POINT #3 – THE RESURRECTION TEST
So far, we have learned how Jesus passed 2 different tests against the enemy. Do you remember what those 2 tests were?
(Allow the child to answer: the SUBMISSION test and the OPPOSITION test.)
There was one other test that he passed to OVERCOME the enemy. Do you remember what it is? (Allow the child to answer: the Resurrection Test.)
Just as Jesus was faced with and passed the Resurrection Test, we will have to do the same in our lives.
What does the word RESURRECTION mean? (Allow the child to answer: something dead coming back to life. Something being important again or to be able to be used again.)
We know that after Jesus died on the cross, He was raised to life again. When Jesus’s mother and some other women went to his tomb on the 3rd day of his death, that He was not there. The stone in front of the tomb was rolled away and He was not in the tomb. The tomb was empty. He was raised to life again, and He is now in Heaven, sitting right beside God the Father. Jesus defeated death, by passing the Resurrection Test. Because Jesus passed it, we can and will too!
Have you ever seen a plant or flowers that looked like they were dying? Maybe they started to look droopy, the leaves were drooping down or starting to wilt, and maybe even look a little brown? It looked like it was dying, but… you or your mom or dad decided to water the plant or flower anyway and give it some sunlight. And, after you did, the next day it looked green again, and the leaves were standing back up and not drooping down. That plant came to life again! It came back to life because you gave it some water and sun. Those are life-giving things that a plant needs to live.
It’s the same with us in our lives. Sometimes we can hope and dream to do, to go, or have something. Maybe it is something that Jesus has shown us in our mind, our imagination. And we hope and dream for a long time. Then maybe because it’s been such a long time, we decide to give up. Or maybe, someone tells us we need to stop thinking about that because it will never happen. And then, we make a choice to stop hoping and dreaming and thinking about that idea or place or thing. We let our hope, dream, and idea start to die. And maybe, we let it completely die. But, it’s never too late for God. We believe and trust in a LIVING God, a GOD of LIFE and HOPE, not a god of death. A God that loves us and has good plans for us and wants ONLY good things for us. We can make a choice to believe and trust in Him, have hope in Him, and speak life-giving words to our hopes and dreams. We can use the Word of God to bring our hopes and dreams back to life again. We can tell our hope to RISE UP! We can tell our dreams to RISE UP, to come to life again!
Jesus had resurrection power and was raised to life after He died. When we ask Him to live inside our heart, and to be the Lord of our life, we too, have the same resurrection power. We will rise to life again after we die, and be with Him in Heaven. We will defeat death, just like Jesus did!
Discussion Questions
- What are some of your hopes and dreams? (Allow the child the share)
- Have you ever hoped and dreamed about something, but stopped because it never happened? (Allow the child to share)
- Do you believe that Jesus defeated death and lives in Heaven with God the Father? (Allow the child to answer)
- Do you believe that we too will be raised from the dead one day and live with Jesus in Heaven forever? (Allow the child to answer)
***Depending on your child’s answers and age and understanding of sin and the gospel, you can offer to lead your child in a prayer to receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior. You can ask them to pray these words after you: “Dear Jesus, I admit that I am a sinner. I believe that you are God’s Son and that you died on the cross for my sin, to save me. Thank you for dying on the cross. I believe that you rose from the dead to give me new life. I want you to be the leader and the Lord of my life. Be me Savior. Help me to live my life for you. Thank you for loving me and thank you for saving me. Amen!”
***Please see our Fresh Start Prayer Guide >>> LINK
Scripture memory verse:
“Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying.” – John 11:25
Prayer: Jesus, thank you for making the choice God’s plan for your life and not your own. Thank you for choosing to not be beat by opposition and temptation. Thank you for choosing to die for us and the whole world and for our sins. Thank you for loving us that much! We thank you that you chose to OVERCOME the enemy with RESURRECTION POWER! Thank you for giving us that same power. Thank you for giving us HOPE when things look like they are dead or no more or over. We choose today to hope in you, to believe and trust in you, to use the same RESURRECTION POWER and authority today to defeat the enemy when he tries to lie to us, to discourage us, to make us feel like giving up. We choose to STAND against Him today and every day, and to RISE UP! We will RISE UP in RESURRECTION POWER! Just like you did, Jesus! We pray all of these things in your mighty, powerful name, amen.