week of 11/8

Unit 27  Session 2

GETTING TO GIVING

Luke 19:1-10

 

Key Concept:

Jesus came to seek and save the lost.

Luke's Gospel is broken into roughly three sections. Luke 1:1 - 9:50 is the initiation of Jesus' public ministry, including His teachings and miracles. Luke 9:51 - 19:10 tells of Jesus' journey to Jerusalem under the shadow of the cross. Luke 19:11 - 24:53 tells of Jesus' arrest, death, and resurrection. In today's passage, Jesus was making His way to Jerusalem for the joy set before Him, prepared to endure the cross (Heb. 12:2). But on His way, He needed to make a stop for the salvation of a sinner.

As you examine Luke 19:1-10:

 

✞   Notice that Jesus saw Zacchaeus' eagerness and invited him to fellowship with Him.

✞   Contemplate that like Zacchaeus, we should respond to Jesus with joy, submission,

    and repentance.

week of 11/1

Unit 27  Session 1

BLIND TO SEEING

John 9:24-27, 35-41

 

Key Concept:

Jesus opens people's eyes to the fact that He is the Messiah, but we can choose to believe it or not.

John's Gospel contains seven "I am" statements in which Jesus assumes the divine name of God found in Exodus 3:14. The second of these appears in John 8:12 and 9:5, where Jesus proclaimed, "I am the light of the world." What comes next is a demonstration of His light breaking into the darkness. Christ's light healed and saved a man born blind while also revealing the blindness of those who refused Him. The conflict between Jesus and the religious authorities intensified as evidence of Jesus' divinity and messiahship grew. 

As you examine John 9:24-27, 35-41:

 

✞   Contemplate that Jesus makes blind people see, both literally and metaphorically.

✞   Recognize that the Pharisees were able to see with their physical eyes but still chose

    to sin in their spiritual blindness by not believing Who Jesus was.

week of 10/25

Unit 26  Session 4

JESUS RESURRECTS

John 11:17-27, 38-44

 

Key Concept:

Jesus has the power to resurrect the dead and give eternal life to those who believe.

The book of John is unique among the four Gospels. John's Gospel highlighted seven signs Jesus performed that pointed to His identity as not only the promised Messiah but God Himself. John also included seven "I am" statements that intentionally connected Jesus' identity to the God Who revealed Himself to Moses as "I AM" at the burning bush (Exodus 3:14). In John 11, Jesus performed both a miraculous sign and declared an "I am" statement to show His power over life and death.

As you examine John 11:17-27, 38-44:

 

✞   Notice that Martha understood that Jesus could do whatever He wanted, including

    resurrect her brother.

✞   Affirm that Jesus' desire was for people to believe in Him and His mission. 

week of 10/18

Unit 26  Session 3

JESUS HEALS

Mark 7:24-37

 

Key Concept:

Jesus' willingness to heal all people points to His desire to bring salvation to all people.

In Mark 7, Jesus journeyed to locations most Jews would not step one toe in. The regions of Tyre and Sidon were Gentile territories. The Decapolis too was comprised of ten Greek cities. These places, and the people in them, would have been viewed as unclean and therefore avoided by the Jews. Mark, however, highlighted Jesus' perspective that differed greatly from the traditions of mere humans. Even in this stage of His ministry, Jesus was revealing His fulfillment of the law, and that meant correcting people's understanding of what was clean and unclean.

As you examine Mark 7:24-37:

 

✞   Recognize that while Jesus first came to the Jews, His message and gift of salvation 

    would be for all who believe in Him.

✞   Contemplate that people who encountered Jesus proclaimed all the miracles that He did
    even though Jesus told them not to.

week of 10/11

Unit 26  Session 2

JESUS OVER CREATION

Matthew 14:22-33

 

Key Concept:

Because Jesus can do all things, we don't need to be afraid when following His steps by faith.

Jesus' popularity surged when He miraculously fed over five thousand people with just five loaves of bread and two fish. Unsurprisingly, the crowds wanted more of Jesus. To experience some much needed silence and solitude in the wake of John the Baptist's death, Jesus dismissed the crowds and retreated to a mountain by Himself after having sent His disciples on a boat across the Sea of Galilee. What happened next led the disciples to fear and then worship Jesus as the Son of God.

As you examine Matthew 14:22-33:

 

✞   Recognize that when trouble arrives, we need not fear because Jesus is with us.

✞   Focus on Jesus as being worthy of your faith and being the source of your 

    salvation from sin and death.

week of 10/4

Unit 26  Session 1

JESUS PROVIDES

Matthew 14:13-21

 

Key Concept:

Jesus is always able to provide for His people beyond what is needed.

Each Gospel writer told the story of Jesus, but the Holy Spirit inspired them to put their own unique emphasis on it. Mark focused on the action. Luke focused on detailed, eyewitness accounts. Matthew narrated Jesus' life by alternating between a specific event and teaching. Matthew 14 begins with John the Baptist's disciples informing Jesus of his execution at the command of King Herod. Jesus then withdrew to a desolate place, presumably to grieve, but the crowds followed Him. Instead of frustration, Jesus responded with compassion, and the people witnessed His power to provide.

As you examine Matthew 14:13-21:

 

✞   Take comfort that Jesus' compassion and love motivate His actions.

✞   Give Jesus glory because He is "able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think 

    according to the power that works in us" (Ephesians 3:20).

week of 9/27

Unit 25  Session 4

POWER OF HEALING

Luke 8:41-56

 

Key Concept:

Faith assures us that Jesus, as God, has the power to heal and resurrect.

Jesus and His disciples sailed across the Sea of Galilee to the predominantly Gentile region of the Gerasenes. After Jesus cast demons from a man into a herd of pigs, the people there asked Him to leave. Jesus and the disciples then returned to the Galilean side of the lake, where a crowd awaited His return. The crushing crowd's needs and expectations heightened the urgency of the moment as two people captured Jesus' attention. One was a respected leader of the local synagogue and the other was a woman who was ceremonially unclean - yet their stories intersected when they met Jesus.

As you examine Luke 8:41-56:

 

✞   Notice that the woman had faith that she would be healed by just touching Jesus' 

    clothes.

✞   Contemplate that even in times of hopelessness, hope prevails through Christ.