Joyful Moments ESL

A Ministry of Joyful Moments in Christ
Free Luke 1:57-80 ESL Bible study. In this Bible study for ESL students and teachers, we will learn about the birth of a special baby named John. We will see how God kept his promises and how John’s family praised God. We will also hear words from John’s father, Zechariah, about hope and peace. This complete lesson includes an icebreaker, passage summary, vocabulary list, discussion questions, theological insights, and a free printable PDF. #ESLBibleStudy #BibleStudyPrintable #ChristianESL #LearnEnglish

The Birth of John the Baptizer: An ESL Bible Study on Luke 1:57-80

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: Luke 1:57–80 that may work better for native English speakers.

Copyright Notice: All lessons and printables on this website are protected by copyright. You are welcome to download and print them for free for personal use, small groups, or Bible classes. You may share a link to this page, but please do not sell these materials or copy this content to other websites.

Luke 1:57-80 Printable Discussion Questions
Luke 1:57-80 Printable ERV Passage

Lesson Icebreaker Question

What is the story behind your name? Who chose it and why?

Lesson Highlight

In this lesson, we will learn about the birth of a special baby named John. We will see how God kept his promises and how John’s family praised God. We will also hear words from John’s father, Zechariah, about hope and peace. 

Vocabulary Lists for the ERV Bible Translation

Key Vocabulary Words (10 words)
  1. agreement: (noun) A promise between two or more people.
  2. circumcise: (verb) A special religious cut made on a Jewish baby boy.
  3. enemy: (noun) A person who hates you or wants to hurt you.
  4. forgiven: (verb) To have your sins taken away by God.
  5. freedom: (noun) Being free from the power of an enemy.
  6. mercy: (noun) Kindness and forgiveness shown to someone who deserves punishment.
  7. peace: (noun) A time of quiet and no fighting.
  8. prepare: (verb) To get something ready.
  9. prophet: (noun) A person who speaks messages from God.
  10. sin: (noun) Doing things that are against the rules of God.
Important Words to Know (20 words)
  1. agreement: (noun) A promise between two or more people.
  2. circumcise: (verb) A special religious cut made on a Jewish baby boy.
  3. darkness: (noun) A place or time with no light.
  4. death: (noun) The end of a life.
  5. enemy: (noun) A person who hates you or wants to hurt you.
  6. forgiven: (verb) To have your sins taken away by God.
  7. freedom: (noun) Being free from the power of an enemy.
  8. guide: (verb) To show someone which way to go.
  9. hill country: (phrase) An area of land that has many hills and is not flat.
  10. holy: (adjective) Being pure and set apart for God.
  11. mercy: (noun) Kindness and forgiveness shown to someone who deserves punishment.
  12. message: (noun) Important information that is spoken or written.
  13. peace: (noun) A time of quiet and no fighting.
  14. praise: (verb) To say very good things about God or a person.
  15. prepare: (verb) To get something ready.
  16. prophet: (noun) A person who speaks messages from God.
  17. save: (verb) To keep someone from danger or death.
  18. sign: (noun) A way to speak using hands and body instead of a voice.
  19. sin: (noun) Doing things that are against the rules of God.
  20. spirit: (noun) A part of a person that we cannot see.
Complete Lesson Word Bank
  1. Abraham: (noun) The first father of the people of Israel who trusted God.
  2. afraid: (adjective) Feeling fear or being scared.
  3. again: (adverb) One more time.
  4. agreement: (noun) A promise between two or more people.
  5. area: (noun) A part of a place or a country.
  6. away: (adverb) At a distance from a place.
  7. became: (verb) To have started to be something.
  8. before: 1. (preposition) Earlier than a certain time. 2. (preposition) In front of someone or something.
  9. began: (verb) To have started something.
  10. bring: (verb) To take someone or something to a place.
  11. call: (verb) To give a name to someone or something.
  12. circumcise: (verb) A special religious cut made on a Jewish baby boy.
  13. continue: (verb) To keep doing something.
  14. darkness: (noun) A place or time with no light.
  15. David: (noun) A great king of Israel who lived long before Jesus.
  16. death: (noun) The end of a life.
  17. Elizabeth: (noun) The mother of John the Baptizer.
  18. enemy: (noun) A person who hates you or wants to hurt you.
  19. everyone: (pronoun) Every person in a group.
  20. fear: (noun) The feeling of being afraid.
  21. fill: (verb) To put as much as possible into something.
  22. forgiven: (verb) To have your sins taken away by God.
  23. free: (adjective) Not under the control of another person.
  24. freedom: (noun) Being free from the power of an enemy.
  25. give birth: (phrase) To have a baby.
  26. given: (verb) To have handed something over to another person.
  27. God: (noun) The creator and ruler of everything.
  28. grew: (verb) To have become larger or older.
  29. grew up: (phrase) To change from a child into an adult.
  30. guide: (verb) To show someone which way to go.
  31. hate: (verb) To dislike someone or something very much.
  32. heard: (verb) To have received sound with your ears.
  33. heaven: (noun) The place where God lives.
  34. help: (verb) To do something useful for someone.
  35. hill country: (phrase) An area of land that has many hills and is not flat.
  36. holy: (adjective) Being pure and set apart for God.
  37. Holy Spirit: (noun) One of the three persons of God who comes to live inside his people.
  38. Israel: (noun) The land and the people that God chose for himself.
  39. John: (noun) The name of the baby born to Elizabeth and Zechariah.
  40. Judea: (noun) The region in the south part of Israel.
  41. light: (noun) The brightness that lets us see.
  42. long ago: (phrase) A very long time in the past.
  43. Lord: (noun) A name that shows someone has power or authority.
  44. love: (noun) A strong feeling of care and kindness.
  45. make: (verb) To create or build something.
  46. mercy: (noun) Kindness and forgiveness shown to someone who deserves punishment.
  47. message: (noun) Important information that is spoken or written.
  48. Most High God: (phrase) A special name for God that shows he is the greatest and has the most power.
  49. neighbor: (noun) A person who lives near you.
  50. new day: (phrase) A time when a fresh start begins.
  51. peace: (noun) A time of quiet and no fighting.
  52. power: (noun) Strength or the ability to do something.
  53. powerful: (adjective) Having a lot of strength or power.
  54. praise: (verb) To say very good things about God or a person.
  55. prepare: (verb) To get something ready.
  56. promise: (noun) A word that you will do what you said.
  57. prophet: (noun) A person who speaks messages from God.
  58. remember: (verb) To keep something in your mind.
  59. right: (adjective) Something that is correct or good.
  60. save: (verb) To keep someone from danger or death.
  61. Savior: (noun) A name for Jesus because he saves us from sin!
  62. servant: (noun) A person who works for another person.
  63. serve: (verb) To help or work for someone.
  64. shine: (verb) To give off light.
  65. show: (verb) To let someone see something.
  66. sign: (noun) A way to speak using hands and body instead of a voice.
  67. sin: (noun) Doing things that are against the rules of God.
  68. spirit: (noun) A part of a person that we cannot see.
  69. stronger: (adjective) Having more power than something else.
  70. surprise: (noun) A feeling caused by something that was not expected.
  71. through: (preposition) Moving from one side to the other.
  72. until: (preposition) Up to a certain time.
  73. way: (noun) A path or a method of doing something.
  74. without: (preposition) Not having something.
  75. wonder: (verb) To want to know more about something.
  76. would: (verb) A helping verb used to talk about something that might happen.
  77. wrote: (verb) To have made letters or words on paper.
  78. Zechariah: (noun) The name of a priest who was the father of John the Baptizer.

Summary of the Passage

This story is about a baby boy named John. His mother, Elizabeth, had a baby when she was very old. Her neighbors and relatives were very happy because they saw that the Lord showed great mercy to her. Mercy is when God shows kindness and forgiveness. When the baby was eight days old, the family came to circumcise him. This was a special religious rule for Jewish boys.

The people thought the baby should be named Zechariah like his father. Elizabeth said no. She said his name must be John. The people were surprised. They made signs to Zechariah to ask for the name. Zechariah could not speak yet, so he wrote on a board, “His name is John.” Everyone was surprised! Suddenly, Zechariah could talk again and he began praising God. All the neighbors felt a holy fear. They wondered what this child would become.

Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit, which means God gave him special power and wisdom to speak. When the Holy Spirit fills a person, God helps them understand the truth so they can tell it to others. Zechariah used this power to give a message from God about freedom. He explained that God remembered his holy agreement with Abraham, which is a very strong promise. Zechariah said that God would save his people from their enemies so they could live without fear. He also said his son, John, would be a prophet who speaks for God. John’s job was to prepare the way for the Lord and tell people how to have their sins forgiven. This would bring a new day from heaven to lead everyone into the way of peace.

This passage shows us that God always keeps his promises. It also teaches us that John had a special job. He helped people get ready to meet Jesus. It reminds us that God loves to forgive and bring peace to our hearts.

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 Birth of John
57 When it was time for Elizabeth to give birth, she had a boy.
58 Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord was very good to her, and they were happy for her.
59 When the baby was eight days old, they came to circumcise him.
They wanted to name him Zechariah because this was his father’s name.
60 But his mother said, “No, he will be named John.”
61 The people said to Elizabeth, “But no one in your family has that name.”
62 Then they made signs to his father, “What would you like to name him?”
63 Zechariah asked for something to write on.
Then he wrote, “His name is John.”
Everyone was surprised.
64 Then Zechariah could talk again, and he began praising God.
65 And all their neighbors were afraid.
In all the hill country of Judea, people continued talking about these things.
66 Everyone who heard about these things wondered about them.
They thought, “What will this child be?”
They could see that the Lord was with him.
Zechariah Praises God
67 Then Zechariah, John’s father, was filled with the Holy Spirit and told the people a message from God:
68 “Praise to the Lord God of Israel.
He has come to help his people
and has given them freedom.
69 He has given us a powerful Savior
from the family of his servant David.
70 This is what he promised
through his holy prophets long ago.
71 He will save us from our enemies
and from the power of all those who hate us.
72 God said he would show mercy to our fathers,
and he remembered his holy agreement.
73 This was the promise he made to our father Abraham,
74 a promise to free us from the power of our enemies,
so that we could serve him without fear
75 in a way that is holy and right for as long as we live.
76 “Now you, little boy, will be called a prophet of the Most High God.
You will go first before the Lord to prepare the way for him.
77 You will make his people understand that they will be saved
by having their sins forgiven.
78 “With the loving mercy of our God,
a new day from heaven will shine on us.
79 It will bring light to those who live in darkness, in the fear of death.
It will guide us into the way that brings peace.”
80 And so the little boy John grew up and became stronger in spirit. Then he lived in areas away from other people until the time when he came out to tell God’s message to the people of Israel.

Luke 1:57-80 (ERV)
Luke 1:57-80 Printable ERV Passage

Comprehension Questions

  1. Why were the neighbors and relatives happy for Elizabeth?
  2. What name did the people want to give the baby at first?
  3. What name did Elizabeth say the baby must have?
  4. How did Zechariah tell the people the name of his son?
  5. What happened to Zechariah’s voice after he wrote the name?
  6. How did the neighbors feel after they saw these miracles?
  7. What did Zechariah say God had given to his people?
  8. From whose family did the powerful Savior come?
  9. What was John’s special job as a prophet?
  10. Where did John live until he began to tell God’s message?

Application Questions

  1. How do you feel when a friend tells you a secret or good news?
  2. Is it hard for you to wait for a promise to come true?
  3. How can you use your voice to say kind things about God today?
  4. Do you find it easy to forgive people who are mean to you?
  5. Who can you help this week so they feel less afraid?

Theological Insights

  1. God always does what he says he will do.
  2. God uses families to do his special work.
  3. A prophet is a person who tells people what God says.
  4. God is kind and takes away the bad things we do.
  5. God gives us light so we do not have to be afraid.

Closing Prayer

Dear Father,
You are the Lord God who keeps every promise.
We are sorry for the times we do not speak of your mercy.
Thank you for sending a Savior to give us freedom.
Please guide our feet into the way of peace.
Amen.

Free Luke 1:57-80 ESL Bible study. In this Bible study for ESL students and teachers, we will learn about the birth of a special baby named John. We will see how God kept his promises and how John’s family praised God. We will also hear words from John’s father, Zechariah, about hope and peace. This complete lesson includes an icebreaker, passage summary, vocabulary list, discussion questions, theological insights, and a free printable PDF. #ESLBibleStudy #BibleStudyPrintable #ChristianESL #LearnEnglish

A Sunday School Lesson

If you prefer a lesson that is better for English speaking children, see A Sunday School Lesson: Luke 1:57–80. This lesson includes:

  • Discussion Questions
  • Advice for Sunday School Teachers
  • Activity Suggestions

More ESL Resources

All ESL Resources
Bible Studies
Luke Bible Studies
Prayers

Luke Bible Study Series

More Related Resources

Visit the Joyful Moments ESL homepage for all posts, or scroll through more blog posts about John the Baptizer:

Scripture quotations marked (ERV) are taken from the HOLY BIBLE: EASY-TO-READ VERSION ©2006 by Bible League International. Used by permission.

Leave a comment

Recent

Archives

Bible Studies
Prayers
Advanced English Resources