Kid's Corner - Parent's Guide - John the Baptist

John the Baptist

Dear Mom and Dad,

We applaud you for following Proverbs 22:6 by helping your child understand the Bible. Below, you will find some Teaching Tools to guide you in showing your child the truths of God’s Word and in helping your child apply them in his life.

Ages 3 to 6
Even if your children are older than six, we encourage you to lead them through this material before moving on to the content for their age group.

Ages 7 to 10

What we will learn
• Jesus came to forgive us of our sin.
• The meaning of the words humility, Messiah, baptize, sin, and forgiven.

LEARN ABOUT JOHN THE BAPTIST

In this section, help your child understand why John the Baptist was so important in the plan of God. John’s ministry was important because it foretold the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. When John baptized Jesus in the Jordan River, he showed humility–or his ability to yield to authority–by serving and obeying the Son of God.

Teaching Tool #1:
When your child wonders why John the Baptist wanted to tell people about Jesus, tell him that . . . John understood how important it was for people to believe that Jesus was the Messiah–or Savior–who came to save everyone from their sin.

Teaching Tool #2:
When your child wonders why people need a Messiah for their sin, tell him that . . . everyone is born wanting to do, say, and think wrong things. These wrong things–called sin–keep us from being friends with God. But because God loves us and wants us to be His friends, He sent His Son Jesus to die for us on a cross. Now, if we ask Jesus into our hearts, we can be friends with God! To learn more about Jesus and the cross, look at the salvation message.

* Help your child name all your friends and family. Tell him that Jesus loves each person you named, and He died for everyone on your list–everyone in the whole world–because he loves us all.

This gives you the opportunity to share your testimony with your child. Remember to keep it brief and appropriate to your child’s level of understanding. If your child is interested, go through the salvation message content with him afterward.

Teaching Tool #3:
When your child wonders why John the Baptist dipped people in the river, explain that . . . the people who were dipped in the river–or baptized–had chosen to believe in the coming Savior and to turn away from their sins. By being baptized, a person shows to everyone that his sins have been forgiven–or washed away–because of his decision to believe and follow Jesus. Explain to your child the importance of bathing and washing his hair–to clean off all the dirt. Tell him that Jesus is like the shampoo and the soap. He washes away the "dirt," or sin, that keeps us from being friends with God. Ask your child to show you how he washes his hair.

Teaching Tool #4:
Tell your child that Jesus was perfect and had no sin in His life. Jesus was not baptized because of sin. He was baptized because He wanted to show the people that He knew how they felt. He also wanted to begin telling people about God. He let John wash Him in the river because it’s what God wanted. It also started His ministry–or His job of telling others about God.

Teaching Tool #5:
Tell your child that baptism does not wash away the sin. That is something Jesus does when we turn to Him.

The following analogy may help you explain it:

You can go to the circus and see the elephants and the clowns. You can hear the music and see the lights. You might take pictures while you are there. When you get back home, you can look at the pictures to remind you of the fun you had when you were at the circus. The pictures are signs that you have been to the circus. They are not the circus themselves.

In the same way, baptism–or the act of being baptized–does not take away your sin. It only acts as a reminder of the decision you make to trust Jesus. Your belief in Jesus is what takes away your sin.

Learning Concepts and Unfamiliar Words

Not only has your child learned a fundamental truth about Jesus (that He came to take away our sin), but he or she has also learned the meanings of the following words: humility, Messiah, baptize, sin, and forgiven.

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Parents' Guide

Dear Mom and Dad,

If you have children that are older (ages 7 to 10) and may enjoy learning more about John the Baptist, help them understand the following questions. You may want to help your child write his answers in a journal.

What we will learn
• God sent His Son to save us from our sin.
• Jesus wants to be our friend.
• The meaning of the words obeying, eternal life, praying, and faith.
• We can apply the Bible to our everyday lives.

HOW TO APPLY WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT JOHN THE BAPTIST

The most important thing about John the Baptist is not that he baptized people, but why he baptized them. John was obeying God, or doing exactly what God wanted, by baptizing people.

Journal: God has given you parents, guardians, and teachers to help you make good choices. Can you think of something that you do in order to obey them?

Even though lots of people came to watch John baptize and talk about Jesus, he did not take credit for these good things.

Journal: Write about something good you did this week. Then, write a letter to thank God for helping you. Every good thing comes from God.

John’s obedience–or act of obeying–did not give him life forever with God. Only his belief in Jesus gave him life with God forever–or eternal life.

Journal: No matter how much good you do, it will never give you life with God forever. Only your choice to have a friendship with Jesus, to ask Him into your heart, will give you eternal life. If you have never made that choice, read through the salvation message.

If you understood the message and asked Jesus into your heart, write your name and today’s date on a piece of paper. Then, copy these sentences: Today, I made the best choice I will ever make. I accepted faith–or believed–in Jesus Christ and gave Him my heart and life. I am now a child of God forever.

John read the Bible and followed it.

Journal: Just like you have friends at school and in your neighborhood, God is your friend. The way you get to know Him is by spending time with Him. Praying–asking Him to help you and thanking Him–and reading the Bible will help you know Him better.

Begin a plan to read some of the Bible and pray every day. (A trusted adult can help you.) After you read, write down questions you have and things you learn about God. You can also write your prayers to Him.

God gave John a special job to do, and John obeyed. God has given every child of His a special job. He wants us to tell others about Jesus.

Journal: As you read the Bible and pray, God will teach you more about Himself and give you special jobs to do. You can help others know God’s love by telling them about Him. You can also show His love to others by being kind and forgiving. Is there someone in your life who does not have God as their friend and Savior? Write his or her name here. What can you do this week to show them God’s love?

Life Lessons from John the Baptist:

God wants us to give Him the credit for anything good that we do.
God wants us to have a close friendship with Him.
God will help us obey Him when we ask Him.

Journal: Are you interested in knowing more about the Bible or about being baptized?

Memory Verse: "But Jesus said, ‘Please do it, for I must do all that is right.’ So then John baptized him" (Matthew 3:15).

Remember Rhyme

John the Baptist knew
A Savior would come one day.

At the river, John
Said what God told him to say:

"God’s Son loves you,
And wants to change your heart.

"Give Him your life,
And He will do the changing part."

Many people came to hear
The news John had to share.

They were glad to learn
Just how much Jesus cared.

Learning Concepts and Unfamiliar Words

Not only has your child learned a fundamental truth about God’s character (that He sent His Son to save us from our sin and wants to be our friend), but he has also learned the importance of being obedient. Your child has been introduced to unfamiliar words, too: obeying, eternal life, praying, and faith. Your child has also had a chance to apply biblical truths to his life and remember the story of John the Baptist through Scripture and song.

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