A big change
Children's sermon
Object:
school pictures (ask someone to bring in their pictures from the first through eighth grade)
And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes
became dazzling white. (v. 29)
Good morning, boys and girls. Have you ever seen your baby pictures? How do you think you looked? (let them answer) Do you have the pictures that are taken of you every year in school? (let them answer) What do you think you will look like when you are in the eighth grade? (let them answer)
I have some pictures of someone who goes to our church and I thought I would share them with you. When you think you know who it is, please put up your hand. (begin to show them the first grade picture and ask them if they know who it is) Let's take a look at the next picture and see if you know who it is. (repeat until someone gives you the right answer) Very good, let's see what our mystery guest looks like today. (have the person who brought in the pictures stand up)
Isn't it amazing how people change? Some of us will look more and more like our moms and dads and some of us will not look like anyone else we have ever known. But all of us change, and we think that most of the changes are good changes.
Today, I want to tell you about an amazing change that happened to Jesus. Peter, James, and John followed Jesus up a mountain. The disciples were tired and fell asleep. Jesus wandered away from them and before long, it looked like something was happening. They knew that they were not asleep when two men stood beside Jesus and began to speak with him. One person looked like Moses and the other person like Elijah. The disciples were sure of it. Peter, James, and John moved closer to Jesus and then all of a sudden, it happened. Jesus' face turned a brilliant white and so did his clothing. The Bible says that Jesus was dazzling. Have you ever seen something dazzling? It is like thousands of bright lights and every one of them was focused on Jesus. Jesus changed right before their eyes. Then it was gone almost as fast as it came. No light, no Moses, and no Elijah. "How do these things keep happening to us?" Peter, James, and John wondered in silence.
We call this Transfiguration Sunday because this was the day that things really changed for Jesus. Before Transfiguration Sunday Jesus was a teacher and healer but now he knew that his time had come to be the Savior. It was going to happen sometime according to God's plan but now there was no doubt. Jesus knew at that moment that he was chosen to be the Savior of the world and that everything from then on would lead first to the cross and then to the tomb. Things really changed that day and they happened all at once. The next time you look at your school pictures I want you to notice the way you used to look and how you look now. It may be a big change but that is the way God meant for you to look. Amen.
Good morning, boys and girls. Have you ever seen your baby pictures? How do you think you looked? (let them answer) Do you have the pictures that are taken of you every year in school? (let them answer) What do you think you will look like when you are in the eighth grade? (let them answer)
I have some pictures of someone who goes to our church and I thought I would share them with you. When you think you know who it is, please put up your hand. (begin to show them the first grade picture and ask them if they know who it is) Let's take a look at the next picture and see if you know who it is. (repeat until someone gives you the right answer) Very good, let's see what our mystery guest looks like today. (have the person who brought in the pictures stand up)
Isn't it amazing how people change? Some of us will look more and more like our moms and dads and some of us will not look like anyone else we have ever known. But all of us change, and we think that most of the changes are good changes.
Today, I want to tell you about an amazing change that happened to Jesus. Peter, James, and John followed Jesus up a mountain. The disciples were tired and fell asleep. Jesus wandered away from them and before long, it looked like something was happening. They knew that they were not asleep when two men stood beside Jesus and began to speak with him. One person looked like Moses and the other person like Elijah. The disciples were sure of it. Peter, James, and John moved closer to Jesus and then all of a sudden, it happened. Jesus' face turned a brilliant white and so did his clothing. The Bible says that Jesus was dazzling. Have you ever seen something dazzling? It is like thousands of bright lights and every one of them was focused on Jesus. Jesus changed right before their eyes. Then it was gone almost as fast as it came. No light, no Moses, and no Elijah. "How do these things keep happening to us?" Peter, James, and John wondered in silence.
We call this Transfiguration Sunday because this was the day that things really changed for Jesus. Before Transfiguration Sunday Jesus was a teacher and healer but now he knew that his time had come to be the Savior. It was going to happen sometime according to God's plan but now there was no doubt. Jesus knew at that moment that he was chosen to be the Savior of the world and that everything from then on would lead first to the cross and then to the tomb. Things really changed that day and they happened all at once. The next time you look at your school pictures I want you to notice the way you used to look and how you look now. It may be a big change but that is the way God meant for you to look. Amen.
