“The Story” – Chapter 23: Jesus’ Ministry Begins - March 23, 2014
Zion Lutheran Church and School
Bible References: Matthew 3-4; 11; Mark 1-3; Luke 8; John 1-4
Key Points
 Many of God’s promises from the Old Testament were fulfilled during Jesus’ life.
 Even those with faith – e.g. John the Baptist – can have moments of questioning and
doubt. The key is to turn, as John did, to God/Jesus with those doubts. Today we have
prayer, scripture, Holy Communion, pastors and teachers and similar.
Chapter Summary
1. The chapter begins with the introduction of the one who was prophesied to be the
forerunner of Jesus, John the Baptist.
2. Jesus came to where John was preaching and asked to be baptized. At first reluctant, John
then baptized Jesus.
3. After His baptism, Jesus was led by the Spirit to the wilderness where He was tempted by
Satan.
4. Following the wilderness experience, Jesus began His public ministry. John, who had been
telling the people that the promised Messiah’s coming was imminent, now pointed to Jesus
as being Him.
5. As Jesus taught and healed, people began dividing into camps; those who believed He was
the Messiah and those who believed He was a troublemaker or worse.
 Though Jesus frequently sparred with the religious elite, He spent most of His time
ministering to the ordinary people.
6. Not only did Jesus work among ordinary people, He even took time to speak with a
Samaritan woman at a well. The description of this encounter is lengthy in “The Story” (p.
327-329) and has several good messages.
7. A variety of encounters between Jesus and both the religious elite and ordinary people are
described in this chapter. What is clear throughout is that Jesus is bringing a fresh
perspective to Israel’s relationship to God. Jesus went against man-made rules and instead
focused on people. He made it clear that God loved His children and wanted their hearts,
not their simple adherence to rules.
8. Jesus gathered His 12 disciples.
9. The chapter ends with John, in prison, asking if Jesus really is the Messiah. Jesus’ reply
provides further understanding for us regarding who Jesus – and His purpose – is.
Discussion
1. Identify the ways in which God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit appear at Jesus’
baptism (p. 322). Look up Isaiah 11:1-2 and 42:1 and Psalm 2:1-7.
2. Jesus spent 40 days in the desert fasting and was then tempted by Satan. What does Jesus’
response to temptation teach us about how to resist (p. 322)? (See Ephesians 6:10-17 for
further insight.)
3. Upon what did the original disciples base their belief in Jesus (p. 324)?
4. Nicodemus and the woman at the well both had conversations with Jesus (p. 326-329).
Describe the contrasts between them: their station in life, past history as a people (i.e.
Samaritan vs. Jew), response to Jesus, and similar.
5. Jesus experienced the full range of human experience during His time on earth. For
example, He was hungry and thirsty, particularly during His 40 days in the wilderness.
 What other human experiences can you think of that Jesus encountered?
6. How do the biblical Satan and other evil spirits compare to popular depictions of demons in
films, television, literature, or art?
7. Jesus was constantly interacting with different types of people: curious Jews, antagonistic
Pharisees, tax collectors, and society’s castoffs. What can you learn about how to respond
to different types of people from observing Jesus?
8. The faithful friends of the paralytic carried him to Jesus (p. 330-331). If you are comfortable,
share with your group a time in your own life that you had to totally depend of the faith of a
Christian friend to get you through.
9. Jesus clashed with the Pharisees who hoped to catch Him violating the Sabbath (p. 332).
Doing work was punishable by death according to the Law (Exodus 31:14, Isaiah 56:1-2).
Who is actually guilty of violating the Sabbath in this encounter?
10. John the Baptist who had earlier proclaimed, “Look, the Lamb of God,” was now languishing
in prison where he began to wonder about this Jesus (p. 333-334). Look up Isaiah 35:5-6 and
61:1. Why did Jesus answer John the way He did?
11. John has his moment of doubt. Can doubts and faith co-exist?
 Do our circumstances today affect our view of Jesus’ credibility, as it did with John?
For Next Week
1. Jesus spent time with people of all “types”, including tax collectors, Samaritans, those who
were argumentative and difficult to get along with, and similar. Consider the various kinds
of people you are around and ask yourself how you think Jesus would interact with each
type of person.