Devotion Time - Day 21

Hi! So here is the next devotion...a little later in the day than I planned, but here at last! Enjoy!!


Day 21


John 13:3-30
 “Washing the disciples’ feet” p. 437 in The Beginner’s Bible


Treasure Hunt Resources: A bucket of warm water and a washer and “My first story of Easter” by Tim Dowley, or another similar Easter picture book– just to build up an Easter book collection and reinforce the story.


Beginning Activity/Chat: Have a look at the bucket and towels from the treasure hunt and ask the children to have a guess as to what they might be for? Explain that in today’s true story from the bible we are going to see Jesus being a true servant to his friends. Spend some time washing each other`s feet and while doing so talk with the kids about how Jesus does this in the story and why he did it. Discuss how back in those days there were no footpaths or sealed roads and how it was warm where they lived and that they mostly just wore sandals or thong like shoes. As a result the people s feet often got very dirty and dusty and needed washing. It was a servants job to do the washing, so it was a big statement Jesus was making by telling his disciples to sere each other in such a way. Are our feet sometimes smelly? Do you think it might have been a nice job to wash other people’s dirty feet?


IN THIS TRUE STORY FROM THE BIBLE JESUS TEACHES US HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO LOVE AND SERVE EACH OTHER IN MANY DIFFERENT WAYS.
Read “Washing the disciples’ feet” from The Beginner’s Bible, p.437 or pgs 286-291 of The Jesus Storybook Bible


Questions:

1.        What did Jesus do for his disciples in this story? (He washed their feet)

2.        Should Jesus be doing that job? (No)

3.        Why was it strange for Jesus to be washing their feet? (It was only the servants-the people working in the house- job to do that, and important people like Jesus shouldn’t be on their knees doing such a dirty job)

4.        Why did Jesus wash their feet? (To serve his friends and to show them how to love and look after each other, even when it might mean doing something they don’t like to do.)

Prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, Thank you for teaching and showing us how to love and serve each other. Please help us always to be looking out for our friends and family and ways that we can serve and love them like you would do. Amen.

Memory Verse Activities:

Continue to practice the song/actions.

If you are feeling game you could do some painting and making footprints with paint. You could make a cross with a few footprints going vertical and a single one horizontal. Once they are dry you could get the children to help you remember the memory verse and write it somewhere around their “foot” artwork and frame it for the wall to remind them during Easter of Jesus’ amazing love and sacrifice for us. You could also make many footprints in a row to write the words/sections of the verse on and play games with....

Written and Compiled by Kate McIntosh, April 2012