To Us a Son is Given

My purpose today, on this final Sunday before Christmas, is to simply present and marvel over a number of prophecies from the Old Testament that point to Christ. Before doing this, however, I thought it would be good just to talk a little about interpreting Scripture – in particular, about interpreting prophetic Scripture.

One thing I have thought about is the issue of word ambiguity. In all languages, including English, words often have multiple meanings, and sometimes even the immediate context is not enough to isolate the intended meaning. For example, if somebody says, “Have you seen John? He’s blue,” this might mean that John is sad, or it might mean that John stayed out in the cold too long, or it might mean that John almost drowned, or it might even mean that John is a great fan of Duke basketball.

Sometimes people are intentionally ambiguous about words. This is the basis of most puns. It is funny, or at least attention getting, when one does this. Reading through the Bible, it quickly becomes clear that God loves to do this. The Bible is filled with words that have double meanings, words that sound like other words, and so on. Just one of countless examples:

Hearts Burning

Luke 24:13-53

This week we come to the end of our series on Luke, begun back in January. It has been quite a journey for me personally, and I hope it has been a good journey for you. Last week we read how, on the third day after Jesus’ shocking and unimaginably terrible death, some of the women disciples went to the site of the tomb and found, wonder of wonders, the large stone rolled away and the body of Jesus missing. Then two shining angels, after no doubt frightening them half to death, asked them “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; He has risen!” The women went back and told this to the disciples, who did not believe it. Luke tells us that Peter went back to the tomb to look for himself; indeed, the stone was rolled away, and the body was gone, but there was no sign of the angels. Peter left, wondering what had happened.

We now come to one of my very favorite passages in the entire Bible.

Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus Himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing Him. – Luke 24:13-16

The Grave Cannot Hold Me

Luke 23:50 - 24:12

Last week we read in Luke of the death of Jesus – His trials and His brutal flogging, His being ridiculed and mocked, His carrying His cross and needing assistance, His words of prophecy to the women following behind Him, His crucifixion, His prayer that His Father would forgive those involved because they did not know what they were doing, the casting lots for His clothing, the sign saying “This is the King of the Jews,” His discussion with the two criminals being crucified on His left and right, His final words, and His death. Luke 23:49 mentioned that those who knew Jesus watched all this from a distance.

Now there was a man named Joseph, a member of the Council, a good and upright man, who had not consented to their decision and action. He came from the Judean town of Arimathea and he was waiting for the kingdom of God. Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus' body. Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen cloth and placed it in a tomb cut in the rock, one in which no one had yet been laid. It was Preparation Day, and the Sabbath was about to begin. – Luke 23:50-54

Do Not Weep for Me

Luke 23:1-49

We are rapidly coming to the end of the book of Luke, which we have been going through line by line all year, and with it, we are even more rapidly coming to the end of Jesus’ life. Last week we read how Jesus was arrested in the garden at the Mount of Olives at night, betrayed by Judas. We saw Peter strike a servant’s ear with a sword, and then we saw Jesus miraculously heal him; yet, they went on with the arrest. Peter followed the group taking Jesus to the house of the chief priest, and we saw how Peter denied that he was with Jesus three times, just as Jesus had foretold. That night, Jesus was mocked and beaten by the men who were guarding Him. It says that they even blindfolded Jesus, struck Him, and then said, “Prophecy! Who struck you?”

I have been reflecting about that event this week, and I have also thought about a scene from the book of Acts (chapter 22) where the Apostle Paul is about to beaten, and then reveals that he is a Roman citizen. Everything immediately changes, because it is unlawful to do this – Roman citizens had many rights and privileges that the common person did not have.

I Am

Luke 23:35-71

We have been going through Luke line by line all year, and we are rapidly coming to the end of the book and the end of our journey in this series. Last week we talked about the Last Supper, where in the midst of a traditional Passover service, Jesus forever changed the meaning of it all by saying that we should take the cup and the bread in the future not especially in remembrance of the delivery of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, but in remembrance of Jesus. The former things were but foreshadows of the much greater things which were about to happen before the disciples’ very eyes. Jesus said of the bread, “this is My body, broken for you,” and of the cup, “this is My blood, poured out for you.”

Now Jesus had been trying to tell them that He would soon die, for quite some time. But in the past, Luke says the disciples didn’t understand any of it. Once, in response, Peter said, “surely not, Lord!” and Jesus responded, “get behind Me, Satan.” The disciples, I think, didn’t understand any of it because they didn’t want to understand any of it. They have been following Jesus for more than three years, now, and have come to love Him because of who He Is. He showed strength, majesty, holiness, righteousness, purity, love, kindness, compassion, mercy. He showed all the attributes of God because He was God. And yet, He was man. He hungered, He thirsted, He became tired – in short, He was 100% human, God in the flesh, subject to all the weaknesses and limits of the human body. He could feel pain, He could bleed, and He could die.

Last Words

Luke 22:1-28

Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread, called the Passover, was approaching, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some way to get rid of Jesus, for they were afraid of the people. – Luke 22:1-2

Over the past several weeks we have seen more and more signs that our year-long journey into the book of Luke is rapidly coming to an end. Jesus entered Jerusalem on the foal, or colt, of a donkey amid shouts of “Hosanna” and “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord,” and He knew that He was entering Jerusalem for the last time, in this life. As He looked down upon Jerusalem, He wept, because He knew it would not be long until it and its people were utterly destroyed. Last week, John taught from Luke 21, where Jesus gave more details about what He correctly foresaw would happen to Jerusalem. Jesus taught about signs of this as well as signs of His eventual return.

Signs of the End

Luke 21:5-38

As a recap, we are now in the final week before Jesus’ crucifixion. Carl taught three weeks ago on the triumphal entry of Christ. Jesus is now in Jerusalem. It is the Passover week. Pilgrims are coming from all over the world to celebrate in the Holy City. Jesus has been totally rejected by the leaders who are now actively seeking some way to kill him. We’ve also seen him cleanse the temple, drive out the money changers, and take authority in His Father's house. And He is teaching daily in the temple. The answers he gives are so filled with truth and authority that no one dares to ask him any more questions.

I want to take the scenic route to get into this passage today. I spent a considerable amount of time reading about the Temple. (In case you wanted to know what considerable means that means I spent too much time reading about the Temple.) But, I think it is helpful to understand some of the later verses regarding the destruction of Jerusalem.

Lord of the Living

Luke 20:27 - 21:4

As you can tell, our format is a little different today. In our remaining time, I want to briefly share some thoughts from our passage today in Luke, and then we will open up into a sharing time. I would like the first part of our sharing time to be a discussion of this passage, so as I share, don’t just take notes, but also write down any questions that occur to you or any thoughts you have that relate to this passage.

I want to start by giving a brief recap of where we have been in the past several weeks in Luke. The second half of Luke 19 commences with Jesus’ final entrance into Jerusalem, an entrance marked with contrasts – proclaimed with shouts of Hosannas to be a conquering King, and yet riding on a humble colt of a donkey. From here on, He is not going to leave the Jerusalem area – He has come here to fulfill His purpose; He has come here to die. Recall that He wept over Jerusalem because its people were blind to the truth of the things of God, and He wept because He foresaw the total destruction of Jerusalem.

Whose Authority?

Luke 20:1-26

Authority is an interesting thing. A few weeks ago I read about a police chief who decided not to prosecute evictions due to foreclosures on houses. My first thought was, “He can’t do that!” He doesn’t have the authority! Does he have the authority? It is an interesting question, one I am not going to try to answer today.

But I will point out that the chief is himself under authority. He was hired, and he can be fired. If he breaks laws, he can be arrested, tried, found guilty, and jailed just like any other person. To some degree, everyone is under authority. This is true for municipalities, for states, and for our federal government, at least it is supposed to be true for our federal government. Our founding fathers went to great lengths setting checks and balances on every facet of government, between the three branches of government, precisely so that everyone is under authority and no one can become a tyrant. In terms of the structure of our government, the founding fathers had no greater purpose than this. They did this because they believed with deepest conviction that people have rights that come straight from God, and no one should have the authority to infringe on those rights or take them away.

Coming in the Name

Luke 19:28-48

The opening part of our passage this week takes place at the Mount of Olives. The Mount of Olives is a mountain to the east of Jerusalem. It rises to about 2500 feet above sea level. Bethany and Bethphage lie near the foot of the mountain, and the garden of Gethsemane is on its western slope. In the Old Testament, The Mount of Olives is mentioned directly or clearly alluded to in II Samuel 15, in Ezekiel 11, Zechariah 14, I Kings 11, II Kings 23, and Nehemiah 8. In the New Testament, it is mentioned here (and in the parallel passages in the other gospels) and in Acts 1 – the latter because the Mount of Olives is the location in which Jesus, after His resurrection, ascended to heaven. In 70 AD, Roman soldiers from the 10th legion camped on the Mount during the Siege of Jerusalem, which ultimately led to the destruction of the city.

Because it is near Jerusalem, and because of prophecies concerning it, Jews have always sought to be buried on the mountain. From Biblical times to today, the mountain has been used by Jews as a cemetery. There are estimated to be 150,000 graves on the Mount, and tradition holds that Zechariah himself is buried there.

What Do You Want?

Luke 18: 31-43
Today is the final Sunday of the month, and so we will be partaking in the bread and the cup together, remembering the Lord Jesus and His sacrifice for us. We have been going through Luke line by line, and the passage we come to day is quite appropriate, as we shall see.

Before we look at today’s passage, however, I want to go back a bit to two previous situations described in Luke. Because we have already seen them in Luke, and because Mark’s gospel gives a bit more detail in each case, we will look at these passages in Mark. Here is the first passage:

What Must I Do?

Luke 18:1-30
“Hello, I’m calling about a research proposal that was approved 11 months ago, but no contract has yet been issued. Yes, I’ve called before.” My father owns a small business in California that primarily does chemistry research for the US government. Last October, at the start of the new fiscal year, he was approved on a fairly sizable research project by a project manager for a research office within the US government. These projects are highly competitive, as funds have become scarce, and being approved on such a project is a significant achievement. It means that a highly polished detailed research proposal has been prepared, and that it has gone out for review – both reviewed by people within the government and by peer reviews – and that it has risen to the top or near the top of the stack. After receiving notification of approval from the office of the project manager, it goes to a financial affairs/proposal procurement/federal compliance branch or agency, and one would expect that after a few weeks of going back and forth over contract details, the project is awarded and the funds become available. Well, maybe you would expect that – but after years of talking with my father, I would not expect that. It is always slower and more complicated than it should be.

The Coming Kingdom

Luke 17:20-37

On several occasions, I have been asked if I would do a series of teaching on the Book of Revelations. My answer has been that Revelations is probably the last book I would consider teaching on, because it is so confusing. It is powerful – the imagery is awesome, and it is every much as much a part of the infallible, inspired Word of God as is every other book of the Bible. In addition, we know that all of God’s Word is profitable to study, but I just feel overwhelmed when I imagine trying to teach a series on Revelations.

To be honest, there are three books of the Bible I tend to read differently from the others. For these three books, what I like to do is read the whole book at a single sitting. After I finish, I like to just sit back and reflect in general terms on what I have read. For these books I am much more comfortable just trying to get the big picture than I am about mining the book for meaning, line by line. If you are curious what these three books are, they are Job, the Song of Solomon, and Revelations. Now there is nothing wrong with reading books of the Bible in this fashion – in fact, I would say we should read the Bible in as many different ways as we can – use different translations, read large passages sometimes, sometimes read just a single verse, and so on. When we read the Bible, our goal should be to allow God to use it to transform our lives, and because of this, the last thing we want to do is fall into a rut.

Faith and Thanks

Luke 17:1-19

Well, a little more than a month ago, I promised not to “hold back” in my teachings. Our passage today from Luke 17 can really be broken into four hard-hitting sections. I am going to go through these one at a time, and I guess all I can say is that you should remember Hebrews 4:12:

For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. – Hebrews 4:12

In other words, prepare to be carved. Jesus’ teachings here are strong medicine. Are you ready? I would charge you with another verse, I Cor. 16:3b, which I really love in the King James version: Quit you like men, be strong! It is fascinating to me how over the centuries we have somehow turned the meaning of “quit” almost into the opposite of what it used to mean! The NIV says, “Be men of courage, be strong!” It is the opposite of quitting – it means to stand firm and take it. So get ready, don’t flinch, and let’s start with Verse 1:

Torment

Luke 16:16-31

Today, because it is the last Sunday of the month, we will have a shorter teaching followed by a time of communion and then a sharing time, where we all gather in a circle (or some shape that roughly approximates a circle) and share what the Lord has been teaching us in His word and what He has been doing in our lives.

I want to pose a question to you. Do you think God sees you as too permissive or too legalistic? Speaking for myself, I am pretty sure the answer is both. In some things I am probably too permissive, and in others too legalistic. I think most of us are like this. I was in an email forum this week that included a discussion of some Christian materials designed to teach character. One of the character qualities they cover is punctuality. I couldn’t figure out what was bothering me about this, apart from the part that their scriptural support was pretty sketchy, until someone pointed out two things: first, that in most cultures of the world, punctuality is not a priority at all – in many places, you are not really late until you are 3 or more hours late. The second problem with this is that they give equal time to other character qualities including love. In our culture, generally speaking, punctuality is very important, but our expectations for love, especially for sacrificial love, are minimal. (Punctuality may sometimes be an expression of love, but demanding punctuality can be an expression of selfishness.) Putting love and punctuality on the same platform is simultaneously being too permissive and too legalistic.

Two Masters

Luke 16:1-15

Most of our passage today relates, one way or another, to money. Money is a surprisingly major theme of the Bible, both the Old and New Testaments. Jesus talked a lot about money. In today’s passage, we will see some surprising statements about how to use and how not to use money. Let’s get right into the passage.

Jesus told his disciples: "There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions. So he called him in and asked him, 'What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.' The manager said to himself, 'What shall I do now? My master is taking away my job. I'm not strong enough to dig, and I'm ashamed to beg— I know what I'll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.' – Luke 16:1-4

Lost and Found

Luke 15:1-32

We’ll pick up today in the book of Luke in chapter 15.  We’re going to go through the whole chapter, all 32 verses.  So, we’ve got a lot of ground to cover.  This passage in Luke includes one of Jesus’ most famous parables, The Prodigal Son.  On the next slide is a painting of the prodigal son returning home.

This may be Jesus’ most famous parable.  The unconditional love and acceptance of the father warms our hearts and gives us hope.  The hardness of the older brother stands out as a stark reminder of what happens to us when we don’t stay close to the father.  Even though we know it well, it is good to read it and meditate on it again.

The Mystery

Luke 14:28-35

As promised, today is Mystery Sunday! So just what is Mystery Sunday? You shall soon find out. In preparation for the answer, I want to look at the end of Luke 14 as well as a few other verses that explain what this is all about. In our passage last week, the first part of Luke 14, we ended with the following verses:

Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them He said: "If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be My disciple. And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow Me cannot be My disciple. – Luke 14:25-27

We talked about last week how dying to self is really a non-optional part of the Christian life. But carrying your cross is about more than dying – it is also about living, as the next several verses show.

The Banquet

Luke 14:1-27

Have you ever been to a banquet so fancy that you feel awkward? You aren’t sure when to eat, which fork to use, and so on? Or if you are a parent with children, you and your family are invited to someone’s nice home and you worry not only about your behavior, but even more about those of your children? We had an experience like this during our recent trip to Florida. We were eating with strangers, and of all things, they served spaghetti with sauce made from scratch – the messiest meal known to man. I had known in advance they were serving spaghetti, but there was a formality to this occasion – their kids were so well behaved – and I hadn’t thought through the implications of a spaghetti meal – that as we sat down to dinner, well, let’s just say it was a stressful experience. When it comes to a stressful eating experience, though, it is hard to imagine something more intense than the meal described in Luke 14.

One Sabbath, when Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee, He was being carefully watched. There in front of Him was a man suffering from dropsy. Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in the law, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?" But they remained silent. So taking hold of the man, He healed him and sent him away. – Luke 14:1-4

O, Jerusalem!

 Luke 13:28-13:35

Last week we looked at the verses of Luke 13 immediately before verse 28, and it ended with Jesus’ image of a door to a house or courtyard as a picture of what is required for salvation. We talked about how the door was the only way in, how it was insufficient just to know about the door – you had to actually enter in, how the door was narrow, how once you have entered the door you are in once for all, and how the door will shut, and once it is shut, it will not be open again. Kristin mentioned a good point to me after the service – that a narrow door is one in which you have to go single file. You certainly can’t get in your fancy car, roll up the tinted windows, and have your driver drive you through the door! You alone have to do it. And as we talked about last week, the way we enter the door is through faith in Jesus Christ.

Repent or Perish

Luke 12:57 - 13:27

The title of my message this week is “Repent or Perish.” This is not a particularly pleasant title. Now when I create message titles, I simply try to find a few words that summarizes the gist of the entire passage; this week, “Repent or Perish” seemed to fit our verses from Luke 12 and 13 quite well. But I don’t normally give any thought to the fact that the message title will also be put on the sign outside. Gail called me about the title this week and asked if she could also put the verses in, which she did. She also jokingly suggested an alternative title: “Turn or Burn.”

One of the things I find really interesting about our passage this week is that what first looks like a series of independent little stories and events actually flows together into one grand sweeping theme. Hopefully you will see this as we go through these verses today. Now, last week, we made it as far as Luke 12:56. I want to go back a bit, to verse 54, because even the beginning of today’s passage flows from this previous passage.

Watchfulness

Luke 12:35-56 

Last week we heard part of a lengthy teaching Jesus was giving to a particular crowd recorded in the middle of Luke 12. There was an emphasis on two things, greed and worry. We also looked at some verses from Haggai 1 that looked as if it were written solely for us today. In this passage, God’s people were condemned for focusing on building their own fine houses while they left God’s house in ruins. I gave a challenging list of four Biblical purposes for money, derived from some materials by Mark Darling, a pastor in one of our sister churches:

1. Your money is to support you as God’s missionary and God’s servant to meet your needs.
2. Your money is for you to support God’s work on Earth, and in particular, the local church.
3. Your money is for you to win others and influence them for Christ.
4. Your money is to help God’s people in need.

Rich and Richer

Luke 12:13-34 

If you have been receiving emails from the church this week, you have been hearing about the crisis in Mongolia. Western media has hardly mentioned this at all, but Mongolia had national elections last week, and there were accusations of unfair practices at the ballot boxes. The accusations rose into a full scale riot. The party headquarters of one of the two major political parties was burned as was a cultural antiquities building that contained priceless artifacts. Several people were killed and hundreds were injured.

But there was something else going on that I found far more serious. Tom Terry is a Christian, an American living in Mongolia, who has been doing something I find really awesome for Christ. He has created a private, non-government TV news network that broadcasts throughout Mongolia called Eagle TV. Eagle TV provides unbiased news of Mongolia to Mongolians as well as producing a large number of Christian shows, mostly focused on teaching Mongolians the Bible. It is beginning to have a huge impact in Mongolia.

Do Not Fear

Luke 12:1-12, Psalm 145 

In a little while, we will remember the Lord through the bread and the cup and after this have a sharing time, where we all gather in a circle and anyone can share what the Lord has been showing and teaching them. First though, I would like to briefly say a few things about our passage for this week from Luke, chapter 12, verses 1 through 12. I then will have us read through Psalm 145 in preparation for remembering the Lord through the bread and the cup. Here is how Luke 12 begins:

Meanwhile, when a crowd of many thousands had gathered, so that they were trampling on one another, Jesus began to speak first to His disciples, saying: "Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs. – Luke 12:1-3

Hypocrisy

Luke 11:33-54 

I have titled today’s passage “Hypocrisy,” because that is a major theme of the verses we will investigate today. What is hypocrisy? A simple definition gives a hypocrite as a person who pretends to be better than he really is.

Even fairly young children learn pretty quickly how to be hypocrites. They love to point out when their siblings have done something wrong, and they love to ask questions like, “Why does he do it, Mommy? I would never do that!” But although children learn quickly how to be hypocrites, learning how to cover up for the hypocrisy of someone else is a talent that takes much longer to master. I think the following anonymous little story illustrates this quite well.

"One day when they had guests for dinner, Mother asked 4-year old Johnny to give thanks for the food. “But I don’t know what to say!” the boy complained. “Oh, just say what you hear me say,” his mother replied. Obediently the boy bowed his head and mumbled, “Oh, Lord, why did I invite these people over?”

Hear and Obey

Luke 11:14-32

Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute. When the demon left, the man who had been mute spoke, and the crowd was amazed. But some of them said, "By Beelzebub, the prince of demons, he is driving out demons." Others tested him by asking for a sign from heaven. – Luke 11:14-16

We have been going through the Gospel of Luke, line by line, chapter by chapter, and we have seen a lot of miracles. I think it is easy, over time, to become somewhat numb to reality of these events. For example, in this passage, it is really easy to skip over the miracle and move on into the discussion that follows without really appreciating what has just taken place. Let’s look at this miracle more closely.

We have a man who was mute, unable to speak. Based on this passage, we can say that this man had been mute for a very long time and was simply known as a mute man. Perhaps nobody in that crowd who knew this man could remember a time when this man could speak.

Why Pray?

Luke 11:1-13

Today, as we look at thirteen verses from the Book of Luke on prayer, I want to start with a somewhat provocative quotation:

“Anything worth doing is worth doing poorly.” – G. K. Chesterton

What do you think of it? On one hand, I totally agree with it – in many areas of life, it is better to do something poorly than to not do it at all. This is especially true for things we need to practice to become better at, such as playing the violin. In the history of the world, I think it is safe to say that everybody, even the world’s greatest violin virtuosi, started playing the violin by playing it poorly. And about 95% of us who worked at it for a while ended up playing better, but still rather poorly. The violin is a tough instrument to master.

Love Who?

Luke 10:21-42 

Verses 21 through 24 of Luke 10 are some of my favorite verses in the Bible. Let’s get right to it!

At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure. – Luke 10:21

Why is this one of my favorite passages? Because it says that Jesus is filled with joy at the thought of how simple, regular people come to faith. Although some people might conclude from the fact that I am a university professor that I might be wise and learned, when it comes to faith, I am a simple, regular person. I came to faith because simple, regular people prayed for me and shared Jesus’ love with me. To come to faith in Christ I had to renounce my own wisdom and wisdom of this world and admit that I didn’t have it all together. I had to admit that I was a pathetic sinner, addicted to sin. I had to admit my total need for and dependence on Jesus to save me. And even these truths were not things I came up with on my own – they were revealed by God to me. And Jesus is full of joy because He has seen the Father do this for me. Jesus is full of joy – overflowing with joy – because He has seen the Father do this for you! Doesn’t that make you feel good?

How To Rejoice

Luke 10:1-20

Welcome! In a few minutes we will take the bread and the cup to help us remember that the Lord Jesus died for us, taking the punishment that we deserve for our sins, and doing this so that we could spend an eternity not separated from God but with Him, enjoying Him, worshiping Him forever. When I say that Jesus died for us, I don’t mean “us” in an abstract sense, as in people in general, but I mean each particular one of us. I mean me, and I mean you.

Communion, remembering Jesus with the bread and the cup, was not a church practice that became a tradition over time, like having a church meeting on Sunday mornings, but was something Jesus Himself instituted with His disciples. He did not specify a frequency, but because we are a forgetful people, and because we are a fickle people, it makes sense that we should do it often. There are indications in the Bible that the early disciples did it quite often.

The Cost of Greatness

Luke 9:46-62 

Welcome! We have been going through the Book of Luke, line by line, chapter by chapter, and we are presently in the middle of what I might call the rebuking section of Luke. Last week, John Bullard spoke from Luke 9:28-45, including the account of the transfiguration of Christ, and also an account of a healing of a boy with an evil spirit. The rebuking section of Luke actually begins in the latter part of last week’s passage, and I want to highlight just one part of this passage before we go forward with today’s passage.

A man in the crowd called out, "Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child. A spirit seizes him and he suddenly screams; it throws him into convulsions so that he foams at the mouth. It scarcely ever leaves him and is destroying him. I begged your disciples to drive it out, but they could not." "O unbelieving and perverse generation," Jesus replied, "how long shall I stay with you and put up with you? Bring your son here." – Luke 9:38-41

The Christ of God

Luke 9:10-27

Last week you all heard an excellent message from Luke 9:1-9! The passage we looked at involved Jesus sending out the 12 disciples to go out and tell people about the kingdom of God. Jesus had given them supernatural power to drive out demons and cure people of diseases just as He had. For this period of time, Jesus had in effect turned loose twelve “Jesuses” – people doing what He had done. This caused quite a stir among the towns where they went. Rumors flew. People wondered who all these people could be. What did it all mean? Had John the Baptist risen from the dead? Had Elijah reappeared? Even King Herod became concerned and confused by all the reports, and it says that Herod tried to see Jesus. One result of the 12 going out and doing this is that Jesus became even more famous than He had already been. And so we pick up the story today at the point that the 12 disciples finish their preaching and healing journey.

When the apostles returned, they reported to Jesus what they had done. Then He took them with Him and they withdrew by themselves to a town called Bethsaida, but the crowds learned about it and followed Him. He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing. – Luke 9:10-11

Take Nothing With You

Luke 9:1-9

As I shared last week, this week it is you who will share on our passage today in Luke – this will be the content of our expanded sharing time. Actually, I thought we could break our sharing time into three parts. The first portion will focus on this particular passage in Luke, the second portion will be a bit more general – feel free to share anything the Lord has been teaching you recently. And the third portion will focus on prayer requests. Following this, we will spend time in prayer and then we will take communion, remembering our Lord with the bread and the cup.

Why do we do sharing times? Because God gifts each one of us to be a blessing to one another, and because God wants us to use our gifts. If you gave someone a wonderful gift, such as a new car, how would you feel if that person just left the gift parked in their driveway and never drove it? Imagine that you went to talk to the person. “Don’t you like the car I gave you?” “Oh, yes! I love it! It is so pretty to look at!” “Look at? I think you don’t understand. I didn’t give you the car to look at it; I gave it so you could drive places.” And just as our imaginary car would be given to drive, in the same way God’s gifts are given to be used.

The Apostle Paul, in the book of Romans, reminded people to let others use their gifts.

Resurrection

Luke 8:40-56

I want to start today by talking about time. We in our culture are very aware of time; perhaps only Japan is more obsessed with time than we are. One way you can see how different cultures reflect on time is by seeing what they mean by “officially” or “offensively” late when it comes to coming to a meeting or gathering. For many parts of the world, a few hours late can be acceptable. In America, I think it is more like 10-15 minutes when it comes to business meetings, perhaps even less.

Speaking of being late, perhaps some of you have had an experience similar to mine when traveling by airplane. Your travel requires two or more separate flights, and your schedule shows a one-hour layover at the connecting airport. You check at the airport, and it shows that your first flight shows an on-time arrival. So far, so good. But as you get to within a few minutes of when your flight is to take off, you notice the plane isn’t at the gate yet. Of course, they don’t update the information on the TV screens at the gate. It turns out that the flight arrives right when you were to take off. They announce that they will try to get everyone on the plane as quickly as they can and don’t expect any significant delays. “Good,” you think. But by the time they close the flight door, you are already 20 minutes late. Your flight seems somewhat slow in leaving the gate, but you aren’t really paying attention. But you do start paying attention when it seems like you have been waiting in line behind other planes for a very long time. 

Legion

Luke 8:26-39

We continue our study through the Book of Luke, continuing this week in the middle of the 8th chapter. What happened last week? We learned about the incredible storm that suddenly swept across the lake of Galilee and fiercely attacked the disciples in their puny, flat-bottomed sailboat and capsized it, sending them to their deaths. Well, not quite. But that is what the disciples thought was about to happen! Recall that while they were panicking, Jesus was sleeping soundly. The disciples woke him and basically accused Him of not caring about them. With basically no effort, Jesus suddenly and completely stilled the storm, asked them how they could have so little faith (as to think He didn’t care about them, after all they had gone through together and seen of Him), and they sat there, still not getting it, amazed that He could stop a storm like that.

Our passage today picks up right where this left off. Still reeling from this episode, the disciples and Jesus continued to sail…

They sailed to the region of the Gerasenes, which is across the lake from Galilee. When Jesus stepped ashore, he was met by a demon-possessed man from the town. For a long time this man had not worn clothes or lived in a house, but had lived in the tombs. – Luke 8:26-27

Nothing Stays Hidden

Luke 8:16-25

Today our passage, I believe, is a direct continuation of the parable of the soil discussed last week. In order to better understand our passage, I want to go back to Luke 8:5.

While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from town after town, he told this parable: "A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up. Some fell on rock, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown." – Luke 8:5-8

The disciples, as was often the case, had no idea what He was talking about, so Jesus explained it to them. He first explained that the seed represented the word of God. Picking up with Luke 8:12,

Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away. The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life's worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. – Luke 8:12-14

Anointed

Luke 7:36-7:50

He is risen! He is risen indeed! Happy resurrection Sunday!

Today I am going to look at the last part of Luke 7, but I am also going to talk about the reason for this holiday, the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Our passage from Luke is really all about love. I want you to imagine a modern wedding. Suppose the wedding includes a place where the future bride and groom tell each other how they feel about each other. The groom goes first, and says, “I am so glad that you are marrying me. You are perfect for me. You don’t have any of the weaknesses that I find so annoying in most people, and you help make me look good. You are one of the most interesting people I have ever met, and I love how you enjoy hearing me talk. I love how you agree with me all the time, and I love how I never have to give in to you. We look beautiful together, and once you marry me, the world will admire us and be envious.”

Compare this with another wedding, and another speech. This time the groom says, “I love you. You are so wonderful, so patient, so loving, so caring. I don’t deserve you. The fact that you love me is amazing, because you love me as I am, despite my imperfections, my failings, my sins. You are the most forgiving person I have ever met. One thing that is wondrous to me is that your unconditional love has this way of pulling me along to grow to become more than I currently am. If you will marry me, I will strive to serve you, to put to death the parts of me that are selfish and prideful. You are beautiful, on the inside and out, and if the world is envious of me, it will only be because you are my wife.”

The One to Come

Luke 7:11-7:35

Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and His disciples and a large crowd went along with Him. As He approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out—the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. When the Lord saw her, His heart went out to her and He said, "Don't cry." – Luke 7:11-13

As we have seen in the past few weeks, as we have been going through Luke, Jesus has been healing people and drawing quite a large following. Now we see that a large crowd is following Him even as He goes from town to town. Can you picture the situation? You have Jesus and His disciples, but you also have a large group of people so curious about Jesus that they are just going with Him, trying to hear every word He says, watching Him, studying Him… Frankly, I would find this creepy! Wouldn’t you feel uncomfortable? I think we all would because we all know that we are undeserving of such attention. But Jesus was deserving of this attention. And although, as we see in other places in the gospels, the disciples may have felt uncomfortable, Jesus felt at home with this because He loved people.

And so as the crowd with Jesus enters the town of Nain, they come before another crowd – this one, a crowd of mourners. They had come face to face with a funeral procession.

Faith Healing?

Luke 6:39-7:10

Have you ever had the experience when you are talking to someone, maybe to get information about a purchase, when you realize that you know more than they do? How does it feel at that moment you make this realization? For me, there inside my head the exclamation “Oh…” which is short for “How do I get out of this conversation as quickly as possible without looking rude? Where else can I go to find someone who is actually knowledgeable?”

About a month ago someone left a message on my answering machine at work explaining that he wanted me to do some research for him. So far, it sounded good. Then he went on to explain that it involved the working out of the last details of a perpetual motion machine. “Oh…” The more he talked the more the voice inside my head said “Oh…” until by the end I wondered if I was safe or maybe needed to call the guys in white coats.

To one degree or another, we all have had experiences like this. But what if we are following the advice of someone like this but don’t realize that this is an “Oh…” person? How messed up can we get by allowing ourselves to be informed by those who don’t have a clue? What happens if we listen to such advice for weeks, months, or years? It’s not a comforting thought.

Love vs. Judgement

Luke 6:27-6:38
Dedicated to Larry Norman

Beginning last week, we have been exploring Jesus’ “Sermon on the Plain,” as one commentator calls it. Jesus’ began his teaching with a series of blessings and woes. They were almost the complete opposite of what the world teaches. Blessed are the rich? No, blessed are the poor, for theirs is the kingdom of God. Woe to the rich, for they have already received their comfort. Blessed are those who can eat anything they want? No, blessed are the hungry, for they will be satisfied. Woe to those who are well-fed now, for they will go hungry. Blessed are those who laugh? No, blessed are those who weep, for they will laugh. Woe to those who laugh, for they will weep. Blessed are those whom others speak well of? No, blessed are those who are hated, excluded, and insulted because of their faith in Jesus, for that is how they treated the prophets. Woe to those who are well-liked, because that is how they treated the false prophets.

And following these general sayings that turn the world’s wisdom upside down comes this:

"But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. – Luke 6:27-28

How does this square with the wisdom of the world? Upside down! You don’t love your enemies, you destroy them! Who are you supposed to love? Your family and friends! Love those who love you. Treat them right so you keep their love.

Blessings and Woes

Luke 6:17-6:26

How many of you, in the morning while having breakfast, getting dressed, or otherwise getting ready for your day, turn on the TV and watch CNN, or the Today Show, or some similar informational show? At our house we don’t do this; in fact, we have largely gotten out of the habit of watching “live” TV altogether, except for some kiddie shows Hannah watches. With four kids, our mornings, like many of yours, are hectic, busy, and noisy.

But when I travel for business reasons, it is a different story. I am alone. Once I get up in the morning it is quiet. It is too quiet. And I admit it, it is lonely. I miss my wife and my children. So when I travel, even before I take a shower, I turn on the TV to one of these programs, as much to make it less quiet as it is to actually learn what is going on in the world.

If you have watched these types of programs, many of them do not just give news, but equally, or even more so, have a great variety of segments that could be classified generally as “how to live a better life.” Make better food, make better career decisions, get better gadgets, have a better love life… and a million more topics like this.

Lord of the Sabbath

Luke 6:1-6:16
We have been going through the book of Luke, chapter by chapter, line by line, and now we come to Chapter 6. In Chapter 5 last week, we saw the beginnings of tension between Jesus and the priests and teachers of the Law. We heard the story of how a paralytic was unable to get past the crowd to see Jesus, so his friends cut a hole in the roof of the house where Jesus was teaching and lowered him in, Before healing this man, Jesus told him “Friend, your sins are forgiven.” That didn’t go over too well – they thought, “Only God can forgive sins!”

One thing I didn’t go into about this last week is the “why” this is true. Clearly, if I sin against someone here, I can go to that person, ask for forgiveness, and that person, if they so choose, can forgive me. What is the difference here? The difference is that Jesus is implying that all of the paralytic’s sins are being forgiven.