Seeing Is Believing

Today I am going to show you something that I’m not sure you’ll believe. First I am going to take this dollar bill and fold it into thirds. Next, I will take one paper clip and clip the top section of the dollar to the middle section. Now I will take the other paper clip and clip the bottom section to the middle section. Before I put the paper clips onto the bill, they were separate. But when I pull on the two ends of the dollar bill, they’re going to jump off the bill and connect themselves. Do you believe me? (Pause.) Let’s try it! (Pull the ends of the bills to make the paper clips jump off, then show kids that the paper clips became connected.)

I need you to help me tell what happened in the Bible. Whenever you hear the word “believe,” please make this motion. (Mouth wide open and hands beside sides of face.)

That’s cool, isn't it? Now that you have seen it, do you believe (Pause.) it? Sometimes we must see something before we believe (Pause.) it, don't we?

It was like that for some people in the Bible, too. On the evening of the first Sunday after Jesus had been crucified, His disciples were together in a locked room. They were afraid of those who had crucified Jesus. Suddenly, Jesus appeared there in the locked room with the disciples. It was hard to believe (Pause.), but they saw Him, and Jesus showed them His wounds in His hands and His side, so they knew it was Him.

One of the disciples, Thomas, was not with the others when Jesus appeared to them. When they told Thomas, he didn’t believe (Pause.) them. He had seen Jesus crucified and buried. How could He be alive? Thomas said, "Unless I see the wound in His side and put my finger in the holes where the nails were in His hands, I will not believe (Pause.) it!"

A week later, the disciples were in the locked room again, and this time, Thomas was with them. Again, Jesus came and stood among the disciples. Jesus said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe (Pause.)."

Thomas fell on his knees and answered Jesus, "My Lord and my God!"

Jesus said to him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed (Pause.); blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed (Pause.)."

You and I have never seen Jesus with our own eyes. The question is, will we be one of those who is blessed because we believe (Pause.), even though we have not seen?

Kids can stop making the believe motion now.

Dear God, help us to believe in our heart the truths we find in Your Holy Word, even though we have not seen them with our own eyes. In Jesus' name, amen.