Jesus Is Baptized Preschool Sunday School Lesson (Free, Ages 3–6)
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 is God’s dear Son.”
A man named John lived out in the wilderness. That is a wild, empty land, far away from the towns. John was the baby that old Elizabeth had, all grown up now. People called him John the Baptizer.
John wore clothes made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist. He ate locusts and wild honey. Locusts are big jumping bugs. Crunch, crunch! Wild honey is sweet honey that bees make out in the wild.
John called out to the people. He said, “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!” Repent means to turn back to God. At hand means very near.
Long before, the prophet Isaiah had told about John. “The voice of one crying in the wilderness. Make the way of the Lord ready! Make his paths straight!”
When a king comes, people make the road ready for him. John was getting the people ready for the Lord. Can you draw a long, straight road in the air with your finger?
Many, many people came out to John. They came from Jerusalem and from all the land around. They came to be baptized by John. They told God the wrong things they had done. Those wrong things are called sins. Sin is when we do wrong things that make God sad.
John baptized them in the Jordan River. The Jordan is a long river in the land of Israel. To baptize means to dip someone in the water. Splash!
John also said, “He who comes after me is mightier than I.” Mightier means greater and stronger. John said he was not even good enough to carry that man’s sandals! Sandals are simple shoes with straps.
“He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit.” The Holy Spirit is God’s own Spirit. Who could it be? Someone much greater than John was coming! Jesus is God’s dear Son.
Jesus was a grown-up man now, about thirty years old. One day he came all the way from Galilee to the Jordan River. He came to John. He wanted John to baptize him.
John said, “I need to be baptized by you, and you come to me?” Jesus answered, “Allow it now.” Allow means let it happen. So John said yes. Jesus is God’s dear Son.
John baptized Jesus in the river. Splash! Then Jesus came right up out of the water. Drip, drip, drip!
And look! The heavens opened. The heavens are the sky up high. Jesus saw the Spirit of God coming down like a dove. The Spirit came on him. A dove is a soft, gentle bird. Can you flap your hands softly, like a dove? Jesus is God’s dear Son.
Then a voice came out of the heavens. It was God speaking! Can you be very still and listen? “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” Beloved means very, very loved.
God loved his Son so very much, and he was so glad about him. Jesus is God’s dear Son.
3. Talk together (3 min)
- What do you think the people at the river thought when they heard the voice?
- How do you think John felt when Jesus came to be baptized?
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)
“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” — Matthew 3:17 (This is my beloved Son → hug yourself; well pleased → hands on your heart and a big smile)
Dear God, thank you for Jesus, your beloved Son. Thank you that you love me too. Amen.
Lesson for older kids (ages 6–10)
Big idea: God Is So Pleased With You
Memory verse: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” — Matthew 3:17 · WEB
The Bible story
By the shining River Jordan, John baptizes Jesus, the sky opens wide, a gentle dove floats down, and God speaks words of pure love from heaven.
Talk about it
- Where did John the Baptist live and do his work? — Out in the wild desert
- What did John wear and eat in the wild? — Camel-hair clothes, honey and locusts
- What was John's big, important job? — To get people's hearts ready
- What is the special washing in the river called? — Baptism
- Where did Jesus walk from to reach the river? — From Galilee
- How did John feel when Jesus asked to be baptized? — Surprised and unworthy
Where is Jesus in this story?
At the river, God the Father called Jesus his beloved Son and sent the Spirit down like a dove. This was the very beginning of Jesus' special work of showing God's rescuing love to everyone. Jesus did not need to be baptized for himself, because he never did anything wrong — he did it to stand beside us and to lead the way. One day Jesus would open the door to heaven for us all, so that we could become God's beloved children too.
What God wants to tell us
When Jesus came up out of the water, God said out loud how much he loved his Son. God feels that same tender love for you, too. You do not have to be perfect or do amazing things to make God happy — he already delights in you just because you are his precious child. When you choose to follow God, like Jesus did, it makes his heart glad. Remember that God's voice is always full of kindness, calling you loved and treasured.
Prayer
Dear God, thank you that you love Jesus and that you love me too. Help me to follow you with a happy heart, just like Jesus did at the river. Thank you that your voice is always gentle and kind. I am so glad to be your child. Amen.
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