Jesus Reads in the Synagogue of Nazareth 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 came to bring good news.”
Jesus was traveling around Galilee, full of the power of God’s Spirit. He taught in the synagogues, and everyone praised him. A synagogue is a house where people meet to pray and read God’s word. Jesus came to bring good news.
Then Jesus came to Nazareth, the town where he grew up. The Sabbath came – the day of rest. Jesus went to the synagogue, just as he always did.
Jesus stood up to read. Someone handed him the book of the prophet Isaiah. It was a scroll – a long paper, rolled up. Can you unroll a pretend scroll? Roll, roll, roll!
Jesus found the place. He read, “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.” Anointed means chosen by God for a special job.
He read on: “He has sent me to heal the broken hearted. To proclaim release to the captives. Recovering of sight to the blind.”
Broken hearted means very, very sad. Captives are people who are locked up. Recovering of sight means blind people can see again. Can you cover your eyes, and then open them wide? I can see!
Jesus closed the book. He gave it back to the helper and sat down. Everyone’s eyes were on him. It was very quiet. Can you be very quiet too? Shhh.
Then Jesus said, “Today, this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” That means: It is happening now, today! Jesus was the one Isaiah wrote about. Jesus came to bring good news.
The people wondered at his kind words. But they said, “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” They knew him from when he was a boy.
Jesus had done wonders in the town of Capernaum. He knew they wanted him to do wonders here too. He said, “No prophet is acceptable in his hometown.” A hometown is the place where you grow up. That means people at home often do not listen to a prophet.
Then Jesus told them about two prophets from long ago. In Elijah’s time, there was no rain for a long time. God sent Elijah to help a poor widow. A widow is a woman whose husband has died. She did not live in Israel. She was from another land.
In Elisha’s time, God healed a sick man named Naaman. He was from another land too. God’s help was for people far away as well. Jesus came to bring good news.
But the people in the synagogue became very angry. They took Jesus out of town, to the edge of the hill. They wanted to throw him down.
But Jesus walked right through the middle of them, and went on his way.
Jesus went on to the town of Capernaum. There he taught the people on the Sabbath. They were amazed at his words.
Jesus is the one God sent, full of God’s Spirit. He brings good news to the poor, the sad and the sick. Jesus came to bring good news.
3. Talk together (3 min)
- What do you think it was like in the synagogue when it was so quiet?
- What good news would you like to tell someone today?
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 Jesus reading from the long scroll in the synagogue.
6. Verse and prayer (2 min)
“Today, this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing” — Luke 4:21 (Today → point down to the floor; this Scripture → open your hands like a book; in your hearing → put your hands behind your ears)
Dear Jesus, thank you for your good news. Thank you that you came to help the sad and the sick. Amen.
Lesson for older kids (ages 6–10)
Big idea: God always keeps His promises
Memory verse: “Today, this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” — Luke 4:21 · WEB
The Bible story
On a quiet Sabbath in Nazareth, Jesus opens an old scroll and reads a promise of God's rescuing love — and tells everyone it is coming true today!
Talk about it
- What day was it when Jesus came to Nazareth? — The Sabbath
- Which town did Jesus come back to? — Nazareth
- Where did Jesus go to worship God? — The synagogue
- What did Jesus do when it was time to read? — He stood up to read
- What was handed to Jesus to read? — A rolled-up scroll
- Whose words were written on the scroll? — The prophet Isaiah
Where is Jesus in this story?
This story shows us that Jesus is the very One Isaiah promised long ago. He came to bring God's good news, to set people free from sadness and sin, and to show God's rescuing love — a love that Jesus would carry all the way to save each of us.
What God wants to tell us
In Nazareth, Jesus opened God's Word and showed that every promise God makes comes true. God had been planning His rescue for a very long time, and here Jesus told everyone that the waiting was over. God shows us that He never forgets His people, He always does what He says, and His good news is a gift for everyone — including you.
Prayer
Dear God, thank You for sending Jesus with Your good news. Help me to listen to Your Word and to trust Your promises every day. Thank You for Your rescuing love that never ends. Amen.
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