Jesus Turns the Water into Wine (John 2:1-11)

Our preacher for the wedding is holding the Bible.  
Our groom looks a bit love struck.
The bride is off stage.

Digital Resources 

• Saddleback Kids
• The Beginner's Bible - Begins with an ad.  Also, skip to 1:28 once video begins.
•  The Beginner's Bible App - This app is good for several reasons.  As the text is read, each word is highlighted, so it's excellent for beginning readers.  This is an app version of The Beginner's Bible, so it's good to have the printed book for kids to use at home too. In class we wait until the text has been read and then take turns with the interactive parts.
• Bible for Kids App - no story yet

Print Resources

• Pictures of a wedding that include bride, groom, preacher. 
• Pictures of a wedding reception that include bride and groom and others at the reception holding something to drink.
• The Cat's Story Jesus at the Wedding by Nick Butterworth and Mick Inkpen (Story of Jesus' first miracle from a cat's point of view)
• The Beginner's Bible, "Jesus First Miracle," page 314

Prop Resources

• Small cups - one for each child and for demo.   
• Small plastic bags - one for each child and for demo.
• 3 grapes for each child’s bag.

Activities

• Show pictures of a wedding, pointing out the bride, the groom, and the preacher.  Take turns letting children identify those people.
• Show pictures of a wedding reception with bride and groom holding something to drink and all the people at the party. 
• Explain that wine (vocab) is like juice.
• Give each child a small cup with a little water in it.  Remind them that Jesus turned water into wine.  Dialog: Can we do that?  Let's just wait and watch.  Anyone's water turn into wine yet?
• Demonstrate filling one cup to the brim (vocab).  Dialog:  Jesus had the men fill 6 big jars up to the brim with water.  Do you see how the water is round on top?  "To the brim" means putting as much water in as you can, all the way to the top, without spilling over.
• Give each child a baggie with 3 grapes in it.  Children will squish the juice out of the grapes.  While they are doing that, explain that in order to make wine, people have to squish juice out of grapes.  Jesus didn't have to do that because he is God's Son!  People have to wait a long time before the juice turns into wine.  Jesus didn't have to wait because he is God's Son! As we examine our "juice progress" I remind them that Jesus needed enough wine for everyone at the wedding reception.  Could we ever make enough juice for everyone at church?!
• The men who filled the jars did exactly what Jesus told them to do.  We are supposed to do that too because Jesus is God's Son.  Play "The Little Children Come Unto Me" which is like Simon Says only we say Jesus Says.  
• Sing the "You can't kiss a dinosaur right between the eyes, but you can be happy if you want to" song.  Dialog:  We can be happy if we do what Jesus wants us to do.  How do we know what Jesus and God want us to do?  We read the Bible and learn our Bible stories.

Vocabulary

• to the brim
• wedding
• wedding reception
• groom
• bride
• wine