Bible Stories for Adults

Jesus Heals Ten People with Leprosy

Luke 17:11-19

Next Week - God's Promise to Zechariah (Luke 1:5-25)
Bible Words to Remember:
Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

How far away from Jerusalem is Jesus at the time recognized as the turning point of His ministry?
Mark 8:27
Note: Caesarea Philippi was rebuilt by Herod's son Philip, named after self & Tiberius Caesar
Was originally called Paneas (now called Banias) after Greek god Pan - shrine was there
A number of cities were built by and named for a Caesar
What special event occurred during this trip into this especially pagan area?
Matthew 16:13-16
How did Jesus respond to this confession?
Matthew 16:17-19

How does this event mark the turning point in Jesus' ministry?
Matthew 16:21
How else does Matthew make it clear that Jesus' focus had changed?
Matthew 16:20
What confirmation do the disciples get that Jesus is really who He is explaining Himself to be?
Matthew 17:1-5
Was this experience to help them point others to Jesus or to help them understand who He was?
Matthew 17:9

Does Mark agree that Jesus now changed His teaching focus from the people to His disciples?
Mark 9:30-31
Where did Jesus then go?
Mark 9:33a; 10:1
How did He get there?
Luke 9:51-56

Did Jesus go to Jerusalem at this time, or did He wait until His final entrance?
John 7:1-3, 14-15
How did Jews in the temple for the Feast interpret Jesus' presence in the temple?
John 7:25-26
How did the Jewish leaders respond to these rumors?
John 7:32

How long did Jesus stay in the Jerusalem area in Judea?
John 10:22-23
How did the Jews visiting for the Feast respond to Jesus at this time?
John 10:24, 30-31, 39
Where does Jesus spend most of the rest of His time before His final trip to Jerusalem?
John 10:40-42
How do Matthew and Mark summarize these months of Jesus in and around Jerusalem?
Matthew 19:1 (Mark 10:1)

What caused Jesus to return from across the Jordan?
John 11:1-8
Other than love for His friend, why would Jesus make such a risky trip?
John 11:18-19, 45
How did this prepare for His arrest and death that would occur in just a few months (or weeks)?
John 11:46-50, 53
Since it wasn't yet time for Him to die, where did Jesus go?
John 11:54

Did Jesus stay in Ephraim the entire time preceding His final trip in to Jerusalem?
Luke 17:11
Why might Jesus have returned to southern Galilee before His final trip to Jerusalem?
Mark 15:40-41
Do we have any stories of any of these companions on this final journey?
Matthew 20:20-21
Was this a joyful journey for Jesus' companions?
Mark 10:32
Did Jesus' traveling party change size as they traveled?
Mark 10:46

How do we see that Jesus didn't return to southern Galilee just to pick up friends?
Luke 17:11
Luther:
The Evangelist with special pains desires to show that He did not journey on the usual road. ... He did not journey thus for His own sake, but in order to preach as much as possible and be of service to many. ... For He was sent to offer His services to everyone.
For what service to others might Jesus have traveled this road?
Luke 17:12-13

Leprosy today (Hansen's disease) is now uncommon, contagious by continued contact
Begins with red spots on the face, ears, forearms and thighs that turn into thick nodules
Skin drops off forming ulcers; Tissue is lost leading to contraction & deformity
Bones are affected and fingers drop off; Body "dissolves" in later stages
Leprosy of the Bible may have included a number of other forms of skin diseases

How were the Jews protected against spreading plagues of contagious leprosy?
Leviticus 13:1-3
How were Jews protected from being declared unclean for minor skin problems?
Leviticus 13:4-6
What would happen to those who were determined to be unclean from leprosy?
Leviticus 13:45-46

Was there any hope for those who had been declared unclean from leprosy?
Leviticus 14:1-3a
What was done if the person was found to be healed?
Leviticus 14:3b-4
What part of the ceremony symbolized the death that results from a person's uncleanness?
Leviticus 14:5
How was this bowl of life blood and cleansing water used to express the return of life and purity?
Leviticus 14:6-7a

Matthew Henry:
The living bird, with a little scarlet wool, and a bunch of hyssop, must be fastened to a cedar stick... The cedar-wood signified the restoring of the leper to his strength and soundness, for that is a sort of wood not apt to putrefy. The scarlet wool signified his recovering a florid color again, for the leprosy made him white as snow. And the hyssop intimated the removing of the disagreeable scent which commonly attended the leprosy.
How was the person then revealed to be free from their previous "living death"?
Leviticus 14:7b
After seven days of partial re-acceptance, how was the person restored to fellowship with God?
Leviticus 14:10-12, 19-20

How does Spurgeon explain that we are to understand leprosy in relation to our own lives?
Leprosy is to be considered by us as the type of sin; and as we read the chapters in Leviticus, which concern the shutting up or putting apart, and the purification of a cleansed leper, we are to understand every sentence as having in it a gospel sermon to us, teaching what is the condition of a sinner in the sight of God, how the sinner is to be cured, and how he can be restored to the privileges from which the leprosy of sin had utterly shut him out.
How is the influence of sin on our lives like leprosy?
James 1:14-15
How are we to be treated as lepers?
1 Corinthians 5:1-2, 6-7, 13
How are we cleansed and freed when we present our leprosy of sin in confession to God?
Ephesians 5:25-27
What sacrifice do we have that restores us to fellowship with God?
Hebrews 10:8-10

How did the ten lepers respond to the presence of Jesus?
Luke 17:12-13
What do we learn of faith from the boldness of the lepers in going to meet Jesus?
2 Corinthians 3:12 (James 1:6)
What do we learn of faith from the lepers calling and looking to Jesus for healing?
Hebrews 11:1
What do we learn of faith from the lepers standing at a distance?
Romans 5:8

How does Jesus respond to this revelation of the lepers' faith?
Luke 17:14a
How was Jesus showing who He was by sending them rather than saying that He would heal them?
Isaiah 65:24
How had Jesus showed His love to another leper earlier in His ministry?
Luke 5:12-14
What does this love that Jesus showed for these unclean lepers mean for our own lives?
John 13:34-35
Doesn't it take just faith to be a Christian? Is love required also?
1 Corinthians 13:2
Why is love also required?
James 2:26

How did the lepers respond in faith to Jesus' instruction?
Luke 17:14b
How did the lepers respond in thanksgiving when they were healed?
Luke 17:15-16
Although this man was not a Jew, what did He know about how to respond to God's goodness?
Psalm 107:8

How did Jesus respond to receiving thanks from only one of the ten lepers?
Luke 17:17-18
But wasn't it more important for them to go through the ceremonial cleansing process?
Psalm 51:15-17
What words did Jesus have for the leper who returned?
Luke 17:19
How did this differ from the cleansing which the other lepers also received?
Luke 7:48-50