6. Joseph Tests His Brothers (Genesis 43-44)

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Lesson

PPT TITLE

Main Point: God looks for a repentant heart.

Key Verse:

Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord. - Acts 3:19 NIV

Props: A clear glass, a pitcher of water; Optional: a sign that says “God” and a sign that says “sin”, tape for both signs.

Background/Review

Say: Last week, we saw God’s grace at work! When Joseph’s brothers came to Egypt to buy food, Joseph did not take revenge on them. Joseph’s ten brothers did not recognize Joseph. They bowed at his feet, just as God had foretold twenty years before. And when Joseph had power over their very lives, he was merciful. Joseph was only able to do these things because of God’s grace.

Joseph longed to see his father and youngest brother, Benjamin, once again. Joseph kept his brother, Simeon, in an Egyptian prison, but let the others go home. He promised that when they brought their youngest brother back to meet him, he would let Simeon go. Before they left, Joseph loaded their donkeys with grain, and returned the silver they brought to buy the grain. Joseph hid their money in their packs with the grain. When they found the money in their sacks, the brothers were afraid that this was somehow going to get them into trouble. Their father, Jacob, refused to let Benjamin go to Egypt, even though Simeon was left in prison.

Jacob said, “My son will not go down there with you. His brother is dead. He’s the only one left here with me. Suppose he’s harmed on the journey you are taking. Then I would die as a sad old man. I would go down into the grave full of sorrow.” - Genesis 42:38

Sadly, Jacob did not even pray about this situation. He did not realize that God was in complete control, and that God was keeping His promise to bless him.

Joseph’s Brothers Set Out For Egypt (Genesis 43:1-15)

Say: Joseph had given his brothers a very generous amount of food - ten donkeys could easily carry a thousand pounds of grain. But all of the brothers were married and had children. In all, Jacob had over seventy people in his family counting his kids and grandkids. The food Jacob had given them would not last forever. After some time, probably a couple months, the food ran out. Ask: Who can remember how long the famine was going to last? Seven years. Say: The famine was only in its second year, so there were five devastating years left. Jacob had to do something to feed his family. He told his sons to go back to Egypt to buy more food. Jacob’s fourth oldest son, Judah, spoke up. He reminded Jacob that the man in charge of Egypt wanted to meet Benjamin.

Judah said to him, “The man gave us a strong warning. He said, ‘You won’t see my face again unless your brother comes with you.’ So send our brother along with us. Then we’ll go down and buy food for you.

“If you won’t send him, we won’t go down. The man said to us, ‘You won’t see my face again unless your brother comes with you.’ ”

(Jacob) asked, “Why did you bring this trouble to me? Why did you tell the man you had another brother?”

They replied, “The man questioned us closely about ourselves and our family. ‘Is your father still living?’ he asked us. ‘Do you have another brother?’ We just answered his questions. How could we possibly know he would say, ‘Bring your brother down here’?” - Genesis 43:3-7

Sadly, it seems that Jacob would rather have his sons lie than tell the whole truth. Remember, telling a half-truth is the same as lying. Jacob was living in fear; he was not trusting God.

Application: Hold up an empty glass. Ask: What is in this glass? Some may say “Nothing.” Say: There is something in the glass. It is full of air. Pour water into the glass until it is completely full. Say: Now the glass is full of water. Is there any air left in the glass? No. The water pushed all the air out. Just as this water forced the air out of the glass, trusting God forces the fear out of your heart and mind.

There are two parts to fully trusting God. Part one is believing that God is ABLE to do anything. This means that you are certain that He knows everything, and He is so powerful that there’s nothing He can’t do. Part two is believing that God is good, so He is WILLING to do what is best for you - every single time. If you trust that God is ABLE and WILLING to allow only what is best for you, then what is there to fear?

The Bible says if you truly trust the Lord, you will stand firm with a strong heart, and you will not fear (Psalm 112:7, Hebrews 11:23, 27).

Note to Teacher: When Jesus rebuked His disciples for being afraid in the storm, He said, “Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!” (Matthew 8:26 NLT)

Say: To calm his father’s fear, Judah promised to keep Benjamin safe no matter what. Finally, Jacob agreed to let Benjamin go with his brothers. Jacob told his sons to take gifts to the man in Egypt. (Little did Jacob know, he was sending gifts to his beloved Joseph!) The brothers took lotions, spices, and honey. They also took some almonds and pistachio nuts. These would have been extremely valuable during this time with no other food available! They took money to buy more food, and they also took the money that had been returned to them when they tried to buy grain the first time. All the brothers hurried to Egypt.

Joseph Receives His Brothers (Genesis 43:16-34)

When Joseph saw his brothers coming with Benjamin, he told his main servant to take the men to his house and prepare a big meal.

Note to Teacher: Joseph seeing his brothers in the distance brings to mind the parable of the prodigal son. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him...” (Luke 15:20) We can picture Joseph, much like the prodigal’s father, searching the horizon day after day, hoping his wayward brothers would return with repentant hearts.

The brothers were taken to Joseph’s house, but they were very afraid. They thought they were in trouble because their money was put back in their sacks the first time they came to buy food. Nervously, they spoke to Joseph’s servant. They tried to explain what happened with their silver the first time. They explained that they wanted to return the money.

“It’s all right,” the (servant) said. “Don’t be afraid. Your God, the God of your father, has given you riches in your sacks. I received your money.” Then he brought Simeon out to them. - Genesis 43:23

Joseph’s servant acknowledged Joseph’s God, and confirmed that the free grain was an undeserved gift of grace. Simeon was released from prison, just as Joseph had promised.

When Joseph came home, they gave him the gifts they had brought into the house. They bowed down to the ground in front of him. He asked them how they were. Then he said, “How is your old father you told me about? Is he still living?”

They replied, “Your servant our father is still alive and well.” And they bowed low to show him honor. - Genesis 43:26-28

Say: Remember, Joseph dreamed two times that his brothers would bow down to him!

Joseph looked around. Then he saw his brother Benjamin, his own mother’s son. He asked, “Is this your youngest brother? Is he the one you told me about?” He continued, “May God be gracious to you, my son.” It moved him deeply to see his brother. So Joseph hurried out and looked for a place to cry. He went into his own room and cried there. - Genesis 43:29-30

Say: Joseph was overwhelmed to see his little brother! Joseph was 17 when he last saw Benjamin. Benjamin was just a child then, and now he was a grown up. Joseph couldn’t hold back his tears, so he ran out of the room. When Joseph calmed down, he returned and ordered that lunch be served. The brothers were seated in order, from oldest to youngest. This amazed the brothers. Of course, if they were just children it might be easy to tell who was oldest and who was youngest. But these were grown men. It is very difficult to guess the ages of grown men!

When all the food was served, Benjamin was given five times as much food as his brothers. Once again, the youngest brother was being favored. We’ll see that this was part of test that Joseph was giving to his brothers.

Siver Cup In A Sack (Genesis 44:1-34)

Say: The next morning, the brothers were packing up to head home to Canaan. Wouldn’t Jacob be amazed to hear how the man in Egypt had treated them so well? On this trip home, they had Simeon with them. All eleven brothers would return safe and sound. Judah must have been relieved that no harm had come to Benjamin. After all, he had sworn to keep him safe.

Jacob gave secret instructions to his main servant. He told him to fill the men’s sacks with as much food as they could carry. He ordered that all of their money be placed inside their sacks as well. Then Joseph gave an unusual order. He told his servant to put his special silver cup inside Benjamin’s sack.

They hadn’t gone very far from the city when Joseph spoke to his (servant). “Go after those men at once,” he said. “Catch up with them. Say to them, ‘My master was good to you. Why have you paid him back by doing evil? Isn’t this the cup my master drinks from? Doesn’t he also use it to figure things out? You have done an evil thing.’ ”

When the (servant) caught up with them, he told them what Joseph had said.

But they said to him, “Why do you say these things? We would never do anything like that! We even brought back to you from Canaan the money we found in our sacks. So why would we steal silver or gold from your master’s house? If you find out that any of us has the cup, he will die. And the rest of us will become your slaves.”

“All right, then,” he said. “As you wish. The one who is found to have the cup will become my slave. But the rest of you will be free from blame.” - Genesis 44:4-10

Say: The men pulled their sacks down off their donkeys. Starting with Reuben, the servant checked each man’s bag, from oldest to youngest. Ask: What do you think happened when he got to Benjamin’s bag? He found the cup. Say: The brothers were shocked and very, very sad that the cup was in Benjamin’s sack. They all loaded their donkeys and headed back to Joseph’s house.

When they arrived, they threw themselves on the ground in front of Joseph. They begged Joseph for mercy. They admitted they were guilty. Now, they were not guilty for this crime, but they were certainly guilty of other sins. They said they would all become Joseph’s slaves. But Joseph said that would not be fair. Only Benjamin would become his slave. He said, “The rest of you can return to your father in peace.” (Genesis 44:17)

But Judah stepped forward. He respectfully pleaded with Joseph. Judah told Joseph that his father favored his two youngest sons. One was Benjamin, and the other was no more. He explained that Jacob could not bear to lose his other beloved son. He said:

“I promised my father I would keep the boy safe. I said, ‘Father, I’ll bring him back to you. If I don’t, you can put the blame on me for the rest of my life.’

“Now then, please let me stay here. Let me be your slave in place of the boy. Let the boy return with his brothers. How can I go back to my father if the boy isn’t with me? Don’t let me see the pain and suffering that would come to my father.” - Genesis 44:32-33

Judah offered to be Benjamin’s substitute. Twenty years before, Judah had sold his brother into slavery. Now Judah was begging to become a slave in place of his brother. Ask: Is this a real change in Judah’s heart? Yes! Say: Last week, we said that repentance is NOT just being sorry that you will be punished (2 Corinthians 7:10). Repentance is changing your mind, causing you to turn away from sin.

Joseph had been testing his brothers to see if they had truly repented. If they had not repented, they would have been furious that Benjamin received five times as much food as them at Joseph’s table. If they had not repented, they could have easily let Benjamin go back to Joseph’s house alone after the servant found the cup in his sack. If they had not repented, Judah would never have begged to take Benjamin’s place and live the rest of his life as a slave. These men had a true change of heart. Given the chance to repeat their sin, they went the opposite way. Just imagine the joy that flooded over Joseph as he saw this amazing change! Be sure to come back next week to see the brothers’ reaction when they found out who Joseph really was!

Application: Let’s talk about our own sin for a minute. Our sin is very serious to God. Sin ruins everything. Our sin separates us from God, just as the brothers’ sin separated them from Joseph.

Optional Illustration: Repentance is like this. Tape sign that says “God’s way” high on one wall, and sign that says “My way (sin)” on opposite wall. Stand under “God’s way” sign. Say: God has given us His instructions in the Bible. I know that God’s instructions are perfect and they will give me many blessings. But when I chose to ignore His instructions, I am sinning. Turn your back to “God’s way” sign and walk away. My sin separates me from God. But when I repent, I change my heart and mind; I turn away from the direction I was headed. Turn back to face “God’s way” sign, and walk back toward it.

God rejoices when we repent, when we change our mind and turn away from our sin (Luke 15:10). God longs for every person to repent (2 Peter 2:9). God forgives everyone who repents of his sin and puts his trust in Jesus (Acts 2:38, 20:21). Our repentance restores our relationship with God!

PPT VERSE

Key Verse:

Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord. - Acts 3:19 NIV

PPT MAIN POINT

Main Point: God looks for a repentant heart.

Unless otherwise noted the Scriptures taken from: Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version, (NIrV®)

Special thanks to John R. Cross, The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus, GoodSeed International.

Related Topics: Children, Children's Curriculum

7. Joseph Makes Himself Known (Genesis 45)

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Lesson

PPT TITLE

Main Point: God’s grace is available to everyone.

Key Verse:

God’s saving grace has appeared to all people. - Titus 2:11

Props: A paper chain made of about 10 strips of white paper; one yellow strip of paper that says, “JOSEPH”; several extra strips of white paper; a stapler or tape

Background/Review

Say: Last week, something amazing happened! We saw a BIG change in Joseph’s brothers!

Joseph had a test for his brothers when they returned to Egypt and brought their youngest brother, Benjamin, with them. Joseph purposely treated Benjamin better than all the others. He gave Benjamin five times more food than his brothers. Then, when they were heading home, Joseph had his servant hide a special silver cup in Benjamin’s sack. The servant went after them and accused Benjamin of stealing the cup. He said Benjamin would have to become his slave. But the brothers would not allow it. They would not leave Egypt without Benjamin. Judah even begged to take Benjamin’s place as Joseph’s slave.

Years before, these brothers gladly sold their little brother into slavery, but now they would do anything to save their brother. Given the chance to repeat their sin, they went the opposite way. These men had a true change of heart. Ask: Who can remember the word for this BIG change? (The word starts with “R”.) Repentance. Say: Repentance is changing your mind about sin. It is realizing that your sin is wrong, and turning away from your sin.

Just as Joseph looked for repentance in his brothers, God looks for repentance in us. God rejoices when we repent - when we change our mind and turn away from our sin (Luke 15:10). God longs for every person to repent (2 Peter 2:9). Repentance leads the way to forgiveness from others and a restored relationship with them (Acts 3:19). Today we’ll see how the brothers’ relationship with Joseph was restored.

Joseph Makes Himself Known (Genesis 45:1-15)

Say: Remember, the brothers still had NO idea who Joseph really was. Joseph so was filled with joy over his brothers’ BIG change that he could hardly hold it in! The Bible says he could no longer control himself! He told all of his royal attendants and servants to leave the room.

Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?” But his brothers weren’t able to answer him. They were too afraid of him. Joseph said to his brothers, “Come close to me.” So they did. Then he said, “I am your brother Joseph. I’m the one you sold into Egypt.” - Genesis 45:3-4

Can you imagine what his brothers must have been thinking? Everyone give me your most surprised and amazed look. These men were stunned! Up until this point, they thought he was an Egyptian - and not just any Egyptian - the most powerful Egyptian besides Pharaoh. Up until this moment, he had used an interpreter to speak to them. Imagine their shock when he started speaking to them in their own language! They could hardly believe their ears. But now, as this truth started to sink in, let’s imagine the thoughts that went racing through their minds.

On one hand, now that they had realized how wrong they were to sell Joseph into slavery, they would have been thrilled that he was alive and well. Remember, they mentioned several times that they thought Joseph was probably dead (Genesis 42:13, 22). On the other hand, their long lost brother was now the second most powerful man in the world. They had done something terrible to him, and now he had the power to do anything he wanted to take revenge on them. This thought must have terrified them! Let’s listen carefully to Joseph’s next words:

“But don’t be upset. And don’t be angry with yourselves because you sold me here. God sent me ahead of you to save many lives.

“For two years now, there hasn’t been enough food in the land. And for the next five years, people won’t be plowing or gathering crops. But God sent me ahead of you to keep some of you alive on earth. He sent me here to save your lives by an act of mighty power. So then, it wasn’t you who sent me here. It was God.” - Genesis 45:5-8a

Say: Wow! There are so many lessons for us to learn here. Joseph made it clear that he was not going to take revenge on his brothers. Not only did he forgive them, but also he didn’t even want them to feel bad for what they had done! This is because Joseph saw with Kingdom eyes. He didn’t see his life as just the “here and now.” He saw his life the way God saw it - as one part of God’s amazing, eternal plan. Here’s what I mean: Do you remember God’s promises to Joseph’s great-grandfather, Abraham? God promised Abraham that he would have as many descendants as there are grains of sand on the seashore (Genesis 22:17). Joseph’s brothers were all descendants of Abraham. God allowed Joseph to rise to power in order to keep Abraham’s great-grandsons and their children alive during the famine! Without Joseph in this place of power, all of Abraham’s descendants would have died. Joseph’s amazing life was God’s way of keeping His promise! God ALWAYS keeps His promises!

Illustration: Here is a very simple way to look at it. Since before the beginning of the world, God has had a plan and a purpose. Let’s say this chain represents God’s plan. Teacher: Hold up your paper chain. Say: God is so amazing that He can link all things together to fit into His plan. God told part of His plan to Abraham when He made his many wonderful promises to him (Galatians 3:8). One important promise that God made was to give Abraham lots and lots of descendants. God used Joseph’s amazing life to accomplish this part of His plan. Hold up yellow strip that says, “JOSEPH” and Say: “God used Joseph to save Abraham’s descendants.” Link it to the end link, and staple it to form a link. Joseph’s life was an important link in the chain of God’s plan. Soon we’ll see how this chain keeps going. Of course, this is just a symbol. God’s plan is not flimsy like paper. His plan stands FOREVER (Psalm 33:11). (Teacher: We will use this chain in future lessons.)

Say: Joseph was thrilled to be used by God in His plan. He begged his brothers to understand God’s amazing grace. It was God who had done this amazing thing for their entire family. None of them - not even Joseph - deserved God’s promises. But God gave the promise to them out of His grace. By His grace, God saved all of them from dying in the famine.

Application: Ask God to help you see with Kingdom eyes. Ask to see beyond the “here and now.” Ask God to use you like a link in the chain of His plan. And at times when you can’t see all that God is doing, ask Him for the faith to trust Him. That’s what faith is all about: Faith is being certain of what you can’t see (Hebrews 11:1). Faith is trusting that God is doing what is best for you, even when you can’t see it with your eyes.

Say: Joseph was very glad to be used to save his family. And he was also excited to be reunited with his brothers. Because of their repentance and Joseph’s grace toward them, their relationship was restored. Ask: Guess who else Joseph wanted to be reunited with? His father. Say: Joseph wanted to see his father, Jacob! He told his brothers to go home to Canaan and tell Jacob everything that had happened. Joseph warned them that there would be five more years of famine, and they should all move to Egypt so they would have enough food to eat.

“Tell my father about all of the honor that has been given to me in Egypt. Tell him about everything you have seen. And bring my father down here quickly.”

Then Joseph threw his arms around his brother Benjamin and sobbed. Benjamin also hugged him and sobbed. Joseph kissed all of his brothers and sobbed over them. After that, his brothers talked with him. - Genesis 45:13-15

Just think of all the stories Joseph wanted want to share with his brothers! He must have told them about Potiphar, prison, the cupbearer, and the baker. He must have told them that God was with him wherever he was, and all about God’s perfect timing!

The men hugged each other and cried together. The brothers accepted Joseph’s forgiveness, and they were finally free from the guilt they had felt for so long.

Pharaoh Blesses Joseph’s Family (Genesis 45:16-24)

The news reached Pharaoh’s palace that Joseph’s brothers had come. Pharaoh and all of his officials were pleased. Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Here’s what I want you to tell your brothers. Say to them, ‘Load your animals. Return to the land of Canaan. Bring your father and your families back to me. I’ll give you the best land in Egypt. You can enjoy all of the good things in the land.’ ” - Genesis 45:16-18

Say: Pharaoh even gave Joseph’s brothers large carts to make their move easier. This was like an ancient Egyptian moving van! Pharaoh loaded the brothers up with new clothes, silver, and other wonderful supplies. Here is another one of God’s promises that came true. God had promised to bless Abraham’s descendants. God even used Pharaoh in His great plan. Teacher: Hold up a strip of white paper and add it to the paper chain. Ask: Do you think that being showered with gifts from the richest, most powerful man in the world would be a blessing? Of course! Did these men deserve this all-star treatment? No! Say: It was a free gift. It was grace. It was God keeping His promise to people who did nothing to earn it. Place the chain in a place of prominence in the front of the room to be used over the next two weeks.

Jacob Hears The Good News (Genesis 45:25-28)

Say: The brothers were heading home to Jacob. Ask: What do you think he was doing while his sons were gone these past few weeks? Listen for answers. Say: I’m afraid he may have been pacing the floor with worry. As far as he knew, Joseph was dead and Simeon was in prison. And he feared that something terrible would happen to Benjamin. Perhaps one of his grandchildren came running in to tell him that a large caravan had arrived. Maybe Jacob peeked nervously out of his tent to see how many sons would be coming home to him. To his amazement, eleven sons came before him safe and sound.

They told him, “Joseph is still alive! In fact, he is ruler of the whole land of Egypt.” Jacob was shocked. He didn’t believe them. So they told him everything Joseph had said to them. Jacob saw the carts Joseph had sent to carry him back. That gave new life to their father Jacob. (He) said, “I believe it now! My son Joseph is still alive. I’ll go and see him before I die.” - Genesis 45:26-28

Jacob may have been more shocked than anyone to hear that his twelfth son was alive. For the past twenty years, he believed that Joseph had been killed by wild animals. Next week, we’ll see if Jacob makes it to Egypt to see Joseph.

Comparison

Say: Very often in the Bible, we find a real-life story that holds a spiritual meaning for us. Let’s look at Joseph’s life story to find the spiritual meaning that applies to you and me. Joseph’s relationship with his brothers is a lot like our relationship with God. First of all, just as Joseph’s brothers had sinned terribly against Joseph, each one of us has sinned against God (Romans 3:23). The brothers’ sin separated them from Joseph. The Bible tells us that our sin separates us from God (Isaiah 59:2).

When the brothers went back to Joseph, they took gifts to buy what they needed, but Jacob didn’t accept the gifts. They could never pay the price for sin they had committed against him. There was nothing they could ever do to “undo” their sin. In a similar way, we often try to earn our way back into a right relationship with God, but no good work we could ever do can undo our sin (Isaiah 64:6, Ephesians 2:8-9).

Joseph looked to see if his brothers had changed; he looked for a repentant heart. Joseph was overjoyed to find out that his brothers had changed their ways. When they were given the chance to repeat their sin, they did just the opposite. Likewise, God also looks for a repentant heart. The Bible says that there is rejoicing in the presence of angels when a person repents (Luke 15:10). That means God is doing the rejoicing! He is overjoyed when we turn away from sin and turn back to Him.

Joseph forgave his brothers completely. He did not hold a grudge. He didn’t even want his brothers to feel bad for what they had done. When we turn from our sin and put our trust in Jesus, God forgives us completely. By His grace, He keeps no record of our sin (Jeremiah 31:34). God tells us that He throws our sins into the bottom of the ocean (Micah 7:9). God’s grace takes our sin away.

Joseph’s relationship with his brothers was completely restored. They hugged and talked and ate and drank, as if nothing had ever happened. When we put our trust in Jesus, our broken relationship with God is completely restored. By grace, God no longer sees our sin (Romans 8:1). Instead, He sees the perfection of Jesus in us (Romans 10:4).

Finally, Joseph’s brothers were freely blessed with the best that Egypt had to offer. Joseph’s brothers did not deserve these gifts. They just accepted them. When we become followers of Christ, not only are our sins forgiven, but we receive new life and eternal blessings that begin right here on earth! (Hebrews 9:15) We don’t deserve any of these blessings. It is by God’s grace that He gives us blessings we could never earn. John 1:16 says, “From the fullness of His grace we have all received one blessing after another.”

The best part of God’s amazing grace is that He offers it to everyone. He wants everyone to repent from his or her sin, trust in Jesus, and receive His eternal blessings.

PPT VERSE

Key Verse:

God’s saving grace has appeared to all people. - Titus 2:11

PPT MAIN POINT

Main Point: God’s grace is available to everyone.

Unless otherwise noted the Scriptures taken from: Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version, (NIrV®)

Special thanks to John R. Cross, The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus, GoodSeed International.

Related Topics: Children, Children's Curriculum

8. Jacob Moves to Egypt (Genesis 46-47)

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Lesson

PPT TITLE

Main Point: We can trust God’s promises.

Key Verse:

Lord and King, You are God! Your words can be trusted. You have promised many good things to me. - 2 Samuel 7:28

Props: Paper chain from last week; a coin; 5 apples

Optional prop (for a large group of students): 70 star stickers - before class, put one sticker each on 70 randomly selected students.

Background/Review

Say: Finally, last week, the moment we had all been waiting for: Joseph told his brothers who he was! Joseph forgave completely because he saw with “Kingdom eyes.” He saw his life as more than just his life. He saw his life as a link in the chain of God’s amazing plan. Teacher: Refer to paper chain from last week. God kept Abraham’s grandsons and great-grandsons alive during the famine. This was God’s way of keeping His promise to Abraham that he would have thousands and thousands of descendants.

Joseph and his brothers hugged, cried, laughed, and talked. Their relationship was restored. Forgiveness is the first step to restored relationships. Pharaoh blessed Joseph’s family with many gifts and offered to give them the best land in Egypt.

One thing I want to mention before we go on is that earlier in his life, God had given Jacob the name “Israel” (Genesis 32:28). This name means “God Prevails, or God wins.” We are used to hearing the name Israel, referring to the nation of God’s chosen people. Well, the name started when God renamed Jacob. All of Jacob’s descendants became known as the Israelites. So, it is a little bit confusing, but sometimes the Bible calls Jacob “Jacob,” and sometimes it calls him by his new name “Israel.”

Jacob Turns To God (Genesis 46:1-27)

Say: When Jacob’s eleven sons came home from Egypt, they told their father everything that had happened. Just imagine - part of their story had to be admitting that Joseph was not killed by a wild animal, but that they had sold him as a slave! When they told Jacob that Joseph was still alive, he couldn’t believe it. They had to convince him that they were telling the truth by showing him all the carts filled with gifts that Pharaoh had sent home with them. Finally, Jacob accepted the truth, and he really wanted to go see his son! This would mean leaving the land of Canaan.

Years and years before, God promised to give the land of Canaan to Abraham’s family. That’s why Jacob lived in Canaan and raised his family there. Refer to map. But now, there was no food in Canaan, Joseph was in Egypt, and Pharaoh offered Jacob everything he needed to take care of his family in Egypt. Jacob had to decide between God’s Promised Land (Canaan) and the logical place to go (Egypt). Ask: How could Jacob be sure that God wanted him to pack up his large family and leave the land of Canaan now? Listen for answers. Say: Jacob could have flipped a coin. Teacher: Flip a coin. Say: “Heads we move, tails we stay.” Or, he could have taken a vote. Or, Jacob could have made a list in his head with the good points and bad points about moving to Egypt. Let’s read in Genesis 46 to see what Jacob did.

So Israel started out with everything that belonged to him. When he reached Beersheba, he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.

God spoke to Israel in a vision at night. “Jacob! Jacob!” He said.

“Here I am,” Jacob replied.

“I am God. I am the God of your father,” he said. “Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt. There I will make you into a great nation. I will go down to Egypt with you. You can be sure that I will bring you back again. And when you die, Joseph will close your eyes with his own hand.” - Genesis 46:1-4

Say: Jacob had packed up his family and set out, but as soon as he arrived at Beersheba, he stopped. This was a special place at the very edge of Canaan where God had spoken to Jacob before (Genesis 26:23-24). Refer to map. At Beersheba, Jacob offered sacrifices to the Lord. It is wonderful that Jacob turned back to the Lord before taking his family to a foreign land.

Note to Teacher: Twice before, in Jacob’s ancestry, a famine struck the land of Canaan. The first time, Jacob’s grandfather, Abraham, went to Egypt in order to find food, with nearly disastrous results (Genesis 12:10-20). During the second famine, God warned Jacob’s father, Isaac, not to go to Egypt (Genesis 26:2). It is little wonder that Jacob felt the need to turn to God for direction before crossing the southern border of Canaan.

Application: Going to the Lord is the very best way to make any decision! We all make decisions every day. Most often, we try to use our own logic. We make a list in our mind to weigh the good points against the bad points. But the Bible says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take.” (Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT)

Say: God did not hesitate to speak to Jacob when Jacob came to Him. Even though Jacob’s heart had been far from the Lord over the past years, the Lord was not far from him. God was eagerly waiting for Jacob to turn back to Him. The Lord knew that Jacob was fearful about leaving Canaan and going to Egypt (Psalm 139:23). God made the way very clear for Jacob. God told Jacob that going to Egypt was the right thing to do. God promised that He would go with Jacob to Egypt, that his family would grow and thrive there, and that one day, his family would return to Canaan. And when the time came for Jacob to die, his dearly loved Joseph would be at his side. We can just imagine the peace that Jacob felt when God gave him such clear direction and wonderful promises.

Jacob trusted the Lord’s promises. He and his large family took all of their belongings and their livestock and headed for Egypt. All together, counting Jacob’s eleven sons, their wives, sons, and daughters, there were over 70 people traveling to Egypt. Optional: If you put stickers on 70 students, ask every student wearing a star sticker to stand up. Say: This was about the number traveling the long route to Egypt. No wonder Jacob wanted to be sure that this was God’s plan. He was changing the lives of many people by moving to Egypt. It was a long trip by wagon. Of course there were no cars or airplanes back then. There were only crying babies, antsy children, and a very old Jacob. The Bible tells us he was about 130 years old by then!

Joseph And Jacob Are Reunited (Genesis 46:28-34)

Say: Jacob’s family arrived in Egypt in the area called Goshen. This was a wonderful piece of land. These men were shepherds. They took care of sheep, goats, and cattle. Ask: Can anyone tell me the main thing that makes land good for shepherding? Water Say: There has to be a good source of water for the animals to drink, and to grow grass for the animals to eat. The Nile River is the longest river in the world, and it flows right through Egypt. The Nile was so important to the Egyptians’ survival that the Egyptians even worshipped the Nile. It flows northward before it ends at the Mediterranean Sea. Toward the end of the Nile, it branches out into many smaller rivers. This happens right at the land of Goshen. We have two maps to look at. One is a drawing where you can see the Nile and its branches. The other is a modern day satellite photo. You can see green where the Nile’s water makes plants grow. Ask: Did God keep His promise to bless Abraham’s family? Yes! Say: God gave them the best land in the only country that had any food!

As soon as Joseph heard that his family had arrived, he got in his chariot and raced to meet his father. He had waited over twenty years for this moment!

As soon as he came to his father, Joseph threw his arms around him. Then Joseph sobbed for a long time. Israel (Jacob) said to Joseph, “I have seen for myself that you are still alive. Now I’m ready to die.” - Genesis 46:29b-30

Jacob meant that he could die a happy man, since he had seen that his son was alive and well.

Note to Teacher: Twice, Jacob proclaimed he would go to his grave mourning for his sons (Genesis 37:35, 42:38). He now exclaims that he is ready to die - so that he may end his life on a good note.

Pharaoh Meets The Family (Genesis 47:1-12)

Joseph went to tell Pharaoh that his family had come to Egypt. Joseph chose five of his brothers and brought them before Pharaoh. They told him that they were shepherds, and Pharaoh told them they were welcome to live in Goshen. He even asked for some of Joseph’s brothers to take care of his own livestock. Note: This point will appear later in the lesson.

Then Joseph brought his father in to meet Pharaoh. Jacob pronounced a blessing on Pharaoh. Obviously, Jacob didn’t own anything that he could give to the richest man in the world. Jacob’s blessing was a spiritual blessing that he spoke over Pharaoh.

Joseph helped his family settle in Goshen. Joseph made sure that his father, brothers, sister, nieces, and nephews had plenty of food to eat.

Will Work For Food (Genesis 47:13-26)

Ask: How many years of famine were there going to be? Seven. Say: Two of the seven years had passed. There were five years left, and everyone except Jacob’s family (now called the Israelites) and the priests were completely out of food. The Egyptians had spent all of their money buying food from Joseph. The Bible says that both Canaan and Egypt wasted away during these years.

When the money of the people of Egypt and Canaan was gone, all of the Egyptians came to Joseph. They said, “Give us food. Why should we die right in front of your eyes? Our money is all gone.”

“Then bring your livestock,” said Joseph. “You say your money is gone. So I’ll trade you food for your livestock.”

They brought their livestock to Joseph. He traded them food for their animals. They gave him their horses, sheep, goats, cattle and donkeys. He brought the people through that year by trading them food for all of their livestock. - Genesis 47:15-17

It may seem harsh that Joseph was selling the grain to the people instead of just giving it away. But remember, the grain did not belong to Joseph. It belonged to Pharaoh. Joseph worked for Pharaoh. Any of the Egyptians could have stored up their own grain supply during the seven years when there was plenty of food, but they didn’t. Joseph’s plan to sell them grain kept them alive and they were very grateful (Genesis 47:25).

When that year was over, (the Egyptians) came to him the next year. They said, “We can’t hide the truth from you. Our money is gone. Our livestock belongs to you. We don’t have anything left to give you except our bodies and our land.

“Why should we die right in front of your eyes? Why should our land be destroyed as well? Trade us food for ourselves and our land. Then we and our land will belong to Pharaoh. Give us some seeds so we can live and not die. We don’t want the land to become a desert.” - Genesis 47:18-19

Say: I don’t know if any of us in this room can understand this kind of hunger. The people were starving, and they were desperate. They had already sold everything they owned. The only thing they had left was their land and themselves. So the Egyptians entered into an agreement with Joseph. They were willing to give their land to Pharaoh in exchange for food. Since there were four more years of famine coming, they also offered to become servants to Pharaoh in exchange for enough grain to make it through the rest of the famine. They agreed to become “indentured servants.” This type of servant was different than a slave because the people were offering to do this, and they were receiving something in return - they were receiving enough food to eat for the next four years, and seeds to plant for future crops. Joseph would give them what they needed, and they would “owe” him the work to pay off their debt. This has been a common practice throughout history.

Additional Application for older students: Here is a credit card. You probably know how this works. If I want to buy something, like a new television, but I don’t have enough money, I can use a credit card. I go to the store, hand them my card, and they hand me a new TV. That may sound pretty good, but it isn’t! What really happens is then I owe money to the credit card company - a lot more than the TV cost in the first place! A $200 television might end up costing me $250. In a way, I become a servant to the credit card company (Luke 16:13). I have to spend the next months, maybe even years, working to earn money so I can send payments to the credit card company. Using credit makes you a servant to the person or company that you owe money to. It is ALWAYS better to save up for what you want first.

The Bible says to learn from the ants! They store up the food they need during the summer when there is plenty. Then they always have food during the winter (Proverbs 6:6-8). The Egyptians should have done this. Now they were getting food from Joseph “on credit.” They and their children would work for years and years to pay off their debt to Pharaoh.

Say: Joseph gave seed to the people, and then he explained that one-fifth of everything they grew would belong to Pharaoh. For example, if I planted apple seeds, and in time my apple tree produced apples, I would have to give one out of every five apples to Pharaoh. Show your five apples, and give one away. This became the law in Egypt, and it stayed in effect for hundreds of years (Genesis 47:26). Ask: How do you think the people felt about this deal? If using Power Point have everyone read Genesis 47:25 together, or ask for a volunteer to read Genesis 47:25 aloud.

“You have saved our lives!” they exclaimed. “May it please you, my lord, to let us be Pharaoh’s servants.” - Genesis 47:25 NLT

The Egyptians were sure to die without Joseph’s provision of food. Even though being servants would be difficult, it was far better than dying! The people were very grateful.

Blessed In Goshen (Genesis 47:27)

Meanwhile, things were going very well in the land of Goshen. The Bible tells us that Jacob’s family, the Israelites, gained more property and their numbers grew quickly. How can this be? First of all, Joseph provided food for his large family. Also, do you remember when Pharaoh asked for some of the brothers to take care of his animals (Genesis 47:6)? One year later, Pharaoh owned all the animals in Egypt! The brothers would have their hands full as the official shepherds for Pharaoh, and we can imagine that Pharaoh paid them well to care for his livestock. The Israelites were thriving. They were having more and more children and grandchildren. Think back to Jacob’s vision in Beersheba. God promised Jacob that He would make his family into a great nation in Egypt. Ask: Did God keep His promise? Yes!

The people of Egypt had not lived according to God’s wisdom. They lived their own way, and now they were servants to Pharaoh. On the other hand, Joseph had listened to God in every step of his life. He trusted God’s promises and he was greatly blessed by the Lord. When Pharaoh trusted God by listening to the plan God gave to Joseph, he was greatly blessed. And finally, Jacob had turned back to the Lord. Jacob trusted God’s promises that He spoke at Beersheba, and he and his family were blessed beyond their wildest dreams.

Application: We each have the same opportunities as the people we have talked about today. By God’s loving grace, He gives us many wonderful promises that we do not deserve. God ALWAYS keeps His promises! If you trust His promises, you will live according to His word. If you don’t trust His promises, you will live your life according to your own wisdom. We have seen God keep His promises time and time again in the Bible. Are you willing to trust His promises in your own life? It is up to you. Will you be like the Egyptians - enslaved by worldly things, or like Joseph - blessed and used in God’s plan?

PPT VERSE

Key Verse:

Lord and King, You are God! Your words can be trusted. You have promised many good things to me. - 2 Samuel 7:28

PPT MAIN POINT

Main Point: We can trust God’s promises.

Unless otherwise noted the Scriptures taken from: Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version, (NIrV®)

Special thanks to John R. Cross, The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus, GoodSeed International.

Related Topics: Children, Children's Curriculum

9. Jacob Blesses His Family (Genesis 48-50)

Related Media

Lesson

PPT TITLE

Main Point: God works all things together for His plan and purpose.

Key Verse:

(God) works out everything to fit His plan and purpose. - Ephesians 1:11b

Props: Paper chain from previous lessons - add many white links after the yellow Joseph link; purple strip of paper that says: JESUS; several white strips with first names of believers - including your name.

Background/Review

Say: Last week, we saw that Jacob turned to God when he was about to move his family to Egypt. God promised to be with Jacob and bless his family in Egypt. Ask: Did God keep His promises? Yes! Say: God blessed Jacob’s family beyond their wildest dreams. They lived in the best part of Egypt. They had plenty to eat when everyone else did not. They gained land when everyone else had to sell theirs. Jacob’s family grew and grew. Jacob trusted God’s promises, and you can too. God ALWAYS keeps His promises!

This is our last week to study the AMAZING life of Joseph. I believe it is the most exciting lesson yet, because it has to do with you and me.

Jacob’s Charge To Joseph (Genesis 47:28-31)

Ask: Does anyone remember how old Jacob was when he moved to Egypt? 130 years old. Say: He was older than any of your grandparents, or even your great grandparents. Here is a picture of the oldest living person today. Her name is Edna Parker and she is 115 years old (born April 20, 1893). Just imagine all the things she has seen in her lifetime: When she was born, there were only 44 United States! She has lived through twenty different US presidents, two World Wars, man’s first steps on the moon, and the invention of the airplane, television, and the Internet. This just gives us an idea of how long of a life 115 years is.

When Jacob moved to Egypt, he was 15 years older than Edna. That is a ripe old age to pick up and move to another country. Jacob’s life had been filled with trials of many kinds, but life in Egypt was wonderful. Jacob lived with his family in Egypt for seventeen years. When Jacob knew that he would die soon, he called Joseph to his side. He said:

“Promise me that you will be kind and faithful to me. Don't bury me in Egypt. When I join the members of my family who have already died, carry me out of Egypt. Bury me where they are buried."

"I'll do exactly as you say," Joseph said.

"Promise me with an oath that you will do it," Jacob said. So Joseph promised him. And Israel (Jacob) worshiped God as he leaned on the top of his wooden staff. - Genesis 47:29b-31

Jacob Blesses Joseph’s Sons (Genesis 48)

Some time later, Jacob became very sick. Joseph brought his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, to his father. Jacob reminded Joseph of the wonderful, undeserved promises that God had made to him. God had promised to make his family grow and grow, and one day that family would return to the land of Canaan.

(Jacob's) eyes were weak because he was old. He couldn't see very well. So Joseph brought his sons close to him. His father kissed them and hugged them.

(Jacob) said to Joseph, "I never thought I'd see your face again. But now God has let me see your children too." - Genesis 48:10-11

Then Jacob put his hands on the boys’ heads and spoke wonderful blessings over them.

Notice Jacob’s attitude. Jacob gave all credit to God for allowing him to have this wonderful time with Joseph and Joseph’s sons. Jacob had many losses and heartbreaks in his life. For years, Jacob complained about his troubles, but now he understood that God had brought him full circle. Now he realized that God had been with him all along, and God used every difficult situation for good to bring him to this place.

Application: Many people pray that they will never have hardship in their lives. The FAR BETTER thing to pray is that God will use every hardship to make you more like Jesus, that you will feel God with you in the trouble, and that God will use the hardship for His glory. For example, instead of praying, “Lord, please don’t let me get that really hard math teacher this year,” you should pray, “Lord, You know what’s best for me. Give me whichever teacher will help me to learn, and if I get the really hard teacher, please let me know You are sitting right beside me in class. Help me to do my best and to be a good example to others as I work hard and do not complain.”

God’s Plan & Promises (Genesis 12:2-3)

Say: Before we go on, let’s think back one more time to the promises that God gave to Joseph’s great-grandfather, Abraham. Remember, the promises apply to Abraham’s whole family.

I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you. - Genesis 12:2-3 NIV

God gave these promises by His grace. Abraham did nothing to deserve these wonderful blessings. As we read through the Bible, and even by what we can see today, we know that God kept each of these promises.

I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you - We have seen this already in the land of Goshen, but it will continue throughout history.

I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. - We have seen how Joseph was certainly a blessing because he saved the lives of everyone in Egypt, Canaan, and the surrounding areas.

I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse - We have seen that Pharaoh was blessed because he blessed Joseph. There are countless examples of this throughout the Bible.

And all peoples on earth will be blessed through you. - Today, I would like us to focus on this part of the promise. It is the VERY BEST part of God’s promises to Abraham.

How in the world could every person on earth - throughout all time - be blessed by Abraham’s family? Galatians 3:8 tells us that this promise was God’s way of telling Abraham that the Messiah was going to be born into his family one day. The Messiah was the Deliverer that God promised to send. He would come to rescue people from the punishment of their sin. Because of our sin, all people are separated from God. The Messiah would be a blessing to every person on earth - throughout all time - because he would bring people back to God.

Jacob Blesses His Sons (Genesis 49:1-33)

Say: Let’s continue in Genesis to see how this will come to pass. After Jacob blessed Joseph’s two sons, he called his twelve sons together. Jacob was literally on his deathbed. With his last breaths, he told each of the twelve what would happen in their future. These were prophecies that God revealed to Jacob. There was good news and bad news. Each son would have a large family, and some would live in great blessings. But some would have trouble that would come as a result of their sin. Jacob’s twelve sons would become the twelve tribes of Israel.

(Teacher: exercise caution if reading verse 49:4 aloud, or asking children to follow along in their Bibles. Some versions are explicit in explaining Reuben’s sexual sin.)

As we might expect, Jacob prophesied great things for Joseph:

"Joseph is a vine that grows a lot of fruit.
It grows close by a spring.
Its branches climb over a wall.
Mean people shot arrows at him.
They shot at him because they were angry.
But his bow remained steady.
His strong arms moved freely.
The hand of the Mighty One of Jacob was with him.
The Shepherd, the Rock of Israel, stood by him.
Your father's God helps you.
The Mighty One blesses you.
He gives you blessings from the highest heavens.
He gives you blessings from the deepest oceans.
He blesses you with children and with a mother's milk.
Your father's blessings are great.
They are greater than the blessings from the age-old mountains.
They are greater than the gifts from the ancient hills.
Let all of those blessings rest on the head of Joseph.
Let them rest on the head of the one who is prince among his brothers. - Genesis 49:22-26

Say: Men had tried to harm Joseph, but God was with him every minute. Joseph went through great hardship, but it worked out for his good and for the good of others.

Let’s look back over all the hardships and trials in Joseph’s life.

His brothers hated him.
His brothers ripped off his special coat and threw him into a pit.
His brothers sold him as a slave.
The traders took him to a foreign land.
Potiphar’s wife lied about him.
Joseph was thrown in prison.
The cupbearer forgot all about Joseph when he got out of prison.

All of these hard things were caused by other people’s sin. However, God flipped all these things around for good.

Application: It may be that some of you have had to deal with some really hard things because of other people’s sins. There are two VERY important things to remember. Remember that GOD IS WITH YOU just as he was with Joseph, and GOD CAN FLIP these things around for good, just as He did with Joseph’s hard times.

Say: Let’s look at the good things that God brought out of Joseph’s hard times. First of all, Joseph’s character grew more godly with every event. Also, Joseph ended up being very blessed and he saved the lives of countless people. And most importantly, God used Joseph to save the lives of his brothers - one of whom would be the great, great, ...Teacher: Hold up your fingers to count out 34 “great”s as you speak... great, great grandfather of the Messiah (Matthew 1:1-17).

That leads us to one more very special prophecy spoken by Jacob:

Judah, my son, is a young lion that has finished eating its prey.
Like a lion he crouches and lies down; like a lioness - who dares to rouse him?
The scepter will not depart from Judah,
nor the ruler’s staff from his descendants,
until the coming of the One to whom it belongs,
the One whom all nations will honor. - Genesis 49:9-10 NLT

Ask: Who knows what a scepter is? Listen for answers. Say: It is the rod held by a king. It is a symbol of his authority to be the ruler of a kingdom. Jacob was saying that a line of Kings was going to come through Judah. And, in God’s perfect timing, the most important King - the King of kings, the Messiah - would come through Judah’s descendants. The Messiah is the FINAL King. All nations will honor Him.

Everyone turn in your Bibles to the first book in the New Testament. Turn to Matthew, chapter one. This chapter lists the family line of the promised Messiah. This is a long list of 40 generations. Starting at verse 2, we read:

Abraham was the father of Isaac.
Isaac was the father of Jacob.
Jacob was the father of Judah and his brothers.
Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah. Tamar was their mother.
Perez was the father of Hezron.
Hezron was the father of Ram...

The list continues through 40 generations. We get to King David and King Solomon, Jehoshaphat, and Uzziah. Then we get down to verse 16:

Jacob (another Jacob) was the father of Joseph. Joseph was the husband of Mary. And Mary gave birth to Jesus, who is called Christ.

Say: God works everything together for good. All the events we have read about so far in Joseph’s amazing, adventuresome life have been a part of God’s plan to bring Jesus into the world! Joseph played such an important part in God’s plan, because Joseph saved Judah’s life along with the lives of millions of others.

Jesus is the GREATEST blessing for every person on earth because Jesus was our substitute on the cross. Each person has sinned and is separated from God. There is NOTHING we can do to make ourselves right with God. By His grace, God sent us a gift we did not deserve. He sent His Son to die as a perfect sacrifice to take away our sin. EVERY person on earth has the opportunity to be made right with God. All we do is place our trust in Jesus - to FULLY depend on Him. When we receive the free gift of forgiveness that Jesus offers, our sin is taken away and forgotten! We are welcomed into God’s Kingdom.

We have been set free because of what Christ has done. Through His blood our sins have been forgiven. We have been set free because God's grace is so rich. He poured His grace on us by giving us great wisdom and understanding.

He showed us the mystery of His plan. It was in keeping with what He wanted to do. It was what He had planned through Christ. It will all come about when history has been completed. God will then bring together all things in heaven and on earth under one Ruler. The Ruler is Christ.

We were also chosen to belong to Him. God decided to choose us long ago in keeping with His plan. He works out everything to fit His plan and purpose. - Ephesians 1:7-11

Application: Joseph’s whole life has been about - GOD’S LOVE for YOU! Joseph went through what he went through so Jesus could enter the world, so Jesus could die for your sin, so you could accept His forgiveness, so God’s grace would pour out on you!

Jacob’s Death (Genesis 49:29 - 50:21)

Say: Let’s finish reading Joseph’s story. Jacob died in Egypt, with Joseph by his side - just as God had promised (Genesis 46:4). Joseph and his brothers took Jacob to Canaan to bury him as he wished. After the family returned to Egypt, the brothers became very nervous. They were afraid that Joseph was only being nice to them while their father was alive. They were afraid that Joseph was just waiting for Jacob to die before he paid them back for the evil things they had done to him. Once again they bowed down in front of him and begged for mercy. Joseph wept, and told them:

“You planned to harm me. But God planned it for good. He planned to do what is now being done. He wanted to save many lives.” - Genesis 50:20

Say: Joseph saw with “Kingdom eyes.” He knew that God works all things together for good, and he was honored to be used in God’s amazing plan. Teacher: Hold up the extended paper chain from previous weeks. From before the creation of the world, God had a plan to save people from their sin. Joseph was just one link in the chain of God’s plan. Point to the yellow JOSEPH link. Say: Joseph saved Judah’s life, and forty generations later, Jesus was born into his family line. Add the purple JESUS link.

Application: Do not imagine that God is finished with His incredible plan, or that people no longer live adventuresome lives like Joseph’s. Add white links with your own name and names of other believers. God’s desire is that every person would come to know Him and accept His free gift of grace that rescues them from their sin (2 Peter 3:9). God wants to use you in His plan, just like He used Joseph! A life lived out in humility, abiding in God, is the most exciting life possible. Remain with God, and He will work everything in your life out for your good and for His glory.

PPT VERSE

Key Verse:

(God) works out everything to fit His plan and purpose. - Ephesians 1:11b

PPT MAIN POINT

Main Point: God works all things together for His plan and purpose.

Teacher Note: Amazing Parallels between Joseph and Jesus -
	Joseph	Jesus
The favorite son of a wealthy father	Genesis 37:3	Matthew 3:17
A shepherd	Genesis 37:2	John 10:11-14
Sent to brothers by father	Genesis 37:13-14	Hebrews 2:11
Hated by brothers	Genesis 37:4	Matthew 12:14
Taken into Egypt to avoid being killed	Genesis 37:28	Matthew 2:13
Robe taken from him	Genesis 37:23	John 19:23
Sold for the price of a slave	Genesis 37:28	Matthew 26:15
Began his ministry at the age of thirty	Genesis 41:46	Luke 3:23
Filled with the Spirit of God	Genesis 41:38	Luke 4:1
Returned good for evil	Genesis 50:20	Matthew 5:44
Was taught by God	Genesis 41:16	John 5:19
Loved people freely	Genesis 45:15	John 13:34
Gained the confidence of others quickly	Genesis 39:3	Matthew 8:8
Gave bread to hungry people that came to him	Genesis 41:57	Mark 6:41
Resisted the most difficult temptations	Genesis 39:8-9	Hebrews 4:15
Tested people to reveal their true nature	Genesis 42:25	Mark 11:30
Hated for his teachings	Genesis 37:8	John 7:7
Falsely accused	Genesis 39:14	Mark 14:56
Condemned with two prisoners (one was saved, one was lost)	Genesis 40:2-3	Luke 23:32
Dead before his father	Genesis 37:33	Luke 23:46
Arose into a new life	Genesis 41:41	Mark 16:6
Not recognized by his own brethren	Genesis 42:8	Luke 24:37
Returned to his father	Genesis 46:29	Mark 16:19

Unless otherwise noted the Scriptures taken from: Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version, (NIrV®)

Special thanks to John R. Cross, The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus, GoodSeed International.

Related Topics: Children, Children's Curriculum

1. Waiting for the King (Matthew 3-4; Mark 1:1-20; John 1:19-42)

Related Media

Lesson

Main Point: Jesus came to bring the kingdom of God to earth.

Key Verse:

“The time has come,” (Jesus) said. “The kingdom of God is near. Turn away from your sins and believe the good news!” - Mark 1:15

Props: Bible; bag of coins, scroll; optional: wristwatch

Background/Review

Ask: If I told you a King was coming to visit today, what would you expect? Listen for answers. Say: We usually think of a king wearing a royal robe and a crown. He sits on a throne and lives in a great big house. He might be married to a queen, and might command a powerful army. Ask: Would anyone expect a poor person in dusty clothes who didn’t even have a home to live in? Probably not. Today we will be talking about a different kind of King and a different kind of kingdom. As we might guess, God’s idea of a King is way different than ours. That’s because God’s thoughts are WAY better than our thoughts. The Bible says, “Just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so [God’s] ways are higher than [our] ways and [God’s] thoughts higher than [our] thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:9) Think of it this way: The world’s most powerful telescope sits on top of a mountain in Arizona. Through it, scientists can see stars and planets that are 10 million miles away! This is just a glimpse of how much higher God’s thoughts are above our thoughts. Let’s dig into God’s word to find God’s idea of the perfect King, and perfect kingdom.

Say: We have just learned about the birth of Jesus. This was a miraculous event, to say the least. The Bible doesn’t tell us very much about Jesus’ life between his early childhood and the time when He was a grown man. Today we will begin studying His life after He had grown up. Today we’ll see that Jesus came to bring the kingdom of God to earth.

The Kingdom Of God

Say: What exactly is the kingdom of God? Some people have the wrong idea about the kingdom of God. They think it’s another way of saying “heaven.” Heaven is a wonderful place that believers will go to when they die. But the kingdom of God includes more than heaven. A kingdom is wherever the will of the King is done. So, the kingdom of God exists wherever God’s will is done. We know that God’s will is done in heaven (Matthew 6:10). For a short time, God’s will was done on earth. When God created the earth, everything was good and Adam and Eve did the will of God. Adam and Eve walked with God and talked with Him. They enjoyed each other’s company and everything in this kingdom was wonderful. But when Adam and Eve chose to sin, their sin separated them from God, their King. They were no longer able to do His will. Every single person who came after Adam and Eve also sinned. No one did the will of God, the King. Sadly, the kingdom was no longer on earth.

But God longed to restore the kingdom. So He started preparing the way. God called on a man named Abraham. Abraham had faith in God. God made wonderful promises to Abraham: God would give Abraham tons of kids and grandkids, and God would bless them. They would be called the Israelites. Abraham’s family would grow and grow, and one day, a very special Boy would be born in this family. That Boy would be the greatest King ever. He would save the Israelite people (Daniel 9:25), and would be a blessing to everyone on the earth (Genesis 12:3). He would rule forever. We all know that Boy was the baby Jesus - but at the time, none of the Israelites knew that Jesus was the One that God had promised.

Let’s back up for just a minute and see what was happening before Jesus came. Teacher: Hold up your Bible, open to the New Testament. Say: This is the New Testament, which begins when Jesus came to earth. And this is the Old Testament, which tells everything that happened before Jesus came. Throughout the Old Testament, God had given the Israelites promises about the coming kingdom (Jeremiah 31:33-34, Hebrews 8:5). He gave many clues about the coming King (Genesis 12:3, 49:10, Isaiah 7:14, Micah 5:2). Without knowing the King’s name, the Israelites called Him Messiah, which means: the One who is chosen by God. For hundreds of years, the people waited for their King, Messiah. Optional for younger students: Teacher, tap your wristwatch, to indicate waiting. The Israelites wondered what the King would look like. They wondered what kind of accent He would speak with. They wondered and they waited.

Also in the Old Testament, the Israelites often chose to turn away from God, and follow false gods. So they stepped out of God’s protection, and they were taken over by enemy nations. They had been ruled by the Babylonians, and then the Persians, and the Greeks, just to name a few. At the time when Jesus was born, the Israelites were being ruled by the Romans. The Israelites were called Jews at this time (which is short for Judah). The Jews were allowed to worship God and go to the Temple, but they had to pay taxes to the Romans (Teacher, hold up coins), and they had to follow some Roman laws (Hold up scroll). Because they were God’s chosen people, the Jews did not want to be under the rule of the Romans. They continued to wait for their King, Messiah, who would set them free. Optional: Tap your watch again.

John Announces The Kingdom (Matthew 3:1-12, Mark 1:1-7)

Say: Now let’s all open our Bibles to the New Testament, starting in Matthew. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John all tell the stories of Jesus’ time on earth. God used these four different men to give different details for each story. Today, we’ll read from several different books. We don’t usually flip around so much in the Bible. But today is a little different. I want you to hear details from each writer to get the full picture of the King.

Can everyone turn to Matthew 3? The first two chapters of Matthew tell about Jesus as a baby and young child, but in chapter 3, Jesus is a grown man, about 30 years old. All the gospel books tell us about a man named John. John was actually Jesus’ cousin. He was the special child that God gave to Zechariah the priest and his wife Elizabeth in their old age. In Matthew 3, John was a grown man, too. He was 6 months older than Jesus. God gave John a very important message for His people. Matthew 3:1 says:

In those days John the Baptist came and preached in the Desert of Judea. He said, “Turn away from your sins! The kingdom of heaven is near.” - Matthew 3:1-2

Wait just a minute! Did everyone hear that? John was shouting that the kingdom of heaven was NEAR! The long wait was finally over! The King, Messiah, was coming. The kingdom was about to break out on earth once again.

Crowds of people came from all over to hear John preach about the King who was about to come. After all, they had waited for SO LONG. Many people repented from their sin. They had a true change in their hearts and minds. John baptized these people in the Jordan River. Their baptism was a symbol. It was a way to tell everyone who was watching that they had turned back to God’s way of living. Some of the people stayed with John, learning all they could about the One who was coming. The people were so excited that the King was coming.

John Announces The King (Matthew 3:13-16, Mark 1:8-13, John 1:19-34)

Say: Some of the Jewish leaders came to see if John was the King that God had promised. John told them he was not the King.

“I baptize people with water,” John replied. “But One is standing among you whom you do not know. He is the One who comes after me. I am not good enough to untie His sandals.”

This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan River. That was where John was baptizing.

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him. John said, “Look! The Lamb of God! He takes away the sin of the world! This is the One I was talking about. I said, ‘A Man who comes after me is more important than I am. That’s because He existed before I was born.’ I did not know Him. But God wants to make it clear to Israel who this Person is. That’s the reason I came baptizing with water.” - John 1:26-31

Ask: Who was the King? JESUS! Say: John had been telling people that the Messiah was coming. When Jesus arrived, John announced that Jesus was the One! Finally, the people knew His name! John knew that Jesus was the One because God told him (John 1:33). John said, “I give witness that this is the Son of God.” (John 1:34) Just like in a courtroom, when a witness tells the truth about what he has seen and heard, John was a witness that Jesus was Messiah, the One chosen by God, the long awaited King.

Optional if time allows: Jesus wanted John to baptize Him (Matthew 3:13). Jesus wanted to show everyone who was watching that John’s message was true. John did not feel worthy to baptize Jesus, but he obeyed Jesus’ request. John baptized Jesus in the Jordan River. And when they came out of the water, the heavens opened, and the Spirit of God came down like a dove and rested on Jesus (Luke 3:21-22).

A voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, and I love Him. I am very pleased with Him.” - Matthew 3:17

Right after Jesus was baptized, He went into the wilderness beyond the Jordan River. The devil came to Jesus out in the desert. The devil knew that Jesus was the Messiah sent by God. He tried to tempt Jesus. He wanted to cause Jesus to sin to keep Him from being the perfect King of kings. Jesus was completely sinless, and Jesus was not interested in anything the devil had to offer. Jesus did not sin. Jesus always was and always will be holy - completely perfect, without sin.

Teacher Note: Jesus was not the seed of Adam. He is God’s Son, born without a sin nature.

Some Choose To Follow The King (Mark 1:14-20)

The King had come, but the kingdom was not in place on earth yet. That would happen a few years later when Jesus laid down His life and God raised Him from the dead. It would be at that time that people’s sin could wiped away, and by His grace they could once again do His will. In preparation, Jesus traveled around the countryside telling people that the Kingdom was almost there. He did more than speak. He healed every kind of sickness and diseases to show His godly power (Matthew 4:23). He proved He was more than just an earthly King.

Jesus went into Galilee. He preached God’s good news. “The time has come,” He said. “The kingdom of God is near. Turn away from your sins and believe the good news!” - Mark 1:14b-15

We know that the Jewish people had been waiting for the King to come for hundreds of years. Men and women taught their children and grandchildren all about God’s promise to send the King. Each generation hoped that their generation would be the one to welcome the King. Finally, He had arrived. The Messiah was at their doorstep. Wouldn’t every person run out to greet Him? Wouldn’t everyone bow down to praise the King?

Some did. Some left everything they had to follow Jesus. Jesus called some weathered fishermen to follow Him. They left their fishing boats and nets, and went with Jesus (Mark 1:16-20). Jesus called a tax collector. That tax collector left his job and his wealth to follow Jesus (Matthew 9:9-13). Many people found Jesus’ invitation irresistible. They didn’t know everything about Jesus yet, but they knew He was send by God. They were drawn to Him, and they followed Him.

Others weren’t so sure. This Jesus did not look like the King they had imagined throughout the years. He didn’t wear a crown or robes. He didn’t come from the capital city. Instead, He came from the unimportant town of Nazareth (John 1:46). He did not command an army. These people could not imagine how this peace-filled man could set them free from their enemies - the Romans. These people did not understand that the kingdom of God was completely different than the world they lived in (John 18:36). Jesus came to set them free in a FAR BETTER way. By following Jesus, they would be set free from a greater enemy than the Romans; they would be set free from their sin. They would enter God’s kingdom and have new life. They would gain power through the Holy Spirit to live a life that was more exciting than anything they had ever dreamed of.

Next week, we will hear what Jesus had to say about the kingdom He brought to earth.

Application: We know that God’s ways are FAR above our ways. Will you investigate God’s plan to bring His Kingdom to earth? Will you put your ideas aside and live your life God’s way? Will you put your trust in Jesus, the Messiah, the King of kings, and enter into His kingdom? If you are already a part of the kingdom of God, will you live your life fully following Jesus, so that those who see your life will be drawn to follow your King?

PPT VERSE

Key Verse:

“The time has come,” (Jesus) said. “The kingdom of God is near. Turn away from your sins and believe the good news!” - Mark 1:15

PPT MAIN POINT

Main Point: Jesus came to bring the kingdom of God to earth.

Unless otherwise noted the Scriptures taken from: Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version, (NIrV®)

Special thanks to John R. Cross, The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus, GoodSeed International.

Related Topics: Children, Children's Curriculum, Kingdom

2. Kingdom Life (Matthew 5)

Related Media

Lesson

PPT TITLE

Main Point: The kingdom of God is very different than this world.

Key Verse:

Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world.” - John 18:36a

Props: wrinkled trash bag (that can be put over a volunteer’s shoulders, scarf-like), a cookie tin or plate of cookies, brown paper bag of groceries, scale, soccer ball, large gift-wrapped box

Background/Review

Say: God had promised the Jewish people that He was going to send them a King. The Jewish people waited for this King, Messiah, for hundreds of years. They wanted a King to set them free from their enemies. When Jesus first came forward to begin preaching and teaching, He was 30 years old. His cousin, John, had been living in the wilderness, across the Jordan River, teaching that the long-awaited King was about to come. When John saw Jesus, he told everyone that Jesus was the One they had been waiting for (John 1:29-30). Some men left John’s side to follow Jesus (John 1:35-39). As Jesus taught, more men began to follow Him. These men were called the disciples. They remained with Jesus. They heard His teachings and watched Him perform miracles. Matthew puts it this way:

Jesus went all over Galilee. There He taught in the synagogues. He preached the good news of God’s kingdom. He healed every illness and sickness the people had. - Matthew 4:23

Ask: How many illnesses did Jesus cure? Every illness. Say: Jesus did so many amazing things that it would have been impossible to write everything down (John 21:25), but Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John tell us many examples of the miracles that Jesus did. For example, Jesus healed a man with a terrible skin disease called leprosy, healed a paralyzed servant just by speaking, healed Peter’s sick mother-in-law, and drove evil spirits out of many people (Matthew 8). During all these miracles, Jesus’ disciples were right by His sight. They were witnesses of all the amazing things He did. Jesus was careful to explain everything to His disciples (Mark 4:34).

Poor In Spirit (Matthew 5:1-3)

Say: Jesus taught in a way that no one had ever heard before. When Jesus spoke, people knew that He had authority (Matthew 7:29). He was unlike any other teacher, and He taught a message that was different than anyone had ever taught. Jesus taught about the kingdom of God. Remember, we said last week that the kingdom of God includes more than heaven. It is anywhere the will of God is done. Jesus came to bring God’s kingdom to earth. Jesus taught that in His kingdom, things were very different than in this world. In fact, most things are opposite.

I remember an episode of The Andy Griffith Show. A friend of Andy’s invited Andy and Barney to visit his fancy country club. When Andy and Barney arrived, it was obvious that they were a little out of place among the wealthy businessmen. Andy and Barney were simple, small town guys. They were more the type to go fishing than play golf or tennis. But Barney was determined to fit in. He joined into a conversation that two men were having about golf. Of course, Barney didn’t know anything about golf, but he thought he did. When the two men gave their golf scores, one man said that his best score was 100. The other man grinned modestly and said that he golfed an average of 95. Barney piped up to tell the 95-golfer that he could improve his game by getting some tips from the 100-golfer. Barney was so proud of his words of advice. But what Barney didn’t know is that in golf, the lower score is better!

Barney had an incorrect understanding of how the game was played. Do you think it would make a big difference on the golf course if you were trying to get the highest score instead of the lowest score? If you don’t understand the goal of the game, you’ll never win, no matter how good your intentions or how hard you try.

Similarly, but far more serious, the people in Jesus’ day had an incorrect understanding of how to live their lives. They had been living their lives by the wrong rules. They were living with the wrong goal in mind. Jesus came to teach them the correct way to live (Mark 1:38). It would be the opposite of the way they had understood it to be.

Open your Bibles to Matthew 5:1. It’s important to know that Jesus was speaking to Jewish people. They believed that if they worked REALLY hard, and obeyed all of God’s commandments, God would accept them. They even added extra laws that they tried to follow. They thought the more rules they followed, the closer they would get to God. The problem was, this was all wrong! Just like Barney Fife had the game of golf all wrong, these people were ALL WRONG about how to enter God’s kingdom. The truth was that no one could obey all of the commands that God gave to Moses. It was impossible to keep all the laws perfectly! God actually gave the His commandments to His people so they could see that they were nowhere close to God’s perfection. No matter how much the people tried to be perfect, they always failed.

At just the right time, Jesus came to teach the good news: God would do for them what they could not do for themselves. Jesus gave many promises about the Kingdom of God. Let’s look at the first one.

Now when (Jesus) saw the crowds, He went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to Him, and He began to teach them saying, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” - Matthew 5:1-3

Ask: What is the first word in the promise? Blessed. Say: Blessed means joyful, deeply happy, and favored by God. In Jesus’ list of promises, Jesus put first things first. The first promise is the key to kingdom. In this promise, Jesus explained who would be accepted into the kingdom of heaven. Listen very closely to this promise.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Ask: When you hear the word poor, what do you think of? Listen for answers. Say: We usually think of someone without money. But listen carefully! Jesus did not say, “Blessed are the poor.” He said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” Let’s look at these 3 words, because in this case, the words absolutely go together. The word for poor, here, means needy, powerless, unable to get what is needed, helpless. Jesus linked “poor” with the words, “in spirit.” The spirit is the part of you that relates to God, and to eternal things. Jesus was saying, “Blessed are those who are completely helpless to come to God.” These are the people who realize that God is perfect, and no matter how hard they try, they cannot be perfect. They are sinners who have nothing to offer God. These people say, “I am helpless. I can’t get to God on my own. I really need God’s help!” How could these imperfect people ever be blessed, or completely joyful? Jesus surprised everyone in the crowd by saying that these are the people who would belong to the kingdom of God!

Say: Let’s look at how this might look if we could see spiritual things. Teacher, call up a volunteer. Say: Just like everyone since Adam and Eve, ______ has a problem. She has sinned, and her sin keeps her from our perfect God (Romans 3:23). We’ll let this trash bag be a symbol of her sin. Place trash bag on her shoulders, like a scarf. But what if ______ thought she had a lot of good things to offer God. What if _____ thought, “I baked cookies for my sick neighbor, so God should accept me.” Hand volunteer a cookie tin, or plate of cookies. And then she remembered, “Oh, I gave groceries to the poor last Christmas, so that must bring me closer to God.” Hand her a brown paper bag of groceries. And, she thought, “Honestly, I’m not as bad as some people. God must think I’m okay.” Hand her a scale. And, she thought, “I am good at sports, so that must earn some points with God.” Hand your volunteer a soccer ball. Say: Now, _____ thinks she has all this to offer to God, but in truth, NONE of these things will take away her sin; none of the “good” things she does can bring her to the perfection that God requires! Isaiah 64:6 says that compared to God’s holiness, all of our good deeds are like filthy, dirty rags. We are unholy, so we are separated from our holy God.

But God created ______. He’s crazy about her, and He does not want to be separated from her! Pick up large, gift-wrapped package. When Jesus came to die on the cross, He did EVERYTHING God required to take away our sin and make us perfect. He offers forgiveness and new life to all who have faith in HIM, but _____ does not have room for this gift. Show that volunteer cannot accept gift. Ask: What is the only way _____ can receive Jesus’ free gift? She has to lay down all the other things. Say: She must realize that the things she does will not take away her sin and bring her to God. She falls short of God’s perfection. She has to realize that she is poor (helpless, powerless, bankrupt) in her spirit (in relating to God). Ask volunteer to lay down all her items, keeping “sin” trash bag on. Say: Now _____ is able to receive Jesus’ gift of forgiveness and enter into the kingdom of God. Hand large gift to volunteer, and take “sin” trash bag from her and place it on your own shoulders. This is exactly what God’s grace is all about. It is God saving us even though we don’t deserve it.

Say: This teaching was completely opposite of what the Jewish people had been taught by their leaders (Matthew 23:4). Just imagine the relief that Jesus’ teaching was to His listeners! With love and compassion, Jesus told them, “You can’t do this. Rest in Me, and I will carry your burden of sin. I will bring you to the Father. I am the way to God.” Thank your volunteer.

Jesus’ teaching was the BEST NEWS ever! Some people trusted Jesus and became His disciples. Other people thought that His promise was too good to be true. Sadly, they would not give up trying to earn their way to God, so they did not follow Jesus. Those people remained separated from God. And then there were the Jewish leaders, called Pharisees and Sadducees. They became angry with Jesus because Jesus taught the opposite of what they taught. As we learn more about Jesus’ life, we’ll keep our eye on these leaders.

Application: This opposite-teaching applies to you today! In our world, people have to work hard to be valued or accepted by others. In our world, we are judged by what grades we get, how we look, or how good we are at sports. But the kingdom of God is opposite from this! It’s not about what you can do for God - it’s what God did for you! You are helpless - completely unable to do anything to be accepted by God (Romans 3:9-20). Even though being kind, giving to the poor, and coming to church are good things, none of these things can take away your sin and make you perfect. Trusting Jesus is the only way. Only when you are “poor in spirit,” are you able to receive the free gift of salvation that Jesus offers by His grace.

Kingdom Life (Matthew 5:4-48)

Say: Jesus continued to teach about the kingdom of God for 3 years. Jesus always amazed His listeners, because life in the kingdom is so different than life in this world. Let’s look at just a few of the things Jesus taught.

In our world, the people who are the loudest, the boldest, the best looking, and the strongest are noticed. Just think about the people who are famous in our world - movie stars and sports heroes. But Jesus taught that in God’s kingdom, the humble people will inherit the earth, and those who seek peace will be blessed (Matthew 5:4-10).

And Jesus said that it’s a blessing if someone makes fun of you for following Him. Have you ever been made fun of? It feels awful. How could it be good to be made fun of? It is a blessing because anyone who is treated badly for following Jesus will receive a great reward one day! (Matthew 5:11)

Jesus also said: “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor. Hate your enemy.’ But here is what I tell you. Love your enemies. Pray for those who hurt you. Then you will be sons of your Father who is in heaven.” - Matthew 5:43-45a

Jesus said that even ungodly people love their friends; that’s just natural. But when we have God’s spirit living in us, we can do what is unnatural. We can love those who hate us. That was opposite-teaching!

It’s no wonder that Jesus’ teaching caused such a stir. The things He taught were radical. The things He taught were totally different from the world’s way. As He traveled, Jesus performed many miracles to prove that He was more than just a man with His own ideas. He was speaking the truth of God. In the coming weeks we’ll talk much more about what Jesus taught about His kingdom.

Application: If the kingdom of God is so different from this world, and Jesus’ truth is so different from our own ideas, how can you know the truth? You can dive into His word. Ask God to show you His truth. Abide in Jesus, and ask Him to guide you in every part of your day. Ask God to pour out His grace on you so you can live the kingdom life (Titus 2:11-12). I would never want you to follow the world’s way and miss out on what God has in store for you in the kingdom life. The kingdom life is full of miracles and excitement, peace and joy, love and acceptance. Life in the kingdom is the adventure that we are all craving deep down inside. It’s a life lived hand-in-hand with the Creator of the universe. It’s living life to the fullest; it’s knowing that you are loved. Don’t miss out on this life! Abide in Jesus. Life in the eternal kingdom of God begins NOW!

PPT VERSE

Key Verse:

Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world.” - John 18:36a

PPT MAIN TITLE

Main Point: The kingdom of God is very different than this world.

Unless otherwise noted the Scriptures taken from: Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version, (NIrV®)

Special thanks to John R. Cross, The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus, GoodSeed International.

Related Topics: Children, Children's Curriculum

4. Jesus Calms the Storm (Matthew 8:23-27; Mark 4:35-41)

Related Media

Lesson

PPT TITLE

Main Point: God takes away our fear through the faith that He gives us.

Key Verse:

(Jesus) replied, “Your faith is so small! Why are you so afraid?” - Matthew 8:26a

Props: 2 clear plastic cups, one cup 1/3 filled with vegetable oil, one cup 1/2 filled with red juice or Kool- Aid (make sure there is more juice than oil); permanent marker

Background/Review

Say: John the Baptist announced that Jesus was the Messiah that God had promised. Jesus was the was the King of the promised kingdom. When Jesus taught about the kingdom of heaven, He explained that His kingdom was totally different than the world we live in. Many people began to take notice of Jesus.

Jesus went all over Galilee. There He taught in the synagogues. He preached the good news of God’s kingdom. He healed every illness and sickness the people had. - Matthew 4:23

Ask: How many illnesses did Jesus cure? Every illness.

Say: The four first books in the New Testament are Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. These books tell us about the amazing life of Jesus when He came to the earth. Jesus did so many amazing things that it would have been impossible to write everything down (John 21:25), but these books give us many examples of the miracles that Jesus did. In Matthew chapter 8 alone, we read that Jesus healed a man with a terrible skin disease called leprosy, healed a paralyzed servant just by speaking, healed Peter’s sick mother-in-law, and drove evil spirits out of many people. During all these miracles, Jesus’ disciples were right by His side. They were witnesses of all the amazing things He did. Jesus was careful to explain everything to His disciples (Mark 4:34).

Jesus Calms The Storm (Mark 4:35-40)

Say: Jesus also taught in a way that no one had ever heard before. When Jesus spoke, people knew that He had authority (Matthew 7:29). He was unlike any other teacher. One day Jesus was teaching near the Sea of Galilee. Even though it is called a sea, it is actually a big lake. After teaching a large crowd of people, Jesus instructed His disciples to get into a boat so they could cross the lake (Matthew 8:18). They all needed to get away from the crowds and rest. Several people followed along in their own boats. This story is in Matthew chapter 8, and in Mark chapter 4. Read with me in Mark 4, beginning in verse 35.

When evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s go over to the other side of the lake.” They left the crowd behind. And they took Him along in a boat, just as He was. There were also other boats with Him.

A wild storm came up. Waves crashed over the boat. It was about to sink. Jesus was in the back, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke Him up. They said, “Teacher! Don’t you care if we drown?”

He got up and ordered the wind to stop. He said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down. And it was completely calm.

He said to His disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Don’t you have any faith at all yet?” - Mark 4:35-40

Say: When they first got into the boat, Jesus must have been exhausted. Jesus was fully God, but He was also fully human. He had been walking all over, teaching and healing hundreds of people. So when He was finally away from the crowds, He went to the back of the boat, laid His head on a cushion, and fell asleep. Ask: Is anyone here a little afraid of thunder and lightning? Say: Just imagine being on a boat during a storm. It is very scary! Many of the disciples who were in the boat with Jesus were professional fisherman. That means that their job was fishing in a boat. They had been in many storms before, but in this storm, they were frightened. They probably did everything that they knew how to do before waking up Jesus. By the time they went to Jesus, they were terrified (Matthew 8:25).

To the disciples’ amazement, Jesus only had to speak a few words, and the storm became silent. The wind stopped and the water was still. He spoke and the sea obeyed.

Actually, this shouldn’t surprise us. Ask: In the beginning, what did God do to create the earth, the light, the stars and sun? He spoke. Say: Genesis 1:3 tells us that, “God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.” In the same way, God spoke the earth, the plants, and all the animals into being. This Creator, God, was the same God who was now in the boat with the disciples! (John 1:10) His spoken word was powerful - nothing in nature could ever disobey His command! The storm’s obedience to Jesus’ command gave further proof that Jesus was God! Jesus brought peace where there had been chaos (John 14:27).

The Bible also tells us that Jesus could easily read the hearts and minds of men (Matthew 12:25). Jesus knew just how afraid the disciples were at this moment. But why would they be afraid? The disciples had been witnesses that Jesus could speak over an illness and it would be healed. With just a word, paralyzed legs could walk and blind eyes could see. He could cast out evil spirits with a command. Time and time again, the disciples saw Jesus’ miracles with their own eyes. But even after seeing all these miracles, they still were not sure who Jesus was. They did not have FAITH that He was the Son of God.

Jesus wanted FAITH from His disciples. He wasn’t concerned with who was the smartest, or the strongest, or the best sailor. Faith in Him was all that mattered. Jesus allowed this storm so the disciples could see for themselves that they did not yet have faith in Him.

Application: Just like the disciple’s storm helped them see that they did not have faith, the trials in our lives can help us see how much faith we have. If your first thought in a difficult situation is one of FEAR, then you do not have faith in the constant, solid rock of Jesus.

Faith

Say: Clearly, FAITH is the most important part of this story. Let’s talk about faith for a few minutes. The Bible says that without faith, it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). What exactly is faith? The dictionary says that faith is, “confidence or trust in a person or thing.” This is a good definition. Hebrews 11:1 says that faith is being sure of things that we can’t see. The faith that Jesus spoke of was: having complete trust in Jesus, knowing for certain that He is God, being sure that He is in control, being positive that He can do all things - including calm a terrible storm.

If the disciples had had faith, they would have been CERTAIN that Jesus was able to save them with just a word. They would not have been afraid of the storm. This is not to say they would not have awoken Jesus to ask for His help. In fact, that’s exactly what they should have done. If they had FAITH, they could go to Jesus with confidence, knowing He controlled all things. But their absolute FEAR showed that they did not trust that Jesus could save them. Luke tells us that the disciples screamed, “We’re going to drown!”

Illustration: There is a scientific law, or truth, that says two things cannot occupy the same space at the same time. Let’s test this law. I have a cup of oil. I’ll mark the “space” that the oil is taking up by drawing a line on the cup. Teacher: Hold up the cup of oil and draw a line on the cup at the top of the oil. Ask: Do we all agree that the oil is taking up this space in the bottom of the cup? Say: But what if I wanted this juice to occupy the same space in the cup? I’ll pour it in and see if the juice and the oil can be in the same space under the line. Pour the juice into the cup. Oil will be displaced. Ask: What happened? The juice pushed out the oil!

Teacher Note: Romans 1:20 implies that all the things we can see in creation were created so that we could understand the spiritual truths of God. Therefore, we can more clearly understand spiritual laws by examining physical laws.

Just as we see in science that two things cannot fill the same space, FEAR and FAITH cannot occupy the same space. In your heart and mind, there is either fear or faith. Our natural state is fear, because some situations are scary; we don’t know the future; we know that bad things happen; some things are way too big for us to handle. But, when we receive God’s gift of FAITH, it pushes out the fear, just like the juice pushed out the oil (Romans 8:15).

Fear says, “This situation in my life (my parents arguing, my going to a new school, my grandmother being sick) is too much for me to handle.” Faith says, “God is in control. He will handle this for me.” Fear says, “I’m not sure if God is strong enough to handle this.” Faith says, “Nothing is more powerful than God.” Fear says, “I’m not sure if I can trust God.” Faith says, “God only wants what’s best for me.”

Application: There is probably no one in this room who NEVER has a fearful thought. But those thoughts should be quick, and should not stay in your mind for long. Satan loves to bring thoughts of doubt and fear. But faith in God will push out those thoughts. Then, instead of focusing on how big your problem is, you will focus on how much bigger your God is!

Disciples’ Reaction (Matthew 8:27)

Say: So, how did the disciples react to Jesus instantly calming the storm?

They were terrified. They asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey Him!” - Mark 4:41

Matthew says the disciples were amazed. They were struck with wonder because the wind and water obeyed Jesus’ command.

Of course, the winds and waves obeyed Him, just as they did in the days of creation! All things in nature obey Jesus: Jesus had power over all nature (Matthew 21:19, John 2:9), over all sicknesses (Matthew 4:23), over all evil spirits (Mark 1:26), and even over death (John 11:43-44).

The only part of creation that has ever dared to disobey Jesus is mankind. God allows people to have free choice. People have the choice to obey God or disobey God. We can choose to follow or not to follow Jesus.

Application: Unlike the wind and waves, you are free to choose whether or not you will obey and follow Jesus. Will you choose to put your faith in Jesus? If you do, you will live in FAITH, not FEAR. You will know that Jesus is in control of everything that touches your life. You can relax and live in peace, depending on Jesus to calm your storms.

PPT VERSE

Key Verse:

(Jesus) said to His disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Don’t you have any faith at all yet?” - Mark 4:40

PPT MAIN POINT

Main Point: God takes away our fear through the faith that He gives us.

Teacher Note: We find parallels in this story and that of Jesus healing the man possessed by demons in Mark 4:35-41. Both the storm and the man were destructive and dangerous. Both were completely out of control; no person could contain either one. But then both met with Jesus, and Jesus brought peace. Jesus is the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). Jesus told those who followed Him, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.” (John 14:27) Jesus came to earth to bring peace between God and man by paying for our sin. Romans 5:1 states, “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (NIV) And, even after we have peace with God, we still live in a sinful, chaotic world. Our faith in Christ gives us the peace we need to cast out all fear.

Unless otherwise noted the Scriptures taken from: Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version, (NIrV®)

Special thanks to John R. Cross, The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus, GoodSeed International.

Related Topics: Children, Children's Curriculum, Faith

5. Jesus Heals the Man of the Tombs (Matthew 8:28-34; Mark 5:1-20)

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Lesson

PPT TITLE

Main Point: Jesus brings peace.

Key Verse:

Let the peace that Christ gives rule in your hearts. - Colossians 3:15a

Props: Realistic sword, butter knife; Optional: YouTube video, see bottom of page 4

Background/Review

Say: We have read the exciting story of Jesus calming a wild storm on the sea by just speaking to the wind and waves. His disciples, who were with Him, were amazed at what they saw. That day, Jesus taught the men that true faith in Him would take away their fear. These men were learning more about Jesus every day. In our next story, they will learn that Jesus had power over Satan and his demons, and Jesus brings peace.

Today’s story starts out as a very sad story about a man who had evil spirits living inside of him. The man had a terrible life, ruled by evil spirits, but when he met with Jesus, Jesus turned everything around! Jesus turned the man’s sadness into great joy! Jesus turned his crying into dancing! This happened because Jesus is IMMEASURABLY more powerful than the devil and his demons.

There are many scary movies about the devil, and at Halloween time, we can hardly escape scary images on television. To be sure, the devil is strong and wants to harm people. But we don’t have to be afraid! Our God is a billion times stronger than the devil. There is NO comparison between God’s strength and the devil’s. It’s sort of like this: We know that ants are strong creatures. They can lift 50 times their own body weight! That is very strong for an ant. But what if an ant was crossing the road, and along came an 18-wheeler semi truck that hit the ant? Would the strength of the ant cause the truck to swerve off the road, or would the truck squish the ant? Of course, the truck would crush the ant. In fact, there would not be any trace of the ant left behind. That’s the way God is with the devil. The devil has some power, yes, but when God unleashes His power on the devil - squish! The devil does not stand a chance! And when we trust in and abide in Jesus, the devil is no match for us! So, when we read today’s story that talks about evil spirits, we shouldn’t focus on the power that they have and become scared. We should focus on the much greater power that Jesus has, and rejoice!

Jesus Meets Legion (Mark 5:1-10)

Say: This story is told in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Today we’ll read it out of Mark 5 because Mark gives the most details. Jesus and the disciples had come across the Sea of Galilee, and were heading toward the area of Gerasenes. The people who lived there were not Jews. Teacher: Refer to map. Just as Jesus and the disciples got to the West side of the lake, they met a man with a BIG problem.

They went across the Sea of Galilee to the area of the Gerasenes. Jesus got out of the boat. A man with an evil spirit came from the tombs to meet him. The man lived in the tombs. No one could keep him tied up anymore. Not even a chain could hold him. His hands and feet had often been chained. But he tore the chains apart. And he broke the iron cuffs on his ankles. No one was strong enough to control him. Night and day he screamed among the tombs and in the hills. He cut himself with stones. - Mark 5:1-5

This man was suffering terribly because evil spirits were controlling his mind and body. Nothing could keep him calm. He could no longer live near his family and friends. He was driven to live out of town, in a graveyard! He was so tormented that he screamed all day and night. It must have been a terrible sound, hearing his screams echo off of the rocky clefts in the middle of the night. These demons even caused the man to cut himself with stones.

Satan and his demons want to harm people, because Satan is a jealous enemy of God (Isaiah 14:13-14). Satan and his demons know they have no power to harm God, so they want to harm people because God created every person in His image, and God is crazy about each one of them.

When (the man) saw Jesus a long way off, he ran to Him. He fell on his knees in front of Him. He shouted at the top of his voice, “Jesus, Son of the Most High God, what do you want with me? Promise before God that you won’t hurt me!” This was because Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you evil spirit!”

Then Jesus asked the demon, “What is your name?”

“My name is Legion,” he replied. “There are many of us.” And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area. - Mark 5:6-10

Remember, the evil spirits were controlling the man. When Jesus spoke to the man, the evil spirit answered. The evil spirit said that his name was Legion. Legion is a military word. In the Roman army, a legion was a group of up to 6,000 soldiers. We’re not sure if there were actually 6,000 demons in the man, but we are sure there were many. No wonder this poor man was so miserable.

Teacher Note: It is very logical that the demon would use a military term. After all, the devil is at war with believers over the kingdom (Ephesians 6:12).

Ask: Does it surprise anyone that the demon called Jesus the “Son of the Most High God”? Listen for answers. Say: Did you know that every time Jesus meets with a demon, it knows who Jesus is? James 2:19 says, “You believe there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that. And they tremble!”

The demons know who Jesus is, and exactly how powerful He is, yet they are still His enemy. This tells us something very important: Believing the facts about Jesus is not enough to make you right with God. You must put your trust in Him to be saved from your sin and to enter God’s kingdom.

It’s like this: Many years ago, two armies were about to go to war. One army was HUGE and one was tiny. The huge army was more advanced in every way. This army had better weapons, better missiles, better everything. Teacher: Show realistic sword. The small army had pitiful weapons. Show butter knife. There was no question in anyone’s mind - the huge army would win the war.

Just before the battle began, two soldiers in the lesser army talked about the battle ahead. They were both positive that the other side was greater. They believed the fact: the other side was going to win. After thinking about it for a few minutes, the first soldier boldly said that he would stay and fight ‘til his death. But the second soldier threw down his pitiful weapon and ran as fast as he could to join the other side!

Just moments later, the battle began and it wasn’t long before the bigger army destroyed the lesser army. Not one soldier in the lesser army survived. Now, we know that both of the soldiers had believed the facts about which army was greater, but only one survived the day. The second soldier not only believed the truth, but he put his trust in the greater army.

Application: You might know a lot about Jesus. This is wonderful, and all faith begins with some knowledge. But unless you put your trust in Jesus by accepting His forgiveness and new life, you are still separated from God. You are on the losing side.

Say: The demons that were speaking to Jesus decided long ago that they would not put their trust in God. They chose to follow the devil instead (Revelation 12:4, 9). However, the demons were afraid of Jesus because He had complete power over them. They knew that He could do whatever He wanted with them, so they begged Him for mercy.

Into The Pigs (Mark 5:11-20)

Say:

A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. The demons begged Jesus, “Send us among the pigs. Let us go into them.” Jesus allowed it. The evil spirits came out of the man and went into the pigs. There were about 2,000 pigs in the herd. The whole herd rushed down the steep bank. They ran into the lake and drowned. - Mark 5:11-13

Teacher Note: Jesus did not command the pigs to run headlong into the sea. That was the fault of the demons that possessed them. Either the demons caused them to drown themselves, or the instant discomfort brought on by the demon possession caused the pigs to run into the water. As we might expect, demons are depicted elsewhere as causing great harm to the ones they inhabit (Mark 9:17-18, 26; Matthew 9:32-33, 12:22, 15:22).

Students may wonder what happened to the demons after the pigs drowned. Evil spirits are just that - spirits - so they are eternal, and are not “killed.” Even when they are thrown into the lake of fire, it will be eternal torment (Rev. 20:10). In Matthew 8:29, Legion asked if Jesus had come to torture them before the “appointed time.” All demons know that there is a time when they will be judged (and the result will be eternal torment), but these demons knew the time had not yet come.

2 Peter 2:4 says, “...God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment;” The word hell, here, is Tartaros, the deepest Abyss of hell (Thayer’s Lexicon). In Luke 8:31, Legion begged Jesus not to send them into the Abyss (abyssos, the pit - a very deep gulf or chasm in the lowest parts of the earth used as the common receptacle of the dead and especially as the abode of demons - Thayer’s Lexicon). We are not sure if Jesus granted their request not to send them into the Abyss. We only know that Jesus allowed them to go into the pigs. Therefore, it is not clear whether the demons were free to inhabit another living being, or if they were, at that point, forced to go into the abyss until their final judgment.

Say: By Jesus’ word, the demons fled out of the man. Because Jesus allowed it, the demons entered into the pigs that were nearby. These pigs are a clue for us. Jewish people did not eat pork (or pigs). Pigs were considered unclean for the Jews, so they did not raise them as livestock. This proves that the people who were taking care of the pigs were not Jewish. When the pig-herders saw their 2,000 pigs stampede into the lake and drown, they got out of there quickly! They ran to town and told everyone what had happened. This was unbelievable! So all the people came out to see for themselves.

Remember, before the demon-possessed man met Jesus, he was totally wild. He had super-human strength, and iron chains could not hold him. He had ripped off his clothes, and cut his own skin with rocks. He was completely out of control. Listen to what the townspeople found when they got to the seashore:

Then they came to Jesus. They saw the man who had been controlled by many demons. He was sitting there. He was now dressed and thinking clearly. All this made the people afraid. - Mark 5:15

The man was sitting, fully dressed, and thinking clearly. What a transformation! The people who knew him could not believe their eyes. This wild man was now controlled - not by chains or armed guards - but he was self-controlled. The Bible says that one of the fruits of God’s Spirit is self-control! (Galatians 5:22-23) This man was living proof that “Anyone who believes in Christ is a new creation. The old is gone! The new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

The change in this man reminds me of the story we read last week (Mark 4:35-41). In a way, this man was very much like the raging storm on the Sea of Galilee. Both were destructive and dangerous. Both were completely out of control. No person could contain either one. But then both met with Jesus, and Jesus brought peace. One name for Jesus is the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). Jesus told those who followed Him, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.” (John 14:27)

Application: Jesus is peace. He came to earth to bring peace between God and man by paying for our sin. The Bible says that when we put our trust in Jesus, “we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.” (Romans 5:1 NLT) And, even after we have peace with God, we still live in a world that has many problems. So when things seem out of control in your life, take them to Jesus. He can give you peace in any situation. (Teacher: Share a personal story of when Jesus gave you peace in a difficult time.)

Reactions (Mark 5:11-20)

Say: Mark tells us that the townspeople saw the man dressed and sitting down calmly. Perhaps they also saw 2,000 dead pigs floating in the lake. They became very afraid.

All this made the people afraid. Those who had seen it told them what had happened to the man. They told about the pigs as well. Then the people began to beg Jesus to leave their area.

Jesus was getting into the boat. The man who had been controlled by demons begged to go with Him. Jesus did not let him. He said, “Go home to your family. Tell them how much the Lord has done for you. Tell them how kind He has been to you.”

So the man went away. In the area known as the Ten Cities, he began to tell how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed. - Mark 5:15c-20

Teacher Note: Some commentators suggest that the people begged Jesus to leave because they were angry over the loss of their valuable livestock. However, Mark and Luke both attribute the peoples’ reaction to fear, not greed (Mark 5:15; Luke 8:37).

The townspeople begged Jesus to leave! They could clearly see that Jesus was more powerful than the demons, and it scared them. They were not Jews; they were not expecting a Savior; they did not understand that Jesus came to save them. So they begged Him to leave. Jesus does not stay where He is not welcomed, so He and the disciples climbed back into their boat.

But the man who had been saved from demons ran after Jesus. He wanted to go with Him. But Jesus had an even better plan for this man. Jesus told him to go back to his family and friends and tell them what had happened to him. The very people who knew him when he was completely out of control would be amazed at his new life. This plan brought glory to God!

Application: I don’t want you to leave here today focusing on demons and being afraid of them. People who have put their trust in Jesus - those who have accepted Jesus’ free gift of forgiveness and new life - have God’s Holy Spirit living inside of them (John 7:39, Ephesians 1:13). And an evil spirit CANNOT live where the Holy Spirit lives! So this story cannot happen in the life of a believer. Remember, it was the moment when this man came to Jesus that the evil spirits were forced to leave him. This story teaches us two important things. First, Jesus is FAR more powerful than the devil and His demons, and secondly, Jesus brings peace where there once was chaos.

You have a choice to make. Will you be like the townspeople, who sent Jesus away because they were so afraid that Jesus would change things in their lives? Or will you be like the man, who was overjoyed with the change in his life, wanted to be near Jesus, and spent the rest of his days proclaiming how good God had been to him?

PPT VERSE

Key Verse:

Let the peace that Christ gives rule in your hearts. - Colossians 3:15a

PPT MAIN POINT

Main Point: Jesus brings peace.

Unless otherwise noted the Scriptures taken from: Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version, (NIrV®)

Special thanks to John R. Cross, The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus, GoodSeed International.

Related Topics: Children, Children's Curriculum

7. Jesus Heals Jairus’ Daughter (Matthew 9:18-26; Mark 5:21-43)

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Lesson

PPT TITLE

Main Point: Jesus has power over sickness and death.

Key Verse:

After the crowd had been sent outside, Jesus went in. He took the girl by the hand, and she got up. - Matthew 9:25

Background/Review

Say: Word was spreading about Jesus. This was long before the days of television and movies. It was even before common people had books. People spread news by talking to other people. Those who had seen the miracles of Jesus told others. Then those people told others, and so on. At this time, God had not sent a prophet for 400 years, so these people were not used to seeing miracles. When Jesus arrived, teaching a new message about God’s kingdom, and performing miracles, it was the talk of the town - and the countryside!

Jairus Comes To Jesus (Mark 5:21-24)

Say: We know that many of the Jewish leaders did not follow Jesus. These leaders were very angry that Jesus was teaching things that were so different than the things they taught. But in today’s story, we’ll learn about one Jewish leader, named Jairus, who did put his trust in Jesus. Jairus went to find Jesus when he had a big, big problem. He needed help fast, but Jesus wasn’t nearby. Jesus had been teaching on the other side of the Sea of Galilee, and now He was on His way back. When people heard that Jesus was returning, they crowded at the shoreline. Jairus was one of these people. His problem was so urgent, he probably paced back and forth waiting to catch a glimpse of Jesus’ boat heading to shore. Ask: Have you ever had a big, big problem? Have you ever needed Jesus this much? Let’s read in Mark 5:21:

Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee in a boat. It landed at the other side. There a large crowd gathered around Him. Then a man named Jairus came. He was a synagogue ruler. Seeing Jesus, he fell at his feet. He begged Jesus, “Please come. My little daughter is dying. Place your hands on her to heal her. Then she will live.” So Jesus went with him. - Mark 5:21-24a

Jairus was the leader of the synagogue. Synagogues were buildings where the Jewish people met to study God’s word and worship God. (This is not the same as the holy Temple where sacrifices were made.) Jewish people still meet and worship in synagogues today. It is sort of like our church here. As ruler of the synagogue, Jairus would take care of the building and choose which people would participate in the services. He would have been a very well known and respected man. Jairus was an important Jewish leader, but now he was helpless. His 12-year-old daughter was dying (Mark 5:42).

Teacher Note: The synagogue, as we find it in the New Testament, had its roots in the time after Solomon’s Temple was destroyed and many of the people were carried into Exile. Local worship and instruction became necessary. Even after many of the Jews returned to Jerusalem and rebuilt the Temple, places of local worship continued. By the time of Jesus these places and assemblies were called synagogues (Holman Bible Dictionary).

It’s so easy for us to read through this quickly and not give much thought to it. But today, I would like us to see it as it really happened. This was no small act for Jairus. He wasn’t merely inviting Jesus over for coffee; his little girl’s life was at stake! Try to imagine the sight of Jairus falling at the feet of Jesus and begging Him to come heal his little girl. Teacher: Pre-arrange for an adult volunteer fall at your feet and beg in Jairus’ words. This will be awkward and should grab everyone’s attention. Say: Don’t you think everyone was staring at this point? But Jairus didn’t care. His little girl was dying, and he was certain that Jesus could heal her.

Jesus doesn’t always choose to heal people when we want them to be healed. Sometimes He has a different plan - a better plan, as we’ll see in a few minutes. But Jairus had faith that Jesus was ABLE heal his daughter. Jairus went to Jesus, because Jairus was sure that Jesus had power over sickness. Jairus didn’t worry about his what people were thinking about him. Even though he was an important man, he was not ashamed to ask Jesus for help. He didn’t care if people were staring at him.

Jesus loved Jairus and did not hesitate to go with him. Jesus is full of compassion (Matthew 14:14, 20:34). That means He feels the pain that His people feel. Jesus was pleased that Jairus had the faith to come to Him (Hebrews 11:6).

Application: Jesus feels every bit of the pain you feel. You should never be afraid to bring your needs to Jesus. He longs to help you. He has the power to help when no one else can - and the perfect wisdom to always do exactly what is best for you!

A Sick Woman (Mark 5:24-29)

Say:

A large group of people followed. They crowded around Him. A woman was there who had a sickness that made her bleed. It had lasted for 12 years. She had suffered a great deal, even though she had gone to many doctors. She had spent all the money she had. But she was getting worse, not better. Then she heard about Jesus. She came up behind him in the crowd and touched his clothes. She thought, “I just need to touch His clothes. Then I will be healed.” Right away her bleeding stopped. She felt in her body that her suffering was over. - Mark 5:24b-29

This poor woman had suffered for many years. The type of bleeding she had can cause problems such as: a really fast heartbeat, low blood pressure, and a low body temperature. All of these things make a person feel terrible. She tried to get help from doctors. The doctors had taken all of her money, but had not healed her. Back then, doctors didn’t know nearly as much as they know now. Their idea of treatment might have been worse than the disease it self. One thing is certain - she was only getting worse. This woman was helpless and hopeless - until she heard about Jesus.

Like Jairus, this woman had faith in Jesus. She was certain that Jesus could heal her. She knew that He was so powerful that if she could just touch the hem of His clothes, she would be healed. Now that’s faith!

We have all been at a swimming pool in the summertime. If a lifeguard hears thunder or sees lightning, what happens? Everyone has to get out of the pool. Say: The lifeguard clears the pool. He knows that if lightning hits the water, the electrical power will travel through the water and shock anyone who is touching the water. You don’t actually have to touch the lighting to be shocked - touching the water that is touched by lightning is enough! Jesus’ power must have worked something like that. His power is greater than that of lightning. By His power, the entire universe was created! All the woman had to do was to touch His clothing, in faith, and she was instantly healed. She could feel the relief wash over her body. There was no question - she was healed.

Say: Everyone put your hands together like this. Teacher: Hold your own hands together, similar to an “arm wrestling” hold - do not lace individual fingers together. Say: When I say “start,” squeeze your hands as hard as you can, and squeeze until I say to let go. “Start!” Teacher: say the following sentences slowly and deliberately. The woman had heart pain and discomfort all over her body, all the time for twelve years. But as soon as she touched Jesus’ clothing, she felt relief. Now, without moving your hands, stop squeezing. Did you feel relief flood into your hands? That’s what she felt! That’s how she knew she was healed. What joy she felt at that moment!

At once Jesus knew that power had gone out from Him. He turned around in the crowd. He asked, “Who touched my clothes?”

“You see the people,” His disciples answered. “They are crowding against You. And You still ask, ‘Who touched Me?’ ”

But Jesus kept looking around. He wanted to see who had touched Him.

Then the woman came and fell at His feet. She knew what had happened to her. She was shaking with fear. But she told Him the whole truth.

He said to her, “Dear woman, your faith has healed you. Go in peace. You are free from your suffering.” - Mark 5:30-34

Many people were crowded around Jesus. Indeed, many people touched Him. But there was something very different about this woman. She knew that she was helpless. She was truly poor in spirit, and she put all her hope in Jesus. So Jesus asked who had touched Him.

Remember, Jesus did not ask questions to gain information. He already knows everything! He knew the answer to every question before He ever asked it! He asked this question for the sake of the woman and those around Him. When He asked who touched Him, the woman became so afraid! The joy she felt over being healed suddenly turned to fear. She must have felt like a child who had been called into the principal’s office! But Jesus didn’t call her forward because she was in trouble. It was just the opposite! He wanted her to know that she had done very well to put her trust in Him.

The woman was healed. Jesus could have left it at that. But Jesus wanted to give her more. He wanted to give her the peace of knowing that He was happy to heal her. She didn’t have to live her life thinking she had “stolen” this blessing. Jesus poured out His grace on her like a big hug! Not only did He heal her, but He also gave her peace. And one more reason Jesus made her known was to make her an example to others. Her faith was an example to those around her that day, and even to us today!

Let’s not forget that Jesus was on His way to Jairus’ house to heal Jairus’ daughter when the woman touched His robe. I can imagine that Jairus, who was worried sick about his dying daughter, may have thought that this woman’s interruption was a bad thing. After all, this woman caused Jesus stop when He should be running to the little girl. But Jesus did not see it that way at all! The sick woman did not catch Jesus by surprise! Jesus is able to work all things together for good for those who love Him (Romans 8:28). Jesus allowed this “interruption” so that Jairus and the others would learn more about Him. Jesus would receive more glory, and their faith would grow stronger.

Application: Jesus will never think of your need as an interruption in His day! And He will never scold you for coming to Him! No, quite the opposite - He will be so pleased that you had the faith to trust Him and bring your need to Him. Every time you bring your needs to Jesus, you are showing that you have faith in Him - you trust that He has the power and compassion to help you.

Jairus’ Daughter Dies (Mark 5:35-43)

Say: Let’s continue reading in Mark 5:35 to see what happened with Jairus’ daughter:

While Jesus was still speaking, some people came from the house of Jairus. He was the synagogue ruler. “Your daughter is dead,” they said. “Why bother (Jesus) the teacher anymore?”

But Jesus didn’t listen to them. He told (Jairus) the synagogue ruler, “Don’t be afraid. Just believe.” - Mark 5:35-36

Jesus had been delayed on the way to Jairus’ home. I can’t even imagine the pain that gripped Jairus’ heart when he heard the news that it was too late. But Jesus, the author of peace, was quick to say to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid. Just believe.” It was in this moment that Jairus had to make a decision. Would he believe the terrible news, or believe in Jesus? Would he stop in his tracks, or continue walking along side the Healer? He had seen that Jesus had power over sickness. Would he believe that Jesus had power over death?

Teacher Note: Perhaps the bleeding woman had crossed their path at just the right moment to strengthen Jairus’ faith. Jairus was about to face a crisis of faith. This may be one more reason that Jesus made the woman’s healing public.

Jairus trusted Jesus and continued walking with Him towards his home. Jairus had seen Jesus heal; now he would see greater things.

(Jesus) let only Peter, James, and John, the brother of James, follow Him. They came to the home of the synagogue ruler. There Jesus saw a lot of confusion. People were crying and sobbing loudly. He went inside. Then He said to them, “Why all this confusion and sobbing? The child is not dead. She is only sleeping.” But they laughed at Him.

He made them all go outside. He took only the child’s father and mother and the disciples who were with Him. And He went in where the child was. He took her by the hand. Then He said to her, “Talitha koum!” This means, “Little girl, I say to you, get up!” The girl was 12 years old. Right away she stood up and walked around. They were totally amazed at this. Jesus gave strict orders not to let anyone know what had happened. And He told them to give her something to eat. - Mark 5:37-43

Jesus told all the people who were crying about the girl’s death that they did not need to cry. But they laughed at Him. God’s ways are so much higher than the ways of people that they simply did not understand what Jesus was saying (Isaiah 55:9). These people did not have faith in Jesus. They were not invited to enter the home and witness the miracle.

It only took a few words for Jesus to raise the girl. This shouldn’t surprise us too much, because it was God’s spoken word that created the world and all the life that is in it! Of course, the girl’s mother and father, and Peter, James, and John were completely amazed. They each knew that Jesus had power over sickness. And the disciples knew that Jesus had power over nature and evil spirits. But now, this handful of people knew that Jesus had power over death. Do you think that Jairus and his wife realized at that moment that God’s own Son was sitting in their daughter’s bedroom? How blessed they were! Not only was their daughter fine, but they had also come face to face with the long-awaited Messiah.

Application: Today, we have seen two beautiful examples of faith. When the sick woman and Jairus were helpless and hopeless, Jesus was the answer. The woman came to Jesus and Jesus brought healing and peace. Jairus put his trust in Jesus, and Jesus brought life where there once was death. In the kingdom of God, suffering ends, hearts are mended, and new life takes the place of death.

Do you have faith, as these two did? Do you trust that Jesus’ way is always the right way? When you are faced with a very difficult problem, will you bring it to Jesus, and will you walk with Jesus wherever He asks you to go?

Do you trust that God’s timing is perfect? Sometimes He allows delays so that you can learn more about Him. Then He will receive more glory and your faith will grow stronger.

If you don’t think you have this kind of faith, simply ask God for a strong faith. Faith is a free gift from your loving heavenly Dad (Ephesians 2:8, 1 Corinthians 12:9). He will gladly give you the gift of faith (Matthew 7:11, James 1:17).

PPT VERSE

Key Verse:

After the crowd had been sent outside, Jesus went in. He took the girl by the hand, and she got up. - Matthew 9:25

PPT MAIN POINT

Main Point: Jesus has power over sickness and death.

Unless otherwise noted the Scriptures taken from: Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version, (NIrV®)

Special thanks to John R. Cross, The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus, GoodSeed International.

Related Topics: Children, Children's Curriculum

6. Jesus Heals the Paralyzed Man (Matthew 9:1-8; Mark 2:1-12)

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Lesson

PPT TITLE

Main Point: Only Jesus can forgive our sins.

Key Verse:

“I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” - Mark 2:10

Props: Straw mat, rolled up; Hand-drawn map; drawing of oil change (at end of lesson)

Background/Review (Matthew 8:23-27)

Say: As we’ve traveled around the area of Galilee with Jesus and His new disciples, we have seen Jesus do amazing things. He controlled the savage sea with a simple command. With just a word, Jesus took what was chaotic and brought peace. In the same way, Jesus gave inner peace to the man who once lived with evil spirits. Today we will look at an incredible story that proves Jesus has the authority to forgive sins.

Jesus Heals The Paralyzed Man (Matthew 9:1-8; Mark 2:1-12)

Say: Jesus was born in Bethlehem. When He was very young, His parents moved to Nazareth, in the area of Galilee. Teacher: Refer to PowerPoint map. And when Jesus grew up, He moved to Capernaum, on the Sea of Galilee, which was foretold by the prophet Isaiah (Matthew 4:13-16). Jesus traveled all over Galilee teaching His truth and healing the sick (Matthew 4:23).

A few days later, Jesus entered Capernaum again. The people heard that he had come home. So many people gathered that there was no room left. There was not even room outside the door. And Jesus preached the word to them.

Four of those who came were carrying a man who could not walk. But they could not get him close to Jesus because of the crowd. So they made a hole in the roof above Jesus. Then they lowered the man through it on a mat. - Mark 2:1-4

Say: Archaeologists have dug up homes in Capernaum, and found that the largest homes would fit about 50 people in them, if the people were standing really close together. People did not live in homes like ours, with a separate bedroom for each person. There was just one or two rooms where everything took place. So, let’s picture Jesus, packed into a very simple home that was full of people. People spilled out around the front door. They stood on their tiptoes, craning their necks to see Jesus; they leaned into the windows just to hear what Jesus had to say.

Along came four loyal friends, carrying their friend who was paralyzed, or unable to walk. These men had heard about Jesus healing people all over Galilee. They were sure that Jesus could heal their friend, so they carried him to the home where Jesus was. Back then, people did not have thick padded mattresses with big fluffy pillows for a bed. People simply slept on a mat. When it was time to go to sleep, everyone grabbed his or her mat, which was rolled up and tucked away in a corner. Show your mat. Each person unrolled their mat, lay down in the main room, and went to sleep. So the mat that this paralyzed man was lying on was most likely his own “bed.”

Homes at that time did not have roofs like your house or mine. The roofs were made with branches that were laid across the ceiling beams. The branches were packed with mud that dried in the sun. They were sturdy enough to walk on, but could be dug through. Often, there were outside staircases leading up to the rooftops.

When the men approached the house, and saw that the people were packed in like sardines, they knew that the five of them would never make it in through the front door. Now, most people may have given up right there. But these men did not! They were SO SURE that Jesus could heal their friend that they did something drastic. They climbed up onto the roof - still carrying their friend. They dug right through that dried mud roof! Do you think the people who were standing right below where the men were digging started to feel dirt clumps fall into their hair? As the whole got bigger, surely people started to look up to see what in the world was going on.

I believe two of the men probably jumped down through the hole they made, while two men stayed on top. Then the two on top of the roof helped lower the paralyzed man down to the two men who were now in the room. I can just imagine the gasps in the crowd. If there were any kids in the room, they probably started to laugh at this strange sight. Let’s see what Jesus had to say about five men ruining the roof!

Jesus saw their faith. So he said to the man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” - Mark 2:5

Jesus was not at all angry that the men made a hole in the roof! He was thrilled that the men had such great faith in Him, that they wouldn’t dream of going home without getting their friend in front of Him.

The man on the mat was not able to walk. He had come to Jesus to be healed because he was certain that Jesus could heal him. But Jesus saw a need much greater than his paralyzed legs. He saw the man’s sinful heart. God can always see the heart of a person (Luke 16:15). Jesus knew that the man was a sinner, like every man, woman, and child. Jesus knew that the man was separated from God because of his sin (Isaiah 59:2). A person who is separated from God is the saddest sight in the world! Because the men fully trusted Jesus, Jesus gave this man the greatest gift. It was FAR better than making his legs work; it was the forgiveness of his sins. And when Jesus forgave the man’s sins, he became a part of God’s kingdom. He would have new life here on earth, brought back into a relationship with his heaven Father. He would spend eternity with His loving Creator.

Application: It’s important to note that Jesus did not forgive the man because he and his friends had worked so hard to enter the home. No, this was just proof of the faith they had in Jesus. This crippled man knew that he was helpless to help himself. He put his trust in the only One who could heal him.

Doubters (Mark 2:6-12)

Say: Not everyone understood who Jesus was, or how He could claim to forgive sins.

Some teachers of the law were sitting there. They were thinking, “Why is this fellow (Jesus) talking like that? He’s saying a very evil thing! Only God can forgive sins!”

Right away Jesus knew what they were thinking. So He said to them, “Why are you thinking these things? Is it easier to say to this man, ‘Your sins are forgiven’? Or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.”

Then Jesus spoke to the man who could not walk. “I tell you,” He said, “get up. Take your mat and go home.”

The man got up and took his mat. Then he walked away while everyone watched. All the people were amazed. They praised God and said, “We have never seen anything like this!” - Mark 2:6-12

Teacher Note: The term “Son of Man” appears in Psalm 80:17, noting the man at God’s right hand, and again in the Messianic prophecy in Daniel 7:13. Daniel 7:14 expounds, “He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.”

Say: Let’s talk about why it was so shocking for Jesus to tell the man that his sins were forgiven. When you and I hear the name of Jesus, we automatically think about love and forgiveness. But at the time of our story, Jesus was new on the scene! He had only been speaking in public for a short time. At this point, very few people knew who He really was.

Ask: Who can tell me how the Israelites (called Jews at this time) atoned for, or covered, their sins? They offered an animal sacrifice. Say: In the rules that God gave to Moses, God said that the Jews had to offer an animal sacrifice. Could they do this just anywhere? No. It had to be done in the Temple. The sin covering had to be done in just the right place, in just the right way. The religious teachers that heard Jesus speak in the house that day knew all about the Temple. They could not believe that Jesus talked about forgiving sins outside the Temple, without an animal sacrifice!

But Jesus had come to proclaim GREAT NEWS! HE was the final sacrifice who would take away the sin of the world! (John 1:29) It was no longer about the sacrifice in the Temple; it was all about HIM!

If I was trying to teach you something that was really hard for you to understand, I might draw you a picture. For instance, if I was giving you directions to my house, I might draw you a map. Teacher: Hold up your map. Or if I wanted to show you how to change the oil on my car, I might draw a picture of the oil filter, the gasket, and the oil pan. Show the oil change diagram. Now, this picture is not the oil change; it just helps you understand how the oil change works.

In the same way, the Temple was a picture for the Jews to understand God’s plan (Hebrews 8:5). In the Temple, the animal sacrifices had to be first-born males, without any flaws. They had to shed their perfect blood to cover the sins of the sinful person. This was a picture of the Savior God was going to send. This was a picture of Jesus. God gave the Temple as a picture that Jesus would come to die as the final sacrifice to take away our sins (Hebrews 9:11).

Jesus said, “Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the Law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose.” - Matthew 5:17 NLT

Teacher Note: The teachers accused Jesus of blasphemy, of dishonoring God’s name. The Old Testament punishment for blasphemy was death. Even this early in His ministry, the groundwork was being laid for his enemies to plot against Him.

Say: Jesus could read the thoughts of the religious teachers. That should have been proof enough for those teachers to realize that Jesus was no ordinary man! But He decided to give them even more proof of His authority. He gave them something they could see with their eyes (healing the crippled man) to prove that He could do what their eyes could not see (forgive sins). The paralyzed man was carried in that day, but he left leaping for joy. His legs were healed, but more importantly, his heart was made new (Ezekiel 36:26).

Anyone who believes in Christ is a new creation. The old is gone! The new has come! - 2 Corinthians 5:17

No doubt, some of the teachers became angry that Jesus had proven them wrong. But those who had eyes to see and ears to hear were amazed and praised the Lord!

Application: The teachers did not understand what Jesus was saying because it was different than what they were used to. But this should not surprise us. Remember, Jesus taught that everything in the Kingdom of God was totally different than the way things were in the world. We must abide in God, and ask Him to help us see with Kingdom eyes. Let’s join with those who walked away in amazement, praising the Lord for the truth of His kingdom.

PPT VERSE

Key Verse:

“I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” - Mark 2:10

PPT MAIN POINT

Main Point: Only Jesus can forgive our sins.

Unless otherwise noted the Scriptures taken from: Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version, (NIrV®)

Special thanks to John R. Cross, The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus, GoodSeed International.

Related Topics: Children, Children's Curriculum

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6. Joseph Tests His Brothers (Genesis 43-44)

Lesson

Background/Review

Joseph’s Brothers Set Out For Egypt (Genesis 43:1-15)

Joseph Receives His Brothers (Genesis 43:16-34)

Siver Cup In A Sack (Genesis 44:1-34)

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7. Joseph Makes Himself Known (Genesis 45)

Lesson

Background/Review

Joseph Makes Himself Known (Genesis 45:1-15)

Pharaoh Blesses Joseph’s Family (Genesis 45:16-24)

Jacob Hears The Good News (Genesis 45:25-28)

Comparison

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8. Jacob Moves to Egypt (Genesis 46-47)

Lesson

Background/Review

Jacob Turns To God (Genesis 46:1-27)

Joseph And Jacob Are Reunited (Genesis 46:28-34)

Pharaoh Meets The Family (Genesis 47:1-12)

Will Work For Food (Genesis 47:13-26)

Blessed In Goshen (Genesis 47:27)

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9. Jacob Blesses His Family (Genesis 48-50)

Lesson

Background/Review

Jacob’s Charge To Joseph (Genesis 47:28-31)

Jacob Blesses Joseph’s Sons (Genesis 48)

Jacob Blesses His Sons (Genesis 49:1-33)

Jacob’s Death (Genesis 49:29 - 50:21)

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1. Waiting for the King (Matthew 3-4; Mark 1:1-20; John 1:19-42)

Lesson

Background/Review

The Kingdom Of God

John Announces The Kingdom (Matthew 3:1-12, Mark 1:1-7)

John Announces The King (Matthew 3:13-16, Mark 1:8-13, John 1:19-34)

Some Choose To Follow The King (Mark 1:14-20)

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2. Kingdom Life (Matthew 5)

Lesson

Background/Review

Poor In Spirit (Matthew 5:1-3)

Kingdom Life (Matthew 5:4-48)

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4. Jesus Calms the Storm (Matthew 8:23-27; Mark 4:35-41)

Lesson

Background/Review

Jesus Calms The Storm (Mark 4:35-40)

Faith

Disciples’ Reaction (Matthew 8:27)

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5. Jesus Heals the Man of the Tombs (Matthew 8:28-34; Mark 5:1-20)

Lesson

Background/Review

Jesus Meets Legion (Mark 5:1-10)

Into The Pigs (Mark 5:11-20)

Reactions (Mark 5:11-20)

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7. Jesus Heals Jairus’ Daughter (Matthew 9:18-26; Mark 5:21-43)

Lesson

Background/Review

Jairus Comes To Jesus (Mark 5:21-24)

A Sick Woman (Mark 5:24-29)

Jairus’ Daughter Dies (Mark 5:35-43)

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6. Jesus Heals the Paralyzed Man (Matthew 9:1-8; Mark 2:1-12)

Lesson