Questions

Scriptural Reflection
Luke 1:1–18

We shall start the study of the Gospel of Luke of the New Testament this week.

The Gospel of Luke

The author was Luke who was a medical doctor, a co-worker and close friend of the Apostle Paul (Phlm. 24) and who accompanied Paul from his second missionary journey onward until his death (2 Tim. 4:11).

He gave a very clear explanation about the reason for his writing (see 1:1-4) which I will leave to the readers to ponder, but it was clear that at the time of his writing, there were already other written documents about Jesus circulating, perhaps including those of Matthew and Mark. However, compared to these two, Luke’s gospel account has the following features: It provides a more complete history of the life and ministry of Jesus, records many more miracles and parables, and it contains more teachings on prayer by Jesus and the occasions of His prayer.

The immediate recipient is likely a high-ranking official of the Roman Empire who is the same recipient of the Book of Acts which Luke also wrote later as a sequel to his gospel account.

While some like to see a special theme in the gospel, I leave it to the readers to form their own opinion as to what the true author, the Holy Spirit, might have had in mind in prompting Dr. Luke to write an accurate, thorough and chronological account of the life and ministry of Jesus.

(1) What was the stated purpose of the writing of this gospel account by Luke?

(2) How should such a purpose affect your reading of this gospel account?

(3) While the other gospels skip over or contain only a very brief version of the birth of Jesus, how does Luke’s more detailed account of His birth contribute to our understanding of Jesus and His ministry?

(4) How old do you think Zechariah and Elizabeth might be, given the description in vv. 7, 18 and 36?

(5) Even if you are a man of faith, when might you give up praying for a child (in your 30’s, 40’s, 50’s or…)?

(6) The angel's words were, “your prayer has been heard”. What does this tell us about our prayers? (1:13)

(7) Can you blame Zechariah when he said, “How can I be sure of this?”? (1:18) Why or why not?

(8) With this account, Luke introduces us to the origin and calling of John the Baptist.

a. Why was it important for John be born into Zechariah’s family?

b. What is the significance of having him born as a “miracle”? (To whom can we compare him?)

c. According to the angel, in what way would John be making the people ready for the Lord Jesus? (See Mal. 4:5)

(9) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?

Note:

According to 2 Chronicles 24:7-18, there were 24 divisions of priests that served in the temple of God. According to William Barclay, there were about 20,000 priests during the time of Jesus. Therefore, each division would have been comprised of about 1,000 priests. Only at Passover, Pentecost and the Feast of Tabernacles did all the priests get to serve. These priests would all have to wait their turn to serve twice a year for a 7-day period.

Scriptural Reflection
Luke 1:19–38

(1) Why should the angel “punish” Zechariah?

(2) Positive aspects of Zechariah's silence:

a. How would Zechariah, given such a supernatural and significant experience, spend the next nine months in silence (without being able to speak)?

b. How did his subsequent, miraculous breaking of his silence impact the future ministry of his son?

(3) Based on what Elizabeth said in v. 25, why did she choose to remain in seclusion after she was pregnant?

a. Because of the significance of John the Baptist to the work of Jesus Christ, were Elizabeth’s words rather self-centered? Why or why not?

b. How might her seclusion help in her preparation of her son’s future?

(4) How did the angel greet Mary? Why does the Bible describe her feeling as “greatly troubled”, instead of mere shock or amazement?

(5) The angel introduced Mary to her future child. What did he say in terms of:

a. Who He is

b. The purpose of His birth in vv. 30-33

(6) I believe Mary’s response in v.34 was most natural. How then did the angel

a. Assure her that it was possible?

b. Further clarify who this child was?

(7) Put yourself in Mary’s shoes, a girl of 16 or at most 18 (according to many scholars). Given all that the angel told her so far, what would describe your response at this point — excited, scared, confused, worried or…? Why?

(8) What was her response in v. 38? How does her response speak to the kind of person she was before the Lord?

(9) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?

Scriptural Reflection
Luke 1:39–56

(1) Why did Mary “hurry” to see Elizabeth?

(2) The response of the child in the womb of Elizabeth was most unusual. How did Elizabeth interpret it?

(3) How did her words serve to be a significant assurance to Mary? How did she commend Mary?

(4) With the words and appearance of the angel, and the affirmation from her visit to Elizabeth, Mary now burst into her famous song of praise, called the “Magnificat” by the church. Let’s reflect on this song carefully:

a. What prompted her to glorify God in her soul?

b. Who did she address God to be?

c. In essence, Mary was saying in v. 48 “for He even looked or paid attention to me…”. What did she mean and how may this speak to your own feeling toward God?

d. As much as she was talking about God’s unthinkable plan of salvation through incarnation, she understood that she was not simply a tool, but that He “has done great things” for her. How does it speak to the kind of God we have in the Lord?

e. Since “holy” has the sense of being separated from the rest or unique, what is meant by her praise that “Holy is His name”?

f. Vv. 39-53 is what many call “the Great Reversal” by God because of the birth of His Son — try to find pairs of contrasts and see how Christ’s incarnation has led to such great reversals?

g. How personal and relevant was the last verse of the song to her and Joseph?

(5) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?

Scriptural Reflection
Luke 1:57–80

(1) How did the miraculous birth of John prepare the people throughout the hill country of Judea for his future ministry?

(2) This second song of praise in Luke by Zechariah is known as “the Benedictus”, and it also deserves our careful reflection. Note that vv. 68-75 are in fact one long sentence and vv. 76-79 another long sentence in the original Greek:

a. 1:68—With God answering his prayer after so many years and finally giving him a son, shouldn’t his focus be on the joy or as his wife earlier alluded to, the removal of her shame? However, what was Zechariah’s focus? What was the other promise of God that he was focused on with this opening line of prayer in v.68?

b. 1:69—How did he know that the horn that God has now raised is indeed from the house of David?

c. 1:70—By this time, for how long have the prophecies been told? For how long have the prophecies of Christ’s second return been promised by our time?

d. 1:71—What kind of a situation were Zechariah’s people in at the time?

e. 1:72-75—What were the two specific purposes mentioned by him about the salvation or deliverance that is now being wrought by God?

f. 1:76-79—In the second long sentence of this song of praise, Zechariah does turn his focus to his son whose name is given by the angel. John, means "the Lord is gracious"! And this is the focus that underlines this second part of his song:

1. Did John come to perpetuate the prophetic tradition or put an end to it?
2. In this song, the preparing of the way was made clearer. How would John the Baptist prepare the way for Christ?
3. What would be the work of the “Rising Sun”, meaning Christ Himself according to vv. 78-79? How will He accomplish it?

(3) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?

Scriptural Reflection
Luke 2:1–7

(1) One of the unique features of the gospel of Luke is its account of Jesus’ birth. What is the significance of Luke giving a more precise time of Jesus’ birth?

(2) What are the purposes of a population census today? What might be the most common reason for a census in the olden days? In this case, who was really behind the census and what important purpose did it achieve for God’s plan of salvation?

(3) It was obvious that Joseph did not have a choice but to obey the royal decree and make the 80 mile journey of 3-4 days back to Bethlehem:

a. Can you imagine the hardship this poor, young teenage couple had to face because of this journey?

b. How significant was this journey apart from the fulfilling of the prophecy of Micah 5:2?

(4) Did Joseph and Mary expect to have to deliver their baby, the Son of God, in a manger? Would they expect the angel who announced the pregnancy and God, the true Father of this baby, to provide a place for His birth?

(4) How might Christ’s birth add to the challenges that Mary and Joseph faced in their faith?

(5) Why did Christ have to be born in a manger, a place only fit for animals?

(6) What significant symbol is there that there was no room for Christ in the inn at His birth? How important is it?

(7) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?

Scriptural Reflection
Luke 2:8–19

(1) Why did the birth of Christ have to be announced to the shepherds, of all people? Who were they? If the angels did not appear to them announcing Christ’s birth, it appears that nothing significant would be missing from the story concerning Christ’s birth. What do you think?

(2) As the angel appeared to them, the Bible does not say that it was the glory of the angel that surrounded them, but “the glory of the Lord” (v.9). When the glory of the Lord appeared in the OT, what did it signify then? What did it signify that night? (See Exod. 24:16ff and 40:34ff.)

(3) The angel’s announcement of the birth of this child was very specific and detailed: He is the Savior, the Messiah (which is Christ in Greek) and He is the Lord (which is God Himself). Relate a Jewish mind of that time and concepts that Mary and Joseph would hold to what the following terms or concepts would mean:

a. "Savior" (See Matt.1:21)

b. "Messiah"

c. How can He be God? (See Isaiah’s prophecy concerning Him in Isa. 9:6.)

(4) The angel emphasized that the good news which he brought to them was for “all the people”(v.10). How would this challenge the Jewish mind?

(5) How does the emphasis that Bethlehem is the city of David (v.11) serve to affirm Jesus’ earthly credential concerning His origin as the Christ?

(6) Reflect on the song sung by the angelic choir:

a. Can you imagine the excitement and amazement of the angels at Christ’s birth as they ascribe glory to God in the highest?

b. Why is “peace on earth” announced with a condition? What is this peace? (See Ephesians 2:14ff.)

(7) What did the shepherds say? How did what they said and what they did, demonstrate their belief in the word of the Lord?

(8) What else did the shepherds do apart from visiting the Christ child?

(9) Why did Mary have to treasure up and ponder all these things (meaning the words told by the shepherds and their visit)? How did the simple obedience by these simple shepherds help Mary (and Joseph) at a time like this?

(10) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?

Scriptural Reflection
Luke 2:21–38

(1) How significant was the rite of circumcision to any child of Abraham’s descent? (See Gen. 17:9-14) What does it mean for the Son of God to be circumcised as well?

(2) Mary then followed the command given in Leviticus 12:2-8 with the performance of the purification rite. What does the offering of a pair of doves or two young pigeons signify in their case?

(3) What does the “waiting for the consolation of Israel” mean?

(4) The Bible describes Simeon as one whose life was marked by the “waiting for the consolation of Israel”. How might it be reflected in his life?

(5) What should mark the life of someone whose life is marked by the “waiting for Christ’s return”?

(6) How was Simeon rewarded for his life of waiting?

(7) Why should Mary and Joseph marvel at what Simeon said about Jesus? What might be the word(s) that particularly made them marvel in vv. 29-32?

(8) Why did God see it as necessary for Mary to hear such prophetic words from Simeon (in vv. 33-34) at this time in her life? How were these words fulfilled subsequently?

(9) How can Anna be an example to those whose life might have been shattered with the loss of their spouse?

(10) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?