The BLESS Group

Lesson #10: "And was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate,

and suffered and was buried. And the third day He rose again,
according to the Scriptures.”

Date: Sunday, January 17, 2010 (taught on January 24, 2010)

PREPARATION:
OBJECTIVE:
1. learn the meaning of the next lines in the Nicene Creed
("And was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered and
was buried. And the third day He rose again, according to the
Scriptures.")
2. Discuss the role of Godparents in our lives

HANDOUTS:
1. Line drawing icons for coloring book
1. "This Week I Learned"
1. Clipart and text to make invites for “Godparent Sunday”

MATERIALS NEEDED:
1. Cardstock or construction paper to make invites
1. Markers/crayons, stickers, glitter glue to decorate cards
with

OPENING PRAYER:
Our Father, Who art in heaven
Hallowed be Thy Name;
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil. Amen.

THE LESSON:
FOCUS / REVIEW:
1. Quickly review last week’s topic: Baptism (do this just before
the Godparent discussion)
 THE MESSAGE:
1. This week’s line of the Creed:
“… and was crucified for us …”: God loves us so much that He
sent His only Son to be the sacrifice for our sins.
“… under Pontius Pilate …”: This line of Creed reminds us that
Jesus was a real person. He lived during a specific time period, when
Pontius Pilate was governor over Judea (AD26 and AD 36). Why would
Pontius Pilate be mentioned in the Creed? To impress upon us that the
whole life and death and resurrection of Jesus is not a myth, or a plot,
but an actual historical event that took place at a specific time in
history.
“… He suffered …”: Jesus felt real pain, He shed real blood and
He really died.
“… and was buried …”: The gospels (books of the Bible) speak in
great detail of Jesus’ burial. They tell how he was laid in the tomb, how
the body was wrapped in grave-clothes, how it was anointed with
perfumes, how the huge stone was rolled against the door of the tomb.
Why would the go into so much detail? To deal with false teachers, who
taught that Jesus only seemed to suffer and die. Some of them said
that a man named Simon of Cyrene was crucified and died on the cross
as he looked like Jesus.
“… and on the third day He rose again, …”: The Jews believed
that a person was not actually dead until the third day. They would
visit the tomb each day for three days to see if the spirit would return
to the body. After the three day period, they had little hope that it
would. This is why God let Jesus stay in the tomb for three days - to
convince all the unbelievers that He was really dead. And having died,
His resurrection is indeed a miracle - a feat only the One True God
could accomplish!
“… according to the Scriptures; …”: This line of the Creed
reminds us that everything that happened was promised by God in the
Old Testament. Examples of this came be found here - both Peter
(Acts 2:24-31) and Paul (Acts 13:33-37).

2. The role of the Godparent in a child’s life:

It is a rule of the Orthodox Faith that every person, child or adult,
should have a Godparent at Baptism. It is a special honour and a big
responsibility to be a Godparent. It lasts a lifetime. Along with the
parents, the Godparent has the responsibility of the child’s spiritual
development. Whether a blood relative or not, the Godparent is now
embraced as part of the “spiritual family” of that child.
One way that our church can help this relationship grow is by
hosting a Godparent/Godchild Sunday. The Godparents and Godchild
receive Holy Communion together. They sit together during the Divine
Liturgy and throughout the Reconfirmation Service.
Our church is holding its first Godparent Sunday on Sunday,
February 14th. Today, we are making invitations to send to our
Godparents.

THE ACTIVITY:
Using the photocopied clipart and information text, construction
paper and various craft supplies, we will make Godparent Sunday
invitations

THE RESPONSE / HOMEWORK:

Ensure the students give their invites to their Godparents or have
their parents mail them to them.
 “THIS WEEK I LEARNED”
This week, we learned the meaning of the next lines in the Nicene
Creed ("And was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered and
was buried. And the third day He rose again, according to the
Scriptures;") . In preparation for “Godparent Sunday” On February
14 , we discussed the role of Godparents in our lives.
th

The role of the Godparent in a child’s life:

It is a rule of the Orthodox Faith that every person, child or adult,
should have a Godparent at Baptism. It is a special honour and a big
responsibility to be a Godparent. It lasts a lifetime. Along with the

This week’s line of the Creed:

“… and was crucified for us …”: God loves us so much that He sent His only Son
to be the sacrifice for our sins.
“… under Pontius Pilate …”: This line of Creed reminds us that Jesus was a real
person. He lived during a specific time period, when Pontius Pilate was governor
over Judea (AD26 and AD 36). Why would Pontius Pilate be mentioned in the
Creed? To impress upon us that the whole life and death and resurrection of Jesus is
not a myth, or a plot, but an actual historical event that took place at a specific time in
history.
“… He suffered …”: Jesus felt real pain, He shed real blood and He really died.
“… and was buried …”: The gospels (books of the Bible) speak in great detail of
Jesus’ burial. They tell how he was laid in the tomb, how the body was wrapped in
grave-clothes, how it was anointed with perfumes, how the huge stone was rolled
against the door of the tomb. Why would the go into so much detail? To deal with
false teachers, who taught that Jesus only seemed to suffer and die. Some of them
said that a man named Simon of Cyrene was crucified and died on the cross as he
looked like Jesus.
“… and on the third day He rose again, …”: The Jews believed that a person was
not actually dead until the third day. They would visit the tomb each day for three
days to see if the spirit would return to the body. After the three day period, they had
little hope that it would. This is why God let Jesus stay in the tomb for three days - to
convince all the unbelievers that He was really dead. And having died, His
resurrection is indeed a miracle - a feat only the One True God could accomplish!
“… according to the Scriptures; …”: This line of the Creed reminds us that
everything that happened was promised by God in the Old Testament. Examples of
this came be found here - both Peter (Acts 2:24-31) and Paul (Acts 13:33-37).

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
Why did the Fathers mention Pontius Pilate in the Creed?
What kinds of suffering did Jesus endure? Why did He do this?
Why did God let Jesus stay in the tomb for three days before He was resurrected?
parents, the Godparent has the responsibility of the child’s spiritual
development. Whether a blood relative or not, the Godparent is now
embraced as part of the “spiritual family” of that child.
One way that our church can help this relationship grow is by
hosting a Godparent/Godchild Sunday. The Godparents and Godchild
receive Holy Communion together. They sit together during the Divine
Liturgy and throughout the Reconfirmation Service.
Our church is holding its first Godparent Sunday on Sunday,
February 14th. Today, we are made invitations to send to our
Godparents.