Discussion Questions for Meet Me in the Gospel of Luke, Part 1

Sep 14

The prompts on your bookmark make good points of discussion for your Bible study group. Below are a few content-specific questions for each lesson in the Meet Me in the Gospel of Luke study.

Please do not include these questions in any published materials without written permission from Colleen. Meet Me in the Gospel of Luke content is copyrighted and all rights reserved. Thank you for following copyright laws.

Introduction to the Gospel of Luke

Why do you want to study the Gospel of Luke?
As you answered the context questions on page 9, what piqued your curiosity about Luke's Gospel?
Complete the sentence: At the end of this study, I hope to _____.

Birth Announcements, Luke 1:1-80

Bounce question: When was the last time you were surprised by an answer to prayer?
What do you think the people outside the temple were praying for (Luke 1:10)?
Both Zechariah and Mary asked Gabriel a question (Luke 1:18, Luke 1:1:34), but Gabriel’s response was different with each. Why do you think this is?
Mary is pronounced favored and blessed. How are the meanings of favored and blessed in the Gospel of Luke different from how our culture views the meanings of favored and blessed?
Why do you think Mary went with haste to Elizabeth’s house (Luke 1:39)?
The Holy Spirit’s activity is recorded multiple times in Luke chapter 1. Note his activity and the results in the following verses:

Luke 1:13-17
Luke 1:34-35
Luke 1:41-44
Luke 1:67

The Lord has Come! Luke 2:1-40

Bounce question: Luke 2:1-20 may be the most familiar part of the Bible. Without looking, what part of the Christmas story in the Gospel of Luke do you remember most?
Why do you think God chose to make the most important announcement of all time to shepherds?
Who was the good news of great joy for (Luke 2:10)? Look back at God’s promises to Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3. What is the connection?
How did Mary respond to all that took place (Luke 2:19)? Contrast Mary’s response to these extraordinary events with how our culture responds to extraordinary events.
Circumcision, the requirement of the firstborn, and purification rituals took place on the eighth day in the temple (Luke 2:21-24). Why is it significant that the Christ Child underwent each of these? Look up Genesis 17:9-14, Exodus 13:1-2; 11-16 and Leviticus 12:1-8
Who are the key characters in Luke 2:25-36? What do they have in common?

Preparation for Ministry, Luke 2:41-4:13

Bounce question: Is there someone in your family tree with a memorable story or reputation?
Luke’s Gospel gives us the only glimpse of Jesus’ childhood, aside from the arrival of the wisemen in Matthew chapter 2. What stood out to you in Luke 2:41-52? What did you learn about Jesus?
John used strong words in Luke 3:7. Look at Matthew 3:7, for more insight. To whom was John the Baptist speaking? What assumption did he warn against in Luke 3:8? How might this warning translate to our culture?
Google winnowing fork to gain insight about how this tool was used in Biblical times. What insight do you gain about John’s words in Luke 3:17?
Why do you think Jesus was baptized? Another account of Jesus’ baptism is in Matthew 3:13-17.
After Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit led him into the wilderness where he fasted and prayed. How did the temptations in the wilderness prepare Jesus for ministry? Are the means he used to overcome temptation available to us?

Beginning of Jesus’ Ministry, Luke 4:14-5:39

Bounce question: Which story of Jesus’ miracles is most vivid to you? Why do you think this is?
What do you think it was like to hear Jesus read Isaiah, then claim he fulfilled this prophecy? Which layer of this prophecy is the most meaningful to you in your current season of life? Why?
Jesus highlighted the widow Elijah was sent to and the leper Elisha cleansed. What did these two people have in common (Hint: Where were they from)? What point do you think Jesus was making? Why did this enrage the people of Jesus’ hometown?
Jesus’ authority as the Son of God was quickly established. Over what did he demonstrate authority in the following passages:

Luke 4:31-36 and 41
Luke 4:38-40
Luke 5:1-7

Look at Luke 4:43. What do you learn about the kingdom of God from Jesus’ teachings and actions in Luke 4:18-41?
In Luke 4:42 and Luke 5:15, what did Jesus choose to do? How do you think his followers felt about this habit? What are the implications of Jesus’ rhythm for us?

Jesus Teaches, Luke 6:1-49

Bounce question: Who have you known that rightly demonstrated a love for enemies?
Are there practices or rules that Christians hold tightly to in the way the Pharisees held tightly to Sabbath rules?
Look back at question #5 from BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENTS. How is the meaning of blessed in Luke 6:20-23 different from our culture’s meaning of blessed? Keep in mind that most in the crowd were literally poor, hungry and oppressed.
Jesus contrasts two kinds of people, describing each in four parallels of “blessed are” and “woe to” in Luke 6:20-26. Why do you think being rich and well-liked are significant stumbling blocks to being a follower of Christ?
The Pharisees of Jesus’ day used the Law of Moses to oppress rather than to love. Jesus’ teaching in Luke 6:27-42 corrects the legalistic interpretations and additions to the Law by the Pharisees, introducing a law of love. How would you like for your thoughts and actions to better reflect Jesus’ teaching?
Look at Jesus’ measure of a disciple in Luke 6:43-49. How is this different than how our culture, even Christian culture, determines if one is a true disciple of Christ?

The Compassion and Authority of Jesus, Luke 7:1-8:56

Bounce question: Who do you connect to the word compassion? Who comes to mind when you hear the word authority?
The Gospel of Luke is the only place we read about the widow from Nain (Luke 7:11-17). Put yourself in this story as part of the crowd that followed. In your mind’s eye, what do you see, hear, and feel?
Look back at Zechariah’s prophecy in Luke 1:78-79. What evidence did you see in Luke 7:1-17 that this prophecy was fulfilled in Jesus?
John the Baptist, Jesus’ cousin, sent his disciples to ask Jesus a weighty question in Luke 7:19. Where was John at this time (Luke 3:19-20)? What do you think caused John to doubt that his cousin was the Messiah? Can you recall a time when you felt confused by God’s lack of intervening? How did you respond?
What do you think it means that the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the purpose of God for themselves (Luke 7:30)? What did they not think they needed?
Take a moment to review the people highlighted in the Gospel of Luke so far - Zechariah and Elizabeth, Mary, Simeon and Anna, John the Baptist, the Pharisees, the disciples, tax collectors and soldiers, the immoral woman, etc. How does the parable of the sower offer a poignant overview of what you’ve read about so far?
Luke chapter 8 gives account after account of the compassion and authority of Jesus. In Luke 8:40-56, Jesus shocked the crowds again by touching two unclean women: one who was bleeding and one who had died. What did you learn about the kingdom of God from the accounts recorded in Luke chapter 8?

JESUS AND THE TWELVE, LUKE 9:1-62

Bounce question: Can you think of a situation in which you were resolved, no matter what the cost? What motivated your resolve?
Look back at the prophecy from Isaiah that Jesus quoted at the beginning of his earthly ministry (Luke 4:18-19). How is the mission of the twelve disciples an extension of Jesus’ mission?
The disciples, crowds, and Jesus were in the wilderness (Luke 9:12), and the crowds were hungry. People were given ample bread in the wilderness. What past event would the Jews have connected this to? What do you think Jesus was teaching about the kingdom of God?
Because crucifixion was a common way for the Romans to execute the condemned, the disciples would have seen men carrying crosses. What do you think the disciples understood from Jesus’ words in Luke 9:23-27?
At the transfiguration recorded in Luke 9:28-36, Jesus talked with Moses (the Law-giver) and Elijah (a prophet) about his departure. The word departure in the original language is exodus. What connections can be made between Israel’s exodus from Egypt and Jesus’ death on the cross?
Look at Luke 9:41. Based on all you’ve read so far in the Gospel of Luke, what makes Jesus happy? Can you think of another Scripture to confirm?
Jesus was resolved to go to Jerusalem and pay the ultimate cost. In Luke 9:57-62, Jesus addressed the cost of following him. What might the cost of following Jesus look like right now?

The Mission of Jesus, Luke 10:1-11:13

Bounce question: Have you been on a mission trip? How did the goals of the mission trip accomplish God’s mission in the world?
God’s heart has always been for people of all nations to know him and worship him (Genesis 12:3, Luke 2:10).

What mission did Jesus give the seventy-two?
Which of Jesus’ instructions in Luke 10:1-11 felt odd to you?

What did you learn from Luke 10:1-11 that you will use as a model for your mission assignment?
Why were Chorazin, Bethsaide, and Capernaum deserving of God’s judgment? Review Jesus’ ministry in Capernaum in Luke 4:31-44, 5:17-26, and 7:1-10 for insight.
Jesus’ question and statement in Luke 10:36-37 don’t directly answer the lawyer’s question in Luke 10:25. What point do you think Jesus was trying to make?
Look back at the Parable of the Good Samaritan. What barrier was Jesus breaking down? How does our culture resemble these passages, for good or for bad?
To sit at a rabbi’s feet in Jewish culture meant you were a student of the rabbi. What barrier was Jesus breaking down while visiting Martha and Mary’s home (Luke 10:38-42)?

Warnings From Jesus, Luke 11:14-13:35

Bounce question: Name a warning you heard growing up that was disregarded. How do you feel about the disregarded warning now?
What do Jesus’ opponents accuse him of? What might have been the reasons that his opponents attacked him in this way?
According to Luke 11:23, every person is helping further the mission of Jesus, or they are hindering the mission of Jesus. According to Luke chapter 11 so far:

Name a few ways we can gather with Jesus.
Name a few ways we can scatter from him.

Do you think a miraculous sign, like Jonah surviving 3 days in the belly of a whale, would have convinced the skeptics that Jesus was the Son of God? Why or why not?
What did the Ninevites and the Queen of Sheba have in common? (hint: What people group were both associated with? What people group was Luke associated with?) What point do you think Jesus was making?
What choices must be made in order to maintain the right spiritual perspective/”healthy eyes?”
After rereading the woes in Luke 11:37-54, what is important to the Pharisees? How do their values scatter people from Jesus rather than gather?