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He Is Risen

A friend asks at lunch, “You don’t actually believe that, right?” The class helps answer with the witnesses who saw Him alive

  • 🧭 Youth 12–13
  • Week 13
  • 📅 Sunday, March 28, 2027
🤔 Forehead Guess🏆 Showdown
💡 The big idea

Jesus Christ suffered for our sins, gave His life, and rose again with a glorified body, and because many witnesses saw Him alive, I can know He lives and live like it.

I can follow the last week of the Savior’s life, learn from the witnesses of His Resurrection, and become a witness that He lives.

Come, Follow Me manualOpen this week (Easter Week)
Know the chapters

The manual’s Easter lesson walks day by day through the Savior’s last week. We don’t know the exact day of every event. Sunday, crowds wave palm branches and shout “Hosanna” as He rides into Jerusalem, in Matthew 21:1–11. Monday, He clears the moneychangers out of the temple and calls it a house of prayer, in 21:12–16. Tuesday, He teaches parables like the king’s wedding feast, in 22:1–14. Wednesday, He teaches that serving “the least of these” is serving Him, in 25:31–46. Thursday is the Last Supper, where He gives the sacrament, and His suffering in Gethsemane, in Matthew 26. Friday is the Crucifixion. A Roman centurion says, “Truly this was the Son of God,” in 27:54. Saturday, while His body lies in the tomb, He ministers to the spirits of the dead. That’s in 1 Peter 3:18–20 and Doctrine and Covenants 138. Sunday, He is risen, in Matthew 28.

Easter morning is in John 20:1–18, with the earthquake and angel in Matthew 28:2–4. Mary Magdalene finds the stone rolled away and runs to Peter and John. The two race to the tomb. John wrote the account, and in John 20:4 he can’t resist mentioning that he outran Peter. They find the linen grave clothes lying there and the head cloth folded by itself. Mary stays behind, weeping. Two angels ask why she’s crying. Then a man she takes for the gardener asks the same thing. He says one word, her name, and she knows Him. In John 20:18 she’s the first to tell the Apostles she has seen the Lord.

The manual invites us to study the witnesses of the Resurrection and ask what each one adds. Mary is first. The two disciples on the road to Emmaus felt their hearts burn as He opened the scriptures, in Luke 24:13–35. Thomas wanted proof and heard, “Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed,” in John 20:29. Paul lists witnesses, including more than five hundred at once, in 1 Corinthians 15:3–8. In the Americas, a multitude came forward one by one to feel the nail prints, in 3 Nephi 11:14–15. Today’s Apostles testify in “The Living Christ.” The point for youth is that they can become witnesses too, by the Holy Ghost.

For eleven- to fourteen-year-olds, be honest about the Crucifixion without being graphic. They can handle the truth that He suffered and died because He loves them. Connect Thursday to Sunday for your deacons. The bread and water they pass began at that Last Supper. Leave them two truths. Because He suffered for us, we can repent and be clean. Because He rose, everyone will be resurrected, as 1 Corinthians 15:22 says. Some youth have lost grandparents, parents or friends. In 1 Corinthians 15:55 Paul asks, “O grave, where is thy victory?” That’s the manual’s title and the best news you can give them.

Only have 5 minutes?

Read John 20, Luke 24:13–35 and 1 Corinthians 15:3–8. Ask the “most important week” question and share Elder Rasband’s words. Walk through Eli’s case in Teach Mode, with a youth reading each witness verse. Teach Matthew 28:6 and let a youth run the discussion. Close quietly with your testimony that He lives. Brought nothing? You only need your scriptures.

What to bring2 items

Tick what you have. Forgot something? Every step that needs a supply has a no-supplies version in the plan below.

Before class

  1. Read John 20:1–29, Luke 24:13–35 and 1 Corinthians 15:3–8 once. Eli’s case uses them in that order.
  2. Read the seven scenes of Eli’s case in Teach Mode so you know where each verse comes in.
  3. Prepare a short testimony of the living Christ. Tell how you came to know He lives. You’ll share it at the end.

If your class is wild

  • Eli and Jordan are made up. Keep Jordan sympathetic: he asks a fair question, and that’s how most real questions come.
  • Some youth may be grieving. Scene 5 mentions a grandpa’s funeral. If someone just lost a loved one, say “a family funeral” and keep it gentle. Don’t call on anyone to talk about a death.
  • Easter energy is real. Let it out in the hook, then let the case bring the room down slowly toward reverence.
  • No one plays Jesus and no one performs. Youth read the witness verses from their seats.

The 25-minute plan23 min + bonus

Bonus steps are for when you have extra time. Steps that mention Teach Mode, the Sound Board or other class games refer to the Gospel Sparks app; on the web you can play Forehead Guess and Scripture Showdown from this page.

1. Hook

The Most Important Week

3 min

Youth guess the most important week in history, which sets up a race through the Savior’s last week.

  1. SAY“Pick the single most important week in all of history. Which one would it be?”
  2. Take three quick answers. Then share Elder Ronald A. Rasband’s words from Conference quotes.
  3. Walk through the week fast with the kid screen. Palms, the temple, parables, the Last Supper, Gethsemane, the cross, the spirit world, the empty tomb.
  4. SAY“Today, a youth your age gets asked if he really believes that last Sunday happened. Let’s help him answer.”

Class screen: 📅 What was the most important week in history? · Sun · palms · Mon · the temple · Tue–Wed · parables · Thu · Last Supper, Gethsemane · Fri · the cross · Sat · the spirit world · Sun · He is risen

2. Story

Case Study: The Question at Lunch

8 min

A made-up but realistic question from a friend sends the class into the witnesses of the Resurrection to find an honest answer.

  1. SAY“Eli is made up. But his question is real. At each scene, we’ll help him with the scriptures.”
  2. Open Teach Mode and read each scene. Hand a youth your scriptures or a phone to read the verse. Then ask the question.
  3. Take two or three answers per scene. If youth disagree, send them back to the verses.
  4. After scene 7, ask: “Which witness would you point Jordan to first?”
🌪️ Keep it moving at about a minute per scene. Slow down at scenes 5 and 7. That’s usually where the Spirit shows up.

Class screen: 🍕 “You don’t actually believe that, right?” How would you answer? · John 20 · Luke 24 · 1 Corinthians 15

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: Scriptures: Bibles, a quad, or Gospel Library on phones (a few to share)

  1. SAY“Eli is made up. But his question is real. At each scene, we’ll help him with the scriptures.”
  2. Open Teach Mode and read each scene. Read its verse aloud from your scriptures or Gospel Library. Then ask the question.
  3. Take two or three answers per scene. If youth disagree, send them back to what the verse says.
  4. After scene 7, ask: “Which witness would you point Jordan to first?”
3. Scripture

He Is Risen, as He Said

4 min

The angel’s words at the tomb become the class’s own witness to memorize.

  1. SAY“Here’s what the angel said at the tomb on Easter morning.”
  2. Read Matthew 28:5–7 aloud.
  3. Teach Matthew 28:6 with the motions. Say it twice together, then once in a whisper.
  4. Ask: “Why do you think the angel said ‘as he said’?” Listen for this: Jesus promised He’d rise, and He kept His word.

Class screen: 🌅 He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. · Matthew 28:6

4. Talk it over

Witness Talk

5 min

Honest questions help youth connect the Resurrection to their own faith, the sacrament and people they miss.

  1. SAY“Let’s make Eli’s question ours. Stay seated and keep it calm. Anyone can pass.”
  2. A youth reads each question from your phone or tablet and picks who answers.
  3. Keep answers short so more voices get in. Add one honest answer of your own.
💬 Ask the class
  • Thomas wanted proof before he would believe. What did Jesus do for him?
  • Think of Mary, Peter, the Emmaus disciples and Thomas. Which witness of the Resurrection do you relate to most?
  • The sacrament started on the Thursday of that week. Knowing the whole story, what does it mean to pass or take the bread and water?
  • Jesus really rose. How does that change the way you face death, a hard mistake or a bad day?

Class screen: 💬 Witness talk

5. Testimony

I Know That He Lives

3 min

The lesson ends quietly with the teacher’s witness of the living Christ and an invitation for youth to become witnesses themselves.

  1. SAY“We’ve heard from Mary, Thomas, the Emmaus disciples and hundreds more. I want to add one more witness.”
  2. Bear a simple testimony. Jesus Christ suffered for us, died on the cross, rose the third day and lives today. Tell how you know.
  3. SAY“You can be a witness too. This week, ask Heavenly Father if Jesus lives. Then watch for the burning the Emmaus disciples felt.”
  4. Give the challenge. If you brought a treat, pass it out quietly. Ask a youth to pray.

Class screen: 🌅 He is not here: for he is risen. · Matthew 28:6

6. Wiggle break

Race to the Tomb

3 minBONUS

A Team Peter vs. Team John tapping relay gets the wiggles out before the quiet witness work.

  1. SAY“Team Peter versus Team John. Race to the tomb!”
  2. Tap Tug of War. Teams line up ten steps from your phone or tablet. Each runner taps for five seconds, then speed-walks back to tag the next.
  3. Winners shout, “He is risen!” The other team answers, “He is risen indeed!” Everyone sits.
  4. No phone or tablet? Teams pass a hand squeeze down their line. The last person jumps up and shouts, “He is risen!”
🪢 Tug of War (a class game in the Gospel Sparks app)

Class screen: 🏃 Team Peter vs. Team John: race to the tomb! · John 20:4 says John won. Rematch?

7. Game

Scripture Showdown

5 minBONUS

A team quiz reviews the week from Palm Sunday to the empty tomb and the witnesses who saw Him.

  1. SAY“It’s Team Peter versus Team John again. You get ten seconds to decide, then point.”
  2. Tap Scripture Showdown and read each question aloud. The winning team gets a bonus point for naming the verse.
▶ Play Scripture Showdown on the web

Class screen: 🏆 Scripture Showdown!

Case study

Case Study: The Question at Lunch

John 20:11–29; Luke 24:32; 1 Corinthians 15:3–8 ↗

Scenes

  1. 🍕 Friday lunch: “You don’t actually believe that?”

    It’s the Friday before Easter. At lunch, Eli’s friend Jordan sees an Easter post. He laughs. “You don’t actually believe a guy came back from the dead, right?” The whole table looks at Eli.

    🙌 Turn to a neighbor for ten seconds. Ask: “If you were Eli, what would you want to say?”

  2. 🤐 Eli freezes

    Eli wants to say yes. But his mind goes blank. Does he actually know it? Or has he just heard it every Easter? He shrugs and changes the subject. It bugs him all afternoon.

    🙌 Ask: “What’s the difference between not knowing and not caring?”

  3. 🪨 That night: Eli opens John 20

    That night, Eli reads about Mary Magdalene at the empty tomb. She’s weeping. She’s sure someone took the body. Then the risen Lord says one word. Her name.

    🙌 A youth reads John 20:15–16. Ask: “What does it tell you that He knew her by name?”

  4. 🤔 Saturday: Thomas wanted proof too

    Eli remembers Thomas. Thomas said he wouldn’t believe unless he saw the nail prints. Jesus didn’t scold him. He came. He let Thomas see. And He blessed everyone who believes without seeing.

    🙌 A youth reads John 20:27–29. Ask: “What did Jesus do with Thomas’s question?”

  5. 🔥 Hearts that burned on the road

    Two disciples walked to Emmaus with the risen Lord, but they didn’t recognize Him. Later they said their hearts burned as He opened the scriptures. Eli realizes he felt something like that. It was at his grandpa’s funeral last year.

    🙌 A youth reads Luke 24:32. Ask: “Does a feeling like that count as knowing?”

  6. 👥 More than five hundred witnesses

    Eli finds more. Paul wrote that the risen Christ was seen by Peter. By the Twelve. And by more than five hundred people at once. In the Americas, a whole multitude felt the prints in His hands and feet.

    🙌 A youth reads 1 Corinthians 15:6. Ask: “Why do you think the Lord gave so many witnesses?”

  7. 💬 Monday lunch: Eli tries again

    On Monday, Eli says, “About your question. Yeah, I believe it. Here’s why.” He mentions the witnesses, and what he felt at the funeral. Jordan doesn’t change his mind on the spot. But he asks a real follow-up question.

    🙌 Ask: “What would you say in one or two honest sentences?” Give them a quiet moment first.

Key verse

Matthew 28:6 ↗
“He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.”
In plain words: The tomb is empty. Jesus rose from the dead, just like He promised. Come and see.
🙌 “He is not here” = shake your head, palms open · “for he is risen” = both hands rise from low to high · “as he said” = touch your lips · “Come, see” = wave someone in, then point · “the place where the Lord lay” = lay one hand flat, gently.

More verses

John 20:29 ↗
“blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed”
In plain words: Jesus was talking about us: people who believe without having seen Him with our eyes.
Luke 24:32 ↗
“Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?”
In plain words: The Emmaus disciples felt the Spirit before they recognized Him. That burning is a witness too.
1 Corinthians 15:22 ↗
“For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.”
In plain words: Because Jesus rose, everyone who has ever died will live again.
1 Corinthians 15:55 ↗
“O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?”
In plain words: Death doesn’t win. Jesus did.

Forehead Guess words18 words

  • 🌴 Palm branches
  • 🙌 Hosanna
  • 🫏 Donkey
  • 💰 Moneychangers
  • 🍞 Last Supper
  • 🥖 Sacrament
  • 🫒 Gethsemane
  • 🪖 Centurion
  • ✨ Spirit world
  • 🪨 Tomb
  • 🌋 Earthquake
  • 🛡️ Guards
  • 👩 Mary Magdalene
  • 💛 Rabboni
  • 🧺 Linen clothes
  • 🛣️ Emmaus
  • ✋ Thomas
  • 🌅 Resurrection
Clues for each word
  • Palm branches: Waved as Jesus rode into Jerusalem
  • Hosanna: What the crowds shouted on Palm Sunday
  • Donkey: What Jesus rode into the city
  • Moneychangers: Their tables got overturned in the temple
  • Last Supper: Where Jesus introduced the sacrament
  • Sacrament: Deacons pass it every Sunday
  • Gethsemane: Garden where He prayed “not as I will”
  • Centurion: Said “Truly this was the Son of God”
  • Spirit world: Where Jesus preached while His body lay in the tomb
  • Tomb: Found empty on Sunday morning
  • Earthquake: Shook the ground as the angel came
  • Guards: Shook and fell like dead men
  • Mary Magdalene: First to see the risen Lord
  • Rabboni: Means Master; Mary’s answer
  • Linen clothes: Left lying in the empty tomb
  • Emmaus: Village road where two disciples walked with Him
  • Thomas: Wanted to see the prints of the nails
  • Resurrection: Spirit and body reunited, never to die again
▶ Play Forehead GuessFull screen, 60-second timer, works on any phone.

Scripture Showdown10 questions

  1. What did the crowds shout as Jesus rode into Jerusalem?
    • A. “Crucify him”
    • B. “Hosanna”
    • C. “Peace, be still”
    Show answer

    ✅ B. “Hosanna” Matthew 21:9. Days later, some in Jerusalem would shout something very different.

  2. What did Jesus call the temple when He drove out the moneychangers?
    • A. The house of prayer
    • B. The house of gold
    • C. The house of David
    Show answer

    ✅ A. The house of prayer Matthew 21:13. The temple is a holy place.

  3. What did Jesus introduce at the Last Supper?
    • A. Baptism
    • B. Fasting
    • C. The sacrament
    Show answer

    ✅ C. The sacrament Matthew 26:26–28. Deacons help carry on what He started that night.

  4. What did Jesus pray in Gethsemane?
    • A. “Save yourselves”
    • B. “Not as I will, but as thou wilt”
    • C. “Take me home now”
    Show answer

    ✅ B. “Not as I will, but as thou wilt” Matthew 26:39. He chose His Father’s will, for us.

  5. Who said, “Truly this was the Son of God” at the cross?
    • A. A Roman centurion
    • B. Peter
    • C. Pilate
    Show answer

    ✅ A. A Roman centurion Matthew 27:54. Even a Roman officer recognized Him.

  6. What did the angel say to the women at the tomb?
    • A. “Go home”
    • B. “Wait here”
    • C. “He is not here: for he is risen”
    Show answer

    ✅ C. “He is not here: for he is risen” Matthew 28:6. Just as He said.

  7. Who got to the tomb first in the race?
    • A. Peter
    • B. John, the other disciple
    • C. Thomas
    Show answer

    ✅ B. John, the other disciple John 20:4. John wrote it down, of course.

  8. How did Mary finally recognize Jesus?
    • A. He showed her a sign
    • B. An angel told her
    • C. He said her name
    Show answer

    ✅ C. He said her name John 20:16. “Mary.” He knows each of us by name.

  9. What did the Emmaus disciples feel as He opened the scriptures?
    • A. Their hearts burned
    • B. They fell asleep
    • C. They were afraid
    Show answer

    ✅ A. Their hearts burned Luke 24:32. The Holy Ghost witnesses of Him.

  10. Who does Jesus call blessed in John 20:29?
    • A. Those who saw Him
    • B. Those who have not seen, yet believe
    • C. Only the Apostles
    Show answer

    ✅ B. Those who have not seen, yet believe That’s us. We can believe and become witnesses by the Spirit.

▶ Play Scripture ShowdownTeams take turns on one screen.

From general conference

“Nearly 2,000 years ago, Palm Sunday marked the beginning of the last week of the mortal ministry of Jesus Christ. It was the most important week in human history.”

— Elder Ronald A. Rasband, “Hosanna to the Most High God,” April 2023

Share in the hook, right after the youth guess.

Read the talk ↗

Songs

  • I Know That My Redeemer Lives Hymns, no. 136

    The Easter testimony every witness in today’s lesson could sing. Find it ↗

  • He Died That We Might Live Again Children’s Songbook, p. 65

    A simple Easter song that holds the whole week, Friday to Sunday, in one idea. Find it ↗

This week’s challenge

Become a Witness

Read one witness account each day this week: John 20, Luke 24, 1 Corinthians 15 and 3 Nephi 11. Pray to know for yourself that Jesus Christ lives. Next Sunday, during the sacrament, think about the Thursday, Friday and Sunday of that week. Memorize Matthew 28:6.

Text the parents

This Easter in class we helped a made-up youth answer a friend who asked if he really believes Jesus rose. We used the witnesses who saw Him alive. Mary Magdalene heard the risen Lord say her name. We also met Thomas, the Emmaus disciples and the people in the Americas. Ask your youth: which witness of the Resurrection do you relate to most, and why?

📝 After class

What worked? Who needs a check-in this week? Jot it here on a printed copy, or in the app’s private class notes.

Got extra time?

🌴 Hosanna to Crucify · 4 min

  1. Read Matthew 21:8–11 and Matthew 27:22–23. Ask: “How could the same city shout ‘Hosanna’ on Sunday and ‘Let him be crucified’ on Friday?”
  2. Ask: “What makes a person’s loyalty to Jesus last when the crowd changes?”
  3. Each youth thinks of one way to stay steady when friends turn against what they believe.

🛣️ The Road to Emmaus · 5 min

  1. Pairs walk slowly around the room. One reads Luke 24:13–27 aloud to the other.
  2. Read Luke 24:28–35 together. Ask: “When did they recognize Him? What had they already felt before that?”
  3. Ask: “When have you felt your heart burn while reading or hearing about Jesus?”

✨ Saturday in the Spirit World · 4 min

  1. Read 1 Peter 3:18–19 and 1 Peter 4:6. Ask: “What was Jesus doing while His body lay in the tomb?”
  2. Explain that Doctrine and Covenants 138 is a latter-day revelation about this. He organized messengers to teach the spirits of the dead.
  3. Connect it to temple baptisms. Say, “When you do baptisms for the dead, you’re part of the work Jesus started that Saturday.”

🏁 Holy Week Timeline Race · 4 min

  1. Line up eight volunteers in scrambled order. Whisper one event to each. Palm branches. The temple cleared. The wedding feast. “Ye have done it unto me.” The Last Supper and Gethsemane. The cross. Preaching to the spirits. The empty tomb.
  2. Start the timer. The class moves them into order, from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday.
  3. Walk the line together: Matthew 21, 22, 25, 26 and 27, then 1 Peter 3:18–19 and Matthew 28. Mention that we don’t know the exact day of every event.

Sources

Scripture quotations are from the King James Version, the Bible used by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Tap or click a reference to open it in Gospel Library. Start with the official Come, Follow Me manual; these ideas are here to help it come alive.

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