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Jonah and the Great Fish

Reference: Jonah 1–4

Big Idea: God's grace is for everyone, and we cannot run away from His call to share it.

Teacher Quick Reference

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Lesson: Jonah and the Great Fish
Scripture: Jonah 1–4
Big Idea: God's grace is for everyone, and we cannot run away from His call to share it.
Three Main Points:
  1. God gave Jonah a clear command to warn Nineveh.
  2. Jonah tried to run the exact opposite direction.
  3. God used a storm and a great fish to get Jonah's attention.
  4. Jonah obeyed, and the people of Nineveh repented.
  5. God showed grace to Nineveh, which made Jonah angry.
  6. God wants us to love our enemies just like He does.
Activity: Which Way? (An Obedience Game)
Memory Verse: Jonah 2:2
Take-Home Truth:
"God loves everyone, and I cannot run away from what He asks me to do."

Teacher Preparation

Before class:

  • Read the entire book of Jonah (it’s only 4 short chapters).
  • Note that in the BSB, Jonah 1:17 states God “appointed a great fish.” Don’t get stuck in debates about whether it was a whale; stick to the biblical text.
  • Prepare the Which Way? activity.
  • Write the memory verse on the board.
  • Decide which age adaptation will work best for your classroom.

[!IMPORTANT] A note for the teacher It is very easy to end the story of Jonah at chapter 3, where Jonah preaches and the city repents. But the theological weight of the book is in chapter 4. Jonah wasn’t just afraid; he was prejudiced. He hated the Ninevites (Assyrians) and wanted God to destroy them. Jonah ran away precisely because he knew God was forgiving. Don’t skip chapter 4. It reveals the condition of Jonah’s heart and challenges our own willingness to share God’s love with people we don’t like.

Opening Activity: Trying to Hide

Ask the children: “Have you ever tried to hide when a parent or teacher asked you to do a chore?” “Where is the best hiding spot you know?” “Do they eventually find you?”

Explain: “Today we are going to talk about a man who tried to play hide-and-seek with God. He thought if he got on a boat and sailed as far away as possible, God wouldn’t be able to find him or make him do a hard job. But as we are going to see, you can’t outrun God!”

The Bible Story

1. God Calls, Jonah Runs

God spoke to a prophet named Jonah and gave him a clear mission:

“Get up! Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before Me.” (Jonah 1:2, BSB)

Nineveh was the capital of Assyria, a fierce nation that was an enemy to Jonah’s people (Israel). Jonah did not want to go. He did not want to help them.

So, what did Jonah do?

“But Jonah set out to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.” (Jonah 1:3, BSB)

Nineveh was to the East. Tarshish was as far West as he could go. Jonah went down to the seaport, bought a ticket, and got on a boat, thinking he could run away from the presence of God.

2. The Storm and the Sea

While Jonah was sleeping in the bottom of the boat, God sent a violent storm. The sailors were terrified. They threw their cargo overboard, but the ship was about to break apart. Finally, they woke Jonah up.

Jonah knew the storm was his fault. He told the sailors:

“Pick me up and throw me into the sea, so that it will grow calm for you. For I know that it is because of me this violent storm has come upon you.” (Jonah 1:12, BSB)

The sailors didn’t want to do it, but the storm was too fierce. They threw Jonah overboard, and immediately, the raging sea grew calm. The sailors were amazed and worshiped God.

3. The Great Fish

Jonah was sinking in the sea. It looked like the end. But God wasn’t finished with him.

“Now the LORD had appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah spent three days and three nights in the belly of the fish.” (Jonah 1:17, BSB)

The fish wasn’t a punishment; it was a rescue! Inside the dark, smelly belly of the fish, Jonah finally prayed. He thanked God for saving him from drowning. After three days, God commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah out onto dry land.

4. Jonah Obeys… Finally

God spoke to Jonah a second time: “Get up! Go to the great city of Nineveh.” This time, Jonah obeyed. He walked into the massive city and delivered God’s message: In forty days, Nineveh would be overthrown.

Something amazing happened. The people listened! The king ordered everyone to fast, wear sackcloth (rough clothing to show sadness), and turn from their evil ways.

“When God saw their actions—that they had turned from their evil ways—He relented from the disaster He had threatened to bring upon them.” (Jonah 3:10, BSB)

5. God’s Mercy and Jonah’s Anger

You would think a prophet would be happy that an entire city turned to God. But Jonah was furious.

“I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion, and one who relents from sending disaster.” (Jonah 4:2, BSB)

Jonah was angry because God was nice to his enemies. He went outside the city and sat down, hoping God would destroy them anyway. God caused a leafy plant to grow over Jonah to give him shade, and Jonah was happy. But the next day, God sent a worm to chew the plant, and it withered. Jonah was so angry about the plant that he said he wanted to die!

God asked him a very important question: “You cared about a plant that you didn’t even grow. Shouldn’t I care about a great city filled with over 120,000 people who don’t know their right hand from their left?”

God’s heart is full of mercy, even for people who do wrong.

The Deeper Meaning

The book of Jonah ends with a question, leaving us to wonder how Jonah answered. It holds up a mirror to our own hearts. Jonah represents us when we want God’s forgiveness for ourselves, but we don’t want God to forgive the people who have been mean to us.

Hundreds of years later, Jesus compared Himself to Jonah. Just as Jonah was in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights, Jesus was in the grave for three days and three nights (Matthew 12:40). But Jesus was better than Jonah. Jonah ran away from his enemies; Jesus came to Earth to die for His enemies so that anyone who believes in Him can be saved.

Three Things to Remember

1. You Can’t Outrun God

Jonah tried to buy a ticket to the other side of the known world, but God is everywhere. When God asks us to do something, running away never works out well. Teacher Question: Why is it foolish to try to hide from God?

2. God Hears Us When We Call

Jonah was at the bottom of the sea inside the stomach of a fish. You can’t get much farther away than that! But when he prayed, God heard him instantly. Teacher Question: Is there anywhere you can go where God can’t hear your prayers?

3. God Loves Our Enemies Too

Jonah’s biggest problem wasn’t the fish; it was his own heart. He didn’t want the Ninevites to be forgiven. God wants us to have a heart of compassion for everyone. Teacher Question: Is it hard to be happy when something good happens to someone who has been unkind to you?

Age Adaptations

Preschool (Ages 3-5)

Younger Children

For younger children (ages 5–7), focus on obedience and God’s rescue.

Simplified concepts:

  • God gave Jonah a job, but Jonah said “No!” and ran away on a boat.
  • A huge storm came, and Jonah fell in the water.
  • God sent a big fish to swallow Jonah to keep him safe from drowning. The fish was like a giant time-out chair!
  • Inside the fish, Jonah prayed and said he was sorry.
  • God gave Jonah a second chance to obey.

Developmentally appropriate questions:

  • Did running away make Jonah’s life better or worse?
  • When Jonah was inside the dark, smelly fish, what did he do? (He prayed).
  • Does God give us second chances when we mess up? (Yes).
Upper Elementary (Grades 4-6)

Older Children

For older children (ages 8–11), focus on Jonah’s prejudice and God’s expansive grace.

Deeper discussion: Older children understand fairness and revenge. Jonah felt that it was “unfair” for God to forgive the Ninevites because they were terrible people.

Discussion Scenarios:

  • Scenario 1: There is a bully at school who gets caught. Instead of suspending him, the principal gives him a second chance, and the bully apologizes. Are you happy for him, or are you mad he didn’t get punished?
  • Scenario 2: Why did Jesus compare Himself to Jonah? What did Jesus do for His enemies that Jonah refused to do? (Jesus died for them; Jonah wanted them destroyed).
  • Concept: Grace means receiving a good thing we don’t deserve. Jonah loved grace when it saved him from the sea, but hated it when it saved Nineveh. We have to learn to love grace for everyone.

Discussion Questions

Understanding

  1. What city did God tell Jonah to go to?
  2. What did Jonah do instead?
  3. How did the sailors get the storm to stop?
  4. How long was Jonah inside the great fish?
  5. What did the people of Nineveh do when Jonah finally preached to them?

Thinking

  1. Was the great fish a punishment or a rescue? Why?
  2. Why was Jonah so angry at the end of the story?
  3. God gave Jonah a plant and then took it away. What was God trying to teach him?
  4. How is Jesus’ love for His enemies different from Jonah’s attitude toward his enemies?

Personal Application

  1. Have you ever tried to get out of doing something you knew was right? What happened?
  2. How does it make you feel to know that God hears you even if you are in the deepest, darkest place?
  3. Who is someone that is hard for you to love or forgive? How can you pray for them this week?

Activity Time

Activity Resource: Which Way? (An Obedience Game) View Standalone →

Type: Movement / Listening Activity
Time: 10 minutes
Group Size: 4+
Materials: None (Open floor space required)

Purpose

To playfully demonstrate what it looks like to follow instructions versus doing the exact opposite, tying into the theme of Jonah running away.

Setup

Have the children stand in the middle of the room. Ensure there is enough space for them to safely walk or lightly jog in different directions.

Exact Instructions

  1. Tell the children that you are going to give them a direction to move. When you give the instruction, they must follow it exactly.
  2. Call out basic instructions:
    • “Take three steps forward!”
    • “Walk to the left wall!”
    • “Take two giant steps backward!”
  3. The Twist: Introduce the “Runaway Command.” Tell the children: “When I say ‘Run like Jonah!’ and point in a direction, you must run the EXACT OPPOSITE way!”
  4. Practice a few times. Point to the right and say, “Run like Jonah!” (The children should quickly walk or jog to the left).
  5. Mix regular instructions with the Jonah command to see if you can catch them going the wrong way.

Discussion

Have the children sit down. Ask: “Was it hard to remember to go the opposite way? Why do you think someone would choose to go the opposite way when they know what the right direction is?”

Explain: “Sometimes we hear exactly what God, our parents, or our teachers want us to do, but we decide we want to do the exact opposite. That is exactly what Jonah did when God told him to go to Nineveh.”

Connection Back to the Bible Story

Remind the children that God gave Jonah a very clear instruction: “Go to Nineveh.” But Jonah packed his bags, got on a boat, and tried to go to Tarshish—the exact opposite direction. God’s directions are always for our good, even when we don’t want to follow them.

Craft Time

Activity Resource: Jonah Whale Clothespin Craft View Standalone →

Materials:

  • Wooden clothespins (one per child)
  • Blue construction paper or cardstock
  • Small pieces of white paper
  • Markers or crayons
  • Glue sticks or liquid glue
  • Scissors

Templates:

📄 Jonah and Whale Template

Purpose

To create a fun, interactive toy that helps children retell the story of Jonah being swallowed by the great fish.

Setup

Finished Jonah Whale

  1. Cut out a profile shape of a whale (or big fish) from the blue paper for each child. The whale should be about 3-4 inches long.
  2. Cut each whale in half horizontally, straight through the middle of the mouth! So you have a “top half” of the whale and a “bottom half.”
  3. Cut out tiny little stick-figure Jonahs from the white paper.

Instructions

  1. Decorate: Let the children use markers to draw an eye, fins, and water spouts on the top half of their whale, and a belly on the bottom half. They can also color their tiny Jonah!
  2. The Clothespin: Have the children take a wooden clothespin and lay it flat on the table.
  3. Assemble the Whale:
    • Glue the top half of the whale to the top prong of the clothespin.
    • Glue the bottom half of the whale to the bottom prong of the clothespin.
    • Make sure they line up perfectly when the clothespin is closed!
  4. Add Jonah: Open the clothespin. Glue the tiny paper Jonah to the back of the bottom prong, so that when the clothespin is closed, Jonah is completely hidden.
  5. Play: Show the children how to pinch the back of the clothespin. The whale’s mouth will open wide, revealing Jonah trapped inside!

Discussion While Crafting

  • “Why did the great fish swallow Jonah?” (Because Jonah ran away from God and got thrown into the stormy sea).
  • “Was the fish a punishment, or was it a rescue?” (Both! It stopped Jonah from running, but it also saved him from drowning).
  • “What did Jonah do while he was in the fish’s belly?” (He finally prayed!).

Memory Verse Teaching Method

Jonah 2:2 (BSB)
“I called to the LORD in my distress, and He answered me.”

Practical Way to Teach: This is a very short, encouraging verse.

  • Volume Game: Have the children start by whispering the verse. Then say it in a normal voice. Then cup their hands around their mouths and shout it (since Jonah “called out” to the Lord).
  • Action: Have them crouch down low on the floor for “I called to the LORD in my distress”, and jump up tall with their arms raised for “and He answered me.”

Knowledge Check

Knowledge Check

Question 1 of 5

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Application

When you are asked to do something you don’t want to do—like apologizing to a sibling or being kind to someone who annoys you—remember that God sees your heart. Choose obedience right away, instead of “running away” and making things harder for yourself.

Take-Home Challenge

This week, pray specifically for someone who is hard for you to like. Ask God to show them the same mercy and love that He shows you.

Closing Thought

Jonah thought he could run away from God, but God’s love was too big to let him go. And Jonah thought God’s love should only be for good people, but God’s love is big enough for the whole world. We serve a God of second chances. He gave Jonah a second chance, He gave Nineveh a second chance, and because of Jesus, He gives us second chances too.

Closing Prayer

“Heavenly Father, thank You that we can never run away from Your love. Thank You that no matter where we are or what we have done, You hear us when we call to You. Give us hearts like Yours—hearts that are full of mercy and compassion, even for people who are hard to love. Help us to obey You right away. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

One-Minute Teacher Quick Reference

JONAH AND THE GREAT FISH
Jonah 1–4

Big Idea

God’s grace is for everyone, and we cannot run away from His call to share it.

Memory Verse

“I called to the LORD in my distress, and He answered me.” — Jonah 2:2

Three Points

  1. You Can’t Outrun God
  2. God Hears Us When We Call
  3. God Loves Our Enemies Too

Opening

Trying to Hide (Discussion about hiding from chores vs. hiding from God).

Activity

Which Way? (Obedience/movement game following instructions vs. running like Jonah).

Take-Home Truth

God loves everyone, and I cannot run away from what He asks me to do.

Closing

Pray for the compassion to love our enemies and the courage to obey God’s directions.