Description
Let the Children Come to Me
The Pop-up Comic book | LET THE CHILDREN COME TO ME
Scene 1: Jesus teaches the crowds
During the years of His ministry on this earth, Jesus taught many wonderful and miraculous things. Jesus’ teachings brought joy to those who were sad and comfort to those who were crying. He lifted the spirits of those who were struggling to accomplish their dreams and led those who were lost in their wrongdoing to the right path so that they could receive life. Because of these things, the amount of people following Jesus increased every day. They brought others along to follow after Him one after another. The largest crowd that ever followed Jesus to hear His teachings that the Bible records was over fifteen thousand people.
One day, everyone in the region of Judea beyond the Jordan was suddenly caught up in excitement because Jesus was passing through. Everyone was talking with each other about Jesus, the Savior that the Israelites were waiting for. They talked and shared with each other all the great and mighty miracles and miraculous healings that Jesus performed. Everyone wanted and wished that their turn would come so they could see Him with their own eyes, listen to His teachings with their own ears, and to be in His presence – to be near Him.
When fathers heard that He had come, they stopped their work in the fields. When mothers heard the news that He had come, they stopped their work in the kitchen. They gathered up whatever bread, fruit, and vegetables they had in the house to take with them because they wanted to bring their children to meet Jesus and ask Him to bless their children.
Scene 2: Parents bring their children, but the disciples stop them
Though rushed and exhausted, they didn’t mind one bit as long as they could meet Jesus, and especially as long as He blessed their children. When they arrived, Jesus had already started teaching. After He was finished speaking, He performed miracles and healed those who were sick too.
“Oh, if my kids could just get near so that Jesus would bless them! What a miraculous blessing that would be!”
And then the crowd set forth many questions for Jesus. Questions about family, the Law, spiritual matters, and more. After making their way through the crowd for a little bit, they finally reached where Jesus was standing.
“Finally! You can do it kids! We’re almost to Jesus, and mom and dad will ask Him to bless you!”
But when they were almost there, the disciples stopped them.
“C’mon, what do these guys think they’re doing? Jesus is teaching a huge crowd of thousands of people, and a couple of small kids are gonna bother Him?!”
The disciples stopped the parents and said,
“Don’t let your children bother Jesus.”
When they heard this, their children, who had been restless in their mothers’ arms because of the excitement of it all, probably now became still out of fear or sadness. We can be pretty sure that their parents were very sad, because just like everyone else there, they wanted their kids to get close to Jesus so that He would bless them. So they tried to convince the disciples and beg them to let their children close:
“Please let us and our kids meet Jesus, just real quick! He’s right there, we just want to ask Him to bless our kids.”
“I’m sorry, we can’t. If you bring your children to the Teacher now it’ll only bother Him. We told you already. You can’t meet Him.”
The Bible records that the disciples “rebuked” the parents. What does “rebuke” mean? To rebuke is to scold, to be upset, or even to yell at someone in anger. And when should someone rebuke someone else? That’s when someone does something wrong, misunderstands the situation, or does something irrational and bizarre. What were they thinking trying to shove their kids into the mix with so many important things needing to be shared with all of the smart people here in a crowd of ten thousand something people?
Scene 3: Jesus comes over to the disciples, parents, and little children
The noise of the conversation along with the shoving and pulling reached Jesus’ ears, and He was very sad and upset. He went over to the parents and their children. Who was He upset at? The little children, right? They were being too loud! But surprisingly, He stood before the disciples and said: – “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God.”
Oh, Jesus said that little children can come to God? Little children can tell adults to not hinder them from coming to God? And Jesus said something else about heaven too? Ah, heaven is for little children, and only those who are like little children can enter heaven. God made heaven for little children and God uses little children to teach adults about the way to get to heaven.
“Let the children come to Me” is everything the parents and their kids wanted to hear, and they heard it all right.
They wanted to shout out: “Oh yeah!” They ran to Jesus, leaving the disciples confused about what their Teacher just said.
“Why would the Teacher spend His time with those kids at a time like this?!”
Scene 4: Jesus held the children in His arms and blessed them
Having just finished saying those words, Jesus went over to the children, picked them up, and gave them a big hug. Not only so, He placed His hands on them and blessed them. God values children. You are all very important to Him.
