week of 7/26

Unit 23  Session 4

LORD OF LOVE

Luke 6:20-23, 27-36

 

Key Concept:

The way of Jesus is humble, sacrificial love that is countercultural.

Jesus did amazing things. He healed the sick, made lame men walk, cleansed lepers, and cast out demons. He called ordinary, untrained, unlikely men to be His closest followers and told them He would use them to change the world. He confronted the religious leaders of the day, exposing their hypocrisy. When Jesus taught, He revealed things about the meaning of life, the hearts of men, and the nature of God that have echoed through history. Luke 6 contains the Beatitudes, some of Jesus' most wonderful, influential, and challenging teachings.

As you examine Luke6:20-23, 27-36:

 

✞   Meditate on Jesus' message that those who are persecuted are blessed.

✞   Recognize that Jesus calls us to love sacrificially, even to love our enemies.

week of 7/19

Unit 23  Session 3

LORD OF THE SABBATH

Matthew 12:1-14

 

Key Concept:

Mercy and goodness outweigh ritual and law.

People didn't know what to do with Jesus. In Matthew 11, even John the Baptist struggled with doubts about Jesus. Jesus lamented an unresponsive generation, yet to those who did accept Him, Jesus gave one of the greatest promises in Scripture: "Come to Me...and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28). In Matthew 12, however, we see the religious leaders' misunderstanding of the heart of God. They mistook God's provision of the Sabbath to display God's goodness for the good itself.

As you examine Matthew 12:1-14:

 

✞   Note that the law is a means to an end, not the end itself.

✞   Recognize that Jesus heals and restores because He is merciful and good.

week of 7/12

 Unit 23  Session 2

HEALING AND CALLING

Mark 3:7-19

 

Key Concept:

When Jesus calls, His disciples obey to continue His mission.

Have you ever been in a huge crowd, feeling pressed in by people on every side? That's what Jesus experienced at many points in His public ministry. Everyone wanted in on the miracles, the healing, the blessing. Jesus felt compassion for the broken people seeking help. Yet Jesus had also come for something much bigger. In Mark 3, Jesus had begun His mission of salvation for all nations. To address the present problem of huge crowds and to look to the future after His resurrection, Jesus appointed twelve disciples and began preparing the for a lifetime of ministry.

As you examine Mark 3:7-19:

 

✞   Reflect upon the fact that crowds came to see Jesus for healing, and Jesus showed 

    compassion to them.

✞   Recognize that Jesus chose and equipped disciples to be with Him, to preach, and 

    to reveal His power.

week of 7/5

Unit 23  Session 1

FAITH AND FORGIVENESS

Mark 2:1-12

 

Key Concept:

Jesus has the power to forgive, especially when He sees committed faith.

In his account of the life of Jesus, Mark wasted no time getting to the action. Jesus came on the scene proclaiming that the kingdom of God had come near to God's people through Him, and it was time for people to respond. Jesus immediately began backing up His claim with power, performing miracles. In today's passage, Jesus revealed something deeper about Who He is and what He came to do. Even greater than miraculous healings, Jesus came to do something about humanity's greatest problem - sin.

As you examine Mark 2:1-12:

 

✞   Note that because of the faith demonstrated, Jesus forgave the man who was paralyzed.

✞   Contemplate the significance of Jesus' declaration of forgiveness followed by His miraculous 

    healing of the paralyzed man.

week of 6/28

Unit 22  Session 4

THE LEPER PROCLAIMED

Mark 1:35-45

 

Key Concept:

Jesus' commitment to His mission originated in His compassion for others.

Mark 1 quickly tells us a lot about Jesus' early ministry. Although some of the accounts are not as detailed, Mark's Gospel accurately aligns with the other Gospel accounts. Up to this point in Mark 1, Jesus had been teaching with authority, casting out demons, and miraculously healing the sick, which showed His authority over all things physical and spiritual. After this, Jesus continued His ministry by traveling throughout Galilee, preaching and healing as He went.

As you examine Mark 1:35-45:

 

✞   Note that Jesus' purpose was to preach the Good News.

✞   Recognize that Jesus' compassion on the leper led the man to spread the Good News of Jesus.

week of 6/21

Unit 22  Session 3

THE CROWD AMAZED

Mark 1:21-34

 

Key Concept:

Jesus, as God the Son, has authority over all in the spiritual and physical realms.

Mark the Gospel writer was not one of the twelve apostles, but he based his account on the testimony of the apostle Petr, a close companion of his. Mark succinctly and rapidly reported the story of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection. Mark 1 begins with John the Baptist's ministry, Jesus' baptism and temptation, and Jesus' calling the disciples. Jesus was in Capernaum teaching in the synagogue on the Sabbath when He encountered a man with an unclean spirit.

As you examine Mark 1:21-34:

 

✞   Recognize that Jesus had authority to drive out unclean spirits.

✞   Emphasize that Jesus' authority over all things included His ability to heal the sick.

week of 6/14

Unit 22  Session 2

THE HOMETOWN REJECTED

Luke 4:16-30

 

Key Concept:

Jesus' identity and the gospel message can lead to rejection.

Luke 4 contains a couple of well-known milestones in Jesus' ministry, such as Jesus' temptation in the wilderness. Then Jesus began His ministry in Galilee. Based upon the parallels from the other Gospel accounts, Jesus had already called His disciples and performed miracles at this time. His reputation and authority were spreading amongst the Jewish people. The people in Jesus' hometown of Nazareth, however, would have their own opinion on this matter.

As you examine Luke 4:16-30:

 

✞   Note that Jesus identified Himself as the Anointed One Whom Isaiah said would preach 

    good news and set the captives free.

✞   Reflect that Jesus' hometown questioned His identity and authority after He preached 

    grace for Gentiles.