background at rotation.org for this set's complete list of objectives. 

• Students will be able to tell the essential story and its meaning using just 7 or 8 words.
• Students will have a broader understanding of what "resurrection" means and how it is a gift that begins the moment you believe and let Jesus into your life.

Preparation and Materials

• Read the Bible Background and scripture.
• Preview and prepare to show the short Bible story video found on YouTube at https://youtu.be/30CO6HrJ4n4 (from Lifeways Gospel Project).  See our article about how to download it and play it on a laptop if you do not have a smartTV or internet connection in your classroom, or how to easily connect to the video with your cell phone and show it on a large screen. 
  
  
• Create a large "dice" from a square box with the numbers 1-6 written on it. 
• Create the following six index cards with these purposely HARSH statements:
  You are not as good a person as you ought to be. Take zero steps forward.
  You don't pray enough. Take zero steps forward.
  You don't have enough faith in God. Take zero steps forward.
  You have done or said some bad stuff. Take zero steps forward.
  You are not always loving or grateful. Take zero steps forward.
  You don't always take worship seriously. Take zero steps forward.
  
  
• Print the How Few Can You Do? handout.
• Markers to circle words on the handout.
• Green Voting Cards (for younger children).
• Print the "Resurrection Synonyms" for the game or write them on slips of paper.
• Get a fish bowl or basket to hold the synonym slips.
• A "gift-wrapped box" for the closing reflection.

Lesson Plan

Open

Welcome students and explain what they'll be doing today.

Begin with this "fake game" (demonstration) to set up the point of your lesson—which is why the resurrection is such an important topic and gift!

The "Not Good Enough Game" (a 5-minute demonstration) 

Place a sign on the wall with the word "HEAVEN" written on it. Line up all the student against the opposite wall and ask them "Who wants to get to heaven?!"  Ask them what they think the afterlife will be like. Now tell them that each of them gets to roll the dice and read from the CARD that matches their number. After two or three cards, they'll begin to catch on. Play it until you think they're ready to guess the point, namely: nobody is good enough to get to heaven on their own! 

Now ask them, "How does one get to heaven?"  Accept any answer, and tell them that today they are going to learn the answer from Jesus himself.  

Be sure to read the younger child adaptations below for this game.

Introduce the scripture by showing
"Jesus Raised Lazarus"–a free short video claymation (5 minutes)

You can download this for free from YouTube and play it on a laptop. Or you can connect to YouTube in your classroom if you have a cellphone or laptop. See our "how to" article linked above. It's easy.  After this brief video of the story, you'll be diving into the scripture in the next game.

Here's the video:

How Few Can You Do? (20 minutes)

A deep dive into the keywords of John 11:1-44

The attached handout has the game instructions and examples. It uses the Good News translation which we recommend for John 11:1-44. (See the Bible Background for the reason why we made that important choice.) 

See the "Adaptations" at the end of this lesson for shortening the game if needed, and for adapting it to non-readers.

If you want to use another translation, look up John 11:1-44 at Biblegateway.com, select your translation and then copy the resulting text with your mouse to paste into your own handout.

The Resurrection Synonyms Race Game

A Bit of a Bible Study
What does the word "resurrection" mean?  At its simplest, it means, "to rise again." (Latin = "resurgere," re-rise.)  However, many children (and some adults) don't think it is a term THEY should use to describe themselves, let alone right now. But in fact, the new life Jesus promises starts with belief, and upon our death is fulfilled. In that sense, it is like the Kingdom of Heaven, "here but not yet."  Jesus asked Mary, "Do you believe?"

Believing is the first step to living like you are in God's Kingdom. Believing is the comfort and assurance of the thing we hope for–life eternal with our Savior. Can you reject that belief? Sure you can. But does that mean God will give up on you? Ask that one lost sheep!

For further contemplation, consider Paul in 2 Cor 5:17, "if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come." And again in Romans 6:4, "Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life." Paul taught that we'd be resurrected to new life  after our death.

In the following "synonyms" game, your students will come to think a little more deeply about this amazing word and promise: "resurrection."

Here's how you play the Synonym Race Game

In advance, you have printed out (see below) 10 to 15 of the following synonyms for resurrection on slips of paper and put them in a fish bowl or basket. We've included more words than you might need for the game, as some will be harder for older kids, and some may spike your fancy.   See the younger child adaptation in the end notes of this lesson.

1. Divide into two teams.
2. At one end of the room, have each team form a line, teammates shoulder to shoulder, either standing or sitting on the floor. The two teams are facing each other. At the other end of the room is the finish line.
3. Alternating from team to team, the teacher lets the person on the end of the line closest to the starting wall pick from the basket.  If they do "well enough" in the following task, that person gets to walk to the front of their team's line–which moves their team closer to the finish line. The goal is to advance your team's line to the finish line!  You are always giving the basket to the last person in each line.

The slip task: When they pick a word out of the basket, (1) they must first "define the word" and then (2) use it in a sentence ABOUT JESUS. For example,  "Jesus renews me." (They can adjust the word to fit their sentence, such as, renew or renews, reconciles or reconciling.)  Teammates can help them with the "definition" but each player must come up with their own sentence about Jesus using the word. You can help them as much as you feel helps and is fair.  If they can't answer, give them a "grace pass" and let them pick another slip to try again.  

Here's the list of the synonyms. (You can also find them in the attached printable handout.)

Reform, Reconcile, Renew, Re-energize, Repair, Revive, Restore, Relieve/Relief, Resuscitate, Resume, Reactivate, Reawaken, Retrieve, Reverse, Resurge, Reanimate, Return, Reconnect, Recover, Recondition, Rekindle, Reinvigorate

Notice the "double meaning" of many of these synonyms in that they can describe the physical transformation which resurrection will bring, but also the spiritual transformation which can begin in this life now. Each is a discussion or teachable moment waiting to happen.

The Resurrection Synonyms game and discussion is your life application reflection. Use the game to enhance their understanding of how "resurrection" (relief, recover, rekindle, reconcile them, etc.) are things that the resurrection can do NOW for them by the power of Jesus.

 Agreed that not all of the words above are true "synonyms"–but each in their own way opens up a new way of thinking about the power of the resurrection—a resurrection that is a great relief, a resurrection that reverses our wrong direction and reinvigorates our faith in God. Each word and the student's sentence is an opportunity for you to share.

Final comments

Jesus didn't say, "I will be the resurrection." He said, "I am the resurrection."  By calling himself "the resurrection," he's telling us WHO he is—his heart, which is all about: seeking, saving, repairing, returning, restoring, rekindling, re-energizing, resurrecting, which is to say...starting heaven now.

Resurrection is like this (gift-wrapped) present. (Begin passing it around letting each student hold it for a moment then pass it to the next.) It has been given to you. It's yours. Jesus is yours. Resurrection is his gift to you. Some people think it's something they only get to open when you die, but Jesus is the resurrection and the life NOW. You can open this gift NOW and begin to enjoy its benefits (which are....).  --Then ask each student as they hold the gift if they want to open it now and live a resurrected-forgiven-forgiving-empowered life now.

Adaptations

For those short on time: Shorten the number of "rounds" in How Few Can You Do?  Shorten the number of turns/slips in the Resurrection Synonyms game.

For Younger Students: 

(1) Be sure to explain that the "Not Good Enough" game was meant to show them ("tease") that no person is perfect, as some children may misunderstand the point.

(2) Adapt "How Few Can You Do" into a "voting" game for non-readers. Using a shorter Bible storybook version of the scripture, read through it once–telling them to listen for what they think are the two most important parts of the story. After the first read through, give each student a green card and read slowly through the story again—telling them to raise their green card when they hear something really important. Stop your reading when someone raises their card and circle that word/phrase on YOUR page. Ask them "why did you raise your card for that one?"  After reading through the whole story, review all the words and phrases that received "green card votes."  Now tell them that they only get to VOTE FOR ONE of the words/phrases as "the most important."  Read all the list, then say, "now get ready to vote when I read the list again. Ready?  (What are you doing? Helping them remember keywords and phrases in a fun way.)

(3) Non-reader version of the Synonym Race Game:  Reduce the word list down to just five or six simple words, such as, renews, retrieves, re-energizes, repairs, and recovers. Have them pull a slip from the basket for the teacher to read aloud. They must then act out the word by first saying "Jesus...." and then adding an action. Each time they do it, the teacher should comment on how that word reminds us of the gift of resurrection Jesus gives us.

Written by the Rotation.org Writing Team
Copyright 2018, Rotation.org Inc.