Big idea

King David runs away from home, and weeps for his own sin. King Jesus weeps, before he took the punishment for our sin to welcome us home.

All Ages Activity

David’s terrible sin has flowed down into his own family. The sad story of David and his son Absalom shows this.

Find this video on YouTube and watch it as a family or growth group.

Bible Theater: 2 Samuel – Absalom Betrays David by LifeKids

Bible passage

In the middle of this sad story, David runs away from his son. As he does this we find him crying on the Mount of Olives because of the mess his family has become (2 Sam 15:30). The Mount of Olives is just outside Jerusalem and is the same place that many years later Jesus would weep as it became time for him to die on a cross.

Read about Jesus also weeping in Luke 22:39-44

Discussion:

Our families can be messy sometimes and it is very sad. David’s family had very sad stuff happen in it. David’s own son went to war with his dad – very sad indeed! And the consequences was death and more sadness.

We see Jesus weeping in the same place David wept. Jesus wept because of the cross – the consequence he had to face because of the sad sin of us all. But unlike David there is not a sad ending. Jesus would triumph over death and sadness for us all. Jesus is the true king worth following.

Prayer idea

Get everyone to write down some sad things in their life on a small piece of paper.

Get each person in your family or growth group to thank Jesus for dying and rising so that one day there will be no sadness any more.

Finish by praying that you can all live with Jesus as our true king.