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Luke 9:18-27 Jesus' Mission and Ours

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Luke 9:18-27 Jesus' Mission and Ours Luke 9-14 - Next Steps with Jesus Luke 9:18-27 Jesus’ Mission and Ours Luke’s Gospel chapter 9, verse 51 is a significant turning point for Jesus: When the days were coming to a close for him to be taken up, He determined to journey to Jerusalem. Along the way Jesus calls on people to follow him – to be his disciple and to share in his mission. Over the coming weeks we will seek to learn from Jesus and follow him. First however, we will remind ourselves of the main ideas of Luke 1-9: The identity of Jesus (who he really is); the mission of Jesus (what he came to do); and the call of Jesus (how to respond rightly to him). These themes come to a climax in Luke 9:18-27. 1. If someone asked you “What difference does following Jesus make?” what would you say? 2. Read Luke 9:18-27. What immediately strikes you as interesting, confusing or challenging? 3. In verses 18-20 Peter confesses for the first time that Jesus is the Christ, “God’s Messiah”. (“Christ” is the Greek word, which translates the Hebrew word “Messiah”. Both words mean ‘anointed one’ – or more simply king. In the Old Testament God had promised that a king would come to rescue and rule his people - Psalm 2, Isaiah 9:6-7 & 42:1-4). Skim the earlier pages of Luke’s Gospel. On what basis might Peter have come to believe this? How is it different to the other opinions circulating at the time? What difference do you think it makes to know the true identity of Jesus? 4. In verse 21 Jesus tells his disciples not to tell anyone that he is God’s Messiah. This is surprising to us, but there are at least 2 good reasons for keeping this quiet (at that time). First, such a claim would immediately bring death (see Luke 22:66-23:2). And second, Jesus still had much to teach his disciples. What reaction do you think Jesus’ disciples might have had to his words in verse 22? 5. In verses 23-27 Jesus talks about what’s involved in following him in his Messianic mission. a. What does Jesus call on people to do (v 23)? From what Jesus says in verses 24-26, what do you think it means to deny yourself and take up your cross daily? b. Why would anyone want to follow Jesus on his mission of self denial and death? What reasons does he give? When will these costs/benefits be experienced? Do you find these compelling – why or why not? 6. Jesus’ mission on earth was to rescue people by dying on the cross, and then to rise again and enter his rule as God’s Messiah. We can’t physically follow him on the road to Jerusalem. In light of God’s plan summarized in Luke 24:44-49, what is God’s mission for us today? How does a clear grasp of Jesus’ identity, mission and call help us in this? 7. How does Jesus teaching on his mission and ours compare to common/popular contemporary views of what it means to follow him? 8. Will you follow Jesus? What is one area of your everyday life (work, home, or elsewhere) where you find it challenging to deny yourself and follow Jesus in his mission? Pray together for God’s help. Luke 9-14 - Next Steps with Jesus Luke 9:28-62 Getting it Right In Luke 9:18-27 we have a clear statement of Jesus’: • Identity - God’s Messiah (who will rule God’s kingdom in glory) • Mission - to die and rise again (to save/rescue people who belong to him) • Call – to follow him (on his path to glory via sacrificing self for the salvation of others) In the rest of chapter 9 Luke clarifies and explores the implications of these truths by showing us how people didn’t understand what Jesus was saying, and correcting their (and our) thinking. 1. In your experience what do people around you find hard to grasp about Jesus? 2. Read Luke 9:28-62. What overall impression do you get of Jesus from this passage? 3. For each section: a. What truth about Jesus (Identity, mission or call) is being explored/assumed/emphasized? b. How do the people there get it wrong (or not see the full implications of this truth)? c. What correction is given? Section Truth Mistake Correction v 28-36 (v 33) (v 34-35) v 37-43a (See also 9:1-2) v 43b-45 - v 46-48 v 49-50 v 51-56 v 57-62 4. Which of the corrections here do you think is most relevant to you personally, and to our church generally? How does this reflect a failure to fully grasp and live out the truths of Jesus’ identity, mission and/or call? What might it look like to apply this correction to our lives? 5. How might this passage shape the way we talk to others about Jesus? 6. Pray together about what you have heard from God’s word. Pray that we would know and follow the true Jesus. Luke 9-14 - Next Steps with Jesus Luke 10:1-24 Rejoice in what matters most As Jesus travels to Jerusalem he prepares his disciples for their (and our) ongoing mission to the world. This mission is to proclaim Jesus and his kingdom to the world (See Luke 24:46-49). 1. As you contemplate or actively get involved in God’s mission, which of these reactions do you commonly experience: Fear Passion Responsibility Complacency Pessimism Joy Apathy Privilege Excitement Optimism 2. Read Luke 10:1-24. What is the overall mood of this passage? 3. From verses 1-12, as Jesus sends the seventy... a. What are they instructed to do and to expect? b. What truths or principles do you think lie behind Jesus’ specific instructions? c. Which of these do you think still apply to us today? What can we learn and apply to ourselves? 4. Sodom, Tyre and Sidon are cities which were notorious for their sin and for being judged by God (Genesis 19:1-29, Ezekiel 26-28). a. In your own words, what is Jesus saying in verses 12-15? b. Why is rejecting Jesus’ disciples so serious? How might verse 16 motivate us to continue in mission? 5. In verses 17-24, the seventy have returned excited about what they have seen God do through them. a. What does Jesus say matters more than seeing these powerful things happen? (You could also feel the weight of this by reading Revelation 20:11-15, 21:10 & 27) b. How might this perspective help us to continue in mission – both when we see powerful things happen, and when we don’t? 6. In verses 21-24 Jesus rejoices and reminds the disciples how privileged they are. What are these privileges? How might this have encouraged the disciples then, and also us now? 7. “Mission involves trust, responsibility, authority, rejection, but above all privilege”. To what extent do you think this quote accurately sums up the teaching of Luke 10:1-24? 8. How has reading Jesus’ words here encouraged, challenged or corrected you? How will this make a difference in your life? Luke 9-14 - Next Steps with Jesus Luke 10:25-42 Doing and Listening As we follow Jesus on his journey to Jerusalem, we come to the story of the good Samaritan. Being so famous, we are tempted to presume that we know what it means. In this study we will look closely not only at the story itself, but also think about what it means in its original context. 1. Read Luke 10:25-37. a. The expert in the law asks a great question: “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” He then answers it himself from the Old Testament (see Deuteronomy 6:5 & Leviticus 19:18), and Jesus says he is correct! Do you think it is possible to live up to the standard of verse 27? Why or why not? b. What clues does the passage give to the mindset/attitude of the expert in the law? Why do you think he asks the question: “Who is my neighbour”? c. What is the most remarkable feature of the story Jesus’ tells? (What does Jesus’ emphasize?) d. What corrective does Jesus give to the expert in the law (and to us)? Instead of asking “who is my neighbour”, what question should he/we be asking? 2. Now read Luke 10:38-42. What action/attitude is commended here? In light of verse 37, why is this surprising? 3. Why do you think Luke placed these two sections side by side (and between 10:21-24 and 11:1-11)? To help, evaluate these theories on how the sections might fit together: i. No significance in Luke’s order, it’s just the way things actually happened. We should just read each section on its own. ii. Jesus is teaching his disciples about different key aspects of following him: loving God and neighbour (10:25-37), listening to Jesus (10:38-42), and prayer (11:1-13). iii. Both sections are actually about how to inherit eternal life – not by trying to “do” the law, but by listening to Jesus. (This also flows well from 10:21-24). iv. Luke shows us what it looks like to love God and neighbour (v27). v. Mary’s priority in v 38-42 is a corrective to those who might respond to 10:37 by frantic activity.
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