Children’s Sermon

Matthew 28:1-10

A Visit to the Cemetery

Today, after someone dies, their body is taken to a cemetery where the body is buried and their friends place a stone with the person’s name on it, so they will always remember their friend or family member. That place where a body is buried is called a cemetery.

After Jesus died on the cross, his body was place in a grave. His grave must have looked like a cave that was dug into a hill. Some people who had heard that Jesus would come back from the dead had placed a huge rock at the opening of the grave.

Early in the morning, Mary Magdalene and another woman named Mary walked to the grave. There was an earthquake. Have any of you been in an earthquake? (Give the children time to respond.) The ground shakes. An earthquake can sometimes be scary. But, something amazing happened that day. An angel of the Lord rolled back the big rock that had been placed over the opening of the Jesus’ grave.

When the two Marys got there, they saw the angel. The Bible says the angel’s clothing was white as snow. He must have been bright, too, because the Bible says something about lightening and lightening is bright. Lying on the ground were the guards who had been assigned to watch the grave. They weren’t dead, but they had gotten so scared that they fainted.

I think Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were frightened, too. They probably had never seen an angel!

But the angel said, “Do not be afraid…He is not here; for he is risen.” The angel was talking about Jesus. Jesus wasn’t in the grave because he was alive. The angel told them to go and tell Jesus’ friends that Jesus had risen from the dead.

Mary Magdalene and the other Mary hurried away and as they were going to tell the disciples, they met Jesus. He said, “Rejoice!” They were so happy, they worshiped him. Then Jesus told them, “Don’t be afraid! Go and tell” others, too.

Do you think we can tell others that Jesus is alive? (Give children time to respond.) Yes. So, who could we tell? (Give children time to respond. You might offer suggestions: I could my friends, my parents, my grandparents.) Yes, we can. And we won’t be afraid.

Prayer: God, thank you that we don’t have to be afraid because Jesus is alive. We can tell others about Jesus and that he rose from death to be our Savior. Amen.