The Birth of Jesus: An ESL Bible Study on Luke 2:1-7

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 2:1-7 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 2:1-7 Printable Discussion Questions

Lesson Icebreaker Question

What is the most special or memorable trip you have ever taken? Where did you go and why?

Lesson Highlight

In this lesson, we will learn about the birth of Jesus. We will see how God sent his Son to be born in a simple place. We will also talk about what this story teaches us today.

Vocabulary Lists for the ERV Bible Translation

Key Vocabulary Words (10 words)

Augustus Caesar: (noun) The name of the first emperor of the Roman group of countries.
box: (noun) A container used to hold things.
cattle: (noun) A group of cows or bulls kept on a farm.
engaged: (adjective) Promised to marry someone.
governor: (noun) A leader of a state or region.
guest room: (phrase) An extra room in a house where people can stay for a short time.
order: (noun) A command or rule given by a leader.
pregnant: (adjective) Having a baby growing inside the body.
register: (verb) To put a name on an official list.
Roman rule: (phrase) The power and laws of the Roman country over other places.

Important Words to Know (20 words)

Augustus Caesar: (noun) The name of the first emperor of the Roman group of countries.
Bethlehem: (noun) The town where Jesus was born.
box: (noun) A container used to hold things.
cattle: (noun) A group of cows or bulls kept on a farm.
count: (verb) To say numbers in order to see how many things there are.
country: (noun) An area of land that has its own king or leaders.
engaged: (adjective) Promised to marry someone.
governor: (noun) A leader of a state or region.
guest room: (phrase) An extra room in a house where people can stay for a short time.
hometown: (noun) The town where a person was born or grew up.
Joseph: (noun) The man who raised Jesus on earth.
Mary: (noun) The mother of Jesus.
order: (noun) A command or rule given by a leader.
pregnant: (adjective) Having a baby growing inside the body.
register: (verb) To put a name on an official list.
Roman rule: (phrase) The power and laws of the Roman country over other places.
son: (noun) A male child.
town of David: (phrase) Another name for the town called Bethlehem.
travel: (verb) To go from one place to another.
wrapped up well: (phrase) To cover something or someone tightly with cloth to keep them warm or safe.

Complete Lesson Word Bank

about: (preposition) Near to a certain time or place.
Augustus Caesar: (noun) The name of the first emperor of the Roman group of countries.
baby: (noun) A very young child.
Bethlehem: (noun) The town where Jesus was born.
box: (noun) A container used to hold things.
Caesar: (noun) The title of the man who ruled the Roman Empire.
cattle: (noun) A group of cows or bulls kept on a farm.
Christ: (noun) A title for Jesus that means the king God chose to save his people.
count: (verb) To say numbers in order to see how many things there are.
country: (noun) An area of land that has its own king or leaders.
David: (noun) A great king of Israel who lived long before Jesus.
engaged: (adjective) Promised to marry someone.
family: (noun) A group of people who are related to each other.
fed: (verb) To have given food to a person or animal.
first: (adjective) Coming before all others in time or order.
full: (adjective) Holding as much as possible.
Galilee: (noun) A region in the north part of Israel where Jesus lived.
gave birth: (phrase) To have a baby.
governor: (noun) A leader of a state or region.
guest room: (phrase) An extra room in a house where people can stay for a short time.
have a baby: (phrase) To give birth to a baby.
hometown: (noun) The town where a person was born or grew up.
Jesus: (noun) The Son of God and the Savior of the world!
Joseph: (noun) The man who raised Jesus on earth.
Judea: (noun) The region in the south part of Israel.
known: (adjective) To be recognized or understood.
laid: (verb) To have put something down in a flat position.
left: (verb) To have gone away from a place.
list: (noun) A series of names or things written down.
marry: (verb) To become the husband or wife of someone.
Mary: (noun) The mother of Jesus.
must: (verb) To need to do something.
Nazareth: (noun) The town where Jesus grew up.
now: (adverb) At this time.
order: (noun) A command or rule given by a leader.
own: (adjective) Belonging to a specific person.
pregnant: (adjective) Having a baby growing inside the body.
Quirinius: (noun) The name of a man who was a leader over the area of Syria.
register: (verb) To put a name on an official list.
Roman rule: (phrase) The power and laws of the Roman country over other places.
sent out: (phrase) To give an order or a message to many people.
son: (noun) A male child.
Syria: (noun) A country to the north of Israel.
town: (noun) A place where many people live that is smaller than a city.
town of David: (phrase) Another name for the town called Bethlehem.
travel: (verb) To go from one place to another.
under: (preposition) Controlled by a power or a law.
well: (adverb) In a good way.
went: (verb) To have moved to another place.
while: (conjunction) During the time that something is happening.
wrapped up well: (phrase) To cover something or someone tightly with cloth to keep them warm or safe.

Summary of the Passage

This passage tells the story of the birth of Jesus. A long time ago, the Roman leader, Augustus Caesar, sent out an order. An order is a command or rule from a leader. He wanted to register everyone’s name on a list to count all the people in his land. Everyone had to travel back to their own hometown to do this. A man named Joseph left the town of Nazareth and went to Bethlehem. This place was also called the town of David. This name shows that Joseph was from the family of King David, a famous leader from the past.

Joseph took Mary with him because she was engaged to him. Being engaged means they were promised to marry each other. Mary was pregnant, which means she had a baby growing inside her. She was almost ready to have her baby. It was a long trip to travel from Galilee to Judea. When they arrived, the town was very crowded because of the order from the governor. There was no room for them in the guest room, which is a place for travelers to stay.

While they were there, Mary gave birth to her son. She wrapped him up well in cloth to keep him warm and safe. She laid the baby in a box where cattle are fed. Cattle are farm animals like cows or bulls. This box is called a manger. Even though Jesus was the Son of God, he was born under Roman rule in a very simple place. Roman rule means the Roman country had the power and made the laws for other places.

This passage shows us that God cares about simple people in simple places. Jesus was born in a small town, not a palace. God’s love comes to everyone, rich or poor, important or unknown.

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 Jesus Christ
1 It was about that same time that Augustus Caesar sent out an order to all people in the countries that were under Roman rule.
The order said that everyone’s name must be put on a list.
2 This was the first counting of all the people while Quirinius was governor of Syria.
3 Everyone traveled to their own hometowns to have their name put on the list.
4 So Joseph left Nazareth, a town in Galilee, and went to the town of Bethlehem in Judea.
It was known as the town of David.
Joseph went there because he was from the family of David.
5 Joseph registered with Mary because she was engaged to marry him.
(She was now pregnant.)
6 While Joseph and Mary were in Bethlehem, the time came for her to have the baby.
7 She gave birth to her first son.
She wrapped him up well and laid him in a box where cattle are fed.
She put him there because the guest room was full.
Luke 2:1-7 (ERV)

Very Easy: Easy-To-Read Version: Luke 2:1-7 (ERV)
Very Easy: New International Reader’s Version: Luke 2:1-7 (NIRV)
Easy: Good News Translation: Luke 2:1-7 (GNT)
Medium: New Living Translation: Luke 2:1-7 (NLT)
Hard: New International Version: Luke 2:1-7 (NIV)
Very Hard: English Standard Version: Luke 2:1-7 (ESV)

Luke 2:1-7 Printable ERV Passage

Comprehension Questions

Who was the Roman leader that sent out an order to count the people?
What did everyone have to do to register their names?
Where did people have to travel to put their names on the list?
Why did Joseph have to go to the town of David?
Who was engaged to Joseph and traveled with him?
What was Mary’s physical condition during the trip?
Why was the guest room in Bethlehem full?
Where did Mary lay her baby after he was born?
What did Mary use to wrap her baby up well?
Who was the governor of Syria during this first counting of people?

Application Questions

How do you feel when you have to travel a long way?
How do you think Mary felt when there was no room in the guest room?
Why do you think God chose a simple box for animals as a bed for Jesus?
How does it make you feel to know that Jesus was born in a poor place?
How can you help someone who feels they have no place to belong this week?

Theological Insights

God uses world leaders and their orders to finish his own plans.
Jesus is the Savior, but he began his life in a humble hometown.
God cares for people who live under difficult laws or Roman rule.
The birth of Jesus shows that God is with us in our everyday lives.
God values people who are simple and do not have power in the world.

Closing Prayer

Dear Father,
You are the great King over every land and country.
I am sorry for the times I care too much about being rich or important.
Thank you for sending your son to be born in a simple place for us.
Please help me to trust your plan even when life feels crowded or difficult.
Amen.