Fri Oct 30

Listen up, little ones

Especially for the littles in your household.

Listen for the name John.

Reading

Luke 7:18-35—The Great and Doubting John the Baptist

Optional Reading

Luke 1:5–17

Keys for kids

Also for the littles. Young households might choose, after Keys for Kids, to go directly to praise and prayer.

John the Baptist had been in prison for a long time.
He began to doubt if Jesus was the Messiah.
Jesus assured him that He is.

Questions

(Some read the ?s before the notes/ ask them after.)

Why was John doubting?
How did Jesus assure him?
How did Jesus describe John?

Catechism

WSC #90

How is the Word to be read and heard, that it may become effectual to salvation?

That the Word may become effectual to salvation, we must attend thereunto with diligence, preparation, and prayer; receive it with faith and love, lay it up in our hearts, and practice it in our lives.

(Proverbs 8:34; 1 Peter 2:1-2; Psalms 119:18; Hebrews 4:2; 2 Thessalonians 2:10; Psalms 119:11; Luke 8:15; James 1:25)

Notes

(See Saturday for authors.)

While Jesus’s public ministry is expanding, John the Baptist is in prison (Luke 1:18-19). Even though John had willingly said that Jesus’s ministry would increase and he would decrease (John 3:30), John was beginning to doubt if Jesus really was the promised Messiah.

Hardship can do that to us. Satan constantly tempts us to think that if God really cared for us, nothing hard would happen to us. Sometimes we doubt, like John did. When we doubt, we should bring our doubt to Jesus, like John did. Jesus assured John that He is the Messiah and His miracles and His gospel preaching shows that.

Jesus went on to affirm to the crowds the greatness of John as the one sent by God to be a messenger about Jesus. John’s baptism, which we read about back in chapter 3, was calling sinners to repent. Tax collectors and sinners repented and believed God’s way of righteousness (v. 29). That way is a righteousness provided for us by faith. Jesus’s perfect righteousness is given to all who believe. But some reject God’s way—thinking that their righteousness is enough. Don’t be one of them!

Jesus came to be a friend of tax collectors and sinners. Sinners like me. Sinners like you.

Swedish Method questions

See the Sunday notes for meaning of the symbols.

Praise

Psalm 40a, 22c

Prayer

Rejoice that you are in the Kingdom of God.
Pray for the hearing of God’s Word preached this Lord’s Day’s.
Pray for a member of our church, for your family, and for a non-Christian friend/family member.