Jesus Loves Me

TEXT: John 19:16-18,31-34; Romans 5:8,9

Monica and her family had been having a wonderful time camping at Bear Lake for a few days. She and her brother had spent their time swimming, boating, and hiking through the woods. Evening was a time for sitting around the campfire, roasting hot dogs, and watching for shooting stars. Aunt Kathy would bring out her guitar, and the family would sing hymns and folk songs until time for bed. Then they'd crawl into their cozy sleeping bags and fall asleep listening to the sounds of owls hooting and crickets chirping.

One day Monica was helping her mother and Aunt Kathy set out food on the picnic table. As she reached for a stack of paper plates, she accidentally hit the edge of the table and ran a splinter into her finger. She let out a piercing scream and grabbed her finger tightly. Aunt Kathy quickly wrapped a damp towel around Monica's hand and they sat down on a nearby stump.

"Oh, Aunt Kathy, my finger hurts. Hurry and get this splinter out. Please," cried Monica.

Aunt Kathy soon had the splinter out. As she wrapped Monica's hurt finger she said, "This bandage will help to stop the bleeding and to keep the wound clean."

"Thank you for helping," said Monica. "That splinter really hurt."

Later that night, as they were sitting around the campfire, Monica said, "My finger is feeling better now, Aunt Kathy."

"I'm so glad," replied Aunt Kathy. "You know, that started me thinking about when Jesus died. His hands were nailed to the cross. That little splinter hurt you very much and your finger bled a little bit. But just think of how Jesus must have hurt and bled. He was hurt so badly He died.

"You didn't mean to hurt your finger, Monica, but you couldn't help it," Aunt Kathy continued. "Jesus could have stopped Himself from being hurt. But Jesus loved us so much He died for us. There is a verse in the Bible that says, 'The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.' That is the reason God sent Jesus to this world. Jesus was the only One who was good enough to die for our sins."

"I'm so glad that Jesus loves me," said Monica. "I love Him and want to see Him in Heaven someday."

PARENT'S CORNER

The story of how Jesus died on the Cross is one of the most moving events recorded in the Bible and is the focal point of this lesson. We want to emphasize to your child how much Jesus loved us, and that He was willing to go through this so that each one of us could go to Heaven.

The cross has become a symbol of Jesus' love for us, and your child might enjoy making a bookmark for his Bible which would help him remember this special event. Help him cut a cross shape out of an old Christmas or Easter card, or from plain construction paper which he could decorate however he wishes. Punch a hole in the top. Add a 6" yarn tie. Have him write the memory verse on the back, being sure to include the Scripture reference.