Lesson: Ascension of Jesus

for Saturday, 30 April 2011 —

Volunteers: Paul, Lorene, Ally

Driving: am: Fran; pm: Tyler

Primary Scriptures: Mark 16:19-20; Luke 24:50-53; Acts 1

Some Secondary Scriptures: Romans 8:34; 1 Corinthians 15:23-28; Ephesians 1:19-23; Hebrews 9:24; 1 Peter 3:21-22

Memory Verse: I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. (John 10:11; NIV)

Extra Supplies:

• coloring pages (Paul): “John wrote about the vision of heaven,” etc.
• supplies for activity: card, toilet rolls, etc. (Paul, Lorene), templates (Lorene)

Outline

• (10:00am) together: Matthew 6 “Lord’s prayer“
• Sing
  
• Lesson — (see below)
  
• memory verse (see above)
• Activities — (see below)
• (11:00 am) snack and break –
  
• (11:20 am) two-team review [see below] relay game — use up the chocolate bars in bin
• crafts/activities — continued
• stickers/bookmarks (in bin)
• Sing
• Pray: [Paul]
• (11:50 am) tidy

Lesson

[Use the map of Jerusalem that Jasper drew on our flip pad to show the mount of Olives]

a) Introduction [Lorene]

• Before Jesus died, he told his disciples that he would ascend to where he was before — his Father’s house — where he would prepare a place for them (see John 6:62; 14:2-3)
• After his suffering and death, Jesus appeared to the apostles over a period of 40 days
• Judas was the guide for the men who arrested Jesus
• Though he had received 30 silver coins for the evil thing he had done, he returned this reward to the chief priests and elders
• The chief priests and elders bought a field with the money that Judas returned. That place became known as the “Field of Blood”
• Judas hanged himself
• Sometime after this, his body fell down and was broken and decomposed
• Luke wrote: “He fell down headfirst in the field. His body burst open. All his insides spilled out. Everyone in Jerusalem heard about this.“
• King David, writing poetry as a prophet many years before, had prophesied that this would happen to one of the apostles (see Psalm 69:25 and Psalm 109:8)

b) Jesus Is Taken Up Into Heaven [Lorene]

• During the 40 days that the risen Jesus appeared to believers, he spoke about God’s kingdom and gave orders to the apostles he had chosen
• One day, Jesus led them out to Bethany (on the east side of the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem by about two miles)
• While everybody ate, Jesus told them, “Do not leave Jerusalem until you have received the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
• “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you… Then you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all of Judea and Samaria, and to the rest of the world.”
• After Jesus said this, he lifted up his hands and blessed the apostles
• While he blessed them, he was taken up to heaven. The apostles watched until a cloud hid him from their sight.
• [from NIRV] While he was going up, they kept on looking at the sky. Suddenly two men dressed in white clothing stood beside them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking at the sky? Jesus has been taken away from you into heaven. But he will come back in the same way you saw him go.”
• So, the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives
• “When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying.”
• As Jesus had promised, the Holy Spirit came to all the believers about ten days after He had ascended. (Acts 2.) They were “baptized” with the Holy Spirit, which means that they were washed clean, and received power from the Holy Spirit.

Possible discuss:

• “witnesses”: the apostles would tell others what they had seen and heard

c) Jesus Current Work in Heaven [Lorene]

• he is the King of heaven and earth on God’s behalf; (Matthew 28:18; 1 Corinthians 15:23-28; Ephesians 1:20-22; 1 Peter 3:22)
• he is helping those who call on his name; (Hebrews 4:14-16; 7:25)
• “interceding”: Jesus is continually talking to God about us, and is saving people and leading them to God; (Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:25)
• Jesus is defeating evil powers and teachers
• He is giving gifts to his people (Ephesians 4:9-16), including the Holy Spirit

d) Jesus’ Second Coming [Paul]

• Jesus will return in His resurrection body, coming with the clouds of heaven, to save those who are waiting for him
• Everybody will see him return to the earth, including those who have already died
• We will hear a blast from God’s trumpet
• Those believers who have died already will rise from their graves
• After that, the believers who are still alive will be “caught up together with them”
• we will be taken up in the clouds and meet the Lord Jesus in the air
• Jesus will judge the world
• He will give glory to God’s children
• He will deliver the kingdom and become subject to the Father
• Nobody knows the time of Jesus’ return — he said, “No one knows about that day or hour. Not even the angels in heaven know. The Son does not know. Only the Father knows.” (Matthew 24:36; NIRV)

e) The New Kingdom [Paul]

• Read Revelation 21:10 – 22:6 (NIRV)

f) Discuss: What does the Ascension Mean for Us? [Lorene]

• We have a hope of ascending into heaven, just like Jesus did;
• Our home country is heaven, where Jesus is; we are foreigners on this earth;
• The Holy Spirit is here with us, guiding and teaching us everything that Jesus wants us to know, and giving us power;
• Jesus is talking to God about us;
• Jesus is preparing a place for us in God’s house;
• Jesus is now the King over all the rulers and angels, and He is destroying all of His enemies until He alone remains;
• Our desires are turned heavenward, as earth’s greatest “charm” has ascended;
• Jesus is going to return to the earth in His body, coming with the clouds, to gather God’s people, and to show everyone in the world who He is; and
• There is something better coming; we need not be concerned about our present suffering.

“Bruised is the serpent’s head,
Hell is vanquished, death is dead,
And to Christ gone up on high,
Captive is captivity.

All his work and warfare done,
He into his heaven is gone,
And beside his Father’s throne,
Now is pleading for his own:

Sing, O heavens! O earth, rejoice!
Angel harp and human voice,
Round him, in his glory, raise
Your ascended Savior’s praise.”

– Charles H. Spurgeon, 1871

Review Questions

1. Was it the ghost of Jesus that rose and went to heaven, or was it His body?
2. What does it mean to ascend? (to go up, be lifted up)
3. Where did Jesus go when He ascended? (to the right hand of God, in heaven.)
4. Who saw Jesus ascend? (His disciples, and angels.)
5. Find John 14 in a Bible, and answer these three questions: Where did Jesus go? (see verse 2 — to His father’s house)
6. What is He doing there? (preparing a place for His disciples / believers)
7. Why will He come again? (see verse 3 — to take us to be with Him)
8. With the others on your team, act out the apostles watching Jesus ascend.
9. Draw a big fluffy cloud in the sky.
10. What did the angels say to the disciples? (That Jesus would return in a similar way.)
11. After Jesus left this world, what promised gift then came to the disciples a few days later? (The Holy Spirit came to them ten days later)
12. What happened when the disciples watched Jesus ascend into heaven until He was hidden behind a cloud? (Correct answers: Jesus went to the right hand of God and/or two men dressed in white appeared with the men and asked them why they were staring up into the sky.)
13. What is Jesus ruling over? (He is in heaven, ruling over all powers and authorities on earth and in heaven)
14. Is Jesus going to come back?
15. How will He come back? (In the same way the disciples saw Him go into heaven / with the clouds)
16. Is Jesus going to become the King over all kings, or is He already the King of kings?
17. Will there be sadness, sickness, or fighting in heaven?
18. Write some good things about Jesus’ ascension that you can think of. (see section f above)
19. What is the “second coming”? (when Jesus returns to raise us all)
20. In what way will our resurrection and ascension be like Christ’s? (we will be in a perfect body; we will meet him in the sky)
21. Describe heaven. (see Revelation 21-22)

Activity Ideas

1. Build a model of New Jerusalem using gold paint
2. clues / two teams / prize at destination
3. “Get Ready” game