The Disappearing Spot

This is more of an object lesson magic trick for young children up through Jr. High age. It requires some preparation. The needed items are:

two large clear jars or containers
a white handkerchief
iodine
sodium sulphite (which can be purchased where photography developing supplies are sold)
water

The preparation is to put water in both jars, and in one jar pour in some sodium sulphite, stirring it until completely dissolved. Make sure your hands are washed clean before performing the trick because I have ruined it due to having sodium sulphite crystals on my hand.

The handkerchief represents us and the iodine sin. Every time we sin it stains us. (Put some iodine on the handkerchief.) As we go through life we do more bad things and get more stains. (More iodine, it is okay to put a lot.) The Bible says that we all sin. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23).

No one would want to use a dirty handkerchief like this. Look, even my hands are getting stained from it. This is how we look to God. Our sin makes it so that we are apart from Him. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear (Isa 59:2).

Some people do things to try and clean themselves up, but it does not work. (Put the handkerchief in the normal water. It will just get iodine colored as well.) All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags (Isa 64:6).

But God made a way for us to be clean. He sent Jesus to live, die, and rise from the dead to take away our sins. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all (Isa 53:5). (Put the handkerchief into the prepared water solution). In fact, He did not just die for my sins, He died for the sins of the whole world. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole word (1 John 2:2). (Pour some of the water solution into the iodine tainted water.) It is just like being brand new. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! (2 Cor. 5:17).

If you want to be new and have God take away your stains of sin then you must believe that Jesus’ sacrifice is what can do it. That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved (Rom 10:9-10, 13).

This lesson can also be adapted to speaking about Christians being salt in the world, as sodium sulphite is a salt. Also, DO NOT LET ANYONE DRINK THE WATER and remember some people are allergic to iodine.