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

Have you ever gone on a trip or done a job where you could only take a few things with you? What did you take?

Lesson Highlight

In this lesson, we will learn how Jesus sent his helpers, called disciples, to tell people about God and heal the sick. We will also hear how a ruler named Herod was confused about who Jesus was.

Vocabulary List (GNT)

1. Appeared — Came so people could see.
2. Authority — The right or power to tell others what to do.
3. Bag — A soft container used to carry things.
4. Come Back To Life — To live again after dying.
5. Confused — Not sure what is happening or what something means.
6. Cure — To make someone healthy again.
7. Cut Off — To remove something by cutting it.
8. Demon — An evil spirit.
9. Disease — A sickness in the body.
10. Disciples — The followers of Jesus.
11. Drive Out — To make someone or something leave a place.
12. Elijah — A prophet from the Old Testament.
13. Everywhere — In all places.
14. Extra — More than what is needed.
15. Gave — To hand something to someone.
16. Good News — The message about Jesus and the Kingdom of God.
17. Happening — Something that is taking place now.
18. Head — The top part of the body with the eyes, nose, and mouth.
19. Heal — To make a sick person well again.
20. Hear — To use your ears to listen.
21. Herod — The ruler of Galilee at the time of Jesus.
22. House — A building where people live.
23. John The Baptist — A man who baptized people and spoke about God before Jesus started teaching.
24. Kingdom Of God — God’s perfect place where he is King and everything is good and right. It is a real place in heaven, and it also lives in the hearts of people who love and follow him.
25. Leave — To go away from a place.
26. Nothing — Not anything; zero.
27. People — A group of men, women, or children.
28. Power — The strength or ability to do something.
29. Preach — To teach people about God and his ways.
30. Prophet — A person who speaks God’s message.
31. Ruler — A person in charge of a place or people.
32. Same — Not different.
33. Saying — Telling something in words.
34. See — To look at something with your eyes.
35. Sends Out — To tell people to go and do a job.
36. Shake The Dust Off Your Feet — A way to show you are done with a place that did not welcome you.
37. Sick — Not healthy; having a disease.
38. Stay — To remain in a place.
39. Take — To carry something with you.
40. Things — Objects, events, or actions.
41. Town — A place where people live that is smaller than a city.
42. Travel — To go from one place to another.
43. Trip — A journey from one place to another.
44. Twelve Disciples — The twelve men Jesus chose to follow him closely.
45. Trying — Making an effort to do something.
46. Village — A small town.
47. Walking Stick — A stick used to help someone walk.
48. Warning — Words or signs that tell someone about danger or a problem coming.
49. Welcomed — Made to feel wanted and accepted.

Summary of the Passage

This passage tells us about Jesus sending his twelve disciples to do special work. Disciples were people who followed Jesus and learned from him. Jesus gave them power to heal sick people and send out bad spirits. He also told them to preach about God’s Kingdom, which means teaching people about God’s love and how to live his way.

Before they left, Jesus told them to travel simply. He said not to take food, money, or extra clothes. They were to stay in the homes of kind people who welcomed them. If people did not want to listen or be kind, the disciples were to leave and shake the dust off their feet to show they were moving on.

While this was happening, a ruler named Herod heard about Jesus and was confused. People told Herod different things about Jesus. Some said Jesus was a prophet from long ago. Some thought he was John the Baptist, who had died. Herod was very curious and wanted to see Jesus for himself.

This passage shows us that Jesus gives his followers important jobs. It teaches us that telling people about God and helping others is important work. It also reminds us that not everyone will listen, but God’s workers should keep going with courage.

Read The Passage

Jesus Sends Out the Twelve Disciples
1 Jesus called the twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases.
2 Then he sent them out to preach the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick,
3 after saying to them, “Take nothing with you for the trip: no walking stick, no beggar’s bag, no food, no money, not even an extra shirt.
4 Wherever you are welcomed, stay in the same house until you leave that town;
5 wherever people don’t welcome you, leave that town and shake the dust off your feet as a warning to them.”
6 The disciples left and traveled through all the villages, preaching the Good News and healing people everywhere.
Herod’s Confusion
7 When Herod, the ruler of Galilee, heard about all the things that were happening, he was very confused, because some people were saying that John the Baptist had come back to life.
8 Others were saying that Elijah had appeared, and still others that one of the prophets of long ago had come back to life.
9 Herod said, “I had John’s head cut off; but who is this man I hear these things about?” And he kept trying to see Jesus.

Luke 9:1-9 (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 9:1-9 (NIRV)
• Easy: Good News Translation: Luke 9:1-9 (GNT)
• Medium: New Living Translation: Luke 9:1-9 (NLT)
• Hard: New International Version: Luke 9:1-9 (NIV)
• Very Hard: English Standard Version: Luke 9:1-9 (ESV)

Comprehension Questions

1. What did Jesus give to his twelve disciples?
2. What did Jesus tell the disciples to do?
3. What were the disciples told not to take with them?
4. What should the disciples do if people did not welcome them?
5. Where did the disciples travel?
6. What did the disciples preach to the people?
7. Who was Herod?
8. Why was Herod confused about Jesus?
9. What did some people say about who Jesus was?
10. What did Herod want to do when he heard about Jesus?

Application Questions

1. Why do you think Jesus told the disciples to take very little with them?
2. How do you feel when someone welcomes you into their home or group?
3. What would you say to someone if you wanted to tell them about God?
4. Why is it important to keep going even if some people do not listen to us?
5. How can we be brave like the disciples when we talk about what we believe?

Theological Insights

1. Jesus gives his followers power to do his work.
2. Preaching about God’s Kingdom is important, even when some people do not want to listen.
3. God wants his followers to trust him to take care of their needs.
4. Some people may be confused about who Jesus is, but Christians believe he is the Son of God.
5. We should have courage and faith when doing God’s work.

Closing Prayer

Dear Father, thank you for sending Jesus and his disciples to teach about you. Help us to be brave and kind as we share your love with others. Thank you for taking care of us. 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.