One Flower Or Many?
Children's sermon
The Giant Book Of Children's Sermons
Matthew To Revelation
Object: a flower with some seeds that will shake out when the petals are removed
Good morning, boys and girls. I want to tell you a story I hope you will never forget. It is about a man who was an enemy of Jesus and who helped to plan Jesus' death. But first I want to show you something that I think will help you to understand the story better. I have a beautiful flower with me. (show them the flower) Inside of the petals on this flower there are seeds. Did you know that when the petals drop off of this flower and it looks like it has died the seeds fall to the ground? (let them answer) What happens to the little seeds? (let them answer) That's right; they are buried in the ground and next year you have a bunch of flowers growing where there was one growing last year. The seeds of the flower that died make many new flowers. If you know this, then you can listen to the story better.
There was a man named Caiaphas, and he was the chief priest of Israel. He was afraid of Jesus. The chief priest thought that he should know more about God, and what God wanted, than anyone else in the whole world. He was so sure that he was so important that he could not listen to what Jesus said or taught. Whenever he listened or was told something that Jesus did or said, he forgot about that and thought only of how other people would think that Jesus was greater than he was. He was also afraid that the Roman armies that lived in his country might think he was a follower of Jesus or that his people were followers of Jesus and they would become angry and kill all of the people. At least that is what he told his friends. He said the only way that he could take care of Israel was to kill Jesus. If Jesus were dead, then the people would forget about him and come back to listen to them. Then the armies of Rome would not be nervous and afraid and everything would be better. In other words, Caiaphas said that it was better for one man to die than a lot of men. If they killed Jesus, then everyone else would live.
God also had a plan. It was not the same plan that Caiaphas had, but it worked out in the same way. Caiaphas said if you kill one flower, then all of the other flowers that are living will go on living. But God knew that everyone was going to die someday, and God wanted people to live forever with him. So God let Jesus die on the cross. But when Jesus died, it was like the flower I showed you a little while ago. When he died, his seeds, who are people like Peter and John and also like you and me, had a chance to live. We belong to Jesus like the seeds belonged to the flower. We can live, because Jesus died.
Caiaphas told a truth, but he didn't know what he was saying. It is an interesting story and a very true one. I hope that you will remember this story when you see a flower and the seeds of the flower. Jesus died so that we can live.
Good morning, boys and girls. I want to tell you a story I hope you will never forget. It is about a man who was an enemy of Jesus and who helped to plan Jesus' death. But first I want to show you something that I think will help you to understand the story better. I have a beautiful flower with me. (show them the flower) Inside of the petals on this flower there are seeds. Did you know that when the petals drop off of this flower and it looks like it has died the seeds fall to the ground? (let them answer) What happens to the little seeds? (let them answer) That's right; they are buried in the ground and next year you have a bunch of flowers growing where there was one growing last year. The seeds of the flower that died make many new flowers. If you know this, then you can listen to the story better.
There was a man named Caiaphas, and he was the chief priest of Israel. He was afraid of Jesus. The chief priest thought that he should know more about God, and what God wanted, than anyone else in the whole world. He was so sure that he was so important that he could not listen to what Jesus said or taught. Whenever he listened or was told something that Jesus did or said, he forgot about that and thought only of how other people would think that Jesus was greater than he was. He was also afraid that the Roman armies that lived in his country might think he was a follower of Jesus or that his people were followers of Jesus and they would become angry and kill all of the people. At least that is what he told his friends. He said the only way that he could take care of Israel was to kill Jesus. If Jesus were dead, then the people would forget about him and come back to listen to them. Then the armies of Rome would not be nervous and afraid and everything would be better. In other words, Caiaphas said that it was better for one man to die than a lot of men. If they killed Jesus, then everyone else would live.
God also had a plan. It was not the same plan that Caiaphas had, but it worked out in the same way. Caiaphas said if you kill one flower, then all of the other flowers that are living will go on living. But God knew that everyone was going to die someday, and God wanted people to live forever with him. So God let Jesus die on the cross. But when Jesus died, it was like the flower I showed you a little while ago. When he died, his seeds, who are people like Peter and John and also like you and me, had a chance to live. We belong to Jesus like the seeds belonged to the flower. We can live, because Jesus died.
Caiaphas told a truth, but he didn't know what he was saying. It is an interesting story and a very true one. I hope that you will remember this story when you see a flower and the seeds of the flower. Jesus died so that we can live.
