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 may also enjoy it and learn from it.

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Lesson Highlight

In this lesson, we will learn how Jesus teaches people to turn away from sin and follow God. We will hear a story about a fig tree that did not grow fruit and what that means for our hearts.

Lesson Icebreaker Question

Have you ever planted something or taken care of a plant? What happened to it?

Vocabulary List (GNT)

1. Bear — To produce or grow something, like fruit.
2. Cut Down — To remove or take away a tree by chopping it.
3. Die — To stop living.
4. Fertilizer — Food for plants to help them grow better.
5. Fig — A small, sweet fruit that grows on a fig tree.
6. Gardener — A person who takes care of plants and trees.
7. Parable — A simple story that teaches a lesson about life or God.
8. Pilate — A leader in the Roman government at the time of Jesus.
9. Sacrifice — A special gift offered to God, often an animal in Bible times.
10. Siloam — A place in Jerusalem where an accident happened.
11. Sin — Doing something God says is wrong.
12. Soil — The dirt where plants grow.
13. Vineyard — A place where people grow grapes and sometimes other fruit trees.

Summary of the Passage

This passage tells us about a time when people were talking to Jesus. They told him about some people from a place called Galilee who had been killed by a leader named Pilate. These people were killed while they were offering gifts to God. Jesus asked them if they thought these people were worse than others because they died this way. He told them no, and he said if people do not turn from doing wrong, they will also face death.

Then, Jesus told them another example. He talked about eighteen people who died when a tower fell on them in a place called Siloam. He asked if these people were worse than others living in the city. Again, Jesus said no. The lesson was that all people need to turn away from sin and follow God.

After this, Jesus shared a story about a fig tree. A man looked for fruit on the tree for three years but found none. He wanted to cut it down. But the gardener asked for one more year to take care of it. If the tree gave fruit the next year, it could stay. If not, it would be cut down.

This passage teaches us that life is a gift, and God wants us to turn from wrong things. God is patient and kind, but he wants our lives to show good things.

Read The Passage

Turn from Your Sins or Die
1 At that time some people were there who told Jesus about the Galileans whom Pilate had killed while they were offering sacrifices to God.
2 Jesus answered them, “Because those Galileans were killed in that way, do you think it proves that they were worse sinners than all other Galileans?
3 No indeed! And I tell you that if you do not turn from your sins, you will all die as they did.
4 What about those eighteen people in Siloam who were killed when the tower fell on them? Do you suppose this proves that they were worse than all the other people living in Jerusalem?
5 No indeed! And I tell you that if you do not turn from your sins, you will all die as they did.”
The Parable of the Unfruitful Fig Tree
6 Then Jesus told them this parable: “There was once a man who had a fig tree growing in his vineyard. He went looking for figs on it but found none.
7 So he said to his gardener, ‘Look, for three years I have been coming here looking for figs on this fig tree, and I haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it go on using up the soil?’
8 But the gardener answered, ‘Leave it alone, sir, just one more year; I will dig around it and put in some fertilizer.
9 Then if the tree bears figs next year, so much the better; if not, then you can have it cut down.’”

Luke 13:1-9 (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 13:1-9 (NIRV)
• Easy: Good News Translation: Luke 13:1-9 (GNT)
• Medium: New Living Translation: Luke 13:1-9 (NLT)
• Hard: New International Version: Luke 13:1-9 (NIV)
• Very Hard: English Standard Version: Luke 13:1-9 (ESV)

Comprehension Questions

1. Who told Jesus about the Galileans who were killed?
2. What question did Jesus ask about the Galileans who died?
3. What did Jesus say people must do to avoid dying like them?
4. What happened to the eighteen people in Siloam?
5. What lesson did Jesus teach from these accidents?
6. What did the man want to do to the fig tree with no fruit?
7. What did the gardener ask the man to do?
8. What would happen if the fig tree still had no fruit the next year?

Application Questions

1. Why do you think Jesus wants people to turn away from sin?
2. Have you ever made a bad choice and wanted to fix it? What did you do?
3. Why is it good to have another chance to do the right thing?
4. How can we show good things in our lives like the fig tree should show fruit?
5. What is one good thing you could do this week to follow God?

Theological Insights

1. God is patient but wants people to turn away from sin.
2. Bad things in life do not always happen because a person is worse than others.
3. Jesus teaches that all people need to repent, not just those in trouble.
4. God gives people chances to change and follow him.
5. A life with God should show good fruit, like kindness, love, and peace.

Closing Prayer

Dear Father, thank you for giving us chances to turn from wrong things. Help us to follow you and show good things in our lives. Teach us to be kind and faithful. 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.