Luke 24:13-53 The key central claim of Christianity is that Jesus rose from the dead. He did not just rise in people’s hearts or as some vague imagery of evil being defeated, he bodily arose. There was an empty tomb, empty in that no physical body was there. Jesus rose in space and time. Why would we believe this astounding claim? One of the key reasons we believe this to be true is because of the...

Luke 23:44-24:12 What did Jesus’ death accomplish? If you were trying to tell someone why Jesus had to die, what would you say? One of the things which Jesus’ death accomplished was that the curtain of the temple was torn in two, a fact mentioned by Matthew, Mark, and Luke. There is no material explanation for this, it did not suddenly happen to rip apart. This was supernatural. In the Old Testame...

Luke 23:13-43 What would living a perfect life look like? In Jesus, we see exactly what this means. He did not just teach us how to live; he exemplified it in all he did. Jesus taught his disciples how to pray by telling them to, "Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors." This lesson was then perfectly embodied by Jesus while he was suffering on the cross. Mere hours from his de...

Luke 22:54-23:12 Jesus continually called his disciples to the difficult life of following him. Jesus called them to take up their cross, lose their life, be a servant, and live surrendered. How committed are you to obedience and devotion, even if it leads to suffering and difficulty? Luke 22-23 gives us both a negative and positive example of what this looks like. In Peter, we see what it looks l...

Luke 22:35-53 Where do you draw encouragement and perseverance from? When life gets hard, where do you turn for comfort and wisdom? For Jesus it was to turn to the Father, which instructs us where we should turn as well. Jesus is a day from the cross and hours away from his betrayal and arrest, and we find him praying. The only portion of his prayer which is recorded ends with, “Yet not my will, b...

Luke 22:14-34 What are some of your most powerful memories? What are the things you remember from your childhood, from your first job, and from last year? Remembering is a powerful tool to remind us of truth and of things that are important. Jesus tells the disciples, "Do this in remembrance of me." as a way to remember his sacrifice and body. Jesus' call to partake of communion is to involve our ...

Luke 21:29-22:13 Be careful! This is something I tell my kids when they approach a hot stove or a busy street. This is also something we see on yellow tape draped around construction sites or other potentially dangerous locations. In these places, people need to be careful. Similarly, Jesus tells us that when we approach life, we need to be careful. It is as if he drapes yellow caution tape across...

Luke 21:1-28 How do you feel about the future? Are you able to approach it with confidence and courage, or are you overwhelmed by fear and anxiety? The disciples ask Jesus a question about the future; in his answer, he not only responds to them but also teaches us how to respond to the future that awaits us. Jesus tells his disciples the temple would be destroyed, which happened in 70 AD, but clea...

Luke 20:27-47 Where do you look for answers when you have a question? Where do you turn for wisdom and insight for life? My son was on his school’s scholar bowl team and when they were asked a question they looked to textbooks, mathematical formulas, atlases, and history to provide an answer. As we continually see from the example of Jesus, the place we are to go to for answers is Scripture. When ...

Luke 20:1-26 Who has authority over your life and decisions? Is it you or God? This issue of authority becomes the central question that Luke 20 addresses. The Jewish leaders were questioning Jesus’ authority because his credentials were not part of the religious establishment. Rather than answering their question he responded with a question. “John’s baptism? Was it from heaven, or from men?” The...

Luke 19:28-48 What is a king supposed to do and how does he accomplish this? Is he supposed to come with a massive army and subdue his enemies at the sword? Is he supposed to use diplomacy and bartering to achieve his ends? In Jesus, we see a king who is very different from all the others. Jesus announces himself as king to Israel through his triumphal entry. The crowds responded with shouts of, “...

Luke 19:1-27 How has Jesus transformed your life? In what ways are you different now because you have encountered Jesus? Both now and during Jesus’ earthly ministry, when people came to know Jesus, they were transformed. Zacchaeus is a powerful example of one transformed life. He was a wealthy man who by worldly standards would have seemed like he had everything. Yet his pursuit of Jesus shows he ...

Luke 18:18-43 “A certain ruler” came up to Jesus to ask him what he could do to get eternal life. Not a bad question! This ruler seemed to be concerned with the big questions of life, but we quickly see he was more concerned with something else. His money kept him from something greater. His heart, like ours, only had so much room in it, and his cash crowded out the space for Jesus. He asked the r...

Luke 18:1-17 When I do pre-marital counseling, I tell couples that communication is key. How well they communicate will largely determine the quality of their relationship. This is not only true for marriages but also for our relationship with God; which is why Jesus seems to be constantly teaching about prayer. Luke 18:1-17 gives us three things Jesus wants us to understand about prayer. First, w...

Luke 17:11-37 Are you aware of all the ways you experience God’s grace? Are you aware every single person is currently receiving God’s grace? The theological idea of God’s universal grace is called common grace. Whether people acknowledge God’s existence or his work in their lives, he is still at work in their lives. Part of the proper response to God’s work is to be thankful. The ten lepers model...

Luke 16:19-17:10 How big of a deal is your sin? Do you think your sinful struggles are mere inconveniences, or are they terrible acts against the God of the universe? Often, we fail to understand the gravity of sin, and also the greater power of grace. Tim Keller summarized this by saying, “The gospel is this: We are more sinful and flawed in ourselves than we ever dared believe, yet at the very s...

Luke 16:1-18 What do you view as the purpose of money? If you were to jot down a list of things, you might include paying for basic necessities or saving for the future. But would you include making friends? Jesus says, "Use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves" (v.9a). God proclaims the purpose of money as being very different than what we might think. Jesus’ statement in Luke 16:9 is no...

Luke 15:1-32 When you picture God, what comes to mind? For many, God is like is a stern, old man in the sky. Luke 15 tells us he is nothing like a grumpy old man; instead, he is a God of rejoicing. Does this match how you envision him? Jesus often told a story when he wanted to teach theology. This time Jesus tells three stories to make one point—God is loving toward all and rejoices in those who ...

Luke 14:7-35 One of Jesus' most common settings for his parables is a feast. He loved to talk about parties. Does this fit with your view of Jesus? When you picture Jesus, do you see him as a stoic shepherd like so many paintings depict him or as someone with whom people enjoyed being in his presence? Though he was obviously a fun-loving guy, he used stories of parties to teach lessons. He wanted ...

Luke 13:22-14:6 My wife and I tell each other, “Remember the oxygen masks.” This comment is a reference to the pre-departure announcement flight attendants give. For those of us who zone out during the announcement it goes something like this: remember to affix your own oxygen mask before assisting others. It makes sense. If you lose consciousness, it’s going to make it very challenging to help so...