God’s Message to Mary: An ESL Bible Study on Luke 1:26-38

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 1:26-38 that may work better for native English speakers.

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Luke 1:26-38 Printable Discussion Questions

Luke 1:26-38 Printable ERV Passage

Lesson Icebreaker Question

Can you share about a time you received surprising or important news? How did it make you feel?

Lesson Highlight

In this lesson, we will learn about how God sent an angel to Mary. The angel gave Mary an important message about a baby named Jesus. We will see how Mary trusted God, even when she was afraid.

Vocabulary Lists for the ERV Bible Translation

Key Vocabulary Words (10 words)

ancestor: (noun) A person in your family who lived a long time ago.
confused: (adjective) To feel mixed up and not able to think clearly.
engaged: (adjective) Promised to marry someone.
forever: (adverb) For all time without an end.
holy: (adjective) Being pure and set apart for God.
kingdom: (noun) A country or an area that is ruled by a king.
Most High God: (phrase) A special name for God that shows he is the greatest and has the most power.
servant: (noun) A person who works for another person.
virgin: (noun) A person who has never had sex.
wonder: (verb) To want to know more about something.

Important Words to Know (20 words)

ancestor: (noun) A person in your family who lived a long time ago.
angel: (noun) A messenger from heaven who serves God.
become: (verb) To start to be something.
confused: (adjective) To feel mixed up and not able to think clearly.
cover: (verb) To protect or hide someone with power.
engaged: (adjective) Promised to marry someone.
forever: (adverb) For all time without an end.
greeting: (noun) The first words you say when you see someone.
happen: (verb) To take place.
holy: (adjective) Being pure and set apart for God.
Holy Spirit: (noun) One of the three persons of God who comes to live inside his people.
kingdom: (noun) A country or an area that is ruled by a king.
Most High God: (phrase) A special name for God that shows he is the greatest and has the most power.
pleased: (adjective) Feeling happy or satisfied.
power: (noun) Strength or the ability to do something.
rule: (verb) To have power over a country or people.
servant: (noun) A person who works for another person.
Son of God: (phrase) A special name for Jesus that shows he is the son of God the Father.
virgin: (noun) A person who has never had sex.
wonder: (verb) To want to know more about something.

Complete Lesson Word Bank

afraid: (adjective) Feeling fear or being scared.
ancestor: (noun) A person in your family who lived a long time ago.
angel: (noun) A messenger from heaven who serves God.
away: (adverb) At a distance from a place.
become: (verb) To start to be something.
confused: (adjective) To feel mixed up and not able to think clearly.
cover: (verb) To protect or hide someone with power.
David: (noun) A great king of Israel who lived long before Jesus.
during: (preposition) While something is happening.
Elizabeth: (noun) The mother of John the Baptizer.
else: (adverb) Different or more.
end: (verb) To finish something.
engaged: (adjective) Promised to marry someone.
everyone: (pronoun) Every person in a group.
family: (noun) A group of people who are related to each other.
forever: (adverb) For all time without an end.
Gabriel: (noun) An angel who was sent by God to give important messages.
Galilee: (noun) A region in the north part of Israel where Jesus lived.
God: (noun) The creator and ruler of everything.
going to have: (phrase) To get or own something in the future.
great: (adjective) Very large or very good.
greeting: (noun) The first words you say when you see someone.
happen: (verb) To take place.
holy: (adjective) Being pure and set apart for God.
Holy Spirit: (noun) One of the three persons of God who comes to live inside his people.
Jacob: (noun) The son of Isaac.
Jesus: (noun) The Son of God and the Savior of the world!
Joseph: (noun) The man who raised Jesus on earth.
king: (noun) A man who rules a country.
kingdom: (noun) A country or an area that is ruled by a king.
let: (verb) To allow something to happen.
Lord: (noun) A name that shows someone has power or authority.
make: (verb) To create or build something.
marry: (verb) To become the husband or wife of someone.
Mary: (noun) The mother of Jesus.
mean: (verb) To have a specific idea or sense.
Most High God: (phrase) A special name for God that shows he is the greatest and has the most power.
Nazareth: (noun) The town where Jesus grew up.
over: (preposition) Above or on top of something.
pleased: (adjective) Feeling happy or satisfied.
power: (noun) Strength or the ability to do something.
pregnancy: (noun) The time when a baby is growing inside a mother.
pregnant: (adjective) Having a baby growing inside the body.
relative: (noun) A person in your family.
rule: (verb) To have power over a country or people.
sent: (verb) To have caused someone to go to a place.
servant: (noun) A person who works for another person.
Son of David: (phrase) A name for Jesus that shows he came from the family of king David.
Son of God: (phrase) A special name for Jesus that shows he is the son of God the Father.
special: (adjective) Different and often better than what is normal.
still: (adverb) Continuing until a certain time.
thought: (verb) To have used your mind.
town: (noun) A place where many people live that is smaller than a city.
virgin: (noun) A person who has never had sex.
went: (verb) To have moved to another place.
wonder: (verb) To want to know more about something.

Summary of the Passage

This story is a very special part of the Bible. It is about a young woman named Mary. She lived in a town called Nazareth. Mary was engaged to a man named Joseph. This means they promised to marry each other. One day, God sent an angel named Gabriel to visit her. Angels are messengers from heaven who serve God. Gabriel gave her a special greeting. He told her that she was very special to God.

Mary felt confused. She did not understand why the angel visited her. She began to wonder what his words meant. Gabriel told her not to be afraid. He said that God was pleased with her. The angel told her she would become pregnant. She would have a baby boy and name him Jesus. This baby would be very great. He would be called the Son of the Most High God. Gabriel said Jesus would be a king like his ancestor David. An ancestor is a person in your family from long ago. Jesus would rule over a kingdom that stays forever.

Mary asked how this could happen. She was a virgin. This means she had never been with a man. The angel said the Holy Spirit and the power of the Most High God would cover her. This means God would protect her and use his strength to make the baby grow. The baby would be holy. Gabriel also told her about her relative Elizabeth. Elizabeth was very old, but she was also going to have a baby. The angel reminded Mary that God can do anything! Mary called herself the Lord’s servant. She promised to obey what God wanted.

This passage shows us that God can do anything. Nothing is impossible for him! Mary is a great example of faith because she trusted God even when she was afraid.

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.

The Virgin Mary
^26-27During Elizabeth’s sixth month of pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to a virgin girl who lived in Nazareth, a town in Galilee.
She was engaged to marry a man named Joseph from the family of David.
Her name was Mary.
²⁸The angel came to her and said, “Greetings! The Lord is with you; you are very special to him.”
²⁹But Mary was very confused about what the angel said.
She wondered, “What does this mean?”
³⁰The angel said to her, “Don’t be afraid, Mary, because God is very pleased with you.
³¹Listen! You will become pregnant and have a baby boy.
You will name him Jesus.
³²He will be great. People will call him the Son of the Most High God, and the Lord God will make him king like his ancestor David.
³³He will rule over the people of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.”
³⁴Mary said to the angel, “How will this happen?
I am still a virgin.”
³⁵The angel said to Mary, “The Holy Spirit will come to you, and the power of the Most High God will cover you.
The baby will be holy and will be called the Son of God.
³⁶And here’s something else: Your relative Elizabeth is pregnant.
She is very old, but she is going to have a son.
Everyone thought she could not have a baby, but she has been pregnant now for six months.
³⁷God can do anything!”
³⁸Mary said, “I am the Lord’s servant.
Let this thing you have said happen to me!”
Then the angel went away.
Luke 1:26–38 (ERV)

Very Easy: Easy-To-Read Version: Luke 1:26–38 (ERV)
Very Easy: New International Reader’s Version: Luke 1:26–38 (NIRV)
Easy: Good News Translation: Luke 1:26–38 (GNT)
Medium: New Living Translation: Luke 1:26–38 (NLT)
Hard: New International Version: Luke 1:26–38 (NIV)
Very Hard: English Standard Version: Luke 1:26–38 (ESV)

Luke 1:26-38 Printable ERV Passage

Comprehension Questions

What was the name of the angel God sent to Mary?
In what town did Mary live?
Who was the man Mary was engaged to marry?
How did Mary feel when she first heard the greeting?
What name did the angel tell Mary to give the baby?
Who did the angel say would be the baby’s famous ancestor?
How long will the rule of Jesus last?
Why did Mary ask, “How will this happen?”
What was the news about Mary’s relative, Elizabeth?
What did Mary call herself at the end of the story?

Application Questions

How do you feel when you receive news that you do not understand?
Does it surprise you that God chose a young woman for such an important job?
What are some things that make you feel afraid today?
What helps you trust God when a situation seems impossible?
How can you be a servant of God in your life this week?

Theological Insights

God has the power to do things that people think are impossible.
Jesus is the Son of God and the king of a forever kingdom.
God uses ordinary people to help with his great plan.
The Holy Spirit has the strength to bring life and make things holy.
God is kind to people and gives them peace when they are afraid.

Closing Prayer

Dear Father,
You are the Most High God who has all power.
Please forgive us for the times we do not trust your words.
Thank you for sending Jesus to rule over us forever.
Help us to be your servants and obey you with joy.
Amen.