Deep and Wide

After his resurrection, when Jesus appeared to his disciples, Thomas wasn't there. When Thomas heard about it, he couldn't believe it.  He told the others that unless Jesus met certain conditions, he would not believe. Jesus came again, a week later. Did Thomas believe this time?

On the third day after Jesus had died, his disciples were hiding in a locked room. They were afraid of being arrested, too! But suddenly, Jesus is with them in the room. Is it really him, or a ghost? 

Two men were walking to Emmaus after Jesus died. They were so sad. A stranger came up behind them and asked them what they were talking about. Then the stranger explained that what happened to Jesus was actually God's plan. Don't be sad! Jesus is alive! 

After Jesus is resurrected, he tells his friends he will meet them at the lake.  When they get there, they go fishing but don't catch anything. Then a man tells them to put their net on the right side of the boat. They catch a lot! Now they know it's Jesus on the shore.  He's there to show them what he wants them to do. Let's see what Jesus does now. 

Jesus took our punishment on the cross. When he had finished taking all our punishment, he said, "It is finished," and his spirit left his body. He was dead. His friends laid him in a tomb. They rolled a big stone in front of the entrance and posted guards to make sure nobody stole his body. But three days later, his body was gone! What happened?

Some of the Jewish leaders were jealous of Jesus. They didn't want people to follow him. If all the people followed Jesus, who would follow them? They wouldn't be important anymore. So they called the guards and had Jesus arrested, even though he didn't do anything wrong. Jesus didn't defend himself. He didn't argue. It was God's plan for Jesus to be the Passover lamb. If Jesus died for us, then we wouldn't have die. 

Jesus was taken to the Roman governor Pontius Pilate, because the Jewish leaders wanted Jesus to die. Pilate was the one who could have Jesus crucified for them. Pilate questioned Jesus - was Jesus a king? What had Jesus done to deserve death? Was Jesus telling the truth?

Jesus had one last meal with his friends before he got arrested. He told his friends that when the guards came for him, they would all run away. But Peter couldn't believe it! He told Jesus he would stay with him, and even die with him. But Jesus knew that Peter would be too scared. Who is right? How much does Peter love Jesus, really?

After the last supper, Jesus took his disciples to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. Jesus didn't want to die. He asked his Father for some other way. But soon, Judas came with the officers to arrest Jesus. It was dark, and the power of darkness was at work to kill Jesus. 

Jesus ate the Passover dinner with his disciples. During the dinner, Jesus told his friends that he was going to make a new way for God and people to be friends. His body was going to break, and his blood was going to be poured out as a sacrifice for our sin. 

When Jesus and his disciples gathered for their last supper, there was no one there to wash their feet. Jesus showed his love by being the servant, and washing their feet. Peter didn't want Jesus to do it, but Jesus told him to accept it. It wasn't that Peter was so dirty, but we all need Jesus to forgive us, and love us, every day. 

When Jesus was watching people put their offerings into the temple treasury, he saw one woman put in more than anybody else. He told his disciples about it. She had only put in two cents, but that was all she had. 

When Jesus arrived at the temple in Jerusalem, he was angry about what he saw. Instead of praying, people were using the temple to make money! They were buying and selling animals, and changing peoples' money. He made a whip and scared all the animals away, and tipped over the tables of money. 

Long ago, God picked Jesus to be the king. Jesus would be a good king. He was kind and gentle and never did anything wrong. When it was time to enter Jerusalem, he rode a donkey. The people waved palm branches, and the little children shouted out their praises. His enemies told Jesus to tell the children to be quiet. 

Nicodemus had questions. He wondered if Jesus could really be the Messiah! If Jesus wasn't from God, there is no way he could do the miracles he did. If Jesus was the king, would Jesus let Nicodemus be a part of the kingdom, too? Nicodemus thought that the way to get into God's kingdom was by keeping all the rules. But Jesus explained that there is another way. 

When Jesus had dinner with his friends, Mary took some expensive perfume and poured it out on his head and his feet. Judas was angry. He said they should have sold the perfume and given the money to the poor.  But Jesus defended her. He knew he would die soon, and the perfume was to help prepare his body for burial. 

When Mary and Martha's brother got sick, they sent Jesus a message. They expected that he would come and heal him. Instead, Jesus stayed where he was. A few days later, Lazarus was dead. Jesus said Lazarus was sleeping, and he would go now, and wake Lazarus up. 

Jesus took three of his disciples up on a high mountain. When they reached the top, Jesus was transfigured. His face was shining like the sun, and even his clothes were bright like lightning. Two men appeared, Moses, and Elijah, and talked to him about what would happen when his spirit left his body, his physical death that was going to happen in Jerusalem.  The disciples were very frightened. Then a cloud came and covered them. What was in that cloud?

Jesus asked his disciples, "Who do people say that I am?" Some people thought that he was John the Baptist. Some people thought he was Elijah. Some people thought that he was one of the ancient prophets. But Peter said, "You are the Messiah." Jesus told Peter that he was right. But he also told his disciples not to tell anyone about it. God had a secret plan. 

Jesus knew all about Zacchaeus. He knew that Zacchaeus was stealing from people, but Jesus let Zacchaeus know that he was forgiven. What will Zacchaeus do now?

A young ruler asked Jesus what he should do to make sure that God would accept him as good enough to live forever. Jesus told him to keep all the commandments. And then there was just one more thing he had to do...

Jesus told a story about a rich and generous king. One of his servants owed him millions of dollars, and the king forgave him. He didn't have to pay him back. But when that servant went out, he found someone who owed him about a hundred dollars. He took hold of him and started choking him!  He was an unforgiving servant. He did not forgive. He put the man who owed him money in jail. Uh-oh. When the king hears what he did, he is angry! 

In Mark chapter 8, Jesus heals a blind man.  At first, when the man looks up he says the people look like trees. Jesus laid his hands on the man's eyes again, and this time when he opened his eyes he could see clearly! 

Near the Sea of Galilee crowds of people followed Jesus up on the mountainside. They brought people who were sick, who were blind, and people who couldn't talk, and laid them at Jesus' feet. He healed them. Then, instead of sending them away hungry, he distributed seven loaves of bread and a few fish to the whole crowd. They all ate as much as they wanted, and afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of leftovers. When Jesus did something, he did it because of his faith in the Father. He knew God wanted to heal people and feed people. But he told his disciples to watch out for people who were just pretending. 

In Luke 13, Jesus describes the kingdom of God to a tree that grows from a very small mustard seed. When it grows, it's big enough for birds to perch in the branches! It's also like a tiny grain of yeast. Although it's small, when it gets put into warm water it multiplies. It grows so fast that it can puff up sixty pounds of flour. The kingdom of God may start small, but it spreads and gradually changes into something that has the power to change things. 

In Mark 7, a man is brought to Jesus who was deaf and could hardly talk. The crowd begged Jesus to heal him. Jesus takes him away from the crowd. He puts his fingers in the man's ears. Then he spits, and touches his tongue. He spoke to the man and said, "Be opened." Did it work? How did Jesus do that?

Jesus taught his disciples what to pray about. We pray for God to provide our food. We ask him to forgive us, and remember that we forgive other people, too. We ask him to lead us to make good decisions.  He's the boss of us.  And that's a good thing!

Jesus taught his disciples a way to pray. We get to call God our Father, because he is our Father in heaven. We pray that he is respected and honored. We pray for his kingdom to come - that what he wants happens on earth as it does in heaven. 

Jesus told the story about the prodigal son to tell us how much our heavenly father loves us, even when we don't deserve it. The son took his inheritance early and wasted it on parties and wild living. When he came back home, what was his father's reaction?

When Jesus saw a crippled woman in the synagogue he couldn't wait for her to be healed. He told her she was set free, and when he laid his hands on her she was able to straighten up. But it made the leader mad - for someone to be healed on the sabbath day. But what did Jesus say?

In John chapter 6, Jesus calls himself the Bread of Life. When we were dead on the inside, and couldn't get back to God by ourselves, God sent Jesus to make us alive and connected to God again. 

Mary is sitting at Jesus' feet with the other people, listening to every word Jesus is saying. Martha is in the kitchen, making a meal for their guests. Martha wants Mary to help her. But when she asks Jesus to tell Mary to help, he surprises her. Doesn't Jesus care about Martha?

Jesus tells a story about a man who was hurt. He got jumped on by robbers who took his money and even his clothes. They left him by the side of the road. Who will hellp him? 

A man in the crowd approached Jesus and begged him to help. His son had lost control of his body! He sometimes fell into fires, or into water. The man had asked the disciples to expel the demon that was causing this, but they couldn't do it. When Jesus spoke to the demon, it left right away. But why couldn't his disciples do it?

Jesus sent his disciples away in a boat. It was time to cross the lake. But Jesus didn't have a boat, so he started walking toward the boat. How did he do that? He believed that when God told him to do something he would have the power to do it. He walked by faith. When Peter saw Jesus, he wanted to walk on the water too. Can he do it?

Jesus gave his disciples power over demons and over disease. He sent them out to different villages to tell people about the kingdom of God. Their words were like seeds that found a place in people's hearts. Where their words were received, the kingdom of God came. If people didn't want to hear it, then the disciples were free to leave. 

When Jesus was invited to Simon the Pharisee's house, he wasn't greeted with a kiss, he wasn't offered water for his feet, and he didn't get any perfumed ointment for his head. But when the sinful woman came, she kissed Jesus' feet, and washed them with her hair. Jesus explained her behavior. He told Simon that whoever has a lot of sins forgiven will have a lot more love than someon who is only forgiven for a few sins. 

Have you ever felt like you were too young or too foolish to be important to God? Jesus wants to tell you something in this story. John the Baptist sent messengers to see how Jesus was doing. Jesus was doing everything that God wanted him to do. He was healing the sick, making blind people see, making lame people walk, and even making dead people come back to life. When you recognize Jesus, and agree with God about him, you become born into God's kingdom. God invites people who are like children, and who are foolish to come close to him. 

When Jesus ate with sinners, people who were doing wrong things, it was confusing to people who were being good. They thought he was making a mistake. Jesus told them about finding a lost sheep to explain why he wanted to be with sinners. 

When Jesus crossed the lake, a man came running toward him and fell at his feet. He was full of demons! The demons talked to Jesus and asked him not to send them into the dark pit. They wanted to go into a big herd of pigs that was nearby. Jesus gave them permission, and they all came out of the man.  But what happened to those pigs?

The ten sick men stayed away from Jesus and his friends. They didn't want Jesus to get leprosy. It was an incurable skin disease. But they knew Jesus could heal people, so they yelled, "Jesus, Master, have pity on us!" Jesus didn't touch them, but he yelled back. "Go show yourselves to the priest!" As they were going, they noticed something happening to their skin. What was happening? Can Jesus heal people by yelling at them?

Nicodemus knows that Jesus must be sent by God. He can heal people, feed them, raise people from the dead! 

Jesus took good care of people, like a shepherd takes care of his sheep. When they were out in the field away from home, they didn't have any food. One little boy had brought his lunch. He had five loaves and two fish. Will that be enough for five thousand people?

A blind man was sitting near the road when Jesus was going by. He heard that Jesus could heal people, so he shouted out! Jesus heard him, and called for him to come closer. Jesus asked him what he wanted. He wanted to see. Can Jesus make his eyes get well? 

When Jesus and his friends traveled through Samaria, Jesus stopped by a well. A woman came to draw water, and Jesus asked her for a drink. Normally, Jews and Samaritans don't even talk to each other. Why did he ask her for a drink? Actually, he wanted to give her a very special drink. But how does Jesus get her to trust him?

In Mark chapter 5, the synagogue leader falls at Jesus' feet to beg for his help. If Jesus would come and lay hands on his dying little girl, she would live! Jesus made his way through the crowd to Jairus' house. But before they arrived, messengers came to tell them it was too late. The mourners had already started singing their dirge. But Jesus said to the father, "Don't be afraid. Only believe." Jesus and a few of his disciples entered the house and made the mourners leave. Was the little girl really dead? What can Jesus do?Sound effects from Uppbeat. 

A crowd was following Jesus so closely that they were pressing against him. One woman, Marian, was desperate to get close to Jesus. She thought, "If I can just touch the hem of his robe, I will be healed." She had been bleeding for 12 years, and had spent all her money on doctors. They were not able to help her. In fact she was worse. She threw herself forward and managed to touch his robe. What happened? Did Jesus notice? crowd sounds from bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2025 BBC

Jesus and his disciples had had a long day. Jesus healed so many people! Now, he needed to rest. He told his disciples they were going to the other side of the lake. When he got into the boat, he fell asleep. His disciples were wide awake! A violent storm came up, with wind and waves. They were afraid the boat would sink, so they woke Jesus up. What did Jesus do?

Jesus explained things to people by comparing it to something they already knew. They already knew what happens when a farmer goes out and sows the seed. Some falls on paths, some on rocks, some among weeds, and some on good ground. But what kind of seed is Jesus talking about. The seed is the word that comes from God. If the word grows, it makes God's kingdom come to life!  Can you be a place where God's word grows? 

The Roman army was occupying the land of Israel during the time of Jesus. One of the commanders believed that Jesus could heal his servant. His servant was very sick, paralyzed and close to death. He sent messengers asking Jesus to come to his house. But when Jesus got closer, the centurion sent another message, telling Jesus that he wasn't worthy for Jesus to come. But if Jesus would just say the word, his servant would be healed. How did the centurion know that all Jesus had to do was say it?