Gary Neal Hansen's Blog, page 8

A Children’s Sermon on John 20:1-18 — Easter

Christ Appearing to Mary Magdalene, Pietro da Cortona (public domain)

Here’s a children’s sermon on John 20:1-18. It’s one of two options for the Gospel reading Easter morning in Years AB and C of the Revised Common Lectionary — though you can use it any time it fits the need of your worship service.

Or read it to the kids as a bedtime story. Then let me know how it goes!

I posted a children’s sermon on the other assigned Gospel for Easter in Year A last time around. You can find it here. And I have a Monday Meditation on the same text, and you can find it here.

A children’s sermon on John 20:1-18 could go a number of ways. But Mary Magdalene is so central in John’s telling that I’ve focused on her.

A Children’s Sermon on John 20:1-18

Good morning kids! Happy Easter! I’m so glad you are here in worship this morning. Today is the most important day in the whole year for Christians. It’s Easter!

If you came to church last Friday, you know we told a hard, sad, story. On Friday we told about how Jesus was arrested, and they hung him on a cross with big nails. On Friday we told how Jesus died. 

When someone you know dies, its the saddest thing ever. 

All of Jesus’ friends were so, so sad when he died. They were sure they would never see him again. They missed him so, so much.

But Jesus had always been full of surprises.

The Store Rolled Back

This is a story about one of Jesus’ very good friends. Her name was Mary Magdalene. Mary Magdalene was very, very sad that Jesus died.

Now it was early Sunday morning. It was so early on Sunday morning that it was still dark outside. 

Jesus’ good friend Mary Magdalene was so sad about Jesus’ death that she hadn’t slept all night. 

Finally she thought “I’ll just go to Jesus’ tomb. I’ll probably just cry and cry. But maybe I’ll feel closer to him if I’m there.” 

So off she went. Even though it was still dark, she walked all the way to the tomb where she’d seen them bury Jesus. 

Now the tomb where Jesus was buried was kind of like a cave carved out of the rock. There was a low opening, like a doorway. After they put Jesus’ body inside, they had rolled a big stone against the opening, like a permanent door. 

So that’s what Mary Magdalene expected to see in the early morning twilight. But when she got there, she saw that somehow the big stone door had been rolled away. Mary was shocked! 

“Who would do such a thing?” she wondered. 

Finding the Other Disciples

Well, I think she must have taken a quick look inside the tomb. It was empty! Then she ran to find the other disciples. 

When she found Peter and John she cried, “Come quick! Come to the tomb! Somebody took the Lord away!”

They asked Mary to show them the way, because on Friday, only the women had followed to see where Jesus was buried. So Mary, Peter, and John all went running to the tomb. 

When it was in sight, Mary pointed it out. “That one up ahead!” she said.

So Peter and John ran. John was faster, so he got there first. He bent down to look through the door, and the tomb was empty. Then Peter went right inside, and John followed Peter in.

And sure enough: Jesus was gone. They found the cloths that had been wrapped around his body. They found the little cloth that had covered his head. But Jesus was not there at all. 

So Peter and John went home.

Mary Sees Angels

But Mary Magdalene stayed. She couldn’t stop the tears. She missed Jesus so much. And she was so angry that someone would dare to steal his body! 

She was also curious. Before, she had barely glanced into the empty tomb. Now she bent down and looked carefully inside. There were the grave clothes. But there was also a surprise: There were two people in the tomb! 

One was at the head of where Jesus had lain. One was at the foot. Their clothes shone like the sun! 

“They must be angels!” she thought. 

The angels were smiling. And she could never remember for sure whether they were laughing or singing. Mary couldn’t believe that anyone, especially an angel, could be happy right now. 

But when they turned to Mary and saw her tears, they asked “Why are you so sad?” 

All she could think to say through her tears, was “Someone took my Lord away! I can’t find him anywhere!” 

Mary Sees Jesus.

Then a kind of funny thing happened. 

Like I said, Mary had her head down low to look into the tomb. As she turned her head, she saw some feet standing by her. A man’s feet.

“Who would be here in the garden of tombs so early?” she wondered. “It must be the gardener.” 

“Why are you so sad?” the man asked. “Who are you looking for?” 

“I’m looking for the man who was buried in this tomb Friday,” she said, “Did you take him? I’ll come take him back.”

Then the man said “Mary!” 

When he said her name the world seemed to spin. She would know that voice anywhere! That was Jesus! But Jesus was dead! How could he be alive?

Finally she looked him in the eye — and it was true! Of course it was Jesus! 

“Oh teacher!” she cried out, and she threw open her arms to give him the biggest hug ever.

A Strange Mission

But for some reason Jesus stepped back. 

“Don’t hug me!” he said. “I’m going up to be with my father. But I have a very important job for you, Mary.” 

“What is it?” she asked.

“Go and find all my friends,” said Jesus. “Actually we’re more than friends now. We’re family. Tell them that I’ve gone to be with my God — and he’s their God too. I’m going to be with my Father — and now he’s their Father too.”

So Mary Magdalene went and found all of Jesus’ friends.

“I’ve seen the Lord!” she said, crying. But this time the tears were from joy. “He’s alive!”

Wondering

I wonder why Jesus wouldn’t let Mary hold him? I wonder why Mary didn’t recognize Jesus until she heard him call her by name? I wonder if you and I will ever hear Jesus call us by name?

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You are, of course, free to use this children’s sermon, or adapt it as you find most useful. But, if you use it, please do one (or more!) of the following.

You can let me know that you are using it, either in the comments below, or using the contact form above. You can put a little notice in your church bulletin that your children’s sermon is adapted from one published on GaryNealHansen.com.You can support my work over on Patreon. (Just $1 per month brings my children’s sermons straight to your inbox about two minutes after they go live. And every little bit keeps me going…)

The post A Children’s Sermon on John 20:1-18 — Easter appeared first on Gary Neal Hansen.

A Children’s Sermon on Luke 1:26-38 — The Annunciation

Annunciation, Leonardo da Vinci (public domain)

As I write, it is two days from the annual celebration of “The Annunciation,” so I bring you a children’s sermon on Luke 1:26-38.

“The what?” you ask. 

“What’s an Annunciation?” you ask. 

Well not many Protestant congregations mark the festive day, but it’s actually a big deal. “Annunciation” means “announcement” — meaning the day when the Angel Gabriel came and announced to the Virgin Mary that she was going to have a baby. 

Though the actual calendar day of Jesus’ birth is unknown, for many centuries we’ve celebrated it on December 25th. Nine months before Jesus’ birth is the day Mary got pregnant. So, by simple arithmetic, we celebrate the Annunciation on March 25. Only one Gospel records the scene, so this is a children’s sermon on Luke 1:26-38. 

Chances are you came here looking for children’s sermon on the Gospel assigned for the fifth Sunday of Lent. I wrote one on that text three years ago, last time Year A came around. You can find it here, and you can find a Monday Meditation on that text here. (And if you’d like to see a Monday Meditation on Luke 1:26-38, wherein one explores why this story is a Really Big Deal, click here.) 

This text also comes up on the 4th Sunday in Advent  in “Year B” of the Revised Common Lectionary, so hopefully people will find it by searching when that season rolls around.

A Children’s Sermon on Luke 1:26-38

Good morning, kids! Thanks for coming up to hear the children’s sermon. I am so glad that you are here in worship today. 

This week’s Gospel story tells about a day Christians call “the Annunciation.” The Annunciation is when Mary found out that she was going to have a baby named Jesus. Each year lots Christians celebrate the Annunciation on March 25.

Maybe you are wondering why we celebrate the Annunciation on March 25. Well if any of you have a little brother or little sister, you know that for a long time the baby lived in your mommy’s tummy. Usually a baby is in its mommy’s tummy for nine months. 

You probably know that we celebrate Jesus being born on December 25 each year. That’s Christmas. 

March 25 is exactly nine months before Christmas. So March 25 is the Annunciation.

This morning’s story from the Gospel tells us how Mary got the news. 

The Virgin Mary

Mary was older than you, but she was still probably quite young. She was probably a teenager. She’d never had a boyfriend, because back then people didn’t have boyfriends or girlfriends. Their moms and dads found someone for them to get married to. That’s just how it worked!

Mary’s mom and dad had found the man who would be her husband. His name was Joseph. He was a carpenter. The wedding had not happened yet, but it was all decided.

Mary had surely met Joseph. But they probably didn’t know each other very well yet. They probably had never even been alone together.

The Angel Gabriel

Well, one day Mary was in her family’s home. Let’s picture her sitting on the living room, reading a book. She was all alone. It was a quiet afternoon. She was humming a little tune, and reading away.

Then, all of a sudden, the room was filled with the brightest light Mary had ever seen! 

All of a sudden there was someone there in her family’s house! 

She looked up and it was a total stranger right in her living room! 

The stranger was glowing with light, as bright as sunlight! 

Even his clothes were shining with light! 

Now, I wonder what you would do if, all of a sudden, there was a brightly glowing stranger inside your house. I know what I would probably do. I would scream. 

So let’s say together what Mary probably said when she saw the stranger. One, two three,

AAAAGGGGHHHH!!!!

But then, the stranger spoke, and he spoke with the kindest, gentlest, most joyful voice you’ve ever heard.

“Don’t be afraid, Mary,” he said, “My name  is Gabriel. I’m an angel. I stand before God and take messages to his people. He wants you to know he thinks you are terrific!”

“Wow!” said Mary. “You came all the way from heaven just to tell me I’m terrific?”

Good News

“Oh, right,” said Gabriel, “I also have some really good news for you!”

“Okay,” said Mary. “What’s the good news?”

“You’re gonna have a baby!” said Gabriel. 

“What?” said Mary. “No, I’m not marred yet. I hardly even know Joseph and—” 

“Joseph’s not going to be the dad!” said Gabriel. “See, it’s a big surprise!”

“Are you sure this is good news?” asked Mary. 

“Absolutely!” said Gabriel. “It’s good news for the whole world. God’s going to be the baby’s daddy. You’re going to call him Jesus. He’s going to be the Messiah you’ve all been waiting for. He’ll be your king forever!” 

“Wow,” said Mary. “That does sound like good news for the world. But it’s pretty complicated for me.”

“I know, right?” said Gabriel. “There’s never been such an important job. And God chose you to do it. Well? What do you say?” 

“What do you mean?” asked Mary.

Gabriel looked very serious. “God wants to know if you’re willing to take the job,” he said. 

“Wait—you mean I don’t have to do it?” she asked.

“Well, no,” said Gabriel. “We all really hope you will. But God doesn’t force people to do his will. It’s going to be hard, you should know that. But you’re the one God chose to be his son’s mom. Will you do it?” 

Mary thought about it for a long while. 

Gabriel stood there, patiently waiting, watching. 

Then a peaceful look came over her face. Then she began to look very, very serious.

Having to choose made it even harder.

Then she looked Gabriel in the eye and said words that changed the world. “I am God’s servant,” she said. “Tell God I’m willing. Let God’s will happen.” 

Wondering

I wonder what kinds of worries and questions Mary felt when she had to decide?

I wonder what kinds of hopes and plans Mary had to change because God chose her? 

I wonder what you’ll say when God asks you to do something some day?

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You are, of course, free to use this children’s sermon, or adapt it as you find most useful. But, if you use it, please do one (or more!) of the following.

You can let me know that you are using it, either in the comments below, or using the contact form above. You can put a little notice in your church bulletin that your children’s sermon is adapted from one published on GaryNealHansen.com.You can support my work over on Patreon. (Just $1 per month brings my children’s sermons straight to your inbox about two minutes after they go live. And every little bit keeps me going…)

The post A Children’s Sermon on Luke 1:26-38 — The Annunciation appeared first on Gary Neal Hansen.

I’m in a play! “The Memorandum” by Vaclav Havel

Hey, if you find yourself in the Southern Tier of Upstate New York this weekend, come to the Phelps Mansion in Binghamton (191 Court Street) for STAR Theatre’s production of Vaclav Havel’s Obie-winning play “The Memorandum.”

You may remember Havel’s name from the fall of Communism in Eastern Europe. He became the first president of the Czech Republic. But he’d long been a literary figure before that.

“The Memorandum” is a dark comedy with absurdist elements, satirizing Communist-era bureaucracy, but elements will ring true to anyone who has worked in a big organization that makes surprisingly dumb decisions and is rife with political shenanigans.

This is my return the stage after a hiatus of about three decades. I’m having tons of fun and would love to see you there!

Here’s a link to a radio interview about the show that the leading actor (and co-director of STAR) Chris Nickerson did on WSKG, the local NPR station.

The post I’m in a play! “The Memorandum” by Vaclav Havel appeared first on Gary Neal Hansen.

A Children’s Sermon on Matthew 5:38-48

“Sunshine Rain Approaching?” CC by John Johnston-SA 2.0

Here’s a children’s sermon on Matthew 5:38-48. As I write, we’re coming up on the 4th Sunday of Lent, but I already have a children’s sermon and a Monday meditation on the Gospel text for that day. So I’m filling in on the Gospel I didn’t write about last time it came around.

In fact this is the Gospel for the 7th Sunday after Epiphany, which isn’t always on the Church calendar  — it all depends on when Easter happens. 

So my children’s sermon on Matthew 5:38-48 comes out of sequence. Maybe you’ll find it useful some week where it fits the theme of your Sunday service. Or maybe you could use it as a bedtime story for your kids. Or maybe you can just enjoy it for yourself!

I suppose it’s no wonder that this passage got relegated to a Sunday that often doesn’t actually happen. It’s tough stuff, like turning the other cheek. The lectionary committee was probably being merciful to preachers. 

This passage is particularly challenging to present to kids, knowing that some of them face bullying and abuse. I don’t want to make them think Jesus wants them to have even more mistreatment. I think “turn the other cheek” in its literal application is very much for grown ups.

But I think there’s a good kids’ angle hiding in here. The thing to keep in mind is that I don’t have to emphasize every point in the text, every single time. I need to find the most helpful part. You can tell me of this this children’s sermon on Matthew 5:38-48 seems useful and faithful.

Oh yes: and for my interpretation of the teaching to be “perfect,” it is all about the meaning of the Greek word. You’ll find many pointing out that the word has the meaning more of “complete” than “moral perfection.” I’m pondering the root of the word, “teleioi/teleios” which is derived from the word “telos,” meaning the “goal” or “completion” of something. People who study ethics may know the related English word “teleological,” used regarding the ultimate thing accomplished by ethical choices.

A Children’s Sermon on Matthew 5:38-48

Good morning, Kids! I’m so glad to see you here in worship today. Thanks for coming up to hear the children’s sermon. Today’s reading from the Gospel isn’t really a story about Jesus. It’s one part of a long speech Jesus made when he was teaching one time. But I think it makes a lot more sense if we imagine it as a story where Jesus was talking to some of his friends, later that day.

Perfect?

Jesus had spent all afternoon talking to a big crowd of people. Now, in the evening, just a few of them were sitting around the campfire. Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, was there.

“You know, Jesus,” said Mary, “I kind of disagreed with something you said today.”

Jesus smiled. “Oh good!” he said. 

“What do you mean ‘Oh good’?” she said. “I thought maybe you’d be mad at me for disagreeing.”

“Nope,” said Jesus, “I you disagree, it shows you’re thinking. And that’s a good thing.”

“Oh,” Mary said. 

“So what did you disagree with?” asked Jesus.

“You said we should be perfect, just like our heavenly father is perfect.” she said. 

“That’s right,” said Jesus. “God has adopted you as his beloved children. And no matter what your human father is like, your heavenly father is perfect.”

“But it’s impossible for me to be perfect like God,” said Mary. “God is all-powerful! God is present everywhere! God has been alive forever, and God will always be alive! I can’t be like that.”

“Well of course not,” said Jesus “But that’s not what I meant. The way God is really perfect is he’s always aiming at the right target.”

“What do you mean,” asked Mary. 

“God is always aiming to show love — no matter what,” said Jesus. “And you can aim for love too.”

Family Resemblance?

“Is that all there is to being perfect?” she asked. 

“That’s the heart of it,” said Jesus. “The thing is to watch what God does, then try to love like God does. That’s your target.”

“So then I’ll do things that look like what God does?” Mary asked.

“That’s right,” said Jesus. “People will start to notice the family resemblance.”

“Family resemblance?” asked Mary. 

”You’ve seen it before. Kids growing up in a family often learn to do things just like their parents. Same thing should happen with God’s children.”

Enemies?

All this while, Peter was listening to what Jesus and Mary were saying. Finally he spoke up.

“That’s all fine for friends and family,” said Peter. “I love my friends and family, just like anybody. But some people have been really mean to me. I just hate them. They’re my enemies.”

“That sure sounds painful,” said Jesus. “I’m sorry you were hurt. But figuring out how to love them is something you can work on.” 

“What?” asked Peter. “You mean I can’t even hate my enemies?

“Remember, Peter,” said Jesus. “God’s target is always love. You ever know any farmers?”

“Farmers?” asked Peter, “Sure. What does that have to do with anything?”

“Work with me, Peter,” said Jesus. “What kinds of farmers have you known? Were they all nice people?”

 “Well, I know one who is the nicest guy,” Peter said. “But this other farmer, just down the road? He’s totally mean to everybody. My frend used to work for that mean farmer and—”

Rain and Sunshine?

“Okay, hold on,” said Jesus. “So you have a nice farmer and a mean farmer. When they are growing vegetables, which farmer needs rain?”

“Jesus! They both need rain, of course,” said Peter. “But the mean farmer? He said to my friend one time—”

“Hold on, Peter,” said Jesus. “So they both need rain. Which one does God give rain to?”

“Well both of them, of course,” said Peter. “God makes it rain on everybody.”

“Okay, so God gives rain to kind and generous farmers,” said Jesus. “And God gives rain to mean and nasty farmers. How about sunshine?”

“What about sunshine?” asked Peter. 

“Which farmer needs sunshine?” asked Jesus

“Well, they both do, of course!” said Peter. “But—”

“And which farmer does God make the sun shine on?” asked Jesus.

“Both of them, of course,” said Peter. 

“That’s God’s way,” said Jesus. “God is always aiming toward love. God sends rain and sunshine for all the people who love him — and for all the people who hate him too. And you can do that too.”

“Wait—I can make the sun shine?” asked Peter.

“No, Peter,” said Jesus. “You can show love even to people who do mean things to you.”

Praying?

“But not my enemies,” said Peter. “I just hate my enemies.”

“I know how you feel, Peter,” said Jesus. “But tell me, could you at least pray for your enemies? The way God sends rain to the mean farmer?”

“I don’t know,” said Peter. “What would I pray for?”

“You could ask God to help your enemies learn to be kind,” said Jesus. “To help them find out what it’s like to be loving.”

“I guess I could do that,” said Peter.

“Well I think that’s probably good enough for now,” said Jesus. “Pray for the people who are mean to you. That’s aiming for love — just like God does.”

“Okay,” said Peter. “But can I also ask God to keep me safe from the mean people?”  

“Of course,” said Jesus. “It’s always good to ask God to save you from times of trial.”*

*That’s in the Lord’s Prayer. See Matthew 6:13, NRSV

Wondering 

I wonder what it feels like to choose to aim for love like God does?I wonder if Peter was really able to love his enemies by praying for them? I wonder if there are people you can say a prayer for today?

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You are, of course, free to use this children’s sermon, or adapt it as you find most useful. But, if you use it, please do one (or more!) of the following.

You can let me know that you are using it, either in the comments below, or using the contact form above. You can put a little notice in your church bulletin that your children’s sermon is adapted from one published on GaryNealHansen.com.You can support my work over on Patreon. (Just $1 per month brings my children’s sermons straight to your inbox about two minutes after they go live. And every little bit keeps me going…)

The post A Children’s Sermon on Matthew 5:38-48 appeared first on Gary Neal Hansen.

A Children’s Sermon on Matthew 2:13-23 — 1st Sunday in Christmas Season

Dream of St Joseph, c. 1625–1630, by Gerard Seghers (public domain)

This children’s sermon on Matthew 2:13-23 is for a text the lectionary assigned to the first Sunday after Christmas. I missed the opportunity to write on it back then, but I’ve already written on the Sunday coming up as I write.

(You can find the children’s sermons for the Second Sunday of Lent in Year A with John 3:1-17 through this link and Matthew 17:1-9 through this link. Or you can find the Monday Meditations for these texts with John 3:1-17 through this link or Matthew 17:1-9 through this link.)

The story has one conundrum: The angel says that “the prophets” say that the Messiah will be “a Nazarean,” so Jesus has to move to Nazareth. Problem is, there is no OT prophecy that says that. Scholars have puzzled about it, but it isn’t a kid-size problem. Let me know what you think of my solution!

You can use this children’s sermon on Matthew 2:13-23 out of season of course, whenever this text is relevant in your church’s life — like if you are considering how Jesus’ life fulfilled OT prophecies of the Messiah. Or you can use it as a bedtime story with your kids. Or, hopefully, people will find it by Google search next time it rolls around!

A Children’s Sermon on Matthew 2:13-23

Good Morning kids! I am so glad to see you. Thanks for coming up to hear the children’s sermon. 

Today is the first Sunday in Christmas Season. Christmas isn’t just one day. The birth of Jesus is so important, so amazing, that we always take twelve whole days to celebrate it. 

Our story from the Gospels tells about some of the places Jesus lived. I don’t know if you have ever moved to a new town, but when Jesus was very little, his family moved a couple of times.

Bethlehem

Our story starts with the Magi. The Magi had come from a far away country to find out where the Messiah was to be born.

When they got to Jerusalem, they asked the the Bible experts, “We have seen a new star! We believe it means a new king has been born near here. What do the holy books say? Where should we go to find the new king?”

“Bethlehem” said the Bible experts. ”Definitely Bethlehem.”

“Why there” asked the Magi?”

“Two reasons” said the Bible experts. “First, the Messiah is supposed to be from old king David’s family. Bethlehem was king David’s city long ago.”

“What’s the other reason?” asked the Magi.

“One of the prophets wrote about it,” said one of the Bible experts. “He wrote ‘Out of you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’”

“Ah,” said one of the Magi. “So when we find the child in Bethlehem, we’ll know it’s really true—and it will be true for always  and always.” 

The Magi traveled to Bethlehem, of course, and they found Jesus, Mary, and Joseph there.

Egypt

But one night, after the Magi had gone home, Joseph had a dream. 

An angel appeared to him in the dream. “Joseph,” said the angel, “don’t be afraid. But you need to take your family far away. You need to move to Egypt.”

“Move to Egypt?” asked Joseph. “Why do we have to move to Egypt?” 

“Two reasons,” said the angel. “First, King Herod is jealous. He heard Jesus is a new king so Herod plans to kill him.”

“Oh no!” said Joseph. “What’s the second reason?”

The angel said, “One of the prophets in the Bible wrote the Messiah would come out of Egypt. You need to move to Egypt now, so later Jesus can come back from there. Then it will be true for always and always.”

Nazareth

Joseph and Mary and the baby Jesus did move to Egypt. They found a place to live. Joseph found work as a carpenter. Mary made friends with other moms. And Jesus grew. 

But then one night, Joseph had another dream. 

Once again an angel appeared. “Don’t be afraid, Joseph,” said the angel. “I have good news for you. King Herod has died, so you can move back to Judea!” 

“Oh,” said Joseph. “Do we have to? I mean, we’ve sort of settled in here. I have a job. Mary has friends. Things are going really well here in Egypt.”

“Sorry,” said the angel, “but you really do need to move to Judea. That’s where Jesus will grow up to be the Messiah.” 

“So where do we have to live this time?” asked Joseph. 

“Oh, you can pick the town,” said the angel. “Where do you want to live?”

Joseph thought about it for a minute. Then he said “Maybe we’ll move back to Nazareth. I’ll see if Mary likes that idea.”

“I think it’s a great idea,” said the Angel. “For two reasons.”

“What are the two reasons?” asked Joseph. “You tell me, and I’ll tell Mary.”

The angel said, “For one, both of you have friends and family in Nazareth. And for another reason, the prophets said the Messiah would be a Nazarean.”

“Wait a minute,” said Joseph. “I don’t remember ever reading that in the Bible.”

“Oh,” said the Angel, “it’s not on the Bible. They didn’t write it down. The prophets said it. They just talked about it.”

“Okay,” said Joseph. “I get it. Now it will be true for always and always.”

Wondering

I wonder how Mary and Joseph felt about being told they had to move again and again? I wonder what would have happened if Joseph had said he wouldn’t go to Bethlehem, or Egypt, or Nazareth? I wonder if you’ll ever move—and what God will have in store for you when you get there?

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You are, of course, free to use this children’s sermon, or adapt it as you find most useful. But, if you use it, please do one (or more!) of the following.

You can let me know that you are using it, either in the comments below, or using the contact form above. You can put a little notice in your church bulletin that your children’s sermon is adapted from one published on GaryNealHansen.com.You can support my work over on Patreon. (Just $1 per month brings my children’s sermons straight to your inbox about two minutes after they go live. And every little bit keeps me going…)

The post A Children’s Sermon on Matthew 2:13-23 — 1st Sunday in Christmas Season appeared first on Gary Neal Hansen.

A Children’s Sermon on Matthew 11:2-11 — Advent 3

St. John the Baptist in Prison, Visited by Salomé, possibly Giovanni Barbieri, called Il Guercino, 1591–1666 (Princeton University Art Museum)

Here you go: a children’s sermon on Matthew 11:2-11. The lectionary brings this text up on the 3rd Sunday of Advent in Year A, but churches might focus on this text at other times too. In any case, I didn’t write on this one back in Advent, and I already posted a children’s sermon for the Sunday coming up — which, as I write, is Lent 2. 

(You can find the children’s sermon for John 3:1-17 for Lent 2 here. Or here is one on Matthew 17:1-9, which is an alternate text for Lent 2. Or you can find my Monday meditations on those same texts here and here. Or you can find my Monday meditation on Matthew 11:2-11 here.)

I talk a little bit about Advent in this children’s sermon on Matthew 11:2-11, but if you are using it in another season you can just cut that paragraph. 

A Children’s Sermon on Matthew 11:2-11 

Good morning, kids! I am so glad you are here in worship today. It’s so great that you came up to hear the children’s sermon. 

Today is the third Sunday of Advent. Advent is the time we spend getting ready for our celebration of Jesus’ birth at Christmas. Jesus’ coming to us is so important, so special, so amazing that we need to take four whole Sundays to get ready.

John the Baptist

One person who was really ready for Jesus was his cousin, John the Baptist. John had spent lots of time helping people to get ready for the Messiah. He told them how to think in new ways—God’s ways—because the Messiah was coming. He washed them in the River Jordan,  so they would be clean and ready when the Messiah came. 

Then one day John’s cousin Jesus came to the river. Jesus wanted John to baptize him too. John lowered Jesus into the water, and then brought him back up. 

When John brought Jesus up from the water, he looked up and saw clouds open up. He saw the Holy Spirit come fluttering down onto Jesus like a dove. And he heard God’s voice from the heavens saying “This is my very own Son! I love him so much! You should listen to him!” 

Well, that day, John was convinced that Jesus was the Messiah.

Finally, the one they’d been waiting for was here!

Arrested

But later, guards came from the  palace. They arrested John the Baptist. They put him in prison. And there he sat. Day after day. 

When John’s friends visited him they said “John, why do you look so sad?” 

“I was so happy,” said John, “I was sure my cousin Jesus was the Messiah. But then everything went wrong. Now I’m stuck in prison. Maybe I was wrong about Jesus.”

“Yeah,” said John’s friends. “That is so sad. Maybe Jesus isn’t the Messiah after all.” 

“I know, right?” said John. “If Jesus is really the Messiah he should be making things better. Remember what the prophet said long ago about the Messiah?

He will come and save you.

Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,

and the ears of the deaf unstopped;

then the lame shall leap like a dear,

and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy.

Isaiah 35: 45-69, NRSV

“That does sound pretty good,” said his friends

“And here I am,” said John, “stuck in prison.”

“What can we do to help?” his friends asked.

“I know,” said John. “Go ask Jesus if he’s really the one we’ve been waiting for or not. Then come tell me what he says.”

The Friends’ Report

The next day John’s friends came back. 

“What did he say? What did he say?” asked John. 

“Well,” said one friend, “We asked if he was the Messiah. He said to his disciples, ‘Hey you guys, tell John’s friends what you saw this past week.’” 

“Then they started telling stories,” said another.

“One said Jesus healed a man born blind,” said the first guy.

“Then they told how four people brought a paralyzed man on a stretcher, and Jesus healed him so he could walk!”

“They told how ten people came with leprosy and they all went off healthy again!” 

“Do you remember what they said about the deaf man getting his hearing back?” 

“Then they said Jesus’ friend Lazarus died and Jesus actually brought him back to life!”

“Wow!” said John. “That’s good news.”

“Oh yeah, for sure,” said one of the friends. “They said Jesus is always bringing good news to people who are poor and struggling.” 

“What else did Jesus say?” asked John. 

“Jesus said that people who understand who he is will be the happiest people.”

“Interesting,”  said John.

Wondering

I wonder how John felt when he heard all the things Jesus had been doing?I wonder why Jesus didn’t just answer the question about whether he was the Messiah? I wonder if Jesus might still be doing today that show us who he is?

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You are, of course, free to use this children’s sermon, or adapt it as you find most useful. But, if you use it, please do one (or more!) of the following.

You can let me know that you are using it, either in the comments below, or using the contact form above. You can put a little notice in your church bulletin that your children’s sermon is adapted from one published on GaryNealHansen.com.You can support my work over on Patreon. (Just $1 per month brings my children’s sermons straight to your inbox about two minutes after they go live. And every little bit keeps me going…)

The post A Children’s Sermon on Matthew 11:2-11 — Advent 3 appeared first on Gary Neal Hansen.

A Children’s Sermon on Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21 — Ash Wednesday

CC by Patafisk-SA 3.0

Here’s a Children’s Sermon on Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21, the Gospel for Ash Wednesday in all three years of the lectionary. 

As I write, we are coming up on Transfiguration Sunday, the last Sunday before Lent. However, I’ve already written a children’s sermon on that text. (You can find it here. And you can find my regular Monday Meditation on that text here.) Actually, I already have posted a children’s sermon for Ash Wednesday, too, but it’s more an introduction to the day and how the Church marks it. (You can find that one here.) 

This will be more my usual approach: a children’s sermon on Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21, and less focused on the day in the Church year. You could use whenever it suits your needs. 

A Children’s Sermon on Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21

Hey, kids, I am so glad you are here in worship today. Thanks for coming up to hear the children’s sermon. Our story from the  Gospel today is part of a long speech Jesus made when he was teaching. 

Let’s imagine, though, that these bits of teaching came up as a conversation one day between Jesus and his friends.

Showing Off

One day Jesus was walking down  the street with some of his friends.

“What’s that sound?” said James. 

“It sounds like music,” said Mary. 

“And it’s coming closer,” said Jesus. 

There was definitely some people playing trumpets. But it wasn’t really very musical. 

“Toot TOOOOOOOT!” 

Pretty soon the sound was super close, and some people came  around the corner.

“Toot TOOOOOOOT!” went the trumpets. 

And right behind the trumpeters was someone very familiar to Jesus and his friends. It was their good friend Peter.

“Alms for the poor!” he called out “I’m giving alms for the poor! Hey poor people! Come here and I’ll give you some money!” 

Jesus watched as a few people went up to Peter. They held out their hands, and Peter took out coins to hand to them.

“Here you go madame!” Peter said. “Here you go sir! Get your alms here! Poor people! Oh POOR people!” 

An Example

“Peter,” said Jesus, “What exactly are you doing?”

“Can’t you tell?” asked Peter. “I’m trying really hard to be a good example.”

“An example of what?” asked Mary. “A big show-off?”

“No!” Peter said. “Jesus wants us to care for people who are poor, right? I’m showing how its done.” 

Then he turned to the guys with the trumpets, and said, “Blow them again.” Then he called out again, “Alms for the poor! Get your alms here!”

“Toot TOOOOOOOT!”

Rewards

Jesus put his arm around Peter’s shoulder and pulled him aside.

“Peter,” he said, “Let’s talk. You know it pleases God when we show love to people. And that includes caring for people who are poor.”

“Right!” said Peter. Then he called out, “Alms for the Poor!”

“Let me tell you a secret, Peter,” Jesus said. “God loves to reward people who do what pleases him.”

“Cha-ching!” said Peter. “Sign me up for the big rewards!” And again he called out, “Get your alms here!” 

“But Peter,” Jesus said, “if you do it this way, there’s no reward from God.” 

“What?” Peter asked. “Why not?” 

“Because you’re not doing this to love people,” Jesus said. “You’re showing off  to get people to admire you. That’s your whole reward.”

“Oh. So how should I do it?” Pete asked. “How do I make sure God rewards me?”

“Peter, can you keep a secret?” Jesus asked. 

“Sure Jesus!” he said. “What’s the secret?” 

“Giving to the poor,” Jesus said. “Keep it secret. Yes, you should give generously. But try to do it quietly—like, so only God knows about it.”

“Ah,” Peter said. “I get it. I’ll start doing my giving in secret.” 

Prayer

Then he turned to the guys with the trumpets. “Okay, get ready to blow your horns! A-one, and a-two, and a-“

“Toot TOOOOOOOOT!” went the trumpets.

And Peter called out, “Ladies and gentlemen! May I have your attention please! For my next act, watch me while I pray! Step right over to this street corer and hear what I say to God!”

“Peter!” shouted James and Mary at the same time.

“What?” Peter asked. 

“Prayer is not a show,” Jesus said. “When you pray you’re talking to God. Only God needs to hear you. You shouldn’t aim to impress people.” 

“Oh,” said Peter. “Secrets again?”

“That’s right,” Jesus said. “God sees all the secret things you do — when you are kind, or generous, or praying, or whatever. Do good things — but do them to please God, not the crowds.”

Wondering

I wonder how Peter felt when Jesus told him to do good things in secret? I wonder how God feels when we try to impress people with the good things we do? I wonder what it would feel like to do something good for someone without them even knowing?

++++++++++++

You are, of course, free to use this children’s sermon, or adapt it as you find most useful. But, if you use it, please do one (or more!) of the following.

You can let me know that you are using it, either in the comments below, or using the contact form above. You can put a little notice in your church bulletin that your children’s sermon is adapted from one published on GaryNealHansen.com.You can support my work over on Patreon. (Just $1 per month brings my children’s sermons straight to your inbox about two minutes after they go live. And every little bit keeps me going…)

The post A Children’s Sermon on Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21 — Ash Wednesday appeared first on Gary Neal Hansen.

A Children’s Sermon on Matthew 2:1-12 — Epiphany

The Magi, Rosary Basilica, Lourdes (CC BY Lawrence OP-NC-ND 2.0)

This children’s sermon on Matthew 2:1-12 comes outside my usual sequence. It’s the story of the coming of the Magi, and in all three years of the lectionary it’s assigned for Epiphany, January 6. I’ve been writing children’s sermons for the regular Sunday Gospel readings, so I had skipped over this text three years in a row. 

As I write this, we’re coming up to the 6th Sunday after Epiphany. I’ve already published a children’s sermon on that Gospel reading. (Find it here.) I also wrote a regular Monday Meditation on that text. (Find it here.) And you can find the Monday meditation on the Epiphany Gospel, Matthew 2: 1-12, here.

There are now lots of weeks like this, when I’ve already posted a children’s sermon. My aim  is to keep writing those weeks, filling in gaps where one thing or another prevented me from posting in the past. Hopefully Google will lead people to my children’s sermon on Matthew 2:1-12 when they go searching for one.

It is a challenging text to bring to a kid’s world. Deceptively so, since it’s very familiar from ye ol’ Christmas pageant (Magi in bathrobes and Burger King crowns anyone?) and an ear worm of a Christmas carol (“We three kings, of Orient are…”)

Can I find a way to tell the story without playing into the cuteness of those tropes? Can I tell it so that it conveys a message from the text and the holy day it celebrates? We’ll find out as I venture forth into a children’s sermon on Matthew 2:1-12.

A Children’s Sermon on Matthew 2:1-12

Good morning, kids! Wow, I’m so happy to see you. Thanks for coming up to hear the children’s sermon. 

Today’s story from the Gospel is one that you might alreadyknow. 

Sometimes people tell it around Christmas, because it includes the baby Jesus. Sometimes, though, people tell this story just after Christmas, on a special day called “Epiphany.”  

Epiphany

An “epiphany” is when something that hidden is revealed all of a sudden. 

Imagine if you were trying to find your way through your house at night, in the dark. If someone turned on the light, All of a sudden you would know your way. 

“Wow! I can see! What a surprise!” That’s an epiphany.

Let’s see who has an epiphany in this story. 

The Magi

The story starts far away from Bethlehem. The Bible tells us there were some people called “Magi.” The Bible says they lived “in the East.” 

Sometimes people call them “kings” but the Bible doesn’t call them that. 

Sometimes people say there are three of them, but the Bible doesn’t give a number. The Bible just says they were Magi, from the East.

The ancient country of Persia was far to the East of Bethlehem. It’s called Iran today. In Persia, the religious leaders were called “Magi.” So let’s imagine our Magi were religious leaders from ancient Iran. 

The Bible doesn’t tell us their names. But long ago, people started calling them Gaspar, Melchior, and Balthasar. We can call them by those names too.

A  Meeting

Let’s try to imagine these Magi back in Iran, before our story.  

Let’s imagine that sometimes all the Magi met together and shared the things they were learning about. 

“I saw a bright new star!” said Gaspar. 

“I saw it too!” said Melchior.

“I did too!” said Balthasar. “I think we should study to find out what it means,”

So they all went off to study. When they came back for their next meeting, they shared what they learned.

”I studied the movements of the planets and the stars,” said Gaspar. “This new star appeared because something important has happened.”

“I studied the ancient holy books” said Melchior. “They say when a great king is born a star will be his sign.” 

“I have consulted the great traditions,” said Balthasar. “When a great king is born, the wise ones go to show him honor.”

“No, no, no!” said the other Magi at the meeting. “This star is far away. It cannot be our king. It is the king of another country. We should not honor a foreign king.”

“Ah,” said Gaspar, “but their God has shown the sign to us.”

“It was hidden,” said Melchior, “but now it is revealed!”

“We must go,” said Balthasar. “We must pay him honor.”

A Journey

So it was decided: Gaspar, Melchior, and Balthasar would follow the star, find the king, and show him honor. 

They traveled all the way from Persia in the East to the land of Judea in the west.

When they met someone in Judea, they asked their way “Excuse me,” said Gaspar, “We have traveled far to meet your king. Where does he live?”

“You need to go to Jerusalem,” the stranger said. “Ask for Herod’s palace. Herod’s the king.”

“Was this Herod born recently?” Melchior asked.

“No, the Romans made him king quite a while ago,” said the stranger.

“Ah,” said Balthazar. “This Herod can advise us.” 

To Jerusalem

So off they went to Jerusalem.

They found King Herod’s palace. They knocked at the door. They asked if they could talk to Herod. They were led into the throne room.

“We are Magi, from the East,” Gaspar said.

“We are looking for the new king,” said Melchior.

“New king?” shouted Herod. “There is no ‘new’ king. I’m the only king around here!”

“But we have seen his star,” said Balthazar. “Your God has revealed it to us. All who are wise will honor him.”

“That’s a surprise,” said Herod. “I know nothing about this.” 

“Neither did we,” said Gaspar. “It was hidden. Now it is revealed.” 

“But we need to find him,” said Melchior. 

“Where do your prophets say your king is to be born?” asked Balthasar.

Herod called for the scholars of the Bible. “What does the Bible say about where a king to be born?” he asked.

“Ah,” said the leader of the scholars. “You mean the Messiah, the king who will save our people. He is to be born in Bethlehem. But why do these foreigners want to know?” 

“Your God has revealed it to us,” said Gaspar. 

“We have seen his star,” said Melchior. “We must pay him honor.” 

“No, no, no!”  said the Scholar of the Bible. “You should not go to Bethlehem. The Messiah is our king, not yours. He comes to save our people, not yours.” 

“It seems your God has invited us,” said Balthasar. “Something hidden has been revealed to you as well.” 

To Bethlehem

So, off the Magi went, to Bethlehem. 

They studied the angle of the star from the horizon. They followed it’s position in the heavens. They found themselves at a stable.

Inside the stable they saw a woman tending a baby. The baby’s bed was the hay in the animals’ food trough. And there was a man there too, looking worried and tired and happy all at once.

They knocked at the doorway. 

The man came quickly, saying “Quiet please, the baby is sleeping.”

“Ah, the baby,” said Gaspar.

“The newborn king!” said Melchior. 

“We have found him at last!” said Balthazar.

Then the woman got up and come to the door as well. “Who are you?” she ashed.

“We are Magi,” said Gaspar. 

“From the East,” explained Melchior.

“We have come to honor the newborn king,” said Balthasar.

“But–“ said the woman, “how could you possibly know he is a king? I only know because an angel told me.”

And the man said “I only leaned about it in a dream. How could you know from far away in another country?”

“We study the stars,” said Gaspar, “and a new star shone in the heavens.” 

“And we study ancient wisdom,” added Melchior. “Our sacred teachings said a new star would be for a new king.” 

“Plus we asked directions,” said Balthazar. “The Bible Scholars in Jerusalem told us to come to Bethlehem.”

Honoring the King

The man and the woman looked at each other for a moment. The man smiled and shrugged his shoulders.

“Come in,” said the woman, “God showed you the star. Your studies led you here. We thought it was a secret — but now the whole world seems to know!”

“You are welcome in our home,” said the man.

The Magi came in, and bowed down before baby in a manger, the king of another nation, the savior of another religion. 

They honored Jesus as king, giving him gifts worthy of royalty. 

Rich gold. Sweet smelling frankincense. Costly myrrh.

And then they went home, all the wiser for having sought and honored Jesus.

Wondering

I wonder how the Magi felt when they  finally found the king was a baby in a barn?I wonder how the Bible teachers felt when they found God had invited foreigners?I wonder how it is that people today discover the secret that Jesus is a king?

++++++++++++

You are, of course, free to use this children’s sermon, or adapt it as you find most useful. But, if you use it, please do one (or more!) of the following.

You can let me know that you are using it, either in the comments below, or using the contact form above. You can put a little notice in your church bulletin that your children’s sermon is adapted from one published on GaryNealHansen.com.You can support my work over on Patreon. (Just $1 per month brings my children’s sermons straight to your inbox about two minutes after they go live. And every little bit keeps me going…)

The post A Children’s Sermon on Matthew 2:1-12 — Epiphany appeared first on Gary Neal Hansen.

New Children’s Sermon on John 1:29-42

The Lamb of God, Francisco de Zurbaran (public domain)

I sat down to write a children’s sermon on John 1:29-42, and there it was: I’d already posted one, three years ago. Looks like I’ve been at this for about one cycle through the ol’ lectionary.

(You can find my earlier version here. You can find my Monday Meditation on this text here.

At a glance my earlier effort was very different. My style has evolved — which is probably good. I decided to go ahead and write a new children’s sermon on John 1:29-42 so I can look at them side by side, and assess the differences.

I don’t think I’ll normally write a new children’s sermon on a text I’ve done before. I’ll need to think about what to do.

Start a cycle on the Old Testament texts from the lectionary? Start in on the epistle readings? Fill in gaps from the Gospel series, either lectionary texts I missed, or texts between the lectionary readings?

(That might be good since lots of folks don’t use the lectionary, and lots of folks find my children’s sermons via web searches.)

I’d be very grateful to hear from you if you have a preference. Comment below or use my contact form. But for this week let’s jump on in to a new children’s sermon on John 1:29-42.

The writing took an unexpected turn. I thought I’d be focusing on the dialogue in the last half between Andrew and Jesus. But I found I wanted to make sense of John’s comments in the first half. Since Andrew was clearly there, I had him pose the lines that gave a context for John’s words.

A New Children’s Sermon on John 1:29-42

Good morning kids! I am so happy to see you. It’s great that you are here in worship today. Thanks for coming up to hear the children’s sermon.

Last week our Gospel story was about when Jesus got baptized. He went out to the wilderness, and his cousin John washed him in the river Jordan. That washing is called “baptism.” That’s why John is called “John the Baptist.”

John had been teaching the people to get ready for Jesus to come. He would wash them in the river Jordan. Then he would help them learn how to live God’s way, to be ready for the Messiah.

Some people followed John around to learn from him. One person who followed John was named Andrew. He wanted to learn all they could so they would be ready when the Messiah came.

After John baptized Jesus he had a talk with his followers. “You know, you guys, now that Jesus has come you should really follow him, not me.”

Andrew said, “But John, you’ve taught me so much! I want to stay close to you.”

The Lamb of God

Well, just about then, John saw Jesus coming up the road.

“Hey look!” said John. “Here comes God’s own lamb!”

Andrew looked around. “Where?” he asked “I don’t see a lamb. But there’s Jesus!”

“That’s who I mean,” said John. “Jesus is God’s very own beloved lamb.”

“I thought you said he was the Messiah!” said Andrew.

“I did,” said John. “Sometimes the prophets call the Messiah God’s very own lamb.”

“Why’s that?” asked Andrew.

“Lambs are special,” said John. “Their shepherds love them and care for them — like God loves Jesus. And every year at passover, the lamb we eat reminds us of how God saved us from slavery.”

Jesus

About then, Jesus came up to talk to John. John introduced Andrew to Jesus. Then Jesus went on his way.

Andrew said “John, Jesus seemed nice but I already know you. I think I’m going to stay with you instead of following him.”

John said, “But Andrew! Jesus is so much more important than me! You should follow him instead of me.”

“How do you know he’s so important?” asked Andrew.

“God told me: Jesus is the Messiah!” John said. “God said I should watch when I washed people. When I saw his Holy Spirit rest on someone, that would be the Messiah. Well, yesterday, when I baptized Jesus, I saw it! The Holy Spirit came fluttering down like a dove. It landed right on Jesus!”

“Hmmm,” said Andrew. “I’ll think about it.”

The Next Day

Well, the next afternoon, just like usual, John came down to the river Jordan. And there was Andrew.

“Hi John!” Andrew said. “I’m still following you!”

“I see that,” John said. “Did I tell you that Jesus is so important I’m not even good enough to tie his shoelaces?”

“No,” Andrew said, “You didn’t mention that.”

“Well, think about it.” John said. “Right now I have to wash some people in the river.”

Pretty soon though, John looked up from the river. He saw Jesus passing by. He shouted out, “Hey Andrew! Look! It’s God’s very own lamb!”

Andrew looked up and saw Jesus. Then he looked back at John. He waved to his good friend. And he went to follow Jesus.

When Andrew caught up, he said, “Hey Jesus!”

And Jesus said, “Hey Andrew. Looking for something?”

Andrew said “I want to come along with you. Where are you staying?”

And Jesus said “Come and see!”

Wondering

I wonder what John felt when he saw the Holy Spirit come down and land on Jesus?I wonder what Andrew felt inside when he left John and followed Jesus? I wonder if Jesus will ever ask you and me to leave something behind and start in a new direction?

++++++++++++

You are, of course, free to use this children’s sermon, or adapt it as you find most useful. But, if you use it, please do one (or more!) of the following.

You can let me know that you are using it, either in the comments below, or using the contact form above. You can put a little notice in your church bulletin that your children’s sermon is adapted from one published on GaryNealHansen.com.You can support my work over on Patreon. (Just $1 per month brings my children’s sermons straight to your inbox about two minutes after they go live. And every little bit keeps me going…)

The post New Children’s Sermon on John 1:29-42 appeared first on Gary Neal Hansen.

A Children’s Sermon on Matthew 3:13-17 — The Baptism of Jesus

Gerard David — Baptism of Christ (public domain)

Sunday is the “First Sunday after the Epiphany” so I bring you a children’s sermon on Matthew 3:13-17. (You can see my regular Monday Meditation on this passage here. If your church is observing the Epiphany this Sunday, you’ll find a Monday Meditation on that text here.)

A Children’s Sermon on Matthew 3:13-17

Good morning kids! I am so glad to see you. It is just great that you are here in worship this morning.

You know, it was just two Sundays ago that we were celebrating that Jesus was born. We all were picturing him as a teeny tiny baby — so cute, and cuddly. It was the very beginning of Jesus’ story.

Now, only two weeks later, our story from the Gospel is about Jesus all grown up! But you know what? It’s still the very beginning of Jesus’ story. It’s the beginning of all the good things he did to show everybody how much God loves us all.

Here’s what happened.

John the Baptist

Before Jesus had started his work in the world, his cousin John was telling people to get ready for him.

John went way outside town, way out into the country. He went down to the side of a river — the river Jordan.

Somehow everybody knew that John was out there. People came from the towns and the villages to listen to John.

John told them to get ready because the messiah was coming.

And he said the main thing to do was to get washed in the river.

They would wash off all their old ways of thinking. Then they could start thinking about living the way God intended.

Jesus and John

Well, when Jesus was ready to start dong all the good things he planned to do, he went out to see John by the river Jordan, just like everybody else.

When John saw Jesus coming he ran right over to him John gave Jesus a big hug and said “Hey, cousin! Good to see you!”

“Good to see you too, John,” said Jesus.

“I’ve been telling everybody to get ready for you,” said John. “Did you come out to see everybody getting washed in the Jordan?”

“Not exactly,” said Jesus. “Actually I came so you could wash me in the river too — just like everybody else.”

“No way!” said John.

“Yes way!” said Jesus.

“But why?” asked John. “You’re the messiah! I want you to wash me in the river instead.”

“No way!” said Jesus.

“Yes way!” said John. “It’s totally backwards for me to wash you!”

“Really,” said Jesus. “I came to show everybody how to live God’s way. I want to do every good thing I ask other people to do. I want them to get washed, so I need to get washed too.”

“Whatever you say,” said John. “You’re the Messiah!”

Into the Water

So down they went, Jesus and his cousin John, into the river Jordan.

John held on tight to Jesus, and lowered him down into the water. Then John lifted Jesus back up and the water poured off of him.

And then something very surprising happened.

Jesus looked up into the clouds and saw something flying down. It moved just like a dove. Was it a bird? No! It was the Holy Spirit fluttering down from heaven.

And Jesus saw the Holy Spirit land right on him. Maybe it landed on his head. Or maybe it landed on his shoulder.

But then Jesus looked back up to the sky and a voice started to speak right out of the clouds. Everybody could hear it.

The voice said,

“Hey everybody! Look at Jesus!
He’s my very own son!
I love him so much!
I’m so happy about who he’s grown up to be!”

Wondering

I wonder what John felt when he baptized Jesus?I wonder what Jesus felt when he saw the Holy Spirit flying down toward him?I wonder what the crowd thought when they heard God’s voice talking about Jesus?

++++++++++++

You are, of course, free to use this children’s sermon, or adapt it as you find most useful. But, if you use it, please do one (or more!) of the following.

You can let me know that you are using it, either in the comments below, or using the contact form above. You can put a little notice in your church bulletin that your children’s sermon is adapted from one published on GaryNealHansen.com.You can support my work over on Patreon. (Just $1 per month brings my children’s sermons straight to your inbox about two minutes after they go live. And every little bit keeps me going…)

The post A Children’s Sermon on Matthew 3:13-17 — The Baptism of Jesus appeared first on Gary Neal Hansen.