Another Wow!
Children's sermon
Object:
Cookies or a snack of your choice for the children.
When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around him while he was by the lake. Then one of the synagogue leaders, named Jairus, came, and when he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet. He pleaded earnestly with him, “My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live.” So Jesus went with him.
A large crowd followed and pressed around him. (vv. 21-24)
* * *
Hi, everyone! (Let them respond.) I have another story for you today, and it is a “WOW” story. Are you ready to hear it? (Let them respond.)
One day, Jesus and his disciples got in a boat and sailed across the Sea of Galilee to visit a town on the other side. When they got to the shore, there was a man waiting for them, and he looked really excited about something. When Jesus got out of the boat, there was a man called Jairus who ran up to him and said, “My daughter is very sick. The doctors say there is nothing else they can do for her. Would you please come and help her?”
Jesus looked at the man and said, “Yes, I will go with you.”
The man said, “Thank you! I don’t live very far from here, but we have to hurry!” And the man started leading Jesus down the street to go to his house. In your imagination, can you see that father walking in front of Jesus showing him the way to his house? (Let them respond.) I think he is almost running because he wants Jesus to hurry.
But then the crowds of people started coming to see Jesus. Some of them were sick and wanted Jesus to help them too, and some of them wanted Jesus to tell them stories like he usually did. The father of the little girl was trying to help Jesus keep walking, but the crowds were getting so big they blocked the street and made it hard for Jesus to move. Can you see the father in your imagination now? He yells, “Come on Jesus! We have to hurry!” — but the crowds are making it hard to hear and move. I think he is getting worried.
Then Jesus stopped walking. There was a woman in the crowd who was very sick too, and Jesus stopped to talk with her. Can you see the father in your imagination now? “What are you doing, Jesus? Come on! Please hurry. You can come back and help these people later!” But Jesus kept talking to the woman and then made her sickness go away.
The father was about to call to Jesus again when he saw someone from his family coming to him from the house. They said that it was too late. The man’s little girl had died, and he didn’t need to bother Jesus any longer.
Can you see the father in your imagination now? (Let them respond.) I wonder if he was really sad, and maybe even kind of angry that Jesus had stopped to talk to the other people instead of following him to help his daughter. If I was the father, I think I might have been a little angry that Jesus hadn’t helped her. Do you think you would be angry too? (Let them respond.)
Jesus heard about the little girl. He looked at the father and said, “Don’t worry. Just believe.” And Jesus left the crowd and went to the man’s house.
When they got there, everyone was crying and upset. Jesus told them not to cry because the little girl was not dead but was only sleeping. They all laughed at him because they had seen the girl and they knew she had died. They thought Jesus must be crazy or something.
Then Jesus went to the little girl’s room and saw her lying on her bed. He walked over to her and held her hand. Then Jesus said, “Little girl, get up!”
Do you know what I see in my imagination right now? (Let them respond.) I think everyone in there was sure that Jesus was crazy now. How can you tell someone who has died to get up? In my imagination, I think everyone in the room just shook their heads and wanted Jesus to go away.
But then the little girl opened her eyes and she got up out of her bed. Jesus held her hand as they walked into the kitchen and Jesus told them to fix her something to eat because she was hungry.
Now, what do you see in your imagination? (Let them respond.) In my imagination everyone is running around shouting, all excited because of what Jesus had done. They were going to have a funeral, but now they were going to have a party!
And the father held his daughter and looked at Jesus and said, “WOW!” He thought that Jesus was not going to help his daughter, but he did.
To celebrate how Jesus helped Jairus’ daughter, why don’t we have a snack too, just like the little girl did after Jesus helped her? (Share the snacks you brought.)
Sometimes we get worried because it doesn’t seem like God is going to help us. It feels like God has forgotten about us, or just doesn’t care about us and things get very scary. When that happens, I hope we can remember this story about Jairus’ daughter. I hope we remember how everyone gave up, but Jesus said, “Don’t be afraid. Just believe.” And then…WOW!
And I hope you will remember how much God loves you, and how much God wants us to show everyone around us how much we love them, too.
Let’s have our prayer and ask God to help us remember to do the things God wants us to do to take care of each other.
Prayer:
Dear God, thank you for reminding us how much you love us. Please help us remember that you love all of the people you have created and help us let the people around us know that we love them just like Jesus loves us. Amen.
A large crowd followed and pressed around him. (vv. 21-24)
* * *
Hi, everyone! (Let them respond.) I have another story for you today, and it is a “WOW” story. Are you ready to hear it? (Let them respond.)
One day, Jesus and his disciples got in a boat and sailed across the Sea of Galilee to visit a town on the other side. When they got to the shore, there was a man waiting for them, and he looked really excited about something. When Jesus got out of the boat, there was a man called Jairus who ran up to him and said, “My daughter is very sick. The doctors say there is nothing else they can do for her. Would you please come and help her?”
Jesus looked at the man and said, “Yes, I will go with you.”
The man said, “Thank you! I don’t live very far from here, but we have to hurry!” And the man started leading Jesus down the street to go to his house. In your imagination, can you see that father walking in front of Jesus showing him the way to his house? (Let them respond.) I think he is almost running because he wants Jesus to hurry.
But then the crowds of people started coming to see Jesus. Some of them were sick and wanted Jesus to help them too, and some of them wanted Jesus to tell them stories like he usually did. The father of the little girl was trying to help Jesus keep walking, but the crowds were getting so big they blocked the street and made it hard for Jesus to move. Can you see the father in your imagination now? He yells, “Come on Jesus! We have to hurry!” — but the crowds are making it hard to hear and move. I think he is getting worried.
Then Jesus stopped walking. There was a woman in the crowd who was very sick too, and Jesus stopped to talk with her. Can you see the father in your imagination now? “What are you doing, Jesus? Come on! Please hurry. You can come back and help these people later!” But Jesus kept talking to the woman and then made her sickness go away.
The father was about to call to Jesus again when he saw someone from his family coming to him from the house. They said that it was too late. The man’s little girl had died, and he didn’t need to bother Jesus any longer.
Can you see the father in your imagination now? (Let them respond.) I wonder if he was really sad, and maybe even kind of angry that Jesus had stopped to talk to the other people instead of following him to help his daughter. If I was the father, I think I might have been a little angry that Jesus hadn’t helped her. Do you think you would be angry too? (Let them respond.)
Jesus heard about the little girl. He looked at the father and said, “Don’t worry. Just believe.” And Jesus left the crowd and went to the man’s house.
When they got there, everyone was crying and upset. Jesus told them not to cry because the little girl was not dead but was only sleeping. They all laughed at him because they had seen the girl and they knew she had died. They thought Jesus must be crazy or something.
Then Jesus went to the little girl’s room and saw her lying on her bed. He walked over to her and held her hand. Then Jesus said, “Little girl, get up!”
Do you know what I see in my imagination right now? (Let them respond.) I think everyone in there was sure that Jesus was crazy now. How can you tell someone who has died to get up? In my imagination, I think everyone in the room just shook their heads and wanted Jesus to go away.
But then the little girl opened her eyes and she got up out of her bed. Jesus held her hand as they walked into the kitchen and Jesus told them to fix her something to eat because she was hungry.
Now, what do you see in your imagination? (Let them respond.) In my imagination everyone is running around shouting, all excited because of what Jesus had done. They were going to have a funeral, but now they were going to have a party!
And the father held his daughter and looked at Jesus and said, “WOW!” He thought that Jesus was not going to help his daughter, but he did.
To celebrate how Jesus helped Jairus’ daughter, why don’t we have a snack too, just like the little girl did after Jesus helped her? (Share the snacks you brought.)
Sometimes we get worried because it doesn’t seem like God is going to help us. It feels like God has forgotten about us, or just doesn’t care about us and things get very scary. When that happens, I hope we can remember this story about Jairus’ daughter. I hope we remember how everyone gave up, but Jesus said, “Don’t be afraid. Just believe.” And then…WOW!
And I hope you will remember how much God loves you, and how much God wants us to show everyone around us how much we love them, too.
Let’s have our prayer and ask God to help us remember to do the things God wants us to do to take care of each other.
Prayer:
Dear God, thank you for reminding us how much you love us. Please help us remember that you love all of the people you have created and help us let the people around us know that we love them just like Jesus loves us. Amen.
