BIG IDEA: Jesus died and rose from death to save us from our sins.
This free Easter Sunday Bible lesson, Jesus’s Crucifixion & Resurrection, will teach preschool and elementary students about the true story of Easter when Jesus was crucified, buried, and resurrected.
FOCUS BIBLE PASSAGE: Matthew 27:11-28:10; Mark 15-16:14; Luke 23-24:12; John 19-20:29
All of the printable activities and digital slides needed for the lesson, as well as a full printable lesson plan for both elementary and preschool are available. There is also a shortened version included.
Below is the outline of the free elementary Bible lesson.
PREP & SUPPLIES
- printed “Symbols” OR provided slides
- OPTIONAL: physical objects to use as “symbols” for Lesson Hook (see below)
- plastic eggs (35)
- printed and trimmed “Easter Story Pictures”
- printed and trimmed “Easter Story Cards”
- Sharpie
- small baskets/bags for students to collect eggs
- printed “Easter Story Rings” for each student
- scissors and hole punches
- binder rings or ribbon/string
- coloring supplies
MEMORY VERSE: “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me’. John 14:6 (NIrV)
THIS WEEK’S MEMORY VERSE ACTIVITY:
- Today’s lesson is rather long, so you can allow students to focus on reciting the memory verse with a partner for a few minutes.
- You may also want to consider choosing shorter Praise & Worship songs today because of the length of the lesson.
LESSON HOOK ACTIVITY
Today is a very special day. Can someone tell me what we are celebrating today? (Easter; Jesus’s resurrection from the dead; He died on the cross to save us from our sins, was buried, and rose again on the third day – Easter is the day we celebrate His resurrection/raising back to life)
Before we read about the Easter story in the Bible, we are going to talk about some symbols. Can someone tell me what a “symbol” is? (a picture, object, or sign the represents something else)
What is a “symbol” you can give if you know the answer to a question you have been asked? (hand raised, thumbs up)
I am going to show you a symbol, and I want you to raise your hand or give me a thumbs up if you know what the symbol represents, or stands for. Then, I will call on one person to tell me what they think the answer is.
LEADER NOTE: All of the symbols are pictured with the printable images and the corresponding slides. If you have chosen to use real objects, you can skip these slides or use them alongside the physical symbols.
(SLIDE 3) Heart
(SLIDE 4) Heart = Love
(SLIDE 5) Peace Signs
(SLIDE 6) Peace Signs = Peace
(SLIDE 7) Dove
(SLIDE 8) Dove = Peace or Hope
(SLIDE 9) Owl
(SLIDE 10) Owl = Wisdom or Intelligence
(SLIDE 11) Roses
(SLIDE 12) Roses = Romance or Love
(SLIDE 13) Rings
(SLIDE 14) Rings = Commitment
(SLIDE 15) Clock and Hourglass
(SLIDE 16) Clock and Hourglass = Time
(SLIDE 17) Arrow
(SLIDE 18) Arrow = Direction or Movement
(SLIDE 19) Cross
(SLIDE 20) Cross = Christianity or Sacrifice
(SLIDE 21) Eggs
(SLIDE 22) Eggs = New Life
BIBLE LESSON
(SLIDE 23) As we talked about earlier, today is Easter. Why do you think we have Easter eggs as part of our traditions when we celebrate on Easter every year? (allow responses)
Eggs are a symbol of “new life”. We celebrate the “new life” that Jesus offers us on Easter!
Remember, Jesus came to earth to live a sinless life, He died for our sins, and He rose from the dead on the third day.
Jesus’s RESURRECTION is why we celebrate Easter.
Resurrection is another way to say “raise up from the dead”.
When we say “Easter Story”, what exactly does that mean? (allow responses)
The story of Easter is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.
The world wants us to think that Easter is about bunnies, and eggs, and candy. Those things are great, but we have to be careful and not let those things cover up the true reason that we celebrate Easter. That true reason is Jesus and the sacrifice He made for us when He died on the cross for our sins.
Can someone tell me where in the Bible we will be able to read about the Easter story? (allow responses)
(SLIDE 24)
The Easter story is recorded in all four Gospel books in the New Testament of the Bible.
Let’s say the Gospel books together: (1) Matthew, (2) Mark, (3) Luke, and (4) John
The Gospels tell us about Jesus’s life on earth, His ministry of loving, teaching, and serving others, and His death, burial, and resurrection.
Before we start reading the Easter story, we need to look back at a time in history that we can learn about in the Old Testament of the Bible. We are going to talk about “Passover”.
Has anyone ever heard of “Passover”? (allow responses)
(SLIDE 25)
Remember our Bible is divided into two big parts: The Old Testament and The New Testament. The Old Testament teaches about the time BEFORE Jesus came to earth, and The New Testament teaches about the time Jesus lived on earth and after.
(SLIDE 26)
A few weeks ago, we talked about the system of sacrifices that God set up for the people so they could be forgiven for their sins. Can anyone tell me what you remember about that lesson? (allow responses – summary of that lesson is below)
QUICK Summary of OT Sacrificial System:
The price for sin is death and separation from God. The people were commanded by God to offer/sacrifice/give up animals that had no flaws and were completely healthy, to cover up their own sins. So the death of the animal paid the price for the sin of the person.
DETAILED Summary of OT Sacrificial System:
The Old Testament system of sacrifices required the people to sacrifice, or give up, animals to:
- give thanks to God
- show God they love Him
- receive forgiveness for their sins
God told Moses all about the laws He wanted the people to follow, and Moses wrote everything God told Him to in the first five books of the Bible. The third book of the Bible is called Leviticus.
Leviticus 17:11 (NIrV) says:
“The life of each creature is in its blood. So I have given you the blood of animals to pay for your sin on the altar. Blood is life. That is why blood pays for your sin.”
Sins have to be paid for through death. Since the price for sin is death, the people during the times of the Old Testament offered SACRIFICES of their animals to God to pay for their sins. So the death of the animal paid the price for the sin of the person.
Leviticus 1:3 (NIrV) says, “If someone brings an offering from the herd, they must offer a male animal. It must not have any flaws.”
To not have “any flaws” means the animal was perfect, healthy, uninjured, and nothing was wrong with it. It is “spotless”.
When the person would sacrifice the “spotless” animal, that animal would die in the place of the person, because the price of sin is death. So, the animal would die instead of the person.
(SLIDE 27)
The Israelites (God’s people) spent over 400 years in slavery in Egypt. God sent Moses to bring them out of Egypt. After many failed attempts at asking Pharoah (the leader of the Egyptians), God finally told the Israelites that He was going to do something that would make Pharoah release the people.
He told each family to choose a spotless, male lamb from their flock to sacrifice. God told them to take some of the blood from the lamb and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they were eating the lamb.
He called this “Passover”, because that night He passed through Egypt and killed all of the first born among the people and animals. But the Israelite people who had blood on their houses were “passed over”. The blood was a sign to God that they were His people, so He did not kill the first born in any house that had the lamb’s blood on the doorframe.
(SLIDE 28)
Then, God told the people: “Always remember this day. You and your children after you must celebrate this day as a feast to honor the LORD. You must do this for all time to come. It is a law that will last forever.” [Exodus 12:14 NIrV]
At the time of the Easter Story, Jesus and His disciples were in Jerusalem celebrating the Passover Feast. The Jewish people celebrate Passover every year just like God told them to all the way back in the book of Exodus to remember what He did for them that night.
God told them to use the blood of a spotless lamb as a sign, and He “passed over” their houses. The judgement that He sent on the Egyptians by not “passing over” their houses was the reason that Pharoah finally freed the Israelites from slavery. So, the Passover Feast is celebrated to remember the blessing by God when He freed the people from slavery in Egypt.
Can anyone make a connection between the “spotless Passover lamb” and Jesus? (allow responses and discussion)
Jesus is the ULTIMATE SPOTLESS LAMB who died on the cross as THE PASSOVER LAMB!
Isn’t that amazing?!
So many years ago, a yearly celebration was started, and Jesus died on the cross on the EXACT DAY of Passover, as our PASSOVER LAMB to take away our sins!
(SLIDE 23) Today, I am going to ask you to help me tell the Easter Story.
There are 35 hidden eggs. Each egg has a number on it. When I tell you to start hunting for eggs, you will collect as many as you can collect, but DO NOT OPEN THEM YET.
Bring back all of your eggs, and then we will read the story as we open the eggs in number order.
LEADER NOTES:
- If possible, hide the eggs in a different location than the classroom where students enter.
- Provide students with a small basket/bag to collect eggs.
- The same pictures that are in the eggs AND the story cards are also provided as slides. They are numbered below.
- *Some details have purposely been left out of the story so the focus for the kids is on the main events.*
After the egg hunt you can choose to reveal the story:
(1) Have kids pull out the pictures as you call the number. Then a leader reads the corresponding story card/slide.
(2) Have kids pull out the pictures as you call the number. Allow a volunteer student read the corresponding story card/slide.
Either way you choose to read the story, it is important that you allow time for discussion and reflection of each part of the story. *Prompts are provided below and on the following pages.*
Story Discussion Prompts:
(SLIDE 29)
Picture/Card 1: Matthew 26:2-5
Why did they want to kill Jesus? (they were afraid of Him and they didn’t believe that He was the promised King and Savior)
They wanted to kill Jesus, but not during the celebration of the Passover Feast because the city of Jerusalem was filled with Jewish people who had traveled there to celebrate, and the religious leaders were afraid the people would cause a riot and then make the Roman leaders angry.
(SLIDE 30)
Picture/Card 2: Matthew 26:14-16
Raise your hand if you have heard about Judas.
Judas is the disciple of Jesus who betrayed Him. He FOLLOWED Jesus during most of Jesus’s ministry, and then He decided that money was worth more to him than Jesus.
(SLIDE 31)
Picture/Card 3: Matthew 26:17-19
The disciples were preparing to eat the Passover meal with Jesus.
What did Jesus mean when he said “My time is near”? (He knew that He was going to be crucified/killed on the cross very soon.)
(SLIDE 32)
Picture/Card 4: Luke 22:14-16
This passage is showing Jesus and His disciples at the beginning of their Passover meal. They were getting ready to celebrate, but Jesus knew that it was going to be His last Passover celebration until those who believe in Him celebrate with Him in Heaven.
(SLIDE 33)
Picture/Card 5: John 13:2-5
Judas’s dad is NOT one of the disciples named “Simon” (there were 2). We learn from this passage that the devil is responsible for tempting Judas with money to betray Jesus.
Jesus knew that the death that He would soon suffer was part of God’s Will for Him and God had everything under perfect control. It was not typical for a master/teacher/Rabbi to wash the feet of their followers. When Jesus washed the disciples’ feet, He was showing them again how to serve others. This was also a symbol of Jesus offering Himself for others, as He was about to do on the cross.
(SLIDE 34)
Picture/Card 6: Matthew 26:21
Jesus knew Judas’s plan. Can you imagine KNOWING that someone was about to betray you?
(SLIDE 35)
Picture/Card 7: Matthew 26:31-34
When Jesus said “before the rooster crows” what do you think He meant? (before the sun rises)
(SLIDE 36)
Picture/Card 8: Luke 22:19-20
The bread and the wine in the cup are symbols for Jesus’s body and blood that He sacrificed for our sins when He died on the cross. That is why we still celebrate and give thanks to Him by taking “Communion”, which is also called “The Lord’s Supper”.
(SLIDE 37)
Picture/Card 9: John 17:1-5
Jesus prayed and spoke to God. He knew that it was time for Him to finish the work that He was sent to do. What was the work Jesus was sent by God to do? (teach us to love and serve others, and to die on the cross for the sins of humanity)
What is “eternal life”? (life forever with Jesus)
(SLIDE 38)
Picture/Card 10: Mark 14:43
This is in the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus went with His disciples to pray.
(SLIDE 39)
Picture/Card 11: Mark 14:44-45
The signal to the guards for which man to arrest was the one who Judas went up to and kissed. A kiss on the cheek would have been a common greeting between friends in those days.
(SLIDE 40)
Picture/Card 12: Luke 22:49-51
One of Jesus’s disciples was trying to protect Jesus from the guards, so he cut off the guard’s ear. But what did Jesus do? (He told the disciples to stop trying to defend Him and He healed the guard’s ear)
(SLIDE 41)
Picture/Card 13: John 18:12-14
These Jewish leaders were looking for any reason at all that they could find to sentence Jesus to die.
(SLIDE 42)
Picture/Card 14: John 18:19
The high priest started asking Jesus a lot of questions about what He had been teaching.
(SLIDE 43)
Picture/Card 15: Matthew 26:59-60
The Sanhedrin is the council/group of Jewish leaders that were in charge of the courts.
(SLIDE 44)
Picture/Card 16: Matthew 26:62-63
The high priest does not even realize that He is talking to God asking Him if He is God!
(SLIDE 45)
Picture/Card 17: Mark 14:62-64
Jesus quotes from the Old Testament prophecies about HIMSELF when He says the “Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One”, and the “Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven”.
“I am” is also a name that God uses for Himself throughout the Bible, so Jesus is claiming that He is God. Since the religious leaders didn’t believe that Jesus is God, they did not like that He claimed to be God. They thought He was committing a crime by calling Himself God. The high priest “tearing his clothes” meant that he was very upset.
(SLIDE 46)
Picture/Card 18: Luke 22:54-57
What is happening in this verse? (Peter is denying Jesus just as Jesus predicted. This is #1 of 3)
(SLIDE 47)
Picture/Card 19: Luke 22:58
This is the second time Peter is denying Jesus (saying that he doesn’t know Jesus) just as Jesus predicted.
(SLIDE 48)
Picture/Card 20: Luke 22:59-60
Can someone tell me what Jesus had said earlier to Peter? (Jesus told Peter that Peter would deny Him three times before the rooster crows/before the morning)
Jesus was exactly right about what He knew Peter was going to do.
Why do you think Peter acted like he didn’t know Jesus? (maybe he was scared)
(SLIDE 49)
Picture/Card 21: Matthew 27:1
The leaders had decided the night before that they were going to kill Jesus, but they made the official decision the next morning because they weren’t supposed to be voting on a death case at night.
(SLIDE 50)
Picture/Card 22: Matthew 27:2
Pilate was the Roman governor in charge of the city of Jerusalem. He had the authority to sentence Jesus to die.
(SLIDE 51)
Picture/Card 23: Luke 23:3-4
Pilate didn’t think there was any reason to kill Jesus.
(SLIDE 52)
Picture/Card 24: Matthew 27:22-23
The crowd shouted “crucify him”. What does that mean? (kill Him on the cross)
Pilate did not think Jesus deserved to die. He didn’t think Jesus had done anything wrong, but the people thought He was guilty of claiming to be God. He is God, but they didn’t believe Him.
(SLIDE 53)
Picture/Card 25: John 19:2
Why do you think they did this? (they were mocking/making fun of him because He said He was a King. They made Him a crown of thorns and gave Him a purple robe)
(SLIDE 54)
Picture/Card 26: John 19:16-17
Even though He was innocent, Jesus was sentenced to die on the cross. He knew that this had to happen so He could save us from our sins.
(SLIDE 55)
Picture/Card 27: John 19:18
Jesus died on the cross as a criminal, in the middle of two criminals. He was innocent.
(SLIDE 56)
Picture/Card 28: John 19:28-30
When Jesus said “It is finished,” He was declaring that the old sacrificial system was over. His sacrifice on the cross took away the need for animal sacrifices. He died one time for all sinners who believe in Him.
He was also saying that the payment for the sins of all people who choose to believe in Him are paid in full.
(SLIDE 57)
Picture/Card 29: Mark 15:38-39
The curtain in the temple separated the “Most Holy Place” (The Holy of Holies) from the rest of the temple. It separated the people from the presence of God, so when Jesus died the curtain tore showing that He had made a way for us to have a relationship with God.
(SLIDE 58)
Picture/Card 30: Matthew 27:57-60
This man named Joseph (not Jesus’s earthly dad) had been following Jesus and now he was honoring Jesus by giving Him a proper burial. John’s gospel also tells us that Nicodemus was with Joseph helping to bury Jesus’s body. Does anyone remember the story of Nicodemus? (He came to Jesus at night to ask Him about His teaching. Jesus told Nicodemus to enter Heaven, he needs to be “born again”, meaning he needed to ask Jesus for the “new life” that He offers when we believe in Him. John 3:16 comes from this conversation.)
(SLIDE 59)
Picture/Card 31: John 20:1
Mary Magdalene was one of Jesus’s close followers during His earthly ministry. When she came to visit the tomb on Sunday morning after Jesus had been buried, she noticed that the heavy stone had been rolled away.
(SLIDE 60)
Picture/Card 32: John 20:2
How do you think Mary and the two disciples felt when they discovered that Jesus’s body wasn’t in the tomb?
Side note: John often referred to himself as “the one Jesus loved”.
(SLIDE 61)
Picture/Card 33: John 20:3-9
These two disciples, Simon Peter and John, were so confused about why Jesus’s body wasn’t in the tomb anymore. How do you think you would have felt if you were in their shoes?
(SLIDE 62)
Picture/Card 34: John 20:19-20
Jesus comes to the place where His disciples were staying to show them that He had come back to life. Why do you think He showed them His hands and His side? (so they could see the wounds from the nails and the spear and believe that it was really Him)
What do you notice about what this verse says about the doors. (The doors were locked, but Jesus was still able to come into the room. He has risen from the dead, and He is alive, but He has a special glorified body that isn’t the same as ours.)
(SLIDE 63)
Picture/Card 35: Mark 16:19-20
Jesus appeared to many people over the next several weeks as the Risen Savior. Then, he went up to Heaven as many of His followers watched. The Bible says that Jesus now “sits at the right hand of God”. This position is one of authority and honor showing that He is God.
Jesus’s earthly ministry was complete the day He went to Heaven. He came to earth to serve others, to teach us how to love, and to die on the cross for our sins, be buried, and raise back to life. He defeated death and sin when He died and rose again.
Now, He is in Heaven preparing a place for the people who love Him, believe in Him, and follow Him to live forever with Him.
Jesus sends His Holy Spirit to live inside the people who choose to follow Him. The Holy Spirit guides us and helps us to know right from wrong, and how to choose every day to live how Jesus wants us to live.
Sin separates us from God, but when Jesus died and rose again, He paid the price for our sin. All we need to do to have a relationship with God is believe that Jesus:
- lived a sinless life
- died on the cross
- was buried in a tomb
- rose back to life again on the third day
When you believe all these things, and you ASK Jesus to FORGIVE you and SAVE you from your sins, HE WILL!
Then, you will have ETERNAL LIFE, forever with God! That is what it means to be BORN AGAIN!
(SLIDE 64) BIG IDEA
Our BIG IDEA this week is JESUS DIED AND ROSE FROM DEATH TO SAVE US FROM OUR SINS.
This is the true story of the reason we celebrate Easter: Jesus’s perfect, sinless life, His death, His burial, and His resurrection to save us from our sins!
Dear God,
Thank you for sending Your Son, Jesus to die for the sins of people. Please help us to understand what You have done for us, and please help us to be bold enough to ask questions if we don’t understand. Thank you for the true meaning of Easter.
We love you and we pray all of these things in Jesus’ sweet name, Amen.
SMALL GROUP ACTIVITY
Today, you are going to get to make your own “Easter Story” booklet to take home with you.
You will be able to use the pictures and words to remember what you learned today AND to teach others about the true meaning we celebrate Easter.
Due to the length of the large group lesson today, you may choose to pre-assemble the “Easter Story Rings” for students to take home and color.
If booklets are pre-made, you can allow students to color as time allows.
If booklets are not pre-made, instruct students to cut, hole punch, and assemble in the correct order. They can color as time allows.
BREAK INTO SMALL GROUPS TO COMPLETE THE ACTIVITY.
Discussion Prompts for Leaders:
- Ask students to recall the story as they read through the mini booklet.
- Point out the note on the bottom of page 1 that the story inside the booklet is a shortened version of the Easter Story and they can read the entire story in the Gospel books (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John).
CLOSING REFLECTION
We learned about the true Easter Story. Jesus was arrested as an innocent man because the Jewish leaders did not believe that He is God. Jesus died on the cross, was buried in a tomb, and rose from the dead on the third day. He appeared to many people in a new glorified body before He went back to Heaven. He is now in Heaven sitting at the right hand of God in a position of power and authority. He is making a place for people who believe in Him and choose to follow Him to live forever with Him. Jesus’s death, burial and resurrection made a way for us to have a relationship with God after we were separated from God through the sin that entered into the world through Adam and Eve.
Reflection Questions:
- What is the true meaning of Easter? (Jesus’s death, burial, and resurrection)
- What do we need to do to have Eternal Life? (believe in Jesus, and what He did for us on the cross, and ask Him to forgive and save us from our sins)
- Does anyone have any questions about today’s lesson?
Find other free Bible lessons for kids:
