This full Baptism of Jesus lesson includes a dynamic opening, Scripture, a memory verse, a worksheet and a craft. Minimal preparation is needed.
Sacrament
Baptism
Proclaim
Holy Trinity
Opening Discussion
Lead a discussion with the following prompts:
- Stand up if you have sisters? then have these children sit down
- Stand up if you have brothers? then have these children sit down
- Stand up if you are an only child? then have all children sit down
Some of us big families and some have small families. God watches over all families not matter how big or small.
God started caring for you when you were born.
Discuss Baptism
What Sacrament did you get as a baby? ……[Baptism]
What is the purpose of Baptism?…… [gives us God’s grace, starts our faith journey]
Show the picture below (or a printed picture of a baptism).
Who is in this picture? ……[baby, priest, parents, and godparents]
What happens during a Baptism?……[Priest pours water and says “I baptize you in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit]
What is the role of the Godparents?……[Godparents stand up to promise to help raise you as followers of Jesus.]
Why is water used in baptism?…… [water gives us life; it symbolizes new life in Jesus]
Jesus’ Baptism
Did you know Jesus was Baptized? ……[answers will vary]
Who Baptized him?…… [John the Baptist, his cousin]
Where is this story found in the Bible?……[New Testament]
Which Gospel writers wrote about Jesus’ baptism? ……[all of them–Matthew, Mark, Luke and John!]
Why is this story important? ……[it shows the importance of Baptism; it shows us that Jesus is God’s son]
Scripture: John Baptizes Jesus
Explain that now we will read the story of Jesus’ baptism by John the Baptist. Ask for everyone to listen in the story for what John was telling everyone to do as he went around baptizing people. Also try to learn from the story why John was hesitant to baptize Jesus.
from Sweet Publishing/FreeBibleImages.org under CC-BY-SA
Scripture Discussion Questions
What was John the Baptist telling the people to do?…… [Repent for their sins and change their lives]
How did John want people to live? ……[Give food to the poor; don’t cheat people]
Why do you think Jesus was baptized?…… [To show his approval of John’s ministry to baptize; To show he could identify with sinners]
What did God say?…… [‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased’]
What does the dove represent?…… [The Holy Spirit}
How does this story help us understand the Holy Trinity? ….[All 3 persons of God are present in this story!]
How does this story show Jesus is special?…… [God proclaimed Jesus as his Son; He sent us Jesus to save us for our sins]
Bible Verse Memory Activity
Try either of these two ideas to help the children to memorize this verse:
“This is my beloved son, with whom I am well pleased”
Matthew 3:17
Option 1
Write the verse on the board. After having the children recite it a few times, erase one word and have them recite it again. Continue doing this until all the words are erased.
Option 2
Have the children toss a soft item (ball, bunched up paper, stuffed animal) to one another. Each child who receives the item must recite the chosen verse.
Craft: Pop-Up Dove Worksheet
This Baptism of Jesus craft is a fun way to review the Bible story. The dove which descends on Jesus’ baptism is attached to the card by a pop-up cloud. The craft contains a meaningful prompt to answer: “Why is this story important to our understanding of the Holy Spirit.”
All details and the free printable template are found in this post.
Activity: Draw a Picture of Jesus’ Baptism
Pass out copies of the free printable worksheet: Draw The Baptism of Jesus. Ask everyone to draw a picture of the story and to answer the prompt on “Why is this story important in our understanding of the Holy Trinity?“
Dear Families
This week we will read the story of Jesus’ baptism by John the Baptist. We will discuss how God showed how much he loves us by sending his Son. We also discussed how our faith journey began with our baptism.
- What do you remember about the story of Jesus’ baptism?
- Why did the dove appear in the sky?
- Do you want to know what your baptism day was like and why I picked your godparents?”
Thank you for the opportunity to teach your child.
Your Child’s Catechist