This week we are looking at the themes of Messiah & Love and we bring on the superhero that is Jesus! To join in you will need an instrument and a pen and some paper or foil to make a finger puppet crown with. Check out the thankful thought for grown-ups below. If anyone is in need of a zoom natter do email or text me - I would love to catch-up with you all. Blessings Claire xx
Thankful Thought Thursday 18th March 2021 : Messiah & Love John 3 v 16
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" John 3 v 16
This week in our lent study of the bible and its big themes we introduce the superhero Jesus Christ – the Messiah and the enormous, powerful & complex theme of love. There is no way I can do either justice in a few words here.
I want to think about a few aspects I touched on with the children. Mainly I want us to focus on the personal nature of Jesus as our Messiah. The word messiah means a promised rescuer. How does it feel to know that God loves you so much he has promised you a rescuer? It gives me great comfort to know we have breakdown insurance on the car and that there is a number to call if I need roadside rescue. So what about the assurance with no fee, of God himself promising that he will send a rescuer for my soul!
I love that the word Messiah – starts with “Mess” – I only noticed that this week when thinking how to share it with the children. I have no idea if the derivation of the 2 words is related but just think for a moment of a mess you made of some aspect of life. Now imagine Jesus stepping into that mess to take the blame for you. This is love in action. A merciful and loving God who not only promises to send a rescuer but when that rescuer comes, they not only pull you out of danger, but they also willingly take any blame for the whole situation upon themselves!
With the older children I pulled out of John 3 v16, the fact that Jesus is a gift from God and then I helped them unpack that gift by considering the 7 “I am” phrases of Jesus found in John’s gospel. We could look at those as a kind of instruction manual explaining to us the depth of the love that we get in this gift of God’s son. He is a light to the world, the bread of life, the good shepherd, the one true vine, the doorway, the way, the truth, the life & the resurrection. What is he to you? Which of those descriptions do you need him to be right now for you? Chat with him about it and fully accept the free gift to you of Jesus, God’s own son.
I pray that through him you may come to know what it is to be loved and find in him the strength to love yourself and others. We haven’t even mentioned the fact that through him death is defeated, and eternal life is also on offer!
Blessings Claire xx