Open the Word: Jesus came down to the water
Matthew 3.13-17: A way to tell the story followed by ideas for discussion time
Explain that the story takes place in a river. To enhance the experience, tell the story using a parachute. Invite half the children to lie down quietly and close their eyes beneath the parachute, while the other half gently wafts the parachute up and down above them. Release the parachute on the word ‘dove’. Ask the children to change places and tell the story again.
The story can be found here.
Talk about
After reading the Bible story to your group, gather everyone on top of the parachute and use these discussion points.
- What might it feel like to go under the water and come back up again?
- How do you think people felt before and after they were baptised?
- How do you think John felt when Jesus asked to be baptised?
With young people
Ideas to explore the Bible reading here.