Jesus Calls Matthew Crossword for Kids (Easy, Medium and Hard)

These free Jesus Calls Matthew crossword puzzles come in three levels, so every reader in your class can finish one. Every answer comes from the King James Bible (Matthew 9:9–13), and each level downloads with or without an answer key.

• Easy (ages 5–7): short answers, simple clues and a word box to pick from.
• Medium (grades K–2): more words and no word box.
• Hard (grades 3–5): kids look up each verse in their Bible to find the answer.

Use them after the Jesus Calls Matthew Sunday school lesson, with the maze and word search.

The Bible story

As Jesus passed forth, he saw a man named Matthew "sitting at the receipt of custom," the place where taxes were paid, and said unto him, "Follow me." And he arose, and followed him. As Jesus sat at meat in the house, many publicans and sinners sat down with him, and the Pharisees asked his disciples, "Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners?" Jesus said, "They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick... for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." Read the whole story in Matthew 9:9–13 (KJV).

Memory verse: "But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." (Matthew 9:13, KJV). It is printed on every level.

The clues

The easy crossword has 6 answers and a word box to pick from. The medium crossword has 8 clues like these:

• Matthew was sitting at the receipt of ___. (Matthew 9:9)
• Many ___ and sinners came and sat down with him. (Matthew 9:10)
• Many publicans and ___ came and sat down with him. (Matthew 9:10)
• When the ___ saw it, they said unto his disciples... (Matthew 9:11)
• "Why eateth your ___ with publicans and sinners?" (Matthew 9:11)
• "They that be ___ need not a physician." (Matthew 9:12)
• "They that be whole need not a ___." (Matthew 9:12)
• "I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to ___." (Matthew 9:13)

The hard crossword has 11 clues, each with its verse printed after it, so kids find the answers in their own Bible.

Answer keys

Each level downloads two ways: the puzzle on its own, or with a second page that shows the answer (the filled grid with each answer's verse). Print the key for helpers, or let kids check their own work.