Jesus Goes to Heaven

Matthew 28:16-20 Luke 24:44-51; Acts 1:6-11

Jesus had told his disciples, “I gave my life so that you could be with me in heaven.  I am going there to prepare a wonderful new home for you.  When I come back the next time, I will take you with me.”

But now it is time for Jesus to leave.

Jesus said, “God has given me complete power over heaven and earth.  Go and tell everyone the good news.  Make new disciples.  Baptize them and teach them to obey my commandments.  Don’t ever forget, I will always be with you.”

“Go to Jerusalem and wait there,” said Jesus.  “The Holy Spirit will come to you.  He will give you power to tell people about me.  Now the time has come for me to go to heaven.  Do not be afraid.”

Then Jesus went up toward heaven in a cloud.  His disciples stared at the sky for a long time.

All of a sudden, two angels appeared.  They asked, “Why are you standing here looking at the sky? Jesus will return the same way you saw him go.”

Then the disciples remembered what Jesus had said.  They returned to Jerusalem and waited for the Holy Spirit to come.

Discussion Questions

• Where is Jesus going? Heaven

• Are his disciples and followers going with him? No, when he comes back the next time, he will take us with him.

• What does Jesus ask them to do?  Make new disciples, baptize them, and teach them my commandments.

• How did he go to heaven? He went toward heaven on a cloud.

Prayer

Dear God, thank you for making us and loving us.  Please help us to remember to follow your ways. Amen 

Memory Verses

“Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life.’”

John 14:6

Craft Jesus goes to Heaven

Materials needed:  paper or plastic cup, cotton balls, glue, tape, yarn, scissors, and crayons

• Glue cotton balls to cup
• Draw and/or cut a picture of Jesus 
• Tape yarn to the bottom of the cup
• Glue or tape the picture of Jesus to the yarn.

A Net Full of Fish

John 21:1-14

Peter went fishing with some of the disciples.  They fished from their boat all night, but they did not even catch one fish.  

Early the next morning, someone from the shore shouted, “You have not caught any fish, have you?”

“No,” they replied.  “Cast your net to the right side of the boat,” the man said.

As soon as they did, their net was full of fish!  Then Peter knew the man was Jesus.  He jumped out of the boat and swam to shore.

Jesus asked him, “Do you love me?”  Peter said, “You know I do.”  Jesus said, “If you love me, then take good care of my people.”

Discussion Questions

• Who did Peter go fishing with? The disciples 

• After fishing all night, did they catch any fish? No

• Someone from the shore told them to put their nets on the other side of the boat.  Who was on the shore? Jesus

• Did they catch any fish? Yes, their net was full!

• What did Jesus ask Peter?  Do you love me?

• What did Peter say? Yes!

• What did Jesus ask Peter to do?  Take good care of His people.

Prayer

Dear God, thank you for the story of a net full of fish  Thank you for loving us and taking care of us every day.  Amen 

Memory Verses

“Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life.’”

John 14:6

Craft:  A Net Full of Fish

Materials:  a paper plate, fingerpaint (markers or crayons would work too), construction paper, clear plastic wrap, and a Sharpie marker. 

Guide Your Child To:

  

1.  Have your child use the fingerpaint to completely cover the entire paper plate.  Let it dry.

2.  While he is painting, cut out the fish from construction paper.  I just stacked 3 pieces of different colored paper together, folded them, and cut them out.

3.  Once dry, place the fish onto the paper plate.  Cover with clear plastic wrap.

4.  Pull it as tight as you possibly can without ripping it and tape the back.

5.  Using a Sharpie, draw “net” lines on the plastic wrap.

Easter

Matthew 28:1-10; Mark 16:1-10; Luke 24:1-11; John 20:1-18

After Jesus died, some of his friends laid his body in a big tomb.  They sealed it shut with a large round stone.  Soldiers guarded the tomb.

Three days later, the earth shook.  An angel of the Lord came down from heaven and pushed the stone away from the tomb.  Then the angel sat on the stone.

When the soldiers saw the angel, they fell to the ground.

Mary was walking to the tomb with some of her friends. They saw the angel, who said, “Do not be afraid.  Jesus is not here.  He has risen!”

“Go and tell Peter and the other disciples that Jesus is alive!”

On their way, the women saw Jesus.  They fell to their knees and worshipped him.  Jesus smiled and said, “Go tell the others that I will see them in Galilee.”  So Mary ran to tell the disciples.

Discussion Questions

• After Jesus died on the cross where did his friends put his body? A big tomb

• Three days later the earth shook and an angel came from heaven.  What did he do? Pushed the stone away

• Mary and her friends were going to visit the tomb. Along the way they saw an angel.  What did he say? Do not be afraid.  Jesus is not here. He has risen!  

• What did the angel tell Mary and her friends to do?  Go and tell Peter and the other disciples that Jesus is alive!

Prayer

Dear God, thank you for loving us and sending your son to die on the cross for our sins. Amen 

Memory Verses

“Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life.’”

John 14:6

Craft: Stained Glass Cross

1. Materials:  contact paper, various colors of tissue paper, black construction paper, and scissors
2. Guide Your Child To: 
3. To help your child, cut out several squares of tissue paper as well as the outline of a cross 
4. Place contact paper on the table sticky side up.  If it moves around too much tape the contact paper to the table
5. Place outline of cross on contact paper
6. In any order place the different colored pieces of tissue paper inside the outline of the cross
7. Place the second sheet of contact paper sticky side down.
8. Trim the contact paper 

The True King

 Matthew 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:29-42; John 12:12-19

Jesus and his disciples went to Jerusalem for the Passover Feast.  Jesus told two disciples to bring him a donkey.  He told them where to find it.

Jesus rode the donkey to Jerusalem.

A big crowd welcomed him.

People waved palm branches and put them on the road in front of Jesus. 

They shouted, “Hosanna! Hosanna!  Blessed is the king of Israel!”

The leaders in Jerusalem did not like Jesus.  They saw how many people were following him, and they were angry about it.  They were jealous

Discussion Questions

• Where did Jesus and his disciples go? Jerusalem

• Why were they going there? Passover Feast

• What did Jesus ask two disciples to do?  To bring him a donkey

• What did Jesus do with the donkey? He rode the donkey into Jerusalem

• As Jesus road the donkey, What did people wave and say? They waved palm branches and shouted “Hosanna, Hosanna!”

Prayer

Dear God, thank you for the story of Jesus’ triumphal entry.  Thank you for loving us and sending your son to die on the cross for our sins. Amen 

Memory Verses

“Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life.’”  John 14:6

Craft: Palm Branch 

Materials:  green construction paper, pencil, scissors, popsicle stick, glue

Guide Your Child To: 

• Help your child trace his hand on the green paper several times
• Cut the outline of hands
• Glue them to the popsicle sticks.  Feel free to layer them to make them look like a palm branch.

Song:  Ho Ho Hosanna

This song is a happy song and is meant to be repeated faster and faster.  The words at the end of each line are meant to be stretched out when you sing them where the hyphens are.

Ho, Ho, Ho, Ho, Sa-a-nna

Ha, Ha, Ha, lle-lu-uiah

He, He, He, He, Sa-aved Me

I've got the joy of the Lord!

A Short Man

Luke 19:1-10

People crowded the streets to see Jesus.  Zacchaeus wanted to see, too, but he was too short.

So he climbed up a tree.

As Jesus was passing by, he looked up and said, “Zacchaeus, come down.  I want to come to your house.”

Zacchaeus scrambled down the tree.

Zacchaeus was a tax collector.  His job was to get the tax money from the people and give it to the king.  Nobody liked him.  He was surprised but happy that Jesus wanted to come to his house.

A crowd of people stood outside the house.  They grumbled, “Why is Jesus in there?”

Zacchaeus told Jesus, “I will give money to the poor.  And I will pay back anyone I have cheated.  In fact, I will give them back more money than I took.

Jesus was happy that Zacchaeus was going to make things right.

Discussion Questions

• Why was Zacchaeus in a tree?  He wanted to see Jesus but he was to short to see over the crowd.

• What did Jesus say to Zacchaeus? He told him to come down from the tree because he wanted visit is house.

• What was Zacchaeus job?  Tax collector.

• Was Zacchaeus honest when collecting money? No

• Did the people like him?  No

• What did Zacchaeus do to make things right? He gave money to the poor and paid back the people he cheated.

Prayer

Dear God,  thank you for the story of Zacchaeus.  Thank you for teaching us to be honest.  Amen

Memory Verses

“‘Love your neighbor as yourself”  Leviticus 19:18

Cooking: Gingerbread People 

Ingredients: (makes about 2 dozen) 

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup dark molasses
1/4 cup water
2 3/4 cups flour, plus extra flour 3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon 

Guide Your Child To:               

Beat the sugar, shortening, molasses, and water in a large bowl. Add flour, salt, ginger, baking soda and cinnamon. 

Chill the dough in the refrigerator at least 1 hour. When you remove the dough from the refrigerator, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. 

Place some dough on a piece of aluminum foil.
Pat the dough flat, putting flour on his hands to keep the dough from getting too sticky.
Cut a figure out of the dough using a person-shaped cookie cutter, and remove the excess dough. Place the foil with his cookie on it onto the baking sheet.
Let you bake the cookies at 375 degrees for 6 to 8 minutes. 

Talk About: 

• Who made people?
• How are you like other people? 
• How are you different?
• How was the person in the story special or different? 
• Did God still love him? 
• What happened?