VERSES: Matthew 27:57-66 Mark 15:42-47; Luke 23:50-56; John 19:38-42
MEMORY VERSE: Matthew 27:65. "...make it as sure as you can."
BOOK TO REMEMBER: Nahum. Write "Nahum" on small slips of paper, so the students may memorize another Old Testament book at home.
PRAYER: Thank God for His Bible and that we can read about Jesus whenever we want.
SPECIAL SONG: The Books Of The Old Testament (see March 2014 - Songs We Sing In Bible Class #3 on this blog. Click on orange circle for tune); No, Not One (see June 2014 - Songs We Sing In Bible Class #6 on this blog. Click on orange circle to hear tune.)
VISUAL AID: Large Activity (see below)
LESSON POINTS:
- Recently, we studied how Jesus had been betrayed by a friend, denied and abandoned by His disciples, tried by Pilate, and, finally, was crucified on a cross. The reason for His death? To save us from our sins (1 Corinthians 15:3). Without Jesus dying on the cross, there would be no possible way for us to have a hope of heaven. This was God's plan. But, what happened after Jesus died on the cross?
- When it was evening, the day before the Sabbath, a rich and honorable man named Joseph from a city of the Jews called Arimathaea went in boldly to Pilate and begged for the body of Jesus. Joseph was a good and just man and was secretly Jesus' disciple because he was afraid of the Jews. Joseph was not one of the Jews who had said, "Crucify him!"
- Pilate was surprised when Joseph asked for Jesus' body. He wasn't certain if Jesus had already died, so he called in the centurion and asked him if Jesus had died. When the centurion said it was true that Jesus was dead, Pilate gave the body to Joseph. Joseph took Jesus' body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth and laid the body in his own new tomb that had never been used. The tomb was cut out of a rock and was in a garden close to where they had crucified Jesus.
- There was another man who was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, who had also come to Jesus at night and talked to Him some time before (John 3:1-21). Nicodemus brought about a hundred pound weight of a mixture of myrrh and aloes that was very expensive for the burial. Then Joseph and Nicodemus wound the body of Jesus in the linen cloth with the spices as the Jews' custom was for burial. Joseph rolled a great stone in front of the door and then they left.
- The women, who came from Galilee with Jesus, had followed Joseph and sat against the tomb. They saw where the tomb was located and how Jesus' body was laid. Then the women went back to prepare spices and ointments and rested on the Sabbath as they were commanded to do.
- Meanwhile, the chief priests and the Pharisees were still thinking about Jesus. They met with Pilate and said that they remembered that Jesus had said while He was still alive that He would rise again in three days. They asked if Pilate would command that the tomb be made secure until the third day. They were afraid that Jesus' disciples would come at night and steal Jesus' body, then tell the people Jesus had risen from the dead. They were afraid that if Jesus' disciples stole Jesus' body, then Jesus' influence would be greater than when He was alive on the earth.
- Pilate said to the chief priests and Pharisees that they could have a watch which meant that soldiers would stay by the tomb all day and all night to make sure no one was able to get into the tomb. Pilate told them to make the watch as sure as they could. So the chief priests and Pharisees went and made the tomb secure and even sealed the stone and set a watch of soldiers. We will see what happens when morning comes!
- Perhaps Pilate was surprised that Jesus had died so soon because Jesus had only been on the cross from about six hours (from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm). Read Mark 15:25 and Mark 15:33. How long was Jesus on the cross? How long was it dark?
ACTIVITY: Who Did? WhoSaid?
Materials needed: 3" x 5" cards (paper cut into rectangles), 4.5" x 9" dark green construction paper, stapler, staples, pen.
- Hand out ten or so cards.
- Student writes either "Who Did?" or "Who Said?" at the top of the card.
- Student writes a question at the top of the card and the answer with Bible verse at the bottom of the card.
- Hand out dark green paper.
- Fold paper up to 3" from the top of the paper.
- Staple on left and right sides of paper, forming a pocket.
- Fold top down.
- Each student teams up with another student in class and they ask each other their questions. The student who answers the most questions correctly wins.
- Tuck cards into pocket to take home.
- SAMPLE QUESTIONS:
- WHO DID? Who brought 100 pound weight of myrrh and aloes? (Nicodemus - John 19:39)
- WHO DID? Who placed Jesus in the tomb? (Joseph and Nicodemus - John 19:40, 42)
- WHO DID? After they saw where the tomb was and how Jesus was laid, who went back and prepared spices? (The women - Luke 23:55, 56)
- WHO DID? Who sat against the sepulchre or tomb? (Women - Mary Magdalene and the other Mary - Matthew 27:61)
- WHO SAID? "We remember Jesus said, 'After three days I will rise again?'" (The chief priests and Pharisees - Matthew 22:63)
- WHO DID? Who rolled a stone to the door of the tomb? (Joseph of Arimathaea - Mark 15:46)
- WHO DID? Who went boldly to Pilate? (Joseph of Arimathaea - Mark 15:43)
- WHO DID? Who begged Pilate for Jesus' body? (Joseph of Arimathaea - Matthew 27:57, 58)
- WHO DID? Who made the tomb secure and even sealed it? (The chief priests and Pharisees - Matthew 27:66)
- WHO SAID? "Make it as sure as you can?" (Pilate - Matthew 27:65)