The Walk to Emmaus

We've done the resurrection story twice already, so I wanted to do something a little different this year. This story worked well—and we had exactly three kids, so just the right number of characters.

Last week was the Chinese grave-sweeping festival. Some families went on the actual holiday, but some go anywhere around the time that it's convenient. It's one reason we only had three kids! It struck me as interesting that this festival always falls right around Easter. So I say in the story that the reason the women went to the grave was to "sweep" (or "beautify") it—which would have been all they could have done if they had been met with a stone they couldn't roll away. But unlike any of our grave-sweeping friends, when these ladies got to the tomb, the occupant had come back to life!

Today is Easter Sunday. On the first Easter Sunday afternoon, two friends were walking from Jerusalem to another village.	two kids start walking together. 1. Wears jacket with rip or stain
One says to the other, this past week has been like a bad dream! The other agrees with him.
Another person, a stranger, walks up behind them and says, what are you talking about?	third person walks with them, wearing jacket with hood
They say, what do you think? We would think anyone coming from Jerusalem would know about what happened there. But the stranger says he doesn't know. So they say, it's a long story; let's sit down & we'll tell you all about it.	They pull up three stools and sit down.
1. Have you heard this name before? (he answers yes) Well, then you know how for the past three years he has been going around teaching and doing great works.	they show stranger a piece of paper with the name "Jesus;" he reads it.
2. Do you remember that time we were on the boat, and there was that huge wind & big waves? We were afraid we were going to die! But Jesus got up and told the storm to settle down—and it did!	turn on small fan for wind, scatter bits of blue for waves. Boy stands up and makes settle-down gesture, sits back down
1. And His preaching was really helpful. I had loaned this jacket to my friend, and when she gave it back to me it was dirty—see how dirty? I was so angry I didn't talk to my friend for weeks! But Jesus told us the importance of forgiving each other. So I forgave her, and you know what? I did feel a lot better after that.	takes off jacket, shows rip or stain, puts it back on
2. Yes, He was a really good man. We thought He was surely the Son of God, come to save Israel. But the leaders of Israel were so jealous of Him that they had Him killed. And not only that, but He died on a cross, which is a really horrible way to die. It was awful!!	picks up sticks from ground, forms them into a cross to show the others
1. But then—you'll never believe this—this morning, some friends were going to sweep His grave. But it was open, and empty, and they said they saw an angel who told them Jesus had come back to life! They didn't see Him, though. Now was this like something you'd dream, or what?	stands up, puts on halo, flaps arms like wings
But the stranger replies: you guys really don't know your history, do you? (Huh?)	sticks the word "history" on board
You know, many hundreds of years ago, God had already sent messengers to tell us that His Son would come to earth and suffer, and be killed, and come back to life. Remember? There was David (1000 years ago), and Isaiah (700 years ago) and Zechariah (500 years ago) for three!	Sticks up names and dates: David, Isaiah, Zechariah, 1000, 700, 500, yrs. Ago (adult B. study was from a couple of these prophecies)
1 & 2. Wow, you have really given us a lot to think about! Listen, it's getting late, let's have dinner together, okay?	they get up & walk around, set up table & sit. Servant girl brings loaf of bread, pours water
The stranger said, let's give thanks for the food. He holds his hands up to pray, and his sleeves fall back. They see scars on his wrists—just like the scars from someone being nailed to a cross!	lifts hands to pray, sleeves fall back & there are scars on his wrists
1 & 2. You—you are Jesus! You really did come back to life!
He smiles and says, that's right! Enjoy your dinner, friends! Then he disappears.	Jesus gets up, pats them on shoulders, leaves.
1 & 2. Wow, He really is alive again! We'd better hurry back to Jerusalem and tell our friends!	They get up and run back to group

The only glitch in the story came when we discovered "Jesus" had ripped off the little scar marks I'd stuck to his wrists, obviously too early. Oh well!

We emphasized (dramatic license) that they recognized him by the scars on His hands (the Chinese use the same word for arm & hand), so that it would tie in with our game. All the adult women—and we had a couple of volunteers visiting that day, to make it more fun—went into a side room and each then stuck a hand out through the slightly-open door (all at the same time). The object was to find your mother/grandmother (or wife) by recognizing her hand. Our boys don't take well to being blindfolded, but we started off with my husband & then our one neuro-typical girl & they did have to be blindfolded. Neither of them guessed correctly. Bruce guessed Grandma Si's hand as mine, and we all teased him that he has to hold my hand more often! Lei Ka Hei visually picked his mom's hand, correctly. Si Wa Hon had a special trick—can't say whether or not it was deliberate. He just yanked hard on each hand in turn, and everyone involuntarily yelped. He knew his grandmother by her voice!

For our craft, we made "Easter bonnets" from paper plates and bowls; aren't they pretty?