Lesson 15

The Church of St. John the Divine

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Lesson 15

The Prodigal in All of Us

February 9, 2023 • Luke 15

At the beginning of both Chapter 14 and Chapter 15, we see the Jewish religious leaders, the

Pharisees, trying to catch Jesus at violating the Law of Moses. They want to expose him to the people as an imposter. Again and again, Jesus exposes their ignorance while teaching us important truths about God and about himself. This chapter is all about the heart of God the Father for those who are lost. Chapter 15 contains one of the most endearing parables, The Prodigal Son. Rembrandt, Murillo, and other famous painters have captured this story on canvas. For fun, Google these paintings and see

if you can identify the prodigal son and the older brother.

Lesson 22

April 6, 2023 • Meg Rice • Luke 24

Imagine the rug has been pulled out from under you. Has that ever happened in your life? Your dreams, your hopes, your aspirations for a new day, a new life have been obliterated. It’s over. But a light has dawned. I love to cross-reference the gospels to get a feel for what happened after the resurrection of Jesus. For fun read Matthew 28:1-20, Mark 16, and John 20 with Luke 24.

Lesson 21

March 30, 2023 • Meg Rice • Luke 22—23

The shadow of darkness is rapidly overtaking Jesus and his trusted disciples. It is time to prepare for the Passover celebration. During this time in first century Jerusalem, the city would swell with Jewish pilgrims coming from throughout the known world. Jesus had arranged for this special Passover meal in advance because he knew it would be his last on earth.

Lesson 20

March 23, 2023 • Meg Rice • Luke 20—21

It’s the final week of the life of Jesus on earth. The Pharisees and teachers of the Law, the Jewish religious leaders, were plotting a way to destroy Jesus. But they had a problem. The people believed that he was a great prophet. They hung on his every word. To arrest and persecute this popular man would mean losing control of the people. This would lead to their losing control of the lucrative Temple sacrifices. Jesus knew their scheme, but he wasn’t hiding from them. A collision course is looming for these two opponents. But Jesus is still trying to convince his Jewish brethren that he is the long-awaited Messiah.