Jesus Is Tempted: An ESL Bible Study on Luke 4:1-13

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 4:1-13 that may work better for native English speakers.

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Luke 4:1-13 Printable Discussion Questions

Luke 4:1-13 Printable ERV Passage

Lesson Icebreaker Question

What is one time you were very hungry or very tired? How did you feel?

Lesson Highlight

In this lesson, we will learn how Jesus was tempted by the devil. We will see how Jesus trusted the Scriptures and made good choices. This lesson will help us think about how we can say no to wrong things in our own lives.

Vocabulary Lists for the ERV Translation of the Bible

Key Vocabulary Words (10 words)

devil: (noun) The leader of all evil spirits and the enemy of God.
glory: (noun) The great beauty, power, and honor that belongs to God.
kingdom: (noun) A country or an area that is ruled by a king.
power: (noun) Strength or the ability to do something.
Scriptures: (noun) The holy writings of God in the Bible.
serve: (verb) To help or work for someone.
take care of: (phrase) To watch over and keep someone or something safe.
tempt: (verb) To try to make someone do something wrong.
test: (verb) To check if something is true or strong.
worship: (verb) To show great love and honor to God.

Important Words to Know (20 words)

angel: (noun) A messenger from heaven who serves God.
command: (verb) To give an order to someone.
desert: (noun) A dry place with very little water.
devil: (noun) The leader of all evil spirits and the enemy of God.
finish: (verb) To reach the end of a task.
glory: (noun) The great beauty, power, and honor that belongs to God.
hungry: (adjective) Needing or wanting food.
kingdom: (noun) A country or an area that is ruled by a king.
led: (verb) To have shown someone the way to go.
power: (noun) Strength or the ability to do something.
return: (verb) To come back to a place.
Scriptures: (noun) The holy writings of God in the Bible.
serve: (verb) To help or work for someone.
Son of God: (phrase) A special name for Jesus that shows he is the son of God the Father.
take care of: (phrase) To watch over and keep someone or something safe.
Temple area: (phrase) The space and buildings all around the special house of God in Jerusalem.
tempt: (verb) To try to make someone do something wrong.
test: (verb) To check if something is true or strong.
world: (noun) The earth and all the people on it.
worship: (verb) To show great love and honor to God.

Complete Lesson Word Bank

alive: (adjective) Living and not dead.
also: (adverb) In addition to something else.
angel: (noun) A messenger from heaven who serves God.
ate: (verb) To have had food.
away: (adverb) At a distance from a place.
become: (verb) To start to be something.
better: (adjective) More good than something else.
bread: (noun) A common food made from flour and water.
catch: (verb) To take hold of something that is moving.
command: (verb) To give an order to someone.
desert: (noun) A dry place with very little water.
devil: (noun) The leader of all evil spirits and the enemy of God.
during: (preposition) While something is happening.
edge: (noun) The part where something ends.
every: (adjective) All the people or things in a group.
fill: (verb) To put as much as possible into something.
finish: (verb) To reach the end of a task.
foot: (noun) The part of the body that you stand on.
given: (verb) To have handed something over to another person.
glory: (noun) The great beauty, power, and honor that belongs to God.
God: (noun) The creator and ruler of everything.
hand: (noun) The part of the body at the end of the arm.
high: (adjective) Far above the ground.
hit: (verb) To touch someone or something with force.
Holy Spirit: (noun) One of the three persons of God who comes to live inside his people.
hungry: (adjective) Needing or wanting food.
Jerusalem: (noun) The most important city in Israel where the Temple was.
Jesus: (noun) The Son of God and the Savior of the world!
Jordan River: (noun) A famous river where John the Baptizer baptized many people.
jump: (verb) To push yourself up into the air using your legs.
just: (adverb) Only or simply.
keep: (verb) To hold onto something or to continue to have it.
king over: (phrase) To be the leader who rules and makes decisions for a country or people.
kingdom: (noun) A country or an area that is ruled by a king.
led: (verb) To have shown someone the way to go.
Lord: (noun) A name that shows someone has power or authority.
make: (verb) To give someone a position or title, like a king.
moment of time: (phrase) A very short and quick period of time.
must: (verb) To need to do something.
place: (noun) A specific area, room, or location.
power over: (phrase) To have control or authority to tell others what they must do.
put: (verb) To move something to a specific place.
return: (verb) To come back to a place.
rock: (noun) A hard piece of stone from the ground.
Scriptures: (noun) The holy writings of God in the Bible.
serve: (verb) To help or work for someone.
show: (verb) To let someone see something.
Son of God: (phrase) A special name for Jesus that shows he is the son of God the Father.
take care of: (phrase) To watch over and keep someone or something safe.
Temple area: (phrase) The space and buildings all around the special house of God in Jerusalem.
tempt: (verb) To try to make someone do something wrong.
test: (verb) To check if something is true or strong.
took: (verb) To have carried or moved something from one place to another.
until: (preposition) Up to a certain time.
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.
world: (noun) The earth and all the people on it.
worship: (verb) To show great love and honor to God.

Summary of the Passage

This passage happens after Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River. The Holy Spirit led Jesus into the desert. He stayed in this dry place for forty days without eating any food. During this time, the devil came to tempt Jesus. To tempt someone means to try to make them do something wrong. Jesus was very hungry because he had not eaten.

The devil tried three times to make Jesus fail. First, he told Jesus to turn a rock into bread since Jesus was the Son of God. Jesus said no to this idea. He remembered the Scriptures and said that it is not just bread that keeps people alive.

Next, the devil showed Jesus all the kingdoms of the world. He said he would give Jesus all the power and glory if Jesus would worship him. Again, Jesus said no. He told the devil that people must worship and serve only the Lord.

Then, the devil took Jesus to a high place in the Temple area. He told Jesus to jump off. He said God’s angels would take care of him. Jesus did not do it. He told the devil that the Scriptures say you must not test the Lord your God. After the devil finished these tests, he went away to wait for another time.

This passage teaches us that Jesus was strong when he was tempted. He used the word of God to make good choices. We can learn to trust God and say no when we are tempted too.

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.

Jesus Is Tempted by the Devil
1 Now filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus returned from the Jordan River.
And then the Spirit led him into the desert.
2 There the devil tempted Jesus for 40 days.
Jesus ate nothing during this time, and when it was finished, he was very hungry.
3 The devil said to him,
“If you are the Son of God, tell this rock to become bread.”
4 Jesus answered,
“The Scriptures say,
‘It is not just bread that keeps people alive.’”
5 Then the devil took Jesus and in a moment of time showed him all the kingdoms of the world.
6 The devil said to him,
“I will make you king over all these places.
You will have power over them, and you will get all the glory.
It has all been given to me.
I can give it to anyone I want.
7 I will give it all to you, if you will only worship me.”
8 Jesus answered,
“The Scriptures say,
‘You must worship the Lord your God.
Serve only him.’”
9 Then the devil led Jesus to Jerusalem and put him on a high place at the edge of the Temple area. He said to him,
“If you are the Son of God, jump off!
10 The Scriptures say,
‘God will command his angels to take care of you.’
11 It is also written,
‘Their hands will catch you so that you will not hit your foot on a rock.’”
12 Jesus answered,
“But the Scriptures also say,
‘You must not test the Lord your God.’”
13 The devil finished tempting Jesus in every way and went away to wait until a better time.
Luke 4:1-13 (ERV)

Very Easy: Easy-To-Read Version: Luke 4:1-13 (ERV)
Very Easy: New International Reader’s Version: Luke 4:1-13 (NIRV)
Easy: Good News Translation: Luke 4:1-13 (GNT)
Medium: New Living Translation: Luke 4:1-13 (NLT)
Hard: New International Version: Luke 4:1-13 (NIV)
Very Hard: English Standard Version: Luke 4:1-13 (ESV)

Luke 4:1-13 Printable ERV Passage

Comprehension Questions

Where did the Holy Spirit lead Jesus after he returned from the river?
How many days was Jesus in the desert without food?
Who came to tempt Jesus when he was very hungry?
What did the devil tell Jesus to do to a rock?
According to Jesus, what keeps people alive besides bread?
What did the devil promise to give Jesus in exchange for worship?
Who did Jesus say we must worship and serve?
Where did the devil put Jesus for the third test?
What did the devil say the angels would do if Jesus jumped?
What did the devil do after he finished tempting Jesus?

Application Questions

How do you feel in your heart when you are tempted to do something wrong?
When is a time you made a good choice even when it was hard?
Why does reading the Scriptures help us when we are having a bad day?
Who is a person you can talk to when you need help staying strong?
What is one way you can serve God at your job or in your home this week?

Theological Insights

Jesus is both fully God and fully human.
Jesus was tempted like we are, but he did not sin.
The Scriptures are a powerful tool to help us fight evil thoughts and make good choices.
The devil is a real enemy, but God is stronger.
We should worship and trust God alone.

Closing Prayer

Dear Father,
You are the most powerful King and you are full of glory.
Please forgive us for the times we have listened to the devil and done wrong things.
Thank you for giving us the Scriptures to show us the right way to live.
Help us to trust your word and stay strong when we are tested today.
Amen.