Luke Gospel

1. Lesson 3

2. Key Text:
“He said to them,
‘But who do you
say that I am?’
Peter answered
and said, ‘The
Christ of God’ ”
Luke 9:20,

3. Who is Jesus Christ? This question is not a philosophical or a
sociological gimmick. It gets to the heart of who humans are
and, even more important, what eternity will hold for them.
People can admire the
works of Jesus, honor
His words, extol His pa-
tience, advocate His non-
violence, acclaim His de-
cisiveness, praise His self-
lessness, and stand spee-
chless at the cruel end of
His life. Many may even
be ready to accept Jesus
as a good man who tried
to set things right—to infuse fairness where there was injustice,
to offer healing where there was sickness, and to bring comfort
where there was only misery.

4. Yes, Jesus could well earn
the name of the best
teacher, a revolutionary, a
leader par excellence, and a
psychologist who can probe
into the depths of one’s soul.
He was all these and so
much more. None of these
things, however, comes near
to answering the all-impor-
tant question that Jesus
Himself raised: “ ‘Who do
you say that I am?’ ” (Luke
9:20, NKJV).
It is a question that demands
an answer, and on that
answer the destiny of
humanity hinges.

5. “He said to them, ‘You will surely say this proverb to Me, ‘Physician,
heal yourself! Whatever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also
here in Your country.’’” (Luke 4:23)
Jesus was just the son of Joseph for
the people in Nazareth (Lk. 4:22)
Jesus introduced Himself as the
Messiah in prophecy (Lk. 4:18-21).
He also called Himself “prophet”
(Lk. 4:23) and He reprimanded them
for not believing (Lk. 4:24-27).
They didn’t want to believe Him.
They even tried to kill his Savior in
that moment (Lk. 4:29).
Accepting that Jesus was more than
the son of Joseph is a matter of life
and death.

6. “Then the disciples of John reported to him concerning all these things.
And John, calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to Jesus,
saying, ‘Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?’” (Luke 7:18-19)
Jesus brought a boy back to life, and
the people called Him prophet.
Nevertheless, John was still in prison
and He didn’t do anything to free
him. John was struggling to believe.
“The Saviour’s words, ‘Blessed is he,
whosoever shall find none occasion
of stumbling in Me,’ were a gentle
reproof to John. It was not lost upon
him. Understanding more clearly
now the nature of Christ’s mission,
he yielded himself to God for life or
for death, as should best serve the
interests of the cause he loved.”
E.G.W. (The Desire of Ages, cp. 22, pg. 218)

7. In a sense, the answer that Jesus gave might have
caused John even a bit more consternation.
After all, if Jesus has the power to do all these
incredible things, why am I languishing here in
jail?
Who hasn’t, amid their own personal tragedies,
wondered something similar: If God has all this
power, why is this happening to me?
Why is the cross, and all it represents and
promises, our only answer?
REFLECTION

8. “And the angel answered and said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon
you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also,
that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.’” (Luke 1:35)
Only Adam is called “son of God” apart from
Jesus. Luke said he was son of God because he
was born from no woman (Luke 3:38). When
that expression is used for human beings, the
Bible uses its plural form, “sons of God.”
That title is similar to others like Christ,
Messiah, Redeemer, King of Israel… (John
1:49; 11:27).
Jesus is the Son of God; He is part of the Deity.
He is “God over all.” (Romans 9:5 NIV).
The expression “Son of God” (in its singular form) can be found 46
times in the Bible. All but one refer to Jesus.

9. “Christ, the Word, the
only begotten of God,
was one with the eternal
Father—one in nature, in
character, in purpose—
the only being that could
enter into all the
counsels and purposes of
God.”
E.G.W. (Patriarchs and Prophets, cp. 1, pg. 34)

10. What does it mean to us that Jesus is, in the fullest
sense, God?
Though this truth is filled with many implications,
one of the most amazing is that, though God, Jesus
condescended to not only take upon Himself our
humanity but to offer Himself as a sacrifice in that
humanity for us.
We are talking about God here!
What wonderful hope does this truth have for us
because of what it tells us about what God is really
like?
REFLECTION

11. “The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look, a
glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’” (Luke 7:34)
According to Luke, what’s the purpose of Jesus being the “Son of Man”?
He is a man who live humbly,
having nowhere to lay His
head (Luke 7:34; 9:58).
He is the only man with
divine prerogatives. He is the
Lord of Sabbath and He can
forgive sins (Luke 6:5; 5:24).
He came to redeem us from
sin. He came to seek and save
which was lost
(Luke 9:56;19:10).
He understood that
Redemption would cost
suffering and death at the
cross. He would then be our
Mediator before the Father
(Luke 18:31-32; 22:22; 12:9).
He will come back to Earth to reward
the saints and to end the Great
Controversy (Luke 9:26; 12:4; 17:24-30;
21:36; 22:69).

12. It’s not enough simply knowing who Jesus is.
Rather, we need to know Him for ourselves.
If, then, you claim to know Jesus, what, in
fact, do you know about Him?
That is, what has your own personal
knowledge of Jesus taught you about Him
and about what He is like?
REFLECTION

13. “He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Peter answered and
said, ‘The Christ of God.’” (Luke 9:20)
It doesn’t matter what others think about
Jesus. The most important thing is what I think
of Him.
Who is Jesus to me?
If I accept Him as Christ, the Anointed One, the
Son of God, the Son of Man, my Redeemer,
then a total surrender will follow. I will fully
commit to my Savior.
The King of Kings is coming
soon. He is longing to give His
Kingdom to those who have
accepted Him as the Christ, the
Lord of their lives.

14. “For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a
voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: ‘This is My beloved Son,
in whom I am well pleased.’ And we heard this voice which came from
heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.” (2 Peter 1:17-18)
According to Luke 9:28, Jesus went to the
mount to pray. Peter, James and John came
with Him. Then, Moses and Elijah came
and talked to Jesus about His last trip to
Jerusalem.
In that moment, the voice of the Father
confirmed Jesus’ mission and identity.
Darkness came after that, but the light that
came from God’s message remained in
their minds.
Peter wrote about that experience many
years later. He knew whom he had
believed. No tales or myths. He had seen it
with his own eyes and he wanted us to
believe it too (2 Peter 1:16-18).

15. Moses and Elijah, who had been. “chosen above every angel
around the throne, had come to commune with Jesus
concerning the scenes of His suffering, and to comfort Him
with the assurance of the sympathy of heaven. The hope of
the world, the salvation of every human being, was the
burden of their interview”—
Thus, even Jesus Himself, who had comforted so many
others, sought solace and comfort for Himself. What should
that tell us about how even the strongest spiritually among
us, even our leaders, teachers, and guides, can at times need
solace, encouragement, and help from others?
In fact, whom do you know right now who could use solace,
comfort, and encouragement?
REFLECTION

16. “It is not enough for us to believe that Jesus is not an
impostor, and that the religion of the Bible is no cunningly
devised fable. We may believe that the name of Jesus is the
only name under heaven whereby man may be saved, and
yet we may not through faith make Him our personal
Saviour. It is not enough to believe the theory of truth. It is
not enough to make a profession of faith in Christ and have
our names registered on the church roll. “He that keepeth
His commandments dwelleth in Him, and He in him. And
hereby we know that He abideth in us, by the Spirit which
He hath given us.” “Hereby we do know that we know Him
if we keep His commandments.” 1 John 3:24; 1 John 2:3.
This is the genuine evidence of conversion. Whatever our
profession, it amounts to nothing unless Christ is revealed
in works of righteousness.”
E.G.W. (Christ’s Object Lessons, cp. 24, pg. 312)

17. THE GOSPEL OF LUKE
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