Queen's Road Cell

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

 We packed goodie bags for the next day's combined cell outreach with Football Plus!

 In vv. 12-16 Jesus calls His apostle from among His disciples - the men who will carry on His mission "to preach the good news of the kingdom of God" (4:43). They are ordinary people. He spends the night with prayer and comes up with Judas' name - the one who 'became' a traitor. Judas was not always a traitor. Did Jesus err in His choice?   Simon Peter is always the first named in the list of the apostles (the 'sent ones', messengers') cf. Mk 3:16, Mt 10:2. "Judas son of James" ias also called Thaddaeus.   The "Sermon on the Plain" follows. The Greek word means 'level place' and may refer to part of a mountainside. The material here overlaps with that of Mt 5:1-7:29 ("The Sermon on the Mount"). This may be because Luke and Matthew emphasize different parts of the same sermon, or that Jesus as an itinerant preacher repeated his material on different occasions. It is less likely that the evangelists compiled materia

 17. Old garments tear when patched, and old wineskins break when refilled. Why do you think people sometimes prefer to patch their old coats or keep their old wineskins?   "The old is good/better" (likely an ironic observation on the attitude of the Pharisees).  We tend to resist change because it requires adjustment on our parts: the familiar is comfortable. We face discomfort with any change and growth. The parable of the garments/wine and wineskins is the first parable in Luke: the point is that the newness of  the Kingdom inaugurated by Jesus cannot co-exist within the old structures of Judaism. There will be a need for true repentance (5:32), regeneration (Jn 3:3) and worship (Jn 4:ŷ 18. What one truth from 4:14 - 5:39 would you like to apply? Write it down, with a verse reference. For Thought and Discussion Why was fasting inappropriate when Jesus was present?  "the bridegroom is with them".  Fasting is the voluntary self-denial of a legitimate need or pleasu

10. Simon knew that Jesus was no fisherman, but he had enough respect for the teacher not to scoff when Jesus suggested fishing at an absurd time (see 5:4-5). How did Jesus prove to Simon that He had authority over more than religious things? (see 5:6-10)   What might Simon have felt? There was respect "Master" and a willingness to obey ("at your word I will"). There was some doubt (" we toiled all night and took nothing")   Jesus through the miracle of the catch showed His right to call others to follow. "The catch is the reward of obedience, not of competence".   This is likely not the first time Jesus has met Simon Peter (Jn 1:42) and may be the same event described in Mark 1:16-20.   Only Luke calls Gennesaret a 'lake'. The rest of the gospel writers call it the 'sea'. To be a ' fisher of men ' is to bring people into the kingdom of God and into relationship with Jesus.   For thought and discussion: a. Why do you t

1. Summarize the message Jesus announced in 4:18-21.   "I am the one Scripture talks about who will bring riches, freedom and sight to the world." Jesus will allude to these core aspects of His ministry again in Lk 7:22. Luke puts this sermon as his first description of Jesus' ministry and highlights the pattern that is to follow: the response of wonder at His teachings coupled with persistent unbelief and rejection (vv. 22, 28)  His ministry as the fulfillment of Scripture (v. 21) His concern for the poor and oppressed (vv. 18, 19);  His ultimate aim of including Gentiles among the people of God (vv. 26, 27).   2. In what sense was Isaiah 61:1-2 "fulfilled" in the hearing of Jesus' audience (Luke 4:21) Prophecy was fulfilled in the person of Jesus. He proclaims his identity as Messiah and inaugurates the ultimate Jubilee  (Lev 25:8-54) It was fulfilled 'today' - no longer in the future.   3. a. Who did the Nazarenes think Jesus was? Who was He real

11. One purpose of Jesus' baptism was that He might identify fully with man. How did His temptation fulfill a similar purpose (see Hebrews 2:18; 4:15)?   To suffer in his humanity, as humans suffer.  To sympathise with our weaknesses.   In a sense, Jesus was unable to sin, or the plan of redemption of God would have failed. But He had a human nature that was fully subject to the chance of falling into temptation. In His sinlessness He bore the full force of the temptation because He did not give way to it. We do not feel a struggle against sin if we continually give in to it, just like we will never feel the weight of a load if we let it drop the moment it is placed on us. 12. a. In all three temptations, Satan intended to entice Jesus to grasp by His own power what the Father planned to give in His own time (see Phil 2:6-9). In what specific area was Jesus asked to disobey His Father in each of the three temptations? 4:3-4     Physical need (hunger) 4:5-8     Worldly power and

  Jesus’ Mission: The Parable Of The Tenants Luke 20:9-19 And he began to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard and let it out to tenants and went into another country for a long while. 10  When the time came, he sent a servant to the tenants, so that they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 11  And he sent another servant. But they also beat and treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed. 12  And he sent yet a third. This one also they wounded and cast out. 13  Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.’ 14  But when the tenants saw him, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Let us kill him, so that the inheritance may be ours.’ 15  And they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? 16  He will come and destroy those tenants and give the vin