LESSON 6 jesus the healer His Miracles To understand the link between Jesus miracles and His identity as the Son of God. Jesus power, authority, and sovereign control over all things is evidenced in the miraculous workings He performed. These were done to engender faith and confirm His identity as the God-man. That students would understand the crucial link between Jesus identity as God and His ability to perform miraculous works, pointing people to the greater reality that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Background Passage: scripture Passage: Memory Verse: L UKE 8 : 2 2-56 L UKE 8 : 4 0-56 L UKE 8 : 48 Tunnel vision A funny thing happened on the way to Jairus house The last great enemy page 48 jesus the healer Daughter, He said to her, your faith has made you well. Go in peace.
PREPARING TO TEACH Read the background passage of Luke 8:22-56, giving attention to the context of the two miracles making up this lesson and the two earlier in Luke 8 at the beginning of the background passage. Ask God to expand your understanding of Jesus as a truly holistic healer of body, mind, and spirit. After studying the focal passage and the Venture Up Travelogue, read John 4:46-53. The healing of the royal official s son by Jesus parallels some elements of the healing of Jairus daughter. The John 4 miracle illustrates Jesus practice of individualizing His healing approach when He told the government official to go home by himself, that his son would live. Indeed, even without Jesus accompanying the official to his house or seeing the child, the son was healed. You may wish to include a reference to this healing miracle in your teaching plan. Reflect on the Travelogue commentary in the Tunnel Vision section (pp. 59-61) on the many facets of Jesus ministry and the imperative of keeping all of His life and ministry in perspective. Consider giving examples of ways a believer might lose perspective by focusing only on one or two dimensions of Jesus and His ministry. Also, you may want to consider enlisting an adult in the group to give a brief testimony of having a misshapen view of Jesus at a time in life (See Travelogue question, p. 60). Prepare for each student a copy of the questions and passage assignments at the beginning of the teaching suggestions for A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Jairus House. Determine the means by which you will organize the class into two groups for the activity. Answer all questions yourself. Since you know your group the best, feel free to modify the questions to better fit the group if you deem it appropriate. During the week make it a point to send a message to group members urging them to think of miracles they have seen God do. TEACHING SUGGESTIONS Greet adults as they arrive. Invite volunteers to share what parables of Jesus they have contemplated since last week s study about parables, and what insights they gained into Jesus and His teaching ministry. State that while last week s study was focused on Jesus use page 4 9 jesus the healer
of parables, this week s study looks at His use of miracles to verify His identity as the Son of God. Open with prayer, thanking God for both Jesus parables and His miracles, and asking that learners grow in their understanding of Jesus through this week s study. TUNNEL VISION Invite volunteers to define the concept of tunnel vision. Ask what dangers accompany tunnel vision. Then ask if there are any dangers associated with having tunnel vision about Jesus. Teaching Tip At this point, accept all answers, even if you do not agree with them or if they are contrary to this study. You will have the opportunity to clarify the dangers of tunnel vision in regard to Jesus and His ministry as you proceed through the session. At this point you are trying to engage adults and get them thinking in broad terms. Do not discourage their participation by rejecting their thoughts at this point. Draw from the Travelogue (pp. 59-61) and your personal study to lecture on the many dimensions of Jesus life and ministry. These may include His: (1) power, (2) teaching, (3) compassion for all, (4) miracles, and (5) challenging of the religious establishment. List the various dimensions on a tear sheet or the marker board as you speak. Invite group members to add to the list if they think of other dimensions of Jesus life and ministry not represented in the list. Emphasize the importance of focusing on all elements of Jesus identity rather than only one or two. Read, or call on a volunteer to read, the writer s statements (Travelogue, p. 60): If we fail to keep all the life and ministry of Jesus in perspective, then our view of Him will be misshapen. We will, in a sense, have created a Jesus that has the same particular focus that we do at any given moment rather than seeing the true Jesus as He was, is, and always will be. page 5 0 jesus the healer
Choose one or two of the elements from your list and call on volunteers to identify possible ways a believer s understanding of Jesus could be skewed by focusing on that element to the exclusion of the others. Teaching Option As an option to this exercise, call on a pre-enlisted group member to give a testimony of an occasion or time in his or her life when a singular focus on one dimension of Jesus identity led to a misshapen view. Ask the member to include any complications or near complications experienced because of the skewed perspective, and what led to a more balanced understanding. Call on volunteers to report their responses to the Travelogue question (p. 60): Why is it important that all the elements of Jesus work flowed together? Ask adults to turn to Luke 8:22, the beginning of the Background Passage for today s lesson. Briefly review the two miracles that precede the Focal Passage. In the first, Jesus calmed the lake in the midst of a fierce, life-endangering thunderstorm that had frightened His disciples (vv. 22-25). In the second miracle, Jesus drove demons out of a man in the region of Gerasenes (vv. 26-39). Call on volunteers to identify which elements of Jesus life and ministry were demonstrated in each of these specific events. Discuss what can be learned from each of these miracles about Jesus priorities and character. Read aloud Luke 4:18 to summarize Jesus mission on earth. A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO JJAIRUS HOUSE Distribute copies of the questions below to each adult. Ask half of the group to read silently Luke 8:40-42a and 49-56 and the other half, Luke 8:42b-48 and be prepared to respond to the questions related to their passage. page 51 jesus the healer
Luke 8:40-42a,49-56: What did Jairus action in approaching Jesus for help reveal about his desperation? What impact might Jesus healing of the woman with the bleeding issue (vv. 42b-48) have had on Jairus faith? Why do you think Jesus instructed the parents not to tell anyone what had happened to their daughter? Luke 8:42b-48: What did the woman s action in touching Jesus reveal about her desperation? Why might Jesus have called the woman to come forward after she was healed? What can we learn from this miracle about healing and faith? Allow time for adults to work. Call on volunteers from each group to respond to the questions. Teaching Option Create two groups and ask each group s members to work together to prepare responses to their questions. (For large classes, create as many groups as necessary to have four to six persons in a group. Multiple groups can work on each assignment. The value of this activity is engaging as many learners as possible in the evaluating/ thinking/discussing process.) Call for reports. If you feel responses voiced by the members leave something to be desired, discuss responses further as needed. Present the following life situation for discussion: You are driving to church to lead your regular weekly Bible study group when you come across a car accident that apparently has just happened. As you cautiously approach the scene, you see another driver coming from the opposite direction pulling up to check out the situation. Should you stop or continue on to church? Ask: Answer to yourself, on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being very likely, how likely might you be to stop as well? Without asking adults to report the numbers they chose, point out from the page 5 2 jesus the healer
focal passage Jesus willingness to stop and help the woman in need even as He was on His way to heal Jairus daughter. Ask the Travelogue question (p. 63): Given the urgency of the situation, does it surprise you that Jesus broke off His journey to Jairus house for the sake of this woman? Why or why not? Ask: Why is it so often difficult in today s world for believers to follow Jesus example to make time for interruptions that may be divine appointments? THE LAST GREAT ENEMY Set the stage for Jesus arrival at Jairus house by including the following thoughts. First, Jesus saved the best for last during this busy day of healing and traveling. Second, He took on the last great enemy, death. Later, Jesus would claim the final victory over death when He died on the cross and rose again. Ask: As Jesus arrived at the home of Jairus, what evidence did He give of being in full control? When He was about to raise Jairus daughter from the dead, why did Jesus limit the number of people in the room instead of allowing everyone to witness this amazing act? What do we learn about Jesus character from His instruction to give the girl something to eat? What difference should it make in the lives of believers to know victory over sin and death has been won? Read the following from the Travelogue, (p. 68): Curiously, though, in the midst of the unbelievable joy and excitement that must have flooded the home, Jesus instructed the parents not to tell anyone what had happened. This isn t the only time in Scripture Jesus issued such a warning. He often told those who experienced His miraculous healings to keep what had happened to themselves. Ask learners why they think Jesus would instruct people for whom He had done an amazing work to keep silent about what He had done. Use the writer s paragraph that begins, That s because even though Jesus was completely sure (Travelogue, p. 68) as explanation as needed. Pose this question: Do you believe miracles still happen today? Call on volunteers to describe situations they have experi- page 53 jesus the healer
enced or know about that they consider miracles. Ask: How does Jesus heal people physically and spiritually today? What kind of healing have you experienced? Do you think Jesus would ask us today to keep silent about the marvelous things He does for us? Explain your answer. CONCLUSION Emphasize that praise and thanksgiving are the most appropriate responses of believers to Jesus healing power in their lives and the lives of others. Form a circle and invite adults to offer sentence prayers of praise and gratitude for the various healings Jesus still performs. Read Psalm 103:1-4 as a closing prayer. FOLLOW THROUGH Communicate by email or other means with group members. Challenge them to include at least one prayer of gratitude to God each day. Urge them to sharpen their focus to see God s miracles in their lives and the lives of others. Thank God for each person in your group. Pray for each by name. As you plan the next study on resurrection and commission, ask God to help you draw group members into the story as it unfolded and to understand their continuing role today. page 5 4 jesus the healer