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We Have Found the Messias

The Word before the world, the Lamb of God, and a chain reaction of friends

  • ⭐ Valiant 9–10
  • Week 3
  • 📅 Sunday, January 17, 2027
🤔 Forehead Guess🏆 Showdown
💡 The big idea

Jesus Christ is the Word, the Creator, the Light and the Lamb of God, and when I find Him for myself I can invite others to “come and see.”

I can learn who Jesus Christ really is and invite a friend to “come and see.”

Study it yourself firstRead John 1 in Gospel LibraryCome, Follow Me manualOpen this week (John 1)
Know the chapters

John’s Gospel doesn’t begin in Bethlehem. It begins “In the beginning.” The Apostle John wants us to know who Jesus was before He was born. John 1:1 calls Him “the Word,” who was with God and was God. He’s called the Word because He speaks for the Father. He shows us exactly what the Father is like, as John 1:18 says. Under the Father’s direction He created the world: “All things were made by him.” That’s John 1:3. See also Moses 1:33. He is also the Light: “the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.” That’s John 1:5. Comprehend can mean both understand and overcome. Darkness can’t do either. Then “the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us,” in John 1:14.

John the Baptist is now grown and baptizing at Bethabara beyond Jordan. Priests and Levites ask who he is. Over and over, he says what he is not. He’s not the Christ, not Elias, not “that prophet.” That’s John 1:19–23. His whole job is to point away from himself. When he sees Jesus, he says, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” That’s John 1:29. Nine- to eleven-year-olds know the Old Testament background from last year. There were Passover lambs “without blemish” in Exodus 12:5. There was Isaiah’s Savior “brought as a lamb to the slaughter,” in Isaiah 53:7. Every one of those lambs pointed to Jesus. The sacrament now helps us remember His sacrifice.

John 1:35–51 is a chain reaction. Two of John’s disciples follow Jesus. His first words to them are a question: “What seek ye?” Then He answers their question with an invitation: “Come and see.” Andrew “first findeth his own brother Simon.” He tells him, “We have found the Messias.” Jesus renames Simon “Cephas,” a stone. Jesus calls Philip, and Philip finds Nathanael. Nathanael scoffs, “Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?” Philip doesn’t argue. He says, “Come and see.” Jesus already knew Nathanael: “when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee.” Nathanael declares Him the Son of God and King of Israel. Jesus promises “greater things,” including angels ascending and descending. That echoes Jacob’s ladder in Genesis 28:12.

For this age, the invitations are the point. At baptism they covenanted to stand as witnesses of God, in Mosiah 18:9. Sharing the gospel isn’t arguing or preaching. It’s “come and see.” It’s an invitation to an activity, a family home evening, a baptism or a favorite scripture story. Their future missions and their Young Women and deacons quorum service will be full of invitations like these. And point out John 1:12. Those who receive Him are given power to become sons and daughters of God. We’re all God’s spirit children already. Through Jesus Christ we can become like our Heavenly Father and return to Him.

Only have 5 minutes?

Read John 1:1–14 and 1:29–51. Tip over a domino line. Tell the We Have Found Him story in Teach Mode, stopping for guesses. Say John 1:4–5 with motions. Run the Titles Race in two teams. End with “Behold the Lamb of God” and your testimony. Brought nothing? Tap “I brought nothing.” The dominoes become a seated shoulder-tap chain, and you read John 1 aloud for Title Snap.

What to bring3 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. Read John 1:1–14 and 1:29–51. Before kids arrive, set up the domino line on a table and guard it. Space them a little closer together than their height.
  2. Mark the Scripture Reader’s verses: John 1:1, 1:29, 1:41, 1:46 and 1:49. Also mark Genesis 1:3 and John 8:12 for the key verse.

If your class is wild

  • Before the dominoes, give the rule: hands in laps until the countdown. Anyone who bumps the table helps reset it for a second run.
  • The Titles Race is fierce. One kid per team is the Scribe. Everyone else searches and whispers finds to the Scribe.
  • The “Come and see!” wave doubles as a calm-down signal: wave slowly and whisper it, and the class will copy you.
  • Give the Scripture Reader job to a kid who likes to be skeptical. Let them read Nathanael’s line in John 1:46 with a big eye roll.
  • If energy drops, whisper Jesus’s question, “What seek ye?”, and wait for a whispered answer before going on.

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

The Domino Effect

3 min

One tiny push knocks down a whole line. It shows how one invitation can reach many people.

  1. SAY“How many of these can one finger knock down?”
  2. Take guesses. Count down together and let a kid tip the first domino.
  3. SAY“In John 1, one man told two people about Jesus. One told his brother. Another told his friend. That chain reaction has lasted two thousand years.”
  4. Ask: “Who first helped you learn about Jesus? That’s your domino.” Take two answers.
🌪️ Hands in laps until the countdown. If someone bumps the line early, they help reset it for a second run.

Class screen: 🔗 How many can one push knock down? · 3… 2… 1… tip!

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: About 20 dominoes, or 20 paperback books or DVD cases that can stand on end in a line

Seated Chain Reaction

  1. SAY“When someone taps your shoulder, clap once and tap the next person. Let’s see how fast we can go!”
  2. Open the Big Timer and tap the first kid. Try once more to beat the record.
  3. Ask: “How many did I tap?” Just one! Say: “In John 1, one man told two people about Jesus. That chain has lasted two thousand years.”
  4. Ask: “Who first helped you learn about Jesus?” Take two answers.

Class screen: 👏 Seated chain reaction! Can we beat the record?

2. Story

Story: We Have Found Him

7 min

Real verses show who Jesus is and how His first disciples found Him and brought their friends.

  1. SAY“John 1 starts before the world was made. It ends with a chain of friends. I’ll stop so you can guess what happens.”
  2. Open the story in Teach Mode. At each “Guess!”, take two or three guesses. Nod to the Scripture Reader at scenes 1, 3, 5, 6 and 7.
  3. After scene 3, ask: “Why would John call Jesus a lamb?” Then ask: “Where did we see lambs in the Old Testament?” Passover lambs without blemish.
  4. After scene 7, ask: “Philip didn’t argue. Why does an invitation work better than an argument?”
🌪️ If the room drifts, wave slowly and whisper “Come and see…” until every hand is waving.

Class screen: 🐑 We Have Found Him! · 🤔 Guess! · 👉 We have found the Messias!

3. Scripture

Key Verse: John 1:4–5

4 min

Kids memorize the promise that Jesus’s light can’t be beaten and link it to Genesis and John 8.

  1. SAY“Here’s John’s promise about the Light.”
  2. Show the verses on your phone or tablet. Teach the motions, then say them twice: normal, then in a whisper.
  3. A kid reads Genesis 1:3 from their seat. Ask: “Jesus created the world under the Father’s direction. So whose voice said, ‘Let there be light’?”
  4. Another kid reads John 8:12. Ask: “What does ‘the darkness comprehended it not’ mean?” It couldn’t understand the light or overpower it.

Class screen: 💡 “The light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.” · John 1:4–5 · Compare Genesis 1:3 and John 8:12

4. Game

Titles Race

7 min

Teams dig through John 1 for every name and title of Jesus. They discover how much one chapter teaches about who He is.

  1. SAY“John 1 is packed with names for Jesus. Which team can find the most?”
  2. Each team opens to John 1 and picks a Scribe.
  3. Start the Big Timer for 3 minutes. Teams race to find every title for Jesus. One point per title with its verse.
  4. Teams read their lists aloud. Help with any missed: the Word, the true Light, Lamb of God, Son of God, Rabbi, Messias, King of Israel.
  5. Ask: “Which title would you use to tell a friend who Jesus is?” Then: “Why that one?” Crown the champions.
🌪️ Only the Scribe writes, and teams whisper inside their huddle. Shouting a title gives it to the other team.
⏱️ Big Timer (a class game in the Gospel Sparks app)

Class screen: 🏷️ How many names for Jesus can you find in John 1? · 3 minutes · Title + verse = 1 point

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: Scriptures for each team (their own, a classroom set from the library, or Gospel Library on a parent-approved device)

Title Snap

  1. SAY“I’ll read from John 1. The moment you hear a name or title for Jesus, raise your hand and say it.”
  2. Read from your scriptures: John 1:1, 1:9, 1:14, 1:29, 1:34, 1:38, 1:41, 1:45 and 1:49.
  3. The first hand up with the right title scores a point for their team.
  4. Ask: “Which title would you use to tell a friend who Jesus is?” Then: “Why that one?” Crown the champions.

Class screen: 🏷️ Hear a name for Jesus? Hand up and say it!

5. Testimony

Behold the Lamb of God

3 min

End quietly with the Savior’s sacrifice and an invitation to “come and see.”

  1. SAY“Every Passover lamb pointed to Him. And every week, the sacrament helps us remember Him.”
  2. Lower your voice and read John 1:29.
  3. Share a short testimony of how you found Jesus for yourself, or who invited you to “come and see.”
  4. Share the Come and See challenge on the screen, then ask a child to say the closing prayer.

Class screen: 🐑 “Behold the Lamb of God!” · John 1:29 · He takes away the sin of the world

6. Game

Forehead Guess: Fig Tree Edition

4 minBONUS

A Heads Up–style round with harder words reviews every person, place and title from John 1.

  1. SAY“Challenge words like Cephas and Bethabara need story clues!”
  2. Tap Forehead Guess. The guesser holds your phone or tablet on their forehead, screen facing their team. Tilt down for got it, up to pass. 45 seconds each.
  3. Teams alternate guessers. Most words wins.
🌪️ Hands up to give a clue. The guesser picks who goes next.
▶ Play Forehead Guess on the web

Class screen: 🤔 Forehead Guess: Can you get Cephas? · No saying the word! · Story clues only

7. Game

Scripture Showdown

5 minBONUS

A tough team quiz reviews John 1 and its Old Testament links.

  1. SAY“It’s Team Andrew against Team Philip!”
  2. Tap Scripture Showdown. Read each question aloud. Teams huddle 10 seconds, then a captain answers. Rotate captains every question.
  3. Bonus point for naming the verse.
▶ Play Scripture Showdown on the web

Class screen: 🏆 Scripture Showdown!

The story

We Have Found Him

John 1:1–51 ↗

Optional helpers

  • Scripture ReaderFrom their seat, reads John 1:1, 1:29, 1:41, 1:46 and 1:49 aloud when you nod.

Scenes

  1. 🌌✨ In the beginning was the Word

    Before the earth existed, Jesus Christ was with Heavenly Father. John calls Him “the Word.” That’s because He speaks for the Father. Under the Father’s direction, He created everything. And He is the Light that darkness can’t put out.

    🙌

  2. 📜👟 “Who art thou?”

    Crowds came to John the Baptist at the Jordan River. Leaders asked him, “Who art thou?” Was he the Christ? John said no. Someone much greater was among them. John wasn’t even worthy to untie His shoe.

    🙌 Guess! Who is John talking about?

  3. 🐑🕊️ “Behold the Lamb of God!”

    The next day, John saw Jesus walking toward him. John had seen the Spirit descend like a dove and stay on Him. Now he pointed and said, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”

    🙌

  4. 👣❓ “What seek ye?” “Come and see.”

    Two of John’s disciples started following Jesus. He turned and asked, “What seek ye?” They asked where He was staying. He answered, “Come and see.” They spent the rest of the day with Him.

    🙌 Guess! What will Andrew do first?

  5. 🏃‍♂️🪨 Andrew finds his brother first

    The very first thing Andrew did was find his own brother Simon. He said, “We have found the Messias.” That means the Christ. He brought Simon to Jesus. And Jesus gave him a new name, Cephas. It means a stone.

    🙌 Point forward: “We have found the Messias!”

  6. 🙄🏘️ “Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?”

    Jesus found Philip and said, “Follow me.” Philip ran to his friend Nathanael. He said they’d found the One Moses wrote about. Jesus of Nazareth! Nathanael scoffed. Nazareth? Philip didn’t argue. He just said, “Come and see.”

    🙌 Guess! Will Nathanael come and see?

  7. 🌳👁️ “Under the fig tree, I saw thee”

    Jesus told Nathanael He had seen him under the fig tree. That was before Philip ever called him. Nathanael was stunned. He said, “Rabbi, thou art the Son of God.” The chain had started. John to Andrew. Andrew to Simon. Philip to Nathanael.

    🙌

Key verse

John 1:4–5 ↗
“In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.”
In kid words: Jesus is the source of life and light, and darkness can never understand or overpower His light.
🙌 “In him was life” = hand on your heart, feel the heartbeat · “the light of men” = open hands like rays from your face · “the light shineth in darkness” = one hand covers your eyes, the other shines through the fingers · “the darkness comprehended it not” = shake your head and push the dark away with both hands.

More verses

John 1:3 ↗
“All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.”
In kid words: Under Heavenly Father’s direction, Jesus created everything.
John 1:29 ↗
“Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”
In kid words: Look! Here is the Savior, who takes away the sins of the world.
John 1:41 ↗
“He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias”
In kid words: The first thing Andrew did was find his brother and tell him, “We found the Christ!”
John 1:46 ↗
“Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.”
In kid words: Nathanael doubted, and Philip didn’t argue. He just said, “Come and see.”

Forehead Guess words20 words

  • 💬 The Word
  • 🌍 Creator
  • 💡 Light
  • 🌑 Darkness
  • 🧔 John the Baptist
  • 📜 Pharisees
  • 👟 Shoe latchet
  • 🐑 Lamb of God
  • 🕊️ Dove
  • 🧑‍🏫 Rabbi
  • 🎣 Andrew
  • 👑 Messias
  • 🪨 Cephas
  • 🚶 Philip
  • 🙄 Nathanael
  • 🌳 Fig tree
  • 🏘️ Nazareth
  • 🏞️ Bethabara
  • ⭐ Only Begotten
  • 🎭 Guile
Clues for each word
  • The Word: John’s name for Jesus “in the beginning”
  • Creator: All things were made by Him
  • Light: It shines in darkness and can’t be put out
  • Darkness: It “comprehended it not”
  • John the Baptist: Said “I am not the Christ” and pointed to Jesus
  • Pharisees: The questioners sent to John belonged to this group
  • Shoe latchet: John wasn’t worthy to untie this
  • Lamb of God: John’s title for Jesus; takes away sin
  • Dove: Sign John saw as the Spirit descended
  • Rabbi: Means Master or Teacher
  • Andrew: First found his own brother
  • Messias: Another word for the Christ, the Anointed One
  • Cephas: New name for Simon; means a stone
  • Philip: Jesus told him “Follow me”
  • Nathanael: Doubted Nazareth, then called Jesus King of Israel
  • Fig tree: Where Jesus saw Nathanael before they met
  • Nazareth: Could any good thing come from here?
  • Bethabara: Place beyond Jordan where John baptized
  • Only Begotten: Jesus is the only child of the Father in the flesh
  • Guile: Fakeness or trickery; Nathanael had none
▶ Play Forehead GuessFull screen, 60-second timer, works on any phone.

Scripture Showdown10 questions

  1. What does John 1:1 call Jesus?
    • A. The Shepherd
    • B. The Word
    • C. The Prophet
    Show answer

    ✅ B. The Word He speaks for the Father and shows us what the Father is like.

  2. According to John 1:3, what was made by Him?
    • A. Only the sun and moon
    • B. Only the temple
    • C. All things
    Show answer

    ✅ C. All things Under the Father’s direction, Jesus Christ created all things.

  3. When asked who he was, what did John the Baptist say first?
    • A. “I am not the Christ”
    • B. “I am Elias”
    • C. “I am a king”
    Show answer

    ✅ A. “I am not the Christ” John 1:20. He always pointed people to Jesus, not himself.

  4. John said he wasn’t worthy to do what for Jesus?
    • A. Carry His scrolls
    • B. Unloose His shoe latchet
    • C. Cook His dinner
    Show answer

    ✅ B. Unloose His shoe latchet John 1:27. The latchet was the strap of a sandal.

  5. Passover lambs had to be “without blemish.” What did that point to?
    • A. Jesus’s sinless sacrifice
    • B. A good harvest
    • C. Moses’s staff
    Show answer

    ✅ A. Jesus’s sinless sacrifice Exodus 12:5. Jesus is the perfect Lamb of God (John 1:29).

  6. What were Jesus’s first words to the two disciples following Him?
    • A. “Go home”
    • B. “Who sent you?”
    • C. “What seek ye?”
    Show answer

    ✅ C. “What seek ye?” John 1:38. Then He invited them: “Come and see.”

  7. What did Andrew do first after spending the day with Jesus?
    • A. Went fishing
    • B. Found his brother Simon
    • C. Went back to John
    Show answer

    ✅ B. Found his brother Simon John 1:41: “We have found the Messias.”

  8. The new name Cephas means…
    • A. A stone
    • B. A fisherman
    • C. A lamb
    Show answer

    ✅ A. A stone John 1:42. Simon would become Peter, a steady foundation for the Church.

  9. Where was Nathanael when Jesus first saw him?
    • A. On a boat
    • B. In the synagogue
    • C. Under the fig tree
    Show answer

    ✅ C. Under the fig tree John 1:48. Jesus knew him before they ever met.

  10. John 1:51’s angels ascending and descending echo which Old Testament story?
    • A. Noah’s ark
    • B. Jacob’s ladder
    • C. Jonah and the fish
    Show answer

    ✅ B. Jacob’s ladder Genesis 28:12. Jesus is the way between heaven and earth.

▶ Play Scripture ShowdownTeams take turns on one screen.

Songs

  • Come, Follow Me Hymns, no. 116

    Jesus said to Philip, “Follow me” (John 1:43). Find it ↗

  • We’ll Bring the World His Truth Children’s Songbook, p. 172

    Andrew and Philip started a chain of invitations that kids continue today. Find it ↗

  • I Lived in Heaven Children’s Songbook, p. 4

    John 1 begins before the world was made, when we lived with Heavenly Father and Jesus. Find it ↗

This week’s challenge

Come and See

Pray this week for a chance to invite someone. Then do it. Invite a friend to an activity, or your family to read a favorite story from John 1. Or invite a less-active classmate to Primary. Keep it simple, like Philip. No arguing, just “Come and see.” Report back next week on how it went.

Text the parents

Today in Primary we studied John 1. Jesus Christ is the Word, the Creator and the Light that darkness can’t overcome. That’s John 1:4–5. John the Baptist called Him “the Lamb of God.” We watched a chain reaction as Andrew found his brother, and Philip told Nathanael, “Come and see.” Your child’s challenge is to invite someone to something good this week. Ask: what did Nathanael say about Nazareth, and how did Jesus surprise him?

📝 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?

🔦 Can the Dark Win? · 3 min

  1. Turn off the lights, with the door cracked for safety. Click on a flashlight or the screen.
  2. Ask: “Can anyone make the dark spread into the light? Can you shine a ‘dark-light’?” No!
  3. Read John 1:5. Say: “Darkness never wins against His light. When you feel stuck in something dark, turn toward Him.”

🔍 What Seek Ye? · 4 min

  1. Read John 1:38. Point out that Jesus’s first words in John are a question.
  2. Each kid answers silently on paper or in their head: “What am I looking for from Jesus right now?”
  3. Read His answer in verse 39. Ask: “How can you ‘come and see’ for yourself this week?” Pray, read, go to church, and take the sacrament thoughtfully.

🐑 Lamb Links · 4 min

  1. Pairs look up Exodus 12:5, Isaiah 53:7 and John 1:29.
  2. Each pair explains how the Old Testament lamb points to Jesus.
  3. Ask: “Which part of the sacrament prayers helps you remember the Lamb of God?”

🎨 Draw the Title · 4 min

  1. Tap Draw & Guess. One kid draws a word from today’s list on your phone or tablet while the class guesses.
  2. After each correct guess, the drawer says what that word teaches about Jesus. Lamb: His sacrifice. Light: He beats darkness. Fig tree: He knows us.
  3. Rotate artists every 45 seconds.

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 Valiant 9–10 lessons