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There is much about Jesus we do not understand. However, God has revealed SO much to us through the scriptures. Use this Road to Emmaus Object Lesson to discuss biblical revelation with children.
Scripture Focus: Luke 24:13-45; Deuteronomy 29:29
Materials: Inductive Bible Study Form; 3-4 copies of different mystery children’s books; small mirror
Geography: Jerusalem
Background: Jesus has died. He was placed in the tomb. The disciples were scared out of their wits and were hiding in a room somewhere. Then Sunday morning came and the women reported that the stone was rolled away and that there was no body in the tomb. Peter and John ran to the tomb to see for themselves. Then all of the disciples locked themselves in the room. After all, would the Romans or Sanhedrin be after them next?
Object Lesson for The Road to Emmaus:
[Show the books and ask:]
- Do you like mystery books? [Allow for answers, discuss favorite characters or story lines]
- What types of things make good mystery stories? [Allow for answers, discuss how authors weave clues throughout the story, sometimes you can figure out the puzzle and sometimes you can’t]
- Even though you might know something is a clue when you are reading the book, when do ALL of the clues make sense? [At the end]
We like to try to solve the mystery by the clues we read. It’s always fun to see if we are right! But at the end there is an “Ah-ha!” moment when everything makes sense.
God has a book for us to read called the Bible. And all throughout it He tells us clues about Who He is and about His plan. We need to study those clues so we can know more about the mystery of God.
Bible Lesson for The Road to Emmaus
On the day that Jesus rose from the dead, He appeared to different people. Towards the end of the day, He appeared to two of His disciples who were walking from Jerusalem towards Emmaus, which was a 2-3 hour walk.
The Bible tells us that the eyes of the men were “restrained,” or not allowed, to know that it was Jesus who joined them on their walk.
Jesus asked the men why they were sad.
{Ask:}
- If Jesus is God, which He is, wouldn’t He have already known why the men were sad? [Yes]
- Why do you think He asked them about it then? [Allow for answers, perhaps it was a way to begin conversation. Recognizing the emotions of people around us is important and allows us to talk to them about what they are feeling and could be a way to introduce Jesus to people.]
The Bible says that one of the men was Cleopas. He seemed quite amazed that Jesus had not heard of what had happened over the last few days. The death of Jesus must have caused quite a stir.
{Ask:}
- Did Jesus really not know what had happened? [No. He was Jesus. He was the One who had just died and rose again.]
- Why do you think Jesus asked them about what happened? [Allow for answers, it is possible that Jesus wanted them to go through all of the facts of the weekend BEFORE He took them on a journey through the Old Testament. He wanted them to voice some of the clues!]
When they got to the village, the two men invited Jesus to stay with them. Jesus sat at the table to eat and broke the bread. At that moment, the Bible tells us that the eyes of the men “were opened” and they realized Jesus was with them.
{Ask:}
- After you read a good book, or watch a great movie, what do you like to do? [Talk about it, and tell others to read it or watch it.]
That’s what the men did! They started talking to each other, “Didn’t our hearts burn inside when He was telling us about the scriptures?” And then they left in a hurry to go back to Jerusalem to tell the others.
The clues were revealed. These two men knew and understood Who was with them. Once they were with the eleven others they said, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!”
{Ask:}
- Why were there only 11 disciples? [Judas had hung himself after feeling sorrow when Jesus was arrested by the Sanhedrin.]
- Who did the two men refer to when they said Simon? [Probably Simon Peter, the disciple. So what these men were saying was something like, “The Lord really has risen and He really did appear to Simon Peter!”]
While all of this is going on, Jesus appeared in the room with the disciples. They were terrified and thought that He was a ghost. Jesus asked for food and ate it. He told them to touch His hands.
He told the disciples that everything that had happened over the past few days took place to fulfill the prophecies of the Old Testament.
And THEN! Jesus “opened” the eyes of all of them. This was their “Ah-ha” moment! Everything made sense!
He opened their minds, and their eyes, as well! And they finally understood what Jesus wanted them to know. Jesus had not come into the world to save Israel from Rome. It was MUCH larger than that!
Jesus had come to save humanity from sin.
Jesus had come to allow men to have a relationship with God again.
Jesus had come to earth to take God’s punishment for man.
And now the disciples understood.
Life Application of The Road to Emmaus:
{Read Deuteronomy 29:29.}
God has given us the Bible. The Old Testament is filled with clues about how God is going to bring humanity back to Himself.
In the New Testament we learn how God chooses to save all mankind. We also are given clues about Jesus coming back to earth. This hasn’t happened yet.
When you read the Bible, sometimes it makes sense, and sometimes we need help understanding what we are reading. If you listen to your parents, or Sunday School teacher, when they teach you about the things of God, it is possible that God will reveal something to you. God wants everyone to know about Him, but He only reveals them a little bit at a time.
{Breathe across the mirror causing it to fog. Ask:}
- When you take a hot bath, what happens to the mirror? [It gets foggy.]
That’s like what it is for us while we are on this earth. The things of God can be foggy. He can be mysterious.
- But what happens as the bathroom cools? [The water eventually fades away.]
{Show the clear mirror.}
As you learn more about God, read the Bible, go to church, listen to good advice from those who love Jesus, then your mirror becomes less foggy. But while we are on earth our mirror will never be totally clear. That won’t happen until we are in heaven with Jesus. THEN we can ask any question we might have to Jesus and our mirror will be clear. We will understand all kinds of things that confused us here on earth.
Many times people will read something in the scriptures, not understand it, and then discount the Bible all together. That is not what we are to do. We are to ask God, seek His face, go to Him and give Him our confusions and worries.
God is not out to trick us. He is on our side. He wants to reveal Himself to you. He has plenty of clues for you, but are you listening?