Preschool – Jesus Dies on the Cross

Memory Verse:
But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. — Romans 5:8

Scripture Reference

Mark 15 (Jesus Storybook Bible p. 302-309)

Teaching Truth

• Jesus loves us so much that He died for us.

• Jesus took the punishment for our sins.

Questions to Ask Your Child

• Jesus could have gotten off the cross. Why did He stay? (Because He loved us.)

• How does Jesus’ death rescue the world? (He paid the penalty for our sin.)

• What happened to the sky when Jesus died? (It turned dark.)

Family Activity

Play this game with your family or community group. Have everyone sit in a circle and talk about how Jesus died on the cross for each of us and how thankful we are that Jesus died for us. Use a sheet of paper with a smiley-face on it that you created ahead of time. Have everyone start passing the paper around while music is playing. When the music stops, the person holding the paper jumps up and says, “Thank you Jesus for dying on the cross for me.” Continue to play the game.

Wrap-Up

With each lesson, help your child apply what they have learned by asking, “What do you think God wants us to learn from this story?” If you get stuck with finding the answer, refer to the weekly Teaching Truths.