Upon what do we hang our hope as Christians? This lesson focuses on how the Resurrection of Jesus is central to our faith. There might be times in our lives when we are disappointed by other people or by dreams that don’t pan out as we’d wish. However, we know that we can always rely on God. His promises never fail, and the coming of Christ reminds us that we can count on the Lord for anything and everything in our lives. Even when other situations fail us, we know the life of Jesus provides strength and hope for all things!
Our faith is centered on Jesus Christ and His resurrection. This passage reminds us that our hope is built on Christ the solid rock. Without Jesus, we have nothing. If he did not come to live, die, and rise again, our beliefs are all in vain. That can be a frightening thought, but the wonderful news is that we know our faith is not based on lies. We can rely on Jesus and trust in His truth and promises. The Resurrection gives us hope in Christ, and also provides us with reassurance for our own future and eternal joy in Jesus.
Sunday School Lesson on 1 Corinthians 15 for Children: Jesus is Alive and He is risen
Passage: 1 Corinthians 15:12-26
Target Audience: Kindergarten-6th grade
Materials Needed: Construction paper; glue; markers or crayons; tape; scissors; decorative supplies; rocks; cups; coins/dollars; empty containers; pictures; books; Bibles.
Lesson Opening: This lesson focuses on the reliability of our faith and the truth of the Resurrection. Because we know that Jesus died and rose again, we rest assured that we can count on God for all things in our lives. With students, emphasize how we know what is true, as well as the hope of eternal life. To get thoughts started, use one of the following activities, or design some of your own.
- True or False? Show students various pictures of items, some of which are AI-generated or photo-shopped, and others that are genuine. Invite kids to identify which images are real. Emphasize the importance of discernment and being able to rely on our faith in God’s Word to know what is true.
- Two truths and a lie: have students take turns giving three “facts” about themselves, one of which is made-up. You might also provide them with several “facts” about things (some fictional). Have students guess which statements are false.
- Investigating Scripture: (For older students) Provide students with information that proves the Resurrection or the validity of the Bible. For larger groups, break students into pairs or groups. Have them read the proofs and “report” on them to the rest of the group as a lawyer or reporter might do.
- “Who will rise again?” Play this game similar to “Heads up, seven up.” Have students put heads down, and select a designated number of students to sneakily “tag” a few individuals. Allow the tapped students to stand up and guess who secretly tagged them.
- “Rise up Tag”: Because Jesus rose again, we will one day rise, as well. Have students partner up and sit back to back. Give each student a number or letter (“partner A or B” or “1 or 2”). Call one of the numbers or letters, and have that student jump up quickly and try to tag the other partner, who will make a dash for a designated line or area. Do it several times and keep track of who gets tagged or makes it to “safety” first.
- Better than fiction: discuss favorite fairy tales or fiction books. Talk about what distinguishes the Bible: all of its stories are true! This is a reassuring blessing.
Bible Lesson (1 Corinthians 15:12-26) The Joy of Christ’s Resurrection
Explain that the Resurrection of Jesus is the most important part of the Bible, and is essential to our salvation and faith as Christians.
Bible Lesson:
This passage is a message from Paul’s epistle to the Corinthian church. It does not lend itself as well to role play or acting out, but has important elements to discuss with children. Adapt the depth of conversation to fit the ages and understanding level of your students. Read the verses or have students take turns reading them, and review as you go. You might also consider using additional verses that come before or after those listed here.
Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. 15 We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. -1 Corinthians 15:12-15
These are some pretty serious statements from Paul. Point out that, in the first part of this passage, Paul is referring to the fact that some of the Corinthians doubted the resurrection of people. They might have believed that Jesus rose to life after crucifixion, but they didn’t understand that we as believers are also promised new resurrection bodies. The joy of Christ’s resurrection is that we, too, will have new life and a resurrection after we die. The Resurrection of Jesus comes first, though. And if that didn’t occur, then those who preach the Gospel are essentially liars. It sounds rough, but it’s important to realize how critical the resurrection is to who we are as Christians.
Ask: Have you ever felt doubts about your faith? Did you talk to anyone or do anything about it?
For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. -1 Corinthians 15:16-19
If none of the dead are raised by God, then even Jesus was not raised, and He had to return to life in order to defeat sin, death, and the devil. Our salvation depends on Christ’s resurrection. If Jesus did not rise, we would essentially not be saved! That’s a harsh and frightening prospect. Fortunately, though, Paul follows this with the good news…
Ask: How do we know that we can trust the Bible?
20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. 24 Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death. -1 Corinthians 15:20-26
Yes, without the Resurrection we might be hopeless. But the truth is that Jesus did rise from the dead. We can count on this, and we can count on God’s promises. The rest of this passage is important, as well. It reminds us that, sadly, we all inherited the sin of the first man, Adam. However, we also inherited the life of Jesus. Because He died and rose, we will rise again. He defeated death already, and will come again to reign in glory. This is what we hang our faith on, and it is not in vain. God has kept His promises and will continue to be faithful and to provide for us in every way. Jesus rose again, and one day we will rise again. This is not true because Paul said so or because we say so, but because God says so, and He never fails!
Ask: Have you ever done something without knowing what the outcome would be? What does it mean to trust in someone?
The Resurrection of Jesus gives us hope. First, we know that the Word of God is reliable and true, always and no matter what. We don’t just believe the Bible “because it says so,” but we know that God keeps His promises and that we can hope in Him and trust in Jesus and His Resurrection. Other things in our lives might disappoint us. We can’t always depend on what we think we know or what other people tell us. But we can rely on what the Lord tells us. He give us His Son, Jesus, and promises that one day we will be with Him in Heaven.
Close with prayer, thanking God for His salvation and for the Resurrection.