JUNIOR HIGH LESSON ON EASTER

Jesus came to earth as a tiny baby, experienced life as a child and teenager, and matured into the man who died to taken away the sins of the world.

He didn’t live a life of royalty, but rather, with humility and a heart of service for all mankind.

Jesus’ life inspires us to take a look around and see how we can meet the needs of others.

Use this Easter lesson to encourage students to ask themselves – How can I serve others this Easter?

-Nick Diliberto, Junior High Ministry

JUNIOR HIGH LESSON ON EASTER

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Bible: Mark 10:45

Bottom line: How can I serve others this Easter?

SUPPLIES

• Three, 16-ounce bags of baby carrots
• Three eggs – use real eggs for a messy version, or plastic eggs for a clean version of the game
• Six-foot table
• Measuring tape or yard stick

OPENING GAME: CARROT TOWERS

Choose volunteers to participate in the game – you will need three teams with three people on each team.

Give each team a bag of carrots and an egg.

Say: Today’s opening game is pretty simple.

Use your bag of baby carrots to create the tallest tower that you can build.

When you have stacked your carrots to the highest height possible, then balance your egg on the top of your tower and step away.

You will have 3 minutes to create your tower.

Feel free to be creative – you can use your teeth to make grooves in the carrots that will make them easier to balance on each other.

If breaking the carrots enables you to stack them higher, then you can do that too!

If you finish before time’s up, then just step away and we will measure your tower.

Ready? Set? GO!

After students have finished their towers, or time is up, measure the height of the tower and see which tower is the tallest.

If the egg isn’t balanced on the top of the tower, then that team is disqualified.

For fun, you can award a prize to the winning team… maybe a large carrot for each person on the team, or some Easter candy.

TEACH

After the game, say: You did an awesome job building your carrot towers… for those of you that play with your food, it really paid off this time!

Easter is right around the corner.

The stores are stocked full of baskets, stuffed animals, bunnies, and… Easter candy!… Cadbury Eggs, chocolate bunnies, jelly beans, Peeps, Reese’s Eggs… those Reese’s have to be the best candy ever!

There are so many commercial things that are associated with Easter that it almost seems to cheapen what Easter is all about.

So, today, I want us to take a moment and remind ourselves of the true meaning of Easter.

Let’s start with why do we celebrate Easter? And what are we celebrating?

Allow responses.

You gave some really great answers… and you should!

Most of us have heard the story of Easter dozens of times.

But, I want us to read this scripture and really think about it for a little while…

Read Mark 10:45 – “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

Jesus, the Son of God, and the Son of Man, came to earth.

He had a mission… a purpose.

He knew why He was on earth, and the specific plan that God had for His human life.

His death and resurrection had been prophesied throughout time – people knew that He was coming!

Jesus would live a sinless life, something that none of us could ever do, and then, die for the sins of all of humanity.

The entire time He was on the earth can be summarized in a one word description – serve.

Any example that you can point to, in the Bible, of Jesus’ life was all about serving God and serving people.

Was Jesus ever tired? Yes!

At times, did He need to get away from the masses of people that followed Him everywhere? Of course!

He felt sadness at the death of his friend, Lazarus, and rejoiced when someone who was lost was found… Jesus felt the same human emotions that we feel everyday.

So, when we consider that the Son of God, who could have come to earth as royalty, came and lived as we do, it should mean a lot that He lived His life to serve others.

He washed the feet of the disciples; He treated everyone the same, no matter what their social status; He took time to spend with people, eating at their home or traveling to visit them… He served with His actions, love, and time.

Easter is a reminder of the ultimate sacrifice that Jesus made – He served by giving His life.

And His resurrection gives us hope that when we serve with all we have, we will spend eternity with God – not because we work for our salvation, but because we are so grateful for what Jesus has done for us, that our reaction is to serve Him out of love for our Savior.

Right now, let’s ask ourselves this question: How can I serve others this Easter?

What are the ways I can demonstrate God’s love to those around me?

Do I take time to notice the needs of other people?

How can I share the hope that I have from what Jesus has done for me, with my friends, family, neighbors, and even those that I don’t know, or maybe don’t like?

Let’s think about those questions and ask God to give us a heart that desires not only to serve Him, but everyone that we come in contact with.

Close in prayer.

SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

• • In what ways did Jesus serve others?
  • How do you serve other people?
  • Do you think serving others is important? Why?
  • Have you ever missed an opportunity to serve others because of the emotions you were feeling at the moment?
  • How can you encourage others to serve? How does your life demonstrate the heart of a servant?

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