Genesis 6-11

Genesis Chapters 6-11 (week 3)

The story of the flood and “Noah and the Ark” is a very familiar story to us and may evoke memories of being taught from a lithograph in Sunday School. It may be important to remember that, no matter how familiar, we can be confident that as we read this story we are revisiting history, and that in the account of these events we do meet God and hear His message:

            We live in a moral universe.

            Sin brings judgment, for the God behind it all cares about right and wrong.

      Yet we see that He still cares for us as well. The surging waters of judgment may swirl around you and me. But God has prepared His ark.

      Like Noah, we only have one hope to be saved. For him it was an ark. For us it           is faith in Christ, God’s son.  (paraphrased from The Teacher’s Commentary)

Your group may want to read 1 Peter 3:18-22 and meditate on this Scripture as it compares to the flood story.

It may be helpful to have your group come up with a phase to describe the theme of each chapter studies thus far as well as the section of study for tonight. It may look something like this:

Chapter 1                 It’s a personal universe.

Chapter 2                 Man is made in God’s image, or, man is valuable to God.

Chapter 3                 Sin is a tragic reality.

Chapter 4                 Sin is demonstrated in our attitudes and actions.

Chapters 6-9            It’s a moral universe, or God does judge sin

Genesis 6:1-4

Possible interpretations for the “sons of God”:

1.     Refers to the “godly” line of Seth and the “daughters of men” were the apostate line of Cain. Mixed marriages would result in wives and mothers who would exert their influence that could prove fatal to the worship of the one true God and result in moral chaos.

2.     “Sons of God” refers to a powerful group of rulers who strive for fame. May have been controlled by “fallen angels” or “demonized”. (see Ezekiel 28:11-19 and Daniel 10:13 for other examples of this). Other mythological writing from this time period offered referred to these types of great leaders as ‘offsrings of the gods themselves’.

3.     “Sons of God” refer to angelic beings. Support for this conclusion comes from the fact that the phrase “sons of God” is only used in Old Testament to refer to angels. However, this occurs in the book of Job (a very poetic book) and so a parallel conclusion is difficult to draw. Also, this view conflicts with Matt 22:30 and has no other support in the NT text. Therefore, most scholars tend to reject this view and support view 1 or 2.

Nephilim – “men of renown” (not true giants) a different Hebrew word in Old Testament is used when referring to a true giant like Goliath

The story of the flood - Genesis 6:5 - Genesis 8:19

·      (6:6) – It broke God’s heart to see the depths for which man had fallen.

·      (6:8) – “But Noah” – contrast this with the beginning phrase of Genesis chapter 8. What phrase does that remind us of in the book of Ephesians that we have been studying on Sundays?

·      (6:8) – “righteous man”, “blameless in his generation” – not perfect (Romans 3:23) but he stood out among the people of his day as following God

·      (7:8, 15) – the animals “went” into the ark with Noah (God sent them into the ark by His providence

·      (7:12) – first time that it had ever rained in Biblical history

·      (7:16) – “and the LORD shut them in” – The use of the personal name “Yahweh” here underscores God’s personal relationship with Noah. And it was God who shut the door – it was His (not Noah’s) judgment on the sinful people

·      (8:1) – “But God” – you may want to do a word study on this phrase. How often is this found in the bible and in what context. What does this teach us about God?

God’s covenant with Noah – 8:20-22, 9:9-17

God makes an unconditional everlasting covenant with Noah and his decedents – with all living creatures. Even the animals are included, making Noah a kind of new Adam. Covenants usually involve a sign – in this case a rainbow. In the case of Abraham in Genesis 17, it was circumcision.

Thoughts for study:

·      Have your group read and meditate on 2 Peter 3:3-18. How are you and I – and the group you are leading – to apply the flood story to our lives?

·      In 2 Peter 2:5, Peter calls Noah a “herald” of righteousness. Consider the witness that Noah’s faithfulness was to his generation. But they did not respond.   What implications does 2 Peter 2:5 have on how we Christians should behave towards those still “on land”? How do we witness to to others today?

Genesis 10 & 11 – Table of Nations and the Tower of Babel

·      How do the actions of Noah’s decedents in 11:2 and their statement in 11:4 conflict with God’s command in 9:1?

·      “let us” – The people in Babel are all about human independence and self-sufficiency apart from God. They have confidence in their own abilities and don’t recognize their need for God.  Is there a tendency to feel this same way in this day and age? How can we recognize a similar tendency in our own lives?

Genesis: Week One

Week 1: Genesis 1:1-2:25

Key Verse:

And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day. Genesis 1:31


In the Beginning: God willing creates the universe and all within it (Genesis 1:1-2:3)

Genesis 1 introduces us to God the Creator and man, his prized creation. It also sets the scene for the ongoing relationship between Creator and creation. There are several topics of discussion that arise from Genesis 1:

- God created the heavens and the earth, an encompassing way of saying “he created everything that is created.” This sets God apart from all things that exist. God is the only thing not created by God.

- The days create a literary structure that is common to the Hebrew Old Testament known as parallelism. In the first three days, God creates the habitats, and in the last three he fills them:

Day 1 – Light and Darkness Day 4 – the Sun and Moon
Day 2 – Sky and Water Day 5 – Birds and Fish
Day 3 – Land and Plants Day 6 – Animals and Man (with plants for food)
Day 7 – rest


-There are many positions regarding whether or not God created everything in six literal, 24-hour days. The two prominent positions today are young earth creationism and old earth creationism. Old earth creationists believe that each day represents an “epoch” or “age”, which is called the day-age theory. They believe that earth is millions, perhaps billions of years old, and most who hold this position find it easier to reconcile with science than a literal 24-hour day. Some in this camp also believe in deistic evolution, the idea that God started the creation and then directed it through evolution.

Young earth creationists, on the other hand, believe that God created everything in six literal, 24-hour days. We base this theory on the literal meaning of the word day as found throughout the rest of Genesis, as well as the mentioning of “evening and morning” coupled with each day. Young earth creationists believe that God could have simply created an aged earth, since it is within his power to do so.

-In Genesis 1, we see that Man is given special significance over the rest of creation. God’s creates man to rule over the rest of creation, and He made man in His own image (Gen 1:26). God also gave specific instruction to man, to “be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on earth” (Gen. 1:28). After creating man, God doesn’t just look and say, “it was good,” as He did on the other five days. He says, “it was very good”.

The Prize of God’s Creation – Man and Woman (Genesis 2:4-25)

The narrative of Genesis 2:4-25 is not a separate story from chapter 1, but it is a different perspective of a part of the same story. This account provides specific details on God’s creation of man and woman.

How God created man:
God created Adam out of the dust of the ground. Once he formed him, God breathed life into his nostrils. God created Eve from the rib of Adam.

Where God created man:
Adam was placed in the garden of Eden, which is described as being in the east. Moses describes Eden as having four rivers flowing out of it, the Pishon, the Gihon, the Tigris, and the Euphrates. In the garden, the Lord gave Adam trees to eat from, ground to work, and a helper suitable for him, Eve.

Why God created man:
While the rest of scripture unfolds God’s plan in regard to his relationship with man, what we see in Genesis 2 is that God created man so that he may have dominion over the land. This is described explicitly in verse 15, and it is implied when God gives man the right to name all the animals in verses 19 and 20.

We also see that woman was created to be a suitable helper for man (verse 20). Eve was brought to Adam, named by Adam, and the wife of Adam.

Up until this point, no evil has taken place. The only thing negative has been that man was alone without a suitable helper. God has given Adam a garden, a wife, a positive command (work and rule the land) as well as a negative command (do not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil).

Helpful Questions:
What is your view on the six days of creation? Why?

Can Genesis 1 and 2 be reconciled with modern day science?

What is the "Image of God" that man was created in?

What type of relationship does God have with man up until this point?

What type of relationship does Adam have with Eve up until this point?

Stay at His Feet - Luke 10:1-11:36

WEEK SIX – STAY AT HIS FEET
Luke 10:1-11:36

Like the other chapters we have studied in Luke, chapters 10 and 11 are full of great content. We could easily spend a week on several passages in these two chapters. Unfortunately, our study (at least in theory) moves at a brisker pace. Hopefully our people are studying weekly passages at home and taking time to let each one marinate in their minds and hearts. As you should already be aware but will see for sure below, Kay focuses primarily on Mary and Martha for her discussion questions. Her questions have been included in this outline. Also, included are some highlights of the other passages in these two chapters and some ideas on how to discuss their key Truths.

As always, I like to try and put the focal passage in one sentence. This exercise helps me trim the content to the main emphasis of the passage.

Luke 10:1-11:36 in one sentence: As Jesus continues His march to Jerusalem (9:51), He trains His disciples through experience (10:1-16) and education (10:17-20; 11:1-13; 11:14-36), correcting their wrong mindsets when necessary (10:20; 10:41-42; 11:28), issuing warnings of judgment for those who reject Him (10:12, 14), and proclaiming the presence of the Kingdom (10:23-24; 11:31,32) while rejoicing in the Spirit at the plan of His Heavenly Father (10:21-22).

You could take each of the above components of the sentence and ask the following questions to the group:
1. Luke 9:51 – Why is Jesus headed to Jerusalem? (Yes this is from last week, but Luke will make it a point to emphasis Christ’s journey to Jerusalem)

2. Experience (Luke 10:1-16):
a. Why did Jesus give his disciples opportunities like we find in 10:1? (Obviously, he was training them with full knowledge they would one day be His witnesses in His power to the rest of the world – Acts 1:8)
b. Would you have any hesitations to Jesus’ command of “carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road?” Why is Jesus’ training his disciples in this way? (He wants them to trust Him for provision – even as He uses others in the villages)
c. Do we “pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest?” Why or why not?
d. What hesitation would you have being sent as a “lamb in the midst of wolves?” Is it any different in our day?

3. Correcting Wrong Mindsets (10:17-20; 10:41-42; 11:28)
a. The right place to set our joy (10:17-20)
*Having the power to cast out demons was obviously a big thrill for those who Jesus sent out. Jesus has to reorient their understanding of proper joy, to say “the bigger deal” is that your names are written in heaven. Why is this a more important cause for joy?
b. The right thing to do (10:41-42)
* Kay Arthur focuses most of her discussion questions here, but I want to just note that this passage is another sign of Jesus “educating” his disciples on the most important things to think, do, and rejoice in. Note to self: If Jesus is in your house, forget everything else, sit at his feet and listen. Note to self: Jesus is in your house.
c. The right understanding of blessedness (11:28)
* In some ways, Jesus is a bit ruthless (of course in a completely sinless way) in this passage. Some poor woman yells out, “Bless yo momma!” and in front of the entire crowd Jesus corrects her understanding of blessedness to say “those who hear the word of God and keep it” are the truly blessed ones.
* According to Jesus’ definition then, are we blessed ones? Are we those who hear God’s word and keep it?
d. What’s difficult about “correcting” others with regard to right doctrine?

4. Education (11:1-13; 11:14-36)
a. Luke 11:1-13
* When Jesus finishes praying in a certain place, one of His disciples says, “Lord teach us to pray.” How many “teaching” moments do we have because someone we are discipling sees us following Jesus in some way? Are our children asking us to teach them to pray or to teach them to study the Bible or teach them how to be generous givers because of what they see us doing?
*Why should we pray for the Father’s name to be hallowed and His Kingdom to come?
*Are these the first two items on our prayer list?
*In what ways does affluence (having more than $2 per day) work against dependence on the Lord? 11:3
*Do we persevere in prayer? Are we those who keep asking, seeking, and knocking?
*Can we trust God as a Heavenly Father?
*Why is it a big deal that He gives the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him? 11:13
b. Luke 11:14-36
*14-26 – Jesus teaches about the reality of spiritual warfare, but also why it’s obvious He and demons are not on the same team. A team divided would implode on itself. Whoever is not with Jesus is against Him.
*29-32 – Not sure how many understood Jesus’ reference to the sign of Jonah that day in the crowd, but being on this side of the cross and resurrection we can understand it much better.
*33-36 – Where are you looking? Where you set your eyes can determine if your body is full of light or full of darkness. Let us set our eyes on Christ. I love that Matthew puts this passage in between Jesus discussion on storing up treasures in heaven and not worrying about having provision. What we look at most reveals our treasure.

5. Warnings of Judgment (10:12, 14)
a. For those who reject Christ, the punishment will be worse than what was meted out to Sodom, Tyre, and Sidon.
b. Yikes!

6. Proclaiming the presence of the Kingdom (10:23-24; 11:31,32)
a. The Kingdom of God is no longer a distant wish – God is with us!
b. What the disciples were experiencing is what the saints of the Old Testament longed for – the Messiah had come – Luke 10:23-24
c. Jesus presence was far greater than Solomon or Jonah (11:31,32)
d. Jesus was trying to tell them: God is doing something HUGE! Look at this! Don’t miss it! It’s greater than anything previously.
e. Of course, if we had been there we would have gotten it wouldn’t we? (lots of sarcasm here)

7. Rejoicing in the Spirit at the plan of His Heavenly Father (10:21-22)
a. God’s plans are always best.
b. At one point in our passage, Jesus rejoices in the Spirit as He considers the Father’s plan. I love the Trinitarian emphasis in this passage.
c. All things belong to Christ. If we are to know the Father, it’s only because Christ reveals Him to us.
d. Thank you Jesus for revealing the Father
e. Thank you Father for your plan
f. Thank you Spirit for empowering our joy

Key Questions from Kay:
1. In Luke 10:20 – why do you think Jesus tells the disciples to rejoice in the fact their names are written in heaven, rather than rejoicing that the spirits are subject to them?
2. If parables have one main point, what do you think is the main point of Luke 10:25-37?
3. In Luke 10:38-42, what are some things we can learn about Mary? What are some things we can learn about Martha? What lessons can we learn for our own lives?
4. In Luke 11:1-13, what did you learn about prayer from this passage?
5. If a Greek verb, is in a present tense what does this indicate (pg. 42 in the study book)? How then are we to ask, seek, and knock?
6. How does the generation referred to in Luke 11:14-36 compare to our generation?

Discussion Questions from Kay:
1. What did you learn about Mary and Martha from this account?
2. The word distracted means “to draw from around.” What drew Martha away from the Lord?
3. How would you describe Martha from observing this passage?
4. According to this passage, what is the one thing that is really needful? How do you get it? How long can you keep it?
5. Which one of these women do you relate to, and why? (If you have gotten this far in this study, you surely can answer “Mary!” I want you to know you will never be sorry. What you are learning no one will ever be able to take away from you. His Word is different from any other; the words of Jesus are spirit and life [John 6:63]. Press on, valiant one.)
6. How does a disciple relate to the Word of God? What have you seen in Luke that might help you answer this question? Read John 8:31, 32 and discuss it. What do you think it means to abide in His Word?
7. What did you learn about prayer in your study of Luke 11:1-13?
8. What relationship do you think there is between prayer and the Word of God? What biblical support do you have for your answer? Read John 15:7, 16 and discuss it.

Kay’s Thought for the Week is on pg. 44.

Luke Teaching Outline: Week Five

Luke Chapters 8 and 9

This overview is meant to be used alongside and in addition to Kay Arthur's Luke study guide.

Luke 8:1-3: Women join those following Jesus

Luke continues a theme related to Jesus’ kind treatment toward women in this passage. It follows immediately after Jesus shows kindness and gratitude to the sinful woman who anoints his feet. The women following Jesus have experienced His healing of either demon possession or illness, and their possessions are helping provide for Jesus’ traveling ministry.

Luke 8:4-18: Jesus teaches with Parables

Luke records many of Jesus’ parables. Here, Jesus discusses seed that is thrown into four different places: the path, the rock, the thorns, and good soil. Jesus addressed the parable to a large crowd, and followed up by explaining the parable to his disciples. Jesus gives a statement on the purpose of parables, “so that ‘’seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand" (v. 10). For those who follow Jesus, he reveals truth about the Kingdom. For those who oppose him, they do not understand his parables. Thus, he becomes a stumbling block for them. Luke ends this conversation with Jesus’ heed for the disciples to be careful how they hear, or to hear his words with good soil from the parable above.

Luke 8:19-21: Jesus defines his family

The ones who do hear God’s words and obey them are linked to Jesus so closely that he identifies them as family.

Luke 8:22-25: Jesus has sovereignty over the storm

This story provides a great example of Jesus’ human nature and divine nature together. As a human, Jesus needs to rest and sleep. As God, Jesus can command a storm to cease and it must obey.

Luke 8:26-39: Jesus casts Legion into the pigs

Luke notes that the evil spirit inside this man immediately recognized Jesus and was fearful of him. Jesus actually shows mercy to the demons by allowing them to enter the herd of pigs rather than cast them into the abyss. This event was so miraculous to the city that they were fearful of Jesus and sent him away.

Theological Consideration:
There is an important theological consideration from this passage involving the deity of Christ. Many who do claim that Jesus was merely a man argue that he never explicitly claimed to be God. However, stories like this demonstrate that Jesus understood himself to be divine. Instead of instructing the healed man to tell the city what he himself had done for him, he instructs him to tell them how much God had done for him. Then, the man went and told the city how much Jesus had done. Jesus seems to understand himself as acting out God’s power through his own healing and casting out of demons.

Luke 8:40-56: Jesus heals two women

This passage contains two stories, one sandwiched between another. The story of the woman who touched Jesus’ cloak is couched in by the story of Jairus’ daughter. Again, Luke continues the theme of Jesus’ demonstrating kindness and compassion to women. This was not the cultural norm. Luke has been demonstrating all along, though, that Jesus is not “normal.” In addition, this story demonstrates the power of Jesus. One woman is healed by simply touching his cloak. The daughter of Jairus is healed after she had been presumed dead by his household.

Luke 9:1-6: Jesus sends out twelve disciples with only his power

Although large crowds continued to gather around Jesus, he continues to pour into the twelve disciples. At this point, Jesus gives them authority to work the types of miracles he has been working (healing and casting out demons). These disciples would be totally dependent on the power Jesus imparted to them. This is seen by Jesus command for them to take no provisional items with them.

It should be noted here that there is an intrinsic connection between healing the sick and proclaiming the kingdom of God. Both have been a part of Jesus’ ministry. Jesus is proclaiming the coming of God’s kingdom as well as demonstrating God’s authority (kingship) in his miracles.

Luke 9:7-8: Herod is perplexed

The political leader of the day is receiving conflicted and confusing reports about all that is going on with Jesus’ ministry.

Luke 9:10-17: Jesus miraculous feeding

Once the disciples return with news of their ministry experiences, crowds again surround Jesus. After a long day of teaching and healing, Jesus fed all five-thousand men (only the men were counted, but the women and children would have been fed as well) with only five loaves and two fish.

Luke 9:18-27: Jesus is the Suffering Messiah

The first part of this conversation with the disciples illustrates just how powerful Jesus is. Those who saw and heard him believed he was a resurrected John, perhaps even an Old Testament prophet who had risen from the dead. This further confirms the reports that were being given to Herod earlier in the chapter were actually the thoughts of those who saw Jesus.

Peter recognized who Jesus was, the Christ (Messiah or Anointed One). Certainly Jesus next words to the disciples caused great confusion. This is demonstrated in the parallel event told in Matthew’s gospel (chapter 16) and Peter's rebuking of Jesus. Israel’s hope in a coming Messiah led to an expectation of a strong, brave leader who would overthrow whatever pagan nation held God’s people in captivity (in this case, Rome). Jesus’ next statement explains why he instructed them to tell no one of Peter’s confession. The Jewish expectations of the Messiah did not line up with Jesus prediction of future suffering, rejection, and death at the hands of Jewish leaders.

In Luke’s progression, Jesus is identified as the Christ by angels (2:11), Luke (2:26), demons (4:41), Jesus (4:18), and now the disciples. This is also the first time Jesus acknowledges (in Luke) God’s plan for his suffering and death.

Jesus then addressed all of the crowds on the cost of discipleship. These verses are very powerful in understanding what it means to follow Jesus. At this time, the crowds did not know that Jesus would be picking up a cross and carrying it to his own crucifixion on behalf of their sins. It is amazing to see that Jesus does not ask anything of his disciples that he is not willing to do himself. In fact, Jesus picked up his cross and laid down his life for us, despite knowing that we would constantly fail to surrender our lives completely to him.

Luke 9:28-35: The Transfiguration

It is important to understand this miraculous event in its context. This story is tied to the previous conversations between Jesus and both the disciples and the crowd by Luke’s mentioning of it being “about eight days after these sayings.” This event provides answers to some of the questions raised in the previous chapters.

It is truly God’s plan for Jesus to depart from Jerusalem (v. 30).
Jesus is not Elijah.
Jesus is the Chosen One, the Christ (v. 35).

Moses and Elijah represent the Law and the Prophets. Their presence refutes the earlier claims that Jesus was a resurrected Old Testament figure. His glorious appearance and dazzling white clothing, as well as God’s statement to Peter John and James, confirm that he is the Christ. God’s imperative, “Listen to him!” is very crucial considering the previous company they were in. Above Moses (the law) and above Elijah (the prophets), the disciples were to listen to Jesus. He has the authority to speak over these things, and to rightly interpret these things.

Luke 9:37-43: Jesus heals a possessed boy when the disciples could not

This is another story demonstrating how powerful Jesus was. Though the disciples had been given his authority, they were not able to remove this spirit from the boy. Jesus response, “O faithless and twisted generation,” suggests that they could have removed the spirit, had they had enough faith.

Luke notes that all of those present were “astonished at the majesty of God.” It is becoming increasingly clear to those involved truly see Jesus as an agent of God’s power.

Luke 9:44-48: Jesus reminds them of his impending death and the disciples’ lack of understanding

In the midst of the disciples’ amazement at his power, Jesus reminds them of his dark and deadly future in Jerusalem. Luke notes that the disciples did not understanding what Jesus was saying. This is demonstrated in the conversation that takes place next.

Jesus responds to the argument amongst the disciples about who was the greatest with a step parallel.
“Whoever receives this child, receives me”
“Whoever receives me, receives him who sent me.”

Jesus ends the argument by stating that whoever is the least among the disciples is the one who is truly great. For Jesus, humility is the ultimate sign of greatness. This is in direct contrast to the disciples’ discussion on who among them was the greatest.


Luke 9:51-55 Jesus sets his face toward Jerusalem

Verse 51 is an important marker in the book of Luke. From this point forward, Jesus is making his way toward Jerusalem and, ultimately, his death. This theme of Jesus “setting his face toward Jerusalem” runs from this verse to Luke 19:27. The Samaritans rejected Jesus because they did not believe that Jerusalem is the place where God should be worshiped, and Jesus had already set his face to Jerusalem.

Luke 9:57-62 Jesus responds to those wanting to follow him.

Jesus’ responses to those desiring to follow him are pretty harsh. They do not exactly fit within a “seeker model” of church in our culture. These responses echo Jesus’ earlier claim that whoever wishes to follow him must “lose his life for [his] sake.”


Application Questions:

Are we willing to accept and minister to those who culture identifies as “outcasts” or “less-worthy” as Jesus did?

Are we cultivating a heart that could be described as “good soil” for the Word of God to fall on?

Do we trust in the sufficiency of Jesus for our lives as ministers of His gospel? Are we willing to leave behind our tunics, money-bags, etc.?

Are we striving to be “great” by the world’s standards, or humble according to Jesus’ standard?

Do we count the cost of following Jesus?

Do we lay our lives down for him?

Do we teach others the true cost of following Jesus, or do we make it out to be easy and painless?

Luke Teaching Outline: Week Four

The Love of the Forgiven

Luke Chapters 6 and 7

Luke 6:1-11: Jesus on the Sabbath

The purpose of these two pericopes is not so much to make a statement regarding a Christian view of the Sabbath, as to further build on what has already been said about Jesus’ power (4:14, 36; 5:17) and authority (4:32, 36; 5:24) by revealing Jesus, the Son of Man, also as the Lord of the Sabbath.

Luke 6:12-16: Choosing Disciples

In Luke-Acts, prayer preceded every major decision or crisis in the life of Jesus and the early Church. “All night he continued in prayer” (v. 12) underscores the importance that Jesus placed on prayer.

Luke 6:17-48: Sermon on the Plain

Luke’s ‘Sermon on the Plain’ parallels Matthew’s ‘Sermon the Mount’ but there are a few differences including the number and ordering of beatitudes as well as Luke’s corresponding “woes”. Several attempts have been made to explain these differences but most commentators agree that it is two versions of the same sermon.

The Beatitudes

Key hermeneutical issue:

Do the Beatitudes express requirements for entering God’s kingdom (evangelistic exhortations for salvation) ~or~ simply pastoral words of comfort/blessing for Believers (encouragement for those who already profess the faith)?

We believe the latter for several reasons found within the passage:

1.     Mt 5:1 and Lk 6:20 shows he was addressing his disciples.

2.     The concluding beatitude refers to those who are persecuted for the Son of man (Lk 6:22, Mt 5:11)

3.     The beatitudes end with the statement that those to whom these beatitudes are addressed have a great reward in heaven and places them in the same category as the OT prophets (Lk 6:23, Mt 5:12)

These are words of comfort & encouragement because they know their labor in the Lord is not in vain (1 Cor 15:58).

“Happy” or “Blessed”

Some translation use the term “happy” in place of “blessed” in the beatitudes. However, happiness is a feeling and what is referred to here is not the feelings of believers but their status and situation. If you want to think of another word other than “blessed”, the word “favored” is probably a better choice.

·      “poor” – more theological than economical: humble/”poor in spirit” (Mt)

·      “hunger” – spiritually hungry, hungry for God’s kingdom (Mt – hunger and thirst for righteousness

·      “weep” – due to the opposition mentioned in the next beatitude (Mt – “mourn”)

·      “when men hate you” – hate them or “exclude them” because of Christ. When Luke wrote this, Jewish Christians had already been expelled from the synagogue. “Spurn your name as evil” may have referred to Jesus’ followers being called “Christians”.

“Your reward is great in heaven”

There is no idea of ‘earned merit’ in this passage - Contrast this with Luke’s words in Lk 17:10. It is still pure grace that causes God to reward his followers, but a reward there will be!

“Woes”

The woes should all be understood in light of the beatitudes. The beatitudes were not four separate blessings to four separate groups but to one group. The woes are also to one group but a much different group is envisioned.

Luke 6:27-36

These are important directives (as being the first presented in Luke’s gospel) but were directed to those already disciples, and should not be seen as “conditions” to be met to become disciples.

-The command to love lies at the heart of Jesus’ ethical teaching.

Luke 6:37-45

Do not judge – having a tendency to frequently criticize or find fault in others and the speck/plank illustration is hyperbole to further illustrate the concept of being blind to one’s own faults while judging others.

A bad tree produces hate and judgment on others and a good tree produces love (even for enemies) and a non-condemning attitude. Whenever we are wronged by others we must think on the Gospel and what Christ endured for us while we were yet sinners.

“House on the rock”

A house that does not have a foundation built on the teachings of Jesus will be headed for “ruin”.

Luke 7:1-17

The two miracles further illustrate Jesus’ power and authority here on earth. Him healing the Centurion’s servant and the Centurion’s words illustrate his authority. His miracle of bringing to life the widow’s son illustrates his power over death.

Luke 7:18-35: John the Baptist

Most commentators believe that John’s question regarding Jesus as the Messiah was a result of doubt because most Jews envisioned a very different type of Messiah than Jesus’ ministry – overthrowing the Roman rule and casting judgment on evil doers. John’s doubt may have also been aggravated by his place in prison.

Jesus’ answer to John’s messengers was a repeat of OT prophecy (Lk 4:18, 19).

“the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he (John)” = John would be beheaded before the kingdom of God that Jesus was preaching and proclaiming would be made a reality, for he was still a part of the old covenant system. Those after John live in the age of fulfillment following the coming of Jesus.

Luke 7:36-50: A Sinful Woman

Could either debtor pay their debt in Jesus’ parable? When they could not pay, the moneylender cancelled both of their debts! We owed a debt we could not pay but Jesus Christ paid that debt for all who believe! Aren’t you thankful for the Gospel!!

Luke 7:44-48 – Their actions were a reflection of their hearts. Simon was not preoccupied with Jesus while the woman who anointed his feet was willing to go through ridicule to give him his rightful glory.

Luke 7:50 – “Your faith has saved you”. It was her faith that saved her, not her actions or even because of her love. Her actions and expression of love were evidences of her faith in Jesus.

Kay Arthur Discussion Questions

1.     If we are going to follow Jesus, what should be our response to Luke 6:20-49? What would it take to live such a life? What was Jesus calling us to?

2.     Who are the blessed and why? Who suffer woe and why?

3.     According to this passage, what does if really mean to call Jesus Lord?

4.     What does our fruit show? What do you think fruit is? How is it manifested?

5.     What did you learn about Jesus Christ this week? Whom did he encounter and how did He treat them?

6.     How did he handle John the Baptist when John began questioning whether Jesus was truly the Messiah? What does this teach you about Jesus? About handling people who are dealing with doubt?

7.     What was the most significant truth you saw this week? How did it impact you and why?

(Questions 2 & 3 are best answered in light of the context provided above.)

Additional Questions for Consideration:

1.     Jesus and the early church placed a big emphasis on the importance of prayer. Luke illustrates this in his writings in that both Jesus and the early church prayed before any big decision or crisis. Furthermore, as we saw last week, Jesus regularly withdrew to pray. How can we as Christians practically ensure that prayer is an important aspect in our lives?

2.     How can we ‘put into practice” the teachings of Jesus so that our “foundation” is built on solid rock?

3.     Contrast the actions of the Pharisee and the woman who anointed the feet of Jesus. What is a believer to do if their own actions do not reflect the faith they profess?

Luke Teaching Outline: Week Three

FOLLOWING CHRIST – A MATTER OF OBEDIENCE, NOT QUALIFICATION

By Kay Arthur

Luke 4-5

There is a lot of Truth in these two chapters. We could also spend a week on each chapter. Don’t be frustrated if you are unable to cover everything from both chapters in your discussion. Hopefully our folks have been studying these two chapters on their own and so we bring the fruit of that study to the discussion.

Luke 4-5 in one sentence:

·      In chapters 4 and 5, Luke shows us Jesus’ preparation, proclamation, purpose, and power in ministry.

Some initial questions:

·      Which part of the study impacted you the most this week?

·      What is something that you learned for the first time this week from the study?

·      Are you living any differently this week because of something you learned?

·      What’s one thing you learned about Jesus?

·      What’s one thing you learned about the devil?

·      What’s one thing you learned about the disciples?

Talking points:

·      What should we notice about Christ:

o   His relationship with the Spirit:

§  He was full of the Spirit (v.1)

§  He was led by the Spirit (v. 1)

§  He returned in the power of the Spirit (v. 14)

§  He was anointed by the Spirit (v. 18)

·      Why was He anointed?

o   To proclaim good news to the poor

o   To proclaim liberty to the captives

o   To recover the sight of the blind

o   To set at liberty those who are oppressed

o   To proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor

·      Notice that one of the key purposes of the anointing was not just healing but proclamation of the Gospel.

o   His use of the Word

§  It is written – v. 4

§  It is written – v. 8

§  It is said – v. 12

o   His purpose in ministry

§  To proclaim good news to the poor and liberty to the captives (4:18)

§  To proclaim good news in many places (4:43)

§  To proclaim good news to wretched, sick sinners (5:31-32)

o   His power over demons (4:31-37, 41)

o   His power over disease

§  He healed Simon’s mother-in-law (4:39)

§  He healed those with various diseases (4:40)

§  He healed a leper (5:13)

§  He healed a paralyzed man (5:24)

o   His power to forgive sin (5:24)

§  Physical disease is not our biggest problem – sin is.

§  Our greatest need is to have our sin forgiven. Jesus has the power to forgive, because Jesus is going to be the One who atones for the sin.

·      What should we notice about Satan:

o   What were Satan’s tactics in the Garden of Eden – Genesis 2?

§  Distorts God’s word

§  Challenges God’s Word (you will not surely die)

§  Casts doubt on God’s goodness and trustworthiness

·      Goldsworthy: The possibility of discussing God and the truth of his word had not occurred to the woman up to this point. The humans existed in God’s creation and depended on God’s word for the true interpretation of reality.

·      Goldsworthy: It is important to recognize that if God is the creator of everything, he is also the source of all truth. There is no truth apart from his truth, which he communicates to us by his Word. God is the final and absolute authority and, since he has chosen to communicate by his Word, his Word has absolute and final authority.

·      G: The temptation: Satan’s suggestion that God’s word could not be relied upon as the absolute authority and source of truth for mankind.

·      G: The final effect was the same as if they had installed Satan as Lord, but it is achieved without the humans realizing it.

o   Did Satan use these on Christ? Yes. Matthew 4 and Luke 4

o   Does Satan use them on us? Yes.

o   Satan always promises what he can’t provide

·      What should we notice about the Disciples:

o   Sometimes what Jesus asks us to do may not make sense to us, but we are to obey immediately anyway (5:5)

o   Simon, James, John, and Levi left everything and followed Jesus (5:11, 28)

o   Immediate obedience does not require seminary education

o   Are we willing to have our vocations changed by Jesus? (5:10)

·      What should we notice about the crowd:

o   Read 4:22

o   Now read 4:28

o   The crowd is fickle. The same crowd that marveled at Him was the same crowd that tried to kill Him for telling them the Truth.

o   The crowd is powerless to preempt Jesus’ plans (4:30)

Application questions (besides what Kay Arthur provides)

• Are we led by, filled by, and empowered by the Spirit in our proclaiming of the Gospel?
• Are we relying on the Spirit and Word in our battles with temptation?
• Do we have an intentional plan for Scripture memory?
• Are our children growing up in homes where we have an intentional Scripture memory plan?
• Do we understand the importance of context in a passage when we see how Satan twisted Scripture?
• Are we expecting the crowd to treat us just like Jesus or different than Jesus (see 4:22, 28)?
• How often do we do what Jesus did in 5:16?
• Do we hang out with the same crowd that Jesus did (5:27-32)?
• Do we find hope in the fact that the Gospel is for sick, unrighteous sinners (5:32)?
• I recently heard someone say:
• Jesus commanded the leper not to tell anyone and he told everyone. We’ve been commanded to tell everyone and we tell no one.