John 20:19-31

Script:

Pastor: Good morning boys and girls! Welcome! Let’s say good morning to our friend Sammy. Ready? One, two, three: Good morning, Sammy!

Sammy: Good morning, boys and girls!

Pastor: Hey Sammy! I was thinking that we could talk about Thomas today.

Sammy: That sounds great, Pastor! Thomas the Twin. Such a great last name. Twin.

Pastor: No, Sammy. Twin is not Thomas’s last name.

Sammy: I was listening to you read the Gospel today, Pastor. I heard you call him Thomas the Twin. First name: Thomas. Middle name: The. Last name: Twin.

Pastor: Sammy, Thomas had a twin. He was a twin. His mama had two babies in her belly at the same time.

Sammy: Oh. That makes so much more sense.

Pastor: I want to talk about what being a twin meant in Jesus’s day. How many of you boys and girls know twins?

[Allow time for responses]

Pastor: It sounds like many of us know twins or get to play with twins. Jesus called Thomas as his disciple. What is really neat about this call was Thomas was the second born twin.

Sammy: Second born? Does that matter?

Pastor: In Jesus’s day birth order was everything. The first born baby received the inheritance and the title of his father’s last name. The second born baby was called “The Twin” and did not receive the same inheritance.

Sammy: What’s an inheritance?

Pastor: That is what parents give to their children. It’s their homes and their money.

Sammy: Well, it doesn’t seem fair that Thomas’s older brother got everything and Thomas was just called Thomas the Twin.

Pastor: I think Thomas was the one who received everything, Sammy. Jesus gave him the opportunity for fellowship with God. He ate with Jesus, walked with him, and learned from him.

Sammy: That’s true. There is no place I would rather be than right next to Jesus.

Pastor: Me too, Sammy. When Thomas received the power of the Holy Spirit from Jesus, he went to India and taught people about the amazing love of our God. He brought the love of Jesus to everyone he met. He was changed forever.

Sammy: What about his inheritance?

Pastor: He received it.

Sammy: He did?

Pastor: Yes, he did. With God, our inheritance is the same, whether we are the first born, the last born, a boy, a girl, old, or young. God gives us the gift of eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven with him. He sees each of us as equals, and he doesn’t place more value on one of us over the other.

Sammy: I feel so blessed, Pastor. I have a lot of comfort knowing I have an inheritance with Jesus.

Pastor: Me too, Sammy. Let’s pray. Boys and girls, can you fold your hands and bow your heads. Dear Jesus, thank you for Thomas. Thank you for helping us see and believe. Thank you for sending us out to share your love. Help us to love others no matter where we go. Amen.

Sammy: Bye, everyone!

Pastor: Bye, Sammy!

Luke 24:1-12

Script:

Pastor: Good morning boys and girls! Welcome! Let’s say good morning to our friend Sammy. Ready? One, two, three: Good morning, Sammy!

Sammy: Good morning!

Bartholomew: Good morning and Hoppy Easter!

Sammy: It’s the Easter bunny!

Bartholomew: Hi Sammy! Hi boys and girls! My name is Bartholomew.

Sammy: Wow! Hey, Pastor, did you know that a celebrity was coming to church today? Can I have your autograph? Did you leave eggs outside for us?

Bartholomew: Hang on a second, Sammy. I am here to tell you about Jesus. He is risen! Our focus today isn’t on me—I’m just a little bunny. Our focus is on Jesus.

Pastor: That’s right, Bartholomew. Jesus died on the cross and rose again. Today we celebrate that he is alive. He beat death!

Bartholomew: Eggs-actly.

Sammy: But what does that mean?

Bartholomew: Jesus took on our sins and died in our place. Now, all people who believe in him get to live in heaven with him forever. He beat death. And because we have faith in Jesus, we get to beat death, too.

Sammy: That’s cool.

Pastor: Yes it is. Today is a big day of celebrating that Jesus is alive. Boys and girls, what are some of the things that you get to do on Easter?

[Allow time for responses]

Sammy: So, Bartholomew, did you leave eggs for the boys and girls to find after church?

Bartholomew: Yes I did. After church, we will head outside for an egg hunt for all of the children. And I have special bags for you, too. But I want you to remember that the eggs you find are a symbol of the new life we receive in Jesus. Remember Jesus loves you today.

Sammy: Thanks, Bartholomew. I am so glad that Jesus was willing to die for me and that he is now alive.

Pastor: Well, let’s close in prayer. Can everyone please fold your hands and bow your heads? Dear Jesus, thank you for the power of your name. You are the King of Kings. You are the Lord of Lords. You are God. We thank you for choosing us. We thank you for coming down from Heaven for us. We love you. Amen.

Bartholomew: Bye, everyone! Hoppy Easter!

Sammy: Bye, boys and girls! See you next week!

Pastor: Good morning boys and girls! Welcome! Let’s say good morning to our friend Sammy. Ready? One, two, three: Good morning, Sammy!

Sammy: Good morning, everyone! Pastor, this Gospel reading was a long one today.

Pastor: Yes, Sammy. The Gospel reading today is all about the Passion of our Lord Jesus.

Sammy: So much happened while you were reading the Gospel. Jesus shared communion, he prayed in the Garden, and he was put on trial several times.

Pastor: Several people did not like Jesus. We meet some of them in the reading today. One of the things we have to remember is that Jesus committed no sin. He lived a perfect life. Boys and girls, have you ever been blamed for something you didn’t do?

[Allow time for responses]

Sammy: Jesus did not deserve death, but he chose to die because we deserve death. We are sinful, and the price for sin is death.

Pastor: Jesus went willingly to the cross, and he knew what he was going to suffer.

Sammy: You know, Pastor, as I listened to you read the Gospel today, I wondered who I would be if I was there to witness Jesus on the cross.

Pastor: What do you mean, Sammy?

Sammy: Would I betray Jesus, like Judas? Would I deny Jesus, like Peter? Would I be one of the ones who wanted Jesus to die, like the crowds or priests or Herod? Would I be willing to carry the cross like Simon? Would I mock Jesus like the soldiers? Or would I ask for forgiveness like the thief on the cross? Or would I stand at a distance and watch like Mary and the other women? Who would I be?

Pastor: I think each of us plays all of or many of these roles during our lives. God knows our hearts. He gives us faith and teaches us through the trials and challenges we face.

Sammy: But, Pastor, I worry that I am not good enough to deserve what Jesus did for me. He took my sin so that I could eat at his table with him forever.

Pastor: Sammy, none of us deserve the gift that Jesus gives us. None of us our worthy. We are broken and made new in Jesus. And he asks us to go and love as he loved us.

Sammy: I will try, Pastor. I will try.

Pastor: Boys and girls, this week, I want you to think about how you can better love someone. What can you do to show Jesus’s love to someone else?

[Allow time for responses]

Pastor: Great answers! Let’s close with prayer: Dear Jesus, thank you for your great love. Thank you for taking our sin so we could eat at your table. Thank you for your goodness and grace. We love you. Amen.

Sammy: Bye, everyone!

Pastor: Bye, Sammy!

“When the crowds heard this, they were astonished at His teaching.   But when the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together” (Matthew 22:33-34).

Authority is authority and one knows when they have been in the presence of authority.  Of course, the crowds were astonished.  Where else had they heard the truth?  This is what their hearts longed for.  But those who think in terms of this world hate the truth.  They gather together and plot to be rid of the truth.  The truth is forever, and the lie is a temporary illusion.  Which will you follow?

Lord, things have not changed.  You speak truth and unhindered, my heart knows the truth when it hears it.  The world speaks lies and seeks to lead us away from the truth.  You have spoken the words of truth.  Lead me into all truth and help me to have a discerning mind to both know the truth when I hear it, but also to recognize the lies that seek to counter the truth You have spoken.  Guide me into all truth.

Holy Spirit, You know clearly the way this world deceives many.  Let me not be deceived, but hear the words Jesus has spoken and live them in my heart.  Guide me in the way You know I need to live.  Help me to stay away from the dissensions of this age and humbly live in the truth You have spoken.  Lead me in the way of everlasting life.  Keep me in Your grace today.  Amen.