Monday – Luke 3:1-20 John Prepares the Way
1. Luke gives us a vivid sense of John’s character through an OT quote and dialogue. Putting these together, how do you picture John and his preaching? If John were to come down the main street of your town with a megaphone, what would he be saying?
2. John details that repentance includes a change in attitudes and actions. Who responds to his message? What does John say the people should think and do? How would this prepare them for the Lord’s arrival?
3. John’s popularity led the crowds to think he was the Messiah. How does John compare himself and his work to Jesus and His ministry?

Tuesday – Luke 3:21-22; Matt. 3:13-17; John 1:29-34 John Baptizes Jesus
1. Being sinless, Jesus does not need to repent of anything (1 Pet 2:22). So, why does He submit to John’s baptism (see: Mat 3:14-15; 2 Cor 5:21; Heb 2:17)?
2. How do you think it impacts Jesus to witness the heavens open, the Holy Spirit descending, and hearing the voice from Heaven? What do these do for John (see: Jhn 1:31-34)?
3. As with His baptism, many key events in Jesus’ life are accompanied with prayer (ref. 6:12; 9:18, 29; 11:1; 22:41). Do you think to pray like this? Why or why not?

Wednesday – Luke 3:23-38 The Genealogy of Jesus Christ
1. Only Luke gives us Jesus’ age when He starts His ministry. Thirty years old is significant in the accounts of Joseph (Gen 41:46) and David (2 Sam 5:4). It is also the age in which priests entered temple service (Num 4:3, 23). With these in mind, what might Luke be hinting at with mentioning Jesus’ age?
2. By reaching all the way back to “Adam, the Son of God,” Luke is not stressing Jesus’ ethnic heritage (as Matthew does, 1:1-17) but His humanness. Reflect on this: Jesus came to be one of us to redeem us (Php 2:3-11; Heb 2:17)! How does this deepen your appreciation for Him?
3. In Rom 5:15-19, Paul draws a contrast between Adam and Jesus. Chart the effects of Adam’s sin and Jesus’ righteousness. Why is Jesus’ effect “much more” than Adams?

Thursday – Luke 4:1-13 The Temptation of Jesus
1. Pulling the idea of Jesus descending from “Adam, the son of God” into the temptation scene, how does Jesus, the Son of God, resist Satan’s temptation where Adam (and Eve) failed (cf. Gen 3:1-24)?
2. In your own words, describe the nature of each temptation Jesus faces from Satan?
3. Hebrews 4:15 tells us Jesus “has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” Think of your fiercest temptation, in what ways is it like the ones Jesus faced? How will you, like Jesus, resist Satan’s attacks? 

Friday – Luke 4:14-15 Jesus Begins His Ministry
1. It was the Spirit that led Jesus into the wilderness for temptation by Satan. Now, Jesus comes “in the power of the Spirit” to begin His ministry. Why do you think it was necessary for Jesus to be tempted before He starts teaching the people?
2. Luke simply says Jesus “taught in their synagogues,” while Mrk 1:15 gives us a synopsis of His message. To what degree, if any, is this message still relevant today? Explain.
3. While his miracles will bring notoriety, it’s Jesus’ teaching that first stirs the crowd. What is it about His teaching that causes people to glorify Him then and now?

Monday – Luke 1:57-80 The Birth of John the Baptist / Zechariah’s Prophecy: The Benedictus
1. The focus of John’s birth narrative is on the neighbors and Zechariah. Three times, Luke describes people’s spontaneous reactions to John’s birth. What might Luke’s purpose be, in repeating this fact?
2. Zechariah’s nine months of silence (cf. Luk 1:18-20) reflects what is going on in Israel in his day. Many believed prophecy had been silent for four hundred years but now it was bursting out again. From his prophecy, summarize his praise  of God for Jesus (vv. 68-75, 78b-79) and John (vv. 76-77).
3. After a series of dramatic events surrounding John’s birth, Luke ends the episode by encapsulating John’s life in v. 80. What potential promises does this summary statement hold for Israel’s story?

Tuesday – Luke 2:1-7 The Birth of Jesus Christ
1. Luke sets his narrative in the context of history (cf. Luk 1:5; 2:1-2; 3:1-2). How does God use Caesar’s census for His purposes (cf. Mat 2:1-6)? Many considered Augustus the Roman Empire’s Lord and Savior. What contrast, if any, do you think Luke is making between Augustus and Jesus? (cf. Luk 2:11)
2. Why do you think God allows His son to be born in the circumstances described in v. 7, rather than in a royal or at least a comfortable household? (consider: 2 Cor 8:9; Php 2:3-11)
3. Using the following verses, write the reasons why Jesus was born into the world: 1 Jhn 3:8 (cf. Gen 3:15); 1 Tim 1:15-17; Heb 10:1-10. Record any other passages you can think of.

Wednesday – Luke 2:8-21 The Shepherds and the Angels
1. Reflect on what God is saying by having His Son’s birth announced to such people as lowly shepherds in the field, rather than to the nation’s officials or at least to people considered respectable?
2. In his message to the shepherds, the angel ascribes to Jesus three titles: Savior, Christ, and Lord. Separately, what does each title emphasize? Together, how do they form a paradox with a babe in a manger?
3. All who hear about the shepherds' experience “wondered” about the child, while Mary “treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart” (v. 19; cf. v. 51b). Does this suggest any ways you might respond to Jesus? Prayerfully consider how you need to capture the wonder and marvel of Jesus.

Thursday – Luke 2:22-40 Jesus Presented at the Temple / Return to Nazareth
1. While in the temple fulfilling the Law, Mary and Joseph are met by man named Simeon. What impresses you about the old man? Summarize the details of his prophecy concerning Jesus’ mission to the Gentiles and to Israel, along with his word to Mary.
2. Imagine seeing the prophetess Anna’s reaction to the infant Jesus; describe what you see and hear. 
3. Luke’s epilogue of Jesus’ birth narrative is a brief statement about the family returning to Nazareth. Contrast Luke’s account with Matthew's (Mat 2:16-23). Why do you think Luke skips over the drama of these details?

Friday – Luke 2:41-52 The Boy Jesus in the Temple
1. Put yourself in the place of Mary and Joseph looking for Jesus, how would you feel for those three days?
2. This is the only scene from Jesus' childhood in the scriptures. Do you sense He is being a mischievous twelve-year-old or something else altogether? Explain.
3. As with John’s narrative, Luke ends with a summary statement of Jesus’ intellectual, spiritual, and social growth. In which of these areas do you need to grow? What steps will you take to achieve this?

Monday – Luke 1:1-4 Dedication to Theophilus
1. From the dedication to Theophilus, what does Luke identify as his purpose and methods for writing his gospel account?
2. Luke is writing well after the events of Jesus’ life and decades after the church began. Why do you think Theophilus needs assurance of the “certainty concerning the things [he had] been taught”?
3. As you start this reading plan of Luke/Acts, what is your purpose for studying Luke’s twin works? To what degree, if any, are you hoping to have what you’ve been taught confirmed? Identify any aspects of your faith you think will be challenged by reading Luke/Acts? Why?

Tuesday – Luke 1:5-25 Birth of John the Baptist Foretold
1. The circumstances of the birth of John are very unusual. Why do you think God wants this birth to be unusual? Yet, how does the announcement and conception of John follow an established Old Testament pattern (Gen 18:1-15; 21:1-7; Jug 13:1-25; 1 Sam 1:1-20)?
2. Gabriel’s description of John’s calling echoes Mal 3:1; 4:5-6. In your own words, summarize John’s four-fold mission.
3. How does Zechariah show a mixture of half-faith and devotion in his encounter with Gabriel? Do you find yourself sympathetic or critical of his response of unbelief? Explain your view.

Wednesday – Luke 1:26-38 Birth of Jesus Foretold
1. Gabriel’s second announcement is even more extraordinary than his first. How does Mary’s experience contrast to other miraculous conception accounts in scripture? In addition to prophetic fulfillment (cf. Mat 1:18-25; Isa 7:10-14), why do you think it was necessary for the Christ to be born of a virgin?
2. The description of Mary’s son in vv. 31-33 is grand in its scope. Consider how the angel’s description draws upon passages such as 2 Sam 7:1-17; Isa 9:1-7; Jer 23:5-6.
3. Reflecting on Mary’s response to the angel’s message, how does her courageous “yes” to God’s plan inspire and challenge you in your own journey of faith? In what ways can you cultivate a faith like hers?

Thursday – Luke 1:39-45 Mary Visits Elizabeth
1. Two relatives, an old woman, and an unmarried virgin, meet for the first time after each becomes miraculously pregnant. As you imagine this scene, what do you see, hear, feel, and experience?
2. In what ways do you think Elizabeth’s pregnancy and her praise strengthen Mary’s faith in what God is doing through her (cf. Luk 1:34-38)?
3. Note that at the sound of Mary’s voice, John, while in utero, “leaped for joy.” Coupled with Psalm 139:13-16, what does this glimpse into the womb tell you about the life of the unborn?

Friday – Luke 1:46-56 Mary’s Song of Praise: The Magnificat
1. What causes Mary to launch into a song of praise? Elaborate on her description of God as the blesser of the humble and savior of the weak. How does your concept of God compare to hers?
2. Compare Mary’s song with Hannah’s prayer in 1 Sam 2:1-10. In what ways, do you think praising God helps these two women as they serve the Lord? How does praising God aid you in serving Him?
3. Select two or three phrases from Mary’s song that resonate with your own heart and life right now.
Write them out and magnify the Lord for His great blessings.

So apparently I have pneumonia and a partially collapsed lung. Strange; I don't feel that badly off. This is not merely machismo. I legitimately don't feel much different than I usually do.

The culprit is ALS. At some point during every day, every part of my body hurts, so a stitch in my side doesn't attract attention. Trouble breathing? That's every day too. ALS causes a white noise of chronic illness that masks the symptoms of acute illness.

The same is true of the practice of sin. It's a chronic illness too, of the spirit rather than of the body. It distorts our character and our spiritual perceptions, but its familiarity hides the significance of the change from us. What's more, the malevolent white noise of transgression keeps us from recognizing the danger of new sins when they arise.

Beware, then, of sins that have become comfortable and familiar. We accept them as part of our fallen state. We excuse them because of the shortcomings of others.

This comfort, though, is nothing other than the comfort of pneumonia as we pass imperceptibly from life to death. Sin is an emergency. Your porn habit is an emergency. Your trust in riches is an emergency. The more you embrace these and other sins, the more surely they will destroy you.

Fear them. Hate them. Fling them away from you as you would a viper or scorpion. Now is the time, not tomorrow or the next new year. Unless you act, the white noise of your sin will lull you into continued sleep.

The primary objection to the resurrection accounts of the Bible is philosophical. It is based on the theory of naturalism. This theory holds that all events have causes rooted in the natural laws of the universe. In the universe, dead people don't naturally come back to life, so Jesus, if dead, could not have risen from the dead. People who think this way are unwilling to consider the evidence for the resurrection because it leads to a conclusion that they think is impossible.

Naturalism is really an assumption. Rather than being based on evidence, it is used to evaluate evidence. As a rule, it leads to dismissing the very accounts that could be used to overturn it.

However, there is one conspicuous exception to the rule. It is the origin of the universe itself. Over the past century, scientists have come to recognize that the universe had a beginning. Before (although that's not really the right word) the Big Bang, neither space nor time existed. After it, the space-time reality did.

In other words, there was something antecedent to the universe through which the universe came into being. Whatever this cause was, it was, by definition, outside of the universe. The universe didn't create itself, after all! That pre-universe event didn't follow the natural laws of space-time reality. It made the natural laws of space-time reality.

Scientists have come up with a variety of speculative, science-like explanations for this. Some say it has to do with string theory and the interaction of strange physical objects called branes. Others posit the existence of a “mother universe” that goes around spawning “daughter universes”. Still others claim that every universe that is mathematically possible does exist, and we are in the good one with the physical constants that allow for life.

All of these explanations have several things in common. There is no evidence for any of them. They are untestable. They are unprovable. None of them correspond with a naturalistic view of the universe because all of them are, strictly speaking, supernatural.

The supernatural does exist. The existence of everything from stars to toenails proves it. If the supernatural made our physical universe, there is no reason to dismiss the possibility that it might intervene in our physical universe too.

If creation, why not resurrection?