Judas Betrays Jesus
Scripture reference: Zechariah 11:4-12 Luke 22:1-6
I need a helper today. [Choose a child and ask …. What’s your name?]
Now I need one more helper who doesn’t mind wearing this on their eyes. (Choose a second child and ask … What’s your name?]) Come and sit down here beside me. [Tie blindfold on the second child].
Today we’re going to talk about choosing. And I’ve brought some things along for ______ and _____ to use. Let me show them to you first.
With the first child:
[Hold up items: a banana: big, yellow and another banana: black, mushy, and rotten]Now: It’s your turn. Look carefully. Can you choose one that you’d like to share with your family? [the child will generally choose the appropriate response] That was a good choice!
[Hold up items again: an orange: big, heavy and another orange, somewhat wrinkled, small]With the second child:
Now, It’s your turn. [Check to make sure the blindfold is still on, and don’t have the child touch the fruit]
Are you ready to choose one you’d like to share with your family? —– hmmm —- wait —- this looks hard! How can you choose like this? Oh, oh, what shall we do? [some child will respond – She/he can’t see!]. O.K. let’s take off the blindfold. Now you can make a good choice, can’t you!
Thank you for helping, ___ and ___
Jesus had helpers, too. One of them was called Judas. At first Judas loved Jesus and wanted to be near him. That was a good choice.
But then Satan came along—just like a big blindfold—and covered up Judas’ eyes and his heart. And Judas let Satan stay there and didn’t push Satan away.
Soon, Judas stopped loving Jesus. He chose a very evil thing. He went to visit some bad men who wanted to kill Jesus and said “I choose to help you catch Jesus. What will you give me if I help you?” The bad men said, “We will give you some money” and so Judas chose the worst thing of all: he took the money and put it in his pocket – to help them kill Jesus.
Now you may keep your good choices—off you go to church school.
♥