Discussion Questions

Sermon Overview

Jesus' empowered people must proclaim his forgiving fulfillment to all nations.

I. Jesus' resurrection was persuasively physical (vv. 36-43)

II. His forgiving fulfillment must be proclaimed to all nations (vv. 44-49)

III. This proclamation proceeds from joyful worship (vv. 50-53)

Digging Deeper

1. Does the resurrection of Jesus ever feel “too good to be true” to you? How is this passage reassuring when we feel this way?

2. If the resurrection is true, the implications for how we live our lives are huge. What - specifically - does Jesus’s resurrection mean for you today?

3. Pick one of the Old Testament passages pointing to Christ mentioned in the sermon (Genesis 3, Exodus 12, Isaiah 53, Psalm 22). Spend some time reflecting on how it connects us to the Gospel.

4. When thinking about the task Jesus gives to us - proclaiming the forgiveness of sins that he offers to the nations - we may feel weak. But Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to us to aid us in power to spread the Gospel everywhere. What needs and weaknesses do you need to trust the Spirit to supply in your life?

5. Spend some time thinking about people for whom God has laid a burden on your heart. Are you called to go and spread the good news of Jesus somewhere else? If so, where? If not, where - and to whom - in your spheres of influence are you called to proclaim it? Be specific.

6. How can we grow in making our “joyful worship” of God visible to the world, which needs to see our love for him?

7. When we go through hard seasons trying to follow Jesus, what truths from his word - especially in the Gospel of Luke - can help us endure and continue to trust his plan?

8. After Jesus ascended and blessed the disciples, they returned to the temple, blessing him. What blessings of God can you respond to in praise today? (think not only in physical/material terms, but also spiritual).

9. Where and how can we, as a Gospel Community - a family of disciples sent by God on mission to the world - proclaim Jesus’s forgiving fulfillment by the power of the Holy Spirit?

Prayer