Here’s a preschool lesson entitled, John Baptized Jesus. You can download the PDF version below. Enjoy!
John Baptized Jesus Lesson
Attention Grabber:
Show a plastic baby doll. “Feed” the baby doll some baby food or similar. Be sure the baby food makes a mess on the baby doll. Put the baby doll into a baby bathtub and show the children that you are washing the baby clean.
Bible Lesson:
The Bible tells us that a man named John the Baptist was baptizing people by the Jordan River.
Jesus came to him and asked him to baptize Him..
Read Matthew 3:13-17 from your own Bible, so the kids can see this story comes from the Bible.
“13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. 14 John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15 But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. 16 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him,[a] and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; 17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son,[b] with whom I am well pleased.” ESV
What is baptism?
Remember when we washed the baby doll because she was dirty? Did you know people can also get dirty on the inside? When we disobey God, that is called sin. When we sin, it’s like our insides get dirty. Yucky sin lives inside our hearts and lives. Jesu s is the only one who can wash us on the inside. When we choose to follow Jesus and make Him the Lord of our lives by becoming a Christian, He washed all our sins away! We are clean and fresh on the inside! Baptism is a symbol that shows everyone that we are clean on the inside.
Why was Jesus baptized?
Jesus wasn’t dirty on the inside! He never sinned. So why did He want to be baptized? He wanted to show us an example to follow. God wants us to be baptized once we become a Christian. It shows everyone we’re a Christian.
Game:
Parachute fun (Use a bed sheet if you don’t have a parachute.)
Have the children grab hold of the parachute and make it go up and down like a river as you sing.
(Tune: I’ve Been Working on the Railroad)
John baptized Jesus in the river.
John baptized Jesus in the river.
John baptized Jesus in the river,
to show us what to do.
Craft: Paper Cup River/John Baptizes Jesus
Provide a paper cup, popsicle stick, and Jesus coloring page for each child.
Cut out and tape the Jesus figure to the popsicle stick. Poke it through the
bottom of the cup, so that Jesus is inside. Color the cup blue (if using a styrofoam
cup. ) Make the cup go up and down to show Jesus getting baptized. If you use this
coloring page, fold the dove back and when Jesus comes up, unfold it.
Get the coloring page here:
Watch me teach this lesson on my Youtube Channel. Please Subscribe while you’re there.