1 LIFE OF JESUS…Son, Jesus Christ, the God-man, to be the substitute for sinners bearing the...

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THIS IS US


BECOMING A CHRISTIAN

In the Bible, God reveals His truth about how to have eternal life by becoming a believer in the finished work of Jesus Christ. The believer is a Christian, a follower of Jesus Christ, a true child of God, and one who has been saved by God according to God’s grace (undeserved favor). “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

How does one become a Christian?

The Bible, God’s word, says that eternal life (salvation) is a free gift of God which cannot be earned or deserved (Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9).

However, we also find in God’s word that all people are born sinners and cannot save themselves from the penalty of sin, which is eternal death and separation from God. God’s requirement is perfection and no one is perfect (Isaiah 53:6; Romans 3:3-23; Ephesians 2:1-4).

God tells us in His word that He is holy, meaning that He is perfect and that He is also just, meaning that He gives to sinners what is deserved, and because of His holiness and justice He must punish sinners. But thankfully, the Bible also says that God is loving and merciful and does not take pleasure in punishing sinners (Exodus 34:6-7; Ephesians 2:4-5).

God has mercy on sinners by not giving them what they deserve. This is only possible because He gave His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, the God-man, to be the substitute for sinners bearing the penalty for their sin and satisfying God’s justice (John 1:1,14; Isaiah 53:6; Romans 5:8).

Jesus said that in order for anyone to have eternal life there must be repentance of sins and faith placed in His substitutionary death on the cross to pay for the penalty of one’s sins. This faith must be in Jesus Christ alone, not depending on anything else including “good works” (Mark 1:15b; Acts 20:21; Ephesians 2:8-9).

What then is the response to these things if one desires to have eternal life and become a Christian?

1. Pray and ask God to forgive you. The Bible says that you must repent of your sins, being ashamed of them, genuinely regretting and grieving over them, and firmly deciding to make an about-face and turn away from sin and your old lifestyle (Acts 3:19-20).

2. Pray and tell God that you place your faith in Jesus Christ alone to save you. The Bible says that for you to become a Christian, you must place your faith and trust in the finished work of Jesus Christ who died on the cross to become your substitute and who took the penalty for your sin upon Himself once and for all (John 3:36).


SERIES CONTENT

J u ly 2 5Woe to Religious Leaders 8

AU G U S T 1Parable of the Rich Fool 18

Au g u s t 8

Parable of the Barren Fig Tree 28

AU G U S T 1 5

The Narrow Door 38

AU G U S T 2 2

Parables of the Lost Sheep, Coin, and Son 48

AU G U S T 2 9Raising Lazarus from the Dead 58

S E P T E M B E R 5The Cost of Being a Disciple 68


G E T T I N G R E A D Y

-If you could discuss one story from Jesus’s ministry over dinner with Him, which would you choose?

-Read Luke 11:37–54.

-Pray that God would make you able to boldly confront others for the sake of the gospel.

K E Y B I B L I C A L T R U T H

The Jewish leaders could not repent because they were abusing the very means by which God was pointing them to repentance.

T H E O L O G Y A P P L I E D

Unrepentance can become a lifestyle.

M E D I T A T E

“And the Lord said to him, ‘Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish but inside you are full of greed and wickedness’” (Luke 11:39).

+Use this section to prepare your heart for the truths you will encounter this week and to connect this passage’s main point to your own life.

THIS IS US

July 25, 2021 | Woe to Religious Leaders

LIFE OF JESUS


Q: What are the positive effects of political correctness?

Q: What are the negative effects of political correctness?

The phrase “politically correct” has become increasingly popular over the past several years. It refers to the coercion

to adopt patterns of speech and thought that are contrary to a person’s beliefs or what they think to be true. Refusal

to be politically correct results in some degree of ostracization from mainline society. Thus, everyone becomes a

politician. We say what people want to hear in order to win in the poll of public opinion.

The good thing about political correctness is that it is based on a concern for the larger community. People feel an

obligation to one another. We would not want to live in a society where this was not the case. The bad thing about

political correctness is that it entails dishonest or misleading communication. Furthermore, political correctness

does not allow for “correct behavior” to be challenged. So, it can easily become a tool used by the elites against the

masses or by the majority against the minority.

In Luke 11:37–54, we see Jesus throwing political correctness aside in order to grab the attention of Israel’s political

and religious elites. Their traditions and customs had become so corrupt that they no longer reflected God’s concern

for purity and justice. In order to escape their plight, they needed someone who was willing to shun political

correctness to open their eyes to the spiritual deadness being masked by their traditions.

Q: What are some politically correct stances in our culture that must be challenged by Christian conviction?

Q: What will it cost you to challenge the cultural mandates of our society?

APPLICATION POINT – Christians in this country have had little to worry about in terms of persecution. But

all around us we see signs that this is changing. Perhaps the biggest danger to Christianity is the possibility that

Christians will wait too long to stand against the tides of cultural change because we have become far too at home

in our culture and will no longer be willing to challenge the political correctness of our day. It is time to think

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about when and how we will stand against the cultural tides that demand we abandon our Christian convictions.

Many Christians claim they have no problem with beginning politically incorrect. Why then is there not a greater

outcry and resistance when our culture pushes its radical agenda on sexuality and morality? Is it perhaps because

our lives are so intertwined with the engines of cultural production that we can no longer even think of life

without the comforts and entertainment they provide? Our culture is committed to its moral vision and will not

rest until every entity within it celebrates its moral precepts. Christians will continue to face evermore challenging

questions regarding our participation in culture and our commitment to biblical morality. If you are not prepared

to answer these questions, you will be in danger of compromising the faith.

U N D E R S T A N D I N G T H E T E X T

+In Luke 11:37–54, Jesus addressed two elite groups in Jewish society, the Pharisees and the scribes. Although

the text distinguishes between them, Jesus’s words to either group could easily be applied to the other and to the

rest of the elite factions of Israelite society. His words also serve as a poignant reminder to us of the danger of

unrepentance.

1. OBSESSION WITH EXTERNAL APPEARANCES IMPEDES REPENTANCE.

2. HYPOCRISY IMPEDES REPENTANCE.

+This section looks at Luke 11:37–54 in two parts. The first part examines Jesus’s warnings to the Pharisees. The second examines His warnings to the scribes.

1. OBSESSION WITH EXTERNAL APPEARANCES IMPEDES REPENTANCE.

LUKE 11:37–44

Q: What was the occasion for Jesus’s interaction with the Pharisees?


Q: What did Jesus do to offend the Pharisees?

While Jesus was teaching the crowds, He was invited to dinner by a Pharisee. Jesus accepted the invitation, but

when He arrived for the meal, He did not wash before eating. Do not be grossed out by this! The washing referred

to in this instance was not hygienic but ritualistic. It was symbolic and done for outward appearances rather than

to accomplish any hygienic function. It also went beyond the requirements of the Mosaic Law. The Pharisee was

disturbed because Jesus had not followed an extra-biblical custom.

The Jews of Jesus’s day had developed numerous customs that extended far beyond God’s requirements in the Old

Testament. Traditions and customs are not intrinsically wrong. Your family has likely adopted numerous customs

you would shudder to see broken. Traditions and customs become problematic when they become synonymous

with righteousness or unrighteousness. In the Pharisees’ minds, they were more righteous because they followed

these ritualistic customs. Not only did washing pump up their own self-righteous egos, but it also gave them a way

to condemn others who refused to go along with their production. Jesus’s refusal to be drawn into their game upset

them.

Q: In what ways do you demand to approach Jesus on your own terms?

Q: How is the world expecting Jesus to mold to their expectations?

APPLICATION POINT – The Pharisees expected Jesus to adopt their traditions and customs. They expected

Him to come to them on their terms. This is never how He operates. Jesus is not in need of us. We are in need of

Him. He does not come to us by our way. We must be prepared to go to Him by His way. The Jesus of Scripture was

seldom the Jesus people expected, both in His own day and in ours. If we are going to accept Him as our Savior,

we have to let go of our preconceived notions of what He is like and what He demands. This will be challenging for

believers because the world has its own version of what Jesus is all about and will call us unfaithful for upholding

the true Jesus of Scripture. If you haven’t already, begin keeping a list of how Jesus challenges your expectations

as you proceed through this study.


Q: What was Jesus’s charge against the Pharisees?

Q: What reasoning did Jesus give for this charge?

Jesus condemned the Pharisees for caring only about outward appearances and neglecting the change of heart

necessary for a right relationship with God and the world. The Pharisees preferred actions that garnered them the

greatest amount of attention. That’s why they always remembered the ritualistic washings. It’s why they always

remembered to tithe. It’s also why they sought the best seats in the synagogues and recognition in the marketplaces.

Their spirituality was on display for the whole world. Jesus, however, argued that if these public displays of

spirituality are not undergirded by private expressions of spirituality, then there is no real evidence of a changed

heart.

The same problem persisted in Old Testament Israel. The Israelites were good at preforming sacrifices, but their

sacrifices were not supported by an authentic spirituality. They offered their sacrifices to God and then bowed to

the gods and idols of other nations. God preferred that they keep their sacrifices and instead display a real love for

Him (Hosea 6:6). In fact, apart from a change of heart, external rituals are acts of defiance and sin (Amos 4:4–5).

Q: How can you ensure your righteous acts are supported by a changed heart?

Q: What precautions should you put in place to keep yourself from caring only about outward appearances?

APPLICATION POINT – Who are you when no one is watching? The answer to this question is the key to

ensuring that your external righteousness stems from a changed heart rather than an opportunity to increase

your social status. If you are worried that your heart is in the wrong place when others see you practicing your

faith, withdraw from public expressions for a season and focus on expressing your faith in private. The fact that

you have this concern is a good sign.


Q: What word is repeated several times during Jesus’s condemnation of the Pharisees?

Q: What did Jesus compare the Pharisees to in His final rebuke?

The word “woe” seems formal and unfamiliar to our modern ears, but for Jesus’s audience, it had a chilling effect.

“Woe” was reserved for the deepest expressions of regret. It is often used in situations in which there is no possibility

for a positive outcome. Such is the case with the Pharisees in this passage. They only cared about external displays

of religious affection. This was particularly dangerous because the things they were doing—tithing and attending the

synagogue services—should have been means of grace to help them get their hearts in the right place. Instead, they

exploited these means of grace for their own purposes. They used for evil the things that should have transformed

their hearts. There appears to be little hope for them. They were crossing an unfinished bridge to nowhere and

burning it down as they went. Woe was them!

Jesus compared the Pharisees to unmarked graves. If a person were to walk upon an unmarked grave, he would have

no idea there was a dead person beneath him. The same was true for the Pharisees. There was deadness within them

that people outside never recognized. The Pharisees were dead spiritually, but their deadness was unobservable to

those only looking at the external.

Q: Are you exploiting any means of grace for your own purposes?

Q: What signs of decay do you see in your spiritual life?

APPLICATION POINT – If you were to tape leaves and branches to a dead tree, you might fool some people into

thinking it was alive, but you would not change the fact that the tree is dead. You might adopt numerous religious

practices, but if your heart has not been made alive to Jesus Christ, you are just taping leaves onto a dead tree.

Spend some time in introspection this week. Think about the things you do within the church setting. List them, if

needed. Can you explain why you do these things? If it is to build your reputation or check a “religious duty” box,

woe to you! Pray that God would help you seek and serve Him from a transformed heart.


2. HYPOCRISY IMPEDES REPENTANCE. LUKE 11:45–54

Q: Who was the second group Jesus addresses?

Q: What did Jesus accuse them of?

In Luke 11:37–44, Jesus condemned the Pharisees, but His remarks apparently applied to certain lawyers

as well. When a lawyer challenged Him, Jesus refused to back down. Instead, He turned His attention to

them more directly, accusing them of hypocrisy. They gave burdens to others that they were unwilling to

bear themselves. These burdens were likely extra traditions added to the Mosaic Law. Such additions made it

difficult for the Jews who sought to be faithful to God, but the lawyers were apparently unconcerned to even

the slightest degree.

Q: How does hypocrisy impede repentance?

Q: How do you add burdens to people seeking to be faithful to Christ?

APPLICATION POINT – Hypocritical people struggle with repentance because they presume themselves to be

innocent. This presumption of innocence is why they do not see their hypocrisy for what it is. Since innocent people

do not need to repent, hypocrites do not understand their need for repentance. Do you carry a presumption of

innocence for yourself? People who do so often cannot understand why they struggle to maintain strong personal

relationships. In their minds, they have only the best intentions for themselves and everyone else. Thus, they can

do no wrong in their own eyes. No one is perfect, however, and even the best intentions often fall short of what

others deserve. If you have found yourself struggling with hypocrisy or with a presumption of innocence, commit

to leading with repentance in your interactions with others, including, primarily, with God.


THIS IS US

Q: What did Jesus accuse the lawyers of complicity in?

Q: How did the lawyers resist the wisdom of God?

Jesus charged the lawyers with the murder of all God’s prophets. His accusation is challenging to understand.

To do so requires familiarity with the broad storyline of the Old Testament. To some degree, the story of the

Old Testament can be seen as the story of rebellion against God, both humanity’s in general and Israel’s in

particular. Starting with Adam and continuing through Cain to the Israelites, the Old Testament is filled with

rebellion against God and resistance to His Word. This resistance culminated in the murder of His messengers.

Beginning with Abel, who offered a pleasing sacrifice to God and concluding with Zechariah (found in 2

Chronicles 24:20–22. Several Jewish traditions in Jesus’s day ended the Old Testament with Chronicles), the

Old Testament tells the story of the murder of God’s messengers. The resistance to God’s Word shown by the

Pharisees and lawyers places them in the same storyline as the people of the Old Testament. Jesus’s words

came to fruition when His own people condemned Him to death.

Q: How do you respond to criticism?

Q: How can you create a context for constructive criticism in your church?

APPLICATION POINT – The Pharisees and lawyers would have been appalled by Jesus’s claim. They thought

they were the ones who were obedient to God’s Word, but we soon see evidence that they would follow in the ways

of their ancestors. Not only is humanity prone to rebellion, we typically respond with contempt as well when our

rebellion is challenged. We are the same as the people in the Old Testament and the ones to whom Jesus was

speaking. We cannot stand to be found guilty.

Our resistance will only lead to our destruction. Not one of us is perfect. Since we are seldom able to see our

flaws, we can either receive correction from others or continue in our sins. We need to seek out contexts in which

we can feel free to invite others to point out our flaws. This is typically best accomplished in very small groups,

perhaps of only 2 or 3 people. And to gain the reciprocity needed for these conversations, these groups need to

meet frequently and cannot always be geared toward rebuke.


Q: What did Jesus accuse the lawyers of in His second woe against them?

Q: What was the effect of the lawyer’s refusal to receive God’s Word?

Jesus continued condemning the lawyers, saying they had taken away the key of knowledge. The idea is that

they had discarded it so they could not use it. This is another point of connection between the lawyers and the

Pharisees. They had distorted the means of grace that was intended to point them to the Father. In doing so, they

kept others from receiving grace and seeing the Father. Thus, the pain of their rebellion was multiplied.

Q: How are you hindering others from knowing God?

Q: In what ways are you throwing away the keys to God’s knowledge?

APPLICATION – The lawyers were responsible for teaching God’s law to others. In failing to do so, they hindered

others from knowing God. The teachers in your congregation bear an enormous burden. Teachers will be held

accountable for the things they tell others about God and Jesus Christ. Among the followers of Christ, however, no

one rides the bench. If you profess Christ as your Savior, you are responsible for passing along how to follow Him

to everyone in your sphere of influence, including your children, your friends, your coworkers, and your neighbors.

Do not hinder others from coming to know Christ!

This lesson focused on what kept the Jewish leaders from repenting. The Pharisees were consumed with external

signs. The lawyers were caught in hypocrisy. These are not mutually exclusive categories. Which one creates the

biggest struggle for you? Take some time to write down some resolutions to help you flee from these two corrupting

influences.


+Use these prayer points to instill the lessons you learned from God’s Word this week.

Lord Jesus, make me alive to you and your grace every day.

God, keep me from becoming consumed with external signs of righteousness.

God, keep me from ever distorting the means of your grace.

Jesus, tune my heart to receive your grace.



-How have you been generous with your possessions over the past month?


-Ask God to help you develop an instinct for generosity.


Everything we have belongs to God.


We are called to invest our wealth responsibly.

M E D I T A T E

“And he said to them, ‘Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions’” (Luke 12:15).

+Use this section to begin thinking about how you view your possessions.

THIS IS US

August 1, 2021 | Parable of the Rich FoolLIFE OF JESUS


Q: What is the wisest financial advice you ever received?

Q: What makes something wise financially?

“He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” This was the mantra of Jim Elliot, a

missionary to the Auca Indians of Ecuador and one of four who lost their lives in an attempt to contact this hostile

tribe in hopes of sharing the gospel with them. His famous quote is a perfect distillation of the value of the gospel.

The gospel offers a new relationship with God that will remain for eternity. Whatever following Jesus costs us, it is

worth it, especially when you consider there is nothing you own that death will not take away.

In this week’s passage, Jesus told the story of a man who displayed the exact opposite mindset. His goal was to

hoard everything God had provided him to feed his own indulgences. He shunned what he could not lose to invest

in what he could not keep. The contrast between Elliot’s outlook and the rich man’s outlook is affirmed by the first

word of God’s address to the rich man, “Fool!”

Q: What key words would you use to describe the financial outlooks of Elliot and the rich man?

Q: Which outlook more closely represents your own?

APPLICATION POINT – Willingness to receive advice, financial or otherwise, is a mark of humility, a virtue to

which all Christians should aspire. We must, however, evaluate the worldview behind the advice we are given. For

example, one of my sons was born in the middle of flu season. When one of the nurses heard we regularly attended

church, she advised us to keep our son at home for the first three months. She said it was not worth the risk of

him getting sick. My wife and I had to evaluate the worldview underlying this advice. We decided it was nothing

for this nurse to tell us to stay out of church for three months. We knew from our conversations with her that, for

her, church was just something nice you did when you got the chance. If that is your view of attending church,

then why would you risk taking a newborn to church? But we did not share her worldview on this matter. For

us, meeting with our church family is a time for corporate worship, discipleship, missional planning, and mutual

encouragement. We could not warrant missing three months of church, not for us or for our son. We wanted to

set a precedent then for what attending church services meant for our family. We took our son to church the first

chance we had and continued to do so. There was, of course, a risk in doing this, but it was a risk we were willing


to take in order to receive the love and support we needed from our church family.

The same thing is true of financial advice. You will likely receive a lot of financial advice over the course of your

life. You need to evaluate the worldview behind the advice you receive. If this advice prioritizes the “bottom line”

above everything else, you cannot follow it. If you are a follower of Jesus, there is more to life than acquiring

massive amounts of wealth. Does the financial advice you receive come from a worldview more like Jim Elliot’s

or the rich fool in this week’s passage?


+In the parable of the rich fool, Jesus challenged how we think about wealth and possessions and urged His followers

to prioritize God’s riches over the riches of this world.

1. IDENTIFYING COVETOUSNESS

2. AVOIDING MATERIALISM

3. UNDERSTANDING POSSESSIONS

4. REAL RICHNESS

+This section will investigate Luke 12:13–21 and consider how Jesus challenged the world’s wisdom on wealth.

1. IDENTIFYING COVETOUSNESS LUKE 12:13–14

Q: What is the context of this passage?

Q: Why did Jesus implicitly accuse this man of covetousness?


While Jesus was teaching, a person from the crowd sought His aid in resolving a financial dispute with his brother.

Jesus gave this man a mild rebuke and implicitly accused him of covetousness. Jesus’s response may catch us off

guard for two reasons. First, there is a growing perception of Jesus as the great fighter of injustice. Jesus did address

justice and injustice at times, social and otherwise, but we must never make this His primary concern in ministry.

This passage does not allow for that. Jesus did not come to adjudicate this man’s conflict with his brother, regardless

of the legitimacy of his claim.

Second, Jesus’s implied accusation of covetousness seems harsh, given the scarcity of the details we know. The

context of this passage, however, provides sufficient details for us to conclude that this man’s heart was not in the

correct place. On this occasion, Jesus was teaching thousands (Luke 12:1). Imagine a lone voice calling out among

the thousands for Jesus to stop what He was doing to solve a personal dispute. Furthermore, Jesus has just finished

teaching the crowd the importance of remaining faithful in the midst of persecution. Can you imagine this man

saying, “Never mind all of that perseverance stuff. Help me get my fair share from my brother”? When our problems

take on an outsized importance, there is a good chance covetousness is the underlying cause.

Q: What things do you struggle with coveting?

Q: What does covetousness imply about God’s goodness?

APPLICATION POINT – Covetousness is misplaced desire. Rather than appreciating what God has done for

you, you desire something else. Covetousness reveals a twofold problem—denying God’s goodness and making an

idol out of something He has made. Therein lie the keys for fighting covetousness. Acknowledge God’s goodness

in your life. He has been far better to you than you deserve. Also, acknowledge God’s worth. He is worth more

than your share of the inheritance. He is worth more than the recognition you feel you deserve at work or at home

or at church. Acknowledge God’s goodness and acknowledge His worth.

2. AVOIDING MATERIALISM LUKE 12:15


Q: What did Jesus warn His audience of?

Q: What reason did Jesus give for His warning?

In verse 15, Jesus warned the crowd of covetousness. Coveting diminishes God’s importance, but Jesus pointed

to a different reason that it is so disruptive. Covetousness demonstrates the belief that the sum of our life is

determined by what we have won. The person with the most toys at the end wins! Jesus flatly denied this idea.

The word “life” conceals the key to understanding what Jesus was saying. Our lives on earth are not defined solely

on the basis of the material we own. Even an ardent secularist should agree with this statement. But Jesus likely

has another idea in mind. Underlying the entirety of His teaching is the importance of the life to come. Christians

never deny the importance of our lives now, but we also affirm the priority of the life to come because that life

extends throughout eternity. This belief will not allow us to adopt the outlook of the man who is so wrapped up

in his inheritance or the rich fool in Jesus’s parable. Our lives are not about how much we own here but how well

we prepare ourselves for eternity.

Q: How can you leverage this life to best prepare yourself for eternal life?

Q: What can you do to fight the influence of materialism in your own life?

APPLICATION POINT – Reinhold Messner is a German mountaineer and adventurer and the first person to

climb all fourteen peaks that are 8000 meters above sea level. In a book reflecting upon his experiences, he

laments the spread of materialism within modern culture, stating, “The wonderful things in life are the things

you do, not the things you have.” Messner’s statement resonates with the words of Jesus, “One’s life does not

consist in the abundance of his possessions.” The problem with Messner’s point of view is that he simply replaces

materialism with experientialism. Christians know life is more than material objects, experiences, or even the

sum of both. Life is about glorifying God with every fiber of our being. This week, resist the tides of materialism by

giving generously to the spread of the gospel. Resist the urge to buy every new gadget or assuage every discomfort.

Live for the spread of God’s glory more than anything else this world can offer.


3. UNDERSTANDING POSSESSIONS LUKE 12:16–20

Q: What was the source of the rich man’s windfall?

Q: Who did the rich man attribute his sudden influx of wealth to?

To illustrate the foolishness of covetousness, Jesus told a parable of a rich fool. In the parable, the land of the rich

man produced abundantly. This should have been an occasion for joy and thanksgiving, but this rich man did not

have an adequate understanding of possessions. He had much, but he did not acknowledge God as the source of his

abundance. The reference to the rich man’s land would have involved different thoughts among Jesus’s audience

than it does for us. For us, land is a commodity to be bought and sold. We pay the asking price and receive the deed.

For the Israelites, however, land was considered a gift from God. One of the main themes in the books of Genesis

through Deuteronomy is God’s gift of the land to Israel. When God addressed the people, the phrase “the land I am

giving you” appears over and over. Thus, the man’s land should have been seen as a gift from God, not as something

to which he was entitled. The same can be said for the crops coming from the land. In the Old Testament, abundant

crops were seen as a gift from God and a sign of His blessing (Deuteronomy 28:8, 12). Thus, the rich man did not

understand possessions.

Q: Is having possessions a good thing?

Q: How can we remind ourselves that all our possessions are gifts from God that we should hold to loosely?

APPLICATION POINT – I have heard of elderly people, looking to downsize, giving their children a pad of sticky

notes and telling them to place their name on furniture and other items they would like to inherit. This week, do

this with your own possessions but write “God’s” instead of your own name or anyone else’s. Do this for the five to

ten things you value most as a reminder that they really belong to God. God gets to decide what happens to them.


Q: How would you describe the rich man’s outlook?

Q: What word is repeated numerous times in verses 17–19?

The rich man in Jesus’s parable had been blessed by God’s abundant provision. Rather than sharing God’s

generosity with others, he hoarded everything he had for himself. In verses 17–19, the man used the word “my”

five times. He gave no indication of any obligation to others or to God. The emphasis on his barns highlights his

greed. He had more from this crop than he ever anticipated he would have in a single year. Yet rather than sharing

his abundance with others, he tore down the barns that used to hold enough to satisfy him and built massive store

houses to hoard all that had been given to him.

Q: Was it wrong for this man to plan for the future?

Q: What deeper spiritual problem does stinginess point toward?

APPLICATION POINT – Stinginess or a refusal to be generous with your belongings belies a heart that does

not trust God. We are unwilling to give up what we have because we refuse to trust in God. Stinginess also shows

a misunderstanding of what our greatest needs are. We think our greatest needs are physical, so we hoard

everything we have to meet those needs. Our greatest need, however, is not physical but spiritual. We need God’s

forgiveness. Our spiritual debt is far greater and more costly than any physical debt we have ever incurred. If

Jesus Christ paid this spiritual debt, why would we ever question God’s ability to meet our physical needs. Choose

an act of generosity you can perform this week. As you do it, reflect on the generosity God has shown you in Jesus

Christ. If God has met your need for forgiveness, He can meet every other need.

Q: Who were the scribes Jesus mentioned?

Q: What do “treasures new and old” represent in this parable?


THIS IS USHaving provided for his own needs, the rich fool planned to live a life of relaxation and luxury, but God had different plans. On the night this man thought he had the rest of his life figured out, God revealed that his life had come to an end. The joy he anticipated would never come, and the efforts he made to provide for himself were for nothing.

This parable exposes the dangers of possessions. We cannot take anything with us from this life to the next. If we put all of our hopes for joy in our material wealth, our joy is limited to the span of our own lives, and even that is not certain. This man’s search for joy was not the problem. The problem was what he settled on. It is okay for us to enjoy possessions, but our joy will never be complete if it is limited to possessions. We need a more stable foundation than possession. For the Christian, that foundation is God Himself. If we find our ultimate joy in God, we will see how we can most fully enjoy what God has given us.

Q: What is the meaning of your possessions?

Q: How can possessions help you enjoy God?

APPLICATION POINT – Possessions are never the cause of greed and idolatry. Possession is simply part of God’s

created order. The problem is when we place a greater value on our possessions than God intended them to have

or when we ask them to be or do more than they are created for. Our possessions are intended to point to God’s

goodness. When we have a proper perspective on them, it is easier to see how we can leverage them for God’s glory

and for our joy.

4. REAL RICHNESS LUKE 12:21

Q: What does it mean “to lay up treasure”?

Q: What does it mean to be “rich toward God”?


Jesus compared everyone who places their joy in possessions with the rich man who died suddenly. It is important to remember that not everyone who hoards wealth will suddenly die. The comparison is between their conduct, not their immediate outcome. The joy they seek from their possessions will not last.

Rather than depending on possessions for joy and security, Jesus pointed His audience to a surer source of joy and security than possessions can offer, one that could never be taken away from them.

Q: How are you becoming rich toward God?

Q: Can you build wealth and become rich toward God?

APPLICATION POINT – If you believe you struggle against the attitude of the rich man, challenge yourself to

give away a certain portion of whatever you are holding back to a ministry your church supports. This may be only

a symbolic act, but it will help you be mindful of where your true hope of joy is found.

Discussions centering on money inevitably rest on determining “the bottom line.” What is this going to cost me?

This lesson will not provide you with a bottom line. Hopefully, you have realized that the implications of this passage

extend far beyond what you do with the money God has given you. This passage demands that you evaluate the state

of your soul. The biblical principle is that people who are rich toward God are free to be generous with the wealth

He has given them. That is the challenge for you this week. Be generous with what God has given you. You fill in the

details yourself.

My wife and I have grown close to a couple in our church over the past several years. They knew we were preparing

to raise support to become missionaries in Brazil and that we were in the process of moving homes and extending

our family. They helped us move into our new place, and when we were done, they gave us an envelope. They simply

said God had provided some unexpected income to them and they felt led to share it with us, either to build our

missions support or to help us with the extra expenses we were incurring. When we opened the envelope later that

night, we saw they had written us a check for a thousand dollars. We were blown away by their generosity. They

had covered a significant portion of our mission expenditures before we had even begun actively raising support.

Such generosity points to the grace God had shown them in Jesus Christ. Their gesture was a wonderful reminder

of God’s all-surpassing value and of the rich inheritance we share in Christ. How is God leading you to demonstrate

His greatness through generosity?


THIS IS US


God, make me a generous person.

Father, I can never give you more than you have given me in your Son.

Lord Jesus, help me to save responsibly in your eyes, not in the eyes of the world.

God, help me to fix my gaze upon eternity.



-What are some recent tragedies you have seen in the news?

-What meaning do the news outlets give these tragedies?



God demands repentance.


Look at the warning signs around you as encouragement to repent.

M E D I T A T E

No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3).

+This section introduces this week’s passage by considering the philosophical side of Jesus’s teaching.

August 8, 2021 | Parable of the Barren Fig TreeLIFE OF JESUS


Q: What are some of the major roles Jesus filled during His ministry?

Q: Have you ever considered Jesus to be a philosopher?

Philosophers ask and attempt to answer the most difficult questions of life. Jesus was an immensely popular figure

during His ministry, so it is not surprising that He was asked to give social commentary on current events. But His

responses seldom met the expectations of the crowds and religious leaders. He challenged many of the theological

paradigms of His day. Such was the occasion for this week’s passage.

One of the most common philosophies in the ancient world was known as the law of retribution. Basically, bad things

happen to bad people, and good things happen to good people. The law of retribution is the central matter of dispute

in the Old Testament book of Job. Job was recognized as a righteous man by God and Satan. Satan challenged God’s

worth by questioning whether Job would maintain his righteous if God’s blessings were removed. Satan believed

if God suspended the law of retribution, Job would no longer find a righteous life to be worth the effort. Although

he was reprimanded by God for his audacious demands for answers, Job upheld God’s worth despite the personal

hardships he endured. The law of retribution was not absolute. Centuries later, Jesus was also confronted about the

validity of the law of retribution. He used this philosophical inquiry to challenge His followers’ basic beliefs.

Q: What are some ways in which Jesus or Scripture have challenged your faith?

Q: Why is it important to see Jesus as a great philosopher or thinker?

APPLICATION POINT – Jesus did not avoid answering the difficult questions of life. He used them to explain

His mission to those around Him. We have a similar opportunity. We live at a time when people realize that many

of the prevailing ideologies around them are bankrupt. They are looking for new ways to explain the world and

their place in it. On the battlefield of ideas, however, Christianity is not the only competitor. If we are unwilling

to answer the difficult questions others are asking, someone else will, and their answers will not bring all things

under the reign of Christ Jesus.


Of course, there is more at stake than ideas and influence. For Christians, the battle of ideas is ultimately a battle

for souls. How prepared are you to engage in the battle of ideas? Are you able to clearly articulate the gospel and

explain the implications of a biblical worldview to a culture in desperate need of direction? If not, reflect on the

example Jesus sets in this passage. Jesus was not unprepared when His audience confronted Him with difficult

questions, and He did not take a “pass.” He set the standard all Christians should seek.


+In the passage this week, Jesus used the events around Him to urge His audience to repent. Life is unpredictable,

and you can never know when it will be too late to repent.

1. UNDERSTANDING TRAGEDY

2. UNDERSTANDING THE PARABLE OF THE FIG TREE

+This section will investigate Luke 13:1–9 in two parts. The first part concerns the conversation between Jesus and His audience. He used two tragedies in current events to encourage them to repent. In the second part He illustrated the need for urgent repentance with a parable of a fig tree.

1. UNDERSTANDING TRAGEDY LUKE 13:1–5

Q: What did Jesus’s audience tell Him about?

Q: How did Jesus respond?

The Bible provides us with few details concerning the violent event referred to in Luke 13:1, and no extra-biblical

resources reference it. We have to piece together what may have happened based on the few details we have. It


seems that Pilate, the same Roman official who authorized the death of Jesus, slaughtered a group of Galileans

while they were offering sacrifices. Thus, their blood was mixed with the blood of their sacrifices. At first, we may be

tempted to think this event would have outraged the Jews, but given Jesus’s response, that does not seem to have

been the case. From Jesus’s words, we can infer that these men were viewed as terrible sinners since they died so

terribly. They were probably involved in some type of insurrection, which would explain Pilate’s involvement and

the belief that these men were sinners, even among the Jews. To be slaughtered while making a sacrifice would have

been a very degrading way to die.

In response to the condemnation of these men, we see Jesus’s philosophical nature come out. The belief that these

Galileans were terrible sinners rests on the assumption that horrific deaths are reserved for the worst sinners.

Jesus, however, rejected this assumption. These men suffered humiliating deaths because of their insurrection.

From a human perspective, you could understand how some people might think they deserved to die this way, but

according to Jesus, the manner of their death had no bearing on their standing before God. They were sinners, just

like everyone else.

Q: Why is it dangerous to have satisfaction in the sentiment, “they got what they deserved”?

Q: Why are we so eager to tie outcomes to actions?

APPLICATION POINT – Humans instinctively want justice, especially when we are not the ones who will have

to pay the price. That is partly why Jesus’s audience believed these Galileans to be great sinners. It is why we

appreciate when bad people are held accountable for their actions. We need to be careful of these thoughts,

however, because in God’s eyes, we are all sinners in need of grace. None of us would fare well if we were judged

on our merits apart from the grace of Christ. If you are one who rejoices when people get what they deserve,

challenge yourself to rejoice in the grace given to others as much as you do the grace you have been given.

Q: How is the incident described by Jesus different than the one given by the audience?

Q: Which incident is harder to reconcile within a theistic worldview?


In order to reinforce His point, Jesus called attention to a different incident in which a nearby tower had collapsed

and killed eighteen people. As with the first incident, we know nothing of this beyond what we see in the biblical text.

The tower was probably part of the wall around Jerusalem. The victims were probably going about their daily lives,

innocent victims of a random tragedy. The circumstance of their deaths is even harder to comprehend than that of

the Galileans. These people, unlike the Galileans, had done nothing to warrant death. Jesus realized that many in

His audience needed something to explain the meaning behind this tragedy. Perhaps the victims were all caught up

in hideous private sins. They happened to all be under the tower, and God seized on the opportunity to judge them.

We like to think this way because it helps our world make sense—the collapse of this tower upon the unsuspecting

victims was not a random incident that killed innocent people. They had probably done something to deserve it.

Again, Jesus does not allow us to think these people died because of their great sinfulness. He said they were not

great sinners, that this tragedy could have happened to anyone in Jesus’s audience. The victims needed repentance,

just as everyone else.

Q: Do you believe God is actively involved in the world?

Q: How do you explain the seemingly random nature of things if God is involved in the world?

APPLICATION POINT – The Bible affirms that God is in control of even the most miniscule events in our

world, even when a tower collapses and takes the lives of eighteen bystanders. It is not hard to think of similar

incidents in our time, such as the collapse of the bridge in Minneapolis in 2007 that killed thirteen people. If God

is sovereign over all things, there must be a reason He allowed these events to occur, and it is natural for us to

seek the meaning of these things. Sometimes we are given glimpses into God’s purpose behind such tragedies, but

this is seldom the case. Even when we think we understand what God is doing, we need to hold to our explanation

cautiously. God does not owe us an explanation. We should never demand or assume insight into His plans and

purposes. He has revealed His will to us in Scripture. Our job is to be faithful to what He has revealed.

Our world is filled with tragedy, so it is natural to struggle to understand how God is at work in the tragedies

close to us. It is good to seek answers, but we must learn to be content if we don’t find the answers this side of

heaven. We can trust that He uses everything in our lives to make us more like Jesus. We also must avoid thinking

we have God’s plans figured out. Several years ago, my wife carpooled to work with a lady who was enduring an

unbelievable amount of personal tragedy. My wife began to notice that for every tragedy, this lady seemed to have


a detailed explanation for how it fit into God’s plan for her life. We admired her faith in God’s goodness but felt

as though she was probably deceiving herself in thinking she had every tragedy accounted for in God’s purpose.

Sometimes the greater faith is committing to endure tragedy regardless while admitting we do not understand

everything God does.

Q: What was Jesus seeking from His audience?

Q: What does the word “perish” mean?

In both incidents described in this passage Jesus denied that those involved were spectacular sinners who

deserved God’s judgment any more than the rest of us. They, like His audience, were in need of repentance. They

key to understanding this passage is the word “perish.” The Galileans and the people killed by the collapse of the

tower perished. Jesus said that apart from repentance His listeners would likewise perish, but He was shifting

the focus from physical death to spiritual death. The two incidents in this passage are extremely specific and rare.

Thus, Jesus was obviously not saying His listeners would be slaughtered for participating in an insurrection or

crushed by a tower if they failed to repent. Furthermore, Jesus’s listeners, whether they repented or not, would

one day suffer physical death just like the subjects of these tragedies, so Jesus was not referencing physical death

either. How should we understand what Jesus was saying? The most likely explanation is that He was using these

incidents as illustrations of how quickly and without warning death comes, and apart from repentance, everyone

who dies will suffer a spiritual death as well.

Q: What is the opposite of repentance?

Q: In what ways are you failing to repent?

APPLICATION POINT – People deny their need for repentance in two primary ways. The first is by redefining

the nature of their sin so it is no longer condemned but celebrated. The second is by justifying their sin so that the

penalty is accounted for. Which way do you most often utilize to deny your need for repentance? Knowing your

habits for avoiding repentance can help you flee to Jesus in repentance in the future.


2. UNDERSTANDING THE PARABLE OF THE FIG TREE

LUKE 13:6–9

Q: What about the fig tree draws the ire of the vineyard owner?

Q: What does the fig tree represent?

Jesus illustrated His warnings for repentance with a parable. The subject of the parable is a barren fig tree. The

owner of the fig tree had grown frustrated with the tree and was ready to have it cut down. The fig tree represents

the plight of the unrepentant. Their refusal to repent keeps them from producing good works, and they are in

danger of God’s judgment. It is important to keep the limitations of parables and James 2:18–26 in mind when

considering this parable, or it could be taken to mean our good fruit saves us. The Bible teaches that we are

declared righteous by faith, not by works (Romans 3:28), but our faith is demonstrated by works (James 2:21, 24;

both passages use the word “justify,” but in two different senses). Thus, in the parable, the failure to produce fruit

demonstrates lostness and a lack of repentance. What the lack of fruit points to is the key.

It is important to see the connection this parable establishes between unrepentance and unfruitfulness. The

failure to repent from sin keeps us from producing fruit in our Christian life.

Q: What examples of “fruit” are you seeing from your faith?

Q: In what areas of your life is unrepentant sin keeping you from producing fruit?

APPLICATION – Don’t kid yourself. Unrepentance will eventually ruin whatever fruit you produce and every

other sign of God’s grace in your life. You may get away with unrepentant sin for a while, but our sins have a way of


THIS IS USfinding us out. What areas of unrepentant sin have you tolerated in your life? If you are like most people, something

immediately came to mind when you read that question, something you would be horribly embarrassed if others

knew. More than likely, it will eventually come out. Even if it does not, this sin is killing the good fruit your faith

should be producing. Commit to doing whatever it takes to repent of sin. Never think your sin will not catch up with

you. I have seen far too many people think they could keep a lid on their sin and wreck their lives when their sin

was exposed. I’m thinking of pastors, youth pastors, deacons, seminary professors, college presidents, and others.

Unrepentant sin ruins the good fruit faith produces. It ruins marriages, families, churches, ministries, friendships,

and souls. Nothing is beyond the devastation of unrepentant sin.

Q: What does the failure to produce fruit point to?

Q: What signs of unrepentance are found in verses 1–5 of this chapter?

Unfruitfulness is a warning sign of unrepentance and spiritual deadness. The fig tree in the parable had been

unfruitful for three years. This unfruitfulness was a sign of the spiritual deadness within and of the judgment to

come. Jesus’s parable helps bring the significance of the incidents mentioned in the first part of this chapter to light.

The massacre by Pilate and the collapse of the tower were not a sign of the victims’ extraordinary sinfulness but a

sign to everyone that judgment for sin will come more suddenly than anyone expects. We cannot put off repentance.

Q: What similar signs of the need for repentance do you see today?

Q: Why does our society miss these warning signs?

APPLICATION – During the aftermath of hurricane Katrina in 2005, there were some prominent Christians

who argued that the hurricane and its destruction could be attributed to God’s judgment on New Orleans for its

wickedness. These outspoken Christians made the same mistake as Jesus’s audience. The hurricane was a sign

that everyone needs to repent because the judgment of our sin can be just as quick, just as pervasive, and just as

devastating. What kind of similar signs have you witnessed in the news over the past week? Do not neglect these

signs! Repent of sin while there is still time and call others to repentance as well.


Q: How do the efforts of the vinedresser to produce fruit relate to us?

Q: Was the vinedresser’s request open ended?

The vineyard owner was ready to cut down the fig tree, but the vinedresser asked for the fig tree to be given more

time. Perhaps some cultivation and fertilization would help the fig tree produce fruit. The vinedresser’s appeal

represents God’s grace for us. God would be entirely just in cutting us down for failing to produce fruit, but He has

been gracious to wait to see if we would bear fruit consistent with repentance. God’s grace in delaying will not last

forever. There will, perhaps quickly, come a time when God’s grace will end and all who fail to repent will be subject

to His judgment.

Q: How should God’s coming judgment motivate us to action?

Q: What is the danger of trying to have Christianity without repentance?

APPLICATION – There are a lot of religious philosophies, some even claiming to be Christian, that have no need

for repentance. Repentance entails guilt, and guilt is seen as the great enemy to be avoided at all costs. This passage

reveals what an insidious and dangerous heresy this belief is. To deny the need for repentance is to deny one of the

key foundations of the gospel of Christ. To deny our need to repent makes light of sin and exploits the grace of God.

God’s grace in delaying judgment was never meant to make us question the need for repentance. As true believers

in the gospel of Jesus, we must be willing to speak out against every philosophy or religion that denies the need for

the confession and repentance of sin. Failure to do so puts others at risk of enduring God’s judgment when the time

of grace runs out.

Tragedy weighs heavily upon our hearts. When we witness the fall of someone who subverts justice and acts only

for his own self-interests, we may be tempted to take solace in thinking that person got what he deserved, but

when we witness the fall of a kind and generous person, we are tempted to think that person didn’t deserve what


THIS IS UShappened to him. Jesus demands that His followers adopt a different paradigm of tragedy. Where we distinguish

between good and bad people, Jesus only sees a world of sinners in need of repentance and forgiveness. Tragedies

do not happen to good people because none of us is without sin. The tragedies that befall us are reminders that

we need repentance. Try to adopt Jesus’s paradigm into your speech habits. Within the context of a tragedy, try to

avoid the phrases “good/bad person” and “did/did not deserve that.” Instead, think in terms of showing others how

tragedies are reminders of our need for repentance. Often, you will need to find tactful ways to do this. Our world is

in desperate need of Jesus’s paradigm. Where else will they get it if His followers adopt the paradigms of the world?


-Father, help me repent of unconfessed sin in my life.

-Lord Jesus, help me adopt your view of tragedy.

-Father, make me a voice calling others to repentance.

-God, help me live today for eternity.



-Can you describe an instance in which you were deceiving yourself?

-Can you describe a time when you resisted being told there was only one way to do something?



Few people will be saved and enter the kingdom of God.


Remaining faithful to what God has revealed is the most important thing for you and for the church.

M E D I T A T E

“Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able” (Luke 13:24).

+Use this section to consider how our culture challenges the church to abandon the narrow door.

August 15, 2021 | The Narrow DoorLIFE OF JESUS


Q: Should we expect churches to thrive in a rapidly secularizing culture?

Q: How would you apply Jesus’s emphasis on the narrow door to our society?

In a quickly secularizing culture, we see firsthand what Jesus implicitly affirmed in this passage. Few people will

be saved. Few people will be able to find and enter through the narrow door. Most people assume that as a culture

becomes more secular it becomes less religious, but this has not turned out to be the case, at least in our current

context. As people have made less room for God in their hearts, they have found a greater need for spirituality. This

should not surprise Christians. We consist of body and soul or spirit, of material and nonmaterial. Most people are

unable to simply turn off and ignore the spiritual aspect of their nature, no matter how much a secularizing culture

demands it (See Rom. 2:14-16). Thus, we also see the second aspect of this passage at work. Many people believe

any show of spirituality suffices to appease whatever higher power is out there. They will be shocked to learn that the

narrow door is not as inclusive as they thought. As the church witnesses this drama play out, we have little recourse

aside from remaining faithful to the gospel, both in our conviction and in our witness.

Q: What dangers does the church face within a secularizing culture?

Q: What safeguards can your church put in place to retain its faithfulness to the gospel and to God’s Word?

APPLICATION POINT – As our society has grown more secular, churches have naturally become concerned

with a decline in attendance over the past several decades, and this concern has generated a variety of responses.

Unfortunately, these responses have too often abandoned the “narrow door” in an attempt to appeal to the

broader society. Many people believe if the church retains its commitment to biblical morality and sexuality,

it will appear hopelessly out of touch with mainstream society and continue to decline in influence. They want

churches to surrender long held, biblically grounded convictions and embrace the prevailing morality of the

wider culture. The sentiment is, “Get with the times.” Doing that, however, entails rejecting the narrow door and

disregarding what Jesus said in this passage. If you and your church want to reach the few who will be saved


rather than appease the many who will be left outside the door, you must remain faithful to all aspects of the

Bible’s moral vision.


+This is a crucial passage for our culture and for the church. It covers several important topics that the world resists

but that the church must continue to embrace.

1. MAKE TIME FOR DISCIPLESHIP

2. PREPARE TO GIVE DIFFICULT ANSWERS

3. SEEK THE NARROW DOOR

4. BEWARE OF SELF-DECEPTION

5. THE REALITY OF HELL

6. THERE ARE NO INSIDERS

+This section will cover the major themes occurring in this passage in greater detail and offer applications from these themes to our churches.

1. MAKE TIME FOR DISCIPLESHIP LUKE 13:22

Q: What was the occasion for Jesus’s teaching in this passage?

Q: What would happen to Jesus when He reached Jerusalem?


Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem to fulfill the mission for which God had anointed Him. Upon His arrival, He

would speak to large crowds about His mission and God’s plan. The crowds would be even larger than normal

because of the Passover celebration. Furthermore, Jesus knew that at the end of the week He would suffer on the

cross for the sins of the world. Jerusalem was where Jesus would take the next steps in His ministry and God’s plan.

But this text says He stopped at many smaller towns and villages along the way to teach. He took time away from

His larger goal to teach others along His way. In doing so, He modeled for us the importance of making time for

discipleship. Discipleship is training others in the faith. It rarely happens on its own. Instead, it typically requires

conscious effort and always demands time. In this passage, we see Jesus making time to disciple others.

Q: How are you engaged in discipleship in your local church?

Q: What keeps you from engaging in a discipleship relationship?

APPLICATION POINT – Every committed Christian should be involved in discipleship in two directions—seeking

to disciple another believer and to be discipled by another believer. True discipleship takes time. Unfortunately,

the pace of our society makes devoting time to discipleship challenging. We do not leave margin in our day for a

lot of things we should, including discipleship. This week consider how you can make time during the week for

discipleship.

2. PREPARE TO GIVE DIFFICULT ANSWERS LUKE 13:23

Q: Why is the question posed to Jesus a difficult one?

Q: Was Jesus ready to respond to this question?


The historical context reveals the difficulty of what Jesus was being asked. Since we are not told otherwise, we

should assume this question was posed by a Jewish person. In Jewish theology, a person is saved by identifying

with the Jewish community and by living faithfully within the Jewish faith. This helps us see what Jesus was

being asked. Is merely being Jewish enough to be saved or does salvation demand more? Are many Jewish

people living faithfully or just a few? This question is theologically deeper than it first appears, and Jesus’s

answer probably offended a large portion of His audience. Jesus did not flinch, however. He affirmed that few,

even among His own people, will be saved.

Q: What challenging answers must we be prepared to give our culture?

Q: How are you preparing yourself to answer difficult questions?

APPLICATION POINT – In many ways, our culture struggles to think theologically, but this does not mean

people have ceased to make theological judgements and ask theological questions. One of the best ways you can

prepare yourself to answer questions is by becoming familiar with, or even memorizing, a catechism. Catechisms

consist of formulated responses to questions regarding the Christian faith. Of course, it is unlikely you will ever

be asked a question in the precise form you see in a catechism, but by gaining the basic knowledge within a

catechism, you will be able to follow the logic and pattern of thought within it and adapt your answer to the

question.

3. SEEK THE NARROW DOOR LUKE 13:24

Q: How did Jesus respond to the question posed to Him?

Q: What did Jesus mean by “narrow door”?


Jesus affirmed that few people will be saved. This answer likely offended many people in His audience, as it would

today. In answering this question, Jesus used a narrow door to illustrate His message. A narrow door intrinsically

limits the number of people who can enter, but this does not seem to be the sense of Jesus’s metaphor. Rather,

the narrow door limits the paths available to enter the kingdom of heaven. Few people will be saved because few

people are along a path that will lead them through the narrow door. Going through the narrow door requires

a specific set of beliefs and commitments. Apart from these, a person cannot be saved, no matter how sincere

he is. This answer would have offended many in Jesus’s audience because it implied that many of them were,

unknowingly, not entering the kingdom.

Q: How does our pluralistic culture respond to claims of exclusivity?

Q: How does Jesus’s response shape our view on missions and evangelism?

APPLICATION – Christians love to see the spread of the gospel and growth within churches. This is part of every

church’s vision. By claiming that few will be saved, Jesus did not diminish our evangelistic and missionary zeal but

provided us with a realistic understanding of the task before us. There will be fewer people saved than unsaved.

More people will reject the gospel than will embrace it. Our task is to proclaim the gospel faithfully even as we face

rejection and hostility.

4. BEWARE OF SELF-DECEPTION LUKE 13:25–27

Q: What did those outside expect once they found the narrow door?

Q: Why did those outside think they belonged inside?


It is important to remember the door in this passage is an analogy, which is like a shortened parable. Not every

element in this analogy is intended to communicate a theological truth. We should not worry that there will be people

who find the way of salvation but are refused entry into heaven. In this instance, Jesus was creating a hypothetical

situation for His audience, warning them to make certain they understand the way of salvation before it is too late.

There have been and will continue to be those who think they are saved but are not. Jesus warned His audience—

and us—not to deceive themselves into thinking they are saved when they are not.

Although Jesus did not tell us specifically, we can infer how these people deceived themselves. They claimed to have

eaten and drunk with Jesus, which signals a social relationship with Him. Furthermore, they went to hear Him

teach in their streets, signaling that they appreciated what He had to say. Jesus’s warning is to social or cultural

Christians. Our churches are filled with people who need this warning. They attend church and live by generic

Christian principles but never truly understand what the Christian faith is. They have a superficial relationship with

Jesus and have deceived themselves into thinking their relationship is authentic.

Q: How can we protect ourselves from a superficial relationship with Jesus Christ?

Q: How can we best help others see the dangers of a superficial relationship with Jesus?

APPLICATION POINT – This is a challenging concept because the nature of self-deception means you likely

will not realize it on your own. How can you be certain you truly understand the gospel and that the gospel has

transformed your life? The best way is by regularly discussing the gospel among your small group. Other believers

can help you solidify what you believe and bring any self-deception to light. It is also important to eagerly apply

biblical principles to your life. A superficial relationship with Jesus leads you to alter the message of the Bible or

ignore it altogether. An authentic relationship with Jesus allows God’s Word to make a counter-intuitive difference

in your life.

5. THE REALITY OF HELL LUKE 13:28


THIS IS US

Q: What did Jesus tell those who refused to enter by the narrow way?

Q: How did Jesus describe the place to which unbelievers depart?

Jesus shifted His metaphor when He described the unbelievers in this passage. Before, He described His followers

as entering in, but here He described unbelievers as going out. Jesus described the place to which they go in terms

of great sorrow and rebellion. Although the term is not used in this passage, Jesus was referring to what we know

as hell.

The doctrine of hell does not appeal to modern audiences. Thus, it has become popular in some circles to deny

the reality of hell, even among some highly esteemed pastors. Despite the denial of hell, the Bible contains a

remarkably consistent description of the fate of unbelievers. Hell, as is evident from this passage, is the undeniable

fate for everyone who rejects Jesus as Lord and Savior.

Q: Why is the doctrine of hell crucial for the Christian faith?

Q: What arguments have you heard made against hell?

APPLICATION – Arguments against the doctrine of hell often reveal a misunderstanding of the gospel and an

unbalanced reading of Scripture, so it is crucial for us to defend this doctrine adequately. One of the most common

arguments made against hell claims a good and loving God could not possibly condemn people to eternal torment

in hell. This argument makes several mistakes. First, it neglects God’s holiness. God’s holiness cannot allow for

the presence of sin, but unbelievers are lost in their sin. To claim hell is not real undermines the holiness of God

and the sinfulness of humanity apart from Jesus. Second, it mistakes humanity as the ultimate object of God’s

love. While God deeply loves humanity, so much He sent the Son to die for them, humanity cannot be the ultimate

object of God’s love. God must be the ultimate object of His love. If God loved humanity more than Himself, how

could He object to humanity loving itself more than Him? God must be more committed to maintaining His own

holiness than He is to keeping the lost out of hell. If you are going to affirm the reality of hell, you must be prepared


to respond to the challenges to this biblical doctrine. It is too controversial of a topic to just cross our fingers and

hope everyone will agree.

6. THERE ARE NO INSIDERS LUKE 13:29–30

Q: Why did Jesus mention Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob?

Q: Where do the people who will inhabit the kingdom come from?

Within a Jewish context, whoever asked this question likely limited “those who are saved” to the Jewish people.

They were the sons of Abraham and the people of God. Jewish people at this time believed they had an “inside track”

on salvation. In the final verses of this passage, Jesus challenged this assumption. Jesus said many Jews would find

themselves looking in on their forefathers and prophets from outside the kingdom. This statement alone would

have drawn the ire of many in the audience, but Jesus went further by saying that many from east and west, north

and south would enter the kingdom. He was referring to the Gentiles, whom the Jews believed to be outside of the

kingdom. Jesus underlined this point by saying some who are last will be first and some who are first will be last. In

this instance, “last” refers to those who were not Abraham’s descendants and “first” refers to those who were. Some

of the Jewish people will be outside looking in and some Gentiles, who were previously out, will be brought in.

Q: What makes people think they have an inside track to heaven today?

Q: How can we avoid deceiving ourselves into thinking we are on an inside track to God’s kingdom?

APPLICATION POINT – Jesus taught that nothing in and of ourselves gives us an “in” to the kingdom of God. It

does not matter if your parents are Christians or if you go to church. It does not matter if you try to be a good person

or are more moral than your coworkers. None of this puts you on an inside track to salvation. Your relationship


with Jesus Christ, founded upon your confession of Him as Lord and Savior, is the only thing that matters. If your

confession is less than this, do not deceive yourself into thinking something else gives you an inside chance at

salvation. Nothing does and nothing will! If you do confess Jesus as Lord and Savior, speak up when you hear others

insinuate that your moral or personal character creates some sort of inside status for you. These are opportunities

for you to share your faith with others.

Each point of this passage illustrates the importance of our mission to make the gospel known to the lost. Those who

will find the narrow way are few, and those who do not will face eternity outside the kingdom in a place we know as

hell. And many who are outside the kingdom are deceiving themselves into thinking they are inside. Do you know

someone who may be suffering self-deception concerning their relationship with Jesus? Challenge yourself to have

a gospel-centered conversation with this person. If they are deceiving themselves, the only way out is by an outside

influence, which may be you!


-Father, help me to embrace the difficult questions surrounding my Christian beliefs and use them to engage others

with the gospel.

-Lord Jesus, help remove any self-deception in my life.

-Jesus, help me to seek the narrow way.

-Father, allow the reality of hell to weigh heavily upon me.



-Do people always celebrate the same occasions?


-Pray that God will help you celebrate repentance.


God rejoices when lost sinners are saved.


We must rejoice whenever we see God’s grace.

M E D I T A T E

“It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found” (Luke 15:32).

+Use this section to consider the joy God feels when lost sinners return.

August 22, 2021 | Parables of the Lost Sheep, Coin, and SonLIFE OF JESUS


Q: Can you describe a time when you lost something of great value to you?

Q: How would you describe the moment you found what was lost, if you did?

My wife worked as an administrative assistant for campus police for several years while I attended school. Every fall,

my school held a fall festival, and my wife’s job was overseeing the lost-child tent. Between trips to the snow cone

and cotton candy tents, I would hang out with her. I will never forget the looks of relief and utter joy when parents

were reunited with their children. All the concern and turmoil instantly faded away when the lost children ran into

their parents’ outstretched arms. What once was lost had now been found.

Such is the case in Luke 15. We see unbelievable joy when the lost sheep and coin are found and when the lost son

returns home. But we also see that not everyone rejoices when what was lost is found.

Q: Have you ever struggled to rejoice when grace was shown to someone?

Q: How well do you think you understand God’s joy when the lost find salvation?

APPLICATION POINT – Sometimes we think of God as stern and aloof. How can the creator and sustainer of

the whole world have much concern for you and me? But Luke 15 provides a different picture. The shepherd and

the woman celebrate when they find what was lost. The father celebrates lavishly upon the return of his son. Such

is the case when we receive the gospel. God’s capacity for joy eternally exceeds that of any parent, and joy fills

Him to the brim every time a lost sinner repents and believes. Never fall into the trap of believing that God is too

busy to be concerned about you.


+This week, we see the Jewish elites’ consternation when Jesus prioritized the people they dismissed as terrible


sinners. Jesus responded by showing that lost sinners who repent give God infinitely more joy than self-righteous

sinners.

1. THE LOST

2. THE SEEKER

3. THE PRODIGAL

4. THE CONNECTION

+The three parables in Luke 15 follow a similar pattern: (1) something is lost, (2) someone seeks that which is lost, (3) the seeker lavishly celebrates finding what was lost, and (4) Jesus connects the parable to His audience. This lesson will study these parables together, following this pattern.

1. THE LOST LUKE 15:4, 8, 11–19

Q: What was lost in these three stories?

Q: What is the difference between what was lost in the first two stories and what was lost in the last story?

Each parable in Luke 15 begins with loss. The shepherd lost a sheep, the woman lost a coin, and the father lost a son.

The lost son differs from the other two in terms of moral reasoning, so the son’s situation most closely resembles

ours. Examining the son’s story more closely helps us understand ourselves. He was not lost because he was a

stupid, wandering sheep or because he was dropped. He was lost because he chose to be. He wanted to live life

without the father. We are not told why he did not want the father, but we may presume it was because he thought

life with the father was robbing him of joy. He wanted to pursue an unrestrained life. After receiving his inheritance

early, the son left to find joy and fulfillment elsewhere. Thus, he was lost to his father.


Q: In what ways does the son correspond to us?

Q: How do you seek God’s benefits without seeking God?

APPLICATION POINT – The story of the lost son is the story of lost humanity. We have all abandoned God in

pursuit of our own desires. Notice, however, the son was not completely independent of his father. He still wanted

(and needed) his father’s money to finance his good time. How often do we behave this way, even as believers? We

want to live our lives with little consideration for God until we find hardship—a family member becomes seriously

ill, we lose our job, we have a relationship that needs restoration. Then we run to God in our time of need and pray

for His intervention. Such a relationship treats God more like a genie than as Lord. Do not seek God’s blessings

and provision without seeking Him first. God is far better than anything this world has to offer.

Q: What caused the lost son’s downfall?

Q: What animals did the lost son find himself feeding?

While the lost coin was in little danger, the same could not be said for the lost sheep and lost son. The sheep

was in danger from predators. The lost son was in danger from the famine. His situation had gotten so bad that

he was keeping pigs, detested and unclean animals in Jewish culture. He even longed to eat the pig’s food. In

our affluent culture, we seldom encounter danger. It does not seem like unbelievers are in danger. Following

Jesus could be seen as lifestyle choice. It is hard for us to perceive the real danger lost people are in, but that

does not change the fact that apart from Christ the lost will suffer in hell for eternity. They, like the lost sheep

and the lost son, are in danger.

Q: Do the lost around you know the danger they are in?

Q: How can you help them see their danger?


APPLICATION POINT – Modern westerners have become adept at avoiding the most important questions

in life. Many people barely consider the question of theism or of what lies beyond the grave. In a materialistic

society, these questions may even be ridiculed as arcane. As Christians, we cannot allow those around us to ignore

the important questions of life. This is the only way to help people shed the blinders of modernity and face the

danger they are in apart from Jesus Christ.

2. THE SEEKER LUKE 15:4, 8, 20–21

Q: Who were the seekers in these parables?

Q: How are they alike/different?

The lost sheep was sought by its owner. The lost coin was sought by the woman. The father may not have actively

sought his son, but he obviously gazed often down the road longing for his return. The seekers were not deterred

by having more of what they had lost. The sheep owner had ninety-nine other sheep. The woman had nine other

coins. Neither neglected the lost one for the sake of those that were not lost. The sheep owner and woman both

searched extensively for the one that was lost. This was a minor rebuke of the Pharisees and scribes. They chastised

Jesus for socializing with sinners. In their minds, these people were expendable. But no one is expendable in

Jesus’s eyes. In fact, these parables reveal that God finds more joy from one lost person being found than from

nine or even ninety-nine others who were never lost.

Q: Have you ever felt expendable at work or at home?

Q: Have you ever felt like you were too lost to be found by God?


APPLICATION – The sheep owner and the woman went to extraordinary lengths to find what was lost. They were

not content with what they had. They never thought that what was lost was not worth the effort. The same can be

said of God’s view of lost sinners. You never need to worry that your sins are so great or so many that God considers

you expendable. God sent His Son to die for you. Your sin, no matter how dark, is nothing compared to the blood of

Jesus. Take a moment to reflect on the goodness God has shown you through Christ Jesus.

3. THE PRODIGAL LUKE 15:6, 9, 20–24

Q: How are the seekers in these parables also prodigals?

Q: What do the seekers do upon finding that which was lost?

Many people know the final parable in Luke 15 as “the prodigal son.” If you do not know the meaning of a word,

you can often use context clues to find out. This method is not foolproof, however. I spent most of my life thinking

“prodigal” meant something like “wayward” because the younger son left his father to pursue an immoral lifestyle.

But “prodigal” is used to describe the son’s lavish lifestyle, not his waywardness. The younger son was a prodigal

because he wasted his inheritance on lavish living. The son was not the only prodigal in this parable, however. What

joy it was to me to find that this parable could also be called “the prodigal father” because the father lavished the

returning son with a magnificent reception. The father took immediate steps to demonstrate that the son was once

again part of the family. The son, despite his intentions, would never be seen as a servant in his father’s house. He

did not deserve his father’s love. His actions were extremely offensive. So, nothing could have prepared the son for

his father’s display of love. The sheep owner and the woman were also prodigals. They called others to celebrate

with them the return of what was lost. These celebrations symbolize God’s celebration when one sinner repents.

He paid an extraordinary cost for the forgiveness of our sins. Once saved, our lives are filled with His blessings and

will be for the ages to come. There is no end to the goodness we receive from God. These parables show we serve a

prodigal God!


Q: How do you see our prodigal God subverted by popular religion today?

Q: Does your vision of God’s capacity to bless exceed God’s?

APPLICATION POINT – Our culture and our TVs are filled with preaching that undermines our prodigal God.

Many proclaim that God wants His people to be healthy, wealthy, and happy, but their materialistic visions of

health, wealth, and happiness pale in comparison to what God intends for His children. Often, these preachers err

by focusing on material blessings to the neglect of spiritual blessings. The larger problem is that they divorce God’s

blessings from the gospel. No matter what we think we gain from God apart from the gospel, it will all come to

nothing in the end. The prodigal son had to repent before he discovered the prodigal father. The gospel is the means

through which God mediates His greatest blessings to His people. Never seek God’s blessing outside of the gospel.

Never believe someone who claims the greatest blessing we can receive is anything other than God Himself.

4. THE CONNECTION LUKE 15:7, 10, 25–32

Q: What is the context in which Jesus gave these parables?

Q: What is the emphasis in Jesus’s explanation of the first two parables?

Jesus concluded each of these parables by connecting it to His audience. In the first two parables, the connection is explicit. In the final parable, we are left to infer the connection.

Why did Jesus “waste” His time with tax collectors and sinners? This is the question implied by the scribes and Pharisees. Instead of wasting time with social outcasts, they thought Jesus should reserve more time for better company. With these parables, Jesus gave a simple response. He was pursing what brings greater joy in heaven. When the lost repent of sin, heaven erupts with choruses of praise. God’s grace on display warrants jubilation. Thus, Jesus prioritized the tax collectors and sinners over the Jewish elite because they repented of sin. There was more joy to be had among them than the Jewish leaders.


THIS IS US

Q: How are you following Jesus and seeking heaven’s joy?

Q: What keeps you from spending time with lost people?

APPLICATION POINT – Most people gravitate toward those who share similar perspectives, goals, and values.

We see this principle at work in a variety of ways in our culture. Did you know most people struggle to name

five acquaintances who voted differently than they did in the past several presidential elections? This is despite

candidates essentially splitting the popular vote. We like to be around others who are like us, a tendency that creates

a problem for Christians since it hinders our ability to engage the lost. Of course, this does not mean we should

disregard the importance of fellowshipping with other believers. There is a time for fellowship. We must, however,

also engage the lost with the gospel, which requires us to seek out and form relationships with the lost. Brainstorm

five ways you can be around people who need the gospel this week.

My mother told me of a time when she invited the ladies from her Sunday school class to a tea with her friends

from the neighborhood. Her hope was to connect the neighborhood ladies, all of whom needed the gospel, with

ladies from her church. To my mother’s dismay, the ladies from her church huddled together in a small circle

during the tea. No effort was made to connect with those who needed the gospel. Sometimes, we don’t so much lack

opportunities to engage the lost as we fail to take the opportunities we have. Perhaps one of your five ways should

be to think missionally and open your eyes to the opportunities around you.

Q: What inference can we draw from verses 31–32 for the father’s conversation with the elder son?

Q: Which son did not participate in the father’s celebration?

In the final parable, the connection with Jesus’s audience is left unstated, but it could not leap off the page at us

any more vividly. From the first two parables you could possibly infer that God and His angels are unconcerned

with faithfulness among believers—the ninety-nine sheep and the nine coins did not warrant a celebration. But the

conclusion of the final parable says otherwise. The father actually had two lost sons. The elder son did not stray as far


as the younger son, but he did not take part in the father’s celebration and missed his love. At the conclusion of the

parable, the elder son was left outside the house, embittered by the father’s love for the younger son. The elder son

was an indictment against the Pharisees. They resented Jesus’s ministry among the tax collectors and sinners. They

scoffed at the idea that God’s love would shine brighter in the lives of sinners than it did in theirs. They would have

been enraged by the insinuation that they were the ones left outside the house during the father’s celebration. This

is why these parables say nothing of how heaven rejoices at the faithfulness of believers. All three stories highlight

the joy that comes from the repentance of the lost. Only the last story depicted the true state of the Pharisees. They

could not be compared with the ninety-nine sheep or the nine coins. Everyone is in need of repentance, and it was

the Pharisees who refused to repent in the end. We can tell this from the elder brother’s reaction to the father’s

celebration. For unbelievers, repentance in the lives of others produces resentment rather than joy.

Q: Does repentance bring you joy or resentment?

Q: What could cause you to resent the joy repentance creates?

APPLICATION POINT – There are a few spiritual attitudes that are exceedingly dangerous. One is unforgiveness.

Another, revealed by the elder son of the parable and by the Pharisees, is reacting to repentance with distain.

They are dangerous because they vilify the very thing we all need from God. This outlook is the opposite of what

God intends, and it erodes our ability to accept the gospel ourselves. These spiritual attitudes often arise from

unbelievable trials and hardships. It is often easy to sympathize with those who convey these sentiments, but the

heart that produces these attitudes is in danger of missing the gospel. If you find yourself, like the elder brother,

disdaining repentance in the lives of others, pray that God would change your heart.

How do you and your church show God’s prodigal love to those who repent of sin and confess Jesus as Lord? The

natural next step from this lesson is to follow the prodigal God’s example and lavishly celebrate repentance. Your

church could consider having a yearly banquet in honor of those who have recently confessed Christ as Savior. This

is something to celebrate! You could make a conscious effort to get to know new believers in your church. Find some

way to celebrate repentance in the manner our prodigal God does.


THIS IS US


-Father, show me where I need repentance in my life and help me to repent.

-Jesus, thank you for seeking lost sinners like me.

-Father, thank you for the lavish love you show to everyone who repents.

-Father, keep me from ever distaining repentance.



-How have you responded to sorrow in the past?

-Read John 11:1–44.

-Pray that God would open your heart to the work Christ has done and help you apply the lessons from John 11 to your life.


Jesus helps us through the sorrow we encounter in life.


When you encounter sorrow in life, depend upon Jesus for help.

M E D I T A T E

“Jesus said to them, ‘Unbind him, and let him go’” (John 11:44).

+Use this section to prepare your heart for the truths you will encounter this week and to connect this passage’s main point to your own life.

August 29, 2021 | Raising Lazarus from the DeadLIFE OF JESUS


Q: Why is sorrow a part of life?

Q: Is there any limit to what can cause us sorrow?

“And they lived happily ever after.” So conclude the fairytales we heard as children. There is something satisfying

about this line. We like to believe we can live happily ever after. But as adults, we understand that sorrow always

catches up to us eventually. This week’s passage centers on the sorrow of two sisters after the death of their brother.

In their sorrow, they seek Jesus, and in Him they find a more satisfying answer than they ever dared to dream.

Q: How is Jesus’s ministry to those enduring sorrow carried on?

Q: How do people avoid sorrow?

APPLICATION POINT – Many people attempt to avoid sorrow by creating barriers. If they avoid relationships,

they can mitigate the opportunity for sorrow to arise. If they do not allow themselves hope, they will not be

disappointed when something falls through. But living this way is devoid of meaning. When we create barriers to

protect ourselves from sorrow, we end up sacrificing joy. This passage offers a different solution. It encourages

us to approach Jesus with our sorrow instead of avoiding it. Part of Jesus’s mission is to bring an end to sorrow.

One day, He will do so decisively. While on earth, He ministered to those enduring sorrow. His church also seeks

to minister to those enduring sorrow until Jesus returns. If you are enduring sorrow, this passage shows that you

can turn to Jesus, and He will meet you where you are.


+In John 11:1–44, Jesus responded to the sorrow stemming from the death of Lazarus. He placed sorrow within the

larger framework of what God is doing in the world. He also responded to those enduring sorrow in the unique way

they needed. Finally, we see an allusion to how Jesus will one day decisively end all the sorrow we feel.


1. SORROW PRODUCES FAITH.

2. JESUS MEETS OUR INTELLECTUAL RESPONSE TO SORROW.

3. JESUS MEETS OUR EMOTIONAL RESPONSE TO SORROW.

4. JESUS CHALLENGES OUR SKEPTICISM.

5. JESUS UNBINDS US FROM THE TRUE SOURCE OF EVERY SORROW.

+This section examines each section of John 11:1–44 to understand how Jesus responds to our sorrows.

1. TRIALS PRODUCE FAITH. JOHN 11:1–16

Q: Why did the disciples discourage Jesus from visiting Bethany?

Q: How did He respond to their objection?

Lazarus, along with Martha and Mary, lived in Bethany. Bethany is in the middle of Judea, a short distance from

Jerusalem. Jesus’s frequent altercations with the Jewish leaders in Judea made Him a targeted individual in the

area. In the previous passage (John 10:22–42), Jesus evaded an attempt to stone Him. The disciples evidently

believed they were “laying low” until the outrage against Him subsided. Jesus’s decision to delay two days before

journeying to Bethany likely reinforced their assumption. It was tragic that Lazarus was ill, but Jesus could not risk

getting involved. Or so they thought.

Much to their dismay, Jesus announced His intention to visit Bethany two days after hearing Lazarus was ill. The

disciples believed this visit was suicide. It was unlikely tempers had cooled so quickly. They tried to dissuade Him

from going, but He refused to listen. With only a short time for His earthly ministry, Jesus would not allow His

opposition to deter Him from ministering to those in need, including His friends who suffered the sorrow of their

loved one’s death. Just as daylight is limited to twelve hours, Jesus’s opportunity for ministry was limited. Despite

the danger, He would not remain hidden while the time for His ministry was at hand. He would carry out His

mission despite great personal risk.


Q: What does Jesus’s refusal to evade danger show us during times of sorrow?

Q: How does Jesus’s death on the cross for our sins speak to us when we are suffering?

APPLICATION POINT – Jesus did not neglect His ministry, even when it was perilous for Him. In fact, His

ultimate mission demanded He put Himself directly into danger and suffer on our behalf. When you endure

sorrows, know you serve a Savior who is familiar with sorrow. Nothing you endure is unknown to Him. The Son

of God, who existed from eternity past in continual fellowship with the Father, was abandoned by the Father at

the cross. The sins of the world were poured out on Him, and He endured the full measure of God’s wrath on our

behalf. Our Savior knows sorrow, and He is the answer to enduring our own. Prepare yourself for times of sorrow

by reflecting often on how your Savior suffered for you.

Q: What did Jesus conclude concerning Lazarus’s illness?

Q: Why did Jesus delay going to Bethany?

Jesus’s response on hearing of Lazarus’s illness may appear convoluted or even in error to us. He said the illness

would not lead to death. But just a few verses later, He openly acknowledged that Lazarus was dead. Jesus’s remarks

cannot be understood apart from the conclusion of the story. While Lazarus did indeed succumb to this illness,

Jesus raised him from the dead. So, we understand that Jesus meant death would not be the end of Lazarus’s

struggle with this illness even though death was part of it. Jesus also said Lazarus’s illness and the sorrow produced

by his death served a purpose. This is counterintuitive to the way we—and Jesus’s contemporaries—view illness,

suffering, and death. We think of illness and suffering as having no objective. We can sometimes explain illnesses

scientifically, but illness, death, and the resulting sorrow have no role within a naturalistic worldview. They simply

happen. Not so for Jesus. Jesus saw a two-fold purpose in Lazarus’s illness. He saw Lazarus’s illness and death as an

opportunity to glorify Himself (11:4) and to produce belief in the lives of His followers (11:15).


Q: Do you find Jesus’s view of Lazarus’s illness and death offensive?

Q: How does your sorrow provide an opportunity for spiritual growth?

APPLICATION POINT – Some people may be offended by Jesus’s remarks concerning Lazarus. Who would use

a man’s death and the sorrow of his loved ones as an opportunity for self-promotion? Such a response ignores

Jesus’s role in the worldwide drama unfolded in the gospel. Jesus suffered and died for our sake, but His sorrow

leads to our forgiveness. Jesus’s sorrow gives meaning to all our sorrow. Just as Jesus’s sorrow served a purpose,

our sorrow can serve a purpose as well. That purpose is to strengthen our faith in the gospel. Even in our sorrow,

we can know we are not alone. Jesus suffered on the cross to give us hope beyond sorrow.

2. JESUS MEETS OUR INTELLECTUAL RESPONSE TO SORROW.

JOHN 11:17–27

Q: What did Martha say when she met Jesus?

Q: What was Martha searching for in her interaction with Jesus?

People respond differently to sorrow. Some people, as we will see with Mary, respond with emotion. Others,

like Martha, respond intellectually. The key to understanding Martha’s response to her brother’s death is seeing

that Jesus met her where she was. Martha needed to understand her brother’s death against the background

of Jesus’s ministry. She knew Jesus could have saved her brother if He were there, but He was not. Now she

was unsure of how Jesus’s life-giving power would play out. On hearing Jesus declare that her brother would

rise again, she understood that her brother would be resurrected on the last day. At least, she thought she

understood what Jesus intended, and she affirmed her belief in Jesus as the Messiah. But she only partly

understood what Jesus was saying. Nevertheless, Jesus responded to her intellectually, and His response met

her need.


Q: Why is it important to respond to people looking for intellectual answers for their sorrow?

Q: Will you be able to answer every question someone asks concerning sorrow?

APPLICATION POINT – Human beings are complex creatures. We respond to suffering in a variety of ways, and

there is no guarantee we will respond the same way every time. Sometimes people want answers, like Martha did.

When people are seeking answers to why they are suffering, we have to be careful to meet them with sincerity and

honesty. We must admit that we cannot fully understand the entirety of God’s plan and how their suffering fits

within it. We must do better than serve up trite affirmations of God’s benevolence. The best thing we can do is to

set suffering within the context of the gospel. Times of sorrow are often times when a door is open for the gospel.

3. JESUS MEETS OUR EMOTIONAL RESPONSE TO SORROW.

JOHN 11:28–36

Q: How would you compare Mary’s need to Martha’s?

Q: How did Jesus respond differently to Mary?

After meeting Martha intellectually, Jesus turned His attention to Mary. Mary’s response was much different

than Martha’s, and her needs could not be met intellectually. Mary responded to the loss of her brother with

emotion. When Jesus arrived, Mary had been weeping for several days. When she heard Jesus had arrived, she

did not rise to meet Him along the way as Martha did. Instead, she remained in the house. After hearing Jesus

was asking for her, Mary went to Him and fell on His feet. She had previously fallen on Jesus’s feet, anointed

Him with oil, and wiped His feet with her hair (John 11:2). But this time, she merely stated that Lazarus would

not have died if Jesus had been present. Jesus did not attempt to meet Mary intellectually. He did not challenge

the implications of her charge against Him. Instead, He wept with her. Just as He had met Martha’s intellectual

need, Jesus met Mary’s emotional need.


Q: What would be the danger of responding to a Mary in the same way you would a Martha?

Q: How can you meet someone where they are emotionally?

APPLICATION POINT – Although we may understand Mary’s response to sorrow more than Martha’s, most of

us have a tendency to respond to others as if they were Marthas. We want to provide answers, but people in the

midst of sorrow often need emotional support more than they need answers. Emotional support is much harder

to define. If you can do so authentically, it would certainly include weeping with others. Oftentimes, emotional

support means offering a listening ear or simply being present. A few years ago, a family in our church lost a young

child through an accident on their farm. The father alternated working day and night shifts. A few months after

the loss of her son, the mother admitted to some of the ladies in the church that the nights without her husband

were nearly more than she could bear, but she knew her husband could not feasibly alter his work schedule. My

wife, along with several other ladies, offered to visit with her during the evenings when she was alone. Through

their emotional support, they were able to help this family through the toughest time in their lives. Oftentimes,

emotional support will simply mean meeting the needs that present themselves.

4. JESUS CHALLENGES OUR SKEPTICISM. JOHN 11:37–42

Q: What examples of skepticism arise within this passage?

Q: What is the main problem with skepticism of Jesus?

The death of Lazarus led some people to be skeptical of Jesus’s character and ministry. Many of them, including

Martha and Mary, believed if Jesus had been present, He could have prevented Lazarus’s death. Perhaps they

had misinterpreted the various signs, leading them to expect so much from Jesus. Or perhaps Jesus was not the


THIS IS USman they believed Him to be. Maybe His fear of the Jewish elites kept Him from intervening in Lazarus’s death.

The most remarkable skepticism came from Martha. Jesus had just told her Lazarus would rise from the dead, but

when Jesus instructed the attendants to open his tomb, Martha responded with disbelief. In her mind, opening

the tomb would only succeed in releasing the smell of her brother’s decomposing body. Her brother was dead,

and her mind was closed to any alternative. Jesus could do nothing to change that now.

The skepticism in this passage stems from unbelief. The crowd questioned Jesus’s goodness. Martha’s faith was

limited. Although she believed Jesus was the Messiah, her vision of the Messiah’s role did not include anything

remotely close to what was about to happen. Jesus did not argue with the skepticism He encountered. He did not

even acknowledge the skeptics. Instead, He prayed and raised the dead. In an instant, the question of whether He

could have saved Lazarus from death proved irrelevant. Jesus showed the skeptics that He could do far more than

they ever dared dream. They thought Jesus had failed to live up to their expectations. Instead, their expectations

failed to live up to Him.

Q: How can we incorporate Jesus’s response when dealing with skeptics in our time?

Q: How does Jesus surpass the expectations of modern skeptics?

APPLICATION – Jesus provides us with a feasible approach to combat skepticism in our time. The first thing

we need to do is pray that the skeptic would believe. The skeptic will never relent unless God works within his

heart. After prayer, we need to point to the resurrection. Of course, unlike Jesus, we will not be raising anyone

from the dead! Instead, we can point to Jesus’s own resurrection. The resurrection is the key point in Christian

apologetics. If the resurrection is true, then all other arguments begin to fall into place. Apart from the resurrection,

the movement following Jesus is hard to explain adequately. Why would a sect from a group of people wholly

committed to monotheism begin proclaiming an executed criminal to be God? There is much more to unearth than

this, but this basic question begs for an answer.

5. JESUS UNBINDS US FROM THE TRUE SOURCE OF EVERY SORROW.

JOHN 11:43–44


Q: What evidence demonstrates that Lazarus had risen from the dead?

Q: What did Jesus instruct the onlookers to do for Lazarus?

At the command of Jesus, the dead man rose from his tomb. He still wore the burial cloths used to prepare his

body for the tomb. Jesus commanded him to be unbound from these clothes. Often in John’s Gospel, actions such

as these carry a deeper meaning than the actions themselves reveal. In this case, Lazarus was unbound from the

symbols of death. Jesus, through His own death and resurrection, has unbound us from sin and death, which are

the true sources of all our sorrow.

This grand story is clearly seen in Isaiah 25:8. The prophet anticipated a day when God will put an end to death

and remove the reproach covering His people. In doing so, God will wipe away every tear from the faces of His

people. Again, at the dawn of the new heaven and new earth (Revelation 21:4), we see that God will eradicate

death and wipe away every tear from the eyes of His people. The language of wiping away every tear evokes deep

emotion. One pictures a father cradling the face of his son or daughter in his hands and gently wiping away every

tear along with every sorrow and uncertainty. Jesus’s ministry among those mourning the death of Lazarus hints

at this day when God will put an end to all our sorrows.

Q: What hope do we have that God will one day end all our sorrows?

Q: How does Lazarus encourage us to look forward to a time when Jesus will decisively end all our sorrow?

APPLICATION – We do not know how long Lazarus remained alive after Jesus raised him from the dead. With

nothing leading us to conclude otherwise, we may assume Lazarus eventually died again and remained dead. His

story reminds us to anticipate the day when God will intervene to end death and sorrow forever. At that time, the

dead who rise will not fall again. The tears in our eyes will be wiped away by a loving Father. All the pain and sorrow

we endure will become a memory so distant it barely darkens the horizon before slipping forever out of our sight.

We long for the day when sin and death will be no more, and we find ourselves face to face with our loving heavenly

Father.


THIS IS US

For now, sorrow is a part of life, and it is the duty of those within the church to come to the aide of those enduring

sorrow. We need to do so with the sensitivity and grace Jesus did in John 11. For those in need of an emotional

response, Jesus responds with empathy. For those in need of an intellectual response, Jesus challenges their

intellect. For the skeptical, Jesus confronts their skepticism through prayer. Rather than responding to sorrow

generically, take a que from Jesus and meet people where they are in their sorrow.


-God, make me an instrument in your hands when others need to hear from You.

-Jesus, you have dealt decisively with sorrow and sin in your death and resurrection. May I praise your name

forevermore.

-Jesus, help me follow your example when ministering to those experiencing sorrow.

-God, keep my heart turned toward the day when I will meet you face to face, and you wipe every tear from my eyes.



-How has following Jesus been costly for you?


-Pray that God will help you isolate the main points of this passage and apply them to your life.


Becoming a disciple of Jesus demands sacrifice.


Sacrifice is a key part of the gospel, both for Jesus and for us.

M E D I T A T E

“Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:27).

+Use this section to compare counting the cost of various services to counting the cost of following Jesus.

September 5, 2021 | The Cost of Being a DiscipleLIFE OF JESUS


Q: What monthly subscription services do you pay for?

Q: How do you determine whether these services are worth the price you are paying?

As internet usage has become more ubiquitous, we have seen a steady rise in the number of subscription services.

For a nominal monthly fee, you can have access to a large amount of content that would cost you a great deal

more if you were to purchase the rights instead. It seems like a good deal! Economists, however, have noticed that

these subscription services have become a drain on the resources of many Americans. One research firm found

that Americans waste $348 a year on subscription services they do not use at all. This does not count the monthly

services we pay for only to access specific content while ignoring the rest of what is offered. If we were to pay up front

for what we actually use, it would typically take no more than two years for us to break even. Americans have gotten

so use to paying for monthly subscriptions it seems they no longer count the costs of these services.

Q: Have you adopted the same mindset toward following Jesus?

Q: How is counting the cost of following Jesus distinct from counting the cost of monthly subscriptions?

APPLICATION POINT – In this passage, Jesus called His followers to count the cost of becoming His disciples.

Jesus was not worried that His disciples would overlook the benefits of following Him, unlike our subscription

services. Those benefits are assured for every true disciple. Jesus was concerned that many who followed Him had

not considered the costs of becoming His disciples. Paul said if the resurrection is not true, meaning Christianity

is not true, then Christians should be pitied above all others. Being a disciple of Jesus Christ demands sacrifice. As

a Christian, there is something about your life that, in the eyes of the world, is less than it should be because you

have committed your life to Christ. And if Christianity turns out to be false, you have robbed yourself in vain. As

you work your way through this lesson, identify the sacrifices you are making to be a disciple of Jesus. You cannot

determine if Jesus is worth the cost if you are unaware of what you are paying. You also cannot count the cost of

following Jesus if you really are not sacrificing anything.



+This week’s passage calls everyone following Jesus to count the cost of becoming His disciple. This passage begins

with Jesus’s call and then uses two analogies and a metaphor to illustrate what Jesus has to say.

1. COUNT THE COST

2. TWO ILLUSTRATIONS

3. DO NOT HOLD BACK

+This section will examine each part of this passage in closer detail and draw practical applications from the biblical teaching.

1. COUNT THE COST LUKE 14:25–27

Q: What prompted Jesus’s charge to His audience?

Q: Do you think Jesus won any followers on this occasion?

Jesus typically drew a large crowd as He journeyed from town to town in Jewish territories. The crowds often

followed Him from one destination to the next, creating quite an entourage. Jesus could have easily bought into the

hype about Himself. We tend to get big-headed if we get a couple followers on Twitter. Imagine if people actually

had to get up and move to follow us!

But Jesus saw through the hype and into the hearts of those who followed Him. He recognized that people followed

Him for a variety of reasons. Some wanted to be healed. Others wanted to hear Him teach. A few likely wanted to

be around for the next controversy, something Jesus seemed to find Himself in the midst of quite frequently. While

we may be drawn in by a crowd hanging on our every word, Jesus gave little credence to the crowds who gathered


around Him. He knew they would disappear once the excitement abated or danger arose. Jesus wanted more than

hype. He wanted hearts that were committed to following Him no matter the cost.

Q: Why are you interested in Jesus?

Q: What could cause your interests in Him to fade?

APPLICATION POINT – If Jesus refused to buy into the hype surrounding Him, then perhaps we should too!

This may seem like an odd statement for a Christian to make. True believers seek to make much of Jesus, not less!

We need to ensure that our interest in Jesus is authentic. Every Sunday our churches are filled with people who

have somehow been caught up in the hype about Jesus without having an authentic relationship with Him. They

are at church because their social network is there. They are at church because their family is. Some of them are

there because they saw a parking lot full of cars. They may know enough to think they have a relationship with

Jesus, but in reality, they have just followed the crowd. If you are a true follower of Jesus, you need to see through

the hype surrounding Jesus and call others to seek Him through repentance and faith. The hype will never last,

and it will never be enough to save those who are wrapped up in it. Only a relationship with Jesus can. This is

what Jesus sought from the crowds. This is what we must seek as well.

Q: How in the world can we follow someone who demands that we hate our families and ourselves?

Q: What Scriptures can help us understand Luke 14:26?

If you were to create a list of the Scriptures that Christians put on display in their homes, Luke 14:26 probably

would not be on it. This verse certainly catches the unsuspecting reader off guard. We need not conclude, of

course, Jesus expects His followers to hate their families. He was using a common Semitic idiom in this verse.

An idiom is a manner of speaking that is common within one culture but easily misunderstood by others.

This one emphasizes a point by declaring the opposite polarity. The opposites in this case are love and hate.

Jesus was simply demanding that we love Him more than father and mother, wife and children. This idiom is

evident at other points in Scripture, also with the love/hate polarity (Genesis 29:30–31; Deuteronomy 21:15–


17; Matthew 6:24). Matthew, in a parallel text to Luke 14:26, clarifies the idiom used in this passage by stating

Jesus’s followers must love Him more than their nearest kin.

Recognizing this idiom takes away the initial shock of this verse, but we are still left with a challenge. Most of us

would struggle to think of loving anyone more than we love our families. This is because we do not understand

how love works. Love is like the Tupperware cabinet above my sink. As long as I place every piece in the proper

sequence, every piece of Tupperware I own fits neatly inside my cabinet. But if one piece gets out of order,

everything falls apart. The cabinet’s capacity is diminished exponentially. The same is true in how we love

Jesus and our families. If we refuse to put Jesus first, our capacity for love is greatly diminished. The key to

loving our families more is ensuring that Jesus is our first love.

Q: If our loves get out of order, who usually rises to the top of the list?

Q: What does loving Jesus more than family look like for you?

APPLICATION POINT – I have a cousin whose family is very into sports. Her children are involved in several

different sports throughout the year. They live out of state, and one summer when my family was visiting them, I

learned the children were not currently playing in any sporting leagues. I asked whether she or the children had

burned out for a season. She said they were not burned out, but the leagues had started scheduling games on

Sunday mornings. She and her husband are very committed to their faith in Jesus, and they refused to regularly

miss church in order for their kids to participate. Even though her children were admittedly upset at missing the

chance to play, they decided their commitment to Jesus was more important than even their commitment to their

children. This is a simple example of loving Jesus more than loving your children and of how maintaining that

priority allowed them to love their children more than they could have otherwise. If my cousin had decided to

love her kids more than Jesus, she could have let them play on Sundays, but her capacity for love would have been

greatly diminished. Not only would she not have loved Jesus more, she also would not be loving her children as

much as she could because she would be keeping them out of church, where they would learn to experience God’s

love for themselves. Sometimes loving Jesus more will require a greater sacrifice than soccer games, but Jesus is

worth it, no matter the price.

Q: What does Jesus demand of those who would follow Him?


Q: What does it mean for a follower of Jesus to bear a cross?

Today, the cross is a well-known symbol of Christianity. Christians adorn their houses with them and wear them

as jewelry. But for those living during the first century, the cross was a means of an excruciating execution. We

rejoice in the cross because Jesus died for our sins and rose from the dead. For us, the cross has become a sign

of victory. Jesus’s audience would not have shared this background. Jesus’s demand would have been shocking,

and of course, that was His point. Following Jesus down a road requires nothing but curiosity. To bear a cross

demands everything. Jesus knows a time will come when His disciples will endure extreme persecution. Falling

in with a crowd will not be enough at that point.

Q: How can you adapt the symbol of the cross and retain its first-century connotations?

Q: In what ways may you be called to forfeit your life for the cause of Christ?

APPLICATION – Most of us do not live in danger because of our Christian beliefs, but that is not the case for many

Christians around the world. “Andre” was a missionary serving in a country closed to Christianity. After convincing

two people to become followers of Jesus Christ, Andre had to confront them with Jesus’s command to bear the cross

as they followed Him. He asked them to make a list of the twenty people they knew best. He then asked them to

circle the names of the two people least likely to kill them for sharing their faith in Jesus Christ. He challenged these

new converts to begin sharing their faith with the names they had circled. For these Christian brothers, bearing

the cross was not theoretical. Their witness would put their lives in danger, but they could not hide their faith from

others. Pray for believers who must risk their lives to share the faith we often take for granted. Pray that God would

help you be faithful if the situation ever arises when you must carry your cross. You do not know what the next day

holds.

Q: What was Jesus seeking in this passage?


Q: What is the difference between accompanying Jesus and becoming His disciple?

Jesus was unimpressed with the size of the crowd following Him. He saw through their excitement and recognized

that many of them were simply caught up in the moment. Jesus wanted something more for them. He wanted to

transform this group from mere followers into authentic disciples. Following Jesus down a dusty road achieves

little. Committing to becoming His disciple will change everything. This is why Jesus turned to challenge the crowd

behind Him. He had to crystalize for them the difference between being caught up in the excitement around Him

and truly becoming His disciple. The difference is the willingness to die to oneself. A disciple of Christ must die to

himself in order to live for Jesus.

Q: Are you merely following Jesus or are you seeking to be His disciple?

Q: How will people who are not ready to become Jesus’s disciples respond to the demands of these verses?

APPLICATION POINT – What is the next step for you as a disciple of Jesus? This passage defines discipleship

as dying to ourselves and living for Jesus Christ. We should not think of this as a one-time occurrence but as

a process that continues for the rest of our lives. Some of us have been following along with a crowd of Jesus-

enthusiasts but have resisted taking the next steps in the discipleship process. Perhaps the next steps in your

discipleship process include becoming involved in a ministry connected with your church. Or dying to yourself

may mean sharing your faith with a co-worker. Each time you take the next step you will find the same question

on the other side. Will you die to yourself and become Jesus’s disciple? Whenever you say, “that’s enough,” you

cease becoming a disciple of Jesus and rejoin the crowd of Jesus-enthusiasts. How are you going to answer today?

2. TWO ILLUSTRATIONS LUKE 14:28–33


THIS IS US

Q: What two illustrations did Jesus use to challenge His audience to count the cost of discipleship?

Q: What was Jesus warning of in these illustrations?

Being a disciple of Jesus demands death to self in order to live for Him. This is a costly decision, and Jesus

knew that many of the ones following Him had not counted the cost of becoming an authentic disciple. Some of

them may have seemed like authentic disciples, but they were just going through the motions of following Him.

Jesus addressed them with two illustrations. The first concerns a builder who must consider whether he can

afford to see his building through to completion. If he starts building and runs out of money before finishing,

everyone will recognize his folly. The second concerns a king who must determine whether he can win a battle

against another king. If he cannot, he must seek peace before the battle starts. The point of these illustrations

is not about looking like a fool or losing a battle. The point is to carefully weigh whether you will be able to see

a course of action through to completion. Count the cost of what you are doing. Do not make a hasty decision.

Do not assume you can just go through the motions.

Q: Can you merely go through the motions of the Christian life?

Q: What are the warning signs you could be going through the motions of the Christian life?

APPLICATION POINT – These illustrations are not intended to caution us against pursuing discipleship but

to caution us against merely going through the motions of pursuing discipleship. Discipleship is costly, and if we

fail to count the cost, we will almost certainly fail to be authentic disciples. When we emerge from the crowd and

say “yes” to becoming Jesus’s disciple, we give Him a blank check. We do not want to run out of funds when He

goes to cash it.

Some people advise taking time off when you feel like you are just going through the motions. While this might

work in the corporate world, you cannot take a break from being a disciple of Jesus. One of the best practices

during these times is journaling. Putting your thoughts on paper can help you sort them out and renew your

commitment to being a disciple. Furthermore, when you struggle in similar circumstances in the future, you can

draw encouragement from reading your past entries.


3. DO NOT HOLD BACK LUKE 14:34–35

Q: What is the purpose of salt?

Q: What was Jesus illustrating with this metaphor?

This passage concludes with a warning against trying to be an authentic disciple while reserving parts of your

life for yourself. Jesus knew that the cost of authentic discipleship was high. He knew some in the crowd would

want to be His disciples but would also want to hold back. The problem is that this creates only an empty shell of

a disciple rather than the real thing. Jesus illustrated this warning with the image of salt. Salt served a variety of

purposes in the ancient world and was a valuable commodity. If salt somehow lost its saltiness, however, all that

would be left would be a few useless white specs. The same is true for disciples. If a disciple is something less than

a totally committed follower of Christ, that person is completely useless for the cause of Christ.

Q: In what ways are you trying to be an authentic disciple and live for yourself?

Q: Why would a person want to reserve a part of themselves from God?

APPLICATION – Trying to reserve part of your life from God is like trying to live a double life. Rather than doubling

your capacity for life, you will instead deplete your energy without ever having truly lived. The problem with such

people is they have never truly repented of the idolatry that characterized their former lives. There is no such thing

as an idolatrous disciple of Jesus.

The first step of discipleship is rooting out idolatry in your life. Every part of your heart that is devoted to an idol is

a part God cannot fill. This week identify any lingering idols in your life and ask God to help you see that greater joy

is found in Him.


This lesson has challenged you to count the cost of being a disciple of Jesus. Discipleship always involves sacrifice.

What sacrifice is God calling you to make as a disciple of Jesus Christ? Write it down and share it in a small-group

setting. Pray for one another as you seek authentic discipleship.


-Jesus, I do not want to be part of the crowd who is merely caught up in the enthusiasm surrounding you.

-God, show me the people who are going through the motions of following you and help me encourage them in the

faith.

-Father, help me to count the cost of being a disciple of Jesus.

-Father, reveal the idols in my heart and help me rid them from my life.

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