John 16
Explanation and Bible story for toddlers and preschoolers (ages 3-6)
The Explanation
Jesus sat with his friends. It was almost night. The room was warm and quiet.
Jesus looked at his friends. He loved them so much.
"I am going away," he said softly. "But do not worry."
His friends looked sad. Very sad. Their eyes filled with tears.
"Why are you going?" they wanted to ask. But they did not say it out loud.
Jesus knew their hearts were heavy. Like a big stone inside.
What Does This Mean?
"I will send you Someone," Jesus said. "A Helper. He will stay with you always."
The friends listened close. Who could this Helper be?
"He will show you what is true," said Jesus. "He will whisper it in your heart."
Jesus smiled a little. "A little while, and you will not see me. Then, a little while more, and you will see me again."
The friends looked at each other. They did not understand. Not yet.
The Common Thread
Jesus told them a story about a mommy.
"When a baby is born," he said, "the mommy hurts. She cries. But then she holds her baby. She smells his little head. She forgets the hurting. She only feels glad."
"That is how it will be for you," said Jesus. "You will be sad. But then, so glad. Nobody can take that gladness away."
Jesus was going to his Father. But he was not leaving forever. He would come back. He always keeps his promises.
For You
"You will ask the Father things," said Jesus, "and he will give them to you. Ask, and you will be full of joy."
Do you ever feel scared at night? Or sad when someone you love goes away?
Jesus knows that feeling. He felt sad too.
But he said, "In me you may have peace."
Outside, the wind was blowing. Things in the world can feel hard and scary.
But Jesus said, "Cheer up! I have overcome the world."
He is stronger than every scary thing. Stronger than the dark. Stronger than being alone.
His friends would run away and hide. But Jesus said, "I am not alone. My Father is with me."
And you are never alone either. God is always near.
Talk About It
When have you felt very sad, but then very glad again?
What do you think it means that Jesus is stronger than every scary thing?
Praying Together
Dear God, Thank you that Jesus came back. Thank you that you are always near me. When I feel sad, help me remember, you can turn my sad into glad. Amen.
Questions about John 16
Short answers for anyone reading about this for the first time.
What is John 16 about?
What does John 16 say?
What does John 16 teach us about God?
What can toddlers learn from John 16?
Why is John 16 an important Bible story?
What others discovered
About judgment, because the prince of this world has been judged." Notice the tense. Not will be judged someday, but already judged. The verdict came at a cross, when the accuser lost his hold. So when he whispers that you are finished, remember: he is the one under sentence, not you.
Jesus doesn't tell them the pain isn't real. He calls it labor. "A woman, when she gives birth, has sorrow, because her time has come." Her body isn't falling apart, it's opening up. Something is coming. Sit with that in the ache you're carrying now. Is it an ending, or is it a birth?
They will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me." Jesus says this about people convinced they are serving God while hurting his own. Sincerity is not the same as knowing him. It's worth asking quietly: is my zeal growing out of real acquaintance with the Father, or only out of my certainty that I'm right?
Looking for something for slightly older children?
We also have dedicated versions for elementary age (7-12) and teens (12 and up).
Open in the Children's Bible tool
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