Baptism of Jesus Sunday School Lesson for Kids

This free Baptism of Jesus Sunday school lesson teaches kids that Jesus is God's Son and that He obeyed God: Jesus was baptized "to fulfil all righteousness" (Matthew 3:15), and a voice from heaven said, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" (Matthew 3:17). It comes in four age levels, each a separate printable teacher lesson, plus one take-home sheet for families. Pick the one that fits your class. Everything is in the order you teach it.

Choose your age level

• Preschool (ages 3–5), 20–30 minutes, 3 pages: a down-and-up game, a short story with hand motions and repeat-after-me lines, three simple questions, a shortened memory verse ("This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased") with motions, and a river-and-dove drawing.
• Kindergarten to 2nd grade, 45 minutes, 4 pages: the I Spy a Sign game, the story in simple words, five recall questions with answers, the Six Strips memory verse game, and an up-out-of-the-river review game.
• 3rd to 5th grade, 45–60 minutes, 4 pages: a who-am-I game about John the Baptist, kids look up verses in their own Bibles during a fuller story ("fulfil all righteousness," the sign God promised John, "Behold the Lamb of God"), five thinking questions and three recall questions, and a Bible look-up race.
• Preteens (ages 11–12), 45–60 minutes, 4 pages: students read Matthew 3 and John 1:29–34 out loud themselves, then discuss why Jesus was baptized, following His steps, and who Jesus is. Six discussion questions, a journal page, and two memory verses (Matthew 3:17 and Colossians 2:9).

Lesson at a glance

• Bible passage: Matthew 3:13–17 (with Mark 1:9–11, Luke 3:21–23 and John 1:29–34)
• Main point: Jesus is God's Son. Jesus obeyed God, and God was well pleased. We can obey God too.
• Memory verse: Matthew 3:17 (KJV), with Colossians 2:9 added for preteens
• Ages: preschool to preteen, in four versions

Lesson outline (the same in every version)

1. Opening game: a short game about signs, listening or John the Baptist.
2. Bible story: John baptizes at the Jordan, Jesus comes to be baptized, John tries to stop Him, "fulfil all righteousness," the heavens opened, the Spirit of God like a dove, and the voice from heaven. Every fact has its verse reference so you can check it.
3. Questions to ask: with answers, at the right level for each age.
4. Memory verse: a game or motions to help kids learn Matthew 3:17.
5. What this means for us: obeying God like Jesus did, the gospel (Acts 2:38), and a challenge for the week.
6. Activity: the Baptism of Jesus word search, crossword, maze, worksheet, the Jesus baptism craft, an up-out-of-the-river game, a Bible look-up race or a journal page, depending on the age.
7. Prayer.

Tips for teaching the Baptism of Jesus

• Read Matthew 3:15 straight from your Bible. Jesus never sinned (1 Peter 2:22), but He was baptized because it was right "to fulfil all righteousness."
• Tell Matthew 3:16–17 the way the Bible tells it. There is one God (Deuteronomy 6:4), and Jesus is God manifest in the flesh (1 Timothy 3:16). The dove was the sign God promised John, so John would know who Jesus is (John 1:33–34). Every level has a short note in case a child asks who spoke from heaven.
• John's baptism was "the baptism of repentance" that got people ready for Jesus (Acts 19:4). The gospel part of each lesson teaches baptism in the name of Jesus Christ the way Peter preached it (Acts 2:38).
• Short on time? Do the story, three questions and the memory verse. That is a solid 25-minute lesson.