During the lesson, the information for you to know is written in regular type, and what we suggest speaking or reading aloud to children is in bold. All resources for this lesson, including the Teacher Guide, Student Page, Family Connection Card, and other resources can be downloaded in a ZIP file by clicking on the following link:
In some lessons you will find "resource articles." These are articles written by experts from around the world to help equip you for your work with children and adolescents. Share them with parents or guardians if you consider it appropriate.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
2 Corinthians 5:17
Jesus paid the price for your sins—every single one of them. When you accepted His gift of salvation through His sacrifice, you became a new creation—completely and beautifully new. Because Jesus died to pay the price for our sins, it is Easter every day. Each and every day you have the opportunity to live for Him.
How has Jesus’ sacrifice changed your life? Do you know how much He loves you? Are you letting His love overflow into every part of your heart and your soul? He loves you enough to give His life for you! Let the peace and joy that only His love can bring fill you completely. And as you teach this lesson to your students, let them see that peace and joy in your life. You are a beloved child of the Most High King!
Encourage the students to ask a family member, “What things in life keep you from feeling free?” They can then share that we are all sinners, but God’s gift of love in Jesus has made the way for us to have true freedom. Remind them to pray for God to give them opportunities and boldness to share the good news of Jesus with their families.
Teacher Tip: If possible, email or text the Family Connection Card to the families of your students.
Welcome the students as they arrive. Ask teens what good things they are thankful for today, and share a specific praise or thanksgiving from your own life.
Ask a student to read Proverbs 5:22 aloud from the Bible.
The evil deeds of the wicked ensnare them; the cords of their sins hold them fast.
Proverbs 5:22
Sin is like these ropes. It binds us. No matter how hard we try to get free, we are still bound and cannot free ourselves. We can never pay the price for our sins because the price is death. But God had another plan!
Ask for 2 volunteers of the same gender. Tie the ropes or rags around their wrists, looping the ropes together as shown here. The knots should not be too tight—you should be able to slip your finger in between the rope and the student’s wrist.
Ask the students to try to separate the ropes so they are no longer intertwined. They can twist, turn, and go over or under. They cannot untie or remove the ropes from their wrists. Allow them to try for a few minutes while the rest of the group watches and offers suggestions.
Allow students to offer their thoughts.
Show the students the solution, as shown here. One student needs to take the middle of his rope, double it, and stick it through the rope loop, where it is tied to the other student’s hand. He must then open up the rope and put it over the other student’s hand and draw it out from under the loop.
There is only 1 way to be free of our sin. Because of God’s love for us, He sent His Son, Jesus, to make the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom and forgiveness. On Easter, we celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus.
He is God in human form. He is without sin, but He died on a cross to pay for the sins of everyone. He is 1 member of the Trinity—the Son of God.
The story began when Jesus went to a place called the Mount of Olives to pray. His disciples were with Him. Because Jesus is God’s Son, He knew He was about to die. He knew it would be difficult and painful. Pay attention to what Jesus said as He prayed to His Father.
Have students read each part of the Easter story aloud from the Bible. Pause after each section to allow students to think or share.
He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him.
Luke 22:41–43
After that, Jesus was arrested. He was put on trial before the Jewish religious leaders. Early the next morning, they took Jesus to the Roman governor—Pilate—because only the Roman officials had the authority to enact the death penalty. Jesus was without sin. He did not deserve to be punished. Pilate realized that Jesus had committed no crime, and he did not want Jesus’ death to be his responsibility. Pilate asked the people if they wanted him to release Jesus, but they shouted to crucify him. The word “crucify” means to kill someone by nailing his hands and feet to a wooden cross. When someone is crucified, he dies slowly and painfully, hanging on the cross for hours or days until he can no longer hold himself up to breathe.
Have a different student read the next part of the story.
Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again. But they kept shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” For the third time he spoke to them: “Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him punished and then release him.” But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed.
Luke 23:20–23
Some Roman soldiers brutally beat Jesus and then led Him away to crucify Him. Jesus started out carrying His own cross, but He was so weak from the beating that the soldiers forced a man walking by to carry it for Him. As Jesus was hanging on the cross, people mocked Him.
Have another student read the next part aloud from the Bible.
The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.” The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.”
Luke 23: 35–38
There was a written notice above him, which read: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS. … It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last.
Luke 23: 44–46
Show the Action Bible image of Jesus on the cross if possible.
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Students may answer that He felt sad, He was in pain, or He was trusting in God. He may have felt love or compassion for those He was dying for.
Jesus must have experienced deep pain as He was crucified for our sins. His sacrifice was an agonizing one. But there is good news! The story is not finished yet! Let’s read the rest of the Easter story. Some women who believed in Jesus went to the tomb to anoint Jesus’ body with spices.
Have a different student read the final part of the story from Luke 24:1–8. Show the Action Bible image of the women at the tomb if possible.
On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’”
Then they remembered his words.
Luke 24:1–8
Students may answer that it shows that God is more powerful than death. It shows us that sometimes God sends angels to deliver messages. Jesus conquered death.
Though Jesus is without sin, He died on the cross to pay the price for all of our sins. Then He rose again and is now with His Father in heaven. He is our advocate, which means that He speaks to God on our behalf. And because Jesus died for our sins, God forgives us. This is called grace—the undeserved gift of the forgiveness of our sins. God’s grace gives us freedom from our bondage to sin because God is more powerful than sin and death. Jesus rose from the dead, defeating sin and death on our behalf. He is alive!
Jesus could have chosen not to die on the cross, but He did not. He suffered and died because He loves us so much. He knew that the only way we could have a relationship with Him was for Him to suffer the punishment for our sin.
Remember how we used the rope to show how we are bound by sin?
Hold up 1 of the ropes and wrap it around your arm or wrist as you share the next part of the lesson. The rope should be wrapped tightly but not enough to be uncomfortable.
When you are bound by sin, you cannot be close to God. This is because the Bible tells us that the consequence for sin is death. Your sin keeps you from experiencing God’s love and grace.
As you read the next part, unwrap the rope from your wrist.
Someone paid the price for your sin—Jesus! His sacrifice makes it possible for us to live without punishment for our sin. He paid the price with His life. Because of this, you do not have to pay with your life. Instead, He gives you freedom through grace—you can be forgiven of your sins and live forever in heaven with Him.
Jesus wants to be your Saviour. But He has given you the choice. You can choose to accept or refuse His gift of salvation. When you accept His gift, you become His follower. His followers will be with Him forever, here on earth and someday in heaven.
Show students the cross.
Jesus invites us to lay our sins at the foot of the cross. When we choose to follow Jesus and ask Him to forgive our sins, He will.
Optional: If you are using the Student Pages, encourage your students to write any sins they struggle with at the beginning of the path. At the end, they can write how they feel about what Jesus has done for them.
Ask a student to read aloud from the Bible.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
2 Corinthians 5:17
On this special day, we celebrate Jesus’ death and resurrection. Because of His sacrifice, your sins can be forgiven! Because He rose from the dead, you can be made new!
Maybe you have already made a decision to follow Jesus. Even if you have accepted Jesus, you can reaffirm your commitment. His love can make you new! He loves you that much!
Maybe you have not accepted Jesus’ gift and the Holy Spirit is speaking to your heart right now. If you want to follow Jesus, you can pray a simple prayer. Tell Him that you are a sinner and ask Him to come into your life and forgive your sins. He will! Tell Him you want to follow Him forever. You can pray silently, with a friend, or with me.
Give the students several minutes to think and pray.
Now imagine writing all of your sins on a piece of paper. Pick up your pencil and paper and write down all the things you want to confess to God. Pause for the students to think and pretend to write. Now fold up the imaginary paper tightly, so no one can see what you have written. This is only between you and God. Pause for the students to do this. Now, when you are ready, take your paper and lay it at the foot of the cross. Pause for the students to do this.
Once you have confessed your sins and asked God for His forgiveness, your sins are erased completely. Jesus paid the price for them, so they are washed away. You are made beautifully clean and new! Nothing that has happened to you and nothing you have done can make you more perfect to God!
Optional: Have the students write their prayers of confession on paper. They can then fold them and put them at the foot of the cross or tear them up and throw them away in a dust bin.
Allow the students several minutes to sit, think, write, or pray.
Optional: Have the students work together to decorate the room for a celebration. Then serve the treats and celebrate the amazing gift Jesus has given to us!
When you are ready to end class, let students know you are available if they want to talk or pray with you. Close your time with a blessing over your students based on 2 Corinthians 5:17–20.
Blessing: God’s love for you is as high as the heavens are above the earth. Through the blood of Jesus, God reconciled you to Himself. He has removed your sins from you. May our loving Saviour remind you that you are His new creation, and may you become an ambassador for Him.
Lead the students in singing this quarter’s song if possible.
Life on Life ©2020 David C Cook. Reproducible for home or classroom use only. All other uses require written permission from David C Cook [email protected]. All rights reserved.
