Guardians of Ancora Bible Plan: Jesus is Alive!Намуна

DON’T BE AFRAID!

The angel simply said, ‘Don’t be afraid!’ Us? Afraid? You bet we were afraid! Ordinary women at the grave, simply because we couldn’t keep away.

It was scary stuff. Visiting a tomb just as dawn broke was a bit eerie, to say the least. But then the earthquake overshadowed any feelings of apprehension we might have had. That was terrifying. On top of that, an angel, so blindingly bright! Could our senses have taken any more?

As we stood there, shaking, with the unconscious guards at our feet, it was hard to absorb what the angel was telling us. We had seen the body. We knew. But somehow those words superseded our certainty that Jesus was dead. We realised that something incredible had happened, and although the fear was still lurking, we felt deep joy. If this was true, if it was really true, then it was absolutely, amazingly, fantastic.

And it was!

TALKABOUT

Have you ever thought you have lost something very precious or important to you – and then found it again? How did you feel?

TALKING WITH GOD TOGETHER

Choose a phrase related to today’s Bible reading: maybe, ‘Christ has died; Christ is risen.’ Try the ancient method of ‘breath prayers’, quietly together. Close your eyes and be calm, as you start to feel the rhythm of your breathing. Repeat the phrase silently, over and over, for about a minute (or longer, if you’re all at ease with the stillness).

PLAYING GUARDIANS OF ANCORA

Switch on your game device, go to the Spire and select the Bible Quest ‘Jesus is Alive!’ (tap the ‘game-controller’ icon).

Have you completed both chapters of ‘Jesus is Alive!’? It’s such a fabulous story that you might want to play it again – and even again! As you play together and see what happens in the game, you’ll find many opportunities to chat naturally about God, the Bible and the stories of Jesus. What is your favourite part of this story? Why do you like that part so much?