Table of Contents
- Because Jesus died for me, I can be resurrected.
- Jesus died for me because He loves me.
- I can forgive others as Jesus did.
- I can forgive others as Jesus did.
- Because Jesus suffered and died for me, I can repent and be forgiven.
- Because Jesus suffered and died for me, I can repent and be forgiven.
- Additional Resources
Matthew CHAPTER 27 Jesus is accused and condemned before Pilate—Barabbas is released—Jesus is mocked, crucified, and buried in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathæa.
Mark CHAPTER 15 Pilate decrees the death of Jesus—Jesus is mocked and crucified between two thieves—He dies and is buried in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathæa.
Luke CHAPTER 23 Jesus is taken before Pilate, then to Herod, and then to Pilate again—Barabbas is released—Jesus is crucified between two thieves—He is buried in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathæa.
John CHAPTER 19 Jesus is scourged and crucified—He places His mother in John’s care—He dies and His side is pierced with a spear—He is buried in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathæa.
Because Jesus died for me, I can be resurrected.
Matthew 27:11–66; Luke 23; John 19
Come, Follow Me—For Primary: New Testament 2023 Little children might be upset by the accounts of Jesus’s Crucifixion. “Chapter 52: The Trials of Jesus” and “Chapter 53: Jesus Is Crucified” (in New Testament Stories, 133–38, or the corresponding videos on ChurchofJesusChrist.org) provide a good model for how you might appropriately share this story with them.
New Testament Stories “The Trials of Jesus”
New Testament Coloring Book “Jesus’s Trial before Pilate”
New Testament Stories “Jesus is Crucified”
New Testament Coloring Book “Jesus’s Crucifixion”
- Show the picture in this week’s outline in Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families as you tell about Jesus’s trial, Crucifixion, and burial (see also Gospel Art Book, nos. 57–58). Invite the children to share what they know about these events. Emphasize that on the third day, Jesus was resurrected. In other words, He came back to life.
- Ask the children to name some things their parents do for them that they cannot do for themselves. Show a picture of the Savior. Explain that because of Jesus, we can be resurrected—something we cannot do ourselves.
The Red Crystal Great lesson resources like the one below!
Latter Day Kids “Jesus Died for Us” Lesson ideas
- Show a picture of someone you know who has died. Share your testimony that because of Jesus that person will one day live again.
Friend April 2021 “I Will See My Brother Again” During Primary, Isabella feels the spirit and knows she will see her brother again.
Jesus died for me because He loves me.
Matthew 27:11–66; Luke 23; John 19
Come, Follow Me—For Primary: New Testament 2023 Why are you grateful that Jesus Christ died for you? Consider how you can help the children understand the significance of the Savior’s sacrifice for them.
- Write key events from Matthew 27:11–66 on separate pieces of paper (for help doing this, see “Chapter 52: The Trials of Jesus” and “Chapter 53: Jesus Is Crucified,” in New Testament Stories, 133–38, or the corresponding videos on ChurchofJesusChrist.org). Invite the children to study these verses and place the events in the correct order.
New Testament Stories “Jesus is Crucified”
The below video is a little upsetting for some children. You may wish to use the above video instead.
Friend June 2023 “Come, Follow Me Activities”
Story: Jesus gave His life for us because He loves us. Because He was resurrected, we all will be too.
Song: “He Sent His Son” (Children’s Songbook, 34–35)
Activity: Gather these objects: a nail, a piece of wood, a piece of cloth, and a stone. Pass them around while you read John 19:17–19 and Matthew 27:57–60. Why are you thankful for Jesus?
- Ask a child to read Matthew 27:54, and invite the children to share things about Jesus that help them know He is the Son of God.
Friend April 2003 “Poster Article: Believing in Jesus Christ”
- Ask the children what they learn about the Crucifixion from “Behold the Great Redeemer Die” (Hymns, no. 191) or another sacrament hymn.
Primary Singing “Behold the Great Redeemer Die Song Trivia Quiz”
- Why was Jesus willing to suffer for us? (see Doctrine and Covenants 18:10–11; 19:16).
Help the children think of things that people consider valuable. Then let the children take turns looking in a mirror, and as they do, tell each child that he or she is a child of God and of great worth. Testify that to Heavenly Father [and Jesus], they are more valuable than all the things they thought of earlier. Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Doctrine and Covenants 2021 “Doctrine and Covenants 18–19: “The Worth of Souls Is Great”
“Lesson 31: Jesus Christ’s Betrayal, Arrest, and Trial,” Primary 7: New Testament
“Lesson 32: The Crucifixion and Burial of Jesus Christ,” Primary 7: New Testament
I can forgive others as Jesus did.
Come, Follow Me—For Primary: New Testament 2023 How will you help the children understand how to forgive those who are unkind, as Jesus did?
- Describe how the soldiers were unkind to Jesus (see Matthew 27:26–37), and then read Luke 23:34. Explain that when we forgive others, we aren’t angry at them anymore and we show love to them.
Friend August 2017 “Jesus Forgives” Jesus teaches Peter to forgive. Jesus forgave sins, and he forgave his crucifiers.
- Share examples in which someone says or does something unkind. Invite the children to talk about how they could show forgiveness in these situations.
“Cease From Anger” (February 2010 Friend)
Take this quiz to see how forgiving you are. When we are loving and forgiving, we can be peacemakers.
- Sing together a song about forgiveness, such as “Help Me, Dear Father” (Children’s Songbook, 99). Ask questions that are answered in the song, like “Whom should we forgive?” or “Who can help us when forgiving is hard?”
- Search a recent issue of the Friend to find a story about a child who forgave someone. Share this story with the children.
Friend September 2019 “The Frog Princess Forgives” Katya was excited to show her friends the costume items she found so they could do the play “The Frog Princess. But one of her friends wanted to be the princess and she said some mean things to Katya. Katya was upset and went home. Her friend felt bad, but Katya was too angry to forgiver her. Being angry didn’t feel very good though, so she prayed for help to forgive her friend. Heavenly Father helped her forgive her friend and Katya suggested that they take turns being the princess.
Friend June 2023 “Come, Follow Me Activities for Little Ones” Help your little ones say, “I can forgive others like Jesus did.” Explain that when we forgive, we help make it right. Act out a few scenes of times someone might need forgiveness, like after breaking a toy. Help your little ones think about what they could say.
See also Resources for Teaching Children: Forgiveness
“Lesson 40: I Can Forgive Others,” Primary 2: Choose the Right A
- Jan had just finished drawing a beautiful picture when her little brother came and scribbled all over it with a crayon. Jan was so upset that she yelled and slapped her brother’s hand.
- Did Jan show forgiveness?
- How do you think Jan felt inside?
- What could Jan do to show forgiveness to her brother?
- On the playground, Donna came up to Cali and pushed her down. Donna ran away laughing. The next day, Donna fell out of the swing and hurt her knee. Cali rushed over and helped her up.
- Did Cali show forgiveness?
- How do you think Cali felt inside?
- When Chad was waiting to get a drink of water from the fountain, the boy in front of him turned and threw water on him. Chad’s face was all wet, but he just turned and walked away without saying a word. The next day when Chad was getting a drink, the same boy walked by. Chad could have thrown water on the boy, but he didn’t.
- Did Chad show forgiveness?
- How do you think Chad felt inside?
I can forgive others as Jesus did.
Come, Follow Me—For Primary: New Testament 2023 It can be hard to forgive others. The children you teach will be blessed as they follow the Savior’s example and learn to forgive.
- Invite the children to take turns reading about the soldiers being unkind to Jesus in Matthew 27:26–37 and Jesus forgiving them in Luke 23:34. (See the insight provided by the Joseph Smith Translation in Luke 23:34, footnote c.) What do we learn from Jesus’s example?
- Write on the board What can you do to forgive someone who is unkind to you? Let the children take turns writing ideas on the board, such as Pray to have kind feelings toward the person or Think of something good about the person.
Because Jesus suffered and died for me, I can repent and be forgiven.
Come, Follow Me—For Primary: New Testament 2023 Although children under age eight are not yet accountable, it is important for them to start learning now how to repent of the wrong choices they make.
- Summarize Luke 23:32–33, 39–43, and help the children find the two thieves in picture 57 in the Gospel Art Book. Explain that when the first thief made fun of Jesus, the second thief admitted that he had done something wrong—he was beginning to repent.
Ensign January 2018 “Repentance is a Gift” Match each picture with a different step of repentance.
- Read Doctrine and Covenants 19:16 to the children. Why did Jesus suffer for us?
16 For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent;
- Show the video “The Shiny Bicycle” (ChurchofJesusChrist.org). Explain that we can pray to Heavenly Father and He can help us fix our sins and mistakes and receive forgiveness.
- Let the children make chalk marks on the board to represent wrong choices. Then ask them to erase the board to represent repentance. Show a picture of the Savior, and testify that we can repent because of Him.
Friend February 2019 “A Little Better Every Day” Heavenly Father can help us make better choices every day. That’s part of what it means to repent! Match the wrong choices with the better choices these kids made the next day.
Because Jesus suffered and died for me, I can repent and be forgiven.
Come, Follow Me—For Primary: New Testament 2023 This lesson is a good time to testify that because of Jesus Christ, we can repent of our sins and be forgiven.
- Invite a child to read aloud Luke 23:32–33, 39–43. Explain that the two people being crucified with Jesus were thieves. How did one of the thieves show that he was beginning to repent? What can we do to show that we are repenting? (See Guide to the Scriptures, “Repent, Repentance,” scriptures.ChurchofJesusChrist.org.)
The Red Crystal Great lesson ideas!
- Write the following sentence on the board, leaving blanks for the italicized words: “I can be forgiven when I repent because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.” Give the children clues to help them fill in the blanks.
- Invite a child to hold a bag, and fill it with rocks as the other children name wrong choices someone could make. Help the children compare the bag to the spiritual burden we carry when we sin. How is repentance like taking rocks out of the bag? You might remind the children that repentance is not a one-time event but a daily process.
Friend December 2022 “Lighten Your Load”
- Look in a recent issue of the Friend magazine for a story or message about repentance, and share it with the children.
Friend February 2021 “Repenting and Trying Again” After yelling at his brother for breaking his toy, Raymond remembered what the bishop had said during his baptism interview, “We all make mistakes. But we can repent and try again.” Raymond apologized to his little brother for yelling.
Friend October 2020 “Tyler Tries Again” Tyler feels bad about joining in laughing at the new kid when he asks to play. He knows that mistakes happen but we can fix them. He decides to go say sorry and ask the new boy to play.
Also see Repentance: Stories and Resources for Teaching Children: Repentance
Additional Resources
Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families: New Testament 2023 “Matthew 27…”
The Red Crystal “Matthew 27” Lots of great lesson ideas!
News with Naylors “Repentance” & News with Naylors “Forgiveness”
Come Follow Me with Living Scriptures “Always Remember Him” Lesson ideas
