Lesson 46

Jesus Christ Made It Possible for Us to Live Forever (Easter)

Purpose

To help the children understand that because of Jesus Christ’s love for us, he made it possible for us to live forever.

Preparation

1. Prayerfully study Mark 10:13–16, the accounts of Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection found in Luke 23 and 24, and the account of Jesus Christ’s visit to the Nephites in 3 Nephi 11.

2. Prepare a wordstrip with Immortal written on it.

3. Print each child’s name on a separate piece of paper.

4. Be prepared to teach the children to sing or say the words to “Jesus Has Risen” (Children’s Songbook, p. 70).

5. Materials needed:

   1. A Bible and a Book of Mormon.

   2. A soft ball or beanbag.

   3. Tape.

   4. A glove.

   5. Picture 3-71, The Crucifixion (62505; Gospel Art Picture Kit 230); picture 3-15, The Resurrected Jesus Christ (62187; Gospel Art Picture Kit 239); picture 3-72, Jesus Christ Appears to the Nephites (62047; Gospel Art Picture Kit 315); picture 3-56, Christ and the Children (62467; Gospel Art Picture Kit 216); picture 3-17, Jesus Teaching in the Western Hemisphere (62380; Gospel Art Picture Kit 316); picture 3-73, Samuel the Lamanite on the Wall (62370; Gospel Art Picture Kit 314); picture 3-74, Burial of Jesus (62180; Gospel Art Picture Kit 231); and picture 3-75, Women at the Tomb.

6. Make the necessary preparations for any enrichment activities that you will be using.

Suggested Lesson Development

Invite a child to give the opening prayer.

Follow up with the children if you encouraged them to do something during the week.

Because Jesus Christ Loves Us He Helps Us

Attention activity

Tell the class members that Jesus Christ loves children. Tell them how pleased and happy he must be to know that they are at Primary on this Easter morning.

Display picture 3-15, The Resurrected Jesus Christ, on a wall, chalkboard, or other area.

Explain that you have printed each of their names on a piece of paper, and you want them to come up one at a time and tape their names close to the picture of Jesus. As each child takes his turn, say to him: “Jesus Christ loves (name of child).”

Scripture story

Tell the following story from Mark 10:13–16 in your own words:

When Jesus Christ was living on the earth, some mothers brought their little children to him. They hoped that he would give each one a blessing. Jesus’ friends wanted him to rest, and they asked the mothers to take their children away and not to bother him.

When Jesus heard what his friends were saying, he said, “Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not.” In other words, he said, “Let the little children come to me; don’t turn them away. I love children.” Then he took the children in his arms and blessed them.

Discussion

Hold up picture 3-56, Christ and the Children. Hold it close enough to the children that they can look at it carefully and feel the spirit of the picture. Ask the following kinds of questions to help the children feel the great love that Jesus Christ has for them.

• How do you think the children felt?

• If you had been there, what would you have wanted Jesus Christ to say to you?

• If you could have been with Jesus as these children were, what would you have said to him?

• How does it make you feel to know that Jesus loves you just as he loves these children?

Jesus Christ Died for Us

Scripture story and pictures

Hold up the scriptures, and explain that by reading the Bible and Book of Mormon we can learn what Jesus Christ did to help us. Tell the following story in your own words:

Jesus Christ lived a long time ago. Heavenly Father sent him to this earth to help fathers and mothers and boys and girls do the right things. Most of the time he lived in a land now called Israel.

Jesus loved all people. Some of the people were wicked and did not like him. They hung him on a cross.

Display picture 3-71, The Crucifixion.

Jesus Christ suffered and died. The people who loved him were very sad. They took his body off the cross and wrapped it in a beautiful white cloth. They carried his body inside a tomb. A tomb is like a cave where people are buried. They gently laid him down.

Display picture 3-74, Burial of Jesus.

Jesus Christ’s friends then closed the entrance to the tomb by rolling a large stone in front of the doorway.

Jesus Christ’s friends did not understand that he would come to life again. Some soldiers came and guarded the tomb where his body lay. On the third day after he died, before the sun came up, angels came and rolled back the stone from the door. His body was not there. The soldiers were so afraid that for a while they could not move. As soon as they could, they ran away.

Display picture 3-75, Women at the Tomb.

That same morning some women came to the tomb. They loved Jesus Christ and had come to put sweet spices on his body as people did in those days. They saw the stone rolled away from the door. They went into the tomb and saw an angel dressed in white, and they were afraid. The angel said, “Do not be afraid. He is not here, for he is risen.”

Point to the picture of the resurrected Christ.

• How do you think Jesus Christ’s friends felt when they found he was resurrected?

Chalkboard discussion

Explain that when Jesus was resurrected, he received his body again to join with his spirit, but his body had changed.

Put up the wordstrip Immortal.

• What does immortal mean?

Explain that when the Savior’s body became immortal, it changed so that it would never die again but would live forever.

Tell the children that when Jesus was resurrected, he became immortal, and he also made it possible for all of us to be resurrected and become immortal. This means that after we have been resurrected, we will never die again. We can live with our families forever.

Demonstration and discussion

Show your ungloved hand to the children and tell them that when we lived with Heavenly Father before we were born we were called spirits. We could move (move the fingers on your ungloved hand) and think and learn.

When our spirits came to live on earth, we were given earthly bodies. (Put on the glove.) We could still move (move your fingers in the glove) and think and learn, but Heavenly Father gave us wonderful bodies to have and take care of.

When we die, the body must separate from the spirit (take off glove). The body cannot move by itself (indicate glove) but the spirit is still alive.

When we are resurrected, the body becomes perfect and is once again united with the spirit (put glove back on hand). After we are resurrected, we can never die again. That means that the spirit and the body can never be separated.

Emphasize that because Jesus Christ loves each of us very much, he died for us. Jesus was the first person to be resurrected. Because of what he did for us, we will be resurrected and may live again with Heavenly Father. When we think of Easter, we should think about the first Easter and remember the love that Jesus Christ has for us. He gave his life for us. He was resurrected. Now he lives in heaven with his Heavenly Father.

Point out that Jesus Christ’s resurrection is so wonderful that each year we celebrate Easter to show him how grateful we are for what he did for us.

Activity

Toss a small soft ball or beanbag to the children, taking turns so that each child can tell something he or she remembers about the Easter story.

Jesus Christ Visited the Nephites after His Resurrection

Scripture story with pictures

Tell the children that we know Jesus Christ was resurrected because the scriptures tell us that many of his disciples and followers saw him after he was resurrected.

Explain that the righteous Nephites and Lamanites who lived in America saw Jesus Christ and that the Book of Mormon tells of his visit. After his resurrection in Jerusalem, Jesus visited these people. They had the opportunity to see, hear, and touch him.

Explain that the prophets had told the Nephites for many years that Jesus Christ would visit them someday.

Display picture 3-73, Samuel the Lamanite on the Wall.

Explain that a prophet named Samuel the Lamanite, who lived a few years before Jesus Christ was born, told the people how they would know when Jesus was crucified and resurrected in Jerusalem. He explained that when Jesus died, a great darkness would cover the land; it would last for three days until he was resurrected.

Tell the children that all of Samuel the Lamanite’s prophecies came true. When Jesus Christ died in Jerusalem, a great darkness covered the land of America. The wicked people were destroyed, and many of the righteous people gathered together to discuss what had happened and what they should do. As they were talking, they suddenly heard a voice that seemed to come from heaven. It was a gentle, loving voice. Ask the children to listen to what the voice said. Help a child read 3 Nephi 11:7, or read it yourself.

• Who was speaking? (Heavenly Father.)

Explain that the people looked up and saw a man dressed in a white robe coming down from heaven. They thought they were seeing an angel.

Display picture 3-72, Jesus Christ Appears to the Nephites.

• Who was really coming down from heaven? (Jesus.)

Read 3 Nephi 11:9–10. Explain that when Jesus Christ told the people who he was, they remembered that the prophets had said he would visit them. They were happy. He invited the people to come and feel the prints of the nails in his hands and feet and the wound in his side. He did this because he wanted them to understand that he was the same Jesus who had been crucified and that he had been resurrected.

Display picture 3-17, Jesus Teaching in the Western Hemisphere.

• How do you think the people felt to be with Jesus Christ?

Explain that the people were filled with so much gratitude and love for the Savior that they shouted, “Hosanna! Blessed be the name of the Most High God!” (3 Nephi 11:17). They fell down on their knees and worshiped him.

Explain that Jesus Christ felt so much love for these people that he stayed among them and healed their sick, blessed their children, and taught them. The Book of Mormon tells us that never had there been a happier people on the earth than these people.

Song

Help the children sing or say the words to “Jesus Has Risen.”

Jesus has risen,

Jesus, our friend.

Joy fills our hearts;

He lives again.

Praises we sing to him,

This Eastertime.

Jesus has risen,

Savior divine.

Jesus has risen,

Savior divine!

Summary

Teacher testimony

Bear testimony and express your love and gratitude to Jesus Christ for loving us enough to make it possible for us to be resurrected and keep our bodies forever.

Invite the children to go home and tell their families what the Savior did to make it possible for us to keep our bodies forever.

Invite a child to give the closing prayer.

Enrichment Activities

Choose from the following activities those that will work best for your children. You can use them in the lesson itself or as a review or summary. For additional guidance, see “Class Time” in “Helps for the Teacher.”

1. Prepare a copy of the handout “Jesus Christ’s Circle of Love,” located at the end of the lesson, for each child.

   two circles

   Distribute a copy of the handout, a pencil, and some crayons to each child. Have or help them print their names on their papers in the upper, right-hand corner.

   Read with the children the words around the inside of the circle. Have them draw a picture of themselves inside the circle. Print “Jesus Christ loves me” on the chalkboard, and have the children copy it onto their papers below the circle.

2. Have the children stand and do this activity with you.

   Here is the place where Jesus lay. (point)

   See, the stone has been rolled away! (point again)

   Stoop down. (stoop)

   Look in. (hands shading eyes)

   He is not here! (stand up)

   Jesus is risen!

   Be of good cheer! (quietly clap hands)