Jesus Is Risen: Pre-Teen Sunday School Lesson (Ages 11-13)
Ages 11-13 · 45 minutes · free lesson plan · Luke 24:1-12
Pre-teens investigate the empty tomb in Luke 24:1-12 through a believe-or-doubt opener, a sequencing activity, discussion, and an Empty Tomb Card craft, learning that Jesus is risen as He said.
Memory verse
He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, (Luke 24:6, KJV)
Lesson objectives
- Retell the events at the empty tomb in order from Luke 24:1-12.
- Explain why the women's report was hard to believe and why remembering Jesus' words matters.
- Respond personally to the news that Jesus is risen by trusting it and telling someone.
The full lesson plan
Believe It or Not? (5 min)
Setup: Mark one side of the room "I believe it" and the other "No way."
Say: "Welcome! Today's story has news so surprising that some people who heard it didn't believe it."
Say: "I'll read three claims. Walk (no running) to the side that matches what you think."
Read three harmless claims, such as "I once met a famous person," "I can name every state capital," and "I have a pet I haven't told you about." Choose ones you can reveal as true or false. After each, ask one or two students why they chose their side. Reveal the answers.
Say: "It's hard to believe surprising news unless there's good evidence. Hold on to that idea."
Say: "Now let's hear a story about the most surprising news ever told."
Read It: Early Morning at the Tomb (8 min)
Setup: Choose volunteers for Narrator, Two Men (v. 5-7) and the Women (v. 8-9). Everyone else follows along in their Bibles.
Say: "Listen for what the women expected, what they found, and how people reacted."
Read Luke 24:1-12 aloud in parts, in order. Pause after v. 3, v. 8 and v. 11 and ask:
- After v. 3: "What did they find? What did they not find?" (The stone rolled away; no body.)
- After v. 8: "What jogged their memory?" (The men reminded them of Jesus' words.)
- After v. 11: "How did the apostles react?" (Words seemed like idle tales; they did not believe.)
Say: "Verse 12 says Peter ran to the tomb, saw the linen clothes laid by themselves, and went away wondering at what had happened."
Background: "The first day of the week" is Sunday.
Say: "Now let's put the events in order like detectives."
Eyewitness Report (8 min)
Setup: Before class, write these events on 8 index cards, one per card, and shuffle each set into an envelope. Make one set per group of 3-4.
1. Women come to the tomb with spices
2. The stone is rolled away
3. They enter and do not find the body
4. Two men in shining garments stand by them
5. The women remember Jesus' words
6. They tell the eleven and all the rest
7. The words seem like idle tales
8. Peter runs to the tomb and sees the linen clothes
Steps (8 min):
1. Form groups and hand out the envelopes.
2. Groups lay out the cards in the order they think they happened.
3. Groups check their order against Luke 24:1-12 and fix mistakes.
4. Each group chooses the card they think is the strongest evidence and explains why.
5. Quickly share answers.
Say: "Good detectives rely on what the text actually says."
Say: "Now let's see what this evidence means for us."
Remember His Words (7 min)
Say: "The women came expecting a dead body. They brought spices for burial. They did not come expecting a resurrection."
Point 1: Jesus said it first. The men said, "Remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee" (v. 6). He had told them He would be crucified and rise on the third day (v. 7). The empty tomb was not a random surprise. It fulfilled what Jesus said.
Point 2: People reacted in different ways. The women were perplexed and afraid, then remembered. The apostles thought it was idle talk. Peter ran to see for himself and went away wondering. Doubt is not new, and Luke tells it honestly.
Point 3: This is good news for us. Jesus died for our sins and rose again, and that victory is for everyone who trusts Him. The women didn't keep the news to themselves. They told it.
Say: "Jesus keeps His promises, so His words are worth remembering and trusting."
Say: "Let's talk about what this means for us."
Talk It Out (7 min)
Small groups of 3-4. Give each group two questions, then take a few answers from the whole class.
1. Why do you think the apostles didn't believe the women at first? (It sounded impossible, and they hadn't yet connected it to what Jesus said.)
2. Why did the men tell the women to remember Jesus' words? (His words were the key to understanding what happened.)
3. When is it hard for you to trust something you can't see or prove? (Answers vary: God's promises, prayer, the future.)
4. Who is one person you could tell about Jesus this week? (A friend, a sibling, a teammate.)
Say: "It's okay to ask honest questions. Luke wrote down these reactions so we'd see that Jesus' resurrection was investigated and told by real people."
Say: "Now let's make something to help us remember."
Empty Tomb Card (7 min)
Safety: Scissors and glue are used. Supervise closely, and check for sensitivities to glue.
Setup: Cut gray paper into circles (stones), one per student. Write Luke 24:6 where students can copy it.
Steps (7 min):
1. Fold a sheet of paper in half like a card.
2. On the front, draw or cut a tomb doorway and glue the gray stone so it covers the opening.
3. Write "Why seek ye the living among the dead?" above it (Luke 24:5).
4. Inside, write Luke 24:6 and draw an empty tomb.
5. Glue the stone at one edge only, so it rolls aside to reveal the verse.
Say: "Give this card to someone this week and tell them why Jesus matters to you."
Say: "Let's close in prayer."
Pray and Send (3 min)
Say: "Jesus is risen, just as He said. Let's thank Him and ask Him to help us trust and share it."
Prayer points (read one at a time; students can pray silently or aloud):
- Thank Jesus for rising from the dead.
- Ask God to help you remember and trust His words.
- Pray for courage to tell someone the good news.
- Pray for friends and family who haven't heard.
Say the memory verse together once: "He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee," (Luke 24:6).
Say: "Go and tell someone this week. Amen."
Materials
- Bibles (KJV if possible)
- 8 index cards with event strips written on them (one set per group)
- Envelopes or bags to hold each card set
- Sheets of paper (one per student, plus gray paper for stones)
- Scissors and glue sticks
- Markers or pens
- Printed or written copy of Luke 24:6
- Whiteboard or large paper
Teacher notes
- Safety: scissors and glue are used in the craft. Supervise, and check for sensitivities to glue or paper dyes.
- Adaptation: provide pre-cut stones and doorways, offer a buddy for reading parts, and let students point to or place cards rather than speak in the activity.
- Stay with the text: Luke 24:4 calls the two figures "men" in shining garments. Do not add details about them, the women's feelings, or the words they spoke beyond what is written.
- Mixed ages: pair older students with younger ones in the Eyewitness Report, and let any student pass on discussion questions.
Send it home with parents
Today we studied Luke 24:1-12, where women found Jesus' tomb empty, were reminded of His words, and told the apostles, who at first did not believe. We talked about trusting Jesus' promises and sharing the news that He is risen.
- Why do you think it was hard for the apostles to believe the women?
- What does it mean to remember Jesus' words, and how can we do that daily?
- Who could we tell about Jesus this week?
Read Luke 24:1-12 together at the table. Then have each person say the part that stands out most and why. Use the Empty Tomb Card as a reminder.
Memorize Luke 24:6 and share the Empty Tomb Card or the good news with one person this week.
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