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Who You Follow Matters

February 6, 2022

Luke 4: 31-44

31 Then he went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and on the Sabbath he taught the people. 32 They were amazed at his teaching, because his words had authority. 33 In the synagogue there was a man possessed by a demon, an impure spirit. He cried out at the top of his voice, 34 “Go away! 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!”35 “Be quiet!” Jesus said sternly. “Come out of him!” Then the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without injuring him. 36 All the people were amazed and said to each other, “What words these are! With authority and power he gives orders to impure spirits and they come out!” 37 And the news about him spread throughout the surrounding area.

38 Jesus left the synagogue and went to the home of Simon. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked Jesus to help her. 39 So he bent over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. She got up at once and began to wait on them. 40 At sunset, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness, and laying his hands on each one, he healed them. 41 Moreover, demons came out of many people, shouting, “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 At daybreak, Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them. 43 But he said, “I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.” 44 And he kept on preaching in the synagogues of Judea.

Read Luke 4:32-37

  1. What do you think it means that ‘his words had authority?’
  2. How is the rest of this passage an example of Jesus’ authority?
  3. In verse 34, the demon identifies Jesus as the Holy One of God. And then Jesus commands him to be silent. Both of those things sort of mess with our expectations. What is really going on here?
  4. What is implied about Jesus’ power and authority by his ability to cast out the demon?

Read Luke 4: 38-41

  1. In this passage Jesus moves from healing/delivering an occasional individual to healing large numbers of people coming to him. Why might this be significant?
  2. Here again Jesus commands silence about his identity. What might the evil spirits be trying to accomplish by proclaiming that Jesus was the Messiah? Why would Jesus command silence on that topic?
  3. In this passage Jesus seems to heal everybody. But in practice, we observe that God does not heal everybody. Why might God choose not to heal somebody?

Read Luke 4:42-44

  1. We find Jesus retreating to a quiet, solitary place. Why is this an important discipline for Jesus followers to practice? What do we gain from quiet time alone with God?
  2. What is your own personal practice for spending time alone with God? What do you do during that time?
  3. Why is the word ‘must’ in verse 43 so important? As far as serving God goes, what are the things that you know you personally ‘must’ do?