Sunday School Lesson: Jesus is King Forever
Children answer to various authorities in their lives, and are well aware of people who are in power of countries. This lesson reminds them that Jesus is the ruler over all things. He is the king not just of one place, but every place, and not just temporarily, but for all time. The Lordship of Christ was prophesied long before He lived on Earth, but He was and is in authority always. The kingdom of Jesus Is not just of this world, but of Heaven and the spiritual world also. He is king of all things!
Jesus came to Earth to live and die for us…unfortunately, there were many alive at the time who did not recognize the significance of who He was or what He was doing. They expected a ruler who might free them from political oppression or overthrow the human powers of the time. Jesus came to be king, but He did so by service and sacrifice. He came to free us from the powers of sin and death. This message reminds us all that Jesus is king of Heaven, and king of our hearts.
Sunday School Lesson on John 18 for Children: Jesus Reigns Forever
Passage: John 18:33-37; 2 Samuel 23:1-5; Psalm 93:1-5
Target Audience: Kindergarten-6th grade
Materials Needed: Construction paper; glue; markers or crayons; tape; scissors; decorative supplies; yarn/string; battery tealights, cups, paper crowns; pictures of leaders; Bibles.
Lesson Opening: This lesson focuses on how Jesus is our King, looking at His power and authority in our lives and considering what it means to rule as royalty. Consider a king-themed opening activity, or one that celebrates the Lordship of Christ. Ideas include the following:
- Follow the king: play a few rounds of “follow the leader” or “Simon says”, designating one child at a time to be the “king” making the rules or acting out motions for others to follow.
- Who is the king? Place a special sticker under one chair in the room, distinguishing the student in that chair as “king” to make up a rule or motion that everyone else must obey for a few minutes. Rotate the chair around and take turns with different students as “kings.”
- Discuss various jobs that people have in the community. Have students draw a picture representing a career they might like to have. Talk about how Jesus did a lot of various things, but most importantly He was the king!
- Decorate a cookie or rice cake with toppings to resemble a crown.
- Talk about what it means to be a king. Explore some pictures, names, and responsibilities of famous royalty.
- For students old enough to understand, play a few rounds of checkers or chess, and talk about the power and importance of kings (in the game or real life!).
- “King me” relay: have students line up in teams and take turns racing across a play area to select a crown. Have one student on each team act as “king,” and see how many crowns can be stacked onto his/her head at once.
- Kings of the Bible: Briefly explore various kings of the Bible (Saul, David, Solomon, etc.). Explain that some of the kings were better than others, and some made very poor decisions. They were all human, but King Jesus was perfect and good always!
Remind students that Jesus came to conquer sin and give us new life. He came to rule over all things, but people didn’t always realize or recognize who He was. They expected Jesus to act like an Earthly king and overthrow political oppression. Jesus is king, but not of this world. He is king of Heaven and of us!
Bible Lesson: (2 Samuel 23:1-5),(Psalm 93:1-5)
Sunday School Lesson for Kids Explained for Children – Jesus Reigns Forevermore
Bible Lesson: There are a few texts in this lesson. Provide the significance of each passage as you read through them. These verses don’t lend themselves as much to acting, but some of the parts could be spoken out loud dramatically. Read for students or have them take turns reading out loud.
Start off with the prophetic last words of King David.
Now these are the last words of David:
The oracle of David, the son of Jesse,
the oracle of the man who was raised on high,
the anointed of the God of Jacob,
the sweet psalmist of Israel:
2 “The Spirit of the Lord speaks by me;
his word is on my tongue.
3 The God of Israel has spoken;
the Rock of Israel has said to me:
When one rules justly over men,
ruling in the fear of God,
4 he dawns on them like the morning light,
like the sun shining forth on a cloudless morning,
like rain that makes grass to sprout from the earth.
5 “For does not my house stand so with God?
For he has made with me an everlasting covenant,
ordered in all things and secure.
For will he not cause to prosper
all my help and my desire? -2 Samuel 23:1-5
These were some of the last words of King David. If students are not already familiar, you can remind them of who David was and how God chose him as king of Israel. This wasn’t necessarily the last thing that David ever said, but it was his final poetic statement. David reflected on his humble roots as a shepherd and son of a farmer, and considered how God lifted Him up to be king. David’s life and reign weren’t easy or perfect by any means, but he was a man who closely followed God. In this passage, David also noted how God had made a special covenant with him. David knew that he wasn’t the final king, but that someone would come from his family line who would be ruler and savior forever.
Ask: How do we know that God keeps His promises? What comfort does that give us?
Move on to study a passage from the Psalms. This Psalm considers how God reigns as king over all the world.
The Lord reigns; he is robed in majesty;
the Lord is robed; he has put on strength as his belt.
Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved.
2 Your throne is established from of old;
you are from everlasting.
3 The floods have lifted up, O Lord,
the floods have lifted up their voice;
the floods lift up their roaring.
4 Mightier than the thunders of many waters,
mightier than the waves of the sea,
the Lord on high is mighty!
5 Your decrees are very trustworthy;
holiness befits your house,
O Lord, forevermore. -Psalm 93:1-5
This passage reflects on how God reigns over all creation. He is from everlasting, mightier than all things. God’s throne is established and even the oceans and weather yield to His rule. In this Psalm we see and remember how powerful and awesome God is. If the floods and waves obey Him, we should, too! God’s throne is established from the beginning and forever.
Ask: How do you praise God? Do you sing? Dance? Make artwork?
The final text of this lesson comes from John 18, when Jesus went on trial before Pontius Pilate. The governor questioned Jesus about His authority and identity, demanding to know if the blasphemy charges were true. Jesus didn’t answer directly at first.
So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” 34 Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?” 35 Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?” -John 18:33-37
Pilate probably saw multiple prisoners come through his court, and some were likely political fanatics who called themselves kings or rulers. Jesus must have looked different from those ones, though, since He was calm and seemed sensible. He turned the question back on Pilate, asking if he was asking for himself or for the people. Pilate tried to say that he didn’t have much interest in Jewish affairs, but he was interested in the claim to kingship and potential “crime” Jesus was charged of.
36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” 37 Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” -John 18:33-37
Jesus tried to explain something that Pilate didn’t quite understand. He said that He came into the world to be a witness to the truth. Jesus came to live and to die. He came to be a king, but not the kind Pilate or anyone else expected. He came as ruler of a Heavenly kingdom.
Jesus is not the king of earthly realms or governments. We can look around the world today and sadly see many people not honoring Him as Lord. But we have the choice of putting Him first in our lives. He is not of this world, and neither are we. We have a Heavenly citizenship to rejoice in. Since we belong in Heaven, we belong to the kingdom over which Christ is king. We know that He is the primary power and authority of all things!
Ask: How can we practice putting Jesus first in our daily lives? (Consider things like honoring Him with prayer and Bible study, going to church, behaving with love towards others, etc.)
Close with prayer, acknowledging God as Lord and king and asking for His help in maintaining that role in our lives daily.
