Joyful Moments in Christ

This Bible study lesson is for people who are learning English (ELL or ESL students). It is made for advanced beginner and intermediate English learners. Children who speak English or adults who prefer easy English may also enjoy it and learn from it.

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Lesson Icebreaker Question

What is something surprising or good that has happened to you when you did not expect it?

Lesson Highlight

In this lesson, we will learn about what happened after Jesus died. Some women went to visit his tomb, but something amazing happened there. We will talk about what they saw and what it means for us.

Vocabulary List (GNT)

1. Alive — Living, not dead.
2. Amazed — Very surprised and full of wonder.
3. Apostles — The special followers and helpers of Jesus.
4. Body — The physical part of a person.
5. Bow — To bend down to show respect.
6. Bright — Full of light and shining.
7. Carry — To hold and move something from one place to another.
8. Clothes — Things people wear on their bodies.
9. Crucified — Killed by being nailed to a cross.
10. Dead — Not alive.
11. Early — At the beginning part of the day.
12. Entrance — A door or opening to a place.
13. Fear — A strong feeling of being afraid.
14. Found — Discovered something.
15. Galilee — A place in Israel where Jesus taught people.
16. Grave Cloths — Pieces of cloth used to wrap a dead body.
17. Handed Over — Given to someone in power.
18. Happened — Took place or occurred.
19. Lord — A name people use to show respect to God or Jesus.
20. Nonsense — Words or ideas that do not make sense.
21. Prepared — Made something ready.
22. Puzzled — Not understanding something; confused.
23. Resurrection — Coming back to life after being dead.
24. Rise — To come back to life or to get up.
25. Rolled Away — Moved something round out of the way.
26. Sinners — People who do wrong things against God.
27. Son of Man — A name Jesus used for himself.
28. Spices — Things with a good smell used for a dead body.
29. Stood — To be on your feet and not sit.
30. Stone — A hard, round or flat piece of rock.
31. Suddenly — Quickly and without warning.
32. Told — Said something to someone.
33. Tomb — A place where a dead body is placed.

Summary of the Passage

This passage tells us what happened on the Sunday morning after Jesus died. In those days, people would bring spices to put on a dead person’s body as a way to show love and respect. Some women who were Jesus’ friends went to his tomb very early in the morning. When they arrived, they saw the big stone covering the entrance had been moved. They went inside, but the body of Jesus was not there.

The women were very confused. While they were standing there, two men in bright, shining clothes suddenly appeared next to them. The women were very afraid and bowed down. The men told them not to look for Jesus in the place of the dead. He was not there because he was alive again! They reminded the women that Jesus had said this would happen when he was in Galilee.

Then the women remembered what Jesus had said. They quickly went to tell Jesus’ followers, called the apostles, what they had seen. But the apostles thought the story did not make sense and did not believe them. One of them, Peter, ran to the tomb to see for himself. He saw the cloths that had wrapped Jesus’ body but nothing else. Peter was amazed at what had happened.

This passage teaches us that Jesus did not stay dead. He rose from the grave, just as he had promised. It shows us that God is powerful and keeps his promises.

Read The Passage

The Resurrection
¹ Very early on Sunday morning the women went to the tomb, carrying the spices they had prepared.
^2-3 They found the stone rolled away from the entrance to the tomb, so they went in; but they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.
⁴ They stood there puzzled about this, when suddenly two men in bright shining clothes stood by them.
⁵ Full of fear, the women bowed down to the ground, as the men said to them, “Why are you looking among the dead for one who is alive?
⁶ He is not here; he has been raised. Remember what he said to you while he was in Galilee:
⁷ ‘The Son of Man must be handed over to sinners, be crucified, and three days later rise to life.’”
^8-9 Then the women remembered his words, returned from the tomb, and told all these things to the eleven disciples and all the rest.
¹⁰ The women were Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James; they and the other women with them told these things to the apostles.
¹¹ But the apostles thought that what the women said was nonsense, and they did not believe them.
¹² But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; he bent down and saw the grave cloths but nothing else. Then he went back home amazed at what had happened.

Luke 24:1-12 (GNT)

Most English learners should use the New International Reader’s Version (NIRV) or the Good News Translation (GNT) because they are easy to read. If you want to try something harder, you can read one of the other Bible versions:

• Very Easy: New International Reader’s Version: Luke 24:1-12 (NIRV)
• Easy: Good News Translation: Luke 24:1-12 (GNT)
• Medium: New Living Translation: Luke 24:1-12 (NLT)
• Hard: New International Version: Luke 24:1-12 (NIV)
• Very Hard: English Standard Version: Luke 24:1-12 (ESV)

Comprehension Questions

1. When did the women go to the tomb?
2. What did the women carry with them?
3. What did they find at the entrance of the tomb?
4. What did they see inside the tomb?
5. How did the women feel when the two men appeared?
6. What did the two men in shining clothes say to the women?
7. Where did the men tell the women to remember Jesus’ words?
8. What did the women do after they left the tomb?
9. Who did the women tell about what happened?
10. How did the apostles feel about the women’s story?
11. Who went to the tomb to see for himself?
12. What did Peter see inside the tomb?
13. How did Peter feel after he saw the empty tomb?

Application Questions

1. How would you feel if you saw something amazing like the empty tomb?
2. Why do you think the women were brave to go to the tomb early in the morning?
3. Why is it important that Jesus is alive again?
4. What does it mean that God keeps his promises?
5. How can we share good news with others, like the women did?

Theological Insights

1. Jesus really died, but he did not stay dead.
2. God has power over death and life.
3. Jesus rising from the dead proves he is the Son of God.
4. God keeps his promises to his people.
5. We should believe the good news even if it sounds surprising.
6. God chooses people, like the women, to share important news.
7. When we believe in Jesus, we can have hope for life after death.

Closing Prayer

Dear Father, thank you for raising Jesus from the dead and showing us your great power. Help us to believe your promises and share your good news with others. Amen.

ELL Resources for the Gospel of Luke

More ELL Resources

You can find more Bible lessons for English learners on the main ELL page.

Scripture quotations marked (GNT) are from the Good News Translation in Today’s English Version- Second Edition Copyright © 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.