Re-Focus on Jesus

This is the Bible study page for the Thursday Night Bible Study Group meeting August 13 to study Luke 3:15-38. This picks up from where we left off last week. We will then proceed through the end of the chapter.

The people's response to John and his response is interesting. Read through the passage several times, note interesting details, and jot down questions. You may find it useful to review genealogies in Genesis and Chronicles.

After going through on your own, review some commentaries or study Bible notes. Look online at Blue Letter Bible site, or other Bible site you like. Maybe some brief article on John the Baptist would help as well. Those can be found in a good Bible dictionary or encyclopedia.

• How does John depict Jesus' ministry and purpose?  Is that how you would characterize His ministry and purpose?
• Remember Herod was mentioned in the 'timing' in verse 1.  Where was Herod? And therefore, where along the Jordan was John?At what point in Jesus' baptism does the Holy Spirit appear?
• Read Matthew 3:13-17 and Mark 1:9-11. Now read John 1:32-34. Think through the slight differences in detail. Who heard and saw what?
• What do you think the relationship between Jesus and the Holy Spirit was before this?
• Why do you think Luke would add that Jesus was praying during the baptism? Or do you think that means it happened afterwards?  Or what do you think Luke is referring to?
• What difference does it make whether the voice speaks to Jesus or those around Him? ('You are' in Luke and Mark versus 'This is' as Matthew has it)
• Go to Matthew 1, and list just the names backwards from Jesus to Zerubbabel.  Then flip back to Luke 3, and list the names forward from Joseph to Zerubbabel.  Considering the numerous differences, just in this section, what do you think might be going on?
• There are fewer differences from Zerubbabel back to David, but still Matthew fairly closely follows the king list of Judah in the line of David.  Where do you think Luke is drawing his from?  If you find more than one commentary, what do they think?
• Considering both lists (Luke and Matthew), what do you think the point of each might be? 

That will probably be more than we can get through once again, but we'll give it a shot.  Who knew genealogies could be fraught with so much controversy?

John The Dipper

This is the Bible study page for the Thursday Night Bible Study Group meeting August 6 to study Luke 3:1-20. This is the ministry of John the Baptist (or Dipper). I didn't realize that Luke goes through the whole thing in 20 verses and then goes back a little for the baptism of Jesus. Why would Luke use the whole of John's ministry as his introduction into who he was?

Read through the verses a few times (yes, over and over) and jot down questions and insights. Use a few translations and note their differences, at least ones that seem to disagree on what something means. After that, use your commentaries or ones you find online, and see what questions are answered, and what additional questions you come up with.

After doing all that, go back through with the questions below:

• Verses 1 and 2 are about the timing.  Why do you think Luke spends so much time on timing here?
• Consider the list of people Luke chooses to place John's ministry in time.  Why do you think it made sense to use people like that?
• Luke quotes a prophecy of Isaiah (40:3-5a).  Read the rest of the prophecy (40:1-8 perhaps).  How does the coming of Jesus, announced by John fit the depiction in Isaiah?
• Why do you think John would refer to those coming out to him as 'children of vipers'?
• What constitutes repentance for John? Why would that be important?
• Why do you think John would undermine their reliance on Abraham?
• Consider the people's response to John as he lays into them.  Why do you think they would be so receptive to his critique?
• We're not soldiers extorting, or tax collectors, but how do you think we can apply John's word to them?
• How does John depict Jesus' ministry and purpose?  Is that how you would characterize His ministry and purpose?
• Remember Herod was mentioned in the 'timing' in verse 1.  Where was Herod? And therefore, where along the Jordan was John?

That should carry us through an hour anyway.  Blessings upon you all until we see each other Thursday!