April 6, 2018 at 1:53 p.m.
Good News for Kids
Into Jesus' club
Lots of kids start clubs with their friends. You might think of a secret password to get into your club, or make up things you have to do at every club meeting. Jesus' followers were like a club. They followed Him and listened to the rules He thought up. But when He died, they didn't know what to do! In this week's Gospel (John 20:19-23), Jesus comes back to give them some ideas. When Jesus wanted to get into the room where the Apostles were, He knew what password to say: "Peace be with you!" Jesus was God, so He could get in a knock or a key, but He wanted them to know it was Him. So He said a "password" that would calm them down and proved it was Him by showing them the places He'd been hurt. It's no fun being in a club if you don't get something good out of it. Some clubs take trips or work on a project. Sometimes, it's fun just hanging around with other people in the club. For the Apostles, being in Jesus' "club" meant something special: getting the power to forgive people's sins! Jesus wanted His club members to do more than just play and hang out. He wanted them (and us) to go out and ask everyone in the world to join His club! After Jesus died, the Apostles hid in a locked room to get away from those who killed Him. Suddenly, Jesus was in the room with them! "Peace be with you," He said, showing them the cuts in His hands and side to prove it was really Him. "Receive the Holy Spirit," He added, and gave them the power to forgive sins.
If you're in a club with your friends, you probably have a secret password or something else that only people in the club -- no grownups -- know. To get in, you have to say the password.PRAYER FOR THE WEEK: Jesus, help me remember there's one club I'm always a member of: the "children of God!" Amen.
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