The Gates of Jerusalem · Lesson 1
The Gates of Jerusalem: The Sheep Gate
Nehemiah 3:1-2; Nehemiah 1:3; Nehemiah 3:32; John 10:7-11; John 1:29 Old Testament PrincipleFaith
The walls of Jerusalem were broken down, and the gates were burned. God sent Nehemiah to rebuild them. The work started at the Sheep Gate, probably where the lambs came in for the temple. The priests built it first and gave it to God. Nehemiah's list of builders starts at the Sheep Gate and ends back at the Sheep Gate. Jesus said, "I am the gate," and He is the Lamb of God. We come to God through Jesus, by faith, not by being good enough.
Jesus is the gate. We come to God by trusting Him, not by being good enough, and anyone who comes to Him is welcome.
- CreationGod made it
- FallWe broke it
- RedemptionJesus fixes it (this lesson)
- RestorationJesus makes it new
Memory verse
“I am the gate. If anyone enters through Me, he will be saved. He will come in and go out and find pasture.”
John 10:9 BSB
Christ Connection · Picture
The New Testament never says Nehemiah's Sheep Gate stands for Jesus. But Jesus used the same pictures for Himself: "I am the gate for the sheep" and "I am the good shepherd" (John 10:7, 11), and John called Him "the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). Jesus even healed a man at the pool "near the Sheep Gate" (John 5:2). The gate where the lambs came in helps us remember that Jesus is the Lamb and the way in to God.
John 10:7-11; John 1:29; John 5:2
The Big Story · Redemption
God brought His people home and rebuilt their broken city, starting at the gate for the lambs, a picture of the Lamb of God who opens the way home to God for anyone who trusts Him.
Teacher Guide
This version includes:
- Background and context for the passage
- Hidden in Plain Sight: the detail most people miss
- The Christ Connection: how this story points to Jesus
- A 50-minute class plan and prep checklist
- Object lesson: The way in
- Dasch’s Dig Site (bible-times history): Dig up a city gate
- A skit to act out the story
- Review game: Open the gate
- Pronunciation help, tips for every age, song ideas and a note for parents
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Preschool (ages 3–5)
Jesus is the way to God.
This version includes:
- An opening hook and a 4-minute Bible story written for this age, with a Hidden in Plain Sight moment
- 3 discussion questions
- 2 activities: Lambs, come in!, Fluffy lamb
- 5 “Dasch Digs Up” facts
- Real-life connections: at home, at church
- Song ideas, Live It, a prayer, and a printable student handout (preview below)
Every lesson, every age, from $25 a month. · Log in
Free preview · Kindergarten – 2nd grade
Jerusalem's wall was broken, and its gates were burned. God sent Nehemiah to build them again. The first gate was the Sheep Gate. That's where the lambs came in. The builders went all the way around the city and came back to the Sheep Gate. Jesus said, "I am the gate." We can't be good enough to get to God. We come to God by trusting Jesus.
Memory verse
“I am the gate. If anyone enters through Me, he will be saved.”
Adapted from John 10:9
Start here
Hold up a key. Ask, "What if you were locked out of your house? How would you get in?" Let kids answer. Say, "Today we'll start a new adventure. We'll walk around a city wall, one gate at a time!"
Bible story 6 min
A man named Nehemiah lived far away. He worked for a king. One day some men came from Jerusalem. "The wall is broken," they said. "The gates are burned."
Nehemiah was very sad. He cried. He prayed to God for days.
God helped Nehemiah. The king said, "Go! Build the wall!" He even gave Nehemiah wood for the gates.
The rest of the story, discussion questions, songs, Live It and prayer are for members.
Dasch Digs Up: Did You Know?
The whole wall was rebuilt in just 52 days!
Nehemiah 6:15
Try an activity
Sheep and the gate 8 min
- Choose two children to be the gate, holding hands high. Everyone else is a sheep. The sheep try to get into the "city" (one side of the room). They can only get in through the gate, and only by saying, "Jesus is the gate!" Trade places and play again.
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3rd – 4th grade
When Nehemiah heard that Jerusalem's walls were broken and its gates burned, he prayed, and God sent him to rebuild. The work started at the Sheep Gate, near the temple, where lambs were probably brought in. The high priest and the priests built it and dedicated it to God. Nehemiah's builders' list starts at the Sheep Gate and ends there too. Jesus said, "I am the gate for the sheep," and John called Him "the Lamb of God." Nobody climbs into God's family by being good enough. We come in through Jesus, by faith.
This version includes:
- An opening hook and a 8-minute Bible story written for this age, with a Hidden in Plain Sight moment
- 5 discussion questions
- 2 activities: Jesus the gate, Wall of Jerusalem
- 5 “Dasch Digs Up” facts
- Real-life connections: at church, at home, with friends
- Song ideas, Live It, a prayer, and a printable student handout (preview below)
Every lesson, every age, from $25 a month. · Log in
5th – 6th grade
Nehemiah 3 looks like a boring list of names, but it's the story of a city being rebuilt, and it starts at the Sheep Gate. The high priest and his fellow priests built it with their own hands and dedicated it to God, the only section of the wall said to be dedicated. The list walks all the way around the city and ends back at the Sheep Gate. The gate where the lambs came in is a picture of Jesus, the Lamb of God, who said, "I am the gate." Nobody earns their way into God's family. We come in through Jesus, by faith, and respond by turning to Him, being baptized and following Him for life.
This version includes:
- An opening hook and a 10-minute Bible story written for this age, with a Hidden in Plain Sight moment
- 5 discussion questions
- 2 activities: Climbing or coming?, My gate journal
- 5 “Dasch Digs Up” facts
- Real-life connections: at school, at church, with friends
- Song ideas, Live It, a prayer, and a printable student handout (preview below)
Every lesson, every age, from $25 a month. · Log in
More lessons from this story
Same Bible story, a different principle.
More lessons on Faith
The same principle in other Bible stories.
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Jesus the KingJesus Calls FishermenLuke 5:1-11After a night of catching nothing, Peter trusted Jesus' word and let down the nets, caught so many fish the nets began to break, and left everything to follow Jesus.New TestamentFaith
The Twelve SpiesNumbers 13:1–14:38Moses sent twelve spies into the land God promised. They all saw the same good land and the same giants. Ten spies said, "We can't!" Joshua and Caleb said, "The LORD is with us!" The people listened to fear instead of God. Faith means trusting what God says more than what we see.Old TestamentFaith
The Armor of GodThe Armor of God: Shield of FaithDaniel 3:1-30; Ephesians 6:16; Hebrews 11:33-34; Isaiah 43:2King Nebuchadnezzar set up a huge gold statue and told everyone to bow down or be thrown into a blazing furnace. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego would not bow. "Our God is able to save us," they said. "But even if He does not, we will not bow." They were thrown into the fire, but God was with them, and they came out without even the smell of smoke. The shield of faith means holding on to God Himself, and His promises put out the fiery arrows of fear and lies.Old TestamentFaith
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Jesus Turns Water into WineJohn 2:1-11; Isaiah 25:6At a wedding in Cana, the wine ran out. Jesus turned six huge jars of water into the very best wine. It was His first sign, and it showed His glory, so His disciples believed in Him.New TestamentFaith