Week #15 "He is Risen!"

Video Clip Notes:

• In Israel it was their custom to bury their dead the same day…this really is important due to the climate.
• They would be carried out on a bier (litter or open type coffin) wrapped in a shroud anointed with spices to either a community burial place if they were very poor or to a private family tomb if they were wealthy.
• The procession would be accompanied by professional mourners in addition to family and friends.  Even the poorest were to have "not less than 2 flutes and 1 wailing woman." Keening gives me the creeps!
• Later, after some time had passed the person’s dried bones would be gathered into an ossuary and placed on a niche in the wall of the tomb.
• Rocks placed are on their graves instead of flowers…
• Serve as an eternal reminder that someone cared and visited the grave. This could also serve to comfort the mourners.
• Flowers were originally used in the Europe to cover odor, but not effective nor needed in Israel with their same-day burial customs and fragrant spices used to anoint the body.
• The rocks also serve to connect them to their history…the history of the land.
• Jesus interrupted one such funeral procession in the town of Nain, 6 miles SE of Nazareth, on slopes of the Little Hermon…

Text: This week we’re covering Luke 7:11-17 dealing with Jesus’ miracle outside the village of Nain when he raised a widow’s son from the dead. This miracle is part of a series of healing as and resurrections that show Jesus power over sickness and death.

Other passages to read: This miracle is unique to the Gospel of Luke, so there is no parallel passage to read from the other gospels. However, is seems to allude to the miracles of Elijah and Elisha in the Old Testament, so we encourage you to read 1 Kings 17 (Elijah); and 2 Kings 4 (Elisha). In addition we can study Jesus’ compassion in action (Matt. 9:36; 14:14; 15:32; 18:27; 20:34; Mark 1:41; 6:34; 8:2; 9:22; and elsewhere in Luke 10:33 and 15:20.)

Semon Notes: "When Death and Life Collide"

Read: Luke 7:11-17

3 Perspectives on Jesus’ Resurrection… Some Focus on it as:

1.      An Historical Fact (1 Corinthians 15:3-7)

2.      A Future Hope (John 11:25-26)

3.      A Present Power

·         Power that is moved by compassion "When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, ‘Don't cry.’"

      Compassion: That churning in your gut, that unsettling feeling that says, “I’ve got to do something about this.”

·         Power that makes dead people alive (Ephesians 2:1-5; John 5:28-29)

·         Power that shows us who Jesus is (Luke 7:18-23; Romans 10:9-10)

Points to ponder: In your study this week, you might want to think about one of these questions:

• When I suffer loss, am I a part of an authentic community that will walk with me through anything…even through loss, sorrow, and the process of grief with me? Am I an active part of community of faith that is living and learning and growing together?  Both are important.
• How does the ministry of Jesus relate to that of the prophets Elijah and Elisha?
• How does this passage, and the others listed above,  shape my understanding of how Jesus lived and loved?
• What other ways do we see Jesus showing power over sickness and death in Luke?

Questions to ask ourselves: The following questions are intended to help us move towards greater application of what we learn about Jesus…

• What kind of a neighbor am I? Do I mourn with those who mourn and rejoice with those who rejoice or do I distance myself from others?
• Am I moved with the compassion of Christ to get involved in loving people? How dirty am I willing to get to show God’s love for hurting people?
• What great things have I seen Jesus do? What is my honest response when someone tells me about how God is working in their life? Am I moved to worship or something less?
• Can I see myself in the grieving widow, utterly spent and without hope without the intervention of Jesus in my life? Do I trust in Jesus to make a way for me today?
• Who is he asking me to show compassion for this week?

Word Study: The English word “compassion” means “to suffer with another, sorrow, sympathy with the desire to help.” It translates the Greek word splankhnezomi (Strong’s # 4697). Since the cultural view of that day saw the bowels as the seat of love and compassion, this word “to be moved to one’s bowels” meant to feel deep down the need of others…suffering with them. We see this word twelve times in the New Testament and only in the gospels (see “Other Passages” list above). However, compassion is more than mere pity, as it generally moves one to act on behalf of its object. Here we see Jesus seeing a need, feeling their deep pain and loss, and doing what he could to help. In this case he provided for a destitute widow by raising her son from the dead.

Commentary & Quotes: The following are quotes from various commentators we have features in our "Other Resources" section.

“So where is the faith this time? The centurion’s servant was healed because of his owner’s faith, but in this story the only person who has any faith that the dead man can be raised is jesus himself. Though Jesus loves to see the signs of faith, he isn’t always bound by it, and in this case he acts freely, from sheer compassion, to do something nobody had imagined he could or would.” (N.T. Wright, Luke for Everyone, WJK, 2004, 82.)

“Come inside the story and allow its force to sweep over you. Walk in the crowd a few paces behind the bier, on a hot day in Galilee, with the bright sun sparkling on the tears which are streaming down everyone’s cheeks. Death is common enough, and everybody knows what to do. The professional mourners and wailers are there, making plenty of noise so that friends and relatives, and particularly the poor mother, can cry their hearts out without the embarrassment of making a scene all by themselves. (How much kinder a system than the clinical, detached solemnity of a modern Western funeral!)” (N.T. Wright, Luke for Everyone, WJK, 2004, 82-83.)

“Luke is the only Gospel to tell the story of the widow of Nain. This fits into the theme of his concern for the outcast and marginalized. No group was more marginalized. No group was more marginalized in the first century than women, and among women, widows were more desperate still…” (Michael Card, Luke: Gospel of Amazement, IVP, 2011, 98.)

"To add to the hardship and the sense of loneliness and sorrow there was the knowledge that the family line had ended. The large crowd from the city that accompanied her shows that her plight was widely appreciated and there was a septh of sympathy for her. Luke does not mention professional mourners but they would have been there: 'Even the poorest in Israel should hire not less than two flutes and one wailing woman' (Ketabith 4:4)." (Leon Morris, Luke, IVP, 1988, 153.)

The following extended section is from Do You See Him? Expository Studies in the New Testament, by Greg K. Dueker which we have used in our Church-based Bible Institute over the years.

Jesus Built Faith by Raising the Dead
In competitive diving, divers are rated on how well the dive is executed technically, then that score is multiplied by something called a "degree of difficulty," with the result being the final score for that dive.  This is done to give the divers some incentive to try the harder dives rather than just repeating the easier dives.  As a diver gets more proficient, he or she progressively tries harder and harder dives--in order to get higher scores.  We see the same general pattern happening in Jesus' ministry.  In the specific Biblical examples of Jesus raising the dead to life we see an increasing "degree of difficulty."  It would be wrong to think that Jesus had to work up to the "harder" miracles, but rather that He was building the disciples' faith progressively.  He allowed them to grow to trust Him in the smaller things, then in bigger things.  Let's see how Jesus built His disciples faith, so they would see Jesus as their Creator and Redeemer.

A)  A Little Girl Was Raised from the Dead (Matthew 9:18-26)
"While he was saying this, a ruler came and knelt before him and said, "My daughter has just died.  But come and put your hand on her, and she will live."  Jesus got up and went with him, and so did his disciples.  Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak.  She said to herself, "If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed."  Jesus turned and saw her.  "Take heart, daughter," he said, "your faith has healed you."  And the woman was healed from that moment.  When Jesus entered the ruler's house and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd, he said, "Go away.  The girl is not dead but asleep."  But they laughed at him.  After the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up.  News of this spread through all that region."

The first record that we have in the New Testament of Jesus raising someone from the dead was the daughter of the synagogue ruler whom Luke identified as Jairus. (Note: While Matthew records this miracle first, Luke places this miracle after the raising of the widow's son outside the town of Nain.) Jairus came to obtain Jesus' help before his daughter died.  On their way to Jairus' home, their trip is interrupted by the woman with the incurable flow of blood.  Her healing probably enabled the man to trust Jesus for his own situation, for when we see God's loving care for others we can more readily trust that He will care for our needs as well.  When we compare the woman's plight with that of Jairus' daughter, the similarities are obviously there is more than coincidence.  The Lord had a message to communicate to Jairus, to the reader of the Gospels, and to us.  What are some of the things that the Father says through this situation?  Perhaps you might consider it in your devotional time.

The Jews had the custom of burying their dead the same day they died--a very practical custom given their climate.  The fact that the body was still in the house seems to indicate that Jesus got there soon after she died.  The crowd in the house was there to mourn the death of the young girl.  Many were probably professional mourners, others were friends and neighbors--but none believed that Jesus could do anything about the girl's death.  They laughed Him to scorn when He said that the girl was not dead but asleep.  She was dead, but to Jesus, death was something more like sleep.  Wiersbe explained it well when he wrote,
"Of course she was dead, for her spirit had left her body (compare Luke 8:55 with James 2:26); but to Jesus, death was only sleep… Sleep is a normal experience that we do not fear, and we [as believers] should not fear death. It is the body that sleeps, not the spirit, for the spirit of the believer goes to be with Christ (Philippians 1:20-24; 2 Corinthians 5:6-8). At the resurrection, the body will be `awakened' and glorified, and God's people will share the image of Christ (1 John 3:1-2)."^[1]

Jesus drove the scornful crowd of insincere mourners out of the house, and, in a touching scene, took the girl's little hand and said, "Little girl, arise!"  She did.  What joy must have filled the hearts of the family as well as a great sense of awe for the One who could perform such a miracle.

B) A Widow’s Son Was Raised from the Dead (Luke 7:11-17)
We have seen that Jesus was able to raise up someone who had just died, now here in Luke 7 we see that He had the power to raise up someone that had been dead for several hours--as He interrupted a funeral service.

As Jesus approached the town of Nain, he was met by a funeral procession.  Just as there was more than coincidence involved in the incident with the little twelve year old girl and the woman who had been ill twelve years, so too in this story we have the meeting of two crowds, two only sons, two sufferers (Jesus and the widow), and two enemies (Jesus and death).  You might take a moment to compare these elements of the story.

Jesus was not asked to do anything.  Perhaps they did not believe that He could, or perhaps they did not know who He was.  We see the amazing care of our Lord for hurting people.  He was "the Man of Sorrows" (Isaiah 53:3), and when He saw the grieving widow, His heart went out to her and He told her not to cry.  He went and touched the coffin and commanded the man to get up--and he did!  Wow!  The text says that the people were filled with awe and worshipped God.

C) Lazarus was Raised from the Dead  (John 11:11-45)
This is probably a miracle that we are all familiar with.  Jesus again used sleep as a metaphor for death and had to explain what He meant to His disciples.  Jesus purposely waited two days after hearing that Lazarus was dying before He began the trip back to Judea.  He was motivated by the assurance that God would be glorified through the situation.  By the time Jesus got to Bethany, Lazarus had been dead and buried for four days.  As it is written, "On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days." (v.17)

When He got to Bethany, Martha came out to meet Him.  Her tone at the beginning was one of "little faith," for she believed that if He had been there, He would have been able to heal Lazarus… but now, obviously, it was too late.  Jesus used this situation to teach Martha something important about the resurrection and about who He was.  As it is written,

"When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.  ‘Lord,' Martha said to Jesus, ‘if you had been here, my brother would not have died.  But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.' Jesus said to her, ‘Your brother will rise again.' Martha answered, ‘I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.' Jesus said to her, `I am the resurrection and the life.  He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.  Do you believe this?' `Yes, Lord,' she told him, ‘I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.'" (vss. 20-27)

Jesus said that not only could He raise Lazarus, but that He was in fact the Resurrection and the Life.  Martha responded in faith by confessing that Jesus was the Lord, the Messiah (or Christ) and the Son of God.

"Martha did not hesitate to affirm her faith.  She used three different titles for Jesus: Lord, Christ (Messiah), and Son of God.  The words ‘I believe’ are in the perfect tense, indicating a fixed and settled faith.  ‘I have believed and I will continue to believe!’"^[2]

Yet we see that her faith, though strong in confession, was weak in practice, for at the last minute she hesitated at the thought that Lazarus would stink, having been in the grave four days.

Martha went back to the house and told Mary that Jesus was there.  Mary quickly got up and went to meet Him.  She said the same thing that Martha had said to Jesus, but she said it while laying at Jesus' feet, weeping.  We can see the great compassion and empathy that characterized the Lord as her tears and others' tears moved Jesus to tears.  As it is written,

"When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled.  `Where have you laid him?' he asked.  `Come and see, Lord,' they replied.  Jesus wept.  Then the Jews said, `See how he loved him!' But some of them said, `Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?' Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb.  It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance.  `Take away the stone,' he said.  `But, Lord,' said Martha, the sister of the dead man, `by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.' Then Jesus said, `Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?' So they took away the stone.  Then Jesus looked up and said, `Father, I thank you that you have heard me.  I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.' When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, `Lazarus, come out!' The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.  Jesus said to them, `Take off the grave clothes and let him go.' Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, put their faith in him." (vss. 33-45)

The people did not understand why Jesus did not prevent Lazarus' death.  They certainly did not believe that anything could be done at such a late date.  The text says that Jesus became deeply moved, which actually means that Jesus was angry.  What was He angry at?  Most likely, Jesus was indignant at sin and the destruction that it had wreaked in a world that Jesus had created to be perfect, but now was filled with death: the dead, and the dying.  Perhaps He wept for Lazarus and the fact that to prove that He was the Messiah He had to bring Lazarus back from a better place to, as the old song says, "this world of woe." 

John 12:9-10 "Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead.  So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well."

We see that it was this miracle, the raising of Lazarus, that set the stage for His triumphal entry to Jerusalem at the beginning of the Passion week.

"Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word.  Many people, because they had heard that he had given this miraculous sign, went out to meet him." (John 12:17-18)

Did these miracles really convince the people of Jesus' identity as the Messiah?  The answer is both yes and no.  Those who believed the Word of God believed in Jesus, those who had rejected the heart and spirit of the Word rejected Jesus and did not believe He was the Christ--even though many came back from the dead to testify.

Jesus taught that those who would not listen to the Word of God would not be persuaded by the power of God (Luke 16:19-31).  Yet one day, that last great terrible day they will see (Revelation 6:16).

D) Jesus Himself was Raised from the Dead 

Jesus suffered through the terrible torturous acts of the Romans, as well as the Jewish guards.  He died a violent death on the cross and was taken down, prepared for burial, and buried in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea.  On the third day, He was raised from the dead.  A live Jesus was not there to raise Him up.  It was the power of the Father that raised Him, along with the fact that He had lived a life without sin so the grave could not hold Him.  As it is written, "But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him." (Acts 2:24)

All four Gospels record the resurrection of Jesus Christ (Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, John 20) and the events that followed it.  The New Testament makes many other references to Jesus having been raised from the dead.  Here are a few such references:

·         John 2:22 "After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said.  Then they believed the Scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken."

·         Acts 3:15 "You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead.  We are witnesses of this."

·         Romans 8:11 "And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you."

·         1 Corinthians 6:14 "By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also."

Other references: John 21:14; Acts 4:10; 5:30; 10:40; 13:30-38; Romans 4:24; 6:4,9; 7:4; 10:9; 1 Corinthians 15:12, 20, 32; Galatians 1:1; Ephesians 1:20; Colossians 2:12; 1 Thessalonians 1:10; 2 Timothy 2:8; 1 Peter 1:21.

As far as history is concerned, there is no one event that has been so thoroughly documented as fact as the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  It is the great truth upon which all of our faith rests.  The Apostle Paul said well,

"And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith… And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins… If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.  But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep." (1 Corinthians 15:14, 17, 19-20)

---

     [1]Warren Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary - Vol. 1, Victor Books, 1989, p. 204.

     [2]Warren Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary - Vol. 1, Victor Books, 1989, p. 336.

Week #14 "The Triumphal Entry"

Here are some notes from this week’s video  entitled, "Presumption."
• This current east wall of the city is right where Solomon’s Temple wall would have been. It is built right on the ridge above the Kidron Valley. We are looking across from the Mt. of Olives. Notice the gate in the wall across from us. This is the East Gate, also called the Golden Gate; the most iconic of all the gates of Jerusalem.
• The Golden Gate is the most important and most impressive gate in Jerusalem, and the only visible entrance to the city of Jerusalem from the East. This oldest of all the gates to the city was the only one not rebuilt by Suleiman the Magnificent in AD 1539-42. Monolithic stones in the wall just above ground have been identified as 6th Century BC masonry from the time of Nehemiah, (Biblical Archaeological Review [BAR], Mar/Apr 1992, p40).
• But it is walled up. Why is it walled up? Inquiring minds want to know!  Sultan Suleiman of the Ottoman Turks walled it up to prevent the entry of the Messiah of course. The Muslim cemetery just in front of the wall was intentionally built outside the gate to prevent the forerunner of the Messiah from entering. The thinking being that the forerunner, being a priest, would not enter the cemetery for fear of being made unclean.
• What an example of medieval thinking! To think that literal stones could prevent the Messiah’s entry into the city. Yet, we modern and post-modern thinkers do the same when we compartmentalize our lives in an effort to deny Jesus the Messiah access to our hearts.
• It was also a bit of “locking the barn door after the horse gets out” Too late to seal it up… the Messiah already went through that Gate…most likely on Palm Sunday!]

Text: This week we’re covering Luke 19:28-44 dealing with Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem on a donkey, the people shouting praises, Jesus weeping over Jerusalem, and a second cleansing of the Temple (the first, at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry is found in John 2:13-22)

Other passages to read: We encourage you to read "horizontally" in these passages that are parallel to our text from Luke:

·         Donkey Selection (Luke 19:28-34): Matt. 21:1-5; Mark 11:1-6;

·         Triumphal Entry (Luke 19:35-40): Matt. 21:6-11; Mark 11:7-11; John 12:12-19

·         Cleansing the Temple a second time (Luke 19:45-46): Matt. 21:12-13; Mark 11:15-18

·         Other References: Psalm 118; Zechariah 9:9

Other Resources: This week’s recommended resource is Luke (Volume 2): That You May Know the Truth, Crossway Books, 1998, by R. Kent Hughes. Earlier we considered volume 1 in this two volume treatment of Luke’s gospel. Volume 2 covers Luke 11:29 – 24:53.

Sermon Notes: "From Cheers to Tears"

Read Luke 19:28-40

3 Truths about Jesus:

·        Jesus is Confrontational: Crown Him or Crucify Him

·        Jesus is Counterintuitive: 

“God always gives you what you would have asked for if you knew everything that He knows.” 

·        Jesus is Coming:

“The wolf will live with the lamb,

the leopard will lie down with the goat,

the calf and the lion and the yearling together;

and a little child will lead them.

7 The cow will feed with the bear,

their young will lie down together,

and the lion will eat straw like the ox.

8 The infant will play near the hole of the cobra,

and the young child put his hand into the viper's nest.

9 They will neither harm nor destroy

on all my holy mountain,

for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord

as the waters cover the sea.”  (Isaiah 11:6-9)

Five Personal Lessons

1.      Even if you feel insignificant, the Master can use you!

2.      Don’t let anyone discourage you from praising the Lord!

3.      You’ll never know peace until you surrender to Jesus!

4.      Rejection of Jesus leads to terrible judgment!

5.      That which makes Jesus cry should also break our hearts!

“O Lord, save us; O Lord, grant us success.  26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. From the house of the Lord we bless you.” (Psalm 118:25-26)

 

“Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them.

Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy;

13 they will sing before the Lord, for he comes,

he comes to judge the earth.” (Psalm 96:12-13)

“Shout, daughter of Jerusalem! See your King comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey.” (Zechariah 9:9)

“ Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word. 18 Many people, because they had heard that he had given this miraculous sign, went out to meet him. 19 So the Pharisees said to one another, "See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!" (John 12:17-19)

Points to ponder: In your study this week, you might want to think about one of these questions:

• Why was Jesus riding on a donkey? Was there an embedded cultural message in it?
• Look for parallels between this narrative and the previous kingship parable (19-11:27).
• To what Old Testament narrative does the section about Jesus giving instructions to the disciples on how to find and procure the donkey allude (i.e., what does it remind us of)?
• How would you harmonize (i.e., put the events in order) the various accounts of this event?
• Why & how would the stones “cry out” if the people did not praise Jesus at this moment? Is this just personification and hyperbole, or a theological statement about creation, or…?
• Who was in control of this day in the life of Jesus and the days to follow? The crowds, the Pharisees, the priests, Pilate, the disciples, or someone else? What are the theological ramifications of this answer?

Questions to ask ourselves: The following questions are intended to help us move towards greater application of what we learn about Jesus…

• What was it that the crowds and disciples did for Jesus that day (v. 36-38) as he entered Jerusalem? Do we still welcome Jesus’ presence in our lives with such enthusiasm?
• What would we do to welcome Jesus if he came into our town today?
• People were praising God for all the miracles that had seen Jesus do. What are some of the “mighty works” that we have seen as we have studied through Luke?
• What are some of the “mighty works” that we have seen Jesus do in the world, in the church, and in our lives? When was the last time you told anyone and praised God for it?

Word Study: “Hosanna” is a word we use every tear at this time when we remember Jesus’ entering into Jerusalem. The people used it as an expression of praise…but what does the word mean? Originally it was a term of urgent lament in Hebrew prayer that meant, “Save us Lord!” or “Save now!” as in Psalm 118:25 “Save us, we pray, O Lord! O Lord, we pray, give us success!” Over the centuries this desperate plea morphed into praise by acknowledging that the Lord was the only One who could save! So Hosanna acknowledged both personal need and trusting praise.

Quotes & Commentary: Jesus, who had always avoided “publicity”, now enters Jerusalem in glory, in fulfillment of prophecy. This was the Messiah’s entrance into Jerusalem in power! Yet he still came humbly on a donkey, instead of on a horse or chariot as may have been preferred by worldly kings. I would love to be able to lay out the answers to all the questions asked above but it is of more value for you to dig in and seek to answer them yourselves. However, here are just a few clarifying notes.

Bethany the village from which Jesus was coming is about 2 miles from Jerusalem just the other side of the summit of the Mount of Olives with the area of Bethphage (House of Figs) between the two as almost a district of Jerusalem (like Aloha is to Beaverton, except even closer).

There were two crowds, one following Jesus from Bethany, filled with amazement at the recent raising of Lazarus from the dead (John 11) that included the Apostles, and the crowd of Passover pilgrims that came out from Jerusalem to meet then as they came with their own stories of Jesus miracles that they had seen at various times during his ministry. People began throwing their outer garments on the ground, providing a first-century red carpet treatment (or maybe beige) for Jesus. R Kent Hughes writes,

“Not only did the exuberant followers place their clothing on the donkey as a saddle, they flung their garments to the ground as a gesture of reverence and indicating their willingness for him to take everything they had.” (R. Kent Hughes, Luke: That You May Know the Truth, Vol.2, Crossway, 1998, 240)

The content of what the crowd declared in v. 38 “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” (ESV) is taken from Psalm 118 with one small change…the word “king” has been substituted for the more general word “he”. Interestingly Luke omits the word “Hosanna” defined above which may not have been understood by his Gentile audience.

“Peace in heaven and glory in the highest” (v.38) seems to echo the angel song at Jesus’ birth, and seems fitting as he comes to make it possible for lost mankind to find peace in heaven, even if peace on earth is delayed. Joel B. Green writes in his commentary on Luke,

“Peace in heaven,” then, refers to the divine intention, the reality of God’s reconciling presence, its full manifestation on earth interrupted by opposition to Jesus.” (Green, Joel, The Gospel of Luke [NICNT], Eerdmans, 1977, 687.)

Visitation (episkopes) found in verse 44 is a strong word. It does not refer to someone coming over for some tea and perhaps a scone. This word had two meanings in the Old Testament? Luke Timothy Johnson writes,

“The kairos (“time”) here means specific season…The “season of visitation” (kairos tēs episkopēs) occurs in Jer. 6:15; 10:15 to mean God’s punishment (see also Deut. 28:25; Isa 24:22). Episkopē can also refer to God’s intervention to save (as in Gen 50:24-25; Ex 3:16; Isa 10:3; 29:6);…here the term is double edged. The prophet’s arrival should be God’s visitation for peace. But because he is not recognized as such, his rejection becomes a “visitation” of punishment.” (Luke Timothy Johnson, The Gospel of Luke [Sacra Pagina Series], Liturgical Press, 1991, 299)

This entrance into Jerusalem that will end a week later on a Roman cross, was the goal of Jesus’ life. This final journey to Jerusalem began in the far north of Israel, at Caesarea Philippi  with his prediction of his death (9:22,44) and his determination to go to Jerusalem (9:51). G. Campbell Morgan wrote,

“All the way Jerusalem had been the goal of His journeying. Now He had come to the final things, the last hours, come to that which was ever before Him as the deepest passion of His life. He arrived at the city, majestic, and magnificent, no Victim this, but a Victor.” (G. Campbell Morgan, The God Who Cares, Revell, 1931, 319)

Week 13 "Fruitful or Just Frightful?"

Text: This week, we’re covering Luke 6:27-49, dealing with Jesus’ intensely counter-cultural teaching to his disciples on life in the Kingdom of God in the form of loving your enemies, judging, forgiving, giving, hypocritical blind spots, personal fruitfulness, and building your life to survive life’s storms.

Other passages to read: We encourage you to read "horizontally" in these passages that are parallel to our text from Luke:

• Love your Enemies: Matthew 5:38-48; John 3:16-17, and 15:9-13
• Judging Others: Matthew 7:1-6; Romans 14; John 3:18-21
• Hypocritical Blind spots: Deut. 27:18; Isaiah 42:16; Matthew 15:13
• A Tree and its Fruit: Matthew 7:15-20; and 12:34-37; John 15:1-8, 16
• Build your house on the Rock: Matthew 7:21-29; Isaiah 28:14-18; Ezekiel 33:29-33

Other Resources: This week’s recommended resource is another book by Kenneth E. Bailey, actually two books in one: Poet & Peasant and Through Peasant Eyes. It focuses at a little deeper level on the Literary-Cultural approach used by Luke, focusing especially on the parables. We have a copy of this book in our library for checkout.

Sermon Notes: Jesus for Everyone: Come. Trust. Obey. 

- Today's message given by Pastor Ezra Stanton

 

Read Luke 6:43-45

• Luke 18:19
• Romans 3:23
• Romans 5:12
• Gal 5:19-23
• 2 Corinthians 5:17 – 21
• Galatians 5:24-25

Read Luke 6:46-49Luke 6:47

1. Come to Jesus.
2. Trust Jesus.
3. Obey Jesus.

Points to ponder: In your study this week, you might want to think about one of these questions:

• How was this message counter-cultural in Jesus’ day? How is it counter-cultural today?
• How would our society be changed if we actually lived this way? How would we be changed?
• In what other contexts can we find this expression “with the measure you use”? List them.
• Why is it that we seem incapable of seeing the “log” in our own eye but can so easily see the “speck” in everyone else’s? What is the biblical solution for this?
• To what does the “good treasure of his heart” in v. 45 refer?
• What is the underlying meta-issue in all these different topics addressed by Jesus?

Questions to ask ourselves: The following questions are intended to help us move towards greater application of what we learn about Jesus…

• Of the major issues, attitudes, and behaviors listed in this section of Luke 6, which is most surprising to you?
• Take time to evaluate how you are doing with each of the major issues…is it a point of strength, an opportunity for growth, or an opportunity for repentance?
• If the people you spend the most time with were asked about you, would they say you are “fruitful” or just “frightful”?
• Jesus makes it clear that storms will come…and they do! What is the foundation of our lives? Is it solid enough to keep us secure even if the great rivers of culture, politics, and economics should break against it?
• If, as Jesus says, the measure we use is the measure we will receive back…what measure do we regularly use? 

Commentary & Quotes:
Our featured commentator is once again Kenneth E. Bailey, who describes the many different literary structures we find in the Bible.

 "The sayings of Jesus often employ a series of three-line stanzas. An example of this is in Luke 6:32-36:
1
“If you love those who love you,
   what credit is that to you?
      For even sinners love those who love them.

2
And if you do good to those who do good to you,
   what credit is that to you?
      For even sinners do the same.

3
And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive,
   what credit is that to you?
      Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount.

4
But love your enemies,
   do good,
      and lend expecting nothing in return
             (and your reward will be great).
The last stanza is a three-line recapitulation of the first three."
(Bailey, Poet and Peasant, Eerdmans, 1983, p.72)


The following treatment of the "Golden Rule" (6:31) is from Greg K. Dueker's Do You See Him: Expositional Studies from the New Testament,

The Chain-Reaction Relationship Scenario

We all know that it is our nature to treat others in the same way that we are ourselves treated. If someone treats us poorly, we are more likely to treat them badly, unless it is not safe to do so (i.e., they are in a position of authority), in which case we take it out on someone else, someone "safe". That chain reaction of treating others the way we have been treated, when we think that we can get away with it, has often been seen in story form. For instance, there is the story of the Jones family and their bad day.

The Jones family's bad day began with Mr. Jones having a bad day. He was bawled out by his boss in front of the other employees, and to make matters worse, he was driving home that evening, and traffic on the freeway was horrible. When he got off the freeway and began to drive the rest of the way home, a man came up behind him, tailgating, honking his horn, and calling Mr. Jones bad names. He must have thought that Mr. Jones was driving too slowly (I wonder what had made that man's day so bad?) Mr. Jones was so mad that he stomped on the gas and sped home, stopping only once to get a speeding ticket and a lecture from a local police officer. The stage is now set to see how he responds to someone else. When Mr. Jones got home, his wife greeted him at the door (her day had been hectic and she was looking forward to her husband's return so she could talk) and asked about his day. Mr. Jones did not want to talk about it and said so, rudely, to his wife and threw his coat on the chair as he stomped past on his way to take a shower. Mrs. Jones was hurt, frustrated, and angry. It was at this inopportune moment that their young son asked, for the fourth time, "Mom, when will dinner be ready? What are we having? Whatever it is, it smells gross." Mrs. Jones suddenly snapped back, "I'm tired of your questions and complaining. It will be ready when it's done, and you will eat it whether you like it or not! Now go to your room!" On his way to his room, feeling angry and hurt, little Tommy passed his sister in the hall and punched her in the arm and told her that she was a lousy sister. At this point, Suzie Jones, Tommy's little sister, went out to the garage to cry, and since there was no one else for her to take her anger and hurt out on, she kicked the dog. You probably think that it ended there, but the next day the dog bit the mailman and started the downward spiral all over again, this time spreading to the mailman's family as well. This kind of behavior is not honoring to God, and we know that it grieves the Lord for Him to see His people treating each other in an unloving way. It is not His plan for us. He gave us a simple guideline, a rule that was to govern our lives as Christians. The world knows this rule, too, but nobody seems to practice it as much as we should.

What is “The Golden Rule”? What does the Bible teach about it? I have found three passages in scripture where we are given the golden rule. In this lesson, we will look briefly at the context of each of these three verses in an effort to understand more fully what the Golden Rule implies for the Christian today.

I) The Golden Rule – Following Jesus’ Example of Giving
A) What is the Golden Rule?
Matthew 7:12 "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets."

Why is this verse said to contain the Golden Rule? Certainly, it has nothing to do with gold, but instead with love. It may be called the golden rule because of the value of the teaching it contains—that if people would but keep such a rule, the society would be very rich indeed, beyond the value of any worldly currency. Another, more concrete explanation of the origin of the term as applied to this verse is as follows. This verse may be called the "Golden Rule" because Emperor Alexander Severus reputedly had it written in gold on the wall of his palace—some have noted that perhaps it would not be such a bad example to follow.

Some say that Jesus was not the first person to deal with this concept, this Golden Rule, as a similar idea is found in the writings of several ancient sources (i.e., Socrates, Aristotle, Confucius, Rabbi Hillel, etc.). However, all the sources that predate Christ's teaching are stated in the negative sense as we see in the words of Rabbi Hillel. He said, "What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor: that is the whole Torah, while the rest is commentary thereof."^[1]

The general sense was that of "what you don't want people to do to you, then don't do it to them." The problem with all the previous statements of the great rule for living is that they are negative and passive. But as is the case with so much of Christ's teaching, He approached this ethic from the positive perspective. Jesus was the first to state this concept positively and actively. As G. Campbell Morgan wrote,

"There is this radical difference--these [Hillel et al] are negative and passive; Christ's command is positive and active. These say to man, 'Stand still, and do not do what you do not want anyone to do to you'; Christ says, 'Go and do what you would that he should do to you.' It is not merely that you are to refrain from harming him; you are to do him good . . . We might, out of a selfish self-respect, decline to harm our neighbor but we cannot do this higher thing without power. We cannot do continuously what we would our neighbor should do to us save as we ask, seek, and knock, and know that our Father is pledged to us in power."^[2]

In fact, Jesus went as far as to say that this teaching summed up the teaching of the Prophets, implying that it contained the total (though general) statement of God's will for the dealings of men with men. "Jesus was apparently the first to formulate it explicitly, and he elevates it to a place of new importance: 'this is the law and the prophets', a summary of the revealed will of God."^[3]

Jesus' statement proves that Hillel "missed the boat" when he said that his negative statement fulfilled all the Old Testament. To really fulfill the Old Testament, one must not only abstain from evil but must also be used for good. The point of the Abrahamic Covenant was that all the world might be blessed through Abraham's descendants, not merely that they would not be harmed by them. For us to see what it really is that we are supposed to be doing, we need to examine the context of this great verse of Scripture.

"What you would have them do to you": I read a quote by George Bernard Shaw that made me think about the standard for the Golden Rule. He said, "Do not do unto others as you would that they should do unto you. Their tastes may not be the same." I'm not sure if he intended this tongue-in-cheek, or not, but there is a point here that we need to understand. The Golden Rule, more than using our own desires as the standard for treatment of others, speaks of treating others in the same way that GOD has treated us. God's love, as seen in His giving, mercy, grace, and service, is our standard for loving others. If he is our standard, then there is no problem with differing tastes.

B) Context of the “Golden Rule”
It is interesting that you rarely, if ever, hear anything said about the context of the Golden Rule statement. It is the immediate context of this verse that is of special interest to me. Why is this so important? Because Matthew 7:12 begins with "So" or "Therefore," depending upon the translation used. This conjunction ties this verse directly to the preceding thought expressed in Matthew 7:7-11. As it is written, "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. "Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!"

The Golden Rule was first recorded in the context of giving to others as God has given to us. This "rule" was also a rule in the sense that it was, to a certain degree, the practice of even the sinful men of the world. Even the sinners respond well to love. They give their children the things that they need (more so than today, it would seem). Jesus' point was that since it was possible, and even the general rule, that even evil men give good things to their children, how much more does God give, being a perfect and perfectly loving Father? Jesus raised this general rule to a higher, "golden" plane in His teaching and example. He said, "Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." (Luke 6:38)

But how can we fulfill such a command as this? We must understand about asking, seeking, and knocking. We are the ones who ask, seek, and knock, as listed in verse seven. Such behavior requires that we acknowledge our dependence upon Jesus Christ. When we are in need, it is God who readily gives us the good gifts that are necessary. This behavior also speaks of our need to continue in a relationship with God if we are to be loving towards our fellow man. Just as God gives, finds, and opens, in relationship to us, so we need to be sensitive to the asking, seeking, and knocking that others might direct towards us.

"The King drives us back into perpetual and intimate relationship with God in order that our attitude with regard to our fellow men should be what it ought to be… We must live near to God if we would live in right relationship with our fellow men. We must live right with our fellow men if we would live right with God." ^[4]

Some commentators would say that the "So", or the "Therefore", links the verse not with the immediately preceding verses but with the whole teaching of the sermon so far. I agree that this conjunction certainly does link verse 12 to everything that preceded it in the Sermon on the Mount (i.e., 7:1-6), however, to say that it does not primarily refer to the immediately previous thought, expressed in 7:7-11, is to miss the heart of God in this passage. Jesus was telling them to do to others what He (the Son), and God (the Father), had already begun to do for them.

"In this place the King gives us HIS GOLDEN RULE. Put yourself in another's place, and then act towards him as you would wish him to act towards you under the same circumstances. This is a right royal rule, a precept always at hand, always applicable, always right…Oh, that all men acted on it, and then there would be no slavery, no war, no swearing, no striking, no lying, no robbing; but all would be justice and love! What a kingdom is this that has such a law!"^[5]

II) The Golden Rule – Mercy and Grace
Luke 6:31 "Do to others as you would have them do to you."

This second context of the Golden rule is one that focuses upon loving our enemies and those who cannot pay back that love. It speaks powerfully of the mercy and grace that should characterize our lives. This record of the Golden Rule is sandwiched between the mercy and the grace of God.

The love for each other that this passage speaks of is Agape, the love that is a choice to do what is best for its object. Morris notes, "There were several words for 'love' in the Greek. Jesus was not asking for storge, natural affection, nor for eros, romantic love, nor for philia, the love of friendship. He was speaking of agape, which means love even of the unlovely, love which is not drawn out by merit in the beloved but which proceeds from the fact that the lover chooses to be a loving person."^[6]

This passage in Luke 6 is a picture of how we are, as Christ's ambassadors, called to stop the downward spiral of negative chain-reaction relationships. We are never to do to others what they happen to be doing to us; rather, we are to do to them what we would want them to do for us. When someone treats us badly and hurts our feelings, how do we respond? Do we retaliate in the emotion of the moment? Do we brood on it, nursing the root of its bitterness? Or do we stand up for the truth and love them? As Christians, we are no longer slaves of sin to be controlled by every emotion and circumstance that might come our way. Rather, in the time between when someone treats us badly and the time in which we respond, we have the opportunity to insert Christ's love. As a result, we can respond in mercy and grace towards the other. This works even when there are only two people involved and when only one is committed to doing the right thing. The wonder of this is that even if the other person continues to start the downward spiral by treating us in an unloving way, the situation will not deteriorate any further because we continue to start the spiral upward again.

We have the promise of the Lord that those who are merciful will receive mercy. Let us be among the merciful, to the glory of God.

A) Mercy and Grace Before
Luke 6:27-30 "But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back."

In the paragraph preceding the Golden rule we find elements of both mercy and grace, with an emphasis upon mercy. We see that we are to be merciful to others, not inflicting retribution nor demanding payment, as we would want others to be merciful to us if we were in a similar situation.

B) Grace and Mercy After
Luke 6:32-37 "If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners,' expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. 'Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.'"

This paragraph which follows the Golden Rule also contains element of grace and mercy but the emphasis seems to be upon grace. Grace is shown to be the giving of something good that the other does not deserve and cannot demand. The citizen of the Kingdom of God is contrasted with the sinner as is seen by the repeated use of the phrase "Even sinners". Jesus asked the question "What credit is that to you . . . ?" three times, suggesting that the disciple must go beyond the world's standard of "do to others as they do to you" and actually do good things "to others that they can't do to you in return." We are to be gracious to others (again grace implies that they don't deserve it) even as God has been gracious to us. And we know that we certainly don't deserve God's love and care.

III) The Golden Rule – Serve One Another in Love
Galatians 5:14 "The entire law is summed up in a single command: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"

The third and final context of the Golden Rule that we will examine is in Galatians chapter five. This statement of the Golden Rule is a little bit different but in essence it says exactly the same thing as the other two verses we studied. Why do I say that? Because to "Love" means to be committed to bringing about the best in the life of another. Certainly that involves the doing of loving things for them, as we would want them to do for us. We are to love our neighbor as we ourselves are loved by God. How are we loved by God? We considered the answer to this question in the last lesson as we saw Jesus, the King of kings, humble Himself to serve. Jesus could have demanded royal treatment but instead He came humbly in order to serve us. Elsewhere, Jesus made another comparison between the truly great disciple and the worldly authorities, as it is written, "Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave‑‑ just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Matthew 20:26-28)

We need to serve others in the same way, as we can see from the context of this occurrence of the Golden Rule. As it is written,

"You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature." (Galatians 5:13-16)

We have liberty but we are not to use it selfishly to the harm of others, instead we are to use that liberty to do good in order to serve others. It is by doing so that we fulfill the Law.

As a last word on the subject, Paul warns that if this Golden Rule is not kept by the Galatians, it will result in the destruction of any possibility for their fruitfulness in the Kingdom. The message is the same for us today. The way the warning is phrased, it appears that the Galatians were not being very loving to each other but instead were "biting and devouring each other" and thus this is not only a warning but a strong rebuke. They were feeding the flesh rather than feeding the spirit. This warning and rebuke were administered by Paul much as a doctor would dig out a bullet and wash the wound. Knowing that there would be anger, bitterness, and unforgiveness in the midst of such an environment, he not only dug out the "bullet" but also applied healing salve in admonishing them to live by the Spirit.

The phrase "live by the Spirit" is used to refer to the kind of life that is directed and empowered by the Holy Spirit and evidences fruit that evidences something of the Spirit's character. As it is written, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self‑control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires." (Gal.5:22-24)

Living by the Spirit means not only going through the day without saying or doing anything hurtful to others, but also that we do those things that help others, especially helping them get closer to God. If we live according to this rule, there is no need for any other law.

Do you see Him (Jesus) lovingly fulfilling this Golden Rule perfectly?

_____________

 [1]Leon Morris, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries - Luke, Eerdmans, 1974, 1988,  p. 143.

 [2]G. Campbell Morgan, The Gospel According to Matthew, Revell, 1929, p. 76.

 [3]R.T. France, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries - Matthew, Eerdmans, 1985, p. 145.

 [4]G. Campbell Morgan, The Gospel According to Matthew, Revell, 1929, p. 74,75.

 [5]C.H. Spurgeon, The King Has Come, Fleming H. Revell Company, 1987, p. 80.

 [6]Leon Morris, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries - Luke, Eerdmans, 1974, 1988,  p. 142.