Jesus Enters Jerusalem: An ESL Bible Study on Luke 19:28-48

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Luke 19:28-48 Printable Discussion Questions

Luke 19:28-48 Printable ERV Passage

Lesson Icebreaker Question

Have you ever been in a parade or a big celebration? What was it like?

Lesson Highlight

In this lesson, we will learn about a special day when Jesus came into a city called Jerusalem. People were happy to see him, but not everyone liked him. We will hear what Jesus did and how he felt about the people.

Vocabulary Lists for the ERV Bible Translation

Key Vocabulary Words (10 words)

destroy: (verb) To break something completely.
donkey: (noun) An animal like a small horse with long ears.
follower: (noun) A person who learns from and obeys a teacher.
glory: (noun) The great beauty, power, and honor that belongs to God.
Mount of Olives: (noun) A large hill near the city of Jerusalem where many olive trees grew.
Pharisee: (noun) A religious leader who was very strict about rules.
praise: (verb) To say very good things about God or a person.
Scriptures: (noun) The holy writings of God in the Bible.
Temple: (noun) The special building in Jerusalem where people worshiped God.
untie: (verb) To loosen a knot or string.

Important Words to Know (20 words)

bless: (verb) To ask God to be kind to someone.
cloak: (noun) A piece of clothing worn over other clothes to keep warm.
destroy: (verb) To break something completely.
donkey: (noun) An animal like a small horse with long ears.
enemy: (noun) A person who hates you or wants to hurt you.
follower: (noun) A person who learns from and obeys a teacher.
glory: (noun) The great beauty, power, and honor that belongs to God.
hiding place: (phrase) A safe spot where someone goes so they cannot be seen by others.
leader: (noun) A person who is in charge of a group.
Mount of Olives: (noun) A large hill near the city of Jerusalem where many olive trees grew.
peace: (noun) A time of quiet and no fighting.
Pharisee: (noun) A religious leader who was very strict about rules.
powerful: (adjective) Having a lot of strength or power.
praise: (verb) To say very good things about God or a person.
prayer: (noun) The words we say when we talk to God.
priest: (noun) A man who did special work for God in the Temple.
Scriptures: (noun) The holy writings of God in the Bible.
teacher of the law: (phrase) A person who is an expert in the religious rules given to the Jewish people by God.
Temple: (noun) The special building in Jerusalem where people worshiped God.
untie: (verb) To loosen a knot or string.

Complete Lesson Word Bank

along: (preposition) Moving in a line next to something.
already: (adverb) Before now or before a certain time.
another: (adjective) A different one.
anyone: (pronoun) Any person at all.
area: (noun) A part of a place or a country.
around: (preposition) In a circle or on all sides of something.
back: (noun) The part of the body behind the chest.
began: (verb) To have started something.
bless: (verb) To ask God to be kind to someone.
bottom: (noun) The lowest part of something.
bring: (verb) To take someone or something to a place.
brought: (verb) To have taken someone or something to a place.
build: (verb) To make something by putting parts together.
building: (noun) A place with walls and a roof where people live or work.
call: (verb) To give a name to someone or something.
came near: (phrase) To move closer to a person or a place.
came out: (phrase) To have moved from the inside of something to the outside.
change: (verb) To make something different.
city: (noun) A large town with many people and buildings.
close: (adjective) Near to someone or something.
coat: (noun) A piece of clothing worn over other clothes to keep warm.
continue: (verb) To keep doing something.
cry: (verb) To have tears come from your eyes because you are sad.
destroy: (verb) To break something completely.
donkey: (noun) An animal like a small horse with long ears.
enemy: (noun) A person who hates you or wants to hurt you.
enter: (verb) To go inside a place.
ever: (adverb) At any time.
exactly: (adverb) Perfectly correct.
excited: (adjective) Feeling very happy and full of energy.
find: (verb) To see or get something you were looking for.
follower: (noun) A person who learns from and obeys a teacher.
found: (verb) To have seen something you were looking for.
glory: (noun) The great beauty, power, and honor that belongs to God.
God: (noun) The creator and ruler of everything.
group: (noun) A number of people or things that are together.
happen: (verb) To take place.
heaven: (noun) The place where God lives.
hidden: (adjective) Something that is not easy to see or find.
hiding place: (phrase) A safe spot where someone goes so they cannot be seen by others.
hill: (noun) A high area of land that is smaller than a mountain.
hold: (verb) To keep someone in a place so they cannot leave.
interest: (adjective) Feeling like you want to give your attention to something to learn more about it.
Jerusalem: (noun) The most important city in Israel where the Temple was.
Jesus: (noun) The Son of God and the Savior of the world!
kill: (verb) To end the life of a person or an animal.
king: (noun) A man who rules a country.
lead: (verb) To show the way by going in front.
leader: (noun) A person who is in charge of a group.
Lord: (noun) A name that shows someone has power or authority.
master: (noun) A person or thing who has power over others or a great teacher.
Mount of Olives: (noun) A large hill near the city of Jerusalem where many olive trees grew.
name: 1. (noun) What a person, place, or thing is called. 2. (noun) The power or authority of a person.
need: (verb) To require something because it is important.
owner: (noun) A person who has something that belongs to them.
peace: (noun) A time of quiet and no fighting.
Pharisee: (noun) A religious leader who was very strict about rules.
powerful: (adjective) Having a lot of strength or power.
praise: (verb) To say very good things about God or a person.
prayer: (noun) The words we say when we talk to God.
priest: (noun) A man who did special work for God in the Temple.
ridden: (verb) To have traveled on an animal or in a vehicle.
road: (noun) A path for people or cars to travel on.
rode: (verb) To have traveled on an animal or in a vehicle.
save: (verb) To keep someone from danger or death.
Scriptures: (noun) The holy writings of God in the Bible.
sell: (verb) To give something to someone for money.
sent out: (phrase) To give an order or a message to many people.
should: (verb) A word used to say what is the right thing to do.
shout: (verb) To speak or yell very loudly.
side: (noun) The part of something that is not the top, bottom, front, or back.
spread: (verb) To cover a larger area.
stay: (verb) To continue in a place or a state for a period of time.
stone: (noun) A hard piece of rock.
take: (verb) To get or carry something away.
teacher of the law: (phrase) A person who is an expert in the religious rules given to the Jewish people by God.
tell: (verb) To give information to someone by speaking.
Temple: (noun) The special building in Jerusalem where people worshiped God.
thieves: (noun) More than one thief.
throw out: (phrase) To force someone to leave a place.
tie: (verb) To fasten something with a string or rope.
told: (verb) To have given information to someone.
top: (noun) The highest part of something.
toward: (preposition) Moving in the direction of something.
town: (noun) A place where many people live that is smaller than a city.
travel: (verb) To go from one place to another.
untie: (verb) To loosen a knot or string.
wall: (noun) A strong side of a building or a fence made of stone.
welcome: (verb) To greet someone in a friendly way.
went: (verb) To have moved to another place.
whole: (adjective) All of something.
wish: (verb) To want something to be true.
young: (adjective) Not old.

Summary of the Passage

This passage tells a story about Jesus coming into a city called Jerusalem. Many people believed Jesus was the king sent by God. As Jesus got close to the city, he told two of his followers to find a young donkey for him to ride. They found it exactly like Jesus said they would. The people were very happy to see him. They spread their cloaks on the road to show him honor. Cloaks are like long coats. The people shouted words of joy to praise God.

Some religious leaders called Pharisees did not like this. A Pharisee was a leader who was very strict about rules. They told Jesus to make the people be quiet. Jesus answered that if the people stopped praising him, even the stones on the ground would start to shout!

When Jesus saw the city of Jerusalem, he started to cry. He was sad because the people there did not understand what would bring them peace. Jesus knew that enemies would one day destroy the city because the people did not listen to God.

Later, Jesus went into the Temple. This was the special building for prayer. He was upset because people were selling things there to make money. He called them thieves. Thieves are people who steal or take money in a bad way. He said they turned a house of prayer into a hiding place for thieves. Jesus made them leave the Temple. Every day, Jesus kept teaching the people from the Scriptures. Many people listened to him with great interest.

This passage shows us that Jesus cares deeply about people. He wants us to listen to God and know what brings peace.

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 Enters Jerusalem Like a King
28 After Jesus said these things, he continued traveling toward Jerusalem.
29 He came near Bethphage and Bethany, towns near the hill called the Mount of Olives.
He sent out two of his followers.
30 He said,
“Go into the town you can see there.
When you enter the town, you will find a young donkey tied there that no one has ever ridden.
Untie it, and bring it here to me.
31 If anyone asks you why you are taking the donkey, you should say,
‘The Master needs it.’”
32 The two followers went into town.
They found the donkey exactly like Jesus told them.
33 They untied it, but its owners came out.
They said to the followers,
“Why are you untying our donkey?”
34 The followers answered,
“The Master needs it.”
35 So the followers brought the donkey to Jesus.
They put their coats on its back.
Then they put Jesus on the donkey.
36 He rode along the road toward Jerusalem.
The followers spread their coats on the road before him.
37 Jesus was coming close to Jerusalem.
He was already near the bottom of the Mount of Olives.
The whole group of followers was happy.
They were very excited and praised God.
They thanked God for all the powerful things they had seen.
38 They said,
“‘Welcome!
God bless the king who comes in the name of the Lord.’
Peace in heaven and glory to God!”
39 Some of the Pharisees said to Jesus,
“Teacher, tell your followers not to say these things.”
40 But Jesus answered,
“I tell you, if my followers didn’t say them, these stones would shout them.”
Jesus Cries for Jerusalem
4-421 Jesus came near Jerusalem.
Looking at the city, he began to cry for it and said,
“I wish you knew today what would bring you peace.
But it is hidden from you now.
43 A time is coming when your enemies will build a wall around you and hold you in on all sides.
44 They will destroy you and all your people.
Not one stone of your buildings will stay on top of another.
All this will happen because you did not know the time when God came to save you.”
Jesus Goes to the Temple
45 Jesus went into the Temple area.
He began to throw out the people who were selling things there.
46 He said,
“The Scriptures say,
‘My Temple will be a house of prayer.’
But you have changed it into a ‘hiding place for thieves.’”
47 Jesus taught the people in the Temple area every day.
The leading priests, the teachers of the law, and some of the leaders of the people wanted to kill him.
48 But they did not know how they could do it, because everyone was listening to him.
The people were very interested in what Jesus said.
Luke 19:28-48 (ERV)

Very Easy: Easy-to-Read Version: Luke 19:28-48 (ERV)
Very Easy: New International Reader’s Version: Luke 19:28-48 (NIRV)
Easy: Good News Translation: Luke 19:28-48 (GNT)
Medium: New Living Translation: Luke 19:28-48 (NLT)
Hard: New International Version: Luke 19:28-48 (NIV)
Very Hard: English Standard Version: Luke 19:28-48 (ESV)

Luke 19:28-48 Printable ERV Passage

Comprehension Questions

Where was Jesus going in this story?
What did Jesus tell his two followers to do?
What did the people do when Jesus rode into Jerusalem?
Why did the Pharisees tell Jesus to stop the people?
What did Jesus say would happen if the people kept quiet?
Why did Jesus cry when he saw Jerusalem?
What did Jesus do in the Temple?
Why were the religious leaders angry with Jesus?
Did the people want to listen to Jesus?

Application Questions

Have you ever felt very happy about something and wanted to tell everyone? What was it?
Jesus cried because people did not listen to God. Why is it important to listen to God?
What can we do when we see something wrong happening, like Jesus saw in the Temple?
Why do you think people still wanted to hear Jesus, even when others were against him?
How can you show honor to Jesus in your life today?

Theological Insights

Jesus is the true King sent by God.
Jesus loves people and feels sad when they do not listen to God.
God wants his house to be a place of prayer, not a place for selfish things.
Some people will follow Jesus, and some will reject him, but Jesus keeps teaching the truth.
Even when people are against Jesus, God’s plan will still happen.

Closing Prayer

Dear Father, Thank you for sending Jesus to love and teach us. Help us listen to your words and follow you with joy. Give us peace in our hearts. Amen.