This week we
will continue to study the Gospel of Luke.
(1) Many had come to Jesus for the healing of their own sickness and or for the healing of their loved ones. For whom did this centurion seek healing from Jesus? How special was the action of this man who was a centurion and a Gentile?
(2) Why didn’t he come himself and instead send some elders of the Jews?
(3) Why were these normally arrogant Jewish leaders willing to plead on his behalf?
(4) Why did Jesus commend his faith? In what way was his faith great?
(5) What can we learn from this centurion?
(6) The centurion understood that he had authority over his soldiers. What then did he believe was under the authority of Jesus?
(7) In other words, whom did he believe Jesus to be?
(8) As much as his faith was great, what did he not understand about Jesus when he considered himself unworthy? (As a result, he deprived himself the privilege of meeting with Jesus.)
(9) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
(1) Nain was about 6 miles southeast of Nazareth. As you read this story at least twice, write down the things that have caught your attention or touched you deeply.
(2) If you have a Concordance, it is helpful to look up the many Old Testament passages that talk about the “fatherless” and the “widows” (if you do not have the time, just look up Ps. 68:5 and Mal. 3:5). Why do you think the Bible purposely singles out the fatherless and widows as objects of God’s care?
(3) In most cases of miracles performed by Jesus, He was asked to heal the sick or revive the dead. Who was the one who made a request to Him here? What does this tell you about Jesus? (Note in particular the words said by Jesus to the widow.)
(4) How does this action of Jesus speak to you personally?
(5) What did Jesus do to bring this young man back to life?
(6) Do you think the “word” of Jesus has the same power today? Why then does He appear not to exercise His power in the same way today?
(7) Healing is one thing, reviving the dead is quite another. Do you agree?
(8) Did this miracle necessarily convince the people that He is the Messiah, the Son of God? Why or why not?
(9) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
(1) John was the one born for the mission of preparing the way of the Messiah (Lk. 1:17; 3:4). He witnessed the testimony of the Father and the Holy Spirit at Jesus’ baptism and he publicly declared Him as the Lamb of God (Jn. 1:29-34). Why did he question if Jesus was the Messiah now? What has changed?
(2) Jesus used Isaiah’s prophecy about Him (61:1-3; 35:5-6) as His reply, but not entirely. What was missing in His quote from Isaiah that would be very personal to John’s immediate situation (of being in prison) and which could have caused John to “fall away” and doubt?
(3) What then is the lesson to us? What might cause us to “fall away on account of” Jesus?
(4) As we seek to understand these words of Jesus about John, it might be helpful for us to look up Matthew 11:12-15 for an additional explanation given by Jesus. He appears to be using three distinct phases to refer to the advancement of the Kingdom: (i) the days of the prophets to John, (ii) the days from John (i.e. his ministry of baptism of repentance) till now (end of John's ministry) and (iii) the days from Jesus onwards.
a. What are the roles of each of these three phases?
b. What role did John the Baptist play that made him the “greatest” among those born of women? In what sense was he the “greatest”?
c. As the third phase is distinctly different in that both of the earlier phases are in preparation for it, why then “he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than John?” In what sense is that one “greater”?
d. What did Jesus present John as in Matthew 11:7-9—a gentle or forceful person?
e. How different was Jesus from John that might have caused John to doubt?
(5) What is the main message to you today and how can you apply it to your life?
(1) Here Luke helps us learn more about the significance and impact of the ministry of John the Baptist, especially in preparing the hearts of the people to receive Jesus and His message.
a. Who were the people who accepted the baptism of John?
b. How did their baptism affect their reception of the word of Jesus and why?
c. Luke comments that they “acknowledged that God’s way was right” (v.29). What does "God’s way" mean in this context?
d. Who were the ones that rejected the baptism of John?
e. What did their action represent?
f. Luke comments that they “rejected God’s purpose for themselves”(v.30). What does "God’s purpose" mean in this context? What is meant by rejecting it “for themselves”?
g. Luke appears to contrast the tax collectors with the Pharisees. What is the message behind such a contrast?
(2) Jesus concluded His remarks about John the Baptist with a rebuke against those who rejected both His forerunner (John the Baptist) and Himself in vv. 31-35:
a. What was the meaning of the song sung by the children?
b. With the understanding that “this generation” is the generation represented especially by the Pharisees and the experts in the law, consider the following:
- How did they react to John and his preaching and why?
- How did they react to Jesus and His preaching and why?
- Why did they consider it wise to reject John and Jesus?
- How do people treat our gospel today?
- Why do they consider themselves wise in rejecting Jesus?
- How should we behave differently than the Pharisees and the Scribes?
- How may we prove that “God’s way” in salvation through Jesus Christ is right?
(3) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
(1) Why did a Pharisee like Simon invite Jesus to have dinner in his own home?
(2) Why then would he not treat Jesus as he would any other guest by kissing Jesus and washing His feet?
(3) Why then would Jesus put up with such insults?
(4) Scholars in general agree that this woman was probably a prostitute with the label of a “sinner".
a. Why would she dare enter the house of a Pharisee?
b. What might have caused her to come to see Jesus, weeping at His feet?
c. What does her action of wiping and kissing the feet of Jesus represent?
d. By accepting the kiss and touch by a prostitute, what was Jesus risking? Why then would He allow a prostitute to do such a seemingly inappropriate act to Him?
(5) What did Simon say in his heart? Would you have the same thought if you were Simon? Why or why not?
(6) What was the parable that Jesus used to explain to Simon?
a. Whom does the moneylender represent?
b. Who are the two debtors?
c. According to this parable, what then does the action of the woman represent?
(7) In fact, what this woman did has served to reveal the sin of Simon. How has Simon sinned?
(8) Why was this woman forgiven?
(9) While the many sins of this woman have been forgiven, were Simon’s sins forgiven? Why or why not?
(10) How important is this message of the forgiveness of a sinner/prostitute to you today?
(11) How may you apply it to your life?
(1) Luke gives us a glimpse into how Jesus and His 12 apostles were supported. Why did these women choose to support Him and His ministry?
(2) Why were only the women mentioned?
(3) Has God laid upon your heart to support a certain ministry? Have you acted on it? Why or why not?
(4) Vv. 5-8 is the parable of the sower and vv. 9-15 is Jesus’ explanation of the parable. It is important to note that in understanding a parable, one has to focus on its central teaching, and not on minor details, unless they are made plain by Jesus himself.
a. In what ways is the use of the sower and seed sowing vividly fitting to the sharing of the gospel?
b. Can you relate the four outcomes of the seeds to people or incidents that you have come across (or in your own life)?
- Seed fell along the path and was taken away by the devil.
1. How did the devil do this in a hearer’s heart?
2. What can you (the sower) do?
- Seed fell on rocky places and through testing they dried up.
1. What kind of test might cause a new believer to fall away?
2. What can you (the sower) do?
- Seeds fell among the thorns.
1. What factors could choke the seed? What else can choke the growth of one’s faith?
2. What can you (the sower) do?
- Seeds fell on good soil and the results were acceptance and multiplication.
1. What constitutes good soil?
2. Does this mean there is no testing whether from the devil, life’s pressures or from the person within?
3. What then causes the person to “retain” the word and “persevere”?
4. Is there anything you (the sower) can do to make sure a crop will be produced by the seed?
(5) What is the core message of this parable to you?
(6) In the New Testament, “secret” (Lk. 8:10) or “mystery” refers to God’s plan of salvation hidden in the past, but now made plain by the coming of Jesus. Why then did Jesus use parables in many of His public teachings?
(7) Tom Rees once made a remark that “the same sun that hardens the clay melts the wax”. How may his remark help you understand the quote (8:10) from Isaiah 6:9?
(8) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
Vv. 16-18: Try not to read this parable of the lamp in light of the one in Matthew 5, but rather read this one within its own context and pay attention to the connective “for” in v. 17.
(1) Who is the Light of the World that will cause everything hidden to be disclosed?
(2) What implication does this have on you and your “secrets”?
(3) What implications does this have on the hypocrisy and hidden evil that might have caused you to fret and/or be infuriated?
(4) However, Jesus appears to apply this truth to how you listen (to His Word). Why?
(5) Would it make a difference in your life if you listen and obey His Word, or if you listen without taking His Word to heart?
(6) When and how will the difference be “brought into the open”?
Vv. 19-21: Here, Luke appears to be grouping Jesus’ teachings on “listening” together:
(7) According to Jesus, what does our correct attitude of listening reveal us to be?
(8) What does it mean to be His “mother and brothers”?
(9) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?