Monday, May 23, 2011

Jesus Heals the Blind Man


Provide blindfolds for one or two children to use at a time. Tie one gently around the child’s head, covering his eyes, yet loose enough for the child to pull down as desired. Do not force any child to wear a blinkfold. Be sure to caution the children to move about the oom slowly and carefully (to avoid any crashes). Have the children pay attention to how it feels to be “blind.” 

Then say, This is a good time for us to show our love to Jesus by singing a praise song. Sing the following words to the tune of THE FARMER IN THE DELL. Begin the song with the children seated. Encourage them to clap with you.

God gave me eyes (point to eyes)
     To see (clap, clap).
God gave me eyes (point to eyes)
     To see (clap, clap).
I stand and praise my God above (stand and point).
     God gave me eyes (point to eyes)
To see (clap, clap).

Sing the song again several times as the children do the motions. Let volunteers lead the group in the song. Comment that in today’s Bible story, the children will be learning about a blind man who met Jesus. 



Talk with the children about what it would be like if they could not see. Then have the children close their eyes while you keep talking. Walk around the room and talk about the things you see. After each thing you notice, say, If you were blind, you could hear me talk about it, but you couldn’t see it. Do this for a few minutes. Then have the children open their eyes. Say, Now it is time to listen to a Bible story about someone who could not see. Encourage the children to shake their heads every time you mention that some people do not believe. Tell the story with feeling.

NOW I CAN SEE!
Step, step, step! Jesus and His friends walked along the dusty road. “There’s a man who can’t see!” one of the men said. “He’s been blind since he was born!” (Show Jesus and the Blind Man visual.)

“I will help him,” Jesus said. “God’s power can make blind people see.”
Jesus knelt down and spit on the dry, dusty ground. Then He made a wad of mud. He put the mud on the blind man’s eyes. “Go wash in the pool,” Jesus told the man.

Splash! Splash! Splash! The blind man washed the mud away from his eyes. Then he stood and blinked his eyes in the bright sunlight. (Show the Blind Man Healed visual.) He looked around, then he shouted, “Now I can see!” (Pull the tab so the man’s eyes open.)

The man born blind rushed home. He wanted to tell everyone his good news.Some of the man’s neighbors stared at him. “Isn’t this the blind man who used to sit at the gate?” they asked.

“No,” others said, “this man only looks like him.” (Show the Blind Man Healed visual.)

The man who had been blind said, “Yes, I am the man you’re talking about.”

The neighbors looked closely at the man’s eyes. “Then how can you see now?” they asked.

“Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes,” he told them. “He told me to go wash in the pool. I did, and now I can see!”

Some people still didn’t believe this man had been blind (shake heads). “Let’s ask his parents,” they said.

So they asked the man’s mother and father, “Is this your son? Was he born blind? How is it that he can see now?”

“We know he is our son,” the man’s parents answered. “And yes, he was born blind. We know he can see now, but we don’t know how it happened. Ask him. He can tell you.”

The neighbors did not believe the man’s parents (shake heads). They asked the man again, “Why can you see now?”

“I’ve already told you,” the man said. “All I know is that I was blind, but now I can see!”
Some people still didn’t believe him (shake heads). “Go away!” they yelled angrily.
The Bible says that the man went away. Then Jesus saw him again. “Do you believe in God’s special Servant?” Jesus asked him.

The man answered, “Who is He? Tell me so I may believe in Him.”

Jesus answered, “I am God’s special Servant!”

Immediately, the man fell down on his knees and worshipped Jesus. The man did this to show how much he loved Jesus. The man wanted to thank Jesus for helping him to see.

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