The Year of The Lord!
Children's sermon
Object: A 2025 calendar.
* * *
Hello, everyone! (Let them respond.) Are you ready for our story today? (Let them respond.) Excellent! This is a story about something that happened after Jesus was baptized when he went back to his hometown of Nazareth to visit his family and friends. While he was visiting, he went to the service at the synagogue, just like we come to our church service. During the service, they asked Jesus to read the scripture, so he stood up and read. He said:
The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.
When he was finished, he looked at the people and said, “This is all coming true today!” and then he sat down. Now, let me ask you a question. The words Jesus read said that he was proclaiming the year of the Lord’s favor. Does anyone know what that meant? (Let them respond.) The year of the Lord’s favor was sometimes called the Jubilee Year. The Jubilee Year was a special holiday the Bible said everyone should celebrate every fifty years. There were four things God told everyone they should do to celebrate it, and those were the things that Jesus had just read to everyone.
Now, before I tell you the rest of the story, there is something pretty special I want to tell you first. Did you know that this year is a Jubilee Year? (Let them respond as you show the calendar.) Yes, it is. If we go way back and figure it out, 2025 is a Jubilee Year. And that means if we want to know what God wants us to do this year, we probably ought to look again at what Jesus told everyone that day in Nazareth, shouldn’t we? (Let them respond.) Jesus said there were four things God wants everyone to do in the Year of Jubilee.
He said that God wants us to proclaim good news to the poor. God wants us to do what we can do to help those who don’t have a lot of money and might need food, clothes, or a safe place to live and stay warm. If you did not have enough money to take care of yourself or your family, can you think of something someone might do for you that would be really good news? (Let them respond.) Those are the things God wants us to do for those people who don’t have enough money this year.
And Jesus said that God wants us to proclaim freedom for the prisoners. God wants us to do what we can do to help those people who are locked up in a prison somewhere, or who have made mistakes and need to be forgiven. If you were locked in a prison somewhere, can you think of something someone might do for you that would be nice? (Let them respond.) Those are the things God wants us to do for those people who are prisoners this year.
And Jesus said that God wants us to help the blind recover their sight. God wants us to do what we can to help those who have health problems and help others stay healthy and not have problems. If you were blind or sick, can you think of something someone might do for you that would help you get better? (Let them respond.) Those are the things God wants us to do for those people who are blind or sick this year.
And Jesus said that God wants us to set the oppressed free. Does anyone know what it means to be oppressed? (Let them respond.) What does the word "pressed" mean? (Let them respond.) If something is pressed, it usually means that something is squeezing it or pushing down on it, doesn’t it? (Let them respond.) So, if someone is oppressed, it means that something or someone is pressing down on them, and not letting them be free and grow, doesn’t it? (Let them respond.) Can you think of someone who is being oppressed by being bullied, or by having other people laugh at them or do other things that kind of squish them down? (Let them respond as you make a hand motion like you are squishing something.) Those are the things God wants us to do for those people who are being oppressed this year.
We have heard a lot from other people about what they think we should do this year, haven’t we? (Let them respond as you show the calendar.) But let me ask you that question one more time: What does God expect us to do this year? (Let them respond.) The words that Jesus read said there are just four things God wants us to do in this Jubilee Year, aren’t there? (Let them respond as you show the calendar.) Let’s see if you remember them.
What are we supposed to do if we see someone who is poor and doesn’t have enough to take care of themselves or their family? (Let them respond.) Are we supposed to do things to keep them poor? (Let them respond.) No. God says we are supposed to do something to help them that is good news to them, aren’t we? (Let them respond.)
And what are we supposed to do when we see someone in prison? (Let them respond.) Are we supposed to spend our time hunting for more people to put in prison with them? (Let them respond.) No. God says we are supposed to do something to try to help them be free, aren’t we? (Let them respond.)
And what are we supposed to do when we see someone who is blind or sick, or when we see something that might make people sick? (Let them respond.) Are we supposed to let them be sick? (Let them respond.) No. God says we are supposed to do something to help them get healthy and stay healthy, aren’t we? (Let them respond.)
And what are we supposed to do when we see someone who is being oppressed or bullied? (Let them respond.) Are we supposed to keep bullying and squishing them? (Make a hand motion like you are squishing something.) No. God says we are supposed to do something that will help stop whatever is squishing them down, aren’t we? (Let them respond as you make a hand motion like you are squishing something.)
(Show the calendar.) This is a Jubilee Year. Let’s say a prayer and ask that God help remind us to do four things this year.
To proclaim good news to the poor,
To proclaim freedom for the prisoners,
To give recovery of sight for the blind,
To set the oppressed free.
And let’s 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? (Let them respond.) Excellent! This is a story about something that happened after Jesus was baptized when he went back to his hometown of Nazareth to visit his family and friends. While he was visiting, he went to the service at the synagogue, just like we come to our church service. During the service, they asked Jesus to read the scripture, so he stood up and read. He said:
The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.
When he was finished, he looked at the people and said, “This is all coming true today!” and then he sat down. Now, let me ask you a question. The words Jesus read said that he was proclaiming the year of the Lord’s favor. Does anyone know what that meant? (Let them respond.) The year of the Lord’s favor was sometimes called the Jubilee Year. The Jubilee Year was a special holiday the Bible said everyone should celebrate every fifty years. There were four things God told everyone they should do to celebrate it, and those were the things that Jesus had just read to everyone.
Now, before I tell you the rest of the story, there is something pretty special I want to tell you first. Did you know that this year is a Jubilee Year? (Let them respond as you show the calendar.) Yes, it is. If we go way back and figure it out, 2025 is a Jubilee Year. And that means if we want to know what God wants us to do this year, we probably ought to look again at what Jesus told everyone that day in Nazareth, shouldn’t we? (Let them respond.) Jesus said there were four things God wants everyone to do in the Year of Jubilee.
He said that God wants us to proclaim good news to the poor. God wants us to do what we can do to help those who don’t have a lot of money and might need food, clothes, or a safe place to live and stay warm. If you did not have enough money to take care of yourself or your family, can you think of something someone might do for you that would be really good news? (Let them respond.) Those are the things God wants us to do for those people who don’t have enough money this year.
And Jesus said that God wants us to proclaim freedom for the prisoners. God wants us to do what we can do to help those people who are locked up in a prison somewhere, or who have made mistakes and need to be forgiven. If you were locked in a prison somewhere, can you think of something someone might do for you that would be nice? (Let them respond.) Those are the things God wants us to do for those people who are prisoners this year.
And Jesus said that God wants us to help the blind recover their sight. God wants us to do what we can to help those who have health problems and help others stay healthy and not have problems. If you were blind or sick, can you think of something someone might do for you that would help you get better? (Let them respond.) Those are the things God wants us to do for those people who are blind or sick this year.
And Jesus said that God wants us to set the oppressed free. Does anyone know what it means to be oppressed? (Let them respond.) What does the word "pressed" mean? (Let them respond.) If something is pressed, it usually means that something is squeezing it or pushing down on it, doesn’t it? (Let them respond.) So, if someone is oppressed, it means that something or someone is pressing down on them, and not letting them be free and grow, doesn’t it? (Let them respond.) Can you think of someone who is being oppressed by being bullied, or by having other people laugh at them or do other things that kind of squish them down? (Let them respond as you make a hand motion like you are squishing something.) Those are the things God wants us to do for those people who are being oppressed this year.
We have heard a lot from other people about what they think we should do this year, haven’t we? (Let them respond as you show the calendar.) But let me ask you that question one more time: What does God expect us to do this year? (Let them respond.) The words that Jesus read said there are just four things God wants us to do in this Jubilee Year, aren’t there? (Let them respond as you show the calendar.) Let’s see if you remember them.
What are we supposed to do if we see someone who is poor and doesn’t have enough to take care of themselves or their family? (Let them respond.) Are we supposed to do things to keep them poor? (Let them respond.) No. God says we are supposed to do something to help them that is good news to them, aren’t we? (Let them respond.)
And what are we supposed to do when we see someone in prison? (Let them respond.) Are we supposed to spend our time hunting for more people to put in prison with them? (Let them respond.) No. God says we are supposed to do something to try to help them be free, aren’t we? (Let them respond.)
And what are we supposed to do when we see someone who is blind or sick, or when we see something that might make people sick? (Let them respond.) Are we supposed to let them be sick? (Let them respond.) No. God says we are supposed to do something to help them get healthy and stay healthy, aren’t we? (Let them respond.)
And what are we supposed to do when we see someone who is being oppressed or bullied? (Let them respond.) Are we supposed to keep bullying and squishing them? (Make a hand motion like you are squishing something.) No. God says we are supposed to do something that will help stop whatever is squishing them down, aren’t we? (Let them respond as you make a hand motion like you are squishing something.)
(Show the calendar.) This is a Jubilee Year. Let’s say a prayer and ask that God help remind us to do four things this year.
To proclaim good news to the poor,
To proclaim freedom for the prisoners,
To give recovery of sight for the blind,
To set the oppressed free.
And let’s 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.
