Hiraeth Warehouse

Sunday Schoo Lessons: Luke Chapter 3

2008-10-04T21:43:25Z

Luke Chapter 3

3:1 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, 2 during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas,

Remember, Luke is writing a history—the history of Jesus’ life, death, resurrection, and ascension. Therefore, he dates the ministry of John the Baptist with well known figures of the day. There are six men mentioned. Caesar Augustus was ruling when Christ was born, but now Tiberius Caesar rules in Rome. He was known to be a cruel and wicked man. Pontius Pilate was the governor of Judea and we have three tetrarchs; Herod of Galilee, his brother Philip, and Lysanias. All these men were Roman, secular rulers. There were also two high priests mentioned, Annas and Caiaphas. In Israel, there was meant to be only one high priest at a time, however, by this time in Israel’s history, Roman rule had affected the Jewish religion. Annas was the rightful high priest but Caiaphas was the acting high priest, due to interference by the Roman procurator, Gratus.

Luke is the only Gospel writer that fixes the time when Jesus began his ministry and he does it by the mention of these six men.

3b the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness.

Do you remember how a man becomes a priest in Israel? Let’s stop and think about this. If John’s father, Zechariah was a priest, then John the Baptist was born into the Levite tribe. And yet he was not acting as a priest. John was born a prophet, but God made him His prophet. How do we know this?

3 And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 4 As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet,

“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight.
5 Every valley shall be filled,
and every mountain and hill shall be made low,
and the crooked shall become straight,
and the rough places shall become level ways,
6 and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’”

John came preaching repentance for the forgiveness of sin and of judgment. He was a unique individual—Christ Himself said that no man was greater than him (Matt 11:11). Matthew and Mark tell us that he wore clothes made of camel’s hair and ate locusts and honey. He was the last of the Old Testament prophets. He was the fulfillment of the prophesy in Isaiah 40—the one crying in the wilderness “Prepare the way of the Lord!”

7 He said therefore to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bear fruits in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. 9 Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

John calls the people to repentance. What is repentance? (1 Thess. 1:9) He calls them to bear the fruit in keeping with repentance. What do you think that means? Why is that important? Repentance is not just saying you’re sorry! It means turning from your sins and going another direction! It means turning from sin to God.

10 And the crowds asked him, “What then shall we do?” 11 And he answered them, “Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.” 12 Tax collectors also came to be baptized and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?” 13 And he said to them, “Collect no more than you are authorized to do.” 14 Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages.”

The people cried, “What then shall we do?” Their conscience was awakened. Let’s go back and review what we learned in the Book of Acts. (Acts 2:37; 16:30; 22:10)

What did John tell them to do? Share with those in need. Why? Because mercy is shown to those who show mercy to others.

He told the crowds to share and when the tax collectors came to be baptized, they asked the same question. Rome taxed the people but local men were hired to collect the taxes that went to Rome. They often demanded more than was owed and even blackmailed people to force them to give. They were despised. John tells them to only collect what is due.

Next come the soldiers. These soldiers were probably Jewish men who served Herod. The soldiers, too, were using their power to threaten and falsely accuse the people into paying them money. John told them to be content with what they were paid.

In this way, he was calling them to “show the fruits of repentance.” No mater what your job or place in life, you will reveal that you are a Christian by the way you conduct yourself. (Matt 7:20)

15 As the people were in expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Christ, 16 John answered them all, saying, “I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 17 His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

The people were looking for the promised Messiah. John was such an impressive individual that the people were wondering if he might be the Christ! John makes it clear that he is not, and preached the message he came to preach—that the Christ is coming with judgment.

18 So with many other exhortations he preached good news to the people. 19 But Herod the tetrarch, who had been reproved by him for Herodias, his brother's wife, and for all the evil things that Herod had done, 20 added this to them all, that he locked up John in prison.

John had challenged Herod publically because he had married his brother’s wife. John was imprisoned because of this. This happened after Jesus’ baptism, but it is included here as a parenthetical insertion. Just as you might tell details of a story out of order because you wanted to make a point, Luke does so here.

Next we will read the account of Jesus’ baptism:

21 Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, 22 and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

Resolutions from the Book of James

2008-09-28T12:50:09Z

Resolutions from the Book of James

Compiled by Sinclair Ferguson

James 1:5 To ask God for wisdom to speak and with a single mind
James 1:9-10 To boast only in exaltation in Christ, & humiliation in world
James 1:13 To set a watch over my mouth
James 1:19 To be constantly quick to hear, slow to speak
James 2:1-4 To learn the gospel way of speaking to poor and the rich
James 2:12 To speak always in the consciousness of the final judgment
James 2:16 To never stand on anyone’s face with my words
James 3:14 To never claim as reality something I do not experience
James 4:1 To resist quarrelsome words in order to mortify a quarrelsome heart
James 4:11 To never speak evil of another
James 4:13 To never boast in what I will accomplish
James 4:15 To always speak as one subject to the providences of God
James 5:9 To never grumble, knowing that the Judge is at the door
James 5:12 To never allow anything but total integrity in my speech
James 5:13 To speak to God in prayer whenever I suffer
James 5:14 To sing praises to God whenever I am cheerful
James 5:14 To ask for the prayers of others when I am sick
James 5:15 To confess it freely whenever I have failed
James 5:15 To pray with and for one another when I am together with others
James 5:19 To speak words of restoration when I see another wander

From the 2008 Desiring God Conference, “The Power of Words and the Wonder of God”

HT: a rustling of leaves

Sunday School Lessons: Luke Chapter 2

2008-09-14T02:29:26Z

Luke Chapter 2

2:1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria.

Caesar Augustus’ name was Octavious, but he took on the title, Augustus himself. The word august means ‘marked by majestic dignity or grandeur. He was the adopted son of Julius Caesar. The title Augustus was an attempt on his part to deify himself. This census was for the purpose of counting and locating people so that they could be taxed. Luke, the careful historian, includes specific information about prominent people who lived during that time (Quirinius) to establish the reliability of his statements.

3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

Joseph was from the line of David, so he returned to Bethlehem of Judea. Micah, the prophet foretold that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. (Micah 5:2) Even though Mary and Joseph were not yet married, Mary had to go to Bethlehem because she was from the line of David as well. It may seem as though the decree of Caesar was what caused Christ to be born in Bethlehem, but he was only the instrument that God used to fulfill his plan. Galatians 4:4. In the fullness of time, Jesus was born. Luke gives us some details about his birth—he was wrapped in blankets and his crib was a manger. The inn was full because of the great number of people who were in Bethlehem to answer the decree to be registered. Here is the first view we have of the Messiah—a tiny baby, Immanuel—God with us.

8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

These shepherds were keeping watch in the same fields that David had kept watch over his sheep so long ago.

Again we see that when the angel of the Lord appeared to them, the shepherds were afraid. They were especially afraid because the glory of the Lord shown around them. This “glory of the Lord” was called the Shekinah glory and it represents the presence of God. (Exodus 24:16) The shepherds understood what that meant and they were frightened. (Isaiah 6:1-3) The angel announced the joyous good news of the Gospel that the Savior had been born. Christ is a title that means Savior (Greek) just as Messiah means Savior (Hebrew).

12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

The angel announced the manner of his birth and where he could be found. Then suddenly the sky was filled with angels praising God. The heavenly host is the name of God’s heavenly army. The angels announced that, through the birth of this baby, God was presenting a way to be at peace with God. It did not mean that immediately all wars would cease and there would be peace among all the men of the world. There is not peace in the world today. However, Romans 5:1 tells us that, being justified through faith, we have peace with God through Jesus Christ.

15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

The shepherds were the first evangelists! They went to see the baby and then told what they had seen—what the Lord had made known to them! Mary treasured ‘all these things,’ pondering them in her heart. Only Mary could have know what her response had been to the shepherd’s visit. This helps us know that Luke got much of the information from Mary. What were some of the thing Mary was pondering? Notice, too, that the shepherds were glorifying and praising God for all they had heard (in the fields) and seen (of the Christ child) as it had been told them. God had sent a Savior into the World, just as Micah had prophesied and just as the angel had proclaimed to them!

21 And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

Read Genesis 17:12 Through the rite of circumcision, Jesus became a member of the covenant community and was ‘under the law.’ (review Galatians 4:4) This is important because in every way, Jesus fulfilled the law perfectly, and in every way we, as sinners, could never do that! He became a human was made like us, His brethren. Read Hebrews 2:16,17. He was given the name that the angel had told to Mary (John1:30) and Joseph (Matthew 1:18-25.)

22 And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”) 24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.”

After a woman gave birth she was considered “unclean.” When a person was unclean, they could not participate in temple worship or be around other people until those days were completed. (In the case of a boy, the period of unclean-ness was 40 days, with a girl baby it was 80 days.) At the end of the period, they took the child to the temple and presented him to the Lord with a sacrifice. Firstborn males were separated as “holy unto the Lord.” This is because at the first Passover, God spared the firstborn of Israel when the Angel of Death passed over them.

Lev 12:8 If she cannot afford a lamb, she is to bring two doves or two young pigeons, one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering. In this way the priest will make atonement for her, and she will be clean.' "

Notice that Mary had to make a burnt offering and a sin offering according to the Law of Moses. Mary was a sinner and she needed to bring an offering for sin. Mary and Joseph did not offer a lamb, because they were poor and could not afford to bring a lamb. Poverty has never kept anyone from coming to God, nor was it a dishonor to be poor. Mary was honored above all women!

25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. 27 And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, 28 he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,

Simeon was a righteous and devout man and one who had greatly been blessed by God. Luke tells us that the Holy Spirit was upon him. God had told him that he would not die before he had seen the Messiah. ‘The consolation of Israel’ was a common name for the Messiah and was part of their daily prayers as they awaited the Messiah. He came ‘in the Spirit into the temple.’ What do you think that means? How did he recognize that this little baby was the promised One? Notice that he blessed God and said:

29 “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace,
according to your word;
30 for my eyes have seen your salvation
31 that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and for glory to your people Israel.”

Simeon has lived to see the promised Messiah and he is now ready to depart this life in peace, according to what God had told him. That salvation, he says, God had “prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.” (Is 49:6) What is a revelation? What did God reveal to the Gentiles?

33 And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. 34 And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed 35 (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”

Jesus was either a stumbling stone to those who did not believe or the cornerstone to those who would come to faith in him. A sign is something that brings attention to something that it signifies, or stands for. Jesus would be opposed and disbelieved during his life, resulting in his crucifixion. Simeon understood the prophesies of the suffering Messiah. (Isaiah 42) He tells Mary that a sword would pierce her as well. Mary was present when Jesus died on the cross—a piercing pain for any mother, but even moreso for Mary. (read Matthew 10:26)

36 And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, 37 and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. 38 And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.

Anna, like Simeon, was waiting for the Messiah, and she was at the temple praying and giving thanks to God for Jesus and proclaimed him as Messiah to all ‘who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem. He knew that he was the consolation of Israel!

39 And when they had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. 40 And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him.

Luke has proclaimed Jesus first as a baby and now as a child. Jesus grew physically, spiritually, intellectually, and emotionally and God’s favor was on him.

41 Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. 42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom. 43 And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it, 44 but supposing him to be in the group they went a day's journey, but then they began to search for him among their relatives and acquaintances, 45 and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for him. 46 After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48 And when his parents saw him, they were astonished. And his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress.” 49 And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?” 50 And they did not understand the saying that he spoke to them. 51 And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart.

They traveled to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of the Passover, a distance of about 70 mi. The feast lasted eight days. The sacrifice was offered on the first and then there were seven days of the Feast of Unleavened bread.

Read 43-50. It might appear to us that Jesus was being disobedient to his parents. Nothing was further from the truth! These are the first recorded words of Jesus and he says he “must” be in his Father’s house. This is the first of many “I must’s” that we will encounter in the life of Christ. From these first words we are given to understand that Jesus’ Father was God and that his highest call was to do the will of the Father.

52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.

We have to be careful here. Jesus body and mind and intellect grew, because he was fully human, but did not need to grow in favor with God! The Son of God is the eternal Son and God is eternally pleased with 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.

Sunday School Lessons: Luke Chapter 1

2008-08-29T22:01:35Z

Luke Chapter 1

1:1 Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, 2 just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, 3 it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.

Luke begins his Gospel account with his purpose in writing it. His purpose is two-fold; first, he set out to write an “orderly account” of the life, death, burial, resurrection of Christ and the events that surrounded it. In order to do this, he talked to people who were not only eyewitnesses of the events, but who were also “ministers of the word.” Secondly, he wrote his account so that those who read it would have “certainty concerning the things you have been taught.” This was important. Stories were swirling around about Jesus Christ and not all of them were accurate. As we’ve talked about before, it is not enough simply to believe in Jesus. We need to make sure that the things we do believe about Jesus are accurate and can be supported by scripture. The Holy Spirit chose and equipped Luke to write this accurate account of the “things that had been accomplished” so that we can have confidence and assurance that our faith is founded on truth. Why is it important to write things down? What were the "thing that had been accomplished?"

1:5 In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. 7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years.

Zechariah’s name means “God remembers” and Elizabeth’s name means “His oath.” Together that means “God remembers His oath.” What oath are we talking about?

Psalm 89: 34 I will not violate my covenant
or alter the word that went forth from my lips.
35 Once for all I have sworn by my holiness;
I will not lie to David.
36 His offspring shall endure forever,
his throne as long as the sun before me.
37 Like the moon it shall be established forever,
a faithful witness in the skies.” Selah

Zechariah and Elizabeth both came from the line of Aaron, of whom the priests of Israel came. King David had divided the priests into 24 groups that served according to a schedule. (1 Chronicles 24:3-19) It was Zechariah's turn to serve.

God had promised King David that one of his descendants, Christ, would have an eternal reign. John the Baptist is the one who announced the coming of the Messiah, the One who would reign as King over Israel. Luke tells us that Zechariah and Elizabeth were both righteous. But Romans 3:10 tells us that there are none righteous, no not one. So it can’t mean that they were perfectly righteous and without sin. But let’s read on: Luke tells us that they walked “blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord.” Many of the commandments and statutes of the Lord dealt with sin—the sin of the people. God provided a way through the sacrificial system of the Law so that people could confess and repent of their sins before God by bringing sacrifices and sin offerings. Zechariah and Elizabeth were obedient to the Law by recognizing they were sinners that needed to bring a sacrifice before their Holy God. They were “advanced in years” and had no children. Like Abram and Sarai, they had been married long and were now beyond the normal age of bearing children.

8 Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, 9 according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense. 11 And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12 And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. 13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. 14 And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, 15 for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb.

Zechariah belonged to the family of Levi. We know this because only members of the house of Levi could serve as priests before God. On this day, he was chosen by lot to go into the temple and burn the incense on behalf of the people as they gathered for prayer. It was probably a sabbath or a feast day since all the people were gathered there. While he was there, and angel appeared to him. Zechariah was afraid. Nearly every time angels have dealings with people, the people become greatly afraid in the presence of an angel. (400 years since an angel or prophet had come from God) And the angel nearly always says, “Do not be afraid.” In this case the angel tells Zechariah that his prayer has been heard. What prayer? His prayer for a son. God heard his prayers and answered. The angel tells him that he should name his son John which means "the Lord is gracious" or "the Lord is merciful."

Notice that this will not only bring great joy to Zechariah and Elizabeth but to many others!

Verse 15 tells us that he will be great before the Lord. Jesus himself said of John, “ Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” Matthew 11:11 . This verse also tells us that John must not drink wine or strong drink, (Nazarite vow, Numbers 6:1-21) that he would be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. Remember this point. It will be important later.

16 And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, 17 and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.”

John’s job was to prepare the way for the Lord by “making ready for the Lord a people prepared.” The people were prepared for Christ’s coming by turning the fathers hearts toward their children and the disobedient to “the wisdom of the just.” To be just means to be right before God. The ones who were right before God under Moses were those that had the wisdom to know they were sinners and needed to be forgiven. This is the first thing we must know if we would know Christ as Savior. Jesus came as a Savior of His people.

18 And Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” 19 And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. 20 And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.” 21 And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they were wondering at his delay in the temple. 22 And when he came out, he was unable to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he kept making signs to them and remained mute. 23 And when his time of service was ended, he went to his home.

Zechariah had been praying for many years for a son. But when the angel came and told him his prayers had been heard, he doubted. Can you think of anyone else who prayed for a baby and then doubted? Notice how the angel answers Zechariah. (vs 19) Because Zechariah did not believe, he was struck dumb as both a sign of what God was going to do and as a punishment for having asked for a sign. But Gabriel’s words were fulfilled in their time because he spoke what God had said would happen.

24 After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept herself hidden, saying, 25 “Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.”

Just as Gabriel said, Elizabeth became pregnant in her old age. When a woman was unable to conceive a child, many people in those days thought that it was a shameful thing and probably caused by sin in the life of the wife or the husband. It was a hard thing, but now Elizabeth's reproach was being lifted.

26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

Here we have Gabriel visiting Mary with a message from God. It is from this passage that we learn that Mary came from Nazareth in Galilee. This is six months after he appeared to Zechariah in the temple. Gabriel tells Mary that she was favored by God and chosen to be the one to bear His son, Jesus, who would sit on the throne of David forever , as God had promised.

34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”

Mary was the first person to question the virgin birth. But, unlike Zechariah, it was not in unbelief. She wanted to know what was going to happen. Many people do not believe that a virgin could give birth or that God could be born of a woman, yet without sin. Even Mary wondered how this could be. Gabriel explained it to her:

35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.

Because of Adam and Eve’s fall, all children are born with a sin nature. Romans tells us that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. But Gabriel tells Mary that the child will be born holy—the Son of God.

36 And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

What was Mary’s response to this amazing news? (vs.38}

39 In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, 40 and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, 42 and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”

When Mary knew that she was to be the Mother of the Son of God and also that Elizabeth, her cousin, had also conceived a son, she went for a visit. Two things happened when Mary’s voice was heard: First, the baby “leaped in her womb”. Who was that baby? What was said would be true of him “from the womb?” Secondly, Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. And with the help of the Holy Spirit, she sings what is known as Elizabeth’s song, the first of the Christmas songs recorded in Luke.

Mary’s answer is the second Christmas song recorded in Luke. It is called “The Magnificat”

46 And Mary said,

“My soul magnifies the Lord,
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
49 for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
50 And his mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
51 He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
52 he has brought down the mighty from their thrones
and exalted those of humble estate;
53 he has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
55 as he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”

56 And Mary remained with her about three months and returned to her home .

Mary came when Elizabeth was in the 6^th month of her pregnancy. After three months it was time for the baby son to be born.

57 Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. 58 And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. 59 And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. And they would have called him Zechariah after his father, 60 but his mother answered, “No; he shall be called John.” 61 And they said to her, “None of your relatives is called by this name.” 62 And they made signs to his father, inquiring what he wanted him to be called. 63 And he asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And they all wondered. 64 And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God. 65 And fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through all the hill country of Judea, 66 and all who heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, “What then will this child be?” For the hand of the Lord was with him.

The birth of the baby brought great joy to many, just as Gabriel had said. And when it came time to circumcise him and a name was to be given, Zechariah still couldn’t talk. It is the father’s privilege to name the children and almost always the first born son is named for the father. Since Zechariah couldn’t speak, they assumed that the boy’s name would be Zechariah, but Elizabeth stopped them and said that his name would be John. Once Zechariah confirmed that he was to be named John (just as the angel had said) immediately he was able to talk. And the first thing he did was to praise God! These were very unusual circumstances and the people could see that God’s hand was on John.

Next comes the third song, this time a prophetic song from Zechariah:

67 And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying,

68 “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
for he has visited and redeemed his people
69 and has raised up a horn of salvation for us
in the house of his servant David,
70 as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,
71 that we should be saved from our enemies
and from the hand of all who hate us;
72 to show the mercy promised to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant,
73 the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us
74 that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies,
might serve him without fear,
75 in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
76 And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
77 to give knowledge of salvation to his people
in the forgiveness of their sins,
78 because of the tender mercy of our God,
whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high
79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

80 And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.

*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.

Sunday School Lessons: Introduction to Luke

2008-08-25T19:35:22Z

The Gospel of Luke
Introduction

Paul describes Luke as “the beloved physician.” (Col. 4:14) As we learned in our study of the Acts of the Apostles, Luke was a companion and friend of Paul. He accompanied Paul on his second and third missionary journeys (Acts 16 to the end). He probably came to faith in Christ through the ministry of Paul and then stayed with him until the end. In fact, when Paul came to the end of his ministry, imprisoned in Rome, he says to Timothy, “only Luke is with me.”

We must not make the mistake of thinking that Paul chose Luke to write the story of the early church in the book of Acts or that he asked him to write his Gospel. The Holy Spirit chose Luke (2 Peter 1:19-21) and had equipped him and used him in a very special way.

Some interesting facts about Luke and his writings:

Tradition tells us that he came from Antioch and was a physician.

Luke uses more medical terms in his writing that Hippocrates, who is known as the Father of Medicine.

He wrote in Greek, and is thought to have been more accomplished in the written language than any other New Testament writer, even Paul.

He was a Gentile convert.

He was an accurate historian.

Sir William Ramsey was a 19th century archeologist agnostic who wanted to disprove the accuracy of the Bible. He went to the Holy Lands and followed Luke’s account of the early church and of the travels of Paul, investigating every story, every location, every claim that Luke had made. He was not able to prove even one historical inaccuracy in Luke’s account in the book of Acts. Through this experience, he came to faith in Jesus and wrote many books about Paul’s journeys and the early church.

He alone of the Gospel writers included the songs surrounding Christ’s birth. Many believe he knew Mary and received the information about the birth of Christ directly from her.

Luke’s purpose in writing his Gospel:

1. He wanted to write a literary and historical account of the life of Christ.

Luke 1:1 Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, 2 just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, 3 it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.

Luke’s Gospel is the most complete historical narrative. He mentions more geography, history, institutions, cultural customs and local details than any of the other gospel writers. He was not an eyewitness to the Gospel events, so we can be sure he sought out information from many eyewitnesses.

2. Luke presents Jesus as the perfect, divine Man and Savior; God manifested in flesh. He wrote to the Greeks. Greek was the universal language of the day and the NT is written in Greek. Even the OT was translated into Greek (the Septuagint). Greek is known to be the finest language in the world with which to communicate a though or idea and Luke was the best.

Luke is one of the three synoptic gospels. His contains many details that Matthew and Mark do not. He records the songs at the birth of Christ. He gives more details about the Virgin Birth.

Both his Gospel and Acts are addressed to Theophilus.

There are 20 miracles recorded in Luke, six of which are found only in his Gospel. He gives us 23 parables, 18 of which are found nowhere else. (Prodigal Son and Good Samaritan being two)

The importance of prayer is stressed in Luke’s Gospel. Nine prayers of Christ are recorded in the NT and 7 of those are found only in Luke. (Read sections from Bible)

He is the only one who records the story of the Road to Emmaus, which proves that Christ was resurrected not only spiritually, but bodily.

His accounts of the miracles give us a great deal of medical information. Because he was a trained doctor, he was a great observer of events and was very careful with details.

The Gospel of Luke is thought to have been written around 63 AD.

There are 24 chapters in the Gospel of Luke. We will do one chapter per week.

*These lessons are written for use with elementary aged students. You can find lessons for previous chapters here.

Sunday School Lessons: Acts 28

2008-07-26T21:43:19Z

Lesson 30

Chapter 28

Last week we learned about Paul's dangerous sea voyage and the miraculous salvation of all 276 people on the ship. This week, we will work our way through the last chapter in the Book of Acts and conclude our study of this book.

When we left off at chapter 27, the ship had broken up but the people had made it to land by swimming or by floating on parts of the wreckage.

28:1 After we were brought safely through, we then learned that the island was called Malta.

The bay that they landed on is called Saint Paul's Bay to this day.

2 The native people showed us unusual kindness, for they kindled a fire and welcomed us all, because it had begun to rain and was cold.

I find it interesting to notice that it had 'begun to rain again.' That means the storm must've slowed down long enough for every one to safely make it to land. This demonstrates the power of God over the winds and the rains. He had told Paul that he was to go to Rome and witness there before kings and rulers. We see the providential hand of God in this small detail.

3 When Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and put them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat and fastened on his hand. 4 When the native people saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, “No doubt this man is a murderer. Though he has escaped from the sea, Justice has not allowed him to live.”

This looks like a dreadful accident! To have survived a terrible storm and a shipwreck, only to be killed by the bite of a poisonous snake! The people of the island knew these snakes. They had seen people who had been bitten die. This snake had not only bitten Paul, but had fastened onto his hand. What did they think was the purpose of the snake bite?

Something else to notice here. Paul had just survived 14 days at sea with very little food and a swim in a tempest tossed ocean in order to make it to the safety of the shore. Paul had to be exhausted. The native people had kindled a fire for them, but as tired as he was, Paul was helping to keep the fire going. Paul was a hard worker, always serving others.

5 He, however, shook off the creature into the fire and suffered no harm. 6 They were waiting for him to swell up or suddenly fall down dead. But when they had waited a long time and saw no misfortune come to him, they changed their minds and said that he was a god.

Why do you think Paul was unaffected by the snake bite? What was the response of the native people when they saw that Paul did not get sick and die? The Bible does not tell us, so we can't know for sure, but what do you think Paul's response may have been if he heard what the natives were saying about him?

7 Now in the neighborhood of that place were lands belonging to the chief man of the island, named Publius, who received us and entertained us hospitably for three days. 8 It happened that the father of Publius lay sick with fever and dysentery. And Paul visited him and prayed, and putting his hands on him healed him. 9 And when this had taken place, the rest of the people on the island who had diseases also came and were cured. 10 They also honored us greatly, and when we were about to sail, they put on board whatever we needed.

Some people wonder about whether Paul shared the gospel with the people of the island. The Bible is silent about this and does not mention people coming to faith in Christ during Paul's stay. Do you think it's safe for us to assume that Paul DID indeed preach the Gospel to the natives? Why or why not. Can you support your opinion by what you have learned previously in the Book of Acts?

11 After three months we set sail in a ship that had wintered in the island, a ship of Alexandria, with the twin gods as a figurehead. 12 Putting in at Syracuse, we stayed there for three days. 13 And from there we made a circuit and arrived at Rhegium. And after one day a south wind sprang up, and on the second day we came to Puteoli. 14 There we found brothers and were invited to stay with them for seven days. And so we came to Rome. 15 And the brothers there, when they heard about us, came as far as the Forum of Appius and Three Taverns to meet us. On seeing them, Paul thanked God and took courage. 16 And when we came into Rome, Paul was allowed to stay by himself, with the soldier that guarded him.

Paul finally arrives in Rome. He was met by other believers and was greatly encouraged. When he got there, he was not kept in prison. He was allowed to live in a rented house, but he had a soldier with him at all times. Can you think of how God may have used this circumstance to bring the Gospel to the people of Rome?

17 After three days he called together the local leaders of the Jews, and when they had gathered, he said to them, “Brothers, though I had done nothing against our people or the customs of our fathers, yet I was delivered as a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans. 18 When they had examined me, they wished to set me at liberty, because there was no reason for the death penalty in my case. 19 But because the Jews objected, I was compelled to appeal to Caesar—though I had no charge to bring against my nation. 20 For this reason, therefore, I have asked to see you and speak with you, since it is because of the hope of Israel that I am wearing this chain.” 21 And they said to him, “We have received no letters from Judea about you, and none of the brothers coming here has reported or spoken any evil about you. 22 But we desire to hear from you what your views are, for with regard to this sect we know that everywhere it is spoken against.”

Paul, while not being forced to stay in a prison cell, is still a prisoner. Yet he has the freedom not only to move about the city, but also to meet with the leaders of the Jews. Who called this meeting? Why did Paul want to meet with them? Why did they want to meet with Paul?

23 When they had appointed a day for him, they came to him at his lodging in greater numbers. From morning till evening he expounded to them, testifying to the kingdom of God and trying to convince them about Jesus both from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets.

In this last chapter, we will observe some of the same patterns that we have seen before. Paul went "first to the Jews." Since he was talking to the Jews, he reasoned with them from the Law and the Prophets.

24 And some were convinced by what he said, but others disbelieved.

This is another pattern we have seen. It is the same thing today. Whenever the Gospel is proclaimed,(what IS the Gospel?) some will believe and others will not.

25 And disagreeing among themselves, they departed after Paul had made one statement:

“The Holy Spirit was right in saying to your fathers through Isaiah the prophet:

26 “‘Go to this people, and say,

Y ou will indeed hear but never understand,
and you will indeed see but never perceive.
27 For this people's heart has grown dull,
and with their ears they can barely hear,
and their eyes they have closed;
lest they should see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their heart
and turn, and I would heal them.’

2 8 Therefore let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will listen.”

This is the last statement of Paul in the Book of Acts. I think it is fitting, since God had sent him as Apostle to the Gentiles.

30 He lived there two whole years at his own expense, and welcomed all who came to him, 31 proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance.

Even though it seems as though he had dismissed the Jews entirely with that last statement, notice that verse 30 tells us that in the two years he remained in Rome, he 'welcomed all who came to him.' It is also said that he spent his time proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance.

The Book of Acts doesn't tell us any details about the two years that Paul spent in Rome before his death. It seems like a very abrupt ending. However, it really isn't an ending at all. The church goes on. The Gospel is still proclaimed with boldness and without hindrance in most parts of the world. People are still coming to faith in Christ; lives are being changed through faith in Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Sunday School Lessons: Acts 27

2008-07-26T21:40:47Z

I haven't yet typed up the lesson for Chapter 27, but I shall get it typed up as soon as possible. Please email me and let me know if you need it before I get to it.

Thanks,

Kim

Sunday School Lessons: Acts 26

2008-07-19T16:11:21Z

Lesson 29
Chapter 26

Today we will learn about what Paul said to Agrippa when he was given the opportunity. Before we read it, remember that Paul is not on trial. He is not making a defense for his actions. He is declaring the Gospel. Paul’s appearance before King Agrippa is the fulfillment of the prophecy that he would appear before kings and rulers. As he stands before this King, it is important to remember that Paul has appealed to Caesar, therefore, the King has no authority over Paul, either to condemn him or to release him.

Let’s think back to chapter 25. Who is present at this gathering? What is the purpose of the gathering? Who called for it?

Let’s take a moment and picture the scene: This was an official, state gathering. Read Acts 25:23. The audience is made up of the rulers, leaders, and prominent people, dressed in their finest, surrounded by all the pomp and splendor of the Roman empire in that region.
Paul is brought into this great hall; a small Jewish man, dressed in prison clothing and chained between two soldiers.

A writer put it this way, comparing Paul and Agrippa:

Agrippa and Paul. What a contrast! One of them is in purple, the other is in prison garb. One is on a throne, the other is in shackles. One wears a crown, the other is in chains. Agrippa is a king, but in the slavery of sin. Paul is a chained prisoner, rejoicing in the freedom of sins forgiven and liberty in Christ. Agrippa is an earthly king who could not free Paul nor himself. Paul is an ambassador of the King who had freed him and who could free Agrippa from the damning effects of sin. J. Vernon McGee

Paul has appeared before the mob in Jerusalem, before the captain, before Felix, and then Festus. This day he stands before Agrippa, a man who knows the Jewish land and wants to know about the Way. This is Paul’s chance to present the gospel before kings. Let’s read it all the way through, as if we were there, listening to Paul.

26:1 So Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.” Then Paul stretched out his hand and made his defense:
2 “I consider myself fortunate that it is before you, King Agrippa, I am going to make my defense today against all the accusations of the Jews, 3 especially because you are familiar with all the customs and controversies of the Jews. Therefore I beg you to listen to me patiently.
4 “My manner of life from my youth, spent from the beginning among my own nation and in Jerusalem, is known by all the Jews. 5 They have known for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that according to the strictest party of our religion I have lived as a Pharisee. 6 And now I stand here on trial because of my hope in the promise made by God to our fathers, 7 to which our twelve tribes hope to attain, as they earnestly worship night and day. And for this hope I am accused by Jews, O king! 8 Why is it thought incredible by any of you that God raises the dead?
9 “I myself was convinced that I ought to do many things in opposing the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 10 And I did so in Jerusalem. I not only locked up many of the saints in prison after receiving authority from the chief priests, but when they were put to death I cast my vote against them. 11 And I punished them often in all the synagogues and tried to make them blaspheme, and in raging fury against them I persecuted them even to foreign cities.
12 “In this connection I journeyed to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. 13 At midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, that shone around me and those who journeyed with me. 14 And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ 15 And I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. 16 But rise and stand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you, 17 delivering you from your people and from the Gentiles—to whom I am sending you 18 to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’
19 “Therefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, 20 but declared first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all the region of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance. 21 For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me. 22 To this day I have had the help that comes from God, and so I stand here testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would come to pass: 23 that the Christ must suffer and that, by being the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light both to our people and to the Gentiles.”

Paul thanks Agrippa for the opportunity to speak in front of him, acknowledging that Agrippa is familiar with Jewish customs and controversies. He then tells about his past, before and after conversion, his missionary efforts, and his mission to proclaim the Gospel of Christ. He describes his vision of Christ and then makes his appeal in verse 1: I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision.
In verse 22 he makes it clear that he is following God and that his message is consistant with the prophets and the law of Moses. Then in verse 23, he makes his Gospel statement. Read vs. 23. Do you remember how we have defined the Gospel? Notice that Paul’s presentation of the Gospel doesn’t just speak of His death on the cross, but also His resurrection. Paul never preaches the cross without the resurrection. Neither should we. As soon as Paul gets down to the essential Gospel message he is interrupted:

24 And as he was saying these things in his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, “Paul, you are out of your mind; your great learning is driving you out of your mind.” 25 But Paul said, “I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I am speaking true and rational words.
26 For the king knows about these things, and to him I speak boldly. For I am persuaded that none of these things has escaped his notice, for this has not been done in a corner. 27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe.” 28 And Agrippa said to Paul, “In a short time would you persuade me to be a Christian?” 29 And Paul said, “Whether short or long, I would to God that not only you but also all who hear me this day might become such as I am—except for these chains.”

Notice that Paul answers Festus quickly and then returns to King Agrippa and makes his appeal to him. What is Agrippa’s response? Other translations say that Agrippa is “almost persuaded” to be a Christian. Being almost persuaded about the truth of the Gospel is the same as being unpersuaded. Either you believe in the Gospel and are saved or you don’t. Either He is your savior, or He is not. There is no in between. Paul knows this. He does not rejoice that Agrippa is willing to listen. He knows that he must believe—truly believe. Paul’s greatest desire is for Agrippa and all who are present to believe the Gospel and be saved.

30 Then the king rose, and the governor and Bernice and those who were sitting with them. 31 And when they had withdrawn, they said to one another, “This man is doing nothing to deserve death or imprisonment.” 32 And Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.”

Read Romans 1:10-11. Some people think that Paul made a mistake by appealing to Caesar. But he knew that it was God’s will that he go to Rome. He knows the way to Rome will be filled with trial and suffering, but he is ready to go. His destiny is not in the hands of Festus or Agrippa or Caesar. His destiny is in God’s hands.

*These lessons are written for use with elementary aged students. You can find lessons for previous chapters here.

Sunday School Lessons: Acts 25

2008-06-29T01:05:48Z

Lesson 28
Chapter 25
Paul before Festus

25:1 Now three days after Festus had arrived in the province, he went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea. 2 And the chief priests and the principal men of the Jews laid out their case against Paul, and they urged him, 3 asking as a favor against Paul that he summon him to Jerusalem—because they were planning an ambush to kill him on the way. 4 Festus replied that Paul was being kept at Caesarea and that he himself intended to go there shortly. 5 “So,” said he, “let the men of authority among you go down with me, and if there is anything wrong about the man, let them bring charges against him.”

Festus has now replaced Felix as governor. Three days after he arrived in the Roman city of Caesarea, he made a trip to Jerusalem. It didn’t take long for the Jews to swing into action. They met with Festus, and asked him to call Paul to Jerusalem. They intended to kill him as he traveled between the two cities.
Remember, it has been two years since Paul was escorted by soldiers to Caesarea from Jerusalem in order to spare his life. The Jews have not given up their plots against Paul. Festus does not agree to move Paul. Maybe he knew something about what had happened before and realized that Paul would be in danger. Certainly he knew the Jews were riled up against this man and wouldn’t have wanted the Jews to be out of control over dealings with Paul, as in the past. So tells them that he would soon be returning to Caesarea; they could come and bring charges against him there. Notice, he asks for “men of authority” to come and bring the charges. Festus wants to deal with this the right way.

6 After he stayed among them not more than eight or ten days, he went down to Caesarea. And the next day he took his seat on the tribunal and ordered Paul to be brought. 7 When he had arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many and serious charges against him that they could not prove.

Do you remember the charges that were brought against Paul by the Jews when he stood before Felix? (review)
There were only three charges. One, that he had profaned the temple. This was false and was not a crime against Rome. Two, that he was a leader of the Christians. This was true, but was not a crime against Rome. The third charge, sedition, was the most serious charge, but it was a false charge and could be proved to be false. Now we see them bringing “many and serious charges,” none of which could be proved.
Paul answered:

8 Paul argued in his defense, “Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I committed any offense.” 9 But Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, said to Paul, “Do you wish to go up to Jerusalem and there be tried on these charges before me?” 10 But Paul said, “I am standing before Caesar's tribunal, where I ought to be tried. To the Jews I have done no wrong, as you yourself know very well. 11 If then I am a wrongdoer and have committed anything for which I deserve to die, I do not seek to escape death. But if there is nothing to their charges against me, no one can give me up to them. I appeal to Caesar.” 12 Then Festus, when he had conferred with his council, answered, “To Caesar you have appealed; to Caesar you shall go.”

Paul simply proclaims his innocence. Festus asks him if he wants to be tried on the charges by him in Jerusalem. Why did he ask Paul this? What is Paul’s answer?

Once Paul asked to have his trial before Caesar, which was his right as a Roman citizen, he was allowed to have his trial moved to Rome and no one else could bring charges against him in another court. By appealing to Caesar, Paul was preserving his rights—and his life. We must see another thing about Paul’s appeal to Rome.

Remember in Acts 23, the Lord had appeared to Paul and told him that he would be His witness in Rome. It was God’s will that Paul go to Rome. This is the means He is using to get Paul there. Festus realizes that he can’t do anything with Paul and agrees, as he must, to send him to Caesar.

13 Now when some days had passed, Agrippa the king and Bernice arrived at Caesarea and greeted Festus. 14 And as they stayed there many days, Festus laid Paul's case before the king, saying, “There is a man left prisoner by Felix, 15 and when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews laid out their case against him, asking for a sentence of condemnation against him. 16 I answered them that it was not the custom of the Romans to give up anyone before the accused met the accusers face to face and had opportunity to make his defense concerning the charge laid against him. 17 So when they came together here, I made no delay, but on the next day took my seat on the tribunal and ordered the man to be brought. 18 When the accusers stood up, they brought no charge in his case of such evils as I supposed. 19 Rather they had certain points of dispute with him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus, who was dead, but whom Paul asserted to be alive. 20 Being at a loss how to investigate these questions, I asked whether he wanted to go to Jerusalem and be tried there regarding them. 21 But when Paul had appealed to be kept in custody for the decision of the emperor, I ordered him to be held until I could send him to Caesar.” 22 Then Agrippa said to Festus, “I would like to hear the man myself.” “Tomorrow,” said he, “you will hear him.”

Festus was the governor, but Agrippa was the King! After some days, Agrippa and his wife came to visit Festus and stayed many days. Paul had still not been sent to Caesar. It seems Festus wasn’t sure what to do. The charge of sedition was a serious one, but it seemed clear to Festus that the Jews could not prove it. He tells Agrippa about the situation with Paul and tells him he still has him in custody since he had appealed to Rome. Agrippa decides he wants to hear from Paul, too.
Paul has stood before Lysias, the Roman tribune, the Sanhedrin, Felix, Festus, and now he will stand before Agrippa. (read Acts 9:15) Paul is now fulfilling what was said at his conversion.

23 So on the next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp, and they entered the audience hall with the military tribunes and the prominent men of the city.

There was quite a gathering of important people the next day! The King and his wife, military tribunes, and the prominent men of the city! This was quite a gathering to hear from Paul. Remember, this is not a trial. Paul is not defending himself against charges, he is preaching the Gospel. This is a fulfillment of the prophecy that he would come before kings and rulers in Christ’s name.
Even though the King and the Governor were present, they did not have authority over Paul, either to condemn him, or to free him. This was merely a public appearance before the King and his court so they could talk to him and hear what he has to say. Why would all these important people want to hear from Paul? (They had heard about the Way and were curious)
Then, at the command of Festus, Paul was brought in.

24 And Festus said, “King Agrippa and all who are present with us, you see this man about whom the whole Jewish people petitioned me, both in Jerusalem and here, shouting that he ought not to live any longer. 25 But I found that he had done nothing deserving death. And as he himself appealed to the emperor, I decided to go ahead and send him. 26 But I have nothing definite to write to my lord about him. Therefore I have brought him before you all, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that, after we have examined him, I may have something to write. 27 For it seems to me unreasonable, in sending a prisoner, not to indicate the charges against him.”

Festus admits that Paul has done nothing to deserve death. But he finds himself in the awkward position of having a man in his custody that has no valid charges against him. He wants King Agrippa’s help in knowing what to say when he sends him to Rome.

*These lessons are written for use with elementary aged students. You can find lessons for previous chapters here.

Sunday School Lessons: Acts 24

2008-06-21T21:09:08Z

Lesson 28
Acts 24

24:1 And after five days the high priest Ananias came down with some elders and a spokesman, one Tertullus. They laid before the governor their case against Paul. 2 And when he had been summoned, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying:

Ananias, elders and Tertullus come to Caesarea to accuse Paul before Felix, the governor. Tertullus is a Jewish lawyer and it is he who brings the charges before the court. Tertullus, as a trained lawyer, is less emotional than Ananias. We will see that he is well trained and well prepared:

“Since through you we enjoy much peace, and since by your foresight, most excellent Felix, reforms are being made for this nation, 3 in every way and everywhere we accept this with all gratitude. 4 But, to detain you no further, I beg you in your kindness to hear us briefly.
5 For we have found this man a plague, one who stirs up riots among all the Jews throughout the world and is a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes. 6 He even tried to profane the temple, but we seized him.* 8 By examining him yourself you will be able to find out from him about everything of which we accuse him.”
9 The Jews also joined in the charge, affirming that all these things were so.

(*Some manuscripts add and we would have judged him according to our law. 7But the chief captain Lysias came and with great violence took him out of our hands, 8commanding his accusers to come before you.)

Tertullus flatters the governor, makes false charges against Paul, and then tries to discredit Lysias.
What are the charges against Paul?

--That he was guilty of sedition
It is true that the Gospel divides, but it was not Paul’s intention to divide the nation, rather he desired to unite them in Christ.
--That he was a leader of the sect of the Nazarenes/Christians.
--That he had profaned the temple.

Which of these charges are true and which are false?

Now it’s Paul’s turn:

10 And when the governor had nodded to him to speak, Paul replied:
“Knowing that for many years you have been a judge over this nation, I cheerfully make my defense.

Notice that Paul is polite and respectful to Felix. He does not overly flatter him, but recognizes that even though he isn’t a Jew, he is their judge and he knows their customs and laws.

11 You can verify that it is not more than twelve days since I went up to worship in Jerusalem,

Even after the delay caused by the riots/imprisonment/travel it is still only 12 days since Paul had arrived in Jerusalem, hardly enough time to stir up a rebellion. He also lets Felix know why he was in Jerusalem—to worship.

12 and they did not find me disputing with anyone or stirring up a crowd, either in the temple or in the synagogues or in the city. 13 Neither can they prove to you what they now bring up against me. 14 But this I confess to you, that according to the Way, which they call a sect, I worship the God of our fathers, believing everything laid down by the Law and written in the Prophets,

Paul maintains that he never disputed in the temple, or anywhere else, nor did he stir up the people. He tells Felix that they can’t prove it. But he does admit to the religious charge of being “of the sect of the Nazarenes” but declares that he worships the “God of our fathers, believing everything laid down by the Law and written in the Prophets.” In this he is in agreement with his accusers, though they see things differently.

15 having a hope in God, which these men themselves accept, that there will be a resurrection of both the just and the unjust.

Paul quickly brings his defense around to the resurrection, as he always does. (Review Gospel)

16 So I always take pains to have a clear conscience toward both God and man. 17 Now after several years I came to bring alms to my nation and to present offerings.

Paul appeals to his clear conscience before God and man. Remember, this is the thing that so enraged Ananias when he stood before the Sanhedrin. He also gives Felix the other purpose of his visit to Jerusalem—to bring alms and to present offerings.

18 While I was doing this, they found me purified in the temple, without any crowd or tumult. But some Jews from Asia— 19 they ought to be here before you and to make an accusation, should they have anything against me. 20 Or else let these men themselves say what wrongdoing they found when I stood before the council,

Paul insists that he had not defamed the temple nor started a riot, for he was not there with a crowd and had not stirred up trouble. He lets Felix know that the real accusers, the Sanhedrin, were not even there, nor had they found him guilty!

21 other than this one thing that I cried out while standing among them: ‘It is with respect to the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial before you this day.’”

Again, Paul brings up the resurrection, keeping his focus on the Gospel, which was the real issue of the day.

22 But Felix, having a rather accurate knowledge of the Way, put them off, saying, “When Lysias the tribune comes down, I will decide your case.” 23 Then he gave orders to the centurion that he should be kept in custody but have some liberty, and that none of his friends should be prevented from attending to his needs.

Felix knows about “the Way” and about Christ’s resurrection. He puts off hi judgment until he hears from Lysias because the testimony he had heard was contradictory. Paul remains a prisoner, but is given liberty and allowed visitors. He is innocent until proved guilty. Felix had the authority to release Paul then and there but he didn’t. Why not?

24 After some days Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, and he sent for Paul and heard him speak about faith in Christ Jesus. 25 And as he reasoned about righteousness and self-control and the coming judgment, Felix was alarmed and said, “Go away for the present. When I get an opportunity I will summon you.”

Felix and his Jewish wife, Druscilla, call for Paul and hear the Gospel

What are the elements of his message?
What was Felix’s response?

26 At the same time he hoped that money would be given him by Paul. So he sent for him often and conversed with him. 27 When two years had elapsed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus. And desiring to do the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul in prison.

Felix kept him in prison for 2 years, calling him in from time to time to talk with him. What do you think he wanted to talk to him about?
Why didn’t he release him?

*These lessons are written for use with elementary aged students. You can find lessons for previous chapters here.