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 been let down by a friend? How did it make you feel?

Lesson Highlight

In this lesson, we will learn about how Jesus was betrayed by one of his own followers. We will see how Jesus stayed calm and kind, even when people hurt him. This story teaches us how to trust God when things feel dark.

Vocabulary List (GNT)

1. Agreed — Said yes to a plan or idea.
2. Arrest — To catch someone and not let them go, often by the police or guards.
3. Betray — To turn against a friend and help their enemies.
4. Chief Priests — Important leaders in the Jewish church long ago.
5. Club — A heavy stick used as a weapon.
6. Darkness — A time or place without light; in this story, it also means a time of evil or bad things happening.
7. Death — When a person’s life comes to an end.
8. Disciple — A person who follows a teacher and learns from them.
9. Ear — The part of the body used for hearing.
10. Elders — Important older leaders in a group or city.
11. Festival — A special time when people gather to remember something important.
12. Good Chance — A time when it is easy to do something.
13. Hand Jesus Over — To give Jesus to the people who wanted to catch him.
14. Healed — Made well again after being hurt or sick.
15. High Priest — The main leader of the Jewish church long ago.
16. Judas — One of Jesus’ twelve disciples, the one who betrayed him.
17. Kiss — A soft touch with the lips to show love or friendship.
18. Money — Coins or paper used to buy things or pay people.
19. Officer — A person with power to keep order or catch people, like a guard.
20. Outlaw — A person who breaks the law and hides from others.
21. Passover — A Jewish holiday remembering when God saved his people from Egypt.
22. Pleased — Feeling happy about something.
23. Power — Strength or control over people or things.
24. Priests — Religious leaders who serve in a church or temple.
25. Rules — To be in charge of people or a place.
26. Satan — The enemy of God who tempts people to do bad things.
27. Secretly — To do something so no one else knows.
28. Slave — A person who is owned by another person and must work for them.
29. Son of Man — A name Jesus used to talk about himself.
30. Sword — A long, sharp weapon used for fighting.
31. Teachers of the Law — Important men in the Jewish church who taught God’s rules.
32. Temple — A place where people worship God.
33. Temple Guard — Men who worked in the Temple to keep people safe.
34. Twelve Disciples — The twelve men Jesus chose to follow and learn from him.
35. Unleavened Bread — Flat bread made without yeast, eaten at the Passover.

Summary of the Passage

This passage takes place during a very important time called the Passover, a big Jewish holiday. At this time, many people came to the city to worship God at the Temple. The religious leaders, called chief priests and teachers of the Law, did not like Jesus. They were afraid of the people because many loved Jesus. So they wanted to find a way to quietly have him killed.

One of Jesus’ close followers, Judas, made a bad choice. Satan tempted him, and Judas went to the leaders to make a plan. He agreed to show them where Jesus was when no one else was around. They gave Judas some money to betray Jesus.

Later, while Jesus was with his disciples, a crowd came with swords and clubs. Judas was leading them. He kissed Jesus to show the guards which person was Jesus. Jesus asked Judas why he would betray him with a kiss. One of Jesus’ disciples tried to fight, but Jesus stopped him and healed a man who was hurt. Jesus told the leaders they could have talked to him in the Temple, but they chose to act at night, during a time of darkness.

This passage shows us how Jesus was calm and loving, even when people hurt him. It teaches us that we can trust God, even when hard and unfair things happen.

Read The Passage

The Plot against Jesus
1 The time was near for the Festival of Unleavened Bread, which is called the Passover.
2 The chief priests and the teachers of the Law were afraid of the people, and so they were trying to find a way of putting Jesus to death secretly.
Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus
3 Then Satan entered into Judas, called Iscariot, who was one of the twelve disciples.
4 So Judas went off and spoke with the chief priests and the officers of the Temple guard about how he could betray Jesus to them.
5 They were pleased and offered to pay him money.
6 Judas agreed to it and started looking for a good chance to hand Jesus over to them without the people knowing about it.
The Arrest of Jesus
47 Jesus was still speaking when a crowd arrived, led by Judas, one of the twelve disciples. He came up to Jesus to kiss him.
48 But Jesus said, “Judas, is it with a kiss that you betray the Son of Man?”
49 When the disciples who were with Jesus saw what was going to happen, they asked, “Shall we use our swords, Lord?”
50 And one of them struck the High Priest’s slave and cut off his right ear.
51 But Jesus said, “Enough of this!” He touched the man’s ear and healed him.
52 Then Jesus said to the chief priests and the officers of the Temple guard and the elders who had come there to get him, “Did you have to come with swords and clubs, as though I were an outlaw?
53 I was with you in the Temple every day, and you did not try to arrest me. But this is your hour to act, when the power of darkness rules.”

Luke 22:1-6 and Luke 22:47-53 (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 22:1-6 and Luke 22:47-53 (NIRV)
• Easy: Good News Translation: Luke 22:1-6 and Luke 22:47-53 (GNT)
• Medium: New Living Translation: Luke 22:1-6 and Luke 22:47-53 (NLT)
• Hard: New International Version: Luke 22:1-6 and Luke 22:47-53 (NIV)
• Very Hard: English Standard Version: Luke 22:1-6 and Luke 22:47-53 (ESV)

Comprehension Questions

1. What special holiday was about to happen?
2. Why were the chief priests and teachers of the Law afraid of the people?
3. Who was Judas?
4. What bad choice did Judas make?
5. What did the leaders give Judas for his help?
6. How did Judas show the guards who Jesus was?
7. What did one of the disciples do to the High Priest’s slave?
8. What did Jesus do for the slave?
9. Why did Jesus say the leaders waited until nighttime to arrest him?

Application Questions

1. Have you ever had a friend who let you down? How did you feel?
2. Why do you think Jesus stayed calm and loving, even when people hurt him?
3. What can we learn about God’s power when bad things happen?
4. How can we be brave and kind like Jesus when we are treated unfairly?

Theological Insights

1. Jesus knew he would be betrayed, but he trusted God’s plan.
2. Even when bad things happen, God is still in control.
3. Jesus showed love and kindness, even to those who hurt him.
4. Satan tempts people to do wrong, but God’s plan will not fail.
5. Jesus’ arrest was part of God’s plan to save people from sin.

Closing Prayer

Dear Father, thank you for showing us your love through Jesus. Help us to be kind and strong when hard things happen. Teach us to trust you always. 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.