Introduction:
After Jesus was crucified and was buried in a tomb, he rose again, and appeared to many people, and then was taken up into heaven to be with God.
Read Mark 16: 9-16, 19-20.
We have many images of Christ: Baby in a manger, walking on water, healing the sick, riding into Jerusalem on a donkey, even hanging on the cross.
Have we ever thought what he might look like now – in heaven with God?
Suggested activity: Ask the children to describe what they might think Christ may look like now.
How old is he?
What is he wearing?
What is the throne he sits on like?
How big is he?
The apostle John, author of the Gospel bearing his name, and his three letters (1, 2 & 3 John) was on the island of Patmos, something like fifty to sixty years after Christ’s crucifixion – because the Romans had imprisoned him there for spreading the good news of Christ.
Whilst ‘in the Spirit’ – i.e. praying and feeling in the presence of God, he had a vision of Christ.
Suggested activity: Select a child to help, and get the others to turn around / close their eyes.
Ask the helper to put on a coat, hat, remove jumper or somehow change how he/she looks.
Ask the helper to now hide under a blanket (or something similar).
Ask the other children to look again – can they see the helper?
(They may see a ‘lump’ under the blanket – but ask can they actually see the helper?)
Now remove the blanket, and reveal what is underneath – so all can see the helper.
Point out that although they could see the ‘lump’, they could not see what was underneath, and so didn’t know the helper had changed clothes!
It is this use of the word reveal which leads to the last book of the bible being called Revelation.
John saw something he couldn’t see before – the vision he had of Christ was revealed to him.
Read Revelation 1: 9-20
Suggested activity: Look at a map of the Mediterranean area, and point out where the seven churches were, and where Patmos is. (See attached file – sorry about the quality.)
Ask if anybody has had holidays in this area.
How does the description of Christ in v.13-16 compare with the earlier suggestions of the children?
Discuss some of the descriptors - Robe reaching to his feet.
Golden sash round his chest.
Head & hair white like wool.
Eyes like blazing fire.
Feet like bronze glowing in a furnace.
Voice like rushing waters.
Sharp, double-edged sword from his mouth.
Face shining like the sun.
Might we be scared of this, if we had seen it?
Note that he says ‘do not be afraid’!!
Has anybody ever thought about Christ like this?
Suggested activity: Get the children to draw their interpretation of Christ, as described in v.13-16.
It is important to notice that Christ does not suddenly appear to John, out of nowhere.
See that, in v.10, John first hears a voice from behind him.
God loves to communicate with His people!
Although John heard the Lord’s voice, followed by the revelation, this does not mean that this is the only way God communicates with us.
Point out that sometimes, in fact much more probably, we simply hear from God in far simpler ways.
These can be ‘feelings’ or ‘hunches’ towards certain people or courses of action.
John’s revelation was extraordinary – that’s why it’s in the bible!
Suggested activity: Share with the children a story from your own experience of God communicating to you.
Ask the children to talk about any experiences they might have had, which they feel was God communicating with them.
Perhaps get the children to go to solitary parts of the room, for five minutes of quiet. Ask them to pray to God for Him to communicate with them – in pictures, thoughts, ideas.
Ask them to share what they experienced in the five minutes.
Maybe their experience will not mean much to them, but it could make perfect sense to another in the group.
Sometimes God communicates to us through others.
Suggest the children try this regularly, perhaps after reading a short piece of scripture.
