John the Baptizer Prepares the Way: An ESL Bible Study on Luke 3:1-20

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 3:1-20 that may work better for native English speakers.

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Luke 3:1-20 Printable Discussion Questions

Luke 3:1-20 Printable ERV Passage

Lesson Icebreaker Question

Have you ever had to get ready for an important visitor or special event? What did you do to prepare?

Lesson Highlight

In this lesson, we will learn about a man named John the Baptizer. He told people to turn away from their sins and get ready for Jesus. We will talk about what it means to change our hearts and live God’s way.

Vocabulary Lists for the ERV Bible Translation

Key Vocabulary Words (10 words)

baptize: (verb) To put someone in water to show they are starting a new life with God.
criticize: (verb) To say that someone is doing something wrong.
encourage: (verb) To make someone feel brave or happy.
forgiven: (verb) To have your sins taken away by God.
governor: (noun) A leader of a state or region.
judgment: (noun) A final decision about what is right or wrong.
prepare: (verb) To get something ready.
prophet: (noun) A person who speaks messages from God.
ruler: (noun) A person who governs or leads others.
tax collector: (phrase) A person whose job is to take money from people for the government.

Important Words to Know (20 words)

baptize: (verb) To put someone in water to show they are starting a new life with God.
Caesar: (noun) The title of the man who ruled the Roman Empire.
criticize: (verb) To say that someone is doing something wrong.
desert: (noun) A dry place with very little water.
encourage: (verb) To make someone feel brave or happy.
forgiven: (verb) To have your sins taken away by God.
governor: (noun) A leader of a state or region.
high priests: (phrase) The most important leaders in the Jewish temple who spoke to God for the people.
judgment: (noun) A final decision about what is right or wrong.
message: (noun) Important information that is spoken or written.
prepare: (verb) To get something ready.
prophet: (noun) A person who speaks messages from God.
rule: (verb) To lead or have power over a country or people.
ruler: (noun) A person who governs or leads others.
sandal: (noun) An open shoe with straps.
save: (verb) To keep someone from danger or death.
sin: (noun) Doing things that are against the rules of God.
slave: (noun) A person who is owned by another person and must work for free.
tax collector: (phrase) A person whose job is to take money from people for the government.
warn: (verb) To tell someone about a danger that is coming.

Complete Lesson Word Bank

able: (adjective) Having the power or skill to do something.
about: (preposition) Telling what a thing or person is like.
Abraham: (noun) The first father of the people of Israel who trusted God.
another: (adjective) One more of the same kind.
area: (noun) A part of a place or a country.
around: (preposition) In a circle or on all sides of something.
ax: (noun) A tool with a heavy blade used for cutting wood.
baptize: (verb) To put someone in water to show they are starting a new life with God.
barn: (noun) A building on a farm for animals or grain.
burn: (verb) To be on fire or to damage something with fire.
Caesar: (noun) The title of the man who ruled the Roman Empire.
Caiaphas: (noun) The high priest who was a leader when Jesus was killed.
change: (verb) To make something different.
clean: (verb) To make something not dirty.
collect: (verb) To bring things together in one place.
criticize: (verb) To say that someone is doing something wrong.
crooked: (adjective) Not straight.
crowd: (noun) A very large group of people.
cut: (verb) To use a sharp tool to open something.
desert: (noun) A dry place with very little water.
during: (preposition) While something is happening.
encourage: (verb) To make someone feel brave or happy.
enough: (adjective) As much as you need.
even: (adverb) Used to show that something is surprising.
fill: (verb) To put as much as possible into something.
fire: (noun) The heat and light from something burning.
flat: (adjective) Smooth and even.
force: (noun) Power or strength used against someone.
forgiven: (verb) To have your sins taken away by God.
fruit: (noun) The part of a plant that has seeds and is often good to eat.
Galilee: (noun) A region in the north part of Israel where Jesus lived.
God: (noun) The creator and ruler of everything.
Good News: (phrase) The message about Jesus and how he saves people.
governor: (noun) A leader of a state or region.
grain: (noun) The seeds of plants like wheat used for food.
heart: (noun) The part of a person where they feel and think.
Herod: (noun) A king who ruled in Israel during the time of Jesus.
Herodias: (noun) A woman in the family of King Herod.
high priests: (phrase) The most important leaders in the Jewish temple who spoke to God for the people.
hill: (noun) A high area of land that is smaller than a mountain.
Holy Spirit: (noun) One of the three persons of God who comes to live inside his people.
Isaiah: (noun) A famous prophet who wrote about Jesus long before he was born.
jail: (noun) A place where people are kept as punishment.
Jesus: (noun) The Son of God and the Savior of the world!
John the Baptizer: (noun) A man sent by God to tell people that Jesus was coming.
Jordan River: (noun) A famous river where John the Baptizer baptized many people.
Judea: (noun) The region in the south part of Israel.
judgment: (noun) A final decision about what is right or wrong.
later: (adverb) At a time in the future.
lie: (verb) To say something that is not true.
Lord: (noun) A name that shows someone has power or authority.
means: (verb) To have a specific sense or idea.
message: (noun) Important information that is spoken or written.
mountain: (noun) A very high area of land.
news: (noun) Information about something that just happened.
order: (verb) To tell someone they must do something.
part: (noun) A piece of something.
pay: (noun) The money a person receives for doing a job.
Pontius Pilate: (noun) The Roman leader who was the governor of Judea.
prepare: (verb) To get something ready.
priest: (noun) A man who did special work for God in the Temple.
produce: (verb) To make or grow something.
prophet: (noun) A person who speaks messages from God.
ready: (adjective) Prepared to do something.
receive: (verb) To get something that is given to you.
rock: (noun) A hard piece of stone from the ground.
rough: (adjective) Not smooth.
rule: (verb) To lead or have power over a country or people.
ruler: (noun) A person who governs or leads others.
run: (verb) To move very fast on your feet.
sandal: (noun) An open shoe with straps.
save: (verb) To keep someone from danger or death.
separate: (verb) To move things apart.
share: (verb) To give a part of what you have to others.
shirt: (noun) A piece of clothing worn on the top part of the body.
should: (verb) A word used to say what is the right thing to do.
shout: (verb) To speak or yell very loudly.
sin: (noun) Doing things that are against the rules of God.
slave: (noun) A person who is owned by another person and must work for free.
smooth: (adjective) Having a surface that is not rough.
snake: (noun) A long animal with no legs that crawls on the ground.
soldier: (noun) A person who is in an army.
straight: (adjective) Not having any curves or bends.
straw: (noun) Dried yellow stems of grain.
tax: (noun) Money that people must pay to the government.
tax collector: (phrase) A person whose job is to take money from people for the government.
through: (preposition) Moving from one side to the other.
thrown: (verb) To have sent something through the air.
under: (preposition) Controlled by a power or a law.
untie: (verb) To loosen a knot or string.
use: (verb) To do something with a tool or an object.
useless: (adjective) Not helping or not working.
valley: (noun) An area of low land between hills or mountains.
warn: (verb) To tell someone about a danger that is coming.
way: (noun) A path or a method of doing something.
went: (verb) To have moved to another place.
whole: (adjective) All of something.
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 passage talks about a man named John the Baptizer who lived in the desert area near the Jordan River. During this time, many different rulers and a governor led the land of Israel. God gave John a special message to share with all the people who came to hear him. He told the people to be baptized to show that they wanted to change their lives. To baptize means to put someon”e in water to show they are starting a new life with God. When they did this, it showed they wanted their sin to be “washed away” and forgiven by God. John was a prophet, which is a person who speaks for God. He told the people to prepare the way for the Lord by making their hearts ready for Jesus.

John told the crowd that they must show they have changed by the way they live. He said that a tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. People in the crowd asked him what they should do to follow God. John told them to share their extra clothes and food with people who have nothing. He told tax collectors to be honest and not take too much money. He also told soldiers not to lie or use force against others. He wanted them to show their faith by being kind and fair in their daily work.

Many people wondered if John was the promised Savior, but he told them that someone greater was coming. He said he was not even good enough to be a slave who unties the sandals of Jesus. John explained that Jesus would baptize people with the Holy Spirit and with fire. This means Jesus gives people God’s power to change from the inside. John also warned the people about God’s judgment that was coming soon. Later, John criticized a ruler named Herod for doing many bad things. Because John spoke the truth, Herod became angry and put him in jail.

This passage shows us that God cares about our hearts and our actions. It teaches us to be kind, fair, and ready for Jesus. God wants us to turn from sin and follow his good way.

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.

John Prepares the Way for Jesus
1 It was the 15th year of the rule of Tiberius Caesar.
These men were under Caesar:
Pontius Pilate, the governor of Judea;
Herod, the ruler of Galilee;
Philip, Herod’s brother, the ruler of Iturea and Trachonitis;
Lysanias, the ruler of Abilene.
2 Annas and Caiaphas were the high priests.
During this time, John, the son of Zechariah, was living in the desert, and he received a message from God.
3 So he went through the whole area around the Jordan River and told the people God’s message.
He told them to be baptized to show that they wanted to change their lives, and then their sins would be forgiven.
4 This is like the words written in the book of Isaiah the prophet:
“There is someone shouting in the desert:
‘Prepare the way for the Lord.
Make the road straight for him.
5 Every valley will be filled, and every mountain and hill will be made flat.
Crooked roads will be made straight, and rough roads will be made smooth.
6 Then everyone will see how God will save his people!’”
7 Crowds of people came to be baptized by John.
But he said to them,
“You are all snakes!
Who warned you to run from God’s judgment that is coming?
8 Change your hearts!
And show by your lives that you have changed.
I know what you are about to say—‘but Abraham is our father!’
That means nothing.
I tell you that God can make children for Abraham from these rocks!
9 The ax is now ready to cut down the trees.
Every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”
10 The people asked John,
“What should we do?”
11 He answered,
“If you have two shirts, share with someone who does not have one.
If you have food, share that too.”
12 Even the tax collectors came to John.
They wanted to be baptized.
They said to him, “Teacher, what should we do?”
13 He told them,
“Don’t take more taxes from people than you have been ordered to collect.”
14 The soldiers asked him,
“What about us?
What should we do?”
He said to them,
“Don’t use force or lies to make people give you money.
Be happy with the pay you get.”
16 John’s answer to this was,
“I baptize you in water, but there is someone coming later who is able to do more than I can.
I am not good enough to be the slave who unties his sandals.
He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
17 He will come ready to clean the grain.
He will separate the good grain from the straw, and he will put the good part into his barn.
Then he will burn the useless part with a fire that cannot be stopped.”
18 John said many other things like this to encourage the people to change, and he told them the Good News.
How John’s Work Later Ended
19 John criticized Herod the ruler for what he had done with Herodias, the wife of Herod’s brother, as well as for all the other bad things he had done.
20 So Herod added another bad thing to all his other wrongs: He put John in jail.
Luke 3:1-20 (ERV)

Very Easy: Easy-To-Read Version: Luke 3:1-20 (ERV)
Very Easy: New International Reader’s Version: Luke 3:1-20 (NIRV)
Easy: Good News Translation: Luke 3:1-20 (GNT)
Medium: New Living Translation: Luke 3:1-20 (NLT)
Hard: New International Version: Luke 3:1-20 (NIV)
Very Hard: English Standard Version: Luke 3:1-20 (ESV)

Luke 3:1-20 Printable ERV Passage

Comprehension Questions

Where was John living when he heard from God?
What did John tell the people to do with their lives?
What happens to a tree that does not have good fruit?
What should a person do if they have two shirts?
What did John tell the tax collectors to do?
What did John tell the soldiers to do?
Who did John say was coming later?
Was John good enough to untie the sandals of Jesus?
How will Jesus baptize his people?
Why did the ruler Herod put John in jail?

Application Questions

How do you feel when you hear a message about changing your life?
What is one way you can share what you have with someone who has nothing?
How can you stay happy with the pay you get for your work?
How does it help you to know that Jesus is greater than any human leader?
What can you do today to show others that your heart has changed?

Theological Insights

God sends people to help us get ready for Jesus.
If we really love God, we will do good things for others.
Jesus is much greater and more powerful than John.
God wants us to be fair and honest in our jobs.
God will save the people who truly follow his way.

Closing Prayer

Lord God,
You are the great King and the only true Judge of the world.
I confess that I have followed my own way instead of your way.
Thank you for sending your Good News and for the power of your Holy Spirit.
Please help me to live a life that shows I belong to you.
Amen.