Teaching John 3

John 3 for 3-5s

Theme: You can’t get into Jesus’ Kingdom by following rules, you can only get in by trusting Him.

Intro: Jesus says (variation on Simon Says)

If you had to do everything right to be Jesus’ friend, could you? None of us did just then. None of us could be Jesus’ friend by doing everything right. We’re not good enough. But we’re going to meet a man who thought he could.

[Use pictures on lollypop sticks]

This is Nicodemus [hold up]. He was a very important man. He was a Jewish teacher, and the best in the land. He knew all of God’s rules and how to keep them, and he worked very hard at doing that. So when God said ‘Don’t tell lies,’ Nicodemus was very careful not to tell lies. When God said, ‘Do not steal’ Nicodemus made sure that he didn’t steal. If anyone could be in Jesus’ kingdom by being good, it would be Nicodemus. If anyone could understand how to get into Jesus’ kingdom, it would be Nicodemus.

One day Nicodemus came to visit Jesus. But he came at night so no-one would know [turn off lights and introduce Jesus].

He started by telling Jesus how brilliant he is, ‘Good teacher, you do amazing things so God must be with you.’

But Jesus wasn’t having any of it! He said, ‘To get into my kingdom you have to be born again, you have to get a new life from God.’

For such a clever man, Nicodemus couldn’t understand it! He thought Jesus was telling him to become a baby again! Could you become a baby again? No, of course not.

But what Jesus meant was, no matter how many rules you try to keep you won’t be good enough to be His friend, to be in His Kingdom. Nicodemus couldn’t be Jesus’ friend just by saying, ‘Look how good I am!’ Nicodemus needed God to give Him a new life, inside! [Put heart on Nicodemus].

And Jesus is able to give us new life, too. By dying on the cross and rising again from the dead, he can give us new life so we can be His friends. But we can never become His friends by being good, only by trusting Him. Isn’t Jesus amazing?

Craft:

Nicodemus puppet with stick on ‘new life’ heart

Stick and colour a large red heart with ‘Jesus gives me new life’ and stick it on the children

(Butterfly sticking - new life)

Songs:

1,2,3,4,5 Jesus Christ is now alive

There’s a way back to God

I can talk to Jesus (from J is for Jesus)

John 3 for 5-11s

Theme: You can’t get into Jesus’ Kingdom by following rules, you can only get in by trusting Him.

Intro:

Game with lots of rules. Only people allowed a sweet are those who play it perfectly. Make sure no-one does, then give them a sweet anyway.

Story:

Recap – last week saw how great Jesus’ kingdom is. This week we need to ask: ‘How do we get in?’

Introduce Nicodemus (either picture or dress up) – Pharisee: knew the bible, kept all the rules. If anyone was in Jesus’ kingdom it would be him.

He’s respectful to Jesus – ‘Good teacher’. Jesus says something very strange in reply – ‘You must be born again!’

What does Jesus mean? Could any of you climb into your mum’s tummy? That’s what Nicodemus thought. [make a big deal of this, make it funny]

What Jesus meant was that Nicodemus had to be born on the inside. [Stick large heart with ‘new life’ on Nicodemus]. The bible says we are spiritually dead inside, we can’t naturally be God’s friends because of our sin. Keeping all the rules won’t make us God’s friends. We need to be wiped clean and made alive inside, in our Spirit.

But Nicodemus is Israel’s best bible teacher, how could he not be in Jesus’ kingdom? No matter how good or great you think you are, to be Jesus’ friend you need new life.

How do we get new life? Through Jesus’ death. Read John 3:16 together. What an amazing thing – God the Father loves you so much that He would send Jesus to give you new life inside!

Nicodemus came to understand this and became a follower of Jesus. Will you? Are you? Have you come and trusted in Him and received new life?

Funsheet

Learn John 3:16 together

Questions:

Knowledge

• Who came to see Jesus?
• When did he come to see Jesus?

• What did Jesus say was the only way to be in His kingdom?

Understanding

• What does it mean to be born again?
• How can we be born again?
• How do can we be sure of God’s love

Application

• Do you think you are good?
• Do you think God has give you new life?
• Have you trusted in Jesus’ death for you?