The Death and Burial of Jesus: An ESL Bible Study on Luke 23:44-56

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Luke 23:44-56 Printable Discussion Questions

Luke 23:44-56 Printable ERV Passage

Lesson Icebreaker Question

Have you ever had a day when something happened that made you feel very sad or thoughtful? What happened?

Lesson Highlight

In this lesson, we will learn about the day Jesus died and what his friends did after he died. We will see how people felt sad but also showed love and care for Jesus.

Vocabulary Lists for the ERV Bible Translation

Key Vocabulary Words (10 words)

army officer: (phrase) A leader in a group of soldiers who tells others what to do.
council: (noun) A group of leaders who meet to make decisions.
curtain: (noun) A piece of cloth used to cover a window or separate a room.
God’s kingdom: (phrase) The place or way where God rules as king.
Preparation day: (phrase) The day before the Sabbath when people get food and things ready so they can rest.
Sabbath day: (phrase) The seventh day of the week that is a special day of rest for Jewish people to worship God.
spice: (noun) A plant part used to flavor food or smell good.
tomb: (noun) A place where a dead person is put.
torn: (adjective) Pulled apart into pieces.
wrap: (verb) To cover something by putting cloth or paper around it.

Important Words to Know (20 words)

army officer: (phrase) A leader in a group of soldiers who tells others what to do.
bury: (verb) To put a dead body in the ground.
cloth: (noun) Material used to make clothes or covers.
command: (verb) To give an order to someone.
council: (noun) A group of leaders who meet to make decisions.
curtain: (noun) A piece of cloth used to cover a window or separate a room.
decide: (verb) To make a choice.
God’s kingdom: (phrase) The place or way where God rules as king.
Law of Moses: (phrase) The rules that God gave to the people of Israel through a man named Moses.
member: (noun) A person who belongs to a group.
praise: (verb) To say very good things about God or a person.
Preparation day: (phrase) The day before the Sabbath when people get food and things ready so they can rest.
prepare: (verb) To get something ready.
rest: (verb) To stop working so you can get your strength back.
Sabbath day: (phrase) The seventh day of the week that is a special day of rest for Jewish people to worship God.
shine: (verb) To give off light.
spice: (noun) A plant part used to flavor food or smell good.
tomb: (noun) A place where a dead person is put.
torn: (adjective) Pulled apart into pieces.
wrap: (verb) To cover something by putting cloth or paper around it.

Complete Lesson Word Bank

after: (preposition) Later than another time or event.
afternoon: (noun) The time of day between noon and evening.
agree: (verb) To have the same idea as another person.
army officer: (phrase) A leader in a group of soldiers who tells others what to do.
away: (adverb) At a distance from a place.
begin: (verb) To start something.
body: (noun) The whole physical part of a person or animal.
bury: (verb) To put a dead body in the ground.
city: (noun) A large town with many people and buildings.
clock: (noun) A tool used to show what time it is.
close: (adjective) Near to someone or something.
cloth: (noun) Material used to make clothes or covers.
command: (verb) To give an order to someone.
council: (noun) A group of leaders who meet to make decisions.
cross: (noun) Two pieces of wood put together that were used to kill people.
curtain: (noun) A piece of cloth used to cover a window or separate a room.
dark: (adjective) When there is no light.
decide: (verb) To make a choice.
die: (verb) To stop living.
dug: (verb) To have made a hole in the ground.
far: (adjective) Not near to a place.
Father: (noun) A name for God.
felt sorry: (phrase) To feel sad for someone who is having a hard time.
follow: (verb) To go after someone.
Galilee: (noun) A region in the north part of Israel where Jesus lived.
God: (noun) The creator and ruler of everything.
God’s kingdom: (phrase) The place or way where God rules as king.
hand: (noun) The part of the body at the end of the arm.
happen: (verb) To take place.
inside: (preposition) In the inner part of something like a house.
Jesus: (noun) The Son of God and the Savior of the world!
Jewish: (adjective) Relating to the people, religion, or culture of the Jews.
Joseph of Arimathea: (noun) A good man and a leader who gave his own tomb for Jesus’ body.
kill: (verb) To end the life of a person or an animal.
land: (noun) The solid part of the earth or a specific country.
late: (adjective) Happening after the usual time.
Law of Moses: (phrase) The rules that God gave to the people of Israel through a man named Moses.
leader: (noun) A person who is in charge of a group.
left: (verb) To have gone away from a place.
member: (noun) A person who belongs to a group.
Moses: (noun) A great leader of Israel who lived long before Jesus.
noon: (noun) Twelve o’clock in the middle of the day.
piece: (noun) A part of something larger.
Pilate: (noun) The Roman leader who decided that Jesus should die.
praise: (verb) To say very good things about God or a person.
Preparation day: (phrase) The day before the Sabbath when people get food and things ready so they can rest.
prepare: (verb) To get something ready.
rest: (verb) To stop working so you can get your strength back.
rock: (noun) A hard piece of stone from the ground.
Sabbath day: (phrase) The seventh day of the week that is a special day of rest for Jewish people to worship God.
shine: (verb) To give off light.
shout: (verb) To speak or yell very loudly.
sorry: (adjective) Feeling sad about something that happened.
spice: (noun) A plant part used to flavor food or smell good.
stood: (verb) To have been on your feet.
stop: (verb) To not move or to finish doing something.
sun: (noun) The bright star that gives light and heat to the earth.
sweet-smelling: (adjective) Having a pleasant or nice odor like a flower.
Temple: (noun) The special building in Jerusalem where people worshiped God.
throughout: (preposition) In every part of a place.
tomb: (noun) A place where a dead person is put.
took: (verb) To have carried or moved something from one place to another.
torn: (adjective) Pulled apart into pieces.
town: (noun) A place where many people live that is smaller than a city.
turn: (verb) To change into something different, like a new color.
until: (preposition) Up to a certain time.
used: (verb) To have done something with a thing to reach a goal or finish a task.
wait: (verb) To stay in a place until something happens.
wall: (noun) A strong side of a building or a fence made of stone.
watch: (verb) To look at something carefully for a time.
way: (noun) A path or a method of doing something.
went down: (phrase) When the sun disappears at the end of the day and it becomes dark.
wrap: (verb) To cover something by putting cloth or paper around it.

Summary of the Passage

This passage tells the story of the day Jesus died. It was the middle of the day, but the sky became dark. The sun stopped shining. At the same time, a curtain in the Temple torn into two pieces. The Temple was a special building for worship. The curtain was a thick cloth that separated people from the most holy place. Then Jesus shouted loudly to God his Father, and he died.

An army officer was there and saw what happened. He praised God and said Jesus was a good man. Many people who came to watch felt very sad. Jesus’ friends and the women who knew him stood far away and watched everything.

Later, a good man named Joseph of Arimathea came to help. Joseph was a member of the council. A council is a group of leaders. Joseph did not agree with the other leaders who wanted to kill Jesus. He went to the Roman leader, Pilate, and asked for Jesus’ body. Joseph took the body down and wrapped it in cloth. He placed it in a tomb. A tomb is a place for a dead person. This tomb was dug into a wall of rock.

The women who loved Jesus watched to see where the body was placed. It was late on Preparation day. This is the day people get ready for a day of rest. The women went home to prepare sweet-smelling spices for his body. But they rested on the Sabbath day because that was the Law of Moses. The Law of Moses says that the Sabbath day is a special time to rest and worship God.

This passage shows us how people showed love and honor for Jesus. It also teaches us that Jesus truly died for us.

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 Dies
44-45 It was about noon, but it turned dark throughout the land until three o’clock in the afternoon, because the sun stopped shining.
The curtain in the Temple was torn into two pieces.
46 Jesus shouted,
“Father, I put my life in your hands!”
After Jesus said this, he died.
47 The army officer there saw what happened.
He praised God, saying,
“I know this man was a good man!”
48 Many people had come out of the city to see all this.
When they saw it, they felt very sorry and left.
49 The people who were close friends of Jesus were there.
Also, there were some women who had followed Jesus from Galilee.
They all stood far away from the cross and watched these things.
Jesus Is Buried
50-51 A man named Joseph was there from the Jewish town of Arimathea.
He was a good man, who lived the way God wanted.
He was waiting for God’s kingdom to come.
Joseph was a member of the Jewish council.
But he did not agree when the other Jewish leaders decided to kill Jesus.
52 He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.
53 He took the body down from the cross and wrapped it in cloth.
Then he put it in a tomb that was dug in a wall of rock.
This tomb had never been used before.
54 It was late on Preparation day.
When the sun went down, the Sabbath day would begin.
55 The women who had come from Galilee with Jesus followed Joseph.
They saw the tomb.
Inside they saw where he put Jesus’ body.
56 Then they left to prepare some sweet-smelling spices to put on the body.
On the Sabbath day they rested, as commanded in the Law of Moses.
Luke 23:44-56 (ERV)

Very Easy: Easy-to-Read Version: Luke 23:44-56 (ERV)
Very Easy: New International Reader’s Version: Luke 23:44-56 (NIRV)
Easy: Good News Translation: Luke 23:44-56 (GNT)
Medium: New Living Translation: Luke 23:44-56 (NLT)
Hard: New International Version: Luke 23:44-56 (NIV)
Very Hard: English Standard Version: Luke 23:44-56 (ESV)

Luke 23:44-56 Printable ERV Passage

Comprehension Questions

What happened to the sun at noon?
What happened to the curtain in the Temple?
What did Jesus say before he died?
What did the army officer say about Jesus?
How did the people show they were sad?
Who was Joseph of Arimathea?
What did Joseph do with Jesus’ body?
Where did Joseph place Jesus’ body?
What did the women do after they saw where Jesus was placed?
Why did the women rest on the Sabbath?

Application Questions

How do you show love to people you care about?
Why do you think Joseph wanted to help Jesus after he died?
What can we learn from the way the women stayed near Jesus and watched what happened?
How can we show honor to God and to people today?

Theological Insights

Jesus truly died as a man, showing his love for us.
God showed his power by making the sun stop shining and tearing the Temple curtain.
The torn curtain means people can now come close to God through Jesus.
Even in death, Jesus was cared for and honored by people who loved him.
Jesus’ death was part of God’s big plan to save people from sin.