FAITH QUEST

 

Resurrection

 

PRAISING PUPPETS

 

 

Scripture:  Luke 24:13-31

    

Memory Verse: “If you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” -- Romans 10:9

 

Concepts:          Jesus is with us always.

                                    Jesus helps us understand the Bible.  

                                   

Objectives:     This workshop will help children learn the “Road to Emmaus” part of the resurrection story.  In this story, children will see an example of Jesus being with his followers after his death and an example of Jesus helping his followers understand scripture.  Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, is still with us today and still helps us understand scripture.      

 

 

Procedure:                                           

Welcome and Introductions:

  1. Greet the children and introduce yourself.  Remember you are interacting with a different group of students each week who may not know you.
  2. Tell the children that today they will use the puppets to learn more about what happened after Jesus died. 

 

Bible Story: 

  1. Have the word “Messiah” written on a large piece of paper or on the white board.   Ask the children what it means. Acceptable answers are: savior, someone who would save the Hebrew people, a prophet, and someone who would bring peace.  Tell the children the puppets will use this word in the script for today and you wanted to be sure they knew its meaning.  
  2. Ask the children what happened after Jesus died.  Any answer related to the empty tomb, appearances to the disciples, etc is acceptable.  If they mention the “Road to Emmaus” story, tell them you will use the puppets to re-create that story.  If it is not mentioned, tell them they learn about something else that happened on the same day the disciples found Jesus’ tomb empty.  
  3. Note:  The following part of the Bible story can easily be omitted if time is short.       Have a brief discussion with the children using some of the questions below to introduce this story.            In which testament do we find the stories of Jesus? —New Testament                                   What part of the New Testament has the stories of Jesus? —The Gospels                                                                                                                Which books are in the Gospels? —Matthew, Mark, Luke, John                                          One of these writers was a physician, which one? —Luke
  4. Tell the children they will learn a story from Luke by acting out the story with puppets. 

 

Application:  

Note:  It might be helpful for the younger classes for the workshop leader to tape-record the script beforehand.  This way the younger children can move the puppets without worrying about the reading.  This is at the workshop leader’s discretion depending on the reading levels of the groups.  Certainly for third grade and above, one group of children can read while the others act out the script. 

  1. Perform the play either using the pre-recorded script or one group of children as readers.  Since there are only three characters in this script, one group of puppeteers could be on the upper level of the stage and another group on the lower level if desired.  This would allow more children to manipulate puppets at the same time.
  2. Repeat the play to allow all children a chance to manipulate the puppets. 

 

 

Wrap-up:

1.     After the skit, ask the children to return to their seats for a discussion time.

2.     Review the story with the children using questions such as:                                             Where were the two disciples going? — Emmaus                                                                  What had just happened in Jerusalem? ---Jesus died three days earlier and some                               people found his tomb empty that morning.  In other words, this was the                      afternoon and evening of Easter.                                                                                                       Who joined them as they walked to Emmaus? ---Jesus                                             When did the two disciples recognize it was Jesus? ---when he blessed the bread                           at dinner and gave it to them                                                                                                  What did Jesus do for the disciples as they walked along?---he explained the                                  scriptures to them

3.     Continue the discussion with the questions similar to the following to help the children relate this story to themselves.                                                                        Does this story teach us anything about our relationship with Jesus?---since Jesus                               was with those two disciples, we know he is alive and is with us, too.                                 Does this story teach us anything about ways Jesus might help us?---since he                                 helped these two disciples understand scripture, we know he will help us                    understand the Bible, too.                                                                    

 

Reflection Time:

 

  1. Ask the shepherds to pass out the journals and pencils/markers. 
  2. Ask the first and second graders to write the words “Jesus is alive” on their paper.  Then ask them to draw a picture of Jesus with the two disciples in this story—it can be any part of the story, on the road, breaking bread, etc. 
  3. For older children ask them to write at least three phrases related to this story.  Examples could be “Jesus is alive”  “walking to Emmaus”  “breaking bread”  “Jesus explained scripture”  “two disciples and Jesus”.  If time remains after the children have written these phrases, ask them to draw a picture that will help them remember this part of the resurrection story.

 

Closing:

 

Prayer:  Close with a simple prayer thanking God for Jesus.  Thank God that Jesus rose and is still alive today.  Thank God that Jesus is with us always. 

 

Tidy and Dismissal: Ask children to help clean up as they wait for their parents to arrive.  Put pillows behind stage area. Put away boom box, workshop bin, etc

 

Teacher preparation in advance:

 

1.     Read the scripture passages.

2.     Make 8 copies of each script. 

3.     Highlight the scripts so there are two for each part.  The extra copies can be posted behind the stage or used by the workshop leader or shepherd. 

4.     Prepare a closing prayer.

5.     Provide a small piece of bread for the “Third Puppet” puppet to use each week as a prop in the puppet play.

6.     Bring a CD or taped music for background music while you are gathering, along with meditative music for reflection time.

 

JESUS IS WITH US

 

INTRODUCTION:  This is a re-telling of a story in the Bible after Jesus died.  Although the Bible doesn’t tell us all the words in this script, the ideas and events come directly from the Bible story.   The Bible only names one of the men in this story, Cleopas.  To make the script easier to read, the other man is given the name Titus. 

 

 

CLEOPAS:  (SPEAKING VERY SADLY)  “I can’t believe Jesus is dead.” 

 

TITUS:   “I miss him already.  What will we do without him?”

 

THE TWO PUPPETS MOVE SLOWLY ACROSS PART OF THE STAGE AS IF WALKING SLOWLY WITH HEADS DOWN.  A THIRD PUPPET APPEARS AND “WALKS” ALONG WITH THEM. 

 

 THIRD PUPPET:  “Hey guys!  Where are you headed?”

 

CLEOPAS:  “We’re leaving Jerusalem and going to Emmaus.”

 

THIRD PUPPET:  “Nice day for traveling.  How’s everybody doing?”

 

TITUS: “Well, how do you suppose we’re doing with all the awful news?”

 

THIRD PUPPET:  “What do you mean?”

 

CLEOPAS:  “Are you the only person around here who doesn’t’ know the news?”

 

THIRD PUPPET:  “What news?  What are you talking about?”

TITUS:  “You know—about Jesus!” 

 

CLEOPAS:  “He was an amazing prophet and man of God.  We hoped he was the Messiah.  But the chief priests and leaders had him crucified.”

 

TITUS:  “He died three days ago.  Some of our people went to his tomb this morning and didn’t find his body.  They saw angels who said he was alive!” 

 

CLEOPAS:  “Who could believe that, though?  Jesus died.  He’s not alive.  He wasn’t the Messiah.”

 

THIRD PUPPET:  “Don’t you know what the scriptures say about the Messiah?”

 

CLEOPAS:  “No, not really.  All of this just doesn’t make sense to me.   I just don’t get it.”  

 

THIRD PUPPET:  “I’m pretty good at the scriptures.  Maybe I can help you understand.”

 

THREE PUPPPETS CONTINUE WALKING ALONG, NODDING AS IF THEY WERE TALKING, BUT WITHOUT SPECIFIC WORDS.

 

SOON CLEOPAS AND TITUS SLOW DOWN, BUT THE THIRD PUPPET CONTINUES ON.

 

CLOEPAS:  “Hey, where are you going?  We’re stopping here for the night.”

 

TITUS:  “We’ve got some friends here and they have room for you, too.  It’s too late to go to the next town.”

 

THIRD PUPPET: “Well, ok, I guess it would be a long walk by myself.  I’ll stay.”

 

CLEOPAS:  “Come on, guys, let’s go in.  I’m hungry.  I think dinner is ready.”

 

PUPPETS MOVE TO ANOTHER AREA OF THE STAGE AND PRETEND TO SIT DOWN. 

 

THIRD PUPPET:  “I’ll say a prayer.  God, thank you for this bread.”  (HANDS A PIECE OF BREAD TO THE OTHER PUPPETS AND SAYS)  “This is my body broken for you.  Do this in remembrance of me.”

 

AS SOON AS THE THIRD PUPPET HAS SPOKEN HE DISAPPEARS.

 

CLEOPAS:  “Where did he go?  He was just here!”

 

TITUS:  “That was Jesus!  He’s alive!  The angels were right!”

           

CLEOPAS:  “That’s why he could tell us so much about the Messiah and about the scriptures!”

 

TITUS:  “I felt so good when he was talking with us.  Now I know why!”

 

PUPPETS GET UP AND MOVE QUICKLY BACK THE DIRECTION THEY HAD BEEN WALKING SLOWLY EARLIER.

 

CLEOPAS:  “I can’t believe we’re going all the way back to Jerusalem tonight.”

 

TITUS:  “We have to tell everyone the great news!  They won’t believe it.  Jesus is alive—really, really alive—and we saw him!  He walked with us and talked with us! He is the Messiah!!”