The Gospel Project® for Adults

POINT 3 JESUS’S PROCLAMATION OF THE GOSPEL REVEALS HIS MISSION

(LUKE 4:38-44).

38 After he left the synagogue, he entered Simon’s house.
Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked him about her.
39 So he stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her.
She got up immediately and began to serve them.
40 When the sun was setting, all those who had anyone sick with various diseases
brought them to him. As he laid his hands on each one
of them, he healed them.
41 Also, demons were coming out of many, shouting and saying,
“You are the Son of God!”
But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak,
because they knew he was the Messiah.
42 When it was day, he went out and made his way to a deserted place.
But the crowds were searching for him.
They came to him and tried to keep him from leaving them.
43 But he said to them,
“It is necessary for me to proclaim the good news about the kingdom of God
to the other towns also, because I was sent for this purpose.”
44 And he was preaching in the synagogues of Judea.

Explain:

Verses 38-41 (the bold words fill in blanks in the DDG):

Jesus repeatedly demonstrated His power, divinity, and care
as He healed sicknesses and liberated demon-possessed people.
Both the physical and the spiritual are subject to Him.

Discuss:

• How did the actions of Christ reveal His mission?
• (purpose filled His every move,
  even if not originally understood;
• the healings were demonstrations of His power over
  both the physical and spiritual realms;
• all of Jesus’s miracles led up to the truth
  that Jesus also has the power to save,
  not just from the immediate problems we face
  but from our biggest problem—sin)

Explain:

Verses 42-44 (the bold words fill in blanks in the DDG):

Jesus was steadfast in His purpose,
obeying the Father and fulfilling His mission
in all that He did, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God.

Transition:

Through embracing the Great Commission,
all who are in Christ have the same purpose and mission.
With this call to proclaim the gospel,
we also carry with us the same power of Christ
that brought healing and hope.

MY RESPONSE

Because Jesus has set us free
from sin and death,
we recognize and embrace His authority
over every area of our lives as we proclaim
what Jesus has done for us.

HEAD:

God’s power displayed is often more
than our brains can fully perceive.
During His time on earth, Jesus repeatedly
demonstrated His divine power over both
the physical and spiritual realms.
Ultimately, through the resurrection,
He proved His dominion over sin and death.
But when we are faced with what is seemingly insurmountable,
it can be easy to forget or doubt
the power of God to save.
Yet the acts of Jesus today are still just as powerful and purposeful,
and we can trust Him to care and to save.

• In what areas of life do you need to remember the reality of God’s ability and power to save?

HEART:

The life of Jesus is not a sweet bedtime story
or inspirational folktale.
Jesus is a living, breathing human.
He is also the Messiah who came in power
to usher in God’s kingdom.
Authority filled Jesus’s actions,
demonstrating His dominion over every aspect of human life,
both seen and unseen. No evil spirit could overpower
His resolve to obey God’s plan.
No earthly need could thwart His mission to proclaim the gospel.

• In what areas of life do you need to repent and submit to the authority of our powerful, loving, and caring Savior?

HANDS:

Jesus lived with great purpose and clarity.
He did not waste moments.
He did not waffle in His direction.
He did not neglect God’s ultimate goal.
After Jesus defeated sin and death,
He appeared to His people before He ascended into heaven
and provided a clear and compelling commission:
Go and make disciples of all nations (Matt. 28:18-20).
With this command, Jesus attached the promise of His power-filled presence,
which we experience through God’s gift of the Holy Spirit.
Therefore, filled with the same power and authority that rebuked
the sickness and the spirits,
we are abundantly equipped to proclaim the good news of Jesus to all nations.

• What are some ways you will walk forward in the authority of Christ and proclaim the good news today?

VOICES FROM CHURCH HISTORY

“The life of a believer is a series of miracles
wrought by ‘the mighty God.’ He is mighty
to keep His people holy after He has made them so,
and to preserve them until He brings to completion
their spiritual existence in heaven.” 9

– Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892)

References

1. James R. Edwards, The Gospel According to Luke, ed. D. A. Carson, The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.; Nottingham, England: Eerdmans; Apollos, 2015), 144.

2. Gerhard Kittel, Gerhard Friedrich, and Geoffrey William Bromiley, Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, Abridged in One Volume (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1985), 506.

3. David Platt, Exalting Jesus in Matthew: Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2013), Matthew 8:1-34.

4. Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1993), Luke 4:33-34 [Logos].

5. Ibid., Luke 4:35-37 [Logos].

6. Walter L. Liefeld and David W. Pao, “Luke,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Luke–Acts (Revised Edition), eds. Tremper Longman III and David E. Garland, vol. 10 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2007), 113.

7. Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament, Luke 4:42-44.

8. Robert H. Stein, Luke, vol. 24, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1992), 556.

9. Charles H. Spurgeon, Morning by Morning (Alachua, FL: Bridge-Logos, 2000), January 14.

10. Walter L. Liefeld, “Luke,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Matthew, Mark, Luke, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 8 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1984), 871.

11. Leon Morris, Luke: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 3, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1988), 129.

12. Robert H. Stein, Luke, vol. 24, The New American Commentary, 165.