Devotional Guide for April 9-15, 2007

 

Day One              Hearing and Applying         Luke 9:23-21

1. One night I went into my youngest son’s bedroom to turn off his light.  On this night we were implementing new bedtimes and rules as we had discussed with the children earlier in the day.  When he realized that I was turning off his light and his other electronics he began to question why I was doing this at this time and in this manner.  I proceeded to remind him of our earlier discussion about the new bedtime policy. He quickly responded by saying, “I didn’t know that applied to me!”  We often can receive a message but fail to apply it personally.  We may see a yellow light as a possibility, a speed limit sign as a suggestion, and a deep waters sign as a challenge.  The problem is that when we fail to heed these instructions and warnings we often miss an opportunity or suffer certain consequences.  Why, do you think, we so often fail to listen and apply warnings and instructions?  Would you say it is laziness, busyness, pride, arrogance, or what?

 

2. In Luke 9:23-19, Christ asks His disciples who the crowds think He (Jesus) is.  What is their response?

 

Then in verse 20 Christ asks the disciples, more pointedly Peter, who they think that He (Christ) is.  How does Peter reply?

 

Why do you think Peter can reply in this manner when the crowds see Christ in such a different light?

 

Note: In verse 21, Christ responds to the disciples by telling them that they are not to proclaim to the crowds who He really is.  This is possibly because Jesus knew that once such a proclamation was publicly made then the efforts to take Him by force would be intensified.  He knew that the religious leaders would cease such an opportunity to claim that Christ was a heretic in proclaiming divine status.  Christ instructed the disciples to keep quiet in regard to this in order to allow Him more time to teach and prepare the people for this truth. We will look further at this tomorrow.

 

3. How would you describe your own understanding in regard to who Christ is?

 

How has and this understanding evolved over the course of your own life?

 

Does your understanding continue to grow and expand?

 

Day Two       Hearing and Applying (2)    Luke 9:22

1.                  Remember that yesterday we heard that Christ told His disciples to not tell the crowds about the true nature of Christ?  Today, we get further insight into why Christ needed more time.  We also receive further insight into what the purpose of Christ and the Cross truly was.  What are the four things that Christ says must happen to Him (Luke 9:22)?

 

2.                  Why do you think all of these things were necessary to the mission of Christ?  Look at each individual mission and define why you think it was necessary:

a.      Suffering

 

b.      Rejection

 

c.      Death

 

d.      Resurrection

 

3.                  What does this mission of Christ (these four necessary things He had to do) mean to you?

 

Day Three     Life Takes Death      Luke 9:23-25

1.                  What do you think of the following statements?

• Without death, there is no life.

• Death allows us to understand and appreciate life more fully.

• To have life you must have death.

• To live you must die.

• You can only save your life when you lose your life.

 

2.                  What do you think is the meaning in the words of Christ found in Luke 9:23-25?

 

3.                  How do you think YOU are to lose your life in order to gain it?

 

Day Four       Full Application        Luke 24:8

1.                  The women who went to the grave following the crucifixion were shocked not only to not find Christ but also to be told that He was risen.  Even though they had been told this previously it came as a complete shock to the women.  Looking back at our discussion on Day One regarding not fully applying what we hear, why do you think they had missed that this event was inevitable?

 

2.                  Can you imagine what their emotions and reactions were when they finally put it all together and (Luke 24:8) finally remembered what Christ had said?

 

What do you think your emotions and reactions would have been?

 

3.                  Spend a moment in prayer today asking that you would better comprehend what Christ has promised and how that impacts your life.  (Not just in the area of the resurrection but in the whole of His teachings and examples)

 

Day Five        Faith Made Real      Luke 24:9-12

1.                  In Luke 24:9-11 we see the women come back and report what they found at the tomb.  What is the reaction of the others to the news from the women?

 

How does Peter respond in Luke 24:12?

 

Peter wants to see and know for himself, he is not content sitting and waiting or depending upon the experience of others.  Remembering that he is probably also feeling rather guilty about his own denial of Christ what do you think he was hoping for as he ran to the tomb site?

 

What do you think of the fact that Peter still wondered to himself about what happened when he saw the empty tomb?

 

Do you think that he failed to make the connection of the words of Jesus in Luke 9:22 which had been very pointedly directed at Peter?

 

2.                  How do human beings naturally want to know and see for themselves?  Just as Peter ran to the tomb to see how do we attempt to see and know for sure?

 

What role does your own experience and the experiences of others play in your faith?

 

How is this negative and positive?

 

How do you think the words of Christ should be intertwined with our own life faith experience?

 

3.                  Spend  your remaining time today mentally documenting your own experiences in your faith and how they reinforce the words of Christ. 

 

Do you have experience moments that have you “wondering”?

 

Ask God to take your experiences and your “wonderings” and use them to reaffirm and strengthen your faith and your walk.