This lesson teaches children that Jesus is our perfect High Priest, who makes a new promise between God and His people that will never fail. It suits children aged 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes, including the activities.
Big Idea
Jesus is the best helper we could ever have. He talks to God for us, and God promises to love us and forgive us.
Memory Verse
Hebrews 8:10
“For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel. After those days,” says the Lord; “I will put my laws into their mind, I will also write them on their heart. I will be their God, and they will be my people.
(WEB)
Hold both hands out flat like a book, then slowly press them over your chest. Say “I will put my laws in their minds” as you touch your forehead, and “I will write them on their hearts” as you touch your heart.
The Story: Hebrews 8 for Kids
Long ago, God’s people had priests who helped them come close to God. The priests offered gifts and sacrifices at a special tent called the tabernacle. Those priests were not perfect, and the tabernacle was only a copy of something greater in heaven.
The writer of this letter wanted God’s people to understand something new. Jesus is our High Priest, and He sat down at the right hand of God in heaven. He serves in the true tent that God built, not one made by human hands.
God had told Moses to build the tabernacle exactly as the pattern showed him on the mountain. Everything in it pointed to something bigger. It was like a picture that helped people understand what God was going to do.
Then God made a promise. He said, “Days are coming when I will make a new covenant with my people.” This new promise was better than the old one, because God would write His ways on their hearts. The people had not kept the first promise, but God still loved them.
God also said He would be merciful to them. He would remember their sins no more. That is a wonderful kind of love, and it is what Jesus brings to us today.
Read It Together
Hebrews 8:1-2
1 Now in the things which we are saying, the main point is this. We have such a high priest, who sat down on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, 2 a servant of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, not man.
(WEB)
Point out that Jesus sits in heaven at God’s right hand. Ask children to imagine Jesus being our helper in the best place, not a tent on earth. Explain that He is always serving us.
Hebrews 8:11
They will not teach every man his fellow citizen, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for all will know me, from their least to their greatest.
(WEB)
Show children that everyone who belongs to God will know Him, from the youngest to the oldest. Remind them that knowing God is a gift, not something they must earn. Say that they can know Him now.
Hebrews 8:12
For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness. I will remember their sins and lawless deeds no more.”
(WEB)
Explain that God forgives our wrongs and does not keep bringing them back up. Help children see that God’s mercy is faithful. Use a simple example like a parent forgiving a child after a mistake.
Talk About It
- What do you think it means that Jesus is our helper who is always with God?
- Why do you think God wanted to write His ways on our hearts instead of only on stone?
- How does it feel to know God remembers our sins no more?
- What is one way you can show someone that you know God?
- Why do you think the first promise needed to be replaced with a better one?
Activity Ideas
Draw a Heart Covenant
You will need paper, crayons, and a pencil. Ask each child to draw a large heart and write one of God’s ways inside it, such as “Love one another” or “Be kind.” Let them color it and take it home as a reminder that God’s promise is written on our hearts.
Priest Helper Relay
You will need a bowl, a few soft toys, and a spoon. Set up two lines of children and have them pass a toy from the bowl to the other end, with one child acting as the helper. Explain that Jesus is our helper who carries our prayers to God. Let children take turns being the helper.
Forgiveness Jar
You will need an empty jar, paper, and a marker. Each day this week, have children write a small mistake on a slip of paper and drop it in the jar, then tell them you will not look at the slips because God forgets our sins. Talk together about how God’s forgiveness lets us start again.
Teacher Notes
For adults, this chapter explains that Jesus is a better High Priest than those in the old system, and that God made a new covenant that writes His law on the heart. The old tabernacle and sacrifices pointed forward to Christ, who serves in the true heavenly sanctuary. The promise of forgiveness and a restored relationship with God rests on what Jesus has done.
Be careful not to overstate the contrast between the old and new covenants when speaking to children. The point is not that God’s earlier people were bad, but that God’s plan was always leading to Jesus. Keep the focus on God’s faithful love rather than on what was lacking before.
A Prayer to Close
Dear Jesus, thank You for being our perfect helper who always serves before God. Thank You for writing Your ways on our hearts and for forgiving us when we do wrong. Help us know You more each day and remember Your love when we feel small. Amen.
