Free Bible lesson for kids · In the Wilderness
The Serpent of Brass
On the long way around the land of Edom the people grew discouraged and spoke against God and against Moses, and fiery serpents came among them and bit them. When they said, “We have sinned,” Moses prayed, and God told him to make a serpent of brass and set it upon a pole, and everyone who was bitten and looked at it lived. Jesus said that, as Moses lifted up the serpent, He too must be lifted up on the cross, so that whoever believes in Him should have eternal life (John 3:14–15).
- Bible passage
- Numbers 21:4–9
- Big idea
- Look to Jesus and live: He was lifted up on the cross to save us.
- Memory verse
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
John 3:14 (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
Israel traveled the long way around the land of Edom, and the people became very discouraged (Numbers 21:4). They spoke against God and against Moses, complaining that “there is no bread, neither is there any water” (Numbers 21:5). They even said they hated the bread God gave them. Then the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and the serpents bit them, and many died (Numbers 21:5–6).
The people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee” (Numbers 21:7). So Moses prayed for the people (Numbers 21:7). The LORD told Moses to make a serpent and set it on a pole, so that everyone who was bitten could look at it and live (Numbers 21:8). So Moses made a serpent of brass and put it on a pole, and whoever looked at it lived (Numbers 21:9).
Read it in the Bible: Numbers 21:4–9 (KJV)
4And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way. 5And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread. 6And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. 7Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. 8And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. 9And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.
Questions to ask
Why did the people speak against God and against Moses?
They were much discouraged because of the way, and said there was no bread and no water (Numbers 21:4–5).
What did God tell Moses to make?
A fiery serpent set upon a pole, so Moses made a serpent of brass and put it upon a pole (Numbers 21:8–9).
What happened when someone who had been bitten looked at the serpent of brass?
He lived (Numbers 21:9).
What this story teaches
- Complaining against God and His gifts is sin (Numbers 21:5, 7).
- God forgives and helps when we admit we have sinned (Numbers 21:7–8).
- God saved everyone who looked, just as He promised (Numbers 21:8–9).
- Sin brings death, but God gives eternal life in Jesus (Romans 6:23).
- Whoever believes in Jesus has eternal life (John 3:15).
Jesus Was Lifted Up
The bitten people looked at the serpent of brass and lived. Jesus was lifted up on the cross, so that whoever believes in Him will have eternal life.
John 3:14–15
A 45-minute lesson plan
| 5 min | Welcome and pray. Greet each child by name and pray: Thank Jesus that He was lifted up for us, and ask Him to help us look to Him. |
|---|---|
| 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: “Look to Jesus and live: He was lifted up on the cross to save us.” What does that mean for us? |
| 5 min | Memory verse. Say John 3:14 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 or out · about 10 minutes
Look and Live Tag
You need: Socks as “snakes” for the taggers, a pole with a paper serpent
- Two taggers carry sock snakes. Anyone tagged freezes.
- To be free, a frozen child must look at the pole (a leader holds it up) and shout, “I looked and I live!”
- Switch taggers often.
Everyone who looked at the serpent on the pole lived. Jesus said He would be lifted up so that whoever believes in Him would live.
For youth group · game · indoors or out · about 15 minutes
Snake Tail Tag
You need: Scarves or strips of cloth tucked in as tails
- Everyone tucks a “tail” into the back of their waistband.
- Grab other people’s tails while protecting your own. If yours is pulled, keep playing and grab more.
- Most tails at the end wins.
“As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up” (John 3:14).
Pray
Thank Jesus that He was lifted up for us, and ask Him to help us look to Him.