John Dominic Crossan argues that each Gospel is its own “parable” about a character from Nazareth called Jesus (Crossan, The Power of Parable: How Fiction by Jesus Became Fiction about Jesus, HarperOne, 2012).
There are several options for the children’s sermon on Easter Sunday that stand apart from the biblical text. One could choose to talk with the children about what is different in the sanctuary that day (flowers, colors, banners, music, etc.?) and how that enhances the celebration of Easter. Is there a particular image everywhere in your sanctuary that could be the content of the children’s sermon?
Another option, if there are baptisms on Easter, is to invite the children to come close to the baptistry and talk with the children about the people who are making a confession of faith and getting baptized that morning. Scoop out some water and let the children put their hands in it. Whatever your baptism ritual (believer’s or infant), you could talk with the children about what baptism means for your congregation and the Christian faith.
One could close the children’s sermon by asking them to either touch the container of water (or the water itself) and say a prayer of blessing for the water and those being baptized that day. Then, put the water back into the baptistry.
If you chose to begin Holy Week by explaining to the children what your congregation will be remembering this week, be sure to return to this on Easter Sunday as you note the empty tomb and complete the calendar for the children.
Acts 10:34-43
- One way to approach the children’s sermon on Easter is to do so by telling your story of faith or how you understand Jesus. This would be an interesting model, as you share a brief bit of this story from Acts with the children. You might even ask the children, “Today, we remember that Jesus is alive again. What do you think that means, or (if you have an older group) what does that mean to you? It falls to all of us, children and adults alike, to talk about our experience of God and Jesus when asked. No matter who asks, we are challenged to speak authentically as Peter did.
- This is an opportunity to talk with the children about the theological claim that God shows no partiality between people. God does not “play favorites” might be a better way to explain the claim to the children. God wishes for all of us to experience God’s love. On Easter, we remember that, for many Christians, God’s love is expressed through living the way Jesus did, as well as believing that Jesus is God’s son.
John 20:1-18 / Luke 24:1-12
- The children will know why you are in church today and why there are so many in worship. If asked, “What is today?” they will surely answer, “Easter.” You may ask, “And what do we remember today?” You will hear a variety of answers that will demonstrate what is happening in your Sunday school program, in the homes of the children, and how much the children listen during worship. You will hear different versions of “Jesus is raised from the dead.” This is an opportunity for you (or another adult) to share your story of encountering Jesus and then share the story about Mary Magdalene talking with Jesus on Easter morning.
- This is also an opportunity to connect the Holy Week events for the children. Consider gathering the children around the communion table. Remind them to touch the table, or you could ask them to touch things on the table. Let’s remember our table manners. One could talk about what the congregation did on Maundy Thursday and how, each time we celebrate communion (the Lord’s Supper or the Eucharist, depending on your tradition), we celebrate Easter by remembering Jesus.
- Consider making the children’s sermon the gospel reading for the day rather than reading the story from John or Luke by asking the children to help you tell the Easter story to the congregation. This is an opportunity to test what the children know of the story. You will need to fill in the blanks as you go along. What a great moment this would be—children telling the Easter story among the decorations in the sanctuary. Keep it moving and build the story from the children’s knowledge.
- This is an opportunity to highlight Mary Magdalene’s importance in the Easter story. Had it not been for her willingness to go and tell what she had seen and whom she had met, how would Jesus’ story have been different? The children could learn from her example.
The procession of palm branches most likely began in the 3rd or 4th century CE (common era) by the churches in Jerusalem (Francis Mershman, Catholic Encyclopedia, 1911). It marks the beginning of Holy Week, as Christians remember or relive Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem riding a donkey and other aspects of Jesus’ story in the last days.
Before Palm Sunday, it is still possible that Jesus will stop his journey to Jerusalem and skip the confrontation with the social, religious, and political orders. All the gospels contain a version of the story (Matthew 21, Mark 11, Luke 19, and John 12). Many congregations ask the children and youth to lead the procession of palms (and perhaps hand them out to adult members) during the opening hymn. I have always found this curious and wondered why this is how the church chooses to include the children on Palm Sunday. Is it how the church re-enacts, “and a little child shall lead them” (Isaiah 11:6)?
Many traditions associated with Palm Sunday have developed over the centuries. Some congregations bless the palms before the procession; many collect some of the palms after worship to keep to burn for the following year’s Ash Wednesday service; and some teach the children how to fold the palms into a cross.
Whatever tradition you follow, this may provide the content for a children’s sermon about Palm Sunday. One could ask the children if there is anything different happening in worship this morning and then talk with the children about why your congregation recognizes Palm Sunday. If you created a liturgical calendar or graphic for the children to help them understand the movements of the “Christian” year, this would be a good time to bring that to the sacred steps as you talk about Palm Sunday and Holy Week.
Psalm 118
- The children probably have heard bits and pieces of this psalm during their lives: as part of the call to worship, in prayers, and in hymns. One might consider highlighting the verses from this psalm and talking with the children about how your congregations read or pray the psalms as part of worship.
- One might introduce the children to the Hebrew word, hesed (see below), and talk with them about what this word means. As the adult leader, you might talk about how you have experienced God’s hesed or have a member or two of the youth group (or some adults in the congregation) ready to briefly say how they have experienced God’s hesed.
- Create a “God’s hesed” banner that the children could draw or write on while you talk with them about God’s love for humanity.
- If you created an “Images of God” poster to use with the children, this would be another time to bring that out and add images of God that reflect the concept of hesed to the list. You might use Hosea’s image of God as a mother bear.
This Hebrew word, hesed, is usually translated as “steadfast love” and is primarily used in the Hebrew Bible to describe God’s attitude toward humanity. The typical English translation, though, does not quite express the depths of this kind of emotion. This is a fierce and relentlessly protective love that God feels for humanity. In the imagery of Hosea, God’s love is like that of a mother bear robbed of her cubs (Hos 13:8). Rev. Dr. Lisa Davison.
Luke 19: 28-40
- Many will retell the story of waving palms and coats during the children’s sermon. If you choose to do this, it would be helpful to talk with the children about the journey of Lent (the last 40 days) and how we have followed Jesus to this moment when he enters Jerusalem. Today, we remember that, after a long journey, Jesus and the disciples entered Jerusalem. If you have an older group on the sacred steps, you could talk with the children about Jesus’ traveling to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover feast, the day when Jewish people remember that God led their ancestors out of Egypt. Passover helps Jewish people remember an important part of their story. Many things will happen this week to Jesus and the disciples that help Christians remember something about our story and the faith of our ancestors.
- Why palm branches and coats? This is an opportunity to talk with the children about how the ancient world recognized leaders. Children will have probably seen a parade as a celebration. Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem was a parade of sorts, as the peasants and his followers welcomed him in the way they would any important leader.