Messy Church at Home: ADVENT AND EASTER!? YES - BE READY FOR A SURPRISE MEETING!

The bible tells of two men meeting Jesus just after he was crucified, and was raised from the dead. A confusing, sad time turns into an amazing surprise – it just took a walk, a wait and a meal! Read the account in Luke 24:13-35. It’s a great story with a brilliant ending!
Footprints activity:



You will need: cardboard; craft knife or scissors; chopping board; sticky tack or PVA glue; paper; paint
With adult supervision, cut the cardboard into the rough shape of little feet (a small disc will be fine, if a foot shape is too fiddly) – make them small enough to stick on to the end of your finger as if your finger is the leg. Stick a foot with sticky tack or PVA glue on to the tip of your middle and index fingers, dip into the paint and ‘walk’ your feet along the paper, leaving a footprint trail behind. Repeat it with a different colour of paint walking beside the first set. Then, with a third colour, add a third set of footprints joining the first two half way across the paper.
Talk and think about how in today’s story, two of Jesus’ friends were walking down the road on Easter afternoon, when someone very surprising met them and walked along with them as far as their home. But they didn’t recognise Him. Perhaps when you’ve read the story, you’d like to add what each of those sets of footprints did next! They weren’t prepared to meet Jesus.
We often think Advent is preparing for Christmas and thinking about the baby Jesus, and it is. HOWEVER, Advent is also a time when we think about being prepared to meet Jesus when he returns from Heaven, where He is now. The bible says He will come again, when many are not prepared or expecting Him, and like the two men on the road to Emmaus, will be surprised.
At the end of the Emmaus story this is what happened...
“When Jesus was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?””
Advent is a great time to meet Jesus, maybe for the first time and remember..Jesus isn’t just a friend for Christmas, but a friend for life. 

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