On this Page: FAQ - General Pieces - Clues - Briefcases and Locks - Decorations - Promotion - Resources


What is the cause of Jesus’ empty tomb?

Did Jesus really rise from the dead or could there be another explanation for the empty tomb?
On this page you will find instructions and pieces that you will need to HOST your own Resurrection themed Escape Room to solve puzzles and clues to solve the Case of the Empty Tomb. 

(To BRING a group to this Resurrection themed Escape Room--Easter weekend, CLICK HERE)
(To have NETworkers TEC come to your group to SET UP this Escape Room, CONTACT US for availability and questions.)

FAQ

What is an Escape Room?
An Escape Room is a puzzle challenge where participants are “locked” in a room for 1hr and must solve a series of clues in order to successfully “escape” within the time frame.

What is the Purpose?
To help attendees investigate, in a fun way, whether or not there is evidence to back up Jesus' resurrection.
  • Saved: To give them confidence that the resurrection is true, not because they were told to believe it, but because it is reality and there's evidence to back it up. Also to give them quick things that they can share with others who are doubting the resurrection.
  • Unsaved: To cause them to think about the evidence of the resurrection and present them the opportunity to believe IN the risen Savior.

Where does the material come from? 
The clues were created by Hanna w/ NETworkers TEC. The source of the content for the clues come from the booklet Alive by J. Warner Wallace from Cold Case Christianity.  He is a cold-case homicide detective and approaches the case of the empty tomb from a detective's perspective.
Are participants really locked in a room?
No. The idea of being "locked" in a room just adds to the mystery and pressure of solving all the puzzles and clues in time to "escape."
Do you have to have prior knowledge, be a Christian, or familiar with church to participate?
No, the clues are written so that anyone can participate and learn from the game.
How long does the event take?
I would suggest blocking off 2 hours for the Escape Room. 
  • 15 minutes for Introduction-Briefing
  • 1 hour for Escape Room
  • 45 minutes for Concluding Discussion
If you were doing this in a setting where you would see the participants again (like in a youth group) you could do the teaching segment of the Escape Room the week(s) before or the week(s) after.
How many people can play at a time?
I would recommend 6-8 players per room so that everyone stays engaged and players do not become uninterested. If you have more than 6-8 players, I recommend setting up multiple rooms for your players to participate in. It can be a race, not only against the clock, but also against the other teams. To help players stay engaged, I recommend that most of the players are giving a job which are discussed in detail under the "General Pieces" section below.
For whom is the Escape Room Designed?
Any group of people (youth groups, homeschool groups, young adult groups, church groups, families, etc.) The Escape Room game is flexible whether you are wanting to do it in your house with your family or at a church with a youth group. You could even consider setting up Resurrection themed Escape Rooms to make open to the public or groups in your area.

General Pieces

Introduction  - Briefing
​(Read this script to your attendees to before they start their Escape Room)
Concluding Discussion
(Read this script to your attendees to help them process the information they investigated during the Escape Room. This will also be the time to present the Gospel. You could serve snacks before or during this time as well. This discussion is approx. 30 minutes.)
PowerPoint
(Use this PowerPoint with the Introduction and Conclusion script during your discussion time)
Detective's Report
(Print out a "Detective's Report" for each participate to have during the game. The "Investigative Recorder" will fill out one of these "Official" detective's report during the game and will share their conclusions during the Concluding Discussion after the game. While the participates may not have time to fill it out during the game, they can finish filling it out during the Concluding Discussion.)
Theories Summary Handout
(This is summary of the clues/evidence investigated in the escape room that attendees can take home to review why the alternative theories are not true.)
Role Tags
(There are 5 different optional roles that you can have available for the participants in the room to keep the players engaged and to help delegate responsibility so that one or two people are not over-stepping on others. You could make badges like these pictured below or use stick on name tags.)
  • Detective Sergeant – To be your team leader.
  • Investigative Recorder – To record your official results for each theory.
  • Lock Smith – To apply the combination to the locks.
  • Clue Board Organizer – To put the theory directions and clues you find on the board.
  • Clue Reader – To read the clues and directions.

Clue Board
(I suggest having a clue board that the participates can put their clues up on during the game. This helps them to keep all the pieces in one place and allows all the players to see the clues versus one person holding on the clue and not allowing the other players to read the clues. This board can also be taken into the Concluding Discussion to refer to. You could use a white board, foam board, or poster board.)
Door Poster
If you are having multiple groups playing the Escape Room you can use this form to post on the door or to use in the room to help keep the group(s) organized.

Clues

Below are the clue files that need to be printed and cut for each theory. Within the clue files are instructions for what kind of props could be used to accompany the clues and the pictures illustrating the suggestions are below. You can change the objects/supplies to fit supplies you already have or do something you feel would work better.

Suggestion: Print each theory's clue sets on different colored paper so that it is easy to keep each clue set together. 
Laminate the clues for durability. 
12 Envelopes 
Each briefcase needs two envelops; one labeled "TRUE" and the other labeled "FALSE". The clue documents will tell you what should go in the appropriate envelopes. 

Theory #1-Fainted
clues_for_theory_1__fainted_.docx
File Size: 21 kb
File Type: docx
Download File
Pictured below: Theory #1 clues hidden in a book written by a medical doctor.
Theory #2 - Stolen Body and Lying
clues_for_theory_2__stolen_and_lying_.docx
File Size: 32 kb
File Type: docx
Download File

​Pictured Below: Theory #2 "Power" clue taped on the back of a 1st place ribbon. 


​Pictured  Right: Theory #2 "Power" clue taped on the bottom of "The Buck Stops Here!" plaque.

​Pictured below: Theory #2 "Relationships" clue is hidden on the bottom of a Valentine themed can with jewelry covering the clue. The key to the money box for the "Theory #2 'Money'" clue is taped to the top of the Valentine's lid. 

​Pictured below: Theory #2 "Money" clue is taped on the back of a piece of fake money. All the money is placed in a locked box labeled "U.S. Treasury". The key to the box is clue is taped to the top of the Valentine's lid from the "Theory #2 'Relationship'" clue. Or you could hide the "Money" clue in a coin bag with some coins inside.

Suggestion: You could print out the "Jesus and Disciples Picture" and "Disciples Death Chart" to hide or display as a "distraction" as they are not directly needed to solve "Theory #2" clues but are related decorations.
Jesus and Disciples Picture
jesus_and_disciples.pdf
File Size: 352 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File
Disciples Death Chart
disciplesdeath.pdf
File Size: 315 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File
​Theory #3 - Hallucination 
clues_for_theory_3__hallucination_.docx
File Size: 70 kb
File Type: docx
Download File
Combination Code: 3684 - These numbers 3, 6, 8, and 4 are hide on the corresponding poem objects that show that the disciples did not hallucinate seeing Jesus. When you write the combination number on these objects, don't forget to also write #3 somewhere on the object to indicate to the players that this number goes with theory #3.
Pictured below are the objects that the participates are looking for that coordinate with the clue poem:
(1) Over 500 saw with their eyes.
(2) And when the disciples touched him, they realized,
That he wasn’t dead-
(3) But since he was fed,
(4) They knew the one they walked with was truly alive.

(1) "Over 500 saw with their eyes." - The combination number (3) is written on the inside of the glasses and the glasses were hung on the bookshelf.

​(2) "And when the disciples touched him..." - This object for this clue is a picture of the disciples touching the risen Jesus, taped inside a "robe" similar to what they would have worn during Jesus' time. The combination number (6) is written in "invisible ink" by a special pen that is revealed with UV light from the pen. I hung the pen on the picture to make it easier to find.

(3) "But since he was fed" - The combination number (8) was written on one of the fish in the Shark Bite game. Another type of fish could be used instead of the game like fish crackers, fake fish, lure fish, etc. 

​(4) "They knew the one they walked with..." - This combination number (4) was written on the inside of the sandal. 
​Theory #4 - Added Later
clues_for_theory_4__added_later_.docx
File Size: 451 kb
File Type: docx
Download File
Combination Code: The combination for this clue is a series of shapes. Three of the shapes are found on the clue picture in the clue file above and the last shape is found at 1 Corinthians 15:3-6. You will need to draw this symbol in each of the Bibles provided so no matter which Bible the players use to look up 1 Corinthians 15:3-6, the correct shape will be there.

If you would rather use letters or numbers for your combination code, be sure to change the instructions and shape clues on this clue picture found in the clue file above before printing.
Pictured below: You could use a fake book like the one pictured below to hide one of your clues.
​Theory #5 - Wrong Tomb
clues_for_theory_5__wrong_tomb_.docx
File Size: 1218 kb
File Type: docx
Download File
Combination Code: To find the combination code for this lock, players must use the map of Israel to track the correct North, South, East, or West pattern. For this lock, I just left the arrows already printed on the Master Lock (pictured in the lock section below) to signify N, S, E, or W.
Pictured below: Here are some different examples of where the map of Israel could be hide for this clue. Options include in a closet, inside of a dishwasher, or taped underneath a pool table.
Theory #6 - Resurrection
clues_for_theory_6__resurrection_.docx
File Size: 15 kb
File Type: docx
Download File

Briefcases and Locks

Pictured below are the briefcase that were used for each clue. These work well because of their size and they cannot be opened without taking off the lock. These were purchased at Michaels.
Combination Codes
(Download this document to have the combination codes for all the locks.)
You may change the combination codes if you would like to fit pre-programmed locks, but you would also have to change some of the clues.

Therefore, I suggest to purchase locks that can be sent to your own combination. The places where the locks in the pictures come from are Target and Lowes.
Theory #1, #3, #4, #5, and #6 - This lock pictured below is a Master Lock product. While in my version I didn't use it for all 6 theories, it could be used for all six because of its ability to set whatever length of combination you want. The kit includes stickers so that you can have any letter, number, color, shape, or symbol combination for the various clues.
Theory #2 - I placed a star on the bottom of this lock as  a hint that the combination code from the "Theory #2 'Relationship'" clue was the letters with the star underneath.

Decorations

You can make the Escape Room as elaborate and decorated as you want. When you set up your room you will want to be sure that you have enough distracting items in the room that are not clues for the Escape Room. This is part of the challenge for the participants to search and evaluate what is a clue and what is not. Don't leave to many of your clues in plain sight; part of the fun is looking for them like a scavenger hunt. 

You can utilize whatever space you have available whether its a classroom at your church or room(s) in your home. You can decorate your Escape Room like a scene from the crucifixion or resurrection, a detective's office, crime scene, normal house/class room, or whatever other type of theme you would like. Below you can see a couple different decoration settings and hiding places depending on the space available.

Promotion

Use these samples to recreate your own promotional material to host your own Resurrection themed Escape Room in your area.

Webpage

Resources

Below are recommend resources that can be used during your discussion time or for other lessons around this topic.
More Evidence about the "Case of the Empty Tomb" from cold case homicide detective, J. Warner Wallace Theory #1: Fainted Theory #2: Stolen Body and Lying Theory #3: Hallucinated  Theory #4: Add Later Theory #5: Wrong Tomb Theory #6: ResurrectionGeneral Resources
DID JESUS RISE FROM THE DEAD? – Uploaded by Impact 360 Institute
How Do We Know That the Resurrection Happened? – Uploaded by Cold-Case Christianity with J. Warner Wallace
Did Jesus Think He was God? – Uploaded by Cold-Case Christianity with J. Warner Wallace 
The Case for the Resurrection is Stronger Than You Might Think – Uploaded by Cold-Case Christianity with J. Warner Wallace
WHO IS JESUS? – Uploaded by Impact 360 Institute
Who Did Jesus Think He Was? – Uploaded by drcraigvideos
Did Jesus Rise from the Dead? - Part One: The Facts – Uploaded by drcraigvideos
Did Jesus Rise from the Dead? - Part Two: The Explanation – Uploaded by drcraigvideos
deBUNKED | "There is No Evidence for the Resurrection" | Reasons for Hope – Uploaded by Reasons for Hope
​"Which Jesus Do You Follow" by Living Waters – Uploaded by Living Waters
Is the Jesus Story Stupid and the Resurrection Totally Mythical? - Uploaded by Cross Examined
​​How Can I Explain to My friends that Jesus Died and Resurrected? - Uploaded by In 2 Minutes (AWANA YM)
Does It Really Matter that Jesus Resurrected? - Uploaded by In 2 Minutes (AWANA YM)
iWitness - Jesus and iWitness - Resurrection by Doug Powell
​Evidence for the Resurrection by Rose Publishing
Did The New Testament Writers Invent The Resurrection? - Uploaded by Cross Examined
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