I SAW THE LIGHT

CHILDREN STORIES

The Gethsemane vision -- Children's story as told in the Murrieta Springs church.   Local elder announces:  ---      Children we have a special visitor today for our story.  He asked me to have you sit down on the carpet here in front of this covered up board of a painting he made for you.  That's right come on up here to the front.      Today our story teller is an old man and his name is Peter the disciple of Jesus.  --- You don't think so? You're a very wise boy but just wait and you will see  --- Here he comes now. I can see that he is wearing a dark red or maroon robe and he has a very nice white beard. ---- Welcome, Peter, to our beautiful tent-church. Pastor Graves dressed as Peter: ---     Thank you, elder.  I am very happy to be here and see so many boys and girls.  There must be 30 or more children crowded in close.  I like that and I want you children to see and learn how much Jesus loves you.  So I'm going to sit down here in this chair and show you what happened one time when I was much younger.  I will uncover a small part of this drawing so you can see my picture.  Here I am in that red robe trying to stay awake. It's dark because it is night and most people are home in bed asleep.  John is on the ground sound asleep and James is asleep leaning against that tree.  The light of the full Passover moon casts scary shadows all around but we are not afraid.  This place is called the garden of Gethsemane. We had been here at night with Jesus several times and nothing bad had happened to us, but tonight it seemed to be different. Always before, when we came here to pray, Jesus was happy and cheerful and he prayed for us and encouraged us. But on this night it was spooky. Jesus was different. He looked different. His face was pale like he was sick with a terrible stomach ache.  He told us to stay right here and pray for him while he staggered on up the path about 50 yards and knelt down to pray.                                                                                  Look!  Look boys and girls there he is and that is blood on his face. He is sweating blood-- great drops of blood falling down.  He cried out so loud to His Father that we heard every word.  "PLEASE TAKE THIS CUP AWAY. OH DEAR FATHER PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME ALONE. THE WINE IN THIS CUP IS SO BITTER IT IS KILLING ME. PLEASE TAKE IT AWAY!"  Then he prayed on some more.  He told his Father that he loved him and would do whatever he told him to do because he trusted that his Father knew what was best.

I am ashamed to tell you this but we went back to sleep until Jesus came and awakened us.  Jesus looked so bad I wanted to help him but he said to stay right here and pray for him and try to keep awake.  Then as he went back he stumbled and fell to the ground but a shining angel came down from heaven and lifted him up and comforted him.  Here is the picture. The strong angel wipes away the blood and gives Jesus strength so that he can drink the cup of pain and suffering. The angel tells Jesus that his Father loves him very much and is very pleased with the way he has lived in perfect obedience to the will of God. Then the angel gave Jesus a vision: --- We will uncover the whole picture for you now.  You won't understand it all but as you grow older you will think about it and see more and more how much Jesus loves you. The angel told Jesus, "This is your Father's plan for you and for the world.   You will need to climb the rocky road to the rugged cross. You will  be whipped and beaten till the path is marked with your blood. Satan will try to scare you into giving up but if you carry out the plan you will defeat him and open up heaven to those who want to come in. And there will be many like the stars you see here in the sky.  Men and women, boys and girls from all over the world will be given a crown of life because of your sacrifice." That is what the angel told Jesus.

Now right down here sitting with all these children is a little girl that looks very much like this little girl in the picture.  Jesus is putting a golden crown on the little girls head.  Isn't that beautiful?  But what does Jesus have on his head?   Yes, that's right, it is a crown of thorns.  What does that mean?  It means that Jesus is so unselfish that he gives you the best and takes from you the worst. You can trade in your painful things and receive his eternal life and joy.  See this little boy in the front that already has his crown.  You can see that he is thinking really hard:  ---"How unselfish Jesus is.  He loved me so much that he died for me. I want to love him forever."  How many of you would like to tell Jesus that you love him?     I do too. (After church service today some older ones may like to examine this painting. It will be in the back of the church. You will find hidden in the rocky mountain some scary creatures.  See if you can find a skull, an octopus, two ugly faces, a gorilla, a wolf, and a snake.   Of course you will notice the world in the cup. And remember how much God loves you. Our sins caused his Son to sweat blood.  Our sins put upon Jesus caused the separation of Father and Son. It was so painful that Jesus sweat blood in Gethsemane, and on Calvary he died of a broken heart. The pain was felt just as much by the Heavenly Father for the ground trembled and shook in an earthquake of grief. Today, even though our sins hurt Jesus in the same way, He still loves us. Believe it or not, The Lord God loves us still!  Read all about it in the book "The Passion of Love" published by www.amazingfacts.org. )