Jesus Ascends To Heaven
Children's Resources
Spotlight On Jesus
Readers' Theater For Children's Church
Characters
Narrator
Peter
John
Andrew
Jesus
Questions
1.
Can you remember some of the times and places the risen Jesus came to his disciples?
2.
What task did Jesus give his disciples?
3.
What was Jesus going to do when he returned to heaven?
Narrator: After Easter, Jesus appeared to the disciples on several occasions. He told Mary Magdalene that he would soon ascend to his Father in heaven. That time has come. Peter, his brother, Andrew, and John are recalling some of the recent events.
Peter: These past forty days have been absolutely wonderful, seeing our risen Lord, never knowing when he would appear, where we would see him next.
John: Mary Magdalene was the first to see him outside his tomb.
Andrew: We all saw him in the upper room.
John: (chuckles) Remember the two who walked with him toward Emmaus? They came rushing back to us, all breathless and excited.
Peter: My favorite time was when he met us by Lake Galilee. I'll never forget how he asked me, "Peter, do you love me?" Three times he asked me, like the three times I denied knowing him.
Andrew: Or that time up on the mountain in Galilee. And all the other times. Different times and different places.
Peter: I guess there's no doubt, Jesus can be with us -- any time, any where.
Jesus: Peter, Andrew, John: God's peace be with you.
John: Ooooo, Jesus (like a sigh), you've come to us again! How wonderful! (with deep affection)
Jesus: My friends, I have a tremendous and wonderful task for you. I'm sending you out to proclaim the good news.
Peter: What are we to say?
Jesus: I have already trained you and sent you out several times before. You preached and healed, but now I want you to witness, to tell the world all that you've seen me do and say. Show the people how my life was predicted by the prophets -- my birth in Micah and Isaiah; my ministry in Isaiah; my entry into Jerusalem in Zechariah; my suffering and death in the Psalms and Isaiah; my resurrection in Psalms and the whale spitting up Jonah; my establishing a new covenant in Jeremiah; my fulfilling God's promise to Abraham that his seed would bless the whole world. But most of all, tell that you saw me die and then raised to life again. [can eliminate chapter references]
Andrew: That's an awful lot to say. I don't think I can remember it all.
Jesus: When my Spirit comes upon you, you will remember and you will be given the words to say.
John: Where do you want us to start proclaiming the gospel? Here in Jerusalem or back up in Galilee?
Jesus: I'm sending you into the whole world, beginning right here in Jerusalem, but also in Galilee and everywhere that people live. Tell them the good news. Make them into real disciples by teaching them to believe in me and to obey my commandments. Have them confess their faith as you baptize them into the fellowship of my people.
Peter: Jesus, do you have to leave us, to go back to heaven?
Jesus: Peter, I'll never leave you. I'll always be with you through my Spirit.
John: Lord, you won't forget us, will you?
Jesus: Oh, John, you've been my friends these past three years. I've lived with you; I've been training you to carry on my work. Now I'm counting on you to be faithful to that task. Yes, I am returning to my heavenly home, but I'll always be thinking of you. I'll be praying for you that my Heavenly Father will guide you by his Spirit, keeping you strong in the faith and helping you to remain faithful to your life's end. That's why you must wait for the Spirit to come before beginning your work.
Andrew: Will we ever see you again?
Jesus: Not in this world, but we will meet in the next. I'm preparing a place for you so we can be together forever. Now it's time to go. Blessed be you, my friends, in the holy work that you will be doing for me on earth. Remember me.
Andrew: That cloud! It's blocking him from our sight!
Peter: He's gone; he has left us.
John: No, Peter, he isn't gone. Remember what he said. He'll be with us always.
Read the questions again, and prompt answers from the children.
Narrator
Peter
John
Andrew
Jesus
Questions
1.
Can you remember some of the times and places the risen Jesus came to his disciples?
2.
What task did Jesus give his disciples?
3.
What was Jesus going to do when he returned to heaven?
Narrator: After Easter, Jesus appeared to the disciples on several occasions. He told Mary Magdalene that he would soon ascend to his Father in heaven. That time has come. Peter, his brother, Andrew, and John are recalling some of the recent events.
Peter: These past forty days have been absolutely wonderful, seeing our risen Lord, never knowing when he would appear, where we would see him next.
John: Mary Magdalene was the first to see him outside his tomb.
Andrew: We all saw him in the upper room.
John: (chuckles) Remember the two who walked with him toward Emmaus? They came rushing back to us, all breathless and excited.
Peter: My favorite time was when he met us by Lake Galilee. I'll never forget how he asked me, "Peter, do you love me?" Three times he asked me, like the three times I denied knowing him.
Andrew: Or that time up on the mountain in Galilee. And all the other times. Different times and different places.
Peter: I guess there's no doubt, Jesus can be with us -- any time, any where.
Jesus: Peter, Andrew, John: God's peace be with you.
John: Ooooo, Jesus (like a sigh), you've come to us again! How wonderful! (with deep affection)
Jesus: My friends, I have a tremendous and wonderful task for you. I'm sending you out to proclaim the good news.
Peter: What are we to say?
Jesus: I have already trained you and sent you out several times before. You preached and healed, but now I want you to witness, to tell the world all that you've seen me do and say. Show the people how my life was predicted by the prophets -- my birth in Micah and Isaiah; my ministry in Isaiah; my entry into Jerusalem in Zechariah; my suffering and death in the Psalms and Isaiah; my resurrection in Psalms and the whale spitting up Jonah; my establishing a new covenant in Jeremiah; my fulfilling God's promise to Abraham that his seed would bless the whole world. But most of all, tell that you saw me die and then raised to life again. [can eliminate chapter references]
Andrew: That's an awful lot to say. I don't think I can remember it all.
Jesus: When my Spirit comes upon you, you will remember and you will be given the words to say.
John: Where do you want us to start proclaiming the gospel? Here in Jerusalem or back up in Galilee?
Jesus: I'm sending you into the whole world, beginning right here in Jerusalem, but also in Galilee and everywhere that people live. Tell them the good news. Make them into real disciples by teaching them to believe in me and to obey my commandments. Have them confess their faith as you baptize them into the fellowship of my people.
Peter: Jesus, do you have to leave us, to go back to heaven?
Jesus: Peter, I'll never leave you. I'll always be with you through my Spirit.
John: Lord, you won't forget us, will you?
Jesus: Oh, John, you've been my friends these past three years. I've lived with you; I've been training you to carry on my work. Now I'm counting on you to be faithful to that task. Yes, I am returning to my heavenly home, but I'll always be thinking of you. I'll be praying for you that my Heavenly Father will guide you by his Spirit, keeping you strong in the faith and helping you to remain faithful to your life's end. That's why you must wait for the Spirit to come before beginning your work.
Andrew: Will we ever see you again?
Jesus: Not in this world, but we will meet in the next. I'm preparing a place for you so we can be together forever. Now it's time to go. Blessed be you, my friends, in the holy work that you will be doing for me on earth. Remember me.
Andrew: That cloud! It's blocking him from our sight!
Peter: He's gone; he has left us.
John: No, Peter, he isn't gone. Remember what he said. He'll be with us always.
Read the questions again, and prompt answers from the children.
