The Escape to Egypt 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: “God kept little Jesus safe.”
Joseph and Mary lived in Bethlehem with little Jesus. Wise men had come from far away to see him. They brought gifts for Jesus: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Now the wise men had gone back home.
One night Joseph was asleep. An angel of the Lord came to him in a dream. An angel is a helper from heaven. Angels bring messages from God.
The angel said, “Arise and take the young child and his mother. Flee into Egypt. Stay there until I tell you. Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.”
Arise means get up. To flee means to go away fast. King Herod wanted to kill little Jesus. But God knew it. And God told Joseph what to do.
Joseph woke up. He got up right away. He took the young child and his mother. Maybe Mary held little Jesus close in her arms. And off they went, in the dark of night. Can you tiptoe very quietly? Shh!
Egypt was another land, far, far away. It was a long way to go. Can you walk your fingers on your arm? Step, step, step. God kept little Jesus safe.
At last they came to Egypt. Egypt had a big, long river called the Nile. Joseph, Mary and Jesus stayed there. They waited and waited, just as the angel said. Herod could not find them there. God kept little Jesus safe.
Long before, God had said through a prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.” A prophet is someone who tells God’s words. Jesus is God’s Son. God led his people out of Egypt long before. And one day God would call his Son out of Egypt too.
After a while, King Herod died. Then the angel came to Joseph in a dream again. “Arise and take the young child and his mother. Go into the land of Israel.”
The angel said that the men who wanted to harm the child were dead now. Israel was their home land. Now it was safe to go back. God kept little Jesus safe.
So Joseph got up. He took the child and his mother. They left Egypt. They traveled all the way back to the land of Israel. Step, step, step! Little Jesus was going home!
But now Herod’s son was king there. Joseph was afraid to go near him. Then Joseph was warned in another dream. So he went north instead, to a place called Galilee.
There they came to a small town called Nazareth. That was their new home. Jesus would grow up there. Joseph worked there as a carpenter. A carpenter makes things out of wood. People would call Jesus a Nazarene. A Nazarene is someone from Nazareth.
Let’s count Joseph’s dreams: one, two, three! Three times God told Joseph what to do in a dream. And three times Joseph got up and did it.
God watched over his Son all the way there and back. He watched over him by day and by night. God kept little Jesus safe.
3. Talk together (3 min)
- How do you think Joseph felt when he woke up in the night?
- What do you think little Jesus saw on the long trip to Egypt?
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)
Joseph had 3 dreams. Color the 3 moons.
6. Verse and prayer (2 min)
“The LORD will keep your going out and your coming in” — Psalm 121:8 (The LORD will keep → hug yourself; your going out → walk your fingers away; your coming in → walk your fingers back home)
Dear God, thank you for keeping little Jesus safe. Thank you that you watch over me too. Amen.
Lesson for older kids (ages 6–10)
Big idea: God keeps us safe
Memory verse: “The LORD will keep your going out and your coming in, from this time forward, and forever more.” — Psalm 121:8 · WEB
The Bible story
When a cruel king wants to harm the child Jesus, an angel warns Joseph in a dream to flee by night — join the family on their journey to safety in Egypt.
Talk about it
- Who came to Joseph in a dream? — An angel
- When did the family leave for Egypt? — At night
- What did the angel tell Joseph to do? — Hurry to Egypt
- Who wanted to harm baby Jesus? — King Herod
- How quickly did Joseph obey the angel? — Right away
- Who did the angel say Joseph should take with him? — The child and his mother
Where is Jesus in this story?
When Jesus' family came back from Egypt, Matthew says it fulfilled God's words, “Out of Egypt I called my son” (Matthew 2:15; Hosea 11:1). Long ago God called Israel out of Egypt, but Israel often wandered from him. Jesus walked the same road and obeyed his Father perfectly. He is the true Son who did everything Israel couldn't, and he did it for us.
What God wants to tell us
God saw the danger long before Joseph did, and He made a way to keep baby Jesus safe. Even when the family had to travel far from home in the dark, God was right beside them on every dusty mile. When you feel worried or far away from home, you can remember that God watches over you too, all through the day and night, and He never, ever stops caring for you.
Prayer
Dear Lord, thank You for watching over baby Jesus and keeping Him safe on the long journey. Thank You for watching over me too, wherever I go. When I feel scared, help me to remember that You are always close beside me. I trust You to take good care of me. Amen.
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