 Family Fun Game!
Did you know that Peeps can come to life? They can joust all on their own! So grab some peeps (ask a parent where they are hiding them..) or marshmallows (Easter Jam; www.thinkorange.com) Things to think about…. What is the most unbelievable story you have ever heard? Why do you think our culture has such a hard time believing stories without scientific evidence? How does fake news play into our disbelief of “stories” we hear? Read Luke 24:1-12 (Click here for online) What are your first thoughts after reading this scripture? Put yourself into the shoes of one of these women: you find the tomb unlike anything expected, two glowing men greet you and bring you to your knees in fear, and then they ask, “Why do you look for the living among the dead?” What’s going through your mind in that moment? Why? Why is it important that Luke has a group of women being the first people ever to preach (aka share) the Good News about Jesus’ resurrection? Why did the disciples have a hard time believing what the women told them? (It’s an important note within the account that the first people to ever preach and share the news of Christ’s resurrection are three women. From a cultural standpoint, it would have been wiser for Luke to leave out this detail as women’s words weren’t accepted in the time, which may explain why the eleven do not believe the women and say their words were “nonsense.” Yet Luke includes this as another indication that the resurrection of Jesus was turning things upside down. Peter then goes to check out things for himself, and even seeing the empty tomb with his own eyes, still doesn’t know what to believe. (Viva 67; Youth Cartel)) Now let’s keep reading Luke 24:36-49 How would you feel if you had been standing in the home when Jesus appeared? Why is it important that Jesus asked for food and then “ate it in their presence?” How much did the resurrection change things for Jesus’ followers? Jesus rising from the dead not only changed the lives of the disciples.. it changed the world. How can such an unbelievable story change the entire world? Jesus has a way of creating new life out of death. The first act of God was to create the world out of nothing, and to create all that is in it. Jesus created new life in the lives of those who had tragedy, death, illness, and isolation in their worlds. He made the blind to see; the lepers to be healed and brought back into society; He took the outcast and brought them into the dinner parties. God’s plan has always been to create new life. Easter morning was the big life-changing event in God’s continuing plan to create new life and hope. Out of the resurrection Jesus taught us to believe in that which cannot be seen (to believe in miracles). Through the resurrection, Jesus also brought new life and new community by witnessing to the disciples and creating the foundation for Gods Church. It is amazing how God continues to be our Creator of new life! New ideas! New Hopes! So how do we continue God’s work today? How can we be like the disciples.. how do we not only say we believe in God but live out God’s call to be the new creation? To bring new life? To bring hope to the world? This Easter, the big question is how do we celebrate Easter in a new way? Sadly, we will not all be at church on Sunday. We will not be able to dress-up, eat breakfast together, and sing the Easter hymns in the same room. So, it may be hard for some of us to feel like it is truly Easter morning. But Easter morning is not about fancy clothes or Easter eggs.. Easter morning is about creating new life and new hope. Right now, our world could use some hope and a miracle. During this Holy Week.. maybe we should declare the Good News of Jesus by acting like Jesus. How can we bring Hope to the world? To our family? To our neighbors? To our community? (maybe start with an Instagram post or SnapChat to encourage someone.. and then think bigger!)
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