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.

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

Lesson Icebreaker Question

Can you tell about a time when someone helped you when you were very sad or in trouble? How did it make you feel?

Lesson Highlight

In this lesson, we will learn how Jesus showed kindness to a woman whose son had died. We will see how Jesus has power over life and death. We will talk about how Jesus cares for people who are hurting.

Vocabulary List (GNT)

1. Accompany — To go with someone.
2. Arrive — To come to a place.
3. Carry — To hold and move something from one place to another.
4. Coffin — A box where a dead person is placed for a funeral.
5. Country — A large area of land with its own people and leaders.
6. Cry — To shed tears because you are sad or happy.
7. Dead — A person or thing that is no longer alive.
8. Disciples — The followers and students of Jesus.
9. Fear — A strong feeling of being afraid.
10. Filled — To have something completely inside.
11. Funeral Procession — A group of people walking or driving to a burial.
12. Gate — A door or opening in a wall or fence.
13. Get Up — To rise from sitting or lying down.
14. Great — Very big or important.
15. Heart — The part of a person that feels love, sadness, or joy.
16. Large — Big in size or number.
17. Lord — A name for God or Jesus.
18. News — New information about something that happened.
19. Only — No other one.
20. Pity — A strong feeling of care and sadness for someone’s pain.
21. Praise — To say good things about someone or something.
22. Prophet — A person who brings messages from God.
23. Raise — To bring a dead person back to life.
24. Save — To keep someone from danger or harm.
25. Sat Up — Moved from lying down to sitting.
26. Soon — In a short time.
27. Stop — To no longer move.
28. Surrounding — All around a place.
29. Territory — A land or area that belongs to a country or group.
30. Through — From one side to the other side.
31. Touch — To put your hand or fingers on something.
32. Town — A place where people live, smaller than a city.
33. Walk — To move by putting one foot in front of the other.
34. Widow — A woman whose husband has died.
35. Young — Not old.

Summary of the Passage

This passage tells about a time when Jesus went to a town called Nain. A large group of people was with him. As Jesus came near the town’s gate, a funeral procession was coming out. The dead man was the only son of a woman whose husband had already died. Many people from the town were walking with her because she was very sad.

When Jesus saw the woman, he felt deep pity for her. He told her not to cry. Then Jesus went to the coffin and touched it. The people carrying the coffin stopped walking. Jesus spoke to the dead man and told him to get up. Right away, the man sat up and began to talk. Jesus gave him back to his mother, making her very happy.

The people who saw this miracle were very surprised and afraid. They began to praise God and said a great prophet was among them. They believed God had come to help his people. News about Jesus and what he did spread to the towns and places all around.

This passage teaches us that Jesus cares deeply about people who are hurting. It shows that Jesus has power over death and can give life. Jesus sees our pain and wants to bring hope and help to those in need.

Read The Passage

Jesus Raises a Widow’s Son
11 Soon afterward Jesus went to a town named Nain, accompanied by his disciples and a large crowd.
12 Just as he arrived at the gate of the town, a funeral procession was coming out. The dead man was the only son of a woman who was a widow, and a large crowd from the town was with her.
13 When the Lord saw her, his heart was filled with pity for her, and he said to her, “Don’t cry.”
14 Then he walked over and touched the coffin, and the men carrying it stopped. Jesus said, “Young man! Get up, I tell you!”
15 The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother.
16 They all were filled with fear and praised God. “A great prophet has appeared among us!” they said; “God has come to save his people!”
17 This news about Jesus went out through all the country and the surrounding territory.

Luke 7:11-17 (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 7:11-17 (NIRV)
• Easy: Good News Translation: Luke 7:11-17 (GNT)
• Medium: New Living Translation: Luke 7:11-17 (NLT)
• Hard: New International Version: Luke 7:11-17 (NIV)
• Very Hard: English Standard Version: Luke 7:11-17 (ESV)

Comprehension Questions

1. Where did Jesus go with his disciples and a large crowd?
2. Who had died in the town of Nain?
3. What was special about the dead man’s mother?
4. How did Jesus feel when he saw the woman crying?
5. What did Jesus say to the woman?
6. What did Jesus do when he walked over to the coffin?
7. What happened when Jesus told the young man to get up?
8. How did the people feel when they saw this miracle?
9. What did the people say about Jesus after the young man was raised?
10. Where did the news about Jesus go after this miracle?

Application Questions

1. Have you ever seen someone who was very sad? What did you do?
2. Why do you think Jesus cared about the woman so much?
3. What does this story show us about Jesus’ love for hurting people?
4. How can we show care to others when they are going through hard times?
5. Who in your life needs hope or help right now?

Theological Insights

1. Jesus has power over life and death.
2. Jesus cares deeply for people who are sad and hurting.
3. Jesus shows kindness to people from every place and background.
4. When we trust in Jesus, we can have hope even in sad times.
5. God uses miracles to help people believe in him and see his love.

Closing Prayer

Dear Father, thank you for showing us how much you care for people who are sad. Help us to trust you and remember that you are powerful and loving. Teach us to show kindness to others too. 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.