Jesus Shines with God’s Glory: An ESL Bible Study on Luke 9:28-36

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 9:28-36 Printable Discussion Questions

Luke 9:28-36 Printable ERV Passage

Lesson Icebreaker Question

Have you ever seen something so beautiful or surprising that it made you stop and look? What was it?

Lesson Highlight

In this lesson, we will hear about a special day when Jesus showed his heavenly glory to three of his friends. We will learn how God spoke from a cloud and told them to listen to Jesus.

Vocabulary Lists for the ERV Bible Translation

Key Vocabulary Words (10 words)

bright: (adjective) Having a lot of light.
chosen: (adjective) Picked by God for a special reason.
cloud: (noun) A white or gray shape in the sky made of tiny drops of water.
glorious: (adjective) Full of beauty and honor.
glory: (noun) The great beauty, power, and honor that belongs to God.
mountain: (noun) A very high area of land.
obey: (verb) To do what a rule or a person tells you to do.
shine: (verb) To give off light.
tent: (noun) A simple house made of cloth and poles.
voice: (noun) The sound you make when you speak or sing.

Important Words to Know (20 words)

afraid: (adjective) Feeling fear or being scared.
asleep: (adjective) Not awake.
bright: (adjective) Having a lot of light.
change: (verb) To make something different.
chosen: (adjective) Picked by God for a special reason.
cloud: (noun) A white or gray shape in the sky made of tiny drops of water.
death: (noun) The end of a life.
glorious: (adjective) Full of beauty and honor.
glory: (noun) The great beauty, power, and honor that belongs to God.
happen: (verb) To take place.
Jerusalem: (noun) The most important city in Israel where the Temple was.
long time: (phrase) A period that lasts for many hours, days, or years.
master: (noun) A person who has power over others or a great teacher.
mountain: (noun) A very high area of land.
obey: (verb) To do what a rule or a person tells you to do.
pray: (verb) To talk to God.
shine: (verb) To give off light.
tent: (noun) A simple house made of cloth and poles.
voice: (noun) The sound you make when you speak or sing.
woke up: (phrase) To have stopped sleeping and become awake.

Complete Lesson Word Bank

afraid: (adjective) Feeling fear or being scared.
after: (preposition) Later than another time or event.
all around: (phrase) In every direction or on all sides of someone or something.
also: (adverb) In addition to something else.
asleep: (adjective) Not awake.
became: (verb) To have started to be something.
began: (verb) To have started something.
bright: (adjective) Having a lot of light.
came: (verb) To have moved toward a person or a place.
change: (verb) To make something different.
chosen: (adjective) Picked by God for a special reason.
clothes: (noun) Things that people wear to cover their bodies.
cloud: (noun) A white or gray shape in the sky made of tiny drops of water.
cover: (verb) To be spread over the surface of something.
death: (noun) The end of a life.
Elijah: (noun) A famous prophet who served God a long time ago.
face: (noun) The front part of the head with the eyes and nose.
glorious: (adjective) Full of beauty and honor.
glory: (noun) The great beauty, power, and honor that belongs to God.
happen: (verb) To take place.
James: (noun) One of the first men who followed Jesus.
Jerusalem: (noun) The most important city in Israel where the Temple was.
Jesus: (noun) The Son of God and the Savior of the world!
John: (noun) One of the twelve followers of Jesus.
know: (verb) To have information about something in your mind.
long time: (phrase) A period that lasts for many hours, days, or years.
look: (verb) To have a certain appearance or way of being seen.
master: (noun) A person who has power over others or a great teacher.
Moses: (noun) A great leader of Israel who lived long before Jesus.
mountain: (noun) A very high area of land.
nothing: (pronoun) Not anything.
obey: (verb) To do what a rule or a person tells you to do.
only: (adjective) Just one and no more.
Peter: (noun) One of the main followers of Jesus.
pray: (verb) To talk to God.
put: (verb) To move something to a specific place.
saw: (verb) To have looked at something with your eyes.
saying: (verb) Speaking words.
seen: (verb) To have looked at something with your eyes.
shine: (verb) To give off light.
Son: (noun) A name for Jesus who is the Son of God.
stand: (verb) To be on your feet in an upright way.
stop: (verb) To not move or to finish doing something.
tent: (noun) A simple house made of cloth and poles.
told: (verb) To have given information to someone.
took: (verb) To have carried or moved something from one place to another.
voice: (noun) The sound you make when you speak or sing.
went up: (phrase) To have moved to a higher place, like a mountain or stairs.
were leaving: (phrase) To be in the middle of going away from a place.
woke up: (phrase) To have stopped sleeping and become awake.
would: (verb) A word used to talk about something that might happen or something someone wanted to do.

Summary of the Passage

This passage tells about a very special day in Jesus’ life. One week after he spoke to his disciples about who he was and what would happen, Jesus took three of his closest friends—Peter, John, and James—up a mountain to pray. As Jesus prayed, something amazing happened. His face changed, and his clothes became bright and shining like light.

Then, two men from long ago, Moses and Elijah, appeared next to Jesus. Moses was the man who gave God’s laws to the people long ago. Elijah was a very famous prophet. They came from heaven, the place where God lives, to talk with Jesus about what would soon happen when Jesus died in Jerusalem.

While this was happening, Peter and the other two were very sleepy, but they woke up and saw Jesus’ shining face and the two men standing with him. Peter felt so happy to be there that he said they should build tents for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. But he did not really understand what was happening.

Then a cloud came and covered them, and the disciples were afraid. A voice came from the cloud and said that Jesus was God’s Son and that they should listen to him.

When the voice stopped, Jesus was alone again. The disciples kept quiet and did not tell anyone what they had seen for a long time.

This passage teaches us that Jesus is very special and shines with God’s glory. It shows us that God wants people to listen to Jesus because he is God’s chosen Son.

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 Seen With Moses and Elijah
28 About eight days after Jesus said these things, he took Peter, John, and James and went up on a mountain to pray.
29 While Jesus was praying, his face began to change.
His clothes became shining white.
30 Then two men were there, talking with him.
They were Moses and Elijah.
31 They also looked bright and glorious.
They were talking with Jesus about his death that would happen in Jerusalem.
32 Peter and the others were asleep.
But they woke up and saw the glory of Jesus.
They also saw the two men who were standing with him.
33 When Moses and Elijah were leaving, Peter said,
“Master, it is good that we are here.
We will put three tents here—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
(He did not know what he was saying.)
34 While Peter was saying these things, a cloud came all around them.
Peter, John, and James were afraid when the cloud covered them.
35 A voice came from the cloud and said,
“This is my Son.
He is the one I have chosen.
Obey him.”
36 When the voice stopped, only Jesus was there.
Peter, John, and James said nothing.
And for a long time after that, they told no one about what they had seen.
Luke 9:28-36 (ERV)

Very Easy: Easy-to-Read Version: Luke 9:28-36 (ERV)
Very Easy: New International Reader’s Version: Luke 9:28-36 (NIRV)
Easy: Good News Translation: Luke 9:28-36 (GNT)
Medium: New Living Translation: Luke 9:28-36 (NLT)
Hard: New International Version: Luke 9:28-36 (NIV)
Very Hard: English Standard Version: Luke 9:28-36 (ESV)

Luke 9:28-36 Printable ERV Passage

Comprehension Questions

Who did Jesus take with him up the mountain?
What happened to Jesus while he was praying?
Who appeared and talked with Jesus?
What did Peter want to do when he saw them?
What covered them while Peter was speaking?
How did the disciples feel when the cloud came?
What did the voice from the cloud say?
When the voice stopped, who was left alone?
Did the disciples tell anyone about what they saw right away?

Application Questions

Why do you think Jesus showed his glory to Peter, John, and James?
What do you think it means that God said to listen to Jesus?
Have you ever felt afraid when you saw or heard something you did not understand?
How can we listen to Jesus today?
Why is it important to remember that Jesus is God’s Son?