Learning Jesus | Week 22
Learning Jesus Week 22
Unmasked
Key Word – Fear >> Central Passage – Days 1 & 4
Day 1
Background Information – Although thousands surround Jesus, He is directing instruction to those “learning Jesus” first (v1), those He also calls friends (v4). These disciples have committed to following and proclaiming Him, and so they must identify Who to fear and who not to fear and Who to depend upon and who not to depend upon if they are to persevere as unmasked disciplemakers.
Read Luke 12:1-12.
1. Prepare your heart for this week’s lesson.
o A hypocrite is a Greek word that describes an actor whose true face is covered with a mask in order to play a part convincingly. Jesus was the first person to use the word to rebuke religious leaders such as the Pharisees. If you are whispering stuff to another in your innermost chamber, what is provoking your choice of room? In other words...what does a religious mask hide?
o Why is it essential for you as a disciplemaker to regularly guard yourself from hypocrisy?
2. Disciples will be persecuted and fear will tempt them to escape persecution in ways contrary to God’s will. Jesus is preparing His disciples to stand firm during this persecution that WILL come. We need to prepare for how we will handle persecution WHEN it comes. What can you do today and tomorrow and tomorrow to prepare to fear God and not people during persecution?
Background Information – The first time Jesus references the Holy Spirit in this passage, He alludes again to the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit (See Matthew 12.) The leaders rejected Jesus by claiming the works He did were done through the power of Satan. Since He worked miracles through the Spirit of God, these leaders blasphemed the Holy Spirit and put the nation of Israel under judgment. Jesus’ disciples will be preaching to individual Jews who can escape judgment by committing to Jesus as their Messiah. Such preaching will put them before hypocrites. they should rely upon the Holy Spirit as their teacher. Just as the Holy Spirit empowered Him to perform miracles, Jesus knows the Holy Spirit will empower them to speak boldly under persecution.
3. What type of disciples would hypocrite-defying, Holy-Spirit-relying disciples make in the midst of persecution even?
Day 2
Read Luke 12:13-34.
Background Information – In our text yesterday, Jesus reminded His disciples that following Him meant they would be rejected by their own people. When Moses first intervened in a dispute to call brothers to peace he was rejected with these words: “Who made you a prince and a judge over us?” (Exodus 2:14). Following this rejection, Moses fled from Egypt and did not return for forty years as God’s deliverer. In our text today, Jesus is asked to settle a dispute between brothers, but He refuses to serve as Israel’s arbitrator because she rejected Him as Messiah. Note how Jesus words His initial response to the brother and then redirects the focus back to His big teaching idea on fearing God and God alone.
1. Jesus gives the bro a “no” to earthly riches, but a big fat “yes” to heavenly riches. How so?
2. What does hoarding wealth for yourself reveal about your attitude toward the Father?
3. In contrast, what do you understand about God’s kingdom that motivates you to give to the spiritually and physically needy? If you wish to view Grace’s Annual Report to see how this Body of Christ stewards donations given to serve the needy, go to gracelaredo.org/give.
Day 3
Background Information – Because Israel rejected Jesus as the Messiah, He did not establish His Kingdom. He will return One Day to do so, but we do not know when. While He is gone, we His servants live metaphorically in the night, a time for protecting our master’s home from evil by replenishing the lamps with oil during the second watch of the night (9 PM to 12 AM) or third watch (12 AM to 3 AM). In this passage, Jesus again refers to Himself as the Son of Man, the One qualified to judge. As such, He will reward faithful disciples and punish all who do not heed His will.
1. Read Luke 12:35-40. What is a disciple doing while he or she is waiting for Jesus’ return?
Hint – Jesus’ blessing speaks to what He expects disciples to be doing. (See verse 37.)
2. Read Luke 12:41-48. Peter asked if the parable was for him and the other disciples or for all people. Jesus answers that question by describing four different types of servants. What is each servant’s attitude/action and master’s reward?
o Verses 42-44
o Verses 45-46
o Verse 47
o Verses 48
o Describe your attitude while you wait for Jesus’ return in terms of your actions.
3. How does Jesus’ overall principle for rewarding each servant apply to you?
Optional Memory Verse
Blessed are those servantswhom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them. Luke 12:37
Day 4
Background Information – In the context of this passage, “fire” is an image of judgment. Before Jesus judges all humanity, He must bear the Father’s judgment for our sins. This is His “baptism by fire.”
Read Luke 12:49-59.
Jesus opens with basically, “I cannot wait for God’s wrath to be poured out on me for your sins.” Then He speaks of dividing families, of seeing the signs of showers and scorching heat, and of settling with your accuser before going to prison. Combined, these reveal Jesus’ attitude of urgency as He calls individuals who have not accepted Him as the Messiah. Pretend you are reading this with ____________________, an undecided unbeliever in your life.
1. How could you help _________________ understand that the love of Christ is evident in these verses? Consider how Jesus opened with an eagerness to pay debt (v49-50) and closes with a warning regarding debt owed (v59).
2. How would you explain to _________________ about why as an unbeliever he/she is a hypocrite (v54-56). Consider how unbelievers, like the Pharisees, mask fear.
3. How could you use these verses to help _________________ understand God is just?
Bonus Q -- You know _________________ is going to ask this question now: If God is both loving and just, then why does Jesus divide families? (See Luke 2:33-35.)
Day 5
Read Luke 13:1-9.
Background Information – This text discusses two tragedies of the time. In the first, Galileans went to the Temple to make sacrifices, but for whatever reason, Pilate thought they were rebels, and so he sent soldiers who mixed these Galileans’ blood with the sacrifices. In the second tragedy, a tower over the Pool of Siloam collapsed and eighteen people died. Notice how Jesus uses “likewise” twice to transition from these tragedies to the greater tragedy the sinful nation will experience when Jerusalem is destroyed in A.D. 70.
1. How is the fig tree parable an apt parable for describing Israel?
Read Luke 13:10-17.
2. Not Sons of Abraham v.s. Daughter of Abraham
o Imagine the shame of being bent over for 18 years with no ability to straighten yourself. What does Jesus say and do that evokes shame in His adversaries? How does He also shame the evil one?
o What does Jesus say and do that vindicates the woman as worthy?
3. The woman glorifies God, and the people rejoice. Think about our Father who cuts down upright trees that do not bear fruit and raises women who are bent. Enjoy time praising Him just as the woman and the people in this story must have done – out loud.
re-jesus space
This re-jesus space is where we will take time as a Christ community to ensure we are applying the truth we know to our lives in real time. Not just talking about what we will do, but doing it now and together.
So what are we going to DO in this re-jesus space instead of talking about what we will do? (See above). Have you ever talked about checking out re:generation, the disciplemaking recovery curriculum we use at Grace? Well, today you are going to do that.
1. On your own -- Answer the following yes/no questions as if God is asking them.
1. Do you dwell on a certain event in your life again and again?
2. Do you keep an emotional distance from others for fear of rejection?
3. Do you reject others before they reject you?
4. Do you demand attention from others you care about?
5. Do you avoid conflict or sharing the truth with those you care about? Or with those in authority positions?
6. Do you overreact or attack others when you feel threatened?
7. Are you preoccupied with others’ perceptions of you?
8. Do you act differently around certain people?
9. Are you afraid of death?
10. Are you more afraid of failure than death?
11. Are you unable to sleep at night?
12. Is your personal time of worship just a check box for you?
2. On your own -- Ask God to reveal why you answered “Yes” to a particularly provoking question.
Jesus commanded His disciples to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees. Leaven is a symbol for sin because it causes expansion. We are called to restrain sin, not to multiply it. The sin Jesus identified most with the Pharisees was the sin of hypocrisy: fearing man and not God. Unbelievers do not fear God, so the root of our sin of fearing man is unbelief. We believe a lie about God instead of the truth.
3. With a partner -- Discuss what you learned. You can use the questions below if that helps.
o What lie are you believing about God that causes you to act like a hypocrite?
o How does that lie affect you as a disciplemaker who lives in a world hostile to God?
4. With a partner – Pray for one another.
COMMUNITY GROUP TIME
• Discuss the Central Passages questions. (This week this includes both Days 1 & 4.)
• re-jesus space
• Is anyone able to recite Luke 12:37?
God’s joy & strength to you,
kpaulson@gracelaredo.org