Come and see
To convey something of the excitement of the first people to see the risen Jesus by using a more everyday illustration.
by Helen Redfern
Suitable for Whole School (Pri)
Aims
To convey something of the excitement of the first people to see the risen Jesus by using a more everyday illustration.
Preparation and materials
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You might like to prepare children to read the Bible verses from Matthew 28: verses 2-3, 5-7 and 8.
Assembly
- ‘Dad, Dad, come quickly. Come and see what’s in the garden.’
Ryan was tugging urgently on his dad’s shirtsleeve, but Dad was reading his newspaper and did not want to move.
‘Dad, listen to me. There’s a fox in our garden. It’s beautiful – all orangey red with a big bushy tail. You must come. He’ll go in a minute and you’ll have missed him.’
Ryan’s dad had not been listening properly and was still not convinced. ‘Look, Ryan, I’ve only just sat down. I really can’t be bothered to move. Go and tell your mum instead.’
Ryan ran back to the kitchen window to check that his unexpected visitor was still there. He was. The young fox stood completely still, staring at Ryan with his shiny black eyes. His pointed ears were listening out for danger. He was poised ready to run off at any moment.
Ryan didn’t know what to do. One part of him wanted to stay and watch the fox; the other part wanted to share the moment with someone else. He whispered to the motionless fox: ‘Please stay here. I’m fetching my mum. Please be here when I get back.’
Ryan sprinted out of the room and up the stairs. Mum was in the bathroom and the door was locked. ‘Mum, Mum, hurry up. There’s a fox in the garden and it’s amazing.’
‘Oh, Ryan, I’m in the bath and I don’t want to get out just yet. Describe the fox to me.’
‘He’s orangey red and very bushy and …’ Ryan stopped. He could not find the right words to describe such a beautiful animal. ‘Mum, you’ll have to come. You need to see him for yourself. Honestly, he really is worth getting out of the bath for.’ - I wonder if Ryan could persuade his mum to get out of the bath. I wonder if the fox was still there when he got back. I wonder if you have ever seen something so amazing that you can’t wait to tell someone else about it.
- In the Easter story, some of Jesus’ friends saw something so amazing that they could not wait to share it with everyone else.
Some women were going to the tomb of Jesus, who had died a terrible death on a cross two days before. This Jesus had changed their lives. This Jesus was the Son of God. And this Jesus was now lying dead in a tomb. How could that be?
The women were scared, confused, lonely and very, very sad. They just wanted to be near their special friend Jesus.
Reader 1: ‘And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning and his clothing white as snow.’ (Matthew 28.2–3, NRSV)
Now the women must have been even more scared. Imagine seeing an angel face to face! And this angel spoke to directly to them.
Reader 2: ‘Do not be afraid! I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then, go quickly and tell his disciples, “He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.”’ (Matthew 28.5–7, NRSV)
Jesus, raised to life? Could that really be true? Where had he gone? Was this angel for real? How would these women respond to all this? Well, the Bible tells us:
Reader 3: ‘So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples.’ (Matthew 28.8, NRSV) - Just like Ryan felt when he saw the fox in his garden, these women were amazed and overjoyed. They had to tell the others about it. They could not keep what they had seen to themselves.
I wonder if the other followers of Jesus believed what the women had to say.
I wonder if they could be bothered to leave what they were doing and see for themselves.
I wonder if they saw the risen Jesus too.
Time for reflection
Reflection
Every Easter, Christians celebrate the day that Jesus rose from the dead. They remember the joy and amazement that the women felt on the first Easter Sunday. Today we all join in the celebration by giving and receiving chocolate eggs, and sometimes share in the anticipation and joy of finding something amazing in a traditional Easter Egg Hunt.
And every so often, we see something so amazing that we can’t wait to tell someone about it. It fills us with joy and wonder, just like Ryan and the women in the Bible story.
Prayer
God of Creation, we thank you for the wonders in the world around us.
We see beauty that takes our breath away.
We see amazing sights that we can’t wait to share with others.
Help us to open our eyes and see the wonders all around us.
Help us to open our hearts to respond to the wonders of the Easter story.
Amen.
Song/music
Any Easter hymn is suitable.