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Jesus Appeared to Many PeopleDear Parents,
This week’s Bible story picked up where last week’s Bible story left off. After Jesus’ resurrection, He graciously appeared to the disciples, proving that He was alive. Even though Jesus had told His disciples that He would die and rise again, they believed by seeing. Talk about how the disciples must have felt when Jesus appeared in the locked room with them. Jesus told them not to be afraid! To prove that He had a real, physical body, Jesus let them touch His hands. He even ate some fish! Jesus gave the disciples the Holy Spirit and equipped them to proclaim the gospel. The resurrection is essential to the gospel. If Christ remained dead, His death would have meant nothing more than any other human being’s. God gives us victory over death through Jesus. Emphasize to your kids that Christians have a special purpose: to tell others that Jesus is alive! |
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Jesus Appeared to Many People
Luke 24:36-49; John 20:19-29; Acts 1:3,9-11
On the rst day of the week, in the evening, the disciples gathered together in a house. They locked the doors because they were afraid of the Jews. They didn’t want to be killed like Jesus had been killed. But wait ... Jesus had appeared to two disciples on the road, and Mary Magdalene had reported seeing Him alive too. Could it be true?
As the disciples talked, Jesus came, stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!”
The disciples were afraid! They couldn’t believe their eyes! Was this really Jesus? The disciples thought they were seeing a ghost.
“Why are you afraid? It’s Me! Why do you doubt?” Jesus said. “Look at Me and touch Me. A ghost does not have esh and bones, but I do. I’m not a ghost.”
Jesus showed His disciples His hands and His side. They saw the nail holes in His hands and the hole in His side. Jesus was alive? It seemed too good to be true. The disciples rejoiced because they were so happy to see Jesus!
The disciples gave Jesus some sh to eat. Jesus talked to them and explained the Bible to them. “The Bible is about Me,” Jesus said. Then Jesus told them that they had a job to do. Jesus had died and was raised from the dead so that people could be forgiven for their sins. The disciples needed to tell other people to repent from their sin and be forgiven.
“Peace to you!” Jesus said to them again. “God sent Me to earth, and in the same way, I am sending you.” Then Jesus breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” Jesus sent out the disciples to be His witnesses and to tell all the people that He is alive.
One of the disciples, Thomas, was not there when Jesus came. The other disciples kept telling him, “We have seen Jesus!” But Thomas doubted. He said, “I don’t believe you! I want to see and touch the holes in His hands and His side or I will never believe!”
Eight days passed, and the disciples were indoors again. This time, Thomas was with them. Even though the doors were locked, Jesus came in and stood among them. He said, “Peace to you!”
Then He said to Thomas, “Touch the marks on My hands and My side.
Don’t be an unbeliever; believe!”
Thomas believed. “My Lord and my God!” he said.
Jesus said, “Because you have seen Me, you have believed. Those who
believe in Me without seeing Me are blessed.”
Jesus continued to appear to the disciples, proving He was alive, and He
taught them about the kingdom of God.
Jesus later went up into the sky on a cloud. His disciples watched Him go
into heaven. Two men appeared and told Jesus’ disciples that Jesus would come back to earth one day.
Christ Connection: For 40 days, Jesus presented Himself to at least 500 people and proved that He is alive. (1 Corinthians 15:3-8) Jesus is still alive today.