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Children’s Sermon

John 14:1-14

Doing Greater Things Than Jesus

May 7, 2023

5th Sunday of Easter

Lectionary Year A

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ASK (a.k.a The On-Ramp)

Good morning!
We’re going to play a game of “Simon says and does”.
The way this works is that I’ll say “Simon says” and then the thing that I say, I will also DO.
If what I say and what I do match each other, then you are supposed to do it, too.
HOWEVER, if I what I do and what I say do NOT match, then you don’t do what I’m saying OR doing.
So if I say, “Simon says “FALL OVER” but I stay standing up, what do you think you should do… fall over?” (NOOO!)
Why? (Because you stayed standing)
Ok, it sounds like you’ve got it. So…let’s play! [OVERALL NOTE: We are not trying to trick the kids, here. The idea is to do the things that you say every time.]
Simon says “Clap your hands” [I prefer doing a rhythmic clap, like two short claps and a long clap, but how you choose to do the clapping has no bearing on how the message proceeds]
Simon says “Stomp your feet” [Again, I prefer a rhythmic stomp, like left-left-right and then right-right-left instead of a pitter-patter, but again, how you choose to do the stomping has no bearing on how the message proceeds]
Simon says “Shout “AAAAAAAAAHHHHH” “ [Note: Be sure to move the mic away from your face AND the kids when shouting “aaaahhhh” ]
[Repeat the three steps]: “Simon says “Clap your hands” ; Simon says “Stomp your feet” ; Simon says “Shout AAAAHHHH”
[Then] Simon says “Do all three things at the same time – clap, stomp, shout AAAAAHHH” [chaos ensues]
[Then] Simon says, “Sit down because the game is done” [NOTE: be sure to sit down when you say this!]
Thank you for playing – you all were very good clappers, stompers, and shouters.

TELL (a.k.a. The Freeway)

So, in today’s scripture story, Jesus is talking to his disciples.
And one of the things that he says is that they, the disciples, are going to do even greater things than he, Jesus, has done.
That’s a pretty amazing thing for Jesus to say, don’t you think?
Another thing that Jesus tells the disciples is that he tells them HOW they will be able to do greater things than he has.
The way the disciples will do the same and greater things as Jesus is by doing the very things that Jesus has been saying to them and then doing.

SHARE the Good News (a.k.a. The Destination)

It’s almost like Jesus is playing a game of “Simon says and does” with his disciples.
If we think back to the our “Simon Says and Does” game – why did you do the things that I did? – Because I said AND did them, right?
Although you were doing the same things as I was, there were MORE of you doing those things – so you were doing them louder and greater than I was, weren’t you? – Yes, yes you were!
So that’s the same thing that Jesus is telling his disciples: Do what I’ve said and do what I’ve done and when you do that together, then you will do what I have done…and because more of you are doing those things, it will be greater than what I’ve done.
And guess what? We can do the same thing today!
We can choose to be disciples of Jesus, where we study what Jesus taught and did. And then, we can actually do what Jesus taught and did.
And when we do this, when we do what Jesus taught and did, then we are doing what Jesus said his disciples would be doing in today’s story: The same things that Jesus did and even greater (because there are more of us doing those things).
That is the good news for today!

CLOSING Prayer

Let’s pray. This is a repeat-after-me prayer.

Dear God,
Dear God,

Thank you for Jesus…

Thank you for Jesus…

…who did what he said…

…and taught us and showed us…
…and taught us and showed us…

…how to do the same.
…how to do the same.

Thank you and Amen.

Originally posted May 11, 2014
Updated on April 8, 2023
Written and edited by Nathanael Vissia

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