This lesson teaches children that Jesus told his friends to wait in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit, and that God keeps his promises. It is built for children ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes to teach.
Big Idea
God always keeps his promises, so we can trust him and wait for him with a hopeful heart. When we wait for God, he gives us what he promised at exactly the right time.
Memory Verse
Acts 1:8
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. You will be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth.”
(WEB)
Teach the children to cup their hands together, then open them wide and raise them up like a bird taking flight. Say the words slowly with the motion, and let them do it with you three times.
The Story: Acts 1 for Kids
Jesus had come back to life, and his friends saw him many times over forty days. He talked with them about God’s kingdom and showed them that he was really alive. Those were happy and amazing days for the disciples, and they loved being near him again.
One day Jesus gathered his friends together and gave them an important job to remember. He said, “Don’t leave Jerusalem. Wait here for the gift my Father promised.” He told them that John had baptized with water, but they would soon be baptized with the Holy Spirit. The friends listened carefully and wondered what would happen next.
The friends asked Jesus if he was about to make Israel free and strong again. Jesus gently told them that only the Father knows the exact time for big things to happen. He said that the Holy Spirit would come to them and give them power. Then they would tell people about him everywhere, first in Jerusalem, then across the land, and all the way to the ends of the earth.
As the friends watched, Jesus was lifted up into the sky, and a cloud hid him from their eyes. They kept staring up toward the sky. Two men in white clothes stood beside them and said, “Why are you standing here looking up? Jesus will come back the same way you saw him go.” The friends then walked back to Jerusalem with joy.
In the upper room, the friends prayed together with Mary, the mother of Jesus, and some other followers. The group was about one hundred twenty people who were waiting and praying. Peter stood up and talked about the need to choose someone new to join the twelve friends. They prayed and asked God to show them the right person, and they chose Matthias.
Read It Together
Acts 1:4-5
4 Being assembled together with them, he commanded them, “Don’t depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which you heard from me. 5 For John indeed baptized in water, but you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
(WEB)
Point out that Jesus told his friends to wait and that the promise was a gift from the Father. Ask the children what they think it means to wait for a gift someone has promised. Help them see that waiting can be full of trust.
Acts 1:9-11
9 When he had said these things, as they were looking, he was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their sight. 10 While they were looking steadfastly into the sky as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white clothing, 11 who also said, “You men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who was received up from you into the sky, will come back in the same way as you saw him going into the sky.”
(WEB)
Show the children that Jesus went up into heaven and that the two men said he would return. Explain that Jesus is not gone forever and that he will come back as he promised. Let them point up together when they hear the word heaven.
Acts 1:14
All these with one accord continued steadfastly in prayer and supplication, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.
(WEB)
Point out that the friends did not wait alone, but prayed together as one group. Talk about how praying with friends and family helps us feel close to God and to each other. Ask who in their family or church they could pray with this week.
Talk About It
- What did Jesus tell his friends to do while they waited in Jerusalem?
- How do you think the friends felt while they waited for the Holy Spirit to come?
- Why do you think God wanted his friends to wait before they started telling people about Jesus?
- What is something you are waiting for right now, and how can you trust God in the waiting?
- Who is one person you could tell about Jesus this week, the way the friends were called to be witnesses?
Activity Ideas
Upper Room Drawing
Give each child a sheet of paper, crayons or markers, and a pencil. Ask them to draw the friends sitting together in a room, praying with Jesus’s mother Mary. Encourage them to add a little cloud in the sky and a few small stars. Let them show their picture to the group and share one thing they think the friends felt.
Ready, Set, Wait Game
Play a simple game where children stand in a line and hold their hands still while you call out a waiting job, like “Stand still until I say go.” Count slowly to ten before saying go, then let them move. Talk about how waiting can be hard, but it is worth it when God’s promise arrives.
Take-Home Promise Card
Cut a piece of cardstock into a small rectangle for each child. Help them write or draw one thing they are waiting for and one way they can trust God while they wait. Encourage them to keep the card on their bedside table or in a backpack. Ask them to share the card with someone at home during the week.
Teacher Notes
For adults, this chapter shows that Jesus gave his followers a clear mission and a promise, and that the Holy Spirit’s coming empowered them to be witnesses. The passage also shows that the early church was built on prayer, unity, and faithfulness to God’s word. Adults can see in Acts 1 a model of waiting on God while being attentive to his direction.
Avoid overstating to children that every waiting season will end in a dramatic answer right away. The disciples waited for a specific promise tied to God’s timing, and children should learn that God’s timing is wise even when it feels slow.
A Prayer to Close
Dear God, thank you for keeping your promises to us. Help us to wait for you with trust and joy, and help us pray together like the friends in the upper room. Give us courage to tell others about Jesus in our homes and in our community. Amen.
