Leader Guide

Video Leader Guide

Welcome (1 minute)

Hello, everyone! Today, we’re going to see the Superbook story, “He Is Risen!” This story will teach us about two very important events in Jesus’ life: His crucifixion, when He died on the cross, and His resurrection, when He rose from the dead! Let’s watch the opening, then we’ll discuss it.

Play Video 2A: Chris and Joy’s Dilemma* (5 minutes)

*Note: Video 2A: Chris and Joy's Dilemma is meant to accompany Video 3: Bible Story and Resolution in this lesson. Please preview Video 3. Should you feel that some scenes are too intense for young children, play Video 2B: Chris and Joy's Dilemma Alternate instead of Video 2A.

Chris and Joy's Dilemma

Chris is angrily defying his mother when Superbook takes them—along with Joy and Gizmo—to ancient Jerusalem.

Play Video 2B: Chris and Joy's Dilemma - Alternate (1 minute)

Chris and Joy's Dilemma - Alternate

SuperTruth and Discussion (2 minutes)

Did Chris show proper respect to his mother?

What did Chris think was most important—what he wanted to do or what his mother wanted him to do?

Today’s SuperTruth says, “Jesus loves me so much that He sacrificed His life and forgave my sins.” Jesus submitted to God’s plan to pay the price for our sins even when it meant that He would be crucified. He did this because He loves us!

Now, let’s watch the rest of today’s Superbook video.

Play Video 3: Bible Story and Resolution* (17 minutes)

*Note: Video 3 is meant to accompany Video 2A in this lesson. If you opted to play Video 2B, please play Video 4:the Condensed Bible Story, and Video 8:Chris and Joy’s Resolution, together instead of Video 3.

Bible Story and Resolution

The children witness Jesus’ prayer in the garden, His trial before Pontius Pilate, His death on the cross, and finally His glorious resurrection. Chris’ respect for his mother grows as he sees the devotion that Mary and Jesus have for one another.

Video 4: Condensed Bible Story (9 minutes)

Condensed Bible Story

Video 8: Chris and Joy's Resolution (1.5 minutes)

Chris and Joy’s Resolution

Play Video 10A: SuperVerse Graphic 1

Graphic loops 2.5 minutes without audio; turn off or freeze video after children repeat verse.

SuperVerse Graphic 1

SuperVerse Discussion (1 minute)

Let’s say our SuperVerse together. John 3:16:

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” 

This is one of the most important Bible verses to memorize, so you can share it with others! Let’s say it again slowly. Children repeat verse.

Children will have more time to learn the SuperVerse in Small Group.

Prayer and Send-Off (1 minute)

Dear God, thank You for sending Your only Son to Earth to die for us and to forgive our sins. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Today in Small Group, you’ll play a game called “Set Free From Sin.” Are you ready to be set free? Good! Have a great time.

Teachers take children to Small Group classes for Grades 1–3 and 4–6. If the combined group is small, all children may stay together for Small Group time.

Game

What an act of love Jesus demonstrated in our Superbook video today! Let’s say our SuperTruth together: “Jesus loves me so much that He sacrificed His life and forgave my sins.” What does sacrifice mean? To give up something valuable for the benefit of something or someone.

Jesus gave up His very life to take the punishment for our sin so we can be forgiven and live forever with Him in heaven someday. Isn’t that wonderful?

Let’s play a game about being forgiven and set free from our sin!

Jesus said in John 8:34-36:

“I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin. … So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.”

When we sin, we are bound to sin like slaves. The Good News is that Jesus—God’s Son—sets us free from our sin so we can have hope and peace and joy. Wow!

Divide the class into two equal teams. Have each team form a line behind the mark or taped line. Put the “Forgiven and Set Free” cards in the “Forgiven” box and place it at the foot of the cross. Place the “Sin” box next to that box, and give each child a “Bound by Sin” card. The game is a relay race. Each player must keep his or her ankles tightly together—as if bound or tied—and hop to the cross while holding the “Bound by Sin” card. Optional: each player hops to the “Sin” box with both feet in a paper grocery bag. The child then places the sin card in the “Sin” box and takes a “Forgiven and Set Free” card from the other box. The players then are set free and run back to the line so the next player can begin. Play until everyone is completely set free from sin!

Good job everybody! You are all set free! How did it feel to exchange your sin for forgiveness and be set free to run again?

Remember what our verse said in the book of John—

“if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.”

Teaching

We have been talking about Jesus’ amazing sacrifice to save us from our sins. But what exactly is sin?

Sin is disobedience. It is anything that we do, say, or even think that goes against God’s Word. Sin is anything that displeases God.

What number of sins is too many to get into heaven?

Write each number on the board as you say it and have children raise their hands to answer each question.

Who thinks 500 sins is too many to enter heaven?

Who thinks 300 sins?

How about 100 sins?

How about only 10 sins, is that the limit?

The answer is one! Write the number “1” on the board and circle it.

One sin is too many to get into heaven. God’s standard is to be perfect—that means zero sins! That is a big problem because Romans 3:23 says:

For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.

The Good News is that God had a plan from the beginning to solve the sin problem. The plan is our SuperVerse today from John 3:16. Let’s say it together:

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

God sent His Son to the world to die for us and save us from our sins. 1 John 1:7 says:

The blood of Jesus, His Son, cleanses us from all sin.

Wipe away the “1” so the board is clean. 1 John 1:9 says:

If we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.

How many sins will God forgive?

He forgives ALL our sins—every single one!

This would be an ideal time to ask children if they have ever asked Jesus to forgive their sins and to lead them in a prayer of salvation. Ask the children to close their eyes and SILENTLY confess any sins to God and ask Him to forgive them. Then lead them in the following prayer:

Heavenly Father, thank You for loving us so much that You sent Your own Son to sacrifice His perfect life on the cross for my sins and to give me everlasting life. I am sorry for my sins and I ask You, Jesus, to cleanse my heart and give me a new life in You! I love You, Jesus, and I choose to follow You, today. Amen.

Discipleship Challenge/Practical Application

Today, we are going to make a cross to remind us what Jesus has done for us.

• Hand out the markers, string, scissors, and cross pattern to each child.
• Have children cut out crosses and write their names on the backs of the crosses.
• Fold in half with the verse and pattern showing on each side, punch a hole near the top of each folded cross, and tie a string through the holes to make a necklace or bookmark.
• Display your finished cross as a model for the children.

Good job on making your crosses! Are you ready for today’s challenge? Our challenge is to pray as Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane. Who remembers what He prayed? That God’s will would be done, not His own.

In your prayer time, thank Jesus for sacrificing His life on the cross to forgive your sins and give you new life in Him! Here is the second part of our challenge: Instead of just telling God what you want, ask Him to show you His will and what He desires for you! Then spend some time listening for His answers in your heart as you pray and read your Bible.

Wear your cross as often as possible until next time or hang it in your room to remind you of the Superbook Challenge! The next time we meet, I will ask you what happened when you prayed and listened for His answers.

SuperVerse

Our SuperVerse today is John 3:16:

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

Has anyone memorized John 3:16?

Allow children to try to say it out loud. Have children look up John 3:16 in their Bibles and ask someone to read it aloud.

Think of that for a moment—God loves us so much He sent His only Son to Earth to die for us! What should we do in response? Believe Him, trust Him.

When we believe in Jesus, what happens? We are saved from death and given everlasting life.

Yes, all we are required to do is believe! Let’s learn this verse so we never forget that God loves us and Jesus died for us. This is Good News that we can share with others!

Have children line up side-by-side, facing the board with John 3:16 written on it. Start at one end and have each child say one word of the verse aloud. Children must listen closely and follow the verse on the board so they know what word to speak when it is their turns.

If you have a small class, start at the beginning of the line again until the verse is completed. If you have a large class, divide the class into two teams.

For an alternate Memory Verse activity, see SuperVerse Volley under Additional Activities.

Note: If younger children are not able to memorize the entire SuperVerse, simply have them repeat it several times and be sure they understand its meaning.

Prayer

Our SuperTruth tells us that Jesus loves us so much that He sacrificed His life and forgave our sins. There was no other way for sin to be forgiven except by Jesus sacrificing His sinless life on the cross. There are no words that can possibly describe God’s grace and mercy when He sent His Son to Earth to save us. Jesus forgives us, but do you know that Jesus expects us to do as He did?

Have children look up Colossians 3:13 in their Bibles and have a child read it aloud:

Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.

What are some ways that someone can offend or sin against us? Lie, bully, say unkind words, treat us badly, steal from us.

What does the verse tell us to do when someone offends us? Make allowance for it, forgive them.

Why should we do this? Because Jesus forgives us.

Forgiveness is not an option; the Bible tells us that we must forgive because Jesus forgives us!

Sometimes it may feel like the offense against us is so big that we can’t possibly forgive someone. But the Holy Spirit inside us will help us to pray and to forgive.

Ask the children to find a place alone in the room. Tell the children to pray silently and ask the Holy Spirit to help them to forgive anyone who has offended them. Lead the children in a closing prayer, thanking God for His sacrifice so that our sins could be forgiven and to help them always to forgive others as He demonstrated on the cross.

Egg Object Lesson

Today’s lesson is about how Jesus saved us from our sins when He sacrificed His life on the cross for us. When we ask Jesus to forgive our sins and cleanse our hearts, we get to start over with a new, clean heart—free from sin. 2 Corinthians 5:17 tells us: 

Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

That’s Good News, isn’t it?  

Who can tell me what sin is again?

Sin is disobedience to God’s Word—it is anything that we do, or say, or think that displeases God. What are some sins that people might need to be forgiven for? Lying, stealing, disobeying parents, cheating, being unkind to others, using bad language, etc.

Write their answers on the shell of the egg with various marker colors. Abbreviate answers to fit as necessary—it doesn’t matter if words overlap. Optional: give an egg to each child and have them do the activity on their own eggs.

Have you ever touched a hardboiled egg? Pass around the egg so the children can touch the hard outer shell of the hardboiled egg.

How does the egg feel? How does it look to you? Hard, smooth, fragile.

This egg represents our hearts before we know Jesus. Our hearts are hard and stained with sin. This sin fills us with guilt and weighs us down. We may feel like everyone sees our sin. Sometimes it may keep us from approaching God because we know He sees our sin and we are ashamed! But watch this! Jesus’ sacrifice is all that was needed to forgive all the sins in the whole world! When we believe in Jesus as our Savior and ask Him to forgive our sins, slowly peel away the shell He removes our sin—just like I am removing the shell of this egg. Continue to peel until the shell is completely removed.

What does the egg look and feel like now? Soft, clean, different, new.

Pass around the peeled egg so all children can hold it. Remind them to be gentle and not to squeeze the egg. This represents what takes place when we are forgiven—we are cleansed and made new—our sins are removed. Hold the egg up and rotate it in your fingers.

Can you see any trace of the sins that were written on it?

Let’s say our SuperTruth together: “Jesus loves me so much that He sacrificed His life and forgave my sins.”

Bible Study

Have children look up verses and lead a discussion of the verses using the questions below.

1. Hebrews 10:1–2

The old system under the law of Moses was only a shadow, a dim preview of the good things to come, not the good things themselves. The sacrifices under that system were repeated again and again, year after year, but they were never able to provide perfect cleansing for those who came to worship. If they could have provided perfect cleansing, the sacrifices would have stopped, for the worshipers would have been purified once for all time, and their feelings of guilt would have disappeared.

• In these verses, why was the old way or old system imperfect? Why was a better way needed? Sacrifices did not cleanse sin, only covered it. Needed to be done over and over.
• What do you think the old system was a preview of or a signpost to? Jesus' perfect sacrifice and total cleansing of sin.

2. Hebrews 10:8–10

First, Christ said, “You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings or burnt offerings or other offerings for sin, nor were you pleased with them” (though they are required by the law of Moses). Then He said, “Look, I have come to do Your will.” He cancels the first covenant in order to put the second into effect. For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time.

• The old system under the law of Moses was to sacrifice animals to cover sins—but it did not perfectly cleanse or remove the sins. The sacrifices had to be performed over and over—year after year. What did Jesus do? He lived a perfect life and was the complete and perfect sacrifice for our sins.
• Does the sacrifice of Jesus need to be done over and over again? No, Jesus died once, for all.

3. Hebrews 10:11–14

Under the old covenant, the priest stands and ministers before the altar day after day, offering the same sacrifices again and again, which can never take away sins. But our High Priest offered Himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then He sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand. There He waits until His enemies are humbled and made a footstool under His feet. For by that one offering He forever made perfect those who are being made holy.

• How often did the Old Testament or old covenant priest need to offer sacrifices? Day after day, continually.
• Why did the priest need to do this continually? The sacrifices did not fully cleanse or wash away sins. It was not a perfect sacrifice.
• Who do you think our High Priest is? Jesus.
• What did Jesus offer Himself to God as? Perfect, single sacrifice.
• What did Jesus do then, did He stay on Earth? No, He went to heaven and sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of God, His Father.
• What did His perfect sacrifice make us? Holy, forgiven, redeemed, perfect in God’s sight.

Pray: Thank You, God, for sending Jesus to be the perfect sacrifice for our sin! You accomplished what no one else could do to satisfy the sin debt we owed. We praise You, Jesus, for triumphing over the enemy, conquering sin and death. We look forward to a victorious life on Earth and everlasting life with You in heaven! In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Debt Object Lesson

Right before Jesus’ death, the soldiers who crucified Him raised a sponge full of vinegar to Him on the cross. John 19:30 says:

When Jesus had tasted it, He said, “It is finished!” Then He bowed His head and released His spirit.

What did Jesus mean when He said those words before He died? The words, “It is finished” are a translation of the Greek word tetelestai—pronounced “teh-TELL-ih-sty”—that means to end or bring something to completion or fulfillment. Jesus had completed the mission that God sent Him to Earth to do. He had lived a sinless life and obediently submitted to and completed God’s plan to redeem us.

In Bible times, that Greek word was stamped or written across a bill—for example a tax or debt document—when the debt was paid in full! This meant that the person who owed that debt was free and clear from it; nothing more was owed.

Take out the Debt Document and show the children.

When humans sin, there is a debt that needs to be paid to God for that sin. No ordinary man could pay the price because all humans are sinful. Jesus came to Earth to live a perfect, sinless life to pay the debt for our sin with His precious blood and death! When Jesus cried out, “It is finished,” He declared that the debt for sin was paid in full!

With a marker write, “Paid in Full” across the document and show children.

1 Timothy 2:6 says:

He gave His life to purchase freedom for everyone.

SuperVerse Game

Let’s say our SuperVerse, John 3:16, together:

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

This SuperVerse is so important to remember. Place a balloon on the floor.

Some days, when things aren’t going well and we are feeling down, knowing that God loves us can really lift us up. Take the balloon off the floor and toss it toward the ceiling.

We are going to play an easy, fun game to help us put this SuperVerse in our hearts today, so we can always remember that Jesus loves us, He died for us, and He forgives us!

Divide the children into pairs. Four pairs of children will play at one time. Give a balloon to each pair. Have them stand facing each other about 6–10 feet apart and parallel to the board with the SuperVerse written on it so they can quickly look at it as needed. Leave as much room between pairs of children as possible. Start the game. Each round goes for 1 minute. The children volley the balloon back and forth as they say one word of the SuperVerse at a time. If a balloon hits the floor, they must start over at the beginning of the SuperVerse. The first team to complete the SuperVerse within 1 minute wins the round! Play again with the next group of pairs. Play a championship round at the end for all the winners.

Note: Players cannot catch the balloon; it must be batted or volleyed with an open hand, head, or arm. The first player says “For,” the second player says, “God” and so on as they tap the balloon.

Let’s all shout out our SuperVerse, John 3:16, one more time!

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”