NT Lesson 17 - Goes Back to Heaven

LESSON SEVENTEEN

JESUS GOES BACK TO HEAVEN

Matthew 28:16-20; Luke 24:36-43; Acts 1:9-12

The disciples met together the night after Jesus became alive again. They talked about Jesus and his empty tomb. Suddenly Jesus was there with them. They thought he was a ghost. They were afraid.

Jesus said, “Why are you afraid? I am not a ghost. Touch me. Look at the scars in my hands and feet.” He showed them the scars from the nails which had held him to the cross. “Do you have anything to eat?” Jesus asked.

The disciples gave him some fish and he ate it.

Jesus was really alive. Jesus had a human body and that body really died on the cross. But Jesus was also God. Because he was God, he could not stay dead forever. Jesus became alive again. His body was different than it was before he died. It was a better body. But it was a real body.

The disciples were so happy to see that Jesus was alive.

Jesus stayed on the earth for forty more days. He came and talked to people and showed them that he was alive. One time he met with five hundred people.

One day Jesus told his disciples, “Go and tell everyone in every nation about me. Tell them that I died for their sins and became alive again. Teach them the things that I have taught you. I will always be with you.”

Jesus knew that he would soon go back to heaven. His body would no longer be on the earth. But because Jesus is God, he is everywhere. He is always with people who believe on him. He is ready to help them.

When the forty days were over, Jesus led his disciples to a mountain. He talked to them and reminded them to tell people everywhere about him. Then Jesus went up into the sky and left them.

While the disciples were looking up into the sky, two angels came and talked to them. The angels said, “Why are you looking up at the sky? This same Jesus who has gone away to heaven will come back to earth in the same way.”

So we know that one day Jesus will come back to the earth.

We can also go to heaven to live with him when we die. But we have a problem. God is holy and we are sinful. Our sin separates us from God. God must punish sin. God cannot let us live with him in heaven until our sin has been punished.

Jesus died on the cross to take our punishment. If we are sorry for our sins and ask God to forgive us, he will forgive us. God will accept Jesus’ death in place of our punishment. Then, when we die, we can go to heaven to live with God.

VOCABULARY

ghost (n)

touch (v)

scar (n)

nail (n)

forever (adv)

real (adj)

stay (v)

nation (n)

mountain (n)

remind (v)

separate (v)