Raised from the Dead, Teen Lesson

Wednesday:	Raised from the Dead
Main Passage:	Luke 24:36-49
Other Passages:	Mark 16:9-11,14, John 20:11-25, Luke 24:13-32, Matthew 28:16-20, 1st Corinthians 15:5-7, John 19:34
Objective:	Jesus rose from the dead.
Memory Verse:	1st John 4:10, This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

Introduction: Death and Burial

What do most cultures do with the body of a dead person? [Briefly discuss burial, cremation, embalming, etc.] Different cultures bury the bodies in various ways, but you have to do something, because if you just leave the body laying around, it gets gross. Emergency workers do not like discovering a body that has been dead for a week and not cared for. There was a period of time when some people would put bells inside the caskets. Does anyone know why they did this? (In case the person was in a coma, not actually dead, and woke up.) Today, we can tell the difference between coma and death. When someone is dead, do they wake up? (No.)

In the middle east, they usually bury the body. This is what they did with Jesus' body. Remember yesterday, we talked about Jesus being in the heart of the earth for three days? He died, and they put his body in a stone tomb. We know from scripture that Jesus was not just in a coma. When the soldiers pierced his side with the spear, his blood had already separated. He was dead.

Story: Resurrection

Three days after Jesus' body was sealed in the tomb, he got up. Now we know that's not what generally happens three days after you bury a dead body. Jesus was able to get up, because of who he is (see John 10:18). We talked the first day about the power Jesus had because he is God.

What did Jesus do, when he got up? [Accept a couple of responses.] Did anyone see him walking around? (Yes: two men traveling, Mary, James, the disciples, and more than 500 others.) In the closing, they're probably going to ask where the fish was in the lesson. Did Jesus do anything with a fish, after he raised from the dead? Luke 24 tells about a time Jesus came to the disciples, and they were startled and frightened. They thought they were seeing a ghost, because as far as they knew, Jesus was dead! They didn't expect to see him alive, because dead people don't usually come back to life. But Jesus said, Why are you worried? Why do you doubt that I'm here? Look at my hands and my feet. It's me. Touch me: a ghost doesn't have flesh and bones, like I do.

Why did Jesus tell them to look at his hands and feet? (Because, they could see the nail marks, from when he was crucified.) They were amazed, and still couldn't believe he was alive, so he asked, Do you have anything here to eat? They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he ate it, while they were watching. Then he told them, This is what I told you while I was still with you. I had to suffer and die, and raise again, and you will preach repentance and forgiveness of sins to all peoples in my name.

Application: Forgiveness

Like we said yesterday, Jesus had to die and be raised so that our sins could be forgiven. Why did someone have to die, for our sins to be forgiven? (Because, there is a penalty for sin.) Because Jesus raised, it proves the whole penalty is paid. Because Jesus is raised, we also can be raised, and can be with God forever some day.

Invitation: Salvation

[Invite any teens who are unsure of their salvation (or are sure they are not) to stay after and discuss the matter further.]

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.