Jesus and Nicodemus (John 3:1-21)
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You will need: Tiny pompoms, glue, pegs, googly eyes, pipecleaners, ziplock bags, lollies (milk bottles, raspberries/blackberries, marshmallows), cheerio cereal. Print outs of the caterpillar template, or your own version
. Instructions: Get them to choose 5 pompoms and hold them while you talk about....butterflies. Who has seen any Monarch butterflies this summer? Watched them lay eggs, watch the caterpillars grow, seen the beautiful chrysalis and the amazing butterfly come out? Well.... Lay your pompoms out on the table as you listen to this story: Our bible reading today is when Jesus talks to Nicodemus. Nicodemus was a very important and clever Jewish teacher and he came to ask Jesus some questions (at night!). He could see that the things Jesus was doing were more amazing than an ordinary man could do. He was very surprised when Jesus said to him that everyone, including him, would need to be ‘born again’ to be able to be with God. Nicodemus was confused! How can you be born again? Well you can’t! Unless you think about a change that happens in your heart. Your heart can be transformed just like a caterpillar is completely changed into a butterfly. Because to be ‘born again’ is talking about the change that happens inside you. That change can happen when you want God in your life and want to try and put Him first. So let’s build our caterpillar and then transform him/her into a butterfly! Butterfly craftSo, you have 5 pieces of a caterpillar: caterpillar body x 2, pompoms, antenna, ziplock bags for wings. Stick the caterpillar card to the peg, the side with writing on goes on the bottom. Then glue the pompoms to the peg. The head will be the end that opens. Add a pipe cleaner if liked for an antennae. God’s love and learning more about Jesus from the bible is like a gift to us that transforms us. So I have a gift for you, to help you remember God’s love is like a gift, you only have to accept it! Who is going to accept my gift?! (lollies) The lollies are going to be your butterfly wings, so you will want an even number. You can choose 2 milk bottles, 2 blackberry/raspberries and 4 marshmallows and few cheerios. Put them in the ziplock bag, half on each side. Then close the bag and hold it in the middle with the peg. |
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Story craft
Create a three-sided stage showing scenes from the meeting of Jesus and Nicodemus.
This craft looks at the life of Nicodemus, as displayed in John’s Gospel. The composition is really simple for this craft, with the hardest element being cutting the shapes – if you have younger children you may want to pre-cut in part. There are two options for making the scenes -- either printing in colour (much quicker), or printing in black and white and having the children colour in.
Detailed instructions are found here
The template for making the scenes in colour is found here
The black and white template is here
This craft looks at the life of Nicodemus, as displayed in John’s Gospel. The composition is really simple for this craft, with the hardest element being cutting the shapes – if you have younger children you may want to pre-cut in part. There are two options for making the scenes -- either printing in colour (much quicker), or printing in black and white and having the children colour in.
Detailed instructions are found here
The template for making the scenes in colour is found here
The black and white template is here
Older Kids Group DiscussionTalk about : Read the passage from the bible and talk about the story. Talk about being born again. It is a phrase we hear a lot in Christian circles but what does it mean? Jesus says you have to be born again in order to ‘see the Kingdom of God’. It’s a bit like later on he says you cannot enter the kingdom of God unless you receive it like a child. Jesus really rated children, he is on your side! He loves so many things about you, he tells the grown ups to try and be more like you....
So another way to think about being born again is to think of the caterpillar/butterfly cycle. It is truly amazing how a green stripey caterpillar transforms into a Monarch butterfly. But it really happens. You know what? God’s love inside someone can transform them in the same way - a huge transformation. It is also amazing to look at say your Dad or teacher and know that they were once a tiny baby inside their mother’s tummy! They have been transformed by time, as they have grown up. God offers everyone the chance to be transformed. If we accept his offer, his gift of love into our lives and accept that He should lead the way in our lives, then we can be changed into so much better people! Follow with the caterpillar craft (see other activity on this day) |
Gospel ConversationsGospel Conversations from the Diocese of Dunedin
Chris Holmes returns, and is joined by both John and Trish Franklin to talk about John 3:1-17. The focus was on the gospel passage rather than delving directly into the mysteries of the Trinity! |
Activities
- Butterfly Balloon Science (The Educators Pinonit)
- Felt Storytelling (Grace and Wondering)
- Scene Craft (Jesus without Language)
- Gospel Book Craft
- 3D Craft (Sabbaths School Crafts)
- New Creation Butterfly (Ministry to Children)
- Measuring God's Love Activities (123 Homeschool 4 Me)
- Moving Craft (Jesus without Language)
- Butterfly Craft (One Little Project.com)
- Wiggly Caterpillar Puppet (One Little Project)
Media
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Jesus and Nicodemus: Barrington Baptist Church
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Nicodemus Bible Story: Kids on the Move
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Jesus and Nicodemus: Pursue GOD Kids
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God so loved the world (John 3:14-21)
The gospel reading contains one of the most famous scriptures in verse 16: "God loved the people of this world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who has faith in him will have eternal life and never really die"
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Media
"For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life." - John 3:16
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Silly Scriptures VEVO: John 3:16
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Mina Munn tells the John 3:16 story
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