Jun 9 2014

The Sanhedrin Sham – Luke 23

Verse one says that the “whole company of them arose and brought him before Pilate.” The Sanhedrin council was delivering the Son of God to Pilate. During his first questioning, Pilate could not find anything to accuse Him about, despite the Sanhedrin’ s urging – and even a lie they told him. Jesus never told anyone that they should not pay tribute to Caesar. But when Pilate found out He was from Galilee, he decided to send Him to Herod because that was his jurisdiction, and he knew that Herod was in Jerusalem at the time.

Christ before Pontius Pilate, Mihály Munkácsy, 1881 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Herod had been wanting to meet Jesus for a long time, so he was very glad to see him. He wanted to see some sort of “sign” from Him. But Jesus was not participating in some dog and pony show for Herod. Verse 9 says that he questioned Him at some length, but got no answer from Him. This fulfilled the prophecy in Isaiah 53:7:

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

Unamused with the Lord, Herod and his soldiers treated Him with contempt and mocked Him. Then they dressed Him in “splendid” clothing – solely as mockery of His claim to be king of the Jews. He was then sent back to Pilate (who the scripture says became good friends with Herod that day). But Pilate called the chief priests and elders in and told them that neither he nor Herod had found Jesus guilty of their charges. Nothing deserving death had been done, he said. So he was going to punish Him and release Him.

This not what the Sanhedrin had in mind at all.

(This year’s reading plan for Luke, Acts, and 1 and 2 Chronicles averages just 15 verses per day – 5 days per week!)
Schedule for this week
Read or listen to audio of today’s selection from Luke here
Read or listen to audio of today’s selection from 2 Chronicles here

/Bob’s boy

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some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Please note: I did not design the reading plan that I am following in my blog. All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility. When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules, as well as a link to the site where you can get the reading plan that I’m currently following for yourself can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com.

Jun 5 2014

Betrayed and Denied – Luke 22

English: “The Judas Kiss”, (Mark 14:45) by Gustave Doré. Judas kisses Jesus in order to betray him to the guards. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

As Jesus was still speaking in the Garden of Gethsemane, a crowd was approaching, with Judas leading them. As Luke reminded us earlier, it was His custom to come here, and Judas knew where He went to pray. It must have been quite a scene. Judas kissed his teacher as was customary. Jesus did not let him off easy for that, reminding him that he had just betrayed “the Son of Man with a kiss.”

When they realized what was happening, some of the apostles asked Jesus if they should “strike with the sword.” Peter, of course, did not wait for answer, but cut the ear off of one of them. It is only John who tells us that it was Peter who did this (John 18:10), and that the victim’s name was Malchus. Jesus stopped them from continuing in violence and healed the man’s ear. Then He chastised the chief priests who had come with the crowd, pointing out that they had not laid a hand on Him while He was with them everyday ion the Temple, yet now they come after him like He was a robber.

They took Him to the house of the chief priest, with Peter following at a distance. He settled in with a crowd who had made a fire in the courtyard. It was there that Peter denied knowing Jesus three times. Luke tells us that a rooster crowed immediately, and that Jesus turned and looked at Peter. What a horrible feeling of guilt must have come over Peter at that moment. Despite all of his bravado, he had taken the cowardly way out in fear for his own safety. Now he must live with that knowledge, and Luke tells us that he did indeed go out and “wept bitterly.”

The kiss of Judas and Peter cutting off the ear of Malchus (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Verses 63-65 tell us how the men that were holding Jesus mocked and blasphemed against Him. They also had Him blindfolded, beating Him, and they would tell Him to “prophesy” by saying which one of them had struck Him. Then at daybreak, He was led to the Sanhedrin, where they questioned Him about whether He was the Christ – the Son of God. Jesus’ answer “you say that I am” is a Greek expression that turns it back on the questioner, but the answer was clear. And that was enough for His accusers. They would deliver Him to Pilate, since they were forbidden by Roman law to execute Him themselves.

/Bob’s boy

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some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Jun 4 2014

Agony – Luke 22

Having finished instituting the Lord’s supper and some final words for His apostles, Jesus went to the Mount of Olives to pray. Luke says that an angel came to strengthen Him. This likely refers to helping Him with physical strength, as they did following His 40 days in the wilderness. Twice in this section, He told disciples to pray that they “enter not into temptation.” The temptation He was referring to was likely just as He had told them at Passover – Satan desired to have them all.

English: Mount of Olives, from Sherover-Hass-Goldman promenade in East Talpiot (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Luke’s description of Jesus’ agony as He prayed is more detailed than the other gospels. He asks that “this cup” – the ordeal He must bear be taken away, if it is God’s will. He sweats, and it is believed by many that Luke’s description of the blood is literal. There is a condition we know of called Hematidrosis that has been known to cause blood-mingled sweat, etc. – especially in cases of severe stress.

What stress and agony it must have been. It is one thing for someone who is condemned to death to be awaiting the hour of their own execution. It is quite another to be able to see in your mind’s eye just how painful, cruel and inhumane, and how horrible an ordeal it will actually be. To be able to correctly envision the degree of suffering you would have to endure is a fearful situation this writer cannot adequately imagine. Now combine that with the fact that Jesus has always been with God. It is only possible for Him to now taste of death because of a willingness to fulfill this plan for our salvation. To go from having always been with the “Ancient of Days,” to suffering a cruel and painful mortal death must have been truly agonizing indeed.

He did not have to do this. He could have called those angels that we sing about to deliver Him from this. But He bore this burden for us because He wanted us to be saved. Think of that next time you take the Lord’s supper.

/Bob’s boy

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some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Jun 2 2014

Preparing For Passover – Luke 22

English: Judas Iscariot The face of Judas Iscariot peers from carved foliage whilst carvings of the other 11 disciples adorn the pulpit in St.James’ church http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/740582 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The members of the Sanhedrin council (chief priests) were already trying to figure out how to kill Jesus. And now one of the reasons he has come to Jerusalem – the Passover Feast was approaching. Verse 3 says that Satan already entered into Judas Iscariot, and he slipped off to meet with the chief priests to make plans for his betrayal of Jesus. They agreed on payment for his part in the deed to come. Now all he had to do was find the right time and place away from the crowds. Judas would be just as afraid of what the crowds around Jesus might do as the Sanhedrin had already proved to be.

On the day of unleavened bread, the Passover lamb had to be killed. It was on this day that Jesus sent Peter and John to find a place for them to prepare the Passover. He described a man carrying a jar that would meet them and take them to an upper room where they could do so. And when they went where Jesus had told them to go, they found the man just as He had said. They told him what Jesus had told them to say, and he did indeed take them to the upper room Jesus had spoken of.

On proper reflection, the reader should realize something about all of that. Since Jesus could foresee these details so clearly, he surely saw what was soon to be done to him just as clearly. What a chilling burden to carry around!

/Bob’s boy

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some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

May 29 2014

Like a Trap – Luke 21

So the last few verses of this chapter in which Jesus has been predicting the fall of Jerusalem contain further warning, beginning in verse 34:

But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap.

Titus Destroying Jerusalem by Wilhelm von Kaulbach (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It will be more than 30 years after this warning that judgment will come upon Jerusalem, and there will be plenty of time for His followers to become complacent, even sinful, and wrapped up in the cares of this life. But if they are not careful and vigilant, they will fall victim to the devastation. Many of Jesus’ disciples escaped the judgment on Jerusalem that came in 70 A.D. because they had been warned here of things that would happen that would signal the coming destruction. So those disciples lived to bear witness to others.

Jesus then adds, in verse 35, that “…it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth.” The rest of the world will not experience the destruction of Jerusalem, but we will all see destruction come one day. So His next warning comes for the people of that generation in Jerusalem, and for all of us: “stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.” Like His disciples there at that time, we have been given the knowledge of what to do with our lives to prepare for the day that will surely come for all of us. They will stand before the Son of Man in another sense – that their escape will make them available as a living testament to His authority. We can stand before Him justified because of His grace – not by our own doing (Ephesians 2:8).

Verses 37-38 conclude this chapter with Luke telling us that Jesus spent His time these last days teaching in the temple every day. But at night, He went “and lodged on the mount called Olivet.” The Greek word for “lodged” here literally means to lodge in the open. So it is very likely that He slept under His stars until early morning, when He would already be in the temple again as the people came to hear Him.

/Bob’s boy

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some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

May 28 2014

The Coming of the Son of Man – Luke 21

“Son of man” appears 25 times in Luke, a copy (c. 800) shown here. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Up through verse 24, most of chapter 21 is pretty easy to understand, and most people get it. But enter verse 25, and the wheels start to come off for a lot of commentators. In fairness, verses 25-28 are among the most difficult verses to understand when it comes to Jesus’ quotations. And it is verse 27 that creates the confusion. As always, context is everything. So let us first back up and remember what the preceding verses are about.

Verses 5-24 are clearly about the coming destruction of the temple and of Jerusalem itself in 70 A.D. Now let’s just take verses 25-26 by themselves:

“And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken.”

These two verses align perfectly with the signs and the upheaval that Jesus describes in verses 20-24. Now verses 27-28:

“And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

Sounds like Jesus is talking about His own second coming, right? Well, not so fast… Let’s continue on, as Jesus immediately tells them the parable of the fig tree in verses 29-30. Then in verse 32, He says “Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all has taken place.“ Wait a minute, there will still be people of that generation that are still living when all of this happens! He has to be still talking about the signs and the upheaval surrounding the events of A.D. 70.

But what about “the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory?” Think of it as similar to “the day of the Lord.” We see those words often, especially in the Old Testament, and it always signifies a time when God will take decisive action – when some sort of judgment will come to people for their actions. But not all decisive action is of the end time – not all judgment is “the final judgment.”

The figurative language used in verse 27 is much like what we see in Isaiah 19:1:

An oracle concerning Egypt.
Behold, the Lord is riding on a swift cloud
and comes to Egypt;
and the idols of Egypt will tremble at his presence,
and the heart of the Egyptians will melt within them

The Siege and Destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans Under the Command of Titus, A.D. 70, Oil on canvas, 1850 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In this case, the Son of Man (Jesus) will have already ascended to heaven. Now it is His turn for judgment. Remember in Luke 19:41-44, when Jesus was weeping for Jerusalem as He entered? He was talking about the destruction that would come: “And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.” The judgment is coming this time because of their rejection of the Son of God.

OK, so what about the part that says “your redemption is drawing near?” Let’s look at the parable of the fig tree:

“Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. As soon as they come out in leaf, you see for yourselves and know that the summer is already near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near.”

As Adam Clarke put it, “After the destruction of the Jewish state, the doctrine of Christ crucified shall be preached every where, and every where prevail.”

/Bob’s boy

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some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

May 27 2014

Not A Hair of Your Head Will Perish – Luke 21

In verses 5-25, Jesus foretells the destruction of the Temple and of Jerusalem. Because of this, some scholars are naturally anxious to place the writing of the gospel after A.D. 70 (as well as Matthew 24:1-2). But there are problems with that (besides the fact that we know these gospels to be inspired), particularly with Matthew.

The destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In verses 10-19, Jesus tells them of wars, famines, pestilence and earthquakes which we certainly know did happen in that time period. As for the signs from heaven that verse 11 speaks of, there have been some secular writings of some unusual events that occurred in that time frame. We must be careful about referring to secular writings of such things, and some of those that Josephus reported were quite strange indeed. But at that the same time, we should remember that Josephus was not a Christian and did not believe that Jesus was the Son of God – or even a mere prophet. So he had no vested interest (“Wars of the Jews,” Book VI, Chapter 5, Section 3 (Entire)).

The romanticized woodcut engraving of Flavius Josephus appearing in William Whiston’s translation of his works. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Jesus also tells them that before all of these things happen, people will lay their hands upon them and persecute them, and they will be brought before kings and governors for His name’s sake. But He tells them to “settle it in their minds” not to think too hard about what to say because He will “give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict.” But then He tells them that they will be betrayed even by their friends and closest relatives; and some of them will be put to death. He then tells them that “not a hair of your head will perish.“ This is true, of course, in the context of their eternal lives, as Jesus intended it.

This warning from Jesus underscores quite graphically the difference of what being a true follower of Jesus meant in the first century compared to today. Even today, though, Christians all over the world are persecuted to varying degrees. Currently, most people in the Americas do not have to fear for their lives in service of the Lord, however. But will that always be the case? We should not count on it. The USA is a strong world power. But that could be said about the Assyrians, Babylonians, and other empires of the past, who are no more.

/Bob’s boy

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some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

May 26 2014

The Poor Widow – Luke 21

Verse one says that Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box. This was one of thirteen collection chests that were shaped like trumpets. A very good description of this arrangement can be found in this article at Ferrell’s Travel Blog. Jesus also saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. The coins are known by most people as the widow’s “mites.”

Lepton

There was no coin at that time called a mite, but when the King James Bible was created there was one. But the Greek word for the coins in the scripture was a Lepton (pl. Lepta), which means “small” or “the thin one.” The Lepton was reportedly minted by Alexander Janneaus, who was king of Judea from 103-76 B.C. The coins were only about one centimeter in diameter, and were worth only about 1/128 of a denarius. A denarius was a day’s wages for the common worker.

According to Pharisaical law of the day, it was not acceptable to put in less than two gifts. So this poor widow literally contributed, on that occasion, the smallest gifts possible. But Jesus said that she had contributed more than any of the rich that He had seen making their contributions. They had given just a minute portion of the wealth that they had, whereas the widow had literally given all that she had to live on.

The widow’s actions demonstrated not only her selfless heart, but also her great faith that the Lord would take care of her.

/Bob’s boy

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some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

May 23 2014

The Lord Said To My Lord – Luke 20

Verse 41 begins with “but He said to them…” This shows that Jesus is still addressing the Sadducees after He convincingly answered their question about resurrection. he asks them “How can they say that the Christ is David’s son?” As He points out, David himself said in Psalm 110:1:

The Lord said to my Lord,
Sit at my right hand,
until I make your enemies your footstool

English: David’s Love for God’s House, as in 1 Chronicles 22:6-16, illustration from a Bible card published by the Providence Lithograph Company (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Jesus brought this question up to the Sadducees to give them the opportunity to see the truth about the Christ from the scriptures themselves. As he points out, “David thus calls him Lord, so how is he his son?” The answer, we of course know, is that the Christ is God, and thus is Lord over David. But in the flesh, he was a son (descendant) of David. But their eyes were not open to the truth.

Seeing that fact, Jesus said to the disciples (within the hearing of all) that they should beware of the scribes. He then warns of their hypocrisy and their unjust treatment of others – including “devouring” widows’ houses. Luke does not tell us what exactly it was they did to these widows, but we can be sure they had dealt miserably with some, else Jesus would not be making a fuss about it here.

One way or another, throughout this chapter, Jesus had made stronger enemies out of all three major groups of religious leaders. And all He had done was tell the truth and try to teach them what was right.

/Bob’s boy

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some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

May 22 2014

The God of the Living – Luke 20

Jewish leaders of Jesus’ time were mostly Pharisees, Sadducees, or Scribes. They were against Jesus, hating him so much that they wanted to kill him, for they were afraid they would lose their authority and their jobs.

In verse 27, the Sadducees get in on the act of trying to best the Lord with their questions. The Sadducees did not believe in a resurrection. So they pose a question designed to prove that point where God’s own word is concerned. Had they known they were speaking to “the word” (John 1:1-2;14), they would have realized how futile the attempt was.

The “trick question” concerned a woman whose husband had died. According to the Law of Moses (Deuteronomy 25:5):

“If brothers dwell together, and one of them dies and has no son, the wife of the dead man shall not be married outside the family to a stranger. Her husband’s brother shall go in to her and take her as his wife and perform the duty of a husband’s brother to her.”

So the Sadducees extend that scenario out into the realm of absurdity. In their story, the man who died had six brothers. Each one took the woman as his wife and died without giving her a child. So after the resurrection, whose wife would she be – seeing that all seven brothers had been her husband? They were sure they had Him on this point, because none of the brothers would have a greater claim on the woman than any of the others. Surely that proves by God’s own law that there is no resurrection.

Three angels visiting Abraham (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Jesus ignores the absurdity, and addresses the crux of the matter. He explains that “the sons of this age” (and daughters) marry and are “given in marriage,” but those who “attain to that age”- and to the resurrection – do neither. He says that they can no longer die, and are equal to angels in that respect. Notice He does not say that they are angels. Nowhere does the Bible teach that we become angels after we die. They are separate and distinct beings. But we become Sons of God and sons of the resurrection.

He goes on to assure them that there is a resurrection according to the word of God. He points out that even Moses said in the passage about the burning bush (Exodus 3-4:17) that the Lord is the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. The Sadducees could only then say that Jesus had answered very well.

They had taken their best shot, and came up empty.

/Bob’s boy

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some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Bob's boy's Christianity blog

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich (2 Corinthians 8:9)

Tag Archives: Gospel of Luke

The Sanhedrin Sham – Luke 23

/Bob’s boy

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Betrayed and Denied – Luke 22

/Bob’s boy

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Agony – Luke 22

/Bob’s boy

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Preparing For Passover – Luke 22

/Bob’s boy

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Like a Trap – Luke 21

/Bob’s boy

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The Coming of the Son of Man – Luke 21

/Bob’s boy

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Not A Hair of Your Head Will Perish – Luke 21

/Bob’s boy

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The Poor Widow – Luke 21

/Bob’s boy

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The Lord Said To My Lord – Luke 20

/Bob’s boy

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The God of the Living – Luke 20

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