Single lesson

Jesus Sends the Seventy-Two

Luke 10:1–24

Jesus appoints seventy others and sends them ahead in pairs. In this lesson, children will follow the account in order, notice the choices people make, and hear what Jesus says is the best reason for joy.

6–10 years30 minutes

Before you teach

In Luke 10:1-24, Jesus sends seventy others to places where he is about to come. He tells them to pray for more workers, gives instructions for houses and cities, warns about rejection, then teaches the returning seventy what matters most and speaks about the Father and the Son.

Learning aim

Students will be able to sequence Luke 10:1-24 and explain that Jesus sends workers, people may receive or reject them, and Jesus says true joy is that names are written in heaven.

1

Welcome: Jesus Sends Seventy Others

5 min

Introduce the account by saying that Jesus appointed seventy others and sent them two by two ahead of him. Ask children to listen for three parts as you read: what Jesus tells them to do, how people respond, and what Jesus says at the end about joy and blessing.

Luke 10:1, Luke 10:17, Luke 10:20, Luke 10:23

2

Read and Explain: Instructions for the Journey

8 min

Read Luke 10:1-9. Explain that Jesus first tells them to pray because the harvest is plentiful and the labourers are few. He sends them out, tells them to speak peace in a house, stay there, receive what is given, heal the sick, and say, ‘God’s Kingdom has come near to you.’

Luke 10:1, Luke 10:2, Luke 10:3, Luke 10:5, Luke 10:7, Luke 10:8, Luke 10:9

3

Discuss: Receiving and Rejecting

6 min

Read Luke 10:8-16. Some cities receive them, and some do not. If received, they are to eat what is set before them and continue their message. If rejected, they are still to say that God’s Kingdom has come near. Jesus warns that rejecting these messengers is serious because hearing them is hearing him.

Luke 10:8, Luke 10:9, Luke 10:10, Luke 10:11, Luke 10:12, Luke 10:16

4

Make and Respond: Warning and Return Sequence Cards

7 min

Add the next part of the account before the craft. Jesus speaks woe to Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum, warning them about refusing what they have seen and heard. Then the seventy return with joy. Children make cards for the order of the passage, including the warning, the return, and Jesus’ words about the Father and the Son knowing one another.

Luke 10:13, Luke 10:14, Luke 10:15, Luke 10:17, Luke 10:22

5

Closing: What Matters Most

4 min

Read Luke 10:17-24. The seventy are joyful that the demons are subject to them in Jesus’ name, but Jesus tells them to rejoice that their names are written in heaven. He thanks the Father for revealing these things, says the Father and the Son uniquely know one another, and calls the disciples blessed for seeing and hearing these things.

Luke 10:17, Luke 10:20, Luke 10:21, Luke 10:22, Luke 10:23, Luke 10:24

Questions to explore

What did Jesus tell the seventy to do before going out?

Look for Jesus’ instruction about the plentiful harvest and what they should ask the Lord of the harvest to do.

Luke 10:2

What were the two different things Jesus told them to say in a house and in a city that received them?

In the house, listen for the greeting of peace. In the city, listen for the announcement about God’s Kingdom.

Luke 10:5, Luke 10:9

What did Jesus say should be their deepest reason for rejoicing?

Compare the joy of the seventy in verse 17 with Jesus’ words in verse 20.

Luke 10:17, Luke 10:20

Make, think or respond

Luke 10 Story Order Cards

What you’ll need

  • Blank paper or card
  • Pencils or crayons
  • Scissors

Try it together

  1. Cut or fold paper into six cards.
  2. Draw six moments from the passage: Jesus sends the seventy, pray for workers, peace to a house, the Kingdom comes near, warning to rejecting cities, and the joyful return.
  3. Place the cards in order together.
  4. Ask children to retell the account from the cards using words from the passage where they can.

This activity helps children sequence the account and notice instructions, responses, warnings, and Jesus’ teaching about true joy.

Adapt for your group

  • For younger children, use four cards instead of six and let them choose the main moments from the reading.
  • For older children, ask them to add a short caption from the passage under each card, such as ‘Peace be to this house’ or ‘Rejoice that your names are written in heaven.’

An optional closing prayer

You might pray: ‘Father, help us listen to Jesus, receive what he says, and rejoice in what he says matters most. Amen.’

Read the Bible passage World English Bible Classic

Luke 10

1 Now after these things, the Lord also appointed seventy others, and sent them two by two ahead of him into every city and place where he was about to come.

2 Then he said to them, “The harvest is indeed plentiful, but the laborers are few. Pray therefore to the Lord of the harvest, that he may send out laborers into his harvest.

3 Go your ways. Behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves.

4 Carry no purse, nor wallet, nor sandals. Greet no one on the way.

5 Into whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house.’

6 If a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you.

7 Remain in that same house, eating and drinking the things they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Don’t go from house to house.

8 Into whatever city you enter and they receive you, eat the things that are set before you.

9 Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘God’s Kingdom has come near to you.’

10 But into whatever city you enter and they don’t receive you, go out into its streets and say,

11 ‘Even the dust from your city that clings to us, we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that God’s Kingdom has come near to you.’

12 I tell you, it will be more tolerable in that day for Sodom than for that city.

13 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon which were done in you, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.

14 But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the judgment than for you.

15 You, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades.

16 Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me. Whoever rejects me rejects him who sent me.”

17 The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!”

18 He said to them, “I saw Satan having fallen like lightning from heaven.

19 Behold, I give you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy. Nothing will in any way hurt you.

20 Nevertheless, don’t rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

21 In that same hour, Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit, and said, “I thank you, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for so it was well-pleasing in your sight.”

22 Turning to the disciples, he said, “All things have been delivered to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is, except the Father, and who the Father is, except the Son, and he to whomever the Son desires to reveal him.”

23 Turning to the disciples, he said privately, “Blessed are the eyes which see the things that you see,

24 for I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see the things which you see, and didn’t see them, and to hear the things which you hear, and didn’t hear them.”

World English Bible Classic. Public domain.

Source passages

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