2026-03-15 Jesus Proclaims His Good News to Sinners
Introduction
In this lesson, children will discover that after Jesus returned from the wilderness, He began the mission God sent Him to do: proclaim good news to sinners. God first sent John the Baptist to prepare the way, and then Jesus Himself stood up in the synagogue and boldly announced that He was the promised Savior. Children will see that this good news is for everyone who is in need of rescue from sin, and that Jesus was eager and willing to share it.
Main Ideas:
- Preparation: God sent John the Baptist to get people ready for Jesus.
- Proclamation: Jesus came to proclaim good news to sinners: He is the Savior God promised to send.
- Mission: Jesus was sent by God to save sinners from their sin and bring them back to God.
Praise and Worship (15 mins)
Parents: The parent and child scheduled for this week will lead us in singing on Sunday. Please take time to practice the songs together at home, helping your child feel confident and joyful as they prepare to lead.
Prayer and Offering (5 mins)
Parents: Please encourage your children to bring an offering to church. You may help your child prepare by setting aside a coin for them to bring on Sunday. This is a great opportunity to teach them about giving to God with a thankful heart and trusting Him to provide.
What is Offering?
Offering is when we give something to God to show our love and thankfulness. In church, we often give money as an offering, but we can also give our time, talents, and kindness to God and others.
Why Do We Make an Offering?
To Thank God – Everything we have comes from God! Giving back is a way to say, “Thank You, God!”
The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 9:7,
To Trust God – When we give, we show that we trust God to take care of us.
To Help Others – Offerings help the church teach about Jesus, help people in need, and share God’s love.
"God loves a cheerful giver!" That means God is happy when we give with a joyful heart!
Prayer for Offering
Dear God, thank You for giving us everything we need. We want to give back to You with joyful hearts. Please use our offering to help others and share Your love. Help us to always trust You. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
Review Verse from Last Week
Hebrews 2:18
"For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted."
Bible Story (10 min)
Introduction (2 min)
Props Needed:
- A large envelope with "Special Announcement" written on the front
- A piece of paper inside with an exciting message (e.g., "Everyone gets a special sticker/treat after the lesson!")
- A scroll (a long piece of paper rolled around two paper towel tubes, with Luke 4:18-19 written on it)
(Teacher holds up the large envelope so everyone can see the words "Special Announcement" on the front.)
Teacher: "Look at what I brought today! Can anyone read what it says on this envelope? It says 'Special Announcement.' Does anyone know what an announcement is?"
(Let children respond.)
Teacher: "An announcement is when someone tells you something really important! There is some special news inside this envelope. Let me read it..."
(Open the envelope and pretend to read it silently. Make excited faces and exclamations.)
Teacher: "Wow! This is AMAZING news! Oh, this is so great! You would all really, really like this..."
(Pause dramatically and hug the paper to your chest.)
Teacher: "Hmm... but maybe I'll just keep this good news to myself. What if I don't share it with you?"
(Wait for the children to protest.)
Teacher: "You really want to hear it? Okay, because I care about you, I want to share it! Listen to this..."
(Read the announcement aloud with excitement.)
Teacher: "That was exciting news, right? We all love hearing good news! But today we are going to learn about someone who had the BEST and most important news of all. Even better than stickers or treats. Does anyone want to guess who I'm talking about?"
Story Telling: Jesus Announces the Good News (10 min)
Props / Visuals Suggested:
- Large envelope with "Special Announcement"
- Scroll with Luke 4:18-19
- Shiny Heart cutout (from previous lessons)
Part 1: Getting Ready for the Big News (3 mins)
Teacher: "Before I read you my special announcement today, I told you something exciting was coming, right? That helped you get ready and pay attention. Well, God did something just like that! Before Jesus started telling everyone the good news, God sent a special helper to get people ready."
Teacher: "This helper's name was John the Baptist. John went around telling everyone: 'Get ready! Something amazing is about to happen! Feel sorry for the wrong things you've done and turn away from them. God is about to do something wonderful!'"
Interaction (Age 4-6): "If I told you that someone very, very special was coming to visit our class next week, what would you do to get ready? Maybe clean up? Put on your best clothes? That's what John was helping people do, but with their hearts!"
Question (Age 7-10): "Why do you think God sent John first instead of just having Jesus show up and start talking? What does that tell us about how much God cares about people hearing the message?"
Teacher Key: "God wanted people to be ready to listen. He didn't want them to miss the best news ever! God is so kind that He prepared their hearts first."
Part 2: Jesus Stands Up (3 mins)
Teacher: "Remember last week we learned that Jesus came back from the desert where He said 'NO' to every temptation? After that, Jesus was ready. He was ready to start the most important job in the whole world."
Teacher: "One day, Jesus walked into the synagogue. That's the place where people went to learn about God and worship Him, kind of like our church! Everyone was sitting there, and then Jesus stood up. He asked for a scroll."
Interaction (Age 4-6): "A scroll is like a really, really long rolled-up piece of paper. Before books were invented, people wrote important things on scrolls."
(Hold up your scroll visual.)
Teacher: "Jesus unrolled the scroll and began to read. And what He read... changed everything."
(Slowly unroll your scroll and read with a clear, strong voice.)
Teacher: "Jesus read: 'The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.'"
Teacher: "Then Jesus rolled up the scroll, handed it back, sat down, and said something incredible. He said: 'Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.'"
Question (Age 7-10): "What do you think Jesus meant by that? He was saying, 'I am the one this is talking about. I am the one God sent!'"
Part 3: What Was the Good News? (3 mins)
Teacher: "Now, those were some big words Jesus read from the scroll. Let me help you understand what they mean, because this is the best news in the whole world!"
Teacher: "'Good news to the poor': Who are the 'poor' people? Not just people without money. It means people who know they need help. People who know they are sinners and can't fix it on their own. That's all of us!"
Interaction (Age 4-6): "Have you ever needed help really badly? Like when you fell down and got hurt, and you needed Mom or Dad? We ALL need help with something even bigger than a scraped knee. We need help with our sin!"
Teacher: "'Liberty to the captives': A captive is someone who is trapped or locked up. Sin traps us! It's like being stuck in a cage. Jesus came to set us free!"
Teacher: "'Recovering of sight to the blind': Some people can't see the truth about God. Jesus came to open our eyes so we can see how wonderful God is!"
Teacher: "So what was Jesus' big announcement? It was this: 'I am the one God promised to send. I am here to save you!'"
Interaction (Age 4-8): "Let's all say it together like an announcement! Cup your hands around your mouth like a megaphone. Ready? 'Jesus came to save sinners!'"
(Have children repeat the announcement together.)
Part 4: Good News Worth Sharing (1 min)
Teacher: "Remember at the beginning when I almost kept the special announcement to myself? How did that make you feel?"
(Let children respond.)
Teacher: "You wouldn't have liked that at all! Good news is meant to be shared. And Jesus' good news is the BEST news. He didn't keep it a secret. He stood right up in front of everyone and announced it boldly."
Teacher: "And here's the amazing thing: this good news isn't just for the people who heard Jesus that day. It's for you and me too! Jesus came to save sinners, and that includes every single one of us who trusts in Him."
Wrap-up & Discussion (4 min)
(Gather children close for reflection.)
Discussion Questions:
Teacher: "We learned today that Jesus had the most important announcement ever. Let's think about it together."
Question: "What was Jesus' special announcement?" (He is the Savior God promised to send. He came to save sinners.)
Question: "Why is this good news for us?" (Because we are all sinners and we need someone to save us.)
Question (Age 7-10): "Not everyone who heard Jesus was happy about His announcement. Some people didn't believe Him. Why do you think some people didn't want to hear this good news?"
Teacher: "Jesus' good news is for everyone who knows they need help. If someone thinks they are already good enough on their own, they might not think they need Jesus. But the truth is, we ALL need Him."
Closing Thought & Prayer
Teacher: "God kept His promise. He said He would send someone to save His people, and He did! Jesus came and announced, 'I am the one God sent!' And Jesus didn't just talk about saving people. He actually did it. We'll keep learning about how in the weeks to come."
(Fold hands and bow heads.)
Prayer: "Dear God, thank You for sending Jesus with the best news in the world. Thank You that He didn't keep it a secret but shared it with everyone. Help us to believe this good news and to share it with others too. We love You, Jesus. Amen."
Memorizing Verse: Luke 4:18a
Luke 4:18a
"[Jesus said,] 'The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.'"
Hand Gestures:
- "The Spirit of the Lord...": Wave hands gently downward (like the Spirit coming down).
- "...is upon me...": Place both hands on your own shoulders (the Spirit resting on Jesus).
- "...because he has anointed me...": Pretend to pour something on your head (anointing with oil).
- "...to proclaim good news...": Cup hands around mouth like a megaphone.
- "...to the poor.": Hold out open, empty hands (showing need).
Craft & Game (10 mins)
Game: "Special Announcement Relay"
This game reinforces that good news is meant to be shared, not kept secret.
⏰ Time: 5 minutes
👧 Age Group: 4-8 years
🧩 Lesson Connection: Just as Jesus proclaimed the good news boldly, children practice sharing the good news with each other.
🪜 Setup & Materials Needed:
- Construction paper rolled into megaphone cones (one per child, or a few to share)
🎲 How to Play:
Step 1: Divide children into two groups. Give each group a paper megaphone.
Step 2: Group 1 uses their megaphones to proclaim the first part of the verse: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me..."
Step 3: Group 2 responds with the second part: "...because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor."
Step 4: Switch groups and repeat!
Step 5: Ask for volunteers to come up and proclaim the whole verse by themselves using the megaphone.
Craft: Memory Verse Scroll
Children make their own scroll to take home, just like the one Jesus read from.
Materials: Scroll handout with Luke 4:18a printed on it, brown wrapping paper or paper grocery bag (cut to size), glue, 2 wooden dowels (or straws or chopsticks), ribbon.
The Activity:
- Step 1: Have children color and decorate the verse handout.
- Step 2: Glue the handout onto the brown paper (crinkle and flatten the brown paper first to give it a parchment look).
- Step 3: Glue the short ends of the paper to the two dowels/straws.
- Step 4: Roll the paper from each end toward the center to form a scroll.
- Step 5: Tie with ribbon to keep it closed.
- Take Home: Children can unroll their scroll at home and practice reading the verse to their family, just like Jesus did in the synagogue!
Response Song
Closing Prayer & Snack Time (10 mins)
"Dear Jesus, thank You for being brave and standing up to announce the best news ever. Thank You for not keeping it a secret. Help us to share Your good news with the people around us. We love You! Amen."
Now, let us thank You for the snack we’re about to enjoy.
We fold our hands.
We bow our heads.
We thank You, God,
for this daily bread.
Amen.