Jesus Appears to His Disciples
After Jesus’ resurrection, he stayed on earth for 40 more days. What did he do? What did he say? And, how did he leave?
Before You ListenLet's Get Started
Theme: Worshiping God- Jesus the Savior.
- In Matthew 28:18-20 Jesus gave some pretty important directions, but he also ended with words of encouragement. What promise did he make?
- It’s nice to have help when you do hard things, especially when the helper knows exactly what to do and can teach and encourage you. Jesus taught and encouraged the disciples for years. They were so sad when he died. They thought they would be alone. As you listen to the story, think about a time when you had to do a hard thing. Did you want to be alone?
After you listen
Memory Verse
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Quiz
A: Thomas
3. Fill in the blank: “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have ______ ______ and yet have believed.”
A: "not seen"
Reflect
Nothing turned out like the disciples had thought. After all the traveling, teaching, and miracles, Jesus died, and they were left alone and terrified. And then, on the third day, the disciples heard the unbelievable news that people had seen Jesus! First, the women met him at the tomb; then, other disciples talked with him. Some disciples wouldn’t believe it until Jesus himself came into the room. What joy! His return to them drove away their fear and comforted them.
For the next forty days, Jesus, the resurrected savior, appeared to many people: teaching, touching, and eating. He was not a figment of their imagination or just a story. He was real and physically present. He told them to share the good news of his death and resurrection with everyone in the world. And then, right in front of their eyes, he rose into the air up to heaven. They were alone again. But instead of being terrified, they returned to Jerusalem rejoicing (Luke 24:50-52). Why the difference? The difference is that they knew that Jesus was alive in heaven and had promised to be with them. His promise filled them with confidence.
Christians today can have that confidence, too. Jesus is alive! We serve a risen Lord, who promised to be with us always “even to the end of the age.”
Want to dig deeper and learn more about the people who saw Jesus after he had risen? Check out Luke 24, John 21, and Acts 1:1-11.
Challenge
The end of the story issues an important challenge. Start this challenge by memorizing Matthew 28:18-20:
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
How do you memorize best? Writing the verse out? Recording it and listening to it over and over? Drawing it into a picture? Acting the words out? Saying the words with a friend? Try different ways to bring God’s word into your heart.
