Peter Says Who Jesus Is: An ESL Bible Study on Luke 9:18-27

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 9:18-36 that may work better for native English speakers.

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Luke 9:18-27 Printable Discussion Questions

Luke 9:18-27 Printable ERV Passage

Lesson Icebreaker Question

Who is a person you look up to or follow because they are kind or wise? Why do you look up to them?

Lesson Highlight

In this lesson, we will hear how one of Jesus’ followers said something very important about who Jesus is. We will also learn what Jesus said about following him and what it means to give our lives to God.

Vocabulary Lists for the ERV Bible Translation

Key Vocabulary Words (10 words)

ashamed: (adjective) Feeling bad because you did something wrong.
come back to life: (phrase) To live again after being dead.
cross: (noun) Two pieces of wood put together that were used to kill people.
divine: (adjective) Coming from or belonging to God.
God’s kingdom: (phrase) The place or way where God rules as king.
Messiah: (noun) The “Chosen One” that God promised to send to save his people.
raised from death: (phrase) To be made alive again by the power of God.
reject: (verb) To say no to someone or refuse to accept them.
Son of Man: (phrase) A special name Jesus used for himself to show he is the savior sent by God.
suffer: (verb) To feel great physical or mental pain.

Important Words to Know (20 words)

ashamed: (adjective) Feeling bad because you did something wrong.
believe: (verb) To think that something is true.
come back to life: (phrase) To live again after being dead.
continue: (verb) To keep doing something.
cross: (noun) Two pieces of wood put together that were used to kill people.
destroy: (verb) To break something completely.
divine: (adjective) Coming from or belonging to God.
follower: (noun) A person who learns from and obeys a teacher.
God’s kingdom: (phrase) The place or way where God rules as king.
greatness: (noun) The quality of being very important or powerful.
holy: (adjective) Being pure and set apart for God.
Messiah: (noun) The “Chosen One” that God promised to send to save his people.
prophet: (noun) A person who speaks messages from God.
raised from death: (phrase) To be made alive again by the power of God.
reject: (verb) To say no to someone or refuse to accept them.
save: (verb) To keep someone from danger or death.
some: 1. (adjective) An amount that is not specific. 2. (pronoun) A few people.
Son of Man: (phrase) A special name Jesus used for himself to show he is the savior sent by God.
suffer: (verb) To feel great physical or mental pain.
worth: (adjective) Having a certain value.

Complete Lesson Word Bank

after: (preposition) Later than another time or event.
alone: (adverb) Being without any other people.
angel: (noun) A messenger from heaven who serves God.
answer: (verb) To speak or write back to a question.
anyone: (pronoun) Any person at all.
ashamed: (adjective) Feeling bad because you did something wrong.
ask: (verb) To say something to get an answer.
before: (preposition) Earlier than a certain time.
believe: (verb) To think that something is true.
came: (verb) To have moved toward a person or a place.
carry: (verb) To hold something and move it from one place to another.
come: (verb) To move toward a person or a place.
come back to life: (phrase) To live again after being dead.
continue: (verb) To keep doing something.
cross: (noun) Two pieces of wood put together that were used to kill people.
destroy: (verb) To break something completely.
die: (verb) To stop living.
divine: (adjective) Coming from or belonging to God.
Elijah: (noun) A famous prophet who served God a long time ago.
Father: (noun) A name for God.
follow: (verb) To obey or listen to the teaching of someone.
follower: (noun) A person who learns from and obeys a teacher.
given: (verb) To have handed something over to another person.
God: (noun) The creator and ruler of everything.
God’s kingdom: (phrase) The place or way where God rules as king.
greatness: (noun) The quality of being very important or powerful.
happen: (verb) To take place.
holy: (adjective) Being pure and set apart for God.
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.
kill: (verb) To end the life of a person or an animal.
lead: (verb) To show the way by going in front.
long ago: (phrase) A very long time in the past.
lose: (verb) To have something taken away or to no longer have it.
lost: (verb) To have missed or not kept something very important, like a life with God.
many: (adjective) A large number of people or things.
Messiah: (noun) The “Chosen One” that God promised to send to save his people.
must: (verb) To need to do something.
nothing: (pronoun) Not anything.
older Jewish leader: (phrase) A respected man from the Jewish community who helps make important decisions.
other: (adjective) Different from the one already mentioned.
people: (noun) More than one person.
Peter: (noun) One of the main followers of Jesus.
pray: (verb) To talk to God.
priest: (noun) A man who did special work for God in the Temple.
prophet: (noun) A person who speaks messages from God.
raised from death: (phrase) To be made alive again by the power of God.
reject: (verb) To say no to someone or refuse to accept them.
said: (verb) To have spoken words.
save: (verb) To keep someone from danger or death.
some: 1. (adjective) An amount that is not specific. 2. (pronoun) A few people.
Son of Man: (phrase) A special name Jesus used for himself to show he is the savior sent by God.
stand: (verb) To be on your feet in an upright way.
suffer: (verb) To feel great physical or mental pain.
teacher of the law: (phrase) A person who is an expert in the religious rules given to the Jewish people by God.
teaching: (noun) The words or ideas that a person explains to others.
tell: (verb) To give information to someone by speaking.
think: (verb) To use your mind to have ideas.
together: (adverb) With each other.
try: (verb) To make an effort to do something.
warn: (verb) To tell someone about a danger that is coming.
whole: (adjective) All of something.
will: (verb) A word used to talk about the future.
willing: (adjective) Ready and happy to do something.
world: (noun) The earth and all the people on it.
worth: (adjective) Having a certain value.

Summary of the Passage

This passage tells about a day when Jesus was praying alone. His close friends, called disciples or followers, came to him. Jesus asked them what the people were saying about him. The followers answered that some people thought he was a great prophet, like John the Baptizer or Elijah. Then Jesus asked his followers a very important question: “Who do you say I am?” Peter, one of his followers, gave a bold answer. He said, “You are God’s Messiah.” That meant Peter believed Jesus was the special person God promised to send to save people.

After this, Jesus told them something hard to hear. He said he would suffer, be rejected by the leaders, and be killed. But he also promised that after three days, he would come back to life. This was part of God’s plan to save the world.

Jesus explained to everyone what it means to follow him. He said that any follower must be willing to carry their cross every day. In those days, a cross was used for a painful death. Jesus used this word to show that following him is a very big job. It means choosing God’s way even when it is hard or painful. Jesus reminded them that it is worth nothing to have the whole world if you lose your life with God.

This passage teaches us that Jesus is the Savior sent by God. It also shows us that following Jesus is not always easy, but it leads to true life with God forever.

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.

Peter Says Jesus Is the Messiah
18 One time Jesus was praying alone.
His followers came together there, and he asked them,
“Who do the people say I am?”
19 They answered,
“Some people say you are John the Baptizer.
Others say you are Elijah.
And some people say you are one of the prophets from long ago that has come back to life.”
20 Then Jesus said to his followers,
“And who do you say I am?”
Peter answered,
“You are the Messiah from God.”
21 Jesus warned them not to tell anyone.
Jesus Says He Must Die
22 Then Jesus said,
“The Son of Man must suffer many things.
He will be rejected by the older Jewish leaders, the leading priests, and teachers of the law.
And he will be killed.
But after three days he will be raised from death.”
23 Jesus continued to say to all of them,
“Any of you who want to be my follower must stop thinking about yourself and what you want.
You must be willing to carry the cross that is given to you every day for following me.
24 Any of you who try to save the life you have will lose it.
But you who give up your life for me will save it.
25 It is worth nothing for you to have the whole world if you yourself are destroyed or lost.
26 Don’t be ashamed of me and my teaching.
If that happens, I will be ashamed of you when I come with my divine greatness and that of the Father and the holy angels.
27 Believe me when I say that some of you people standing here will see God’s kingdom before you die.”
Luke 9:18-27 (ERV)

Very Easy: Easy-to-Read Version: Luke 9:18-27 (ERV)
Very Easy: New International Reader’s Version: Luke 9:18-27 (NIRV)
Easy: Good News Translation: Luke 9:18-27 (GNT)
Medium: New Living Translation: Luke 9:18-27 (NLT)
Hard: New International Version: Luke 9:18-27 (NIV)
Very Hard: English Standard Version: Luke 9:18-27 (ESV)

Luke 9:18-27 Printable ERV Passage

Comprehension Questions

What was Jesus doing when the followers came to him?
What question did Jesus ask his followers about the people?
What did people say about who Jesus was?
What did Peter say about who Jesus is?
What did Jesus tell them not to do after Peter’s answer?
What hard things did Jesus say would happen to him?
What did Jesus promise would happen after he died?
What did Jesus say people must do to follow him?
What did Jesus mean when he talked about saving and losing life?
Who will be ashamed if people are ashamed of Jesus and his words?

Application Questions

Why do you think Jesus asked his followers what people were saying about him?
Why is it important for people to know who Jesus is?
What does it mean to “carry your cross” in life today?
Have you ever had to do something hard because it was the right thing? What was it?
How can we show others that we follow Jesus, even when it is not easy?

Theological Insights

Jesus is the Messiah, sent by God to save us.
God’s plan for saving people included Jesus’ suffering, death, and rising to life again.
Following Jesus means giving up our own way and trusting him, even in hard times.
A person can have many things in this world but still lose what matters most without God.
Jesus promises true life with God to those who follow him.