YEA Lesson Library
Many See Jesus
About This Lesson
This lesson relates how the disciples had difficulty believing that Jesus had actually been resurrected. Perhaps that’s why God provided so many witnesses - so that we also will believe that Jesus lives.
Scriptures
Psalm 27:1-5
Matthew 28:1-10
Mark 16:1-14
Luke 24:8-11
John 20:29
John 20:29-31
Galatians 2:20
Hebrews 11:1-2
Words to Know
CONFIRMATION - the act of showing that something is true.
MIRACULOUS - being a miracle.
EYEWITNESS - the person who saw the event with their own eyes; they were there.
The Lesson
Imagine that three days ago you watched someone you love die. You know he is dead. You were there. And yet, today people are telling you that the person who died is actually alive. Would you believe them?
Maybe Jesus knew that His followers would doubt His resurrection from the dead. Could that be the reason why Jesus showed Himself to so many people after He was resurrected?
It was early Sunday morning when Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to Jesus’ tomb. There was an earthquake and the earth beneath their feet shook. An angel from heaven rolled aside the stone that was in front of the tomb. The angel’s clothes were brilliant white and his face shone like lightning. This scared the guards so much that they fainted.
As the women walked up, they saw the angel sitting on that stone. This also frightened the ladies. But the angel spoke to them and said, “I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified, but he isn’t here! For he has come back to life again, just as he said he would. Come in and see where his body was lying. . .” The angel gave instructions to the ladies to go tell the disciples that Jesus was alive, and that they would see Him in Galilee.
The ladies hurried away from the tomb. They were very excited and filled with joy. Suddenly, Jesus met them. “Greetings,” He said. They came to Him, clasped His feet and worshiped Him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”
An angel gave these ladies this wonderful news. Jesus also gave the message to them. The first thing He said was, “Do not be afraid.” He must have known that people would not believe that He was actually alive. The women were filled with joy. They had trusted the angel. But now they had real proof! When Mary Magdalene found the disciples their eyes had tears in them. They were still grieving over Jesus’ death. But Mary Magdalene’s grief was over. She said with great joy that she had seen Jesus, and He was alive! But they didn’t believe her!
The women were the first eyewitnesses to Jesus’ resurrection from the dead! Because it was such a remarkable event, the disciples didn’t believe it. In fact, Mark tells us, “Afterward Jesus appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking in the country. These returned and reported it to the rest; but they did not believe them either.”
Why was it so difficult to believe that Jesus was alive again? Jesus thought His disciples should have believed. Before His death He told them He would be raised on the third day. After the resurrection He showed Himself to the women and two others. “Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen”(Mark 16:14).
Thomas was a twin. He was also one of Jesus’ disciples, but he wasn’t there when the other disciples first saw Jesus alive. They kept telling him, “We have seen the Lord.” Doubting Thomas refused to believe the disciples when they said Jesus was alive. He said that he wouldn’t believe it until he put his fingers into the nail prints in Jesus’ hands. He even wanted more proof. He also wanted to put his own hand in Jesus’ side where the sword was thrust.
A little over a week passed and the disciples were together again. This time, Thomas was with them. The doors were locked, but Jesus suddenly appeared in the room and greeted them. No, He didn’t have to open the door to get in. After Jesus’ resurrection He was able to go anywhere He wanted to.
Jesus knew that Thomas doubted. So He said, “Put your fingers into my hands. Put your hand into my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!”
Today we are where Thomas was before he saw Jesus alive. We have not seen Jesus Christ alive, in human form, in front of our eyes. But we do believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. We believe that He died for us, and was raised from the dead on the third day. Why do we believe these things? One reason is because Jesus had eye-witnesses to these events. These people were very moved and changed by the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. These events made them willing to suffer many things, even death, to tell the story of Jesus to the whole world.
Student Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for the disciples, who were eye witnesses. They help us believe in you. Thank you for sending your Son, Jesus Christ.
In His name we pray.
Amen.
Daily Devotions
Sunday - Matthew 28:1-6
Monday - Galatians 2:20
Tuesday - Mark 16:9-13
Wednesday - Hebrews 11:1-2
Thursday - Luke 24:8-11
Friday - Psalm 27:1-5
Saturday - John 20:29-31
Objectives
At the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
1. Relate that many people saw Jesus after His resurrection.
2. Tell that the women were the first people to see Jesus.
3. Relate that the disciples did not believe until they saw Jesus themselves.
4. Relate the importance of eyewitnesses to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.
Topics & Themes
Angel
Belief
Disciples
Thomas
Jesus, God the Son
Jesus, His Miracles
Jesus, Resurrection of
Thomas
Tomb
Witnesses
Women
Materials Needed
Bible, student’s and teacher’s books, attendance and memory verse charts, pencils, chart paper and markers or board and chalk, songbook, CD/cassette tape and music player.
Preparation
There is an old saying: seeing is believing. In this age of computer enhancement, technology, slight of hand, camera tricks, etc. we tend to be much more wary about believing what we see. Nevertheless, sight is still the sense we tend to depend upon most. Two thousand years ago, sight must have had even more significance than it does today. It was important for God to have eyewitnesses to the events surrounding the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. The witness of the disciples was to play a crucial part in the faith of believers for all time. None of the books of the Bible were written by Jesus Christ. We owe our belief to what was written down by the eyewitnesses at the time of Christ. It is extremely important for the students to understand how significant these eyewitnesses were and are!
Before the students arrive, plant some very visual objects around the room. At the beginning of class, tell them you’re going to check how observant they are. Have them close their eyes, remove one or two of the objects. Have them tell you what was removed.
How to Teach This Lesson
VISUAL ACUITY - Start the class by doing the activity as outlined in the preparation section. Now discuss with the students the outcome. Try the activity again, only this time, remove something far less visual. Again discuss the results.
EYEWITNESSES - Discuss the importance of eyewitnesses to an event or crime. Discuss, also, the sightings where people have claimed to have seen Elvis or aliens. Why are these eyewitness accounts suspected by many people? (Only one person saw the sight; possibility of technology being involved; de- monic activity, hoax). If all of these things are possible, why do we believe an eyewitness? Discuss the importance of a police line-up or eyewitnesses to an accident. Ask how different things are today than from what they would have been in Jesus’ day. What makes it different?
RESURRECTION - Do a review of lesson seven. Point out that Jesus told His disciples that He would live again after three days. Ask if the disciples believed Jesus. How do they know?
WOMEN FIRST - Ask who the first people to see Jesus were. Ask why Matthew and Mark relate the account differently. (They were not there; these gospels were written many years after the fact. As in the case in many eyewitnesses, the stories are very similar, but not exactly alike – that helps to establish the veracity of their testimony.) What did the women do once the angel told them to go tell the disciples?
MARK’S ACCOUNT - Talk about the two men on the road. What was the reaction of the disciples? Discuss the unwillingness of the disciples to believe the women and the other two men, as related in Mark. Impress upon the student’s minds that Jesus told them beforehand that He would be three days and three nights in the tomb.
JESUS APPEARS TO THE ELEVEN - Discuss the rebuke that Jesus gave to the Eleven. Why did He rebuke them? Was that fair? Discuss Thomas doubting.
EYEWITNESSES - Why was it important that Jesus have eyewitnesses to His resurrection? What does John say about the eye witnesses (John 20:30-31)?
Review Questions
1. Who saw Jesus first?
2. Who else saw Jesus besides the women?
3. Why didn’t the disciples believe the people who had seen Jesus? What was the reason Jesus gave for their unbelief?
4. Why is it so important for many people to have seen Jesus after His resurrection?
Teacher-Directed Activity
The students were directed to write down in their lesson book some of the miracles that Jesus performed during His life on earth. List these on the board. Add others as the students think of them.
Discuss the miracles. Relate to the students that the disciples saw all of these miracles. Discuss the fact that the disciples did not believe, until they had seen for themselves that Jesus had risen from the dead. Ask the students if they think Jesus’ resurrection was another miracle.
Encourage the students, if they have not already done so, to fill the space in their book with the miracles of Jesus. If time permits, find the scriptural references for each of these miracles and list them beside the miracle on the board and in the student books. Impress upon the students that they will be using this list before the end of the unit.
Matthew 8 & 9 - healed man with leprosy and paralyzed man
Matthew 14:13-36 - calmed the storm and fed 5,000 people
Matthew 17:1-8 - Transfiguration
Matthew 17:24-27 - coins in the fish’s mouth
Mark 1:21 - drove out evil spirit
Mark 2:12 - paralytic healed
Mark 4:35-41 - calms the storm, heals possessed man
Luke 7:1-18 - raised Widow’s son
John 2:1-11 - changed water into wine
John 11:1-44 - Lazarus raised
John 21:1-11 - miraculous catch of fish
REACH Activity
Word Study: Eido (i’-do)
The phrase “have not seen” from John 20:29 is from the Greek word eido. It means to perceive with the outward sense, particularly with physical sight. This applies directly to you. You have not seen, eido, Jesus. Yet, you believe. Jesus says you are blessed because to believe anyway.
Did You Know?
Setting the large stone in place was a relatively easy task, but once it had slipped into the groove cut in the bedrock in front of the entrance it was very difficult to remove. (Source: NIV Archaeological Study Bible, p. 1662.)
Music Notes: Christ the Lord is Risen Today
“Christ the Lord is Risen Today” on page 7 of the CEM Hymnal was written by Charles Wesley (1707-1788). John and Charles Wesley spread the Gospel message across England—and the hymns they wrote helped. “The first Wesleyan Chapel in London was a deserted iron foundry. It became known as the Foundry Meeting House. This hymn was written by Charles for the first service in that chapel.”
Although Charles had strict religious training as a child, training at Oxford University, and missionary service in the new colony of Georgia, Charles “had no peace or joy in his heart and life.” After coming back to England from a disappointing time in America, he attended a church service with a group of Moravians. Here he realized that salvation is by faith alone. This realization so energized Charles that he and his brother John traveled throughout Great Britain “a quarter of a million miles, mostly on horseback, leading great crowds in singing his new hymns in mass outdoor services of 40,000 people.”
Every new spiritual thought or experience inspired a new hymn of praise. “It has been said that the hymns of Charles Wesley clothed Christ in flesh and blood and gave converts a belief they could easily grasp, embrace with personal faith, and if necessary, even die for.” That is, his hymns make Jesus more real to us; help us understand that He is not far away, but very near to us; and aid in us coming to a closer relationship with our Lord and Savior. Even on his deathbed, it is said he dictated to his wife a hymn of praise for the Lord he had loved. Charles Wesley wrote 6500 hymns in his lifetime! (Source: Amazing Grace, Osbeck, K., p. 51, 126.)
Journal Jot
One of the proofs accepted by both theologians and skeptics of the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the dramatic influence Jesus has on individual lives today. In your YEA lesson book, you wrote down some of the miracles Jesus did which are recorded in the Bible. But that was while He was physically on the earth. Now, make it personal to you. In your Bible notebook, write down how Jesus has powerfully affected the lives of people you know. You can write about yourself, family members, members in your church, or someone who has a powerful testimony.
Back to the Bible
Do you remember from YEA Lesson 8 who the first eyewitnesses were to Jesus’ resurrection from the dead? Who were the many who saw Jesus after His resurrection? Did everyone believe that Jesus was no longer in the tomb? Who did not believe that Jesus was alive again? What kind of proof was needed for the unbeliever to believe that He was alive?
Read the Scriptures from YEA Lesson 8. Make a list of each person mentioned that saw Jesus after His resurrection. Use your Bible and Bible tools to describe who these people were and how they knew Jesus. Write this information in your Bible notebook.
Just Toolin’ Around: What is Faith?
Write a definition in your Bible notebook, and then find the biblical meaning. How does the Bible define the meaning of faith? Is your definition the same as the Bible? Write the Scripture of the meaning of faith in your Bible notebook. Can you think of an example of faith in your life? Was there a time when you had to trust Him to take care of a certain situation or event in your life? How could you explain faith to someone else? Try out your explanation and share your personal example of faith on a family member or friend. How did you do? Write about this experience in your Bible notebook.
Stretch It Out
Create a poster announcing the resurrection of Jesus Christ and what it means to all people. Add this event to your timeline.
Questions?
Remember to write any questions you have in your notebook. That way you will remember to ask your parents, teacher, or minister.
Song
“He is Lord” is on page 90 in Kids Classics Collection.
Closing Prayer
Lead the children in thanking our Heavenly Father for giving us eyewitnesses to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus so that we might believe and have life in Him.
Printable Pages
