Resurrection – Follow Jesus to Our Forever Home 3-6 Lesson

Kids' Corner 3-6 Grade Children's Church / Sunday School Lesson

Title: Resurrection: Follow Jesus to Our Forever Home

Verse: 1 Peter 1:3-4 NIV

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you.”

Objective: Kids will understand that the Resurrection of Jesus is the only way to our eternal inheritance. They will learn that Biblical hope is more than just a "wish" or a feeling; it is a certainty that moves us to action. They will understand that because Jesus resurrected, He is the leader we trust and follow to our forever home in Heaven where we live together as God’s family.

Spark

The Locked Mystery Box:

Show the children a locked box. Tell them, "I put a picture of what we are learning about today inside, but there is only one way to open it!"
Kids will need to solve a brief logic puzzle or math problem related to the verse (Ex: "The number of times 'inheritance' appears in the verse") to find the “combination” in order to open the box.
Inside the box is a picture of a home.

Transition: Just like the box required a specific code code as the only way to open it– Jesus is the only way to get to our eternal (forever) home in Heaven!

Scripture: Open your Bible to 1 Peter 1:3-4.

Read: 1 Peter 1:3-4 with emphasis on the words: resurrection, hope, and inheritance
Explain:
- Resurrection: Use a plastic tablecloth to demonstrate "raising up." Explain that Jesus died and then resurrected (was raised up) into Heaven.
- Hope: Our home on Earth is temporary (like one string on a rug), but Heaven is our forever home (like the whole rug)—it is much greater!
  - Contrast a "living hope" (certainty) with a temporary "wish." God’s Word is true so we can trust what it says. People wish for a lot of things but it doesn’t always come true. The Bible says “hope does not disappoint” (Romans 5:5 NLT). We put our “hope” in Jesus because He is the only sure thing!
  - Hope is not a feeling, it is not an emotion. It is believing and knowing that Jesus is with You and He will help you. Hope is an action–it causes movement. Example: I can’t simply hope to pass my math test. I must take action by studying, preparing, and learning. In doing those things, I am trusting that the Lord will help me.
- Inheritance: Jesus died for our sins on the cross and was resurrected. He made the way for us to be with the Father in Heaven. When we follow Jesus, he leads us to our home in Heaven to live as God’s family.
  - Discuss:
    - How the Gospel explains that faith in Jesus is the only way to enter our eternal (forever) home in Heaven.
      - We are given the Holy Spirit as a guarantee, we share in Jesus Christ’s inheritance and are given access to the Father in Heaven by His sacrifice on the cross. (Colossians 1:12-14, Ephesians 1:13-14, Hebrews 9:12.)
    - What it means to be part of God's family.
      - Families spend time together, love one another, help each other, etc. They pray for one another and live according to the Word of God.

Key Point: Emphasize that because Jesus entered Heaven first, we have a leader to follow into our eternal family home. The evidence of having hope is action.

Activity

Games:

Resurrection Relay Race: Divide into teams to find index cards hidden around the room. Kids race to collect index cards with letters that spell out the word R-E-S-U-R-R-E-C-T-I-O-N. They must find all the letters and be the first to correctly spell and define "Resurrection" (raised up).

Keep It Up: Use a balloon to play a game where the kids must keep the balloon "raised up" in the air, reinforcing the meaning of resurrection.

Craft: For Holy Week Kids’ Crafts ideas go to Kids Corner Pinterest

Live

Ask: What is one thing about your inheritance in Heaven that gives you hope when things are difficult at school or home? What will be the evidence of your hope? (Have the kids share examples of what it will look like in their lives.)

Prayer Focus: Thank God for Jesus – Because Jesus resurrected and entered Heaven, we can follow Him there and live together as God’s family! Thank Him because He is true and we have a hope that doesn’t disappoint. Tell the Lord that you choose to hope in Him alone.

Materials / Supplies Needed: