========================
Verses 1-8 John the Baptist
Prepares the Way
========================
1The beginning of the good
news about Jesus the Christ, the Son of God,
2as it is written in Isaiah
the prophet:
“I will send my messenger
ahead of you,
who will prepare
your way”—
3“a voice of one calling in
the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight
paths for him.’”
4And so John the Baptist
appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the
forgiveness of sins.
5The whole Judean countryside
and all the people of
6John wore clothing made of
camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild
honey.
7And this was his message:
“After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am
not worthy to stoop down and untie.
8I baptize you with water,
but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
----------------------------------------
Concerning the gospel about
Jesus Christ, the Son of God,
----------------------------------------
1)
What does the
word ‘gospel’ mean?
o
It means good
news.
2)
What is the good
news about?
o
It is about Jesus
Christ.
3)
What does the
name ‘Jesus’ mean?
o
It means ‘God
saves’.
4)
What does the
word ‘Christ’ mean?
o
It means ‘the
anointed one’.
o
In ancient time
when a person is made king, he is anointed on the head with oil. So the Christ is a king.
o
He was
prophesized in the Old Testament of the bible to be coming to establish the
5)
Does God have a
Son as we humans do?
o
It should be the
reverse. We should actually say that
humans can have a son as God does.
o
Because humans
are made in the image and likeness of God, humans can have a son just as God
has a Son.
6)
Who is this Jesus
Christ, the Son of God?
o
We are going to
find out. That is the purpose of our
study.
----------------------------------------
Concerning the prophecy of
Isaiah the prophet,
----------------------------------------
7)
What is a
prophet?
o
A prophet is a
spokesperson of God.
8)
Who was Isaiah
the prophet?
o
Isaiah wrote the
Book of Isaiah in the Old Testament of the bible.
9)
What are the two
major divisions of the bible?
o
The bible is
divided into the Old Testament and the New Testament.
10)
In which major
division of the bible is the gospel of Mark?
o
The gospel of
Mark is in the New Testament.
11)
In which verses
is the currently quoted prophecy of Isaiah recorded?
o
In verses 2 and
3.
12)
What are the personal
pronouns in verse 2?
o
I and my.
o
You and your.
13)
Whom does the ‘I’
in verse 2 refer to and why?
o
It refers to God because
the first person ‘I’ in prophecy always refers to God.
14)
Who in verse 3
does the ‘you’ in verse 2 refer to and why?
o
The ‘you’ in
verse 2 refers to ‘the Lord’ in verse 3 because the way is said to be prepared
for ‘you’ and ‘the Lord’.
15)
Whom then do the
‘you’ in verse 2 and ‘the Lord’ in verse 3 refer to and why?
o
The ‘you’ in
verse 2 and ‘the Lord’ in verse 3 refer to Jesus Christ in verse 1 because the
‘you’ in verse 2 can only serve as the personal pronoun for Jesus Christ in
verse 1, given Isaiah was the prophet and not the Lord.
16)
For whom then is
the way prepared?
o
The way is
prepared for Jesus Christ.
17)
Who prepares the
way for Jesus Christ?
o
The messenger
does.
18)
How will the
messenger prepare the way for Jesus Christ?
o
The messenger will
call on people to prepare the way for Jesus Christ and to make straight paths
for him.
19)
Where will the
messenger operate?
o
The messenger will
operate in the wilderness.
20)
What does it mean
for people to prepare the way for Jesus Christ and to make straight paths for
him?
o
We are going to
find out.
----------------------------------------
Concerning the fulfillment of
the prophecy of Isaiah,
----------------------------------------
21)
Who came as the
fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah?
o
John the Baptist came
as the fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah.
22)
What did John do
to prepare the way for Jesus Christ?
o
John
§
Preached a
baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
§
Baptized people.
23)
How is baptism
performed?
o
It is performed
with the total submersion of a person in water and then the person coming up
out of the water.
24)
What does baptism
signify in Judaism?
o
It is ceremonial
washing for purification of the body.
25)
Who practices
Judaism?
o
Jews practice
Judaism.
26)
Where did John
baptize people?
o
John baptized
people in the
o
It is near
27)
What does
repentance mean?
o
It means the
change of mind
from disobedience to obedience to God.
28)
Under what
condition would God forgive sins?
o
God would forgive
sins when people repent.
29)
What is the
baptism of repentance a symbolic token of?
o
It is a symbolic
token of repentance.
30)
Where did the people
come from to be baptized?
o
People came from
the whole Judean countryside and
o
Judea,
31)
Under what
condition would John baptize people?
o
When people
confessed their sins, John would baptize them in the
32)
Per the question
raised earlier, how did people prepare the way for the Christ and make straight
paths for him?
o
People prepared
the way for the Christ and made straight paths for him when they confessed
their sins and repented.
33)
What did John wear
and eat?
o
John
§
Wore clothing
made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist.
§
Ate locusts and
wild honey.
34)
What was John’s
message?
o
After me comes
the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to
stoop down and untie.
o
I baptize you
with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.
35)
Whom did John
refer to when he talked about the one coming after him?
o
John referred to the
Christ.
36)
What did John
think of the Christ in comparison to himself in terms of power and status?
o
John considered
the Christ to be more powerful than he.
o
Stooping down to
untie the straps of someone’s sandals is the work of a servant. John did not consider himself worthy of being
the servant of the Christ.
37)
What is the
similarity and difference between the work of John and the work of the Christ?
o
Both John and the
Christ baptized.
o
John baptized with
water but the Christ baptized with the Holy Spirit.
38)
Who is the Holy
Spirit?
o
The Holy Spirit
is the third person of the triune God.
o
There is only one
God but there are three persons in the triune God.
o
God the Father is
the first person, God the Son the second person, God the Holy Spirit the third
person.
o
Three person being in one God is a mystery. We are not going to discuss it at this time.
39)
If baptism with
water is ceremonial washing for purification of the body, what is baptism with
the Holy Spirit for?
o
Baptism with the
Holy Spirit is the cleansing of our soul by the washing of the Holy Spirit.
----------------------------------------
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summary.
========================
Verses 1-8 John the Baptist
Prepares the Way
========================
========================
Verses 9-13 The Baptism and Testing of Jesus
========================
9At that time Jesus came from
10Just as Jesus was coming up
out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and
the Spirit descending on him like a dove.
11And a voice came from
heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”
12At once the Spirit sent him
out into the wilderness,
13and he was in the
wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals,
and angels attended him.
----------------------------------------
Concerning the baptism of
Jesus,
----------------------------------------
40)
Where did Jesus
come from?
o
Jesus came from
o
41)
Where was Jesus
baptized and by whom?
o
Jesus was
baptized by John in the
42)
What does coming
up out of the water imply for the procedure of baptism?
o
It implies that
baptism involves total submersion of the body in water.
43)
What happened when
Jesus was coming up out of the water upon being baptized?
o
Jesus saw heaven
being torn open.
o
The Spirit descended
on him like a dove.
o
A voice came from
heaven, saying, “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”
44)
Where did the
Holy Spirit come from when he descended on Jesus like a dove and why?
o
The Holy Spirit
came from heaven because heaven was said to be torn open.
45)
What did it mean
when the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus?
o
Jesus had
received the Holy Spirit.
46)
Who spoke from
heaven?
o
God the Father
did.
47)
Whom did God the
Father testify to and for what?
o
God the Father testified
to Jesus as his Son.
48)
How is the
relationship between the Father and the Son?
o
The Father loves
the Son and is well pleased with the Son.
49)
Which members of
the triune God showed up during Jesus’ baptism?
o
All three members
of the triune God did.
----------------------------------------
Concerning the temptation of
Jesus,
----------------------------------------
50)
What happened
after Jesus was baptized?
o
At once the Holy
Spirit sent Jesus out into the wilderness.
51)
Why did the Holy
Spirit send Jesus into the wilderness with urgency?
o
So that Jesus
would be tempted by Satan immediately after baptism.
52)
What were the
parties that showed up in the wilderness as recorded in verse 13?
o
Jesus.
o
Satan.
o
Wild animals.
o
Angels.
53)
What was the
status of each of the parties that showed up in the wilderness?
o
Jesus is the
Christ, the Son of God.
o
Satan is a fallen
angel who has rebelled against God and whose name means adversary.
o
Wild animals can
harm and kill people.
o
Angels are
ministering spirits.
54)
What kinds of
danger did Jesus encounter in the wilderness?
o
Jesus encountered
in the wilderness
§
Danger to his
soul from being tempted by Satan.
§
Danger to his
body from attack by wild animals.
55)
In what way did
Jesus receive help from God?
o
God sent angels
to attend Jesus.
56)
How much
endurance did Jesus need to overcome dangers in the wilderness?
o
For forty days
Jesus needed to fend off temptation by Satan and attack by wild animals.
57)
Why did the Holy
Spirit send Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan?
o
Jesus needed to have
the endurance of overcoming Satan’s temptation for forty days before he could commence
his ministry of proclaiming the good news
of God.
58)
What exactly did Satan
oppose as an adversary in the current context?
o
Satan opposed the
commencement of Jesus’ ministry.
----------------------------------------
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summary.
========================
Verses 9-13 The Baptism and Testing of Jesus
========================
========================
Verses 14-15 Jesus Announces
the Good News
========================
14After John was put in
prison, Jesus went into
15“The time has come,” he
said. “The
----------------------------------------
Concerning the good news that
Jesus proclaimed,
----------------------------------------
59)
What happened to
John?
o
John was put in
prison.
60)
What did
imprisonment do to John’s work of preparing the way for the Christ?
o
John’s work was
stopped.
61)
Where did Jesus go
after John was put in prison?
o
Jesus returned to
62)
When did Jesus
start proclaiming the good news of God?
o
Jesus started
proclaiming the good news of God after
§
He was baptized
by John.
§
He was tempted by
Satan for forty days in the wilderness.
§
John was put in
prison.
63)
How do we know
that John had completed the work of preparing the way for the Christ?
o
We know because
Jesus was proclaiming the good news of God.
64)
What was the good
news of God that Jesus proclaimed?
o
The time has
come.
o
The
o
Repent and
believe the good news.
65)
What is the
o
A kingdom is a
domain where there are
§
The sovereign,
§
The subjects of
the sovereign and
§
The territory.
o
The
§
God as the
sovereign,
§
God’s people as subjects
of the sovereign and
§
The territory
that is within God’s people.
66)
What does it mean
for the time to have come?
o
The time has come
for God to establish his kingdom on earth.
67)
What does a
person need to do to enter the
o
A person enters the
§
Repenting, i.e.,
turning from disobedience to obedience to God, and
§
Believing the
good news.
68)
Where do
repentance and belief in the good news take place respectively within a person?
o
Belief in the good
news takes place in the head.
o
Repentance in the
heart.
69)
Where is the
territory of the
o
The
----------------------------------------
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========================
Verses 14-15 Jesus Announces
the Good News
========================
========================
Verses 16-20 Jesus Calls His
First Disciples
========================
16As Jesus walked beside the
17“Come, follow me,” Jesus
said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.”
18At once
they left their nets and followed him.
19When he had gone a little
farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother
John in a boat, preparing their nets.
20Without delay he called
them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat
with the hired men and followed him.
----------------------------------------
Concerning the calling of the
first disciples,
----------------------------------------
70)
Where did Jesus
call the first disciples?
o
Jesus called them
by the
71)
Who were the
first two disciples Jesus called?
o
They were Simon
and his brother Andrew.
72)
What did Simon
and Andrew do for a living?
o
They were
fishermen.
73)
What were Simon
and Andrew doing when Jesus called them?
o
They were casting
a net into the
74)
What was Jesus’
call to Simon and Andrew?
o
“Come, follow
me.”
o
“I will send you
out to fish for people.”
75)
What does it mean
to fish for people?
o
We are going to
find out later.
76)
What was the
response of Simon and Andrew to Jesus’ call to follow him?
o
They at once left
their nets and followed Jesus.
77)
How promptly did
Simon and Andrew respond to Jesus’ call to follow him?
o
They responded to
Jesus’ call to follow him with urgency.
78)
What did Simon
and Andrew literally do with their job in order to follow Jesus?
o
They literally
walked off their job to follow Jesus.
79)
Whom did Jesus
call besides Simon and Andrew?
o
Jesus also called
James son of Zebedee and his brother John.
80)
Did Simon and
Andrew know James and John and why?
o
Yes, because
Jesus called James and John after he had gone a little farther from Simon and
Andrew.
81)
What did James and
John do for a living?
o
They were also fishermen.
82)
What were James
and John doing when Jesus called them?
o
They were in a
boat preparing their nets.
83)
How promptly did
Jesus call James and John?
o
Upon seeing James
and John Jesus called them without delay.
84)
What was the
response of James and John to Jesus’ call to follow him?
o
They left their
father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and
followed Jesus.
85)
How promptly did
James and John respond to Jesus’ call to follow him?
o
They responded to
Jesus’ call to follow him with urgency.
86)
What did James
and John literally do with their job in order to follow Jesus?
o
They literally
walked off their job to follow Jesus.
87)
Is it true that Simon
and Andrew, James and John responded to Jesus’ calling them when they did not
even know him and why?
o
No, because they had
interacted with Jesus before as recorded in the other gospel accounts.
----------------------------------------
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summary.
========================
Verses 16-20 Jesus Calls His
First Disciples
========================
========================
Verses 21-28 Jesus Drives Out an Impure Spirit
========================
21They went to
22The people were amazed at
his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the
teachers of the law.
23Just then a man in their
synagogue who was possessed by an impure spirit cried out,
24“What do you want with us,
Jesus of
25“Be quiet!” said Jesus
sternly. “Come out of him!”
26The impure spirit shook the
man violently and came out of him with a shriek.
27The people were all so
amazed that they asked each other, “What is this? A new teaching—and with
authority! He even gives orders to impure spirits and they obey him.”
28News about him spread
quickly over the whole region of
----------------------------------------
Concerning what happened
after Jesus called the first disciples,
----------------------------------------
88)
Where did the
party of five go?
o
They went to
89)
Where is
o
o
It can be found on
the map shown on the following page: http://www.gods-word-first.org/bible-maps/jordan-river.html
90)
What did Jesus do
in
o
When the Sabbath
came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach.
91)
What is the
Sabbath?
o
The Sabbath is
observed by the Jews from Friday evening 6pm to Saturday evening 6pm.
o
It is a day of
abstinence from work.
92)
What is a
synagogue?
o
A synagogue is a
building where the Jews meet for religious worship and instruction.
93)
What was people’s
response to Jesus’ teaching?
o
People were
amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as
the teachers of the law.
----------------------------------------
Concerning Jesus driving out
an impure spirit,
----------------------------------------
94)
What did the man who
was possessed by an impure spirit cry out saying in the synagogue?
o
He cried out,
saying, “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy
us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”
95)
Is ‘impure
spirit’ a good translation for what represents a fallen angel and why?
o
No, it is not.
o
‘Unclean spirit’
is used in other major English translations instead.
o
The descriptor
‘impure’ tends to be more neutral than ‘unclean’ and does not convey the idea
of having gone bad that ‘unclean’ does.
For instance,
§
Sugar that has
grains of salt in it renders the sugar impure but not unclean in the sense that
the sugar has not intrinsically gone bad and is salvageable.
§
Sugar that is
contaminated with fecal matters renders the sugar unclean in the sense that the
sugar has intrinsically gone bad and is not salvageable.
o
‘Unclean spirit’
is a better translation because it properly conveys the idea of fallen angels
having intrinsically gone bad and not being redeemable while ‘impure spirit’
does not.
o
We are going to
continue to refer to the impure spirit for the sake of consistency.
96) Why did the impure spirit address Jesus as Jesus of Nazareth?
o
It is because Jesus’
hometown is
97)
Who started the
dialog between the impure spirit and Jesus?
o
The impure spirit
did.
98)
What was the impure
spirit’s attitude toward Jesus?
o
The impure spirit
was confrontational toward Jesus.
99)
What did the impure
spirit accuse Jesus of?
o
The impure spirit
accused Jesus of coming to destroy them.
100) Who did the impure spirit say that Jesus was?
o
The impure spirit
proclaimed that Jesus was the Holy One of God.
101) Why did the impure spirit know that Jesus was the Holy
One of God?
o
The impure spirit
was able to see what was going on in the spiritual realm.
102) From the perspective of the impure spirit what is the contrast
and relationship between the Holy One of God and the impure spirit itself?
o
It is the contrast
between being clean and unclean, holy and unholy, the cause of irreconcilability
between the two.
103) What might be the reasons the impure spirit divulged
the identity of Jesus of Nazareth as the Holy One of God?
o
The impure spirit
§
Was frustrating
Jesus’ intention of concealing his identity.
§
Might be
attempting to exercise control over Jesus.
104) What was Jesus’ response to the impure spirit’s
confrontation?
o
Jesus told the impure
spirit to be quiet and to come out of the man.
105) Why did Jesus tell the impure spirit to be quiet?
o
Jesus did not
want his identity to be more thoroughly divulged by the impure spirit.
106) How did the impure spirit respond to Jesus’ order for
it to come out of the man?
o
The impure spirit
shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek.
107) Was the impure spirit able to exercise control over Jesus?
o
No.
108) What was people’s response when they saw what
happened?
o
They were amazed
§
At Jesus’ new teaching
that had authority.
§
That impure
spirits obeyed Jesus’ orders.
109) What happened as a result of the incident in the
synagogue?
o
News about Jesus
spread quickly over the whole region of
----------------------------------------
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summary.
========================
Verses 21-28 Jesus Drives Out an Impure Spirit
========================
========================
Verses 29-34 Jesus Heals Many
========================
29As soon as they left the
synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew.
30Simon’s mother-in-law was
in bed with a fever, and they immediately told Jesus about her.
31So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and
she began to wait on them.
32That evening after sunset
the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed.
33The whole town gathered at
the door,
34and Jesus healed many who
had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the
demons speak because they knew who he was.
----------------------------------------
Concerning what happened
after the party of five left the synagogue,
----------------------------------------
110) Where did the party of five immediately go after they
left the synagogue?
o
They went to the
home of Simon and Andrew.
111) How promptly did the party of five go to the home of
Simon and Andrew?
o
They went to the home
of Simon and Andrew as soon as they left
the synagogue.
112) What did Jesus do when he was told that Simon’s
mother-in-law was sick?
o
Jesus went to
her, took her hand and helped her up.
o
Then the fever
left her.
113) What did Simon’s mother-in-law do after she had been
healed?
o
She began to wait
on the guests.
----------------------------------------
Concerning Jesus healing
many,
----------------------------------------
114) What happened when people in the town heard that Jesus
had performed a miraculous healing?
o
That evening
after sunset
§
People brought to
Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed.
§
The whole town
gathered at the door.
115) What did Jesus do?
o
Jesus
§
Healed many who
had various diseases.
§
Drove out many
demons.
116) What order did Jesus give to the demons?
o
Jesus told the
demons to shut up because they knew who he was.
117) Why did Jesus forbid the demons to divulge his
identity?
o
Jesus wanted to
control to whom and when he divulged his identity.
----------------------------------------
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summary.
========================
Verses 29-34 Jesus Heals Many
========================
========================
Verses 35-39 Jesus Prays in a
========================
35Very early in the morning,
while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a
solitary place, where he prayed.
36Simon and his companions
went to look for him,
37and when they found him,
they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!”
38Jesus replied, “Let us go
somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I
have come.”
39So he traveled throughout
----------------------------------------
Concerning what happened the
following day,
----------------------------------------
118) What did Jesus do the following day very early in the
morning while it was still dark?
o
Jesus got up,
left the house and went off to a solitary place to pray.
119) Did Jesus get much sleep the night before and why?
o
No, because Jesus
§
Must have gone to
bed very late, noting in the next verse that people kept coming to him for
help.
§
Had got up very
early in the morning.
120) What kind of a place did Jesus choose for prayer?
o
A quiet and solitary
place.
121) What did Simon and his companions do when they found
Jesus missing?
o
They went to look
for him.
122) What did they say to Jesus when they found him?
o
They exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!”
123) What did the crowd want Jesus to do for them?
o
They wanted Jesus
to
·
Heal their sick
and
·
Drive out demons
from the demon-possessed.
124) Did Jesus go with his disciples to where the crowd was
and why?
o
No, because Jesus
said that they should go somewhere else to the nearby villages.
125) What did Jesus say that they should go to the nearby
villages for?
o
They should go
there so that Jesus could preach there also.
126) What reason did Jesus give for his plan?
o
The plan was what
he came for.
127) What did they end up doing?
o
Jesus traveled
throughout
128) Can we guess what Jesus prayed about?
o
Jesus prayed to
God asking for instruction as to what he should do next.
o
God then gave him
the plan.
129) What had Jesus shown the disciples so far?
o
Jesus had shown
the disciples how
§
To drive out
impure spirits.
§
To heal the sick.
§
To teach and
preach.
§
To pray
diligently.
----------------------------------------
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summary.
========================
Verses 35-39 Jesus Prays in a
========================
========================
Verses 40-45 Jesus Heals a
Man With Leprosy
========================
40A man with leprosy came to
him and begged him on his knees, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.”
41Jesus was indignant. He
reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!”
42Immediately the leprosy
left him and he was cleansed.
43Jesus sent him away at once
with a strong warning:
44“See that you don’t tell
this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices
that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.”
45Instead he went out and
began to talk freely, spreading the news. As a result, Jesus could no longer
enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still
came to him from everywhere.
----------------------------------------
· The facilitator provides participants with the
following information on leprosy in Jesus’ days:
----------------------------------------
130) During Jesus’ time what were the socio-religious rules
concerning people who had leprosy?
o
A leper
§
Was considered
unclean.
§
Could not live in
the community and had to live away from the community.
§
Had to wear torn
clothes and let the hair of his head be unkempt.
§
Had to cover the
lower part of his face and cry out, ‘Unclean, unclean’.
§
Was not allowed
to come within feet of other people.
o
A person who
touched a leper became unclean.
o
Lepers were
social outcasts.
----------------------------------------
Concerning the action the
leper took in approaching Jesus for healing,
----------------------------------------
131) How did the leper approach Jesus?
o
He came to Jesus and begged Jesus on his knees.
132) Did the leper break the socio-religious rules the way
he approached Jesus and why?
o
Yes, because he came
within close proximity of Jesus.
133) What did begging on his knees before Jesus indicate?
o
It indicated
humility and earnestness.
134) Did the leper consider himself to be unclean because
of his leprosy and why?
o
Yes, because in
verse 40 the leper equated the healing of his leprosy to making him clean in
his request for healing.
135) Was the leper’s need for healing more psychological
than physical and why?
o
Yes, because the
leper did not ask Jesus to heal him of his leprosy but rather to make him clean.
o
Feeling unclean
is not a physical but a psychological condition.
136) Did the leper think that Jesus was able to heal him of
his leprosy and why?
o
Yes, because to
the leper it was a matter of whether Jesus was willing to heal him or not.
137) How had the leper developed faith in Jesus’ ability to
heal him of his leprosy?
o
The leper must
have either seen Jesus heal others or have heard of the healings.
138) Did the leper’s faith in Jesus’ ability to heal him of
his leprosy translate into his confidence of Jesus’ willingness to heal and
why?
o
No, because he
was expressing uncertainty about Jesus’ willingness to heal him of his leprosy
in saying to Jesus, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.”
139) Why was the leper uncertain about Jesus’ willingness
to heal him of his leprosy?
o
It was because
there was a lot of stigma associated with and prejudice against people with
leprosy.
140) Did the leper come within close proximity of Jesus so
that it would be possible for Jesus to touch him and why?
o
Yes, because the
leper was longing for social acceptance and emotional healing.
----------------------------------------
Concerning the action Jesus
took in responding to the man with leprosy,
----------------------------------------
141) How did Jesus express his willingness to heal the
leper?
o
Jesus said he was
willing.
142) How did Jesus heal the leper?
o
Jesus said, “Be
clean!”
143) What happened to the leper upon Jesus uttering those
words?
o
Immediately the
leprosy left him and he was cured.
144) Did Jesus break the socio-religious rules in the way
he acted toward the leper and why?
o
Yes, because he
touched the leper.
145) Did Jesus really need to touch the leper in order to
heal the leper of his leprosy and why?
o
No, Jesus could
have just said the words and the leper would still have been healed because the
leprosy immediately left the man upon Jesus uttering those words.
146) Why then did Jesus touch the leper?
o
Jesus touched the
leper to show his social acceptance of the leper.
147) Had Jesus healed the leper without touching him, would
Jesus have accepted the leper socially?
o
No.
148) Had Jesus not accepted the leper socially, would Jesus
have healed the leper emotionally?
o
No.
149) What triggered Jesus’ compassion for the leper?
o
Jesus was filled
with compassion for the leper for the disfigurement from his physical disease and
emotional wound.
150) Did Jesus accept the leper socially first and then
heal the leper of leprosy or did Jesus heal the leper of leprosy first and then
accept the leper socially?
o
Jesus touched the
leper to accept him socially first and then verbally healed the leper of his leprosy.
151) Why was it important for Jesus to touch the leper
first and then heal the leper of his leprosy?
o
The only way for
Jesus to accept the leper socially was to touch him first before healing him of
his leprosy.
152) Would the leper have been healed emotionally if he had
stayed at a distance and why?
o
No, because then
Jesus could not have touched the leper and accepted him socially.
153) Was it necessary for the leper to break the
socio-religious rules in order to take his request for emotional healing before
Jesus and why?
o
Yes, because
otherwise Jesus could not have touched the leper.
154) Was it the leper’s personal responsibility to take his
request for emotional healing before Jesus?
o
Yes.
155) Did Jesus match the leper’s breaking of
socio-religious rules concerning a leper and why?
o
Yes, because the
leper violated the rules by coming within close proximity of Jesus and Jesus in
turn violated the rules by touching the leper.
156) What can we conclude about Jesus’ attitude toward
social outcasts?
o
Jesus accepted
social outcasts in defiance of socio-religious rules.
157) Did the leper get to know Jesus better and in what
way?
o
Yes, the leper
realized that Jesus was not only willing to heal him physically but also accept
him socially.
158) Was the leper a socio-religious rebel?
o
You decide.
159) Is Jesus a socio-religious rebel?
o
You decide.
----------------------------------------
Concerning what happened
after Jesus healed the leper,
----------------------------------------
160) What did Jesus tell the former leper to do for
verification of his healing?
o
The former leper
was to
§
Show himself to
the priest who would examine him and proclaim him clean.
§
Offer the
sacrifices Moses commanded for his cleansing as a testimony that he had been healed.
161) What kind of a priest was Jesus referring to?
o
A priest in
Judaism.
162) Where did Moses’ commands come from?
o
Moses’ commands
come from the law of Moses that God gave
163) What was Jesus’ warning for the former leper
concerning telling other people about his healing?
o
The former leper
was not to tell anyone about Jesus healing him of his leprosy.
164) Why did Jesus send the former leper away with urgency
and the strong warning?
o
Jesus did not
want publicity of the miracle to interfere with his ministry plan.
o
This was also the
reason why earlier Jesus stayed away from the crowd when the disciples
exclaimed that everyone was looking for him.
165) What did the former leper do in reality?
o
The former leper instead
told everyone about what Jesus had done for him.
166) In what ways was Jesus’ plan laid out in verse 38
hindered?
o
Jesus had planned
to go to the nearby villages so that he could preach there. But now he could not enter a town openly and
had to stay outside in lonely places.
167) What did people do when Jesus did not enter their
towns?
o
People came to
Jesus from everywhere.
----------------------------------------
· Ask for a volunteer to summarize.
· Ask for the rest of the participants to supplement the
summary.
========================
Verses 40-45 Jesus Heals a
Man With Leprosy
========================