Children’s Sermon

Matthew 25:1-13

Bridesmaids Who Weren’t Ready

OBJECT: A towel, a bathing suit, bottle of sunscreen, comb or brush

SERMON:

When we go to the swimming pool, what do we usually take with us? (Let the children answer.) That’s correct. (Hold up the items as you are talking.) We take a towel, bathing suit, bottle of sunscreen, comb or brush.

Our story from the Holy Bible is about a wedding. In those days, the bride and her bridesmaids were to be ready for the wedding, but they wouldn’t be told when the groom would arrive. They didn’t know if the groom would come in the morning, or in the afternoon, or late at night. The groom would start out from his home walking toward the bride’s home. Other people joined the groom on the way to the bride’s house. Once the groom arrived at the bride’s house, the bride and her bridesmaids walked back with him to his house for the wedding and a party.

The story in the Holy Bible talks about ten girls. They knew the bridegroom would be coming soon. The girls had their wedding clothes on. There were no flashlights in those days but the bride and her bridesmaids had little lamps to carry along with them. They wanted to be ready if the bridegroom came at night because they might have to walk a long way in the dark. But five of the girls ran out of oil for their lamps. When they saw the bridegroom coming, they began to beg the other girls to give them oil, but the other girls refused because they didn’t know how much they would need on the walk to the bridegroom’s house.

The five who ran out of oil headed off to the market to buy more oil. By the time they arrived at the bridegroom’s house the door was locked and the marriage feast was going on. They were sent away.

Jesus told this story to explain how it will be when he comes back for all the people who love and serve him. As the people were thinking about the story of the oil and lamps, Jesus said, “Watch therefore, for you don’t know the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming” (Matthew 25:13). When he said, “Son of Man,” he meant himself. Jesus meant that he is coming again to Earth––and we need to be ready. We wouldn’t want him to come back and find us doing bad things, would we!

We wouldn’t think of going swimming without making sure we have our towel, bathing suit and sunscreen. Let’s be prepared for Jesus’ return too. We don’t know when that will be, but we want to be ready. We can get ready by asking Jesus to live in our hearts, by staying away from doing things that will hurt us or other people, and by reading our Bible, praying and going to church.

PRAYER:

God, your Holy Bible tells us that one of these days, Jesus will return to earth. We ask you to help us be prepared for Jesus’ return. Amen.

Scripture quotations from the World English Bible