Teaching John 17

Theme: Jesus prays for one group of people who know God

Intros:

·        Prayer collage – things they can pray for. Ask: Did you know that Jesus prayed for you?

·        You could try playing Chinese whispers (passing on the message)

Teaching:

Background: Jesus is in this upstairs room having a final meal with his 12 special friends. [hold up picture]. See if they can remember what Jesus has already said.

[Give them all a face to hold. Have a sheet of paper with ‘God’ written on. You will also need a cross].

Do you ever fall out with people? What do you fall out about?

So sometimes x argues with y. [two faces pretend to argue together]

Remember that’s what happened after Adam and Eve sinned and left the garden. They all fell out and argued and ignored what God wanted.

But now Jesus is going to show how great God is by making a new people that belong to God.

Remember: sin means we can’t be God’s friends. [begin to put your face on the sheet then draw back]. But Jesus says, ‘I’m going to die so that people can have life forever, eternal life.’ Read some of 17:1-5. [Stick on cross]

And the Jesus sent out His followers to tell people this Good News. And His followers told other people, who told other people. And now we’ve heard too.

Because of the cross we can now be friends with God and have life forever! Hooray! [Stick faces on sheet]

But look if we’ve been called to God and can now know Him, look, we’re together. We are one people. That means it’s not good to argue and fight with each other. That’s what we used to do. But now we’re one people, God’s people. We should love each other as He has loved us. Read John 17: 20-23.

Isn’t it amazing? Jesus prayed all of this the night before He died. He prayed for you and He prayed for me. He prayed that we might know Him and be one, love each other and not fall out.

Pray

Activities:

·        Concertina people – or stick people holding hands, label with people from church

·        Make small version of the model from the story – make cross out of playdough and stick faces round it

Songs:

·        Early in the Morning Jesus rose to pray (from Meet the King)

·        I belong to Him and Jesus Died for all the Children (from Very, very Big God)

5-11s

Theme: Jesus prayed that when He died God would be glorified by choosing a united people that know Him.

Intros:

·        Some game to get them squabbling? – could do drawing each other and then use later in the teaching

·        Chinese whispers – passing on the message

Teaching:

Recap – night before Jesus died

in the upper room [could get them lying down eating bread]

            Jesus said He was going but would send the Spirit

Then Jesus prays! He looks to heaven and He says:

            [get one to read 17:1-5]

What does Jesus mean? He is saying that when He dies the next day God would be glorified, that is everyone will see how great God is! Why? Because by dying Jesus is opening the way for people to know God and have life forever. [Have a big piece of paper with ‘God’ written on it]

Remember, because of our sin we can’t be friends with God but Jesus has come to die for our sin and now we can have life forever. [get them to make a big cross and stick it in the middle of the piece of paper]. God can now call a people who will know and love Him.

And so then Jesus prays for His special 12 disciples as they would have to go and tell the world this great news. He prays that they would be protected and kept His.

And then Jesus prays for us. Amazing, isn’t it? Get someone to read 17:20-23. Did you see? Jesus prayed that we would be ‘one’, united, together, not falling out all the time. That’s what happened after Adam and Eve left the garden because of their sin; everyone argued and fell out and were divided. But Jesus is calling a new people to God and they will be one. [Could stick faces on the sheet at this stage] Look, we’re all one people, therefore we love each other and care for each other, not bite and snap at each other. We belong to God now.

Table time:

Have a picture of someone in prayer – stick on some of the things from the talk: cross, glory, eternal life, united, 12 disciples. Talk about it as they stick them on.