Ascension of Jesus Sunday School Lesson for Kids

This free ascension of Jesus Sunday school lesson teaches kids the Great Commission: before Jesus was taken up into heaven, He told His disciples, "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations," and promised, "Lo, I am with you alway" (Matthew 28:19–20). 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, 2 pages: a short story with hand motions and repeat-after-me lines, a "Go and Stop" game, a white cloth for the cloud, three simple questions, a shortened memory verse ("Go ye therefore, and teach all nations") with a motion, and a draw-the-cloud activity.
• Kindergarten to 2nd grade, 45 minutes, 3 pages: the story in simple words, a Good News Relay game, five recall questions with answers, and a verse game with six paper strips.
• 3rd to 5th grade, 45–60 minutes, 4 pages: kids look up verses in their own Bibles during a fuller story (the mountain in Galilee, "all power," Jerusalem to the uttermost part of the earth, the cloud and the two men in white), five thinking questions and three recall questions, and a Bible look-up race.
• Preteens (ages 11–12), 45–60 minutes, 3 pages: students read Matthew 28:16–20 and Acts 1:1–11 out loud themselves, then discuss who sends us, obeying all Jesus commanded, their own "Jerusalem," the power of the Holy Ghost and Jesus' return. Six discussion questions, a journal page, and two memory verses (Matthew 28:19 and Acts 1:8).

Lesson at a glance

• Bible passage: Matthew 28:16–20 and Acts 1:1–11
• Main point: Jesus wants everyone to hear about Him, and He is with us always.
• Memory verse: Matthew 28:19 (KJV), with Acts 1:8 added for preteens
• Ages: preschool to preteen, in four versions

Lesson outline (the same in every version)

1. Opening game: a short game about passing on good news, like the "Good News Relay."
2. Bible story: the eleven disciples meet Jesus on a mountain in Galilee, Jesus says "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations" and "Lo, I am with you alway," He tells them to wait for the Holy Ghost, and while they beheld, a cloud received Him out of their sight. 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 motion to help kids learn Matthew 28:19.
5. What this means for us: telling others about Jesus, the gospel the apostles preached (Acts 2:38), and a challenge for the week.
6. Activity: the Great Commission word search, crossword, maze or worksheet, a Bible look-up race or a journal page, depending on the age.
7. Prayer.

Tips for teaching the Great Commission and the ascension

• Let kids hear Matthew 28:19–20 read straight from the Bible. It is the heart of the story: go and teach all nations, and Jesus is with us always.
• Keep sharing Jesus safe and kind: kids tell family and friends they already know, with a parent's OK. No strangers, no door to door, no pressure.
• Short on time? Do the story, three questions and the memory verse. That is a solid 25-minute lesson.