FAITH QUEST

Resurrection

Workshop Leaders’ Bible Study

This workshop leader’s Bible study is a historical, theological, and contextual introduction to the Resurrection rotation of Kirk of Kildaire’s Faith Quest workshop rotation program.  It is intended to provide workshop leaders with:

·        A historical context for understanding the Bible story.

·        A Biblical context for reading and teaching the story.

·        The theological basis for the concepts to be taught to the children.

In Kirk of Kildaire’s Faith Quest program, workshop leaders attend a one-hour Bible study two weeks prior to the start of a new rotation.  This Bible study helps workshop leaders understand how the concepts to be taught to the children are derived from the Bible story and how the lessons in the rotation fit together to reinforce the concepts.  It also provides an opportunity for the workshop leaders to grow in their own faith and understanding of the Bible.

It will be helpful to have a chalkboard, whiteboard, or flip chart for writing down questions or observations during the Bible study.

Note:  This is not a comprehensive study of the text, but only a few notes to help provide context and background for workshop leaders.  Consult titles cited in the reference list at the end of these notes for more information.

 

Scripture:

Luke 24

Memory verse for this rotation:

            “God will raise us from death by the same power that he used when he raised our Lord to life.”  1 Corinthians 6:14 (CEV)

Concepts:

§       If we believe Christ rose from the dead, death is not the end for us (proclaiming and responding).

§       Look for Jesus among the living (gathering, sealing, and bearing).

§       Memory is an important element of faith (proclaiming, sealing, and bearing).

§       Personal encounters with Jesus are what bring people to faith (proclaiming, responding, sealing, and bearing).

§       Once we know Jesus is raised, we must understand our calling (responding, bearing. and following).

Prayer Concerns & Prayer

·        If workshop leaders do not know each other, give them an opportunity to introduce each other and say which workshop they will be leading.

·        Begin the Bible study by praying for God’s guidance as teachers begin a new rotation.

Reading the text

Ask a workshop leader to read the text aloud. Ask the workshop leaders what questions came to mind as they heard the story or read it before the Bible study.  Write down any questions that arise and will need to be answered during the Bible study.

 

Historical, Theological, and Biblical Contexts
Overview

Luke 24 includes four distinct stories (Culpepper, 466):

24:1-12 the discovery of the empty tomb

24:13-35 appearance on the road to Emmaus

24:36-53 appearance in Jerusalem

24:50-53 Jesus’ departure

Interesting Words/Phrases/Ideas

Verses 1-12

·       As we have discussed before the empty tomb itself does not point to resurrection nor does seeing the empty tomb necessarily lead to faith.  The fact of Jesus’ resurrection was proclaimed by his followers once they came to know and understand it themselves (Craddock, 281).

·       Memory is important for faith.  The women begin to understand when they remember Jesus’ words.  The men on the road to Emmaus recognize Jesus when they remember his words and actions in the breaking of the bread (Craddock, 283).  Culpepper says “Remembering God’s presence in the past, therefore, can give us resources for dealing with the present” (473).

Verses 13-35

·       This story is unique to Luke and has some “typically Lukan” features “in that it echoes an Old Testament story, the Lord’s appearance to Abraham and Sarah (Gen. 18:1-15)” and a “journey is the frame for the story” (Craddock, 284).

·       It is in remembering an event that we can really come to know and understand its significance.

·       Notice that at this point the witness of the women and the men on the road to Emmaus is to the other disciples.  It is not time yet to witness to the world (Craddock, 287).

Verses 36-49

  • The theme of these verses is “the corporeality of the risen Christ” (Craddock, 289).

Verses 50-53

  • Luke is the only Gospel depicts Jesus’ departure as a “ specific event with time and place” (Craddock, 292)
  • In Luke all the appearances take place over one day while in Acts they occur over 40 days.  Why the discrepancy?  Possibly it is because “Luke 24 seems to be contoured for an Easter worship service, and if so this would explain the condensation into one-day events which in Acts are related with a broader chronology” (Craddock, 293).

 

Worship

            In his commentary on Luke, Fred Craddock suggests that the reader view “the whole of Chapter 24 as a worship experience” (280).  In it we find “the announcement that Christ is risen”, “a period of instruction from Scripture followed by and experience of the living Christ in the breaking of bread,” a commissioning, and a benediction (280).  The Emmaus story itself includes a “focus on word and sacrament,” “a summary of the gospel,” and “witnessing to others” (284).

            One possibility for this lesson would be to focus on worship.  It could be an opportunity to teach the children why we worship and what worship is.  We could review the different parts of worship by linking them to the concepts (see concepts below) or by addressing a different one in each workshop.  According to the Book of Order the suggested order of worship includes these five parts (W-3.3202):

  1. Gathering around the Word (Assemble in God’s Name*)
  2. Proclaiming the Word (Proclaim God’s Word*)
  3. Responding to the Word (Respond to God’s Word*)
  4. The Sealing of the Word (sacraments)
  5. Bearing and Following the Word into the world (Go in God’s Name*)

*From “A Children’s Guide to Worship” which is used in teaching the Kirk’s PCPW class.

All of this is done of course through prayer, song, reading of scripture, sermon, offering, baptism and Lord’s Supper, etc. 

 

Some possible ideas:  Acting out parts of worship service, creating clay cups & plates, writing a prayer or song, designing a chapel, baking bread . . . .

Themes

The following Lukan themes, which we have discussed previously, can be found in Luke 24:

  • God’s redemptive purposes and in particular the fulfillment of scripture
  • Salvation for all alike – we see the role of the women in discovering the tomb

Table fellowship – It is in breaking with Jesus that the disciples recognize him.

Workshop Summaries

Ask each workshop leader to summarize his or her workshop.  As they do so, point out the concepts that each lesson reinforces.  Ask workshop leaders if they have any questions about the logistics or practical application of their lesson.

Antioch Arcade:  The children will play a quiz game to reinforce their knowledge of the events in the story.  They will also discuss how the events in the story teach us the stated concepts, and will complete their journal pages with a focus on the importance of memory to faith. 

Apostles’ Playhouse:  The children will learn how the disciples’ encounters with the risen Jesus were like worship services.   Then they will participate in planning and leading a worship service for the class.

Creation Station:  The children will learn about different Christian symbols and will make a fabric bookmark depicting a Christian symbol.

Good News:  The children will learn the connection between our worship service and the resurrection story by comparing the elements found in our bulletin to certain elements of this lesson’s scripture.

Holywood:  The children will view and discuss the video “He is Risen”.

 

Review Questions

Return to the questions that were gathered at the start of the hour.  Have they been answered?  Are there any further questions about the Bible story or about the lessons?

Closing Prayer

Close the Bible study with a prayer.

References

Bolin, Ruth L., Lauren J. Muzzy, Laurie A. Vance. “A Children’s Guide to Worship.” (Louisville, Geneva Press, 1997).

The Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Part II Book of Order 1998-1999. (Louisville, The Office of the General Assembly, 1998).

Craddock, Fred. “Luke.” Interpretation. James Luther Mays, et al. editors. (Louisville, John Knox Press, 1990). (pp. 279-295).

Culpepper, R. Alan. “Luke.” The New Interpreter’s Bible, vol. IX. Leander Keck, et al. editors. (Nashville, Abingdon Press, 1995). (pp.466-490).