57. Jesus Turns Water into Wine
John 2:1-11Background Scripture (read 2-3 times during the week)
Story Summary
This is a short story and is best read directly from the scripture. This is widely recognized as the first miracle Jesus performed as he began his ministry. Also, it is important to note to the students that wedding feasts in this culture were not like the wedding receptions we have today that just last for a couple of hours. These feasts lasted for days and days, and it would have been very embarrassing for a host to not have enough wine to serve the guests for the entire length of the feast.
My Notes
What You Will Need
Snack
wedding cake, red grape juice and/or grapes
Video Options
From Saddleback Kids
From Crossroads Kids. This video includes this miracle as part of a story about how Jesus was like us and wanted to celebrate when there was something to celebrate.
Resource Sheet
This coloring sheet depicts Jesus at the wedding at Cana, where he performed his first public miracle.
1 Warm Up get your kids talking and engaged
Have you ever been to a wedding? Do you remember what you had for a drink there?
Today, we are going to learn about the first miracle that Jesus did when he began his ministry, and it happened when the hosts of a wedding feast ran out of drink to serve their guests!
2 Teach the Story teach a holistic story
Read story from a Children's storybook Bible for younger children.
For older children, read the story from an age-appropriate Children's storybook Bible or read directly from the Bible.
3 Bible Mastery give them basic Bible skills
Scripture for Kids to Read Aloud John 2:1-11
4 Comprehension Questions make sure they understand the story
First, ask the children if they have any questions about the story. What to do if you don't know the answer?
- What was the occasion for the party Jesus was at?
- A wedding
- Where did this take place?
- Cana, in Galilee
- What happened at the party that caused Mary, Jesus' mother, to be concerned?
- The host of the wedding ran out of wine to serve the guests
- What did she do about it?
- She asked Jesus to help
- What did Jesus tell the servants to do?
- Get the six stone water jars that were nearby, ones the Jews used for ceremonial washing, and fill them with water
- What did Jesus do to the water in the stone jars?
- He turned the water into wine
- Why was the master of the banquet impressed?
- Because the wine Jesus made tasted better than the wine he had at the beginning of the feast
- What was the effect of this miracle?
- His disciples believed in him
5 Faith Questions open up a conversation about faith and the gospel; close with prayer
- Jesus showed those at the feast that he was in control of the whole world, even things like water and wine. As a result of his miracle, the disciples believed in Jesus.
- The Bible records these miracles so we can believe in Jesus too. Do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God?
6 Memory Verse hide God's Word in their heart
Fill the jars Relay
- Split class into two teams.
- Give each child a dixie cup.
- Each team should form a line, shoulder to shoulder.
- Place an empty bucket at the end of each line.
- Place a bucket filled with water at the beginning of each line.
- On the word go, the lead person in each line should fill their cup and pour it into the person's cup next to them.
- Continue on down the line and have last person pour water into empty bucket.
- The team with the most water at end of the game time wins!
- If there are only a small number of children, space them apart and have them spaced farther apart and run to each other to fill their cup.
Grape stomping or squishing
- Wine is made from first squishing grapes and allowing it to ferment.
- Allow the students to squish the grapes either with their feet (more fun!) or with their hands.
- Use towels and baby wipes for easy clean up.
- Provide grape juice to drink and grapes to eat!
Wedding Dress Up
- Provide supplies for students to dress up.
- If you do not have dress up materials, the students can make their own.
- Boys can make ties from card stock and string.
- Girls can make bouquets of flowers, using paper or silk flowers.
- Show students a wedding dress, but remind them that the traditional dress during Bible times was much different than today.
- A wedding ceremony was a week long event, in which they served their guests an extravagant feast.
- Provide a small wedding cake or cupcakes decorated with white icing.
Coloring Water into Wine
- Color jars with blue crayon for water.
- Color over the blue with a red crayon to make purple.
- Rub with a piece of paper.
- This activity can also be done using paint.
- Paint blue paint first to represent the water.
- before the blue paint dries, paint over the blue paint with red paint. The colors should mix to make a purple color.
Paper Plate Wine Craft
- Follow directions on link to make it look like the jar is pouring water and wine.
Water into Wine Chemistry Experiment
- Follow the link below for a science experiment using phenolphthalein pH indicator and sodium carbonate.
- You can turn clear water into "wine", and then turn it clear again.