Open the Word

For children

Object lesson for all ages

Before telling the story you will need to make eight pipe cleaner figures (see Be active) dressed to represent: two Greeks, Jesus, Philip, Andrew and a crowd (of three). You will also need a seed, an ear of corn (any grass with a head will do), a drum and a wooden cross.

Begin by clearing the toys out of the sand tray and ask the children to imagine that the tray now represents the city of Jerusalem where lots of people have come for the feast of the Passover. Jesus and his disciples are there too. Then give out the objects or figures and say that they will be used to act out the story. Explain that this is a story in which God speaks in a loud voice, and when you reach that point, the child with the drum will need to make a sound like thunder.

Tell the story as follows:

Lots and lots of people have come to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. Some Greeks have come to the city. (Child 1 places Greeks in sand tray.)

They have heard that someone called Jesus has done lots of wonderful miracles and they want to meet him.

So they go to Philip, one of his disciples. (Child 2 places Philip into tray.) ‘Sir, we want to see Jesus,’ they say.

Philip passes this message on disciple, Andrew. (Child 3 places Andrew in tray.)

And Andrew passes the message (Child 4 places Jesus in tray.) to another on to Jesus.

Jesus knows that lots of people are expecting him to do miracles. They are hoping that he will become a great earthly king. But that is not what his mission is about.

‘I am here to bring glory to God,’ he says. ‘Think about what happens to a grain of wheat. If you keep it out of the ground it remains one small seed. But you put it into the ground and it dies, (Child 5 pushes seed into sand) so that it can grow up and produce lots more seeds. (Child 6 plants ear of corn in sand.)

Jesus says this because he knows his life is like the grain of wheat. He knows that his mission is to rescue lots of people from sin and make them happy. So instead of praying that he would be saved from death, he prays: ‘Father, glorify your name’.

And immediately a voice comes from heaven (Child 7 gives a roll on the drum) saying, ‘I have glorified it and will glorify it again’.

The sound fills the crowd with amazement and they ask each other what it could possibly mean? (Child 8 puts three final figures into tray.)

Jesus explains that God has spoken like this to help them have faith in him. He says he is about to win a mighty battle. Evil will be driven out of the world and many people will receive happiness through him.

But in order to fulfil his mission, like the grain of wheat, he must die. (Child 9 puts cross into tray.)

For young people

Project earth

Give each person drawings of a cross, Jesus and the world. Ask them to design a poster using these symbols, outlining what Jesus’ mission is. Think of slogans and contact information and opportunities for involvement.

Seeds of faith

Read the Scripture passage and then ask the young people to explain how God is asking us to be people of value and conviction. Ask them to make two bookmarks, one with a verse from the Scripture that affirms us, and another that challenges us. A linked action may be the planting of some seeds and the decoration of the plant pots with words of hope and challenge.