Contact Tracing: John The Baptist

Brad Weber – Listen

Songs for this week: Spotify or YouTube

Sermon Questions: Luke 7:18-30

1. How does the image of John the Baptist compare with the Old Testament prophet of Elijah? (Compare Mark 1:6 with 2 Kings 1:8.) Does anyone in your life own life remind you of these Biblical heroes?
2. Compare one (or more) of the following Old Testament prophecies about Jesus with his ministry in Luke 7:18-30. Which prophecies are being fulfilled? Which prophecies probably most excited John in his imprisoned state?
   • Isaiah 35:4-7
   • Isaiah 40:3-5 and 40:28-31
   • Isaiah 61:1-4
3. In Luke 7:23, Jesus says “Blessed is the one who is not offended by me.” How was Jesus “offensive” to some people in 1st Century Palestine and why is he still sometimes labeled as “offensive” in 21st Century North America?
4. Like Moses not entering the land of Canaan, or David not building the temple, John does not escape from prison and he will not see the first Easter weekend. Still, how may he be comforted by Jesus’ response through the messengers, and how may Jesus’ response comfort us today?
5. Jesus has made ‘contact’ with John before (when the Holy Spirit descended on his baptism) but, instead of physically responding to John’s subtle plea from prison, Jesus stays with the crowds and makes contact with the blind, the paralyzed, the tax collectors, and the poor. What does this say about the kingdom of God and about the ‘contact-tracing’ of our own faith?