21:1Jesuslooked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, 2and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. 3And he said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. 4For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”
Those copper coins had the lowest value of any coins at the time. The Greek word translated ‘poor’ means ‘very poor, or poorest.’ These coins truly were all she had to live on. In a way, any contribution we make is out of the abundance of what God has blessed us with, but God looks at the heart. This woman gave out of her poverty (sacrificially). She gave in faith, knowing that God was trustworthy and would care for her.
Also, notice that Jesus knew the details of her situation and that of every other person who was putting their gifts into the offering box. All through the Gospel of Luke we have seen that Jesus knows the hearts of all people.
Chapter 21 begins the prophetic section of Luke’s Gospel. Jesus is asked, “When shall these things be and what will be the sign.” They are asking about the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, which happened in 70 AD. Jesus’ answer encompasses both the destruction in 70 AD as well as the final judgment over the whole world. There are many opposing opinions about how this will finally play out, but for our study, we will concentrate on Jesus’ positive statements about how we are to watch, and wait, and live, and testify and trust. Keep in mind that every generation has thought that they were living in the end times. The Bible tells us that we will not know the day, but we are to expect Christ’s return and we are to be ready.
5And while some were speaking of the temple, how it was adorned with noble stones and offerings, he said, 6“As for these things that you see, the days will come when there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.” 7And they asked him, “Teacher, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when these things are about to take place?” 8And he said, “See that you are not led astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and, ‘The time is at hand!’ Do not go after them. 9And when you hear of wars and tumults, do not be terrified, for these things must first take place, but the end will not be at once.”
10Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 11There will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences. And there will be terrors and great signs from heaven. 12But before all this they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name's sake. 13This will be your opportunity to bear witness. 14Settle it therefore in your minds not to meditate beforehand how to answer, 15for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict. 16You will be delivered up even by parents and brothersand relatives and friends, and some of you they will put to death. 17You will be hated by all for my name's sake. 18But not a hair of your head will perish. 19By your endurance you will gain your lives.
Re: verse 18: The previous verses show that this promise is spiritual. The destruction of a believer’s body could not take away his eternal life
Re: verse 19: The Christian's battle is won by endurance and not by violence; we are called to patiently endure. Christ will preserve us; we don’t need to do that for ourselves.
20“But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near. 21Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are inside the city depart, and let not those who are out in the country enter it, 22for these are days of vengeance, to fulfill all that is written. 23Alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! For there will be great distress upon the earth and wrath against this people. 24They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive among all nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
25“And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, 26people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
Changes in the celestial bodies will cause the tides to change. It will be a fearful time. Everyone alive at the time will see and know.
29And he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. 30As soon as they come out in leaf, you see for yourselves and know that the summer is already near. 31So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. 32Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all has taken place. 33Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
Discuss dual nature of “this generation.” (the generation at the time of the destruction of Jerusalem and the later generation at the time of the final judgment and return of Christ. Those without Christ will be terrorized, but those who know Christ will have confidence that their salvation is at hand.
34“But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. 35For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
Only Christ’s own people can ever hope to stand in his presence. We stand in his righteousness, not our own.
37And every day he was teaching in the temple, but at night he went out and lodged on the mount called Olivet. 38And early in the morning all the people came to him in the temple to hear him.
Jesus continued to teach daily in the temple and no one stopped him. He slept at the Mount of Olives, where this discourse was preached, but returned to the temple early in the morning and the people were there, ready to hear him.
*These lessons are written for use with elementary aged students. You can find lessons for previous chapters here . All scriptures are taken from the ESV.
]]>20:1One day, as Jesus was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes with the elders came up 2and said to him, “Tell us by what authority you do these things, or who it is that gave you this authority.” 3He answered them, “I also will ask you a question. Now tell me, 4was the baptism of John from heaven or from man?” 5And they discussed it with one another, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why did you not believe him?’ 6But if we say, ‘From man,’ all the people will stone us to death, for they are convinced that John was a prophet.” 7So they answered that they did not know where it came from. 8And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”
Vs. 1 Jesus was teaching in the temple and preaching the gospel. What is the gospel? The chief priests, scribes, and leaders of the people were there, listening, and they were not happy. They asked him “by whose authority do you do these things?” At least some of the things they were talking about were driving the merchants out of the temple, and calling the temple “My house.” We learned at the end of chapter 19 that from that point on, the priests, scribes and leaders sought to destroy him. The fact that all these different men were working together to confront him indicates that this may have been a delegation from the Sanhedrin. They wanted to know who gave him the authority to do it. Jesus did not answer their question directly, but he did answer it—with a question of his own: was John’s baptism from heaven or from men? These men were not concerned with the truth; they were trying to figure out how to answer the question in such a way that they got Jesus into trouble instead of themselves! They reasoned among themselves and knew that they could not answer his question without consequences, so they didn’t answer him at all. Jesus refuses to answer their question. (Matthew 7:6: “Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.)
9And he began to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard and let it out to tenants and went into another country for a long while. 10When the time came, he sent a servantto the tenants, so that they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 11And he sent another servant. But they also beat and treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed. 12And he sent yet a third. This one also they wounded and cast out. 13Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.’ 14But when the tenants saw him, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Let us kill him, so that the inheritance may be ours.’ 15And they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? 16He will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others.”
In this parable, who do you think the man is who planted the vineyard and went into another country for a long while? Who did the servants represent? Who does the son represent? Who do the tenants represent? What does the punishment of the tenants represent?
16b When they heard this, they said, “Surely not!” 17But he looked directly at them and said, “What then is this that is written:
“‘The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone’?
18Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.”
What was the reaction of the chief priests, scribes and leaders of the people? Do you think they understood what he was indicating by this parable? Jesus looked directly at them. Remember, Jesus knows all men’s hearts. He knows without having to stare at a person and try to figure out their motivations. Looking at them directly means that he held their eyes. The he quoted Psalm 118:22. He was letting them know that he KNEW that they were rejecting him and that it was HE who was the chief cornerstone. (Cornerstone, foundation or top corner, discuss)
Vs. 18. If a person ‘falls’ on Jesus (bows down to him in faith) that person comes to him as a sinner, broken in spirit, broken in heart. We must be ‘broken’ by the knowledge of our sinful condition and come to Christ by faith. In the beatitudes, Jesus said, ‘blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. This is the foundation upon which we are saved: 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. 11For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— 13each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. 14If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. 15If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.
If, on the other hand, a person rejects Christ, then the same foundational ‘stone’ that saves the one who has faith, will destroy the one who rejects it. If that stone falls on a person, it will crush or destroy him. In the original language the words translated ‘crush’ means ‘grind to powder.’ The destruction is complete. Jesus is referring to images from Daniel 2: And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It (the stone) shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever, 45just as you saw that a stone was cut from a mountain by no human hand, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold. A great God has made known to the king what shall be after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation sure.”
19The scribes and the chief priests sought to lay hands on him at that very hour, for they perceived that he had told this parable against them, but they feared the people.
The scribes and the chief priests understood exactly what Jesus meant! They understood that he meant that THEY were ‘sought to kill him that very hour.’ They didn’t, though, for two reasons. One, they were afraid of the people. They knew that the people supported Jesus and accepted his teachings in the temple. (The other reason is that it was not God’s will that he die at their hands in that manner. God had ordained that Jesus die on the cross. All the details of his suffering and death were in God’s hands and nothing could take it out of His control). They feared to destroy him themselves, so they came up with a plan:
20So they watched him and sent spies, who pretended to be sincere, that they might catch him in something he said, so as to deliver him up to the authority and jurisdiction of the governor.
Catch what they are doing here. They are setting him up, trying to catch him in words so that they would have reason to deliver him to the Roman authorities. And they are trying to do it by sending pretenders into the midst, pretending to be sincere so that he would speak frankly. They come to him with flattery and a loaded question. (explain a loaded question)
21So they asked him, “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach rightly, and show no partiality, but truly teach the way of God. 22Is it lawful for us to give tribute to Caesar, or not?”
This is a trick question—a ‘no win’ situation. If he says ‘yes,’ then they will say that he is putting Caesar ahead of Moses. If he says ‘no,’ then he would speaking against the Roman authorities and that would give them a reason to turn him in. Jesus was not fooled. He gave them an answer they did not expect:
23But he perceived their craftiness, and said to them, 24“Show me a denarius. Whose likeness and inscription does it have?” They said, “Caesar's.” 25He said to them, “Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.” 26And they were not able in the presence of the people to catch him in what he said, but marveling at his answer they became silent.
The coins of the region were Roman coins and had the image of Caesar stamped on them. Rome did provide some services for the Jews. They were afforded protection and the roads and seas were kept open. Jesus is making a distinction between the worldly and the heavenly, between physical and spiritual. We have duties to earthly rulers and duties owed to God. In this way, he could not be said to be disloyal to either side of the question. They thought they would trip him up; he closed their mouths instead.
27There came to him some Sadducees, those who deny that there is a resurrection,
The Sadducees were a sect that did not believe in a resurrection or anything supernatural, unlike the Pharisees, who did believe in the resurrection. Here is another group that is seeking to destroy Jesus. They, too, think that they have a tricky question that Jesus will not be able to answer:
28and they asked him a question, saying, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies, having a wife but no children, the manmust take the widow and raise up offspring for his brother. 29Now there were seven brothers. The first took a wife, and died without children. 30And the second 31and the third took her, and likewise all seven left no children and died. 32Afterward the woman also died. 33In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had her as wife.”
When a Jewish man died without and heir, his brother would marry the first man’s wife, so that she might have a son and heir to take care of her. Since they did not believe in resurrection, they thought that this story would prove that resurrection didn’t make sense.
34And Jesus said to them, “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage, 35but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage, 36for they cannot die anymore, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, being sonsof the resurrection. 37But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed, in the passage about the bush, where he calls the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. 38Now he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for all live to him.”
Jesus explains that there is a difference between this life and the resurrection. After the resurrection, believers will have a body like Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:35-58) He also proves that they are wrong to not believe in the resurrection and he uses scriptures to prove it!
39Then some of the scribes answered, “Teacher, you have spoken well.” 40For they no longer dared to ask him any question.
Some of the scribes said that he had ‘spoken well.’ They no longer dared to ask him any questions. (It is interesting to learn that although many scribes and Pharisees came to faith after Christ’s resurrection, nowhere in the Bible is it recorded that any Sadducees ever came to Christ.)
41But he said to them, “How can they say that the Christ is David's son? 42For David himself says in the Book of Psalms,
“‘The Lord said to my Lord,
Sit at my right hand,
43until I make your enemies your footstool.’
44David thus calls him Lord, so how is he his son?”
Now it’s Jesus’ turn to ask a hard question. How could David call the Messiah ‘Lord?’ Other than Moses, David was the most important person in the Jewish history. Jesus is teaching that not only is the Messiah the Son of David (discuss promised heir to David’s throne) but the Messiah is the Son of God and David’s Lord. He is preeminent over all persons and all times. (Hebrews 1:13 and 3: Therefore, holy brothers,you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession, 2who was faithful to him who appointed him, just as Moses also was faithful in all God'shouse. 3For Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses—as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself. 4(For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.) 5Now Moses was faithful in all God's house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, 6but Christ is faithful over God's house as a son. And we are his house if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope.)
45And in the hearing of all the people he said to his disciples, 46“Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love greetings in the marketplaces and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, 47who devour widows' houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”
All this time Jesus has been interacting with the chief priests, scribes, rulers, Pharisees, and Sadducees. Now he speaks to his disciples ‘in the hearing of all the people’ and warns them to beware of the scribes.
*These lessons are written for use with elementary aged students. You can find lessons for previous chapters here . All scriptures are taken from the ESV.
]]>19:1He entered Jericho and was passing through. 2And there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. 3And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small of stature. 4So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way. 5And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” 6So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully. 7And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” 8And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.” 9And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. 10For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
Jesus is continuing on his way to Jerusalem. (Lazarus raised in Bethany)
Zaccheus: a Jew. Zaccheus was a common name at that time. He was a chief tax collector. (he had other publicans serving under him) Christ came to save even the chief of publicans.
He was rich. After Jesus had spoken to the rich young ruler, he said that it is hard for rich people to enter heaven. Zaccheus was in the same situation as the publican who stood afar off and prayed, “Have mercy on me, a sinner.” He had given up his place in the community of believers when he became a tax collector. He had given up access to the temple. Zaccheus wanted a mercy seat. He wanted to come back to God. He wanted to see Jesus so he ran ahead and climbed the tree and hid among the branches.
When Jesus came to the tree, he sought out Zacccheus and commanded him to ‘hurry and come down, and invited himself to his house. Zaccheus did not expect this. He just wanted to get a glimpse of Jesus, but Jesus saw him in the tree and he saw his heart. Notice that he called Zaccheus by his name. Jesus knows His own. Zaccheus received him with joy. This represents Zaccheus believing on Jesus.
The gossips in the crowd grumbled. They complained that he was going in to eat with a sinner. They did not realize that they were sinners, too. That is why Jesus came; to seek and save the lost. They did not realize that Zaccheus had changed.
The evidence that he had changed is indicated in his response: he promises to give half his goods to the poor, and repay anyone he had defrauded four times what he had taken. (according to the Mosaic Law Ex 22) By this, he proves a change of heart because there is a change in his behavior (James 2:18) He showed his faith by his works. His resolutions are in line with the second table of the Ten Commandments that we looked at last week; the ones that address man’s relationships with other men.
What is Jesus’ response to Zaccheus’s declaration? He says that salvation has come to Zaccheus’s house. Zaccheus did not think he was earning his salvation through his works. He was responding to the change that had occurred by his belief in Christ.
He that is greedy of gain troubles his own house, and brings a curse upon it (Hab. 2:9), but he that is charitable to the poor does a kindness to his own house, and brings a blessing upon it and salvation to it, temporal at least, Ps. 112:3.
11As they heard these things, he proceeded to tell a parable, because he was near to Jerusalem, and because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately.
Many of his followers, including the disciples, thought he was coming to Jerusalem to set up his kingdom on earth. They thought he was going to rule and reign as King. But he was going to Jerusalem to die; he was going to offer himself up as the final sacrifice for sin. They did not understand.
12He said therefore, “A nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return. 13Calling ten of his servants, he gave them ten minas,and said to them, ‘Engage in business until I come.’ 14But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’ 15When he returned, having received the kingdom, he ordered these servants to whom he had given the money to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by doing business. 16The first came before him, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made ten minas more.’ 17And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.’ 18And the second came, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made five minas.’ 19And he said to him, ‘And you are to be over five cities.’ 20Then another came, saying, ‘Lord, here is your mina, which I kept laid away in a handkerchief; 21for I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man. You take what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.’ 22He said to him, ‘I will condemn you with your own words, you wicked servant! You knew that I was a severe man, taking what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow? 23Why then did you not put my money in the bank, and at my coming I might have collected it with interest?’ 24And he said to those who stood by, ‘Take the mina from him, and give it to the one who has the ten minas.’ 25And they said to him, ‘Lord, he has ten minas!’ 26‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 27But as for these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slaughter them before me.’”
Jesus is the nobleman. He will receive his kingdom from his Father. The first time he came as our Savior; the second time he will come as King and Judge. Every person has been entrusted with blessings and possessions and opportunities. We must all be faithful to what he has entrusted to us. We are stewards and we must be faithful, whether we are given a little or a lot. When he comes, he will reward those who have been faithful and punish those who have not. Those that are faithful in a little shall be entrusted with more.
28And when he had said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 29When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples, 30saying, “Go into the village in front of you, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat. Untie it and bring it here. 31If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say this: ‘The Lord has need of it.’” 32So those who were sent went away and found it just as he had told them. 33And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?” 34And they said, “The Lord has need of it.” 35And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. 36And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road. 37As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, 38saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” 39And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” 40He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”
Matthew and Mark also record Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. Jesus Christ was willing to suffer and die for us. (Hebrews 12:2) He went ahead, as if was anxious to arrive and complete his work on our behalf.
Jesus had authority to command the use of the donkey. Some people think that this was a miracle. Other people think that this was prearranged. The important thing to remember is, whether it was a miracle or not, Jesus has authority over all of creation and that includes all our possessions. Jesus came into Jerusalem riding on a colt, just as it had been foreseen in the OT. The multitude rejoiced and praised God. They threw their cloaks on the road before him in a demonstration of honor and joy. They praised God for the mighty works they had seen. Jesus had come to Jerusalem from Bethany, the scene of the raising of Lazarus from the dead. (John 12)
Matthew Henry: How they expressed their joy and praise (v. 38): Blessed be the king that cometh in the name of the Lord. Christ is the king; he comes in the name of the Lord, clothed with a divine authority, commissioned from heaven to give law and treat of peace. Blessed be he. Let us praise him, let God prosper him. He is blessed for ever, and we will speak well of him. Peace in heaven. Let the God of heaven send peace and success to his undertaking, and then there will be glory in the highest. It will redound to the glory of the most high God; and the angels, the glorious inhabitants of the upper world, will give him the glory of it. Compare this song of the saints on earth with that of the angels, ch. 2:14. They both agree to give glory to God in the highest. There the praises of both centre; the angels say, On earth peace, rejoicing in the benefit which men on earth have by Christ; the saints say, Peace in heaven, rejoicing in the benefit which the angels have by Christ. Such is the communion we have with the holy angels that, as they rejoice in the peace on earth, so we rejoice in the peace in heaven, the peace God makes in his high places (Job 25:2), and both in Christ, who hath reconciled all things to himself, whether things on earth or things in heaven.
Jesus received their praise and would not rebuke them. This angered the Pharisees. He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.” This was literally fulfilled when Jesus was dying on the cross. When wicked men abused him and jeered at him and even his own disciples were silent, there was a great earthquake and men were resurrected, giving praise to God.
41And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, 42saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. 43For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side 44and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”
As Jesus was coming down from the Mount of Olives, he could see the entire city laid out before him. Why did Jesus weep over the city? Was it because he knew he was going to suffer and die there in just a few days? No, it was because he knew that most of the inhabitants of the city were lost. They did not recognize their messiah. They rejected the Gospel. He was hidden from their eyes. Then he foretold of the destruction of Jerusalem to come. In less than 40 years, his prophecy was fulfilled when Titus destroyed the city in 70 AD.
45And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold, 46saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a den of robbers.”
47And he was teaching daily in the temple. The chief priests and the scribes and the principal men of the people were seeking to destroy him, 48but they did not find anything they could do, for all the people were hanging on his words.
Why did Jesus drive out the money changers and merchants? The temple was meant to be a place of prayer, set apart for communion with God.
Jesus taught daily in the temple. There were two different responses to his teaching the chief priests and scribes and ruler sought to destroy him, but the people listened to him eagerly.
*These lessons are written for use with elementary aged students. You can find lessons for previous chapters here . All scriptures are taken from the ESV.
]]>18:1And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. 2He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. 3And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ 4For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, 5yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’” 6And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. 7And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? 8I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”
Vs. 1 Matthew Henry tells us that this parable has its key ‘hanging by the door.’ Jesus tells his disciples exactly what this parable is teaching: That they (and we) should always pray and not lose heart, or become discouraged. At the end of chapter 17, Jesus talked to his disciples about the last days and the fact that he would be coming again. He knew that his disciples would grow weary in waiting for his return and that people would do one of two things: either pray or faint (lose heart). We should always persevere in prayer, but especially we should always persevere in our hope of Christ’s return and have faith that He is coming again.
Vs. 2-5 In this parable, we learn about a judge who feared neither God nor man. It is not a surprise that a man who did not believe in God would care how he treated people. It is bad when anyone mistreats another person, but it’s even worse when it is a judge who is acting in a dismissive manner because he has the added responsibility and obligation to see that justice is served. The woman who was coming to the judge for justice was a widow. It was hard for a widow to get justice if she didn’t have any sons to take care of her and to help her, so it was especially important for the judge to hear her case. In the law of Moses, judges were instructed to take care of widows and children and to defend them against their adversaries. But this judge did not fear God and did not follow his law. He ignored the woman and sent her away. The woman did not give up. She kept coming back. She did not ask for revenge, she just wanted justice. Finally the man tells himself that because she is still bothering him, he will give her justice so that she will go away and leave him along. The Greek words literally means so that she will not give me a black eye. Her constant presence in the court was making him look bad. He finally gave her justice but only to get rid of her. (also, note that Jesus knew what he was thinking in his heart vs.4)
Vs. 6-8 This is a parable of contrast, not comparison. We need to remember that Jesus is not comparing God to the unjust judge, he is contrasting them. He is demonstrating the ways they are different. Jesus is telling them that, unlike the unjust judge, God hears his people (the elect) and he will not delay in answering them. Sometimes it may seem like that to us because we don’t understand all the things that God is accomplishing on our behalf through the waiting, but he always answers us and gives us justice ‘speedily.’ The widow was a stranger to the unjust judge, but God knows us personally. She was trying to get in to see a judge who ignored her, but we are invited to boldly come to God at any time. She came to an unjust man who didn’t care about her or her problems, but we come to our God who is righteous and who understands our circumstances even better than we do! She had no one to come with her and speak for her, but we have Jesus, God’s own Son to speak to the Father in our defense. She could only come to the judge when the courtroom was open for business. We can come to God in prayer any time at all. Her constant presence was upsetting to the unjust judge, but God is pleased when we come to him in prayer.
He finishes by warning that when he returns, there will be few who are watching for him and still have faith that he is coming back. There will be faith on the earth but it will be a weak faith and there will be few who have faith.
9He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: 10“Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ 13But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ 14I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
To whom did Jesus direct this parable? He gives us a key to this one, too, in verse 9. Again, this is another parable of contrasts. This time he is comparing the Pharisee with a tax collector. These two men were about as different as two men could be! Both went to the temple to pray, but they went with very different motivations and received very different results.
The Pharisee began by thanking God that he was not like other men and then went on to describe other men as wicked sinners (he even looked around during his prayer and noticed the tax collector!) He made himself look good by telling God about all the bad things he DIDN’T do that other people did do. Then he followed up by giving God example of the Good things he had done. This man had come to the temple to exalt himself before God instead of exalting God.
The tax collector stood far off. He couldn’t come into the temple because when he became a tax collector, he had chosen money over his nation. To chose to work for Rome against his own people meant that he had rejected his nation and his religion. He was no longer a part of the community of faith. But he had repented and desired to come and ask for mercy from God and be forgiven. He humbled himself and would not even raise his eyes to heaven, but kept them downcast because he knew he was unworthy. But he knew that God was a merciful God and had faith that God was able to forgive even the worst of sinners. The Pharisee thought he was doing everything right. He felt like he had earned salvation. The tax collector knew that apart from God’s mercy, he had no hope. He knew that he did not deserve to be forgiven. Jesus said that he was the one who was justified, or forgiven.
15Now they were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them. And when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. 16But Jesus called them to him, saying, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. 17Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”
Remember what we learned about the status of children in that culture? Even the disciples did not want people to bring their children to Jesus. But Jesus invited the little children to come to him and said that those who come into the kingdom of God must come in like a child—with the faith of a child. Again, Jesus is teaching the importance of faith.
Matthew 19:16-30; Mark 10:17-31
18And a ruler asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 19And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. 20You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.’” 21And he said, “All these I have kept from my youth.” 22When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 23But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich. 24Jesus, seeing that he had become sad, said, “How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! 25For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”
Read 10 commandments (Exodus 20) The rich young ruler wanted to know what he must do to inherit eternal life. He was thinking that eternal life was something one earned through one’s works. He called Jesus, Good Teacher, and Jesus told him that only God is good. He was leading him to understand that he was God. Then he mentioned the last 5 of the 10 commandments. These are called the ‘prohibitas.’ They have to do with man’s relationships with man. (The first 5 have to do with man’s relationship with God). The man said he had kept all the law since he was a child. Is this even possible? Jesus knew this man’s heart and he knew that he was counting on his riches instead of faith, so he tells him to sell all his stuff, give it to the poor and he would have riches in heaven (which is what he claimed he wanted—to inherit eternal life.) Jesus told him to leave it all behind and follow him. He told him what was required to enter into eternal life—following Christ by faith. But the man went away sad because he was very wealthy. We don’t know if he ever did follow Christ. Perhaps he did. Perhaps he never did. Jesus tells us that it is easier for a camel to got through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God. In other words, it is impossible!
26Those who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?” 27But he said, “What is impossible with men is possible with God.” 28And Peter said, “See, we have left our homes and followed you.” 29And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, 30who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life.”
Are you rich? Compared to most of the world, we are all extremely rich—as rich as that rich young ruler or richer. When the people heard it they were amazed and afraid. Then who can be saved? Jesus has said that it is impossible for a rich man to enter, but then he says something further—‘What is impossible with men is possible with God.” Left to ourselves we would never desire God. We would be satisfied by the things of this world. But God is able to change our hearts and our minds and give us the desire to follow him. Peter tells Jesus about all the things they have left behind to follow him and he promises that they will receive greater blessing in the world to come.
31And taking the twelve, he said to them, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. 32For he will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. 33And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise.” 34But they understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said.
This is the third time that Jesus has told them that he was going to die and be resurrected. (Luke 5:35; 9:22, 43-45) He continues to give them more details. First, he tells them that the prophets had written that all these things were to happen. He also adds the detail that he was going to be delivered over to the Gentiles and that he would be mocked and spat upon. He was very clear about what was going to happen. He was telling them the way it was going to be in detail. But they did not understand any of it. They were still thinking of him as the victorious defender and conqueror who would deliver them from Rome’s oppression. The saying was hidden from them. They did not understand and they could not understand.
35As he drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. 36And hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what this meant. 37They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” 38And he cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 39And those who were in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 40And Jesus stopped and commanded him to be brought to him. And when he came near, he asked him, 41“What do you want me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, let me recover my sight.” 42And Jesus said to him, “Recover your sight; your faith has made you well.” 43And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.
The blind man heard the crowd and wondered what was going on. When they told him that Jesus was passing by he cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Who else cried out for mercy? People told him to be silent but he called even louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” By calling him Son of David it was the same as calling him King! He believed that Jesus was the promised King and had faith that he could heal him. He knew he needed mercy. Jesus stopped and had the man brought to him. He asked him what he wanted and he answered, ‘let me recover my sight.’ Jesus healed him immediately and, unlike the rich young ruler, he immediately followed Jesus, glorifying God, along with all the people.
*These lessons are written for use with elementary aged students. You can find lessons for previous chapters here . All scriptures are taken from the ESV.
]]>17:1And he said to his disciples, “Temptations to sin are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come! 2It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin.
There are enough temptations in the world without tempting others. Here, Jesus is pronouncing a ‘woe’ against anyone who would cause another person to sin, especially the little ones. This does not only mean small children. It can mean new Christians, too.
3Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, 4and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”
We must always be ready to forgive. Notice that we are not asked to simply overlook the sin. It’s proper to hold the person accountable for his sin, but when he repents, you must forgive, over and over. What if someone sins against you 8 or nine times in a day? Do you still have to forgive? Why or why not?
Not only must we forgive, but we should demonstrate our forgiveness through kindness and never bring the offense up again. Even if a person sins and doesn’t repent, we are not to take vengeance.
Do you think that this is a difficult thing to do? Jesus told his disciples to pay attention to themselves—to be on guard against sinning and against causing others to sin. Unforgiveness is a sin.
5The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” 6And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.
Notice the apostles (disciples) response to vs. 3 and 4. They realize what is being asked of them and they know that, apart from faith in Christ, they cannot do it! Read Luke 1:37, Mk 9:23)
7“Will any one of you who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and recline at table’? 8Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, and dress properly, and serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink’? 9Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? 10So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’”
Jesus is teaching about servanthood again. It is our duty to work all day and to keep serving. It is right that the Master is served first. We are to follow his commandments. If we do follow his commandments, we have not earned our salvation—that is a gift from God. Our good works do not save us.
11On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. 12And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance 13and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” 14When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed. 15Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; 16and he fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. 17Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? 18Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.”
Why were the lepers standing at a distance? Why did they lift up their voices? What did they ask of Jesus? What did Jesus do? Why was it important that they show themselves to the priests? Why didn’t he heal them right there? Why did the healing happen as they were on their way? Only one man ‘turned back, praising God’ and returned to thank Jesus and he was a Samaritan. What do you remember about the relationship between Samaritans and Jews? None of the other men came back. Their bodies were healed but only the Samaritan had faith.
20Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed, 21nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.”
The Pharisees are asking a question about the Kingdom of God. They want to know when it will come. The Kingdom of God was in their midst—their Messiah had come and he was standing right there with them, but they did not recognize him. They were looking for a military savior, a deliverer who would defeat Rome and make the Jewish nation strong and return to them their sovereignty. They did not recognize the Kingdom was a spiritual kingdom.
22And he said to the disciples, “The days are coming when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. 23And they will say to you, ‘Look, there!’ or ‘Look, here!’ Do not go out or follow them. 24For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day. 25But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.
Jesus will return someday. No one knows the time of his return. Christians will always long to see Christ. That is one of the marks of a true Christian—that they look forward to Christ’s return. However, in the meantime, many false messiahs will come at different times and at different places. Jesus is telling his disciples not to be fooled. When Jesus does return for the second time, all the world will know that he has returned, as if the whole sky was lit up and everyone will see his return. But first, he reminds them that he must suffer and that he will be rejected. The Cross was still to come and he continues to tell his disciples what is going to happen.
26Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. 27They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. 28Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot—they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, 29but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all— 30so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed.
Is there anything wrong with eating and drinking? What about getting married? No, but Noah had been warning the people about the coming judgment and they continued as if they had not heard—as if judgment was not coming. There are many, many people living their lives, going about their daily activities that do not know that judgment is coming. When Jesus comes back the second time, he will be coming back with salvation for his people and judgment.
31On that day, let the one who is on the housetop, with his goods in the house, not come down to take them away, and likewise let the one who is in the field not turn back. 32 Remember Lot's wife. 33Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it.
Lots wife, turned and looked back at the destruction of Sodom, even though the angel had warned them not to look back.
34I tell you, in that night there will be two in one bed. One will be taken and the other left. 35There will be two women grinding together. One will be taken and the other left.” 37And they said to him, “Where, Lord?” He said to them, “Where the corpseis, there the vultures will gather.”
At the final judgment, God divides the saved and the unsaved, the believers and the unbelievers. Jesus answers the question, “where, Lord?” with a proverb: Where the corpse is, there the vultures will gather. All will gather to that which attracts them; the evil will be known by their actions and so will the believers. Christ’s own will be gathered to him, but the wicked will not desire him.
*These lessons are written for use with elementary aged students. You can find lessons for previous chapters here . All scriptures are taken from the ESV.
]]>16:1He also said to the disciples, “There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was wasting his possessions. 2And he called him and said to him, ‘What is this that I hear about you? Turn in the account of your management, for you can no longer be manager.’ 3And the manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. 4I have decided what to do, so that when I am removed from management, people may receive me into their houses.’ 5So, summoning his master's debtors one by one, he said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ 6He said, ‘A hundred measures of oil.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ 7Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ He said, ‘A hundred measures of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’ 8The master commended the dishonest manager for his shrewdness.
This parable is very easily misunderstood. Unless you read it with discernment, it can appear as though the Lord is commending a dishonest and conniving person! In this parable, Jesus uses the example of a worldly man to teach a difficult lesson. It can be helpful to remember that, as in all parables, the examples are used to teach a larger, spiritual lesson.
To whom is Jesus speaking? His disciples. Are they honest or dishonest? (discuss sin natures; so he is talking to sinners who have not always done right by their master)
Every man according to the laws of most countries is considered innocent until proved guilty. But the Bible teaches that we are all guilty—really guilty!—and the only way we can ever be considered innocent is through faith in Christ and His Gospel.
READ vs. 1 In this parable, we have the rich man and the dishonest steward. What is a steward? (a person who is in charge of another person’s possessions or is ruling in place of another person. The steward is responsible to the person he serves.) READ vs.2 The rich man has heard that his steward is wasting his possessions and so he calls him to make account of his dealings. He asks him to get his accounts together and turn them in to him.
READ vs. 3-4
The steward knows he’s in trouble. “What shall I do?” He knows he’s going to get caught and he knows he has lost his job, so he tries to think of the best thing he can do for himself. He should have thought about his actions sooner, but better late than never. He doesn’t want to do hard physical work and he’s too ashamed to beg. He wants to help himself, so he tries to fix things in his own way. READ vs. 5-8 He goes around to the people who owe his master money and starts making deals. In this way, he returns some of the money to his master and improves his accounting and he also helps out the people by reducing what they owe in hopes that when he is without a job, they will be grateful to him and help him out. The master, who is a shrewd business man himself, sees how shrewd his manager has been and he commends him. Does this surprise you? This is a very shocking statement!! Who does the rich man represent? (GOD) And who does the dishonest manager represent? (Everyone. You, me, the disciples. All of us. Everything we have has been given to us by God to manage—our lives, our possessions, our influence, our relationships. We are required to be faithful 1 Cor. 4:2.) He is not commending him for the dishonest things he had done in the past, he is commending him for acting wisely for his Master and for himself. Remember, at this time, Jesus is talking to his disciples. They are being trained and taught to be stewards of the Gospel after He finishes his work. Just like this man, they are going to have to make an account to their Master someday. (So will we.) Just like this man, they will have to behave wisely with material and worldly things. He uses the example of the worldly man to illustrate how much consideration this steward had for his earthly life. He didn’t always act honestly, but he always acted in a way that protected his life and his livelihood. He was only worried about this life. This is a negative example to teach the lesson concerning the Kingdom of God and service to Christ. In the same way and with the same shrewdness, we should manage our money and do all that we can to promote—not ourselves, but the Gospel! We are called to ‘lay up treasures in heaven’ not on earth.
8b For the sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light. 9And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings.
We are to use our money and our energy and our possessions and our talents wisely in the service of our Master. What we have is given to by God for his service—to help other people. Worldly wealth is not what brings us satisfaction, but it can be used to help others and further the Gospel. When we learn to use what God has given us wisely, even though we have not always done so in the past, we please God and lay up treasures for ourselves.
10“One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. 11If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? 12And if you have not been faithful in that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own? 13No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”
READ 10-12 Jesus is teaching the disciples about faithfulness. If we are not faithful in the ‘riches’ of this world, then we will not be trusted with spiritual riches, the only true and lasting riches. The things that we have in this life are Gods. He gives them to us to use to help ourselves, help others, and to serve God. They are not ours. When we die, we will leave what we have behind. We cannot keep them. But if we use them wisely, we will lay up for ourselves treasure in heaven, which will never be taken away. READ vs.13 We cannot serve two masters—God and money. There is nothing wrong with money itself, it is how we use it that shows us whether money is our master or God.
14The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all these things, and they ridiculed him. 15And he said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God.
The Pharisees were there, too, listening. They heard what Jesus said and ridiculed him. The scriptures tell us that they were lovers of money. Money was their master. They used it to get what they wanted. They did not see themselves as dishonest stewards. They were always justifying who they were and what they did before men. What are some of the ways we’ve seen this in the Pharisees? Can you give an example from what we’ve studied so far that Jesus knew their hearts? We cannot hide from God. We will all give an account to God someday.
16“The Law and the Prophets were until John; since then the good news of the kingdom of God is preached, and everyone forces his way into it. 17But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one dot of the Law to become void.
The Pharisees believed in the Law and the Prophets, but they rejected John the Baptist and Jesus. They rejected the Good News of the Kingdom that Jesus was preaching. They rejected their Messiah and encouraged others to be like themselves. They heaped up so many hard rules and burdens on the people! Every one ‘forces’ his way into the Kingdom of God. Before, the Jews were called God’s people. The scribes and the Pharisees did everything they could to make it hard to please God and enter the kingdom. They kept the Gentiles (all non Jews) out. But now the good news was being preached (Luke 2-“it shall be for ALL men) and individuals—both Jews and Gentiles were pressing into the Kingdom. (through faith in Christ)
18“Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery.
This verse seems a little out of place, doesn’t it? The meaning is very easy to understand if you just read the verse. (state the principle from the verse) So why do you think it is there?
19“There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. 20And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, 21who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores.
Here we have the description of the two men: The rich man, who is frequently referred to by the name of Dives, (although scripture does not name him) and Lazarus, the poor, sick beggar. This is not the Lazarus whom Jesus raised from the dead. These two men could not be further apart—the richest and the poorest.
22The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried, 23and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side.
We cannot look beyond death to see what is happening with those who have died, but Jesus could. He described the scene in great detail. The poor man died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. Abraham’s side, or Abraham’s bosom is the place where believers who had died awaited the resurrection of Jesus. It is also called paradise. Believers before Christ’s resurrection awaited him there. (Eph 4:8-10) Now the bodies of believers to to the grave but their spirits go to heaven to be with Christ. (2 Cor 5:8) The rich man was in Hades, the place for those who were lost and tormented. He could see Lazarus and Abraham from afar. This increased his torment to see Lazarus at peace while he was in torment. Those who do not have faith in Christ are aware of their surroundings and are in constant torment. Some people teach that the lost go to the grave and cease to exist. But that is not the picture that Christ relates. The lost remain in Hades until the final judgment, when they are cast into hell with Satan and his fallen angels. Notice, too, the rich man recognized Lazarus. There is never a time that any man will cease to exist or forever lose awareness.
24And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’ 25But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. 26And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’
The rich man thought he could call Lazarus, his inferior, away from Abraham’s side to act as a servant to him—to bring him even one drop of water. The rich man has become the beggar and the beggar, the rich man. Both men were dead, but they were as separated from each other as they were from the living.
When one dies he either go to be with the Lord in everlasting peace and joy, or go to the place of everlasting loneliness and torment. When one has died, it is too late to change one’s final destination. (Hebrews 9:24-28)
(Born once; die twice Born twice, die once)
27And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father's house— 28for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’
Since Lazarus could not cross the divide to him, the rich man asked that he be sent to warn his brothers so that they could believe and be saved from the torment that he was experiencing.
29But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ 30And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ 31He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’”
Moses and the Prophets spoke of the Messiah that would come and save His people. The angels had proclaimed it on the night of Christ’s birth. They had seen miracles and healings and might acts of God, but still some did not believe. Abraham tells the rich man that those who do not believe will not be convinced even if someone was raised from the dead. It is still the case today. Christ was raised from the dead, but still, most do not believe.
This parable is told in contrast to the Parable of the Prodigal Son. In that case, the sinner ‘came to himself’ and was saved and was received into the blessings of the Father’s house. In the case of the rich man, he was left in torment. It is a picture of the wrath to come for those who do not believe.
*These lessons are written for use with elementary aged students. You can find lessons for previous chapters here . All scriptures are taken from the ESV.
]]>15:1Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. 2And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”
Notice the reaction of the Pharisees and scribes. They are grumbling again. They can’t grumble against Jesus teaching them, for that was according to the law of Moses, but they grumbled against receiving sinners and eating with them—something they prohibited.
Jesus responds by telling three parables. These parables are all related. All these parables show God’s pleasure in the conversion of sinners. Each builds upon the other. The first is the parable of the lost sheep:
3So he told them this parable: 4“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? 5And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ 7Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.
The Shepherd is Jesus Christ, the Great Shepherd. (John 10:11) We are his sheep and we have gone astray. (Isaiah 53:6) The sheep is lost and the shepherd goes and seeks it. Sheep are dumb. Once they are lost, they cannot find their way back. But the shepherd seeks the lost sheep. Jesus came to seek and save the lost. (Luke 19:10) He lays the lamb across his shoulders rejoicing. When the priests of Israel went into the Holy place with sacrifices, he wore a garment that bore 12 stones on the shoulders that represented each of the twelve tribes of Israel. Jesus bears his people “across his shoulders” as he intercedes for them before God. He bears the lost sheep home and invites everyone to rejoice with him. There is rejoicing in heaven every time a sinner repents and returns to God. The Pharisees taught that God would forgive a repentant sinner, but here Jesus is teaching that God, in Christ, seeks out the sinner.
8“Or what woman, having ten silver coins,if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? 9And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ 10Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
Married women wore ten silver coins sewn together as a head dress, similar to the wearing of wedding rings today. To have lost that coin, which was representative of her marriage, was a great loss. That coin was something very valuable to her, therefore, she looked and looked until she found it! The lighting of the lamp represents the light of the Gospel. (John 8:12) The purpose of both of these parables is to explain that there is rejoicing in heaven when a sinner repents. In this manner, Jesus is continuing the theme about the Kingdom of God but bringing the teaching down to the individual.
Next comes the most well known of all Jesus’ parables. It is only found here in the book of Luke.
11And he said, “There was a man who had two sons.
The ‘man’ who had two sons was God, the Father. This parable teaches more about God, the Father, than it does about either of the sons! Some commentator think that instead of “the Parable of the Prodigal Son” this could easily be called “the Parable of the Waiting Father!” There are two sons; the younger, who represents sinners and Gentiles and the elder representing the Jews (Pharisees and scribes) who are also sinners.
12And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them.
According to the law, the eldest son received two thirds of the inheritance. This younger son didn’t want to wait; he wanted what was coming to him NOW! He demands that the father give it to him. He wasn’t willing to wait for the proper time. If he had waited, his portion might have been larger, but he was only concerned about the present. His eyes were on this world, not the next.
13Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. 14And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. 15So he went and hired himself out toone of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything.
The far country represents the world and the distance between God and the sinner. He wasted all that he had been given ‘in reckless living.’ He ran through his money until he had nothing left. No only did he have nothing left from what he had been given, there was a famine in the land, which effected everyone. He was in need—he was so poor and needy that he was willing to work like a servant and took a job feeding pigs. Pigs were considered unclean and only the most desperate and starving Jew would ever take a job among the pigs. Have you ever smelled a pig farm? It is a dreadful smell—that smell gets into everything. He was so hungry that he even wished he could eat the pigs’ food. And no one would give him anything to eat. He had hit rock bottom. It could not get worse.
17“But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger!
A change begins in verse 17. “He came to himself.” That means he finally came to his sense. He was finally able to see things for the way they really were. Sometimes it is that way with us. We sometimes have to go through great trials and tribulations before we are brought to repentance. But that is the way it is when we seek our own way. The sheep wandered away because it was ignorant and that’s the way sheep are. But the younger son, did not want to live under his father’s authority. He wanted his own way. He wanted to go where he wanted to go and do what he wanted to do. That is what sin is—willfully walking away from God. But once he was able to see what was really going on, he was able to repent and return. We must recognize our need before we can repent and return. This is a picture of repentance—turning around and going toward God
18I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. 19I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”’ 20And he arose and came to his father.
It is not enough to feel bad about your circumstances. If he had just recognized how desperate his situation was and just stayed there, that is not repentance. That is regret. But he took action. He got up and started to return. He considered his sins and realized what he must confess. He even planned what he was going to say. He did not expect to be received as a son, he only hoped he could be treated like a hired servant.
But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.
This is the most amazing verse of all! The father had been watching and waiting for him to return! He knew that his son would return eventually. When he saw him, he had compassion on him. He didn’t wait until the son dragged his dirty, starving self the last few yards. He ran to him! He embraced that tired, dirty, smelly son and kissed him. He did not shout or blame or make him clean up his act before he would speak to him.
21And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
At this point, the son already knows that he has been forgiven and restored. Even so, he confesses his sin and declares that he is no longer worthy to be his son. He would have asked to be treated as one of his hired servants, but his father interrupted him:
22But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. 23And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. 24For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.
This a picture of redemption in Christ. The best robe represents being clothed in the robes of Christ’s righteousness. The ring represents the sealing of the Holy Spirit and the shoes on the feet show that he is now a freeman—servants did not where shoes. The fattened calf is kept for very special occasions and celebrations. Everyone was invited to eat and to celebrate. What have we learned that eating represents? This is a picture of salvation and forgiveness, redemption and restoration. But that is not the whole purpose of this parable. It is a picture that reveals the heart of the Father who not only forgives sinners but restores the son who sins.
Now we have another change of focus, from the younger brother to the elder brother:
25“Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. 26And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. 27And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.’ 28But he was angry and refused to go in.
Remember who the elder brother represents? He is angry because the Father has allowed the younger brother to return to the family. He is like the Pharisees and scribes who wanted to keep sinners and tax collectors away. (Matthew 23:13)
His father came out and entreated him, 29but he answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. 30But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’ 31And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.
The elder son refused to go in, but again, it is the Father goes out to him and invites him in. Notice the elder brother’s response: he resorts to his works, his obedience as reasons for the father’s favor—as if the father owed him! He didn’t want to celebrate with the family—he wanted to celebrate with his friends) He made bitter accusations against his brother and even against his father (insinuated that the father had wasted the fattened calf, which belonged to the father). But the father doesn’t answer the elder brother in anger. He confirms that he is always with him and that all that he has belongs to him. It is right to rejoice when someone repents and returns.
*These lessons are written for use with elementary aged students. You can find lessons for previous chapters here . All scriptures are taken from the ESV.
]]>Only Luke records this incident. Two of the parables are found only in Luke—the building of the tower and the king preparing to go to war. This chapter concerns the cost of discipleship and builds upon chapter 13. See if you can detect the themes from Chapter 13 that He continues in Chapter 14.
14:1One Sabbath, when he went to dine at the house of a ruler of the Pharisees, they were watching him carefully. 2And behold, there was a man before him who had dropsy. 3And Jesus responded to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?” 4But they remained silent. Then he took him and healed him and sent him away. 5And he said to them, “Which of you, having a sonor an ox that has fallen into a well on a Sabbath day, will not immediately pull him out?” 6And they could not reply to these things.
Again, these events happened on the Sabbath. Review 13:10-21 See if you can detect the themes from Chapter 13 that He continues in Chapter 14.
Again, Jesus is invited to dine at the house of a religious leader on the Sabbath—for the purpose of catching him violating the rules of the Sabbath. Read Luke 11:53-54. This man was a ruler of the Pharisees. The Pharisees were a party of influence but they did not have an ‘office’ like a priest or the ruler of the Synagogue. As we have come to expect, there is a man in need of healing at this dinner. This was probably another set-up to put Jesus into a difficult position. Notice that Jesus responds to them—he knows what they are thinking and planning and he turns the table on them by asking THEM instead of them asking HIM if it is lawful to heal on the Sabbath. The law of Moses did not prohibit healing on the Sabbath, but the religious leaders had added to the law and declared that healing was only allowed in the case of a life threatening injury or illness. This disease was not immediately life threatening. Notice that the Pharisees remained silent. Why do you think that was? Jesus healed the man and allowed him to go. Then he asks them what THEY would do. He gave them two examples of a merciful deed but they still would not answer him.
7Now he told a parable to those who were invited, when he noticed how they chose the places of honor, saying to them, 8“When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you be invited by him, 9and he who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this person,’ and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place. 10But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you. 11For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
In this section, Jesus is talking to the invited guests. Remember, Jesus knows the hearts of the people. (Read Luke 11:43) He knew they all wanted the best seat. The summary of this section is in verse 11 (read). Jesus says this very thing many times—it must be important! What is he warning against?
12He said also to the man who had invited him, “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothersor your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. 13But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”
Now he’s talking to the man who had invited him! What is he warning him against? Is there anything wrong with having friends in for supper? What is the point Jesus is making here?
15When one of those who reclined at table with him heard these things, he said to him, “Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!” 16But he said to him, “A man once gave a great banquet and invited many. 17And at the time for the banquet he sent his servantto say to those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ 18But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.’ 19And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.’ 20And another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ 21So the servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house became angry and said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame.’ 22And the servant said, ‘Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’ 23And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled. 24For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.’”
Jesus responds to the person’s comment about eating bread in the kingdom of God by telling another parable, sometimes called the Parable of the Great Feast. The man is God, who invites many people to a great banquet in advance. He sends out a reminder when it’s time for the banquet. All the people knew in advance about the banquet and we can assume that they had accepted the invitation. There are three types of people that Jesus describes in this parable. The first group is the nation of Israel. They are described in the three persons who make an excuse. Notice that all of the reasons have to do with something new and none of the excuses are particularly good. The three excuses are based on worldly things: possessions, business, and people (relationships). There is nothing wrong with any of these things unless they keep a person from coming to Christ. These represent the Jews who rejected their Messiah.
“bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame.” This second group represents the Jews who understood their poverty and weakness and sinfulness and believe. Notice that they all responded to the invitation and there was still room at the feast.
“Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled” The last group to be invited represents the Gentiles. They are considered as outsiders, but God invites them in. Read Romans 1:16
25Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, 26“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. 27Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. 28For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? 29Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ 31Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. 33So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.
There is a shift in place here, for he begins to address the crowds. He is talking to them about the cost of discipleship. Read vs.26-27. Is it wrong to love your family and friends? Must we hate and despise everyone but Christ? Is he teaching us to be hateful? No, he is teaching them, and us, that he must come first. That our love for him should exceed our love for anyone or anything else, including our own lives. We must seek first the kingdom of God and lay up our treasures in heaven. Eternal life must be most important to us. Read vs 28-30. This parable is talking about faith—truly following Christ. There are many who make a profession of faith--say that they believe—but they never count the cost of following Christ or follow through. Read vs. 31-32. Same thing. What are the costs of being a Christian?
34“Salt is good, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? 35It is of no use either for the soil or for the manure pile. It is thrown away. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
Salt can lose its flavor over time, especially if it is not carefully stored. Once it has lost its flavor it can’t be made salty again. The only way you can make something salty is to use salt to make it so. It would be foolish to waste perfectly good salt to try to make bad salt salty again. Jesus ends this chapter with another of his most frequent sayings: he who has ears to hear, let him hear.
*These lessons are written for use with elementary aged students. You can find lessons for previous chapters here . All scriptures are taken from the ESV.
]]>13:1There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2And he answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? 3No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. 4Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? 5No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”
RE: Pontius Pilate: The Roman Procurator
Tiberius Caesar, who succeeded Augustus in AD 14, appointed Pontius Pilate as governor of Judea in 26 AD. Pilate arrived and made his official residence in Caesarea Maritima, the Roman capital of Judea. Pilate was the 5th procurator of Judea. The province of Judea, formerly the kingdom of Archelaus, was formed in 6 AD when Archelaus was exiled and his territory transformed into a Roman province. Although it included Samaria and Idumaea, the new province was known simply as Judea or Judaea. It generally covered the S. half of Palestine, including Samaria. Judea was an imperial province (i.e. under the direct control of the emperor), and wasgoverned by a procurator.
The procurator was devoted to the emperor and directly responsible to him. His primary responsibility was financial. The authority of the Roman procurators varied according to the appointment of the emperor. Pilate was a procurator cum porestate, (possessed civil, military, and criminal jurisdiction). The procurator of Judea was somehow under the authority of the legate of Syria. Usually a procurator had to be of equestrian rank and experienced in military affairs.
Under the rule of a procurator cum porestate like Pontius Pilate, the Jews were allowed as much self-government as possible under imperial authority. The Jewish judicial system was run by the Sanhedrin and court met in the "hall of hewn stone", but if they desired to inflict the death penalty, the sentence had to be given and executed by the Roman procurator.
Pilate had mingled the blood of the Galileans with their sacrifices. The Galileans had come to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices and were murdered there by Pilate, the Roman Governor. This was a particularly shocking event to the Jews because it had taken place at the altar—a place of safety and refuge. Apparently, the people who asked the question were thinking that God had judged those people as if they had brought a sacrifice in an unworthy manner. Sinners brought sacrifices to appease God, therefore, since God had apparently rejected these Galileans, the people thought it must’ve been because they were worse than the normal sinners. READ Jesus’ answer in vs. 3. Jesus reminds them that they are sinners, too—no different and no better than the Galileans. He tells them that unless they repent, they too will perish. Then he follows up with his own story about the18 men of Jerusalem who died when the tower of Siloam fell and repeats, ‘unless you repent, you will likewise perish.’ Whether person is from Galilee or Jerusalem, all must repent or perish. This teaches us that we all deserve to perish, that we must repent and stories such as this should call us to repentance, that if we repent, we will not perish, and if we don’t repent we will surely perish.
6And he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. 7And he said to the vinedresser, ‘Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?’ 8And he answered him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure. 9Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’”
The man is God. The fig tree is Israel. Notice that the fig tree is planted in the garden. It was planted in a garden and cultivated and given everything it needed to thrive. But when the man came seeking fruit, there was none. The man had been patient for three years, but now he says, “Cut it down.” What are the reasons he gave for deciding to cut the tree down? Christ is the vinedresser. He intercedes for the tree, asking for another year and offering to give some extra care. If the tree doesn’t bear fruit, then it can be cut down. This parable teaches us about the longsuffering and patience of God, but it also tells us that the day is coming when His patience runs out. Even Christ, who intercedes and cares for those who have heard the gospel, does not intercede forever. Just like the tree, a person who has heard the Gospel and had every advantage must also bear fruit of faith. There is both encouragement and justice in this; even the person who has been unfruitful for a long time can still repent and be forgiven and all will be well and good, but there is judgment that awaits the tree and the person that never does bear fruit.
10Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. 11And there was a woman who had had a disabling spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not fully straighten herself. 12When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your disability.” 13And he laid his hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and she glorified God. 14But the ruler of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the people, “There are six days in which work ought to be done. Come on those days and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day.” 15Then the Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger and lead it away to water it? 16And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?” 17As he said these things, all his adversaries were put to shame, and all the people rejoiced at all the glorious things that were done by him.
Jesus was teaching in the synagogue and the ruler and leaders of the synagogue were there, as usual, watching and waiting for him to do something of which they could accuse him. The woman had been crippled and unable to straighten up for 18 years, but she did not let that keep her from coming to the synagogue to worship and learn. She did not ask Jesus to heal her; he saw her and he ‘freed’ her from her disability. She responded by glorifying God, but the ruler of the synagogue was indignant that Jesus had healed on the Sabbath. Notice what he said to the people: ‘There are 6 days to be healed—come on those days to be healed.’ He was treating the healing as something that was common and routine instead of the miracle that it was. Notice that Jesus answered ‘him’ but calls ‘them’ hypocrites. (plural) The ruler wasn’t the only one who was thinking such things. Why do you think Jesus doesn’t defend himself or explain what was proper about what he had done? Instead he points out that they take care of their animals on the Sabbath, even though that is a form of work. They do it because it is more merciful to feed and water the animals on the Sabbath than refrain from all work and allow the animals to go hungry and thirsty. Jesus points out that this woman was more important than the animals, she was a daughter of Abraham and had suffered more than just being hungry for one day. She had suffered for 18years. He was pointing out that it was merciful to heal her on the Sabbath. Notice the different reactions this brought about. The religious leaders were put to shame (which angered them even more) but the people rejoiced!
18He said therefore, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? 19It is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his garden, and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches.”
20And again he said, “To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? 21It is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, until it was all leavened.”
The therefore in verse 18 shows us that he began teaching about the Kingdom of God in response to what had just happened. Jesus teaches that the Kingdom was not what they expected. It started small, but once it was planted, it would grow and provide shelter, just like the mustard seed. He also compared it to leaven, or yeast. Yeast, when mixed with flour causes the bread to rise and grow. He is teaching that, just like you can’t see the yeast working, eventually it will cause great growth. In this, Jesus continues to teach about patience, fruit, and growth.
22He went on his way through towns and villages, teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem.
Remember back in chapter nine, we learned that from that point on, Jesus is journeying to Jerusalem, where he would be denied, betrayed, arrested, beaten and crucified for our sins. With the cross before him, he was still teaching and preaching and healing and working.
23And someone said to him, “Lord, will those who are saved be few?” And he said to them, 24“Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. 25When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us,’ then he will answer you, ‘I do not know where you come from.’ 26Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’ 27But he will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of evil!’ 28In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but you yourselves cast out. 29And people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and recline at table in the kingdom of God. 30And behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.”
This chapter is full of warnings to repent and believe, to bear fruit or be cut down. In this passage, Jesus is talking directly and openly about salvation. He refers to salvation as a narrow gate and tells the people they must strive to enter. Can we work and earn our way into salvation? No, only the perfect work of Christ can make us fit for salvation--we cannot earn salvation by our own works. Jesus is warning against presuming that we are saved, but our lives are no different. There are people who know the gospel and go to church their whole lives who assume they are saved but never really believe. They think all is well with them but their lives are not changed. Notice, when they give their reasons for why they should be allowed in, they don’t mention faith, trust, belief, service to God, a changed life. They say that they ate and drank in his presence (were part of the crowd, church goers) and heard his teaching. It is not enough to go to church and listen to teaching. Our lives must be changed by the Gospel. Our works will never save us, but if we are truly saved, we will love and serve God. There will be evidence. They thought they knew Christ. It is not simply that we know Christ, but that he knows us!
Jesus calls them workers of evil and sends them away from him. This is a picture of damnation. There will be people from all over the world in the kingdom and they will have the privilege of reclining at the table with him. Some who think they are first will be last and some that think they are last will be first.
31At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, “Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.” 32And he said to them, “Go and tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I finish my course. 33Nevertheless, I must go on my way today and tomorrow and the day following, for it cannot be that a prophet should perish away from Jerusalem.’ 34O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not! 35Behold, your house is forsaken. And I tell you, you will not see me until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’”
Herod Antipas was the son of Herod the Great and was the Jewish ruler of Judea, where Jerusalem was located. He was the one who had had John the Baptist beheaded and he will have a part to play in the execution of Jesus.
There is no doubt that Herod wanted to get rid of Jesus and Jesus knew it. Notice his response. He calls Herod a fox and tells him what he intends to do—cast out demons and heal ‘today and tomorrow’ and the third day finish his course. He is letting them all know that he knows what his destiny is and it is not to die there, but in Jerusalem. He also lets them know that he will finish his course in the way ordained by God.
Then he grieves over Jerusalem, a place of so many murders of prophets that had been sent by God. God had been patient, but soon their time was up and their house would be forsaken, just like the fig tree that would be cut down.
*These lessons are written for use with elementary aged students. You can find lessons for previous chapters here . All scriptures are taken from the ESV.
]]>35 “Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, 36 and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. 37 Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them. 38 If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants! 39 But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into. 40You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”
This first parable is about the need for readiness and watchfulness. To be dressed for action with the lamp burning is a picture of ready servants. In that culture, a man who was to be married first had a wedding supper with his friends and then left to go get his bride and bring her back to his house. Everything was to be kept in readiness for the arrival of the wedding party. What is the reward for the servants who are ready when the master arrives? He tells them that they must be ready ‘for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.’ Jesus was with them at this time so this warning referred to his second coming. Remember we learned last week that Jesus would return from heaven someday and at that time, he would be coming as a Judge. No one knows when Christ will return so we must always be ready.
41 Peter said, “Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for all?” 42 And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time? 43 Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. 44 Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. 45 But if that servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed in coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and get drunk, 46 the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and put him with the unfaithful. 47 And that servant who knew his master's will but did not get ready or act according to his will, will receive a severe beating. 48 But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating. Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.
In this parable, Jesus instructing his disciples about stewardship and service. Why is it important for his disciples to be ready and be busy? It is not enough just to believe that that master is returning and to be watching for him—the disciples (and we) are supposed to be actively spreading the Gospel and serving others. What caused the unprofitable servant to fail in his duty? The punishment for the servant who is not ready and not “acting according to his will is severe however, there is a difference in punishments. What makes the difference? When Christ was on the earth, to whom did he entrust the most? To whom does he entrust the most today?
49 “I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled! 50 I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished! 51 Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. 52 For from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three. 53 They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.
Jesus will ultimately bring judgment (fire) to the earth, but first he came as a Man to give his life to redeem His people and bring salvation to those who would believe. The baptism with which he had to be baptized was the cross and he confesses that he is distressed until it is accomplished. Remember what the Gospel is? The Person and the Work of Jesus Christ. Jesus is anxious to accomplish what he came to do. Why does the Gospel cause division?
54 He also said to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west, you say at once, ‘A shower is coming.’ And so it happens. 55 And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, ‘There will be scorching heat,’ and it happens. 56 You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?
Notice here that he is addressing himself to the crowds again. He says that they can interpret the weather but they cannot interpret who he is and what he is doing. They should have been able to recognize that he was the Messiah that was foretold, but the did not understand. They did not believe.
57 “And why do you not judge for yourselves what is right? 58 As you go with your accuser before the magistrate, make an effort to settle with him on the way, lest he drag you to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the officer, and the officer put you in prison. 59 I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the very last penny.”
The One who would judge them was present and they did not recognize who he was. He is calling them to “settle with him” before he came as judge over them.
Jesus will judge both believers and unbelievers. The unbelievers will be judged and condemned to eternal damnation. The judgment of believers is not re: eternal life vs. eternal death. We will be judged according to our faithfulness in obeying and serving Christ while we have the opportunity in this life. We will be judged according to our deeds and we will either receive or lose our rewards depending on whether we were faithful, ready, and busy doing the work Christ has commanded us.
What has Christ called us to do?
*These lessons are written for use with elementary aged students. You can find lessons for previous chapters here . All scriptures are taken from the ESV.
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