Free Bible lesson for kids · Jesus Is Born
Escape to Egypt
An angel warned Joseph in a dream that King Herod wanted to harm Jesus. Joseph rose that night and took Mary and the young child to Egypt, and later God brought them home to Nazareth.
- Bible passage
- Matthew 2:13–23
- Big idea
- God protects and guides His people.
- Memory verse
And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.
Matthew 2:15 (KJV)- Ages
- Preschool to preteen (3 to 12), with tips for each age
- Time
- About 45 minutes
- Included, free
- Animated story film, coloring page, class sheet, teacher guide, questions and answers, a game
The story
After the wise men left, the angel of the Lord came to Joseph in a dream. He said, “Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt,” because Herod would seek to destroy the child (Matthew 2:13). Joseph arose and left by night (Matthew 2:14). They stayed in Egypt until Herod died, just as the prophet had said: “Out of Egypt have I called my son” (Matthew 2:15).
Herod was very angry that the wise men had not come back. He had the young children of Bethlehem killed, and there was great weeping (Matthew 2:16–18). After Herod died, an angel told Joseph in a dream to go back to the land of Israel (Matthew 2:19–21). God warned Joseph in another dream, so he went to Galilee (Matthew 2:22). The family made their home in a city called Nazareth (Matthew 2:23).
Read it in the Bible: Matthew 2:13–23 (KJV)
13And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. 14When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt: 15And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son. 16Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men. 17Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, 18In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not. 19But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child’s life. 21And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel. 22But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judaea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee: 23And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.
Questions to ask
Who wanted to harm the young child?
King Herod.
Where did Joseph take his family?
To Egypt.
Where did they live after they came back?
In Nazareth.
What this story teaches
- God watches over His people and warns them of danger (Matthew 2:13).
- Obeying God quickly can keep us safe (Matthew 2:14).
- God’s Word always comes true, even in hard times (Matthew 2:15).
- No evil ruler can stop God’s plan for Jesus (Matthew 2:19–20).
- God guides His people one step at a time (Matthew 2:22–23).
Jesus Gave Himself for Us
God kept young Jesus safe from Herod because He had a plan. Jesus grew up and gave Himself for our sins.
Galatians 1:4
A 45-minute lesson plan
| 5 min | Welcome and pray. Greet each child by name and pray: Thank God for keeping us safe. |
|---|---|
| 10 min | The story. Play the story film: each verse appears on screen in the King James Version while the scene plays. Pause to ask what happens next. |
| 10 min | Talk about it. Ask the three questions below. Then ask: “God protects and guides His people.” What does that mean for us? |
| 5 min | Memory verse. Say Matthew 2:15 together, covering one word at a time until the children can say it alone. |
| 10 min | Activity. Younger children color the coloring page while you retell the story; older children do the class sheet (memory-verse fill-in, word search and questions). |
| 5 min | Pray and send home. Pray together and send the sheet home so families can talk about the first question this week. |
- Preschool: keep it short and physical. Act out the story, use a simple prop, and repeat the big idea in one sentence.
- Elementary: let children find the passage in their own Bibles. Ask “who, what, where” questions first, then “why.”
- Preteens: read the verses before and after the passage, and ask how this story fits the whole story of the Bible.
Game time
For kids · game · indoors · about 8 minutes
Quiet Night Journey
You need: A blindfold
- A leader sits blindfolded in the middle of the room as the “guard”.
- The kids are Joseph’s family, tiptoeing from Bethlehem to Egypt (across the room) as quietly as they can.
- If the guard hears footsteps, he points. Anyone pointed at goes back to start.
God warned Joseph in a dream, and Joseph took Jesus to safety that very night. God was watching over Jesus.
For youth group · activity · indoors · about 12 minutes
Pack in Sixty Seconds
You need: A list of 30 items (phone, water, blanket, photos, snacks, a Bible, a pillow, shoes…), pens
- Tell the group they must leave home tonight and can take only ten things. They have sixty seconds.
- Compare lists in small groups and explain the choices.
- Talk: how do you trust God when plans change overnight?
Joseph obeyed in the middle of the night, and God guided every step of the way.
Pray
Thank God for keeping us safe.