Jesus Loves Us

Have you ever had something you really didn’t want to do, but you did it anyway? I wasn’t excited about changing my granddaughter’s diaper, but I did it.

When I was growing up my grandparents had some big pine trees in their yard. Those trees grew lots and lots of pine combs. When they would start falling off the tree, my grandmother would ask me to help her pick them up off the ground. I didn’t think it was very much fun, but I would help her. I remember helping her trim one of her trees each spring too. Don’t you enjoy doing chores? Probably not. But you do them anyway because you help those you love.

Have you thought of anything you can do to help someone at camp? I’ve seen people holding doors open. That’s helpful. What about putting someone’s plate up after they eat or helping clean off the table? Those would be helpful. What about picking up a piece of paper someone dropped? Would that be helpful? Yes. There are lots of things we can do to help others if we will only pay attention.

Jesus loves us too. We know Jesus loved his disciples, but he loves us too.

Yesterday, we talked about Jesus eating the Passover meal with his disciples. We also talked about how, while they were eating, that Jesus got up and washed his disciple’s feet. Today, I want to tell you what happened when they finished eating.

After the meal, Jesus began talking with the disciples. Jesus knew that he was going to be arrested.

Jesus told them that he was going away, but that they shouldn’t be afraid. Jesus said he was going to prepare a place for them.

If everyone at camp came the my house there would not have enough room. We only have four beds. There wouldn’t even be enough room for everyone if you slept on the floor. But Jesus said there is lots of room in his Father’s house. Jesus even said that he was preparing a place for us. Do you know why Jesus is preparing a place for us. It’s because Jesus loves us.

Then, Jesus and his disciples walked out of the city to the Mount of Olives. Can you guess what kind of trees grew on the Mount of Olives? It wasn’t the Mount of Apples or the Mount of Oranges. It was the Mount of Olives because there were a lot of olive trees that grew on there.

As they walked along, they began to sing. They probably sang one of the Psalms.

What is your favorite Christian song? One of my favorite songs is “Jesus Loves Me.”

There are some people who think that no one loves them.

Jesus loves you.

Once they reached the Mount of Olives, they went to a garden called the Garden of Gethsemane. The word “gethsemane” means olive press. Someone owned a garden on the Mount of Olives where he had an olive press. They used olive presses to squeeze oil for the olives that they used to light their lamps and to cook with. Jesus took his disciples to the garden because he wanted to go and pray. In fact, whenever Jesus was in Jerusalem, he would go to this garden with his disciples to pray.

Jesus prayed three times before he was arrested.

Do you think Jesus could have avoided being arrested? Yes. He could see them coming for him. He could have run away. So, why did Jesus allow them to arrest him?

One day, Jesus’ disciples started arguing with each other. Do you ever get into arguments with your brothers and sisters or your friends? My brother and I used to argue. We would argue about whose turn it was to wash the dishes. We’d also argue about who got to sit in the front seat of the car.

There were no car seats, but the disciples were still arguing about seats. They wanted to know who was going to sit on Jesus’ right and left because those were the two most important seats. They were arguing about who would be the greatest.

Do you think it made Jesus happy to hear them arguing about who was the greatest and who would sit beside him? After telling them to stop arguing, Jesus called a small child to him and said, “If you want to be greatest, you need to be like this child.”

On another day, some parents brought their children to Jesus because they wanted Jesus to place his hand on their children and bless them. What does it mean to bless someone? It means to say something good about a person so that something good will happen to them. If I were to bless you and say, “May you have great strength and wisdom and be a millionaire by the time you’re twenty.” Do you think that would happen just because I said it? Do you think it would happen if Jesus had said it?

Just think of the things that happened just because he said it.

He calmed the wind and waves

After blessing the five loaves and two fish, they became enough to feed over 5,000 people

He spoke and a blind man could see

A man with leprosy was healed

And Lazarus, who had been dead for four days walked out of his tomb alive.

I think if Jesus said something would happen, it would happen.

These parents were bringing their children to Jesus to be blessed by him, but do you know what the disciples did? The disciples sent them away. They said that Jesus was too busy for their children.

Do you think Jesus loves children? Do you think Jesus loves everyone?

Our identity in Jesus

Who we are in Jesus because he loves us

https://ministry-to-children.com/

https://missionbibleclass.org/new-testament/part1/life-of-christ-late/jesus-blesses-the-children/

https://missionbibleclass.org/new-testament/part1/life-of-christ-late/night-of-betrayal-and-prayer/