bible point jesus cares about people who are...

Jesus cares about people who are sick.

Bible Verse“A cheerful heart is good medicine” (Proverbs 17:22a).

Growing Closer to JesusChildren will n understand that God has power over sickness and death,

n recognize that God provides many ways to help us get well,n learn that they can pray for those who are sick, andn celebrate good health.

Teacher EnrichmentThe Bible Basisn Jesus raises Jairus’ daughter.

Seeing Jairus at Jesus’ feet, you can almost feel his anguish! The love of a parent for a dying child pours out from him to Jesus. And Jesus didn’t turn him down. The whole crowd headed for Jairus’ house.

When the servant came and announced the child’s death, Jairus’ hopes likely fell. Who could hope that even Jesus would be able to help the child after she’d died? We don’t know how much faith Jairus held in Jesus when Jesus responded, encouraging him

to believe. Even Mary and Martha, Jesus’ close friends, didn’t seem to have much faith that Jesus could do anything after their brother, Lazarus, was dead. (See John 11:1-44.)

It’s clear that the crowd of mourners at Jairus’ house didn’t have faith in Jesus. Many of them may have been paid mourners who had been hired after the child had died, or they may have just been friends and family members. At any rate, their laughter indicates that they thought Jairus’ efforts in bringing Jesus were futile.

It’s unclear how much faith anyone but Jesus had in this situation because we find that when he raised the little girl, they were all shocked. Whatever the faith at the end, it was Jairus’ original faith that brought Jesus to his house, and that faith paid off—his daughter was alive!

Prayer• Read Mark 5:25-34.• How does the faith of this woman compare to Jairus’ faith?• Where does your faith stand in comparison to these two?• Pray: Dear God, help me to have faith in you even when...

Mark 5:21-24, 35-42

83Hands-On Bible Curriculum—Grades 1 & 2

Bible Point

Jesus Raises Jairus’ Daughter • Lesson 7

Before the Lessonn Collect items for the activities you plan to use, referring to the Classroom Supplies and Learning Lab Supplies listed in

the chart.n Make photocopies of the “Growing Together” handout (at the end of this lesson) to send home with your children.n Pray for your students and for God’s direction in teaching the lesson.

This Lesson at a GlanceWhat Children Will Do Classroom Supplies Learning Lab Supplies

Welcome Welcome!—Receive a warm welcome from the teacher, and make name tags.

“Bird Name Tags” (p. 70), markers, scissors, tape or safety pins

Attention Grabber

The Well-Bell—Deliver items to help “sick” friends, and learn that Jesus helps them when they’re sick.

Paper, markers, masking tape

Bible Exploration &

Application

Keep the Faith!—Act out the story in Mark 5:21-24, 35-42 of how Jesus healed Jairus’ daughter, and learn that it’s important to have faith in God.

Bible

Smile Awhile—Discover that they can help others feel better when they’re sick, and learn from Proverbs 17:22a that a happy heart is like good medicine.

Bibles

God’s Choice—Learn from Romans 8:28, 35, 39 that God will always do what’s best for them and that nothing can separate them from God’s love.

Bible

Closing Feelin’ Good—Celebrate feeling good by sharing healthy snacks and saying a prayer, and learn from Proverbs 3:7-8 that God provides ways for us to stay healthy.

Bible, oranges, napkins

Hands-On Bible Curriculum—Grades 1 & 2

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WelcomeSUPPLIES: “Bird name Tags” (p. 70), scissors, markers, tape or safety pins

• Greet each child individually with an enthusiastic smile.• Thank each child for coming to class today.• As children arrive, ask them about last week’s lesson and

“Growing Together” discussion. Use questions such as “What acts of kindness did you see on TV or in real life?” and “How did you help someone by giving freely last week?”

• Say: Today we’ll learn that Jesus cares about people who are sick.• Help children attach name tags they made during Lesson 5. If some of the name tags

were damaged, or if children weren’t in class previously, have them make new name tags using the photocopiable handout.

• Tell children that the attention-getting signal you’ll use during this lesson is clicking the creature clicker three times. Ask children to respond to the sound by snapping their finger three times as they stop talking and focus their attention on you. Rehearse the signal with the children, telling them to respond quickly so you’ll have plenty of time for all the fun activities planned for this lesson.

Attention Grabbern The Well-BellSUPPLIES: paper, markers, masking tape

On a table in the center of the room, set out paper, masking tape, and the large maraca. Also set out markers and one of the flavored tongue depressors for every four children.

Have kids form teams of four, and have each team line up on one side of the room. Choose one child from each team to be the “sick” person. Have the sick people lie down on the side of the

room opposite their teams.Say: The rest of you will deliver the items on the table to your sick

friends. The first person in each line will hop to the table, fold a sheet of paper in half, draw a happy face on it to make a get-well card, deliver it to the sick person, and hop back to the line.

The next person will take a piece of masking tape—which is a make-believe bandage—put it on the sick person’s shirt, and hop back to the line.

The last person will take a tongue depressor, which helps tell if the sick person’s throat feels better.

After you deliver an item, hop back to your team so the next person may go. When the sick friend gets the tongue depressor, he or she should hop to the table and shake the large maraca, which we’ll call the “well-bell.”

Continue until all of the sick children have rung the well-bell. Then click the creature clicker to get the children’s attention. Wait until they snap their fingers and stop talking; then have everyone sit in a circle on the floor.

Say: In this game, being sick was kind of fun, but it’s not fun at all to be sick in real life.

Tell the children not to unwrap the tongue depressors or put them in each other’s mouths. Suggest that they open their mouths and say “ahh.”

Also, make sure children don’t put masking tape on each other’s skin, only on clothing.


Jesus Raises Jairus’ Daughter

Ask: • Who can tell about a time you were really sick? (I had the flu and couldn’t eat anything; I had chickenpox and had to stay home from school for a long time; I had my tonsils taken out.)

• What does it feel like to be sick? (I feel gross; I don’t want to eat; it hurts a lot.)• Who helps you feel better when you’re sick? (My mom; my dad, my

grandma; my friends; doctors and nurses; God.)• What do they do to make you feel better? (My grandma sends me cards; my

dad brings me ice cream; my mom rubs my back; the doctor gives me medicine; God heals me.)

Say: It’s great to have people take care of us when we’re sick. Doctors give us medicine, people bring us special treats, and family members make sure we’re comfortable. There’s someone else who cares about us when we’re sick. Today we’re going to find out about a time Jesus helped a girl who was very sick. Jesus came to help her because Jesus cares about people who are sick.

Return the flavored tongue depressors and large maraca to the Learning Lab.

Bible Exploration & Applicationn Keep the Faith!SUPPLIES: Bible

Open the Bible to Mark 5, and show the chapter to the children. Say: The Bible story today is about a man named Jairus (jay-EYE-rus) who had great faith and believed in Jesus even when other people tried to convince him to give up. You can help me tell the story. I’ll choose someone to play Jairus, someone to play Jesus, and someone to play Jairus’ sick daughter. We’ll also need a group of mockers who’ll shout, “It’s too late!” and a group of mourners who’ll cry, “Boo-hoo-hoo!” Choose three children to play Jairus, Jesus, and the sick daughter. Have Jairus’ daughter lie at one end of the room on two or three chairs pushed together to make a bed.

Have the child playing Jairus stand to one side until you tell him to join in. Have the child playing Jesus stand next to you. Have the rest of the kids form a group of mourners and a group of mockers. Have the mourners practice saying, “Boo-hoo-hoo.” Have the mockers practice saying, “It’s too late!” Tell the children that you’ll cue them when it’s time for their actions and words in the story.

Say: Jesus’ boat had just landed, and he stepped out onto the shore. People were everywhere. Let’s walk around like a big crowd. Have the mockers and mourners walk around Jesus.

A man named Jairus was in the crowd. Jairus was a leader in a Jewish synagogue, which is like a church. Jairus searched the crowd for Jesus. Have Jairus search the crowd until he finds Jesus.

When Jairus saw Jesus, he fell at Jesus’ feet. Have Jairus kneel at Jesus’ feet. Jairus begged Jesus, saying, “Please come and lay your hands on my sick daughter. She’s dying, and I know you can heal her so she’ll live!” Jesus and Jairus started toward Jairus’ house. Lead children on a walk around the room.

If you don’t have folding chairs in your room, have the child playing Jairus’ daughter lie on the floor or on a low, sturdy table.

As you work through the debriefing questions during an activity, make sure you tap into the children’s emotions. When kids understand how it feels to be sick, they will remember how nice it is to be cared for. This will open the door for kids to empathize with those who are sick and care for them as Jesus cares for the sick.

Bible InsightThe story of Jesus raising Jairus’ daughter is recorded in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Mark goes into considerably more detail than Matthew or Luke and adds the quote, “Talitha, koum!” and translates the words to mean “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”


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But on the way they met a group of people. They were mockers, and they said... Have the mockers say, “It’s too late!” “Jairus, your daughter is dead. Don’t bother Jesus anymore.” The mockers didn’t believe Jesus could heal Jairus’ daughter. But Jesus didn’t listen to them. Instead, he told Jairus, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.” Jesus wanted Jairus to have faith and keep believing that Jesus could make the little girl well again. So Jairus and Jesus kept walking. Walk toward the child who is lying down.

When they came to Jairus’ house, a group of mourners stood nearby. They were crying and mourning about the death of Jairus’ daughter. Have the mourners show sadness and cry, “Boo-hoo-hoo!” They didn’t believe that Jesus could heal Jairus’ daughter either. Jesus told them that the girl was only sleeping, but the mockers and mourners laughed at Jesus. Have the mockers and mourners laugh. So Jesus threw them out of the house. Send the mockers and mourners to the other end of the room.

Jesus walked over to the bed where the little girl was lying. Jesus took the girl’s hand and said, “Little girl, stand up!” At once, Jairus’ daughter stood up and began walking. Have the child playing the girl stand. Everyone was completely amazed!

Good job helping with the story! Now let’s all sit in a circle.

Ask: • Why did Jesus heal the girl? (Because he loved her; because Jesus likes it when we’re healthy; because Jairus believed in Jesus.)

• Why did Jesus send the mockers and mourners away? (They didn’t have faith in Jesus; they didn’t believe; they laughed at Jesus.)

• How did Jairus show that he had faith in Jesus? (He went to find Jesus and asked him for help; he kept believing, even after people told him his daughter was dead; he didn’t listen to the mockers or mourners.)

• How do we know Jesus cares about people who are sick? (He cared about Jairus’ daughter; he loves us.)

Say: Jairus was very worried about his daughter when she was sick. He didn’t want her to die because he loved her so much. Jairus knew that Jesus cares about people who are sick. Jesus healed her because he loved her. Jesus loves us as much as he loved Jairus’ daughter. That’s why he gives us parents to take care of us, friends to cheer us up, and doctors with good medicine. We can pray and ask Jesus to make us well. And we can ask him to heal the people we love, too, just as Jairus did. When we believe in Jesus, we show him that we trust him and that we love him.

It’s important to say the Bible Point just as it’s written in each activity. Repeating the Bible Point over and over will help children remember it and apply it to their lives.



HANDSON BIBLEGive each child a paper cup, a piece of paper, and a 12-inch length

of string. You’ll need tape on hand for the activity as well. Help kids find John 11 in their Hands-On Bibles, and ask volunteers to take turns reading John 11:1-44.

Say: Jesus made Jairus’ daughter better after she had been sick. Some people were sure she was dead. They didn’t believe Jesus could make her well again. But since Jairus had faith, his daughter got better right away! The same thing happened with Lazarus. A few people had faith, and Lazarus was alive again.

Help kids follow the instructions in John 11 of their Hands-On Bibles for the “Roll Away That Stone!” activity. Make sure the holes they make in the bottoms of their cups are small enough so that a knot in a piece of string will not pull through. When kids have finished with their activities, ask:

• Why was faith important for Jairus’ daughter and for Lazarus? (When people believed, they were healed; faith made them alive again.)

• Why is faith important in our lives? (Jesus can do anything; we need to believe in Jesus so we can be with him in heaven.)

n Smile AwhileSUPPLIES: Bibles

Have kids form groups of three. In their groups, kids will take turns telling about a time they were sick. If they can’t remember the last time, help children think of how they feel when they’re sick. When kids have finished telling their sick stories, say:

When we’re sick, we feel sour. Sometimes our faces look as if we ate something really sour. Raise your hand if you’d like to show us a sour face. Pause a few moments as children make sour faces. Then ask:

• How is the taste of sour food like the way you feel when you’re sick? (I don’t like either of them; they’re both yucky; I just want to make bad faces.)

• When you’re sick, why don’t you usually smile a lot? (Because I don’t feel happy; because I’m not feeling well or something hurts.)

• Who can tell about a time someone helped you feel better or you helped someone else feel better? (Once my brother played games with me when I was sick; once I sent a get-well card to my teacher when she was in the hospital.)

• Why should we help others feel better? (Because we should care for them like Jesus does; it’s no fun being sick.)

Say: Some of us know people who are sick. They may just have a cold and have to lie in bed for a day or two. Some of us know people who are in the hospital and are going to take a long time to get better. There are other people we may know who may be sick for a lot longer or have a sickness that doesn’t go away. It’s important to pray for people who are sick. That’s a good way to take care of someone. In your groups, talk about people you know who are sick, and then pray that God will heal them and help them feel better.

Give kids time to pray. Guide kids in asking for God’s healing touch.

Kids may need help thinking of people to pray for. Encourage them to think of friends, family members, and friends’ families. You can also tell them about people in your church who need prayer.


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Make sure there is at least one Bible for each group of three, and have kids work together to find Proverbs 17:22a.

Say: Listen to what the Bible says about helping people feel better. Ask a volunteer to read Proverbs 17:22a: “A cheerful heart is good medicine.” Take turns in your trios telling what you could do to bring a cheerful heart to someone who’s hurt or sick. Each person should contribute two or three ideas.

Give kids a few moments to talk about how they could cheer up a sick person. Then invite kids to share their ideas with the whole class.

Say: Now let’s play a fun game to help us remember that a cheerful heart is like good medicine. The person in your trio who is wearing the most red will be Sam or Samantha Sick. Sam or Samantha can’t smile because he or she feels sick. When I shake the large maraca, the other two people in your trio will have 15 seconds to make Sam or Samantha smile. You can make funny faces or tell jokes or do silly dances. The only rule is that you can’t touch Sam or Samantha. When I shake the large maraca a second time, stop. If Sam or Samantha smiled, good for you—you cheered him or her up!

Play until each child has had a chance to be cheered up. Then say: Because Jesus cares about people who are sick, he sends family and friends to

help us feel better. When we’re sick, we can be thankful that Jesus cares about us and gives us friends and family who take care of us. And when we help cheer up people who are sick, we’re not only helping them feel better but we’re also showing God’s love!

n God’s ChoiceSUPPLIES: Bible

Have kids form three teams, and have them line up by one classroom wall for a relay race. Give each team a cardboard piece. Also give one team the large maraca, give the second team the plush heart, and give the third team the telescope.

Have the first person on each team balance the large maraca, the plush heart, or the telescope on the

cardboard piece and walk carefully to the opposite side of the room and back. Have the first players hand off the items to the next people in line and so on until everyone’s had a turn. When everyone has completed the race, put away the items, and gather the children in a circle.

Ask: • Which team had the most luck keeping its item balanced on the cardboard piece? (The team with the plush heart; the team with the telescope.)

• Do you think that group was more careful in carrying its item? Why or why not? (Yes, they must have been more careful because they didn’t drop it as often; no, because we tried as hard as we could with the maraca, but it kept falling off.)

Say: Sometimes getting sick is like running this race. No matter how hard we try to stay healthy, we still may get sick. In this race, you tried really hard to keep your item on the cardboard piece. But no matter how careful you were, sometimes the item fell off. We may try really hard to take good care of our bodies, too. We eat all the right food, we get lots of exercise, and we get plenty of rest, but things still go wrong with our bodies. It’s just part of being human. But I have good news for you.



Hold up the Bible and say: The Bible tells us that God made the world and all the people in it. God is in charge of what happens in the world. Listen to what the Bible says. Read Romans 8:28. Then say: No matter what happens to us, God will still make things work out OK. That’s a hard thing to understand because when we pray for people to get well, things don’t always turn out the way we hope they will.

Ask: • Who can tell us about a time you prayed for God to heal someone who was sick? Tell us what happened. (I prayed that my grandma would get out of the hospital, but she died; I prayed for my kitten to get well, and she did; I prayed to get over the chickenpox, but I was still sick for two weeks.)

• Why do you think God sometimes answers our prayers in a different way from what we expect? (Because God knows best; because God wants people to come and live with him; because God knows everything, and he’s smarter than we are.)

Say: Jesus cares about people who are sick, and he’s glad when we pray for people to get better. God has the power to make people better, just as he did with Jairus’ daughter. But sometimes God takes people to heaven to be with him. If people we care for die, we miss them. But the Bible tells us that even when bad things happen, God can still make good things come out of them. For example, even when someone we love dies, we can remember how much we loved that person and all the good times we had together. Those memories can make us feel happy. There’s another wonderful promise God has given to us. Listen while I read what the Bible says.

Read this paraphrase of Romans 8:35, 39: Can anything separate us from the love Jesus has for us? Can troubles or problems or sufferings separate us from God’s love? No! Nothing in the whole world will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Jesus our Lord.

Ask: • Why is that a good promise? (Because God’s love is stronger than anything; because when people who love Jesus die, they can be with him in heaven; because we know that God will always love us.)

Say: God loves us all the time, even when we’re sick. Nothing that can happen to us can separate us from God. We can pray and ask God to help sick people feel better, and we can be sure that God hears our prayers and will do what’s best. Jesus cares about people who are sick and wants the best for them. It’s good that we can trust Jesus to care for us when we’re sick and when we’re healthy!

Closingn Feelin’ GoodSUPPLIES: Bible, oranges, napkins

Before class, divide oranges into four sections. You’ll need one section for each child.

Have children sit in a circle. Say: Tell a friend one thing you learned today. (Jesus cares about people who

are sick; God’s in control of sickness, health, and even death; Jesus wants us to help people who are sick.)

Talking about death is never easy, especially for children. They may have difficulty expressing their feelings about death and often have unspoken questions about why God “let” Grandpa die. Be sensitive and patient in helping the child see that God’s choices are best, even when they’re painful or hard to understand.


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While kids are sharing, distribute the orange sections and napkins. While everyone is enjoying the snack, say: We learned today that Jesus cares about people who are sick. Jesus wants people to stay healthy. Nobody is healthy all the time, but Jesus gives us everything we need to keep ourselves as healthy and as strong as possible.

Ask: • Why does God give us so many yummy things to keep us healthy? (Because he loves us; because he wants us to grow up and be strong.)

Say: There’s one other thing God gives us. Listen to what the Bible says. Read Proverbs 3:7-8. Then continue: God gives us his wisdom to help us stay healthy. If we depended on our own wisdom, we might decide to eat cookies for breakfast and cake for lunch and dinner just because that’s the food we like best. But the Bible says we should treat our bodies well so we stay healthy. That’s one way for us to respect God because God created us.

Ask: • What can you do to stay healthy? (Exercise; keep warm and dry; eat good foods.)

• Why is it wise to practice healthy habits? (So we don’t get sick; to stay well; to feel good; so we respect God.)

Say: Find a friend, and tell him or her three things you’ll do this week to stay healthy.

Allow time for partners to share. Use the creature clicker to gain kids’ attention. Then say: God provides good, healthy foods for us to eat. Eating healthy food is one way God helps us stay well. Another way is to get lots of rest and exercise. But sometimes we get sick. And when that happens, we can remember that Jesus cares about people who are sick. Let’s thank him for that.

Pray: Dear God, we thank you that Jesus cares about us when we’re sick. Thank you for giving us good food to keep us healthy. And thank you for loving us and making things work out for the best. In Jesus’ name, amen.

As the children are leaving, say: You may take your flavored tongue depressors home. Their sweet taste will help remind you how sweet Jesus’ love is and how Jesus cares about people who are sick.

Collect name tags, and remind children to take home any crafts they made today.

If you have more than 20 children in your class, do not send the tongue depressors home.

Growing closer to Jesus extends beyond the classroom.Photocopy the “Growing Together” handout (at the end of this lesson) for this week, and send it home with your children. Encourage children and parents to use the handout to plan meaningful activities on this week’s topic. Follow up the “Growing Together” activities next week by asking children what their families did together.



Get Well SoonMake a get-well basket for a friend who’s feeling under the weather. Include cough drops, tissues, herbal tea bags, a jar of honey, and a get-well card with this tissue flower on the front. Fold two tissues accordion-style. Put one on top of the other, and fold them in half. Hold on to the fold, and twist it so the four “petals” are evenly distributed. Tape the twisted end. Separate the layers of tissue to create eight petals. Tape the flower to the card, and color a green stem. On the inside, write a get-well greeting.

Doctor SaysPlay a fun version of Simon Says with your family. Take turns playing the part of the doctor and saying what the other person is to do. Say things such as “The doctor says, ‘Cough.’” “The doctor says, ‘Lie down and take a nap.’” “The doctor says, ‘Run in place for exercise.’” Remind your child that God gives us doctors and nurses to help us get well when we’re sick.

Healthy HelpingsTalk about the fact that God gives us good foods to help us stay healthy. Visit the library, and read about the food pyramid. Have your child help plan the meals for this week. How many healthy foods can you pack into this week’s menus? Plan on plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains while keeping meat servings lean. Don’t forget to plan time to exercise. A brisk walk together is fun and makes everyone feel better!

Edible ThermometersMake edible “thermometers” by coloring half a package of light cream cheese with red food coloring. Stuff the top halves of celery sticks with the red cream cheese. Stuff the bottom halves with white cream cheese. Talk with your child about the things that make people feel better when they’re sick. Spend a few minutes role-playing: Have your child take care of you while you pretend to be sick; then turn the game around and take care of your child. Then eat the edible thermometers with a glass of juice. Thank God for good health and for loving family members who take care of one another.

Today your child learned that Jesus cares about people who are sick. The class learned that God gives us families, friends, and doctors to care for us. The children also learned that God is in control of health, sickness, and even death. Use these activities to help your child understand that Jesus provides ways to care for the sick and to help us stay healthy.

Jesus Cares 7:Jesus cares about people who are sick.

Bible StoryJesus raises Jairus’ daughter

(Mark 5:21-24, 35-42).

Bible Verse“A cheerful heart is good medicine”

(Proverbs 17:22a).

92Permission to photocopy this handout from Group’s Hands-On Bible Curriculum® Grades 1 & 2 granted for local church use.

Copyright © Group Publishing, Inc., 1515 Cascade Avenue, Loveland, CO 80538. group.com

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