Leader BIBLE STUDY Use Week of: Zechariah s son, John, lived in the wilderness. John s ministry began when God s word came to him, and he began preaching near the Jordan River. John worked to get the people ready for the coming of Jesus, fulfilling the Old Testament prophecy, A voice of one crying out: Prepare the way of the Lord in the wilderness (Isa. 40:3). 4 John called the people to repent of their sins, and he baptized them in the Jordan River. John also instructed the people on right living. (See Luke 3:10-14.) Some of the people suspected that John might be the Messiah, but John insisted, One is coming who is more powerful than I (Luke 3:16). Jesus came from Galilee to be baptized by John at the Jordan River. Wait a second. John was calling people to a baptism of repentance. Who needs to repent? Sinners. But we know Jesus never sinned. (See Heb. 4:15; 2 Cor. 5:21.) So why did Jesus come to be baptized? John was right when he said, I need to be baptized by You, and yet You come to me? (Matt. 3:14). Commentators ideas vary about why Jesus was baptized. Perhaps He was affirming John s work. Maybe He was identifying with sinners or showing them how they would be saved through His death, burial, and resurrection. Jesus answered John, Allow it for now, because this is the way for us to fulfill all righteousness (Matt. 3:15). In the Book of Acts, the apostle Paul said, John baptized with a baptism of repentance, telling the people that they should believe in the One who would come after him, that is, in Jesus (Acts 19:4). John s baptism signaled the coming of the Holy Spirit. Christian baptism signals that the Spirit has come. Baptism reminds us that when we trust in Jesus, we die to sin and come into a new way of life a life lived for Jesus. (See Rom. 6:3-4.) Preschool Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 24 Session 4 1
Preschool Bible study OVERVIEW Session Title: Jesus Was Baptized Bible Passage: Matthew 3:13-17; Mark 1:1-11; Luke 3:21-22; John 1:19-34 Big Picture Question: Who baptized Jesus? John baptized Jesus. Key Passage: John 1:14 Unit Christ Connection: Old Testament prophecies looked forward to the birth of Christ. Jesus roles as Son of God and Messiah are established. Small Group Opening (15 20 minutes) Large Group Bible Study (10 15 minutes) U N I T 24 4 Small Group Activities (20 25 minutes) Snack and Transition (20 minutes) 2
The BIBLE STORY Jesus Was Baptized Matthew 3:13-17; Mark 1:1-11; Luke 3:21-22; John 1:19-34 John the Baptist lived in the wilderness far away from the city. His clothes were made out of camel s hair, and he wore a leather belt around his waist. When John was hungry, he ate locusts and wild honey. When John was an adult, he began telling the people around him, Repent and be baptized! God s kingdom is coming. It is almost here! People wondered about John. Who are you? they asked. I am not the Messiah, John said. Who are you, then? the people asked. Many years before John lived, Isaiah the prophet had said, There is someone shouting in the wilderness. He says, Get ready for the Lord; make way for Him! John was the man Isaiah had talked about! John was born with a very important job. He was supposed to get people ready for Jesus, the Messiah God promised. People listened to John, and they started to repent; they turned away from their sins and asked God to forgive them. Then John baptized them in the Jordan River. John told them, Someone more powerful than I will come after me. I am not good enough to even untie His sandals. John also said, I baptize you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit. Meanwhile, Jesus was in the place called Galilee. He went to see John the Baptist at the Jordan River. Jesus asked John to baptize Him. John was surprised. He didn t think he should baptize Jesus, and John tried to stop Him. John said, I need You to baptize me. Why do you want me to baptize you? John only baptized people who confessed their sins. Jesus never sinned! Jesus said, Let me be baptized. God says this is the right thing to do. So John baptized Jesus. Preschool Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 24 Session 4 3
When Jesus came up from the water, the heavens suddenly opened. Jesus saw God s Spirit coming down on Him. The Spirit was like a dove. Then a voice came from heaven. This is My Son, the voice said. I love Him, and I am very happy with Him! Christ Connection: Jesus never did anything wrong, but He was baptized like sinners are baptized. Baptism reminds us that Jesus died and came back to life. People who know and love Jesus should be baptized too. 4
Small Group Opening Session Title: Jesus Was Baptized Bible Passage: Matthew 3:13-17; Mark 1:1-11; Luke 3:21-22; John 1:19-34 Big Picture Question: Who baptized Jesus? John baptized Jesus. Key Passage: John 1:14 Unit Christ Connection: Old Testament prophecies looked forward to the birth of Christ. Jesus roles as Son of God and Messiah are established. In Jesus Name song Allergy Alert offering basket favorite toys LOW PREP Help Jesus Get to John activity page, 1 per kid pencils or crayons parachute or bedsheet Welcome and Session Starter (15-20 minutes) Play the unit song in the background as preschoolers arrive. Set an offering basket near the door. Post an allergy alert. Set out a few favorite toys, such as puzzles and blocks. Activity Page: Help Jesus Get to John Help preschoolers complete the activity page by tracing the path from Jesus to John. It may be helpful for kids to trace the path with a finger before using a crayon or pencil to guide Jesus to John. Say Do you remember our Bible stories about John? John the Baptist had a special mission to tell others about Jesus. In today s Bible story, Jesus went to the Jordan River to see John. Jesus had a special job for John. Play with a parachute Gather the children in a circle around a small parachute or bedsheet. Guide kids to hold on to the parachute with both hands. When everyone holds on to the parachute, call out a color. Children wearing that color must scoot under the parachute, as the others elevate the parachute overhead. Give every child a turn to go under the parachute. Preschool Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 24 Session 4 5
Say In this activity, you went under the parachute and came out again. That s a little like baptism. To be baptized, you go all the way under water and come up again for a special reason. In today s Bible story, we will learn why people get baptized! pictures of rivers from the Internet books about rivers (optional) Timeline Map Bible map (optional) Transition cue: Ring the bell, show the countdown video, flip the lights, or clap a simple rhythm for children to copy to gain attention. Move like a river Show the children a picture of a river from books or from the Internet. Ask kids if they have ever been to a river before. Was it big? Was it small? Line up the kids against the wall and guide them to follow you in a line around the room. As you lead them, wind and turn and bend like a river. Say John the Baptist baptized people in the Jordan River. The people John baptized had told God they were sorry for their sins and wanted to do what God said. John baptized them in the Jordan River to show that God had washed away their sins. In today s Bible story, Jesus went to John and asked John to baptize Him. How odd! Jesus never sinned, so He didn t need to be baptized! We ll find out what happened in our Bible story today. Talk about the Jordan River Point to Bible stories on the timeline map that mention the Jordan River. ( The Israelites Crossed the Jordan River and Elisha and Naaman ) Show the river on a Bible map if possible. Say The Jordan River was the river the Israelites crossed to enter the promised land. It was where Elisha told Naaman to wash to heal his leprosy. John the Baptist baptized people in the Jordan River. Transition to Bible study 6
Large Group Bible Study Session Title: Jesus Was Baptized Bible Passage: Matthew 3:13-17; Mark 1:1-11; Luke 3:21-22; John 1:19-34 Big Picture Question: Who baptized Jesus? John baptized Jesus. Key Passage: John 1:14 Unit Christ Connection: Old Testament prophecies looked forward to the birth of Christ. Jesus roles as Son of God and Messiah are established. Large Group Bible Study (10 15 minutes) bowl of water stool or chair bar of soap green or purple washable marker Bible Key Passage Slide or Poster Grace and Truth song Introduce the Bible story Fill a large bowl with water. Set it on a stool or a chair and set a bar of soap next to it. Use a non-staining, water-based marker to dot the inside of your hands with green and purple. As kids begin the large group Bible study, wave at them, exaggerating your movements so they see your dirty hands. Ask them if you have something on your hands. Be creative in how you interact with kids, but make sure they all see that your hands are dirty. As you introduce the story, wash your hands with soap and water. Say John the Baptist baptized people in the Jordan River when they turned away from their sins. Do you know what baptized means? When a person is baptized, he or she goes under the water and comes up again. One day, Jesus asked John to baptize Him. But Jesus had never sinned! When we are baptized, we are showing the world that God washed away all our sins but Jesus didn t need washing! In our Bible story, we will find out why Jesus was baptized. Review the key passage, reminding kids that Jesus is the Word. Jesus is God! Sing the key passage song. Preschool Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 24 Session 4 7
Jesus Was Baptized video Bible Story Picture Slide or Poster Timeline Map Big Picture Question Slide or Poster Tip: Do activities one of these ways: as a group, all at the same time in small groups that rotate through each activity set up as centers, allowing preschoolers to browse and choose Watch or tell the Bible story Open your Bible to Mark 1. Tell the Bible story in your own words, or show the Bible story video Jesus Was Baptized. Say Can you imagine how John must have felt? John the Baptist s job was to get people ready to meet Jesus. John told the people to repent, or turn away from their sins, and to trust God to forgive them. John baptized the people who turned away from sin and trusted in God. Jesus is God s Son! Jesus never sinned. Jesus told John to baptize Him because God said it was the right thing to do. It would show people who trust in Jesus how to obey God by being baptized too. Talk about the Bible story 1. Where did John the Baptist live? (in the wilderness) 2. What did John the Baptist tell people to do? (Turn away from sin and be baptized.) 3. What was John the Baptist s job? (to get people ready for Jesus) 4. Who baptized Jesus? John baptized Jesus. 5. What happened when Jesus was baptized? (God s Spirit descended like a dove, and a voice from heaven said, This is My Son, I love Him, and I am very happy with Him. ) Say Jesus never did anything wrong, but He was baptized like sinners are baptized. Baptism reminds us that Jesus died and came back to life. People who know and love Jesus should be baptized too. Transition to small groups Describe the small group activities provided. Dismiss kids to small groups in pairs. 8
Small Group Activities Session Title: Jesus Was Baptized Bible Passage: Matthew 3:13-17; Mark 1:1-11; Luke 3:21-22; John 1:19-34 Big Picture Question: Who baptized Jesus? John baptized Jesus. Key Passage: John 1:14 Unit Christ Connection: Old Testament prophecies looked forward to the birth of Christ. Jesus roles as Son of God and Messiah are established. Tip: Select activities that fit your space and your budget. LOW PREP beach ball old, clean shoes lacing cards (optional) Small Group Activities (20 25 minutes) As kids participate in small group activities, emphasize details from the Bible story, including the big picture question and answer and the Christ connection. Toss a ball Inflate a beach ball prior to class. Tell the kids to stand in a circle. Gently toss the ball to one child. Ask her the big picture question. Once she responds with the big picture answer, tell her to toss the ball back to you. Repeat with another child until each child has a turn. Say Who baptized Jesus? John baptized Jesus. Was Jesus baptized because He did something wrong and needed to be forgiven? No! Jesus never sinned! Jesus asked John to baptize Him so He could show that one day He would die on the cross for our sins, be put into a tomb for three days, and come back to life! Untie shoes Invite kids to practice tying, untying, and relacing old shoes. Kids may also play with lacing cards. While the kids practice lacing, tying, or untying, read John 1:27 aloud. Say Many people in Bible times thought John was the Preschool Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 24 Session 4 9
Messiah because God s Spirit was with John in a special way. John said, No! I m not the Messiah! He said he was not worthy to untie Jesus sandals! John did not understand at first why Jesus asked John to baptize Him. Jesus was not a sinner! Jesus never sinned. Who baptized Jesus? John baptized Jesus. When Jesus came out of the water, God s Spirit descended like a dove and God s voice said from heaven, This is My Son. I love Him, and I am very happy with Him. paper watercolors paintbrushes small cups of water play dough play dough tools craft supplies Paint with watercolors Give each child a small paintbrush, a piece of paper, watercolors, and a small cup of water. Let kids paint pictures. If they need ideas, suggest they paint a river or outdoor buildings, trees, animals, and so forth. Say We use water for many things. One of those things is baptizing people. Jesus never sinned, but He was baptized in the Jordan River. When Jesus came out of the water, God showed everyone at the river that Jesus is God s Son. Who baptized Jesus? John baptized Jesus. Make play dough people Give the kids lumps of play dough. Provide a variety of craft supplies such as chenille stems, buttons, pennies, and so forth. Encourage the kids to form people out of the play dough and craft supplies. Invite kids to play out details from the Bible story with their play dough people. Say John the Baptist baptized a lot of different people. They were baptized to show that they were washed clean of their sins. Jesus never sinned, but He was baptized. Who baptized Jesus? John baptized Jesus. God wanted Him to be baptized because it was a sign of Jesus death and resurrection. People who know and love Jesus today should be baptized too! 10
water table or large tub of water plastic tablecloth (optional) towels measuring cups funnels mesh strainers objects to sink or float pastor or kids ministry leader Explore with water Fill a water table or large tub with water. You may wish to place a plastic tablecloth under the tub and keep towels handy for spills. Invite kids to play with the water. Ask: Do you think the water in the Jordan River was cool or warm when John baptized Jesus? Invite kids to experiment scooping water with measuring cups and pouring it through funnels or mesh strainers. Kids may also experiment to see if items sink or float. Remark how clean and soft their hands feel when they play with water. Say Baptizing people means they go under the water and come back up. Jesus came to the Jordan River to be baptized, even though He never sinned. He was baptized to show the world He is God s Son. Who baptized Jesus? John baptized Jesus. When we turn from sin and trust in Jesus to forgive us, we should be baptized to show the world that God has washed away our sins! Take a field trip to the baptistry Before class, ask your church s pastor or kids ministry leader if your class may visit the baptistry (if it is not in use). Invite the pastor or kids ministry leader to talk about why people are baptized. Say Baptism is a symbol for everyone to see that you have turned from your sin and you trust in Jesus as your Savior and Lord. The next time you sit in church and watch our pastor baptize people, remember they are doing what Jesus told His followers to do. Preschool Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 24 Session 4 11
countdown video (optional) Allergy Alert snack food paper cups and napkins Journal Page Bible Story Coloring Page books and puzzles crayons Snack and Transition (20 minutes) Play the countdown video while kids help straighten the room. Take a bathroom break and wash hands. You might serve goldfish crackers, since Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River and different kinds of fish live in rivers. Serve the snack, and tell the kids to wait to eat so that you can pray together. Remind the kids to say please and thank you. Thank God for the snack. Transition When a child finishes her snack and throws away any trash, she may select a puzzle or book to examine, play quietly with play dough or a favorite toy, or color the Bible story coloring page. Invite kids to draw on their journal page a picture of Jesus and John in the Jordan River. Invite them to draw a dove over Jesus and maybe even some fish in the water. This is also a great time to pray over the children. Pray that God would reveal to them that Jesus truly is His Son and that Jesus died on the cross and rose again to save them from sin. Pray that one day you will witness each child s baptism as he or she trusts in Jesus as Lord and Savior. 12
Journal Page Key Passage: John 1:14 Session 1: Jesus Was Born Luke 2:1-20 Session 2: Jesus Was Dedicated Luke 2:21-40 Session 3: Jesus at the Temple Luke 2:41-52 Session 4: Jesus Was Baptized Matthew 3:13-17; Mark 1:1-11; Luke 3:21-22; John 1:19-34 Session 5: Jesus Was Tempted Matthew 4:1-11; Mark 1:12-13; Luke 4:1-13 Session 6: Jesus Called Disciples Matthew 4:18-22; 9:9-13; Mark 1:16-20; 2:13-14; 3:13-19; Luke 5:27-32; 6:12-16 OK TO PRINT
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father. John 1:14 Unit 24 Key Passage Poster (NKJV) OK TO PRINT
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father. John 1:14 Unit 24 Key Passage Poster (NIV) OK TO PRINT
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father). John 1:14 Unit 24 Key Passage Poster (KJV) OK TO PRINT
The Word became flesh and took up residence among us. We observed His glory, the glory as the One and Only Son from the Father. John 1:14 Unit 24 Key Passage Poster (HCSB) OK TO PRINT
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father. John 1:14 Unit 24 Key Passage Poster (ESV) OK TO PRINT
Unit 24 Key Passage Poster OK TO PRINT
Who baptized Jesus? Unit 24 Session 4 Big Picture Question OK TO PRINT
Who baptized Jesus? John baptized Jesus. Unit 24 Session 4 Big Picture Question OK TO PRINT
Unit 24 Big Picture Question OK TO PRINT
Unit 24 Session 4 Jesus Was Baptized OK TO PRINT
Help Jesus Get to John Instructions: God sent John to help people get ready for Jesus. John was called John the Baptist because when people said they were sorry for their sins, John baptized them in the Jordan River! Jesus asked John to baptize Him, but Jesus never sinned. Jesus baptism was different! Help Jesus follow the path to get to John. UNIT 24 Session 4 Preschool Activity Pages OK to print
Jesus Was Baptized Matthew 3:13-17; Mark 1:1-11; Luke 3:21-22; John 1:19-34 OK to print
Today your child will be tasting/touching/sniffing Please notify a teacher if your child should not participate in this activity. Instructions: Print this poster, or laminate it and reuse it throughout the quarter. Use a dry erase marker to fill in the necessary information when bringing food, animals, things to smell, or nature items that might cause allergic reactions. Display the poster where parents can see it when they arrive with their children. Unit 24 Allergy Alert Poster OK TO PRINT