The empty tomb
Children's sermon
Object:
a large linen napkin
Good morning, boys and girls. Today is the biggest day in our Christian year. What day is it? (let them answer) That's right; it is Easter. What happened on Easter? (let them answer) Very good; this is the day that Jesus was resurrected; he rose from the dead.
You remember that Jesus was crucified on Good Friday and was put in the tomb. They rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and then stationed soldiers all around it so that no one could enter or leave the tomb. On Sunday morning Mary Magdalene, a follower of Jesus, went to the tomb. When she arrived, she was very surprised because the big stone that had been placed in front of the entrance was rolled away.
She ran to tell Peter and the other disciples what happened. They were very surprised and Peter and John ran all the way back to the tomb to see for themselves if the stone had been rolled away. John, who was much younger, got there first and he looked inside of the tomb, but he did not enter. He saw something very suspicious, but he waited until Peter arrived. Peter was out of breath by the time he got there but went right to the tomb and went in to see what had happened. The first thing he noticed was that Jesus was not there. He was gone.
There was some evidence that Jesus had been there. Peter picked up the linen cloths that Joseph and Nicodemus had wrapped Jesus in. Then he walked to the other end of where Jesus had been lying, the place where his head would have rested, and he picked up another linen cloth, which had been folded separately from the other linens. (show them the folded napkin) It looked a little like this linen napkin and was used to cover the face of Jesus when he was put in the tomb. It was folded very neatly and left all by itself. What must have happened in this tomb? Did someone rush in and steal the body? Would the thieves have taken the time to fold the linen cloths or even remove them? Where was Jesus? Peter stood there and held the napkin that had once covered the face of Jesus. He kept remembering the words of Jesus, "After three days I will rise again."
Jesus did rise from the grave and is alive. Mary, Peter, and John saw the empty tomb. They also saw the linen cloths that covered his body and the one that covered his head. The cloths remained in the tomb, but Jesus was gone.
Today we celebrate Easter and give thanks to God that Jesus is alive and with us. And the promise is that when we die, we will also be brought back to life by God and share in the resurrection experience with Jesus.
You remember that Jesus was crucified on Good Friday and was put in the tomb. They rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and then stationed soldiers all around it so that no one could enter or leave the tomb. On Sunday morning Mary Magdalene, a follower of Jesus, went to the tomb. When she arrived, she was very surprised because the big stone that had been placed in front of the entrance was rolled away.
She ran to tell Peter and the other disciples what happened. They were very surprised and Peter and John ran all the way back to the tomb to see for themselves if the stone had been rolled away. John, who was much younger, got there first and he looked inside of the tomb, but he did not enter. He saw something very suspicious, but he waited until Peter arrived. Peter was out of breath by the time he got there but went right to the tomb and went in to see what had happened. The first thing he noticed was that Jesus was not there. He was gone.
There was some evidence that Jesus had been there. Peter picked up the linen cloths that Joseph and Nicodemus had wrapped Jesus in. Then he walked to the other end of where Jesus had been lying, the place where his head would have rested, and he picked up another linen cloth, which had been folded separately from the other linens. (show them the folded napkin) It looked a little like this linen napkin and was used to cover the face of Jesus when he was put in the tomb. It was folded very neatly and left all by itself. What must have happened in this tomb? Did someone rush in and steal the body? Would the thieves have taken the time to fold the linen cloths or even remove them? Where was Jesus? Peter stood there and held the napkin that had once covered the face of Jesus. He kept remembering the words of Jesus, "After three days I will rise again."
Jesus did rise from the grave and is alive. Mary, Peter, and John saw the empty tomb. They also saw the linen cloths that covered his body and the one that covered his head. The cloths remained in the tomb, but Jesus was gone.
Today we celebrate Easter and give thanks to God that Jesus is alive and with us. And the promise is that when we die, we will also be brought back to life by God and share in the resurrection experience with Jesus.
