Seeing Jesus!
Children's sermon
Object: This message is a role-play for your children and requires no additional objects.
Note: You can use this role-play with a large or very small group. You will want one child to play Thomas, one child to play Jesus, and the rest of the children to play the disciples. When I have had only had one or two children, I have “volunteered” an adult or two to help out.
* * *
Hello, everyone! (Let them respond.) Are you ready for our story today? (Let them respond.) Excellent! Let’s get started!
And I will start by asking a question. Who can remember what last Sunday was? (Let them respond.) It was Easter Sunday, wasn’t it? And who remembers what happened on Easter Sunday? (Let them respond.) Jesus came back on Easter Sunday, didn’t he? (Let them respond.) We remember the story about what happened on Easter morning, but who remembers what happened after that, on Easter night? (Let them respond.) Well, that’s what our story is about today.
Instead of just telling you the story, I thought it would be fun to have you help me show the story. So, we need one person to play the role of Thomas. (Select your Thomas and have them sit down next to you.) We need another person to play the role of Jesus. (Select your Jesus and have them sit down beside you.) And I want everyone else to stand up together here in the middle. (Have the disciples stand up while Jesus and Thomas remain seated.) You are all going to play the role of Jesus’ disciples. Now let’s see the story.
The night after Easter morning, Jesus’ disciples all got together to talk about everything that had happened. Well, not all of the disciples were there. (Point to Thomas.) We aren’t sure why, but the story says that the disciple named Thomas was not there. So, let’s see all of the rest of you disciples stand in a group and pretend to be talking to each other. (Let them respond.) We don’t know where they were, but the story says they made sure all of the doors were locked because they were afraid that the people who had hurt Jesus would come and hurt them, too. So, can you disciples look a little worried or afraid? (Let them respond.) Some of them said, “We need to go back home and hide!” (Have a few disciples repeat that.) And some of them said, “We need to go hide in the wilderness where they can’t find us.” (Have a few disciples repeat that.) Jesus’ friends had been afraid before, but they always had Jesus with them to help them. But now Jesus wasn’t there and they didn’t know what to do. I wonder if that’s why Thomas wasn’t there? (Look at Thomas.) Do you think he might have been too afraid to come? (Let them respond.)
The disciples in the room were getting more and more worried when something happened. Who knows what it was? (Let them respond.) Just when the disciples were getting really worried, Jesus came into the room. (Have Jesus stand and walk to the group.) He looked at them and said, “Peace be with you!” (Have Jesus say that.) How do you think the disciples looked when that happened? I’ll bet they were really surprised, don’t you? (Let them respond.) Jesus talked to them for a little while to tell them not to worry and that he was going to help them. I’ll bet that made the disciples feel better, don’t you? (Let them respond.) Now they knew for sure that Jesus was still going to help them.
The next day, they all saw Thomas. (Have Jesus sit back down and have Thomas stand with the group.) When they saw Thomas, they told him what had happened in that room. They said, “We have seen Jesus!” (Have the Disciples shout that together.) But Thomas didn’t believe them. He said, “Unless I see myself, I will not believe you.” (Have Thomas repeat that to the group.) No matter how hard they tried, they could not get Thomas to believe them.
The disciples got together in the room again the next week, and this time, Thomas was with them. Who knows what happened? (Let them respond.) Jesus came to meet them again. (Have Jesus stand with the group.) Jesus said, “Stop doubting and just believe.” (Have Jesus repeat that.) And now that Thomas saw Jesus for himself, he believed he was alive again, too, and said, “My Lord and my God!” (Have Thomas repeat that.) Jesus looked at all of them and said, “You believe because you can see me, but the people who believe without ever seeing me are really blessed.”
Now, let’s all sit back down for just a minute. (Have the children sit down.) Jesus told his friends that it is better if we believe in him without ever actually seeing him, didn’t he? (Let them respond.) But Thomas didn’t believe, and Jesus didn’t get mad at him, did he? (Let them respond.) Instead of getting mad at Thomas, Jesus came back and helped him, didn’t he? (Let them respond.) Jesus knew that sometimes it can be really hard for us to believe in God and do what God wants us to do, so instead of being angry with Thomas for not believing, Jesus came so Thomas could see him to help him believe.
Sometimes it would be nice if we could see Jesus, too, wouldn’t it? (Let them respond.) Sometimes we feel kind of alone and worried, and it would be kind of nice to see Jesus and remember that we are never really alone. Well, I have something special to tell you. You already have seen Jesus. And I am going to show you how you can see Jesus whenever you want to see him.
I need two people to help me show you how to see Jesus. (Select two children and have them stand.) Have you ever seen someone who looked really sad or worried? (Let them respond as you speak to one of the two children.) Let’s have you sit down on the floor and look like you are really sad, or worried, or afraid. (Have the child do that.) Have you ever seen someone who looked like this? (Let them respond.) Maybe they looked sad and lonely, or maybe they were afraid because they were being picked on or bullied by someone else.
But then, someone sees them. (Tell the second child to stand and look at the first child.) And when they see them, they go over to them and say, “Hi!” (Have the second child go to the first child and say that.) Did you see that? That was what Jesus might do! Or maybe they just sit down next to the person who is worried, so they know they aren’t alone. (Have the second child sit down next to the first child.) That‘s something Jesus might do too. And any time we stop to care for someone else who is sad, or afraid, or hungry, or being bullied, we are doing what Jesus would do. And if we do what Jesus would do, it makes us kind of look like Jesus, doesn’t it? (Let them respond.)
I hope our story will help us remember that if we are ever really sad, or worried, and want to see Jesus, all we need to do is what God wants us to do, and Jesus will be there with us. And what is it that God wants us to do? (Let them respond.) Jesus said that more than anything else, God wants us to take care of each other, didn’t he? (Let them respond.)
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.
Note: You can use this role-play with a large or very small group. You will want one child to play Thomas, one child to play Jesus, and the rest of the children to play the disciples. When I have had only had one or two children, I have “volunteered” an adult or two to help out.
* * *
Hello, everyone! (Let them respond.) Are you ready for our story today? (Let them respond.) Excellent! Let’s get started!
And I will start by asking a question. Who can remember what last Sunday was? (Let them respond.) It was Easter Sunday, wasn’t it? And who remembers what happened on Easter Sunday? (Let them respond.) Jesus came back on Easter Sunday, didn’t he? (Let them respond.) We remember the story about what happened on Easter morning, but who remembers what happened after that, on Easter night? (Let them respond.) Well, that’s what our story is about today.
Instead of just telling you the story, I thought it would be fun to have you help me show the story. So, we need one person to play the role of Thomas. (Select your Thomas and have them sit down next to you.) We need another person to play the role of Jesus. (Select your Jesus and have them sit down beside you.) And I want everyone else to stand up together here in the middle. (Have the disciples stand up while Jesus and Thomas remain seated.) You are all going to play the role of Jesus’ disciples. Now let’s see the story.
The night after Easter morning, Jesus’ disciples all got together to talk about everything that had happened. Well, not all of the disciples were there. (Point to Thomas.) We aren’t sure why, but the story says that the disciple named Thomas was not there. So, let’s see all of the rest of you disciples stand in a group and pretend to be talking to each other. (Let them respond.) We don’t know where they were, but the story says they made sure all of the doors were locked because they were afraid that the people who had hurt Jesus would come and hurt them, too. So, can you disciples look a little worried or afraid? (Let them respond.) Some of them said, “We need to go back home and hide!” (Have a few disciples repeat that.) And some of them said, “We need to go hide in the wilderness where they can’t find us.” (Have a few disciples repeat that.) Jesus’ friends had been afraid before, but they always had Jesus with them to help them. But now Jesus wasn’t there and they didn’t know what to do. I wonder if that’s why Thomas wasn’t there? (Look at Thomas.) Do you think he might have been too afraid to come? (Let them respond.)
The disciples in the room were getting more and more worried when something happened. Who knows what it was? (Let them respond.) Just when the disciples were getting really worried, Jesus came into the room. (Have Jesus stand and walk to the group.) He looked at them and said, “Peace be with you!” (Have Jesus say that.) How do you think the disciples looked when that happened? I’ll bet they were really surprised, don’t you? (Let them respond.) Jesus talked to them for a little while to tell them not to worry and that he was going to help them. I’ll bet that made the disciples feel better, don’t you? (Let them respond.) Now they knew for sure that Jesus was still going to help them.
The next day, they all saw Thomas. (Have Jesus sit back down and have Thomas stand with the group.) When they saw Thomas, they told him what had happened in that room. They said, “We have seen Jesus!” (Have the Disciples shout that together.) But Thomas didn’t believe them. He said, “Unless I see myself, I will not believe you.” (Have Thomas repeat that to the group.) No matter how hard they tried, they could not get Thomas to believe them.
The disciples got together in the room again the next week, and this time, Thomas was with them. Who knows what happened? (Let them respond.) Jesus came to meet them again. (Have Jesus stand with the group.) Jesus said, “Stop doubting and just believe.” (Have Jesus repeat that.) And now that Thomas saw Jesus for himself, he believed he was alive again, too, and said, “My Lord and my God!” (Have Thomas repeat that.) Jesus looked at all of them and said, “You believe because you can see me, but the people who believe without ever seeing me are really blessed.”
Now, let’s all sit back down for just a minute. (Have the children sit down.) Jesus told his friends that it is better if we believe in him without ever actually seeing him, didn’t he? (Let them respond.) But Thomas didn’t believe, and Jesus didn’t get mad at him, did he? (Let them respond.) Instead of getting mad at Thomas, Jesus came back and helped him, didn’t he? (Let them respond.) Jesus knew that sometimes it can be really hard for us to believe in God and do what God wants us to do, so instead of being angry with Thomas for not believing, Jesus came so Thomas could see him to help him believe.
Sometimes it would be nice if we could see Jesus, too, wouldn’t it? (Let them respond.) Sometimes we feel kind of alone and worried, and it would be kind of nice to see Jesus and remember that we are never really alone. Well, I have something special to tell you. You already have seen Jesus. And I am going to show you how you can see Jesus whenever you want to see him.
I need two people to help me show you how to see Jesus. (Select two children and have them stand.) Have you ever seen someone who looked really sad or worried? (Let them respond as you speak to one of the two children.) Let’s have you sit down on the floor and look like you are really sad, or worried, or afraid. (Have the child do that.) Have you ever seen someone who looked like this? (Let them respond.) Maybe they looked sad and lonely, or maybe they were afraid because they were being picked on or bullied by someone else.
But then, someone sees them. (Tell the second child to stand and look at the first child.) And when they see them, they go over to them and say, “Hi!” (Have the second child go to the first child and say that.) Did you see that? That was what Jesus might do! Or maybe they just sit down next to the person who is worried, so they know they aren’t alone. (Have the second child sit down next to the first child.) That‘s something Jesus might do too. And any time we stop to care for someone else who is sad, or afraid, or hungry, or being bullied, we are doing what Jesus would do. And if we do what Jesus would do, it makes us kind of look like Jesus, doesn’t it? (Let them respond.)
I hope our story will help us remember that if we are ever really sad, or worried, and want to see Jesus, all we need to do is what God wants us to do, and Jesus will be there with us. And what is it that God wants us to do? (Let them respond.) Jesus said that more than anything else, God wants us to take care of each other, didn’t he? (Let them respond.)
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.
