1. Unit 4 – Living the Paschal Mystery Lesson 3 – Life After Death

2. Jesus’ Resurrection
Jesus’ suffering and death was as act of redemptive love for all humanity!
But…..Jesus’ suffering and death are not the end of the story.
Jesus rose from the dead in an event called the Resurrection.
We celebrate Jesus’ Resurrection every Sunday, and with particular joy during the fifty days of the Easter season.
Jesus’ Resurrection tells us something about him: that he truly was God’s Son.
It also tells us something about us: that
we too will live again after we die.
These beliefs - that Jesus rose from the
dead and that we, too will rise – are the
core of the Christian Faith!!!

3. The Resurrection Narratives
You will now be assigned to one of four small groups.
You will be assigned one of the four Resurrection Narratives for which your group should read and answer questions 1 – 5 on the handout “The Resurrection Narratives”
Please be sure to participate and become an “expert” on your narrative because after 10 minutes we will “Jigsaw” your group and you will share what you have learned with members of a new group to complete questions 6 and 7 on the handout.
-”See What a Morning” - Keith and Kristyn Getty
-”In Christ Alone” – Owl City

4. What is the Paschal Mystery?
The Paschal Mystery – The term given to the work of salvation accomplished by Jesus Christ mainly through his Passion, death, Resurrection, and Ascension
The Paschal Mystery is not only about Jesus – it is about US!
It is about our own Resurrection and our own faith in God’s constant goodness
This faith sustains us in times of pain and difficulty

5. The Cross as a Symbol of The Paschal Mystery
The cross is the most universally recognizable symbol of Christianity. However, it did not become a Christian symbol right away
For those who lived in the time of Jesus it represented state-
sanctioned torture.
Over time Christians claimed the cross as a symbol of their
faith in Jesus as the Messiah, their Risen Lord and Redeemer
Multivalent – has many meanings
No matter the interpretation of the cross,
it all comes back to the central, defining belief of Christianity: that there is life after death, that we can find hope amid suffering, and that God’s goodness never fails to triumph over sin and evil!

6. The Powerful Symbol of the Cross
Is it a cross (without the figure of Jesus) , or a crucifix (displaying the figure of Jesus)?

7. Living the Paschal Mystery
Using what we have learned about signs and symbols and the true meaning of The Paschal Mystery you will design your own cross or crucifix.
How would you represent what this multivalent sign means to you?
How would it symbolize your own pain, and your own hope of resurrection?
In other words, express your own fulfillment of the Paschal Mystery!
Actually draw and design your cross or crucifix.
On the back, explain your rationale for it including its appearance, its size, and how it would symbolize your own unique experience of the Paschal Mystery.