Rotation.org Writing Team

Here is a preview clip of the Gospel of John found on YouTube. The story of the Empty Tomb begins at about 2:34:30. This is the same clip recommended in the Video Workshop lesson, so this may be a refresher for them, which is okay.  The narration is "word for word" from scripture.

Lesson Plan

Open

Welcome your students and explain what they'll be doing and learning about today. Ask them to tell you as much as they can remember about the Story of the Empty Tomb. Outline it on a FLIPCHART as they speak, but do not correct them. Instead, after they are done brainstorming, simply tell them that "some things you have remembered are incorrect, and some things are NOT part of the Gospel of John's story of the Empty Tomb --but are found in the other Gospel stories," (Matt, Mark, Luke). Don't tell them what is right!

Now cover up what they brainstormed; you'll come back to it after the game.

Give each a copy of the Game Graphics (Tomb and Stone) in preparation for the quiz. They can cut them out now prior to hearing the story.

Listen Carefully to the Scripture

Using either a Bible or by showing the video clip starting at 2:34:30. [If you have the DVD it's Chapter 31.]

Say: After listening to (or watching) the Empty Tomb scripture from John 20, you are going to be playing a Quiz Game to see how well you listened and can remember the details of John's version of the Empty Tomb story. 

Read or play the scripture.

Play the Empty Tomb Quiz Game

(Sample graphic. Full-size graphics attached below)

Each student should have a copy of the Empty Tomb and Stone graphics. Place the cut-out stone graphic on top of the Empty Tomb graphic, aligning the markers so that the tomb appears fully sealed.  Use the "person outline" cut out as an answer marker.

The teacher should have a copy of the Empty Tomb Questions about the Gospel of John's Empty Tomb Story (PDF).

Quiz Rules: 

Read each question and its three possible answers one at a time, and give students a few seconds to decide on answer "a, b, or c."  When they are ready to answer, have them move their "Person Outline" (cut from the Tomb graphic handout) on top of either A, B, or C as seen on their Tomb graphic, then announce the right answer, repeating it for all to hear. (The purpose of placing the person marker on the answer is to declare their answer. If you think your students will "cheat" off of each other, give them slips of paper to secretly write "a, b, or c" on and reveal when it's time to answer.)

Notice the triangular mark on the bottom of the round stone. Line it up to the triangular marks along the bottom of the tomb, starting with the stone on the far right. Answering correctly = slide the stone one triangular mark to the left. Answering incorrectly = slide the stone one mark to the right. The teacher may change the "incorrect" penalty to "do not move" if students are finding the quiz too hard.  If you run out of questions and some players have not yet fully "opened" the tomb to see Jesus standing there, ask the questions again. The player has "won" when the stone is in the last position on the left and Jesus is seen fully. Players should wait until everyone has finished.

After playing the quiz...

Go back to the OUTLINE they brainstormed at the beginning of class to see what they got right or wrong.  If you need to know which parts of the story were from other Gospels and not John, consult the Gospel Parallels document created for the Empty Tomb Computer Workshop at rotation.org and also attached below to this lesson.

Reflections

Using the "person outline" cut from the printable sheet, use markers to make it look like you. Before pasting it next to Jesus, do the following "demonstration reflection" with your students.

The teacher may say:

Place your colored cutout of yourself inside the empty tomb and place the stone over the tomb -covering you up.

Say: One of the things we Christians have discovered about the story of the Tomb is that the Tomb is also is a way to describe our lives without God. Without God, we are living without hope, sealed away in sin and darkness. Being without God is like being dead. When God raised Jesus from the tomb, he was not only fulfilling his promise about Jesus being the Messiah, the one to follow, but he was also making a promise to us --that he would roll away the stone from OUR lives and resurrect us to new life. (As you're saying this, you and the students are opening the tomb to reveal their images.)  That's the interesting thing about Resurrection. It's not just for Jesus, it's for all of us. It's a gift. And it's not just something that happens at the end of our lives. Resurrection begins when you step out of the Tomb of faithlessness and sin and begin to follow the risen Jesus.

Now you have a decision to make as to where you want to paste yourself in this story of the Empty Tomb. Do you want to put yourself STILL IN the Empty Tomb?  Or do you want to paste yourself as Risen with Jesus -believing and ready to follow?  (Pass out the paste.)

Other things you can do with the Tomb and Stone graphics:

1. Write on the stone the things which keep a person from believing and following Jesus.

2. Place a "thought bubble" next to Jesus and add some words about the resurrection that the Risen Jesus might say to encourage our faith and follow him.

3. Write in the margin of the Tomb graphic "things which can help us believe" and "attitudes and actions" that will keep us sealed in the Tomb of sin and unbelief.

An Optional "Stone" Demonstration

• The Stone dropping can represent death. We think we will live forever, but eventually, we will die. We trust God to pick up our life and hold onto it
• The Stone dropping can represent our sins. Eventually, the weight of all our sins gets too heavy and starts to break us. We need the power of God to forgive our sins and free us from their weight.
• The Stone dropping can represent the weakness of our faith. Eventually, even our faith fails us. We need the power of God to renew our strength.
• What else could the stone's weight or the stone dropping teach us about ourselves and our need for God?
• What is the "Good News" about the Stone at Jesus' tomb and covering OUR "tomb"?

The teacher can demonstrate a number of "points" about the stone. You could "act as Jesus" to help the student "bear the burden" of the stone, or take it away completely, or Jesus could encourage the student to let the stone drop --to trust. The Good News is that Jesus is alive and present to help us with "whatever stone" is holding us back, or holding us down, or keeping us in darkness or sin.

Adaptations

For Younger Students:  If you show the video clip, be aware that some younger children will be disturbed by the scene of Jesus on the cross. You can position your video starting point to a "still frame" of Jesus on the cross and offer some introductory remarks, before going into the Empty Tomb story. As they brainstorm the "Empty Tomb Story" on the flipchart, draw images to represent what they are saying. When asking the questions, provide fewer possible answers to choose from.

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