God’s Promise to Zechariah: An ESL Bible Study on Luke 1:5-25

This Bible study series is for people who are learning English. It is designed for advanced beginner and intermediate learners, but children or adults who prefer simple English may also enjoy it. I also have a Sunday School lesson on Luke 1:5-25 that may work better for native English speakers.

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Luke 1:5-25 Printable Discussion Questions

LUke 1:5-25 Printable ERV Passage

Lesson Icebreaker Question

Have you ever waited a long time for something you wanted? How did you feel when you had to wait?

Lesson Highlight

In this lesson, we will learn about a man named Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth. God sent an angel to give them a special promise about the birth of a baby boy named John. We will see how God hears prayers and keeps his promises.

Vocabulary Lists for the ERV Bible Translation

Key Vocabulary Words (10 words)

angel: (noun) A messenger from heaven who serves God.
believe: (verb) To think that something is true.
command: (verb) To give an order to someone.
Holy Spirit: (noun) One of the three persons of God who comes to live inside his people.
incense: (noun) A special powder that smells sweet when it is burned for God.
obey: (verb) To do what a rule or a person tells you to do.
pregnant: (adjective) Having a baby growing inside the body.
priest: (noun) A man who did special work for God in the Temple.
Temple: (noun) The special building in Jerusalem where people worshiped God.
vision: (noun) Something like a dream that God shows to someone.

Important Words to Know (20 words)

angel: (noun) A messenger from heaven who serves God.
believe: (verb) To think that something is true.
command: (verb) To give an order to someone.
completely: (adverb) In a way that is total or finished.
good news: (phrase) A message that tells about something nice or happy.
Holy Spirit: (noun) One of the three persons of God who comes to live inside his people.
incense: (noun) A special powder that smells sweet when it is burned for God.
instructions: (noun) Words that tell you how to do something or how to act.
obey: (verb) To do what a rule or a person tells you to do.
offer: (verb) To give something to someone.
powerful: (adjective) Having a lot of strength or power.
pregnant: (adjective) Having a baby growing inside the body.
priest: (noun) A man who did special work for God in the Temple.
ready: (adjective) Prepared to do something.
serve: (verb) To help or work for someone.
speech: (noun) The ability to speak.
surprise: (noun) A feeling caused by something that was not expected.
Temple: (noun) The special building in Jerusalem where people worshiped God.
upset: (adjective) Feeling worried or unhappy.
vision: (noun) Something like a dream that God shows to someone.

Complete Lesson Word Bank

Aaron: (noun) The brother of Moses and the first high priest of Israel.
able: (adjective) Having the power or skill to do something.
afraid: (adjective) Feeling fear or being scared.
always: (adverb) Every time or at all times.
angel: (noun) A messenger from heaven who serves God.
became: (verb) To have started to be something.
beer: (noun) A drink with alcohol made from grain.
before: 1. (preposition) Earlier than a certain time. 2. (preposition) In front of someone or something.
believe: (verb) To think that something is true.
belong: (verb) To be the property of someone.
between: (preposition) In the space that separates two things.
born: (verb) To come out of a mother’s body and start to live.
both: (adjective) Two people or things together.
cause: (verb) To make something happen.
change: (verb) To make something different.
chose: (verb) To have picked someone or something from a group.
command: (verb) To give an order to someone.
completely: (adverb) In a way that is total or finished.
crowd: (noun) A very large group of people.
decide: (verb) To make a choice.
done: (adjective) Finished or completed.
during: (preposition) While something is happening.
Elijah: (noun) A famous prophet who served God a long time ago.
Elizabeth: (noun) The mother of John the Baptizer.
even: (adverb) Used to show that something is surprising.
fill: (verb) To put as much as possible into something.
finish: (verb) To reach the end of a task.
follow: (verb) To obey or listen to the teaching of someone.
Gabriel: (noun) An angel who was sent by God to give important messages.
give birth: (phrase) To have a baby.
go ahead of: (phrase) To move in front of someone to lead the way or get things ready.
God: (noun) The creator and ruler of everything.
good news: (phrase) A message that tells about something nice or happy.
great: (adjective) Very large or very good.
group: (noun) A number of people or things that are together.
happen: (verb) To take place.
heard: (verb) To have received sound with your ears.
help: (verb) To do something useful for someone.
Herod: (noun) A king who ruled in Israel during the time of Jesus.
Holy Spirit: (noun) One of the three persons of God who comes to live inside his people.
incense: (noun) A special powder that smells sweet when it is burned for God.
inside: (preposition) In the inner part of something like a house.
instructions: (noun) Words that tell you how to do something or how to act.
Israel: (noun) The land and the people that God chose for himself.
John the Baptizer: (noun) A man sent by God to tell people that Jesus was coming.
joy: (noun) A feeling of very great happiness.
Judea: (noun) The region in the south part of Israel.
long: (adjective) Measuring a great distance from one end to the other.
Lord: (noun) A name that shows someone has power or authority.
lose: (verb) To no longer have something, such as the ability to speak.
make: (verb) To create or build something.
obey: (verb) To do what a rule or a person tells you to do.
offer: (verb) To give something to someone.
over: (preposition) Above or on top of something.
peace: (noun) A time of quiet and no fighting.
pleased: (adjective) Feeling happy or satisfied.
powerful: (adjective) Having a lot of strength or power.
pray: (verb) To talk to God.
prayer: (noun) The words we say when we talk to God.
pregnant: (adjective) Having a baby growing inside the body.
priest: (noun) A man who did special work for God in the Temple.
ready: (adjective) Prepared to do something.
really: (adverb) Truly or very much.
return: (verb) To come back to a place.
right side: (phrase) The side of the body or an object that is not the left side.
rule: (verb) To have power over a country or people.
sent: (verb) To have caused someone to go to a place.
serve: (verb) To help or work for someone.
service: (noun) The act of helping or serving others.
share: (verb) To give a part of what you have to others.
should: (verb) A word used to say what is the right thing to do.
sign: (noun) Something that shows a message or gives a warning.
speak: (verb) To say words.
speech: (noun) The ability to speak.
stand: (verb) To be on your feet in an upright way.
stay: (verb) To not leave a place.
still: (adverb) Continuing until a certain time.
stood: (verb) To have been on your feet.
surprise: (noun) A feeling caused by something that was not expected.
table: (noun) A piece of furniture with a flat top used for eating or working.
Temple: (noun) The special building in Jerusalem where people worshiped God.
until: (preposition) Up to a certain time.
upset: (adjective) Feeling worried or unhappy.
vision: (noun) Something like a dream that God shows to someone.
wait: (verb) To stay in a place until something happens.
way: (noun) A path or a method of doing something.
went: (verb) To have moved to another place.
wine: (noun) A drink made from the juice of grapes.
wrong: (adjective) Not right or not true.
Zechariah: (noun) The name of a priest who was the father of John the Baptizer.

Summary of the Passage

This story is about a man named Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth. They were very old and did not have any children. Many people at that time thought it was very sad if a couple had no children. Zechariah was a priest. A priest is a man who does special work for God. He worked in the Temple. The Temple was a holy building where people went to worship God.

One day, Zechariah went into the Temple to offer incense. Incense is a special powder that smells sweet. It is burned to show honor to God. A large crowd of people stayed outside to pray. While Zechariah was alone, an angel appeared to him. An angel is a messenger from heaven. Zechariah was very afraid! The angel told him not to fear. He said that God heard Zechariah’s prayer. Elizabeth would have a baby boy named John.

The angel said that John would be filled with the Holy Spirit. This means God would live inside him to give him power. John would help people obey God’s commands. Zechariah found it hard to believe this news. He and his wife were too old to have a baby. The angel told Zechariah he would not be able to speak until the baby was born. This was a sign to show that God’s word is true.

When Zechariah came out, he could not talk. He had to use his hands to make signs. The people knew he had seen a vision. A vision is like a dream from God while a person is awake. Later, Elizabeth became pregnant. She was very happy. She knew that God was kind to her.

This passage shows us that God listens to our prayers. He keeps his promises at the right time. We can trust him even when we have to wait.

Read The Passage

Most English learners should use the Easy-to-Read Version (ERV), the New International Reader’s Version (NIRV), or the Good News Translation (GNT). If you want to try something harder, you can read one of the other Bible versions.

Zechariah and Elizabeth
5 During the time when Herod ruled Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah.
He belonged to Abijah’s group.
His wife came from the family of Aaron.
Her name was Elizabeth.
6 Zechariah and Elizabeth were both good people who pleased God.
They did everything the Lord commanded, always following his instructions completely.
7 But they had no children.
Elizabeth could not have a baby, and both of them were very old.
8 Zechariah was serving as a priest before God for his group.
It was his group’s time to serve.
9 The priests always chose one priest to offer the incense, and Zechariah was the one chosen this time.
So he went into the Temple of the Lord to offer the incense.
10 There was a large crowd outside praying at the time the incense was offered.
11 Then, on the right side of the incense table, an angel of the Lord came and stood before Zechariah.
12 When he saw the angel, Zechariah was upset and very afraid.
13 But the angel said to him, “Zechariah, don’t be afraid.
Your prayer has been heard by God.
Your wife Elizabeth will give birth to a baby boy, and you will name him John.
14 You will be very happy, and many others will share your joy over his birth.
15 He will be a great man for the Lord.
He will never drink wine or beer.
Even before he is born, he will be filled with the Holy Spirit.
16 “John will help many people of Israel return to the Lord their God.
17 John himself will go ahead of the Lord and make people ready for his coming.
He will be powerful like Elijah and will have the same spirit.
He will make peace between fathers and their children.
He will cause people who are not obeying God to change and start thinking the way they should.”
18 Zechariah said to the angel, “How can I know that what you say is true?
I am an old man, and my wife is also old.”
19 The angel answered him, “I am Gabriel, the one who always stands ready before God.
He sent me to talk to you and to tell you this good news.
20 Now, listen! You will not be able to talk until the day when these things happen.
You will lose your speech because you did not believe what I told you.
But everything I said will really happen.”
21 Outside, the people were still waiting for Zechariah.
They were surprised that he was staying so long in the Temple.
22 Then Zechariah came outside, but he could not speak to them.
So the people knew that he had seen a vision inside the Temple.
He was not able to speak, so he could only make signs to the people.
23 When his time of service was finished, he went home.
24 Later, Zechariah’s wife Elizabeth became pregnant.
So she did not go out of her house for five months.
She said, 25 “Look what the Lord has done for me!
He decided to help me.
Now people will stop thinking there is something wrong with me.”
Luke 1:5-25 (ERV)

Very Easy: Easy-To-Read Version: Luke 1:5-25 (ERV)
Very Easy: New International Reader’s Version: Luke 1:5-25 (NIRV)
Easy: Good News Translation: Luke 1:5-25 (GNT)
Medium: New Living Translation: Luke 1:5-25 (NLT)
Hard: New International Version: Luke 1:5-25 (NIV)
Very Hard: English Standard Version: Luke 1:5-25 (ESV)

LUke 1:5-25 Printable ERV Passage

Comprehension Questions

What were the names of the husband and wife in this story?
What was Zechariah’s job for God?
Why was Zechariah inside the Temple?
Who stood on the right side of the incense table?
What was the name the angel gave for the baby boy?
What did the angel say John would never drink?
Why did Zechariah have a hard time believing the angel?
What happened to Zechariah’s speech because he did not believe?
How did the crowd know that Zechariah had seen a vision?
How long did Elizabeth stay inside her house after she became pregnant?

Application Questions

How do you feel when you have to wait for an answer to a prayer?
What are some things that make you feel afraid?
Does it help your faith to know that God listens to you?
What is one thing you can thank God for today?
Who is someone you can help to trust God this week?

Theological Insights

God always hears the prayers of his people.
God has the power to do things that people think are impossible.
God uses messengers to tell people his good news.
God wants people to change and start obeying him.
God is kind to people who feel sad or alone.

Closing Prayer

Dear Father,
You are the God who has all power and keeps every promise.
We are sorry for the times we do not believe your words or wait for your timing.
Thank you for hearing our prayers and showing us your great kindness.
Please help us to trust you and share your joy with others.
Amen.