Jesus Appears and Blesses: An ESL Bible Study on Luke 24:36-53

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Luke 24:36-53 Printable Discussion Questions

Luke 24:36-53 Printable ERV Passage

Lesson Icebreaker Question

Have you ever been very surprised by something good? What happened? How did you feel?

Lesson Highlight

In this lesson, we will learn about a time when Jesus appeared to his friends after he rose from the dead. They were very surprised and happy. We will see how Jesus helped them believe and gave them an important job to do.

Vocabulary Lists for the ERV Bible Translation

Key Vocabulary Words (10 words)

amazed: (adjective) To be very surprised by something.
bless: (verb) To ask God to be kind to someone.
books of the prophets: (phrase) The parts of the Bible written by men who shared messages from God.
doubt: (verb) To not be sure if something is true.
forgiveness: (noun) When God or a person stops being angry at someone for doing something wrong.
ghost: (noun) A spirit of a dead person.
Law of Moses: (phrase) The rules that God gave to the people of Israel through a man named Moses.
Messiah: (noun) The “Chosen One” that God promised to send to save his people.
rise from death: (phrase) To come back to life after being dead.
Scriptures: (noun) The holy writings of God in the Bible.

Important Words to Know (20 words)

afraid: (adjective) Feeling fear or being scared.
amazed: (adjective) To be very surprised by something.
appear: (verb) To show up so that people can see you.
believe: (verb) To think that something is true.
bless: (verb) To ask God to be kind to someone.
books of the prophets: (phrase) The parts of the Bible written by men who shared messages from God.
doubt: (verb) To not be sure if something is true.
follower: (noun) A person who learns from and obeys a teacher.
forgiveness: (noun) When God or a person stops being angry at someone for doing something wrong.
ghost: (noun) A spirit of a dead person.
heaven: (noun) The place where God lives.
Law of Moses: (phrase) The rules that God gave to the people of Israel through a man named Moses.
Messiah: (noun) The “Chosen One” that God promised to send to save his people.
nations: (noun) All the different groups of people and countries in the world.
peace: (noun) A time of quiet and no fighting.
power: (noun) Strength or the ability to do something.
promise: (verb) To say you will surely do something.
rise from death: (phrase) To come back to life after being dead.
Scriptures: (noun) The holy writings of God in the Bible.
witness: (noun) A person who sees something happen and tells others.

Complete Lesson Word Bank

afraid: (adjective) Feeling fear or being scared.
alive: (adjective) Living and not dead.
almost: (adverb) Only a little bit less than all.
amazed: (adjective) To be very surprised by something.
among: (preposition) In the middle of a group of people or things.
appear: (verb) To show up so that people can see you.
believe: (verb) To think that something is true.
bless: (verb) To ask God to be kind to someone.
blessed: (adjective) Having the favor and help of God.
blessing: (noun) A good thing that God gives to his people.
body: (noun) The whole physical part of a person or animal.
books of the prophets: (phrase) The parts of the Bible written by men who shared messages from God.
bring: (verb) To take someone or something to a place.
carry: (verb) To hold something and move it from one place to another.
change: (verb) To make something different.
cooked: (adjective) Food that has been prepared using heat.
death: (noun) The end of a life.
doubt: (verb) To not be sure if something is true.
Father: (noun) A name for God.
feet: (noun) The parts of the body at the end of the legs that a person stands on.
fish: (noun) An animal that lives and breathes in water.
follower: (noun) A person who learns from and obeys a teacher.
forgiveness: (noun) When God or a person stops being angry at someone for doing something wrong.
ghost: (noun) A spirit of a dead person.
given: (verb) To have handed something over to another person.
go back: (phrase) To return to a place where you were before.
God: (noun) The creator and ruler of everything.
hand: (noun) The part of the body at the end of the arm.
happen: (verb) To take place.
heaven: (noun) The place where God lives.
help: (verb) To do something useful for someone.
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.
Law of Moses: (phrase) The rules that God gave to the people of Israel through a man named Moses.
led: (verb) To have shown someone the way to go.
message: (noun) Important information that is spoken or written.
Messiah: (noun) The “Chosen One” that God promised to send to save his people.
Moses: (noun) A great leader of Israel who lived long before Jesus.
must: (verb) To need to do something.
nations: (noun) All the different groups of people and countries in the world.
peace: (noun) A time of quiet and no fighting.
piece of: (noun) A part that has been broken or cut off from a larger whole.
power: (noun) Strength or the ability to do something.
praise: (verb) To say very good things about God or a person.
promise: (verb) To say you will surely do something.
prophet: (noun) A person who speaks messages from God.
Psalms: (noun) A book in the Bible full of songs and prayers.
raise: (verb) To lift something up.
really: (adverb) Truly or very much.
remember: (verb) To keep something in your mind.
rise from death: (phrase) To come back to life after being dead.
Scriptures: (noun) The holy writings of God in the Bible.
send: (verb) To cause someone or something to go to a place.
separate: (verb) To move things apart.
show: (verb) To let someone see something.
stay: (verb) To not leave a place.
still: (adverb) Continuing until now.
stood: (verb) To have been on your feet.
surprise: (noun) A feeling caused by something that was not expected.
Temple: (noun) The special building in Jerusalem where people worshiped God.
thought: (verb) To have used your mind.
took: (verb) To have carried or moved something from one place to another.
touch: (verb) To put your hand or a finger on something.
troubled: (adjective) Feeling worried, unhappy, or having a lot of problems.
turn to God: (phrase) To stop doing bad things and start following God’s way.
understand: (verb) To know what something means.
until: (preposition) Up to a certain time.
watch: (verb) To look at something carefully for a time.
went back: (phrase) To have returned to a place where you were before.
witness: (noun) A person who sees something happen and tells others.
worship: (verb) To show great love and honor to God.

Summary of the Passage

This passage takes place after Jesus died and then came back to life. Jesus’ followers were together in a room. They were talking about the amazing things that had happened. Suddenly, Jesus came and stood among them. At first, they were very afraid. They thought they saw a ghost. A ghost is the spirit of a dead person.

Jesus helped them feel peace. He showed them his hands and feet. He told them to touch him so they would know he was real and alive. Then, he ate a piece of cooked fish. This proved he was not a ghost because ghosts cannot eat food. Jesus reminded them that everything that happened was part of God’s plan.

Next, Jesus helped them understand the Scriptures. These are the holy writings in the Bible. He explained how the Law of Moses, the books of the prophets, and the Psalms all talked about him. Jesus said the Messiah had to suffer and die, but then rise from death on the third day. He told them they were witnesses. A witness is someone who tells what they saw. He gave them a job to tell all nations to turn away from sin, turn to God, and receive forgiveness.

At the end of the passage, Jesus led them out of the city to Bethany. Bethany was a small village nearby. He blessed them and then was carried up into heaven. His friends worshiped him and went back to Jerusalem with great joy. They spent their time at the Temple, praising and saying good things about God.

This passage teaches us that Jesus is really alive. He keeps his promises and gives his people a special message to share with the world.

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 Appears to His Followers
36 While the two men were saying these things to the other followers, Jesus himself came and stood among them.
He said to them,
“Peace be with you.”
37 This surprised the followers.
They were afraid.
They thought they were seeing a ghost.
38 But Jesus said,
“Why are you troubled?
Why do you doubt what you see?
39 Look at my hands and my feet.
It’s really me.
Touch me.
You can see that I have a living body; a ghost does not have a body like this.”
40 After Jesus told them this, he showed them his hands and his feet.
41 The followers were amazed and very, very happy to see that Jesus was alive.
They still could not believe what they saw.
He said to them,
“Do you have any food here?”
42 They gave him a piece of cooked fish.
43 While the followers watched, he took the fish and ate it.
44 Jesus said to them,
“Remember when I was with you before?
I said that everything written about me must happen—everything written in the Law of Moses, the books of the prophets, and the Psalms.”
45 Then Jesus helped the followers understand these Scriptures about him.
46 Jesus said to them,
“It is written that the Messiah would be killed and rise from death on the third day.
47-48 You saw these things happen—you are witnesses.
You must go and tell people that they must change and turn to God, which will bring them his forgiveness.
You must start from Jerusalem and tell this message in my name to the people of all nations.
49 Remember that I will send you the one my Father promised.
Stay in the city until you are given that power from heaven.”
Jesus Goes Back to Heaven
50 Jesus led his followers out of Jerusalem almost to Bethany.
He raised his hands and blessed his followers.
51 While he was blessing them, he was separated from them and carried into heaven.
52 They worshiped him and went back to Jerusalem very happy.
53 They stayed at the Temple all the time, praising God.
Luke 24:36-53 (ERV)

Very Easy: Easy-to-Read Version: Luke 24:36-53 (ERV)
Very Easy: New International Reader’s Version: Luke 24:36-53 (NIRV)
Easy: Good News Translation: Luke 24:36-53 (GNT)
Medium: New Living Translation: Luke 24:36-53 (NLT)
Hard: New International Version: Luke 24:36-53 (NIV)
Very Hard: English Standard Version: Luke 24:36-53 (ESV)

Luke 24:36-53 Printable ERV Passage

Comprehension Questions

Who suddenly appeared in the room with the followers?
How did the followers feel when they first saw Jesus?
What did Jesus show them to prove he was real?
What did Jesus eat to show he was alive?
What did Jesus explain about the Law of Moses, the prophets, and the Psalms?
What message did Jesus say should be shared with all nations?
Where did Jesus tell his friends to wait for power from above?
What did Jesus do for them before he left?
Where did Jesus go after blessing them?
What did the followers do after Jesus went to heaven?

Application Questions

Have you ever felt surprised or joyful like the followers?
Why do you think it was important for Jesus to show he was real?
How do you feel knowing Jesus is alive today?
What good news can you share with others this week?
How can you thank God for his blessings in your life?

Theological Insights

Jesus is truly alive, not a spirit or ghost.
The Bible tells one big story about Jesus.
Jesus had to suffer and rise again to save his people.
God forgives sin when people turn back to him.
Jesus promises to give his people power to do his work.
Worship is a way to show love and thanks to God.

Closing Prayer

Dear Father, Thank you for sending Jesus to save us and for showing us that he is alive. Help us believe in him and share this good news with others. Amen.