Can you carry the cross?
Children's sermon
Object:
the largest cross you can find, preferably 5 or 6 feet tall
(hold up the cross) Look at this big cross! It's pretty big, isn't it? It's probably taller than most of you! Why do we talk about crosses in church? (responses) That's right! Because Jesus died on a cross.
Do you remember last spring when we talked about Good Friday and how Jesus was crucified? Well, before he was put on the cross, he had to carry it a long way. He had to put the cross on his back and carry it through town and all the way to the hill. The real cross was much bigger and heavier than this one. It was really hard on him to carry it.
In today's lesson Jesus says that "whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple." Do you think that means he wants each of us to walk around with a cross on our back? Maybe I should get a cross like this one for every person in our church! I don't think that's what Jesus means. So what could Jesus be talking about? (talk for a few moments with the children about this)
Have you ever heard the phrase "walk in someone else's footsteps"? It means that you imitate someone -- that you do the things that someone else does. It means that you begin to see the world the way the other person does. I think that's what Jesus was talking about. Jesus wants us to see the world the way he does.
We've talked before about living in ways that please Jesus. But it also means that we will share in Jesus' pain. When we see the world the way Jesus does we will begin to see the bad things that some people do, and it's sad to see that. Other people may also turn away from us, just like people rejected Jesus. Following Jesus isn't easy, but it's the best way to live.
Try to think of the ways that you can "carry the cross." How can you show Jesus that you want to follow in his footsteps? How can we imitate him and all the things he did? Let's pray and ask God to help us do that.
Prayer: Thank you, God, for how much you love us. Help us understand how we can carry the cross of your Son, Jesus. Please give us the strength to follow him in all that we do and say. Amen.
Do you remember last spring when we talked about Good Friday and how Jesus was crucified? Well, before he was put on the cross, he had to carry it a long way. He had to put the cross on his back and carry it through town and all the way to the hill. The real cross was much bigger and heavier than this one. It was really hard on him to carry it.
In today's lesson Jesus says that "whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple." Do you think that means he wants each of us to walk around with a cross on our back? Maybe I should get a cross like this one for every person in our church! I don't think that's what Jesus means. So what could Jesus be talking about? (talk for a few moments with the children about this)
Have you ever heard the phrase "walk in someone else's footsteps"? It means that you imitate someone -- that you do the things that someone else does. It means that you begin to see the world the way the other person does. I think that's what Jesus was talking about. Jesus wants us to see the world the way he does.
We've talked before about living in ways that please Jesus. But it also means that we will share in Jesus' pain. When we see the world the way Jesus does we will begin to see the bad things that some people do, and it's sad to see that. Other people may also turn away from us, just like people rejected Jesus. Following Jesus isn't easy, but it's the best way to live.
Try to think of the ways that you can "carry the cross." How can you show Jesus that you want to follow in his footsteps? How can we imitate him and all the things he did? Let's pray and ask God to help us do that.
Prayer: Thank you, God, for how much you love us. Help us understand how we can carry the cross of your Son, Jesus. Please give us the strength to follow him in all that we do and say. Amen.
