Joseph Forgives His Brothers Sunday School Lesson for Kids + Free Craft
Looking for a Joseph Forgives His Brothers Sunday School lesson to help children understand biblical forgiveness?
This free Bible lesson for kids uses Genesis 45:1–15 to teach children what happened when Joseph came face-to-face with the brothers who had hurt him years before. Instead of using his power to get even, Joseph chose forgiveness.
Children will learn that forgiveness does not mean pretending something wrong was okay. Instead, they will discover that when someone hurts them, they can bring that hurt to God and ask Him to help them choose forgiveness instead of getting even.
This complete Joseph Forgives His Brothers Bible lesson for kids includes a Bible story, discussion questions, Heart Puzzle craft, Bible game, memory verse activity, faith challenge, lesson review, closing prayer, and free printable for ages 3–10.
This Free Lesson Is From Our October Sunday School Kit
This Joseph Forgives His Brothers lesson is one of 8 complete Bible lessons from our October: Integrity & Standing Firm Ready-to-Teach Sunday School Kit for ages 3–10.
Enjoy this lesson completely free! If you'd like the rest of your month planned for you, there are 7 more ready-to-teach lessons inside the complete October kit.
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FORGIVE OTHERS
Joseph Forgives His Brothers — Genesis 45:1–15
Bible Story: Joseph Forgives His Brothers
Bible Passage: Genesis 45:1–15
Memory Verse: Colossians 3:13 — “Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”
Core Truth: Growing to be like Jesus means choosing forgiveness instead of getting even.
Bible Craft: “I Can Choose to Forgive” Heart Puzzle
Ages: 3–10
Lesson Length: 35–40 minutes
Lesson Goal
Children will learn from Joseph’s example that when someone hurts them, they do not have to hurt that person back. Because God teaches us to forgive, we can choose forgiveness instead of getting even.
1. WELCOME, WORSHIP & PRAYER — 5 MINUTES
Welcome the children and say:
“Today we are going to talk about something that can sometimes be difficult—forgiving someone who has hurt us. Sometimes when someone is unkind to us, we may want to be unkind back. If someone says something mean, we might want to say something mean too.
But today we are going to learn about Joseph. His own brothers had hurt him very deeply. Years later, Joseph had an important choice to make. Would he try to get even, or would he choose forgiveness?”
Worship
Choose two familiar songs about God’s love, forgiveness, or following Him.
Suggested songs:
“Jesus Loves Me”
“I’ve Got the Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy”
Opening Prayer
“Dear God, thank You for loving us and forgiving us. As we learn about Joseph today, help us understand what it means to forgive. When someone hurts us, help us choose what is right instead of trying to hurt them back. Help us grow to be more like Jesus. Amen.”
2. LESSON STARTER — WHAT WOULD YOU DO?
Tell the children:
“I’m going to give you some situations. Think about what you might feel like doing first—and then think about what would be the right thing to do.”
Ask:
“Someone grabs a toy you were playing with. Do you grab it back and yell, or use kind words?”
Allow children to answer.
“Someone says something mean about you. Do you say something mean back, or choose not to get even?”
“Your brother or sister breaks something that belongs to you and says they are sorry. Do you keep reminding them about it, or can you choose to forgive?”
“Someone leaves you out of a game. Do you decide to leave them out next time, or choose not to get even?”
Then say:
“When someone hurts us, we may feel angry or sad. Those feelings are real. But being hurt does not mean that we have to hurt someone back.
Today we are going to see that Joseph had a very big reason to be hurt. His own brothers had treated him terribly. Years later, Joseph came face-to-face with them again.”
3. BIBLE STORY — JOSEPH FORGIVES HIS BROTHERS
Genesis 45:1–15
Before we see what happened when Joseph met his brothers again, we need to remember what his brothers had done to him years before.
Joseph had grown up with many brothers. But Joseph’s brothers became jealous of him. They hated him and did not speak kindly to him.
One day, Joseph went to find his brothers while they were taking care of their father’s flocks. When they saw Joseph coming, they made a terrible plan against him. They grabbed Joseph, took off the special robe his father had given him, and threw him into an empty cistern.
Then, instead of bringing Joseph home, his brothers sold him to some traveling merchants. Joseph was taken far away from his father and his home. His brothers went home without him. They made their father believe that something terrible had happened to Joseph.
Joseph had done nothing to deserve what his brothers did to him. Imagine how Joseph may have felt being taken away from his home and family because of what his own brothers had done. His life changed completely.
But God was with Joseph.
Many things happened during the years that followed. Joseph experienced difficult times, but eventually God placed him in an important position in Egypt. Joseph became a powerful ruler under Pharaoh and was put in charge of storing and distributing food.
Then a severe famine came. There was not enough food in many places, including the land where Joseph’s family lived. So Joseph’s brothers traveled to Egypt to buy food.
When they arrived, they stood before Joseph. But they did not recognize him.
Joseph recognized them.
These were the same brothers who had hated him. The same brothers who had thrown him into a cistern. The same brothers who had sold him and sent him far away from his home.
Now everything was different.
Joseph was the one with power. His brothers needed food, and Joseph was in a position to help them—or to get even with them.
Eventually, Joseph could no longer control his emotions. He told everyone except his brothers to leave the room. Then Joseph began to weep. He cried so loudly that the Egyptians heard him.
Joseph looked at his brothers and said:
“I am Joseph!”
His brothers were terrified. They knew what they had done to Joseph years before.
But Joseph said:
“Come close to me.”
When they came closer, Joseph told them again that he was their brother—the brother they had sold into Egypt.
But Joseph did not use this moment to get revenge.
Instead, he explained that God had been at work and had sent him ahead to preserve lives during the famine. Joseph told them that there were still years of famine ahead. He wanted his father and the rest of the family to come to Egypt, where he could provide for them.
Then Joseph put his arms around his brother Benjamin and wept. Benjamin wept too. After that, Joseph kissed all his brothers and wept over them. Then his brothers were able to talk with him.
Teacher
“Did Joseph’s brothers really hurt him?”
Allow children to answer.
“Yes. What they did to Joseph was very wrong.”
“Now that Joseph was powerful, could he have tried to get even with them?”
“Yes.”
“But what did Joseph choose?”
“He chose forgiveness.”
Joseph remembered what had happened. Forgiveness did not mean that what his brothers had done was okay. Joseph chose not to repay their wrong with another wrong.
4. HEART CONNECTION — I DON’T HAVE TO GET EVEN
Joseph’s brothers had truly hurt him. Forgiving them did not mean that what they had done was okay. It wasn’t okay.
Joseph could not change what had happened to him. He could not go back and erase the years he had spent away from his father and his home. But when Joseph finally stood before his brothers again, something had changed.
Now Joseph had the power. He could have used that power to hurt the people who had hurt him.
Instead, Joseph chose forgiveness.
Sometimes when someone hurts us, one of our first thoughts may be:
“I’ll do it back.”
If someone says something mean, we may want to say something mean. If someone leaves us out, we may want to leave them out next time. If someone breaks something that belongs to us, we may want to break something that belongs to them.
That is getting even.
But getting even does not undo the first hurt. It simply adds another hurt.
Forgiveness says:
“What you did hurt me, but I am not going to hurt you back.”
Forgiveness does not mean pretending that something wrong was okay. It does not mean we cannot tell someone that they hurt us. And if someone is hurting us or doing something unsafe, we should tell a trusted adult.
But we do not have to carry around a plan to get even.
Teacher
“Everyone, make a fist.”
Allow the children to close their hands tightly.
“Sometimes when we are hurt, we want to hold tightly to what happened. We think about it again and again, and we may think about how we can get even.”
Now ask the children to slowly open their hands.
“But we can bring our hurt to God and ask Him to help us forgive.”
Joseph could not change what his brothers had done. But he could choose how he responded to them. And we can make that choice too.
Forgiveness may not always feel easy. Sometimes we may need to ask God for help again and again. Jesus forgives us, and as we grow to be more like Him, we learn to forgive others too.
Say Together
“I don’t have to get even. I can choose to forgive.”
5. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Why were Joseph’s brothers unkind to him when he was younger?
They were jealous of him.
2. What did Joseph’s brothers do to him?
They threw him into a cistern and later sold him.
3. Where was Joseph taken?
Egypt.
4. Why did Joseph’s brothers eventually come to Egypt?
There was a famine, and they needed food.
5. Did Joseph recognize his brothers?
Yes.
6. What did Joseph tell his brothers?
“I am Joseph.”
7. How did Joseph’s brothers react?
They were terrified.
8. Did Joseph use his power to get even with his brothers?
No.
9. What did Joseph choose instead?
Forgiveness.
10. Does forgiveness mean that what someone did was okay?
No. We can recognize that something was wrong and still choose not to get even.
6. JOSEPH FORGIVES HIS BROTHERS CRAFT — “I CAN CHOOSE TO FORGIVE” HEART PUZZLE
This Joseph Forgives His Brothers craft gives children a hands-on reminder of the lesson's central truth: when someone hurts us, we can ask God for help and choose forgiveness instead of getting even.
Children will create an “I Can Choose to Forgive” Heart Puzzle that can be used during the lesson and taken home as a reminder of what they learned.
Materials Needed
CARD STOCK- [AMAZON LINK]
SCISSORS - [AMAZON LINK]
CRAYON OR- [AMAZON LINK]
MARKER- [AMAZON LINK]
7. BIBLE GAME — FORGIVE OR GET EVEN?
Choose two simple motions:
FORGIVE: Place both hands over your heart.
GET EVEN: Cross your arms.
Tell the children:
“I’m going to read a situation. You decide whether the person is choosing forgiveness or trying to get even.”
Situations
“Someone pushes me, so I push them back.” — GET EVEN
“My friend says something mean. I choose not to say something mean back.” — FORGIVE
“My brother breaks my toy, so I break his toy.” — GET EVEN
“Someone hurts my feelings. I tell them what happened, but I don’t try to hurt them back.” — FORGIVE
“Someone leaves me out, so tomorrow I decide I will leave them out.” — GET EVEN
“Someone does something wrong to me. I pray and ask God to help me forgive.” — FORGIVE
Finish by saying:
“Forgiveness isn’t always easy. Sometimes we need God’s help to choose it.”
8. MEMORY VERSE ACTIVITY
Colossians 3:13 — “Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”
Say the verse together several times. First, say it slowly with the motions. Then repeat it a little faster. Finally, let the children try the motions while saying the verse with less help from the teacher.
9. FAITH CHALLENGE — PAUSE, PRAY, CHOOSE
Teach the children three simple steps they can remember when someone hurts them.
PAUSE
Don’t immediately hurt the person back.
PRAY
Ask God to help you forgive and make the right choice.
CHOOSE
Choose a response that pleases God instead of trying to get even.
Say:
“This week, you may have a moment when someone hurts your feelings, says something unkind, or does something that makes you angry. You may feel like doing something back.
When that happens, remember:
PAUSE. PRAY. CHOOSE.
You can tell someone when they have hurt you. You can ask a trusted adult for help when you need it. But you do not have to get even.”
Say together:
“PAUSE. PRAY. CHOOSE FORGIVENESS!”
10. LESSON REVIEW — COMPLETE THE LESSON
Teacher: “Today we learned about a man named…”
Children: “Joseph!”
“Joseph’s brothers were jealous and treated him…”
“Badly!”
“They threw Joseph into a…”
“Cistern!”
“Then they sold Joseph, and he was taken to…”
“Egypt!”
“Years later, Joseph’s brothers came to Egypt because there was a…”
“Famine!”
“Joseph told his brothers…”
“I am Joseph!”
“Joseph’s brothers were…”
“Terrified!”
“Joseph could have tried to get…”
“Even!”
“But Joseph chose…”
“Forgiveness!”
“Forgiving does not mean that what happened was…”
“Okay!”
“When someone hurts me, I don’t have to hurt them…”
“Back!”
“When forgiveness is difficult, I can ask…”
“God for help!”
“I can choose to…”
“Forgive!”
Finish together:
“I DON’T HAVE TO GET EVEN — GOD CAN HELP ME CHOOSE FORGIVENESS!”
11. CLOSING PRAYER
“Dear God, thank You for teaching us through Joseph’s story. Thank You for forgiving us. When someone hurts us, help us not to hurt them back. Help us remember that forgiveness does not make a wrong thing right, but it helps us choose a response that pleases You. When forgiveness feels difficult, help us bring our hurt to You and give us the strength to forgive. Help us show love, kindness, and grace as we grow to be more like Jesus. Amen.”
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Forgive Others — Joseph Forgives His Brothers is one of 8 complete lessons in our October: Integrity & Standing Firm Ready-to-Teach Sunday School Kit for ages 3–10.
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Thank You for Teaching God’s Word
Thank you for taking the time to teach children about God’s Word. I hope this Joseph Forgives His Brothers Sunday School lesson helps make your preparation a little easier and gives your children a meaningful way to learn about forgiveness.
May God bless you, your children, and your ministry.
— Isidra
Faithful Teachers Corner