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.