NEW TESTAMENT
BIBLE STORIES
BOOK III
(For Beginners)
REV. C. HANKO
Adopted for use in the Protestant
Reformed Churches
by the Synod of 1981
PREFACE
This is the third in the series of
catechism books which deal with the stories of the Bible for children from the ages of six
to eight. The first two books covered the
history of the Old Testament, while this one treats the history of the New Testament.
Each lesson deals with only one phase
of the history, rather than entering into detail on all the events. Also, the facts of history are stressed, with the
significance brought out, whenever possible, toward the end of the lesson. The teacher should use his own discretion in
determining how much other material should be included in the classroom discussion.
The same division of the material is
used as in “Suffer Little Children,” by Mrs. Gertrude Hoeksema, in order to
create a certain amount of harmony between the instruction in the school and in the
catechism wherever both books are used.
The questions and answers are
considerably longer in this revised book than in the previous one. We recommend that the younger children learn as
much of the lesson as possible, and the older children learn the whole lesson.
May our gracious, covenant God use
this material for the instruction and spiritual edification of our children. From Him is all our expectation, and to Him alone
must be the glory of our lives.
Rev. C. Hanko
LESSON 1
JOHN THE BAPTIST
1. To whom did the angel Gabriel appear?
To Zacharias in the temple.
2. What did the angel tell Zacharias?
The angel told him that he would have a
son.
3. What was Zacharias told to call this
son?
Zacharias was told to call him John.
4. Why did Zacharias not believe the angel?
Because he and Elisabeth were very old.
5. How was Zacharias punished for not
believing the angel?
He could not speak or hear until John
was born.
6. Why was this such a great punishment for
Zacharias?
Zacharias could not talk about the news
the angel brought.
7. What did Zacharias do when he could
speak again?
He praised God for the important son God
gave him.
8. What was so important about John the
Baptist?
He was called to prepare the way for
the coming of our Savior.
9. How did John prepare the way?
John told the people to repent and look
for the promised Savior.
10.
Why is John called “the Baptist”?
Because John baptized those who repented
and believed in the coming Savior.
Memory verse: “Behold, I will send my
messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me.”
Malachi 3:1
LESSON 2
JESUS’ BIRTH ANNOUNCED
1. Who is your Savior?
Jesus, whose name means Savior.
2. Why is He called Jesus, that is, Savior?
Because He saves His people from their
sins.
3. Who was sent to tell of Jesus’
birth?
The angel Gabriel was sent from heaven.
4. To whom was Gabriel sent?
To Mary, who was of the royal line of
David.
5. What did the angel Gabriel tell Mary?
That she would be the mother of Jesus.
6. What else did Gabriel tell Mary?
That Jesus is the Son of God, who is
born like one of us.
7. Why did Mary go to Elisabeth?
The angel told Mary that Elisabeth was
going to have a son.
8. What happened when Elisabeth saw Mary?
The baby John leaped in her womb.
9. How long did Mary stay with Elisabeth?
For three months, until John was born.
10.
How did Elisabeth show her joy in the coming Savior?
She praised God for all His wonderful
deeds.
Memory verse: “That holy thing which shall
be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.”
Luke 1:35
LESSON 3
JESUS IS BORN
1. What happened just before Jesus was
born?
Caesar Augustus commanded that all the
world should be taxed.
2. Why did God cause this command to be
made?
God wanted Jesus to be born in
3. Why did God want Jesus to be born in
God wanted to show that Jesus is of the
royal line of David.
4. Why was Jesus born in a cattle stall?
There was no room in the inn.
5. What does Jesus’ birth in a cattle
stall show us?
He had to become poor to make us rich.
6. To whom did God send an angel to
announce Jesus’ birth?
To shepherds who were watching their
flocks at night.
7. What did the angel tell the shepherds?
“Unto you is born this day in the
city of
8. What did a host of angels sing?
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”
Luke 2:14
9. Who else knew of Jesus’ birth?
Wisemen who saw Jesus’ star in the
East.
10.
What did the wisemen do when they saw Jesus?
They worshiped Him and brought Him
gifts.
Memory verse: “Yet for your sakes he became
poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.”
LESSON 4
JESUS’ EARLY LIFE
1. Where did Jesus’ parents bring Him
soon after His birth?
His parents brought Him to the temple.
2. Who met Jesus in the temple?
Simeon, who was told that he would not
die until he saw the Savior.
3. What did Simeon say when he took Jesus
in his arms?
“Lord, now lettest thou thy servant
depart in peace, … for mine eyes have seen thy salvation.”
Luke 2:29, 30
4. Who else came into the temple at that
time?
Anna, a prophetess of the tribe of
Asher, who was of great age.
5. What did Anna do when she saw Jesus?
She thanked God that the Savior had
come.
6. How did king Herod hear of Jesus’
birth?
The wisemen came looking for the king of
the Jews.
7. What did Herod do when the wisemen did
not return to him?
Herod killed all the babies of
8. How did God protect Jesus?
God told Joseph to flee with Jesus to
9. What did Jesus do in the temple when He
was twelve years old?
Jesus talked with the teachers, asking
and answering hard questions.
10.
What did Jesus say to Mary when she found Him there?
“Wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?”
Luke 2:49
Memory verse: “Out of
LESSON 5
JOHN BAPTIZES JESUS
1. Where did John the Baptist preach?
John preached in the wilderness near the
2. How was he dressed?
He wore a garment of camel’s hair
and a leather girdle.
3. What did he eat?
He ate locusts and wild honey.
4. Why did the people come out to hear him?
The people heard that a great prophet
had arisen among them.
5. What did John preach?
He told the people that the Savior had
come.
6. What did he tell the people to do?
He told them to repent of their sins and
look for the Savior.
7. Who came to John while he was preaching?
Jesus came to John to be baptized.
8. What happened when Jesus was baptized?
The Spirit came upon Him in the form of
a dove.
9. Where did the Spirit lead Jesus?
Into the wilderness to be tempted of the
devil.
10.
What did Jesus do after the third temptation?
He drove Satan away, saying: “Get thee hence, Satan!”
Memory verse: “Get thee hence, Satan: for
it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.”
Matthew 4:10
LESSON 6
JESUS BEGINS HIS MINISTRY
1. Where did Jesus go with six of His
disciples?
Jesus went to a wedding feast at Cana of
Galilee.
2. Who was there of Jesus’ family?
Mary, the mother of Jesus, was there.
3. What did Mary tell Jesus during the
feast?
She told Him that they had no more wine.
4. What did Jesus tell the servants to do?
Jesus told the servants to fill six
waterpots with water.
5. What did Jesus do after that?
Jesus changed the water to wine.
6. What was the result of this first
miracle?
Jesus’ disciples believed that He
was the promised Christ.
7. Where did Jesus go after that?
Jesus went to
8. What did Jesus do in the temple?
Jesus made a whip and drove the buyers
and sellers out of the temple.
9. Did this make the Jewish leaders angry?
Yes, they asked Him by what right He did
that.
10.
What did Jesus answer them?
“Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”
John 2:19
Memory verse: “Make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise.”
John 2:16
LESSON 7
JESUS AT THE WELL IN
1. Where did Jesus go from
Jesus went through
2. Whom did Jesus meet at the well in
He met a Samaritan woman who came to
draw water.
3. What did Jesus ask of the woman?
He said, “Give me to drink.”
4. What did Jesus tell the woman?
He told her that He was the Water of
life.
5. What does this mean?
It means that He is the Savior who came
to save us from sin and death.
6. What did Jesus do while talking to the
woman?
He caused her to believe in Him as her
Savior.
7. What did the woman do after that?
She went into the city and called many
others to come to hear Jesus.
8. Did Jesus save others of that city also?
Yes, many believed in Him as their
Savior.
9. What did this show to the disciples?
It showed that God would gather His
people also from Gentiles.
10.
How long did Jesus stay in
Jesus stayed two days, and then went to
Memory Verse: “My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God.”
Psalm 42:2
LESSON 8
JESUS TEACHES IN
1. Were the Jews glad to see Jesus in
Yes, because they wanted to see more
miracles.
2. What second miracle did Jesus perform in
Jesus healed the nobleman’s son,
who was very sick.
3. Where did this nobleman live?
The nobleman lived in
4. How did Jesus heal this son?
Jesus spoke the word, and the son was
healed.
5. Where did Jesus go from
Jesus went to
6. What did Jesus teach the people there?
He told them that He was the promised
Christ, of whom the prophet Isaiah had spoken.
7. Did the people of
No, they would not believe that He was
the promised Christ.
8. Why did the people become angry with
Jesus?
Because He told them that the gospel
would be brought to the Gentiles.
9. What did the people do when they heard
this?
They tried to push Jesus off the cliff.
10.
How did Jesus escape from them?
Jesus passed through their midst, and
they could not touch Him.
Memory verse: “The Spirit of the Lord is
upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor.”
Luke 4:18
LESSON 9
JESUS HEALS ON THE SABBATH
1. Why did Jesus go to
Jesus went to keep a feast in
2. Where did Jesus go on the Sabbath day?
Jesus went to the pool of
3. Why were these sick people at the pool?
When an angel stirred the water, the
first one in the water was healed.
4. To whom did Jesus speak at the pool?
To a man who had been lame for 38 years.
5. Of what is this man a picture?
He is a picture of us as we are helpless
in our sins.
6. What did Jesus say to the man?
“Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.”
7. Were the Pharisees glad to see the man
was healed?
No, they were angry that he carried his
bed on the Sabbath.
8. What did they say when they heard that
Jesus had healed the man?
They said that Jesus had broken the
Sabbath.
9.
What does Jesus teach us with this miracle?
He teaches us that He alone can give us
true Sabbath rest.
Memory verse: “Therefore the Son of man is
Lord also of the sabbath.” Mark
LESSON 10
JESUS AT THE
1. What happened when Jesus and His
disciples crossed the sea of Galilee?
A great storm arose on the sea.
2. Why were the disciples afraid?
They were afraid the boat would sink.
3. What was Jesus doing during the storm?
Jesus was sound asleep in the boat.
4. What did Jesus do when His disciples
awakened Him?
Jesus commanded the wind to die down and
the sea to be calm.
5. What did Jesus teach His disciples with
this storm?
He taught them that they were always
safe when He was with them.
6. Who met Jesus on the other side of the
sea?
Two men who were possessed with devils.
Matthew 8:28
7. What did Jesus command these devils to
do?
He commanded them to come out of these
men.