coloring page Ages 2–4
Color the picture. Listen and tell.
Memory verse: Matthew 4:4 (KJV)
Free Sunday School lesson · Ages 2–12
Jesus Resists Temptation
Matthew 4:1-11 (KJV)
This free Sunday School lesson teaches Matthew 4, where Jesus is tempted three times in the wilderness and answers every time from Scripture. It is written for ages 2 to 12, and children learn what He was asked to do, what He answered, and where His answers came from. Each age group gets six printable activities.
Everything here is free to download, print and copy for your class. Open to everyone.
Sunday School lesson
This lesson at a glance
- Bible passage
- Matthew 4:1-11
- Ages
- 2 to 12, in four age groups
- What is included
- Six activity sheets for each age group and one Teacher Notes and Answer Keys guide
- Memory verse
- Matthew 4:4 (KJV)
- Format
- US Letter PDFs, print-ready, black and white
- Access
- Open to everyone. Free to print and copy for your class
What children learn
Children learn that Jesus met each temptation with It is written, that every answer came from Scripture, and that He did not sin. Children are never asked to fast or to act any part of this out.
The printables in this lesson
Each age group has six different activities, chosen for what a child of that age can do. Read any one on screen before you print it.
Ages 2–4 All ages 2–4 resources
early learner activity Ages 2–4
Cut with a helper. Turn over. Find the pairs.
Adult help with scissors.
early learner activity Ages 2–4
Color. Draw inside. Fold and tell.
Adult help with folding and scissors.
Ages 5–6 All ages 5–6 resources
early learner activity Ages 5–6
Look carefully. Find. Tell. Explain.
Memory verse: Matthew 4:4 (KJV)
comprehension worksheet Ages 5–6
Read with a helper. Circle one answer per picture.
Scripture memory activity Ages 5–6
Read together. Fill one word. Cut the bookmarks.
Memory verse: Matthew 4:4 (KJV)
Adult help with scissors.
early learner activity Ages 5–6
Cut. Find the pairs. Explain each Bible picture.
Adult help with scissors.
Ages 7–9 All ages 7–9 resources
Scripture memory activity Ages 7–9
Read. Recall the missing words. Locate the verse.
Memory verse: Matthew 4:4 (KJV)
Adult help with scissors.
Bible study worksheet Ages 7–9
Read the references. Record answers. Explain a connection.
comprehension worksheet Ages 7–9
Read. Look at the reminders. Explain the Bible lesson.
Ages 10–12 All ages 10–12 resources
Bible study worksheet Ages 10–12
Read the references. Write discoveries beside the pictures.
Bible study worksheet Ages 10–12
Find each word. Explain its meaning in this passage.
Bible study worksheet Ages 10–12
Read the Scripture. Explain and plan a practical response.
Teacher Notes & Answer Keys
One guide for all four age groups: the lesson objective, teaching guidance, a verified answer for every sheet above, the meaning of the King James words the sheets use, and preparation and safety notes. Each entry names the sheet it answers.
Before you teach it
The five-stone picture is only a visual reminder: Matthew gives no count of stones, and these are not David's stones in this account. Never ask children to fast, jump or reenact danger. No frightening devil image is needed. Explain the account positively through Jesus' faithful answers. The scroll is a classroom reminder, not an assertion that Jesus held one in the wilderness. Pictures are visual reminders; species, clothing, exact shapes and small scene details are reconstructions unless the passage states them. Offer pointing, oral answers or a scribe. Supervise all cutting. Read the cited verses before using the activities.
Teaching at home during the week as well? Faith Schooling publishes a K–5 curriculum for reading, mathematics, and language and writing. The placement check is free.
More lessons in The Birth and Early Life of Jesus
The Birth of Jesus
Luke 1:26-38; Luke 2:1-20 Children learn that the angel announced a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord, that Mary laid him in a manger, and that the shepherds went to see Him. The lesson keeps to Luke's account, so the wise men, who are in Matthew's, are not mixed into it. Open the lesson →Activities: 2–4 activities for The Birth of Jesus 5–6 activities for The Birth of Jesus 7–9 activities for The Birth of Jesus 10–12 activities for The Birth of Jesus
Jesus Is Baptized
Matthew 3:1-17 Children learn that Jesus came to Jordan to be baptized of John and that the voice said This is my beloved Son. The lesson teaches one God revealed in Jesus Christ, not three divine persons, and it does not suggest that Jesus had sin to repent of. Open the lesson →Activities: 2–4 activities for Jesus Is Baptized 5–6 activities for Jesus Is Baptized 7–9 activities for Jesus Is Baptized 10–12 activities for Jesus Is Baptized
Jesus Calls Disciples
Luke 5:1-11; Luke 5:27-32 Children learn that Jesus said Follow me, that Peter was told thou shalt catch men, which is a figure of speech about reaching people, and that Levi left all, rose up, and followed Him. Open the lesson →Activities: 2–4 activities for Jesus Calls Disciples 5–6 activities for Jesus Calls Disciples 7–9 activities for Jesus Calls Disciples 10–12 activities for Jesus Calls Disciples
More free Bible resources
All free Sunday School resources
The whole library: lessons by Bible story, printables by age and by type, and the teacher guides.
Resources for churches
Scripture memory, Bible quizzing, study guides and new-believer material for a congregation.
Faith Readers Originals
More free printables for children: Bible games, missionary stories, Bible adventure pages and outdoor projects.
The Way of Jesus, Junior Edition
A free thirty-lesson Bible study for children, with a parent and teacher guide.