This lesson teaches children that Jesus cares about people who are hurting and that he can make them well. It works well for children ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes to teach. You can use the story, the memory verse, and the activities in whatever order fits your class.
Big Idea
Jesus sees people who need help, and he is kind enough to make them well. We can trust him even when we feel stuck or alone. He always knows what we need.
Memory Verse
John 5:6
When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he had been sick for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to be made well?”
(WEB)
Have children sit tall with their hands folded in their lap. When you say the verse, have them slowly open their hands like they are letting something go, then fold them again. Repeat it three times together, getting a little softer each time.
The Story: John 5 for Kids
Long ago, Jesus went up to the city of Jerusalem for a big feast. Near one of the gates there was a pool of water with five covered porches around it. Many sick people lay there every day. Some were blind, some could not walk, and some could not use their arms or legs well. They were waiting for the water to move, because people said an angel sometimes stirred it up, and the first person to step in would be healed.
Among them was a man who had been sick for thirty-eight years. That is longer than most of you have been alive! Jesus saw him lying there and knew how long he had been sick. Jesus walked over and asked him a question. “Do you want to be made well?” It was a kind question, and it gave the man a chance to share his heart.
The man said, “Sir, I have no one to help me get into the pool. Every time I try, someone else gets there first.” He felt alone and forgotten. Jesus did not need the pool at all. Jesus simply told him, “Get up, pick up your mat, and walk!” Right away, the man stood up, rolled up his mat, and began to walk. His legs were strong, and he was healed.
But this happened on the Sabbath, which is a special day of rest. Some of the religious leaders got upset and said the man should not be carrying his mat that day. The man told them that the one who made him well had told him to pick it up. The leaders wanted to know who had said that, but Jesus had quietly slipped away into the crowd.
Later, Jesus found the man again in the temple. He told him, “You are well now. Be careful to make good choices from now on.” The man went and told the leaders that it was Jesus who had made him well. Jesus was showing everyone that God cares deeply for people and works to bring them life.
Read It Together
John 5:7-8
7 The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I’m coming, another steps down before me.” 8 Jesus said to him, “Arise, take up your mat, and walk.”
(WEB)
Point out how the man felt stuck and alone, and how Jesus did not need anyone to carry him. Ask the children to notice that Jesus gave the command, and the man obeyed. Help them see that Jesus is able to help us even when we feel we have no one.
John 5:9
Immediately, the man was made well, and took up his mat and walked. Now it was the Sabbath on that day.
(WEB)
Show the children that the healing happened immediately, right when Jesus spoke. Explain that healing is one of the ways Jesus shows his power and love. Remind them that the man did what Jesus said, and that obedience is a big part of trusting him.
John 5:14
Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, “Behold, you are made well. Sin no more, so that nothing worse happens to you.”
(WEB)
Point out that Jesus found the man again and cared about his whole life, not just his legs. Explain that Jesus wants us to live in ways that honor him. Help children see that Jesus looks after us with love every day.
Talk About It
- How do you think the man felt when he had been sick for so long and nobody helped him?
- What did Jesus say to the man, and what did the man do after Jesus spoke to him?
- Why do you think Jesus chose to help this man even though no one asked him to?
- When have you felt like nobody was there to help you, and how did you feel?
- What is one way you can show kindness to someone who feels left out or alone?
Activity Ideas
Mat Drawing Craft
You will need paper, crayons or markers, and scissors. Have each child draw a simple picture of a mat, then draw a person standing up and walking on it. Let them cut out the mat and the person and glue them onto a second sheet of paper. Ask them to write or draw one thing they could do to help someone feel less alone.
Walk Like the Healed Man
You will need an open space and a few small pillows or folded towels to represent mats. Start with children lying on the floor like the sick man, then say “Stand up and walk!” They should slowly rise and walk around the room, then sit back down. Play a few rounds, changing the speed each time, and talk about how it feels to be strong and able to move.
Kindness Card for Home
You will need index cards, pencils, and a few stickers if you have them. Ask each child to write or draw one kind thing they could do for someone in their family this week. Let them take the card home and place it somewhere they will see it. Encourage them to do the kind act, then talk about it with you at dinner.
Teacher Notes
This passage shows that Jesus sees each person in their need and speaks with authority over sickness and sin. For adults, it reveals Jesus as the one who gives life, equal with the Father, who makes people well and calls them to walk in obedience. It also shows how the religious leaders struggled to see what God was doing because of their rules, which is a helpful reminder for us to look for God’s work with open eyes.
Be careful not to suggest to children that every sick person will be healed the moment they pray, or that sickness is a punishment for sin. Jesus’ words about sin were about the man’s whole life and walk with God. Keep the focus on Jesus’ love and power, and gently explain that God answers prayer in many ways.
A Prayer to Close
Jesus, thank you for seeing us when we feel stuck or alone. Help us trust you when we are hurting, and help us to be kind to others who need help too. Thank you for loving us every day. Amen.
