Cripple at the Pool of Bethesda

John 5:1-9

June 21, 2015

The children will understand:

The story of the healing at the pool of Bethesda.
That the man at the pool made excuses.
That we need to stop making excuses and trust God.

FATHERS DAY--- there are cards for the kids to make for their dads…. Be sensitive to those whose dads are not around so make card making an option (Kali)

I will need 2-3 kids before the Sunday service to help hand out candy bars to dads

Know Your Bible

Supplies:

PowerPoint slide

Today we’re going to learn about a swimming pool that was quite different than the swimming pools you play in when it’s hot outside. This pool was located in Jerusalem and was called the Pool of Bethesda. Bethesda … say “Bethesda.” Bethesda means “house of mercy.” Say “house of mercy.” That was a fitting term due to the people who were hanging out around the pool. The people who were at the pool of Bethesda had sicknesses and disabilities. They were desperately seeking a miracle cure in the waters of this pool. They were seeking mercy.

The Bible tells us that people who were blind, lame, and paralyzed were lying near the water. Many of these people believed that an angel of the Lord would stir up the water of this pool and that the first person to enter the pool after this stirring would be healed of his illness.People with all kinds of disabilities stayed near the waters of the pool hoping for a healing. What do you imagine the mood at the Pool of Bethesda was like? If you were to walk into the pool area of Bethesda, how would you feel?

Show the slide of the ruins of the Pool of Bethesda.The actual ruins of the Pool of Bethesda have been located, and this is what it looks like today.

Keep this picture in your mind as you learn what happened when Jesus walked into the pool area of Bethesda. When Jesus entered the pool area, He caused quite a stir … and it wasn’t the water.

Bible Account

Supplies:

YouTube video

Beforehand, download the following YouTube video called “Healing in the Pool” submitted by Edy Molina. We have provided a separate instruction file for both Mac and PC users if you have difficulty downloading.

Show the video telling the Bible account of the healing at the Pool of Bethesda.This video will make the kids feel like they were right there watching this passage of scripture unfold.

Game????? Not sure we will do this

Supplies:

plastic baby pool

8 rectangular sponges

permanent marker

towels

Beforehand, place the plastic pool in the middle of the lesson area and fill it with several inches of water. This pool will be used a couple of times in today’s lesson. With a permanent marker, write the numbers 1 through 8 on the bottom of eight sponges and float them in the pool. The leader will choose 8 kids to come to the pool and have them remove their shoes and socks. (You may want to draw the names out of a container, because everyone will want to do this.) Tell one child at a time to “Pick up your mat!” The child will then pick a sponge (mat) out of the water by sitting on the floor next to the pool and retrieving the sponge with their feet. Once successful, that child will answer the question that matches the number on the bottom of the sponge “mat.”

What was the name of the pool in the Bible account?

(Bethesda)

Who hung out by the Pool of Bethesda?

(people with all kinds of illnesses and disabilities—blind, lame, paralyzed)

How long had the man in the Bible account been paralyzed?

(38 years)

Who asked the question, “Do you want to get well?”

(Jesus)

Who said, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred”?

(the paralyzed man)

Who said, “While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me”?

(the paralyzed man)

Who said, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk”?

(Jesus)

What was the miracle in this Bible account?

(The paralyzed man was healed.)

Object Lesson

Supplies:

a bunch of awkward objects

skateboard

shoebox

3 candy bars

Choose 3 kids to participate in this object lesson. All 3 kids are going to race one another from one end of the area to the other. Give the largest and most athletic kid the shoebox. He will have to carry this box when he runs. The smallest of the 3 kids will have to run the race … backwards. And, the middle child will have to do it while holding a bunch … and I mean a whole bunch … of awkward objects. He will also have to keep one foot on a skateboard. (You want this kid to be someone who will do what you tell them, even if it seems absurd. You know who that is.) In private, beforehand, tell the 3 participants that they must remain silent during and after the race. Give the signal and start the race. Everyone will observe what is happening.

Present each of the participants a candy bar for doing exactly what you told them to do. You ran the race carrying the shoebox and you followed my directions precisely. Here’s your candy bar. You didn’t give up, but kept running, even though you couldn’t see where you were going. That’s exactly what I told you to do. Here’s your candy bar. And you, slowly and surely made your way to the end of the room carrying all those objects and pushing the skateboard. Way to go! That’s what I told you to do and you did it.

What kind of excuses could each of these participantshavegiven? Which one could’ve been like the man in our story? Instead of giving excuses and giving up, they all did what I asked them to do. And, what happened? They were rewarded. We will be rewarded, also, for following God’s directions given in His Word.

When Jesus went to the cross to die for you and me, He could have given all kinds of excuses why He shouldn’t have to do it. He could’ve said, “Father, these guys don’t obey You and they’re disgusting. I don’t think they’re worth my sacrifice.” Or, He could’ve said, “Can I do this another time? I’d really like to hang out with the angels right now.” Or, He could’ve said, “I think I’ll stay in heaven instead of going down to live with them.” But Jesus didn’t. He didn’t give any excuses. He did what the Father told Him. He did what was part of God’s plan. No excuses … just obedience!

Activity

Supplies:

PowerPoint slides

paper

pencils

When Jesus asked the paralyzed man if he wanted to get well, the man gave Jesus two excuses. People are good at giving excuses for why they don’t do what they should be doing!

Divide the kids into small groups. The leader will give each group a piece of paper and a pencil. The groups must come up with what they think are the top 3 excuses that people give in each area.

for not exercising
fornot going to bed
for not doing homework

After the groups have written three excuses for each topic, the leader will give the following top excuses people actually give in each situation. The groups can share the excuses they came up with that didn’t make the top three list.

Top three excuses for not exercising

I don’t have time.
Exercising hurts too badly; it hurts my knees.
I don’t like to get sweaty.

Top three excuses for not going to bed

I’m not tired.
I’m thirsty and need another drink of water.
I need to go to the bathroom.

Top three excuses for not doing homework

A pet ate my homework.
The wind blew my homework out of my hand.
My homework must have fallen out of my backpack or folder.

Why do you think people make up excuses? Why don’t they just tell what actually happened? Some excuses seem reasonable, but others seem silly. Were the paralyzed man’s excuses reasonable? Was there anything he could have done to get help?

Puppets

Supplies:

2 puppets

#1: Hey there! How’s it goin’?

#2: Not so great, but it isn’t my fault. It’s totally my parents’ fault!

#1: Why? What happened?

#2: I’m grounded, because I got a bad grade on a test at school today.

#1: Ouch! Bummer!

#2: Yeah, (whining)but I didn’t have time to study yesterday! Jimmy stopped over after school and asked me to shoot hoops at the gym. By the time I got home, it was time to eat supper and then I had to go to my little sister’s chorus concert. I just didn’t have the time to study!

#1: (doubtful)Really? Anyways, I wanted to know if you could help me with a project.

#2: Sure, buddy. Anything for you!

#1: My neighbor is pretty old, and I just feel like I should help her with her yard work. I was going to rake for her this afternoon and wondered if you would help me.

#2: Ooohhh … this afternoon? Well I… well, I’ve got this thing that’s wrong with my back, and I don’t think that raking would be very good for it.

#1: What’d ya do to your back?

#2: I, uh, I think I pulled something. Yeah! I pulled something last night.

#1: At your sister’s chorus concert?

#2: Well, those chairs are as hard as rocks!Anyways, I’m grounded, remember?

#1: I bet your mom would let you rake Mrs. Olson’s leaves. Just ask her!

#2: Oh, alright. (pretends to yell, but whispers for his mom with a voice that is barely heard)Mom! Mom! Can I go rake Mrs. Olson’s leaves? Mom? Mom? (usingregular voice)I guess she’s not around to ask. I better not go. Remember, I am grounded.

#1: I could barely hear you. How on earth do you expect your mom to hear you?

#2: What are you talking about? You may need to get your hearing checked!

#1: I’m pretty sure my hearing is just fine! Anyways, I better get to raking. Don’t forget your section for our group project is due tomorrow at school.

#2: Ya know, I was thinking… you’re so much better at that kind of work than me, so, I was wondering if you wanted to help me do my section, too.

#1: What? Are you serious? You’ll do just fine with your section!

#2: Oh, I don’t know about that! I don’t think I’m very good in that subject. I’m feeling pretty nervous about it!

#1: You’ll be fine.

#2: Aaahhh, the pressure! It’s giving me a headache!

#1: I’ll see ya later!

#2: I don’t want to embarrass myself or the rest of the group.

#1: Adios!

#2: Ouch! My back! I sure hope I can hold my pencil right.

Activity

Supplies:

large white board

dry erase marker

Bibles

The leader will divide a white board into 3 equal sections, labeling the sections “Puppet”, “Man at the Pool” and “Me.”

Boy, that puppet was full of excuses! Let’s list his excuses.The leader will write down the following excusesas the kids give them under the “Puppet” heading.

It was his parents’ fault that he did badly on a test.
He didn’t have time to study because he was shooting hoops.
He can’t rake, because his back hurts him.
His mother didn’t hear him ask if he could rake Mrs. Olson’s leaves.
Someone else is better at his section in the project.
He feels too much pressure, and he has a headache.
He might embarrass himself.

The man at the Pool of Bethesda also had some excuses. The man at the pool had been paralyzed for 38 years. That’s a long time! Jesus approached him and asked him if he wanted to get well. All the kids will look up John 5:7. If you have younger children, pair them with older, better readers.“’I can’t, sir,’ the sick man said, ‘for I have no one to put me into the pool when the water bubbles up. Someone else always gets there ahead of me.’”What were the man’s excuses? Write the following excuses under the heading “The Man at the Pool”:

I have no one to help me into the pool.
Someone always goes down ahead of me.

What was Jesus’ response to the man’s excuses? “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” What do you think Jesus would say to our puppet with the excuses? “Get up! Rake the leaves.” “Get up! Study for the test.” “Get up! Finish your section in the project.”

Is there something God wants you to do and you’re making excuses for not doing it? What do you think Jesus would say to you? Would He tell you to “Get up!” and try?

Activity

The leader must practice this rap prior to the lesson. The leader will lead the children in the “No More Excuses” rap! The children will join the leader in a rhythm of patting laps and clapping hands during the rap (Lap, Clap, Lap, Clap, Lap, Clap). Once the rhythm is established, the children will repeat after the leader the following rap.

No more excuses! (No more excuses!)

I’m tired of excuses! (I’m tired of excuses!)

I will tell others! (I will tell others!)

About the cross! (About the cross!)

No more excuses! (No more excuses!)

I’m tired of excuses! (I’m tired of excuses!)

I will obey! (I will obey!)

My mother and my father! (My mother and my father!)

No more excuses! (No more excuses!)

I’m tired of excuses! (I’m tired of excuses!)

I will be kind! (I will be kind!)

To my brother and my sister! (To my brother and my sister!)

No more excuses! (No more excuses!)

I’m tired of excuses! (I’m tired of excuses!)

I will pray for! (I will pray for!)

The people who hurt me! (The people who hurt me!)

Prayer

Supplies:

plastic pool

After each prayer statement the leader makes, the kids will repeat: “No more excuses from me, Lord.”

Leader: Help me to follow hard after You.

Leader: Help me do what Your Word says.

Leader: I want to pick up my mat and follow You.

Leader: When I’m afraid, I will remember You are with me.

Leader: I want to tell others about You.

Leader: I will obey.

Leader: I will treat others the way You want me to treat them.

Leader: I will talk with You more.

Leader: No more excuses, Lord.

Blessing

May you stop giving excuses and start following hard after God.

Activity - Video

Supplies:

YouTube clip

Beforehand, download the following YouTube video called “America’s Funniest Home Videos – SUMMER TIME edition” submitted by QuArtStudio. We have included a separate instruction file for both Mac and PC users, if you have difficulty downloading.

How many of you like to go swimming in the summer? Why do you enjoy it so much? On a hot day, why do you want to go swimming? Nothing feels better on a super-hot day than a nice dip in a pool! Unless, of course, you have an accident like one of these swimmers.Show the video.

The swimming pools that we saw in the funniest home video clip and the swimming pools that you go to each summer are filled with fun, laughter and good times. They’re not exactly like the Pool at Bethesda.

Object Lesson

Supplies:

PowerPoint slides

Show the PowerPoint slides of the world’s largest pool, which is in Chile, South America.

The largest pool in the world is in Chile. It covers over 20 acres and the “deep end” is 115 feet deep. It’s so crystal clear that even at 115 feet deep, you can see the bottom. They built it right next to the ocean shore, and that may sound strange. But the Chilean coast is known for being extremely dangerous with rip tides and fierce waves. Because of the eco-friendly technology that was used in its design, this humongous pool is filled with salt water and takes one-hundredth of the amount of pool chemicals usually used in a swimming pool.

This pool is quite different than the one the crippled man sat next to!