Children will
•know that Jesus is alive.
•feel happy that Jesus is alive.
•sing and talk to Jesus.
Children will accomplish the goals when they
•say the Bible words, “I love you, Lord.”
•pray, “I love You, Jesus. I like to talk to You.”
•sing about Jesus and sing to Jesus.
•point to or tell who ate breakfast with Jesus.
•tell how Jesus’ friends felt when they talked to Him.
•name or point to someone in the room who is happy Jesus is alive.
Before Class
For the Bible story, you will need the classroom Bible and the teaching picture from page 9. Add color to the teaching picture, mount it onto construction paper, then cover with clear adhesive covering. Use blocks or masking or electrical tape to make a boat outline on the floor. You’ll also need Zach the puppet.
Prepare the Game Center, the Family Living Center, and the Book/Picture Center. If you are the only teacher, prepare just the Family Living Center. Have materials ready for the God’s Wonders Center to use after the Bible story.
Let’s Get Started
Have Zach the puppet greet the children. Have Zach ask the children what they ate for breakfast. After you have taken care of the usual preliminaries, direct each child to a learning activity. Guide the children to give their offerings and get involved in one of the learning centers
Learning Activity Centers
(30 minutes)
Game Center
Supplies
copies of p. 7, white paper, colored paper, masking or electrical tape, CD of children’s praise music, CD player, classroom Bible
Before class, make enough copies of the fish from page 7 onto white paper so that each child can stand on one. Also make four copies of the fish onto colored paper. Distributing the four colored fish evenly among the white ones, tape the fish to the floor in a large circle.
Ask the children to walk around the circle of fish as the music plays. When the music stops, the children standing on the colored fish can say the Bible words, “I love you, Lord,” or point to them in the classroom Bible. Keep playing as long as children are interested.
Family Living Center
Supplies
toy plates, pans, and cups; toy food
Have housekeeping equipment set up. Allow children to play on their own, but guide their thoughts with your conversation.
Jesus’ friends discovered that breakfast time was a good time to talk to Jesus. Jesus and His friends ate fish and bread for breakfast. What do you like to eat for breakfast? Do you like to eat cereal for breakfast? Do you like to eat eggs for breakfast?
Encourage children to make a breakfast of fish and bread or a breakfast they would like. While children work, talk about what they could say to Jesus at breakfast time.
When Jesus and His friends ate breakfast together, they talked about many things. Jesus’ friends told Him how much they loved Him. You can say that to Jesus when you eat breakfast too. You can say, “I love You, Lord. I like to talk to You.” Let’s eat breakfast and talk to Jesus.
Book/Picture Center
Supplies
copies of p. 9, crayons or markers, glue, poster board, books about Jesus (be sure to check out the great children’s books at www.standardpub.com)
Before class, make puzzles of the teaching picture from page 9. You will need two copies of the picture for each puzzle you want to make. Use one copy for the puzzle base. Color and glue the other copy onto poster board before cutting it into four or five large puzzle pieces.
Show children the puzzles. As children put the puzzles together, ask them to point out Jesus and His friends. Ask the children what they think Jesus and His friends are eating. Ask younger children to point to the food Jesus and His friends are eating. Let the children also enjoy looking at the books about Jesus.
Our Bible story tells about a time when Jesus and His friends had a happy breakfast together. Jesus’ friends were happy that He was alive and was there for them to talk to. We can talk to Jesus anytime we want. He likes us to talk to Him, and He listens to us. Let’s talk to Him right now. Pray, Dear Jesus, we like to talk to You. We love You. In Jesus’ name, amen. Ask if any of the children would like to pray and talk to Jesus.
Worship and Bible Story
(15 minutes)
Let’s Worship God
Have Zach tell the children, “It’s time to put our things away so we can sing to God and pray.” As soon as the first child arrives, start singing “We Are Happy.” Have the children walk in a circle holding hands while singing. They can jump up with arms overhead on the words “We love Jesus!”
We Are Happy
(Tune: “London Bridge”)
We are happy Jesus lives, Jesus lives, Jesus lives.
We are happy Jesus lives.
We love Jesus!
The Bible is God’s special book. The Bible tells us that Jesus is alive! Lead the children in singing “Jesus Is Alive!”
Jesus Is Alive!
(Tune: “The Farmer in the Dell”)
Jesus is alive! Yes, Jesus is alive! (clap hands)
He loves me and I love Him. (cross arms over chest)
Yes, Jesus is alive! (clap hands)
We can be happy because Jesus is alive. We can also be happy because we can sing and talk to Jesus. Let’s pray, Dear Jesus, we love You. We are so happy You are alive. Thank You for listening to us when we talk to You and sing to You.
Let’s Learn from the Bible
[Just for the teacher: Jesus is alive! Today’s Bible passage clearly shows this. After His death and resurrection, Jesus ate breakfast with His disciples. This is proof that Jesus rose from the dead. Jesus’ disciples were happy because Jesus was alive. Your children will recognize that Jesus’ resurrection is a reason for them to be happy too!]
Introduction: Jesus’ friends were happy. They were happy because Jesus was alive. But they weren’t always happy. They were sad before they were happy. What happened to change their sadness to happiness? Let’s find out. Put Zach aside and have your Bible open on your lap or next to you.
The Bible Story: Jesus’ friends were fishing. They were in a boat on the lake. Let’s pretend to be Jesus’ fishermen friends. Let’s get into our boat. Guide the children to get into the outline of the boat you’ve made. Now let’s shove off and row to the middle of the lake. Ask children to pretend to row. It was very early in the morning. The bright yellow sun was just coming up. Jesus’ friends had been fishing all night long. They were tired and they hadn’t caught any fish. Lead children in yawning and stretching as if tired.
Just a few days before, Jesus’ friends had seen Jesus die. They were very sad! But this morning, they weren’t sad anymore. Jesus had risen from the dead. He was alive! The fishermen were happy. Perhaps they hoped that Jesus would come to visit them soon. Pretend to pull in nets. Just as the fishermen were pulling in their nets, a man called to them from the shore. He said, “Friends, have you caught any fish?”
The friends of Jesus called back, “No, we haven’t.” The man called across the water, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat.” The fishermen obeyed. Pretend to throw nets on the other side of the boat.
They caught 153 fish! Do you know who the man on the shore was? Yes, it was Jesus! The fishermen hurried to see Jesus. Pretend to row. Jesus had fixed bread and fish for everyone to eat. Show the teaching picture.
Jesus and His fishermen friends ate their breakfast and talked together. Jesus’ friends were happy because Jesus was alive. They were happy that Jesus was there to talk to them and to listen to them.
Let’s Apply the Lesson
Show me how Jesus’ friends felt because He was alive. Pause for children to smile. Show me how you feel because Jesus is alive. Pause for children to smile. Yes, we’re very happy because Jesus is alive!
Who talked to Jesus in the Bible story? We can talk to Jesus too. We’re happy because we can talk to Jesus and He hears us. Lead children in praying, We love You, Jesus. We like to talk to You. We are happy that You are alive. Then sing “We Are Happy.”
We Are Happy
(Tune: “London Bridge”)
We are happy Jesus lives, Jesus lives, Jesus lives.
We are happy Jesus lives.
We love Jesus!
Learning Activity Centers
(20 minutes)
Note: Let all the children visit the God’s Wonders Center. If your class is large and you have several teachers, you may want to have the children also visit the other learning centers suggested under the Learning Activity Centers on pages 2 and 3.
God’s Wonders Center
Supplies
bread, margarine or jelly, raisins, plastic knives, paper plates, napkins drinks, moist towelettes
Before class, cut bread into circles. Caution: Be aware of any food allergies children may have before using this activity.
Who was happy that Jesus was alive? Yes, Jesus’ fishermen friends were happy that Jesus was alive again after He died. Ask a child to point to another child who is happy that Jesus is alive. Continue until each child has had a chance to point someone out, or be named. We are all happy that Jesus is alive!
Put a bread circle on each paper plate along with about 10 raisins. Let the children spread margarine or jelly onto their bread circles. Let’s use our raisins to make a face on our bread that shows how we feel because Jesus is alive. Have a finished happy face to show the children. Pray, We love You, Jesus. We are happy that You are alive. We like to talk to You. Thank You for listening to us. Then let the children eat their happy faces.
Let’s Go Home
Supplies
copies of p. 8
Before class, make copies of page 8 so that each child will have a paper fish to take home.
Use Zach to tell the children that it’s time to put everything away and clean up. Have the children gather in a circle and sing the following to help remind them that Jesus is alive.
Jesus Is Alive!
(Tune: “The Farmer in the Dell”)
Jesus is alive! Yes, Jesus is alive! (clap hands)
He loves me and I love Him. (cross arms over chest)
Yes, Jesus is alive! (clap hands)
Then lead the children in a fun game of Drop the Fish. Ask the children to stand in a circle. Choose a child to be “it” and walk around outside the circle with a paper fish in his hand. He should drop it quietly behind one player and keep walking, trying to get around the circle before the child discovers the fish behind him. When the child finds the fish, he should chase “it” around the circle. It “it” is caught, that child stands in the middle of the circle. Then the other child gets to drop the fish behind someone. Keep playing as time permits.
Give children a paper fish to take home to remind them that Jesus is alive!
Bonus Lesson: Jesus Is Alive! 9
Permission is granted to reproduce this lesson for ministry purposes only—not for resale.
Bonus Lesson: Jesus Is Alive! 9
Permission is granted to reproduce this lesson for ministry purposes only—not for resale.