The Boy Jesus in the Temple 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: “The grace of God was upon him.”
Jesus grew up in the little town of Nazareth with Mary and Joseph. He grew strong and wise. The grace of God was upon him. That means God’s love and kindness were with him.
Every year Mary and Joseph went to the big city of Jerusalem. They went for a feast – a special holiday for God, called the Passover. Families from all over the land came for it. At the Passover, God’s people remembered how God led them out of Egypt long ago.
When Jesus was twelve years old, he went too. Twelve is a big boy! It was a long walk, up and up to Jerusalem. Can you walk in place with me? Step, step, step.
In Jerusalem stood the temple – God’s house. It was big and beautiful, with high stone walls and wide open courtyards. People came there to pray and to praise God.
When the feast was over, everyone walked home. It was a long way back to Nazareth. Lots of family and friends walked together in a big group. But Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem! Mary and Joseph did not know it. They thought he was with the group.
They walked for a whole day. Then they looked for Jesus. Is he with the family? Is he with our friends? Can you put your hand over your eyes and look around? No! They did not find him. Jesus was not there.
So Mary and Joseph went back to Jerusalem. They looked and looked and looked. One day, two days, three days! Can you count them on your fingers?
After three days they found him in the temple. Jesus was sitting in the middle of the teachers. They were grown-up men who taught God’s law. And Jesus was only twelve! He listened to them. He asked them questions.
Everyone who heard him was amazed. Jesus understood so much! And his answers were so good! The grace of God was upon him.
Mary and Joseph were astonished. Astonished means very, very surprised. Mary said, “Son, why have you treated us this way? Your father and I were anxiously looking for you.” Anxiously means very worried.
Jesus said, “Why were you looking for me? Didn’t you know that I must be in my Father’s house?” His Father is God. And the temple was God’s house.
But Mary and Joseph did not understand what he meant. It was hard to understand. But Jesus was safe, and they were all together again.
Then Jesus went with them, all the way home to Nazareth. He obeyed Mary and Joseph. And Mary kept all these things in her heart. That means she remembered them and thought about them. The grace of God was upon him.
Back home in Nazareth, Jesus grew and grew. He grew taller and wiser. God was pleased with him, and people loved him. Can you stretch up tall, like Jesus growing?
God was with Jesus every day, all the while he grew up in Nazareth. The grace of God was upon him.
3. Talk together (3 min)
- How do you think Mary and Joseph felt when they could not find Jesus?
- What do you think Jesus talked about with the teachers?
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)
“Jesus increased in wisdom and stature” — Luke 2:52 (Jesus increased → crouch down, then slowly stand up; in wisdom → tap your head; and stature → stretch up tall)
Dear God, thank you that Jesus was once a child like me. Help me to grow in your love. Amen.
Lesson for older kids (ages 6–10)
Big idea: God is always near you
Memory verse: “Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” — Luke 2:52 · WEB
The Bible story
When young Jesus went missing on the long road home, His worried parents searched everywhere, until they found Him in the most surprising place of all.
Talk about it
- Which special feast did Jesus and His family travel to? — The Passover
- How old was Jesus in this story? — Twelve years old
- What big city did the family travel to? — Jerusalem
- Did Mary and Joseph know Jesus had stayed behind? — No, they did not know
- What happened when the feast was over? — They set off to journey home
- Why didn't Mary and Joseph notice Jesus was missing at first? — They thought He was in the crowd
Where is Jesus in this story?
Even as a child, Jesus knew that God was His true Father and that God's house was where He belonged. This little story gives us a peek at who Jesus really is: God's own Son, sent to bring us home to God. One day Jesus would grow up and open the way for all of us to become part of God's family too, so that we can call God our loving Father as well.
What God wants to tell us
Even when Jesus was only a boy, He loved spending time in God's house and learning about His heavenly Father. This shows us that we are never too young to know God and talk to Him. Just like Jesus, you can grow closer to God a little more each day by listening, asking questions, and remembering that His love is always with you, wherever you are.
Prayer
Father God, thank You for loving me even when I am small. Help me to learn about You and to talk to You every day. Thank You that You are always near me and never far away. I want to grow kind and wise, just like Jesus did. Amen.
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