Jesus’ Baptism Lesson Set


Overview of all workshops/materials in this lesson set:

Felt Board activity

Temple: What does baptism mean? (show a clip from the video “Jesus of Nazareth #1”

Art: Make Baptism banners

Cooking/Drama: Make "Honey Bug Locusts" + perform a skit

Video: Nest Entertainment Video - “John the Baptist”

Text: Mark 1: 1-11

Memory Verse: Matthew 28: 19
“Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” NIV


Journal Sticker suggestions: Baptismal fount – water – dove
Song suggestions: “I Was There to Hear Your Borning Cry”


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Jesus’ Baptism Felt board Activity
Mark 1: 1-11

(Scene: outside - land, water/river, clouds/heavens that can split)

John the Baptist Prepares the Way.
This is the Good News about Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

(Add Isaiah) Isaiah, the prophet wrote: God said a special messenger would arrive first to prepare the world for His Son. This messenger would live out in the wilderness and proclaim that everyone must straighten out his life and make the path straight for Him.


This special messenger was John the Baptist. (Add John-long hair) John lived in the wilderness. He preached and baptized people. John said, “Turn away from your sin and be baptized. God will forgive you!”

(Add 2 groups of people) Many people from Judea and Jerusalem went to hear John. They confessed their sins and were baptized in the Jordan River. (John baptized one man)

John wore clothes made of camel hair (Add fuzzy vest/clothes-or put on a fuzzy vest yourself) and a leather belt around his waist. (Add belt) He ate locusts and wild honey. What are locusts? Grasshoppers. (Add grasshoppers and ‘honey pot’) John ate grasshoppers for supper!

John told the people of a special person. “Someone is coming soon who is far greater than I. I am not good enough to even untie his sandals. (Add Jesus in the background) I baptize you with water. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.


The Baptism of Jesus
Then one day, Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee. (Move Jesus to the edge of the water) John baptized Jesus in the Jordan River. (Baptize Jesus in the middle of the water) The moment Jesus came up from the water, he saw the heavens open up. (Split the clouds) The Holy Spirit descended on him like a dove. (Dove from the sky to Jesus’ shoulder) A voice came from heaven saying, “You are my Son whom I love. With you, I am well pleased.”

John baptized with water. Today we baptize people in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. God is at work through the power of the Word. The Holy Spirit comes to stay in us, encouraging us to witness for the Lord and to live a holy life.
(Add ‘swimming pool’) Some churches use “emersion” – dunking the person under the water. (Add baptismal fount) Some churches use “sprinkling” – wetting the head with a little water from a fount. Either way, God is present in the action of baptism. God claims us as a part of His family. The Holy Spirit is working within us. Baptism is our entrance into the Christian community.

Baptism is a Holy sacrament. What is a sacrament? A sacrament is a holy thing we do because God instructed us. Baptism and communion are sacraments. It is a special thing we do to honor God. Christ commanded us to baptize people. In Matthew 28, verse 19, Jesus says, “Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
Go and spread the Good News of our Lord!



Written by: Rachel Haugland
Reference: The Living Bible, Quest Study Bible/NIV, Today’s English Version Bible.

Jesus’ Baptism - Temple – What Does Baptism Mean?
Mark 1: 1-11


Supplies: Video: “Jesus of Nazareth #1”, TV, Video player, doll, water, baptismal fount, cloth, candle, ? matches, banner

Suggestion: You could call the class members a few days before you meet. Encourage them to think of memories of their baptism (or someone else’s) to share with the class. Could bring a picture or memento to class. (Make sure they know they are in charge of getting the memento back home.)

FYI: Each of the 4 Gospels has a reading on the baptism of Jesus. We choose the one from Mark. These are the references from the other three.
• John 1: 19-34
• Matthew 3: 1-17
• Luke 3: 1-22


Read: The Story – Mark 1: 1-11
Practice: The Memory Verse


• Who was John the Baptist?
o Prophet who baptized people
o Wore camel hair
o Ate grasshoppers and wild honey
o Sent by God to prepare the way for Jesus

• Why did John baptize people? (What did it mean to get baptized?)
o To encourage people to turn away from their evil ways
o For the forgiveness of sins
o To make followers for God


John was preparing the way for someone more powerful than him. Although John did not know for whom he was preparing the way, he recognized Jesus immediately. Look up John 1: 29 (“The next day, John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, ‘Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!’”


Watch the clip from the movie – (“Jesus of Nazareth #1” 1992 by Artisan Home Entertainment.)
It should start by showing people walking in water. Turn it off after John the Baptist says, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes under himself the sins of the world.” It will be almost 4 minutes long.

• Tell me again, why do we baptize people?
o To encourage people to turn away from their evil ways
o For the forgiveness of sins
o To make followers for God

• I’m confused. Why did Jesus need to be baptized? Isn’t Jesus perfect? No sin? No evil ways? And isn’t He part of God? Why would Jesus think He needed to be baptized? (Not all answers need to be discussed.)
o Support what John was doing and encourage others to be baptized too.
o Identify with the regular people
o To confess the sins of other people
o A way to begin His public ministry
o Foreshadowing His death and resurrection (death by going under water, resurrection, by coming out of the water)

• John baptized in the Jordan River – which probably means he immersed or dunked the people in the water. (Explain/demonstrate immersion.)

• Another way to baptize is to ‘sprinkle’ – wetting the head with a little water. (Explain/demonstrate) At our church, this is how we baptize people.

• What way is the correct way to baptize – by immersion or by sprinkling? Does it matter? Jesus told us to baptize people in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He didn’t give us detailed instructions on how to do it. Maybe He didn’t want us to get hung up on the little details, instead to focus on the important stuff.

Have you been baptized? Discuss memories of their own baptism or a baptism that they remember – brother/sister/cousin. (Be careful that the trip down memory lane doesn’t take all class period)

• Special outfit – specially bought or previously worn by a parent or grandparent.

• People that came – family and friends.
o Because you are baptized, what does that mean to you?
 Sins are forgiven
 Part of God’s family
 To try to make good decision for God.

• Some people are baptized as babies – some as adults. Which is right?
o God doesn’t say. He tells us to baptize people. Tells us to baptize in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
o We know from the Bible that all ages were baptized.
 Acts 16: 33 ‘all his family were baptized’
 Acts 18: 8 ‘his entire household believed in the Lord and were baptized’


Look at the ‘equipment’ used during a baptism.
• Baptismal fount (Ours has a cross on top)
• Shell (Used to pour water onto the head of the person baptized.)
• Water (Regular tap water – the blessing and power comes when the word of God is united with the water. Some churches – Catholic – use ‘Holy Water’, which is regular water that has had a special blessing)
• Candle (Let your light shine for Jesus)
• Cloth (To blot the water from the head)
• Oil (some churches use oil or water to make the ‘cross of Christ’ on the forehead – we use water)
• Banner (Given to the person getting baptized.)
• Certificate of baptism (Signed by the Pastor)


Baptize a doll (Perform a skit)
• Pick parents, Pastor, Sponsors

• Have the parents pick out a name for the “baby”
o Lutheran Book of Worship page 121 has the service for Holy Baptism (You don’t need to follow this word for word – just use this as a guide to get the important points.)

 We present ______ for baptism.
 Do you believe in Jesus?
 Do you promise to teach your child about Jesus?
 I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen
 You have been marked with the cross of Christ.
 Let your light shine for Jesus


Talk about the Holy Trinity.
• God, the Father

• Jesus, the Son

• The Holy Spirit, The Holy Ghost – often represented as a dove.
o Mark 1: 10 – The Holy Trinity was all in one place during Jesus baptism.
 After Jesus was baptized and he came up out of the water, the heavens opened up. The Holy Spirit came down on Jesus like a dove.
 And the voice of God saying, you are my son whom I love. With you I am well pleased.


God sent Jesus to earth to save us. Jesus did the same stuff we do. He ate and drank. He walked. He was baptized.

Let’s rejoice because God loves us!


Close with a prayer. (This one or your own) Dear Lord, Thank you for sending John the Baptist to prepare the way for Jesus. We know Jesus is beside us all the time guiding us. We need Your help every day – staying on the right path, making the right decisions. Help us remember our own baptism – that our sins are forgiven and we are part of Your family. In Your name we pray, Amen.



Written by Rachel Haugland

Jesus’ Baptism - Craft – Baptism Banner
Mark 1:1-11


Read the Bible story.

Memory verse: “Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” Matthew 28:19


Supplies: felt – large pieces for banner and smaller pieces for banner design. (banner design includes 4 rings of rainbow, shell and white felt to write verse on),
black sharpie markers, sharp scissors for cutting felt, fabric or tacky glue, sample banner already made up to use as guide, templates for tracing pieces to cut.


Activity: Begin by explaining that as part of the baptismal service in our church each child receives a banner made for them. It has the verse, “One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism.” found in Ephesians 4:5, written on it.


During this rotation we will be making baptismal banner to be given to children as part of their baptism. We will be using the templates and the already made banner to put banners together.

As children get the pieces cut, they glue onto the larger (banner) piece of felt. Continue as time allows. The next week’s class will begin where the last class finished. Continue making banners each week.


As children are working, ask if anyone remembers any baptisms they have seen in church.
• What do they remember?
• Do they have any questions about the service?
• Have they seen the momentos from their own baptisms – the cloth the pastor used to wipe their brow, the candle they parents were given, their baptismal certificates, banners – if they were baptized at Elim.
• Have they seen pictures of their own baptisms?
• What do they remember from the pictures they have seen?
• What special people were at their baptisms?
• Why was the day so special?
• What do they think is the job of the sponsors?
• Do they know who their baptismal sponsors are?
• Do they know anyone who was baptized when they were older, like in elementary school, middle school, high school, an adult?


Close by practicing the memory verse and sharing a prayer.


Written by Linda Norem

Jesus’ Baptism - Food – Locusts and a Skit
Mark 1: 1-11


Supplies: crescent roll dough, pretzel sticks, raisins, honey, ? honey butter, cookie sheets, spatula, napkins

Preheat the ovens.

Explain: Some places today and in the past, there are people who have to scrounge for food or they would go hungry. They get their food from anywhere they can find it – kind of like survival training in the forest or desert. One source of food is bugs and insects.

Maybe John was not all that weird – if you were in the wilderness, what would you eat? Wild onions, leaves, berries, roots, insects, rodents, etc.

Where might you find the food? Dig in the dirt, under bark, around a dead tree, on bushes, etc.

Make ‘Honey Bugs’ (Idea from St. Mary’s Anglican Church, Regina – rotation.org http://rotation.infopop.cc/eve...6088121/m/2371011271 )

We are going to make a ‘Honey Bug’ to remind us about what John the Baptist ate in the wilderness. Have each child make a Honey Bug.
• Shape dough into a body and head of a bug (could use scissors/knife to cut ‘wings’ and neck.)
• Add raisins for eyes.
• Break stick pretzels in smaller pieces and add for legs. (3 per side for insects, 4 per side for spiders.)

• Either:
o Brush with honey or honey butter (mixed ahead of time) after baking.
o Serve with a cup/bowl with a dab of honey to dip their ‘bug’ into.

• Bake according to directions.

While the Boney Bugs are baking, have the kids perform the skit.

When the bugs are done baking, eat and enjoy!


Discussion: While eating, if time/desired. (Written by Rachel Haugland)
• John was a special messenger from God. Who from the Old Testament told of this person coming? Isaiah
• Was John the first person to ever baptize people? No, the Jews had a ritual washing for purification of the body and spirit. But Yes, John was the first person to baptize to forgive sins.
• Many feel as if the beginning of Jesus’ ministry started when John baptized him. About how old was Jesus? 30 years old
• Why do we baptize people now? Jesus told us to, a way to make more disciples for Jesus, include people in the Christian community, forgiveness of sins
• Should we baptize babies, children or adults? God didn’t tell us what age, he just told us to do it, the Bible talks about baptizing families-which probably included all ages.
• Should we ‘dunk’ or ‘sprinkle’ when we do a baptism? God didn’t tell us how, just to do it



Skit - "Prepare The Way!"


Characters: Isaiah, John, Person 1 & 2, baptized person, group, narrator, God, Jesus
Props: camel hair clothes, leather belt, rubber grasshopper, dove/bird


Isaiah: I am Isaiah from the Old Testament. God says there will be a special person to prepare the way for the Messiah! This messenger will live in the wilderness. He will tell everyone to shape up and make the right decisions.

John: (John- with camel hair clothes and leather belt - standing with person to be baptized. Group of people watching) I am John the Baptist. Turn away from your sins.

Person 1: (Standing off to the side, pointing at John) Look at John. He wears camel hair for clothes. His hair is long.

Person 2: Yah, but people come from all over to listen to him. They say they are sorry for their sins and John baptizes them in the river.

Person 1: Have you seen what he eats? Locusts and wild honey! Yuk!

John: Be baptized. (Pretend to dunk the person under the water and come back up) God forgives you!

Narrator: (Baptized person moves to the group. Enter Jesus) One day Jesus came and was baptized by John in the Jordan River. (John baptize/’dunk’ Jesus) The moment Jesus came up from the water, the heavens opened up. The Holy Spirit came down on Jesus, like a dove. (Bird flies down and rests on Jesus) A voice from heaven said,

God: (Heard, not seen) “You are my son, I love you, I am very pleased.”

Narrator: Christ told us to baptize people.

Jesus: Go and make disciples. Baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.



Written by: Rachel Haugland
Reference: The Living Bible, Quest Study Bible/NIV, Today’s English Version Bible.