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

Have you ever helped someone who was going through a hard time? What did you do?

Lesson Highlight (GNT)

In this lesson, we will learn how Jesus helped a man who was suffering and alone. We will see Jesus’ power over evil and his care for one person in great need.

Vocabulary List

1. Across — From one side to the other.
2. Abyss — A very deep, dark place.
3. Afraid — Feeling scared.
4. Beg — To ask in a very strong, serious way.
5. Boat — A small ship used for traveling on water.
6. Break — To snap or destroy something so it cannot hold together.
7. Burial Caves — Caves where dead people were placed.
8. Chains — Metal rings connected together, used to hold someone.
9. Cliff — A steep, high side of a hill or mountain.
10. Clothed — Wearing clothes.
11. Cured — Made healthy again.
12. Demon — An evil spirit.
13. Desert — A hot, dry place with lots of sand and very little water.
14. Disciples — The followers and students of Jesus.
15. Driven — Forced to go somewhere.
16. Drowned — Died by being underwater and not able to breathe.
17. Evil Spirit — A bad, unseen being that can hurt people.
18. Feet — The parts of the body you stand on.
19. Feeding — Giving food to people or animals.
20. Fell Down — Dropped to the ground quickly.
21. Go Away — To leave a place.
22. Gone Without — Not having something for a time.
23. Happened — Took place; something that occurred.
24. Hands — The parts of the body you use to hold things.
25. Heal — To make someone healthy again.
26. Herd — A group of animals, like pigs or cows.
27. Hillside — The side of a small mountain or hill.
28. Lake — A large area of water with land all around it.
29. Left — Went away from a place.
30. Let — To allow something to happen.
31. Long Time — A large amount of time.
32. Loud Cry — A strong shout or yell.
33. Met — Came face to face with someone.
34. Mob — A large, wild group of people or things.
35. News — Information about what happened.
36. Obey — To do what you are told.
37. Ordered — Told someone to do something in a firm way.
38. Pig — A farm animal with a flat nose and curly tail.
39. Punish — To make someone suffer for doing wrong.
40. Ran Off — Left quickly.
41. Right Mind — Thinking clearly and acting normally.
42. Rushed Down — Moved very quickly going lower.
43. Sailed — Traveled on water in a boat.
44. Saw — Looked at something with your eyes.
45. Seized — Took control of someone or something by force.
46. Sent Away — Told to leave.
47. Side — The part next to something else.
48. Sitting — Resting with your bottom on something.
49. Son Of The Most High God — A name for Jesus, showing he is God’s Son.
50. Spent — Used time doing something.
51. Spread — To tell many people something.
52. Started Out — Began a trip or action.
53. Stepped Ashore — Got out of a boat onto land.
54. Taking Care — Watching over something to keep it safe.
55. Tell — To say something so someone else knows it.
56. Terribly — Very badly or strongly.
57. Territory — An area of land.
58. Threw Himself Down — Fell quickly to the ground.
59. Town — A place where people live that is bigger than a village but smaller than a city.
60. Without — Not having something.

Summary of the Passage

This passage tells a story about Jesus helping a man in a very hard situation. Jesus and his disciples arrived by boat in a place called Gerasa. A man who had demons inside him came to meet Jesus. The man had no clothes, lived in burial caves, and could not stay with other people. The demons made him act wild and dangerous, and he was very alone.

When the man saw Jesus, he shouted loudly. The demons were afraid of Jesus and begged him not to send them away. Jesus allowed the demons to go into a herd of pigs. The pigs then ran off a cliff into the lake and died. The man was healed. He sat quietly at Jesus’ feet, wearing clothes, and thinking clearly.

The people who saw this were afraid. They asked Jesus to leave their area. But the man who had been healed wanted to stay with Jesus. Jesus told him to go home and tell others what God had done for him. So the man went through the town, telling everyone what Jesus had done.

This passage shows us that Jesus has power over evil and cares for people who are hurting. Even when others turn away, Jesus brings healing and peace. He gives people a new life and a new purpose.

Read The Passage

Jesus Heals a Man with Demons
26 Jesus and his disciples sailed on over to the territory of Gerasa, which is across the lake from Galilee.
27 As Jesus stepped ashore, he was met by a man from the town who had demons in him. For a long time this man had gone without clothes and would not stay at home, but spent his time in the burial caves.
28 When he saw Jesus, he gave a loud cry, threw himself down at his feet, and shouted, “Jesus, Son of the Most High God! What do you want with me? I beg you, don’t punish me!”
29 He said this because Jesus had ordered the evil spirit to go out of him. Many times it had seized him, and even though he was kept a prisoner, his hands and feet tied with chains, he would break the chains and be driven by the demon out into the desert.
30 Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”
“My name is ‘Mob,’” he answered—because many demons had gone into him.
31 The demons begged Jesus not to send them into the abyss.
32 There was a large herd of pigs near by, feeding on a hillside. So the demons begged Jesus to let them go into the pigs, and he let them.
33 They went out of the man and into the pigs. The whole herd rushed down the side of the cliff into the lake and was drowned.
34 The men who had been taking care of the pigs saw what happened, so they ran off and spread the news in the town and among the farms.
35 People went out to see what had happened, and when they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone out sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind; and they were all afraid.
36 Those who had seen it told the people how the man had been cured.
37 Then all the people from that territory asked Jesus to go away, because they were terribly afraid. So Jesus got into the boat and left.
38 The man from whom the demons had gone out begged Jesus, “Let me go with you.”
But Jesus sent him away, saying,
39 “Go back home and tell what God has done for you.”
The man went through the town, telling what Jesus had done for him.

Luke 8:26-39 (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 8:26-39 (NIRV)
• Easy: Good News Translation: Luke 8:26-39 (GNT)
• Medium: New Living Translation: Luke 8:26-39 (NLT)
• Hard: New International Version: Luke 8:26-39 (NIV)
• Very Hard: English Standard Version: Luke 8:26-39 (ESV)

Comprehension Questions

1. Where did Jesus and his disciples go by boat?
2. Who came to meet Jesus when he stepped ashore?
3. What was the man doing before he met Jesus?
4. Why did the man shout at Jesus?
5. What did the demons ask Jesus to do?
6. What happened to the pigs after the demons went into them?
7. How did the people feel when they saw the man healed?
8. What did the people ask Jesus to do?
9. What did the man want to do after he was healed?
10. What did Jesus tell the man to do instead?

Application Questions

1. How do you think the man felt when Jesus healed him?
2. Why do you think the people were afraid of Jesus after the man was healed?
3. Have you ever felt like you needed help that only God could give?
4. Who can you tell about what God has done in your life?

Theological Insights

1. Jesus has power over evil spirits and all things.
2. Jesus sees people who are hurting and brings healing.
3. Even when others are afraid or do not understand, Jesus still works with love and power.
4. God wants people to share what he has done in their lives so others can know him too.

Closing Prayer

Dear Father, thank you that Jesus helps people who are hurting. Help us trust his power and share his love 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.