This lesson teaches children that Jesus is our good shepherd, who knows each of His sheep by name, leads them, and keeps them safe. It suits children ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes in class.
Big Idea
Jesus is our good shepherd. He knows us, He takes care of us, and nothing can take us out of His hand.
Memory Verse
John 10:11
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
(WEB)
Hold both arms out in front of you like you are holding a lamb, then gently rock them side to side. Say the verse together while you rock, and let the children copy you until they know the words by heart.
The Story: John 10 for Kids
Jesus told a story about sheep and a shepherd. In those days, many families kept sheep, and at night the sheep were brought into a fold, a safe pen with a gate. A shepherd would come to the gate in the morning, and the gatekeeper would open it for him. The sheep knew his voice, so they came running to him.
Jesus said that the shepherd calls each sheep by name and leads them out to good grass and water. The sheep follow him because they know he is their friend. If a stranger calls, the sheep run away, because they do not know that voice. Some people in the crowd did not understand this story at all.
Then Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd.” He explained that a good shepherd is willing to lay down his life for his sheep. A hired hand who does not really care about the sheep runs away when a wolf comes. But Jesus said, “I know my own, and my own know me.” He said that He would give His life for His sheep.
Later, it was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple in a porch built by Solomon. Some people gathered around Him and asked Him to tell them plainly who He was. Jesus said that the works He did in His Father’s name showed who He was. He told them that His sheep hear His voice and follow Him.
Jesus promised that His sheep will never perish. He said, “No one will snatch them out of my hand.” He said that His Father is greater than all, and that no one can take His sheep out of the Father’s hand either. Some people were upset and wanted to pick up stones, but Jesus went safely away.
Read It Together
John 10:3-4
3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name, and leads them out. 4 Whenever he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.
(WEB)
Point out that the shepherd calls each sheep by name and goes before them. Ask the children what it would feel like to have a shepherd who knows your name and walks ahead of you.
John 10:14-15
14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and I’m known by my own; 15 even as the Father knows me, and I know the Father. I lay down my life for the sheep.
(WEB)
Show the children that Jesus says He knows His own sheep, just as the Father knows Him. Explain that this kind of knowing means Jesus cares about each person personally.
John 10:27-28
27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give eternal life to them. They will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.
(WEB)
Point out the words “my sheep hear my voice” and “no one will snatch them out of my hand.” Tell the children that Jesus keeps His sheep safe, and that is a promise they can trust.
Talk About It
- How do you think the sheep felt when they heard their shepherd call their name?
- What is one way we can listen for Jesus’s voice each day?
- Why do you think Jesus said He would lay down His life for His sheep?
- What does it feel like to know that no one can snatch you out of Jesus’s hand?
- Who is someone you can tell about Jesus, the good shepherd?
Activity Ideas
Paper Plate Sheep Craft
You will need a paper plate, cotton balls, glue, black paper, and markers. Have each child glue cotton balls all over the plate to make the wool, then draw a small face and legs on black paper and glue them on. As children work, ask them to name one thing Jesus knows about them. Let them take the sheep home to remember that Jesus knows them by name.
Follow the Shepherd Game
Choose one child to be the shepherd and have everyone else be sheep. The shepherd walks around the room and calls each sheep by name, and the sheep must follow only the shepherd’s voice. Have a volunteer pretend to be a stranger who calls out, and the sheep should not follow that voice. Play a few rounds so children feel the difference between knowing a voice and not knowing it.
Shepherd Hug Card
You will need an index card, a pen, and a crayon for each child. Have children write “Jesus is my good shepherd” on the card and draw a small heart in the corner. Encourage them to take the card home and place it on the kitchen table or beside their bed. At dinner or bedtime, they can read it aloud and remember that Jesus is always with them.
Teacher Notes
For adults, this chapter presents Jesus as the shepherd who knows His people personally, gives them eternal life, and protects them. He contrasts Himself with thieves, strangers, and hired hands, and He speaks of laying down His life freely. The passage also shows that the Father and the Son are closely united, a point that drew strong reactions from His listeners.
Be careful not to overstate the shepherd image in ways that make children afraid of being lost or being left out. Keep the focus on Jesus’s love and faithfulness, rather than on who is “in” or “out.”
A Prayer to Close
Jesus, thank You for being our good shepherd. Thank You for knowing our names and for leading us to good places. Help us listen for Your voice and follow You every day. Keep us safe in Your hand, and help us trust You always. Amen.
