Gospel Sparks Join the beta

Jesus Was Baptized

Grasshoppers and honey, a river, all the way under, and a gentle dove from heaven

  • ☀️ Sunbeams
  • Week 4
  • 📅 Sunday, January 24, 2027
🤔 Forehead Guess🏆 Showdown
💡 The big idea

Jesus was baptized, and I can follow Him.

I can follow Jesus and get ready to be baptized when I am eight.

Study it yourself firstRead Matthew 3; Mark 1; Luke 3 in Gospel LibraryCome, Follow Me manualOpen this week (Matthew 3; Mark 1; Luke 3)
Know the chapters

John the Baptist is the baby who jumped for joy three weeks ago. Now he is grown up and lives in the wilderness, wearing clothes of camel hair and eating locusts (a kind of grasshopper) and wild honey (Matthew 3:4). His job was to help people get ready for Jesus: “Prepare ye the way of the Lord” (Matthew 3:3). He taught people to repent and baptized them in the Jordan River.

Then Jesus came to the river and asked John to baptize Him. Jesus never did anything wrong, but He was baptized to obey Heavenly Father and show us the way (Matthew 3:15). John baptized Him by immersion, all the way under the water, and Jesus “went up straightway out of the water” (Matthew 3:16). The heavens opened, and the Holy Ghost came down upon Him, with the sign of a dove. Heavenly Father’s voice said, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). Heavenly Father, Jesus and the Holy Ghost were all there, three separate beings.

For three-year-olds, the tiny truth is: Jesus was baptized, and I can follow Him. They may have seen an older brother, sister or cousin get baptized. Tell them that when they are eight, they can be baptized just like Jesus: by someone with the priesthood, all the way under the water. For now, they follow Jesus by being kind, praying and listening at church.

When talking about the dove, keep it accurate and simple: the dove was a sign that the Holy Ghost was there. The Holy Ghost did not turn into a bird. Heavenly Father’s words are read by the teacher, and no child plays Jesus or Heavenly Father. Jesus is the picture on your phone or tablet.

Only have 5 minutes?

Tell the class John ate grasshoppers and honey (“Yum or yuck?”), let Teach Mode carry the picture story, and teach “This is my beloved Son” with a hug. Play Under and Up: crouch down “under the water,” pop up “out of the water,” and flutter hands down like a gentle dove. End by holding up eight fingers: “When I am eight, I can be baptized like Jesus.”

What to bring5 items

Tick what you have. Forgot something? Every step that needs a supply has a no-supplies version in the plan below.

Before class

  1. Fill the bowl about halfway. Set it on the towel on the floor in front of your chair.
  2. Cut a simple dove shape from white paper (a teardrop body with two wing bumps), or find a white feather.
  3. If you have a baptism photo on your phone or in print, have it ready to show.
  4. Open this lesson in Teach Mode and add your children’s names in the My Class tab.

If your class is wild

  • Water and three-year-olds: only the teacher touches the bowl. Children are “watchers” with hands on their knees.
  • Grasshopper hops can turn into crashes. Say, “Grasshoppers hop in their own spot!” and give each child a spot on the floor.
  • The dove moment is your calm-down tool. Any time the room is wild, say, “Here comes the gentle dove…” and flutter your hands down slowly. Everyone copies and gets quiet.
  • No child plays Jesus or Heavenly Father. Children point to Jesus’s picture on your phone or tablet, and you read Heavenly Father’s words.
  • Potty breaks: never leave the class alone and never go somewhere alone with one child. Follow your ward’s plan.

The 25-minute plan24 min + bonus

Bonus steps are for when you have extra time. Steps that mention Teach Mode, the Sound Board or other class games refer to the Gospel Sparks app; on the web you can play Forehead Guess and Scripture Showdown from this page.

1. Hook

Yum or Yuck?

2 min

Silly surprise about John’s lunch grabs attention right away.

  1. SAY“I know a man who ate something very funny for lunch. Are you ready?”
  2. SAY“Honey!” Everyone shows thumbs up or thumbs down. “Grasshoppers!” Thumbs up or down? Giggle together.
  3. SAY“He wore scratchy clothes made of camel hair!” Everyone scratches their arms.
  4. SAY“His name was John the Baptist, and he did something very special for Jesus. Let’s find out!”

Class screen: 🍯 Honey and grasshoppers: yum or yuck?

2. Story

Picture Story: Jesus Is Baptized

5 min

Eight short picture scenes, each with an action, show that Jesus was baptized and that we can follow Him.

  1. Pick a John the Baptist. Everyone else is a Grasshopper, one of the People at the River and a Dove Watcher.
  2. Show each picture on your phone or tablet, read the short lines, then do the action together.
  3. At scene 6, hold the feather (or paper dove) up high and let it drift down slowly while everyone watches quietly.
  4. At scene 7, you read Heavenly Father’s words in a gentle, loving voice.
🌪️ If the grasshoppers get wild, say, “Here comes the gentle dove…” Everyone flutters their hands down and gets quiet.

Class screen: 📖 Story time: Jesus is baptized!

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: A white feather or a small dove cut from white paper

  1. Pick a John the Baptist. Everyone else is a Grasshopper, one of the People at the River and a Dove Watcher.
  2. Show each picture on your phone or tablet, read the short lines, then do the action together.
  3. At scene 6, raise your hand up high and let it float down slowly, flutter, flutter, like a gentle dove. Everyone watches quietly, then copies.
  4. At scene 7, you read Heavenly Father’s words in a gentle, loving voice.
3. Song

Sing: Baptism

2 min

A song about Jesus’s baptism by John repeats the story in music.

  1. SAY“There’s a song about Jesus being baptized in the river. Let’s sing it!”
  2. Sing “Baptism” (Children’s Songbook, 100). Wiggle your hands like water whenever you sing about the river.
  3. Humming and doing the motions counts. They’re learning!

Class screen: 🎶 Sing about Jesus’s baptism!

4. Wiggle break

Grasshopper Hop

2 min

Hopping like John’s grasshoppers gets the wiggles out and ends with a quiet dove.

  1. SAY“John ate grasshoppers! Let’s be grasshoppers!” Everyone finds their own spot.
  2. Call out: “Little hops!” “Big hops!” “Hop on one foot!” “Hop backward!”
  3. Then say: “Here comes the gentle dove…” Everyone stops, flutters their hands down slowly and sits.
  4. Do it twice.

Class screen: 🦗 Hop, hop, grasshopper!

5. Scripture

This Is My Beloved Son

3 min

Five words with a hug help children remember that Heavenly Father loves Jesus and was happy He was baptized.

  1. SAY“When Jesus came up out of the water, Heavenly Father spoke from heaven. Let’s say His words!”
  2. Teach the motions. Then say together: “This is my beloved Son.”
  3. Say it in a gentle whisper, then a happy voice.
  4. SAY“Heavenly Father loves Jesus. And Heavenly Father loves you too!” Go around the circle and say each name: “Heavenly Father loves Mia!” Everyone hugs themselves.

Class screen: 🤗 This is my beloved Son. · 👉 This is · 🤗 my beloved · ☝️ Son

6. Object lesson

All the Way Under

3 min

Watching a washcloth go all the way under the water shows what baptism looks like.

  1. Show the bowl of water. Say: “John baptized Jesus in a river. When someone is baptized, they go all the way under the water.”
  2. Hold up the washcloth. Say: “Watch! Is it all the way under?” Push it partway down: “No, not yet!” Push it all the way under: “All the way under!”
  3. Lift it out: “And up out of the water!” Everyone cheers quietly.
  4. Show your baptism photo if you brought one. Hold up eight fingers: “When you are eight, you can be baptized, just like Jesus!”
🌪️ Only the teacher touches the water. Children keep hands on knees and say, “Under… up!”

Class screen: 💧 All the way under… and up!

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: A clear bowl of water, a washcloth and a towel

  1. SAY“John baptized Jesus in a river. When someone is baptized, they go all the way under the water.”
  2. Make a big circle with your arms: “This is the water.” Put one finger in the circle: “Is it all the way under? No!” Put your whole hand in: “All the way under!”
  3. Lift your hand out: “And up out of the water!” Let each child try with their own hand and arm-circle.
  4. Hold up eight fingers: “When you are eight, you can be baptized, just like Jesus!”

Class screen: 💧 All the way under… and up!

7. Game

Under and Up!

3 min

A listening game with story actions reviews the whole story and burns off energy.

  1. SAY“Listen carefully and do what I say!”
  2. Call out the actions in any order: “Under the water!” (crouch low) “Up out of the water!” (pop up tall) “Grasshopper!” (hop) “Gentle dove!” (flutter hands down) “Get ready for Jesus!” (cup hands and call).
  3. Go slow, then faster, then super slow. Try a trick: say “Up!” twice in a row and see who stays up.
  4. End with “Gentle dove” so everyone lands quietly on the floor.
🌪️ If anyone crashes, freeze the game: “The river is still!” and start again slowly.

Class screen: 💦 Under the water… and up!

8. Talk it over

Roll and Share

2 min

Rolling a ball gives every child a turn to share, with or without words.

  1. Sit in a circle. Show a question on your phone or tablet and roll the ball to a child.
  2. The child answers with a word, a point or a show-me, then rolls the ball back to you.
  3. Help shy children with two choices: “Was it a river or a swimming pool?”
💬 Ask the class
  • Who baptized Jesus?
  • Show me how the dove came down!
  • How old will you be when you can be baptized? Show me with fingers!
  • How can you follow Jesus today?

Class screen: ⚽ Roll the ball! Let’s talk!

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: A soft ball or a rolled-up pair of socks

  1. Sit in a circle. Show a question on your phone or tablet and cup your hands: “This is a little dove!”
  2. Gently “hand” the dove to a child. The child answers with a word, a point or a show-me, then hands it back.
  3. Help shy children with two choices: “Was it a river or a swimming pool?”

Class screen: 🕊️ Pass the dove! Let’s talk!

9. Testimony

I Can Follow Jesus

2 min

A quiet moment and their own name help each child feel they can follow Jesus.

  1. Ask for whisper voices. Everyone flutters their hands down like the gentle dove and folds their arms.
  2. SAY“Jesus was baptized to show us the way. I love Jesus, and I know you can follow Him too.”
  3. Go around the circle and whisper each child’s name: “Ethan can follow Jesus.”
  4. Help a child say the closing prayer.

Class screen: 💛 I can follow Jesus.

10. Game

Picture Quiz

4 minBONUS

Pointing at pictures lets pre-readers review the story and cheer.

  1. Open Scripture Showdown. Read each question aloud and point to each picture.
  2. Children point to or shout the right picture. Everyone cheers every right answer.
  3. Skip team scores if they cause tears. With Sunbeams, everybody wins.
▶ Play Scripture Showdown on the web

Class screen: 🏆 Picture quiz!

11. Game

What’s Hiding?

3 minBONUS

Guessing a hidden picture reviews the story with no reading at all.

  1. Open Mystery Picture. Say: “A picture from our story is hiding under the water! Let’s find it.”
  2. Ask an easy question (“Who baptized Jesus? John!”). For each right answer, a child taps away one tile.
  3. When they guess, everyone does its action: hop for a grasshopper, flutter for a dove, wiggle hands for the river.
🧩 Mystery Picture (a class game in the Gospel Sparks app)

Class screen: 🔍 What’s hiding in the water?

Story drama

Jesus Is Baptized

Matthew 3:1–17 ↗

Parts to hand out

  • John the BaptistCups his hands and calls, “Get ready for Jesus!” Then pretends to baptize in the river.
  • GrasshoppersEveryone! Hop in your spot when John eats his lunch.
  • People at the RiverEveryone! Walk in place to the river and wiggle your hands like water.
  • Dove WatchersEveryone! Look up and flutter your hands down gently when the dove comes.

Scenes

  1. 🦗 John ate grasshoppers and honey!

    A man named John lived out in the wilderness. He wore scratchy camel-hair clothes and ate grasshoppers and honey. Yum or yuck?

    🎬 Grasshoppers hop in their spot. Then everyone shows thumbs up (yum) or thumbs down (yuck)!

  2. 📣 “Get ready for Jesus!”

    John had an important job. He told everyone, “Get ready! Jesus is coming!”

    🎬 John the Baptist cups his hands and calls, “Get ready for Jesus!” Everyone copies.

  3. 🌊 People come to the river

    Lots of people walked to the river. They wanted to choose the right and be baptized by John.

    🎬 Everyone walks in place, then wiggles their hands like a flowing river.

  4. 🚶 Jesus comes to be baptized

    One day Jesus walked to the river. He asked John to baptize Him. Jesus wanted to obey Heavenly Father.

    🎬 Everyone points to Jesus’s picture on your phone or tablet and nods: “Jesus obeys!”

  5. 💦 All the way under… and up!

    John baptized Jesus all the way under the water. Then Jesus came right up out of the water!

    🎬 Everyone crouches down low (under the water)… then pops up tall (out of the water)!

  6. 🕊️ A gentle dove comes down

    The heavens opened! A dove came down gently. It was a sign that the Holy Ghost was with Jesus.

    🎬 Everyone looks up and flutters their hands down slowly, slowly, like a gentle dove.

  7. ☁️ Heavenly Father says, “This is my beloved Son”

    Then a voice came from heaven. It was Heavenly Father! The teacher reads His words: “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

    🎬 Everyone gives themselves a big hug and smiles. Heavenly Father loves Jesus!

  8. ✋ When I am eight, I can be baptized!

    Jesus was baptized to show us the way. When you are eight, you can be baptized just like Jesus!

    🎬 Everyone holds up eight fingers and says, “I can follow Jesus!”

Key verse

Matthew 3:17 ↗
“This is my beloved Son”
In kid words: Heavenly Father said, “This is My Son. I love Him!”
🙌 “This is” = point to Jesus’s picture · “my beloved” = give yourself a big hug · “Son” = point up to heaven and smile

More verses

Matthew 3:16 ↗
“Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water”
In kid words: Jesus went all the way under the water and came right back up.
Matthew 3:3 ↗
“Prepare ye the way of the Lord”
In kid words: John said, “Get ready for Jesus!”

Forehead Guess words12 words

  • 🦗 Grasshopper
  • 🍯 Honey
  • 🐝 Bee
  • 🐪 Camel
  • 🌊 River
  • 🕊️ Dove
  • 💧 Water
  • ☁️ Cloud
  • 💛 Heart
  • ✋ Eight
  • 🐟 Fish
  • 🏜️ Wilderness
Clues for each word
  • Grasshopper: John ate them. Hop, hop!
  • Honey: Sweet food John ate
  • Bee: Makes honey. Buzz!
  • Camel: John’s clothes were made of its hair
  • River: Where Jesus was baptized
  • Dove: A gentle bird, a sign of the Holy Ghost
  • Water: All the way under!
  • Cloud: The heavens opened up
  • Heart: Heavenly Father loves Jesus
  • Eight: How old you are when you can be baptized
  • Fish: Swims in the river
  • Wilderness: The dry place where John lived
▶ Play Forehead GuessFull screen, 60-second timer, works on any phone.

Scripture Showdown7 questions

  1. What did John eat?
    • A. 🍕 Pizza
    • B. 🍯 Honey
    Show answer

    ✅ B. 🍯 Honey John ate wild honey and grasshoppers. Yum or yuck?

  2. Where was Jesus baptized?
    • A. 🌊 In a river
    • B. 🛁 In a bathtub
    Show answer

    ✅ A. 🌊 In a river John baptized Jesus in the Jordan River.

  3. Who baptized Jesus?
    • A. 🧔 John
    • B. 🦖 A dinosaur
    Show answer

    ✅ A. 🧔 John John the Baptist baptized Jesus.

  4. How far under the water did Jesus go?
    • A. 🦶 Just His toes
    • B. 💦 All the way under
    • C. ✋ Just His hands
    Show answer

    ✅ B. 💦 All the way under Jesus was baptized all the way under the water.

  5. What came down gently from heaven?
    • A. 🦅 An eagle
    • B. 🎈 A balloon
    • C. 🕊️ A dove
    Show answer

    ✅ C. 🕊️ A dove The dove was a sign that the Holy Ghost was with Jesus.

  6. What did Heavenly Father say about Jesus?
    • A. 🤗 This is my beloved Son
    • B. 😴 Time for bed
    Show answer

    ✅ A. 🤗 This is my beloved Son Heavenly Father loves Jesus and was happy He was baptized.

  7. How old can you be baptized?
    • A. 2️⃣ Two
    • B. 8️⃣ Eight
    Show answer

    ✅ B. 8️⃣ Eight When you are eight, you can be baptized, just like Jesus!

▶ Play Scripture ShowdownTeams take turns on one screen.

Songs

  • Baptism Children’s Songbook, p. 100

    Tells how John baptized Jesus in the river, sung right after the story. Find it ↗

  • When I Am Baptized Children’s Songbook, p. 103

    Helps little ones look forward to their own baptism day. Find it ↗

  • I’m Trying to Be like Jesus Children’s Songbook, p. 78

    Following Jesus starts now, long before age eight. Find it ↗

This week’s challenge

Bath-Time Baptism Talk

At bath time, dip a washcloth all the way under the water and say, “All the way under, like Jesus!” Tell your family: “When I am eight, I can be baptized.”

Text the parents

Today in Sunbeams we learned that Jesus was baptized by John in the river, all the way under the water. A dove came down as a sign of the Holy Ghost, and Heavenly Father said, “This is my beloved Son” (Matthew 3:17). Ask your child: “What did John eat?” (grasshoppers and honey!) and “How old will you be when you can be baptized?” If you have baptism photos in your family, this is a great week to show them.

📝 After class

What worked? Who needs a check-in this week? Jot it here on a printed copy, or in the app’s private class notes.

Got extra time?

🕊️ Dove Drop · 3 min

  1. Sit in a circle. Stand up and hold the feather or paper dove up high.
  2. Let it go. Everyone watches quietly as it floats down.
  3. SAY“The dove came down gently. The Holy Ghost helps us feel peaceful and calm.”
  4. Let each child have one turn dropping it.

📷 Baptism Photo Share · 3 min

  1. Show a photo of your baptism day or a family member’s on your phone.
  2. Say one happy thing you remember about that day.
  3. Ask: “Has anyone seen a baptism?” Let children share.
  4. SAY“Someday, when you’re eight, it will be your special day!”

✏️ Draw & Guess · 3 min

  1. Open Draw & Guess. You (the teacher) draw a word from this lesson on your phone or tablet.
  2. Children guess: a grasshopper, a dove, a river, a bee.
  3. When they guess, everyone does that thing: hop, flutter, wiggle or buzz.

Sources

Scripture quotations are from the King James Version, the Bible used by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Tap or click a reference to open it in Gospel Library. Start with the official Come, Follow Me manual; these ideas are here to help it come alive.

All Sunbeams lessons