NBC Sunday School Manual For April 17, 2022 : Topic – THE ETERNAL HOPE.
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SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON FOR YOUR PREPARATION
NBC SUNDAY SCHOOL OUTLINE
DATE: SUNDAY, 17TH APRIL, 2022.
TOPIC: THE ETERNAL HOPE.
Background Scripture: Matthew 27; 28:1-10.
Lesson Scripture: Matthew 28:1-10.
GOLDEN TEXT: “Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.” Matthew 28:10.
OBJECTIVES: By the end of the lesson, class members should be able to:
• Discuss what would have motivated the women to take the risk of going to the tomb;
• Explain why the resurrection of Jesus is the basis of our eternal hope.
• Make personal commitment to share the good news of the resurrection of Jesus with others this season.
INTRODUCTION:
Some of us grew up hearing the popular phrase, “Once upon a time…”, especially when stories are being told. Oftentimes, such stories were about the tortoise and his cleverness, which were never real; they were folktales without proofs. The account of Jesus’ resurrection is not a folktale; it is a true life story with proof. Jesus had initially said to His disciples, while on their way to Jerusalem, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will turn him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life! (Matthew 20:18-19). The latter part of Matthew chapter 27 records the events of Jesus’ crucifixion, death, and burial. It also records how guards were placed at the entrance of the tomb to prevent the disciples from “stealing His body”. The climax of the account is in chapter 28, which deals with Jesus’ resurrection and appearance to the disciples.
After the death of Jesus, His disciples became scared; they were terribly afraid, living without hope, even though Jesus had previously predicted His resurrection on the third day. Jesus indeed resurrected from the dead, according to His prediction. Not only was the tomb empty, He also appeared to different people at different times. The focus of today’s lesson is on the authenticity of Jesus’ resurrection, and how it forms the basis of eternal hope for His followers. Jesus’ death and resurrection altered the course of human history and provided an enduring hope of eternity to those who will
put their faith in Him.
THE LESSON EXPLAINED…
A. THE WOMEN AT THE TOMB:
[Matthew 28:1-3]
The four gospels recorded the account of the resurrection of Jesus differently, according to the information available to them.
According to the gospel of Matthew, after the Sabbath, at the dawn of a Sunday morning, which was the first day of the week, the women (Mary Magdalene and the other Mary) went to the tomb where Jesus had been buried. Matthew did not reveal their motive but Luke records that they carried spices to the tomb possibly to complete the embalming process that was interrupted by a mandated Sabbath rest (Luke 24:56). It is possible they also went there to grieve, or to just sit quietly to recall the love Jesus had shown them while He was physically alive. But suddenly, there was an unusual occurrence of a violent earthquake. An angel of the Lord came down from heaven, rolled the stone away, and sat on it (v. 2). His physical appearance was like lightning, peculiarly bright and shinning and his clothes were as white as snow.
The women in the passage demonstrated commitment, love and devotion to Jesus whom they had loved so clearly, even in death. The “other
Mary”in our textis more fully identified earlier as “Mary the mother of James and Joseph” (Matthew 27:55-56). These women had helped meet the needs of Jesus during His Galilean ministry and were also there at a distance during His crucifixion. ln other words, they were the last of Jesus’ followers at the cross and the first to get to the grave. They would have been motivated by Jesus’ teachings, healings, the miracles He performed and possibly, His entire way of life. It is believed that the rolling away of the stone was to make it possible for the women to see that the tomb was empty and that Jesus was no longer in the grave. After all, He is God; therefore, He does not need the help of humankind to leave an earthly tomb. Believers should maintain constant devotion, commitment and love for Christ, irrespective of their challenges. We must be determined to give Him the best of our service till Here turns in glory to reward His people.
DISCUSSION TIME:
1. According to verse 1, what do you think the two women went to do at the tomb of Jesus?
2. Discuss the role of the angel in Jesus’ resurrection?
B. THE MESSAGE OF THE ANGEL:
[Matthew 28:4-7]
The sudden appearance of the angel terrified the guards so much that they were completely traumatised and became like dead men. It was like God appearing to people in human form. Interestingly, in the midst of fear and confusion, the angel spoke to the women purposely to calm their fears. He said to them, “You must not be afraid,” I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has been raised, just as he said….”(vv. 5-6) He led the women to the tomb where Jesus had been laid. Furthermore, he gave them an instruction saying, “Go quickly now, and tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead, and now he is going to Galilee ahead of you; there you will see him! The instruction to go to Galilee is in accordance with Jesus’ previous declaration that He would be going to Galilee ahead of them after His resurrection (Matthew 26:32), and there they would meet Him.
The role of the angels in the ministry of Jesus from His birth to His resurrection is outstanding. According to Matthew’s account, the angel came down from heaven, rolled the stone from the grave and sat on it, probably waiting to instruct the women. Every account of the resurrection of Jesus makes it clear that though no one actually saw the risen Jesus come out of the tomb, the story is true and not a folktale. It is the greatest of all God’s mighty works and it is beyond human understanding. God demonstrated His majestic power in bringing Jesus out of the grave as it was announced by the angel. The good news of Jesus’ resurrection needs to be urgently disseminated, just as the angel commanded the women.
DISCUSSION TIME:
1. How well did the message of the angel allay the fears of the women?
2. Why did the angel ask the women to see where Jesus was laid?
C. JESUS ENCOUNTERS THE WOMEN:
[Matthew 28:8-10]
The news of the resurrection of Jesus came with mixed feelings for the women. Immediately the angel announced His resurrection with the evidence of the empty tomb and the assurance of seeing Him in Galilee, they left the tomb in haste though with mixed feelings fear and joy. Their intention was to go to the disciples with the good news of Jesus’ resurrection. Interestingly, Jesus encountered them on the way. He said to them, “Greetings”. The action of the women in clasping Jesus’ feet and worshipping Him shows that they recognised Him. Jesus responded saying, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me” (v. 10). This same command was given by the angel who instructed the women to go and tell Jesus’ disciples that He has risen. Jesus used the word ‘Brothers’ in verse 10 for the first time to refer to His disciples perhaps as an assurance that in spite of the fact that they abandoned Him, He still loved them. Besides the women who encountered Jesus after His resurrection, He also appeared to two of His disciples on their way to Emmaus and to the eleven while they were eating (Mark 16:12, 14). All of these serve as proofs of the authenticity of Jesus’ resurrection. Noteworthy in the passage is the women’s prompt response to the message of the angel to go and tell Jesus’ disciples about His resurrection. One of the challenges of today’s lesson is the need to be committed to the cause of Christ, like Mary Magdalene and the other women. Even after Jesus’ burial, their love for Him did not diminish. Every believer has been commissioned with the message of the good news of the resurrection of Jesus to the world. Therefore, we must faithfully commit ourselves to it.
DISCUSSION TIME:
1. If Jesus did not resurrect, what would have been the fate of believers?
2. Discuss how the resurrection of Jesus guaranteed our eternal salvation.
Commitment:
Based on today’s lesson, make a commitment to be more active in preaching the message of Christ and His resurrection.
Fellowship and Ministry Building Activities:
• Let each class member choose a partner. They are to underline the words fear and afraid as they appear in the passage and discuss their effects on people and possibly ways to overcome them.
Prayer:
• Pray that your hope in life will not be dashed Ask that the Lord will send you a unique message this season.
• Pray that you will have an encounter with Christ this season
Take Home: Write down three lessons you are taking home from today’s lesson.
• __________
• __________
• __________
Remain Inspired & Be Lifted!