Joyful Moments in Christ

Jesus Shows Mercy and Power

This Sunday School lesson is intended for upper elementary students. All lessons on this website are protected by copyright, but you can use them for free in small groups or Sunday School classes. You may share a link to this page, but please do not copy these pages and put them on other websites.

The Big Idea

Jesus shows us that his power to heal and his heart of mercy are more important than following rules about the day of rest in a cold or unkind way.

Lesson Objectives

1. Students will learn that Jesus has the power to set people free from long years of suffering.
2. Students will understand that the Sabbath is a day for celebrating God’s goodness, not for withholding help from those in need.
3. Students will recognize that every person is valuable to God and deserves kindness and compassion, even if the timing isn’t convenient.

Class Setting Notes

1. Recommended for upper elementary Sunday School.
2. Lesson length: 45 to 60 minutes. Can be shortened or extended based on activities selected.

Opening Activity: The Heavy Burden

1. Ask the students to stand up and then bend over at the waist as if they are trying to pick something up.
2. Tell them to stay in that position while you talk for two minutes.
3. After a moment, ask them how their backs feel.
4. Explain that the woman in our story was stuck like that for eighteen years until she met Jesus.

This activity helps introduce the physical struggle the woman faced and helps students feel empathy for her before the lesson begins.

Bible Reading

Ask the class to read Luke 13:10-17 aloud together or have one person read it.

• Very Easy: Easy-to-Read Version: Luke 13:10-17 (ERV)
• Very Easy: New International Reader’s Version: Luke 13:10-17 (NIRV)
• Easy: Good News Translation: Luke 13:10-17 (GNT)
• Medium: New Living Translation: Luke 13:10-17 (NLT)
• Hard: New International Version: Luke 13:10-17 (NIV)
• Very Hard: English Standard Version: Luke 13:10-17 (ESV)

Additional Reading: Choosing the Right Bible Translation

Suggested prompts:

As the class reads aloud, consider asking some of these prompts:

1. Notice how Jesus saw the woman and called her over before she even asked for help.
2. Think about how it must have felt for her to stand up straight for the first time in eighteen years.
3. Watch what happens when the synagogue leader gets angry instead of being happy for the woman.
4. Pay attention to how Jesus uses the example of thirsty animals to show the leader his mistake.
5. Listen for how the crowd reacted to the wonderful things Jesus was doing.

Teacher Background Notes

1. A synagogue was the local center for Jewish life where people gathered for prayer and to hear the Scriptures read and explained.
2. The woman’s condition was caused by an evil spirit, showing that Jesus has authority over both physical bodies and the spiritual world.
3. The Sabbath was meant to be a delight and a day to celebrate God’s work of creation and rescue, but some leaders turned it into a heavy list of rules.
4. By calling her a daughter of Abraham, Jesus was reminding the people that she belonged to God’s family and was worthy of care.
5. Jesus called the leaders hypocrites because they cared more about the comfort of their animals than the healing of a human being made in the image of God.

Theological Insights

1. God is the author of life and rest, and his laws are always meant for the good of his people.
2. Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath who shows us the true meaning of God’s commands through his acts of mercy.
3. Suffering and sickness are results of the fall, but Jesus came to break the bonds of the enemy and restore his creation.
4. True worship includes praising God for his power and showing his love to those who are hurting.
5. The kingdom of God brings joy and freedom that makes the enemies of the gospel feel ashamed while the faithful rejoice.

Discussion Questions

Understanding the Text

1. What did Jesus say to the woman when he first saw her in the synagogue?
2. How did the woman react as soon as she was able to stand up straight?
3. Why did the leader of the synagogue think Jesus was doing something wrong?
4. How did Jesus prove that it was right to heal the woman on the Sabbath?

Personal Reflection and Application

1. How do you think the woman’s life changed after she was healed by Jesus?
2. Why do you think it is easy for people to care more about rules or things than they care about people?
3. Can you think of a time when you saw someone in need and had to decide whether to help them or stay busy with your own plans?
4. How can we use our time on Sundays to show God’s love to people who might be lonely or sick?

Suggested Activities

Standing Tall Praise

1. Give each student a piece of paper and have them draw a stick figure that is bent over.
2. On the other side of the paper, have them draw the same figure standing tall with hands raised in the air.
3. Ask them to write one reason they want to praise God on the side of the figure that is standing straight.

This activity helps students connect the physical healing of the woman to the spiritual act of praising God.

The Ox and the Donkey Match

1. Create a simple matching game where students match animals to the care they need, such as an ox needing water or a donkey needing food.
2. Discuss why the owners would do these chores even on a day of rest.
3. Relate this back to why Jesus said the woman deserved even more care than an animal.

This activity reinforces the logic Jesus used to teach the synagogue leader about mercy.

Mercy Action Cards

1. Write different scenarios on cards where someone might need help, like a friend falling down or a neighbor needing help with groceries.
2. Have students pick a card and explain how they can show mercy in that moment.
3. Talk about how these actions are a way of honoring God.

This activity helps students think of practical ways to be kind and helpful in their daily lives.

Memory Verse

Closing Prayer

Father,
Thank you for loving us and caring for our pain. Help us to be kind and help others like Jesus did. Teach us to show your love every day.
In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

The ESL Version

I also create materials for adult English Language Learners (ELLs) and ESL students. You can find my ELL Bible Study based on Luke 13:10-17 here:

• ELL Bible Study: Luke 13:10-17 — Jesus Heals on the Sabbath

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Related Resources

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English Standard Version (ESV): Unless otherwise noted, scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The ESV text may not be quoted in any publication made available to the public by a Creative Commons license. The ESV may not be translated in whole or in part into any other language.