New Testament in a Year – Luke 11

Jesus' Teaching on Prayer - Luke 11:1-13

Understand It

• What was Jesus doing when one of His disciples approached Him? (11:1)
• What was the disciple’s request? (11:1)
• Who had taught his disciples to pray? (11:1)
• What topics did Jesus’ prayer cover? (11:2-4)
• With what is God’s forgiveness of us linked? (11:4)
• Why did the person in need go to the friend at midnight? (11:5-8)
• Whom does the friend in the house represent? (11:5-8)
• Why did the friend eventually grant the man’s request? (11:8)
• What cause-and-effect connection did Jesus use to follow up on the parable? (11:9-10)
• How do most parents respond to their children’s requests? (11:11-12)
• Why do parents grant their children’s requests? (11:13)
• How is God the Father like and unlike human fathers? (11:13)
• What does God give to us? (11:13)

Apply It

• Whom can you call today or tomorrow and offer to pray on his or her behalf?
• When can you plan for an extended period of prayer in the next few months?

Jesus and Beelzebub - Luke 11:14-28

Understand It

• What sort of demon did Jesus drive out? (11:14)
• By whose power did some think Jesus could drive out demons? (11:15)
• What did some people say about Jesus’ work? (11:16)
• How did Jesus react to criticism? (11:17-20)
• How was the question of Jesus’ authority turned back on those who questioned Him? (11:19-20)
• In Jesus’ illustration, what does an attacker take in addition to a person’s possessions? (11:21-22)
• If a person is not with Jesus, what is his status? (11:23)
• Where does an evil spirit go when it is exorcised from a person? (11:24)
• What happens to a person if an evil spirit is cast out of him or her and replaced with nothing? (11:25-26)
• What is the final condition of the person who does not replace evil with good? (11:26)
• What did a woman from the crowd call out? (11:27)
• Who is blessed, according to one of the people in the crowd? (11:27)
• To whom was the woman in the crowd referring? (11:27)
• Who is blessed, according to Jesus? (11:28)

Apply It

• What action can you take today to fill a void in your life with something good and holy?
• What can you do this week to improve your responsiveness to the Word of God?

The Sign of Jonah - Luke 11:29-32

Understand It

• What had happened to Jesus’ following as this story opens? (11:29)
• What did Jesus think of the generation in which He lived? (11:29)
• What did Jesus’ generation want? (11:30)
• Who was to be a sign to Jesus’ generation? (11:30)
• With what group of people was Jesus’ generation compared? (11:30)
• What made the Queen of the South fit for judging the people of Jesus’ generation? (11:31)
• How did Jesus use Solomon’s reputation to describe Himself? (11:31)
• Who was to condemn Jesus’ generation? (11:31-32)
• What had the men of Nineveh done? (11:32)
• How did Jesus use Jonah’s reputation to describe Himself? (11:32)

Apply It

• What can you do to be sensitive to the signs God has already given you in the Bible?
• Whom can you ask to join you this week in praying for wisdom and repentance?

The Lamp of the Body - Luke 11:33-36

Understand It

• What is not done with a lamp? (11:33)
• What is done with a lamp? (11:33)
• Who benefits from the proper handling of a lamp? (11:33)
• To what did Jesus compare the human eye? (11:34)
• What is the "lamp of your body"? (11:34)
• What happens when the eyes are good? (11:34)
• What happens when the eyes are bad? (11:34)
• What did Jesus counsel His listeners to do? (11:35)
• What is the result of having the whole body full of light? (11:36)
• To what did Jesus compare having a whole body full of light? (11:36)

Apply It

• To whom can you be a lamp this week, sharing what Jesus means to you? How?
• What is one step you need to take to keep old habits or tempting situations from darkening your life?

Six Woes - Luke 11:37-54

Understand It

• What did the Pharisee do when Jesus finished speaking? (11:37)
• What surprised Jesus’ host? (11:38)
• According to Jesus, what did the Pharisee emphasize and overlook? (11:39-40)
• How could the Pharisees have made everything clean for themselves? (11:41)
• What did the Pharisees neglect in favor of tithing herbs? (11:42)
• Why did Jesus say "woe" six times? (11:42-52)
• Who else besides the Pharisees was offended by Jesus’ strong words? (11:45)
• What did the Pharisees’ forefathers do? (11:47)
• Why were Jesus’ listeners held responsible for the prophets’ fates? (11:48-51)
• To what did Jesus liken knowledge? (11:52)
• What did the Pharisees and teachers of the law do when Jesus left? (11:53)
• What motivated the Pharisees and teachers of the law to ask questions? (11:54)

Apply It

• What person can you ask to spend some time this week helping you weed out hypocrisy?
• Whom can you encourage to learn from God’s Word this week? How?