Healing at the Pool of Bethesda Preschool Lesson
Preschool lesson (ages 3–6, 20 minutes)
1. Welcome (3 min)
Sit in a circle, greet every child by name and show one thing from the story to touch.
2. The little story (5 min)
Teach the refrain first: “Jesus saw him, and Jesus cared.”
Jesus went up to the big city of Jerusalem. It was the time of a feast – a big holiday for God’s people. Many people came to the city.
In Jerusalem, near the Sheep Gate, there was a pool of water. It was called Bethesda. All around the pool were five porches. A porch is a place with a roof. You can rest there in the shade. Let’s count the porches: one, two, three, four, five!
Many sick people lay in the porches. Some could not see. Some could not walk. Some could not move at all. They were all waiting for the water to move.
At certain times, an angel went down into the pool. The angel stirred up the water. Swish, swish! Can you stir the water with your hand? The first one to step in after that was made well.
One man there had been sick for thirty-eight years. Thirty-eight years! That is a very, very long time. He lay there on his mat, by the pool.
Then Jesus came by. Jesus saw him lying there. Jesus knew he had been sick for a long time. Jesus saw him, and Jesus cared.
Jesus asked him, “Do you want to be made well?”
The man said, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool. When the water is stirred up, I try to go. But while I’m coming, another steps down before me.” Maybe the man felt very alone.
What do you think Jesus did? Jesus did not carry him to the water. He said to him, “Arise, take up your mat, and walk.” Arise means get up.
And right away, the man was made well! He picked up his mat. He walked! Step, step, step. Can you roll up a pretend mat and walk with it? Jesus saw him, and Jesus cared.
That day was the Sabbath. The Sabbath was God’s day of rest. On that day, God’s people did not do their work.
Some leaders saw the man with his mat. They said, “It is the Sabbath. You may not carry the mat.” To them, carrying a mat was work.
The man answered them. “He who made me well said to me, ‘Take up your mat and walk.’” The leaders asked, “Who is the man who said that?” But the man did not know. Jesus had gone away. There was a big crowd in that place.
Later, Jesus found the man in the temple, God’s big house in Jerusalem. Jesus said to him, “Behold, you are made well.” Behold means look. Jesus saw him, and Jesus cared.
Now the man knew who had helped him. He went and told the leaders. It was Jesus who had made him well!
He had been sick for thirty-eight years. He had no one to help him into the pool. Then Jesus came. And Jesus made him well with just a few words.
Jesus sees the ones nobody else helps. He sees you too, all snug in your bed tonight. Jesus saw him, and Jesus cared.
3. Talk together (3 min)
- How do you think the man felt, waiting by the pool for so many years?
- What do you think the man did first, now that he could walk?
4. Move (3 min)
Refrain Freeze: move around the room; when you say the refrain, everyone freezes and says it together.
5. Make (4 min)
Draw a line to who said it.
6. Verse and prayer (2 min)
“Arise, take up your mat, and walk” — John 5:8 (Arise → stand up tall; take up your mat → pretend to roll up a mat; and walk → march in place)
Dear Jesus, thank you that you see people who are sick and alone. Thank you that you care for me. Amen.
Lesson for older kids (ages 6–10)
Big idea: Jesus sees you and cares
Memory verse: “Jesus said to him, "Arise, take up your mat, and walk."” — John 5:8 · WEB
The Bible story
By a mysterious pool in Jerusalem, one man had waited thirty-eight years to be well — until a gentle Stranger stopped and asked him a wonderful question.
Talk about it
- What was the name of the special pool in Jerusalem? — Bethesda
- How many covered porches did the pool have? — Five
- Why did people wait by the pool? — Hoping to be healed
- How long had one man been unwell? — Thirty-eight years
- Who came walking among the porches? — Jesus
- What question did Jesus ask the man? — Do you want to get well?
Where is Jesus in this story?
After healing the man at Bethesda, Jesus said that the Son gives life to whoever He wants, just as the Father does (John 5:21). The pool seemed to offer one chance, to one person, once in a while. Jesus promised something far bigger: whoever hears His word and believes has already crossed over from death to life (John 5:24).
What God wants to tell us
This story shows us that Jesus notices the people everyone else walks past. The man had waited so long that he almost gave up hope, but Jesus came right to him, knew his troubles, and helped him. God sees you too, exactly where you are. You never have to be the fastest or the strongest to be loved by Him. When we feel lonely or forgotten, we can remember that Jesus is close, He cares about our hurts, and His love is stronger than any problem we face.
Prayer
Thank You, God, that You see me and love me, even when I feel small or left out. Thank You that Jesus is kind and strong and cares about my hurts. Help me to trust You and to be kind to others who are waiting for help. I love You. Amen.
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