Jesus Changes Water into Wine

Today I want to tell you a very interesting story about Jesus. Jesus did a big miracle in this story. Have you ever been to a wedding? A wedding is a celebration where a man and a woman become married and become husband and wife. It is a very happy day, Well one day Jesus and his mother and his disciples were invited to a wedding. I think it would have been a very happy day. The wedding was in a place called Cana.  

Jesus turns water into wine
(photo -pixshark.com)

As the wedding celebration was in progress, they ran out of wine. There was not any left for the guests any more. When Jesus's mother found out about this problem, she came to Jesus and told him about it. She knew Jesus would know what to do. Then Jesus's mother told the servants at the wedding to do whatever Jesus would tell them to do. 
Now there was still plenty of water available at the wedding feast. Then Jesus instructed the servants to take six water pots and fill each of them full of water. Each water pot could hold approximately twenty to thirty gallons of water. So the servants filled the water pots with the water - a very large amount of water. They filled each jar right up to the brim. 
Then Jesus said to the servants that now they should dip some of it out of the water pot and take it to the governor of the wedding feast. 

Jesus had changed the water into wine
( photo swordofthespirit.net )

The governor was the taste tester. He had to make sure everything tasted just right for the wedding. So the servants obey Jesus and dipped some out of the water pots. To their surprise the water had been changed! Jesus had changed the water into wine! It was a miracle! The servants took the water that was changed to wine to the governor for a taste test. They did not tell the governor what Jesus had done. When the governor tasted the water that was changed to wine, he began to wonder why they had saved the best wine for the last. Most people would serve the best first, but here the best was saved till the last! We know why this wine was the best  - it was because Jesus  made it. Jesus is perfect in all that he does!
When the disciples saw the miracle that Jesus had done, they believed in him. They believed that Jesus is the Son of God and He is our Savior!


For Discussion:

In our story today Jesus helped people. There was a problem that needed fixing. It is right that we always ask Jesus for help with our problems. He knows exactly what we need and He knows the best way to fix our problems.

Some people cannot understand why Jesus would change water into wine. The Bible says it is a sin to become drunk and it even says in 1 Corinthians 6:10 that drunk people cannot be in heaven. "Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God"  So we are certain that Jesus would not make wine that would make people drunk. The most likely is that this wine was special and sweet and not harmful to anyone. 

Jesus heals a blind man....

Jesus and his disciples were in Jericho. When they left the town, many people followed Jesus. There by the side of the road was a blind man. His name was Bartimaeus. He was sitting there because he was begging for things from the people that passed by. Because he was blind, he would not have been able to work so that is why he needed to beg. 

Bartimaeus heard that Jesus was coming along the road and he began to shout to Jesus. This is what Bartimaeus said "Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me!" He was crying out to Jesus for help! The people around him told Bartimeaus to be quiet and to hold his peace. But Bartimaeus did not want to miss his chance to be healed so he called out even louder. Bartimaeus shouted again "Thou son of David, have mercy on me!"

Then Jesus heard Bartimaeus calling and Jesus stopped. Jesus told the people "Tell him to come here." So the people told  Bartimaeus Jesus was calling him to come. Bartimaeus was so happy! He threw down his coat and came to Jesus. Then Jesus asked him "What do you want me to do for you?" And Bartimaeus said "Rabboni, that I may receive my sight." 

Jesus heals blind Bartimaeus
( picture kidsclub4jesus.com) 

What do you think happened next?

The Bible says that Jesus healed Bartimaeus. Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your faith has made you well." Bartimaeus could see again! Can you imagine how happy he was? Now he would not ever need to sit and beg for food again! Jesus had made him to see again and he was not blind anymore!

The Bible says that Bartimaeus followed Jesus. I think that Jesus was very pleased to have Bartimaeus come along with him, don't you?

Discussion:

Pray
(pixshark.com)

There is a good lesson for us in this story. Just like Jesus heard Bartimaeus calling for him, Jesus hears us when we call out to him today. There was so much noise all around and people were trying to make Bartimaeus be quiet, but Jesus still heard him call and Jesus wanted to help him. In the very same way, Jesus hears you and me when we call to him and he wants to help us too. So let's remember to never let anyone or anything ever stop us from calling out to Jesus. Let's keep praying to Jesus and trusting him to help us. Jesus loves us and he is always there for us!

Jesus hears when children pray to Him.
(pinterest.com)

God made the World

truthnet.org

God has always been God. He has always been God and will always be God. God made the world in six days, and then on the seventh day, He rested. I think it would be interesting to take each of these days one by one and see what God did each day. 
The earth was formless and empty and it was very dark everywhere. The Spirit of God was there, just hovering over the surface of the water. 

  * Then on day 1 , God spoke and this is what He said," Let there be light" (KJV) and there was light. God saw that the light was good! Then He separated the light from the darkness. The light time of the day, God called it day and the dark time, He called night. So that is why we have day time and night time. It is because God made it so on the very first day ever! 



     
* On day 2, God made the heavens and sky. Once again He just spoke the words. The Bible says that God said "Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters" (kjv) and that is how the heavens were formed.




    

* Now it was day 3 and what do you think God made on day 3? 
God did a lot of work on the third day! God made the dry land and called it earth. He made the water gather together into seas. God  saw all that He was making that it was good. God still had more work to do on the third day. He kept working and once again He spoke and said "Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed,and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth ". Every time God spoke, things were created exactly as He wanted.





       




* Day 4 ...what did God make on day 4? On the fourth day, God once again spoke as He continued to make the world. God said "Let lights appear in the sky to separate the day from the night. Let them be signs to mark the seasons, days, and years.  Let these lights in the sky shine down on the earth. "( NLT ) Then it happened exactly as God said, and the sun, the moon and the stars were formed. God saw that it was good! 






*On day 5  God continued on with the creation. God said "Let the waters swarm with fish and other life. Let the skies be filled with birds of every kind. "  So God created all the fish, and the animals that live in the sea and all the different kinds of birds. God did an amazing work on the fifth day and today we can look up into the sky and see so much of what He created so very long ago. 




       

* Then on day 6 God did a very special work. He made all the animals that live on the land. God made the animals big and small, the tiny little mouse, the bears, elephants and giraffes. Can you name some of your favorite animals?  God made each one of them, it was His plan that the world be filled with all sorts of animals. God is so very wonderful! God saw that all He had made was good!
God also made man on the sixth day. He made us in His own image because we as people are very special to Him. We are His children. The Bible says "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them."(KJV) God made both man and woman, both are created in His image. God said that people are to rule over the animals. This means that we are to take good care of all of the animals but we must never pray to them or worship any animal or bird or anything that God has made. We must pray only to God, to Jesus. Then when God looked at what He had made, He saw that it was very good! 
The creation of the heavens and the earth and everything in them was now finished.




*Do you know what happened on day 7? The Bible says that God rested and He wanted it to be a day that would holy.

"And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he rested from all his work of creation." (NLT) 

 For Discussion: You may be wondering why we now rest on Sunday instead of Saturday. Sunday is the first day of the week right? And Saturday is the seventh day of the week. The reason why we now keep Sunday as our holy day of rest is because after Jesus died on the cross, He was buried in the tomb, then He became alive on the Sunday. Jesus rose from the dead on Easter Sunday! I believe that is why we worship God on Sunday now. God still wants us to keep one day of the week holy for Him and honor Him in a special way every week.

God Created the World 

(photos - hiswordforhispeople.  imgkid.com pinterest.com ,rosevilleluthern,  hannahbiggieblogspot, clker.com, Yeshua.wordpress)

Zacchaeus Climbs a Tree

One day Jesus went to the town of Jericho. Many people were excited to see Jesus and they crowded around him.  A man named Zacchaeus was excited too and he wanted to see Jesus too. Many people did not like Zacchaeus very much because his job was to collect tax money, and he cheated people out of their money when he collected the taxes. Zacchaeus was a very rich man but he was also a very short man. He was not tall at all. As the crowd of people made their way out to see Jesus, Zacchaeus also went to see Jesus. But because he was so short, he could not see Jesus over the crowds. Then Zacchaeus had an idea. He ran ahead of the crowd and climbed up a tree. It was a sycamore tree and Zacchaeus knew Jesus would pass by that way very soon. He was sure he would be able to get a glimpse of Jesus from up in the tree! But would Jesus notice him?

  Zacchaeus in the tree
(picture - chanthinenmy.org )

Can you imagine this? There is Zacchaeus sitting in the tree and waiting for Jesus to pass by. As he watched, Jesus came! Then a very unexpected thing happened. Jesus stopped right by the tree. Jesus looked up right at Zacchaeus. Then Jesus said "Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today."( ESV ) This made Zacchaeus very very happy and he hurried down from the tree. And Jesus went with Zacchaeus to his home to spend time with him.

The people that saw and heard this began to grumble and they said “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner."( ESV )The people said this because they knew that Zacchaeus cheated them when he collected their tax money. But Jesus loves every one and He wants to save all of us, no matter what bad things we have done, He still loves us. Jesus came to save all of us!

After Jesus had stayed with Zacchaeus, Zacchaeus was a changed man. Now he wanted to do what is right. He did not want to live the life of a cheater any more. Then Zacchaeus said "I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!”( NLT )  Then Jesus said "Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham.  For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost." (ESV) Jesus was very happy because Zacchaeus believed in Him. Zacchaeus was saved that very day! Jesus came to help and to save all of us. He looks for us and finds us, just like He found Zacchaeus up in the tree. He came to save you and me, it does not matter if we are short or tall, younger or older, everyone is special to Jesus!

The Wisemen Visit Baby Jesus - Baby Jesus Series

The Star Guided the Wise Men
( picture - dbsjeyaraj.com )

After baby Jesus was born, some wise men from the eastern country came looking for Baby Jesus. They wanted to see the baby Jesus and worship Him. The wise men studied the stars and one night they saw  a bright star in the sky. They knew that this star meant a King had been born. So that is why the wise men came to King Herod and asked him where the baby King of the Jews had been born. The wise men wanted to worship the baby Jesus. King Herod did not know anything about the birth of Jesus or that Jesus is the King of kings and Lord of lords. When King Herod heard that a baby King had been born, he was very upset. King Herod called together the chief priests and religious teachers and asked them where the baby Jesus was to be born. They told him " In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,"(KJV).  King Herod  called for a private meeting with the wise men. He asked them questions about the star. Then he sent them to Bethlehem and he said to the wise men " Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also."( KJV ) Then the wise men went on their way. And to their surprise they saw the star again! It was guiding them to the exact place where Baby Jesus was! They were so very happy and rejoiced with an exceeding great joy! They came into the house where Mary and Joseph and baby Jesus were staying. The wise men bowed down before Jesus and they worshiped Him. The wise men had even brought some gifts for the Baby Jesus. The gifts were precious things - gold, frankincense and myrrh. 

The Wise Men Worship the Baby Jesus
( bibleencyclopedia.com )

The Bible says that God warned the wise men in a dream and told them they should not return to King Herod but rather go back home a different way. They obeyed God and were full of joy and happiness as they went back home. It must have brought them such joy and peace to know that God had guided them the whole way. God had guided them by the star and also through the dream. What an incredibly great and awesome God we serve!

Christmas Coloring page

Now that you have read some stories of the birth of Jesus, would you like to color a nice picture, maybe after you color it, you could give it to your grandma or some other elderly person. I think it 

would make them very happy to receive a special colored picture from you!! Try it and see!

(picture - christianphotos-jesusimages )

Of Angels and Shepherds - Baby Jesus Series

Of Angels and Shepherds

The angel visits the shepherds
(picture -travelwithtraverse)

Would you be afraid if an angel suddenly appeared to you and your friends? Most of us would be afraid, because we have never experienced anything like that ever! Well that is exactly what happened to some shepherds the night that baby Jesus was born. The shepherds were about to have a big huge surprise!  The shepherds were out in the fields taking care of their sheep. For them, the night began in an ordinary way, just like every other night. Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared to them in the night sky. I think it would have been very bright, don't you? The shepherds were very afraid. But the angel said "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.  And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger." (NKJV) ( Notice that the angel gives the shepherds a sign - the sign is that they will find baby Jesus in a manger.)

Suddenly many more angels joined the angel and together they praised God with these words "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men!" (KJV)

Then as quickly as the angels had come, they went back to heaven again. The shepherds looked at each other and decided that they would go to Bethlehem to see the baby Jesus. They knew that God had sent the angels to them for this very reason. God wanted the shepherds to be the first to visit his Son, the baby Jesus. The shepherds hurried to the village of Bethlehem to the stable where baby Jesus was born. There they found Joseph and Mary and baby Jesus sleeping in the manger. The sign the angel gave them was there just exactly as the angel had said - baby Jesus was wrapped in soft cloths and lying in the manger.

After the shepherds left the manger, they went back to take care of their sheep. They were so happy and excited that Jesus our Savior had been born, they told everyone they met that they had seen the baby Jesus. They explained how the angel had announced his birth to them. They praised God for all that He had showed to them and because all that the angel had said was exactly true.

The Shepherds visit Baby Jesus
( picture -becuo.com )

Discussion:

Why do you think God would send the angels to the shepherds? God wanted ordinary people to be the first to see baby Jesus. He wanted ordinary people like you and me to tell our friends about Jesus. God wants us to tell others about all the great and wonderful things He has done. We are His messengers of the Good news that Jesus is our Savior. We can share the good news with our neighbors and friends, in school and everywhere we go.Jesus is with us, He cares for us just like the shepherds cared for their sheep.

Baby Jesus Is Born - Baby Jesus Series

Baby Jesus is Born

Joseph and Mary travel to Bethlehem 
( pinterest.com )

Now it came to pass that the Roman emperor made a rule. He said that everyone must travel to the town of their ancestors in order to register and to be counted. Because Joseph was a descendant of King David, they would have to travel to Bethlehem. Joseph and Mary were chosen by God to be together. Joseph had obeyed the voice of the angel and had decided to continue to love Mary and marry her even though Mary was pregnant and would be the mother of God's Son. Mary knew it would not be long now till her baby would be born. Mary remembered the message of the angel  and everything was happening exactly as she had been told. The message of the angel was true and Mary was soon going to become the mother of God's Son. But now instead of planning for the their life together and the baby's soon arrival, Joseph and Mary had to obey the rule that the emperor had made. Joseph and Mary would have to leave their home town of Nazareth and go to Bethlehem to be counted. This would be a long, hard trip for Mary. Mary must have been so thankful to have Joseph with her. He was so very kind and he would take good care of her.

Baby Jesus is Born

(desktopnexus.com)

While Joseph and Mary were in Bethlehem, the time came for the baby to be born. Mary needed a warm quiet place. Joseph went to the inn and asked for a room. But it was filled up with people and there was no room left at all for Joseph and Mary. Finally Joseph found a nice quiet place for Mary to rest. It was in a stable. A stable is like a barn, it is a place where animals are kept. Perhaps there were a few donkeys and sheep there in the stable. It was here in the stable that baby Jesus was born. Mary wrapped Him in nice soft cloths and laid Him in the manger. A manger is the feeding box that the animals would eat from sometimes. Mary and Joseph loved baby Jesus. God was taking care of them and everything was happening exactly as God had planned.

An Angel Visits Joseph - Baby Jesus Series

An Angel Visits Joseph 

Joseph and Mary were engaged. They were planning their wedding and looking forward to the day when they would be married. But one day, Mary had some shocking news for Joseph and told him that she was going to be the mother of God's son. This caused Joseph to be very surprised. His mind was filled with questions and he did not know what to do. Now Joseph was a very good and kind man. He loved Mary very much but as he thought about these things, he knew he needed to end the engagement. So he decided he would not go through with the wedding with Mary but would break the engagement quietly and so cause no embarrassment to Mary. 

The Angel Comes to Joseph in a Dream 
(picture lds.org )

Then one night when Joseph was sound asleep, an angel appeared to him in a dream. The angel spoke to him and said,  “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit.  And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
Then Joseph woke up! How happy Joseph must have been to receive this good news from the angel. He did not need to be afraid but he could go ahead with the wedding plans and marry Mary after all! He loved her so much and he was so happy that he had been chosen by God to have an  important part in raising God's son. The angel said to call the baby Jesus. Soon Joseph and Mary became married and they began to prepare for the birth of baby Jesus.




Discussion:

In this story we learn how very important it is to listen to what God tells us to do. Our problems can seem very big and we often do not know what to do. But when we pray to Jesus and tell Him exactly what our problem is, He will help us to know what to do. That is why it is important to read in our Bible every day, and pray. Jesus is with us and He will show us what to do. We don't need to be afraid even when we encounter hard things in our lives.

The Angel Visits Mary - Baby Jesus Series

The Angel Visits Mary 

The Angel visits Mary 
(picture thanks to jw.org )

One day a very unexpected thing happened to a young girl named Mary. Mary lived in a village called Nazareth. She was not married but she was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph. Suddenly, out of nowhere, an angel appeared to Mary and said "Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!" Mary was shocked and surprised and did not know what was happening. Then the angel said "Don’t be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God!  You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus.  He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High".

Mary was confused when she heard the angel speak and she did not know how Joseph would respond. Would he still love her and go through with the wedding? So she asked the angel,  “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.” Then the angel explained that the baby would be God's son and he encouraged Mary to not be afraid. The angel said, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God".
Then Mary was very happy and said to the angel "“I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.”  Then the angel went back to heaven again.


Questions to discuss:
Do you think it would be scary to see an angel?
God picked Mary to be the mother of his Son, baby Jesus. How do you think Mary felt when she realized this? I think she would feel special because God picked her for a very important job. What kinds of things do you think God might pick for you to do? What does God want you to do? ( Be kind to other children, love them and share with them, obey your mom and dad, help your teacher, things like that )  You are special to God and to Jesus, He will always love you and you can be sure that He is always with you. Because Jesus is with us we need not be afraid.




*Bible quotes taken from NLT