Luke Reading (#11)

Take a few minutes to catch up and pray that God would bless you through the reading of His word.

Read Luke 4:31-44

[4:31] And he went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee. And he was teaching them on the Sabbath, [32] and they were astonished at his teaching, for his word possessed authority. [33] And in the synagogue there was a man who had the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice, [34] “Ha! What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.” [35] But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent and come out of him!” And when the demon had thrown him down in their midst, he came out of him, having done him no harm. [36] And they were all amazed and said to one another, “What is this word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out!” [37] And reports about him went out into every place in the surrounding region.
    [38] And he arose and left the synagogue and entered Simon's house. Now Simon's mother-in-law was ill with a high fever, and they appealed to him on her behalf. [39] And he stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her, and immediately she rose and began to serve them.
    [40] Now when the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to him, and he laid his hands on every one of them and healed them. [41] And demons also came out of many, crying, “You are the Son of God!” But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ.
    [42] And when it was day, he departed and went into a desolate place. And the people sought him and came to him, and would have kept him from leaving them, [43] but he said to them, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose.” [44] And he was preaching in the synagogues of Judea.

Observation

• How did people respond to Jesus’ teaching? Why did they respond that way? (v. 32)
• What does the man with the demon say about Jesus? (v. 34) 
  • What do the demons say about Jesus? (v. 41)
  • How does Jesus respond? (v. 41) Why won’t he let them speak?
• How does Jesus force the demon to come out of the man? (v. 35) 
  • How does Jesus heal Peter’s mother-in-law’s fever? (v. 39)
  • What amazes the people about Jesus? (v. 36)
• Why doesn’t Jesus want to stay in one place? (v. 42-43) What has he come to do?

Interpretation

• What do we learn about demons in this passage? She we be concerned about demons today?
• What is the “good news of the kingdom of God”?
• What does it meant that Jesus is the Christ? How would the demons have known this?
• What does it mean that Jesus word possessed authority? 
  • Why would it be surprising to the crowd that Jesus taught with authority?
  • Throughout this passage, Luke seems to be showing us that Jesus’ word had great power.
    • Why is that significant?
    • Who in the Bible is able to accomplish things just by speaking?
    • Who else in the Bible speaks from his own authority?
    • What does that show us about Jesus?

Application

• What does it mean for Jesus to speak to you with authority? What other things in your life compete with Jesus’ voice? How can you live in conscious submission to the authority of Christ?
• Is your daily life shaped by the good news of the kingdom? Do you live like you are living in a story that is characterized by good news? 

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