The story of Jesus walking on water in Matthew 14 can teach Sunday school kids how Jesus keeps them afloat in real life. Kids love water, and this “amazing maze game” will let their imaginations get all wet.
The Bible story of Jesus Walking on Water
Immediately after Jesus fed the crowd of five thousand, he told his disciples to leave in their boat while he dismissed the crowds. After he said goodbye to the crowd, which must have taken a while, he went up into a mountain to pray.
In the meantime, his disciples had taken the boat far away from land, and a fierce storm broke out. The boat was beaten, and they were tossed about. They were already in a state of panic, so the next thing that happened almost put them over the edge! Matthew 14:25-32 (ESV) says, “And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, ‘It is a ghost!’ and they cried out in fear. But immediately, Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid’.
“And Peter answered him, ‘Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.’ He said, ‘Come.’ So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, ‘Lord, save me.’ Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, ‘O you of little faith, why did you doubt?’ And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.”
Peter and the other disciples were terrified in the storm, and terrified by what they saw coming on the water. But when they realized it was Jesus, their fears were replaced by faith, faith so strong that Peter actually stepped out of the boat and walked on water too! But, he took his eyes off Jesus, allowed fear to creep back in, and began to sink. However, in the midst of the storm, he called out to Jesus, and He saved him and calmed the storm. This Jesus walks on water activity will help your Sunday school class understand the importance of keeping their eyes on Jesus in the midst of life’s storms.
Walking on Water Maze
For this activity, you will need two toilet paper rolls glued together to form binoculars and various classroom objects (chairs, tables, easels, etc).
Before you begin, arrange the classroom objects around the room so that they form a maze. Try to add as many turns as you can and maybe even some dead ends! Divide your kids so they each have a partner. Give one child the binoculars and tell them they must go through the maze with the binoculars up, acting as blinders to the sides of the maze. The partner without binoculars will enter the maze first, and stay a few steps ahead of the other. Tell the child with binoculars that to make it through the maze, he must keep his eyes fixed on his partner and follow him through. If he doesn’t, he will bump into the sides and “sink”. If he “sinks,” his partner may come back and take his hand to guide him the rest of the way out. Make sure to take turns so that every child gets a chance with the binoculars!
Explain the Lesson Behind the Maze
Sometimes young children don’t make the connection to this story and their own lives. Explain to them that sometimes in life, they may experience difficult times, like “storms”. Although they will never have the chance to really “walk on water”, if they keep their eyes fixed on Jesus, they can make it through all of life’s storms.