Jesus is the Way to Heaven

BIG IDEA: Jesus is the only way to Heaven.

This free Bible lesson, The Way, The Truth, The Life, will teach preschool and elementary students about the lesson Jesus taught His disciples (and us) at the Last Supper when He said that He is the only way to Heaven.

FOCUS BIBLE PASSAGE: John 14:1-14

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

• styrofoam or plastic cups
• Bible (one for each group of 3-4 kids)
• printed “Key to Heaven” Recording Sheet (one for each group of 3-4 kids)
• printed “Key to Heaven” Challenge Leader’s Guide (one for each leader)
• printed Clue 1, Clue 2, and Clue 3 (enough for each group of 3-4 kids to have one) – Lower Elementary = L Upper Elementary = U
• pencils
• construction paper or drawing paper
• coloring supplies

MEMORY VERSE: “In the same way, let your light shine so others can see it. Then they will see the good things you do. And they will bring glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16 (NIrV)

THIS WEEK’S MEMORY VERSE ACTIVITY:

• Allow students to work with partners or in groups of 3-4 to stack the cups in order to spell out the memory verse.
• You may decide to make it a challenge and see which group can work the quickest.
• If time allows, instruct students to mix up their cups and play again and again.

LESSON HOOK ACTIVITY

For this activity, instruct students to find a partner and decide who will be PARTNER 1 and who will be PARTNER 2. If there is an odd number of students, you can allow them to work in a group of 3, but you may need to help them split the roles.

Show students the series of slides and instruct them to follow the instructions next to each map.

The idea for this activity is for them to come to the realization that even though there are many ways that SEEM to be the RIGHT way to get somewhere, there is ONLY ONE WAY to get to each of these places. This will lead into the discussion about how Jesus is the ONLY WAY to get to heaven.

(SLIDES 3-5) INSTRUCTIONS

Each map includes a symbol to show students where to begin and where to end

(SLIDE 6) Map 1

(SLIDE 7) Map 2

(SLIDE 8) Map 3

(SLIDE 9) Map 4

After students follow the instructions on the map slides, ask the following questions:

• What do you notice?
• Is there more than one way to get to the place you are going? (no)
• What would happen if you chose to go one of the ways that had a “roadblock”? (you wouldn’t get to your destination)
• What would happen if you didn’t have the map to help you? (you might get lost)

BIBLE LESSON

(SLIDE 10) Today we are going to talk about how to get to heaven.

How many ways do you think there are to get to heaven? (Students may make guesses, and if they say ONE, that is great! But you can leave this as a rhetorical question and allow them to learn along the way.)

Jesus taught His disciples while He lived on the earth about how to get to heaven. Since His words were written down and recorded in the Bible, that means He taught US how to get to heaven!

We can find Jesus’s teaching in the Gospel book of John. Does anyone remember in which part of the Bible we can find the Gospel books? (The New Testament)

What do the Gospel books teach us about? (The life and ministry of Jesus)

Jesus and His Disciples were in Jerusalem for the Passover celebration. The Passover celebration is when the Israelites celebrate the time that God saved them from the last plague in Egypt way back in the time of Moses.

Remember, at that time, SOME people believed that Jesus was the Savior that God promised to send, but some people did not believe. In fact, the religious leaders did NOT believe Jesus. They were afraid that He was teaching the people incorrectly and they thought that He was causing problems. Does anyone know what the religious leaders wanted to do?

The religious leaders were trying to catch Jesus doing something, ANYTHING, wrong so they could arrest Him.

John, the Disciple who wrote the book of John, records in Chapter 14 the true story of an amazing Truth that Jesus taught as He was meeting with His disciples at the Last Supper just a little before He was arrested. He was speaking to His Disciples, but since the Bible was written for EVERYONE, the lesson He taught that night is also for US!

The Disciples were worried about what was going to happen to Jesus, so He comforted them with His words.

The Bible records Jesus’s words in John Chapter 14, starting in verse 1. Jesus said:

(SLIDE 11) “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God. Believe in me also. There are many rooms in my Father’s house. If this were not true, would I have told you that I am going there? Would I have told you that I would prepare a place for you there? If I go and do that, I will come back. And I will take you to be with me. Then you will also be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.”

(SLIDE 12) Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going. So how can we know the way?”

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father also. From now on, you do know him. And you have seen him.”

(SLIDE 13) Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father. That will be enough for us.”

Jesus answered, “Don’t you know me, Philip? I have been among you such a long time! Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. So how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Don’t you believe that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority.

(SLIDE 14) The Father lives in me. He is the one who is doing his work. Believe me when I say I am in the Father. Also believe that the Father is in me. Or at least believe what the works I have been doing say about me. What I’m about to tell you is true. Anyone who believes in me will do the works I have been doing. In fact, they will do even greater things.

(SLIDE 15) That’s because I am going to the Father. And I will do anything you ask in my name. Then the Father will receive glory from the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name. I will do it.” [John 14:1-14]

(SLIDE 16) Jesus told the Disciples: “There are many rooms in my Father’s house” and that He is “going there”, and He “will come back” and He will “take you to be with Him”.

Where do you think Jesus was talking about going?

Jesus was talking about going BACK to heaven to prepare a place for all of the people who love Him! He said that He is going to prepare a place for us and that He will COME BACK and take us with Him to heaven!

(SLIDE 17) Jesus said, “You know the way to the place where I am going.” But the Disciples were confused by this.

(SLIDE 18) In fact, one of the Disciples, Thomas, asked Jesus: “Lord, we don’t know where you are going. So how can we know the way?”

How did Jesus answer him?

(SLIDE 19) Jesus answered: “I am the way and the truth and the life.”

What did Jesus mean by what He said?

Jesus meant that HE is the ONLY WAY to Heaven! Jesus is GOD, and He is the only way for us to get into Heaven. If we trust in Him and ask Him to save us from our sins, He will save us and then we will get to live FOREVER in Heaven with Him! That is what the Bible teaches us!

(SLIDE 20) Be sure that students understand that the world is NOT right about the things on this slide.

The world teaches us that there are many ways to get into Heaven. The world says we can get into Heaven by doing good things, or good “works”, by going to church, by praying, by reading the Bible. Are these great things to do? Yes! But doing these things without trusting Jesus will NOT get us to Heaven!

In some parts of the world, people believe that there are even other ways to get into Heaven. (SLIDE 21) But Jesus said that HE is THE WAY, the Truth, and the Life. Jesus is the WAY TO HEAVEN, Jesus is full of TRUTH, and Jesus is the ONLY way to have LIFE forever! There is only ONE WAY to Heaven.

(SLIDE 22) That is our BIG IDEA this week. JESUS IS THE ONLY WAY TO HEAVEN.

The only way to Heaven is to believe that Jesus came to die on the cross for your sins, and believe that He rose from the dead three days later. Remember, we are all sinners. We were born into a world full of sin because of the disobedience of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Sin separates us from God, but Jesus will save you if you just ask Him to! Then, your sin will be erased and you will get to live in Heaven with God forever after you die on this earth. Not because of anything you did to EARN your way to Heaven, but because of what Jesus did! JESUS IS THE ONLY WAY TO HEAVEN.

Dear God,

Thank you for the true story of this lesson that Jesus taught His Disciples and US about the way to Heaven. We thank you so much for sending your Son Jesus, the ONLY WAY to Heaven, to die for our sins on the cross. And we thank you that He rose again so that our sins could be forgiven and we can live forever in Heaven with You! Help us to make good choices in our lives.

We love you and we pray all of these things in Jesus’ sweet name, Amen.

LARGE GROUP ACTIVITY

We are born into a world of sin. Sin separates us from God. That means we are “locked out” of Heaven before we put our trust in Jesus.

But, the good news is that Jesus came to live a perfect life, die on the cross, and come back to life so that we can have a way to be with Him forever.

He is preparing a place in Heaven for everyone who loves Him and puts their trust in Him because He is the ONLY WAY to Heaven.

Jesus is like a “key” to Heaven. He is the only way to Heaven. He is the only One Who can “unlock” Heaven for us to get in.

Raise your hand if you have ever played an “escape game challenge”.

To review our lesson today, we are going to play a game similar to an “escape game”, but we aren’t ESCAPING from anywhere! We are completing challenges LIKE an “escape game”.

(SLIDE 23) Discuss the game with students making sure they understand that the challenges they are solving are not representing “works” that “earn” the “key” to Heaven. Instead it is a fun way to read God’s Word (the Bible) and think about the lessons He wants them to learn from the Bible.

Your group’s challenge is to solve all of the clues as you read the Truth of God’s Word and reflect on the lessons He is teaching you.

To play:

• Choose a partner or a small group of friends. (3-4 maximum)
• Each group will get a “Key to Heaven” Recording Sheet to keep track of the answers to each challenge, a pencil, and a Bible.
• After all groups receive the FIRST CLUE (from the leader), everyone may begin working to solve the challenge. As you solve each clue, find a leader and have your code checked. If your code is correct, the leader will tell you to get the next clue. (Inform students where the stacks of clues 2 and 3 are located) If your code is incorrect, your group will need to try again.
• Work together to:
  • (1) read the instructions
  • (2) read the Bible passages
  • (3) answer the questions
  • (4) find the codes

LEADER NOTES:

• Each group will need a Bible. If enough Bibles are available for groups to have more than one Bible, that is even better.
  • Keep in mind that students may need help finding passages. Remind them to use the Table of Contents as a reference.
  • Younger students may also need help reading the passages.
• Each group will need a “Key to Heaven” Recording Sheet to keep track of their answers to each challenge.
• Each leader should have a copy of the “Key to Heaven” Challenge Leader’s Guide.
• Clues 2 and 3 should be placed in a central location in the room so students can grab them as the previous clues are solved. Inform students of where the clues are located, making sure they know that they can only grab the “next clue” AFTER they have the “current clue” code checked by a leader.

To begin:

• Pass out CLUE 1 being sure that EACH GROUP has one.
• Have students keep the clue FACE DOWN until you say “Go”.
• Be sure all groups have at least one Bible, a pencil, and a recording sheet.

SMALL GROUP ACTIVITY

(SLIDE 24)

Is there a way for this person to get to “HEAVEN”? (No. There are no openings.)

(SLIDE 25)

What about now? How can the person get to “HEAVEN”?

Jesus makes a way for us to get to Heaven. He is the ONLY WAY to have a relationship with God! He is the ONLY WAY to Heaven!

At your tables, as you discuss today’s lesson, you will be using this picture to draw your own to take home. You can use your drawing to teach others about how Jesus is the ONLY WAY to Heaven.

Instruct students to use the picture on the slide as their guide. They can add other details to it if they choose.

Provide each student with construction/drawing paper and coloring supplies.

BREAK INTO SMALL GROUPS TO COMPLETE THE ACTIVITY.

Discussion Prompts for Leaders:

• Why are we separated from God? (Because of Adam & Eve’s disobedience, sin entered the world; Sin separates us from God.)
• Who is the only WAY to Heaven? (Jesus)
• Why do you think Jesus said “there are many rooms in His Father’s House”? (He lives in Heaven. He is saying that there is plenty of room for us in Heaven.)
• What do you think Heaven will be like?
• What are some of the ways that the world tells us we can EARN our way to Heaven? (other religions, read the Bible, pray, go to church, do good things/works) We cannot EARN our way to Heaven. Trusting Jesus is the ONLY WAY we can get into Heaven.
• How is Jesus like a “key”? (He is the only way to Heaven. He is the only One Who can “unlock” Heaven for us to get in.)
• Does anyone have any questions about today’s lesson?

CLOSING REFLECTION

We learned that Jesus is the only way to Heaven. Before Jesus was arrested, Jesus taught His Disciples that He is the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. The world tells us that there are many ways to earn our way to Heaven, but Jesus teaches us that trusting in Him is the only way for us to enter into Heaven. When we trust in Jesus and ask Him to save us from our sins, He will! Then we will get to live with Him forever in Heaven after we leave the earth.

Reflection Questions:

• Where in the Bible did our lesson come from? (the Gospel of John)
• Why are we separated from God? (Because sin entered the world when Adam & Eve disobeyed God.)
• Who can save us from our sins? (Jesus)
• Who is the only way to Heaven? (Jesus)
• Does anyone have any questions about today’s lesson?

Find other free Bible lessons for kids: