Reality Check – Luke 4-6

Reality Check?

 

 

“…heaven was opened

      …the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove

                      …a voice came out of heaven

                                      …You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased.” 

 

    

 

 

 

 Insert yourself into the scene… standing on the bank of the river.  John has just baptized Jesus of Nazareth.  A thirty-something year old man is before you.  A carpenter by trade he is a local guy from the neighborhood.  Jesus is praying and the events above unfold.  You are an eyewitness.  What are you seeing with your eyes?  What do you hear?  What do you think?

 

“I’m more convinced than ever that people don’t care to hear about our Jesus these days until they meet the reality of Jesus in our lives.”  Lysa TerKeurst 

 

I heartily agree with Lysa! 

 

Is Jesus a reality in your life or is he some action hero from long ago?

 

This week join me as we examine three chapters from the book of Luke in the Bible. (Luke 4-6)  Remember, Luke is the chronological account of the life of Jesus of Nazareth.

 

Chapter 3 of Luke begins with John the Baptist preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.  The chapter ends with Jesus being baptized by John.  Notice the next event in Jesus life as detailed by Luke the beloved physician in Luke 4.

 

“And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit

 

                …was led about by the Holy Spirit in the wilderness for forty days

 

                                being tempted by the devil.”

 

Wow, what a jaw dropping dose of reality!  God speaks from heaven… then Jesus is smack dab in the middle of the wilderness, tired, hungry and being tempted by the DEVIL.  Have you experienced this type of tectonic shift in your life?  If your answer is yes, you will want to dig in and see how Jesus handled this transition.

 

 

Things to Do this Week

 

Read Luke chapters 4-6 on pages 1660-1667 in “The New Inductive Study Bible.” (Or use the Bible of your choice.)

Make an effort to read and interact with a portion of Luke each day.

 

• An easy way to read Luke is one event at a time.  List each main event in the margin of your Bible for easy reference.  Mark every reference to time with a circle. Underline geographic locations.
• Record your answers to the questions below in a notebook or journal.
• Consider adopting this pattern for your personal Bible study time each day.

1. Pray –  John 14:26  Ask the Helper, the Holy Spirit to teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance what you read and study.
2. Read Scripture – 2 Timothy 3:16-17 Why?  All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness; so the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.
3. Interact with Scripture – 2 Timothy 2:15 Why?  So you will not be ashamed and you will be able to accurately handle the word of truth and apply it to your life effectively.  Interaction with scripture includes:  keeping everything in context; marking repeated words & references to time; asking questions… who, what, where, when, why & how; using scripture cross references to allow scripture to interpret scripture; word studies (dictionary, lexicon, concordance)
4. Pray – Philippians 4:4-9 Thank God for what you learn.  Ask God to help you PRACTICE what you learn.  Ask God to help you THINK correct thoughts based on what you learn.

 

Main Events – Luke 4-6

• Read Luke 4:1-13 Now put yourself in the setting with Jesus.  How would you have responded?  What three incentives did the devil use to tempt Jesus?  How did Jesus respond to each temptation?  According to verse 13 was the devil finished tempting Jesus?  What areas of your life has the devil tempted you in?  How does the fact that the devil departed from Jesus encourage you?  How does the fact that the devil departed from Jesus “until an opportune time” impact you?

 

• Read Luke 4:14-15  After Jesus’ 40 days in the wilderness where did he go?  What did he do?  How did the people respond?

 

• Read Luke 4:16-30 Jesus is in his hometown of Nazareth speaking and teaching.  Who is He teaching?   Jesus was a H.O.T. influencer among the people.  In Galilee He was “Praised by all.”  What was the response of the people in the synagogue in 4:28-29?  How did Jesus respond to their rejection?  As a modern day H.O.T. influencer (Hungry for biblical truth, Obedient, Teachable), what do you learn from Jesus example about handing the positive and negative responses of the people around you?

 

• Read Luke 4:31-37  In Capernaum, we see the people are amazed by Jesus teaching because He was teaching with authority.  How did Jesus respond to the outburst from the crowd by the man who was possessed by a demon?  Who did Jesus rebuke?   What happened to the man who was possessed by the demon?  How did the crowd respond?   Where did Jesus’ authority originate? (Hint:  Luke 3:21-22)  Where does your authority originate as a leader, parent, single adult, employee or student?  How does that authority impact your daily life?

 

• Read Luke 4:38-41 Jesus goes to Simon’s home.  Note:  This passage does not identify which Simon is being referred to.  Among Jesus disciples there were two men named Simon (Simon Peter and Simon the Zealot).  The New Testament also refers to Simon, father of Judas who betrayed Jesus; Simon Magus, the Samaritan wizard; Simon the tanner; Simon the Pharisee; Simon of Cyrene who carried the cross of Christ; Simon the cousin of Jesus, the son of Cleophas and Simon the leper. Why did Jesus heal Simon’s mother-in-law according to verse 38?  Does Jesus have authority over sickness and demons?  What did the demons know about Jesus?  Could the demons speak whatever they wanted to speak?  Why or why not?

 

• Read Luke 4:42-5:11  When Jesus departs from the crowd in verse 42 how do the people respond?  How did Jesus express His purpose to the crowd in verse 43?  What did Jesus do in verse 44?  What was his location in verse 44?  Whose boat does Jesus get into in the lake of Gennesaret?  What do you learn from the interaction between Jesus and Simon Peter that can help you in your personal life?  Who else was with Jesus and Simon Peter that day?  In verse 11 we see “they left everything and followed Him (Jesus).  Who left everything and followed Jesus?

 

• Read Luke 5:12-16  What does Jesus do in the passage of scripture?  How were the people responding to Jesus?  Jesus was actively teaching individuals and large groups on a daily basis.  He was also healing many people and casting out demons.  In the mist of all of this activity, what did Jesus do “often” according to verse 16?  Where did he go?  How would you characterize the wilderness?  How often do you pray?  Where do you pray?  Do you need to make any adjustments in your prayer life?  If yes, what?

 

• Read Luke 5:17-26  Where was Jesus teaching?  Who were the people in the audience?  How many people were in the audience?  Who told Jesus what the Pharisees and scribes were “reasoning?”  What happen to the man who was brought in on the stretcher?  Why?

 

• Read Luke 5:27-35  Who was Levi and where was he?  What did Jesus say to him in verse 27?  How did Levi respond?  How did the Pharisees and their scribes respond?  Who did Jesus tell the scribes and Pharisees He had come to call?  What was he calling them for?  Remember John’s teaching in Chapter 3.  According the Luke 3:3-6 what was John preaching?  The prophets wrote about a man who would be “the voice of the one crying in the wilderness, make ready the way of the Lord… all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”  Do you see that John and Jesus were the fulfillment of the prophecy written by Isaiah?  John was the one in the wilderness making ready the way of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Remember how Elizabeth greeted Mary when she came to visit in Luke 1:39-45.

 

• Read Luke 5:36-39  A parable is a simple story illustrating a moral or religious lesson.  What do you learn from the parable of the wine skin?

 

• Read Luke 6:1-11  This passage covers two separate instances on two different Sabbath days.  In Exodus 20:8 we learn, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.   Remember Jesus came to fulfill God’s law not break it. The Sabbath is the Lords’ day and Jesus wants us to know and remember that it is His day.  We are to honor the Sabbath by spending the day in His service for His honor.  These examples are not a license to sin but an example that brings us back to the real intent of God’s instruction in Exodus.  Does this insight into the Sabbath day challenge you or encourage you?  Are you like the Pharisees… just going through the motions to satisfy some law or expectation?  Or are you more like the disciples and the man who was healed on the Sabbath… fully engaged in spending time with the Lord on His day serving and honoring Him?

 

• Read Luke 6:12-16  Jesus chooses 12 disciples.  List the 12 disciples that are listed in this passage of scripture.

 

• Read Luke 6:17-38  Jesus is teaching the disciples and a large group of people.  Make a list of the “blessing” Jesus gives.  Make a list of “woes.”  Make a list of instructions.  What do you learn from the lists you have made?

 

• Read Luke 6:39-45  What do you learn from each parable that you can apply to your life?

 

• Read Luke 6:46-49  How are people described who calls Jesus Lord and yet they do not do what he says?  How are people described who hear the words of Jesus and act upon them?  A call to action is clearly identified in these verses.  Which people are you most like?  What action do you need to take today to be H.O.T. (Hungry for biblical truth, Obedient, Teachable)?  How will you encourage and influence others to be H.O.T.?  

 

Feed the Fire Comments

 

Feed the fire and encourage others.  When something jumps off the page and into your life from your study of Luke, share your comments.

Feeding the fire,

Ginger