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 treated unfairly or blamed for something you did not do? What happened?

Lesson Highlight

In this lesson, we will learn how Jesus was made fun of and hurt by people before he died. We will see how the leaders and rulers treated Jesus unfairly, but he stayed quiet and strong. This lesson reminds us that Jesus understands when people treat us badly.

Vocabulary List (GNT)

1. Accuse — To say someone did something wrong.
2. Almighty — A name for God, showing he is very powerful.
3. Beat — To hit someone again and again.
4. Believe — To think something is true.
5. Blindfold — A cloth put over someone’s eyes so they cannot see.
6. Caught — To find someone doing something wrong or bad.
7. Chief Priests — The most important religious leaders of the Jewish people at that time.
8. Claim — To say something is true, even if others may not believe it.
9. Condemn — To say that someone is guilty and should be punished.
10. Contempt — A strong feeling of dislike or disrespect.
11. Council — A group of leaders who meet to make decisions.
12. Elders — Older men who led the people and made decisions.
13. Emperor — A very powerful ruler over a large land.
14. Enemy — A person who hates or fights against someone.
15. Fine Robe — A beautiful and expensive piece of clothing.
16. Galilee — A place in Israel where Jesus grew up.
17. Herod — A ruler in Israel during Jesus’ time.
18. Insist — To say something very strongly, again and again.
19. Made Fun — To laugh at someone or treat them badly in a joking way.
20. Messiah — The special person sent by God to save people.
21. Mislead — To give wrong information or confuse people.
22. Mock — To laugh at someone or make them look foolish.
23. Miracle — A special act of God that cannot be explained by normal ways.
24. Perform — To do something like a show or action.
25. Pilate — A Roman leader in Jerusalem when Jesus lived.
26. Pleased — Feeling happy about something.
27. Region — A large area of land.
28. Riot — A group of people fighting or making trouble in public.
29. Ruled — To be the leader or king over a place.
30. Seated — Sitting down in a place.
31. Son of God — A name for Jesus, showing he is God’s Son.
32. Son of Man — A name Jesus used for himself, showing he came to earth as a person.
33. Strongly — In a serious and forceful way.
34. Teachers of the Law — Religious teachers who knew and explained God’s laws.
35. Witness — A person who sees or hears something and can tell others what happened.

Summary of the Passage

This passage happens after Jesus was arrested. Some soldiers were guarding him, and they treated him badly. They made fun of him, beat him, and blindfolded him. They asked him to guess who was hitting him and said many unkind things.

Later, the leaders of the people met together. These leaders were called elders, chief priests, and teachers of the Law. They asked Jesus if he was the Messiah. Jesus told them they would not believe him even if he answered. They asked again if he was the Son of God, and Jesus said, “You say that I am.” The leaders decided they did not need anyone else to speak against him because they heard his words themselves.

Then, the leaders took Jesus to a ruler named Pilate. They accused Jesus of misleading people, telling them not to pay taxes, and calling himself a king. Pilate asked Jesus if he was a king, and Jesus gave a quiet answer. Pilate said he found no reason to punish Jesus.

But the leaders insisted that Jesus was causing trouble everywhere. When Pilate heard Jesus was from Galilee, he sent him to another ruler named Herod. Herod was happy to see Jesus because he wanted to see a miracle. He asked Jesus many questions, but Jesus stayed quiet. Herod and his soldiers made fun of him and put a fine robe on him. Then they sent him back to Pilate.

This passage shows us that Jesus was treated very unfairly. People lied about him, hurt him, and made fun of him. But Jesus stayed calm and did not fight back. It teaches us that Jesus understands our pain and can help us when we feel hurt or alone.

Read The Passage

Jesus Is Mocked and Beaten
63 The men who were guarding Jesus made fun of him and beat him.
64 They blindfolded him and asked him, “Who hit you? Guess!”
65 And they said many other insulting things to him.
Jesus before the Council
66 When day came, the elders, the chief priests, and the teachers of the Law met together, and Jesus was brought before the Council.
67-68 “Tell us,” they said, “are you the Messiah?”
He answered, “If I tell you, you will not believe me; and if I ask you a question, you will not answer.
69 But from now on the Son of Man will be seated at the right side of Almighty God.”
70 They all said, “Are you, then, the Son of God?”
He answered them, “You say that I am.”
71 And they said, “We don’t need any witnesses! We ourselves have heard what he said!”
Jesus before Pilate
1-2 The whole group rose up and took Jesus before Pilate, where they began to accuse him:
“We caught this man misleading our people, telling them not to pay taxes to the Emperor and claiming that he himself is the Messiah, a king.”
3 Pilate asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”
“So you say,” answered Jesus.
4 Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, “I find no reason to condemn this man.”
5 But they insisted even more strongly, “With his teaching he is starting a riot among the people all through Judea. He began in Galilee and now has come here.”
Jesus before Herod
6 When Pilate heard this, he asked, “Is this man a Galilean?”
7 When he learned that Jesus was from the region ruled by Herod, he sent him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time.
8 Herod was very pleased when he saw Jesus, because he had heard about him and had been wanting to see him for a long time. He was hoping to see Jesus perform some miracle.
9 So Herod asked Jesus many questions, but Jesus made no answer.
10 The chief priests and the teachers of the Law stepped forward and made strong accusations against Jesus.
11 Herod and his soldiers made fun of Jesus and treated him with contempt; then they put a fine robe on him and sent him back to Pilate.
12 On that very day Herod and Pilate became friends; before this they had been enemies.

Luke 22:63-23:12 (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 22:63-23:12 (NIRV)
• Easy: Good News Translation: Luke 22:63-23:12 (GNT)
• Medium: New Living Translation: Luke 22:63-23:12 (NLT)
• Hard: New International Version: Luke 22:63-23:12 (NIV)
• Very Hard: English Standard Version: Luke 22:63-23:12 (ESV)

Comprehension Questions

1. What did the soldiers do to Jesus while he was being guarded?
2. Who asked Jesus if he was the Messiah?
3. How did Jesus answer when the leaders asked if he was the Son of God?
4. Where did the leaders take Jesus after speaking with him?
5. What did the leaders accuse Jesus of when he stood before Pilate?
6. What did Pilate say after he talked to Jesus?
7. Why did Pilate send Jesus to Herod?
8. Why was Herod happy to see Jesus?
9. What did Herod and his soldiers do to Jesus?
10. What happened between Pilate and Herod after this event?

Application Questions

1. How do you think Jesus felt when people made fun of him?
2. Why do you think Jesus stayed calm and did not fight back?
3. When people treat us badly, how should we act?
4. How does it feel to know that Jesus understands our pain?
5. What can we learn from how Jesus stayed strong during hard times?

Theological Insights

1. Jesus knows what it feels like to be hurt and treated unfairly.
2. Even though Jesus is God’s Son, he chose to suffer to save us.
3. Jesus stayed quiet and trusted God, even when others were cruel.
4. God has a plan, even when people do wrong things.
5. Jesus’ suffering shows his great love for people.

Closing Prayer

Dear Father, thank you for Jesus, who understands our pain and loves us. Help us to be strong and kind, even when people are mean to us. Amen.

ELL Resources for the Gospel of Luke

More ELL Resources

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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.