Guardians of Ancora Bible Plan: Jesus is Alive!Àpẹrẹ

UNBELIEVABLE

It’s strange how your mind works when the unexpected happens, when you’re in shock. Random thoughts pop into your head. You can’t take in what you are hearing or seeing. Your brain struggles to piece the jigsaw together. And then everything falls into place, the confusion disappears and the reality of what you are confronting hits you.

We can’t understand why Mary didn’t ‘get it’ at first. It was so obvious! Jesus’ body wasn’t in the tomb because, of course, he was alive! He had been raised from death by God. It was just as he had said.

We smile as we read of Jesus approaching Mary, still very bewildered and upset. We imagine the gentle way he would have said her name. And then the sheer joy and amazement as realisation dawned in an instant. In that moment it all made sense, as Mary turned and recognised her Lord and Master, not dead at all, but very much alive!

But, of course, we know the end of the story.

TALKABOUT

What was Mary Magdalene’s first thought, when Jesus’ body was not in the burial cave?

What did she understand, when she met Jesus face to face?

TALKING WITH GOD TOGETHER

This activity ‘Holding cross’ is from the Family Hub on the Guardians of Ancora website.

Wooden ‘holding crosses’ are shaped to fit snugly into a hand, but you could use any style of cross. Take it in turns to hold a cross and say whatever you want to God (aloud or silently) about Jesus dying – and being alive, now.

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). If you have several devices, play the game at the same time. Or watch each other play, in turn.

Have you completed the first chapter of ‘Jesus is Alive!’? See how you get on with Chapter 2 today.

Fabula has brought the Guildmaster along for this Quest, and she wants to find out what’s going to happen next. When you find the tomb, you’ll find Mary Magdalene too. She’s looking for the body of Jesus. She thinks a man standing near her is the gardener, but when he says her name, she knows – it’s Jesus!

What a story!