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Parkhurst Bible Lesson
Luke 4:31-37; 20:1-8
Sunday, July 6, 2008

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International Sunday School Lesson
Sunday July 6, 2008
Luke 4:31-37; 20:1-8

“[The chief priests and the scribes came with the elders] and said to Jesus, ‘Tell us, by what authority are you doing these things? Who is it who gave you this authority?’” (Luke 20:2—NRSV).

“[The chief priests and the scribes came with the elders] And spake unto him, saying, Tell us, by what authority doest thou these things? or who is he that gave thee this authority?”  (Luke 20:2—KJV).

Some cannot distinguish between good and evil, right and wrong, the divine and human. Similarly, some will condemn the evil actions of others while approving or ignoring that same immoral behavior among those in their own group or party. As in our own day, Jesus dealt with many political and religious leaders who had lost their moral compass.

Many of the religious leaders who opposed Jesus disregarded their inconsistencies when they condemned Jesus for healing on the Sabbath while they themselves conspired on the Sabbath to murder Him (see Mark 3:1-6). While Jesus went about proclaiming and demonstrating the good news, they invented false accusations and arranged for His arrest and crucifixion.

Many of these leaders had a long history of disregarding God’s ways and warnings. Jesus accused them of neglecting and not keeping the law of God (Matthew 23:23 and John 7:19).

To prepare the leaders and people for the coming of the Messiah, God sent John the Baptist. Nevertheless, many of the leaders did not see (or refused to acknowledge) the hand of God upon John’s ministry. They refused to repent. They feared the people would stone them, so they would not tell them they did not recognize John as a prophet. Jesus knew the religious leaders were not asking honest questions or sincerely wanting to know and obey God. Because they were trying to trick Him, Jesus answered their questions with questions, which they refused to answer. If He had answered that His authority came from God, they would have tried to kill Him sooner.

© Copyright 2008 by L.G. Parkhurst, Jr.

You may be reprint or reproduce this Parkhurst Bible Lesson for not-for-profit use.

Questions for Further Thought
or Class Discussion

International Sunday School Lesson
Sunday July 6, 2008
Luke 4:31-37; 20:1-8

Printable PDF With Questions
Bulletin Size With Questions Printable PDF
Bulletin Size Without Questions Printable PDF

Simple audio podcast version also available here!

          Think about your answers to the questions below before your Sunday school class meets, discuss in class, or use for further study. In some cases, I do not always write the questions to have a definitive right or wrong answer. In most cases, the questions should encourage everyone to think about how to apply biblical truths to their daily lives. Before beginning to answer the questions below, read the entire Scripture lesson in your favorite translation or compare translations. Write your thoughts in the space provided and take them to your Sunday school class for discussion.

Available in the "Religion Section" of The Oklahoman newspaper every Saturday, please do not remove the copyright notice or publish these lessons for profit if you reprint them. To download these Bible Studies as an audio file or podcast to listen to, go to ParkhurstBibleLessons.com.

For newspapers, reprints, or other for profit use, contact:
L.G. Parkhurst, Jr. - lgp@InternationalBibleLessons.com.

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