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!
