45-Luke 10 – 24

Luke 10 – 24

Oct. 31, 2009

We will continue our study this week in the Gospel of Luke in Chapter 10. Last week we completed the Gospel of Mark and began looking through Luke. This week we will begin with the commission of seventy men by Jesus to spread His message throughout the land. In Chapter 10 Jesus appointed seventy men to also go out in pairs to prepare the way in different towns for His visit. These men were to preach the gospel of the kingdom and heal the sick they met. They were instructed like the twelve apostles before them to live off the hospitality of the people they came in contact with and to not take any provisions with them in their journeys. Here, unlike the twelve apostles, the seventy were not instructed to bypass the Gentiles in their evangelistic efforts. Jesus warned the people, who would not show hospitality to His men, that they would be condemned. The seventy went out then returned with joyful news of their travels. They were amazed at their success in casting out demons and healing the sick. Jesus told them not to rejoice over the power they possessed, but that their names were written in heaven. Jesus then answered a lawyers question about eternal life by telling him he must obey the law. He then went on and told the story of the Good Samaritan. The interesting thing about this story was that the Samaritans were believed to be inferior half breeds to the Jews Jesus spoke to. Jesus let them know the only person to show mercy to the injured man was the one who was thought to be the least. Jesus then came to the home of Martha and her sister Mary. Martha busied herself preparing the meal and other housework while Mary sat at the feet of Jesus and listened to Him teach. Martha was upset with her sister and asked Jesus why she did not help her with her work. Jesus told Martha that she worried too much and that Mary was doing right because He would not be there forever. In Chapter 11 Jesus’ disciples asked Him to teach them how to pray. He gave them the Lord’s Prayer as a model for them to follow when talking to the Father. He then encouraged them to be persistent in their prayers and the Lord would provide what is good to those who ask. The Pharisees then accused Jesus of casting out demons using the power of Satan. Jesus rebuked them and explained their error. He said in verse 23 “He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me, scatters.” A woman from the crowd tried to bless Mary, the mother of Jesus, but He also rebuked her and said in verse 28 “On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.” When the Pharisees asked Jesus for a sign he replied to them the only sign they would receive was the sign of Jonah. He then condemned the Pharisees for their sinful ways. They sought after prominence and prosperity instead of a right relationship with God. After then the Pharisees and scribes became very hostile towards Jesus and His followers and increased their efforts to silence them. Jesus then turned to His disciples, in Chapter 13, and warned them of the dangers of listening to the Pharisees and adopting their self-righteous ways. Jesus reminds His followers that they are much more valuable than sparrows and that the Holy Spirit would reveal to them what to say when they were brought before the authorities. Jesus then told the crowd to be content with what the Lord had provided and to not envy anyone. He said that God would provide for their needs and that they should lay up their treasures in heaven where their true eternal home should be. Jesus then told the people to be ready because He would return as a thief in the night. He said He would reward those who were prepared for His coming and had been good stewards of His ministry. Jesus also said that His words would cause divisions in families between those that accepted His teaching and believed and those who would reject. Chapter 13 begins with a call to repentance. Jesus told the Jews they were no better than the Galileans they were being compared to. He then spoke to them a parable about a fig tree. Jesus then angered the official of the synagogue He was teaching in by healing a woman on the Sabbath. His opponents were humiliated at His response. Jesus went on to teach the parables of the Leaven and the Mustard Seed. He then taught as He traveled through the villages on His way to Jerusalem. Jesus again healed on the Sabbath, in Chapter 14, when He was in the house of the leader of the Pharisees. He spoke to the guests of the house on how He observed them picking out the places of honor to sit at the table, and how dishonorable the practice really was. He told them the proper way to act then spoke to them the parable of the dinner. This said the invited guests all had excuses to avoid Him so He sent out His servants to the nations to find men that would follow Him into heaven. Jesus then turned to the crowd and revealed to them the true cost of discipleship. In Chapter 15 the scribes and Pharisees complained that Jesus was speaking to and attracting tax collectors and sinners. Jesus replied to them the parable of the Lost Sheep. He said that heaven rejoices over the lost sheep that has been found rather than the ninety nine that has never been lost. He also spoke a similar parable about a lost coin. Jesus then recited the story of the Prodigal Son. The boy’s father rejoiced when his wayward son returned home and was not concerned with the son who did not leave. At the end of the chapter Jesus spoke about the rich man and Lazarus. This was to reveal there was no relief in hell and also no chance at redemption. In Chapter 17 Jesus told His disciples that they needed to show forgiveness to all and not become stumbling blocks to new believers. When the men asked Jesus to increase their faith He told them to have compassion on others. On the way to Jerusalem Jesus came upon ten lepers who begged to be cleansed. Jesus healed them and told them to go to the priest so they could reenter the congregation as prescribed in the law of Moses. Out of the ten who were healed only one man who was a Samaritan turned around and worshipped the Lord for his cleansing. The Jews had not learned anything from the Jesus or the law. Jesus said to them in verse 17-18 “Were there not ten cleansed? But the nine—where are they? “Was no one found who returned to give glory to God, except this foreigner?” When the Pharisees asked Jesus when the kingdom of God would come He answered in verse 20-21 “The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed;nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or, ‘There it is!’ For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst.” He then revealed to His disciples the signs of His second coming. In Chapter 18 Jesus instructed His disciples with a parable on prayer then told a parable to those who thought they were righteous on their own. The Pharisee believed that because he did all the outward signs of religion he was better than a repentant tax collector. Jesus then disappointed a rich young ruler who wanted eternal life but could not give up his wealth. Jesus then revealed to His twelve apostles that He would be killed soon in Jerusalem, but they did not understand His words. On the way to the city Jesus restored the sight to a blind beggar named Bartimeaus. A rich chief tax collector named Zaccheus was converted by Jesus into the faith in Chapter 19. When Jesus asked to stay at his home Zaccheus gladly offered to give his wealth to the poor and follow the Lord. Jesus then went on and told the parable of The Talents to the men. After this Jesus arrived in Bethany near the Mount of Olives and told two of His disciples to go into town and find a donkey that no one had ever sat on to ride into Jerusalem. The men acquired the donkey and Jesus entered Jerusalem on the back of the beast. The crowd of His disciples shouted the words of verse 38 “BLESSED IS THE KING WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD; Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” The Pharisees told Jesus to quiet the crowd, but He replied in verse 40 “I tell you, if these become silent, the stones will cry out!” Jesus then paused and wept for the city and what could have been for God’s people. The first thing Jesus did when He entered the city was to cleanse the temple by removing the moneychangers and merchants that were taking advantage of the pilgrims that had come to worship. In Chapter 20, as Jesus taught in the temple, the scribes questioned His authority to teach. Jesus refused to answer them and asked them a question. He then spoke the parable of The Vine-grower. This parable related a story where the vine-growers son was killed by his father’s own servants. They did not realize that Jesus would soon suffer a similar fate. At the end of the parable Jesus recited the words of Psalm 118 in Luke 20:17-18 “What then is this that is written: ‘THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED, THIS BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER stone’? “Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust.” Jesus then correctly told the Pharisees to render to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and to God what belongs to God. The Sadducees then tried to catch Jesus in a lie concerning the resurrection. These men did not believe there would be a resurrection but used it anyway in their attempt to trap the Lord. Jesus answered them correctly and then turned to His disciples and told them to beware the scribes and their prideful ways. Jesus looked, in Chapter 21, and saw the rich placing their gifts into the temple treasury. He then noticed a poor widow place two small copper coins into the container. Jesus commended the woman, to the men who were with Him, for her faith. She gave not from her surplus as the rich did, but gave to the Lord all she had to live on. Jesus looked around the beautiful temple and said there would come a time when the building would be destroyed. The men asked Jesus when this time would come and what signs they should look for. Jesus then told them the events that would precede His coming and told them to be prepared and keep watch. In Chapter 22 before the Passover the scribes and chief priests sought to put Jesus to death because they were afraid of the people that followed Him. The text says that Satan entered Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, and had him go to the authorities and betray the Lord. While this was going on Jesus told Peter and John to prepare the Passover meal and acquire an upper room for them to use. Jesus told them to follow a man that carried a pitcher of water. This man would lead them to the owner of the room they were to use. Jesus ate the Passover with His disciples and gave them the Lord’s Supper for them to remember the reason for His coming after He was gone. The apostles then had a dispute over who among them would become the greatest. Jesus told them that the ones who were humble would be great, and that they would judge the twelve tribes of Israel in the kingdom. Jesus then told Peter in verse 31-32 “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” Peter said he was willing to follow Jesus to prison, and even death, but the Lord replied in verse 34 “I say to you, Peter, the rooster will not crow today until you have denied three times that you know Me.” Jesus then went out to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. He asked the men who followed Him to keep watch then prayed to His Father that there could be some other way. There was no other way and Jesus in His agony sweat great drops of blood. An angel then came and ministered to Him because the disciples had fallen asleep. Judas then came with some soldiers and betrayed Jesus with a kiss. The disciples fled and Peter did deny Jesus like He said. Jesus was taken to be tried before the Sanhedrin. He caused Himself to be sentenced to death by telling the truth that He was God. Then, in Chapter 23, Jesus was taken before Pilate. He could find no guilt in Jesus and sent Him to Herod for disposition. He wished to wash his hands of Jesus blood. Herod was glad Jesus was brought to him and hoped to see some sign from Him. Jesus said nothing and was mocked and returned to Pilate. Pilate wanted to release Jesus, but to appease the Jews he released the criminal Barabbas instead. A man named Simon was seized and compelled to carry the cross of Jesus through Jerusalem to the place of execution. Jesus was nailed to the cross along with two criminals to die. One of the men mocked Him and told Him to save Himself where the other asked to be remembered when Jesus went to His kingdom. By this act this man was saved from hell. Jesus died and was buried in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea, a member of the council who did not consent to the execution of Jesus. On the first day of the week after the Sabbath, in Chapter 24, some women that followed Jesus came to the tomb with spices and perfumes to complete the burial process that was interrupted by the Sabbath day. They noticed the stone that covered the tomb had been rolled away and the body of Jesus was missing. Two men in dazzling clothing appeared to the terrified women and told them Jesus had risen as He said He would. They were told to tell the disciples what they had found. Peter did not believe and came to the tomb to see for himself. Inside the tomb he saw the linen grave clothes lying on the bench as if the body of Jesus rose right through them. Peter walked away from the tomb in wonder. As two of the men walked from Jerusalem to Emmaus a man appeared to them and asked what they were talking about. They related the events of the past few days about what they had witnessed concerning Jesus and how His tomb was empty. Jesus then revealed Himself to the men and proceeded to explain to them the scriptures beginning with the books of Moses that spoke of Him. He vanished to them but was seen by many men before He went to His Father. He told His disciples to spread the gospel to all nations before he was carried to heaven to sit at the right hand of His Father. This ends the Gospel of Luke and our study for this week. Next week we will begin the fourth and last Gospel book, the Gospel of John.