The Gospel Project® for Adults

POINT 2 JESUS IS THE PROPHET BRINGING GRACE TO THE WORLD

(LUKE 4:22-27).

22 They were all speaking well of him and were amazed by the gracious words
that came from his mouth; yet they said,
“Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” 23 Then he said to them,
“No doubt you will quote this proverb to me:
‘Doctor, heal yourself.
What we’ve heard that took place in Capernaum, do here in your hometown also.’ ”
24 He also said,
“Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in his hometown.
25 But I say to you, there were certainly many widows in Israel in Elijah’s days,
when the sky was shut up for three years and six months
while a great famine came over all the land.
26 Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them except a widow at Zarephath in Sidon.
27 And in the prophet Elisha’s time, there were many in Israel who had leprosy,
and yet not one of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.”

Explain:

Verses 22-24 (the bold words fill in blanks in the DDG):

The Jews marveled at Jesus at first
but wanted to see a sign because of their unbelief,
like those before them when God gave them His prophets.

Discuss:

• What are some reasons why people might refuse to listen to God’s mouthpieces?
• (we are prideful and think we know it all;
• we are untrusting and doubt another person’s genuineness;
• we want to live in our sin;
• we don’t know God enough to know His words and recognize truth)

Explain:

Verses 25-27 (the bold words fill in blanks in the DDG):

Jesus warned the Jews with the stories of the widow and Naaman
who, though Gentiles, received the offer of God’s grace
because their saving faith led to faith-filled actions.

Discuss:

• How would you describe the relationship between saving faith and works?
• (works cannot save us, but faith without works is dead;
• a Christian, saved by faith, will naturally be active in works of obedience;
• Christians should be known for their good deeds, but in no way do good deeds save them)

Transition:

Jesus knew the hearts and minds of the Jews were not ready
to receive Him as Messiah,
yet He still gave them an opportunity to accept this good news.
Unfortunately, they did not respond in the way they should have.

PROVERB

A general proverb is a short saying of wisdom, advice, or commentary
that is repeated among the culture that the people would be familiar with.
There are secular proverbs, rabbinic proverbs, and everyday proverbs,
and then there are biblical proverbs, such as those found in the book of Proverbs,
which hold a distinction of divine authority for us today.