The Peaceable Kingdom

Look at this picture. (Hold up a print of "The Peaceable Kingdom".) Look very carefully at the picture and see if you see anything unusual about it.

What do you see that you think is unusual? (Give the children time to respond.)

Let's name some of the things we see in the picture. (Name the items in the picture, pointing to each one as you name them.) There's a lion, a tiger, a lamb, a cow, a leopard, and a wolf. Look! There are small children in the picture. One of them is petting the lion and tiger.

Have you ever seen that many different kinds of animals all lying down together? Isn't the wolf an enemy of the lamb? Would you walk up and pet a lion or a tiger on the head? I sure wouldn't!

This picture was painted by Edward Hicks. The name of the painting is "The Peaceable Kingdom." Do you know where Edward Hicks got the idea for this painting? He got the idea from the Bible. In Isaiah chapter 11, the prophet Isaiah says, "The wolf and the lamb will live together; the leopard will lie down with the baby goat. The calf and the yearling will be safe with the lion, and a little child will lead them all."

Who do you think the little child is that will lead these enemies into the "Peaceable Kingdom"? That's right! The prophet Isaiah is predicting the coming of Jesus.

During the season of Advent, you and I celebrate the coming of Christ into the world and we look forward to his promise that he will come again. As the prophet Isaiah tells us in today's Bible reading, Jesus brings peace into our world and he wants you and me to live in peace with one another.

Let us pray.

Heavenly Father, today we ask you to help us to live in peace with one another. We praise you as we celebrate the coming of our Savior, the Prince of Peace. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.