A special gift
Children's sermon
Object:
something you have inherited like a pocket watch, some tools, or
For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus
on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread.... (v. 23)
Good evening, boys and girls. Tonight is a special night for Christians. It is named Maundy Thursday and it repeats a worship service that began almost 2,000 years ago. Do you know how long 2,000 years is? (let them answer) Two thousand years ago, Jesus was living on this earth.
It was also a time when a man by the name of Paul lived and was teaching the world about the importance of Jesus. It was shortly after the death of Jesus that Paul was writing letters to the Corinthians. In his first letter, he mentioned that Jesus had given something to him that he was going to give to them.
It happens all of the time today. When our grandparents or great-grandparents die, they sometimes leave very important things to their children. I have a wonderful pocket watch that once belonged to my great-grandfather. (show the pocket watch) He gave it to my grandfather and my grandfather gave it to my father and my father gave it to me. Someday I will give it to my son or my daughter and I hope they will give it to their children. The gift becomes more important than the pocket watch. This watch is over 200 years old and it belonged to people that I never met. But they are part of my family.
What do you think Jesus gave to Paul that he was giving the Corinthians? (let them answer) It wasn't a watch. It wasn't a house or a pair of shoes. The thing that Jesus gave to Paul and that Paul gave to the Corinthians is something that was also given to your parents and someday will be given to you. Imagine how important this gift is to have it come to us all the way from Jesus. Do you think you know now what I am talking about? (let them answer) It is the gift of holy communion. The gift that Jesus gave to Paul was the gift of forgiveness and the promise of eternal life and it comes to us in holy communion.
The bread and the wine are not the same bread and wine that Jesus used, but the same love, forgiveness, and promises have never changed. Paul said to the Corinthians, "This is the body, this is the blood -- remember Jesus when you receive it."
The next time you see something very important that was given to your mother or dad by their mother or dad, I hope you will remember the gift that was handed down from Jesus to Paul to the Corinthians to their children and finally to us. That is what this special night, called Maundy Thursday, is all about. Amen.
Good evening, boys and girls. Tonight is a special night for Christians. It is named Maundy Thursday and it repeats a worship service that began almost 2,000 years ago. Do you know how long 2,000 years is? (let them answer) Two thousand years ago, Jesus was living on this earth.
It was also a time when a man by the name of Paul lived and was teaching the world about the importance of Jesus. It was shortly after the death of Jesus that Paul was writing letters to the Corinthians. In his first letter, he mentioned that Jesus had given something to him that he was going to give to them.
It happens all of the time today. When our grandparents or great-grandparents die, they sometimes leave very important things to their children. I have a wonderful pocket watch that once belonged to my great-grandfather. (show the pocket watch) He gave it to my grandfather and my grandfather gave it to my father and my father gave it to me. Someday I will give it to my son or my daughter and I hope they will give it to their children. The gift becomes more important than the pocket watch. This watch is over 200 years old and it belonged to people that I never met. But they are part of my family.
What do you think Jesus gave to Paul that he was giving the Corinthians? (let them answer) It wasn't a watch. It wasn't a house or a pair of shoes. The thing that Jesus gave to Paul and that Paul gave to the Corinthians is something that was also given to your parents and someday will be given to you. Imagine how important this gift is to have it come to us all the way from Jesus. Do you think you know now what I am talking about? (let them answer) It is the gift of holy communion. The gift that Jesus gave to Paul was the gift of forgiveness and the promise of eternal life and it comes to us in holy communion.
The bread and the wine are not the same bread and wine that Jesus used, but the same love, forgiveness, and promises have never changed. Paul said to the Corinthians, "This is the body, this is the blood -- remember Jesus when you receive it."
The next time you see something very important that was given to your mother or dad by their mother or dad, I hope you will remember the gift that was handed down from Jesus to Paul to the Corinthians to their children and finally to us. That is what this special night, called Maundy Thursday, is all about. Amen.
