Two people were walking away from Jerusalem after Jesus’ death. They had heard the rumours that Jesus had come back to life- but they didn’t know what to make of it all. Suddenly a stranger comes and walks alongside them… That’s the start of the story for this week- it’s written in Luke’s gospel chapter 24 from verse 13.
Song for our under 5s... https://youtu.be/5fe6U7ihHgM
And don’t blame me for this one – it’s from our friends in Willenhall… https://youtu.be/YnJvOJ_rkSU
Play a game together: Tell a story
Tell a story together- Someone starts with 3 words, next person continues the story with another 3 words.
A man was…
climbing up a…
banana tree when…
The Emmaus Road Story: https://youtu.be/ndtnZV-5QTo
Who was the mysterious man on the road to Emmaus? That’s what Cleopas wanted to know. Cleopas and his friend had been walking away from Jerusalem, talking about Jesus’ death, when the man suddenly appeared with them. ‘What are you talking about?’ the man asked. Everyone in Jerusalem was talking about Jesus. Where had this stranger been?
Cleopas said, ‘We’re talking about our friend, the prophet Jesus. We thought he was the Messiah, the one sent by God to save Israel, but he was killed three days ago, and now we don’t know what to think.’ There was something familiar about the stranger, but Cleopas couldn’t put his finger on it.
Cleopas’ friend said, ‘This morning some women went to Jesus’ tomb and told us the body was gone. They said they saw angels, who told them he was alive. The body’s definitely gone. The disciples checked. But what does it mean? Where’s the body?’
Then the stranger began to speak about the Old Testament prophets. He explained how the Messiah’s life and death had been predicted a long time ago. ‘You are slow and foolish not to see it,’ the stranger said. ‘The Messiah had to suffer before entering his glory.’
They all arrived in Emmaus as evening approached. ‘Come in and eat with us,’ Cleopas said. The stranger accepted, and when he broke the bread, Cleopas suddenly knew who he was. It was Jesus! Back from the dead!
Jesus disappeared and Cleopas and his friend couldn’t contain themselves. They rushed back to Jerusalem to tell the 11 disciples what had happened. When they got there, the disciples were talking about Jesus. ‘He appeared to Simon. He has risen!’ Cleopas told his story and how he had recognised Jesus when he broke bread.
Talk together
- Why do you think the two friends may not have recognised Jesus?
- Are there any times in your life where you have learnt something about Jesus’ story?
- How might we take time to share Jesus’ story with our friends?
Make: Creating a scene
Take time to recreate the scene of your story
You will need: scissors, sticky tape, glue, pens, and some recycling e.g. toilet rolls, boxes, newspapers, yoghurt pots, bottles.
Make the three different scenes from today’s passage:
- the road to Emmaus,
- the room where they shared bread,
- the disciples’ room in Jerusalem
Once you have finished, retell the story using your scenes.
Walking along the road: Imagine journeying with Jesus
You will need: pens, scissors, lolly sticks, glue, and copies of the ‘Emmaus road’ template.
- Give everyone a template. Or copy it from here: https://www.rootsontheweb.com/media/20361/walking_road.pdf
- Colour the road scene and then cut it out.
- Colour in the three figures, and cut a long slit in the road
- Cut out the three figures as one piece.
- Move the figures along the road, (using the lolly stick).
Pray: Remember that God is interested in every part of our story
You will need: paper, pens. - Give everyone a piece of paper and a pen. Write your name in large letters down the left-hand side of the paper. - Using each letter, write something to thank God for, or that you would like his help with. - Swap your paper with someone else, and spend some time quietly praying for the other person. N … nights safe at home A … all the food we have M… my family E … everyone- please help everyone who is scared Song to help us pray: https://youtu.be/mNd22xG4_14
Or one we know well: https://youtu.be/J3vXskhI1ig