A Children’s Sermon on Mark 1:9-15 — Lent 1

Preface for Pastors and Parents

Below you’ll find a children’s sermon on Mark 1:9-15, the Gospel assigned for the first Sunday in Lent for year B of the lectionary. 

It feels a bit funny writing on a passage that includes the baptism of Jesus, having done so quite recently, but there you go. The lectionary does odd things sometimes. Actually this passage overlaps the recent selection on Jesus’ baptism, but includes more material after that. 

As I thought about Jesus being with the animals, which Mark is clear about, I imagined one of the promises from Isaiah about the Messiah and animals. Let me know what you think of how I brought the two together.

So here we go with a children’s sermon on Mark 1: 9-15

A Children’s Sermon on Mark 1:9-15

Good morning kids! I’m so happy to see you in worship today. Thank you for coming up to hear the children’s sermon.

Today is the first Sunday in Lent. Lent is the 40 days (not counting Sundays) that we spend getting ready for the most important days in the Christian year: Good Friday, when Jesus went to the cross to die, and Easter, when he rose again to bring us new life.

Our story from the Gospel of Mark tells us of a time when Jesus spent forty days getting ready to start his work of teaching and healing and helping. 

So it’s a good story for the start of Lent. Jesus spent forty days getting ready for something important. And we are spending forty days in Lent getting ready for something important too.

Here’s how it happened.

Jesus Gets Baptized

Jesus’ cousin John the Baptist was out in the wilderness, washing people in the water of the Jordan river. Washing in the river showed people how God washes away all the bad things we do so we can learn to live God’s way.

One day Jesus came out to he wilderness and found John.

“Wow!” said John, “Jesus! It’s great to see you! Thanks for coming all the way out here!”

“Good to see you John,” said Jesus. “I would like you to wash me in the river too. I’m getting ready to do all the things my Father sent me to do. This is how I want to start getting ready.”

So down they went into the waters of the River Jordan. John dipped Jesus in the river, and brought him back up.

Then Jesus looked up and he saw something amazing. It looked like a dove flying down from the sky, but Jesus knew it was the Holy Spirit. The Spirit-Dove flew down, down, down, and landed right on Jesus’ shoulder.

Then another amazing thing happened. Jesus heard a voice coming straight out of the sky. He knew it was his Father speaking.

“You are my Son!” said God’s voice. “I love you so much! I’m so happy to see the man you’ve grown up to be!”

To The Wilderness

Then a strange thing happened. The Holy Spirit-Dove, took off from Jesus’ shoulder. It swooped around and it flew right at Jesus! Jesus jumped to get out of the way.

“Hey!” said Jesus. “What are you doing?”

Then it swooped around again, and made Jesus jump again. And again. And again!

Jesus started walking, then running, to keep ahead of this Holy Spirit dove.

“Stop that!” cried Jesus. “Why are you swooping at me?”

Then the Dove spoke. “Keep going!” it said. “You’re going the right direction. Keep moving!”

Farther and farther Jesus went, out into the wilderness.

Finally the Holy Spirit-Dove perched on a branch of a bush. So Jesus stopped too.

“Okay, Spirit,” said Jesus, “What was that all about?”

And the Dove spoke: “I drove you out into the wilderness on purpose. I want you to be tempted. By the Devil.”

“What?” asked Jesus, “That sounds terrible! Why do you want me to be tempted?”

“It’s a test,” said the Spirit Dove. “You need to know who you are. You need to know that you are strong.”

“Hmm,” said Jesus, “What if you just trust me on that? I mean, I know who I am already.”

“You have to actually be who you are,” said the Spirit. “You have to live as who you are, to live God’s way, even when there are temptations. That’s how you really know. “

“Okay,” said Jesus, “How long is this going to take? When can I go home? Do I have to stay all afternoon?”

“More than all afternoon,” said the Spirit Dove. “You’ll be out here being tempted for forty days.”

And then the Spirit-Dove flew away, just as Jesus called out “FORTY DAYS??”

The Animals

But the Spirit called back from the sky, “Don’t worry! You’ll have company!”

“I wonder what kind of company the Spirit will send me?” thought Jesus.

Just then, Jesus saw a rustling in the bushes. Then a fluffy white head poked through. It was a little lamb.

“Baaah” said the little lamb. 

“Little lamb!” said Jesus, “Where did you come from? did you wander away from your flock?”

“Baaah” said the lamb.

“You sound kind of sad,” Jesus said. “I bet you miss your mother. Come here and sit with me.” So the little lamb snuggled up against Jesus’ leg. He could feel it trembling. “Are you afraid, little lamb?” he asked.

Then he heard a low rumbling sound.

“I bet that’s why you are trembling,” said Jesus. “That sounds like a lion—and it’s nearby. But don’t worry.”

But then there was another low rumbling growl, and another rustle in the bushes. Then a lion poked his mighty head through the bushes. It looked at the little lamb and it rumbled its growl a third time.

“Hello, lion,” said Jesus. “I’m glad you came to keep us company. But don’t think this lamb is going to be your lunch. I’m going to help this lamb find its mother. Why don’t you come here and rest a while with us.”

So the lion laid down at Jesus’ feet, right next to the lamb, and all three of them had a little rest.

Then Jesus said, “Time to go. Good luck with your hunting, lion,” and he put the lamb across his shoulders and carried it away to find its flock and its mother.

The Angels

The next day when Jesus woke up he found he had even more company. There were two people glowing with light, dressed in the brightest white robes you can imagine. Jesus knew right away that they were angels.

“Hello,” said one of them, “My name is Gabriel, and I’ll be your server today. Is there anything I can get you?”

“Hey,” said the other, “I wanted to help Jesus. Why do you get to go first?” Then the second angel turned to Jesus and said, “Hello, my name is Michael, and I’ll be your server today. Is there anything I can bring you?”

Jesus laughed. “You don’t need to argue. I’m grateful to both of you for your company. But I don’t really need anything else. Just stay with me while I’m out here being tempted, okay?”

The Good News

When the time of temptation was all done, forty days after Jesus was baptized, Jesus came back to town. And from that day on Jesus went around teaching about the kingdom of God.

“I have good news for you!” Jesus would say. “The Kingdom of God has come close to you!”

People would ask, “What should we do?”

And Jesus would say, “Two things. First you need to learn to think in new ways—God’s ways. Second, you need to believe me when I tell you this good news: God’s kingdom has come to you!”

Wondering

I wonder what it was like for Jesus to know that God wanted him to be tempted and tested?

I wonder what it was like being all lone for forty days except for animals and angels?

I wonder what you would think if Jesus told you to think in new ways because God’s kingdom has come near?

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You are, of course, free to use this children’s sermon, or adapt it as you find most useful. But, if you use it, please do one (or more!) of the following.

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