Jesus the Cornerstone: The stone the builders rejected
Lectionary: Matt 21:33-46 - For Jr. Youth, Sunday School or Children's church
Children’s Bible message – idea: Make a small tower out of building blocks or books. Explain the importance of the foundational “cornerstones” at the base of your structure. Discuss what might happen if blocks are removed. Ask them what would happen if one of your most important “cornerstones” were removed. Pull out one of these blocks making the structure fall. Explain how the bible says Jesus is like a “cornerstone.” Some people felt he was not needed but we know that he is the most important of all.
(Comment: Scholars are unsure whether this stone is a capstone at the top of an arch, a traditional cornerstone or the locking capstone at the top of intersecting walls. Whatever is the right interpretation the basic message is the same.)
Object lesson items: Building blocks, boxes or Hymns books. Place 3 or 4 key “stones” at the bottom of the structure so that your building will fall if one is removed.
Complete Children’s Sermon: Good morning children! Look what I have in this box this morning. Do you know what these are? Right! They are building blocks. When I was young, I used to love building things with blocks like these. Let’s make a building this morning. (Start by making the appropriate foundation and then ask the children to help you build the structure.) Please give me a hand. Thank you for helping. It’s looking like a nice building. Let’s make it nice and tall. Now, what would happen if I took one of these blocks of the very top? That’s right. I don’t think it would matter that much. Do you see these “stones” at the bottom? These are “cornerstones.” They are very important. What do you think will happen if I removed one of these cornerstones? Hmmm. Let’s find out. I’m going to take out this one and throw it away. (Let the building crash to the ground.) Wow! That was not a very good idea. It really came crashing to the ground. The cornerstone(s) is the most important stone of the whole building. Our bible reading today says that Jesus is like a cornerstone that the builders decided to throw away. However, that wasn’t very smart because Jesus was the most important “stone” of all. If we try, build our lives or a church without Jesus it will probably end up like this building here. So always remember to make Jesus the most important part of your life.
Children’s Prayer: Dear God. Thank you for sending Jesus to be like a strong cornerstone on which we can build our lives. In Jesus’ name – Amen!
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