EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries
Luke 17:1-37
Luke’s Good News
Luke
Hilda Bright
Chapter 17
The danger if you cause other people to *sin 17:1-2
v1 Jesus said to his *disciples, ‘Things will certainly happen that turn people away from God. But how terrible for the one who makes them happen! v2 If anybody turns these little ones away from God, that is extremely serious. It would be better for people to throw him into the sea with a millstone round his neck’.
Verse 2 A millstone was the heavy upper stone that turned grain into flour. It had a hole in the middle for people to pour the grain in between the upper and lower stones. Anyone with such a stone round his neck would certainly drown.
You need to forgive 17:3-4
v3 ‘Be careful how you act! If your brother *sins against you, tell him that he is doing something wrong. He may say that he is sorry. If he does, you should forgive him. v4 He might *sin against you seven times in a day. When he tells you, “I am sorry”, you must forgive him’.
Verses 3-4 ‘Be careful how you act’ could mean ‘do not lead anyone into *sin’ (verse 1). It also means that a *disciple must forgive a person’s wrong acts. A *disciple must be ready to forgive as many times as anyone asks him. Jesus told Peter to forgive ‘70 times 7’ (Matthew 18:21-22). That is, as many times as you need to.
The power of *faith 17:5-6
v5 The *apostles said to the *Lord, ‘Make our *faith stronger’. v6 The *Lord answered, ‘If you had *faith as big as a *mustard seed, you could say to this tree, “Pull yourself out of the ground. Plant yourself in the sea”. And the tree would obey you’.
Verse 5 *Disciples should not lead other people away from God. They should also be ready to forgive. This is not easy. It means that the *disciples need God’s help. They realised this. So, they asked God to help them. They needed stronger *faith in God’s power.
Verse 6 A *mustard seed is very tiny. A tree has strong roots. Jesus was using picture language. It seems impossible to do some things. But Jesus showed that even very little *faith in God makes things possible.
The master and his servant 17:7-10
v7 ‘Suppose that one of you has a servant. And he is ploughing or looking after the sheep. He comes in from the field. You do not tell him to come at once and eat his meal. Of course you do not! v8 Instead, you say to him, “Get my supper ready. Get ready to serve me. Then wait on me while I eat and drink. After that, you may have your meal”. v9 He does not praise the servant because he obeys orders. v10 It is the same with you. When you have carried out all your orders you say, “We are servants who do not deserve praise. We have only done our duty” ’.
Verses 7-9 At the end of a day’s work, a servant serves the master. The servant just does his duty. The master does not thank him.
Verse 10 There is no place for *spiritual *pride. A *disciple cannot expect God to be grateful to him. A *disciple may give his best service to God. However, that is no more than his duty.
The 10 men who had *leprosy 17:11-19
v11 As Jesus travelled to Jerusalem, he went along the border between Samaria and Galilee. v12-13 Jesus was about to go into a village when 10 men with *leprosy met him. They stood a distance away from him. They called, ‘Jesus, Master, please pity us!’ v14 Jesus saw them and said, ‘Go to the priests and let them examine you’. As they went, their *leprosy left them. v15 Then one of them saw that he had no *leprosy. He came back. He was praising God in a loud voice. v16 He fell down on the ground next to Jesus’ feet and thanked him. The man was a *Samaritan. v17 Jesus said, ‘There were 10 men whom I *healed. Where are the other 9? v18 Why is this foreigner the only one who came back to give thanks to God?’ v19 And Jesus said to him, ‘Get up and go. Your *faith has made you well’.
Verses 11-12 10 men had *leprosy. 9 men were *Jews. The other man was a *Samaritan (verse 16). Jesus was on the border between Samaria and Galilee. People with *leprosy had to live together. They could not get near to other people. They were obeying the law of Moses as they stood at a distance (Leviticus 13:45-46). This is why they had to call. It was so that Jesus could hear them.
Verse 13 They asked Jesus to pity them. This means that they wanted him to *heal them.
Verse 14 Jesus did not touch them. He did not say that he would *heal them. But he told them to go to the priests. The priests had to examine anyone to see whether he had recovered from his disease. All 10 men obeyed Jesus. So they showed that they had *faith. They started to go to the priests. Then they realised that they were well again.
Verses 15-16 The man who returned praised God ‘in a loud voice’. He was excited. He wanted everyone to know that Jesus had *healed him.
Verses 17-18 Jesus asked two questions. These questions showed that he was disappointed. He did not want the men to thank him. But the 9 men had not been grateful to God.
Verse 19 All 10 men had shown *faith. But the *Samaritan’s *faith had led him to praise God. Jesus’ words meant that the *Samaritan now had a healthy spirit as well as a healthy body.
God’s *kingdom 17:20-37
v20 Some *Pharisees asked Jesus when the *kingdom of God would come. He answered, ‘The *kingdom of God will not come with evidence that anyone can see. v21 Nobody will say, “Look, here it is!” or “There it is!” Because the *kingdom of God is in you’. v22 Then he said to his *disciples, ‘The time will come when you will wish to see even one of the days of the *Son of Man. But you will not see it. v23 There will be those who will say to you, “Look, over there!” or “Look, over here!” But do not follow these people. v24 Everyone will see the *Son of Man when he comes. When lightning flashes across the sky, people see everything clearly. People will see the *Son of Man as clearly as that. v25 But before he comes again, the *Son of Man must suffer many things. People of this time will refuse to accept him’.
Verse 20 Both John the *Baptist and Jesus had taught about the *kingdom of God. The *Pharisees may have asked this question because of what they had heard.
Verse 21 ‘The *kingdom is in you’. The *kingdom is not an event. The *kingdom is an inner experience that changes a person’s character. The *Greek word for ‘in’ also means ‘among’. The *kingdom was present ‘among’ them. The *Pharisees were looking for a *kingdom. But the king, Jesus, was already among them.
Verse 22 Later the *disciples would think about the time when Jesus was with them. They would desire to be with him again. However, they would look forward to the time when he returns to earth. Jesus probably meant that. They would not see any evidence that he was going to come. He would come when they did not expect him.
Verse 23 People will make false *prophecies about when the *kingdom will arrive. The *disciples should not believe them.
Verse 24 Everyone will see the *Son of Man when he comes. People will see him as clearly as when lightning flashes across the sky.
Verse 25 But before he comes again, the *Son of Man ‘must’ suffer. Jesus knew that he was going to die. He knew that this was God’s purpose.
v26 ‘Before the *Son of Man comes again, this is what the world will be like. It will be the same as it was in the time of Noah. v27 Everyone kept on eating and drinking. Men and women married. They did these things up to the very day that Noah went into the *Ark. The flood came and killed them all. v28 The world was like this in the time of Lot. Everybody kept on eating and drinking. They were buying and selling. They were planting and building. v29 On the day when Lot left the town of Sodom, fire and hot sulphur poured down from the sky. It destroyed all the people in Sodom. v30 The world will be like that on the day when the *Son of Man appears in *glory’.
Verses 26-27 People were living ordinary lives during the time of Noah. There was nothing wrong with these particular activities. But people were thinking only of their normal lives. They took no notice of Noah. The flood came when they did not expect it. They did not believe that it was possible.
Verses 28-29 The same normal business of daily life went on in the time of Lot. The people of Sodom took no notice of what Lot taught. Or how well he lived. They did not think about God or his judgement until fire came from heaven. The fire destroyed their city (Genesis 19:23-25).
Verse 29 Sulphur is a yellow substance. It burns with a fierce heat and a very unpleasant smell.
Verse 30 These two examples show that Jesus will return to earth suddenly. People will be thinking only of their ordinary lives.
v31 ‘On that day, whoever is on the roof of his house must not go inside the house. He must not get his possessions. Whoever is in the field must not go back to his house. v32 Remember Lot’s wife! v33 Whoever tries to save his own life will lose it. Whoever loses his life will save it. v34 On that night, there will be two people sleeping in the same bed. I will take one away and leave the other behind. v35 Two women will be together as they prepare flour from grain. I will take one woman and leave the other woman. v36 Two men will be working in a field. I will take one man away and leave the other man’. v37 The *disciples asked, ‘Where, *Lord?’ Jesus said, ‘There are birds that eat meat. Wherever there is a dead body those birds will gather together’.
Verses 31-32 Nobody can escape when Jesus returns to earth. But these verses speak of a bad event from which people are able to escape. So it may refer to when the *Romans attacked Jerusalem 40 years later. When that happens, Christians should escape as quickly as possible. They should come down from the roof of their house. But they must not even go into their house. Or, they may be in their field. Then they should not go home before they escape. Lot’s wife looked back, when she was escaping from Sodom. She was wishing for the things that she had left behind. She delayed. So, she died when fire destroyed Sodom (Genesis 19:26).
Verse 33 Jesus had already spoken about how someone could save or lose his life (Luke 9:24). A selfish person is only interested in his own life in this world. But he will lose it when the *Son of Man returns. But the Christian who spends his life for God and other people in this world will save it in heaven.
Verses 34-35 Jesus could return at night, when two people are sleeping in the same bed. He could return in the day, when two people are working together. Jesus will take to heaven the person who has believed in him. The other person will remain behind and God will judge him. Each person’s attitude to Jesus will decide what happens to him or her.
Verse 37 Jesus used a common saying. He did not answer the question about where he would return. Judgement will certainly come to where there are *spiritually dead people. In a similar way, large birds that feed on meat will always find a dead animal.
This publication is written in EasyEnglish Level B (2800 words)
sin/sinner ~ when people do things against God or other people.disciple ~ one who follows another and learns from him; a person who believes in Jesus; a person who follows the things that he teaches.
faith ~ trust.
apostle ~ one of the 12 men whom Jesus chose to be his special helpers.
Lord ~ name for God in the Bible; name that we use for Jesus when we obey him.'mustard seed ~ a very tiny seed.
disciple ~ one who follows another and learns from him; a person who believes in Jesus; a person who follows the things that he teaches.
spiritual ~ belonging to the spirit.
spirit ~ the part of a person which is alive, which we cannot see. It can speak to other spirits and the soul.
soul ~ the part of a person that we cannot see, that is in us during our life on earth. It continues to live after the body dies.
pride ~ to praise yourself. To think that you are very important.
leprosy ~ serious disease of the skin.
Samaritan ~ a person who comes from Samaria.
Samaria ~ country on north border of Judah; its capital has the same name.
heal ~ cure; make completely well.
Jew ~ a person who was born from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their children.
kingdom ~ land that a king rules.
Pharisees ~ group of Jews who were very strict about the law of Moses.
Jew ~ a person who was born from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their children.'Son of Man ~ special name that Jesus used of himself.
Baptist ~ a person who baptises people (John the Baptist).
baptise/baptism ~ to put a person into water to show that he wants to obey God.
Greek ~ language of the *New Testament. Many people spoke Greek in *New Testament times.
prophecy ~ words that God gives to a person to tell other people.
ark ~ a large boat such as Noah built.
glory ~ everything that makes God beautiful and great; like a great light from God.
Roman ~ person or thing that belongs to Rome.
Rome ~ capital of a great empire in *New Testament times.
empire ~ group of nations under one ruler (emperor).
emperor ~ king who rules over many countries.
Luke: The Man Christ Jesus
Jesus on his way from Galilee to Jerusalem
Ian Mackervoy
Chapter 17
*Sin, *faith and duty – Luke 17:1-10
v1 Jesus spoke again to his *disciples. ‘It is certain that some things will cause people to *sin. But it will be terrible for anyone who causes that to happen. v2 It is a serious thing to cause even the least important person to *sin. It would be better if people threw that person into the sea with a large stone round his neck. v3 So, be careful what you do. If your brother *sins, show him his error. Then if he *repents of his *sin, forgive him. v4 Suppose he *sins against you 7 times in a day. If he *repents each of those 7 times, you must forgive him.’
v5 The *apostles said to the *Lord, ‘Give us more *faith.’
v6 The *Lord replied, ‘If only you had *faith as small as a tiny *mustard seed! Then you could say to this mulberry tree, “Lift yourself out of the ground. Go and plant yourself in the sea.” It would obey you.
v7 Suppose that you had a servant. He has been ploughing or feeding the animals. When he comes in from the farm, you do not tell him to sit down and eat. v8 No, you would say to him, “Prepare a meal for me. Then get ready and serve me. After I have had my meal, you can have something to eat and drink.” v9 You would not especially thank the servant because he obeyed you. v10 That is how it should be with you. You should do all that God tells you to do. Then say, “We are merely servants and our master has not gained anything from our work. We have done only what we ought to have done.” ’
Verses 1-4 The things of this world will tempt even the *disciples of Jesus. Often the fault is the *disciple’s own natural desires. But sometimes other people will tempt them to *sin. God will punish those people who cause his people to *sin. Jesus does not say what that punishment will be. However, he did explain that God considers this to be a very severe matter.
The large stone would have been part of a mill. It would be very heavy. It would hold the person down so that he would drown. The person who causes even the weakest *disciple to *sin deserves an even worse punishment than that. However, God can forgive the person that caused the *disciple to *sin. But that person must first *repent. God cannot forgive anyone who refuses to *repent.
God hates *sin. Therefore, Christians must be careful not to *sin. And they must be careful not to cause other people to *sin. If a Christian does *sin, other Christians must show him his error. They must not do this as if they were judges. They must do it because they care about him. If he *repents, they must forgive him. The number 7 here does not mean only 7 times. It means ‘however many times he *sins’.
Verses 5-6 The *apostles wanted more *faith. But it was not a question of quantity. The amount of *faith was not important but the kind of *faith was. A little real *faith could do great things.
The mustard seed was very small. The mulberry tree is a tree that has very firm roots. So, to move a mulberry tree would be difficult. A small *faith would be enough for a *disciple to tell the tree to lift itself out of the ground. By this, Jesus taught that nothing is impossible to real *faith.
In the Bible, *faith means belief and trust in God. Jesus was telling the *disciples simply to believe and trust in God. If they did that, God would do great things in and through their lives. He would even do things that seemed impossible.
Verses 7-10 A servant had worked hard all day. When he came in, his master expected him to prepare a meal. After the master had eaten then the servant could feed himself. That was normal. That was the job of the servant. He had done nothing more than he ought to have done. The master would not thank him especially because of what he had done.
Suppose that we obey God. And we do all that God wants us to do. That is our duty because we are his servants. We have only done what we ought to have done. We have done nothing special.
10 *lepers – Luke 17:11-19
v11 On his way to Jerusalem, Jesus went along the border between Samaria and Galilee. v12 As he came into a village, 10 *lepers met him. They stood at a distance. v13 They called out with loud voices, ‘Jesus, master, pity us.’
v14 Jesus saw them and he said to them, ‘Go. Show yourselves to the priests.’ As they went, the *Lord cured them of *leprosy.
v15 One of them saw that the *Lord had cured him. And he came back to Jesus and he praised God in a loud voice. v16 He bent down so that his face was on the ground in front of Jesus’ feet. And he thanked Jesus. This man was a *Samaritan.
v17 So Jesus said, ‘I cured 10 men of their *leprosy. But the other 9 have not returned. v18 None of them came back to praise God except this foreigner.’ v19 Then Jesus said to him, ‘Get up. Go on your way. Your *faith has made you well.’
Verses 11-14 Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. Here he was on the border between Samaria and Galilee. The exact route that Jesus took is not clear to us. He started the journey on the road through Samaria (9:51-56), which was the shorter route. But the last part of his journey seems to have been through Perea (Matthew 19:1; Mark 10:1). Perea is on the east side of the river Jordan. From there, he went through Jericho (19:1). The most likely explanation is that Luke did not put these events in order of time.
*Lepers had to keep at a distance from other people. So, these 10 *lepers had to cry out with loud voices. They asked Jesus to pity them. They may have expected to receive a gift of food or money. They did not ask him to cure them. But that is probably what they hoped.
Jesus told them to go to the priests. The priests would examine the *lepers. The priests would decide whether the disease had gone or not (Leviticus chapter 14). The *lepers obeyed Jesus and they went. That showed that they were trusting Jesus to cure them. Then as they went, Jesus cured them of the disease.
Verses 15-19 One of the *lepers came back to thank Jesus. He did not first go to the priest to check that he was free of the disease. He knew that Jesus had cured him. He praised God in a loud voice. The other 9 did not come back.
This man was a *Samaritan. In normal circumstances the *Jews and the *Samaritans would stay away from each other. But this *Samaritan *leper was with *Jewish *lepers. Unlike them, he could not go to the *Jewish priests. So instead this *Samaritan returned to give honour and thanks to Jesus, a *Jew. He was the last one that we would expect to thank Jesus. But he was the only one.
Jesus expressed surprise that only this foreigner had returned to give God thanks. God had cured 10 men; they all should be very grateful to God. But the other 9 men were not praising God for the wonderful thing that he had done for them.
Jesus told the *Samaritan to get up and to go on his way. The other *lepers had believed and Jesus had cured them. But Jesus told the *Samaritan that his *faith had made him well. This must mean more than what the other *lepers had received. Jesus had cured their bodies. But Jesus made this man whole. Maybe this man received the *salvation that Jesus *preached.
When the *kingdom of God comes – Luke 17:20-37
v20 Some *Pharisees asked Jesus when the *kingdom of God would come. Jesus answered ‘God's *kingdom will come. But you will not be able to see it with your eyes. v21 Nobody will say, “Here it is.” Nor will they say, “There it is.” They cannot see it because God’s *kingdom is with you.’
v22 Jesus said this to the *disciples. ‘The time will come when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man. But you will not be able to see one. v23 People will say to you, “Look. There he is.” Or, “Here he is.” Do not go with or follow those people. v24 The lightning flashes and shines from one end of the sky to the other end. The Son of Man will be like that in the day when he comes. v25 First, he must suffer many things. And the people of this age will refuse him.
v26 Before the Son of Man’s return, people will be carrying on their usual activities. It will be like the days before Noah’s flood came. v27 Then, people ate and they drank. They married and they gave their children in marriage. This continued until the day that Noah entered his ship. Then the flood came and it killed them all.
v28 It was the same in the days of Lot. People ate and they drank. They bought and they sold. They planted and they built. v29 But the day that Lot left Sodom, fire and *sulphur rained down from heaven. And it killed all of them.
v30 It will be very much like that on the day when the Son of Man appears. v31 On that day, a person may be on the roof of his house, with his goods inside the house. But he should not go into the house to get them. Anyone in a field should not turn back to the things that are behind him. v32 Remember Lot's wife. v33 Those who try to keep their lives will lose them. But those who give up their lives will preserve them. v34 I tell you, on that night two people will be asleep in one bed. The *Lord will take one away but he will leave the other one. v35 Two women will beat grain to make flour. The *Lord will take one away but he will leave the other one. v36 [Two men will be in the field. The *Lord will take one away but he will leave the other one.]’
v37 The *disciples asked him, ‘Where, *Lord?’ Jesus answered them, ‘Where there is a dead body. That is where the *vultures will gather.’
Verses 20-21 Much of what Jesus taught was about God’s *kingdom. The *Pharisees asked him when this *kingdom would come. Jesus told them that it would come. But this *kingdom was different to their idea of a *kingdom. They thought of the *kingdom as a king in *Israel who would defeat the *Romans. However, Jesus said that they could not see God’s *kingdom. People cannot say that the *kingdom is here or there. It has no physical place on the earth.
The words ‘with you’ could mean ‘inside you’ or ‘among you’. ‘Among you’ would seem to be the right translation. Jesus would not tell the *Pharisees that the *kingdom was inside them. The *kingdom cannot be where people refuse Jesus.
The *kingdom was there among them in the person of Jesus. They could not see it. Those people who believe in Jesus enter into the *kingdom. They belong in the *kingdom. Jesus rules in their lives. Where he rules, that is God’s *kingdom.
Verses 22-25 It is not clear what ‘one of the days of the Son of Man’ means. It could mean that the *disciples would remember the past. They would wish that Jesus were still with them on earth. But ‘the days of the Son of Man’ appear to be in the future. They refer to the time when Jesus will come again. That will be the start of this *kingdom on the earth. But the *disciples will not yet see those days.
People will say that the *Christ has come again. They will say that he has come in secret. They will ask the *disciples to come and see him. Jesus said that this is false. He will not come in secret. When he comes, all the people will know it. They will see it as clearly as they see the lightning in the sky.
Before he comes again, Jesus must suffer. The people will refuse to accept him as the *Christ. And they will kill him.
Verses 26-29 Until Jesus comes again, life will continue as usual. It was the same in the time of Noah. Then the people lived their ordinary lives. They did not believe what Noah told them. They did not obey God or trust in him. So, they were not ready when the flood came. They all died in the flood.
It was the same in the days of Lot. Then the people lived their ordinary lives. Lot was a good man but the people of Sodom were wicked people (Genesis 13:13). They did not obey God or trust in him. So, they were not ready when God destroyed their city. All the people died in the fire and the sulphur. Sulphur is a yellow chemical that burns.
Verses 30-36 When Jesus comes, people will be living their ordinary lives. Most of them will not believe in Jesus. They will not know that Jesus will come. They will not expect him to come. They will not be ready for him when he comes.
This is not about the year *AD 70, when the *Romans destroyed Jerusalem. It is about when Jesus comes back. That time is still in the future.
Jesus will come suddenly. Then the situation will be urgent. There will be no time to gather up material possessions. People must give their whole attention to the Son of Man. Those people who try to keep their way of life will lose their lives. Only those people who have handed their lives over to God will be ready to lose their lives (Mark 8:34-35). But the result will be, in fact, that they will save their lives. Lot’s wife was almost safe but she looked back (Genesis 19:26). She was unwilling to leave her old life.
People will be either for Jesus or against him. Jesus will take those people who are for him. He will leave those people who are not for him. Jesus does not explain what he means. But Paul wrote about the time when Jesus will come (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). At that time those people who believe in Jesus, he will take up from the earth. Those people who remain will have to come in front of God. He will be their judge and he will punish them. Those people who belong to Jesus will escape that fate.
In that country, houses usually had flat roofs. There would be steps up the outside of the house. The roof was part of the living space.
Some Bibles have verse 36. This is in some old texts but it is not in the best texts.
Verse 37 The *disciples wanted to know where all this will happen. Jesus did not directly answer their question. Vultures are large birds that eat dead animals. So, a dead body in the desert will attract vultures. So you can know that it is there because of the vultures.
People who do not believe in Jesus are dead in God’s opinion. Wherever they are at that time, the *Lord will be their judge. They will not escape the punishment for their evil deeds. As a dead body attracts vultures, so they will have brought about their own punishment.
sin ~ sin is the wrong things that we do. To sin is to do wrong, bad or evil deeds and not to obey God.faith ~ trust in someone or something; belief and trust in God and in Jesus Christ his Son.
disciple ~ a person who follows a leader, especially the 12 men that Jesus chose to be with him.
sin ~ sin is the wrong things that we do. To sin is to do wrong, bad or evil deeds and not to obey God.'repent / repentance ~ to change one’s mind and heart. To turn away from sin and turn to God. To turn one’s mind and heart away from sin is to repent.
sin ~ sin is the wrong things that we do. To sin is to do wrong, bad or evil deeds and not to obey God.
apostle ~ someone whom God sends; especially one of the 12 men whom Jesus chose to be his helpers.
Lord ~ a title for God, or Jesus, to show that he is over all people and things. In the Old Testament, LORD was a special name for God.
Old Testament ~ the first part of the Bible; the holy things that the writers wrote before Jesus’ birth.
mustard ~ a kind of herb or spice which grows quickly from a very small seed.
herbs ~ plants that people grow for a useful purpose, for example as medicine or to add flavour to food.
spices ~ a sweet substance or a substance with a strong smell.
leper ~ a man with a serious skin disease called leprosy.
leprosy ~ serious disease of the skin.
leprosy ~ serious disease of the skin.
Samaritan ~ Samaria was a region to the north of Judea. Samaritans are people from Samaria.
leper ~ a man with a serious skin disease called leprosy.
leprosy ~ serious disease of the skin.
Jews ~ people who were born from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and the families of their children.
Jewish ~ people or things that are from the Jews.
Jews ~ people who were born from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and the families of their children.
salvation ~ the result when God saves us from sin and punishment; the new life that God gives to those people who believe in the Lord Jesus.
sin ~ sin is the wrong things that we do. To sin is to do wrong, bad or evil deeds and not to obey God.
Lord ~ a title for God, or Jesus, to show that he is over all people and things. In the Old Testament, LORD was a special name for God.
Old Testament ~ the first part of the Bible; the holy things that the writers wrote before Jesus’ birth.
preach ~ to speak out the message from God and to teach his word.
kingdom ~ the place or territory where a king rules. In the New Testament, this is nearly always the people over whom the king rules and not a territory on earth.
New Testament ~ the last part of the Bible, which the writers wrote after the life of Jesus on earth.
Pharisees ~ a group of Jews who tried to obey all God’s rules. Many of them did not approve of Jesus.
Jews ~ people who were born from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and the families of their children.
sulphur ~ a yellow chemical that burns.
vulture ~ a large bird that eats dead animals.
Israel ~ the country of the Jews.
Jews ~ people who were born from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and the families of their children.
Roman ~ Rome was the capital city of the rulers at that time. Anything that belonged to Rome was Roman.
Christ ~ the Christ is the name for the person whom God would send to be the Saviour of his people. Jesus is the Christ and he was called Christ.
Saviour ~ a title for Jesus, who saves his people from their sins.
sin ~ sin is the wrong things that we do. To sin is to do wrong, bad or evil deeds and not to obey God.
AD ~ years after Christ.