DTK Lesson | 4.26.2020
Today’s lesson is another story that relates to Easter and the Resurrection. This story happens on the same day that Jesus’ friends saw the tomb empty! Do you remember how Jesus showed himself to Mary who RAN and told everyone that Jesus was alive because she had just seen him? Jesus showed up to many people proving that He was alive. For us...that meant that there is life after death.
THE STORY:
Two of Jesus’ followers were on the way from Jerusalem on that Sunday when Jesus rose from the dead. Emmaus was seven miles away. They may have been upset... sad...confused...because of course what they had just witnessed would cause all of those feelings and more! While they were walking, they were probably reliving what had happened. Imagine what your conversation would have been like if you had a day like the day they had experienced!!!
They walked and talked and walked and talked. Another walker joined them, probably overheard what they were saying and asked them what they were talking about. The two walkers (they were disciples) were surprised by that question because they thought surely EVERYBODY knew about what had just happened. EVERYBODY had been talking about it for days! They started telling this “stranger” the story. They probably explained that Jesus had come to town on a donkey, to crowds and cheers and people who believed Jesus would rescue them from their troubles. They probably also explained that the Jewish leaders were not happy to see him. They were not okay with Jesus healing people or going into the temple telling people that they weren’t doing the right things in there. They definitely didn’t like Jesus saying He was the Son of God. They probably continued saying that Jesus was arrested even though He was innocent. Jesus had not committed a crime (what’s wrong with blessing people?). They probably shared what happened at the cross, what happened at the tomb, the angels, and what Mary said about Jesus being alive.
Then the third walker started talking. He not only confirmed what the disciples had talked about, but ALSO everything that had been written about Jesus in the scriptures. When they arrived in Emmaus where they had been heading, the third walker attempted to keep walking, but the disciples didn’t want Him to. They wanted Him to come with them.
Imagine that...what must this stranger have been like to make them want to end His journey and stay with them? It could be that they were being kind, but more likely they were drawn to this person for some other reason. They actually begged Him to stay! What would it take for you to invite someone you just met to stay with you?
This person must have been (fill in the blank) ______________!
They were able to convince Him to come with them. When they got to the place they had been headed to, they sat down for a meal. The new friend took the bread and broke it! We know something about breaking bread don’t we? What do you remember?
At that moment, guess what was revealed to them? The new friend was really Jesus!!! All that time on the road to Emmaus, they had been talking to Jesus!!! Which explains why they had been drawn to Him. (Jesus!!! Who wouldn’t be???)
Once they realized who it was, Jesus disappeared! They remembered back on feeling like something was burning inside them, while Jesus had been explaining the true meaning of the scriptures to them.
It was nighttime but the two disciples were so excited that they ran back to Jerusalem to tell the other disciples what had just happened. Yes...they ran back seven miles, at night with no street lights, no flashlights, just the night sky! That news must have been really burning in them right?
They got to Jerusalem and told their friends what had happened and how they recognized Jesus when He broke the bread.
Jesus broke bread with the disciples before He died. These two disciples recognized Jesus when he broke it in Emmaus. This breaking of bread is pretty significant. We still do it 2,000 years later!
Bread and juice are two pretty simple things, but doesn’t it look like this might remind us that Jesus is with us? You may not think of Jesus when you eat a sandwich (or maybe you do), but you probably always think of Jesus when you’re having or watching communion. Communion is like God’s gift of Jesus’ presence with us. Jesus was in the presence of his disciples when He had the first communions with them. Jesus is our presence when we have communion too. Actually Jesus is always in our presence!
ACTIVITIES
Watch the video of the story He is Risen: Rocks Tell the Story of Easter by Patti Rokus. In this story, the author reminds us that the things that happened before, during, and after Easter happened for us all. Think about the question at the end of the book. How will you show your love for Jesus? You already show your love for Jesus in many different ways. Using your pencils, markers, crayons or even rocks or other materials, create a picture that illustrates how you show your love for Jesus.