BIG IDEA: Jesus came to save everyone who believes in Him.
This free Bible lesson, Jesus is Presented at the Temple, will teach preschool and elementary students about the true story of Simeon and Anna at the temple after Jesus was born and taken to Jerusalem to be dedicated to God.
FOCUS BIBLE PASSAGE: Luke 2:22-40
All of the printable activities and digital slides needed for the lesson, as well as a full printable lesson plan for both elementary and preschool are available.
Below is the outline of the free elementary Bible lesson.
PREP & SUPPLIES
- pencils/pens
- printed & trimmed “BELIEVE” acrostic poems for each student
- coloring supplies
- extra blank paper
LESSON HOOK ACTIVITY
(SLIDE) Does anyone know the difference between a Jew and a Gentile? (allow responses and discussion)
Jews are a race of people who were born into the family line of Abraham, the Israelites. A Gentile is everyone else.
So, if you are not of Jewish family descent, then you are a Gentile.
The Bible talks a lot about Jews and Gentiles.
The Jews, or the Israelites, are God’s chosen people extending all the way back to the covenant promise God made to Abraham.
(SLIDE) Genesis 12:1-3 NIrV
[“The LORD had said to Abram, ‘Go from your country, your people and your father’s family. Go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation. And I will bless you. I will make your name great. You will be a blessing to others. I will bless those who bless you. I will put a curse on anyone who puts a curse on you. All nations on earth will be blessed because of you.’”]
(SLIDE) God promised Abraham that he would become a great nation, meaning he would have a large family, and that Abraham’s family would be blessed in a new land.
Abraham’s family became the Israelites, also known as the Jews. Because of God’s promise to Abraham, the Jews have always had, and will always have, a special connection to God as His chosen nation.
Jesus was born into the Jewish family in the Tribe of Judah, but Jesus also made a way for Gentiles to have a special connection and relationship with God.
BIBLE LESSON
(SLIDE) We have learned that even though the world teaches differently, the true reason we celebrate Christmas is to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the greatest gift anyone can ever receive.
Jesus is fully God, and He chose to come to Earth to live as a man so that He could take our place and receive the punishment that we deserve by dying on the cross. When He died on the cross, He took away the sins of all people who believe in Him.
(SLIDE) Sin entered the world through Adam and Eve’s disobedience when they ate the forbidden fruit. Sin separates us from God because He is perfect and cannot be in the presence of sin. Jesus came as our Savior to die on the cross in our place, taking the punishment for our sins so that we can have a friendship with God and live in Heaven with Him forever.
(SLIDE) Jesus was born in Bethlehem to a woman named Mary and her husband, Joseph. The Holy Spirit placed Jesus in Mary’s womb, so He is called the Son of God.
The angels and the shepherds of the field praised Jesus and the shepherds spread the news of Jesus’s birth to everyone around them.
Just like the shepherds, we can tell others the good news about Jesus and what He has done for us. Jesus came to Earth to live a sinless, perfect life. He died on the cross to take away our sins, and He rose back to life. Now He is in Heaven preparing a place for all of the people who love, trust, and follow Him to live forever.
(SLIDE) Today we are going to learn about a time when Jesus was about one month old and Mary and Joseph took Him to the temple in Jerusalem.
It was Jewish Law at the time that Jesus was born for the first born son to be taken to the temple and dedicated to God. (Exodus 13:1-16)
(SLIDE) MAP
Obeying the law, Mary and Joseph traveled from Bethlehem to Jerusalem, which was about a six mile journey to dedicate baby Jesus to God at the temple.
(SLIDE) While they were at the temple dedicating baby Jesus to God, they met a man named Simeon. The Bible tells us that Simeon “was waiting for God’s promise to Israel to come true”. (Luke 2:25)
What do you think this meant? (allow responses)
God had promised through prophets that He would send a Savior, a Messiah, to rescue the people. Simeon was among the faithful people who were watching for the promised Savior to come. Who is the promised Savior? (Jesus)
The Bible says:
(SLIDE) Luke 2:26 NIrV
[The Spirit had told Simeon that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah.]
Simeon was a godly man, so the Holy Spirit had revealed to him that before he died, he would see the Messiah. Jesus is the promised Messiah.
Simeon recognized Jesus as the Messiah when Mary and Joseph brought Him into the temple courtyard. The Bible says that Simeon held baby Jesus and praised God saying:
(SLIDE) Luke 2:29-32 NIrV
[“Lord, you are the King over all. Now let me, your servant, go in peace. That is what you promised. My eyes have seen your salvation. You have prepared it in the sight of all nations. It is a light to be given to the Gentiles. It will be the glory of your people Israel.”]
Simeon recognized Jesus as “King over all”. When he said “my eyes have seen your salvation”, he was recognizing Jesus as the One who came to save His people from their sins.
Is there a word in this passage that you recognize that we have talked about today? (allow responses)
(SLIDE) Simeon was saying that the salvation that Jesus is bringing to the world is for everyone, not just the Jewish people. He said that the salvation that Jesus is bringing is a “light to be given to the Gentiles” and it will be the “glory of your people Israel”.
In other words, Jesus came for both Jews and Gentiles.
(SLIDE) Big Idea: Jesus came to save everyone who believes in Him!
(SLIDE) There was also a woman named Anna there in the temple that day who thanked God for sending Jesus as the Savior and spread the news to others who were looking forward to the coming of the King and Savior. (Luke 2:36-38)
We are all born into sin. What is sin? (anything we think, do, or say that is against what God wants for us; doing things our own way instead of God’s way)
Who does sin separate us from? (God)
Why does sin separate us from God? (God is perfect and He cannot be in the presence of sin)
So, if we are all sinners, and sin separates us from God, how can we have a friendship with God? (allow responses)
We can have a friendship with God through Jesus.
(SLIDE) Sin separates us from God, but Jesus saves us so we are no longer separated from God.
Jesus came to the Earth to live a perfect and sinless life. Jesus died on the cross to take our sins away. Then, Jesus rose from the dead and is now in Heaven preparing a place for all of the people who trust and follow Him to live forever. Jesus came to save everyone who will believe in and follow Him.
Dear God,
Thank You for the true story of Simeon and Anna and their faith in You. Thank You that You sent Jesus to live a perfect life, die on the cross for our sins, and raise back to life. We praise You for the plan You made to give us a way to have a relationship with You after sin separated humans from You. Please help us to be bold and share the good news of Jesus with others.
We love you and we pray all of these things in Jesus’ sweet name, Amen.
LARGE GROUP ACTIVITY
Today we are going to review the Bible story with a game of “Fact or Fiction”.
Instruct students to give a thumbs up for “Fact” and a thumbs down for “Fiction”. You may need to review with students:
Fact = true
Fiction = false
Fact or Fiction Statements:
- God made a promise to Abraham that his family would be blessed. (fact)
- Abraham’s family became known as the Gentiles. (fiction – They became known as the Jews.)
- Jesus only came to save the Jews. (fiction – Jesus came to save everyone who will believe in Him.)
- Jesus is fully God and fully man. (fact)
- Sin entered the world through Noah’s disobedience. (fiction – Sin entered through Adam and Eve’s disobedience.)
- Jesus was born in Jerusalem. (fiction – Jesus was born in Bethlehem.)
- The Holy Spirit placed Jesus in Mary’s womb. (fact)
- Mary and Joseph traveled with baby Jesus from Jerusalem to Bethlehem to dedicate Jesus to God. (fiction – They traveled from Bethlehem to Jerusalem.)
- Mary and Joseph dedicated baby Jesus to God in obedience to Jewish Law. (fact)
- Simeon was a man who “was waiting for God’s promise to Israel to come true”. (fact)
- God had promised through prophets that He would send a Savior to rescue the people. (fact)
- Jesus is the promised Savior. (fact)
- Simeon did not recognize Jesus as the promised Savior. (fiction – Simeon did recognize Jesus as the promised Savior.)
- Anna was a woman in the temple who told Simeon he was wrong about Jesus. (fiction – Anna recognized Jesus as the promised Savior just like Simeon did.)
- Sin brings us close to God. (fiction – Sin separates us from God.)
- Sin separates us from God because He is perfect and cannot be in the presence of sin. (fact)
- We can have a friendship with God through Jesus. (fact)
- Jesus died on the cross to take our sins away. (fact)
- Jesus is in Heaven preparing a place for all of the people who trust and follow Him to live forever. (fact)
SMALL GROUP ACTIVITY
Today to help you remember the Bible story and how Jesus came to save everyone who BELIEVES in Him, you are going to write a poem. An “acrostic poem” is a type of poem where the first letter of each line spells out a word when you read it vertically (up and down).
(SLIDE) For example, look at these acrostic poems.
The word we are all going to use is BELIEVE. If you finish early, you can choose another word or phrase and write another one if you like. You can also color your paper and add pictures after you write your poem.
You may choose to allow younger students to draw a picture rather than write a poem.
BREAK INTO SMALL GROUPS TO COMPLETE THE ACTIVITY.
Discussion Prompts for Leaders:
- Why did Mary and Joseph take baby Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem? (to dedicate Him to God as the first born son)
- Who was Simeon? (a Jewish man at the temple who was watching for the promised Savior to arrive – He praised God for sending Jesus to save everyone who will believe in Him)
- What did Simeon mean when he said “My eyes have seen your salvation. You have prepared it in the sight of all nations. It is a light to be given to the Gentiles. It will be the glory of your people Israel”? (Jesus brought salvation to all people, both Jews and Gentiles)
- Who was Anna? (a Jewish woman at the temple who believed that Jesus was the promised Savior – She shared the good news with others)
- What is sin? (anything we think, say, or do that is against what God wants for us – doing things our own way instead of God’s way)
- Who does sin separate us from? (God)
- If we are all sinners, how can we have a relationship with God? (through Jesus – Jesus came to Earth to live as a human and died on the cross to take away our sins so that we don’t have to be separated from God – we must accept Jesus’s free gift of salvation to have a relationship with God)
- Who did Jesus come to save? (everyone who will believe in and follow Him)
- How can you follow Jesus? (trust and believe that Jesus is God – believe that Jesus died for your sins – ask Him to forgive you for your sins – ask Him to save you – turn from your sins – pray and read The Bible)
- Does anyone have any questions about today’s lesson?
- Use any extra time to discuss the lesson and/or the memory verse.
CLOSING REFLECTION
We learned that after Jesus was born, Mary and Joseph followed the Jewish Law and took Jesus to the temple to be dedicated to God. While they were at the temple, a man named Simeon saw Jesus and recognized Him as the promised Messiah and Savior to all people. A woman named Anna also recognized Jesus and thanked God for sending Him, and she spread the good news to others. Jesus came to the Earth to live a perfect and sinless life. Jesus died on the cross to take our sins away. Then, Jesus rose from the dead and is now in Heaven preparing a place for all of the people who trust and follow Him to live forever. Jesus came to save everyone who will believe in and trust Him.
Reflection Questions:
- Who did Jesus come to save? (everyone who will believe in Him)
- Why do people need a Savior? (sin separates us from God because He cannot be in the presence of sin – Jesus is our Savior who takes away our sins so we can have a friendship with God)
- Does anyone have any questions about today’s lesson?
Find other free Bible lessons for kids:
