Resurrection

Gospel Reading:

Luke 24. 1-12

Jesus Has Risen

1 On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. 5 In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? 6 He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 7 ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” 8 Then they remembered his words.

9 When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. 10 It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles. 11 But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense. 12 Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened.

Suggestions for hymns and songs

All heaven declares (CHE HON MP SF TS)

Alleluia , alleluia give thanks to the risen Lord

At your feet we fall (BPW MPSF TS)

Christ is risen (MP SF )

Christ the Lord is risen today

Christ triumphant

Easter Jubilation (Out of the Ark music)

Jesus Christ is risen today

Jesus stand among us in thy risen power

Led like a lamb to the slaughter (BPW HON MP RS TS)

Lord enthroned in heavenly splendour (HON MP CHE CP)

Low in the grave he lay

See what a morning (SFTK)

Thine be the glory

To God be the glory

Children’s Activity: Tell the gospel using Godly Play figures; See Young Children and Worship, by Stewart and Berryman: see page 193-195 Jesus Is Risen: Appearance to Mary Magdalene

Or use mime.

Drama:

QUESTION TIME : THE RESURRECTION

Taking an idea from David Dimbleby's ‘Question Time’ TV programme, four experts discuss the Resurrection of Jesus. The setting is the same.

David Dimbleby:

Welcome to Question Time!

My name is David Dimbleby, and I'm speaking to you from the Auditorium at (N: name venue).

Our first guest on this week's panel of experts is Gaius Gallius, leader of the Roman Guard, responsible for the death of Jesus of Nazareth.

Next we have the mother of Jesus:- Mary. I know she won't mind me mentioning that there was great fuss around at the time of the birth of her son, and many questions were asked about who was the real father of her child.

Then we have, Annas, an expert with honours in Religious Affairs; a key member of the Pharisee Party.

And finally we have Thomas, one of the disciples of Jesus, who, by his own admission, had many doubts about who Jesus really was, but who is now a firm believer in the cause of Christianity.

Our first question from the floor is from N: (name of person with question) of N: (their hometown)

N: Do the panel think that Jesus really was raised from the dead?

Annas: Jesus did not rise from the dead any more than you or I could have done. It was a trick! How can anyone possibly believe that that could happen?

No the truth is that he was not actually dead when he was put into the tomb, and the cool air revived him. Then he simply escaped!

Gaius: No, I can't agree with that because I, personally, made sure he was dead before we took him down from the cross. One of my soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and blood and water suddenly flowed out, a sure sign of death. Anyhow, if he did revive himself in the tomb, how could he just move that heavy stone by himself? And you forget, my men were there on duty.

Thomas : And I actually saw him myself in the upper room. I put my fingers in the holes in his hands and feet. He told me to, because I hadn't believed it were possible either!

Annas: Alright then, let's say there was a twin involved.

Mary: I think I'd know if I'd given birth to two babies! You can ask the shepherds, the wise men from the East, the innkeeper and his wife and my husband if you don't believe me!

Annas : OK, then there was a 'look alike'!

Thomas: I tell you it was Jesus! He didn't even look injured as he walked, he was alive! How could a 'look alike' have had injuries like that and not been crippled or in agony.

Mary: And I think I would know my own son!

Annas: Well there has to be a logical explanation! It's quite obvious to me then that the disciples came in the night, while the guards were asleep and stole the body!

Gaius: My soldiers don't fall asleep on the job! They'd be executed if they did.

Thomas: Besides the history books will one day show that many of us were actually put to death and tortured for our faith! Would we put ourselves through all this for a lie?

Mary (to Annas and Gaius) Have either of you hidden the body of my son?

Annas: Don't be silly, if we had, we would produce the body as evidence, wouldn't we?

Gaius: I'll say so!

Mary: Well then, it makes you wonder, doesn't it?

Annas: (sounding desperate)No, I realize now what happened. Those who claim to have seen Jesus must have been on drugs. They were just hallucinating! They only thought they saw him! Or it was a trick of the mind!

Thomas: I wouldn't take drugs, that's not how I was brought up, and anyway lots of people saw him at different times. On one occasion 500 people saw him at once. If they were on drugs or hallucinating, wouldn't everyone see different things?

Annas: (panicking) All right, let me think! People don't just rise from the dead. I know …a thief took the body!

Thomas: In that case the expensive linen cloth and the oils would have gone too.

Gaius: And besides you still need to remember my guards were on duty!

David Dimbleby: Well it appears that no satisfactory explanation can be given!

Gaius: Well, I said it then, and I'll say it now, perhaps this man really was the Son of God!

Annas: Oh hold your tongue!

Gaius: (literally holds his tongue and says) Don't you tell me what to say.

David Dimbleby: I think at this point we need to take a break. The situation's getting rather sticky.

Address:

(As the service is about to begin a clown appears and holds up the service by squirting the children with water. Then he runs away*In place of a clown, the preacher could produce a daffodil and eats the flower. Same lesson.)

If you were to go home and tell your friends and your family that a clown* marched into this church this morning and squirted water at the children, just when we were about to hear the sermon, they would probably not believe you!

People wouldn’t believe Jesus’ disciples either when they told them he had risen from the dead.

First some women who were friends of Jesus came to his tomb, and the stone had been rolled away. Angels told them Jesus wasn’t there, he had risen. The disciples didn’t believe the women!

One of the ladies, Mary Magdalene, actually met Jesus and talked with him, thinking it was the gardener. They didn’t believe her either! That is until some of them ran to the tomb and saw for themselves that the tomb was empty.

Jesus then appeared to his disciples in an upper room, and they all believed Jesus had indeed risen from the grave, but because Thomas wasn’t there, he didn’t believe them. ‘Not unless I see for myself!’ was his response.

Then Jesus appeared to him, and even told him to touch the holes in his hands. So he too believed.

When St Paul writes his accounts of the resurrection appearances, he says that Jesus at one point appeared to more than 500 people at the same time! This was no hallucination!

Seeds of doubt The rumours soon spread, and the Jewish authorities who were concerned about these rumours, immediately sought a way to sow seeds of doubt in people’s minds to persuade them that this was all a hoax.

It says in Matthew’s gospel, Some of the guards went into the city and told the chief priests everything that had happened. After the priests had assembled with the elders, they devised a plan to give a large sum of money to the soldiers, telling them, ‘You must say, “His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep” If this comes to the governor’s ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.’

Seeds of doubt today.

It’s the same today in much of the literature written about Jesus Christ; in films that try to persuade us that it was all a hoax. The opposition still goes on, and the money rolls in. There will always be some people who believe and some who will not.

So many different stories!

It’s also worth noting that many of you who did indeed see the clown* this morning will go and tell different tales. One will say he wore a multi-coloured waistcoat…..Another will say he squirted water at the children….Another may say he wore huge boots!

This happened as people recalled the resurrection of Jesus.

Some claimed there were two angels, others one; some talk of more than one woman going to the tomb, some mention only Mary’s experience..and so on… but the very fact that their stories were different and not identical leads us to believe that their stories were indeed true, and not invented.

HOWEVER DIFFERENT THEIR STORIES WERE THEY ALL AGREE ON THIS ONE ESSENTIAL TRUTH. JESUS WAS ALIVE!

And the one essential truth we will all bear witness to is the fact that a clown* did disrupt our service this morning. The fact that our stories are different will show that our story is true.

When we tell this tale, to our great great grandchildren. The story will all differ through time, but the pure fact will remain, that something different and unusual did happen in this church today!

As it did then!

Story (unknown source)

In the early 1920's a famous Russian orator addressed a vast anti-God rally in the city of Kiev.

For more than an hour he verbally abused and ridiculed the Christian faith, until it seemed that the whole structure of belief in God was in ruins.

The organiser of the meeting rose, approached the microphone, and invited anyone in the massive gathering to come forward if they had any questions or observations to make on his address.

There was no movement at first and then after what seemed an age a figure started to approach the platform. It was an old, frail looking, man with a long, flowing white beard, and dressed in the robes of a priest He very slowly walked down the main aisle and climbed the steps and took his place beside the speaker and in front of the microphone. He raised his arms in the air and in a loud, clear voice, gave the people the ancient liturgical Easter greeting:

“Christ is risen !”

Instantly, the entire assembly rose to its feet, and the response came back like a mighty crash of thunder.

“He is risen indeed!”

The crowd, or the majority in the crowd, all seemed to agree on this one essential truth; Jesus was alive!

Alternative challenge: ; MAGIC EYE

Needed: Try and obtain some MAGIC EYE cards. (There is a complete pack of cards available for loan at Church House Percy Main, under Sheila Hamil’s Assembly Resources or they can be downloaded from the Internet)

(Ask for adult and children helpers, no more than four)

Script: I have some pictures that I would like you to look at, and I want you to see if you can see a completely different picture appearing before your eyes as you stare hard at the picture card.

Some people see it immediately.

Others need to have a clue or some kind of help or instructions, to know what they are looking for.

Some see it immediately something wonderful immediately.

Let me give you a helping hand!

Invite the ones who can SEE an exciting 3D image to tell us all what it is that they see, one at a time. Then ask them to sit back down.

Those left behind, who can’t see the images now must follow my directions as to how best we can discover them.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1) RELAX: CONCENTRATE and ABOVE ALL LISTEN.:

2) COME CLOSE:(they draw the card to their noses)

3)(Draw the card slowly away) LOOK THROUGH AND BEYOND.

DON’T WORRY IF YOU CAN’T SEE A 3D PICTURE. SOME PEOPLE HAVE TO WAIT A VERY LONG TIME TO BE ABLE TO DO IT…AND THEN SOMETIMES THEY DO SEE IT!

Some people dismiss the stories about Jesus’ resurrection; some need help understanding about it.

One young child was looking at these MAGIC EYE pictures, when all at once they shouted in a loud voice.

‘I can see it now!’

When we read the bible, and concentrate on what Jesus is trying to tell us,

when we come close to Jesus and seek him, when we look beyond ourselves and begin to care for others in this world, then we are truly trying to live a life just like Jesus’ here and now. His risen life”!

Then we’ll be mature enough to say, ‘I can see it now!’

Dance possibilities:

Check out the song ‘Easter jubilation’ (OUTOFTHEARK MUSIC Mark and Helen Johnson)

CD Songs for Every Easter Track 5

Make some ribbon wands or wrist band ribbons for the dancers, (perhaps even add one or two colourful flags) for an impressive background dance to this children’s song.

Responses:

This is Good News-

The grave is empty

Christ is risen.

HALLELUJAH!

This is the Good News-

The light shines in the darkness,

and the darkness can never put it out.

HALLELUJAH!

This is the Good News-

Once we were n people

now we are God’s people.

HALLELUJAH!

Christ is our peace,

The indestructible peace

We now share with each other.

(We share the peace)

Additional Story:

While working in his garden one day a gardener noticed a chrysalis attached to the wall of his garden shed. He kept an eye on it over a period of time until one day he noticed it moving and beginning to split open. While the gardener stood and looked on he noticed the split widening and the head of an emerging butterfly appeared.

For the next hour the man stood transfixed as he watched the tremendous struggle of the ‘soon to be’ butterfly as it fought to rid itself of its leathery skin. At last, with a mighty push it freed itself, and slowly unfolded its wings allowing them to dry in sun. As he watched he saw the wings take on the most beautiful colours, and the butterfly flew off.

A year later the same gardener came across another chrysalis which was beginning its final struggle for new life. The leathery cell had just begun to split and the man decided to give, what he thought was a loving hand. He took a razor blade and with much skill he carefully and very gently slit the chrysalis open allowing the butterfly to free itself with complete ease. The butterfly opened up its wings and flew away. However there was one big difference between the two butterflies. This one had no colour in its wings.

The gardener then realised that it was important for the butterfly to struggle if it was to have a life of colour.