Empty Tomb
Art Workshop: Banner of Promise, Symbols of New Life and Hope
Summary of Lesson Activities:
Students first "decode" the "Hymn of Promise" lyric-video and then create a banner from its images and symbols of new life.
Scripture References:
Matthew, 28:1-10, Mark 16:1-8, Luke 24:1-12, John 20:1-10
Memory Verse:
“He is not here. He has risen!” Luke 24:6
Preparation and Room Set-Up:
- Review background information, teaching tips and lesson materials.
- Gather the paint pens, 8x8 squares of cloth, pencils and paper.
- Cover the tables with the old tablecloths
Materials List: see below.
Here is the video you will play for the students to "decode" -- list the images of renewal, newness, and hope found in it and the words of Natalie Sleeth's "Hymn of Promise."
Note: There are many versions of different groups singing this hymn. Some include images with the lyrics. We thought this one posted by "Mosaic at St. Andrew" was easiest to listen to and watch. https://youtu.be/F86RFrwICCc?si=R52M7f2HlwmRbe9f
Lesson Plan
Opening:
Welcome your students, explain what they'll be doing today and what you hope they will learn.
Introduce the Story with these Questions:
The following is your scripture activity for the lesson ~ the Holy Week story provided by your students and filled in with your comments. It is also supplemented by the images and lyrics of the song. If needed, you may also use a Bible storybook to summarize the story of the Empty Tomb.
- What did Jesus do on Palm Sunday? (Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the back of the donkey. People waved palm branches and proclaimed Him to be their king. He went straight to the temple and began teaching.
- What did Jesus do on Thursday of the week? (On Thursday, Jesus celebrated the Passover meal with His disciples that became The Last Supper.)
- Where did Jesus go after the Last Supper and what happened to him? (He went out to pray in the Garden of Gethsemane and was betrayed by Judas. Jesus was arrested, tried, convicted and sentenced to death by crucifixion.)
- What happened to Jesus on "Good Friday"? (Jesus was nailed to a cross and died. He was placed in a new tomb on a rocky hillside and lay in that tomb until Sunday. Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea had prepared the body as much as possible before the sunset on Friday, and the Sabbath began. A huge boulder was rolled into place at the entrance, and two guards were placed outside to ensure that nobody could enter without their permission and help.)
- What happened to Jesus on early Sunday morning? (Mary Magdalene and the “Other Mary” went to the tomb hoping to be able to put some ritual ointments on his dead body as a sign of respect and love. But they found the tomb empty. Jesus had risen from the dead!)
- What did the angels tell the woman at the empty tomb? (He is not here, he has risen!)
- How would you have reacted if you had found the tomb empty? If you suddenly saw an angel and hear the words for the first time, "He is not here. He is risen." ???
Introduce the activity:
Forty days passed between the resurrection and Jesus’ ascension into heaven. There were many witnesses who saw Jesus during that time. Jesus said that anyone who believed would be blessed.
The Resurrection and Ascension occurred almost 2000 years ago, but God has left us many signs to remind us of the changes and new life God wants us to experience when we believe in Jesus and feel his Spirit at work in our lives. In a moment, I'm going to play a song-video ALL ABOUT the signs we see all around us.
A woman named Natalie Sleeth wrote a song entitled “Hymn of Promise” to describe the many wonderful new beginnings God has provided. These examples help us understand the new life God gives us when we believe in Jesus! (Note: This song has become a popular Easter-time hymn in many denominations both for congregational singing and choirs.)
Directions:
- Play the "Hymn of Promise" video -- the one with all the images that go with the lyrics.
- As the song plays, invite children to shout aloud the symbols/images they hear in the lyrics and see on the screen -- as you write them on the board. These will be the images/lyrics they choose from to make their banner square.
- If needed, watch the video a second time.
- Have them sketch out an illustration of their song symbol on the paper. Encourage them to make their drawing large -- to fill most of the space on their paper. Once they are satisfied with the drawing, give them a fabric square. (If desired, show the children the pictures/clip art you have collected to help them as they plan their drawing.)
- It may be helpful to tape the square to the table top using masking or painter's tape. The adhesive backing should provide enough body/stiffening to make drawing easy.
- Have children use paint markers to draw and color their symbol onto the fabric square.
- If you have more than 12 children, include words from the song such as Hope, Future, Life, Eternity, Victory. Or have children think of additional symbols/pictures that the song evokes.
- Have the children use a fine-tipped sharpie marker to write their initials in the bottom corner of the square.
If time, have them complete MORE than one square.
If you have space, invite each student to create a self-portrait of themselves "celebrating" Jesus resurrection or hearing about it for the first time -- because their lives and attitude are also SYMBOLS of God's hope to others!
Make the Hymn of Promise Banner Squares and Assemble Into 1 Large Banner
- After decoding the images of new life and hope in "Hymn of Promise," each child will decorate a fabric square using symbols of new life and hope they found in the hymn.
- Following their completion, students should decide how to place their squares on the larger banner cloth, then lightly spread tacky glue on the banner cloth at the corners and center where each square will go, lifting up the banner square to apply glue to the banner cloth, then lightly press the corners of the cloth square into the glue before doing this again with another banner square. (Another option is to spread glue across the banner, lay the squares in it, cover the squares with butcher paper and lightly press the squares into the glue, then CAREFULLY PEEL the paper off the squares.)
- After it is complete, leave the banner on the table to dry. (After class, you may need to add additional glue to help attach the squares.)
Supplies Needed:
- Muslin or other plain fabric, cut in 8”x 8” squares with pinking shears
- Muslin or other plain fabric cut 24" x 36" or 48" to hold attach all the 8x8 squares to. This banner cloth should have a sewn or tacked seam all around and a way to hang it (grommets/rod pocket) that suits your display needs.
- Fine-tipped sharpie marker
- An assortment of fabric paint pens
- White copy paper - cut to 8 X 8 inches (several sheets per child) for practicing before painting on the squares
- Pencils
- Watercolor colored pencils or watercolor paints (available from art supply or hobby/craft stores)
- Water in a cup
- Watercolor brushes
- Paper towels
- Tacky Glue to attach banner squares to banner cloth
- TV or computer with internet connection to show the YouTube video of the music-lyric video.
- Here are some of the symbols in the song/video
tulip, daffodil or other flowering bulb
butterfly
cross section of apple showing seeds
apple tree
tree without leaves (? Snow on branches) - winter
spring flowers or trees with blossoms, leaves, etc.
night sky (moon and stars)
sunrise or sunshine
musical notes or musical score
Cross
Heart
Alpha Omega symbol (end and beginning)
Advanced Preparations:
- Pre-wash both the muslin banner cloth and cloth from which you will cut the individual 8x8 squares.
- Use pinking shears to cut the individual 8" x 8" squares for students (up to 2 per student).
- Cover the art tables with plastic tablecloths to protect the table surfaces.
Reflection and Closing:
Gather the children together in a circle around the banner and invite them to say aloud what their banner square is saying about Jesus and new life. Close with a prayer that has the children saying "thank you God for ______" --naming the symbol in the square you are pointing at until all the squares have been used.
A lesson by Jaymie Derden from State Street UMC, TN
with updates from the Rotation.org Content Team
