Jesus Is Betrayed: An ESL Bible Study on Luke 22:1-6 and Luke 22:47-53

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Luke 22:1-6 & 22:47-53 Printable Discussion Questions

Luke 22:1-6 & 22:47-53 Printable ERV Passage

Lesson Icebreaker Question

Have you ever been let down by a friend? How did it make you feel?

Lesson Highlight

In this lesson, we will learn about how Jesus was betrayed by one of his own followers. We will see how Jesus stayed calm and kind, even when people hurt him. This story teaches us how to trust God when things feel dark.

Vocabulary Lists for the ERV Bible Translation

Key Vocabulary Words (10 words)

apostle: (noun) One of the special followers Jesus chose to send out with a message.
arrest: (verb) When the police or soldiers take a person away for breaking a law.
criminal: (noun) A person who breaks the law.
darkness: (noun) A place or time with no light.
enemy: (noun) A person who hates you or wants to hurt you.
Festival of Unleavened Bread: (phrase) A special week when Jewish people eat flat bread to remember how God saved them.
hand over: (phrase) To give someone or something to another person.
high priest: (phrase) The most important religious leader for the Jewish people.
Passover: (noun) A special meal and holiday to remember how God saved Israel.
teacher of the law: (phrase) A person who is an expert in the religious rules given to the Jewish people by God.

Important Words to Know (20 words)

agree: (verb) To have the same idea as another person.
apostle: (noun) One of the special followers Jesus chose to send out with a message.
arrest: (verb) When the police or soldiers take a person away for breaking a law.
club: (noun) A heavy stick used to hit things.
criminal: (noun) A person who breaks the law.
crowd: (noun) A very large group of people.
darkness: (noun) A place or time with no light.
enemy: (noun) A person who hates you or wants to hurt you.
Festival of Unleavened Bread: (phrase) A special week when Jewish people eat flat bread to remember how God saved them.
follower: (noun) A person who learns from and obeys a teacher.
hand over: (phrase) To give someone or something to another person.
heal: (verb) To make a sick or hurt person well again.
high priest: (phrase) The most important religious leader for the Jewish people.
lead: (verb) To be the person in charge of a group.
Passover: (noun) A special meal and holiday to remember how God saved Israel.
priest: (noun) A man who did special work for God in the Temple.
rule: (verb) To have power over a country or people.
Satan: (noun) The enemy of God and leader of evil spirits.
servant: (noun) A person who works for another person.
teacher of the law: (phrase) A person who is an expert in the religious rules given to the Jewish people by God.

Complete Lesson Word Bank

afraid: (adjective) Feeling fear or being scared.
agree: (verb) To have the same idea as another person.
almost: (adverb) Only a little bit less than all.
apostle: (noun) One of the special followers Jesus chose to send out with a message.
around: (preposition) In a circle or on all sides of something.
arrest: (verb) When the police or soldiers take a person away for breaking a law.
best: (adjective) Better than all the others.
bread: (noun) A common food made from flour and water.
came over: (phrase) To move from one place to a place where someone else is.
club: (noun) A heavy stick used to hit things.
come out: (phrase) To leave a place or a person.
criminal: (noun) A person who breaks the law.
crowd: (noun) A very large group of people.
cut off: (phrase) To remove something by using a knife or a sharp tool.
darkness: (noun) A place or time with no light.
ear: (noun) The part of the body used for hearing.
enemy: (noun) A person who hates you or wants to hurt you.
enter: (verb) To go inside a place.
festival: (noun) A special day for celebration and worship.
Festival of Unleavened Bread: (phrase) A special week when Jewish people eat flat bread to remember how God saved them.
find: (verb) To see or get something you were looking for.
follower: (noun) A person who learns from and obeys a teacher.
friendship: (noun) The feeling of being friends with someone.
group: (noun) A number of people or things that are together.
guard: (verb) To watch and protect someone or something.
hand over: (phrase) To give someone or something to another person.
happen: (verb) To take place.
heal: (verb) To make a sick or hurt person well again.
help: (verb) To do something useful for someone.
high priest: (phrase) The most important religious leader for the Jewish people.
Jesus: (noun) The Son of God and the Savior of the world!
Jewish: (adjective) Relating to the people, religion, or culture of the Jews.
Judas Iscariot: (noun) The follower who gave Jesus to his enemies.
kill: (verb) To end the life of a person or an animal.
kiss: (verb) To touch with the lips to show love or a greeting.
lead: (verb) To be the person in charge of a group.
leader: (noun) A person who is in charge of a group.
led: (verb) To have shown someone the way to go.
Lord: (noun) A name that shows someone has power or authority.
older: (adjective) Having lived for more time.
Passover: (noun) A special meal and holiday to remember how God saved Israel.
plan: (noun) A set of steps to do something.
priest: (noun) A man who did special work for God in the Temple.
promise: (verb) To say you will surely do something.
quiet: (adjective) Making very little noise.
right: (noun) The side of the body that is not the left.
rule: (verb) To have power over a country or people.
Satan: (noun) The enemy of God and leader of evil spirits.
servant: (noun) A person who works for another person.
should: (verb) A word used to say what is the right thing to do.
soldier: (noun) A person who is in an army.
Son of Man: (phrase) A special name Jesus used for himself to show he is the savior sent by God.
speak: (verb) To say words.
spoke: (verb) To have said words out loud.
stand: (verb) To be on your feet in an upright way.
stop: (verb) To not move or to finish doing something.
sword: (noun) A weapon with a long metal blade.
teacher of the law: (phrase) A person who is an expert in the religious rules given to the Jewish people by God.
Temple area: (phrase) The space and buildings all around the special house of God in Jerusalem.
touch: (verb) To put your hand or a finger on something.
try: (verb) To make an effort to do something.
unleavened bread: (adjective) Bread that is made without yeast.
use: (verb) To do something with a tool or an object.
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.
would: (verb) A word used to talk about something that might happen or something someone wanted to do.

Summary of the Passage

This story happens during a very important holiday called the Passover. It is also called the Festival of Unleavened Bread. Unleavened bread is a special kind of bread made without yeast. Many people came to the city to worship God at the Temple. The religious leaders, like the high priest and teachers of the law, did not like Jesus. They wanted to kill him. They were afraid of the crowd because many people loved Jesus. They wanted to find a quiet way to arrest him.

One of the twelve apostles was named Judas Iscariot. An apostle is a special follower. Satan tempted Judas, and Judas made a bad plan. He agreed to hand over Jesus to the leaders. To hand over means to give someone to an enemy. The priests were happy and gave Judas money. Judas waited for a time when Jesus was alone.

Later that night, Jesus was with his followers. A large crowd came with weapons like swords and clubs. Judas led them to Jesus. Judas used a kiss to show the soldiers which man was Jesus. Usually, a kiss was a sign of friendship. Jesus asked Judas why he would use a kiss to hand over the Son of Man.

One follower tried to fight with a sword. He cut off the ear of a servant. Jesus said, “Stop!” He touched the man and healed him. Jesus asked the leaders why they brought clubs. He asked if they thought he was a criminal. A criminal is someone who breaks the law. Jesus was in the Temple area every day, but they did not arrest him then. They chose to act at night during a time of darkness.

This passage shows that Jesus was calm and kind. He healed his enemy even when he was in danger. We can trust God even when life feels like a time of darkness.

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.

The Jewish Leaders Plan to Kill Jesus
1 It was almost time for the Jewish Festival of Unleavened Bread, called the Passover.
2 The leading priests and teachers of the law wanted to kill Jesus.
But they were trying to find a quiet way to do it, because they were afraid of what the people would do.
Judas Agrees to Help Jesus’ Enemies
3-4 One of Jesus’ twelve apostles was named Judas Iscariot.
Satan entered him, and he went and talked with the leading priests and some of the soldiers who guarded the Temple.
He talked to them about a way to hand Jesus over to them.
5 The priests were very happy about this.
They promised to give Judas money for doing this.
6 He agreed.
Then he waited for the best time to hand him over to them.
He wanted to do it when no one was around to see it.
…
Jesus Is Arrested
47 While Jesus was speaking, a crowd came up.
It was led by Judas, one of the twelve apostles.
He came over to Jesus to kiss him.
48 But Jesus said to him,
“Judas, are you using the kiss of friendship to hand over the Son of Man to his enemies?”
49 The followers of Jesus were standing there too.
They saw what was happening and said to Jesus,
“Lord, should we use our swords?”
50 And one of them did use his sword.
He cut off the right ear of the servant of the high priest.
51 Jesus said,
“Stop!”
Then he touched the servant’s ear and healed him.
52 Jesus spoke to the group that came to arrest him.
They were the leading priests, the older Jewish leaders, and the Jewish soldiers.
He said to them,
“Why did you come out here with swords and clubs?
Do you think I am a criminal?
53 I was with you every day in the Temple area.
Why didn’t you try to arrest me there?
But this is your time—the time when darkness rules.”
Luke 22:1-6 and Luke 22:47-53 (ERV)

Very Easy: Easy-to-Read Version: Luke 22:1-6 and Luke 22:47-53 (ERV)
Very Easy: New International Reader’s Version: Luke 22:1-6 and Luke 22:47-53 (NIRV)
Easy: Good News Translation: Luke 22:1-6 and Luke 22:47-53 (GNT)
Medium: New Living Translation: Luke 22:1-6 and Luke 22:47-53 (NLT)
Hard: New International Version: Luke 22:1-6 and Luke 22:47-53 (NIV)
Very Hard: English Standard Version: Luke 22:1-6 and Luke 22:47-53 (ESV)

Luke 22:1-6 & 22:47-53 Printable ERV Passage

Comprehension Questions

What special holiday was about to happen?
Why were the chief priests and teachers of the Law afraid of the people?
Who was Judas?
What bad choice did Judas make?
What did the leaders give Judas for his help?
How did Judas show the guards who Jesus was?
What did one of the followers do to the High Priest’s slave?
What did Jesus do for the slave?
Why did Jesus say the leaders waited until nighttime to arrest him?

Application Questions

Have you ever had a friend who let you down? How did you feel?
Why do you think Jesus stayed calm and loving, even when people hurt him?
What can we learn about God’s power when bad things happen?
How can we be brave and kind like Jesus when we are treated unfairly?

Theological Insights

Jesus knew he would be betrayed, but he trusted God’s plan.
Even when bad things happen, God is still in control.
Jesus showed love and kindness, even to those who hurt him.
Satan tempts people to do wrong, but God’s plan will not fail.
Jesus’ arrest was part of God’s plan to save people from sin.

Closing Prayer

Dear Father, Thank you for showing us your love through Jesus. Help us to be kind and strong when hard things happen. Teach us to trust you always. Amen.