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The Evidence

Week 2 - The Evidence for Jesus

Outline for Leaders

WK2 Key Slide.PNG

The Evidence series theme slide (above top) and this week’s ‘Evidence for Jesus’ title slide downloadable from the bottom of this page.

This week we’ll be looking at some of the evidence for Jesus having lived on earth and that He is alive today. For this, we’ll dip into some anecdotal evidence showing how Jesus is the most famous person in history and how He impacts the lives of so many people today. We’ll also cover some basic facts as to why the Bible is such a reliable and trustworthy book.

The fun drama sets the scene for looking for evidence when two ‘archaeologists’ go digging for ancient relics.

PART 1

LEAD-IN SESSION DRAMA - The Archaeologist’s Dig

Hole for drama may be created using some sheets and pillows. The tin box can just be seen in the middle of the hole.

Hole for drama may be created using some sheets and pillows. The tin box can just be seen in the middle of the hole.

Characters: Bill & Tom archaeologists

Props: Minicamp set-up, digging tools, seats, a mock-up mound with a hole in it, jungle type hats, water bottles, soft toy, box painted up to look old and rusty, ‘‘clap now’ sign.

(An effective mound can be made using a load of cushions covered over with a black sheet. Arrange the cushions roughly in a ring doughnut shape and drape the sheet over them, leaving a hole effect in the middle from which can be pulled the find.)       

Scene set: Tom & Bill wiping their brows digging for archaeological treasures. It’s hot, sweaty and they’re a bit tired.

DRAMA

Narrator: Hey kids isn’t this exciting, Tom and Bill are out on an expedition, they are looking for old artefacts, evidence of some ancient settlement of people from hundreds and hundreds of years ago. They’d really like to find some old coins and anything that would give them real hard evidence that an ancient people lived here.  

Bill: Hey Tom, do you think we’ll ever find anything?

Tom: (wiping his brow, sweltering under the heat) I don’t know Bill, but if we’re to prove that ancient people lived here, we’ve got to find evidence, something concrete for us to take back and prove our case.

Bill: I wonder how deep we’ll have to dig

Tom: (Still wiping his brow and looking a bit forlorn, shaking his head with a face of ‘I wonder’) Actually Bill I don’t know about all this, we’ve been here for days, maybe we should call it a day. I’d like to get back home to my bed, shower...

Bill: We can’t give up that easily Tom.

Tom: No, suppose not.     

Bill: (Very excitedly, putting his trowel down and reaching deep into the hole, pulling and tugging) Hang on a minute, what have we here? Tom pass us the torch will you please, need to look a bit deeper into this hole. (After a bit of a look with the torch and a bit more probing Bill suddenly finds something.)

Bill: Tom, there’s something here, maybe this is the evidence we are looking for. It’s well stuck in the ground though. Tom, give me a hand to pull it out will you.

Tom: (Moves across to grab hold of Bill) OK I’m with you Bill

Cardboard shoebox painted up to look steely and rusty. Bill and Tom find a soft toy inside.

Cardboard shoebox painted up to look steely and rusty. Bill and Tom find a soft toy inside.

Bill: OK a big pull on 3. 1,2,3 PULL!

(Tom and Bill fall over one another backwards as they pull the item from the hole. Here the soft toy is in a shoebox sized cardboard box painted to look like an old tin. Once this had been pulled from the hole, Tom and Bill excitedly haggle a bit over who should open it, keeping the kids in suspense of what they might find inside. Eventually Tom ends up with the box and opens it.)   

Tom: I don’t believe it! I just don’t believe it! That’s your sister’s cuddly toy! I told you it wasn’t a good idea to go digging in your own back garden for ancient relics, next time I’m going to Egypt. I’m off for a shower!
(Tom stomps off stage, leaving Bill scratching his head. Someone holds up a ‘clap now’ sign.)
  
You know kids, people go digging all over the world for ancient things, looking for evidence of old towns and cities and civilisations. There is lots of evidence proving that just over 2000 years ago, Jesus lived here on earth and that He is alive today. Later we are going to look at some of this evidence. 

part 2 - Bible Chat

THE EVIDENCE FOR JESUS

(This chat is supported by a PowerPoint. You’ll also need a flip chart / white board and pen for item 2 and team leaders to each bring a Bible or two for item 3.) .

Hey kids, earlier on we saw the archaeologists digging for evidence, they weren’t making a very good job of it were they. But just imagine for a moment you were looking back in history for evidence of Jesus, what might you look for and where might you look for it? Get some responses from the kids.

Featured
SLIDE 1 Show the kids the first slide, see if the kids know who any of the famous people are or can guess something about the people from the evidence on the pictures. Give them clues. Queen Elizabeth (Queen of England) George W Bush (Former

SLIDE 1
Show the kids the first slide, see if the kids know who any of the famous people are or can guess something about the people from the evidence on the pictures. Give them clues.
Queen Elizabeth (Queen of England)
George W Bush (Former president of the USA 2001 – 2009 lived in the Whitehouse)
The Pope
Elvis Presley – What does he look as if he’s doing (some kind of dance). What about his mouth, it’s open, what might he be doing (singing). What might he be? - yes famous pop star - from the 1960’s.
Julius Caesar – A famous person from ancient Roman history, a ruler, an Emperor.

SLIDE 2 There are many famous people in history but no one is more famous than Jesus. Jesus is the most famous person ever! There is more evidence for Jesus than Julius Caesar.

SLIDE 2
There are many famous people in history but no one is more famous than Jesus. Jesus is the most famous person ever!
There is more evidence for Jesus than Julius Caesar.

Ask the kids if they know how to write two billion? If someone does, let them come out and write it on the board. If they don’t know, write 200 on the board and ask if that’s two billion. Then 2000, then 20,000, then 200,000, the 2,000,000 keep goin

Ask the kids if they know how to write two billion? If someone does, let them come out and write it on the board. If they don’t know, write 200 on the board and ask if that’s two billion. Then 2000, then 20,000, then 200,000, the 2,000,000 keep going each time asking the kids if it’s two billion until you get there.

2,000,0000,000 people claim to follow Jesus, that’s a lot of the world’s population

Get members of the team to come out and place their Bible (or two) on the table. As team members come out you can form a pile of Bibles – comment on the Bible being the most purchased book of all time.

Get members of the team to come out and place their Bible (or two) on the table. As team members come out you can form a pile of Bibles – comment on the Bible being the most purchased book of all time.

SLIDE 3 There are loads more copies of original Bibles than any other writings from long ago. There is nothing to compare with the Bible, it’s dependable!

SLIDE 3
There are loads more copies of original Bibles than any other writings from long ago. There is nothing to compare with the Bible, it’s dependable!

SLIDE 4 In addition to the Bible, more books have been written about Jesus than any other person and there have been more pictures and art created about Him than any other person too.

SLIDE 4
In addition to the Bible, more books have been written about Jesus than any other person and there have been more pictures and art created about Him than any other person too.

SLIDE 5 Thousands of people listened to Jesus and saw His miracles on one occasion more than 5000 on a mountainside.

SLIDE 5
Thousands of people listened to Jesus and saw His miracles on one occasion more than 5000 on a mountainside.

SLIDE 6 Hundreds and hundreds of years before Jesus was born on earth at Christmas, loads and loads of God’s followers were told how and where He would be born, how He would die and be buried.

SLIDE 6
Hundreds and hundreds of years before Jesus was born on earth at Christmas, loads and loads of God’s followers were told how and where He would be born, how He would die and be buried.

SLIDE 7 Evidence for His resurrection - after His resurrection Jesus was seen more than 11 times, on one occasion by more than 500 people – JESUS IS ALIVE.

SLIDE 7
Evidence for His resurrection - after His resurrection Jesus was seen more than 11 times, on one occasion by more than 500 people – JESUS IS ALIVE.

SLIDE 8 Millions and millions of people give evidence to how their lives have been changed by Jesus. Here’s a picture of thousands of people coming to hear about Jesus in Africa in 2019. (Pic April 2019)

SLIDE 8
Millions and millions of people give evidence to how their lives have been changed by Jesus. Here’s a picture of thousands of people coming to hear about Jesus in Africa in 2019. (Pic April 2019)

part 3 - Response Time (small groups)

1.    Ask the kids how many of the things they can remember that give evidence for Jesus.

(a) Most famous person that ever lived
(b) More than 2 billion followers today
(c) Thousands of old copies of the bible
(d) More books and art about Jesus than anyone else who has lived
(e) All that was foretold about Jesus’ birth, death and burial came true
(f) Jesus was seen by hundreds of people after he rose from the dead
(g) Millions of Christians in the world today who tell of how Jesus has changed their lives

2.  Were the children surprised in any way about anything they heard today?

Discuss with the children what they think is the best piece of evidence for Jesus today. (Round this up with the thought that all over the world every day hundreds of people become followers of Jesus. These people are evidence that Jesus is alive.)  

WEEK 2 DOWNLOADS

Week 2 Lead-in Drama Script, Bible Chat and response time Leaders’ notes.
PowerPoint Week 2- Series theme slide and this week’s title slide.
PowerPoint  ‘The Evidence for Jesus’ to accompany Bible Chat