Does Jesus Care?

Children's Sermon: Does Jesus Care? ( Luke 7:12-13)

Does Jesus care about the things that we are facing in our daily life? Does he care when we are sick? Does he care when we are hurting? Does he care when we are sad? These are questions we may ask when we are experiencing difficult times in our life.

Frank Graeff was a Methodist minister who had a reputation for being a cheerful person. In fact, among his friends and fellow ministers, he was known as "the sunshine minister." One of his friends, Austin C. Miles, described Rev. Graeff this way: He is a spiritual optimist, a great friend of children; his bright sun-shining disposition attracts him not only to children but to all with whom he comes in contact.

In spite of this cheerful attitude, Rev. Graeff sometimes faced some difficult times in his life. It was during such a time that he asked himself the question, "Does Jesus care?" As he struggled with that question, he wrote the hymn "Does Jesus Care?" The refrain of the hymn answers that question like this:

Oh yes, He cares, I know He cares,

His heart is touched with my grief;

When the days are weary, the long nights dreary,

I know my Savior cares.

Our Bible lesson today gives a very real example of just how much Jesus cares. Soon after he had healed the servant of the Roman centurion, Jesus and his disciples traveled toward a town called Nain. As they approached the town gate, they met a funeral procession with a young man was being carried out. He was the only son of his mother, who was a widow. She was very sad because she was left with no one to care for her. When Jesus saw her, his heart was touched and he said to her, "Don't cry."

Jesus cares about our feelings, just like he cared about the widow's feelings. He knows when we are sad, and he wants to help us feel better. Sometimes, we might feel like nobody cares about us, but Jesus always cares. He is always there to listen to our prayers and to comfort us when we are feeling down.

Then Jesus walked over to the coffin and touched it. "Young man, get up!" The young man sat up and began to talk. Jesus gave him back to his mother and the young man and his mother turned around and went back home. Now, that is a great example of just how much Jesus cares about people!

Jesus cares for you and me too. The prophet Ezekiel said, "The soul that sins will surely die." Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die." Jesus cared so much for you and me that he died on a cross so that we might have eternal life.

Not only does Jesus care about our feelings, but he also cares about our actions. When we make mistakes or do things that are wrong, Jesus still cares about us. He wants to help us learn from our mistakes and become better people. We can always turn to Jesus when we need guidance or forgiveness.

Jesus cares about our friends and family too. He wants us to show love and kindness to the people around us, just like he showed love and kindness to the widow and her son. When we treat others with respect and care, we are showing them that Jesus cares about them too.

It's important to remember that Jesus cares about every part of our lives, no matter how big or small. He cares about our schoolwork, our hobbies, and even our favorite toys. Jesus wants us to be happy and to enjoy the things that we love.

We can also show Jesus that we care about him by spending time with him. We can pray, read the Bible, and go to church to learn more about Jesus and his love for us. When we take the time to grow closer to Jesus, we can feel his love and care even more.

So, when you're feeling sad or lonely, remember that Jesus cares about you. He is always there to help you and to comfort you. And when you're happy and full of joy, remember to thank Jesus for his love and care. He is always with us, and he wants us to share his love with others.

Let's pray together. Father, we thank you for our loving Savior, Jesus Christ. We are thankful that no matter what difficulties we may face in life, we can say with confidence, "Oh yes, He cares, I know He cares!" Help us to remember that Jesus cares about every part of our lives and to share his love with others. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.

Citation: Osbeck, Kenneth W. 101 More Hymn Stories. Grand Rapids, MI; Kregel Publications, 1985. Print.