John the Baptist Sunday School Lesson for Kids

This free John the Baptist Sunday school lesson teaches kids that John pointed people to Jesus. John preached in the wilderness, "Prepare ye the way of the Lord" (Matthew 3:3), and when he saw Jesus coming, he said, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). 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 pointing game, a short story with hand motions and repeat-after-me lines, three simple questions, a shortened memory verse ("Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world") with motions, and a John-and-the-lamb drawing.
• Kindergarten to 2nd grade, 45 minutes, 4 pages: the Follow the Arrow game, the story in simple words, five recall questions with answers, the Six Strips memory verse game, and a crooked-to-straight review game.
• 3rd to 5th grade, 45–60 minutes, 4 pages: a getting-ready game, kids look up verses in their own Bibles during a fuller story ("What shall we do then?", "I am not the Christ," "Behold the Lamb of God"), five thinking questions and three recall questions, and a crooked-or-straight game from Luke 3:10–14.
• Preteens (ages 11–12), 45–60 minutes, 4 pages: students read Matthew 3, Luke 3 and John 1 out loud themselves, then discuss repentance in everyday life, being "the voice," and "He must increase, but I must decrease." Six discussion questions, a journal page, and two memory verses (John 1:29 and John 3:30).

Lesson at a glance

• Bible passage: Matthew 3; Luke 3; John 1
• Main point: John pointed people to Jesus: "Behold the Lamb of God!" We can point others to Jesus too.
• Memory verse: John 1:29 (KJV), with John 3:30 added for preteens
• Ages: preschool to preteen, in four versions

Lesson outline (the same in every version)

1. Opening game: a short game about pointing the way, getting ready, or who gets the credit.
2. Bible story: John in the wilderness with his "raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle," eating "locusts and wild honey" (Matthew 3:4); "Repent ye" and "Prepare ye the way of the Lord" (3:2–3); "What shall we do then?" (Luke 3:10); "I am not the Christ" (John 1:20); "Behold the Lamb of God" (1:29); and two disciples who heard John and followed Jesus (1:37). 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 John 1:29.
5. What this means for us: Jesus, the Lamb of God, takes away sin; the gospel (Acts 2:38); and a challenge to point someone to Jesus this week.
6. Activity: the John the Baptist word search, crossword, maze, worksheet, the John the Baptist craft, a crooked-to-straight game, a crooked-or-straight game or a journal page, depending on the age.
7. Prayer.

Tips for teaching John the Baptist

• Read John 1:29 straight from your Bible. It is the heart of the story: John saw Jesus and pointed everyone to Him.
• Use the King James words: "raiment of camel's hair" (Matthew 3:4), "Prepare ye the way of the Lord" (3:3) and "He must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:30). Each level explains the old words.
• 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).
• This lesson stays with Matthew 3, Luke 3 and John 1. Jesus' own baptism has its own Baptism of Jesus lesson. Herod putting John in prison (Luke 3:19–20) is only a short teacher note for preteens.
• Short on time? Do the story, three questions and the memory verse. That is a solid 25-minute lesson.