Luke 7:1-17

Key Verse: 7:9b

* SUCH GREAT FAITH (1-10)

1. What is a centurion? What was problem of the centurion of Capernaum? How did this centurion regard his servant? Why was this unusual? (Compare 1 Sa.30:13)

2. What had the centurion evidently heard about Jesus? Whom did he send to Jesus? How was his relationship to the occupied people different from that of most soldiers and colonial peoples?

3. What request did he make, through them, of Jesus? Why didn't he go himself? How did they plead with Jesus? How did Jesus respond to the plea of the Jewish elders?

4. Why might Jesus have really wanted to help this man? What kind of man was he? (See 1 Jn.4:7,8 and memorize)

5. How did he change his mind before Jesus arrived, and what did he do? Why did he have second thoughts about asking Jesus to come to his home? Why did he think it was sufficient for Jesus to "just say the word"? What does this show him as a man? About his faith?

6. How did Jesus respond to this second message? Why was Jesus so amazed? Why is such faith in God's word so precious? (For comments on and examples of faith, see Heb.11:3; 2 Pe.3:5; Ge.12:1-4) How did Jesus bless the centurion's faith?

* HE SAID, "DON'T CRY" (11-17)

7. What contrast can you find in the two large crowds that met at the town gate of Nain?

8. Why was the crowd in the funeral procession especially sorrowful? What was Jesus' response to this weeping woman? What did he say?

9. What did Jesus do? What happened? What does this teach about Jesus' shepherd's heart? About his power and authority? (See Jn.11:25; 3:16)

10. How did the crowd respond? What did they realize about Jesus? What did they learn about God? How was God glorified? What do these two events teach us about Jesus?