The Four Gospels Series Part III, Bible Study 07/27/16

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The Four Gospel Series Part III

The Gospel of Luke

Synopsis of Bible Study July 27, 2016

Delivered by Bishop Walker

 

  • Introduction
    1. Luke is the final book of the synoptic gospels.
    2. When you look at the book of Luke, you have to notice the wording sequence of the book.
    3. Luke was a physician so he wrote Luke in a methodical way.
    4. Luke was a travel companion to the Apostle Paul. He is the author of not only Luke, but also the book of Acts. When you read Luke you should read Acts right after it, because they go together.
    5. Luke is trying to let us know that Jesus is Lord and the son of God.
    6. What we see in the book of Luke is the life of Jesus Christ on display, but more importantly, the humanity of Jesus Christ.
      1. Dr Marion Soards wrote, “Luke’s version of Jesus’ is a story that presents Jesus coming in his humanity…”
  • Understanding the Book of Luke

 

Luke is grouped into several categories.

  1. Prologue (Luke 1:1-4)
  2. 1 Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled[a] among us, 2 just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us, 3 it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, 4 that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed.
  1. Luke’s address is to Theophilus which means friend of God. What we discover about Theophilus is he is prominent person.
  2. Theophilus was referred to as someone of excellence, which suggests he is of high statue. Aspects of book below:
  1. The Infancy and Childhood of Jesus (Luke 1:5-2:52)
  1. The annunciation of the birth of John the Baptist (Luke 1:5- 25) 18 And Zacharias said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years.” 19 And the angel answered and said to him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings. 20 But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time.” 21 And the people waited for Zacharias, and marveled that he lingered so long in the temple. 22 But when he came out, he could not speak to them; and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple, for he beckoned to them and remained speechless. 23 So it was, as soon as the days of his service were completed, that he departed to his own house. 24 Now after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived; and she hid herself five months, saying, 25 “Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.”
  2. 5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. 7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years. 8 So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, 9 according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. 10 And the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense. 11 Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12 And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. 13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is 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 in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. 16 And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. 17 He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’[a] and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
  3. John’s Birth Announced to Zacharias
  4. The annunciation of the birth of Jesus (Luke 1:26-38)29 But when she saw him,[b] she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. 30 Then 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 bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give 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.” 34 Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?”35 And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. 37 For with God nothing will be impossible.” 38 Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
  5.  
  6. 26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by 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. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”[a]
  1. Remember Luke was a Physician. He wrote in detail. Here we see it when Mary visits Elizabeth.
  1. Mary’s visit to see Elizabeth (Luke 1:39-56)
  2. Mary Visits Elizabeth 39 Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah, 40 and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. 41 And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. 45 Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.” Song of Mary 46 And Mary said: “My soul magnifies the Lord, 47 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. 48 For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; For behold, henceforth 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 on those who fear Him From generation to generation. 51 He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. 52 He has put down the mighty from their thrones, And exalted the lowly. 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 seed forever.” 56 And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her house.
  1. Luke 1:41 says 41 And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Only Luke would draw attention to a prenatal praise service. The scripture speaks of John leaping in the belly at the presence of Jesus who was in Mary’s belly.
  • The birth and naming of John (Luke 1:57-80) 57 Now Elizabeth’s full time came for her to be delivered, and she brought forth a son. 58 When her neighbors and relatives heard how the Lord had shown great mercy to her, they rejoiced with her. Circumcision of John the Baptist 59 So it was, on the eighth day, that they came to circumcise the child; and they would have called him by the name of his father, Zacharias. 60 His mother answered and said, “No; he shall be called John.”61 But they said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name.” 62 So they made signs to his father—what he would have him called. 63 And he asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, saying, “His name is John.” So they all marveled. 64 Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, praising God. 65 Then fear came on all who dwelt around them; and all these sayings were discussed throughout all the hill country of Judea. 66 And all those who heard them kept them in their hearts, saying, “What kind of child will this be?” And the hand of the Lord was with him. Zacharias’ Prophecy 67 Now his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying: 68 “Blessed is 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, Who have been since the world began, 71 That we should be saved from our enemies And from the and of all who hate us, 72 To perform the mercy promised to our fathers And to remember His holy covenant, 73 The oath which He swore to our father Abraham: 74 To grant us that we, Being delivered from the hand of our enemies, Might serve Him without fear,

 

  1. 75 In holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life. 76 “And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest; For you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways, 77 To give knowledge of salvation to His people By the remission of their sins, 78 Through the tender mercy of our God, With which the Dayspring from on high has visited[a] us; 79 To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, To guide our feet into the way of peace.” 80 So the child grew and became strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his manifestation to Israel.
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  3. The birth of Jesus (Luke 2:1-7) Christ Born of Mary 2 And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. 3 So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city. 4 Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into 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 wife,[a] who was with child. 6 So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
  1. Luke gives highlights of the humble beginnings of Jesus. For instance, mangers were where they put food for animals. Jesus was laid in a manger after he was born.
  2. Jesus being born in a stable was is not an issue of Jesus’ family being poor, it was about over population. There was no room for him in the inn, because everyone was in town to be registered for taxes. Mary’s water broke and Jesus had to be born.
  1. Annunciation to shepherds and their visit (Luke 2:8-20) Glory in the Highest 8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold,[a] an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 10 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, 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,
  2. And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”[b] 15 So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. 17 Now when they had seen Him, they made widely[c] known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. 18 And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.
  1. Jesus’ circumcision and presentation (Luke 2:21-38) Circumcision of Jesus 21 And when eight days were completed for the circumcision of the Child,[a] His name was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb. Jesus Presented in the Temple 22 Now when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every male who opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”),[b] 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.”[c] Simeon Sees God’s Salvation 25 And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just 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 So he came by 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: 29 “Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, According to Your word; 30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation 31 Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, 32 A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel.” 33 And Joseph and His mother[d] marveled at those things which were spoken of Him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against 35 (yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” Anna Bears Witness to the Redeemer 36 Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity; 37 and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years,[e] who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. 38 And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord,[f] and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem. Here circumcision is mentioned, because Luke is a physician. He wrote with a lot of detail.
  1. Jesus’ childhood in Nazareth (Luke 2:39-40)  The Family Returns to Nazareth 39 So when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth. 40 And the Child grew and became strong in spirit,[a] filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.
  2. Young Jesus in the Temple (Luke 2:41-52) The Boy Jesus Amazes the Scholars 41 His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. 42 And when He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast. 43 When they had finished the days, as they returned, the Boy Jesus lingered behind in Jerusalem. And Joseph and His mother[a] did not know it; 44 but supposing Him to have been in the company, they went a day’s journey, and sought Him among their relatives and acquaintances. 45 So when they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking Him. 46 Now so it was that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. 47 And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers. 48 So when they saw Him, they were amazed; and His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously.” 49 And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” 50 But they did not understand the statement which He spoke to them. Jesus Advances in Wisdom and Favor 51 Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them, but His mother kept all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.
  1. Jesus grew up as a regular boy at first. Jesus started his ministry as 12. 12 means divine government.
  2. Jesus was missing for 3 days and his parents found him in the temple. He was asking questions and having conversations with those with PhDs.
  3. Jesus’ parents, asked him why he would put them through the agony of having to look for him. He had to let them know that he had to be about his father’s business.
    1. In Luke 2:49 49 And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” – This is critical, because Jesus is revealing himself as God. In Matthew, he doesn’t reveal himself until he enters into Jerusalem.
  1. John the Baptist and Jesus
  1. John makes it clear, that he was sent to prepare the way for Jesus to come.
  2. In Luke 3:23-38 The Genealogy of Jesus Christ 23 Now Jesus Himself began His ministry at about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, the son of Heli, 24 the son of Matthat,[a] the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Janna, the son of Joseph, 25 the son of Mattathiah, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai, 26 the son of Maath, the son of Mattathiah, the son of Semei, the son of Joseph, the son of Judah, 27 the son of Joannas, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri, 28 the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmodam, the son of Er, 29 the son of Jose, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, 30 the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonan, the son of Eliakim, 31 the son of Melea, the son of Menan, the son of Mattathah, the son of Nathan, the son of David, 32 the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Salmon, the son of Nahshon, 33 the son of Amminadab, the son of Ram, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah, 34 the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor, 35 the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah, 36 the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech, 37 the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalalel, the son of Cainan, 38 the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.- Here we finally see the genealogy of Jesus.
  3. What you begin to see here is Jesus being revealed as 100 percent human and 100 percent God at the same time.
  4. Jesus suffers, he cries, he is frustrated, and is irritated like a human. He stays human long enough to show us him going through what we go through.
  • The Rejection at Nazareth (Luke 4:16-30) 16 So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. 17 And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written: Because He has anointed MeHe has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,[a]And recovery of sight to the blind, 

 

  1. 19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”[b] 20 Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. 21 And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” 22 So all bore witness to Him, and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth. And they said, “Is this not Joseph’s son?” 23 He said to them, “You will surely say this proverb to Me, ‘Physician, heal yourself! Whatever we have heard done in Capernaum,[c] do also here in Your country.’” 24 Then He said, “Assuredly, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own country. 25 But I tell you truly, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a great famine throughout all the land; 26 but to none of them was Elijah sent except to Zarephath,[d] in the region of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. 27 And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.” 28 So all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, 29 and rose up and thrust Him out of the city; and they led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down over the cliff. 30 Then passing through the midst of them, He went His way.
  2. To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
  3. To proclaim liberty to the captives
  4. To preach the gospel to the poor;
  5. 18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
  • Jesus returns to Nazareth where he was glorified in the temple, but he was rejected this time. In his hometown Jesus quotes the prophet Isaiah.- After saying this, the crowd marveled at his words, but he was rejected by his own people. 

 

  1. Luke 4:22-30 (NKJV) 22 So all bore witness to Him, and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth. And they said, “Is this not Joseph’s son?” 23 He said to them, “You will surely say this proverb to Me, ‘Physician, heal yourself! Whatever we have heard done in Capernaum,[a] do also here in Your country.’” 24 Then He said, “Assuredly, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own country. 25 But I tell you truly, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a great famine throughout all the land; 26 but to none of them was Elijah sent except to Zarephath,[b] in the region of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. 27 And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.” 28 So all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, 29 and rose up and thrust Him out of the city; and they led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down over the cliff. 30 Then passing through the midst of them, He went His way.
  1. Certain Mighty Works/Miracles
  1. Remember in Mathew, Jesus walked on the seashore? Mark says he went and saw 2 men on the boat and he says to them, “follow me” and they did. Luke says in more detail; he saw two men washing their nets. They were frustrated because they didn’t catch anything. Luke on the other hand says he saw Jesus tell them to launch into the deep. They went back again and the net that was empty was now filled with fish so much, they were breaking. They had so many fish they had to summon people from other boats to help them.
    1. Luke 5:10 says 10 and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men.” – Jesus told them not to be afraid, because from now on, he would make them fishers of men (mankind). The revelation here is, if you want more, you must go deeper.
  1. Special Lessons and Teachings
    1. A blessing will kill you if you don’t share it. They had to share the fish to get back to the land. If they hadn’t shared the fish, they could have sunk their boats.
    2. A woman’s son died, Jesus touches the casket, and the child gets up.
    3. The lesson to Martha. Luke 10: 38-42 Mary and Martha Worship and Serve38 Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’[a] feet and heard His word. 40 But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.” 41 And Jesus[b] answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. 42 But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”
  • The Lesson about the master, the servant, and ten lepers. Luke 17:11-21, Ten Lepers Cleansed 11 Now it happened as He went to Jerusalem that He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. 12 Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off. 13 And they lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” 14 So when He saw them, He said to them, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed. 15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, 16 and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan. 17 So Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? 18 Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” 19 And He said to him, “Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well.” The Coming of the Kingdom 20 Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation; 21 nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’[a] For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.” Luke 19:1-10 Jesus Comes to Zacchaeus’ House 19 Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. 2 Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. 3 And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way. 5 And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him,[a] and said to him, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.” 6 So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully. 7 But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, “He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner.” 8 Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold.” 9 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; 10 for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

 

  1.  
  1. Parables found only in the Gospel of Luke
  1. The Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) – This is a story about humanity. –25 And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 He said to him, “What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?” 27 So he answered and said, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’[a] and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’”[b] 28 And He said to him, “You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.” 29 But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30 Then Jesus answered and said: “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side. 33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion.  34 So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.  35 On the next day, when he departed,[c] he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.’  36 So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?” 37 And he said, “He who showed mercy on him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”
    1. The friend coming at midnight (Luke 11:5-8) 5 And He said to them, “Which of you shall have a friend, and go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves; 6 for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; 7 and he will answer from within and say, ‘Do not trouble me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you’? 8 I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs. – This is a story about persistent prayers.
  • The Rich Fool (Luke 12:13-21) 13 Then one from the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” 14 But He said to him, “Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?” 15 And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness,[a] for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.” 16 Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. 17 And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ 18 So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.”’ 20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’

 

    1. 21 “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”– This story is a lesson for those who think possessions can get you into heaven.
  • The Barren Fig Tree (Luke 13:1-9) Repent or Perish 13 There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2 And Jesus answered and said to them, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? 3 I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. 4 Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.” The Parable of the Barren Fig Tree 6 He also spoke this parable: “A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. 7 Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, ‘Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?’ 8 But he answered and said to him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. 9 And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that[a] you can cut it down.’”
  • One seeking the honored place and hospitality (Luke 14:7-14)Take the Lowly Place 7 So He told a parable to those who were invited, when He noted how they chose the best places, saying to them: 8 “When you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in the best place, lest one more honorable than you be invited by him; 9 and he who invited you and him come and say to you, ‘Give place to this man,’ and then you begin with shame to take the lowest place. 10 But when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, go up higher.’ Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you. 11 For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”12 Then He also said to him who invited Him, “When you give a dinner or a supper, do not ask your friends, your brothers, your relatives, nor rich neighbors, lest they also invite you back, and you be repaid. 13 But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind. 14 And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”

 

  1. The lost sheep, coin, and son (Chapter 15) – This is referred to as the lost and found chapter of the bible.
    1. Who wouldn’t leave the 99 sheep to go after one. The important question is, what are sheep? They are obedient to a shepherd. Jesus is talking about a good shepherd. Its not just about God’s response, but it is about the church’s response too.
      1. We must first understand sheep and shepherd relationship. If he tells them not to move, they won’t. They depend on shepherd for their lively hood. Like the shepherd shifts his focus off the 99 sheep for the one lost sheep, the church should be willing to wait on the lost soul until they come back and not be so caught up on going on without them. This sends a message that says, “We love you so much; we won’t leave until you come back”.
    2. Lesson of the coin – Jesus views it as a life. The coin that is lost is valuable enough that he will turn on a light to look for it. By turning on the light, the person looking for the coin is saying he or she is willing to expose a situation, rearrange the place, and clean up the place until what is lost comes back. When she finds it, she rejoices.
    3. The lesson of the prodigal son – The son goes astray. There is a lot to deal with in this story. To summarize, you have to know that this is about a son who takes his inheritance too soon, spends it, and has to come back home. What is important and tucked away in the story is, in a day of the religious elite, some people have erroneous doctrines that will cause you to loose your place in salvation. No matter how bad the boy was, notice his father didn’t un-son him. When the son comes back, it is revelation for us. When he comes back he is naked, ashamed, and bloody and his father gives him.
      1. His father gives him a robe. The Robe represents that he would cover him, His father gives him a ring, which represents him bringing the son back into covenant and he has a calf killed for a feast which represents that he would celebrate him. God is a God that will take you back, cover you, and rejoice over your return.
      2. The prodigal son’s brother was ill that his father would have a celebration for a son that never should have left in the first place. Now you have one son who experienced gratitude and the other son who experiences entitlement. Like the second son, some people think the Lord owes them for what they have done. We need to be grateful for what the Lord has done for us and not feel entitled for what we have done.
  • The unjust steward (Luke 16:1-12) The Parable of the Unjust Steward 16 He also said to His disciples: “There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and an accusation was brought to him that this man was wasting his goods. 2 So he called him and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward.’ 3 “Then the steward said within himself, ‘What shall I do? For my master is taking the stewardship away from me. I cannot dig; I am ashamed to beg. 4 I have resolved what to do, that when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.’ 5 “So he called every one of his master’s debtors to him, and said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ 6 And he said, ‘A hundred measures[a] of oil.’ So he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ 7 Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ So he said, ‘A hundred measures[b] of wheat.’ And he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’ 8 So the master commended the unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light. 9 “And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail,[c] they may receive you into an everlasting home. 10 He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. 11 Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? 12 And if you have not been faithful in what is another man’s, who will give you what is your own?
  • The rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31) 19 “There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. 20 But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, 21 desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell[a] from the rich man’s table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.24 “Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’ 25 But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. 26 And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’ 27 “Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house, 28 for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’ 29 Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’ 30 And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ 31 But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’”– Some people wonder if there is consciousness after death. You have rich man and Lazarus. The rich man died and he saw Lazarus. The rich man was suffering and Lazarus was resting in the bosom of Abraham. He wanted to go back and tell his brothers about this terrible place, but the Lord told that there was no need, because if they didn’t listen to the ones that were already in place, they would not listen to him.

 

    1.  
    2. The unjust judge and the persistent widow (Luke 18:1-8) The Parable of the Persistent Widow 18 Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, 2 saying: “There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. 3 Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, ‘Get justice for me from my adversary.’ 4 And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, ‘Though I do not fear God nor regard man, 5 yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.’” 6 Then the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge said. 7 And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? 8 I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?”
  • The Pharisee and the publican (Luke 18:9-14) The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector 9 Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ 13 And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
  • The parable of the pounds (Luke 19:11-27) The Parable of the Minas 11 Now as they heard these things, He spoke another parable, because He was near Jerusalem and because they thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately. 12 Therefore He said: “A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return. 13 So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas,[a] and said to them, ‘Do business till I come.’ 14 But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We will not have this man to reign over us.’ 15 “And so it was that when he returned, having received the kingdom, he then commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading. 16 Then came the first, saying, ‘Master, your mina has earned ten minas.’ 17 And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.’ 18 And the second came, saying, ‘Master, your mina has earned five minas.’ 19 Likewise he said to him, ‘You also be over five cities.’ 20 “Then another came, saying, ‘Master, here is your mina, which I have kept put away in a handkerchief. 21 For I feared you, because you are an austere man. You collect what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.’ 22 And he said to him, ‘Out of your own mouth I will judge you, you wicked servant. You knew that I was an austere man, collecting what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow. 23 Why then did you not put my money in the bank, that at my coming I might have collected it with interest?’24 “And he said to those who stood by, ‘Take the mina from him, and give it to him who has ten minas.’ 25 (But they said to him, ‘Master, he has ten minas.’) 26 ‘For I say to you, that to everyone who has will be given; and from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. 27 But bring here those enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, and slay them before me.’”

 

  1. Warnings and Controversies
  • Opposition from Pharisees (Luke 11:53-14:4) 53 And as He said these things to them,[a] the scribes and the Pharisees began to assail Him vehemently, and to cross-examine Him about many things, 54 lying in wait for Him, and seeking to catch Him in something He might say, that they might accuse Him.[b] Beware of Hypocrisy 12 In the meantime, when an innumerable multitude of people had gathered together, so that they trampled one another, He began to say to His disciples first of all, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. 2 For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known. 3 Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops. Jesus Teaches the Fear of God 4 “And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. 5 But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him! 6 “Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins?[c] And not one of them is forgotten before God. 7 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. Confess Christ Before Men 8 “Also I say to you, whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God. 9 But he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God. 10 “And anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but to him who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven. 11 “Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say. 12 For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.” The Parable of the Rich Fool 13 Then one from the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” 14 But He said to him, “Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?” 15 And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness,[d] for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.” 16 Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. 17 And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ 18 So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.”’ 20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’ 21 “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” Do Not Worry 22 Then He said to His disciples, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on. 23 Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. 24 Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds? 25 And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? 26 If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest? 27 Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 28 If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith? 29 “And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. 30 For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things. 31 But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things[e] shall be added to you. 32 “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. The Faithful Servant and the Evil Servant 35 “Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning; 36 and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately. 37 Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching. Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them. 38 And if he should come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants. 39 But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and[f] not allowed his house to be broken into. 40 Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” 41 Then Peter said to Him, “Lord, do You speak this parable only to us, or to all people?” 42 And the Lord said, “Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season? 43 Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. 44 Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has. 45 But if that servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk, 46 the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. 47 And that servant who knew his master’s will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. 48 But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more. Christ Brings Division 49 “I came to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! 50 But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am till it is accomplished! 51 Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division. 52 For from now on five in one house will be divided: three against two, and two against three. 53 Father will be divided 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 her mother-in-law.” Discern the Time 54 Then He also said to the multitudes, “Whenever you see a cloud rising out of the west, immediately you say, ‘A shower is coming’; and so it is. 55 And when you see the south wind blow, you say, ‘There will be hot weather’; and there is. 56 Hypocrites! You can discern the face of the sky and of the earth, but how is it you do not discern this time? Make Peace with Your Adversary 57 “Yes, and why, even of yourselves, do you not judge what is right? 58 When you go with your adversary to the magistrate, make every effort along the way to settle with him, lest he drag you to the judge, the judge deliver you to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison. 59 I tell you, you shall not depart from there till you have paid the very last mite.” Repent or Perish 13 There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2 And Jesus answered and said to them, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? 3 I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. 4 Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.” The Parable of the Barren Fig Tree 6 He also spoke this parable: “A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. 7 Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, ‘Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?’ 8 But he answered and said to him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. 9 And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that[g] you can cut it down.’” A Spirit of Infirmity 10 Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. 11 And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up. 12 But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.” 13 And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God. 14 But the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath; and he said to the crowd, “There are six days on which men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath day.” 15 The Lord then answered him and said, “Hypocrite![h] Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it? 16 So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound—think of it—for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?” 17 And when He said these things, all His adversaries were put to shame; and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by Him. The Parable of the Mustard Seed 18 Then He said, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? 19 It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and put in his garden; and it grew and became a large[i] tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches.” The Parable of the Leaven 20 And again He said, “To what shall I liken the kingdom of God? 21 It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures[j] of meal till it was all leavened.” The Narrow Way 22 And He went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem. 23 Then one said to Him, “Lord, are there few who are saved?” And He said to them, 24 “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able. 25 When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open for us,’ and He will answer and say to you, ‘I do not know you, where you are from,’ 26 then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets.’ 27 But He will say, ‘I tell you I do not know you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.’ 28 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, and yourselves thrust out. 29 They will come from the east and the west, from the north and the south, and sit down in the kingdom of God. 30 And indeed there are last who will be first, and there are first who will be last.” 31 On that very day[k] some Pharisees came, saying to Him, “Get out and depart from here, for Herod wants to kill You.” 32 And He said to them, “Go, tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.’ 33 Nevertheless I must journey today, tomorrow, and the day following; for it cannot be that a prophet should perish outside of Jerusalem. Jesus Laments over Jerusalem 34 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing! 35 See! Your house is left to you desolate; and assuredly,[l] I say to you, you shall not see Me until the time comes when you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ”[m] A Man with Dropsy Healed on the Sabbath

 

    1. 14 Now it happened, as He went into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees to eat bread on the Sabbath, that they watched Him closely. 2 And behold, there was a certain man before Him who had dropsy. 3 And Jesus, answering, spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”[n] 4 But they kept silent. And He took him and healed him, and let him go.
    2. Warnings about Sabbath observance and the hunchback woman (Luke 13:10-17)
    3. A Spirit of Infirmity 10 Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. 11 And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up. 12 But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.” 13 And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God. 14 But the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath; and he said to the crowd, “There are six days on which men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath day.” 15 The Lord then answered him and said, “Hypocrite![a] Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it? 16 So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound—think of it—for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?” 17 And when He said these things, all His adversaries were put to shame; and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by Him.– A woman has a hunch back and Jesus heals her on the Sabbath. Jesus asked them, “Didn’t you let your mules go out and get water?” Religion is focused on rules but relationship is about revelation.
  • The man with dropsy (Luke 14:1-6) A Man with Dropsy Healed on the Sabbath 14 Now it happened, as He went into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees to eat bread on the Sabbath, that they watched Him closely. 2 And behold, there was a certain man before Him who had dropsy. 3 And Jesus, answering, spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”[a] 4 But they kept silent. And He took him and healed him, and let him go. 5 Then He answered them, saying, “Which of you, having a donkey[b] or an ox that has fallen into a pit, will not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day?” 6 And they could not answer Him regarding these things.
  • Warning about Herod Antipas (Luke 13:31-33) 31 On that very day[a] some Pharisees came, saying to Him, “Get out and depart from here, for Herod wants to kill You.”32 And He said to them, “Go, tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.’ 33 Nevertheless I must journey today, tomorrow, and the day following; for it cannot be that a prophet should perish outside of Jerusalem.

 

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  2. On Counting the Cost (Luke 14:28-33)   28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it— 29 lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish’? 31 Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. 33 So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.
  1. Jesus’ final visit to Jerusalem
    1. Approach to the City (Luke 19:37-44) 37 Then, as He was now drawing near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen, 38 saying: “ ‘Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!’[a] Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” 39 And some of the Pharisees called to Him from the crowd, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.” 40 But He answered and said to them, “I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out.” Jesus Weeps over Jerusalem 41 Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, 42 saying, “If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. 43 For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, 44 and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”– Jesus is herald with the words, “Hosanna” as he enters the city. What is interesting is how the book leads us to the crucifixion. Integrated throughout the whole book of Luke is the issue of salvation. It was about Jesus who touched ordinary people. Throughout the book of Luke, Jesus touched disinherited people.
    2. Apocalyptic sayings (Luke 21:11, 21:18, 21:25, 21:26, 21:28, 21:34-36)
    3. 11 And there will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilences; and there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven. 18 But not a hair of your head shall be lost. The Coming of the Son of Man 25 “And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; 26 men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 28 Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.” The Importance of Watching 34 “But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. 35 For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy[a] to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
  • The Passion and the Resurrection (Luke 22:14-24) Jesus Institutes the Lord’s Supper 14 When the hour had come, He sat down, and the twelve[a] apostles with Him. 15 Then He said to them, “With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; 16 for I say to you, I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” 17 Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, “Take this and divide it among yourselves; 18 for I say to you,[b] I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” 19 And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 20 Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you. 21 But behold, the hand of My betrayer is with Me on the table. 22 And truly the Son of Man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!” 23 Then they began to question among themselves, which of them it was who would do this thing. The Disciples Argue About Greatness 24 Now there was also a dispute among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest.

 

 

   III.      Luke’s Message of Salvation 

  1. Matthew ends with Jesus telling the disciples to go into the world and baptize. Mark says he saw Jesus ascending. Luke says something totally different. He says to the disciples, “ you are witnesses to these things…” Luke 24: 48-49 says 48 And you are witnesses of these things. 49 Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem[i] until you are endued with power from on high.” – Notice the word promise is capitalized for a reason. Jesus said go into world and carry this message out, but he also says don’t leave Jerusalem without power. When you read Luke and Acts, then you see that the power that Jesus was talking about, came to them. This power you will hear more about in the gospel of John.
  2. Mathew, Mark, Luke, John is written in such a way that it is in a progression of levels. Matthew is like having a High school diploma, Mark is like have a Bachelor’s degree, Luke is like having a Master’s Degree, and John is like have a PhD

 

 

 

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Study of the 4 Gospels Part II, Bible Study 07/20/16

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The Gospel of Mark

Synopsis of Bible Study 07/20/16

Delivered by Bishop Walker II

  1. Introduction of the Gospel of Mark
  2. Know that Mark is really the first gospel. The gospels are not listed in chronological order.
  3. Mark gives the earliest account of Jesus Christ.
  4. Mark focuses on bringing in the kingdom of God. It was another way of thinking and another way of doing the things of God.
  5. Mark’s account begins with the Ministry of Jesus. The other three gospels begin with Jesus’ birth.
  6. Mark starts with Jesus’ rebirth or in other words, his baptism.
  7. Once Jesus is baptized, he is driven into the wilderness, according to Mark’s account.
    1. Mathew gives detail of the wilderness, but Mark just mentions this.
  8. After the wilderness, Mark swiftly moves into His Ministry that begins in Galilee.
  9. From this place, amazing things happen.

 

  1. The Ministry of Jesus
    1. A Synopsis of the Teaching Ministry of Jesus
  2. John the Baptist was preaching repentance in the wilderness. Jesus expanded on this teaching and says repent, but he adds, “Know that Kingdom of God is at hand”.
  3. Mark 11: 15 (NKJV) says 15 So they came to Jerusalem. Then Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. – Gods order is about to be established here in the scripture. Jesus is ushering in a new way of doing things.
  4. Jesus begins to rise in fame. People began to see him perform miracles. Jesus cast out unclean spirits, healed Peter’s mother-n-law, cleansed lepers, and afterwards, people started talking about it.
    1. Mark 1:45 Mark 1:45(NIV) 45 Instead he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news. As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him from everywhere.- Jesus could no longer enter the city without notice. His popularity begins to grow. There is a problem with popularity sometimes. When a crowd is getting larger and miracles happen, often the narrative gets lost.
  5. Jesus walked daily toward his purpose. He came to sacrifice his life, free us from sin, and take authority over the death and the grave.
    1. In Mark chapters 2 -5 we see the expansion of Jesus’ ministry. As his fame begins to grow, Jesus knew people would begin to want to know who he was.
    2. Mark 3:31-35(NIV) 31 Then Jesus’ mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. 32 A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, “Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you.” 33 “Who are my mother and my brothers?” he asked. 34 Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 35 Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”- Jesus is expanding something. He tears down walls. He brings forth another kingdom identity. He wanted them to understand that in the kingdom, your brother and sisters are those that do the will of the father. This is why even today, people refer to each other as “Brother John” or “Sister Jane”, in the church.
    3. The Call for Disciples
  6. After being tempted, Jesus teaches that God will do a new thing. In Mark 1:16-20 (NKJV) it says 16 And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. 17 Then Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” 18 They immediately left their nets and followed Him.19 When He had gone a little farther from there, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the boat mending their nets. 20 And immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went after Him. – Jesus first found disciples. He enlisted disciples. He is a stranger to them, but they were willing to leave what they were doing to follow him.
  7. There were two brothers in the ship with their father Zebedee. They left their fathers ship and he didn’t even protest. Just like this, when God calls you, we have to be willing to step out and the people that we are with should be willing to release us to what God called us to do.
  8. Jesus says he would change their nature. He found them fishing, He was going to keep them fishing, but he decided to take what they were doing and change it to bless God. He made them fishers of men.
  9. When Jesus gets popular, people start following Him.

III.           The Message of Jesus

  1. Jesus’ Rise to Fame
  2. Jesus healed the demon possessed man, the woman with the issue of blood, and Jairus’ daughter.
  3. Jesus gets off the boat and Jairus meets Him telling him that his daughter is sick and he got Jesus to follow him. The woman with the issue of blood was in the crowd on the way to Jairus’ house.
  4. Dr William Lain writes, “People come to Jesus, not because of his dignity and function, but merely because there a miracle worker is in their midst…” – In other words, they are really losing sight that he came for them. We can’t allow presents to make us loose focus of God’s presence. What good does it do for God to open your eyes from blindness and you still cannot see?
  5. Everywhere Jesus went, people begged him to heal them.
    1. Thing Jesus did.
      1. Feeding of the five thousand- He took what they had, multiplied it, and everyone was filled. If that wasn’t enough, they had some leftovers.
      2. Everything Jesus is doing from the time he first chose his disciples, is didactic. He was training them.
  • Jesus performed miracles in Chapter 5 and he fed the multitude in Chapter 6.
  1. In Mark 6: 45, Jesus tells them to go in boat to other side of the sea and he would go up on the mount to pray. A storm came and Jesus comes walking to them on the water. They are afraid and they thought He was a ghost.
  1. In Mark 6:50, Jesus tells them not to be afraid. It is miracle miracle, then a test. In other words, Jesus would show them something, show them something, and then test them. He wanted to see their preparedness. He wanted to know where they were.
  2. What is the test? They followed a stranger. Jesus taught the disciples and they saw every miracle. Now, he tells them to get in boat and go to other side, but when He comes in the storm, they don’t recognize him. It’s funny how we know who him when it is for somebody else, but when it is our storm, we get amnesia. Why don’t we know God and his power when we go through our own storm?
    1. Jesus was making them aware that they were fearful, because they have no faith.

 

  1. The Miracles of Jesus
  1. The healing s of Gennesaret
  2. Mark 6:52-53 (NKJV) says 52 For they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened. 53 When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret and anchored there. 54 And when they came out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him, 55 ran through that whole surrounding region, and began to carry about on beds those who were sick to wherever they heard He was. 56 Wherever He entered, into villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched Him were made well. – In the storm, those closest to Jesus didn’t recognize Him. When He got to the other side of the sea (remembering that he had sent them ahead on the boat), people with need of him, recognized him. There was no social media in this day and there was no daily news, but people knew who he was.
  3. In Chapter 5, there is a woman who said, if she could touch the hem of his garment, she knew she will be made well. Jesus is trying to show that miracles require intimacy with him.
  4. In Chapter 7, here is the daughter of the Syro-Phoenician woman. She requested that Jesus cast a demon out of her daughter. The woman answered and said, in Mark 7:28 (NKJV) 28 And she answered and said to Him, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs under the table eat from the children’s crumbs.”- It is a statement of gratitude. Mark 7:29 (NKJV) says 29  Then He said to her, “For this saying go your way; the demon has gone out of your daughter.” 30 And when she had come to her house, she found the demon gone out, and her daughter lying on the bed. – She got a revelation. Jesus sent her home, because he wanted her to know that what she came from had already been done.
  5. Remember there was miracle, miracle, and then a test. There was the healing of the deaf man and the healing of the blind man and then in Chapter 9 there is a test.
  6. The test is found in Mark 9:29. The boy has a dumb spirit. He doesn’t talk, he foams at the mouth. The father brings the boy to Jesus. He first took the boy to the disciples, but they were unable to cast the spirit out. The father presses on. It is a revelation, to the disciples showing them that they were not ready yet. If they were ready, this issue would have never gotten to Jesus.
    1. It’s really about the father. Jesus asks how long the boy had been like this and father says, “Since he was child”. The father realizes by saying that, Jesus already knew the answer. As a result, the father says, “Have mercy on us”. The father realized that the problem in him is problem in himself too.
    2. Jesus asks what has happened and tells of all thing that boy does. Jesus says to him, “All things are possible to them that believe… “The father tells Jesus that he believes, but he asks Jesus to help his unbelief (found in verse 28).
    3. Jesus gives a revelation to the father and the disciples. Jesus calls the spirit out. Jesus calls the spirit a deaf and dumb The devil is controlling what the boy hears and this is the boy can’t talk.
  7. Disciple wanted to know why they couldn’t cast the demon out and Jesus reminded them that some things come only through fasting and praying. He is trying to teach the disciples to pray.
  8. The healing of Blind Bartimaeus
    1. In Mark 10:46-47, Blind Bartimaeus was passing by and he asks Jesus to have mercy on him. He skips the disciples and goes right to Jesus and as a result, Blind Bartimaeus got his miracles.
  9. The Casting Out of an Unclean Spirit (Mark 1:21-28)
  10. Mark 1:21-28 (NKJV) says 21 Then they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught. 22 And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. 23 Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit. And he cried out,  24 saying, “Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!”25 But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet, and come out of him!”  26 And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him.  27 Then they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? What new doctrine is this? For with authority[a] He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him.”  28 And immediately His fame spread throughout all the region around Galilee.
  11. The Healing of Peter’s Mother-n-Law (Mark 1:29-31)
    1. Mark 1:29-31 (NKJV) 29 Now as soon as they had come out of the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30 But Simon’s wife’s mother lay sick with a fever, and they told Him about her at once.  31 So He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and immediately the fever left her. And she served them.
  12. The Cleansing of a Leper (Mark 1:40-44)
    1. Mark 1:40-44 (NKJV) 40 Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.”41 Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.” 42 As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed.  43 And He strictly warned him and sent him away at once,  44 and said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”
  13. Feeding of the Five Thousand (Mark 6:30-44)
    1. Mark 6:30-44 (NKJV) 30 Then the apostles gathered to Jesus and told Him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught. 31 And He said to them, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.  32 So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves. 33 But the multitudes[a] saw them departing, and many knew Him and ran there on foot from all the cities. They arrived before them and came together to Him.  34 And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So He began to teach them many things.  35 When the day was now far spent, His disciples came to Him and said, “This is a deserted place, and already the hour is late.  36 Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy themselves bread;[b] for they have nothing to eat.”37 But He answered and said to them, “You give them something to eat.”And they said to Him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give them something to eat?”38 But He said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.”And when they found out they said, “Five, and two fish.”39 Then He commanded them to make them all sit down in groups on the green grass.  40 So they sat down in ranks, in hundreds and in fifties.  41 And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and the two fish He divided among them all.  42 So they all ate and were filled.  43 And they took up twelve baskets full of fragments and of the fish.  44 Now those who had eaten the loaves were about[c] five thousand men.
  14. Jesus Walks on the Sea (Mark 6:45-52)
    1. Mark 6:45-52 (NKJV) Jesus Walks on the Sea 45 Immediately He made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while He sent the multitude away. 46 And when He had sent them away, He departed to the mountain to pray.  47 Now when evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea; and He was alone on the land.  48 Then He saw them straining at rowing, for the wind was against them. Now about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea, and would have passed them by.  49 And when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed it was a ghost, and cried out;  50 for they all saw Him and were troubled. But immediately He talked with them and said to them, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.”  51 Then He went up into the boat to them, and the wind ceased. And they were greatly amazed in themselves beyond measure, and marveled.  52 For they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened.
  15. The Healings at Gennesaret (Mark 6:53-56)
    1. Mark 6:53-56(NKJV) Many Touch Him and Are Made Well 53 When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret and anchored there. 54 And when they came out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him,  55 ran through that whole surrounding region, and began to carry about on beds those who were sick to wherever they heard He was.  56 Wherever He entered, into villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched Him were made well.
  16. The Healing of the Daughter of the Syro-Phoenician Woman (Mark 7:24-30)
    1. Mark 7:24-30 (NKJV) A Gentile Shows Her Faith 24 From there He arose and went to the region of Tyre and Sidon.[a] And He entered a house and wanted no one to know it, but He could not be hidden. 25 For a woman whose young daughter had an unclean spirit heard about Him, and she came and fell at His feet.  26 The woman was a Greek, a Syro-Phoenician by birth, and she kept asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter.  27 But Jesus said to her, “Let the children be filled first, for it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.” 28 And she answered and said to Him, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs under the table eat from the children’s crumbs.”29 Then He said to her, “For this saying go your way; the demon has gone out of your daughter.”30 And when she had come to her house, she found the demon gone out, and her daughter lying on the bed.
  17. The Healing of the Deaf-Mute Man (Mark 7:31-37)
    1. Mark 7:31-37 (NKJV) Jesus Heals a Deaf-Mute 31 Again, departing from the region of Tyre and Sidon, He came through the midst of the region of Decapolis to the Sea of Galilee. 32 Then they brought to Him one who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech, and they begged Him to put His hand on him.  33 And He took him aside from the multitude, and put His fingers in his ears, and He spat and touched his tongue.  34 Then, looking up to heaven, He sighed, and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” 35 Immediately his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was loosed, and he spoke plainly.  36 Then He commanded them that they should tell no one; but the more He commanded them, the more widely they proclaimed it.  37 And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He makes both the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.”
  18. The Feeding of the Four Thousand (Mark 8:1-10)
    1. Mark 8:1-10 (NKJV) Feeding the Four Thousand 8 In those days, the multitude being very great and having nothing to eat, Jesus called His disciples to Him and said to them, 2 “I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat.  3 And if I send them away hungry to their own houses, they will faint on the way; for some of them have come from afar.”4 Then His disciples answered Him, “How can one satisfy these people with bread here in the wilderness?” 5 He asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” And they said, “Seven.” 6 So He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. And He took the seven loaves and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and they set them before the multitude.  7 They also had a few small fish; and having blessed them, He said to set them also before them.  8 So they ate and were filled, and they took up seven large baskets of leftover fragments.  9 Now those who had eaten were about four thousand. And He sent them away,  10 immediately got into the boat with His disciples, and came to the region of Dalmanutha.
  19. The Healing of a Blind Man (Mark 8:22-26)
    1. Mark 8:22-26 (NKJV) A Blind Man Healed at Bethsaida 22 Then He came to Bethsaida; and they brought a blind man to Him, and begged Him to touch him. 23 So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town. And when He had spit on his eyes and put His hands on him, He asked him if he saw anything. 24 And he looked up and said, “I see men like trees, walking.” 25 Then He put His hands on his eyes again and made him look up. And he was restored and saw everyone clearly.  26 Then He sent him away to his house, saying, “Neither go into the town, nor tell anyone in the town.”[a]
  20. The Healing of the Boy with Seizures (Mark 9:14-29)
    1. Mark 9:14-29 (NKJV) A Boy Is Healed 14 And when He came to the disciples, He saw a great multitude around them, and scribes disputing with them. 15 Immediately, when they saw Him, all the people were greatly amazed, and running to Him, greeted Him.  16 And He asked the scribes, “What are you discussing with them?”17 Then one of the crowd answered and said, “Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit.  18 And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not.” 19 He answered him and said, “O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me.”  20 Then they brought him to Him. And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth. 21 So He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood.  22 And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” 23 Jesus said to him, “If you can believe,[a] all things are possible to him who believes.” 24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”25 When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it: “Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!”  26 Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, “He is dead.”  27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. 28 And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” 29 So He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.”[b]
  21. The Healing of Blind Bartimaeus (Mark 10:46-52)
    1. Mark 10:46-52 (NKJV) Jesus Heals Blind Bartimaeus 46 Now they came to Jericho. As He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the road begging. 47 And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 48 Then many warned him to be quiet; but he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 49 So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called. Then they called the blind man, saying to him, “Be of good cheer. Rise, He is calling you.” 50 And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus. 51 So Jesus answered and said to him, “What do you want Me to do for you?”The blind man said to Him, “Rabboni, that I may receive my sight.”52 Then Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road.
  22. The Messiah Revealed
  23. Jesus deliberately revealed himself. He told his disciples to bring the tied donkey in the town. Jesus starts riding through Holy City of Jerusalem. These people who were the benefactors of his ministry were the one that called him Messiah. The Scribes and Pharisees are angered by this.
  24. In Chapter 15:11, he turns over the tables in the temple. You might ask at what point they wanted to kill Jesus. It wasn’t the miracles, because the miracles could have been refuted. What really got the Scribes and Pharisees was when Jesus messed with their money, when he broke up the activity in the temple.
    1. To prove it, read Acts 16. When Paul and Silas were on their journey they ran into the fortune telling woman. Paul cast the spirit out and at that point, her masters started falsely accusing them of false teaching and they ended up in jail. They were angered because after Paul and Silas cast the spirit out of her, her masters could no longer able to exploit

 

  1. The Manifestation of Resurrection and the Promise
    1. In Chapter 12 of Mark, you see the apocalyptic discourse. In Chapter 13, Jesus stressed to the disciples he would be with them always.
    2. In Mark 13:1-13, it speaks of the end of days.
    3. Finally in Chapter16, we see the begging of “the Passion”. Jesus dies. Mark shows us the final days of Jesus. He doesn’t leave u us like Mathew with the Great Commission. Mark said he saw him Jesus ascend. In Mark 16:19-20 we see that the disciples went out and preached everywhere.
    4. Mark ends by saying that Jesus is up there at the right hand of father, but for those doing sign and wonders, don’t worry, because they won’t do so without Him.
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The Four Gospels Series, Bible Study 07/13/16

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The Gospel of Matthew

Synopsis of Bible Study 07/13/16

Delivered by Bishop Walker III

 

  1. Introduction to the Gospel of Matthew

First, there is a term we use called synoptic. The first part of this word is “syn” which means together. The second part of the word is “optic” which means to see. When you put this two parts together they mean, “see together”, so synoptic means to see together.

Matthew, Mark, and Luke are all part of the synoptic gospels. The book of John on the other hand is not.

The gospel of Matthew

  1. This is the first book of the New Testament that draws from the Old Testament Prophesies.
  2. Mathew starts by giving us a genealogy of Christ through 42 generations. When reading the book of Matthew, many people may have skipped this thinking that this was not important. It is important, however, to understand that there is revelation, context, and information in the genealogy of Christ. Christ’s genealogy ties in Jesus when he was on the way and how he got here. Looking at this genealogy is like looking through your family tree through your father’s and grandfather’s side of the family.
  3. Remember in the beginning of days, man sinned and as a result, Adam and Eve got thrown out of the Garden. Earth failed and was destroyed by the flood and only Noah and his family was spared. Later, God established a new covenant with mankind starting with Abraham when he said that he would make his name great. This would make Abraham the first new patriarch.
  4. The genealogy found in the book of Mathew speaks of Jesus Christ the son of David and the son of Abraham found in Matthew 1:1.
    • Know that the word “begot” written in the genealogy means “had a child named…”
    • If you will remember, Jacob wanted Racheal, but was tricked into marrying However, the blessing came through Leah. Leah was the one that conceived Judah. Leah had been naming her children with names that had certain meanings, trying to gain Jacob’s love. Judah meant praise and Leah name her child this after she had decided to give God praise rather than continue to try to gain Jacobs true love. If you will note, Judah is mentioned in the genealogy, because it proved to be a name of importance as you will see later on. Matthew 1:2 NKJV) says Abraham begot Isaac, Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot Judah and his brothers.
    • Judah is mentioned again in the blood line of Jesus. Matthew 1:3 (NKJV) Judah begot Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez begot Hezron, and Hezron begot Ram.
    • Rahab was a prostitute, but she was mentioned in the She was known for hiding the spies of God when the children of Israel were trying to overtake the Promised Land. Salman and Rehab had a child named Boaz who is also mentioned in the begots. Boaz was a wealthy man with valuable land. Matthew 1:5 (NKJV) Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse,
      • Boaz ends up marrying Ruth and they had a child named Obed also mentioned in the begots. Even though Boaz was prosperous, his mother was a This shows that God can still do great things with you no matter where you came from.
      • Obed was the father of Jesse who had a son name David who became the king of Israel. Crossed eyed Leah that was rejected gave birth to David whose bloodline eventually begot Jesus, the stone that was that was rejected. Matthew 1:1 (NKJV) 1 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham:

 

  1. Understanding the Book of Matthew
  2. Discourse One: The Sermon on the Mount (Chapters 5-7)
  • In Chapter 3, Matthew discloses that Jesus was baptized.
  • In Chapter 4, Jesus was tempted in wilderness after being baptized, then He started his ministry. This is revelation for us to know that we will be tempted, but if we survive, we will be used on many levels.
  • Matthew 5:1-2 says (NKJV) 5 And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying: – Jesus ascended into the mountains and began to teach the disciples. These teachings came to be called the beatitudes.
  • Jesus went into synagogues preaching and teaching. Jesus recruits 12 men who became disciples. He takes 12 disciples with him when he began teaching the gospel which was a new way of thinking.
  • Jesus began healing people. Things began to happen in the temple that had never happened before. Multitudes follow Him because He’s healing people and teaching things that have never been taught before.

 

The Beatitudes – Here Jesus is setting a new mindset and a new culture.

The beatitudes found in Matthew 5:3-12 (NKJV) says

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
For they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
For they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
For they shall be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
For they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
For they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
For they shall be called sons of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

After the beatitudes, Matthew in chapters 6-12 contains road maps for people to follow.

It speaks on thinks like:

  1. The Salt of the earth
  2. The Light of the world
  3. Loving your enemy
  4. The Model prayer – It’s a model, meaning your prayer should contain the elements found in this prayer.
  5. Ask, seek, and knock– Matthew 7:7 (NKJV) says Keep Asking, Seeking, Knocking

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. – Here Jesus is setting the disciples up to understand what they may need later on.

After chapter 7, the sermon on the mount is over. Wonder how the disciples felt hearing Jesus speak on things that were never spoken of before? Matthew 7:28-29 (NKJV) says 28 And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, 29 for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.- The disciples were blown away, because they realized Jesus has something that people before him never had.

There is an undercurrent happening in book of Matthew. Here comes a new guy (Jesus) that people are running after. Now he is preaching the Kingdom of God.

  1. Discourse Two: Preaching of the Kingdom (Chapter 10)
  • Jesus is not telling the disciples stuff for them to just sit. All of his teaching was so he could send them out knowing that they would be rejected.
  • In chapter 10, Mathew opens up about Jesus sending the disciples out. Matthew 10:5-14 (NKJV) These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying: “Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans. But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead,[a] cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. Provide neither gold nor silver nor copper in your money belts, 10 nor bag for your journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor staffs; for a worker is worthy of his food. 11 “Now whatever city or town you enter, inquire who in it is worthy, and stay there till you go out. 12 And when you go into a household, greet it. 13 If the household is worthy, let your peace come upon it. But if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. 14 And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet. –
  1. Discourse Three: Mysteries of the Kingdom (Chapter 13)
  2. Jesus makes a shift here. He talks and teaches in parables.
  3. Jesus gives parables to reveal mysteries. Parables are earthly stories with spiritual meanings.

Here are the parables Jesus taught.

  • The Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13: 1-9)
  • The Parable of the Wheat and the Tares (Matthew 13:24-30) – Here Jesus says let the bad stuff and the good stuff grow up together. If we try to separate the bad from the good now, we might harm it. He says let the harvester separate them at the time of harvest.
  • The Parable of the Mustard Seed (Matthew 13:31-32)
  • The Parable of the Leaven (Matthew 13:33)
  • The Parable of the Tares (Matthew 13:36-43)
  • The Parable of the Hidden Treasure (Matthew 13:44)
  • The Parable of the Pearl of Great Price (Matthew 13:45)
  • The Parable of the Net (Matthew 13:47-52) – In
  1. Jesus healed the sick, fed the hungry, and confronted his haters.
  2. Jesus spoke of his death for the first time. Matthew 16:21 (NKJV) says 21 From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.- Jesus tells them that he will be killed and raised on the 3rd Imagine as a disciple of Christ, hearing this for the first time. Remember they were fisherman by trade.
    1. Matthew 16:22 (NKJV) says 22 Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!”- Peter began to rebuke Jesus. He could not imagine this happing to this person that they had been following all this time. Peter was not thinking spiritually.
  • Matthew 16:23 (NKJV) says 23 But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.” – Why would Jesus say this to Peter? There are people that mean well, but the devil causes them to say the wrong thing.
  1. Jesus goes to the mountain in Chapter 17 and transfigures himself and He, Moses, and Elijah appeared together talking. Peter says, “Maybe we should build an altar for Jesus, Elijah, and Moses”. There again, Peter speaks out of turn. Peter represents the person that has his mouth into drive in and his brain into park.
  2. Discourse Four: Application of Kingdom Principles to the Church (Chapter 18)
  3. Greatness in the Kingdom and Humility (Matthew 18:1-4) – You may be big in the church, but you are small in the kingdom. Who Is the Greatest? Matthew 18:1-4 (NKJV) says 18 At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
  4. The Parable of the Lost Sheep (Matthew 18:10-14) – Never get so big that you aren’t concerned about that one that got away. Matthew 18:10-14 (NKJV) The Parable of the Lost Sheep 10 “Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven. 11 For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.[a] 12 “What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying? 13 And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. 14 Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.
  5. Dealing with a Sinning Brother (Matthew 18:15-19) – In the Old Testament, you would do back whatever had been done to you. – This is called conflict resolution. Dealing with a Sinning Brother Matthew 18:15-19 (NKJV) says 15 “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’[a] 17 And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector. 18 “Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. 19 “Again I say[b] to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. –
    1. If you have an issue with your brother, you are supposed to go to them alone and try to resolve it. This does not mean air it out on Facebook or Twitter.
    2. If this does not work, then the scripture says we are supposed to bring the leadership of the church in. Get a Deacon or a Pastor as a third-party listener to try to resolve the conflict.
    3. If this doesn’t work, then you let it be! May the Lord watch between me while we are absent one from another, Amen.
  6. All of Chapter 18 tells of how Jesus teaches what ministry is about. It is about the least and last. It’s about pouring out to the lost. Just because the disciples were following Jesus, it didn’t mean that they weren’t human. They had to be taught what was right and what was wrong.
    1. Imagine fishing and this man comes up and says to you, “I will make you fishers of men”. Imagine in addition he says, “Follow me”. When they follow him, they start to see stuff happening when He preaches and now people start following him.
    2. After this, our human tendencies start to show up. We start to think, we were the first to be chosen (making us special). The natural tendency then is to get off mission. Politics and personality come in and you forget what the whole thing is about. We have to remember that it was never about us, it was always about the will of the Father.

Seven Woes to the Scribes and Pharisees (Chapter 23):

  • Verse 13 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!
  • Verse 14 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!
  • Verse 15 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!
  • Verse 23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!
  • Verse 25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!
  • Verse 27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!
  • Verse 29 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!

Matthew 23:13-29 (NKJV) says 13 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. 14 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.[a] 15 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves. 16 “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obliged to perform it.’ 17 Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies[b] the gold? 18 And, ‘Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obliged to perform it.’ 19 Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift? 20 Therefore he who swears by the altar, swears by it and by all things on it. 21 He who swears by the temple, swears by it and by Him who dwells[c] in it. 22 And he who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by Him who sits on it. 23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. 24 Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel! 25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence.[d] 26 Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also. 27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. 28 Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. 29 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, – One day Jesus decided to express his disgust publicly to the Scribes and Pharisees inside the temple.  Jesus scolds the Scribes and Pharisees for trying to be one who tells people who will get into heaven and those that will not. He asks them who are they to tell who can get in and who can’t. He even brings out that they tell people that they are one thing, when they are not. In fact, Jesus calls them hypocrites. Jesus points out that they are so focused on stuff in temple, that they can’t give glory to the One that made the temple. In addition, Jesus rebuked them for paying tithes, because they were doing it wrong. He points out that they try to look good on outside while all the while being dirty on the inside.

  1. Discourse Five: Implications of the Kingdom for the Last Days and Final Judgement (Chapters 24-25)
  2. Matthew 24- One thing about Jesus is he was human as well as divine. Jesus had a pe He experienced everything we endure now, except he endured it without sinning.
  3. In Matthew 23:37-39 Jesus talks about the end of time. Jesus Laments over Jerusalem. Matthew 23:37-39 (NKJV) says 37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! 38 See! Your house is left to you desolate; 39 for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ”[a Imagine hearing of the messiah coming. He comes in unconventional way and now that you got him, he talks about dying and that the world is going to end, but he’s coming back.
  4. No one knows when Jesus is coming back. Matthew 24:36 (NKJV) says 36 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven,[a] but My Father only.

 

III. The Crucifixion and the Birth of Christianity (Chapters 26-28)

  1. Without birth and resurrection, there is no Christianity. We must know that the crucifixion has nothing to do with Christianity Crucifixion was just part of roman cultural. What makes Christianity different from any normal crucifixion is Jesus rose. In fact crosses with Jesus on them might not be considered theologically correct, because it is the empty cross that is symbolic that Jesus is not on the cross any longer. He has risen.
  2. It is worthy to note that text in red found in the bible, means Jesus said it. What Jesus spoke in the text listed next came to be known as the Great Commission. Matthew 28:16-20 (NKJV) 16 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. 17 When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore[a] and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” [b] – There were 11 disciples at this time, because Judas killed himself. Jesus told them that all authority had been given to him in heaven and in the earth.
  3. Remember when Adam and Eve sinned, the devil had authority on the earth after that, because Adam and Eve lost it. This meant from now on, mankind would suffer death. Jesus dies and when he is resurrected, he takes authority back over death and the grave. As a result, when people are in Christ and pass away, they don’t die, they sleep. Jesus has authority over two dimensions, heaven and the earth.
  4. Jesus told the disciples to go and make disciples. In other words, they were to make more of their own kind. He told them to baptize them in the name of Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.
  5. In verses 19-20 Jesus also lets the disciples know that after they baptize people, teach them all that He had commanded them. Teach them that it won’t be easy and that they will be rejected in his name. He wanted them to know that though they would encounter difficulty, low he would be with them, even to the end of time.

 

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Purpose

Who are we? Most fruit is not known for its outside. It is known for the contents that lie within. We don’t eat banana peels and we don’t eat the outside of a watermelon. It is not until you pull back the banana peel, cut away the outer layer of a watermelon, or peel the peelings off of the orange that we enjoy the essence of what the fruit really is. This is how most of us are. We hide behind our protective covering and never reveal what is inside us. This means the world never gets to see what we were created to do.

 

On the other hand, you have grapes, apples, and strawberries that offer their whole essence at face value. You don’t have to peel anything back or cut anything away to benefit from what they were created to do. This type of fruit represents the person that walks in his or her purpose. Like the grape, the apple, and the strawberry, we have to put our all into our purpose and not hold back. Whatever is inside you must be freely given so that the world can benefit from what you were put here to do.

 

Step out from your protective covering and walk into your God given purpose!

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