Bible Study - Book of Luke

Luke Study
Luke 3

Get Started:

1. Who was Luke? Was he one of the disciples? An apostle?


Go Deeper:

2. Read Luke 1:1-5 and 2:1-2 and 3:1-2. What is the significance of Luke's listing of these political and religious figures?

• Luke is often called a historian. Here, he seems to be fixing for the reader a precise date and chronology for the beginning of John’s ministry.
• I think this should tell us something about the care and accuracy that, for Luke, seem to be a priority in writing this Gospel.

3. Verse 4 quotes a prophecy from the Old Testament. In what way did John the Baptist “Prepare the way” for the Messiah? Does repentance prepare the way for salvation?

4. Verse 3 says that John preached a “baptism of repentance.” In what ways is that similar/different from Christian baptism in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit?

5. Scripture teaches that anyone who believes in Christ needs to be baptized. If someone was baptized by John the Baptist, and then subsequently believed in Jesus, would he/she need to be baptized again? Why or why not? How does Acts 19 1-7, inform your answer?

6. Read Luke 3:7. What is John referring to with the term “the coming wrath?” Also read Luke 3:17. Are these two statements referring to the same thing?

7. In Luke 3:8, John talks about something to do and something not to do. In this verse, how do these two statements relate to one another? How does a person “produce fruit in keeping with repentance?” What point is John trying to make?

• Romans 2:28 A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. 29 No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man’s praise is not from men, but from God.
• How does a person “produce fruit in keeping with repentance?” In verses 10-14, the people were asking the same question. John gave them some examples.

8. After reading Luke 3:7-17, what is your opinion of John’s evangelism technique? How is his technique different than yours? What would you have included/not included?

9. How does what is written in verses 3-6 connect with the central thrust of John’s message? Do you think John gave a complete Gospel presentation? Why or why not?


Thinking About The Implication:

1) In verses 10-14 the people were asking John, “What should we do?” In what way do you think John would answer that question for you if you could ask today? Pray about that.


Quote Of The Day
A salty pagan, full of the juices of life, is a hundred times dearer to God, and also far more attractive to men, than a scribe who knows his Bible….in whom none of this results in repentance, action, and above all, death of the self. A terrible curse hangs over the know-it-all who does nothing.
--Helmut Thielicke