We only have 46 days left. We finished the Gospel today. If you have time (you know you do) Look back not at the 4 overviews.
Category: John
Luke 24, John 20-21
Luke 24“Why do you look for the living among the dead? 6 He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 7 ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” 8 Then they remembered his words.
How many times did Jesus tell them in detail? Oh wait, how many times does He tell us what we need or should do, in detail?
The Road to Emmaus (about 7 miles)
These 2 men, one names ‘Cleopas’ were obviously disappointed in the ending of the story.
“About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. 20 The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; 21 but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel.
Well, just a week before they saw Jesus enter Jerusalem on a donkey making a public profession that He was the King. They “thought” Jesus was coming to redeem Jerusalem with a military conquest. (I guess they should have read the scriptures)
On the road to Emmaus, Jesus gave a lesson on the prophecies of the Old Testament which were fulfilled in His death and resurrection. What a lesson that would have been!
Luke 23, John 18-19
Luke 23
We already had the 3 illegal religious trials before Annas and Caiaphas. We skimmed over the political ones. Luke goes into the secular ones in more detail.
23 Then the whole assembly rose and led him off to Pilate.2 And they began to accuse him, saying, “We have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Messiah, a king.”
Accusations:
- Subverting the nation: on the contrary
- Opposed to paying taxes: again on the contrary! He specifically said what is owed to Caesar should be paid to Caesar
- Claims to be Messiah, King: #truestory. He is!
The people continued talking to Pilate and when they said: “He stirs up the people all over Judea by his teaching. He started in Galilee and has come all the way here.”
Oh, the relief that must have come over Pilate! That’s not his Jurisdiction! Send Jesus to the guy in charge of Galilee! Well, God has everything orchestrated perfectly…Herod just happens to be in Jerusalem for the Passover. Of course, Herod would want to see Jesus, who wouldn’t!
Herod wants to see the “magic acts”, wanted to see if he was John the Baptist raised from the dead and because he had never met him! So they played the “Kings Game” dressing him in robes and mocking him. I have always been surprised that Herod did not order the death of Jesus. He was an Idumean (from the line of Esau) and wanted the Jews to like him. But the OT prophecies always have Jesus “lifted up” in death. Not by beheading (Herod’s style), not by stoning (the Jewish style), but by Crucifixion. The only people that could ‘order’ a crucifixion were the Romans.
So back to Pontius Pilate Jesus was sent.
The 2 criminals on their Crosses. Before the two criminals, we see Jesus asking God to forgive those crucifying Him, for they did not know what they were doing. However, the two thieves: One recognizes he is a sinner! He admits he deserves death. He confesses. He is Saved!
Isaiah 53:12
12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,
and he will divide the spoils with the strong,
because he poured out his life unto death,
and was numbered with the transgressors.
For he bore the sin of many,
and made intercession for the transgressors.
44 It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, 45 for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46 Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last.
The Burial of Jesus
50 Now there was a man named Joseph, a member of the Council, a good and upright man, 51 who had not consented to their decision and action. He came from the Judean town of Arimathea, and he himself was waiting for the kingdom of God. 52 Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body. 53 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. 54 It was Preparation Day, and the Sabbath was about to begin.
A member of the Sanhedrin Jewish Council makes a public profession of Faith. He ensures that Jesus is not thrown into a criminal grave, but given the honor of a tomb that has not been used. This wealthy man fulfills another scripture in Isaiah 53
He was oppressed and afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away.
Yet who of his generation protested?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;
for the transgression of my people he was punished.
9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked,
and with the rich in his death,
though he had done no violence,
nor was any deceit in his mouth.
John 18 and 19- Read it verse by verse. These are a few that stood out for me:
31 Pilate said, “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.”
“But we have no right to execute anyone,” they objected. 32 This took place to fulfill what Jesus had said about the kind of death he was going to die.
“Shall I crucify your king?” Pilate asked.
“We have no king but Caesar,” the chief priests answered.
16 Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified.
19 Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: Jesus of Nazareth, the king of the jews. 20 Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek. 21 The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, “Do not write ‘The King of the Jews,’ but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews.”
22 Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”
Every verse is a fulfillment if we look hard enough!
24 “Let’s not tear it,” they said to one another. “Let’s decide by lot who will get it.”
This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled that said,
“They divided my clothes among them
and cast lots for my garment.”
So this is what the soldiers did.
Psalm 22
Dogs surround me,
a pack of villains encircles me;
they pierce my hands and my feet.
17 All my bones are on display;
people stare and gloat over me.
18 They divide my clothes among them
and cast lots for my garment.
33 But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34 Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. 35 The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe. 36 These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken,” 37 and, as another scripture says, “They will look on the one they have pierced.”
Isaiah 53: (again)
But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
Read this…
Prepare yourself for tomorrow- Isaiah Prophecy 52:13-53:12
Prepare your hearts for tomorrow:
The Suffering and Glory of the Servant
13 See, my servant will act wisely;
he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted.
14 Just as there were many who were appalled at him—
his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any human being
and his form marred beyond human likeness—
15 so he will sprinkle many nations,
and kings will shut their mouths because of him.
For what they were not told, they will see,
and what they have not heard, they will understand.
53 Who has believed our message
and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot,
and like a root out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
3 He was despised and rejected by mankind,
a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.
Like one from whom people hide their faces
he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.
4 Surely he took up our pain
and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
stricken by him, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to our own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed and afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away.
Yet who of his generation protested?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;
for the transgression of my people he was punished.
9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked,
and with the rich in his death,
though he had done no violence,
nor was any deceit in his mouth.
10 Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin,
he will see his offspring and prolong his days,
and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.
11 After he has suffered,
he will see the light of life and be satisfied;
by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many,
and he will bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,
and he will divide the spoils with the strong,
because he poured out his life unto death,
and was numbered with the transgressors.
For he bore the sin of many,
and made intercession for the transgressors.
John 14-17
John 14-17
We have read-
- Sermon on the Mount
- Kingdom Parable Discourse
- Olivet Discourse (on Mt. Olives)
- Upper Room Discourse
The Upper Room Discourse is the most intimate discourse. This is a private meeting. Jesus’ public ministry is over and He now spends time with His disciples (you and me).
- He already predicted His death
- He tells them He will be betrayed
- He even will be denied by them
We have read scripture upon scripture of the Pharisees and Sadducees asking questions to Jesus. Most of the Q & A was regarding the 2nd coming. Now Jesus sits with His disciples and talks about the comfort we will have after the 2nd coming, but more importantly, the comfort we will have NOW after His death.
Most of the questions are coming from Thomas, Philip, and Judas.
He begins with a commandment: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going.”
We all try to imagine Heaven. The Lord gives us clues all throughout the Bible of some of the small details. Since we are reading John, read Revelation 21 for full details but here is the size of the New Jerusalem, the capital of Heaven.
16 The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia in length, and as wide and high as it is long.
The size is equivalent to the moon. I guess some will say that is bigger than I thought, and some will say that is smaller than I thought. Depends on your view of how narrow the gate might be. If this is how beautiful and spacious the capital is, I can’t imagine how beautiful the rest is.
6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
In these words, Jesus was declaring Himself:
- the great “I Am,” the only path to heaven,
- the only true measure of righteousness,
- and the source of both physical and spiritual life
- He was staking His claim as the very God of Creation,
- the Lord who blessed Abraham,
- and the Holy One who inhabits eternity.
He did this so the disciples would be able to face the dark days ahead and carry on the mission of declaring the gospel to the world. Of course, we know from scripture that they still didn’t understand, and that is reasonable. Once they understood the truth of His words, they became changed people, and the world has never been the same.
So how will these disciples get through these dark days? (How do any of us) I often think of someone in a trial and think “How do they wake up and put their feet on the ground during this?” How? Because God gave them a helper.
15 “If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth.
The Disciples get this personal message because each one of them will be used by the Lord to spread the Gospel BUT they will give up their life doing it.
Mark 8:34 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?
Chapter 15 As much as I would literally pick apart EVERY one of these vine scriptures, I will leave you alone today. Jesus spoke in a parable they would completely understand (like I sometimes use video game parables to speak to my students so they understand). Feel free to jump back to Isaiah 5 to take this deeper.
I can’t help but to paste this command. This isn’t a suggestion it is a command:
12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
I may or may not have been accidentally sharing the Gospel yesterday 😉during a social studies lesson, and when I asked a young boy (who professes to be an atheist) why do you think He did that? He said, “It was the true act of Love” ❤.
Now marinate on this today:::
16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. 17 This is my command: Love each other.
Chapter 16 and 17- Reread them. I am going to stop talking now and let it fall on you personally. I ask that you read chapter 17 twice. As much as we go to the Father in prayer, He goes to His Father in prayer for us.
Jesus Prays for All Believers
20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— 23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
24 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.
25 “Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. 26 I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”
Luke 22 and John 13
Luke: remember he is a Gentile who writes to the Gentiles. It will not have all the hidden “Old Testament” phrases weaved through it. But Luke is detailed for sure. This is a different view from yesterday’s read. I will try to keep this super short since I posted late last night (sorry about that).
Judas betrays Jesus
It was never about the money…don’t miss a key verse…the enemy knew what Judas treasured and used it. Yesterday, I mentioned that Satan would leave Jesus in the wilderness. In the meantime, he has been ruining lives on earth. Now Satan needs to deal with an important matter! Jesus.
3 Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, one of the Twelve.
Connect verse 3 with:
31 “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”
- I think I have read this passage several times in my life and I have never seen verses 31-32. (I love when that happens)
- Satan “asked”…(reminded me of the book of Job)
- I love when He calls Peter the old name: Simon…a reminder of who Simon was but a reminder too of who Peter is not…
- And when you turn back…😍
39 Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. 40 On reaching the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.” 41 He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, 42 “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” 43 An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. 44 And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.
49 When Jesus’ followers saw what was going to happen, they said, “Lord, should we strike with our swords?” 50 And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear.
51 But Jesus answered, “No more of this!” And he touched the man’s ear and healed him.
At his arrest, He proves that he is NOT being taken-He is GIVING himself over. Jesus had the power to pick up an ear and completely heal it! If in that moment Jesus could do that, surely He could have esaped a few men. In that moment, He could have…but instead GAVE himelf to be arrested.
The Last Supper-
I am at a loss for words today. Even if you have not watched the above videos.
Please watch this one and listen to the words. Spend a quiet moment in worship.
Mark 11 and John 12
✅ Mark 11- even though it was been covered, I did some extra research so I can learn something new every time. Why were palm branches used? Well, here is what I found out… If you read the post about the ‘400 Years of Silence’, the Maccabees overtook Antiochus, releasing them from his captivity. When they celebrated their independence from him, they used Palm Tree branches. As Jesus made his first pubic profession as king (riding in on a donkey) the crowd yells Hosanna! The Hebrew words yasha (“deliver, save”) and anna (“beg”) combine to form the word that, in English, is “hosanna.” Literally, hosanna means “I beg you to save!” or “please deliver us!”. The people want to be saved from the Romans and be independent. They were ready for Jesus to once again make them a nation!
If you go back to the Luke account-it now makes sense WHY Jesus wept when they were quoting Psalm 118-Hosana. He knew that they thought He was coming as a King to bring them independence. So it says back in Luke 19:
41 As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it 42 and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes.
- ✅Jesus comes to Jerusalem as King
- ✅ Fig Tree
- ✅ Jesus clears the temple
- ✅ Authority questioned
John 12-Jesus anointed in Bethany
So this is actually taking place at Simon’s house. Simon was a leper that Jesus healed. Can you imagine the dinner small talk “Dude, my skin was so rotten my fingers were falling off-and Jesus healed me” “Oh, yeah…well I was dead for days- so beat that!!”
You have to just take a moment to feel all the characters in this scene.
- Martha-her gift is serving
- Mary-the worshiper
- Judas-the greedy one
- Lazarus-the witness
- Simon (not mentioned in this book)-the testimony
- Crowds-indifferent, looking for entertainment
- The Jewish leaders-The unbelievers
Sounds like my house on a Friday night to be honest. I could write a lot about this passage but for today, I am going to let you sit with it. I really want to save time for the last verses.
✅ Jesus predicts his death
Verse 37-50
37 Even after Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him. 38 This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet:
“Lord, who has believed our message
and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”
Do you know where in the Bible this is quoting?? Flip to Isaiah 53:1 (I attached it here starting at 52:13)😢. Then, a very difficult scripture is quoted. Jesus then quotes Isaiah 6
39 For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere:
40 “He has blinded their eyes
and hardened their hearts,
so they can neither see with their eyes,
nor understand with their hearts,
nor turn—and I would heal them.”
41 Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus’ glory and spoke about him.
This is hard to chew on. Think of it this way: Do you remember back in Exodus the Pharaoh’s heart was hardened by the Lord? The Lord did this AFTER Pharoah had already made his choices. The Lord had a plan to free HIs people and to do what He needed to “debunk” all the false gods. Not 4 of them, not 6 of them…ALL 10 so that He could prove there was only ONE God. WELL, we have the same concept here. After 3 years of the most amazing teaching, healing, and fulfilling detailed prophecies, many still did not believe. We are DAYS away from the Cross. So now what??
For those that were invited, the door is now closed. He hardened their hearts. It is time. Jesus needs to be rejected by both Jew and Gentile. If the Jewish leaders suddenly believed, then Jesus would be dying just for them. If the Gentiles suddenly believed, then Jesus would be dying just for them. He came to die for all. So just like the Pharoah’s heart was hardened right at the end, so now are those that were invited to believe are “blinded” from seeing who He is. It is time now to be crucified for those that do believe, both Jews and Gentile.
If you glazed over this you missed something HUGE:
44 Then Jesus cried out, “Whoever believes in me does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me.45 The one who looks at me is seeing the one who sent me.46 I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.
The Law of Moses makes it punishable by death to blaspheme the Lord’s name. Jesus is saying I AM not just Jesus, I AM God. Since they do not know this is true, they can convict Jesus for the death penalty, find him guilty in their “blinded eyes” BUT be innocent (sinless) of any accusation since HE IS GOD.
They don’t have to trick him anymore…they don’t have to try to find a way to arrest him. Jesus did it for them with this statement. He gave them the “arrest” statement and yet remained sinless doing it.
Jesus ends this teaching with a reminder that the 1st coming is not a time of judgment. However, when He returns, the 2nd coming, there will be a Judgement. You and I live in between the two time periods.
47 “If anyone hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge that person. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. 48 There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day. 49 For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken. 50 I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.”
The last week before the Crucifixion
If October flew by, this is a great place to jump in. (invite a friend to jump in)
Click here to print the timeline
Look at the timeline. This week we are about to begin the last week of Jesus’ ministry. Some call it the Holy week, others call it the Passion Week.
The next 2 weeks are going to be deep. If you have read some, most, or all of the Bible in 2021 it has been eye-opening. Years ago, I thought the Bible was individual stories in a bound book. I never knew it was one chronological book without gaps! It is pretty amazing. Reading it in chronological order, I think is the best thing I ever did to strengthen my knowledge of who God is and His full complete plan. The next 2 weeks are:
Nov 1: Matt 20-21
Nov 2: Luke 18:15-19:48
Nov 3: Mark 11; John 12
Nov 4: Matt 22; Mark 12
Nov 5: Matt 23; Luke 20-21
Nov 6: Mark 13
Nov 7: Matt 24
Nov 8: Matt 25
Nov 9: Matt 26; Mark 14
Nov 10: Luke 22; John 13
Nov 11: John 14-17
Nov 12: Matt 27; Mark 15
Nov 13: Luke 23; John 18-19
Nov 14: Matt 28; Mark 16
Nov 15: Luke 24; John 20-21
John 11
- Click here to read
- Click here to listen
- GOOD MORNING
This is the turning point for Jesus. After this read, there is no turning back. This is the 7th sign in John:
Jesus had presented Himself as the Water of Life, the Bread of Life, and the Light of Life. Now He revealed Himself as “the Resurrection and the Life.” This was the seventh and last of Jesus’ miraculous signs that John recorded, and it was the most powerful revelation of His true identity. It shows Jesus’ authority over humankind’s greatest and last enemy: Death.
Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.”
Then Jesus purposely waits 2 more days. Jesus has brought others back from death but this time there will be no mistaking it.
Jesus makes sure his disciples truly understand the situation at hand:
14 So then he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, 15 and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”
The sign will be the clearest demonstration of Jesus’ identity so far and would convince many people that He was God’s Son.
23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”
24 Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”
25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
Ok, we already know that Martha believes in a resurrection, but that is not what Jesus is asking. He is saying “I AM the resurrection.” It is about believing in WHO Jesus is. Without Jesus, there is never a resurrection.
37 But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”
Many believed the one that healed the blind could have kept Lazarus from dying (maybe that was their assumption of the daughter of Jarius or the son of the widow from Nain that he brought back to life since they were just newly dead). This will be “proof”.
Then Jesus speaks out loud. He doesn’t have to. He gives a profound message:
41 So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”
and it worked!! Many saw who He was and who HIs Father was…good news. Many believed.
We said in the overview the theme of the Book of John is to “Believe”. He uses that word 98 times.
45 Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him.
Sadly, it said many…not all.
Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin. (The chief priests were the Sadducees). Typically they hated each other…but they came together because they hated Jesus equally. Caiaphas was the son-in-law of the former High Priest. Dig into your memory bank: a high priest held their position for life and then it was passed down to their heir. Here is the deal, Caiaphas was placed as the high priest by the Sadducees as a political figurehead. (They still consulted his father-in-law, Annas who was in the good ole’ boy club.)
Caiaphas basically says “let Jesus die. When Rome hears about this ruckus, they are either going to kill him or us…let it be him!” As long as the Jews did not cause trouble, Rome left them alone. (They were concerned about their status and their $$)
Finally….we are headed to Jerusalem for “The Passover”. Time is coming.
55 When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, many went up from the country to Jerusalem for their ceremonial cleansing before the Passover.56 They kept looking for Jesus, and as they stood in the temple courts they asked one another, “What do you think? Isn’t he coming to the festival at all?” 57 But the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that anyone who found out where Jesus was should report it so that they might arrest him.
Luke 10-11 and John 10:22-42
Luke: If you look at this outline you can see where we are in Luke. Luke 1-3 was the advent of the Messiah. Then we saw His identity through His Miracles. Next, we will sit at his feet and listen to his teaching as we close in on His last 6 months. 
70 men are sent out (some manuscripts say 72). We had the 12 tribes of Israel in the Old Testament and Jesus sent out the 12 apostles with instructions to minister to the Jewish people.
Romans 1:16: For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.
Now Jesus sends 70 to the surrounding nations.
Luke 24:46 He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
In Genesis, there were 70 nations established, 70 descendants of Jacob that went to Egypt, and then 70 Elders that were chosen to lead (in Numbers) which is where the Jewish Council got the number to have 70 leaders in the Sanhedrin.
They were sent in pairs for companionship, protection, and to adhere to the law of having a witness if needed. After all, they were being sent to the wolves! The message/advice given to the 70 was the same message given to the 12 so it may sound very familiar
- Go!
- travel light (God will provide for your needs)
- Be careful and aware of your surroundings
- Always offer Peace when entering a home
- If they promote Peace back: ’ 6 Stay there, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house.
- the food set before the disciples, in whatever town they might visit, could possibly include ceremonially unclean food. Jesus had already discussed what goes into our body does not make us unclean, but what comes out of our mouth.
- Heal the sick…THEN minister to them.
8 “When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is offered to you. 9 Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’
Jesus ends with these words as they are LOOKING at Jesus:
23 Then he turned to his disciples and said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. 24 For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”
The Parable of the Good Samaritan. I hope now that you have all the context, you read this story with fresh eyes and look at the deeper meaning than “just be a good Samaritan”
- Jesus was being tested by an “expert in the law” so we know his question was a trap
- So Jesus turns the question back on the “expert”
- ALL the law can be summarized as“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.” Look at the 10 Commandments, they are divided into- honoring God and honoring others.
- So Jesus says:“Do this and you will live.”
- The whole point was Jesus was saying “you can’t”. Go read the 10 commandments and cross off all the ones you have personally broken. Oh my…were more crossed off than you thought?? Romans:23) for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
- I feel like this parable sounds like a joke you would tell “A priest, a Levite, and someone you don’t like to walk into a bar…😂 Anyway, after this awesome parable, PURPOSELSY using a samaritan in the example because the Jewish “experts” hated the Samarians.
- I have all the past scriptures about Loving your enemy running through my brain…
- A priest and a Levite were used in this account because they had created a legal system of making laws to protect the laws that they thought they really COULD safeguard anyone from breaking the Law. EVEN if they protected the laws that we do on the “outside”, how can someone be sinless in their heart or their thoughts? I mean could we go a day (or an hour if you were me) without a thought of judgment, jealousy, idolatry…(OK, an hour was a long shot…)
- Now go back and read that section again: WHO is the Good Samaritan?? (By the way it’s not me or you, sorry)
- took pity
- took care of his wounds
- anointed him with oil
- paid for him
- says he will return
- 🤔
Mary and Marth-in Bethany. Look at both maps. You will see that Bethany is just 2 miles Southeast of Jerusalem.
The home of Mary and Martha. Have you heard a sermon on this? Now read it. Sit quietly. Listen for God to bring a thought to your mind about where you are in this story. 😍
Luke 11: When you turn the page and you see that we have read the synoptic gospel in the same account what should you do? READ IT CLOSER.
- its a great time to say “Hmm I don’t understand that, I better research or ask
- you might say “that is amazing in context now”
- you WILL see things you didn’t see in last week’s reading for sure
- now it might be less educational and more personal to you
Did any particular WOE stop you in your tacks?? Feel free to write in the comments 😒 use a fake name if you have to!
John: Start paying attention to His presence in Judea, being accused of the crime of blasphemy (who He is), and then retreating to ‘safe’ territory. It was a crime in Judea to claim He was God, but not outside the region. So he retreats to a region He cannot be arrested because the time has not come! BUT if Jesus came first for the Jew and then for the Gentile, He will need to be accused from both. So what will the crime be in the Gentile region? If you don’t know then I guess you will have to keep reading. He dies for both so He will be accused by both.
Have a wonderful day. I am glad you read today even if it is days or weeks behind schedule. I leave with this wonderful scripture from John:
My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”
Reading the Bible - 2021 