• Date: February 16, 2025
• Bible Reading: Luke 7:18-35
• The Point: Jesus is the Messiah, who proclaims God’s kingdom as John did.
• Free Resource: Revealing Questions (Cross+Gen Worship, NL)
• Unit Theme (February 9—March 2): Jesus Heals

John the Baptist wants to know: Is Jesus the promised Messiah? Instead of directly answering, Jesus points to his actions to show what kind of Messiah he is.

Jesus Revealed 

As we move through the season after Epiphany, we continue to learn about who Jesus is, and what kind of Messiah he is. After revealing himself as a catcher of disciples and Lord of the Sabbath, we now see Jesus as a healer, so powerful he can cure a slave from a distance and bring a man back from the dead to care for his mother. 

John’s Question (Setting the Stage)

His reputation is spreading, such that (his cousin?) John the Baptizer has heard about him, probably from Herod’s prison, and sent some of his disciples to investigate. Whether his question is legitimate (which is the clearest meaning of the text) or a rhetorical opportunity for Jesus to be explicit about himself (which accounts for the previous description of his mother and Mary and his baptism of Jesus earlier), he asks the question on many people’s minds:

“Are you the one we are waiting for?” 

Or to put it another way:

“Are you the Messiah God promised to send us?”

Inherent in this question is another:

“If you are the Messiah, what kind of Messiah are you?”

This is the question that Jesus addresses (though whether he answers it is up for discussion). 

Not That Kind of Messiah

Unlike much of the expectations of the day, Jesus was not the kind of Messiah who was gathering the political or military influence necessary to free the Jewish people from their Roman oppressors. In fact, he was not building a movement, he was gathering students and doing ministry. 

In fact, comparing his ministry to the later (modern) Christian church, he was not focused on building church membership, convincing people that he was right, or even focused on salvation in a spiritual sense. (There isn’t necessarily anything wrong with church membership, apologetics, or salvation, it just wasn’t Jesus’ primary ministry focus.)

Power and Love

Jesus wasn’t focused on gathering power and authority—he already had them. And he used his divine authority to serve, specifically those most in need. He relieved suffering: spiritual oppression, illness, injury, and even death. As he put it:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

Luke 4:18-19

This is similar to how Jesus answered John’s question:

“Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have good news brought to them.”

Luke 7:22

Love Encountering Suffering

Elsewhere, Jesus described his ministry as based on love. I like to think of Jesus’ (and God’s) work as what happens when divine, transformative love encounters different things. When love encounters illness, it brings healing. When love encounters oppression, it brings liberation. When love encounters division, it brings reconciliation. When love encounters brokenness, it brings wholeness. When love encounters sin and guilt, it brings forgiveness. And when love encounters death, it brings resurrection. 

Healing, Justice, and Us

As followers of Jesus, we are called to bear God’s love into the world. Unlike Jesus, we cannot heal illness and injury with just a word or gesture. But we can bring God’s forgiveness and reconciliation. One thing that we can do that Jesus couldn’t (as one person in a backwater territory of an empire) is to gather together and work to bring justice to the oppressive and damaging systems in our world. This work can bring God’s liberation, reconciliation, and wholeness to those who need it most. 

Many of us are distressed, anxious, and even terrified by the state of our country and world. We can feel powerless and overwhelmed. You—in whatever faith formation position you are in—can help by figuring out and communicating simple, concrete actions individuals, families, and groups can take to be lights of Jesus’ love in service and justice.

In Christ’s transforming love,

Gregory Rawn (Publisher)

Free Resource

During the main Narrative Lectionary year (September 8 to June 8), we provide a free resource download from one of our products to help you in your faith formation ministry. This week, download the activity “Revealing Questions” from our Living the Word: Cross+Gen Worship (NL) curriculum (2024-2025) and (2025-2026). This activity can be adapted for use with older elementary students through adults! 

Order Faith Formation Resources

Are you undecided on a Lenten theme? Include all ages by using one of our Learning Together five-lesson units. Appropriate units can be: justice, the I AM Statements of Jesus (free!), environmental stewardship, Women of the Old Testament, and more!

Lent is approaching, which means that it’s time to order the spring quarters of your favorite products! Ash Wednesday this year is March 5, 2025, with the first Sunday of Lent on March 9, 2025. Our spring quarter covers the seasons of Lent and Easter, ending on Pentecost Sunday. Order spring quarters for the Narrative Lectionary, Revised Common Lectionary, and Classic Sunday School products. If you don’t have much time for full-length children’s Christian education, then check out our Kids Mini Lessons for the NL and RCL.

Already planning for the 2025-2026 program year? Our Narrative Lectionary (Year 4, 2025-2026) and Revised Common Lectionary (Years C & A, 2025-2026) resources are online and ready to order, with the Fall lessons available for immediate download!

Are you looking for shorter resources for VBS, family/intergenerational events, or Sunday school? Check out our newest Learning Together unit: Celebrations!

Learning Together is a series of five-lesson units on a variety of topics. You can read outside reviews on both our Do Justice and Created to Care units! Our faith formation resources are easy to use, theologically sound, and inclusive.

At Spirit & Truth Publishing, we might have exactly what you are looking for:

• Resources for the Narrative Lectionary (2024-2025) and (2025-2026): Products for all ages (with mini lessons for PK-6th, if you only have a short time for elementary faith formation).
• Classic Sunday School Curriculum: Key Bible stories for PK-2nd and 3rd-6th, also great for your Christian elementary school!
• Learning Together: Five-lesson, topical units for VBS, Sunday school, children, and intergenerational classes.
• Resources for the Revised Common Lectionary (2024-2025) and (2025-2026): Intergenerational classroom, mini lessons for children.
• Cross+Generational Confirmation
• Worship and Liturgy Education

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