The Big Idea
Sin is a simple word but a difficult concept. Through a science experiment and discussion of “bad choices” we explore how God created humans to be in relationship with him, but our sin gets in the way. We explore how all people sin, but Jesus was God’s master plan to let us be close to him again.
Music
Songs at the start:
- All through history -(including the verse that says “Jesus died to take away our sin”) – Nick and Becky Drake
- God you’re so good – Passion
Song in the middle:
- In Christ alone – Stuart Townend
Song at the end:
- Light of the world – Tim Hughes
- God you’re so good (chorus only) – Passion
Other songs you could consider:
- Love divine – Charles Wesley
- Before the throne of God above – Charitie Lees Smith
- Here is love, vast as the ocean – William Rees
- Sign your cross – Nick and Becky Drake
- O for a thousand tongues to sing – Charles Wesley
- Shine from the inside out – Powerpack
Activity
Demonstrate a simple science activity on sin and the impact it has on us and Jesus. This can be made interactive through questions for the congregation, or by allowing a volunteer to help, depending on the age of your congregation.
You will need:
- Three clear jugs or cups
- White paper
- Water
- Food colouring
- Thin bleach
- A pipette
Stick some white paper onto the back side of three clear cups/jugs. Label one PEOPLE and fill it halfway with water. Label one SIN and fill it halfway with water and a dark food colouring. Label the last one JESUS and half fill it with clear bleach.
Start by explaining that God created us as perfect. Show the cup of plain water.
Then talk about how sin entered the world. Show the cup of coloured water.
Ask people to call out different ways in which we sin. As they do, use the pipette to drop some coloured water from the SIN cup into the PEOPLE cup until the water changes colour.
Then introduce the idea that our sin keeps us apart from God, so God sent Jesus. Show the cup labelled Jesus.
Explain that Jesus lived a human life like us, but was perfect and couldn’t be touched by sin. Use the pipette to drop some of the coloured water from the SIN cup into the cup marked JESUS and see how the liquid remains clear.
Finally explain that, on the cross, Jesus took away all sin and when we become friends with Jesus he makes us clean. Pour some of the liquid from the JESUS cup into the PEOPLE cup and see how it becomes clear again.
NOTE: Practice this beforehand. There is a balance to be struck between having a good colour in the SIN cup so it colours the PEOPLE water, and having it too dark to saturate the JESUS cup so the illusion becomes ineffective.
Readings
Luke 23:26-27, 32-34
Talk
It’s not easy to talk about sin and also keep things accessible for all ages. In the talk, we explore how sin can be likened to “bad choices.” We look at what punishment was like in Jesus’ time and see how we all deserve to be punished for sin, but that Jesus chose to take our punishment for us. Through two quotes on friendship (one old, one new), we see how Jesus’ punishment becomes ours when we invite him to be our friend, and how this allows both us and Jesus to “shine.” In the end, we see that God’s love and forgiveness are greater than our sin and guilt, so we can be made new.
A full transcript is available.
Response
As always, we suggest multiple ways to respond.
Offer a quiet space where people can sit in prayer. If you can, provide a couple of people who can pray for/with people who may need it.
Invite people to write their sin on a piece of paper and nail it to a cross (we pre-drilled some holes that the nails would slide into, with a snug fit). As they do, they can reflect that our sins are taken from us through the power of the cross.
For a different way of illustrating this, pre-soak a piece of white/cream fabric in a bleach solution. Fill some spray bottles with water mixed with food colouring. As people spray this onto the fabric, they will be able to see their “sin” removed from them. This can also be a way to offer forgiveness. Test this ahead of time, it takes a surprising amount of food colouring to make a solution that shows clearly when sprayed.
Offer a station with some muddy stones and bowls of water. As people wash the stones, they can talk about how we are like the muddy stones and Jesus makes us clean.