is Risen: The Road to Emmaus

Background

Focus: Jesus’ resurrection appearance on the road to Emmaus (:1-35)

Material

The basket for Jesus is Risen: The Road to Emmaus is on the shelves.

It contains: white felt underlay beige felt road wooden backdrop 2 wooden figures wooden risen Jesus figure wooden table small box containing small plate and small chalice

Movements Words

Go to the New Testament Watch carefully where I go so you will always know where shelves and bring the basket to find this lesson. containing Jesus is Risen: the Road to Emmaus to the circle.

Carefully spread out the white This is the season of Easter, when we celebrate the underlay. mystery that Jesus died and that God made him alive again.

Roll out the beige road from the This is the road from to Emmaus. left to right on the edge of the underlay nearest the children.

1

Place the backdrop and the table between the road and you at the end of the road to your right.

Present the two disciples and Two of Jesus’ friends were going down to Emmaus. They move them along the road from were very sad. Jesus had died. They had hoped he would your left to right. be king. “Why did Jesus have to die?” they said. “Why did Jesus die?”

Place Jesus between them and Then someone came and walked with them. He told them continue to move all three why Jesus died. toward the house.

Stop the figures when they “Stay with us,” they said. reach the house.

Place Jesus behind the table and the two men across the table from him. Open the small wooden box and place the chalice and plate on the table.

Raise the plate slightly off the The man took the bread… table.

Make the sign of the cross over … and blessed it… the plate.

Lower the plate to the table. … and broke it…

Offer the plate to each figure. … and gave it to them.

Then they knew who he was. He was Jesus. Jesus was alive! Jesus was risen from the dead!

Pause.

2

Move Jesus behind the Then Jesus left. backdrop.

Move the two disciples toward They were so happy that Jesus was alive, they couldn’t Jerusalem. help but go back to Jerusalem and tell the disciples. “Jesus is alive! He is risen! The Lord is risen indeed!”

3

Pause and consider the whole story, then begin the wondering.

 I wonder how Jesus’ friends felt when Jesus died?

 I wonder how they knew the person with them was Jesus?

 I wonder what it felt like to recognize Jesus in the breaking of the bread?

 I wonder if you have ever been close to a plate like this?

 I wonder how it feels to know that Jesus is alive?

 I wonder what it was like to tell others that Jesus is alive?

When the wondering is over, return all the materials gently to the basket, return the basket to its place on the shelf, and return to the circle. Help the children decide what work they will get out.

Sonja M. Stewart and W. Berryman, Young Children and Worship (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 1989), pp. 196-198.

4