The Life of Jesus for Children
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The document narrates key events from the life of Jesus, including his birth, the visit of the wise men, and significant teachings and miracles throughout his ministry. It highlights Jesus' compassion, lessons on faith and love, the calling of his disciples, and important moments leading up to his crucifixion. The text encapsulates the essence of Jesus' message, emphasizing salvation, humility, and love for others.
The Life of Jesus for Children
- 2. Jesus is Born in Bethlehem The angel Gabriel told the virgin Mary that she would have a son, Jesus. Shortly before Jesus was born, His mother Mary and her husband Joseph had traveled to Bethlehem to be counted in a census. When they arrived in Bethlehem, there was no place to stay. The only room they could find was a place where animals stayed. The baby was born there and Mary laid Him in a feeding trough, since they did not have a bed for Him. Mary and Joseph named the baby Jesus.
- 3. The Three Wise Men When Jesus was born, a star appeared over Bethlehem. The star was seen by wise men in the East who, believing it portended a king’s birth in Israel, traveled to Bethlehem. The star went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. The wise men entered the house and saw the child with His mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
- 4. Jesus as a Young Child Visits the Temple When Jesus was about 12 years of age, He visited the Temple in Jerusalem, the capital city of the land of Judah. While at the Temple, Jesus spoke about God and about the Scriptures. His knowledge impressed the people who were in the Temple that day.
- 5. Jesus is Baptized by John the Baptist When Jesus had reached the age of about 30, it was nearly time for Him to begin His ministry. But first He went to John the Baptist and was baptized in the Jordan River. As Jesus was baptized, the heavens opened, and the Holy Spirit, in bodily form, descended on Him like a dove. And a voice from heaven said, “You are My dearly loved Son, and you bring Me great joy.”
- 6. Jesus Calls His First Disciples One day while walking by the Sea of Galilee, Jesus saw Simon Peter and Andrew his brother casting a net into the water. Jesus called out to them, “Come and follow Me and be My disciples.” And they left everything to follow Jesus. A little farther on, Jesus passed two brothers, James and John, who were mending their nets. He also called them to be His disciples, and they too followed Him.
- 7. Jesus Eats with “Scum” As Jesus was walking along, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at his tax collector’s booth. “Follow Me and be My disciple,” Jesus said to him. So Matthew got up and followed Him. Later, Matthew invited Jesus and His disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked the disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with such scum?” When Jesus heard this, He said, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”
- 8. Jesus Turns Water into Wine Afterwards, Jesus went to Cana to attend a wedding party. His mother, Mary, also attended. But the host of the wedding party did not have enough wine for everyone who had gathered. This was an embarrassing situation for the wedding host. So Mary told Jesus about the problem. Jesus then miraculously changed six large clay pots of water into fine wine for the wedding party.
- 9. Jesus Talks of God’s Love and Plan of Salvation Jesus explained to Nicodemus what a person must do to have salvation and eternal life. Jesus said, “God loves the world so much that He gave His only Son, and whoever believes in Him will have eternal life. God sent His Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through Him.”
- 10. Jesus Tells a Samaritan Woman About “Living Water” As Jesus and His followers traveled through Samaria, Jesus took a rest near a well. There He met a Samaritan woman and spoke to her about the “water of life.” Jesus told her, “Those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.” After Jesus told the woman that He was the Messiah, she left her water jar beside the well and ran back to the village, telling everyone about Jesus. The people came streaming from the village to see Him and many believed in Jesus that day.
- 11. Crowds Follow Jesus Jesus traveled throughout the region of Galilee, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. Large crowds followed him wherever he went—people from Galilee, the Ten Towns, Jerusalem, from all over Judea, and from east of the Jordan River. When Jesus spoke to the multitudes, He often explained deep truths by means of parables—stories about common events, circumstances, and things that His listeners could easily relate to.
- 12. Teaching about Salt and Light “You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless. “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.”
- 13. The Birds and the Flowers "Don’t worry about the things you need to live—what you will eat, drink, or wear. Look at the birds. They don’t plant, harvest, or save food in barns, but your heavenly Father feeds them. Don’t you know you are worth much more than they are? “And why do you worry about clothes? Look at the wildflowers in the field. See how they grow. They don’t work or make clothes for themselves. But I tell you that even Solomon, the great and rich king, was not dressed as beautifully as one of these flowers. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you."
- 14. Jesus Teaches About Giving “When you give to those who are poor, don’t be like the hypocrites. When they are in the synagogues and on the streets, they blow trumpets before they give so that people will see them. They want everyone to praise them. The truth is, that’s all the reward they will get. So when you give to the poor, don’t let anyone know what you are doing. Your giving should be done in private. Your Father can see what is done in private, and he will reward you. Give to others, and you will receive. You will be given much. It will be poured into your hands—more than you can hold. You will be given so much that it will spill into your lap. The way you give to others is the way God will give to you.”
- 15. Jesus Teaches About Prayer One time Jesus was out praying, and when he finished, one of his followers said to him, “Lord, teach us how to pray too.” Jesus said to the followers, “This is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, as we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”
- 16. Jesus Feeds 5,000 People Jesus went to a remote area to be alone, but the crowds heard where He was headed and followed on foot from many towns. When Jesus saw the huge crowd, He had compassion on them and healed their sick. It was getting late in the day, and Jesus' disciples were concerned that the crowd did not have any food. Jesus told His disciples to feed the crowd, but the disciples said they only had five loaves of bread and two fish. Jesus gave thanks, broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples who gave them to the people, who all ate and were satisfied. 12 baskets of leftover crumbs were later gathered, so much had the food been multiplied!
- 17. Jesus Calms the Storm As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” So they started out. But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water. Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?” When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. Then he asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” The disciples were absolutely terrified. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “Even the wind and waves obey him!”
- 18. Jesus Brings Jairus’ Daughter Back to Life A ruler of the people came to Jesus and said that his daughter had just died. Jesus and His disciples went to the ruler's home and saw a gathering of mourners. Jesus told the mourners to leave the house, and He told them that the girl was not dead, but asleep. The mourners laughed at Him. But, after the mourners had left the home, Jesus took the girl by the hand and the girl rose up, alive.
- 19. Jesus Walks on Water Jesus told His disciples to go out into the water in a boat while Jesus went to a private place to pray. Later, Jesus walked out to the boat and startled the disciples. They thought they were seeing a ghost walking on the water. But after they realized that it was Jesus, they worshiped Him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God.“
- 20. Jesus Heals a Demon-Possessed Boy A man came and knelt before Jesus and said, “Lord, have mercy on my son. He has seizures and suffers terribly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. So I brought him to your disciples, but they couldn’t heal him.” Jesus said, “Bring the boy here to me.” When the evil spirit saw Jesus, it threw the child into a violent convulsion, and he fell to the ground. Then Jesus rebuked the demon in the boy, and it left him. From that moment the boy was well.
- 21. Payment of the Temple Tax On their arrival in Capernaum, the collectors of the Temple tax came to Peter and asked him, “Doesn’t your teacher pay the Temple tax?” “Yes, he does,” Peter replied. Then he went into the house. Jesus told Peter, “Go down to the lake and throw in a line. Open the mouth of the first fish you catch, and you will find a large silver coin. Take it and pay the tax for both of us.”
- 22. Jesus Blesses the Children One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so he could lay his hands on them and pray for them. The disciples scolded the parents for bothering him, but Jesus said, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! God’s kingdom belongs to people who are like these children.” And he placed his hands on their heads and blessed them.
- 23. The Greatest in the Kingdom After they arrived at Capernaum, Jesus asked his disciples, “What were you discussing out on the road?” But they didn’t answer, because they had been arguing about which of them was the greatest. Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them. Then he said, “Anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.”
- 24. Jesus at Simon the Pharisee’s Home One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to have dinner with him, so Jesus went to his home and sat down to eat. When a certain immoral woman from that city heard He was eating there, she brought a beautiful alabaster jar filled with expensive perfume. Then she knelt at His feet, weeping. Her tears fell on His feet, and she wiped them off with her hair. Then she kept kissing His feet and putting perfume on them. Jesus said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven. Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
- 25. Jesus Visits Martha and Mary A woman named Martha welcomed Jesus into her home. Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what He taught. But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.” But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”
- 26. Salvation for a Swindler Zacchaeus was the wealthy head of a large office of government tax collectors. To the Jews, tax collectors were the absolute lowest of the low, well known for being cheaters and robbers of the poor. Immediately after he met and talked with Jesus, Zacchaeus’ entire life was turned around. Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, “I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!” Jesus responded, “Salvation has come to this home today, for the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.”
- 27. Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead When Jesus received word that His friend, Lazarus, was seriously ill, He said: "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it.“ A few days later, Jesus traveled to Lazarus' town, where he was told Lazarus had been dead for four days. Jesus told Martha, Lazarus' sister, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?“ "Yes, Lord," Martha told him, "I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world." Jesus then went to the tomb and called out for Lazarus. Lazarus rose back to life and walked out of his tomb.
- 28. The Widow’s Offering Jesus sat down near the collection box in the Temple and watched as the crowds dropped in their money. Many rich people put in large amounts. Then a poor widow came and dropped in two small coins. Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has given more than all the others who are making contributions. For they gave a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she had to live on.”
- 29. The Most Important Commandment One of the teachers of religious law asked Jesus, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: 'The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”
- 30. Jesus Washes His Disciples’ Feet Before the Passover celebration, Jesus got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him. After washing their feet, he put on his robe again and sat down and asked, “Do you understand what I was doing? You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I am. And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example to follow. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”
- 31. The Last Supper At the last supper Jesus ate with His disciples before His death, He gave thanks and broke bread, and shared it with them. "Take and eat," Jesus said. "This is My body, which is broken for you. After the bread, Jesus poured wine into a cup. "This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you", He told His disciples. Even though He knew He was about to die a painful death, His heart overflowed with selfless love for others—and it does to this day. He would have shed His blood for you alone, and He would do it all over again, just for you. He loves you that much!
- 32. Jesus Comforts His Disciples After the meal, Jesus spent time with His closest followers. He reminded them that He was their passage to heaven and told them about the beautiful mansions He would make ready for them there. He promised to answer their prayers. He told them about the Holy Spirit. He promised them supernatural peace. Then He prayed for His disciples.
- 33. In the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus went with His disciples to a place called Gethsemane. Then Jesus went to pray by Himself. Jesus prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, please let me not have to drink this cup of suffering. But if there is no other way for people’s sins to be forgiven, then let Your will be done.”
- 34. Jesus is crucified Jesus’ enemies had Him arrested and brought to trial on false charges. And though the Roman governor found Jesus innocent, he was pressured to execute Him. Just before His arrest, Jesus had said, "They couldn't even touch Me without My Father's permission. If I would but raise My little finger, He would send legions of angels to rescue Me!" But instead, Jesus chose to die, to save you and me. He chose to give His life because He knew that was the only way God's plan for our salvation could be fulfilled.
- 35. Jesus Lives Even Jesus’ death did not satisfy His jealous enemies. To ensure that His followers couldn't steal His body and claim He'd come back to life, they placed a huge stone over the entrance of His tomb and posted a group of Roman soldiers there to guard it. This was a scheme that proved futile, however, as these same guards became eyewitnesses to the greatest miracle of all. Three days after His lifeless body was laid to rest in that cold tomb, Jesus rose from the dead, the victor over death and Hell forever!
- 36. On the Road to Emmaus On the day that Jesus rose from the dead, two of His disciples were going to a nearby town. As they walked, they talked about what had happened to Jesus. Jesus approached them and started walking with them, but they did not recognize Him. The two men invited Jesus to stay with them, so He did. When they were ready to eat the evening meal, Jesus picked up a loaf of bread, thanked God for it, and then broke it. Suddenly, they recognized that He was Jesus!
- 37. Jesus Appears to His Disciples That evening the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them! “Peace be with you,” he said. As he spoke, he showed them the wounds in his hands and his side. They were filled with joy when they saw the Lord!
- 38. 5 Jesus ascends into Heaven During the next forty days, Jesus appeared to his disciples many times. Once, he even appeared to more than 500 people at the same time! After Jesus had visited His disciples and told them to go into the world and preach the Word of God, Jesus was taken into Heaven. Angels appeared and promised that in the same way that Jesus had been taken, He will return!
- 39. Jesus Returns Jesus is inviting you to a party!--The grandest, most thrilling and exciting party that has ever been held! It will be a feast that will be attended by billions of people from all over the World and it will be held in a place that is so big and so beautiful and so out-of-this- World that it is beyond your imagination! When Jesus returns, the trumpets of God will sound and Jesus' mighty voice will thunder from the heavens, "Come up!" and all of His saved children will be caught up together with Him in the clouds. Then we will all fly away with the Lord to the greatest party ever held—a wonderful reunion with the Lord and all of our loved ones!
- 40. www.freekidstories.org Art by Didier Martin, www.mylittlehouse.org Text from the Bible and Bible-based writings