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 something you have paid for recently? How did you feel about paying for it?

Lesson Highlight

In this lesson, we will learn about a time when some people tried to trick Jesus with a hard question. We will see how Jesus gave a wise answer that taught them about money and about God.

Vocabulary List (GNT)

1. Afraid — Feeling scared or worried.
2. Against — Not on the same side as someone or something.
3. Amazed — Feeling very surprised and filled with wonder.
4. Arrest — To catch a person and stop them, usually by the police.
5. Attention — Watching, listening, or thinking carefully about something.
6. Authority — The power or right to give orders or make decisions.
7. Belongs — To be owned by someone.
8. Bribed — To secretly pay someone to do something bad or dishonest.
9. Catch — To stop someone from getting away or doing something wrong.
10. Chief Priests — Important leaders in the Jewish religion.
11. Emperor — A powerful king who rules over many people and places.
12. Face — The front part of a person’s head.
13. Governor — A person who leads a part of a country or area.
14. Hand Him Over — To give a person to someone in charge, like a police officer or leader.
15. Law — The rules made by a country or religion.
16. On the Spot — Right away, without waiting.
17. Opportunity — A good time or chance to do something.
18. Parable — A short story that teaches a lesson.
19. Pay — To give money for something.
20. People — Men, women, and children.
21. Power — The ability or strength to do something or control people.
22. Pretend — To act like something is true when it is not.
23. Quiet — Not speaking or making noise.
24. Roman — A person or thing from Rome, a big city long ago.
25. Sincere — Being honest and speaking the truth.
26. Silver Coin — A round piece of silver money.
27. Spies — People who secretly watch others and tell important news.
28. Status — A person’s place or rank in a group.
29. Taxes — Money people must pay to the government.
30. Teach — To help people learn something.
31. Trap — A trick to catch or hurt someone.
32. Trick — A plan to fool or hurt someone without them knowing.
33. Truth — Something that is real and correct.
34. Will — What someone wants to happen.

Summary of the Passage

This passage tells a story about Jesus and some important men called teachers of the Law and chief priests. These men did not like what Jesus was teaching. They were afraid of the people, so they did not arrest him right away. Instead, they made a plan to trick Jesus with a question.

They sent some men to act like they were being honest. These men asked Jesus a hard question about paying taxes to the Roman Emperor. At that time, Rome was the country in charge, and many people did not like paying taxes to them. The men wanted to trap Jesus so they could get him in trouble with the leaders.

Jesus was very wise. He asked them to show him a coin. The coin had the Emperor’s face and name on it. Jesus told them to give to the Emperor what belongs to him and give to God what belongs to God. The men were surprised by this smart answer. They could not catch Jesus in a trick, so they stayed quiet.

This passage shows us that Jesus is very wise and knows people’s hearts. It also teaches us to give respect where it is due and to honor God with our lives.

Read The Passage

The Question about Paying Taxes
19 The teachers of the Law and the chief priests tried to arrest Jesus on the spot, because they knew that he had told this parable against them; but they were afraid of the people.
20 So they looked for an opportunity. They bribed some men to pretend they were sincere, and they sent them to trap Jesus with questions, so that they could hand him over to the authority and power of the Roman Governor.
21 These spies said to Jesus, “Teacher, we know that what you say and teach is right. We know that you pay no attention to anyone’s status, but teach the truth about God’s will for people.
22 Tell us, is it against our Law for us to pay taxes to the Roman Emperor, or not?”
23 But Jesus saw through their trick and said to them,
24 “Show me a silver coin. Whose face and name are these on it?”
“The Emperor’s,” they answered.
25 So Jesus said, “Well, then, pay to the Emperor what belongs to the Emperor, and pay to God what belongs to God.”
26 There before the people they could not catch him in a thing, so they kept quiet, amazed at his answer.

Luke 20:19-26 (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 20:19-26 (NIRV)
• Easy: Good News Translation: Luke 20:19-26 (GNT)
• Medium: New Living Translation: Luke 20:19-26 (NLT)
• Hard: New International Version: Luke 20:19-26 (NIV)
• Very Hard: English Standard Version: Luke 20:19-26 (ESV)

Comprehension Questions

1. Who tried to arrest Jesus?
2. Why did they not arrest him right away?
3. What did the men do to try and trick Jesus?
4. What question did they ask Jesus?
5. Why was this a hard question to answer?
6. What did Jesus ask them to show him?
7. Whose face and name was on the coin?
8. What did Jesus say people should do with money that belongs to the Emperor?
9. What did Jesus say people should give to God?
10. How did the people feel about Jesus’ answer?

Application Questions

1. Why do you think people sometimes try to trick others?
2. How do you feel when someone tricks you?
3. What can we learn from the way Jesus answered the hard question?
4. What is something we can give to God in our lives today?

Theological Insights

1. God sees what is in our hearts, even when we try to hide it.
2. Jesus is wise and always knows the right thing to say.
3. We should respect the rules of our country, but we must always honor God first.
4. Everything we have belongs to God, and we should give our hearts and lives to him.

Closing Prayer

Dear Father, thank you for the wisdom of Jesus. Help us to be honest and kind. Teach us to give our hearts to you. 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.