Luke 15:3–7
Jesus tells the lost-sheep parable immediately after these two groups complain about His association with sinners.
Who are the Pharisees and scribes?
Luke 15:2: “And the Pharisees and scribes murmured…”
“Give me this mountain.”
Answer: Who is Caleb?
Joshua 14:12: “Now therefore give me this mountain…”
Elijah rebuilt the LORD's altar on Mount Carmel using this many stones.
Answer: What is 12?
1 Kings 18:31: “And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes…”
I was a tax collector, climbed a sycamore tree to see Jesus, and welcomed Him into my home.
Answer: Who is Zacchaeus?
Luke 19:5: “Zacchæus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house.”
Before becoming Israel's king, David had this occupation while caring for his father's animals.
Answer: What is a shepherd?
1 Samuel 16:11: “There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep.”
Jesus doesn't say the shepherd leaves the ninety-nine safely at home or in a sheepfold. He says they are left in this place.
What is the wilderness?
Luke 15:4: “…leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness…”
“I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down."
Answer: Who is Nehemiah?
Nehemiah 6:3: “I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down…”
Peter cut off the ear of this servant of the high priest when Jesus was arrested.
Answer: Who is Malchus?
John 18:10: “The servant's name was Malchus.”
I asked Jesus how a man could be born when he was old, and I later helped prepare Jesus' body for burial.
Answer: Who is Nicodemus?
John 3:4: “Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old?”
Jesus' first recorded miracle in the Gospel of John took place at a wedding in this town.
Answer: What is Cana of Galilee?
John 2:1, 11: “There was a marriage in Cana of Galilee…”
“This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee…”
Jesus uses this same word to describe both the shepherd's reaction to finding his sheep and heaven's reaction to a sinner who repents.
What is joy/rejoicing?
Luke 15:5: “…he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.”
“I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet's son; but I was an herdman…"
Answer: Who is Amos?
Amos 7:14: “I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet's son; but I was an herdman…”
Before God reduced Gideon's army to 300, this was the original number of men in his army.
Answer: What is 32,000?
We have to calculate this from the numbers given.
Judges 7:3: “…there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand.”
22,000 departed + 10,000 remained = 32,000.
I was a disciple from Damascus whom the Lord sent to restore Saul's sight after his encounter on the road to Damascus.
Answer: Who is Ananias?
Acts 9:10–11: “And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias…”
This woman became queen after refusing to reveal that she was Jewish, following the instructions of her cousin Mordecai.
Answer: Who is Esther?
Esther 2:17: “And the king loved Esther above all the women… so that he set the royal crown upon her head…”
The lost sheep begins a sequence of three parables in Luke 15. In the second, this number of silver coins becomes lost ...and out of how many?
What is one out of ten?
Luke 15:8:
“…what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece…”
“Nay, my sons; for it is no good report that I hear.”
Answer: Who is Eli, speaking to Hophni and Phinehas?
1 Samuel 2:24: “Nay, my sons; for it is no good report that I hear…”
When David fled Jerusalem during Absalom's rebellion, this member of Saul's family followed along, cursing David and throwing stones.
Answer: Who is Shimei?
2 Samuel 16:5–6: “…whose name was Shimei… And he cast stones at David…”
I was the Roman centurion who sent for Peter after an angel appeared to me, and my household received the Holy Spirit while Peter was speaking.
Answer: Who is Cornelius?
Acts 10:1: “There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion…”
This disciple was chosen by lot to replace Judas Iscariot among the twelve apostles.
Answer: Who is Matthias?
Acts 1:26:“And the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.”
In Luke 15, all three major stories involve something lost. Only the first two explicitly use this action when describing the response after what was lost is found.
Answer: What is calling together friends and neighbors?
Luke 15:6:“…calleth together his friends and neighbours…”
Luke 15:9:“…she calleth her friends and her neighbours together…”
“I shall go softly all my years in the bitterness of my soul.”
Answer: Who is King Hezekiah?
Isaiah 38:15: “…I shall go softly all my years in the bitterness of my soul.”
Luke gives the exact number of people aboard Paul's ship shortly before the shipwreck. This was the number.
Answer: What is 276?
Acts 27:37: “And we were in all in the ship two hundred threescore and sixteen souls.”
I was a Levite from Cyprus whom the apostles gave a new name meaning “son of consolation.” I later introduced Saul to the apostles.
Who is Barnabas?
Acts 4:36:“And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas… a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus…”
Acts 9:27: “But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles…”
This Old Testament prophet confronted David after his sin with Bathsheba and told him the story of a rich man who took a poor man's only lamb.
Answer: Who is Nathan?
2 Samuel 12:7: “And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man.”