Who is Jesus, really?
Children's sermon
Object:
a scrapbook with pictures of people that portray occupations. These pictures should not be of people the children know personally: astronaut, athlete, doctor, farmer, policeman, truck driver, musician, teacher, etc.
Good morning, boys and girls. Today we are following Jesus around the Sea of Galilee as he visits some of the villages near a city called Caesarea Philippi. Those places are not close by; as a matter of fact, they are in Israel where Jesus lived and did his ministry.
On this day he asked his disciples a question. "Who do people say that I am?" That was a very good question. If you were walking with Jesus along the beach or down a road and he asked you this question, what would you have said? (let them answer)
I brought along a scrapbook today with pictures to see if we could get any help. Remember the question Jesus asked, "Who do people say that I am?" (open the book and begin to go through the pages asking the children if Jesus could have been an astronaut, a basketball player, a doctor, farmer, policeman, truck driver, musician, teacher, etc.)
None of these describe Jesus, do they? Does anyone think that Jesus could have been something else that we don't show in the book? (let them answer) Could he have been a fisherman, a banker, a newsman on television, a builder, or maybe an airline pilot? (let them answer)
Some of his disciples said that the people were calling Jesus another John the Baptist, and a few thought he might be Elijah, but they were not sure.
If you had to call Jesus one thing, what would it be? (let them answer) You would call him God, a Good Shepherd, a king, the Master, the Savior. Those are all very good names for Jesus.
Peter replied when Jesus asked him who he was that he thought the best word to describe Jesus was the Messiah. How many of you have ever heard of the Messiah? (let them answer)
The Messiah was supposed to be like a king, only the Messiah would be sent from God to save all of the people of Israel. He would chase away everyone who wanted to hurt the people of Israel. The Messiah was to be filled with God and do wonderful things.
This is a good question and all of us have to answer it for ourselves. Who is Jesus to you and to you and to you? Is Jesus someone special or is he even more than special? To me Jesus is God, the Son of God, and my savior. I can also call him the Messiah if I want to. That's who Peter thought he was and today we still use that name, Jesus, the Messiah.
On this day he asked his disciples a question. "Who do people say that I am?" That was a very good question. If you were walking with Jesus along the beach or down a road and he asked you this question, what would you have said? (let them answer)
I brought along a scrapbook today with pictures to see if we could get any help. Remember the question Jesus asked, "Who do people say that I am?" (open the book and begin to go through the pages asking the children if Jesus could have been an astronaut, a basketball player, a doctor, farmer, policeman, truck driver, musician, teacher, etc.)
None of these describe Jesus, do they? Does anyone think that Jesus could have been something else that we don't show in the book? (let them answer) Could he have been a fisherman, a banker, a newsman on television, a builder, or maybe an airline pilot? (let them answer)
Some of his disciples said that the people were calling Jesus another John the Baptist, and a few thought he might be Elijah, but they were not sure.
If you had to call Jesus one thing, what would it be? (let them answer) You would call him God, a Good Shepherd, a king, the Master, the Savior. Those are all very good names for Jesus.
Peter replied when Jesus asked him who he was that he thought the best word to describe Jesus was the Messiah. How many of you have ever heard of the Messiah? (let them answer)
The Messiah was supposed to be like a king, only the Messiah would be sent from God to save all of the people of Israel. He would chase away everyone who wanted to hurt the people of Israel. The Messiah was to be filled with God and do wonderful things.
This is a good question and all of us have to answer it for ourselves. Who is Jesus to you and to you and to you? Is Jesus someone special or is he even more than special? To me Jesus is God, the Son of God, and my savior. I can also call him the Messiah if I want to. That's who Peter thought he was and today we still use that name, Jesus, the Messiah.
