Discussion Questions For At Home Or In Gospel Community Groups

• What is the tenth commandment?
• Covetousness is a heart sin, but it produces many sinful words and deeds. In fact, it leads people to violate commandments 1-9. Discuss. 
• What is the remedy to covetousness?
• Have you kept this law perfectly? What does that make you?
• What doth God require of us, that we may escape His wrath and curse, due to us for sin? (Baptist Catechism 90)

Questions For Discussion At Home Or In Gospel Community Groups

• What was the good news that John the Baptist preached? 
• Why did Luke quote Isaiah 40:3-5? Why is that text important? What connection does Luke want us to make?
• Luke did not only preach the gospel, he preached the law. Where do you see that in this text? Why is this important? How does God use the law and gospel to bring about true faith in his elect? 
• What is baptism? Who would John baptize? Who would he not baptize? What is the relationship between the baptism that John applied before the resurrection of Christ, and the baptism that Christ’s Apostles applied after Christ rose from the grave?
• How might this passage be applied by us today?

Questions For Discussion At Home Or In Gospel Community Groups

• What is the ninth commandment?
• It is obvious what the ninth commandment forbids. What does it require?
• Why is speaking the truth so important? What damage does speaking falsehood do to individual relationships, families, and society?
• Why is it especially important to speak the truth in witness bearing?
• Why is a good name (reputation) so valuable?
• Have you kept this law perfectly? What then should you do?

Questions For Discussion At Home Or In Gospel Community Groups

• In what way does this story about Jesus at the temple at the age of twelve mirror the story of Samuel as recorded in 1 Samuel 3? How does making this connection help us to properly interpret Luke 2:41-52?
• Though many applications can be drawn from Luke 2:41-52, what is the text really about? How do we know that this is what it is about?
• What do the first recorded words of Christ in Luke 2:49 reveal about how he viewed, 1) his person (his nature and special relation to God Father), and 2) his work, calling, or mission as the Lord’s Messiah? 
• Jesus is God the Son incarnate. We must also confess that Jesus is the son of Mary, that is to say,  truly human. What insights can we gain about the humanity of Christ from this story, and especially Luke 2:40 and 52?   
• What did it mean for Christ to be about his Father’s “business”? In other words, what was the work that God determined to do through Jesus Christ, the Son? Luke 2:49 does not say! How do we know?

Questions For Discussion At Home Or In Gospel Community Groups

• If you were to compare Luke 1-2 with 1 Samuel 1-2 you would find that they are very similar. What is the meaning of this?
• Luke was obviously concerned to communicate to us that Joseph and Mary obeyed the Law of Moses when they went up to the temple to present Jesus there. Why does this matter?
• How does the recognition of Jesus by Simeon and Anna help to strengthen your certainty that he is the Messiah? 
• Consider the words of Simeon in Luke 2:29-32. What Old Testament passages and themes does he point to?
• What does it mean that Jesus grew in wisdom and stature? What does this reveal to us concerning his nature?
• Why is it not enough to be convinced in the mind that Jesus is the Messiah? Why must we also believe in him in the heart and confess him as Lord?

• What is the seventh commandment?
• What is God’s design for sex?  
• What is adultery?
• Does the seventh commandment only forbid adultery? What else does it require and forbid as we work out its implications?
• Why is it important to keep the seventh commandment in the heart and mind?

Questions For Discussion At Home Or In Gospel Community Groups

• Who makes it into the history books of the world — what kinds of people? Which part of history does the Bible focus on? What kinds of people play a central role in this story? Who is the central figure? What are the implications of these observations for us?
• Why does Luke spend two chapters tellings us about the things that happened in the world before Jesus was fully aware of and able to articulate his messianic mission (see Luke 2:52)?  
• Why was there so much angelic activity in the days of Jesus’ birth (and throughout his whole ministry)? Are the angels always active? What do they do? Why don’t we see them?
•  Discuss the implications of the lowliness of Christ’s birth for the Christian life.

Questions For Discussion At Home Or In Gospel Community Groups

• Hermeneutics is the science of interpretation. Have you learned anything about how to properly interpret Scripture in our study of Luke thus far?
• Compare the beginning and end of Luke’s Gospel. What theme is present at the beginning and end? 
• How was Zachariah moved from a place of doubt to certainty? What evidence did he consider that pointed to the fact that Jesus is the Messiah?
• Look through Luke 1:67-79 and discuss the quotations and allusions to the Old Testament that you find there (allusions are not direct quotations, but given the presence of keywords and themes it is clear that a particular passage or story from the Old Testament is in mind). 
• What difference will being certain that Jesus is the Messiah make in our lives, practically speaking?