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: Luke
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.
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.
Matthew 23 and Luke 20-21
Matthew:
When Jesus started His ministry He pronounced seven blessings on the righteous in Matthew 5:3-10:
- 1. Theirs is the kingdom of Heaven (vv. 3 & 10).
- 2. They shall be comforted (v. 4).
- 3. They shall inherit the land (v. 5).
- 4. They shall be filled (v. 6).
- 5. They shall obtain mercy (v. 7).
- 6. They shall see God (v. 8). And…
- 7. They shall be called sons of God (v. 9).
Then… At the close of His ministry, He pronounced seven woes to the self-righteous (Pharisees, Sadducees, and Scribes)
- 1. They kept people out of God’s kingdom (v. 13).
- 2. They took advantage of widows (v. 14)
- 3. They misled men to eternal destruction (v. 15).
- 4. They were covetous of worldly things (vv. 16-22).
- 5. They refused to show compassion (vv. 23-24).
- 6. They were inwardly corrupt (vv. 25-28).
- 7. They afflicted the righteous (vv. 29-31).
Luke: (✅ if we discussed already)
- ✅Authority questioned
- ✅ The parable of the tenants
- ✅Paying Caesar taxes
- ✅ Resurrection/Marriage
- ✅ Warnings against the law
- ✅ The widow’s offering (not discussed, personal read)
Destruction of the Temple and End Times
8 He replied: “Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ Do not follow them. 9 When you hear of wars and uprisings, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away.”
We have a NEAR and FAR prophecy being stated.
- The Temple construction began in 20 BC and ended in 64 AD. (took over 80 years to build it)
- Took 80,000 laborers
- Totaled 36 Acres
- Can be seen from 30 miles away!
- Some of the stones weighed 400 tons
- the Temple was 2600 above sea level
Click here. It is a very short video of what the temple looked like.
As they are looking at this magnificent building Jesus says:
6 “As for what you see here, the time will come when not one stone will be left on another; every one of them will be thrown down.”
This will happen in their time. In 70 AD the temple will be completely destroyed. Unimaginable!! No way! Yup, it happens.
8 He replied: “Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ Do not follow them. 9 When you hear of wars and uprisings, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away.”
But this passage has the prophecy of the Temple destruction and the End times. See, the Jewish people assumed that when the Messiah came, it would usher in the end times immediately. So read this passage closely because I think too often we watch the news and say “That’s a sign…end times are coming”. We will always have wars. We will always have natural disasters. But the signs of these will be so extreme after the rapture they recognizable! The signs will be when Jesus opens the first seals on the scroll. Tomorrow’s reading will be JUST on this.
Luke 18:15 ff and Luke 19
If I put a ✅ that means we covered in another Gospel BUT read it because each Gospel takes a different view.
- ✅ The Little Children
- ✅ The Rich Man
- ✅ Jesus predicts his death for the 3rd time
- ✅ The Blind Beggar
Zacchaeus the Tax Collector
So evidently this is one of those stories that they teach kids at church with a song. I didn’t grow up in the church so I have no idea what the pastor refers to. Oh, and can I just say for the record, don’t start a sentence with “You know the story of…” I hear Pastors say that all the time and it made me feel like I was literally the only one in the room that never heard it. “You know the story of Nicodemus coming at night….The Prodigal Son….The Road to Damascus….” NOPE! They were all new to me.
Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.
- Jericho was a very wealthy town. Herod the Great had built a “resort-like” town there for Holidays. (Tax collectors would most definitely be hated there…no one likes paying taxes less than the wealthy 😂)
- Taxes:
- Poll tax (just for breathing the air Rome owned I guess)
- age 14-65 for males
- age 12-65 for females
- Income Tax-10%
- Road Tax
- Harbor Tax
- Fish Tax (per net AND per fish)
- Ground Tax-1/5 all grain and wine went to Rome
- Cart Tax- (taxed per WHEEL)
- more +
- Poll tax (just for breathing the air Rome owned I guess)
- Taxes:
- Zacchaeus- the name means: ” clean/pure/innocent” (that would be like naming a bodybuilder “Tiny” or Patricia Szymanski “Sinless” 😂)
- Chief Tax Collector- He wasn’t just “a” tax collector. He was the “Boss” of tax collectors. So when they say he is wealthy, he is Kardashian rich.
- Climbed a Sycamore Fig Tree– I can’t stop thinking about how he must have stood out like Ripe Fruit on a Fig Tree. 😁
Jesus INVITES himself over to this sinner’s house. WOW!
“Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”
In the Law of Moses, it was required to pay back any “wrong” with 20% (1/5). If you killed someone’s animal (or someone) by accident and it would ruin the livelihood of the family THEN they were required to pay back “four times” the amount. His tax collecting scandals were so bad that in his heart he felt the need to pay back 4X the amount admitting the seriousness of his sin. Zacchaeus did not do this for Salvation, it was because of his Salvation (I guess he was fruit on the vine ❤️).
The Parable of the Ten Minas-
Why is Jesus telling this parable now? He is literally headed to Jerusalem to give over His life.
“While they were listening to this, he went on to tell them a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once.”
Well, He knew that the people thought it was going to end differently this week. They assumed Jesus would go to Jerusalem to reign as king. Jesus’ most basic point is that the kingdom was not going to appear immediately. There would be a period of time, during which the king would be absent before the kingdom would come. (we will get there, but it is between verse 14 and 15).
The parable:
- The nobleman in the parable is Jesus, who left this world but who will return as King someday.
- The servants who king charges with a task represent followers of Jesus. The Lord has given us a mission, and we must be faithful to serve Him until He returns.
- Upon His return, Jesus will see the faithfulness of His own people. There is work to be done, and we must use what God has given us for His glory.
- The enemies who rejected the king in the parable are the Jewish nation that rejected Christ while He walked on earth—and everyone who still denies Him today.
So where are we on this timeline? If it were a Billboard with a “You Are Here” spot:
14 “But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, ‘We don’t want this man to be our king.’
“You Are Here”
15 “He was made king, however, and returned home. Then he sent for the servants to whom he had given the money, in order to find out what they had gained with it.
- ✅Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King
- ✅Jesus at the Temple
I ❤️ the last line of today’s read…
because all the people hung on his words.
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
Luke 17:11-18:14
The 10 Lepers: What is the point of this story? Well, first let’s talk about Obedience. This is the one thing Jesus has been talking about for 3 years to the crowds and the Pharisees.
14 When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed.
This wasn’t healing and THEN obey. It was their faith and obedience.
15 One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. 16 He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.
Mark specifically pointed out that the one that Praised God was the Samaritan. We can assume that the other 9 were Jews. The Jews had more knowledge about the Messiah and His coming than the foreigners. They should have recognized who Jesus was and expressed their gratitude as well. Their lack of responsiveness was typical of the Jews in Jesus’ day.
The coming of the second kingdom will not be unrecognizable. It will be obvious! In speaking to the Pharisees he speaks “their language” by recalling the days of Noah. Both in Noah’s days and toward the end of the Tribulation just before Jesus returns, people were and will be unresponsive to preached warnings of coming judgment.
This second example of unexpected judgment (days of Lot) reinforces the first. By comparing moral conditions on the earth at the Second Coming with “Sodom,” Jesus was picturing the worst kinds of evil running the earth. (I do think we see the signs of the time)
30 “It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed. 31 On that day no one who is on the housetop, with possessions inside, should go down to get them. Likewise, no one in the field should go back for anything.
Revealed: Revelation”= the translation is ‘apacolypse’.
The Parable of the Persistent Widow-
In years past I didn’t understand these parables but now I do. They are not comparisons, they are contrasts. The ‘judge” is worldly, not The Lord. We DON’T bother Him with our persistent prayers. He desires them.
The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector
9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’
13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’
14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
No explanation needed!
Luke 16-17:10
I am going to break this down because I think this is a hard one to chew on.
The Parable of the Unjust or Just Steward.
The text can be broken down into two parts: the parable (verses 1–8) and the application (verses 9–13). Luke identifies that Jesus is speaking to His disciples again, but others are listening in. It is important to know who Jesus is addressing this parable: the Pharisees.
The parable begins with a rich man calling his steward before him to inform him that he will be relieving him of his duties for mismanaging his master’s resources. A steward is a person who manages the resources of another. The steward had authority over all of the master’s resources and could transact business in his name. The steward is being released for mismanagement.
The steward, realizing that he will soon be without a job, makes some shrewd deals behind his master’s back by reducing the debt owed by several of the master’s debtors in exchange for shelter when he is eventually put out. When the master becomes aware of what the wicked servant had done, he commends him for his “shrewdness.”
Jesus is encouraging His followers to be generous with their wealth in this life. Jesus wants His followers to be just, righteous stewards. If we understand the principle that everything we own is a gift from God, then we realize that God is the owner of everything and that we are His stewards.
If one is faithful in “little” then one will be faithful in much. Similarly, if one is dishonest in little, he will also be dishonest in much. If we can’t be faithful with earthly wealth, which isn’t even ours, to begin with, then how can we be entrusted with “true riches”?
“No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money”. God is our Master, then our wealth will be at His disposal. In other words, the faithful and just steward whose Master is God will employ that wealth in building up the kingdom of God.
The rich man and Lazarus. We are uncertain if this is a real story or a parable but what we do know is Jesus is giving a strong message that Heaven and Hell are real This story also states that once we die there are no second chances. When believers die, they are immediately in fellowship with the Lord. When unbelievers die, they are immediately in pain, suffering, and torment of hell. Some (my mom) believe there is a middle ground called Purgartiry so that we all get a second chance. This certainly is not true.
‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony.26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’
The part of the story that hit me the hardest is that the Lord is clear that we have the Truth of reality at our fingertips. We have the Bible. It is very clear on all matters.
27 “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, 28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’
29 “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’
We have promises and warnings. We have no excuse.
Chapter 17 Hmmm. A good reminder that we are never worthy. This is why our salvation is called Grace-an underserved gift from God’s lo
10 So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’”
Reading the Bible - 2021 