Game

When Jesus rose from the dead, He appeared to Mary Magdalene outside the tomb. What did He tell her to do? Go tell the others that He is alive!

Mary Magdalene quickly obeyed and ran to tell the disciples the Good News—Jesus is alive!

Before Jesus went up to heaven, He met with His disciples and gave them a very important command. He also gave them a wonderful promise! Let’s read what He said in the Bible; see if you can find the command and the promise in these verses

Read Matthew 28:19-20

Go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

What command did Jesus give His disciples? “Go and make disciples of all the nations.”

What promise did Jesus give His disciples? “I am with you always.”

Because we are Jesus’ disciples, this command and this promise are for us, today. Jesus is alive, and His Spirit will go with us as we share the Good News with others!

Let’s say our SuperTruth together: “I will celebrate Jesus’ resurrection and share the Good News with others.” Who can tell me what the Good News is?

The Good News is the Gospel of Jesus Christ—God’s plan of salvation. As followers of Jesus, we are called to tell others the Good News that Jesus died on the cross for our sins and rose again to give us everlasting life!

Let’s play a game about sharing the Good News.

Have one child stand in the middle of the room. Divide the remaining children into four groups. Have each group line up single-file in the four corners of the room, facing the center. Explain the game and begin timing the race. The child in the middle “race-walks” quickly to the first child in the first corner and says, “Jesus is alive—share the Good News!”, then returns to the middle. The child who received the Good News race-walks to the second corner and says, “Jesus is alive—share the Good News!”, then joins the first child in the middle of the room. Play continues until the last child race-walks to the middle and the whole group shouts together, “Jesus is alive—share the Good News!” Stop the time. Play another round and try to beat that time.

Option: for each player or at random times during play, call out different ways to race, such as to hop on one foot, walk backward, skip, etc.; both the player going to the middle and the one sharing the Good News must immediately follow the command. See below for alternate version of game for Grades 1–3.

That was great! You really shared the message quickly! Why do you think we placed you in four corners of the room?

The four corners represent the entire Earth that needs to hear the Good News! Let’s say our SuperTruth again together: “I will celebrate Jesus’ resurrection and share the Good News with others.”

OPTIONAL ALTERNATE VERSION FOR GRADES 1–3

Divide the class into four groups. Have each group line up single-file in the four corners of the room, facing the center. Start the race. The first child in the first corner will race by walking as fast as possible to the second corner, hand off the baton to the first child in that line and say, “Here’s the Good News! Go share it with someone else!” The original player then goes to the end of that line. The child who received the baton race-walks to the third corner, and play continues until the last child races to a corner. Stop the time. Play another round and try to beat that time.