Adults

WPC Small Group Study Questions

For the week of May 11th through May 17th

Pray for the Holy Spirit’s guidance and then read the scripture, Luke 24:13-25

Relational Question:

Sometimes in our lives we have to wait or take time to get ready for something that we want to happen quickly. Think of a time in your life that you needed to spend time preparing for an event or a task. What was that preparing time like for you? Were you tempted to skip the wait or the preparation and just get on with the event or task? What would have happened if you had done that? If you did skip or shortened a recommended preparation time, what was the result?

Study Questions:

Luke writes Acts as the second volume of his book for Theophilus. Nothing is known about who Theophilus was, or if he even was a real person. The name means “lover of God,” so he may have been an image or symbol of all who love God and want to know more about faith in Jesus.

Regardless, Luke emphasizes the Ascension of Jesus into heaven far more than the other Gospel writers. He portrays Jesus’ Ascension as the event that both connects and yet separates the time when Jesus was doing ministry with his disciples and when the disciples continued Jesus ministry without his physical presence.

As Jesus spent 40 days in the desert after being baptized in the Holy Spirit and preparing for his ministry as the Messiah, so now Jesus tells his disciples to wait 40 days until they are empowered by the Holy Spirit to continue Jesus’ ministry. It is clear that this was difficult for them to understand why they were to wait. They asked Jesus if he was going to “finish the job” of restoring Israel as the preeminent kingdom on in the world. God’s power had been displayed in Jesus’ resurrection, so naturally, in their understanding, God’s plan for Israel and the Messianic kingdom should now happen. Instead, Jesus tells them that they are to take the news of God’s power expressed in Jesus and the coming kingdom of God into all the world. In Jesus the kingdom has come, and for the disciples their work was just beginning.

Luke makes the point that Jesus is not leaving them with everything finished but is entering a new way of working through the disciples. They are to share the news and express the reality of God’s kingdom in their life together. The two angels ask them why they are looking into the sky to see Jesus. The implication is that their focus should be on their ministry in this world and to prepare to do this ministry as Jesus’ witnesses. The vision of Jesus going up into heaven and the angels standing beside the disciples is an allusion to the experience of Jacob in Genesis 28:10-22. The themes of a connection between heaven and earth, a “house of God,” and for God’s presence and provision to be provided in a work and journey in this world are used by Luke to indicate the nature and task of the disciples as the “church.” The key for Luke here is that instead of the ladder in Jacob’s vision that connects heaven and earth, it is Jesus who now is the “ladder.” It is Jesus who connects us with heaven and empowers us in our life together in this world.

1.      Do you think Theophilus is a real person or a symbolic character? Why would he use a symbolic character? Why would Luke write a Gospel account as a “history” of the church?

2.      Luke describes a very active Jesus in his forty days after the resurrection – instructing, sharing, showing proofs of his being real, and even continuing to have meals with his disciples. In fact, only Luke gives us any description of this post-resurrection time with Jesus. Why do you think none of the Gospel writers, including Luke, tell us much about Jesus’ activities during this time?

3.      Jesus tells his disciples to wait for the empowerment by the Holy Spirit. Why is this important?

4.      The disciples still expect that Jesus will set up the kingdom of God now and that it will center on Israel’s role. Why are they thinking this way? Do you ever find yourself frustrated with Jesus because he isn’t doing what you expected?

5.      The last words of Jesus before he “leaves” is that the disciples will be his witnesses starting locally and eventually throughout the world. What do you think they thought when they heard this? Excitement? Disappointment? Confusion? What do these words mean to you? What does it mean to be Jesus’ “witness”?

6.      Jesus is taken from their sight. The description implies that he “ascended,” though this is not explicitly said. Why do you think it was important to see Jesus “leave”? What does Jesus being “hidden from our sight” mean for how we understand our relationship with Jesus now?

7.      The “men in white” show up again (Luke noted their presence at Jesus’ tomb) as the disciples are looking up into the sky. What is the point of these angels asking why they are looking into the sky? Do you think there is any significance to the detail that these angels are standing beside the disciples? Where do you see Jesus now in this world?

Action Question

Identify for yourself how you are being used by the Holy Spirit to be a witness for Jesus and his mission of restoring people to a relationship with God. Share this with your small group partners.

Do they agree with you or do they see something different in how you show Jesus in your life?