Coin in the Fish's Mouth Preschool Lesson

Monday:	Coin in the Fish's Mouth
Story Passage:	Matthew 17: 24-27
Other Passages:
Objective:	Jesus is God
Visuals:	Available

Introduction: Temple Tax

Some tax collectors, who didn't like Jesus and were trying to cause trouble, came to Peter and asked, Does Jesus pay the temple tax? Peter said, Yes, he does.

Then Peter went into the house where Jesus was. Jesus had not heard what they were talking about outside, but he knew, because he is God and knows everything. He asked Peter a question. He asked, Do kings collect taxes from their sons, or from other people? Peter said, From other people, not their sons. Now Jesus is God's son, and the temple is God's house, so Jesus didn't need to pay the temple tax. But Jesus told Peter, So that we won't upset people, I'll pay the tax.

Explanation: Fishing

Have you ever gone fishing with mom or dad or grandpa? What's fishing? [Accept some answers.] What do you take with you? [Accept some answers.] What do you expect to catch? (Fish, hopefully.) Did you know, some of Jesus' disciples were fishermen? That means, they caught fish for a living. That was their job. That was what they did all day before they met Jesus.

Main Story: The Fish and the Coin

So when it came time to pay the temple tax, Jesus told Peter, who was a fisherman before he followed Jesus, Go to the lake and throw out your (fishing) line. Take the first fish you catch, open its mouth and you will find a coin.

Peter went and did just what Jesus said to do. He went to the lake and threw in his fishing line. When he caught the first fish and opened its mouth, what do you think he found? Yes, a coin. And it was just enough to pay the tax for Jesus and Peter. So Peter went and paid the tax.

Now, how did Jesus know the money would be there? (Allow the kids to answer. If they say he hid it there, say no, etc.) Jesus knew the money would be there because Jesus is God, and God knows everything. Jesus could do things nobody else could do. Do you think Peter told his friends what happened?

Copyright © 2004—2007, Jill Eady and the Galion Grace Brethren Church. See licensing for information about rights and permissions. Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.