Resources for Christian Education

Adults

View next Children’s

Time Message

View previous

Children’s Time Message

Children’s Sermon

Luke 20:27-38

The Sadducees Try To Trick Jesus

November 6, 2022

Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost

Lectionary Year C

VIEW the scripture

SAVE .pdf of message

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

Good morning!
To get things started, I’d like to do a quick game with you where you repeat everything I say.
Ready? [whisper: I’ll know you’re ready when you say “ready”]
Ready? (Ready?)
[say in a dull voice]: Red (red), blue (blue), green (green), green (green), green (green), green (green).
[say in a lively voice]: Now, what’s the color of grass? (Now, what’s the color of grass)
[Note: They might not repeat you. They might actually answer you with “Green!”]
Okay, that was the game! Thank you for playing and I need you to not repeat me anymore.
[If they actually repeated you, tell them the following line and then jump to the TELL section]: I just tried to trick you. Sometimes, people will forget that they are supposed to be repeating everything I say and instead they’ll switch to answering the question and say, “Green!”
[If they answered your question with “Green,” tell them the following line and then jump to the TELL section]: Did you notice that I tricked you? Since you were supposed to repeat everything I said, you were supposed to say “Now, what’s the color of grass.” But don’t feel bad, most people fall for it…(whisper: even the adults in the congregation)

TELL (a.k.a. The Freeway)

So – what do you think, was that nice of me to try and trick you?
Keep that feeling in mind because in today’s scripture story, we hear about a group of religious leaders, called the Sadducees, who were trying to trick Jesus in a very mean way – and they were trying to trick him with a question.
They were asking him a question about what happens after we die.
If Jesus gave a yes OR a no answer, then they could make fun of him and then tell other people that they shouldn’t listen to Jesus because he wrongly answered their question.
But Jesus knew they were up to no good and did not fall for their trick [add if it’s true: Just like (some of) you didn’t fall for my trick.]
Instead of talking about what happens after we die, Jesus talked about how God is with us and loves us right now because God is the God of the living, not of the dead.

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

Jesus’ answer is important because it helps us to remember that God cares for each of us very much right now
This is one of the reasons why we come to worship, and go to Sunday school and pray: So that we can get to know God better right now.
And, as we know God better, it means that we can pay attention to God’s help, love, and healing right now.
And by knowing God’s help, love, and healing right now, we can then share God’s help, love, and healing with those around us right now.
So, instead of waiting until we die to experience God’s kingdom, we can experience God’s kingdom right now AND share it with those around us – just like Jesus did!
And, as far as I’m concerned, that’s a much better thing to share with others than trying to trick them.
That is the good news for today – let’s pray.

CLOSING Prayer

This is a repeat-after-me prayer.

Dear God,

Thank you for being the God of the living…

…for loving us,…

…and for being with us…

…right here and right now.

Thank you and Amen

Originally posted November 2, 2013
Updated on October 8, 2022
Written and edited by Nathanael Vissia

View more children’s sermons here

This material is the copyrighted property of rfour.org and Nathanael Vissia. It is also free. Please use, improve and share this material. But you may not sell it or require any personal information for it.

PRINT page without images

Supplies: No supplies are needed

Related message(s): N/A