In this passage of God’s Word, we see Jesus finally completing His journey to Jerusalem, and start teaching the people within the city. As He does, there are those in positions of power who do not like what He is teaching. In response, they question Jesus’ authority. They have fallen into a trap that many of us can fall into very easily. It the trap of not trusting in God’s Word. By taking a deeper look at this story, we can see what this trap looks like, how to tell if we’ve fallen into this trap, and how we can avoid this trap all together.

Identifying the trap:

1. They missed out on Jesus’ teachings

Luke 20:1-2, Rom. 8:7

2. They were indecisive about the truth

Luke 20:5-7, Jer. 17:9

3. They didn’t get an answer from God

Luke 20:8, Heb. 3:12

Outcome: 2 Cron. 12:14, Prov. 19:3, John 8:34, Rom. 1:18, 8:7, 1 Cor. 1:18

Instead:

Acknowledge who God is, and trust in His Word

1 Pet. 2:24-25, Ps. 119:105, 1 Tim. 2:4, 2 Pet. 3:9, Eph. 2:1-10

Reflection Questions

1. Had you ever heard this taught before? What stood out to you?

2. In this passage of God’s Word, it is clear that the religious leaders did not trust in Jesus’ teachings. Have you ever fallen into this same trap of not trusting in God’s Word? If so, what specifically did you have a difficult time believing? Is that still the case? Why or why not?

3. Evaluate your own life. Do you show any of the signs of falling into the same trap that the religious leaders of Jesus’ day feel in to? If so, which signs, and what do you need to work on to reverse this course?

4. What practical step(s) can you take to better acknowledge who God is and trust in His Word?

5. What is your biggest take away about how this passage affects your life? What do you need to work on? Who can you share this with and ask you to keep you accountable to accomplishing this?