The Coin in the Fish’s Mouth 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: “A coin in the mouth of a fish!”
Jesus and his friends came to the town of Capernaum. Capernaum was by a big lake, the Sea of Galilee. Peter lived there. Many fishermen lived there. Jesus often stayed in Capernaum. He taught there, and he made sick people well.
Every year, each grown-up man gave a little money for God’s house, the temple. That money helped to take care of the temple. Rich men and poor men all gave the same small amount.
Some men came to Peter. They collected that money. “Doesn’t your teacher pay?” they asked. “Yes,” said Peter.
Peter went into the house. Before Peter could say a word, Jesus spoke to him first. Jesus already knew about the men and the money. Nobody had told him!
Jesus asked, “What do you think, Simon?” Simon was Peter’s other name. “From whom do the kings of the earth receive toll? From their children, or from strangers?” Toll is money that people must pay to the king.
Peter said, “From strangers.” Jesus said, “Therefore the children are exempt.” Exempt means they don’t have to pay. And Jesus is God’s own Son. The temple is his Father’s house!
But Jesus did not want to upset the men. So he told Peter what to do. Peter was a fisherman. He knew all about fishing! Most of the time, Peter fished with a big net from a boat. But this time Jesus told him to use a hook.
Jesus said, “Go to the sea, cast a hook. Take up the first fish that comes up. When you have opened its mouth, you will find a stater coin.” A hook is a little bent piece of metal on a fishing line. A stater is a silver coin. A coin in the mouth of a fish!
The first fish! Not the biggest one. Not the prettiest one. Just the first one!
Can you throw out a fishing line? Swish! Plop! Now open and close your mouth like a little fish. Pop, pop!
Jesus said, “Take that, and give it to them for me and you.” One stater coin was just enough for two people. One coin for Jesus and Peter together. A coin in the mouth of a fish!
A coin in a fish? How could Jesus know that? Jesus knows everything. He knew about the men. He knew about the money. And he knew just where the coin would be. A coin in the mouth of a fish!
The Bible stops here. It does not tell us more. But Jesus had told Peter just what to do.
God knows what we need, and he takes care of us. He knows what you need tonight, too. A coin in the mouth of a fish!
3. Talk together (3 min)
- How do you think Peter felt when Jesus told him where to find the coin?
- What would you say if you found a coin in a fish’s mouth?
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 fish with a shiny coin in its mouth.
6. Verse and prayer (2 min)
“When you have opened its mouth, you will find a stater coin” — Matthew 17:27 (opened its mouth → open and close your hand like a fish mouth; you will find → hand over your eyes, looking; a stater coin → make a circle with your fingers)
Dear God, thank you that you know what we need. Thank you for taking care of us. Amen.
Lesson for older kids (ages 6–10)
Big idea: God Cares About Everything
Memory verse: “My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” — Philippians 4:19 · WEB
The Bible story
When a puzzling tax question comes to Peter, Jesus sends him fishing for the strangest answer ever hidden inside a fish's mouth by the shimmering sea.
Talk about it
- In which town were Jesus and His friends staying? — Capernaum
- Who came to ask Peter a question? — The tax collectors
- What did the collectors want to know? — If Jesus paid the temple tax
- Before Peter could say anything, what did Jesus already know? — What the collectors asked
- Even though He is God's Son, what did Jesus choose to do? — Pay the tax anyway
- Where did Jesus tell Peter to go? — Down to the lake to fish
Where is Jesus in this story?
In this story Jesus paid a tax He did not really owe, choosing to give even when He did not have to. This points us to the biggest gift of all: Jesus is God's Son, yet He gave Himself for us so we could become part of God's family. Just as He provided a coin for Peter, Jesus provides everything we need, and He loves us enough to take care of things we could never manage on our own.
What God wants to tell us
Jesus knew about a single coin hidden inside one fish in a whole big lake. That shows us how well God knows and cares for us. Nothing is too small for Him to notice, and no worry is too tiny to bring to Him. Even when a problem feels puzzling, God already has an answer ready. We can trust Him to look after us, to keep His promises, and to provide just what we need at just the right time, in ways that fill our hearts with wonder.
Prayer
Father God, thank You that You see every little thing and care about me. Thank You that Jesus always keeps His promises and gives me just what I need. Help me to trust You with my worries, big and small. I love You. Amen.
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