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 seen someone get blamed for something they did not do? How did it make you feel?

Lesson Highlight

In this lesson, we will learn about a time when Jesus was judged by leaders and a large crowd. We will see how people made a bad choice and how Jesus was hurt, even though he did nothing wrong.

Vocabulary List (GNT)

1. Accuse — To say someone did something bad.
2. Appealed — To ask people again to change their minds.
3. Barabbas — A man in prison for starting a big fight and killing someone.
4. Chief Priests — The most important religious leaders of the Jewish people.
5. Committed — To do something, usually something wrong.
6. Crime — Something bad that breaks the law.
7. Crowd — A big group of people.
8. Crucify — To kill someone by hanging them on a cross.
9. Death — When a person’s life ends.
10. Deserve — To be worthy of something, good or bad.
11. Examine — To look at something very carefully.
12. Guilty — Having done something wrong.
13. Hand Over — To give someone to another person’s control.
14. Herod — A ruler in the land where Jesus lived.
15. Leader — A person who guides or is in charge of others.
16. Mislead — To make people believe something that is not true.
17. Murder — To kill someone on purpose.
18. Pass a Sentence — To decide and say what punishment a person should get.
19. Pilate — The Roman ruler of the area where Jesus was judged.
20. Presence — Being in the same place with others.
21. Prison — A place where people are kept when they have done something wrong.
22. Riot — A big fight or trouble started by a group of people.
23. Sentenced — To be given a punishment for doing something bad.
24. Set Free — To let someone go.
25. Shout — To say something very loudly.
26. Succeed — To get what you wanted.
27. Voice — The sound made when a person speaks.
28. Wish — To want something to happen.

Summary of the Passage

This passage happens during the last part of Jesus’ life. Jesus had done many good things, like healing people and teaching them about God. But some leaders did not like him because they felt afraid of him. They took Jesus to a Roman ruler named Pilate. They said Jesus was a troublemaker and should be killed.

Pilate talked to Jesus and looked at what the people said. He did not find anything wrong. He even said Jesus did not deserve to die. Pilate wanted to let Jesus go after punishing him a little, but the people would not listen.

The people wanted another man, Barabbas, to be set free instead. Barabbas was in prison for starting a fight and killing someone. The people shouted louder and louder for Jesus to be killed. They asked for Jesus to be crucified, which is a very painful death.

Pilate tried again to stop them, but they kept shouting. In the end, Pilate gave them what they wanted. He let Barabbas go free and sent Jesus to be crucified.

This passage shows us how people can sometimes make bad choices when they listen to the crowd instead of doing what is right. It also teaches us that Jesus was willing to suffer for us, even though he did nothing wrong.

Read The Passage

Jesus Is Sentenced to Death
13 Pilate called together the chief priests, the leaders, and the people, 14 and said to them, “You brought this man to me and said that he was misleading the people. Now, I have examined him here in your presence, and I have not found him guilty of any of the crimes you accuse him of. 15 Nor did Herod find him guilty, for he sent him back to us. There is nothing this man has done to deserve death. 16 So I will have him whipped and let him go.” 17
18 The whole crowd cried out, “Kill him! Set Barabbas free for us!” (19 Barabbas had been put in prison for a riot that had taken place in the city, and for murder.)
20 Pilate wanted to set Jesus free, so he appealed to the crowd again. 21 But they shouted back, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”
22 Pilate said to them the third time, “But what crime has he committed? I cannot find anything he has done to deserve death! I will have him whipped and set him free.”
23 But they kept on shouting at the top of their voices that Jesus should be crucified, and finally their shouting succeeded. 24 So Pilate passed the sentence on Jesus that they were asking for. 25 He set free the man they wanted, the one who had been put in prison for riot and murder, and he handed Jesus over for them to do as they wished.

Luke 23:13-25 (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 23:13-25 (NIRV)
• Easy: Good News Translation: Luke 23:13-25 (GNT)
• Medium: New Living Translation: Luke 23:13-25 (NLT)
• Hard: New International Version: Luke 23:13-25 (NIV)
• Very Hard: English Standard Version: Luke 23:13-25 (ESV)

Comprehension Questions

1. Who did the leaders bring Jesus to?
2. What did Pilate think about Jesus?
3. Did Herod find Jesus guilty?
4. What did the crowd ask Pilate to do?
5. Who was Barabbas?
6. Why did the people want Barabbas to go free?
7. What did Pilate do after the people kept shouting?
8. What punishment did the people want for Jesus?
9. Did Jesus do anything wrong to deserve death?
10. Who made the final decision to send Jesus to die?

Application Questions

1. Why do you think people sometimes follow a crowd instead of doing what is right?
2. Have you ever been in a situation where you had to choose between what is popular and what is right?
3. What do you learn about Jesus from this story?
4. How does it feel to know Jesus was willing to suffer for us?
5. How can we make better choices when people around us want to do wrong?

Theological Insights

1. Jesus was innocent, but he chose to suffer so that sinners like us could be saved.
2. Sometimes people make wrong choices because they are afraid or because they want to please others.
3. God’s plan was for Jesus to die for our sins, even though it was very unfair to him.
4. We all need forgiveness, and Jesus made a way for us to be forgiven.
5. Jesus’ love is shown in how he stayed quiet and accepted punishment to save us.

Closing Prayer

Dear Father, thank you for sending Jesus to take our place when we deserve punishment. Help us to follow you and make good choices, even when others do not. 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.