Week 13 – The Gospels: Four Books, One Good News

Summary
Verse
Movement
Lesson
Small Groups
Closer Game

Summary

Kids learn that there are four Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke, John—but they all tell one good news story: Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection.
They see that each Gospel is like a different “camera angle” on the same Jesus, and they practice finding at least two different Gospels in their Bibles.

Verse

John 20:31 – “…these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”

Action idea:
  • “Written” – pretend to write.
  • “Believe” – point to head, then heart.
  • “Life” – stretch arms wide like a big hug.

Movement: “Gospel Corners”

1.  Label four corners/walls:
  • Matthew, Mark, Luke, John.
2.  Play music while kids walk around the room.
3.  When the music stops, call out a Gospel; kids move to that corner and chant together:
  • “Matthew – Jesus is King!”
  • “Mark – Jesus is powerful!”
  • “Luke – Jesus loves everyone!”
  • “John – Jesus is God’s Son!”
4.  Rotate a few times so they start to remember the names and simple themes.

Lesson: “Four Books, One Good News” (Large group)

Show the four books:
  • Open a Bible to the New Testament and point out Matthew, Mark, Luke, John.
  • Explain: “These four books all tell the story of Jesus. They were written by different people for different groups, but the message is the same: Jesus is the Savior.”

Camera-angle picture:
  • Hold up an object (or ask a volunteer to stand up).
  • Walk around them, saying: “If I draw you from this side, or that side, it’s still the same person.”
  • “That’s like the Gospels—four views, one Jesus.”

Shared story example:
  • Read or retell a familiar event from one Gospel (e.g., Jesus calming the storm from Mark).
  • Mention that other Gospels tell some of the same stories, because they’re all telling what Jesus really did and taught.

Tie back to the verse:
  • “These are written so that YOU can believe and have life in Jesus’ name—God gave us four strong ways to see and trust Jesus.”

Small Groups: “Find Two Gospels”

Goal: 
  • Let kids actually navigate the four books.

Step 1: 
  • Use the table of contents to find Matthew and John.

Step 2: 
  • Everyone opens to the very first page of Matthew, then the first page of John.

Step 3:
On a simple sheet, draw two open books:
  • Label one “Matthew” and write/dictate: “Tells about Jesus the King.”
  • Label one “John” and write/dictate: “Tells Jesus is God’s Son.”

Older kids:
  • Let them also quickly flip to Mark and Luke and underline the word “Gospel” in the section headings if their Bibles have it.

Closer Game: “Gospel Flip Race”

1.  Kids in pairs, each with a Bible closed.
2.  Call out:
  • “Find Matthew!” First pair to find it stands up.
  • “Find Mark!” “Find Luke!” “Find John!”
3.  Once they can flip quickly, add fun challenges:
  • “Start in John and flip back to Mark.”
  • “Start in Matthew and flip forward to Luke.”
4.  Each time they find a Gospel, everyone says together: “Four books, one good news—Jesus!”