Untying the Donkey
Children's Sermon Theme: Word of God Sets Us FreeIntroduction: The Bible text (Mark 11: 1-11) is usually set aside for Palm Sunday. The story of Jesus riding on the donkey into Jerusalem is usually featured somewhere in the service. If it is not, then the story needs to be a part of either the children's talk in church or later at Sunday School. In this way the children will make better connections between the drama and the story.
Aim: To teach that the Word of God unties us from sin and sets us free to serve Jesus.
Materials: a Large rope, a stuffed toy donkey
Drama Points:
1. Allow the children to come forward and to be seated before you make a dramatic entrance.
2. In my church the vestry door is nearby. That's handy. I got my son, Joshua to hold one end of the rope, while he was out of sight behind the partially closed door.
With the other end of the rope, I walked with it from the vestry door until I reached the children.
3. Pull on the rope like in a tug-of-war and call out to an imaginary donkey behind the door. "Come on donkey, stop being stubborn, stop being naughty, and come out here so that the children can see you."
4. Realization that the donkey is tied up, "Silly me!" "The donkey is tied up, no wonder it couldn't come out here or do anything else, it's still tied up."
5. Go and untie the imaginary donkey but bring in the stuffed toy donkey.
6. Sit down with the children to talk about the donkey.
7. Explain to the children that sometimes we are like that donkey, that our sin ties us up so that we can't follow Jesus.
8. Explain that it is the Word of God, that is Jesus speaking to us from the Bible that can only untie our sin so that we too can follow and serve Jesus.
9. Here is now an opportunity to tell a simplified story of how Jesus rode a donkey into Jerusalem (see Luke 19:28-38).
10. Conclude with prayer, "Dear Jesus, thank you for loving us, thank you for coming and untying our sin so that we can follow and serve you. Amen."
Copyright 2008 Martin Ellgar
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