Who is Jesus? A study in the gospel of Luke��������� Week 2

I.� What authority does Jesus claim? (Luke 5:12-28; 9:23-25)

A.� Authority as God�s servant (Luke 4:17-21)

1. In the Old Testament, God promised to provide a Messiah to save Israel

2. In Jesus� time, many Jews looked forward in hope to the coming of the Messiah

3. Jesus declared himself to be this promised Messiah

4. �Christ� is a title, not a last name.� The Greek word Christos translates the Hebrew �Messiah� which means �God�s anointed�

B.� The authority to heal (Luke 5:12-16)

����������� 1.� Jesus� healing of the sick are recorded in all four gospels

����������� 2.� Jesus� healings were motivated by his compassion for the suffering

����������� 3.� Jesus pointed to his healings as a testimony to his identity

C.� The authority to teach (Luke 5:17)

1.� Jesus taught in the synagogues as well as in towns and in the countryside

2.� His teaching frequently brought him into conflict with the religious authorities

3.� Jesus never introduced his teaching with the formula �Thus says the Lord��, as had earlier prophets.� He referred either to Scripture or to his own authority.

D.� The authority to forgive sin (Luke 5:18-25)

1.� Many times during his ministry, Jesus forgave sin

2.� This claim was always shocking and blasphemous to his contemporaries

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E.� The authority to command allegiance (Luke 9:23-25)

1.� Jesus demanded that his followers put him first in their lives, before the demands of family, friends, work, or even personal safety

2.� Yet Jesus promised that the way of surrender to him is also the way of ultimate joy and glory

II. Whom did Jesus come to call?� (Luke 5:27-32)

����������� A.� The tax collectors were social and religious outcasts

1.� The Roman Empire had conquered Israel and was viewed with contempt and hatred by many 1 ^st century Jews

2.� The tax collectors were Jews who were employed by the Romans to collect taxes

3.� They were know for their greed and were expelled from the synagogue

����������� B.� Jesus frequently ate with tax collectors and prostitutes

1.� Eating was considered a sign of fellowship and friendship in the ancient world

����������� ����������� 2.� Jesus� actions scandalized the religious authorities

����������� C.� Jesus declared that his actions are consistent with his mission

1.� Jesus does not ignore or redefine sin � he recognizes that these people are sinners

2.� Jesus affirms the need for repentance

3.� Jesus says that he came to heal and rescue sinners

Suggested discussion questions:

1.� Why did Jesus usually refer to himself as the �Son of Man� rather than the �Messiah�?

2.� Isn�t it possible that Jesus was just a very good moral teacher or a prophet?

3.� What did Jesus mean when he said that his followers must take up their cross daily?

Notes: