Single lesson
The Risen Jesus Appears to His Disciples
Luke 24:36–49; John 20:19–23
After Jesus rose, both Luke and John record an appearance to the disciples. These passages show fear, peace, proof that Jesus was truly present, and clear words about understanding, witness, sending, the Holy Spirit, and sins.
Before you teach
Luke 24:36–49 records Jesus standing among the disciples, answering their fear, showing his hands and feet, eating before them, opening their minds to understand the Scriptures, and telling them to wait in Jerusalem. John 20:19–23 records Jesus coming among locked doors, speaking peace, showing his hands and side, sending them, speaking of the Holy Spirit, and speaking about sins.
Students will be able to identify responses and outcomes in each passage, and explain from the text how Jesus brought peace, gave evidence, and gave his disciples a task.
Welcome: Fear, peace, and what the disciples saw
4 minAsk the children to listen for how the disciples responded when Jesus appeared. Luke records that they were terrified and thought they had seen a spirit. John records that the doors were locked for fear, and Jesus said, “Peace be to you.” Write the words fear and peace where everyone can see them.
Luke 24:36, Luke 24:37, John 20:19
Read and explain Luke: Jesus shows it is truly him
8 minRead Luke 24:36–43. Point out the choices and outcomes in Luke’s account. The disciples were troubled and doubting, so Jesus told them to look at his hands and feet and to touch him. They gave him food, and he ate in front of them. Luke records these details as evidence that Jesus was truly there with flesh and bones.
Luke 24:38, Luke 24:39, Luke 24:40, Luke 24:41, Luke 24:42, Luke 24:43
Read and explain John: Peace, sending, and forgiveness
6 minRead John 20:19–23. John records that after Jesus showed his hands and side, the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus then said he was sending them as the Father had sent him. He told them to receive the Holy Spirit, and he spoke about forgiving or retaining sins, showing this sending included a serious message about sins.
John 20:19, John 20:20, John 20:21, John 20:22, John 20:23
Discuss Luke: Understanding the Scriptures and waiting
6 minRead Luke 24:44–49. Luke records that Jesus opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. He said the Christ had to suffer and rise, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. He called them witnesses and told them to wait in the city until they were clothed with power from on high.
Luke 24:44, Luke 24:45, Luke 24:46, Luke 24:47, Luke 24:48, Luke 24:49
Make and respond: Compare two Gospel card sets
6 minMake two small sets of cards, one labelled Luke and one labelled John. On the Luke cards, children draw events from Luke 24:36–49. On the John cards, they draw events from John 20:19–23. Then compare the two sets. Ask, “What response do we see from the disciples, and what task does Jesus give, in each account?”
Luke 24:36, Luke 24:43, Luke 24:45, Luke 24:48, Luke 24:49, John 20:19, John 20:20, John 20:21, John 20:23
Questions to explore
In Luke’s account, what did the disciples think at first, and what did Jesus do about that?
Look for their first reaction in Luke 24:37, then list Jesus’ answers in Luke 24:39–43, including what he showed and what he ate.
Luke 24:37, Luke 24:39, Luke 24:40, Luke 24:41, Luke 24:42, Luke 24:43
In John’s account, what changed after Jesus showed his hands and side?
Compare the fear in John 20:19 with the gladness in John 20:20, then notice that Jesus sent them in John 20:21.
John 20:19, John 20:20, John 20:21
What task and instruction does Luke record after Jesus opened their minds to understand the Scriptures?
Look for the words about preaching, witnesses, and waiting in Jerusalem.
Luke 24:45, Luke 24:47, Luke 24:48, Luke 24:49
Make, think or respond
Luke and John Comparison Cards
What you’ll need
- plain paper or card
- pencils or markers
- scissors
- Bible
Try it together
- Fold or cut paper into two groups of cards. Label one group Luke and the other John.
- Children draw 3 Luke moments from Luke 24:36–49 and 3 John moments from John 20:19–23, adding a short verse reference to each card.
- Place the Luke cards in Luke’s order and the John cards in John’s order.
- Compare the two groups by asking what the disciples did, what Jesus did, and what Jesus told them in each account.
This helps children keep Luke’s details and John’s details identifiable while noticing the responses, outcomes, and instructions each passage records.
Adapt for your group
- For younger children, make only two Luke cards and two John cards, and let them retell each account with simple phrases such as afraid, peace, showed, sent.
- For older or stronger readers, ask them to write one sentence under each card explaining the response and outcome shown in that verse, such as fear to gladness in John 20:19–20 or witness and waiting in Luke 24:48–49.
An optional closing prayer
“Lord Jesus, thank you for speaking peace to your disciples. Please help us listen carefully to your words, understand what you have done, and be faithful with what you tell your people to do.”
Read the Bible passage World English Bible Classic
Luke 24
36 As they said these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace be to you.”
37 But they were terrified and filled with fear, and supposed that they had seen a spirit.
38 He said to them, “Why are you troubled? Why do doubts arise in your hearts?
39 See my hands and my feet, that it is truly me. Touch me and see, for a spirit doesn’t have flesh and bones, as you see that I have.”
40 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet.
41 While they still didn’t believe for joy, and wondered, he said to them, “Do you have anything here to eat?”
42 They gave him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb.
43 He took them, and ate in front of them.
44 He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you, that all things which are written in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms concerning me must be fulfilled.”
45 Then he opened their minds, that they might understand the Scriptures.
46 He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day,
47 and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
48 You are witnesses of these things.
49 Behold, I send out the promise of my Father on you. But wait in the city of Jerusalem until you are clothed with power from on high.”
John 20
19 When therefore it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were locked where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the middle and said to them, “Peace be to you.”
20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples therefore were glad when they saw the Lord.
21 Jesus therefore said to them again, “Peace be to you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.”
22 When he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit!
23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, they have been forgiven them. If you retain anyone’s sins, they have been retained.”
World English Bible Classic. Public domain.