1) Light Genesis 1 "Jesus is the light"
ESV John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. (Joh 1:1 ESV)
2) Adam Genesis 2 Jesus is the 'second Adam'
ESV Romans 5:14 Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come. (Rom 5:14 ESV)
ESV 1 Corinthians 15:22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. (1Co 15:22 ESV)
3) The Bridegroom Genesis 2:23 Jesus is the Bridegroom
ESV Ephesians 5:31 "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh." 32 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. 33 However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
4) The Serpent & The Seed Gen 3:15 Jesus is the woman's seed
5) Dealing With Guilt & Shame Gen 3:21 Jesus clothes us
6) A More Excellent Sacrifice Genesis 4 Jesus is our sacrifice
Noah, The Ark & The Altar Genesis 7 & 8
7) The Blessing Genesis 12:3 Jesus is The Blessing
8) Melchizedek Genesis 14 Jesus is our High Priest
9) Abrahamic Covenant Genesis 15 Jesus' covenant is Abrahamic
10) The passover lamb with the blood on the doorposts at every Israelite home in slavery in Israel is a type of Christ's blood shed for our sins.
11) Deliverance from Egypt is a type of our deliverance from sin: Christ is greater than Moses
12) Parting of the Red Sea is a type of water baptism. Water baptism is a picture of Christ's death, burial and resurrection
13) Over and over again Moses and the prophets point to the necessity for the Messiah to die for the sins of all people.
One of the greatest illustrations of this is in Isaiah 53, written hundreds of years before Christ Jesus came to the earth.
ESV Isaiah 53:1 Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? 2 For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. 3 He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned--every one--to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. 8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? 9 And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. 10 Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. 11 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.
A. Journey from Jerusalem
..B. Appearance...obstructed eyes...unable to recognize
.....C. Interaction
.........D. Summary of 'the things'.
.............E. Empty Tomb & Vision
.................F. Jesus is alive
.............E'. Empty Tomb but no vision
.........D'. Interpretation of 'the things'.
.....C'. Interaction
..B'. Opened Eyes...recognition & vanishing
A'. Journey to Jerusalem.
They went from grief to joy...
Links
- Onething Promo Video
- Top Recommendations for Luke Resources
- Be Changed By Paul's Letter to the Romans Website
- Eusebius writes about an early lost Christian history (Wikipedia entry)
- Free Sermons On Luke & Other Topics
- Hegesippus, an ancient Christian historian (Wikipedia entry)
- Some interesting history accounted to Cleopas/Clopas (Wikipedia entry)
- Study The Acts Of The Apostles
- Study Paul's Letter To The Galatians
- Vineyard Christian Fellowship of Bloomington/Normal
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Sunday, April 05, 2009
When God Visits Triumphal Entry
ESV Luke 19:28 And when he had said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 29 When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples, 30 saying, "Go into the village in front of you, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks you, 'Why are you untying it?' you shall say this: 'The Lord has need of it.'" 32 So those who were sent went away and found it just as he had told them. 33 And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, "Why are you untying the colt?" 34 And they said, "The Lord has need of it." 35 And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. 36 And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road. 37 As he was drawing near--already on the way down the Mount of Olives--the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, 38 saying, "Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!" 39 And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples." 40 He answered, "I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out."
ESV Matthew 21:1 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, "Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, 'The Lord needs them,' and he will send them at once." 4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying, 5 "Say to the daughter of Zion, 'Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.'" 6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. 8 Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!"
ESV John 12:12 The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 13 So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!" 14 And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written, 15 "Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey's colt!" 16 His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him.
ESV Zechariah 9:9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
ESV Habakkuk 2:11 For the stone will cry out from the wall, and the beam from the woodwork respond.
ESV 2 Kings 9:11 When Jehu came out to the servants of his master, they said to him, "Is all well? Why did this mad fellow come to you?" And he said to them, "You know the fellow and his talk." 12 And they said, "That is not true; tell us now." And he said, "Thus and so he spoke to me, saying, 'Thus says the LORD, I anoint you king over Israel.'" 13 Then in haste every man of them took his garment and put it under him on the bare steps, and they blew the trumpet and proclaimed, "Jehu is king."
ESV Psalm 118:26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD! We bless you from the house of the LORD.
ESV Colossians 3:10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.
ESV Ephesians 4:22 to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
ESV Luke 19:41 And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, 42 saying, "Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. 43 For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side 44 and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation." 45 And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold, 46 saying to them, "It is written, 'My house shall be a house of prayer,' but you have made it a den of robbers." 47 And he was teaching daily in the temple. The chief priests and the scribes and the principal men of the people were seeking to destroy him, 48 but they did not find anything they could do, for all the people were hanging on his words.
ESV Matthew 21:1 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, "Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, 'The Lord needs them,' and he will send them at once." 4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying, 5 "Say to the daughter of Zion, 'Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.'" 6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. 8 Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!"
ESV John 12:12 The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 13 So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!" 14 And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written, 15 "Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey's colt!" 16 His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him.
ESV Zechariah 9:9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
ESV Habakkuk 2:11 For the stone will cry out from the wall, and the beam from the woodwork respond.
ESV 2 Kings 9:11 When Jehu came out to the servants of his master, they said to him, "Is all well? Why did this mad fellow come to you?" And he said to them, "You know the fellow and his talk." 12 And they said, "That is not true; tell us now." And he said, "Thus and so he spoke to me, saying, 'Thus says the LORD, I anoint you king over Israel.'" 13 Then in haste every man of them took his garment and put it under him on the bare steps, and they blew the trumpet and proclaimed, "Jehu is king."
ESV Psalm 118:26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD! We bless you from the house of the LORD.
ESV Colossians 3:10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.
ESV Ephesians 4:22 to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
ESV Luke 19:41 And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, 42 saying, "Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. 43 For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side 44 and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation." 45 And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold, 46 saying to them, "It is written, 'My house shall be a house of prayer,' but you have made it a den of robbers." 47 And he was teaching daily in the temple. The chief priests and the scribes and the principal men of the people were seeking to destroy him, 48 but they did not find anything they could do, for all the people were hanging on his words.
Sunday, April 08, 2007
The Death Sentence of Jesus Luke 23:1-25
ESV Luke 23:1 Then the whole company of them arose and brought him before Pilate. 2 And they began to accuse him, saying, "We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding us to give tribute to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, a king." 3 And Pilate asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" And he answered him, "You have said so." 4 Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, "I find no guilt in this man." 5 But they were urgent, saying, "He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee even to this place." 6 When Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. 7 And when he learned that he belonged to Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him over to Herod, who was himself in Jerusalem at that time. 8 When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he had long desired to see him, because he had heard about him, and he was hoping to see some sign done by him. 9 So he questioned him at some length, but he made no answer. 10 The chief priests and the scribes stood by, vehemently accusing him. 11 And Herod with his soldiers treated him with contempt and mocked him. Then, arraying him in splendid clothing, he sent him back to Pilate. 12 And Herod and Pilate became friends with each other that very day, for before this they had been at enmity with each other. 13 Pilate then called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people, 14 and said to them, "You brought me this man as one who was misleading the people. And after examining him before you, behold, I did not find this man guilty of any of your charges against him. 15 Neither did Herod, for he sent him back to us. Look, nothing deserving death has been done by him. 16 I will therefore punish and release him." 17 18 But they all cried out together, "Away with this man, and release to us Barabbas"-- 19 a man who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection started in the city and for murder. 20 Pilate addressed them once more, desiring to release Jesus, 21 but they kept shouting, "Crucify, crucify him!" 22 A third time he said to them, "Why, what evil has he done? I have found in him no guilt deserving death. I will therefore punish and release him." 23 But they were urgent, demanding with loud cries that he should be crucified. And their voices prevailed. 24 So Pilate decided that their demand should be granted. 25 He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, for whom they asked, but he delivered Jesus over to their will.
Part 3, 4, and 5 of a five part section on Jesus trial.
Here are the five parts in order.
1) Luke 22:63-65 Mocking & beating by Roman soldiers
Jesus prophesy to Peter that he would deny him
is contrasted with the Roman soldiers asking Jesus to prophesy
which one of them struck him. Peter collapses with fear of suffering
while Jesus courageously endures suffering.
2) Luke 22:66-71 Sanhedrin Trial
Jesus answers the question about his identity with allusions to Psalm 110
3) Luke 23:1-5 Before Pontius Pilate
Luke tells us about Pilates interaction with Galileans
in Luke 13.
ESV Luke 13:1 There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2 And he answered them, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? 3 No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.
A) Jesus is accused of perverting the nation
How?
1) Evasion of taxes to Caesar
2) Self-proclaimed King
Jesus simply says “You say”
Pilate pronounces Jesus innocent
This is significant because innocence qualifies Jesus to be crucified.
The irony of it all
B) Jesus stirs up the people all over Israel
Two concerns were feeding together.
Jewish leaders were concerned about false prophets.
ESV Deuteronomy 13:1 "If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, 2 and the sign or wonder that he tells you comes to pass, and if he says, 'Let us go after other gods,' which you have not known, 'and let us serve them,' 3 you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams. For the LORD your God is testing you, to know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. 4 You shall walk after the LORD your God and fear him and keep his commandments and obey his voice, and you shall serve him and hold fast to him. 5 But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has taught rebellion against the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you out of the house of slavery, to make you leave the way in which the LORD your God commanded you to walk. So you shall purge the evil from your midst.
Irony of this is the reason cited: God brought them out of Egypt. How? The death angel struck down the firstborn of every family that had not put the blood of a lamb on the doorposts of their homes. Passover was ‘institutionalized’ in the law of Moses. The Jews were gathered together for Passover. The very reason Moses gave this command in Deuteronomy 13 was why they were together. The link to Passover shouts to us from history.
The passover lamb had to be without blemish. This was symbolic of Jesus’ innocence. The entire Passover Feast is a shadow. It is a shadow of the Lamb of God, Jesus, who died in order to deliver us all. Luke has sown little seeds in his gospel to point to this marvelous revelation. For example, Jesus sets out towards Jerusalem to ‘accomplish his exodus’!!
ESV Luke 9:28 Now about eight days after these sayings he took with him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray. 29 And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white. 30 And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah, 31 who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure (exodus), which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.
The Romans were not concerned at all about Jewish law or the book of Deuteronomy. They were conerned about an uprising or civil unrest.
They had been trying to catch Jesus for awhile.
ESV Luke 20:20 So they watched him and sent spies, who pretended to be sincere, that they might catch him in something he said, so as to deliver him up to the authority and jurisdiction of the governor. 21 So they asked him, "Teacher, we know that you speak and teach rightly, and show no partiality, but truly teach the way of God. 22 Is it lawful for us to give tribute to Caesar, or not?" 23 But he perceived their craftiness, and said to them, 24 "Show me a denarius. Whose likeness and inscription does it have?" They said, "Caesar's." 25 He said to them, "Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." 26 And they were not able in the presence of the people to catch him in what he said, but marveling at his answer they became silent.
Jesus is accused of claiming divine authority to rule the people.
Pilate declares Jesus innocent and sends him to Herod.
4) Luke 23:6-12 Sent to King Herod
ESV Luke 9:7 Now Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening, and he was perplexed, because it wa s said by some that John had been raised from the dead, 8 by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the prophets of old had risen. 9 Herod said, "John I beheaded, but who is this about whom I hear such things?" And he sought to see him.
Luk 13:31 At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, "Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you." 32 And he said to them, "Go and tell that fox, 'Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I finish my course. 33 Nevertheless, I must go on my way today and tomorrow and the day following, for it cannot be that a prophet should perish away from Jerusalem.'
Herod declares Jesus innocent and returns him to Pilate
5) Luke 23:13-25 Pilate agrees to crucify Jesus
The Jews were not allowed to execute someone because of Roman rule. Only the Romans were allowed to execute people.
Only under great pressure from the Jews does Pilate reverse his decision.
Acts 3 (Right after the lame man was healed by Peter & John)
11 While he clung to Peter and John, all the people, utterly astounded, ran together to them in the portico called Solomon's. 12 And when Peter saw it he addressed the people: "Men of Israel, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we have made him walk? 13 The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered over and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release him. 14 But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, 15 and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. 16 And his name--by faith in his name--has made this man strong whom you see and know, and the faith that is through Jesus has given the man this perfect health in the presence of you all.
Description of the crucifixion from Green NICNT page…pg 810
Jesus predicted it all
ESV Luke 9:22 saying, "The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised."
ESV Luke 9:44 "Let these words sink into your ears: The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men."
ESV Luke 18:31 And taking the twelve, he said to them, "See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. 32 For he will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. 33 And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise."
The Lamb of God delivers us from ‘Egypt’. Therefore, put your confidence in Jesus!
Humiliation is the point of a crucifixion.
ESV Acts 8:30 So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, "Do you understand what you are reading?" 31 And he said, "How can I, unless someone guides me?" And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this: "Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter and like a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he opens not his mouth. 33 In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth." 34 And the eunuch said to Philip, "About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?" 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus.
A spiritual principle…the Lord God takes what the devil uses to try to humiliate us…and he responds with humility! In humility Christ broke through the humiliation of the cross!
ESV Philippians 2:4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Part 3, 4, and 5 of a five part section on Jesus trial.
Here are the five parts in order.
1) Luke 22:63-65 Mocking & beating by Roman soldiers
Jesus prophesy to Peter that he would deny him
is contrasted with the Roman soldiers asking Jesus to prophesy
which one of them struck him. Peter collapses with fear of suffering
while Jesus courageously endures suffering.
2) Luke 22:66-71 Sanhedrin Trial
Jesus answers the question about his identity with allusions to Psalm 110
3) Luke 23:1-5 Before Pontius Pilate
Luke tells us about Pilates interaction with Galileans
in Luke 13.
ESV Luke 13:1 There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2 And he answered them, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? 3 No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.
A) Jesus is accused of perverting the nation
How?
1) Evasion of taxes to Caesar
2) Self-proclaimed King
Jesus simply says “You say”
Pilate pronounces Jesus innocent
This is significant because innocence qualifies Jesus to be crucified.
The irony of it all
B) Jesus stirs up the people all over Israel
Two concerns were feeding together.
Jewish leaders were concerned about false prophets.
ESV Deuteronomy 13:1 "If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, 2 and the sign or wonder that he tells you comes to pass, and if he says, 'Let us go after other gods,' which you have not known, 'and let us serve them,' 3 you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams. For the LORD your God is testing you, to know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. 4 You shall walk after the LORD your God and fear him and keep his commandments and obey his voice, and you shall serve him and hold fast to him. 5 But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has taught rebellion against the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you out of the house of slavery, to make you leave the way in which the LORD your God commanded you to walk. So you shall purge the evil from your midst.
Irony of this is the reason cited: God brought them out of Egypt. How? The death angel struck down the firstborn of every family that had not put the blood of a lamb on the doorposts of their homes. Passover was ‘institutionalized’ in the law of Moses. The Jews were gathered together for Passover. The very reason Moses gave this command in Deuteronomy 13 was why they were together. The link to Passover shouts to us from history.
The passover lamb had to be without blemish. This was symbolic of Jesus’ innocence. The entire Passover Feast is a shadow. It is a shadow of the Lamb of God, Jesus, who died in order to deliver us all. Luke has sown little seeds in his gospel to point to this marvelous revelation. For example, Jesus sets out towards Jerusalem to ‘accomplish his exodus’!!
ESV Luke 9:28 Now about eight days after these sayings he took with him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray. 29 And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white. 30 And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah, 31 who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure (exodus), which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.
The Romans were not concerned at all about Jewish law or the book of Deuteronomy. They were conerned about an uprising or civil unrest.
They had been trying to catch Jesus for awhile.
ESV Luke 20:20 So they watched him and sent spies, who pretended to be sincere, that they might catch him in something he said, so as to deliver him up to the authority and jurisdiction of the governor. 21 So they asked him, "Teacher, we know that you speak and teach rightly, and show no partiality, but truly teach the way of God. 22 Is it lawful for us to give tribute to Caesar, or not?" 23 But he perceived their craftiness, and said to them, 24 "Show me a denarius. Whose likeness and inscription does it have?" They said, "Caesar's." 25 He said to them, "Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." 26 And they were not able in the presence of the people to catch him in what he said, but marveling at his answer they became silent.
Jesus is accused of claiming divine authority to rule the people.
Pilate declares Jesus innocent and sends him to Herod.
4) Luke 23:6-12 Sent to King Herod
ESV Luke 9:7 Now Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening, and he was perplexed, because it wa s said by some that John had been raised from the dead, 8 by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the prophets of old had risen. 9 Herod said, "John I beheaded, but who is this about whom I hear such things?" And he sought to see him.
Luk 13:31 At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, "Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you." 32 And he said to them, "Go and tell that fox, 'Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I finish my course. 33 Nevertheless, I must go on my way today and tomorrow and the day following, for it cannot be that a prophet should perish away from Jerusalem.'
Herod declares Jesus innocent and returns him to Pilate
5) Luke 23:13-25 Pilate agrees to crucify Jesus
The Jews were not allowed to execute someone because of Roman rule. Only the Romans were allowed to execute people.
Only under great pressure from the Jews does Pilate reverse his decision.
Acts 3 (Right after the lame man was healed by Peter & John)
11 While he clung to Peter and John, all the people, utterly astounded, ran together to them in the portico called Solomon's. 12 And when Peter saw it he addressed the people: "Men of Israel, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we have made him walk? 13 The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered over and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release him. 14 But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, 15 and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. 16 And his name--by faith in his name--has made this man strong whom you see and know, and the faith that is through Jesus has given the man this perfect health in the presence of you all.
Description of the crucifixion from Green NICNT page…pg 810
Jesus predicted it all
ESV Luke 9:22 saying, "The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised."
ESV Luke 9:44 "Let these words sink into your ears: The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men."
ESV Luke 18:31 And taking the twelve, he said to them, "See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. 32 For he will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. 33 And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise."
The Lamb of God delivers us from ‘Egypt’. Therefore, put your confidence in Jesus!
Humiliation is the point of a crucifixion.
ESV Acts 8:30 So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, "Do you understand what you are reading?" 31 And he said, "How can I, unless someone guides me?" And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this: "Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter and like a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he opens not his mouth. 33 In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth." 34 And the eunuch said to Philip, "About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?" 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus.
A spiritual principle…the Lord God takes what the devil uses to try to humiliate us…and he responds with humility! In humility Christ broke through the humiliation of the cross!
ESV Philippians 2:4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Sunday, April 01, 2007
The Royal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem
The Royal & Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem
ESV Luke 19:28 And when he had said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.
What things? What had Jesus just said?
ESV Luke 19:10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost." 11 As they heard these things, he proceeded to tell a parable, because he was near to Jerusalem, and because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately. 12 He said therefore, "A nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return. 13 Calling ten of his servants, he gave them ten minas, and said to them, 'Engage in business until I come.' 14 But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, 'We do not want this man to reign over us.' 15 When he returned, having received the kingdom, he ordered these servants to whom he had given the money to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by doing business. 16 The first came before him, saying, 'Lord, your mina has made ten minas more.' 17 And he said to him, 'Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.' 18 And the second came, saying, 'Lord, your mina has made five minas.' 19 And he said to him, 'And you are to be over five cities.' 20 Then another came, saying, 'Lord, here is your mina, which I kept laid away in a handkerchief; 21 for I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man. You take what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.' 22 He said to him, 'I will condemn you with your own words, you wicked servant! You knew that I was a severe man, taking what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow? 23 Why then did you not put my money in the bank, and at my coming I might have collected it with interest?' 24 And he said to those who stood by, 'Take the mina from him, and give it to the one who has the ten minas.' 25 And they said to him, 'Lord, he has ten minas!' 26 'I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 27 But as for these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slaughter them before me.'"
The Jewish mindset was for an earthly kingdom that overthrew the Romans now!
ESV Daniel 2:29 To you, O king, as you lay in bed came thoughts of what would be after this, and he who reveals mysteries made known to you what is to be. 30 But as for me, this mystery has been revealed to me, not because of any wisdom that I have more than all the living, but in order that the interpretation may be made known to the king, and that you may know the thoughts of your mind. 31 "You saw, O king, and behold, a great image. This image, mighty and of exceeding brightness, stood before you, and its appearance was frightening. 32 The head of this image was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its middle and thighs of bronze, 33 its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. 34 As you looked, a stone was cut out by no human hand, and it struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. 35 Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold, all together were broken in pieces, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, so that not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth. 36 "This was the dream. Now we will tell the king its interpretation. 37 You, O king, the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, and the might, and the glory, 38 and into whose hand he has given, wherever they dwell, the children of man, the beasts of the field, and the birds of the heavens, making you rule over them all--you are the head of gold. 39 Another kingdom inferior to you shall arise after you, and yet a third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the earth. 40 And there shall be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron, because iron breaks to pieces and shatters all things. And like iron that crushes, it shall break and crush all these. 41 And as you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter's clay and partly of iron, it shall be a divided kingdom, but some of the firmness of iron shall be in it, just as you saw iron mixed with the soft clay. 42 And as the toes of the feet were partly iron and partly clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly brittle. 43 As you saw the iron mixed with soft clay, so they will mix with one another in marriage, but they will not hold together, just as iron does not mix with clay. 44 And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever, 45 just as you saw that a stone was cut from a mountain by no human hand, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold. A great God has made known to the king what shall be after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation sure." 46 Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face and paid homage to Daniel, and commanded that an offering and incense be offered up to him.
29 When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples,
ESV John 12:1 Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table. 3 Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4 But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, 5 "Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?" 6 He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it. 7 Jesus said, "Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial. 8 For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me." 9 When the large crowd of the Jews learned that Jesus was there, they came, not only on account of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 10 So the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well, 11 because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus. 12 The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 13 So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!" 14 And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written, 15 "Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey's colt!" 16 His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him. 17 The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. 18 The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign. 19 So the Pharisees said to one another, "You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him." 20 Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. 21 So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, "Sir, we wish to see Jesus." 22 Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. 23 And Jesus answered them, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.
Bethphage-the Aramaic behind Bethphage means ‘house of unrip figs’-don’t know for sure where Bethphage really is…perhaps near the Mount of Olives somewhere. But the names meaning has endured. Bethany’s most famous resident is Lazarus.
: ESV Luke 13:6 And he told this parable: "A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. 7 And he said to the vinedresser, 'Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?' 8 And he answered him, 'Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure. 9 Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.'"
30 saying, "Go into the village in front of you, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat. Untie it and bring it here.
31 If anyone asks you, 'Why are you untying it?' you shall say this: 'The Lord has need of it.'"
Jacob’s last words to his son Judah, who is the father of
Jesus’ lineage contain a hint of this event~
ESV Genesis 49:9 Judah is a lion's cub; from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He stooped down; he crouched as a lion and as a lioness; who dares rouse him? 10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples. 11 Binding his foal to the vine and his donkey's colt to the choice vine, he has washed his garments in wine and his vesture in the blood of grapes. 12 His eyes are darker than wine, and his teeth whiter than milk.
And Zechariah prophesied the coming Messiah would bring Salvation on a colt…
ESV Zechariah 9:9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
32 So those who were sent went away and found it just as he had told them.
33 And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, "Why are you untying the colt?"
34 And they said, "The Lord has need of it."
Angaria (from ἄγγαρος, the Greek form of a Babylonian word adopted in Persian for "mounted courier"), a sort of postal system adopted by the Roman imperial government from the ancient Persians, among whom, according to Xenophon (Cyrop. viii. 6; cf. Herodotus viii. 98) it was established by Cyrus the Great. Couriers on horseback were posted at certain stages along the chief roads of the empire, for the transmission of royal despatches by night and day in all weathers. In the Roman system the supply of horses and their maintenance was a compulsory duty from which the emperor alone could grant exemption. The word, which in the 4th century was used for the heavy transport vehicles of the cursus publicus, and also for the animals by which they were drawn, came to mean generally "compulsory service." So angaria, angariare, in medieval Latin, and the rare English derivatives "angariate," "angariation," came to mean any service which was forcibly or unjustly demanded, and oppression in general.
35 And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it.
36 And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road.
37 As he was drawing near--already on the way down the Mount of Olives--the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen,
38 saying, "Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"
ESV Psalm 118:25 Save us, we pray, O LORD! O LORD, we pray, give us success! 26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD! We bless you from the house of the LORD. 27 The LORD is God, and he has made his light to shine upon us. Bind the festal sacrifice with cords, up to the horns of the altar! 28 You are my God, and I will give thanks to you; you are my God; I will extol you.
39 And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples."
40 He answered, "I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out."
ESV Genesis 4:10 And the LORD said, "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground.
ESV Habakkuk 2:9 "Woe to him who gets evil gain for his house, to set his nest on high, to be safe from the reach of harm! 10 You have devised shame for your house by cutting off many peoples; you have forfeited your life. 11 For the stone will cry out from the wall, and the beam from the woodwork respond. 12 "Woe to him who builds a town with blood and founds a city on iniquity!
ESV Luke 19:28 And when he had said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.
What things? What had Jesus just said?
ESV Luke 19:10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost." 11 As they heard these things, he proceeded to tell a parable, because he was near to Jerusalem, and because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately. 12 He said therefore, "A nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return. 13 Calling ten of his servants, he gave them ten minas, and said to them, 'Engage in business until I come.' 14 But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, 'We do not want this man to reign over us.' 15 When he returned, having received the kingdom, he ordered these servants to whom he had given the money to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by doing business. 16 The first came before him, saying, 'Lord, your mina has made ten minas more.' 17 And he said to him, 'Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.' 18 And the second came, saying, 'Lord, your mina has made five minas.' 19 And he said to him, 'And you are to be over five cities.' 20 Then another came, saying, 'Lord, here is your mina, which I kept laid away in a handkerchief; 21 for I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man. You take what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.' 22 He said to him, 'I will condemn you with your own words, you wicked servant! You knew that I was a severe man, taking what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow? 23 Why then did you not put my money in the bank, and at my coming I might have collected it with interest?' 24 And he said to those who stood by, 'Take the mina from him, and give it to the one who has the ten minas.' 25 And they said to him, 'Lord, he has ten minas!' 26 'I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 27 But as for these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slaughter them before me.'"
The Jewish mindset was for an earthly kingdom that overthrew the Romans now!
ESV Daniel 2:29 To you, O king, as you lay in bed came thoughts of what would be after this, and he who reveals mysteries made known to you what is to be. 30 But as for me, this mystery has been revealed to me, not because of any wisdom that I have more than all the living, but in order that the interpretation may be made known to the king, and that you may know the thoughts of your mind. 31 "You saw, O king, and behold, a great image. This image, mighty and of exceeding brightness, stood before you, and its appearance was frightening. 32 The head of this image was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its middle and thighs of bronze, 33 its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. 34 As you looked, a stone was cut out by no human hand, and it struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. 35 Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold, all together were broken in pieces, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, so that not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth. 36 "This was the dream. Now we will tell the king its interpretation. 37 You, O king, the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, and the might, and the glory, 38 and into whose hand he has given, wherever they dwell, the children of man, the beasts of the field, and the birds of the heavens, making you rule over them all--you are the head of gold. 39 Another kingdom inferior to you shall arise after you, and yet a third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the earth. 40 And there shall be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron, because iron breaks to pieces and shatters all things. And like iron that crushes, it shall break and crush all these. 41 And as you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter's clay and partly of iron, it shall be a divided kingdom, but some of the firmness of iron shall be in it, just as you saw iron mixed with the soft clay. 42 And as the toes of the feet were partly iron and partly clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly brittle. 43 As you saw the iron mixed with soft clay, so they will mix with one another in marriage, but they will not hold together, just as iron does not mix with clay. 44 And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever, 45 just as you saw that a stone was cut from a mountain by no human hand, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold. A great God has made known to the king what shall be after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation sure." 46 Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face and paid homage to Daniel, and commanded that an offering and incense be offered up to him.
29 When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples,
ESV John 12:1 Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table. 3 Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4 But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, 5 "Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?" 6 He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it. 7 Jesus said, "Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial. 8 For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me." 9 When the large crowd of the Jews learned that Jesus was there, they came, not only on account of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 10 So the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well, 11 because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus. 12 The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 13 So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!" 14 And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written, 15 "Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey's colt!" 16 His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him. 17 The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. 18 The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign. 19 So the Pharisees said to one another, "You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him." 20 Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. 21 So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, "Sir, we wish to see Jesus." 22 Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. 23 And Jesus answered them, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.
Bethphage-the Aramaic behind Bethphage means ‘house of unrip figs’-don’t know for sure where Bethphage really is…perhaps near the Mount of Olives somewhere. But the names meaning has endured. Bethany’s most famous resident is Lazarus.
: ESV Luke 13:6 And he told this parable: "A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. 7 And he said to the vinedresser, 'Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?' 8 And he answered him, 'Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure. 9 Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.'"
30 saying, "Go into the village in front of you, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat. Untie it and bring it here.
31 If anyone asks you, 'Why are you untying it?' you shall say this: 'The Lord has need of it.'"
Jacob’s last words to his son Judah, who is the father of
Jesus’ lineage contain a hint of this event~
ESV Genesis 49:9 Judah is a lion's cub; from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He stooped down; he crouched as a lion and as a lioness; who dares rouse him? 10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples. 11 Binding his foal to the vine and his donkey's colt to the choice vine, he has washed his garments in wine and his vesture in the blood of grapes. 12 His eyes are darker than wine, and his teeth whiter than milk.
And Zechariah prophesied the coming Messiah would bring Salvation on a colt…
ESV Zechariah 9:9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
32 So those who were sent went away and found it just as he had told them.
33 And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, "Why are you untying the colt?"
34 And they said, "The Lord has need of it."
Angaria (from ἄγγαρος, the Greek form of a Babylonian word adopted in Persian for "mounted courier"), a sort of postal system adopted by the Roman imperial government from the ancient Persians, among whom, according to Xenophon (Cyrop. viii. 6; cf. Herodotus viii. 98) it was established by Cyrus the Great. Couriers on horseback were posted at certain stages along the chief roads of the empire, for the transmission of royal despatches by night and day in all weathers. In the Roman system the supply of horses and their maintenance was a compulsory duty from which the emperor alone could grant exemption. The word, which in the 4th century was used for the heavy transport vehicles of the cursus publicus, and also for the animals by which they were drawn, came to mean generally "compulsory service." So angaria, angariare, in medieval Latin, and the rare English derivatives "angariate," "angariation," came to mean any service which was forcibly or unjustly demanded, and oppression in general.
35 And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it.
36 And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road.
37 As he was drawing near--already on the way down the Mount of Olives--the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen,
38 saying, "Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"
ESV Psalm 118:25 Save us, we pray, O LORD! O LORD, we pray, give us success! 26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD! We bless you from the house of the LORD. 27 The LORD is God, and he has made his light to shine upon us. Bind the festal sacrifice with cords, up to the horns of the altar! 28 You are my God, and I will give thanks to you; you are my God; I will extol you.
39 And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples."
40 He answered, "I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out."
ESV Genesis 4:10 And the LORD said, "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground.
ESV Habakkuk 2:9 "Woe to him who gets evil gain for his house, to set his nest on high, to be safe from the reach of harm! 10 You have devised shame for your house by cutting off many peoples; you have forfeited your life. 11 For the stone will cry out from the wall, and the beam from the woodwork respond. 12 "Woe to him who builds a town with blood and founds a city on iniquity!
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Palm Sunday-This Sunday We will study Luke 19 together
ESV Luke 19:28 And when he had said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 29 When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples, 30 saying, "Go into the village in front of you, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks you, 'Why are you untying it?' you shall say this: 'The Lord has need of it.'" 32 So those who were sent went away and found it just as he had told them. 33 And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, "Why are you untying the colt?" 34 And they said, "The Lord has need of it." 35 And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. 36 And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road. 37 As he was drawing near--already on the way down the Mount of Olives--the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, 38 saying, "Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!" 39 And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples." 40 He answered, "I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out."
Sunday, March 04, 2007
The Table Talk of Jesus (in a Pharisee's home) Luke 14
The title is Building a healthy church in the sermon audio section.
Part 3 of 5
Rough Outline of Luke
A Pre-Ministry of Jesus 1:1-4:13
B Galilean Ministry of Jesus 4:14-9:50
C On the Road to Jerusalem 9:51-19:44
D Confrontation & Crucifiction 19:45-23:56
E Resurrection & Exaltation 24:1-53
We have selected key passages out of each section. So far we have looked at the
Temptation of Jesus in the wilderness (Luke 4:1-13) and the Transfiguration of Jesus in Luke 9:28-36. Now today we are looking at the ‘Table Talk’ passage in Luke 14:1-14. So we have moved from Jesus’ pre-ministry passages, through the Galilean passages, and now we are in the ‘road to Jerusalem’ passages. Some think that the ruling Pharisee must have lived outside of Jerusalem, but the truth is that we really don’t know where he lived. We only know that he was a ruler among the Pharisees, and that it was outside of Galilee somewhere in Israel.
ESV Luke 14:1 One Sabbath, when he went to dine at the house of a ruler of the Pharisees, they were watching him carefully. 2 And behold, there was a man before him who had dropsy. 3 And Jesus responded to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?" 4 But they remained silent. Then he took him and healed him and sent him away. 5 And he said to them, "Which of you, having a son or an ox that has fallen into a well on a Sabbath day, will not immediately pull him out?" 6 And they could not reply to these things. 7 Now he told a parable to those who were invited, when he noticed how they chose the places of honor, saying to them, 8 "When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you be invited by him, 9 and he who invited you both will come and say to you, 'Give your place to this person,' and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place. 10 But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, 'Friend, move up higher.' Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you. 11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." 12 He said also to the man who had invited him, "When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. 13 But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14 and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just."
Sabbath- ESV Exodus 20:8 "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
ESV Deuteronomy 5:15 You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the LORD your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.
ESV Nehemiah 13:22 Then I commanded the Levites that they should purify themselves and come and guard the gates, to keep the Sabbath day holy. Remember this also in my favor, O my God, and spare me according to the greatness of your steadfast love.
Breaking the Sabbath was a crucial violation of the ten commandments. Israel was bound to observe the ten commandments. No work was permitted on the Sabbath. It was dedicated as a day of rest.
Israel’s history throughout the bible demonstrated that every time the Israelites stopped paying attention to the law, God would send an enemy to judge Israel. After being defeated in battle, the Lord would send a prophet to Israel who would challenge them to repent. As a result, they would go back to the law and God would restore their government and civilization. But not too long would go by and Israel would once again abandon the laws of God. This cycle repeated for many centuries.
The Pharisees believed that during the Roman empire Israel would receive the Messiah who would establish their government more powerfully than ever before. This new Messiah would overthrow the Roman empire and establish a golden era of power for Israel. Because of this, the Pharisees believed that it was absolutely essential for Israel to observe every nuance of the law of Moses. Central to that law were the ten commandments. So Pharisees discussed what was legal in the law system. One of their determinations was that practicing medicine was work. And so anyone who healed the sick on a Sabbath was ‘working’ and therefore violating the law of Moses.
To the Pharisee, what was at stake in this argument was whether or not Israel would qualify to receive the Messiah now, or have to wait possibly for many more years. From their perspective they were not nit-picking, they were fighting for the central values of all of Israel. But Jesus was not fighting to establish the law of Moses. Jesus was fulfilling the law of Moses AND He was establishing the Kingdom of God. ESV Luke 16:16 "The Law and the Prophets were until John; since then the good news of the kingdom of God is preached, and everyone forces his way into it.
Jesus declares in this passage that John the Baptist was the final marker in the law and prophets of the Old Testament. Now there is the good news of the Kingdom of God. This good news is rooted in faith, humility and love. It is nothing short of the inauguration of the Kingdom Daniel prophesied would come.
ESV Daniel 2:44 And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever.
The reason the Pharisees were so hyper about keeping the law is that they were expecting Daniel 2 to be fulfilled, and they wanted it to start! They could not imagine that God’s beginning of this fulfillment would be only a spiritual kingdom. They insisted, as did Jesus disciples, that it must be a real kingdom with bricks and mortar, established in Israel.
Moses told the Israelites about Jesus’ coming.
ESV Deuteronomy 18:15 "The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers--it is to him you shall listen-- 16 just as you desired of the LORD your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, 'Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God or see this great fire any more, lest I die.' 17 And the LORD said to me, 'They are right in what they have spoken. 18 I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. 19 And whoever will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him.
ESV Deuteronomy 22:4 You shall not see your brother's donkey or his ox fallen down by the way and ignore them. You shall help him to lift them up again.
This passage in Luke is representative of Jesus’ conflict with the leaders of Israel. Criticism against them has been leveled in Luke 11:37-54 (six woes at a dinner table discussion), 12:1 (warning against yeast of the pharisees), 13:1-9 (warning against Israel being ‘cut down’), 13:22-30 (door is narrow), 13:31-35 (sorrow for Jerusalem). Over and over again Jesus confronts the leaders of Israel. He assails them with power healings and teachings that confront their errors in handling God’s word. Luke arranges these confrontations so that they are more and more intense until finally Jesus is crucified. The ironic thing of all of this is that Jesus intentionally confronts the Pharisees and leaders even when He is about to be crucified. It this way he really fulfills the point Luke makes in ESV Luke 9:30 And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah, 31 who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. For more on that, listen to last weeks message on Luke 9 on the internet.
So what is this new Kingdom Jesus came to establish all about? How do we enter it? How can we avoid the fate of the Pharisees who in their religious fervency missed the Kingdom of God completely?
Jesus uses the setting he was in to explain to us how the Kingdom of God works.
The law in Deuteronomy 22:4 was simply an expression of love.
ESV Deuteronomy 22:4 You shall not see your brother's donkey or his ox fallen down by the way and ignore them. You shall help him to lift them up again.
For people who are loving their neighbors, they do not need to be told to help their neighbor or to watch out for his things. The law simply expresses what a loving person would do naturally. And so a man who needs to be healed is no different. Jesus heals the man because he loves him. The Pharisees don’t realize love trumps the laws detail. They are under a condemnation. Christ is ushering in ‘no condemnation’. The Parisees think Jesus is violating the law of Moses. Jesus is inaugurating the law of the Kingdom of God…the law of love.
So the Kingdom of God is marked by love.
Not only that, but the Kingdom of God is marked by another quality. Let’s go deeper. The root of love.
What is the root of love?
If we define love biblically we see it is valuing someone or something so much that we act on it. We treasure someone so much that we communicate that treasuring to them. What is the quality in people that enables them to value others?
It is the ‘H’ factor. The ‘H’ factor is about honor. It is about honesty. It is about humility.
Humble yourself. Honestly value others. Everyone has value. Do not seek your own honor. Do not praise yourself, let another praise you!
Let’s review some key points from this passage.
1) Jesus demonstrates his authority over the Sabbath by healing on the Sabbath.
2) Jesus confronts the hypocrisy of the Pharisees by doing this.
3) Jesus demonstrates the qualities of the Kingdom of God which are being overlooked by the Pharisees.
A) Love drives ministry
B) Humility nourishes love
C) Self-promotion fights against humility
First use of humility is ESV Genesis 15:13 Then the LORD said to Abram, "Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they will be afflicted for four hundred years.
6331 tapeino,w
(a) make low (spacial) 81.7
(b) level off 79.87
(c) make low (status) 87.62
(d) make humble 88.56
(e) embarrass 25.198
ESV 1 Timothy 3:1 The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task.
ESV Hebrews 11:16 But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.
Exaltation:
First use in the bible: ESV Genesis 7:17 The flood continued forty days on the earth. The waters increased and bore up the ark, and it rose high above the earth.
Luke 18 Pharisee and tax collector (the Missionary and the IRS worker)
The Kingdom of God is marked by authority to heal which is driven by love. The Spirit of God leads by the way of love. Love is the pavement on a road called humility. Humility is a smooth pathway where we choose to respect and honor others ahead of ourselves.
At the foot of the cross, all people are the same. ESV Galatians 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Lessons on humility & generosity
1) Take the back seat 14:7-11
2) Offer hospitality to people who cannot repay you 14:12-14
“hospitality is generosity when no motive exists besides giving”
3) Eternal reward ESV Luke 14:14 and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just." We should always have our eyes on the end of the age!
This life is the womb of eternity. It is preparation for ‘forever’ in Christ.
An irony is that the passage says that the Pharisees were closely watching Jesus. Well Jesus was not only closely watching the Pharisees, but their very behavior that day became a famous lesson in God’s word for all of eternity to meditate on! Jesus taught them based on their own deeds!
Part 3 of 5
Rough Outline of Luke
A Pre-Ministry of Jesus 1:1-4:13
B Galilean Ministry of Jesus 4:14-9:50
C On the Road to Jerusalem 9:51-19:44
D Confrontation & Crucifiction 19:45-23:56
E Resurrection & Exaltation 24:1-53
We have selected key passages out of each section. So far we have looked at the
Temptation of Jesus in the wilderness (Luke 4:1-13) and the Transfiguration of Jesus in Luke 9:28-36. Now today we are looking at the ‘Table Talk’ passage in Luke 14:1-14. So we have moved from Jesus’ pre-ministry passages, through the Galilean passages, and now we are in the ‘road to Jerusalem’ passages. Some think that the ruling Pharisee must have lived outside of Jerusalem, but the truth is that we really don’t know where he lived. We only know that he was a ruler among the Pharisees, and that it was outside of Galilee somewhere in Israel.
ESV Luke 14:1 One Sabbath, when he went to dine at the house of a ruler of the Pharisees, they were watching him carefully. 2 And behold, there was a man before him who had dropsy. 3 And Jesus responded to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?" 4 But they remained silent. Then he took him and healed him and sent him away. 5 And he said to them, "Which of you, having a son or an ox that has fallen into a well on a Sabbath day, will not immediately pull him out?" 6 And they could not reply to these things. 7 Now he told a parable to those who were invited, when he noticed how they chose the places of honor, saying to them, 8 "When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you be invited by him, 9 and he who invited you both will come and say to you, 'Give your place to this person,' and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place. 10 But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, 'Friend, move up higher.' Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you. 11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." 12 He said also to the man who had invited him, "When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. 13 But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14 and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just."
Sabbath- ESV Exodus 20:8 "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
ESV Deuteronomy 5:15 You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the LORD your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.
ESV Nehemiah 13:22 Then I commanded the Levites that they should purify themselves and come and guard the gates, to keep the Sabbath day holy. Remember this also in my favor, O my God, and spare me according to the greatness of your steadfast love.
Breaking the Sabbath was a crucial violation of the ten commandments. Israel was bound to observe the ten commandments. No work was permitted on the Sabbath. It was dedicated as a day of rest.
Israel’s history throughout the bible demonstrated that every time the Israelites stopped paying attention to the law, God would send an enemy to judge Israel. After being defeated in battle, the Lord would send a prophet to Israel who would challenge them to repent. As a result, they would go back to the law and God would restore their government and civilization. But not too long would go by and Israel would once again abandon the laws of God. This cycle repeated for many centuries.
The Pharisees believed that during the Roman empire Israel would receive the Messiah who would establish their government more powerfully than ever before. This new Messiah would overthrow the Roman empire and establish a golden era of power for Israel. Because of this, the Pharisees believed that it was absolutely essential for Israel to observe every nuance of the law of Moses. Central to that law were the ten commandments. So Pharisees discussed what was legal in the law system. One of their determinations was that practicing medicine was work. And so anyone who healed the sick on a Sabbath was ‘working’ and therefore violating the law of Moses.
To the Pharisee, what was at stake in this argument was whether or not Israel would qualify to receive the Messiah now, or have to wait possibly for many more years. From their perspective they were not nit-picking, they were fighting for the central values of all of Israel. But Jesus was not fighting to establish the law of Moses. Jesus was fulfilling the law of Moses AND He was establishing the Kingdom of God. ESV Luke 16:16 "The Law and the Prophets were until John; since then the good news of the kingdom of God is preached, and everyone forces his way into it.
Jesus declares in this passage that John the Baptist was the final marker in the law and prophets of the Old Testament. Now there is the good news of the Kingdom of God. This good news is rooted in faith, humility and love. It is nothing short of the inauguration of the Kingdom Daniel prophesied would come.
ESV Daniel 2:44 And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever.
The reason the Pharisees were so hyper about keeping the law is that they were expecting Daniel 2 to be fulfilled, and they wanted it to start! They could not imagine that God’s beginning of this fulfillment would be only a spiritual kingdom. They insisted, as did Jesus disciples, that it must be a real kingdom with bricks and mortar, established in Israel.
Moses told the Israelites about Jesus’ coming.
ESV Deuteronomy 18:15 "The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers--it is to him you shall listen-- 16 just as you desired of the LORD your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, 'Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God or see this great fire any more, lest I die.' 17 And the LORD said to me, 'They are right in what they have spoken. 18 I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. 19 And whoever will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him.
ESV Deuteronomy 22:4 You shall not see your brother's donkey or his ox fallen down by the way and ignore them. You shall help him to lift them up again.
This passage in Luke is representative of Jesus’ conflict with the leaders of Israel. Criticism against them has been leveled in Luke 11:37-54 (six woes at a dinner table discussion), 12:1 (warning against yeast of the pharisees), 13:1-9 (warning against Israel being ‘cut down’), 13:22-30 (door is narrow), 13:31-35 (sorrow for Jerusalem). Over and over again Jesus confronts the leaders of Israel. He assails them with power healings and teachings that confront their errors in handling God’s word. Luke arranges these confrontations so that they are more and more intense until finally Jesus is crucified. The ironic thing of all of this is that Jesus intentionally confronts the Pharisees and leaders even when He is about to be crucified. It this way he really fulfills the point Luke makes in ESV Luke 9:30 And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah, 31 who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. For more on that, listen to last weeks message on Luke 9 on the internet.
So what is this new Kingdom Jesus came to establish all about? How do we enter it? How can we avoid the fate of the Pharisees who in their religious fervency missed the Kingdom of God completely?
Jesus uses the setting he was in to explain to us how the Kingdom of God works.
The law in Deuteronomy 22:4 was simply an expression of love.
ESV Deuteronomy 22:4 You shall not see your brother's donkey or his ox fallen down by the way and ignore them. You shall help him to lift them up again.
For people who are loving their neighbors, they do not need to be told to help their neighbor or to watch out for his things. The law simply expresses what a loving person would do naturally. And so a man who needs to be healed is no different. Jesus heals the man because he loves him. The Pharisees don’t realize love trumps the laws detail. They are under a condemnation. Christ is ushering in ‘no condemnation’. The Parisees think Jesus is violating the law of Moses. Jesus is inaugurating the law of the Kingdom of God…the law of love.
So the Kingdom of God is marked by love.
Not only that, but the Kingdom of God is marked by another quality. Let’s go deeper. The root of love.
What is the root of love?
If we define love biblically we see it is valuing someone or something so much that we act on it. We treasure someone so much that we communicate that treasuring to them. What is the quality in people that enables them to value others?
It is the ‘H’ factor. The ‘H’ factor is about honor. It is about honesty. It is about humility.
Humble yourself. Honestly value others. Everyone has value. Do not seek your own honor. Do not praise yourself, let another praise you!
Let’s review some key points from this passage.
1) Jesus demonstrates his authority over the Sabbath by healing on the Sabbath.
2) Jesus confronts the hypocrisy of the Pharisees by doing this.
3) Jesus demonstrates the qualities of the Kingdom of God which are being overlooked by the Pharisees.
A) Love drives ministry
B) Humility nourishes love
C) Self-promotion fights against humility
First use of humility is ESV Genesis 15:13 Then the LORD said to Abram, "Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they will be afflicted for four hundred years.
6331 tapeino,w
(a) make low (spacial) 81.7
(b) level off 79.87
(c) make low (status) 87.62
(d) make humble 88.56
(e) embarrass 25.198
ESV 1 Timothy 3:1 The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task.
ESV Hebrews 11:16 But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.
Exaltation:
First use in the bible: ESV Genesis 7:17 The flood continued forty days on the earth. The waters increased and bore up the ark, and it rose high above the earth.
Luke 18 Pharisee and tax collector (the Missionary and the IRS worker)
The Kingdom of God is marked by authority to heal which is driven by love. The Spirit of God leads by the way of love. Love is the pavement on a road called humility. Humility is a smooth pathway where we choose to respect and honor others ahead of ourselves.
At the foot of the cross, all people are the same. ESV Galatians 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Lessons on humility & generosity
1) Take the back seat 14:7-11
2) Offer hospitality to people who cannot repay you 14:12-14
“hospitality is generosity when no motive exists besides giving”
3) Eternal reward ESV Luke 14:14 and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just." We should always have our eyes on the end of the age!
This life is the womb of eternity. It is preparation for ‘forever’ in Christ.
An irony is that the passage says that the Pharisees were closely watching Jesus. Well Jesus was not only closely watching the Pharisees, but their very behavior that day became a famous lesson in God’s word for all of eternity to meditate on! Jesus taught them based on their own deeds!
The Great Irony on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-33)
The final of a five part series on Lukes gospel.
Five parts of Luke reviewed
1) Pre-Ministry of Jesus (Temptation of Christ in Wilderness)
2) Galilean Ministry of Jesus (Transfiguration)
3) On the Road to Jerusalem Ministry (Table Talk of Jesus w/Pharisee)
4) Conflict and Crucifixion in Jerusalem Luke 21-23 (The Ironic Last Supper)
5) Resurrection and Exaltation Luke 24 (The Great Irony on the road to Emmaus)
Five effects in our fellowship from Luke’s Gospel
Broadened Our Understanding of the Gospel of the Kingdom
Strengthened Our Prayer Ministries & Personal Spiritual Disciplines
Helped Ignite Healing Ministry Time Among Us All
Grasped The Message Of Luke’s Gospel & Work It Into Our Lives
Helped Every Household Develop A Devotional Time In God’s Word & Prayer
The Greek letter X pronounced Chi (hard CH) forms the literary pattern for a chiasm.
Ancient literature used a device called ‘Chiasm’. (The book of Revelation is series of chiasms-see our sermon series online, or read Vern Poythress “The Return of the King” for more information on this).
Luke’s presentation of the road to Emmaus is a detailed chiastic structure that points to Jesus’ resurrection & to how the disciples came to know Jesus is really alive.
Simon son of Clopas was martyred in Jerusalem. He was the second bishop of the churches in Jerusalem. He was the one traveling with Cleopas according to Eusebius.
See links above on this Luke Blogspot to the Wikipedia entries on Eusebius and the historian he quotes about this story.
The Chiasm of Luke 24:13-33 (Emmaus Road)
A. The Journey from Jerusalem (vv 14-15)
B. Jesus joins them (v 16)
C. Their eyes are kept from recognizing Jesus
D. Interation (vv 17-18)
E. Summary of “the things” (VV. 19-21)
F. Empty tomb & vision (vv 22-23a)
G. Jesus is alive (v 23a)
F’ Empty tomb, but no vision (v 24)
E’ Interpretation of “the things” (vv 25-27)
D’ Interaction (vv 28-30)
C’ Their eyes are opened & they recognize Jesus (v 31)
B’ Jesus leaves them (v (32)
A’ The Journey to Jerusalem (vv33-35)
The literary structure of this Chiasm points to the fact that Jesus is alive!
Musings on this passage
Was the breaking of bread a reference to communion or was it a reference to
the multiplying of bread?
Link between the Last Supper Passover Meal & the beginning of regular communion in the church?
The irony is that the disciples were bemoaning the fact that Jesus died...and their hopes for him to have been the redeemer were dashed. This misunderstanding of scripture is corrected by the redeemer himself, who had already accomplished the most important act, the very redemption itself which all men are called to submit to in faith.
Major points of thie passage
1) Jesus is alive
2) Great Irony of longing for Christ as redeemer an anguish that he didn’t redeem Israel
3) Jesus is the point of the entire Law & Prophets
4) The Law & Prophets are misunderstood if we focus on
earthly fulfillment…that is on the establishment of Israel as a nation
over earthly oppressors.
5) Real encounters with Jesus change us forever & leave a strong witness
Simon, son of Clopas (Cleopas) was martyred after days of torture.
The road to Emmaus so changed him that he died faithful to Christ
as a martyr whose testimony surprised even the judge who condemned him.
6) Burning in the heart & an opening of the mind when scripture is
Understood in the light of Jesus
Special thanks to Keith Nickle, Joel Green & Darrell Bock for their insightful commentaries on Luke, which assisted me over and over during this sermon series.
Five parts of Luke reviewed
1) Pre-Ministry of Jesus (Temptation of Christ in Wilderness)
2) Galilean Ministry of Jesus (Transfiguration)
3) On the Road to Jerusalem Ministry (Table Talk of Jesus w/Pharisee)
4) Conflict and Crucifixion in Jerusalem Luke 21-23 (The Ironic Last Supper)
5) Resurrection and Exaltation Luke 24 (The Great Irony on the road to Emmaus)
Five effects in our fellowship from Luke’s Gospel
Broadened Our Understanding of the Gospel of the Kingdom
Strengthened Our Prayer Ministries & Personal Spiritual Disciplines
Helped Ignite Healing Ministry Time Among Us All
Grasped The Message Of Luke’s Gospel & Work It Into Our Lives
Helped Every Household Develop A Devotional Time In God’s Word & Prayer
The Greek letter X pronounced Chi (hard CH) forms the literary pattern for a chiasm.
Ancient literature used a device called ‘Chiasm’. (The book of Revelation is series of chiasms-see our sermon series online, or read Vern Poythress “The Return of the King” for more information on this).
Luke’s presentation of the road to Emmaus is a detailed chiastic structure that points to Jesus’ resurrection & to how the disciples came to know Jesus is really alive.
Simon son of Clopas was martyred in Jerusalem. He was the second bishop of the churches in Jerusalem. He was the one traveling with Cleopas according to Eusebius.
See links above on this Luke Blogspot to the Wikipedia entries on Eusebius and the historian he quotes about this story.
The Chiasm of Luke 24:13-33 (Emmaus Road)
A. The Journey from Jerusalem (vv 14-15)
B. Jesus joins them (v 16)
C. Their eyes are kept from recognizing Jesus
D. Interation (vv 17-18)
E. Summary of “the things” (VV. 19-21)
F. Empty tomb & vision (vv 22-23a)
G. Jesus is alive (v 23a)
F’ Empty tomb, but no vision (v 24)
E’ Interpretation of “the things” (vv 25-27)
D’ Interaction (vv 28-30)
C’ Their eyes are opened & they recognize Jesus (v 31)
B’ Jesus leaves them (v (32)
A’ The Journey to Jerusalem (vv33-35)
The literary structure of this Chiasm points to the fact that Jesus is alive!
Musings on this passage
Was the breaking of bread a reference to communion or was it a reference to
the multiplying of bread?
Link between the Last Supper Passover Meal & the beginning of regular communion in the church?
The irony is that the disciples were bemoaning the fact that Jesus died...and their hopes for him to have been the redeemer were dashed. This misunderstanding of scripture is corrected by the redeemer himself, who had already accomplished the most important act, the very redemption itself which all men are called to submit to in faith.
Major points of thie passage
1) Jesus is alive
2) Great Irony of longing for Christ as redeemer an anguish that he didn’t redeem Israel
3) Jesus is the point of the entire Law & Prophets
4) The Law & Prophets are misunderstood if we focus on
earthly fulfillment…that is on the establishment of Israel as a nation
over earthly oppressors.
5) Real encounters with Jesus change us forever & leave a strong witness
Simon, son of Clopas (Cleopas) was martyred after days of torture.
The road to Emmaus so changed him that he died faithful to Christ
as a martyr whose testimony surprised even the judge who condemned him.
6) Burning in the heart & an opening of the mind when scripture is
Understood in the light of Jesus
Special thanks to Keith Nickle, Joel Green & Darrell Bock for their insightful commentaries on Luke, which assisted me over and over during this sermon series.
Sunday, February 25, 2007
The Ironic Passover Meal (Luke 22:7-20)
The Last Supper of Jesus
Luke 22:7-20
Part Four of A Five Week Mini-Survey of Luke’s Gospel
Introduction:
Some people teach that Israel was God’s plan to redeem the world from sin and death.
But since Israel never could keep the covenant with God, God had to come up with another way to reach us. And so God created the Church. Now after two thousand years, some people speculate that if the Church doesn’t do her job of world missions that the Lord might scrap the Church and introduce a third plan. I was taught this theory in my missionary school, and objected to it so much that my teacher switched views and ended up siding with me by the end of the course.
Today’s passage is one of those passages that explodes the ridiculous theory that God had to come up with plan B because plan A wasn’t working. God did not suddenly realize that Israel could not keep the law of Moses. God didn’t call a council of his smartest angels to see if He could devise a better plan since Israel wasn’t working out. Today I hope to prove to you that God’s plan has never changed, and that it is going along just as He planned over three thousand years ago. We are not two thousand years into plan B. No, we are still in plan A, and it is working!
ESV Luke 22:7 Then came the day of Unleavened Bread, on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. 8 So Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, "Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat it." 9 They said to him, "Where will you have us prepare it?" 10 He said to them, "Behold, when you have entered the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him into the house that he enters 11 and tell the master of the house, 'The Teacher says to you, Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?' 12 And he will show you a large upper room furnished; prepare it there." 13 And they went and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover. 14 And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. 15 And he said to them, "I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16 For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God." 17 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, "Take this, and divide it among yourselves. 18 For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes." 19 And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me." 20 And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, "This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.
Five parts of Luke reviewed
1) Pre Ministry of Jesus (Temptation of Christ in Wilderness)
2) Galilean Ministry of Jesus (Transfiguration)
3) On the Road to Jerusalem Ministry (Table Talk of Jesus w/Pharisee)
4) Conflict and Crucifixion in Jerusalem Luke 21-23 (Last Supper)
5) Resurrection and Exaltation Luke 24 (Road to Emmaus)
Feast of Unleavened Bread.
30,000 people in Jerusalem swelling to perhaps 100,000 people during Feast of Unleavened Bread. No place to meet...reminds me of Bethlehem and Jesus birth.
The passover meeting place feels a lot like the triumphal entry of Jesus
was it pre arranged, a word of knowledge, or a sign of Christ’s omniscience? We don't really know.
Luke 22:10-man carrying a water jar was unusual.
Perhaps Jesus did not want Judas Iscariot to hear plans for the passover, or
Perhaps Jesus gave a prophetic word, or perhaps He functioned in His omniscience. We don’t really know. To have a place for celebrating passover at the last minute like this was a sign God’s hand was on them. God fearing Jews must hold the meal in Jerusalem.
ESV Exodus 12:1 The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, 2 "This month shall be for you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year for you. 3 Tell all the congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month every man shall take a lamb according to their fathers' houses, a lamb for a household. 4 And if the household is too small for a lamb, then he and his nearest neighbor shall take according to the number of persons; according to what each can eat you shall make your count for the lamb. 5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats, 6 and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill their lambs at twilight. 7 "Then they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it. 8 They shall eat the flesh that night, roasted on the fire; with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it. 9 Do not eat any of it raw or boiled in water, but roasted, its head with its legs and its inner parts. 10 And you shall let none of it remain until the morning; anything that remains until the morning you shall burn. 11 In this manner you shall eat it: with your belt fastened, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. And you shall eat it in haste. It is the LORD's Passover. 12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the LORD.
The bread is symbolic of Jesus body. It is not literally his body. Jesus spoke symbolically like this often. Cite these scriptures.
ESV John 10:7 So Jesus again said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.
ESV John 10:11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
ESV John 15:1 "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.
The blood is symbolic of Jesus blood. It is not literally his blood.
Also-Moses used blood to symbolize sanctification of the people.
ESV Exodus 24:8 And Moses took the blood and threw it on the people and said, "Behold the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words."
ESV Lev 17:11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life.
The Ironic Meal
Jesus is the passover lamb. ESV John 1:29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
Here you have THE LAMB of God eating the passover lamb as He is about to become THE Passover sacrifice Himself. He institutes the tradition of communion at this very moment.
He visually explains what the passover really means. He permamently links Christian communion as the reality of the Passover meal.
He shows us what the shadow (the passover meal) reflects after 1300 years of wonder.
NIV Colossians 2:16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival{like the Feast of Unleavened Bread}, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. 17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.
{brackets my addition}
Conclusion:
Every time we take communion, we are celebrating the exodus of Israel from Egypt.
Every time we take communion, we are celebrating the deliverance of Israel from slavery.
Every time we take communion, we are celebrating triumph of God over Pharoah.
Every time we take communion, we are celebrating the first Passover meal!
Every time we take communion, we are celebrating the reality of the Feast of Unleavened Bread
Every time we take communion, we are celebrating Jesus who is our Passover Lamb
Every time we take communion, we are celebrating that Jesus died on Passover!
Every time we take communion, we are celebrating that Jesus is THE Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
Every time we take communion, we are celebrating that Jesus body saves us from slavery to sin.
Every time we take communion, we are celebrating that Jesus blood delivers us from evil.
Every time we take communion, we are celebrating the new community made from all nations in Christ
Every time we take communion, we are celebrating the connection between Israel’s deliverance & ours
Every time we take communion, we are celebrating the power of the Holy Spirit over all other spirits
Every time we take communion, we are celebrating the glory of Christ in His crucifixion
Every time we take communion, we are celebrating the Cross as the fulfillment of the Exodus!
Every time we take communion, we are celebrating the Cross as the reality of the Exodus!
Every time we take communion, we are celebrating that Christ’s dead body is our Passover meal!
Every time we take communion, we are celebrating that the angel of death will pass over us!
Every time we take communion, we are celebrating that we have passed from death to life.
Every time we take communion, we are celebrating that the new covenant is better than the old.
Every time we take communion, we are celebrating that the new covenant helps us to overcome!
Every time we take communion, we are celebrating that the new covenant is in Christ’s perfect blood!
Every time we take communion, we are celebrating that Jesus is the Holy Lamb of God!
Luke 22:7-20
Part Four of A Five Week Mini-Survey of Luke’s Gospel
Introduction:
Some people teach that Israel was God’s plan to redeem the world from sin and death.
But since Israel never could keep the covenant with God, God had to come up with another way to reach us. And so God created the Church. Now after two thousand years, some people speculate that if the Church doesn’t do her job of world missions that the Lord might scrap the Church and introduce a third plan. I was taught this theory in my missionary school, and objected to it so much that my teacher switched views and ended up siding with me by the end of the course.
Today’s passage is one of those passages that explodes the ridiculous theory that God had to come up with plan B because plan A wasn’t working. God did not suddenly realize that Israel could not keep the law of Moses. God didn’t call a council of his smartest angels to see if He could devise a better plan since Israel wasn’t working out. Today I hope to prove to you that God’s plan has never changed, and that it is going along just as He planned over three thousand years ago. We are not two thousand years into plan B. No, we are still in plan A, and it is working!
ESV Luke 22:7 Then came the day of Unleavened Bread, on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. 8 So Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, "Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat it." 9 They said to him, "Where will you have us prepare it?" 10 He said to them, "Behold, when you have entered the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him into the house that he enters 11 and tell the master of the house, 'The Teacher says to you, Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?' 12 And he will show you a large upper room furnished; prepare it there." 13 And they went and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover. 14 And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. 15 And he said to them, "I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16 For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God." 17 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, "Take this, and divide it among yourselves. 18 For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes." 19 And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me." 20 And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, "This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.
Five parts of Luke reviewed
1) Pre Ministry of Jesus (Temptation of Christ in Wilderness)
2) Galilean Ministry of Jesus (Transfiguration)
3) On the Road to Jerusalem Ministry (Table Talk of Jesus w/Pharisee)
4) Conflict and Crucifixion in Jerusalem Luke 21-23 (Last Supper)
5) Resurrection and Exaltation Luke 24 (Road to Emmaus)
Feast of Unleavened Bread.
30,000 people in Jerusalem swelling to perhaps 100,000 people during Feast of Unleavened Bread. No place to meet...reminds me of Bethlehem and Jesus birth.
The passover meeting place feels a lot like the triumphal entry of Jesus
was it pre arranged, a word of knowledge, or a sign of Christ’s omniscience? We don't really know.
Luke 22:10-man carrying a water jar was unusual.
Perhaps Jesus did not want Judas Iscariot to hear plans for the passover, or
Perhaps Jesus gave a prophetic word, or perhaps He functioned in His omniscience. We don’t really know. To have a place for celebrating passover at the last minute like this was a sign God’s hand was on them. God fearing Jews must hold the meal in Jerusalem.
ESV Exodus 12:1 The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, 2 "This month shall be for you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year for you. 3 Tell all the congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month every man shall take a lamb according to their fathers' houses, a lamb for a household. 4 And if the household is too small for a lamb, then he and his nearest neighbor shall take according to the number of persons; according to what each can eat you shall make your count for the lamb. 5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats, 6 and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill their lambs at twilight. 7 "Then they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it. 8 They shall eat the flesh that night, roasted on the fire; with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it. 9 Do not eat any of it raw or boiled in water, but roasted, its head with its legs and its inner parts. 10 And you shall let none of it remain until the morning; anything that remains until the morning you shall burn. 11 In this manner you shall eat it: with your belt fastened, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. And you shall eat it in haste. It is the LORD's Passover. 12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the LORD.
The bread is symbolic of Jesus body. It is not literally his body. Jesus spoke symbolically like this often. Cite these scriptures.
ESV John 10:7 So Jesus again said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.
ESV John 10:11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
ESV John 15:1 "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.
The blood is symbolic of Jesus blood. It is not literally his blood.
Also-Moses used blood to symbolize sanctification of the people.
ESV Exodus 24:8 And Moses took the blood and threw it on the people and said, "Behold the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words."
ESV Lev 17:11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life.
The Ironic Meal
Jesus is the passover lamb. ESV John 1:29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
Here you have THE LAMB of God eating the passover lamb as He is about to become THE Passover sacrifice Himself. He institutes the tradition of communion at this very moment.
He visually explains what the passover really means. He permamently links Christian communion as the reality of the Passover meal.
He shows us what the shadow (the passover meal) reflects after 1300 years of wonder.
NIV Colossians 2:16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival{like the Feast of Unleavened Bread}, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. 17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.
{brackets my addition}
Conclusion:
Every time we take communion, we are celebrating the exodus of Israel from Egypt.
Every time we take communion, we are celebrating the deliverance of Israel from slavery.
Every time we take communion, we are celebrating triumph of God over Pharoah.
Every time we take communion, we are celebrating the first Passover meal!
Every time we take communion, we are celebrating the reality of the Feast of Unleavened Bread
Every time we take communion, we are celebrating Jesus who is our Passover Lamb
Every time we take communion, we are celebrating that Jesus died on Passover!
Every time we take communion, we are celebrating that Jesus is THE Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
Every time we take communion, we are celebrating that Jesus body saves us from slavery to sin.
Every time we take communion, we are celebrating that Jesus blood delivers us from evil.
Every time we take communion, we are celebrating the new community made from all nations in Christ
Every time we take communion, we are celebrating the connection between Israel’s deliverance & ours
Every time we take communion, we are celebrating the power of the Holy Spirit over all other spirits
Every time we take communion, we are celebrating the glory of Christ in His crucifixion
Every time we take communion, we are celebrating the Cross as the fulfillment of the Exodus!
Every time we take communion, we are celebrating the Cross as the reality of the Exodus!
Every time we take communion, we are celebrating that Christ’s dead body is our Passover meal!
Every time we take communion, we are celebrating that the angel of death will pass over us!
Every time we take communion, we are celebrating that we have passed from death to life.
Every time we take communion, we are celebrating that the new covenant is better than the old.
Every time we take communion, we are celebrating that the new covenant helps us to overcome!
Every time we take communion, we are celebrating that the new covenant is in Christ’s perfect blood!
Every time we take communion, we are celebrating that Jesus is the Holy Lamb of God!
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