1. the empty tomb

1. The Empty Tomb

• After Jesus died his friends buried him in a tomb cut out of rock.

• At dawn two friends went to the tomb, and they were amazed to find the stone rolled back and the tomb empty. Mary who saw it first was frightened, and put her hand on her friends shoulder.

• An angel appeared and said ‘Do not be afraid. JESUS IS RISEN, as he said he would.’

• But the women, still terrified at seeing the angel and Jesus gone, turned and ran to tell the other disciples.

• Would you have been frightened at seeing these things that you could not understand? I would have been.

2. Peter and John go to the Tomb

• The two Marys told the disciples that Jesus had gone from the tomb. Peter and John decided to go and look for themselves.

• John got there first but was too afraid to go in. Peter then came so they went in together, and found the burial cloths lying in a heap. The shroud for Jesus’ head was carefully folded.

• Although they realised that what the women saw was true, they still did not think that Jesus was alive. They thought the body had been stolen.

3. Jesus appears to Mary Magdalen

• Mary Magdalen went back to the tomb. She was crying because she though someone had stolen Jesus.

• Mary saw a gardener and he said to her ‘Why are you crying? Who are you looking for?’ She replied ‘Jesus. If you have taken him away please tell me where he is.’ The man answered ‘MARY’. Immediately Mary saw that he was not a gardener, but that it was Jesus himself standing there.

• He looked so different to the man she had seen three days earlier dying on the cross that she had not recognised Him.

4. ON THE ROAD TO EMMAEUS

• Another day Cleophas and a friend, who were also disciples of Jesus, were walking to a village called Emmaeus, when they met a man who asked them what they were talking about. They told Him about Jesus who was going to save them; and that he had been killed and died on a cross.

• The stranger started to explain to them how everything that had been written long ago in the Bible, had come true when Jesus was born. Even his death on a cross.

5. JESUS IS RECOGNISED

• When Cleophas and his friend arrived at Emmaeus it was getting dark, so they persuaded their new friend to stay and have supper with them.

• While they were eating their friend took some bread and gave it to them. It was exactly the way that Jesus had broken the Bread at the last supper. Suddenly they recognised that the man was JESUS! at that moment he disappeared.

• Cleophas and his friend now knew that it was Jesus all time that had walked with them and explained the scriptures to them.

• They rushed back to tell the other disciples the good news.

6. JESUS APPEARS IN A LOCKED ROOM

• The disciples were still afraid after Jesus’ death, and so they hid and locked themselves in an upstairs room.

• While they were eating, Jesus suddenly appeared. He said ‘Peace be with you’. And He asked them why they had not believed Mary and Cleophas when they said that they had seen him. But they thought he must be a ghost.

• So he said ‘IT REALLY IS ME. Look at my hands and my feet. Touch me and see for yourselves. A ghost is not solid.’

• He then said ‘Have you anything here to eat?’ They offered him some fish, which he took and ate before their eyes.

7. JESUS GIVES THE POWER TO FORGIVE SINS

• The next time Jesus came to see the disciples, they were still in a locked room. “Peace be with you” He said.

• Then he said ‘As the Father (God) has sent me, I am sending you.’ Then he breathed on them and said “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins they will be forgiven by God.”

• This is why priests can forgive us our sins in God’s name.

8. THOMAS DID NOT BELIEVE• Thomas was not with the disciples when Jesus

appeared to them in the locked room. He did not believe Jesus could be alive so he said “Unless I put my fingers into his hands, and my hand into his side, I won’t believe he is still alive.”

• So. when Jesus appeared the third time, He turned to Thomas and said ”Look put your fingers into my hands, and your hand into my side”.

• Thomas was astonished to see it was Jesus so he fell to his knees saying “MY LORD AND MY GOD”.

• Jesus said “You believe because you can see me. Happy are those who cannot see me and yet believe.”

9. JESUS APPEARS ON THE BEACH

• Some of the disciples went fishing. They fished all night. At sunrise they saw a man standing on the beach who called out “Have you caught anything my friends?” and when they said “No” he said “ throw your net out again”. So they did. They caught so many fish that they could not pull it into the boat. John said to Peter “It is the Lord (Jesus)”.

• They towed the net full of fish ashore. Then they saw some bread, and a charcoal fire with some fish cooking on it. Jesus stepped forward and gave them some bread and some fish.

10. JESUS MAKES PETER HEAD OF THE CHURCH

• Before He died Jesus had said to Peter. “ You are Peter and you will be Head of my Church.”

• Now, on the beach, Jesus took Peter to one side and said “Do you love me?” Peter said “Yes, you know I do.” Three times Jesus asked him, and three times Peter answered “Yes”.

• Then He told Peter to look after His sheep and His lambs, meaning all the people in his Church.

• He said “Follow me as their leader”.

11. JESUS SENDS THE DISCIPLES OUT INTO THE WORLD

• Jesus had lots of followers, and he came to them and told them to go out into the whole world. He wanted them to teach everyone about God and Jesus.

• He told them to Baptise all his followers “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”

• He also said that they must do everything that He had told them to do when he was with them.

• Then He said “I am with you always (even if you cannot see me), until the end of the world.”

12. JESUS GOES TO HEAVEN

• Jesus told his followers that he would send the Holy Spirit to help them spread the news. He also said he would not leave them and would come back again at the end of the world.

• Then they saw Jesus floating up to heaven.

• There were two angels dressed in white, and when Jesus had gone they said “Why are you standing looking up into the sky? Jesus will come back in the same way that you saw him go.”

13. THE DISCIPLES WAIT FOR THE HOLY SPIRIT

• The disciples were staying in the upstairs room. Mary (Jesus’ mother) and her friends went to see them.

• They all prayed together and waited nine days for the Holy Spirit to come.

14. JESUS SENDS THE HOLY SPIRIT

• The disciples had waited nine days, when the sound of a violent wind suddenly filled the whole room. Toungues of fire came and and landed on each of their heads. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit.

• When the people in Jerusalem heard such a noise, they came to see what was happening. The disciples started telling the people about the wonders of Jesus. All the people were from different countries, but each one heard what they said in his own language.

• The Holy Spirit gave the disciples the courage to go out and tell the good news to the whole world.