This Children’s Sermon will teach kids about Jesus and Nicodemus. It’s based on John 3:1-17. The Bible object lesson teaches about being Born Again and the new life possible in Jesus. Download the teachers notes, watch our Children’s Message example, and gather your supplies. Then you’re ready to share this message in your church next Sunday, March 8, 2020.
“Born Again” Children’s Sermon
Object Lesson on the Jesus and Nicodemus from John 3:1-17
Children’s Message: Born
Again
Questions from Nicodemus, and
Salvation through Faith
Main Objective: The Christian concept of being “born again” is a bit strange-sounding, if thought of in a literal sense. It can be challenging to explain to young children especially. The goal here is to communicate that through faith in Christ, we receive new life and hope in the resurrection. We are made new in Him.
Law/Gospel Theme: God loved the world so much that He sent Jesus! The blessed and beautiful truth of the Gospel is that we do not have to do anything special in order to receive new life. We only have to believe and receive free salvation!
Object Lesson Props & Optional Materials: Baby pictures of celebrities (or people in the church!)
Bible Passage: John 3:1-17
More Ideas for teaching about Jesus and Nicodemus
- Jesus and Nicodemus Sunday School Lesson
- Nicodemus Seeks Jesus Bible Lesson for Kids
- Nicodemus Coloring Page
- Born Again Sunday School Lesson
- Jesus and Nicodemus Crafts for Sunday School
Message Note: As with most messages, the details of how you choose to communicate this are adaptable and should cater to timing as well as to your audience and student needs. Use your judgment and ideas to best serve students.
Children’s Sermon: Jesus and Nicodemus
Greet the children, and invite them to consider famous people they know of. (Allow responses for questions…) Do you know any famous celebrities? Who are some people that you can think of who might be famous, or very well-known? If you met someone famous, would you want to ask them questions? I think I would…
Well, I have here some pictures of famous people. I wonder if you can identify who they might be. One by one, hold up baby pictures of celebrities or historical figures. It might help to also have an adult picture, to explain who those babies grew up to be.
Now, those baby photos don’t look much like the current pictures, do they? And you wouldn’t expect these people to go back to being babies, right? That would be strange.
In our Gospel story today, someone was confused by this concept, because he heard that he should be “born again.” There was a man named Nicodemus, and he worked for the church. He was probably pretty important. He had heard about Jesus, and wanted to ask Him some questions about who He was and what He was doing. He came to Jesus at night time, and started asking Him how He was doing the things He did.
Jesus told Nicodemus that he needed to be born again, and Nicodemus had a hard time understanding that. Was he supposed to shrink down and become a tiny baby all over again? How could that happen? Jesus explained that this was a different kind of birth. We have physical bodies and physical birth, but being born again happens through the Holy Spirit.
Jesus meant that faith gives us new life. We become a new creation and have a special kind of “birth” that saves us eternally. Do you know what we have to do to receive this? Nothing! All we have to do is believe it, and trust in God.
We accept His free gift of salvation and receive eternal life. Jesus told Nicodemus that God loved us so much He gave up His son. What a beautiful gift! That message wasn’t just for Nicodemus. It’s for us, too!
All we have to do is believe and receive that new life. We can be “born again”, too! Why don’t we thank God for that right now?
Children’s Prayer Moment
(Have kids repeat each line)
Dear God,
Thank you for sending Jesus to save us
Thank you that we can have new life, and be born again
Help us remember that every day
Thank you for your love
We love you, God!
In Jesus name, Amen!
John 3:1-17 (NIV) Jesus and Nicodemus
3 Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2 He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”
3 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” 4 “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”
5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
9 “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.
10 “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? 11 Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. 12 I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? 13 No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. 14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.