Lesson 120 - Elementary

Memory Verse

"The Lord is risen"  (Luke 24:34).

Notes

The Tomb

Early Sunday morning Mary Magdalene and others of Jesus' friends were on their way to the tomb where Jesus' dear body had been laid. Two days before, they had watched as Joseph of Arimathæa tenderly took Jesus' body from the cross and wrapped it in clean linen clothes and laid it in his own tomb. It was a cave Joseph had cut out of the rock where he intended to be buried himself when he died. They saw Joseph roll a great stone to close the door of the tomb. Then they had gone away with sad, heavy hearts. They rested on Saturday, the Sabbath that the Children of Israel kept holy in those days.

Sad Hearts

All Jesus' friends were very, very sad. They had expected Him to stay here on earth with them and be their King, their Teacher, and Helper, but now He lay in the tomb. Mary and the women with her had brought sweet smelling spices and oil to put on the body of their beloved Friend.

When they came near the tomb they saw that the heavy stone that had closed the door had been rolled away. They hurried to look inside. But they saw that the body of Jesus was not there! They were troubled and did not know what to do. Suddenly they saw two angels dressed in bright, shining clothes. The beautiful angels told them that Jesus was not in the tomb because He had risen – He was alive again! Did they not remember that Jesus Himself had told them He would die but that He would rise again the third day? Now they did remember, and how glad they were that they would see Jesus again.

The women told the disciples and others of Jesus' friends that they had seen angels who had told them Jesus was alive. The disciples did not believe Jesus was really alive, but Peter ran to the tomb to see for himself. Peter had a special reason for hoping that he would see Jesus again. We know that when Jesus was in trouble Peter said he did not know Him, but Peter had cried and repented, and wanted again to feel the sweet love and friendship of Jesus. As he reached the tomb, Peter stooped down, and looking in saw only the linen clothes in which the body of Jesus had been wrapped. He turned and left, wondering and troubled about what had happened.

Even though Jesus had told the disciples plainly a number of times that He would die and rise again the third day, they had not really known what He meant.

The Stranger

Later in the day two of them were walking along a country road not far from Jerusalem. They were talking about Jesus and of the things that had happened. A Man whom they did not seem to know came along. He asked them why they were sad. They asked Him if he didn't know the terrible thing that had happened in Jerusalem just three days ago. He must be a stranger, they thought. So they told Him about their Friend, Jesus. They said that He had been a great Prophet and had done many good things. He had been kind and helped everybody, and they had thought He would become their King, and then they would not have to do what the Roman soldiers told them to do. But wicked men had taken Jesus and put Him on a cross just outside Jerusalem, and he had died. They told the "Stranger” that they were surprised that morning when certain women told them that Jesus' body was not in the tomb and they had seen angels who told them Jesus was alive.

Then the Stranger reminded them of what God had said many years before about the King who should come – that He must first suffer and die so that men might be saved from sin and be good and holy, before He could be King here on earth.

It was late when they entered the narrow street of the village and came to the gate of the house where they intended to stay that night. The Stranger would have walked on; but they must have liked Him, for they asked Him to come in and stay with them. When they sat down to eat, the Stranger blessed the bread, and then they knew it was Jesus Himself – truly alive, even as the women had said. Then suddenly Jesus was gone!

The Risen Lord

These two friends started back to Jerusalem right away to tell the others that they had seen Jesus. They found the disciples already knew that Jesus was truly alive, because Peter had seen Him that day, too. The room where they were gathered was closed – the door was shut – but as they were talking, suddenly Jesus Himself was there! At first they thought He was not real, but just a spirit. Jesus said: "Why are ye trouble? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself; handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.” He ate a piece of fish and some honeycomb before them to prove that He was really alive and not just a spirit.

Surely this was the brightest day in all the world! Jesus had said He would rise again the third day, and His words had come true, as they always do. Today we can read the Bible and know that because they are Jesus' Words they are true, and everything He said would happen will be just as He said it would be.

All this happened the first day of the week, or Sunday, and is called the Lord's Day. Ever since that time people who believe and love the whole Bible have kept that day as a special day of worship, instead of Saturday, which the Children of Israel kept.

Telling the World

As Jesus talked with them, He told them He had come to earth to show men how to live, and had been willing to die on the cross, and had risen again so that everyone might be saved from sin, and be good and kind. He told them that because they had seen all these things that had happened he wanted them to go and tell people everywhere that He had died but had risen again from the grave, so that every one who would repent might be with Him when He comes again to be King on the earth.

If children have been bad, they must be sorry for their sin as Peter was after he had said he did not know Jesus. He cried and asked Jesus to forgive him. We, too, can pray to Jesus and ask Him to forgive us, and give us a new heart so we can always love Jesus, and be good and tell the truth. Then because we are saved, we can tell others about Jesus, and they can be saved, too.

Questions

1. Where was Jesus' body laid? [LUK:23:53].

2. What day of the week did the women take spices to the tomb? [LUK:24:1].

3. What did the angel tell them? [LUK:24:6].

4. Who was the "Stranger"? [LUK:24:31].

5. What did Jesus tell His disciples to do? [MAK:16:15].