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(WT) Meeting Jesus on the Road to Emmaus ~ Scavenger Hunt Workshop

Rotation.org Writing Team

Meeting Jesus on the Road to Emmaus

Scavenger Hunt Workshop


Summary of Activities

After being introduced to the story, students will go on a scavenger hunt for a list of items related to the story, then use them to retell the story.

Scripture for the Set

Luke 24:13-35 (NRSV)

Memory Verse/Key Verse:  Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him, and he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?”  (Luke 24: 31-32)

Lesson Objectives

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

Preparation and Materials

  • Read the Bible Background and scripture.
  • Make copies of the Scavenger Hunt List.
  • Print a copy of the "image clues" image handouts attached to this lesson. Decide what you will cover them with for the guessing game.
  • Plant scavenger items as necessary.
  • Gather an extra set of items in case students don't find everything on the Scavenger Hunt List.
  • Pencils and paper for the groups.
  • Matches.

Lesson Plan

Open

Welcome students and tell them how today's lesson will unfold.

Play the Image Guessing Game

Print the five full images attached to this lesson and place them face up on the table and cover them with a towel or other sheet of paper.

Starting with image 1, slowly reveal the image asking them to try to guess what the image is. Constrain wild and lucky guesses by telling them that they only have two guesses to use for each image. The full images are attached to this lesson plan. Shown here are simple thumbnails of the five larger images you need to print.

superman-thumbcat-thumbpresent-thumbtaylorswift-thumbjesus-thumb

For the fifth image (Jesus), show them only a small corner of it, then slowly show them more and more until someone correctly guesses "Jesus."  When they guess "Jesus" =STOP= revealing it, showing no more, and ask they them "how do they know it's Jesus?" 

Ask: Why did some of you figure it out sooner than others? What prepared you to know that the picture was of Jesus?

Ask: How did your past experience of looking at Jesus, studying him, being close to him HELP YOU see that the picture was of Jesus?

Suggest this Point: I want to suggest that Faith in Jesus is something we can prepare ourselves to have, but ultimately Faith is something Jesus has to give us.

Say: In today's story, we're going to hear about two disciples who could not recognize Jesus --even though he was walking right alongside them. And what we want to discover is this: what finally helped them recognize and believe that Jesus was alive?

Read the Story

Invite students to take turns reading Luke 24:13-35 out loud.

At these key verses, or after the reading, ask the following questions:

  • v 14, "talking with each other about all these things that had happened."
    What are "all these things" and what may they have been saying to each other?
  • v 31-32, "he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him."
    Why did this simple act open their eyes?
  • v 35, "Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread."
    What kind of questions do you think the other disciples asked them when the two said they had walked and talked with Jesus?
  • Final question: Who are the people who have been telling the story to YOU about the Risen Christ? And what have you done with this information?

Now tell them that they are going to re-tell the story, but this time with "props." And to get the props, they need to go find them on a Scavenger Hunt.

Scavenger Hunt

Divide into two or more groups. Each group has 10 minutes to find the following "prop" items so they can re-tell the story of Jesus and the disciples on the Road to Emmaus.

  1. Something that reminds you of a Road.
  2. Something that has a hidden or secret quality or feature about it.
  3. Something that burns.
  4. Something from home other than yourself or what you are wearing.
  5. A Bible.
  6. A pair of glasses (not from your group), or something you see with.
  7. A Plate.
  8. Bread.
  9. Write down something Jesus probably said to the disciples to convince them that the Messiah had to die.
  10. Someone not from your class to tell the story of Jesus to.
  11. Something that looks like Jesus.
  12. Something to represent Cleopas and the other disciple.
  13. Something that makes you happy or gives you energy.

Remember to stay quiet on your hunt and not to disturb other groups or classes.

Tip: See one of the posts below for a list of things at your church that would fill the requirements of the hunt.

Re-tell the story

Using the items that were collected, have each group retell the story of Jesus and the Disciples on the Road to Emmaus. (Teacher: This is your time to add insights and comments! If time permits, have the groups work separately to decide how they will used the found items to retell the story to the other groups.)

Reflection Question: (Write their answers on the board)

As Christians, we "hunt" for and collect things that help us see and follow Jesus. Some of these things are objects that we can touch; others are actions; some might even be ideas. Let's make up a personal Scavenger Hunt list of things that Christians can use to help us to see that Jesus is alive and remind us that Jesus is our Risen Savior.   

To put it another way, what things would you tell someone to "go find" or "go do" to see and believe in Jesus and follow him?

(Suggestions: Scripture, prayer, worship, service to others, re-enacting things Jesus did, recalling things Jesus said, trying to follow what Jesus said to do.)



Adaptations

For Younger Students: Be sure to go with them and point things out without taking away the fun of "finding it all by myself." You might "plant" a few items in certain locations to make sure they find everything on their list, and have a few hard to find items in a bag just in case.

Scavenger Hunt Tips:

  • Assign a classroom helper to shadow each group during the hunt. They may offer suggestions where the group is stumped.
  • Collect all hunt items ahead of time and set them aside in a bag in case a group fails to find all 13 items in the church.
  • Bring matches to light the candle which one of the groups will likely return with for the "thing which burns."


BTW: What did Jesus "explain" about himself to the disciples?

Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures. (Luke 24:27)

Jesus probably had a good hour or two to "interpret to them the things about himself in all the scriptures." See the Bible Background's list of signs and prophecies about the Messiah that Jesus fulfilled. But also note that Jesus' explanations still did not open their eyes (i.e. help them see the Risen Jesus and believe he is alive). Rather, the teaching of scripture only warmed their hearts. It wasn't until Jesus let them see him that their belief in him was resurrected. In theological terms, this is known as "revelation" or "epiphany" and it is the miracle of faith.

Written by the Rotation.org Writing Team
based on lesson ideas from members Debbie Fisher and Margie Roxborough
Copyright 2018, Rotation.org Inc.

Attachments

Images (10)
  • jesus-thumb
  • cat-thumb
  • present-thumb
  • superman-thumb
  • taylorswift-thumb
  • Image1-superman
  • Image2-cat
  • Image3-gift
  • Image4-TaylorSwift
  • Image5-Jesus
Last edited by Luanne Payne
Original Post
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