Here is a free youth group Easter lesson, based on Luke 24: 1-8; Mark 8: 31; Romans 6: 6-11.

Enjoy!

-Nick Diliberto, Ministry to Youth

Looking for youth ministry curriculum? Check out the…

THE EASTER STORY – A 4-week Easter series for youth ministry. Students will discover the prophecies of Jesus’ suffering, death, resurrection, and what it means to them today.

Youth Group Lesson on Easter

DOWNLOAD THE PDF OF THIS LESSON

Title: Empty is a Good Thing!

Bible: Luke 24: 1-8; Mark 8: 31; Romans 6: 6-11

When you think about Easter, what do you think about? (repeat their answers)

Easter bunny…

Candy…

Family get togethers…

Pastel colors?

All of those things are good and cute, but when you think about the true meaning of Easter, those seem so empty.

And when it comes to the true meaning of Easter, empty is a good thing!

Normally the concept of something being empty isn’t really a good thing is it?

Empty…it brings about unneeded stress.

Empty gift cards…

Empty coffee cup…

Empty wallet!!

So, empty equals no good right?

You see everybody and their momma gets together for Easter to celebrate a holiday that is to them…empty

But I’m here to tell you today that…

The Message

Point #1: Empty is a good thing.

When we look at Easter in the proper light, and we understand what really happened, and what was going on, and why we celebrate Easter…empty is a good thing.

When Jesus was murdered and nailed to a cross, they buried him in a tomb, basically a cave, and rolled a huge heavy stone in front of the tomb.

Then three days later something unbelievable happened. The tomb was empty.

  •  Luke 24: 1-8 it says this…
  • 1 But very early on Sunday morning the women went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. 2 They found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. 3 So they went in, but they didn’t find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 As they stood there puzzled, two men suddenly appeared to them, clothed in dazzling robes. 5 The women were terrified and bowed with their faces to the ground. Then the men asked, “Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive? 6 He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Remember what he told you back in Galilee, 7 that the Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and that he would rise again on the third day.” 8 Then they remembered that he had said this. 

Point #2: Empty is proof.

Now let’s back up a minute. Let’s look earlier during Jesus’ ministry when he said had to go through this to his disciples.

  • Mark 8: 31 (NLT)
  • 31 Then Jesus began to tell them that the Son of Man must suffer many terrible things and be rejected by the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but three days later he would rise from the dead.

Proof Jesus is who he says he is.

Ever heard someone make a bunch of claims, but couldn’t back it up? Jesus didn’t do that.

We just read in Mark that Jesus said he would die and rise again after three days….and he backed it up. Now I can follow somebody who makes a claim as huge as this, and then backs it up!!

Point #3: Empty is powerful.

Jesus has power over death

Because Jesus died and rose again, because he Jesus is who he says he is, Jesus has power of sin’s greatest weapon…death.

You know for something to have life, something else has to die. Did anyone eat some fruit today? It had to be disconnected from its tree, its life source; it had to die to give you life.

Jesus is the one who says I can give you life, I can make it so that you will never really die…that even after life on earth is done with, you will live with me forever….because that is how much I love you!!

The empty tomb shows us that Jesus has power over death, he looked death straight in the eyes, he took death’s best sting….and overcame it!! How amazing is that!!

Point #4: Empty is permanent.

You know plenty of people visit Jerusalem every year. Plenty of people walked down some of the same roads that Jesus may have walked down. One of the places people love to visit is the place where historians believe Jesus was buried…and guess what? Till this day the tomb is still empty!!!

  • Romans 6: 9 (NLT)
  • We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him.

Jesus wasn’t in the tomb 3 days after he died….he isn’t in the tomb today….and he never will be!! Jesus is God and is alive forever! His body wasn’t stolen, it wasn’t in the wrong tomb, it wasn’t some magic trick….

So, when we look at the true meaning of Easter and everything Jesus did for us on the cross…empty is a good thing!!

Empty means Jesus is who he says he is,

Empty means Jesus has power over death,

And empty is permanent…

Jesus is permanently alive and death will never overcome him again. When we decide to follow him instead of following our own selfish desires, we too can begin to really live!

Small Group Discussion Questions

  1. What is your favorite Easter candy?
  2. Why is the concept of something being empty usually considered a bad thing?
  3. When it comes to Easter, how is empty a good thing?
  4. What thing in your life seems “empty” right now?

DOWNLOAD THE PDF OF THIS LESSON

End lesson.

Looking for youth ministry curriculum? Check out the…

THE EASTER STORY – A 4-week Easter series for youth ministry. Students will discover the prophecies of Jesus’ suffering, death, resurrection, and what it means to them today.

More Easter Lessons:

View another Easter Youth Group Lesson. Main point: With God’s help, the power of sin in your life can be broken!

Check out this awesome Youth Group Game on Easter. It also includes a short Easter bible lesson.

If you’re creating your own Easter message, you’ll want to read this blog post: How to Make Your Easter Message Stick.

Closely related to Easter is the season of Lent. Check out this Youth Group Lesson on Lent.

10 Replies to “Youth Group Lesson – Easter”

  1. jeff smith
    • March 1, 2016

    When you download this message, the game downloads instead.

    Reply 1 Response
    1. Nick Diliberto
      • March 2, 2016

      Oh no! We’re working on fixing it now. Thanks for heads up.

      Reply
  2. Nick Diliberto
    • March 4, 2016

    Jeff, we fixed it 🙂

    Reply
  3. Joshua Cartwright
    • April 9, 2020

    I loved this lesson. What a great way to switch things around – empty is good!

    Reply
  4. Dalila Moreira
    • March 23, 2021

    Loved going over this lesson with my 4 teens!

    Reply
  5. Benjamin Nickels
    • March 31, 2021

    This is great, i’m definitely going to use this to share the Easter story with my Bible Study!

    Reply
  6. Betty
    • March 18, 2022

    Hi Nick , I read your lesson above. I love the format and the content . Easy to read and easy to explain/ teach the youths in our bible study . You made it so easy !Thank you and God bless you .

    Reply
  7. Sara
    • April 6, 2022

    Thanks for this lesson I’m going to use it on my youth girls tmrw

    Reply
  8. Patrick Khoo
    • April 12, 2022

    Easter isn’t a well known concept in my part of the world but the lesson is a great way for me to teach to the teenagers here. I will ‘localize’ it and make a more relatable. Many thanks for the lesson structure and providing a natural flow for youths to understand.

    Reply
  9. Kseniya
    • March 22, 2023

    Great lesson! God turns everything upside down! Empty is good! I also told teens that the emptiness inside us which we feel sometimes- is a place where God wants to be

    Reply

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