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For Kids

Luke 24:1-12

The Empty Tomb: Why Easter Changes Everything — A Sunday School Lesson for Kids

ThemeEaster — why the empty tomb changes everything

Scripture

Luke 24:1-12

NIV
On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, 'Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.' Then they remembered his words. When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles. But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense. Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened.

Before You Start

Before you start: This passage lands right at the hinge point of all of history — the moment the women discover the tomb is empty. For kids, the word 'resurrection' can float right over their heads, so anchor it in something concrete: a lunchbox. If a friend took your lunch, came back, and your lunchbox was empty, you'd know something happened. The empty tomb is the lunchbox — the proof that something real happened. One thing to be ready for: some kids may already 'know' the Easter story and mentally check out. Keep them engaged by leaning into the feelings in the story — the women were confused, scared, and then overjoyed. Also worth noting: the disciples didn't believe the women at first. That's a real and relatable moment. Don't rush past it. It shows that the resurrection was not what anyone expected, which actually makes it more trustworthy, not less.

Teaching Point

The Empty Tomb Is the Best Proof of the Best News

Let's think about this for a second. Imagine you had a really good friend — the best friend you've ever had. And then something terrible happened, and that friend died. You'd be heartbroken, right? That's exactly how the women in our story felt on that first Easter morning. They woke up very early — probably before the sun was fully up — and walked to the tomb where Jesus had been buried. They brought spices with them, which was how people showed love and respect for someone who had died. They were not going to find a living person. They were going to a grave. But when they got there, the stone was rolled away. And when they went inside, there was no body. Here's the thing: an empty tomb by itself is just confusing. But then two angels showed up and said something that explained everything: **'He is not here; he has risen!'** That sentence changes the whole story. It changes everything. - **Jesus really died.** This wasn't pretend. He was buried in a real tomb with a real stone. The women who went that morning knew He was dead. - **Jesus really rose.** The tomb was empty not because someone stole His body, but because He was alive again. Real, physical, walking-around alive. - **This means death doesn't win.** If Jesus can come back from death, then death is not the final word for anyone who trusts in Him. That's the whole point of Easter. The women ran back and told the disciples. The disciples thought it sounded like nonsense — which, honestly, is a pretty normal reaction to someone saying 'our dead friend is alive.' But Peter ran to check anyway. And when he got there, he saw the empty burial cloths and went away wondering. Here's a question worth sitting with: What would change in your life if you really, truly believed that Jesus is alive right now? Not just in a 'Sunday morning' way, but in a 'this is actually real' way? That's what Easter is asking us to think about.

Discussion Questions

  1. 1.The women went to the tomb expecting to find a dead body. What did they find instead, and how do you think they felt when they saw the stone rolled away?
  2. 2.The angels asked, 'Why do you look for the living among the dead?' What do you think they meant by that?
  3. 3.When the women told the disciples what happened, the disciples didn't believe them. Have you ever told someone something true and they didn't believe you? How did that feel?

Optional

  1. 1.Why do you think it matters that the tomb was empty — not just that Jesus appeared to people later?
  2. 2.If you were going to tell one friend the Easter story this week, what's the one thing you'd want them to know?

Activity

The Tomb in an Envelope

This simple craft helps kids physically experience the idea of 'empty' as good news rather than bad news. 1. Give each child a half-sheet of cardstock or thick paper. Have them fold it in half like a card — this is the 'tomb.' 2. On the inside of the folded card, have them draw a rough outline of where a body might lie (just a simple shape — like a gingerbread-person outline). This represents Jesus in the tomb before Easter. 3. Now have them cut the outline out carefully so there's a hole — a body-shaped hole — in the inside of the card. When you open the 'tomb,' the body is gone. The tomb is empty. 4. On the outside of the folded card, have them write or draw: 'He is not here — He has risen!' (Luke 24:6) 5. Give kids a minute to share their cards with one person next to them and explain: 'The empty part is actually the good part.' Wrap it up by saying: 'You're going to take this home today. If someone asks you what it is, you get to tell them the Easter story. You become the women running back from the tomb.'

Materials

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  • 07d2c4a1-9e38-4b56-bc40-1f5a7d3e2908
  • a19e5b37-2c84-4f60-8d27-3b1a6c9f4e05
  • c84f2a10-7b39-4d51-9e26-5a3c1b8f0d92
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Reflection

Take It Home

  1. 1.Is there anything in your life right now that feels really hard or scary? How does it change things to know that Jesus is actually alive — not just a story, but really real?
  2. 2.The women in the story didn't keep the good news to themselves — they ran to tell everyone. Who is one person you could tell the Easter story to before next Sunday?
  3. 3.What's one thing from today's lesson that you want to remember a year from now?

Closing

Prayer Notes

Keep this prayer short and honest — kids connect with prayer that sounds like a real conversation, not a speech. You might say something like: 'God, thank You that the tomb is empty. Thank You that Easter isn't just a holiday — it's real. Help us believe it not just today but every day. And help us be brave enough to tell someone else about it. Amen.' If time allows, invite one or two kids to pray one sentence each.

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