It Is Over!
Children's sermon
Object: A big rock.
* * *
Hello, everyone! (Let them respond.) Are you ready for our story today? I want to warn you that it is a sad story. (Let them respond.) Okay, let’s hear the story. It isn’t very long.
It had been a long day. Last night, Judas, one of Jesus’ friends, told the religious leaders where they could find Jesus and they had Jesus arrested and taken away. When they took Jesus, some of his other friends got scared and ran away, and some of them even said they didn’t even know who Jesus was. Roman soldiers took Jesus to their big fort, where they made fun of him and hurt him. Then they made him walk through town so people could laugh at him and throw things at him. Then the soldiers took him to a hill outside of town and that’s where they crucified him. They crucified Jesus because it was a really scary thing to see, and they wanted to show everyone what would happen to them if they ever tried to do the things that Jesus and done. The religious leaders and soldiers had won. They had gotten rid of Jesus. It was over.
A few of Jesus’ friends were brave enough to ask the soldiers if they could have Jesus’ body. One of them was a man called Josephus, and his family had a place in a garden where they could bury Jesus. But they had to hurry because the sun was going down and the next day was the Sabbath day when they couldn’t do any work like burying someone. So, they got Jesus’ body and put it in the tomb. There were a lot of things they were supposed to do, but all they had time to do before the sun went down was to pour some perfumed oil over Jesus’ body and wrap it in some pieces of cloth. When they left the tomb, some of the soldiers moved a great big rock in front of the door so no one else could get in. (Drop the big stone on the floor with a ‘thump’.)
Then they went home.
I wonder how they felt? (Let them respond.) They probably felt pretty sad, didn’t they? (Let them respond.) They had been with Jesus for a long time, but now he was gone. It was over. I’ll be they were sad, and maybe even a little scared and didn’t know what they were going to do next. Have you ever felt a little bit like that? (Let them respond.) Maybe something has happened that disappointed you, or that hurt you, and you just felt like everything was over. Have you ever felt like that, or known someone who felt that way? (Let them respond.) I think we have all felt like that sometimes, haven’t we? (Let them respond.) It almost feels like there is a great big rock keeping us from doing the thing we want to do, doesn’t it? (Show the rock and let them respond.) It’s just too big for us to move, so we want to give up and say it is over.
That’s how Jesus’ friends felt.
I told you it was a sad story, didn’t I? (Let them respond.)
But if you ever feel that way or see someone who feels that way, there is something I want you to remember. No matter how big the stone is that we believe is stopping us, sometimes God has some even bigger surprises for us. Remember, it isn’t over until God says it is over.
Let’s pray and ask God to remind us that Jesus loves every one of us and wants us to follow him and take care of each other the way God takes care of us.
Prayer
Dear God, thank you for reminding us how much you love us and for forgiving us when we forget that. And 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.
* * *
Hello, everyone! (Let them respond.) Are you ready for our story today? I want to warn you that it is a sad story. (Let them respond.) Okay, let’s hear the story. It isn’t very long.
It had been a long day. Last night, Judas, one of Jesus’ friends, told the religious leaders where they could find Jesus and they had Jesus arrested and taken away. When they took Jesus, some of his other friends got scared and ran away, and some of them even said they didn’t even know who Jesus was. Roman soldiers took Jesus to their big fort, where they made fun of him and hurt him. Then they made him walk through town so people could laugh at him and throw things at him. Then the soldiers took him to a hill outside of town and that’s where they crucified him. They crucified Jesus because it was a really scary thing to see, and they wanted to show everyone what would happen to them if they ever tried to do the things that Jesus and done. The religious leaders and soldiers had won. They had gotten rid of Jesus. It was over.
A few of Jesus’ friends were brave enough to ask the soldiers if they could have Jesus’ body. One of them was a man called Josephus, and his family had a place in a garden where they could bury Jesus. But they had to hurry because the sun was going down and the next day was the Sabbath day when they couldn’t do any work like burying someone. So, they got Jesus’ body and put it in the tomb. There were a lot of things they were supposed to do, but all they had time to do before the sun went down was to pour some perfumed oil over Jesus’ body and wrap it in some pieces of cloth. When they left the tomb, some of the soldiers moved a great big rock in front of the door so no one else could get in. (Drop the big stone on the floor with a ‘thump’.)
Then they went home.
I wonder how they felt? (Let them respond.) They probably felt pretty sad, didn’t they? (Let them respond.) They had been with Jesus for a long time, but now he was gone. It was over. I’ll be they were sad, and maybe even a little scared and didn’t know what they were going to do next. Have you ever felt a little bit like that? (Let them respond.) Maybe something has happened that disappointed you, or that hurt you, and you just felt like everything was over. Have you ever felt like that, or known someone who felt that way? (Let them respond.) I think we have all felt like that sometimes, haven’t we? (Let them respond.) It almost feels like there is a great big rock keeping us from doing the thing we want to do, doesn’t it? (Show the rock and let them respond.) It’s just too big for us to move, so we want to give up and say it is over.
That’s how Jesus’ friends felt.
I told you it was a sad story, didn’t I? (Let them respond.)
But if you ever feel that way or see someone who feels that way, there is something I want you to remember. No matter how big the stone is that we believe is stopping us, sometimes God has some even bigger surprises for us. Remember, it isn’t over until God says it is over.
Let’s pray and ask God to remind us that Jesus loves every one of us and wants us to follow him and take care of each other the way God takes care of us.
Prayer
Dear God, thank you for reminding us how much you love us and for forgiving us when we forget that. And 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.
