Jesus Calls His First Disciples: An ESL Bible Study on Luke 5:1-11

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 5:1-11 and Luke 5:27-32 that may work better for native English speakers.

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Luke 5:1-11 Printable Discussion Questions

Luke 5:1-11 Printable ERV Passage

Lesson Icebreaker Question

Have you ever helped a friend with a big job, like moving or cooking a big meal? What was it like?

Lesson Highlight

In this lesson, we will learn how Jesus chose his first helpers. We will see how they listened to Jesus and followed him. These men left everything behind to start a new life with him.

Vocabulary Lists for the ERV Bible Translation

Key Vocabulary Words (10 words)

amazed: (adjective) To be very surprised by something.
bowed down: (phrase) To bend the body forward and low to show respect or worship.
deep water: (phrase) A part of a lake or ocean that goes a long way down from the top.
fishermen: (noun) Men who catch fish as their job.
follow: (verb) To obey or listen to the teaching of someone.
Lake Galilee: (noun) A large body of fresh water in Israel where Jesus taught and many of his followers were fishermen.
master: (noun) A person who has power over others or a great teacher.
net: (noun) A tool made of rope or wire used to catch fish.
shore: (noun) The land along the edge of the water.
sinful: (adjective) Full of sin or doing many wrong things.

Important Words to Know (20 words)

afraid: (adjective) Feeling fear or being scared.
amazed: (adjective) To be very surprised by something.
boat: (noun) A small vessel used for traveling on water.
bowed down: (phrase) To bend the body forward and low to show respect or worship.
catch: (verb) To take hold of something that is moving.
crowd: (noun) A very large group of people.
deep water: (phrase) A part of a lake or ocean that goes a long way down from the top.
fishermen: (noun) Men who catch fish as their job.
follow: (verb) To obey or listen to the teaching of someone.
follower: (noun) A person who learns from and obeys a teacher.
from now on: (phrase) Starting at this time and continuing into the future.
Lake Galilee: (noun) A large body of fresh water in Israel where Jesus taught and many of his followers were fishermen.
master: (noun) A person who has power over others or a great teacher.
net: (noun) A tool made of rope or wire used to catch fish.
push off: (phrase) To move a boat away from the land and into the water.
shore: (noun) The land along the edge of the water.
sinful: (adjective) Full of sin or doing many wrong things.
sink: (verb) To go down below the surface of water.
teachings: (noun) The lessons or truths that a person tells to others.
work hard: (phrase) To use a lot of effort and energy to finish a job.

Complete Lesson Word Bank

afraid: (adjective) Feeling fear or being scared.
almost: (adverb) Only a little bit less than all.
amazed: (adjective) To be very surprised by something.
before: (preposition) In front of someone or something.
began: (verb) To have started something.
belong: (verb) To be the property of someone.
beside: (preposition) Next to someone or something.
boat: (noun) A small vessel used for traveling on water.
both: (adjective) Two people or things together.
bowed down: (phrase) To bend the body forward and low to show respect or worship.
break: (verb) To separate something into pieces.
bring: (verb) To take someone or something to a place.
brought: (verb) To have taken someone or something to a place.
call: (verb) To speak a name to get someone’s attention.
came: (verb) To have moved toward a person or a place.
catch: (verb) To take hold of something that is moving.
caught: (verb) To have taken hold of something that is moving.
choose: (verb) To pick someone or something from a group.
closer: (adjective) More near in space or time.
crowd: (noun) A very large group of people.
deep water: (phrase) A part of a lake or ocean that goes a long way down from the top.
fill: (verb) To put as much as possible into something.
finish: (verb) To reach the end of a task.
fish: (noun) An animal that lives and breathes in water.
fishermen: (noun) Men who catch fish as their job.
follower: (noun) A person who learns from and obeys a teacher.
from now on: (phrase) Starting at this time and continuing into the future.
full: (adjective) Holding as much as possible.
get close: (phrase) To move near to a person or a place.
God: (noun) The creator and ruler of everything.
hear: (verb) To receive sound with your ears.
James: (noun) One of the first men who followed Jesus.
Jesus: (noun) The Son of God and the Savior of the world!
John: (noun) One of the twelve followers of Jesus.
Lake Galilee: (noun) A large body of fresh water in Israel where Jesus taught and many of his followers were fishermen.
left: (verb) To have gone away from a place.
Lord: (noun) A name that shows someone has power or authority.
master: (noun) A person who has power over others or a great teacher.
net: (noun) A tool made of rope or wire used to catch fish.
night: (noun) The time when it is dark outside.
nothing: (pronoun) Not anything.
push off: (phrase) To move a boat away from the land and into the water.
sat: (verb) To have rested on a seat.
shore: (noun) The land along the edge of the water.
should: (verb) A word used to say what is the right thing to do.
Simon Peter: (noun) A fisherman who became one of the most important followers of Jesus; he is known by both Simon and Peter.
sinful: (adjective) Full of sin or doing many wrong things.
sink: (verb) To go down below the surface of water.
stood: (verb) To have been on your feet.
take: (verb) To get or carry something away.
taught: (verb) To have helped someone learn something.
teachings: (noun) The lessons or truths that a person tells to others.
together: (adverb) With each other.
try: (verb) To make an effort to do something.
wash: (verb) To clean something with water.
work hard: (phrase) To use a lot of effort and energy to finish a job.
Zebedee: (noun) The father of James and John.

Summary of the Passage

This passage begins early in the work of Jesus when many people wanted to hear him speak about God. As the crowd grew, the people began to push toward Jesus because they all wanted to hear his teachings. To get away from the crowd and speak more clearly, Jesus noticed two boats sitting at the shore of Lake Galilee. The fishermen were busy washing their nets because they had just finished a long night of work. Jesus got into the boat that belonged to Simon Peter and asked him to push off a little from the land. Jesus then sat down in the boat and taught the people from the water.

When Jesus finished speaking, he told Simon to take the boat into deep water to catch some fish. Simon and his friends were very tired because they had worked hard all night without catching anything at all. Even though they were tired, Simon called Jesus “Master” and decided to obey his words. When they put the nets down, they caught so many fish that the nets began to break. Their friends, James and John, came in another boat to help, and both boats became so full that they almost started to sink.

Simon was amazed by this great power and realized that Jesus was very holy. He bowed down before Jesus and said he was a sinful man who felt afraid. Jesus told Simon not to be afraid and said that from now on, Simon would bring in people instead of fish. This meant that his new job was to help people find God. As soon as the men brought their boats to the shore, they left everything they owned and followed Jesus.

This passage teaches us to listen to Jesus even when we are tired or feel like we have failed. It shows us that Jesus has power over all of nature. Jesus chooses ordinary people, like fishermen, to do the most important work for him. We see that a true follower is willing to leave their old life behind to walk with God.

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 Chooses Some Followers
1 As Jesus stood beside Lake Galilee, a crowd of people pushed to get closer to him and to hear the teachings of God.
2 Jesus saw two boats at the shore of the lake.
The fishermen were washing their nets.
3 Jesus got into the boat that belonged to Simon.
He asked Simon to push off a little from the shore.
Then he sat down in the boat and taught the people on the shore.
4 When Jesus finished speaking, he said to Simon,
“Take the boat into the deep water.
If all of you will put your nets into the water, you will catch some fish.”
5 Simon answered,
“Master, we worked hard all night trying to catch fish and caught nothing.
But you say I should put the nets into the water, so I will.”
6 The fishermen put their nets into the water.
Their nets were filled with so many fish that they began to break.
7 They called to their friends in the other boat to come and help them.
The friends came, and both boats were filled so full of fish that they were almost sinking.
8-9 The fishermen were all amazed at the many fish they caught.
When Simon Peter saw this, he bowed down before Jesus and said,
“Go away from me, Lord. I am a sinful man!”
10 James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were amazed too.
(James and John worked together with Simon.)
Jesus said to Simon,
“Don’t be afraid.
From now on your work will be to bring in people, not fish!”
11 The men brought their boats to the shore.
They left everything and followed Jesus.
Luke 5:1-11 (ERV)

Very Easy: Easy-To-Read Version: Luke 5:1-11 (ERV)
Very Easy: New International Reader’s Version: Luke 5:1-11 (NIRV)
Easy: Good News Translation: Luke 5:1-11 (GNT)
Medium: New Living Translation: Luke 5:1-11 (NLT)
Hard: New International Version: Luke 5:1-11 (NIV)
Very Hard: English Standard Version: Luke 5:1-11 (ESV)

Luke 5:1-11 Printable ERV Passage

Comprehension Questions

Where was Jesus standing at the beginning of this story?
Why was the crowd pushing to get closer to Jesus?
What were the fishermen doing when Jesus saw them?
Whose boat did Jesus use to teach the crowd?
What did Jesus ask Simon to do after he finished teaching?
Why was Simon surprised when the nets became full?
What happened to the boats because there were so many fish?
Why did Simon call himself a sinful man?
What did Jesus say Simon would catch from now on?
What did the men leave behind so they could follow Jesus?

Application Questions

How do you feel when you have to work hard all night and get nothing done?
Why do you think Simon chose to obey Jesus even though he was tired?
What makes you feel amazed when you think about God?
How can we help bring in other people to learn about Jesus today?
What would be the hardest thing for you to leave behind to follow Jesus?

Theological Insights

Jesus teaches people the word of God because it is very important.
Jesus has power over all things, including the fish in the lake.
Jesus sees our sins but tells us not to be afraid to come to him.
Jesus changes people’s lives and gives them new jobs to do for God.
A true follower of Jesus chooses him over everything else in the world.

Closing Prayer

Dear Father,
We praise you because you are holy and have power over all the world.
We confess that we often do not have enough faith to trust your words.
Thank you for choosing ordinary people like us to be your helpers.
Please help us to leave our old ways behind and follow you every day.
Amen.

Free Luke 5:1-11 ESL Bible study. In this Bible study for ESL students and teachers, we will learn how Jesus chose his first helpers. We will see how they listened to Jesus and followed him. These men left everything behind to start a new life with him. 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 my Sunday School lesson for Luke 5:1-11 and Luke 5:27-32. This lesson includes: