LONG HOLLOW BAPTIST CHURCH AUTHENTIC JESUS THE BEGINNING (LUKE 4:14 5:11) SEPTEMBER 2, 2012 PREPARATION > SPEND THE WEEK READING THROUGH AND STUDYING LUKE 4:14 5:11. Consult the commentary provided and any additional study tools (such as a concordance or Bible dictionary) to enhance your preparation. > DETERMINE which discussion points and questions will work best with your group. > PRAY for our pastors and the Authentic Jesus sermon series, the upcoming group meeting, your group members, and their receptivity to the lesson. HIGHLIGHTS > BIBLICAL EMPHASIS: Following Jesus time of testing in the desert, Luke transitions to the account of Jesus public ministry of teaching and healing in Galilee. The theme in these verses is Jesus authority as Son of God. > LIFE APPLICATION: Jesus continues to take the good news to the world through the church. Long Hollow can make the good news known as our people share the gospel with those they know, and as our church organizes to partner with others and support mission work. INTRODUCTION As your group time begins, use this section to help get the conversation going. This week Luke transitions from his description of Jesus birth and identity to His teaching and ministry. What is the funniest thing that has happened to you on a mission trip? What was most meaningful? Were you able to share the gospel with someone? How did you feel, how did they receive it, and what happened? Sometimes when people hear about missions there is a negative reaction. Why do you think this is? Do you see evidence of a negative reaction to Jesus work? Where? UNDERSTANDING Unpack the biblical text to discover what Scripture says or means about a particular topic. > HAVE A VOLUNTEER READ LUKE 4:16-21. At the synagogue in Nazareth, Jesus read a Scripture from Isaiah about the coming Messiah and His mission. He announced the Scripture was fulfilled that day in Him. 1 THE BEGINNING LONG HOLLOW BAPTIST CHURCH
What are the key roles of the coming Messiah listed in this passage? What is the significance of Jesus use of this Old Testament prophecy to define His mission? Think back to your conversion experience. How did Jesus fulfill His roles as Messiah in your life? God assigned the Messiah specific functions. First, He came to preach good news to the poor. Second, the Messiah came to proclaim freedom to the captives those in the prison house of sin. Third, recovery of sight to the blind took place through the Messiah. The healing of physical blindness brings a new perspective on life. The healing of spiritual blindness brings new life altogether. Fourth, the Messiah arrived to set free the oppressed. Fifth, the Messiah came to proclaim the year of the Lord s favor (see Lev. 25:10-17). This tradition symbolized the new start in life people can experience as a result of the Messiah s mission. What are some of the attitudes that may have been behind the question in Luke 4:22, Isn t this Joseph s son? Why did the Nazarenes familiarity with Jesus present a challenge to their acceptance of His mission? Why is it sometimes hardest to witness to a family member or close friend? How should Jesus description of His mission in Luke 4 impact the mission of churches and believers today? How do you see its impact at Long Hollow? From Nazareth Jesus went on His way. Even as His hometown rejected Him, Jesus relentlessly pursued His mission. The Nazarenes lost an opportunity, but Jesus continued to offer it to others. He demonstrated an uncommon focus to get the job done. > HAVE ANOTHER VOLUNTEER READ LUKE 4:31-41. Jesus undertook a revolutionary type of ministry. His personal approach aimed to meet people s various needs. Those needs included release from demonic control and healing from sickness. Foremost was the need to hear the good news of God s kingdom. What feature of Jesus teaching most astonished His listeners? What are features that cause you to judge that a message has authority? Discuss Jesus authority in this passage: How did He use it? How is it different from human authority? How is it related to the kingdom of God? How are we to live under His authority? How do you react to being under someone s authority? Why? 2 THE BEGINNING LONG HOLLOW BAPTIST CHURCH
> HAVE A VOLUNTEER READ LUKE 5:1-11. Jesus called disciples to follow Him and to help Him in His ministry. Some of the first disciples called were fishermen: Simon (Peter), James, and John. Why do you think Jesus performed this particular miracle in the midst of His healing and teaching? Why was Peter so quick to obey Jesus instruction? What did Jesus reveal to Peter through this miracle? How did Peter respond (v. 8)? Read verses 10-11 again. What did the fishing represent? What do you think made the men leave behind everything they knew to follow Jesus? Find phrases in Luke 5:4-10 that describe the meaning of following Jesus after becoming a Christian. In each of the stories from the beginning of Jesus earthly ministry, Luke emphasized Jesus authority and the powerful affect of His words. The prophecy from Isaiah 61:1-2 (quoted in Luke 4:18-19) was fulfilled in Jesus, and His actions along with His speech authenticated that He is the Messiah. APPLICATION Help your group identify how the truths from the Scripture passage apply directly to their lives. If you are part of the body of Christ, Jesus is calling you to leave behind the life you knew before and fish for the men and women around you. The implications are clear: Just going through life as a Christian isn t enough. God has placed you where you are, and placed our church where we are, for a clear reason. The stories in Luke 4 5 show us that we can trust Him. All that s left is to drop our nets and follow Him, wherever He might lead. How does viewing Jesus calling in this way change the way you view your responsibility as a Christian? What do you think most people are fishing for in the greater Nashville area? What are you fishing for in your life? What is something you still need to drop in order to serve the mission of Jesus more effectively? Is there anything you would regret leaving behind should Jesus require it? What do you think Long Hollow would be like if everyone who attended next weekend decided to fish for men? 3 THE BEGINNING LONG HOLLOW BAPTIST CHURCH
PRAY Close by praying over your group. Thank God for the privilege of being called by Him, even if the sacrifice is difficult. Thank Him for bringing this group together and ask Him to reveal opportunities to fish for people in our day-today lives. FOLLOW UP Midway through this week, send a follow-up e-mail to your group with some or all of the following information: Questions to consider as they continue to reflect on what they learned this week: In what ways would you like to explore or participate in missions in the upcoming year? How has the challenge to become a fisher of people changed the way you view your work and home life? How can you make it more of a priority this week? Who can you share the gospel with this week? What talents, abilities, and interests do you have that could benefit God s kingdom? We are all called to follow Jesus, regardless of our job or background. That might require that you take up a new ministry within our church. Visit our Web site, longhollow.com/serve, to see how you can get involved serving people on campus. A note of encouragement, following up on any specific prayer requests mentioned during your group gathering. The challenge to memorize Luke 4:18-19. The text for next week s sermon, so group members can read it in anticipation of next weekend: Luke 5:12-32. 4 THE BEGINNING LONG HOLLOW BAPTIST CHURCH
LONG HOLLOW BAPTIST CHURCH AUTHENTIC JESUS THE BEGINNING (LUKE 4:14 5:11) SEPTEMBER 2, 2012 COMMENTARY REJECTION AT NAZARETH (LUKE 4:16-21) 4:16 Sometimes the most difficult audience to address consists of people you know the best (and who know you). Jesus found that to be true when He brought His message to Nazareth His hometown. Why go to Nazareth at the beginning of His Galilean ministry? It emphasized the critical truth that no one, even those people closest to Jesus, received an exemption from making a decision about Him. 4:17-18 Jesus read from the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. The chosen passage highlighted the person and work of the Messiah. Most of this reading came from Isaiah 61:1-2. Jesus used this reading to define His mission as it came through the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. As the anointed Messiah, Jesus was the heart and presence of God among His people. God assigned the Messiah specific functions. First, He came to preach good news to the poor. The poor represented people whose survival depended on divine aid. This included the physically poor, such as those who were without even the basics of life. However, the Messiah also addressed the spiritual poor people without the good news of God s salvation. Even hopeless people have hope because God can meet all needs. Second, the Messiah came to proclaim freedom to the captives. Captives literally referred to prisoners taken in warfare, but the Messiah also came to provide for release or forgiveness of those in the prison house of sin. In fact, the Greek word rendered freedom can also be translated forgiveness (see Luke 3:3; 24:47). Third, recovery of sight to the blind took place through the Messiah. The healing of physical blindness brings a new perspective on life. The healing of spiritual blindness brings new life altogether. The Messiah addressed both of these needs. Fourth, the Messiah arrived to set free the oppressed. Here Jesus picked up a phrase from Isaiah 58:6. It stressed the concept of forgiveness parallel to the previously mentioned function of proclaiming freedom to the captives. 4:19 Fifth, the Messiah came to proclaim the year of the Lord s favor. Many see this as reference to the Old Testament concept of the Year of Jubilee (see Lev. 25:10-17). Every fiftieth year, the covenant people were to forgive debts, allow fields to lie fallow, return people to their homes, and free slaves. This tradition, although seldom followed in Israelite history, symbolized the new start in life people can experience as a result of the Messiah s mission. 4:21 What Luke recorded here perhaps was a summary or the key point of Jesus more extensive comments. The hearers likely expected Jesus to explain the passage as other rabbis did that is, by relating the Messiah to the Year of Jubilee. Jesus explanation, however, stunned the group. Most Jews saw the Messiah s coming as a grand future event. In essence Jesus proclaimed, I am the Promised Messiah. No need to wait any longer. He sat before them as the Fulfiller of the Scripture He had read. HEALINGS (LUKE 4:31-41) 4:33-36 This is an example of the far-reaching authority Jesus displayed in Capernaum. He cast out an unclean demonic spirit that had possessed a man in the synagogue. Jesus did this simply by the rebuke, Be quiet and come out of him. The crowds wondered about Jesus, His message, and His power over the demonic realm, but the demon knew exactly who Jesus was the Holy One of God a title that Simon Peter also used of Jesus (Jn 6:69). 5 THE BEGINNING LONG HOLLOW BAPTIST CHURCH
COMMENTARY 4:38-40 Jesus authority also extended to physical illness. As He had done with the demon, Jesus rebuked the fever, and Simon Peter s mother-in-law was immediately healed. As a result, word of Jesus authority over sickness spread through Capernaum. He laid His hands on many people with various diseases, healing all of them. 4:41 As He healed the physical diseases of many people in Capernaum, Jesus also cast out more demons. This leaves the strong impression that demons were able to cause some diseases. As with the demon in the man in the synagogue (vv. 33-36), the demons identified Jesus as divine. Jesus rebuked the demons for revealing that He was the Messiah because they were attempting to assert control over Him by revealing who He was before the appropriate time. THE FIRST DISCIPLES (LUKE 5:1-11) 5:1-4 To admire Jesus is one thing. To follow Him is quite another. A crowd gathered quite close to Jesus by Lake Gennesaret. He got into a boat and continued His teaching away from the shore. However, only three men on that shore are recorded as becoming Jesus disciples. While addressing the crowd, Jesus had focused on teaching. When He finished speaking, He turned His attention to individuals. Jesus instructed Simon to move the vessel into deep water and there to lower the nets for a catch. At first glance we might think Jesus planned to repay Simon for use of the craft by giving the fisherman a large catch of fish. However, Jesus intention for Simon s life was far greater. 5:5-6 Simon called Jesus Master. He noted the fishermen had labored hard all night without results, however, his obedience displayed his respect for Jesus authority. Imagine the fishermen s surprise when they caught such a great number of fish that their nets were inadequate for the weight and began to tear. The men were not prepared for this result. Until now, they may have cooperated more out of indulgence than belief that they would catch many fish by following Jesus instructions. 5:7-8 The fishermen immediately recognized the miraculous nature of this experience. Simon Peter fell at Jesus knees, a sign of submission and pleading. He addressed Jesus as Lord. Here the Greek word indicates Simon was acknowledging Jesus authority. The presence of the Lord in His holiness brings recognition of personal sin. Simon asked Jesus to depart, not because he was afraid of Jesus power, but because Simon was aware he was a sinful man. Confronted with His holiness, many sinners want to avoid God. 5:10 Simon and his companions were not the only ones amazed. James and John, who had come up in the other boat (see v. 7), also responded with astonishment at the power of Christ. Luke identified James and John as Zebedee s sons. The two would join Simon Peter in the inner circle of Christ s followers. When the fishermen obeyed Jesus instructions, they caught more fish than their nets or boats could handle. Simon then recognized and acknowledged Jesus as the Lord. Following Jesus involves more than just recognizing who Jesus is. It also involves discipleship or obedience. Simon s initial reaction to Jesus power was fear. Jesus encouraged him not to fear but to accept a new role in life. Simon Peter then faced a choice to remain with the familiar or to obediently follow Jesus. 5:11 Although Jesus invitation was addressed to Simon, it obviously was also meant for James and John. Luke noted the inclusiveness of the response in the plural pronoun they. Simon and his crew in one boat and James and John in the second boat brought the boats to land. Partners in commercial fishing, these three along with Andrew were to become partners in following Jesus. 6 THE BEGINNING LONG HOLLOW BAPTIST CHURCH