Eating Is Believing
Children's sermon
Object:
A loaf of bread, a ball, and a crayon. Different objects may be used if you prefer.
“I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” (v. 51)
Hi, everyone! (Let them respond.) Have you ever been really confused? (Let them respond.) Yes. I sure have. Sometimes things happen that I just can’t figure out, and I just get confused.The story today is about a time that Jesus said something that really confused a lot of people. In fact, what he said still confuses us sometimes today. Are you ready to hear the story? (Let them respond.)
One day Jesus was talking with people, and he said something that sounded pretty strange. He showed them a piece of bread and he told them, “This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”
When he said that, everyone just stopped and looked at him, because they were really confused. “What did he say? Did he say we’re supposed to eat him? Is he serious? What the heck is he talking about?” The people were really confused and had a hard time figuring out what Jesus meant.
Let’s see if we can figure out what Jesus might have been talking about.
I brought some things that might help us. (Hold up the ball.) Who can tell me what this is? (Let them respond.) A ball, right! And what are we supposed to do with a ball? (Let them respond.) Play with it, throw it, or catch it. Right? (Hold up the crayon.) And what is this? (Let them respond.) Yes, a crayon. And what are we supposed to do with a crayon? (Let them respond.) Draw or color, right! (Hold up the bread.) And what is this? (Let them respond.) Yes, bread. And what are we supposed to do with bread? (Let them respond.) Make a sandwich, or just eat it, yes!
Now, who is Jesus? (Let them respond.) Jesus is God’s son that God sent to teach us, right? And what does God want us to do with Jesus? (Let them respond.) God wants us to believe in him and follow him, yes!
I think that helps us understand what Jesus was telling the people. I think he was saying that God gives us many things, and we should use the things God gives us the way God wants us to use them. God gives us bread so we can eat it, and God gives us Jesus so we can follow him.
A ball is for playing, a crayon is for coloring, bread is for eating, and Jesus is for us to follow. That’s what I think Jesus was telling the people that day. Jesus was sent to us so we could follow him, and that’s just what we should do.
And if we are going to follow Jesus, who can tell me what Jesus asks us to do for him? (Let them respond.) Jesus said that if we want to follow him, our main job is to do whatever we can to help take care of other people the way Jesus takes care of us.
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.
Hi, everyone! (Let them respond.) Have you ever been really confused? (Let them respond.) Yes. I sure have. Sometimes things happen that I just can’t figure out, and I just get confused.The story today is about a time that Jesus said something that really confused a lot of people. In fact, what he said still confuses us sometimes today. Are you ready to hear the story? (Let them respond.)
One day Jesus was talking with people, and he said something that sounded pretty strange. He showed them a piece of bread and he told them, “This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”
When he said that, everyone just stopped and looked at him, because they were really confused. “What did he say? Did he say we’re supposed to eat him? Is he serious? What the heck is he talking about?” The people were really confused and had a hard time figuring out what Jesus meant.
Let’s see if we can figure out what Jesus might have been talking about.
I brought some things that might help us. (Hold up the ball.) Who can tell me what this is? (Let them respond.) A ball, right! And what are we supposed to do with a ball? (Let them respond.) Play with it, throw it, or catch it. Right? (Hold up the crayon.) And what is this? (Let them respond.) Yes, a crayon. And what are we supposed to do with a crayon? (Let them respond.) Draw or color, right! (Hold up the bread.) And what is this? (Let them respond.) Yes, bread. And what are we supposed to do with bread? (Let them respond.) Make a sandwich, or just eat it, yes!
Now, who is Jesus? (Let them respond.) Jesus is God’s son that God sent to teach us, right? And what does God want us to do with Jesus? (Let them respond.) God wants us to believe in him and follow him, yes!
I think that helps us understand what Jesus was telling the people. I think he was saying that God gives us many things, and we should use the things God gives us the way God wants us to use them. God gives us bread so we can eat it, and God gives us Jesus so we can follow him.
A ball is for playing, a crayon is for coloring, bread is for eating, and Jesus is for us to follow. That’s what I think Jesus was telling the people that day. Jesus was sent to us so we could follow him, and that’s just what we should do.
And if we are going to follow Jesus, who can tell me what Jesus asks us to do for him? (Let them respond.) Jesus said that if we want to follow him, our main job is to do whatever we can to help take care of other people the way Jesus takes care of us.
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.
