Questions for Rejected and Doubted Sections 97-114
97. Jesus rejected at Nazareth (Mark 6:1-6; Matthew 13:54-58)
Compare this passage to Luke 4:16-30 which describes another occasion. Why would His own hometown people, who had watched Him grow up and knew His family intimately, have such a violent reaction?
Read Isaiah 53:3. Compare and contrast God’s Messiah to the great leaders of the world.
Here it is written that Jesus came to His hometown, and in John 4:44 we see that Jesus testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country. However, what do the following passages have to say about Jesus’ and our true country?
Numbers 23:9
Psalm 39:12
Philippians 3:20
Hebrews 11:10, 13-14
1 Peter 1:17
Why is it that Jesus and His true family are often rejected and despised? (John 15:18-20)
Read John 1:11-14. What do those who reject Jesus reject also?
Anyone who was sufficiently competent could speak in the synagogue. The darshan (preacher) would read the scripture, paraphrase it, point out specific issues, and add illustrations or parables. Presumably this happened every week. Why would Jesus’ speech, which they acknowledged as singularly wise, be rejected?
What does the presence of Jesus’ four brothers and several sisters (they did say “all” of them were present – that’s more than two) say to the Catholic doctrine of Mary’s perpetual virginity?
What do you think it must have been like to grow up with Jesus?
In Matthew, Jesus is referred to as “the carpenter’s son” and in Mark, He’s referred to as “the carpenter”. What does this tell us about Jewish society? What does this imply about why His mom and brothers (and only they) had come to summon Jesus in section 85?
“Isn’t this the carpenter?” was their question. It might as well have been “Is He not human?” The answer to both is “Yes – for now.” What does Jesus’ willingness to take on flesh and dwell among us, and take on a lowly job to support His family, tell us about His character?
98. Jesus send out the Twelve Apostles (Mark 6:7-13; Matthew 10:1-42; Luke 9:1-6)
Why do you think Jesus sent His disciples out in pairs?
What do the following passages teach us? a) Numbers 35:30; b) Deuteronomy 17:6; c) Deuteronomy 19:15; d) Matthew 18:16; e) 1 Corinthians 6:1-6; f) 1 Corinthians 14:29; g) 2 Corinthians 13:1; h) 1 Timothy 5:19; i) Hebrews 10:28
Do you think Jesus knew at this point that Judas Iscariot would later betray Him? If so, why would He send him out to witness and heal?
Why did Jesus instruct them to not go to the Gentiles at that time when the Abrahamic covenant had always included a blessing to all the nations (Genesis 12:3)?
Do we still possess the powers Jesus granted to the Twelve?
In the fourth paragraph, Jesus is clearly expecting the disciples to receive and live off the hospitality of the people to whom they minister. How does this jibe with those who say that ministers should not receive pay but should all be “tent makers” like the Apostle Paul? (2 Corinthians 11:9 cp 1 Timothy 5:17-18)
How do we balance the command to realize it’s time to “shake the dust off” with the patience or forgiving spirit needed for ministry? How do we know when it’s time? How do we recognize “dogs and pigs” (Matthew 7:6)?
How does question seven relate to Jesus’ admonition to be “wise as serpents and innocent as doves”?
The next two paragraphs are eschatological prophecies. How do we know? What is our clue? How do those of us living at the “end of the age” apply these cautionary instructions?
How do we balance the fear of the One who can cast our bodies and souls into the Lake of Fire with trust in the One who considers us valuable?
Is it possible for a person who, under the threat of persecution, denies the Messiah, to be saved?
How do we relate Jesus’ bald statement that He did not come to bring peace but a sword with the Christian concept of Jesus being the “Prince of Peace”?
Does Jesus advocate that we shun our families and devote ourselves fully to ministry?
What does He mean when He says that if we find our life that we’ll lose it? How do we reconcile this with the Cultural Christian idea of “your best life now?”
What is a “prophet’s reward”? What is a “righteous person’s reward”?
What’s the deal with oil and healing? (Luke 10:34; James 5:14; Micah 6:15; Ezekiel 16:19)
99. John the Baptist struggles with doubt (Matthew 11:1-19; Luke 7:18-35)
Why would a report of Jesus’ deeds cause John to question Jesus’ status?
Why did John send two disciples? (Deuteronomy 17;6; 19:15; Matthew 18:16; 2 Corinthians 13:1; 1 Timothy 5:19)
What do you make of the fact that even though John was in prison, his disciples continued to visit him and listen to him? What does that tell us about John? What does that tell us about his disciples?
John’s questions were stimulated by Jesus’ deeds. Why did Jesus respond with what was essentially “examine my deeds”?
Jesus alluded to a messianic prophesy that can be found in Isaiah 29:18-24. List at least three things Jesus was implying by this reference.
Read Isaiah 35:4-7. Compare it to Isaiah 61:1-2. In what way was that prophesy fulfilled in Jesus’ day? In what way does it still hold true for our message to Lowlanders today?
What did Jesus mean when he implied that John was not a “reed shaken by the wind”? Why was that message particularly needed at that moment – in that place and in front of those people?
Why was Jesus reference to “fancy clothes” probably delivered with a sardonic grin?
Consider what Jesus and John wore. Does this have any application to modern preachers who often wear Gucci and Armani?
In what way was John “more than a prophet”?
Why was John the “greatest born to women” up to that time and why is the “least in the kingdom” greater than he? cp Matthew 18:4
What was Jesus saying about the kingdom of God in John’s life?
What did having received John’s baptism have to do with the split in the crowd?
Can you detect Jesus’ sense of humor in his parable of the peevish children? Can you detect his discouragement too? In what way was the crowd (both laity and clergy) acting childish?
One group wanted to play “wedding” and the other wanted to play “funeral”. Do these two groups remain to this day in our “worship wars”? What does each look and sound like?
Who is wisdom and in what way is she vindicated by her children and deeds? (Exodus 31:3; Deuteronomy 34:9; Isaiah 11:2; Ephesians 1:17)
100. Judgment of the unbelieving cities (Matthew 11:20-24)
Why should Jesus’ miracles (healings, exorcisms, raising of the dead) have led those cities to repentance?
What role does meditation on God’s amazing works have in our personal devotions?
If Tyre and Sidon would have repented had they seen those miracles, and God knew that these cities would not, why weren't the miracles performed in Tyre and Sidon instead?
Tyre and Sidon were heathen cities. The book of Jonah has the similar idea that Nineveh, an exceptionally brutal and wicked city, repented immediately at Jonah’s preaching. Why do you think that happens? Why do sometimes the particularly wicked repent more quickly and show more fruit than the “good”?
Remember the “good Samaritan”? Why do you think Jesus kept throwing good goyim in the face of these observant Jews?
Sackcloth was a type of coarse haircloth and originally, slaves wore loincloths of this material. Over time it came to be a mark of supplicants, penitents, and mourners (1 Kings 20:31-32; Revelation 6:12). Why is it important to cultivate this attitude in the Way?
Should modern disciples resort to the use of sackcloth and ashes? Why or why not?
Jesus said that the punishment of some would be “more bearable” than others. What does this reveal to us about the nature of hell?
When Jesus said that Capernaum, instead of ascending to the heavens, would be cast down to Hades, He may have been alluding to Isaiah 14:13-15. If so, what was He saying about these cities?
Capernaum was the working center of Jesus’ “kingdom crusade.” Mark seems to give the impression that Jesus was very successful there. What do you think brought this strong condemnation on? Note that Jesus did not say that Capernaum was in fact exalted to the heavens but that the people there THOUGHT they were.
101. Jesus' invitation to the weary (Matthew 11:25-30)
The underlying Hebrew for Jesus form of address to God may have been the titles “Mareh Shamayim v’Arah” or “Elah Shamayim v’Arah”. (Deuteronomy 4:39; Ezra 5:11) What things does that title imply?
Is there a place for us to use God’s names and titles for specific purposes? If so, what would be the use? What might be the limitations?
Why would the truths of God be hidden from the wise and intelligent, while being revealed to little children? Are we saying Christianity is only for the simple-minded?
What will Jesus’ inheritance be? How should that influence how we live?
Jesus said that only those He chose to reveal the Father to could ever get to know the Father. What consequences does that have for the belief that “all paths lead to God?”
Elsewhere, Jesus warned us to not make the mistake of thinking that He had brought peace. He said that instead He brought a sword that would divide families. So, what type of rest is He offering here?
How do we balance the fact that Jesus was the Angel of the Lord who killed 185,000 soldiers in the span of a single night[1] with His personal description as being “gentle and humble”?
What do you make of the fact that there is a yoke and there is a burden? What are they?
Why are these easy to bear and light? What makes them so?
102. Jesus calms the storm (Mark 4:35-41; Matthew 8:23-27; Luke 8:22-25)
It was evening when they set out. What do you think it would have been like to have experienced such a raging storm as night was falling? What would they have seen? What would they have felt?
Why would Jesus leave the crowd He was ministering to in order to go to the far side of the lake, late in the evening? What application can we take from this?
Compare this story to the following passages: a) Psalm 65:7; b) Psalm 69:1-2; c) Psalm 18:16-17; d) Psalm 42:7
The picture used to illustrate this section is Rembrandt’s “Master of the Storm”. Notice how every line of the picture converges on the Messiah. There is a shaft of light from the heavens showing how help is from God. All else is in tumult and shadow. Use the picture as a metaphor of life and discuss it.
It says that the violent windstorm “came down the lake”. These storms occur frequently on Lake Genesseret (Sea of Galilee). Its waters are six hundred feet below sea level and the surrounding mountains are set in such a way that their deep valleys act like funnels. Yet, the word “tempest” here is the same word that is used for the word “earthquake”. What kind of storm exactly was this that seasoned fishermen were unprepared for it?
There were the regular storms that the fishermen knew, expected, and prepared for. Then there were storms like these that were singular, “once in a lifetime” storms. How should we deal with both kinds of storms in our lives?
If you see the disciples’ language in the original Greek you will note that it is marked by its disjointedness. The flavor is definitely that of persons who are struggling with panic. What happens to our brains, to our thought patterns, when we panic and what can we do about it when sudden crises occur?
Some would argue that it was merely a coincidence that the storm calmed just as Jesus spoke. What could you say in return?
What do you make of Jesus sleeping through the violent storm? What does that tell us about Him?
Does God sleep on watch while we struggle with our storms? Must we wake Him up?
103. Jesus heals a demon-possessed man (Mark 5:1-20; Matthew 8:28-34; Luke 8:26-37a, 38-39)
Some people would look at Matthew saying they were in the country of the Gadarenes (8:28) and Mark and Luke saying they were in the country of the Gerasenes (Mark 5:1; Luke 8:26) and say the contradiction indicates error. How would you answer such conflict?
Some people would look at Matthew saying there were two men and Mark and Luke saying there was one and say the contradiction indicates error. How would you answer such conflict?
The area in question was definitely known for being primarily under Gentile control, thus the emphasis on “across from Galilee.” What does this tell us about Jesus and what should this mean to us?
Why would the man be so obviously under the control of the demons yet be able to run toward Jesus and throw himself at Jesus’ feet? What does this tell us about demon possession?
People come under the control of demons by looking for power. Demon-possession is associated with supernatural strength but is accompanied by out-of-control behavior (Acts 19:14-16). What is the ultimate end of those possessed? In this life? In the next?
What are we to make of Jesus’ willingness to go to an area none else dared tread and face these violent men?
How does Jesus’ treatment of the one man who approached Him inform our treatment of the insane?
We refer to the period of time when Jesus lived as Rome’s “Late Republic” era. During that time, under the reformation of Gaius Marius, a Roman legion held between 5,000 and 6,000 men (10 units composed of 6 centuries). So, when the demon responds “we are legion” what does that tell us? How many demons might there have been? How do you think so many demons can inhabit a single human? What does this tell us about their nature?
Examine the following passages and comment on demonic attitude toward humans:
1 Samuel 16:14-16
1 Samuel 18:10-12
Matthew 15:22
Matthew 17:14-15; Mark 9:17-18; Luke 9:38-39
Matthew 12:45
Why do you think the demons were so desperate that they would even be willing to possess swine?
Do you think the demons drove the swine to self-destruct or do you think Jesus caused the stampede? What difference would it make either way?
Why would the people be afraid of the Man who had pacified a great threat in their region? Doesn’t that seem strange to you?
Why would Jesus not allow this man to come with Him, when so many others followed Him? What was the difference between this man and the others? Was it his wickedness? Had he been so bad that Jesus didn’t want to associate with him?
104. Returns to Capernaum (Mark 5:21; Luke 8:37b, 40)
Jesus left both demoniacs and the crowds from the Decapolis and returned to the “Jewish” side of the lake. What was the healed demoniac left with? What challenges still faced him?
Does Jesus sometimes leave us to our own devices? If so, how, when, and why?
Why would the crowd be “waiting for Him”? How would they know where He was going to land? How would they know that He would return at all?
Would there be any particular reason why Jesus would hang around the sea so much? Should tactics drive our missions? If so, how or why?
What principles should drive our evangelism and mission work?
What are the advantages to ministry to large crowds? What are the disadvantages?
What are the advantages of ministry to small groups or one-on-one? What are the disadvantages?
105. A discussion about fasting (Mark 2:18-22; Matthew 9:14-17; Luke 5:33-39)
“Why? Why? Why?” These angry, often accusatory questions followed Jesus everywhere He went. What is the danger of too often asking “why” of God?
What should we ask instead?
The only time fasting was required, Halakhically speaking, was on Yom Kippur – the Day of Atonement. What does the fact that John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting “often” tell us about their style of religion?
Can one overdo religious fervor? (Ecclesiastes 7:16) How and in what way?
Jewish teaching often described the “days of the Messiah” with the figure of a wedding feast. Halakha dictates that no one fast during a wedding feast. Even rabbis are expected to forsake the study of Torah during a wedding feast. What was Jesus telling us about Himself?
What was He saying to John’s disciples specifically? (John 3:28-30)
What was He saying about the human strictures added to the Law?
What was He teaching us about the balance between love of man and love of study or ministry?
Do you think that joy is a lost part of many Christian churches? If so, why would that be?
What role do God’s scheduled festivals (Leviticus 23) have in promoting both joy and happiness amongst the congregation?
Old clothes fit well. They’re comfortable. They can be repaired, but not infinitely. At some point, they must be set aside. As James Russell Lowell put it “Time makes ancient good uncouth.” If Jesus is talking here about old forms of religion, then how do we know when to set old forms aside?
If Jesus was comparing His Way of the Kingdom (John 14:6 cp Acts 9:2 and 11:26) to Pharasaism would you say that the Way is a patch or a whole new robe? How does this affect the interpretation of the parable?
If Jesus was saying that followers of the Way would burst the outward forms (the old wineskins) of Pharasaic Judaism, what form would the damage take? What’s wrong with applying old forms to the new Spirit-possessed believer?
Is there no room for traditions at all in Jesus’ new Kingdom? (Matthew 5:19; 1 Corinthians 5:8; 2 Thessalonians 2:15)
106. Jesus heals in response to faith (Mark 5:22-43; Matthew 9:18-26; Luke 8:41-56)
The synoptic accounts differ somewhat. Mark and Luke both agree that the daughter was dying and that Jairus’ friends came later and said that she had died. Matthew has Jairus saying she’d died and there’s no account of the friends coming. Is this a contradiction? How do we resolve this issue?
The two stories, with the woman sandwiched between the two accounts of the girl, have a lot of interesting comparisons and contrasts. Jairus’ daughter was 12 years old and the woman had been sick for 12 years. One was the daughter of a synagogue ruler and the other was a woman who was by necessity precluded from the synagogue; an insider vs. an outsider, in a sense. You have an older woman and a young girl. You have a woman who is diseased but in no danger with a young child who is dead. You have a public miracle and a private miracle. When we draw these comparisons and contrasts, what do we learn?
When the woman touched the “edge of Jesus’ cloak” she was touching the tzitziyot that were on the four corners of all Jewish males’ cloaks in accordance to God’s instruction found in Numbers 15:37-41. Read Malachi 4:2 and explain the significance of her faith. Who was she saying Jesus was?
What do you make of Jesus knowing “that power had gone out of Him”? Is this similar to the Chinese concept of chi? What do we learn about Jesus’ healing power from this?
Is there anything we should apply to ourselves from this understanding of spiritual power or energy?
Compare the woman’s experience to Matthew 10:32-33; Mark 8:38; and Luke 12:8. What application do we take from this comparison?
How do you think Jairus was feeling, the whole time Jesus stopped to talk to the woman? How should we act when God’s help seems to be on hold?
Jesus also described Lazarus’ death as sleep (John 11:11). This was actually a fairly common usage (Acts 7:60; 13:36; 1 Corinthians 11:30; 15:6, 18, 20, 51; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-15; 5:10; 2 Peter 3:4). Is this simply a euphemism for an uncomfortable truth or is there in fact an underlying meaning?
Why would Jesus rebuke the mourners for doing what was natural? Why shouldn’t they have been mourning when a twelve year old daughter of a prominent religious figure had died? What was wrong?
If the little girl’s spirit “returned” to her, where was it? Do you think that she and Lazarus experienced anything during their brief death (her for an hour at most and he for days)? Why or why not?
Jesus strictly ordered them not to say anything yet you know that the entire crowd outside had to know. They had, after all, pronounced her dead and here she was alive, walking around and eating! What was the point of the Master’s command?
Is there ever a time when we should be quiet about something the Master has done for us?
107. Jesus heals the blind and mute (Matthew 9:27-34)
Jesus didn’t allow the demons to speak because they knew who He was (Mark 1:34). He warned His disciples to not tell anyone He was the Christ (Matthew 16:20 cp Mark 8:29-30; Luke 9:20-21). Jesus commanded silence for the leper (Mark 1:40-44 cp Matthew 8:1-4; Luke 5:12-15). He did the same thing for Jairus in the previous passage. Why do you think this was? Was Jesus trying to keep His identity or works secret?
How do we reconcile this with His statement that He spoke openly and said nothing in secret? (John 18:20)
Note that the Master told the demoniac to go and tell his family what God had done for him, not what Jesus had done for him. Does this influence your thoughts on the matter? In what way?
Jesus was always concerned about timing (John 2:4; 7:6, 8; Matthew 26:18). Do you think this had anything to do with it? If so, in what way?
We all use different terms of address to instigate different levels of relationship. Think of the emotional difference between when my daughter refers to me as “father” and when she refers to me as “dad” or even “daddy.” Why did the blind men refer to Jesus as the “Son of David”? What were they trying to elicit from Him? Consider the following passages as you think about it:
Matthew 1:1
Matthew 12:23
Matthew 15:22
Matthew 20:30-31
Matthew 21:9, 15
Matthew 22:41-42
Jesus said, “Let it be done for you according to your faith.” He said something similar to Jairus in section 106. What is the role of faith in miraculous healing?
When faced with repeated healings, exorcisms, and even resurrections, the Pharisees’ churlish response was “By the rule of demons He casts out demons.” What was their problem?
They couldn’t deny the works and they couldn’t match the works, so they decided to attack the motive or source of power of the works. Do we ever face the same issue with our opponents today? Why would they use that approach?
Do you think there was a difference in the way Jesus taught, say…on a mountainside…or by the sea shore…or in a synagogue? What would those differences have been?
When we speak or teach outside or within the congregation, should there be a difference?
Spell out exactly what the good news of the kingdom is?
Do most cultural Christians emphasize the kingdom aspects or the good news aspects? What is the difference?
In what way was the crowd bewildered and helpless?
How can we develop a similar compassion for the teeming masses around us today? What are some practical steps for the development of compassion?
Why are the workers few if the harvest is indeed plentiful? Why would workers hesitate to go to a rich field?
When we pray for workers in God’s fields how should we pray? What specifically should we pray for?
What should be our attitude as we pray for workers?
If the harvest is in eternal human souls, why do we so often take the matter lightly? What’s our problem?
109. The death of John the Baptist (Luke 9:7-9; Mark 6:14-29; Matthew 14:1-12)
What was the significance of the people’s speculation that Elijah had returned? (Malachi 4:5)
What was Jesus’ take on the matter? (Matthew 11:13-14)
Compare Luke 23:8 to Luke 13:31. Is there a contradiction here? What do these passages, along with what this section reveals about Herod’s feelings toward John, reveal to us?
What does the Bible have to tell us about people like Herod?
Jeremiah 2:34-36
James1:18
2 Peter 3:16
Proverbs 5:3-6
Why would John tell Herod that he couldn’t marry Herodias? (Leviticus 20:21) How likely do you think it would have been that Herod would have cared about Halakha?
Why would John speak against a moral issue in which he had no hope of effecting change?
His persecutor had demanded not that he should deny Christ, but only that he should keep silent about the truth. Nevertheless, he died for Christ. Does Christ not say: I am the truth? Therefore, because John shed his blood for the truth, he surely died for Christ. What truths should we be willing to die for?
Herod was ostentatious, fleshly, cunning and ambitious. He coveted his brother’s wife and took her and apparently, flushed with wine, allowed inappropriate feelings for her daughter to drive him to make a foolish and politically dangerous vow. Yet he had a streak of conscience left (Mark 6:20). What do we learn about homicidal tyrants here?
Jeremiah 12:2
Proverbs 12:3
Proverbs 28:17
With all his power and cunning, in spite of the fact that all the people in the area feared him, he was outsmarted and forced into something he didn’t want to do by a young girl and his wicked wife. What do we learn from this?
Eventually, Herod’s first wife’s father waged war against him. He was forced to go to Rome to plead for his title as king but was condemned for “misrule” and exiled to Spain. Herod is the one to whom Jesus at His trial “answered nothing” (Luke 23:9). Is it possible that Herod crossed a line that even Jesus wouldn’t offer him hope? Is it possible to run so far from God that He won’t come get you…in this life?
Notice the concern and care the John’s disciples demonstrated for John’s body – even at great personal risk. Why should we be so concerned about our temporary, mortal bodies; our husks?
110. Jesus feeds five thousand (Matthew 14:13-21; Mark 6:30-44; Luke 9:10-17; John 6:1-15)
Why do you think that Jesus offered John’s disciples some time away from the crowds alone with Him?
Why would He set aside that purpose when He saw the crowds on the other side of the lake? What does this tell us about being Jesus’ disciples?
What was the crowd’s motivation? Did their motive affect Jesus’ welcome?
Notice how the Master consistently accompanied the preaching of the Gospel with practical help? How can we emulate this evangelistic method?
Bethsaida of Galilee was likely a small fishing village adjoining the larger city of Capernaum. Imagine 5,000 men, their wives and children all scouring the area near Bethsaida for food and lodging. Was that even a possible option?
Bethsaida was the hometown of Philip, Andrew and Peter (John 1:44 cp John 12:21). Do you think maybe there was another motive for them wanting to go into their own town with 200 pieces of silver shopping for over 5,000 people?
All good people struggle with feelings of inadequacy from time to time. What may they learn from this story?
Notice that Jesus “looked up to heaven” as He prayed. Isn’t God omnipresent? Why would we look “up” to pray?
Imagine telling a crowd of about 10,000 American men, women and children to sit down, arranging themselves in groups of 50 and 100. You’d likely have chaos! The people of Israel had a long history of automatically grouping themselves this way (Exodus 18:21, 25; Deuteronomy 1:15; 1 Samuel 8:12). What are the advantages of having our congregations organized along similar lines? What are the challenges?
When the people said Jesus was “the Prophet that is come into the world” who were they referring to? (Deuteronomy 18:15, 18)
Since Jesus had come to offer Israel the kingdom of God, why would He refuse to allow them to crown Him king?
