There are five instances recorded in Scripture when Jesus got angry.
Instance one - one Sabbath, Jesus was in the synagogue.
There was a man there with a shriveled hand. The Pharisees were waiting quietly to see what Jesus would do. Would He heal the man on a Sabbath day?
Jesus asked them - “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save a life or to kill?” (Mark 3:4) The Pharisees did not answer. That upset Jesus. He was upset at their lack of love for a hurting person.
Instance two - the cleansing of the temple.
Jesus entered the temple and saw merchants profiting. He turned over their tables and started lashing at them with a whip (John 2).
Instance three - leprosy.
A leper ran up to Jesus and begged for healing. Jesus became angry. He reached out and healed the man. He was angry at the sickness (Mark 1:41)
Instance four - standing at a friend's grave.
The Bible tells us in John 11:33 that Jesus was "deeply moved." This word conveys intense feelings of indignation. Jesus was angry about death. He cares for people more than anything else and it showed in this instance.
Instance five - the disciples didn't value children.
One day, Jesus was preaching and teaching. Many parents brought their children to be blessed by Him. The disciples didn't like this. In their eyes, Jesus had more important things to do than minister to children. They started chasing the children away from Jesus.
When Jesus saw this happening, he became "indignant." He was very upset. He rebuked the disciples. Children were very important to Jesus. A top priority.
He uttered these words.
“Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”
Then he took the children in his arms and blessed them.
Children's ministry is very important to Jesus. It should be important to us as well.
When you welcome children, you welcome the blessings of Jesus.
If you want your church to reach people and grow, then children's ministry must be a top priority.
Children should have the best physical space in the church. Not stuck in the back hallway in a moldy room.
The children's ministry budget should be one of the highest line items in the church budget.
Children's ministry should have committed volunteers serving.
Children's ministry should have the largest number of staff.
Churches should make sharing the Gospel with children a top priority.
Does your children's ministry cause Jesus to smile?
