The Resurrection of the Dead

OBJECTIVE

As Orthodox Christians, we are blessed to have an enormous amount of resources explaining and describing death and the afterlife in the Orthodox perspective. This module aims to educate our 5th graders in this study (eschatology), presented in an age-appropriate manner. This week we will discuss the Second Coming of Christ and the Resurrection of the Dead.

INTRODUCTION & HOOK - 10 Minutes

Considering raising a caterpillar/butterfly garden during this unit. Butterfly Garden

This week we will discuss the Second Coming of Christ and the Resurrection of the Dead.

Please display or print icons of The Resurrection of Christ and The Second Coming of Christ/Last Judgement and discuss together.

As students are walking into class and you are getting ready for class, play the spiritual song "Heaven is a Wonderful Place". (This is a very old song with many different recordings. Find one that your class will enjoy. It's a catchy easy jingle-type song that they will start singing on their own. Pick a different rendition every week of this unit.) Lyrics:"Heaven is a wonderful place, filled with glory and grace. I want to see my Savior's Face, Heaven is a wonderful place"

ROLE PLAY

Pick actors in your class to be 1. The superhero (represents Our Lord Jesus); 2. The "bad guys" (represents the devil); 3. The innocent people in prison

Use a superhero cape for costume and have a long rope to tie up innocent people in prison together.

The 'bad guys' gather all the innocent people and tie them together with rope and put them in prison. While they are in prison, the 'bad guys' taunt, tease, and bother the innocent prisoners. Suddenly, the superhero appears (make some fanfare and cheering). Everyone is surprised to see him in this prison because no one let him in. Superhero takes a rope and binds the 'bad guys', then releases the innocent people from jail. Superhero takes them to a beautiful garden and they are so happy

Role play represents Jesus breaking the doors of Hades while He was in the tomb. Jesus rescued His people and took them to Paradise to be with Him

INTRODUCTION

Remember last week we ended our discussion by talking about how our Lord God solved the problem of death by sending His only begotten Son Jesus to die for us. (Review: Jesus Christ was fully human and fully God, lived on earth, and was tempted by sin. He remained sinless until His death on the cross.

Once Christ died on the Cross, "He conquered death by His death" (liturgy). 1 Corinthians 15:55 ""O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?" Christ rescued all of His beloved from Hades and placed them in Paradise. {enter reference of thief on the right}.
But WAIT This is still not what our Lord God had intended. All those in Paradise are still waiting, like we are waiting......What are we all waiting for?
We are waiting for the SECOND COMING OF CHRIST This is the time when/where everything God has intended for us will come to pass. This is the time of the final judgement. All those who have already died on earth will be reunited with their resurrected bodies, just like the body that Jesus received when He was resurrected from the dead.

Do these events sound familiar? We declare it in our Orthodox Creed (review Creed). At the end of the Creed we sing "and we look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come, Amen." We sing it 8 different ways in different tones and seasons throughout the year. Why do we sing it? We sing it as an expression of our joy As Orthodox Christians, we are patiently and excitedly awaiting the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come

HOLY SCRIPTURE - 10 Minutes

Continue reading Romans from last week.

Romans 5:12-21 Death in Adam, Life in Christ
Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned---(For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man's offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many. And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification. For if by the one man's offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.)
Therefore, as through one man's offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man's righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous.
Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

Additional Bible verses on the Resurrection in the Resources section.

CONTENT (KEY POINTS) - 10 Minutes

The Second Coming of Christ - This is the moment we've been waiting for As Orthodox Christians, we are patiently and excitedly awaiting the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come "This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day." (John 6:39)

Remember we said that the earthly death is not what God had originally intended. This happened because of sin. It's not good for our souls to be separated from our bodies. All those who have died on earth, only their earthly bodies have died. However their souls are still alive in Paradise (or in Hades). Our Lord Jesus Christ conquered sin and death so He was the first one to show us what our future, perfect state will be like. Let's look at what our Lord Jesus showed us

Our Lord Jesus had a new, resurrected body that had a different form that his closest friends couldn't recognize at first (Mark 16:12)
Our Lord Jesus had a new, resurrected body that could eat, and drink (Luke 24:30-31, Luke 24:36-43
Our Lord Jesus' new resurrected body had the marks of His life on earth - the place of the nails and the spear (John 20:24-29)
Our Lord Jesus' new resurrected body was able to walk through doors/walls (Luke 24:35-36)
His new resurrected body ascended up to Heaven (Mark 16:19-20, Luke 24:50-53, Acts 1:9-11)

Christ taught us that we will be resurrected like Him and have new bodies. Philippians 3:20-21 "But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself." and 1 Corin 15:52-52 "Behold I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed."

When will all this happen? We don't know exactly when, only our Lord God knows the exact time. However, our Lord gave us warning signs to look out for. (Matthew 24:3-14) He said there will be many more wars and difficulties on earth, and there will be false teachers pulling Christians away from our Lord God. However those who stay close to the Lord until the end will be rewarded

When Christ comes to judge the world, everyone on earth, in Paradise, and in Hades will be judged. At this point, we will all receive our resurrected bodies and also receive our reward for our deeds on the earth. Those who love Jesus Christ will go with Him to Heaven for eternity. Those who reject the love of Jesus will go to Hell and live with Satan and his demons for eternity. (Revelations 20:7-15)

In Matthew 25:31-46, Christ said "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. 33 And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; 36 I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.'37 "Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? 38 When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? 39 Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' 40 And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.'41 "Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: 42 for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; 43 I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.'44 "Then they also will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?' 45 Then He will answer them, saying, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.' 46 And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

DISCUSSION (Challenge) - 10 Minutes

How should we be feeling about the Second Coming of Christ?
How should we be feeling about our bodies? Our bodies, together with our souls, are the Temple of the Holy Spirit and meant to be perfect together
What did our Lord Jesus do for us when He died on the Cross and went down to Hades?
How do we know Jesus will take us to Paradise? He told the thief on the right that he will be the first one with Him in Paradise
Who will not go to Paradise? All the people who reject the love of our Lord God. God loves everyone and does everything He can to make sure all accept His perfect love.

{Question that may arise - Do only Christians or do only Orthodox Christians go to Heaven? God loves everyone and does everything He can to make sure all accept His perfect love. We don't know exactly how our Lord God will deal with everyone. However, we know that our Lord told us that we can only get to the Father through Jesus Christ (John 6:44, John 14:6) "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father except through Me." We also know that the Orthodox church has the most tools and resources for a successful journey (Holy Sacraments, writings of the Holy Fathers, lives of the Saints, relics of the saints, fasting and feasts, prostrations, Jesus Prayer, seasons of the Church Calendar, etc.)

LIFE APPLICATION - 10 Minutes

Talk about the excitement we have for the Second Coming of Christ Build up your excitement daily. The Second Coming of Christ gives us hope for the promises our Lord has given us and perseverance to endure the difficulties of life on earth.

Keep a log or journal
Read Bible daily
Pray agpeya daily
Go to liturgy every Sunday and partake of Holy Communion
Go to Confession monthly
Practice fasting Wednesdays and Fridays and during the special fasts of the Church.
Practice prostrations and the Jesus Prayer

ACTIVITY - 10 Minutes

Examine the Icon of Christ's Descent into Hades and evaluate together. Use this article as reference:

Christ's Descent into Hades -- Icon Explanation -- Orthodox Road

SERVANT RESOURCES

Heaven: An Orthodox Christian Perspective By H.G. Bishop Youannis

Bible Verses related to Resurrection of the Dead:

Isaiah 26:19 "Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise. You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy For your dew is a dew of light, and the earth will give birth to the dead."
Ezekiel 37:1-28 "The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry. And he said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" And I answered, "O Lord God, you know." Then he said to me, "Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live."
Daniel 12:2 "And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, Some to shame and everlasting contempt."
Matthew 27:52 "The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised"
John 5:28-29 "Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment."
John 6:4 "For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day."
John 11:24-25 "Martha said to him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day." Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live"
1 Corin 15:42 "So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable."
1 Corin 15:52-52 "Behold I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed."
Philippians 3:20-21 "But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself."
1 Thess 4:14,16 "For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep....For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first."

There are many more Bible verses on Resurrection of the Dead