Lesson Continued...

Warm Up 

Have you ever been to another country? Or where they don't speak the same language as you? What was it like?

If you've never been to another country, where would you most like to visit?

Today, we're going to learn about some of the last things Jesus told his disciples while he was on the earth. And it has to do with everyone on earth, not just the people in our country!

Teach the Story

Jesus spent forty days on the earth after he was raised from the dead. In our Jesus Appears to His Disciples lesson, we learned about when Jesus initially appeared to his disciples. In this story, we're going to focus on three things Jesus did at the end of those forty days.

Jesus gave them the Great Commission - In Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus gave the disciples their marching orders (known as the Great Commission), and these are our marching orders too! Here is an outline this very important commission:

Authority ("All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me") - Jesus starts the command with the reason we should listen to it!

Activities - Jesus gives us three things to do:

"Go and make disciples of all nations" - We must go out and make disciples - not just in our neighborhoods, but throughout all the world.

"Baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." - Jesus wants them to be baptized, just as we are to be baptized. Baptism is an important symbol of our identity with Christ.

"Teach them to obey everything I have commanded you" - We should teach them what we have learned ourselves.

Assurance ("And you can be sure that I am always with you, to the very end.") - Jesus ends the command with the assurance that he will never leave us. We don't have to do this on our own.

Jesus told them to wait in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit came to them - It is easy to overlook how this instruction must have felt to the disciples. Jesus had just been crucified several weeks earlier in Jerusalem! Then, in the first chapter of Acts, Jesus promised them that they would be baptized with the Holy Spirit in a few days.

(Note: we are focusing on the story aspect of this scripture, not the doctrinal aspects. If your church has specific beliefs about this portion of scripture - like the baptism of the Holy Spirit - feel free to include that teaching in this lesson)

Jesus told them that they would be his witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Jerusalem was the capital of the Southern Kingdom (aka Judah, which is where the "Judea" region came from) and Samaria was the capital of the Northern Kingdom (which the Jews from the Southern Kingdom despised)

This is similar to the Great Commission ("go and make disciples of all nations"), but has a strategy attached to it.

Start with where you are, include your greater region, don't forget about the people you are not "friends" with, and then go worldwide.

Jesus ascended into heaven

Right after Jesus said those words, he was taken up to heaven in a cloud. Note, it does not say he was taken "on" a cloud; rather, it says he was taken up "in" or "into" a cloud (think a plane taking off, not a Charmin baby)

The disciples were standing there watching, looking up to the skies as Jesus ascended, when two angels were suddenly standing next to them (if that were me, I don't think I could have resisted saying "boo!")

The angels told them that Jesus had been taken into heaven, but that someday  he would return again as he came.

Comprehension Questions

• What were the three things Jesus told his disciples to do in the Great Commission?

Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them, teaching them

• Jesus told them to wait in Jerusalem until what happened?

The Holy Spirit would come to them

• Where did Jesus tell his disciples that they would be his witnesses?

Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, the ends of the earth

• Was Jerusalem the capital of the Northern Kingdom or Southern Kingdom?

Southern Kingdom

• What was the name of the Southern Kingdom?

Judah

• What nation was Samaria the capital of?

The Northern Kingdom, or Israel

• What happened to Jesus right after he said this to the disciples?

He ascended, or went up into heaven

• Who was standing there next to the disciples as they were watching Jesus go up?

Two angels

• What did they tell the disciples?

That Jesus had gone to heaven, but that one day he would return again just like he went

• In this story, we learned about what Jesus told his disciples right before he left the earth. He commanded them to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Are you a disciple of Jesus? Do you follow him?

• Have you been baptized?

• Are you learning to obey the things he's taught us?

• Are you a witness for Jesus? Telling others about him?

Memory Verse

When I'm afraid, I will trust in you. Psalm 56:3

Directions

1. Decorate the paper with a sky scene, adding a hill and stick figure “disciples” or “angels,” as desired. Add verses or captions

2. Cut a vertical line down the center of the paper, leaving about 1-2 inches on each side.

3. Glue cotton balls for clouds at the top of the paper.

4. Color and cut a small paper picture of Jesus. Attach to a stick for ease of movement.

5. Carefully poke “Jesus” through the paper slit and lift up and down while you teach the story elements.

Directions

1. Decorate the plate to look like a globe, beginning with blue marker, crayon, or paint.

2. Add green “land” with cut paper or additional paint. Sprinkle stickers or glitter for additional decoration, if desired.

3. Trace a foot on a sheet of paper. Cut and add a verse caption.

4. Attach the foot to the globe with tape, glue, string, or staple.

5. Place a string or pipe cleaner through the plate, if hanging is desired.

Directions

Directions

Materials
15 objects from around the classroom, including a couple chairs, some books, toys, a couple jackets”¦whatever is available to form a mound of stuff.

Bible Game Object
One student will be challenged to remember and guess what is missing from the mound.

Introduction
Today we celebrate Jesus’ Ascension into Heaven. Jesus “lives” in heaven now, but still, He’s with us each and every day. It’s a mystery how he does that. You can’t exactly see him, you can’t exactly hear him, you just know something is different. It’s like this game.

Preparation
Pile up the 15 toys, books and chairs in the center of the room. Have the children study it, seeing where everything is and trying to take note of all that is there.

Bible Game Instructions
1. Pick one student to be the guesser.
2. That student will close her eyes.
3. You will then pick a student to pull something from the mound – either a book, toy or chair, and put it quietly as possible outside the classroom door or hidden behind him.
4. The class must remain silent; they may not give any hints.
5. When you say “Ready!” the guesser will open her eyes.
6. She will look around the pile and try to guess what is missing.
7. She gets one chance to guess.
8. To add intrigue, take a picture of the mound with your iPod. Allow the guesser to look at the original photo, then look at the mound after something was taken. Snap a new photo before anything is moved each time.
9. Whether she guesses correctly or not, her turn is over, and the rest of the student’s may tell her if she’s right or wrong.
10. Play as many times as you like, but use a different guesser/missing student each round.

Closing
Jesus is always with us in spirit. He’s as real as any object in that mound.  Just because you can’t always see where he is or feel him move – that doesn’t mean He isn’t among us. He is with us now, and he’ll be with us in body someday!