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 the biggest group of people you have ever eaten a meal with? What food did you share?

Lesson Highlight

In this lesson, we will hear a story about how Jesus cared for a big, hungry crowd. We will learn how Jesus used a small amount of food to feed thousands of people.

Vocabulary List (GNT)

1. About — Close to a number or amount.
2. Answered — Said something back to a question.
3. Apostles — The twelve special followers Jesus chose to teach others.
4. Ate — Put food in the mouth, chewed, and swallowed it.
5. Baskets — Containers made of woven material for holding things.
6. Beginning — The first part of something.
7. Broke — Made something into smaller pieces.
8. Buy — To pay money for something.
9. Came Back — Returned to a place.
10. Crowd — A large group of people.
11. Distribute — To give out to different people.
12. Everything — All the things.
13. Feeds — Gives food to people or animals.
14. Fish — Animals that live in water and are caught for food.
15. Followed — Went after someone.
16. Food — Things people eat to live.
17. Give — To hand something to someone.
18. Had Enough — Got as much as needed or wanted.
19. Healed — Made sick people well again.
20. Heard — Noticed a sound or words with the ears.
21. Heaven — The place where God lives.
22. 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.
23. Left Over — What is still there after people have taken what they want.
24. Lodging — A place to sleep or stay.
25. Lonely Place — A quiet area with not many people around.
26. Loaves — Big pieces of bread.
27. Looked — Turned eyes toward something to see it.
28. Needed — Required something because it was important.
29. Send Away — Tell people to leave a place.
30. Set — When the sun goes down in the evening.
31. Sit — To rest on a seat or the ground.
32. Something — A thing, not named.
33. Spoke — Said words out loud.
34. Sun — The bright light in the sky during the day.
35. Thanked — Showed you are glad for what someone did or gave.
36. Told — Said something to someone.
37. Took — Picked up or carried.
38. Town — A place where people live, smaller than a city.
39. Twelve Disciples — The twelve followers Jesus chose to be his close helpers.
40. Went Off By Themselves — Left with only their own group, away from others.
41. Welcomed — Made someone feel wanted and happy to be there.
42. Whole — All of something; complete.

Summary of the Passage

This passage tells about a time when Jesus and his special helpers, called apostles or disciples, were very tired. They went to a quiet town called Bethsaida to rest. But when people heard where Jesus was, they followed him. Jesus welcomed the people. He talked to them about God and made sick people well again.

Later in the day, it started to get dark. The disciples, who were Jesus’ close friends, told him to send the people away to find food and a place to stay. But Jesus surprised them. He told the disciples to give the people something to eat. The disciples were worried because they only had five loaves of bread and two fish. There were about five thousand men there, and even more women and children.

Then Jesus did something wonderful. He asked the people to sit down in groups. He took the small meal, looked up to heaven, and thanked God. Jesus tore the bread and fish into pieces and gave it to the disciples to hand out. Everyone ate as much as they needed. When they finished, there were twelve baskets of food left over.

This passage shows us that Jesus cares about both our hearts and our bodies. It teaches us that even when we do not have much, God can use it to help others. Jesus is powerful and loving.

Read The Passage

Jesus Feeds Five Thousand
10 The apostles came back and told Jesus everything they had done. He took them with him, and they went off by themselves to a town named Bethsaida.
11 When the crowds heard about it, they followed him. He welcomed them, spoke to them about the Kingdom of God, and healed those who needed it.
12 When the sun was beginning to set, the twelve disciples came to him and said, “Send the people away so that they can go to the villages and farms around here and find food and lodging, because this is a lonely place.”
13 But Jesus said to them, “You yourselves give them something to eat.”
They answered, “All we have are five loaves and two fish. Do you want us to go and buy food for this whole crowd?”
14 (There were about five thousand men there.)
Jesus said to his disciples, “Make the people sit down in groups of about fifty each.”
15-16 After the disciples had done so, Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up to heaven, thanked God for them, broke them, and gave them to the disciples to distribute to the people.
17 They all ate and had enough, and the disciples took up twelve baskets of what was left over.

Luke 9:10-17 (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 9:10-17 (NIRV)
• Easy: Good News Translation: Luke 9:10-17 (GNT)
• Medium: New Living Translation: Luke 9:10-17 (NLT)
• Hard: New International Version: Luke 9:10-17 (NIV)
• Very Hard: English Standard Version: Luke 9:10-17 (ESV)

Comprehension Questions

1. Where did Jesus and his apostles go to rest?
2. What did the people do when they heard where Jesus was?
3. What did Jesus do for the people when they came to him?
4. Why did the disciples want Jesus to send the people away?
5. How much food did the disciples have?
6. What did Jesus tell the people to do before eating?
7. What did Jesus do with the bread and fish before giving it out?
8. How many people ate that day?
9. How many baskets of food were left over?

Application Questions

1. Why do you think Jesus welcomed the people even when he was tired?
2. Have you ever shared food or help with someone even when you did not have much? How did it feel?
3. What does this story show us about how God can use small things for big work?
4. How can we show kindness and care to people around us, like Jesus did?
5. Why is it good to thank God for what we have, even if it seems small?

Theological Insights

1. Jesus cares about people’s hearts and bodies.
2. God can take small things and turn them into something big and good.
3. Jesus is powerful and can do miracles to help people.
4. We should be thankful for what God gives us, even if it seems little.
5. God wants us to trust him to provide for our needs.

Closing Prayer

Dear Father, thank you for taking care of people and giving us what we need. Help us to be kind and to share with others. Thank you for Jesus’ love. 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.