Hamburger Series: I am the LIGHT of the WORLD

Scripture: for teacher background:  John 9:1-41

(Pineapple layer of hamburger)

Making contact:

Play a game of hide and seek. When one child is out of the room, hide a candlestick or candle.

 All the children know where it is hidden and sing to the child looking for it. If the child is far from the candle they sing softly and as they get closer, the singing gets louder.

Use a song about light like “This little light of mine” or “Walk in the light”, if possible,

Talk about how it would be easy to play this game in the dark if the candle was lit!

It is very difficult to hide a light.

During the 2^nd world war, when the aeroplanes were dropping bombs, all the people had to cover their windows very carefully so that no even a crack of light showed through. There were no streetlights on and people weren’t allowed to go out at night. 

In this way it was so dark that the people flying the bombers couldn’t see where the towns and villages were to drop their weapons.

Another game the children could play is to blindfold a child and ask them to find something. Talk about how difficult it is to see in the dark and how important light is.

Exploration:

During the story, it would be helpful if all the children could be blindfolded.

As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been born blind. His disciples asked Him if it was the man’s sin that caused his blindness or his parents’ sin. 

Jesus replied that blindness had nothing to do with sin but that God’s power would heal him. Then Jesus said:  “While I am in the world, I am the light for the world.”

After Jesus said this, He spat on the ground and made some mud. He rubbed the mud on the man’s eyes and told him to go and wash his face in the Pool of Siloam. 

After the man did this he could see.

The children can now take off their blindfolds.

The man was asked by the religious leaders who had healed him.

 He first said – the MAN called Jesus. 

Later on they questioned his parents, but they replied that their son was old enough to speak for himself. They asked again and he said that Jesus was a PROPHET.

He said: “All I know is that once I was blind but now I can see!”

As they argued with him and cursed him, he said to them that Jesus must come from God because he can now see. They were furious about Jesus.

Although they didn’t know it, they were actually blinder than the blind man because they couldn’t see who Jesus was.

Later Jesus found the man, who must have been feeling very confused – happy that he could see, but unhappy that these leaders were spoiling it all with their anger. Jesus said to him: “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” He replied: “Yes, show me who He is.” Jesus said: “You are talking to Him!” 

Application

The man could see as soon as he washed the mud off his eyes, but spiritually he took a bit longer to SEE who Jesus really was.

Did you notice what he said?

 He first said that Jesus was a “man called Jesus.”

 Then he said Jesus was a prophet.

Then he said He must have come from God and then he believed that Jesus was the Son of Man – the Messiah, and he knelt down and worshipped Jesus.

Now you might have very good eyes, but how are the eyes of your faith? 

Is Jesus just a name to you?

 Is He just a man to you? 

Maybe you believe He is a special prophet and that He came from God to do miracles. If you believe these things you are still rather blind.

 When you can see that Jesus is God, that He is the Son of God, the Messiah, then you can see properly.

When you believe that He Is then you have seen the light, and you will walk in the light for the rest of your life. 

You don’t ever need to be afraid of the dark, if you believe that Jesus the light is always with you. He chases away the darkness. 

You can’t have darkness living in light. It disappears. Jesus is the light of the world

Challenge to Mission

Some people talk about Africa being a deep and dark place. They call it “darkest Africa.” But this is changing.

 The light is spreading, because more and more people on this beautiful continent are coming to know that Jesus is Lord.

 How can you help the light to spread in Africa?

There are other continents that are dark because they don't believe in Jesus. God is sending Christians all over the world to spread the light of Jesus.

When we believe in Jesus then we also shine as lights. Let’s shine in dark places that need light.

Consolidation

 Worksheet. There is a picture of a piece of pineapple with the memory very printed on it. They can colour the pineapple in yellow.

There is a word search in a light bulb picture for the words that the blind man used to describe Jesus.

It is important that the children really learn their memory verses well each week.

As a weekly reward you could give them a little picture of a hamburger to keep.

Memory Verse

“Again Jesus spoke to them saying, ”I AM THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12