Childrens Sermon Service

The word "crucified" means that the person was hung on a cross to die. The cross was a very cruel way to treat people. Jesus died on a cross. That's what "crucified" means.

That is why we have so many crosses in this church. Let's everyone find a cross in this place and quietly point to it. (Do it.) We have a lot of crosses here this morning, don't we? There is a cross there ... and there ... and there. People wear them around their necks and in their ears as earrings, and we put them on the wall and even on the top of our steeple. The cross is everywhere!

Good evening! We are here in church tonight because this is
Good Friday. Can anybody tell me what happened on Good Friday?
(Let them answer.) Yes, Good Friday is the day that Jesus was
crucified, the day he died on the cross to pay for our sins.

When they crucified Jesus, they put a sign on the cross that
said, "Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews." Now they did
this just to mock him, because those people who crucified Jesus
didn't believe that he was the king of anything, did they? (Let
them answer.) But, was Jesus really a king? (Let them answer.)
Yes, of course he was. Jesus is king of the whole universe! He
was then and he is now. They didn't know it, but their sign was
telling the truth.

And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching. (vv. 24-25)

Good morning, boys and girls. How many of you have friends? (let them answer) Very good, everyone has friends. How many of you have a best friend? (let them answer) When you are with your friends, what do you do? (let them answer)

So they took Jesus; and carrying the cross by himself, he went out to what is called The Place of the Skull, which in Hebrew is called Golgotha. There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, with Jesus between them. (19:16b-18)

SHARING THIS WEEK'S GOSPEL THEME AT SUNDAY SCHOOL AND AT HOME

Materials:
Wax crayons (less expensive brands work best -- this is a good use for those old broken crayons)
Iron
Ironing board
Scrap paper
Waxed paper
Pencil sharpener
White computer paper
Construction paper
Pen
Scissors
Glue sticks

Directions:
1. Have an adult plug in the iron and set it on medium without steam. Cover the ironing board with scrap paper.

2. Give each of the children a rectangle of waxed paper and have them fold it in half and then unfold it.

Again Peter denied it, and at that moment the cock crowed. (v. 18:27)

Good morning, boys and girls! How are you today? (allow answers) How many of you know what today is? (allow answers) Today is Good Friday. What do we remember on Good Friday? (allow answers) Today we remember Jesus' arrest and his death on the cross.

Our gospel lesson today is very long: It tells the whole story of Jesus' arrest in the garden and ending with his burial in the tomb.

One person who plays an important part in this story is Simon Peter. When Jesus is arrested, Simon Peter is so angry that he cuts off someone's ear! He seems like he is Jesus' greatest supporter.

SHARING THIS WEEK'S GOSPEL THEME
AT SUNDAY SCHOOL AND AT HOME


Materials:
Buzzer
True and false Bible trivia on slips of paper


Directions:
1. Hand out the slips of paper. Have them take turns reading the trivia.

2. If the trivia is false, have the children ring the buzzer. (Make it contest: whoever rings the buzzer first -- and can tell why it's false -- gets a point.)

3. Go until you run out of trivia, then add up points. (If it's easier, divide children into groups, and if possible have one buzzer per group.)

4. Talk about how the rooster crowing was like the "buzzer" for Simon Peter. How is the buzzer in this game like the situation for Peter in today's gospel?

• First Thoughts
• Teaching On Your Own
• Teaching As A Team
• Closing Prayer
• Follow-Up Lesson

Note: This piece was originally published April 22, 2011.

Not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching. (v. 25)

Good morning, boys and girls! How are you today? (allow answers) Today we are going to talk about community. Who can tell me what a community is? (allow answers) A community is a group of people who come together for a certain reason. A community could be your neighborhood, where many people live near each other. Your school is a community where many people come together to learn. Churches are communities of people who come together to worship and pray. What kind of communities can you think of? (allow answers)

Object: A photo album with no photos in it.

Hello, everyone! (Let them respond.) Are you ready for our story today? (Let them respond.) Great! But before I tell the story, can anyone tell me what I have here? (Show the closed photo album.) It is an album where we keep pictures and other things that we want to remember. Some of you might have these at home, don’t you? (Let them respond.)

How many of you like to have a snack before you go to bed. Some kids like to eat cereal not only for breakfast but also for a nighttime snack.

There was a family of four hungry boys and every night they would eat cereal before going to bed. But this one night they accidently left the milk jug out on the counter. OOPS! Mom came into the kitchen in the morning and was not very happy. She had planned to make pancakes for everyone but the milk was all spoiled as it had been left out on the counter all night.  

The mother tried to figure out which son had left it out. She began to ask, one after another, "Did you forget to put the milk away?"  No one confessed to doing it...

For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you. (v. 23a)

Good evening, boys and girls. Is anyone here a fast runner? (let them answer) Everyone thinks they are fast runners and I suppose you are all faster than me. Has anyone ever been in a race? (let them answer) Races are fun. Sometimes we win and sometimes we lose, but it is a lot of fun to see who is the fastest that day.

Jesus got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around him. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him. (vv. 4-5)


Good evening, boys and girls. Jesus was always a surprise to the disciples. He ate with sinners, he talked with a bad woman at a well in a foreign country, he healed a man who was tied up for fear that he would hurt others, and he waited for four days before he went to visit his friend who was sick. These are just a few of the times that Jesus surprised the disciples. But the biggest surprise may have been the one that Jesus did on Maundy Thursday.

SHARING THIS WEEK'S GOSPEL THEME AT SUNDAY SCHOOL AND AT HOME

Materials:
Small plastic storage jars with lids (small disposable cups like the ones used for nacho cheese or salad dressing will work well for children to take home)
Spoons
Packets of unflavored gelatin (15 g -- 1 tablespoon) -- one per child
Salt -- 1 teaspoon per child
Liquid soap -- 1/2 cup per child
Boiling water -- 3/4 cup per child
Food coloring
Fragrant oils or essential oils
Small toy (optional)

Directions:
1. Pour the gelatin into each cup and stir 3/4 cup of boiling water into the gelatin. Stir until the gelatin dissolves completely.

2. Add the liquid soap to the mix in the cups.

Peter said to him, "You will never wash my feet." Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no share with me." (v. 8)

Good morning, boys and girls! How are you this morning? (allow answers) Today we are going to talk about feet. What can you tell me about your feet? (allow answers) Our feet have toes on them. We use our feet to walk on. We put shoes on our feet to protect ourselves from stepping on something painful.

For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. (v. 26)

Good morning, boys and girls! How are you this morning? (allow answers) How many of you know what this is? (show chalice, allow answers) This is the cup that we use during communion. During communion, we fill the chalice with wine or grape juice to remind us of Jesus' Easter sacrifice on the cross. What else do we have at communion? (allow answers) In addition to the wine, we have bread for communion. The bread also reminds us of Jesus' sacrifice.

SHARING THIS WEEK'S GOSPEL THEME
AT SUNDAY SCHOOL AND AT HOME


Materials:
Wash basin
Water
Towels


Directions:
Discuss the lesson of the day. Have children wash each other's feet. Talk about what it means to be a servant of God.

• First Thoughts
• Teaching On Your Own
• Teaching As A Team
• Closing Prayer
• Follow-Up Lesson

I have a surprise in my bag today but I'm not sure if any of you would like to see it. You see... (pull it out of the bag) I have some stinky socks and sneakers. Hold your noses! It's not very pleasant.

In our story today we can take a peek into the life of Jesus. He did something that many people would have turned the other way and tried to have held their noses. It says in John 13:4,5

"Jesus got up from the meal, ... he poured water in a basin (bowl) and began to wash his disciples' feet. Drying them with the towel that was wrapped around Him."

Object: A babysitter. You may use an adult, though I prefer to use an older youth who does babysitting. For simplicity, I will assume the babysitter is a girl, though you may certainly have a boy in the role instead. It may be helpful to talk with your babysitter beforehand to prepare them for the questions you are going to ask.

Hello, everyone! (Let them respond.) I have someone with me who is going to help me tell us our story today. Are you ready? (Let them respond.) Great!

There are many things in faith that only make sense if we understand the connection. Things like loving one another is the same as loving God, or God’s voice may come to us through the physical voice of a parent or close friend. Making connections in faith is important.

Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. (v. 2)

Good morning, boys and girls. Can you tell me how old you are? (let them answer) Can you tell me how old you are going to be on your next birthday? (let them answer) Are you going to have a great grade card when school is over? (let them answer) How many of you want to graduate from grade school and go on to junior high school or high school? (let them answer) How many of you can hardly wait until it is time for vacation? (let them answer)

Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the cloth that had been on Jesus' head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. (vv. 6-7)

SHARING THIS WEEK'S GOSPEL THEME AT SUNDAY SCHOOL AND AT HOME

Materials:
1 cup flour per group
1 cup used coffee grounds per group
1/2 cup salt per group
1/4 cup sand per group
1 cup water per group
Mixing bowls
Spoons
Floured surface
Small toys or crosses

Directions:
1. Have the children work in groups.

2. Give each group the required ingredients.

3. Have the children mix only the dry ingredients together.

4. While one child stirs, have another slowly add the water. Children should pause to stir and observe the texture as they work because the amount of water needed will vary. Dough will be stiff.

Note: This piece was originally published April 24, 2011.

So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. (v. 1)

• First Thoughts
• Teaching On Your Own
• Teaching As A Team
• Closing Prayer
• Follow-Up Lesson

When you see a box of tissues what do you normally think of? (let children respond) It may be that people are sad and  are crying. We often don't want others to see that we are crying. Jesus was very familiar with tears and in fact right before his death, the Bible tells us that he had tears of blood. So he understands when we are sad and hurting.  

In our story we see two angels speaking to Mary at the tomb of Jesus. They said, "Woman why are you crying?" (John 20:13) She tells them that her Lord had been taken away. But then Jesus actually speaks to her, "Woman why are you crying? (John 20:15) Mary did not recognize Jesus and maybe that was because she was so upset.

Always finish what you start. This seems like a noble value to uphold until we examine all the things we start and never finish. Especially the things we start to work on and their usefulness quickly becomes irrelevant. Ordering 100 palms for the Palm Sunday processional and then having a shelter in place order made by the governor, for example. Or getting all your pants specially tailored and then working from home and spending all day on ZOOM meetings. In fact, buying pants at all right now seems like a complete waste of energy. The original task loses its usefulness when the world changes so drastically.

Object: A rock. I use one about the size of a baseball so it can be easily seen.

Hello, everyone! (Let them respond.) Happy Easter! (Let them respond.) I thought it would be nice if we remembered the story of what happened on that first Easter a long time ago. Let’s see if we all remember it.

Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. (v. 1)

Good morning, boys and girls! How are you this morning? (allow answers) Today I am going to tell you a story. It has to do with a dog. Are you ready? (allow answers) Once upon a time -- not too long ago -- there was a little girl named Hannah. Hannah's family owned a dog. The dog was named Pepper. Hannah loved Pepper. She never went anywhere without him. Hannah and Pepper played outside together. Hannah gave Pepper his baths. She even slept with Pepper next to her bed. Yes, Hannah loved that dog very much.