Catechism Easter- With what kind of body was Jesus raised?

Question: With what kind of body was Jesus raised?
Answer: He was raised with a body of flesh and bone.

NT 38B Thomas Doubts

Reference: John 20:19-31

Story Summary:
    On the evening of the day he rose from the dead, Jesus' disciples were gathered together in a room. They had locked the door for fear that the same people who killed Jesus would want to get them.
     Suddenly, Jesus appeared among them. He show them the scars in his hands and his side to prove that it was really him. Then Jesus left them.
     One of the twelve, Thomas, wasn't there when Jesus appeared. "We've seen the Lord!" they told Thomas. But Thomas wouldn't believe them. "Unless I see the scars in his hands," said Thomas, "and put my finger in the hole in his hands and side, I won't believe!"
     Seven days later, all the disciples were gathered again. Thomas was there with them this time. Once again, Jesus appeared to them. "Put your hands in my hands and my side," Jesus said to Thomas. When Thomas saw Jesus, he said, "My Lord and my God!"
     Jesus said to Thomas, "You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who have not seen me and still believe."

Big Idea and Motions: Blessed are those who haven’t seen Jesus and believe.
Blessed - smile and place two thumb’s up by your cheeks
Those - point away from you
Haven’t seen - put your hands over your eyes
Jesus - form a cross with your forearms
Believe - pretend to hold a rope in front of you with both hands

Verse / Motions: John 20:29, ESV - Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.
Blessed - poke your cheeks and smile
Those - gesture around to other people
Have not - wag your finger “No”
Seen - pull your eyes open with your fingers
Believed - pretend to grasp a rope in front of you with two hands*
* This is the ASL sign for faith/trust. Follow this link to watch a video: http://goo.gl/4cHz3

Questions to Ask Throughout the Week
Why did the disciples lock themselves in the room? // They were afraid of the Jews
Who appeared to them in their locked room? // Jesus
What did Jesus show them to prove it was really him? // His scars
Who wasn’t there with them when Jesus? // Thomas
What did Thomas say would have to happen for him to believe? // See and touch Jesus
How many days later did Jesus appear again? // Seven
What did Thomas say when he saw Jesus? // My Lord and my God
Who did Jesus say was “blessed”? // Those who believe and haven’t seen
Name some other people who saw Jesus after he rose from the dead. // Mary and Mary, Paul, James, Peter, 500 others

Google Docs Links:
Lesson - http://goo.gl/35tdFf
Resources - http://goo.gl/VKnX0Q

NT 37 Jesus is Crucified

Reference: Matthew 27

Story Summary:
     The chief priests and elders, the leaders of the people of Israel, decided to put Jesus to death, even though Jesus had not done anything wrong. They took him to Pilate, the governor of the land. Pilate listened as many spoke evil of Jesus, but Jesus didn’t say anything.
     It was Pilate’s tradition to let a prisoner go free during the Passover feast. Pilate gave the people two prisoners to pick from: Jesus and Barabbas, a murderer. The people asked for Barabbas to go free. When Pilate asked them what they wanted to do to Jesus, they said, “Crucify him!” Pilate agreed to crucify Jesus, even though he had done nothing wrong.
   After being beaten and mocked by soldiers, Jesus walked to the place where they crucified him. After being nailed to a wooden cross, Jesus hung there until he died. A rich man named Joseph asked Pilate for Jesus’ body. He wrapped his body in cloths and buried him in a tomb.

Big Idea and Motions: Jesus died to pay for our sins.
Jesus - make a cross with your forearms
Died - make an “X” with your forearms over your chest
To pay - pretend to swipe a debit/credit card
Sins - two thumbs down

Verse and Motions: John 3:16, ESV - For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
God - point up
Loved - place your hands over your heart
World - draw a big circle in the air with your hands
Gave - cup your hands together and gesture away
Son - pretend to cradle a baby
Believes - fold your hands together, fingers interlocked
Perish - cross your arms over your chest
Eternal life - twirl your finger in an ∞ shape

Questions to Ask Throughout the Week
How does God feel about sin? // He hates it
How many times did Jesus sin? // Zero. He never sinned
Who was Pilate? // The governor
What did Pilate ask Jesus? // Are you the king?
Who did the people let go instead of Jesus? // Barabbas
What did the soldiers do to Jesus? // Whipped and made fun of him
What was Jesus nailed to? // A cross
What happened to Jesus because he was nailed to a cross? // He died
Where was Jesus buried? // In a stone tomb
What did Jesus pay for on the cross? // The punishment for our sins

Google Docs Links:
Lesson - http://goo.gl/9XbxFM
Resources - http://goo.gl/OzZGar

OT 71 Daniel and the King's Dream

Reference: Daniel 1-2

Story Summary:
     After capturing the Israelites, evil King Nebuchadnezzar wanted the best Israelites to serve him as his wise men. Four were chosen: Daniel, Hananiah, Azariah, and Mishael. For food, they were given food and wine from the king’s table.
     Daniel didn’t want to sin against God by eating the king’s food. The king’s guard agreed to let Daniel and his friends eat vegetables and drink water for 10 days as a test. After ten days, the four men looked healthy and well-fed, so they no longer had to eat from the king’s table.
     Later, Nebuchadnezzar had a special dream from God. He wanted his magicians to tell him what he dreamed and what it meant. When they couldn’t, he had them killed. And he wanted to do the same to Daniel and his friends, too.
     Daniel asked his friends to pray to God for help. That night, God showed Daniel a vision and explained the king's dream. Soon, Daniel went to the king. He told the king his dream and what God's message to him was.
     The evil king could tell that Daniel's God was powerful because he knew his dream. He put Daniel and his friends in charge of some of his cities.

Big Idea and Motions: God knows everything and can do anything.
God - point up
Knows everything - tap your brain
Do anything - flex your muscles

Verse / Motions: Psalm 147:5, ESV - Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure.
Great - two thumbs up
Lord - point up
Abundant - hold your palms together, then pull them far apart
Power - flex your muscles
Understanding - tap your brain
Beyond measure - press your fingertips on your temples, then pull them out and open them (as if your mind has been blown!)

Questions to Ask Throughout the Week
Who was the evil king in today’s story? // Nebuchadnezzar.
What did Nebuchadnezzar pick Daniel and his three friends to do? // Be his servants/wise men
What did Daniel not want to do? // Become like the king’s people by drinking his wine and eating his food
What test or experiment did Daniel want to do? // Eat vegetables and drink water for 10 days.
After 10 days of veggies and water, how did Daniel and his friends look? // Healthier than everyone else.
What did Nebuchadnezzar want the magicians and wise men to do? // Tell him his dream and what it meant.
Who was able to tell the king about his dream? Why? // Daniel, because God helped him
Describe the king’s dream. // A statue of many kinds of materials was smashed by a giant rock
What did the dream mean? // All kingdoms would fall one day, God’s kingdom would fill the earth
What does omniscient mean? // God knows everything.
What does omnipotent? // God can do all he wants.

Google Docs Links:
Lesson - https://goo.gl/vYk0iL
Resources - https://goo.gl/pvML4I

OT 70 The Fall of Israel and Judah

Reference: 2 Kings 17, 24-25

Story Summary: 
     Long ago, God promised to make Abraham's family into a great nation and give them a great land to live in. Many years later, the Israelites, led by Joshua, captured this  promised land, defeating the evil people who were living there.
     When they arrived, God told them that he threw these people out of the land because they were so evil. But God also warned that, if the Israelites did the same thing, he'd spit them out of the land, too.
     Eventually, the kingdom of the Israelites split in two, becoming the kingdoms of Israel and Judah. And, year after year, both of these kingdoms were mostly led by wicked kings who disobeyed God's Law. And the people in the two kingdoms disobeyed God's Law, too.
     Just as he warned, God allowed both kingdoms to be kicked out of the promised land. The evil king of Assyria came and defeated the Kingdom of Israel. Later, the evil king of Babylonia came and defeated the Kingdom of Judah.

Big Idea and Motions: Jesus was punished for our sins.
Jesus - form a cross with your forearms
Punished - Punch your palm
Sins - two thumbs down

Verse / Motions: Romans 6:23, ESV - For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life.
Wages - pretend to swipe a credit/debit card
Sin - two thumbs down
Death - cross your arms in an X over your chest
Gift of God - pretend to hand a gift to someone
Eternal Life - repeatedly trace a “∞” in the air with your finger (the symbol for infinity)
Christ Jesus - form a cross with your forearms

Questions to Ask Throughout the Week
Who were God’s special people? // The Israelites
What do we call the rules God gave to Moses on the mountain? // The Law
If the Israelites disobeyed God’s law, what did God say he would make the land do? // Spit them out
The Israelites split into two kingdoms. What were the kingdom’s names? // Israel and Judah
Did the kingdoms of Israel have lots of good kings or lots of bad kings? // Bad kings
What happened to the kingdom of Israel? // The King of Assyria captured them
What happened to the kingdom of Judah? // The King of Babylonia captured them
What is the wages of sin? // Death
What is the free gift of God? // Eternal/forever life
Who did God send to pay the punishment for your sin and mine? // Jesus, God’s Son

Google Docs Links:
Lesson - https://goo.gl/m2xAif
Resources - https://goo.gl/WezNAk

OT 69 Josiah Finds the Scroll of the Law

Reference: 2 Chronicles 34

Story Summary: 
     Josiah became king when he was just 8 years old. He did what was right in God’s eyes. He tore down the poles and altars that the people used to worship false idols. He also paid men to fix God’s temple. It had been left to fall apart by the kings before him.
     While they were fixing the temple, a lost scroll was found by a priest. They brought it to Josiah and read it to him. It was the scroll of God’s Law. When Josiah heard it, he tore his clothes and cried because he realized his people had disobeyed the laws written in the scroll.
     He asked the prophet Huldah what was going to happen. She shared a message from God: he was angry because the people had disobeyed him. He was going to bring them great trouble. But, because Josiah had repented of his sin, God wasn’t going to bring trouble to the people of Israel until after Josiah had grown old and died.
     After this, Josiah had the scroll read to the people. He promised to obey God’s Laws and made sure that his people did the same.

Big Idea and Motions: Jesus came to save lawbreakers like you and me
Jesus - form a cross with your forearms
Save - make the baseball “safe” sign
Lawbreakers - cross your wrists behind your back like you’re in handcuffs
You and me - point to someone else, then yourself

Verse / Motions: Psalm 119:105, ESV - Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
Word - open your hands like opening a book
Lamp - hold up your index finger and circle it around like a candle
Feet - stomp your foot
Light - pull your eyes wide-open with your fingers
Path - march in place

Questions to Ask Throughout the Week
Who was the king in today’s story? // Josiah
How old was Josiah when he became king? // 8 years old
What evil things were the people doing when Josiah became king? // Worshipping other gods
What did Josiah do to the Asherah poles, idol statues, and altars? // Tore them down and smashed them
What building did Josiah have his men fix? // The temple
What did Hilkiah find in the temple? // The scroll of God’s law
What did Josiah do when they read God’s law to him? // He cried and tore his robes
What did the prophet Huldah say would happen to the people? // God will bring trouble upon the Israelites
What did Huldah say would happen to Josiah? // He’d die before the trouble came
What did Josiah and the people promise to do? // Obey God’s law with all his heart and soul

Google Docs Links:
Lesson - https://goo.gl/2p8f7H
Resources - https://goo.gl/aRBzXN

OT 68 Jonah and the Big Fish

Reference: Jonah 1-4

Story Summary: 
     God told the prophet to go to the people of Nineveh. But because the people there were so evil, Jonah decided to sail on a boat the other way.
     God was not pleased what Jonah had done. He sent a great windstorm as Jonah's boat sailed. All the men on the ship called to their gods to rescue them. They finally woke Jonah, who was sleeping in the boat, to ask him to pray to his God. Jonah told them about how he was disobeying God. He told them to throw him over the side of the boat and the storm would stop.
     The men struggled to control the boat, but nothing they tried worked. So, they tossed Jonah over the side of the boat. Immediately, the storm was over.
     God provided a great big fish to swallow Jonah, where he spent three days and nights. From inside the fish, Jonah prayed to God to save him. And God caused the fish to spit Jonah out on dry land.
     Jonah then went to Nineveh. He told them that God was going to destroy their city. But the people of Nineveh felt sorry for their sins, so God decided to save the city from destruction.

Big Idea and Motions: Just like Jonah was in a big fish for three days, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day.
Big fish - press your palms together and wiggle them like a fish
Three days - hold up three fingers
Jesus - form a cross with your forearms
Rose from the dead - gesture down towards the ground, then lift your hands above your head
Third day - hold up three fingers

Verse and Motions: 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, ESV - that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day...
Christ died  - cross your forearms in an “X’ over your chest
Sins - two thumbs down
Scriptures - pretend to open a book
Buried - pretend to dig with a shovel
Rose - gesture upward with both palms
Third - hold up three fingers

Questions to Ask Throughout the Week
Where did God tell Jonah to go? // Nineveh.
What were the people of Nineveh like? // Very mean
What did Jonah do instead of going to Nineveh? // He went the other way, on a boat
What happened on Jonah’s boat trip? // God sent a terrible windstorm
What did Jonah tell the soldiers to do to stop the windstorm? // Throw him overboard
When they threw Jonah into the water, what two things happened? // Storm stopped, fish swallowed Jonah
How many days was Jonah in the big fish? // Three days and nights.
After Jonah prayed from the fish, what did God do? // Made the fish spit him out onto dry land.
When Jonah told the people of Nineveh God was going to destroy their city, what did they do? // Became sad about their sin and called to God for help
Did God destroy Nineveh? Why or why not? // No, because they turned from their sin and trusted God to save them

Google Docs Links:
Lesson - https://goo.gl/H4d06b
Resources - https://goo.gl/eP0BQ2