Simply Jesus. The Life and Ministry of God s Son. Lesson 17

Simply Jesus The Life and Ministry of God s Son Lesson 17 Introduction As respected religious leaders of the day, the scribes and Pharisees were the ones to whom the people looked for spiritual understanding and direction. Jesus pronounced woe on both groups: the Pharisees who instructed using the scriptures and the scribes who interpreted them for practical application. Over time, Jesus had pulled back the layers of falsehood by not only addressing the incorrect teaching but also revealing that these men were interferring by taking away the key to knowledge. They had not entered into the truth themselves, and those who wanted to enter in were being hindered from finding the way. In turn, these leaders had begun to assail Jesus vehemently, cross-examine Him, and lie in wait to arrest Him (Luke 11:52 54). Jesus offered up the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Meanwhile, the crowds continued to come and to grow in size; only now they weren t a quiet multitude resting on a hillside or beside a lake in a meadow. They had become an innumberable multitude pushing, shoving, yelling and even trampling one another. The entire scene in Luke 12 took place amid a noisy crowd, the perfect circumstance for on-the-job training in how to stand firm for what one believes. Denouncing the hypocrisy of the Pharisees while attempting to diffuse the angry crowd, Jesus specifically lays out what to do when life and limb are on the line: Also I say to you, whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God. But he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God (Luke 12:8 9). Did you know Have you ever been singled out put on the spot to speak up for your Christian beliefs? It can be a life-defining moment or perhaps even a life-threatening experience. The word confess literally means to say the same thing or to agree with God. Jesus knew the disciples would face dangerous situations down the road. He uses the circumstances in Luke 12 to make the point that when under pressure to capitulate, they would need to be able to stand firm and confess Him before men so that He could in turn confess them before the Father in heaven. Honing a bold witness for Christ should be on every believer s to do list as we await and prepare for the Lord s return. There is no need to worry about what we are to say, we have the 1

promise that the Holy Spirit will teach us in the moment how/what is appropriate to defend what we believe (Luke 12:11 12). Open your Bible and lesson each day by beginning with a word of prayer. Up Close ~ The chart below represents a reader s guide to the contents of this week s lesson. The topical teachings and/or events covered are followed by the primary scriptural text as well as the supportive parallel passages. You will be able to receive and grasp a well-rounded picture of the story narrative in the Gospel harmony by reading every passage. However, using the bolded text as your point of reference (your anchor text) will allow you to determine the facts, lessons, and personal applications necessary to formulate your own conclusions. Teaching / Event Scripture Text Parallel Passages Prepare for His Coming Luke 12:35 56 What is the Kingdom Like? Luke 13:6 9; 18 19; 20 21 The Narrow Way Luke 13:22 35 First Impressions: Group Discussion Reflect for a moment on the passages you have just read. Respond by recording your first impressions from your initial reading of the text. Be prepared to share one of your impressions with your discussion group. Heartbeat: Luke 12:40 NKJV (Memory verse) (Write it out once in the space below. Practice it each time you open your lesson.) Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. 2

Part One: Luke 12:35 56 Prepare for His Coming! Jesus had just finished warning the disciples about the cares of this life that tend not only to be distractive, such as food, clothing and working, but also potentially destructive, such as false teaching. Middle Eastern society in the first century consisted largely of making a living and producing enough food to feed your family each day. Lack of any of these things would lead to worry, which robbed individuals of keeping their eyes fixed on the prize the upward call of God. Jesus wanted to teach His followers how to live daily with an eternal perspective. The men and women of Jesus day wore long white robes with an occasional belt or sash, allowing for the robe to be gathered up for ease of movement and mobility when needed. He said, Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning... (Luke 12:35). 1. Remembering that your lamp speaks of God s Word as light on your path; and letting your light shine as a witness to the world, what message is He conveying about being a faithful servant? vv. 35 40 a. Why is it important to always be ready for the Masters return? People are willing to go the distance eat right, exercise and spend untold expense to stay young and enjoy life as long as they can. Compare that preparation on what is temporal with how much time we spend on getting ready for what is eternal. We ought to get up each day with the question, I wonder if He ll come back today? Otherwise the tendency is to lose sight of what s important, grow weary in serving and waiting and want to quit. Peter asked the question, Lord, do You speak this parable only to us, or to all people? Jesus answered that it applied to them and to everyone else! Who is the faithful servant? The one who takes care of God s people by serving from the heart. Those who don t eventually give up and return to the lifestyle they left when they began to follow Christ. Selah ~ Time has a way of revealing truth from error; those who are genuinely God s children and those who are merely pretending to be. When is Jesus coming back? The Bible says no one knows the hour or the day; but while we wait we are to be occupied to whom much is given, much will 3

be required. There is no such thing as a ministry of doing nothing! As you are waiting, how are you serving the Lord? How are you using the gifts He s given you? If you re not, then get busy; waiting is doing. Actively waiting will not only help others, it will enhance your own vision and perspective. In a little less than six months, Jesus would go to the cross. Here in vv. 49-53, He speaks of fire, referring to both His work of salvation and His coming judgment. Jeremiah spoke of God s Word as a burning fire in his heart that he could not hold back (20:9). Malachi referred to the day of the Lord s coming as a refiner s fire (3:2 3): He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver... that they may offer to the Lord an offering of righteousness. There was yet a baptism for Jesus but before the fire would come the cross. He was distressed and pressed on every side for it to be completed. Jesus had to go through it in order for God s plan to be accomplished. He longed for it to be so; He longed for the fire of the Holy Spirit to be poured out. 2. In vv. 49 53, we see Jesus name beings division and persecution along with it; sometimes within our own family. We either believe in Him or we don t. We either belong to Him or we don t. We either choose to go with Him or get left behind. Personal: With whom in your family has your faith in Christ brought division? Will you pray for them? Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? It would be easy to respond with an automatic Yes! Jesus did remove the penalty of sin that separated men from God, resulting in peace. He even made it possible for us to have peace with each other; but the cross still separates when people don t choose to follow Christ. Since it cost Him everything to die on our behalf, we shouldn t be surprised when it costs us to follow Him. Part Two: Luke 13:1 35 What is the Kingdom Like? Parables Explained Once again in an effort to get the spotlight off of them, some in the crowd around Jesus decided to change the subject. Jesus, however, knowing that sin and salvation were the pertinent subject, continued to illustrate by the use of parables so that those who were truly seeking would hear the truth. Jesus is dealing with the topic of repentance, which means to turn around and go in the other direction. Simply put, it means to stop going my way and start going His way. The use of the word repent in verse 3 is in the present tense; in other words, it is not a one-time action but rather an ongoing sequence of actions. There should be a singular moment we can hang our 4

hat on as the moment we remember repenting turning from the old lifestyle and turning to the Lord. But repentance should also be a continual part of each day for the believer because we have the tendency to turn back to what is familiar. Developing good spiritual disciplines will help us to regularly return to the throne of grace. We need to practice continually being emptied of self and being filled with the Spirit always making room for more! The Parable of the Barren Fig Tree vv. 6 9 Throughout scripture we see the nation of Israel depicted as a fig tree and a vineyard, so the primary application of this parable is for them. For three years Jesus had been preaching to His people but they hadn t received Him. Still there was grace upon grace and time to be patient. The crowd confronted Jesus with their belief that God dealt with sinners through tragedy and violence. Jesus said, Not so. God is longsuffering, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. But when judgment does come His will be the final word! God desires fruit from every life. Take a moment to look closely at John 15:1 8. Answer the following... What does the Vinedresser [God] do with the branch that does not bear fruit? What about the one that does bear fruit? What is the secret to bringing forth much fruit? Look up the word abide and write a definition. Read the account of the woman with the infirmity (Luke 13:10 17) to fully appreciate the other two parables that follow. The Parable of the Mustard Seed vv.18 19 Remember that Jesus audience is mixed with some who believed in Him and some who didn t. Here He uses the illustration of a small mustard seed to convey that in a congregation of people the number of true believers is much smaller than the total number of those present. Seeing a church building full of people doesn t necessarily mean they all believe in or belong to God. Consider some of the benefits that belong to those who are a part of God s family tree. Record your thoughts. 5

The Parable of the Leaven vv. 20 21 The kingdom of God indeed has small beginnings but will spread out to produce wonderful results. Here leaven (usually symbolizing evil) is used to illustrate positive growth. Though it is a minor ingredient, it permeates the whole loaf; likewise the church would soon grow to great increase having a world-wide impact. Where has God placed you to influence others for Him? Part Three: Luke 13:22 35 The Narrow Way And He went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem. Then one said to Him, Lord, are there few who are saved? Jesus answer shreds the notion that all Jews would be saved because of their ancestral heritage. The Gentiles weren t safe either; neither was anyone else on the basis of their background, ethnicity or personal mindset. Well aware of the crowds erroneous assumptions about salvation, Jesus answers with, Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able. One question more important than any other you will ever ask yourself is, do you know Jesus Christ and does He know you? Are you sure that the path you re on and the one you re following is the right one? Jesus Christ came to this earth once to die so that you might come to Him and enter in have you done so? Once the door shuts, we will all have to live with our choice for eternity. Jesus said in verses 25 and 27, I don t know you. The persons referred to in those verses thought they had it right. But Jesus says it s not a matter of superficial mental agreement or your preferred belief system. It s not enough to say, I know God in my own way. Do you have a two way relationship with Him does He know you? Jesus said in John 10:27, My sheep hear My voice and I know them. Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 8:3, If anyone loves God, he will be known by Him. Galatians 4:9 says, After you came to know God, you became known by God. God only knows us when we repent and come to place our faith in His Son, receiving His forgiveness for our sins and the Holy Spirit comes to indwell us, sealing us as His. Try as we may there is no other way! 1. What are the worst words one could ever hear? v. 27b The weeping (v. 28) refers to helplessness; gnashing is used only when referring to tremendous rage or better pain. 2. Why do so many miss the narrow way? What hinders them? Think of some of the reasons that prevent people from finding the truth? Is anything hindering you right now? 6

When the Lord looks at you, does He see someone He knows; someone who loves Him and serves Him? No amount of self-justification matters; no argument of your own holds merit. Jesus has given His all; you must give yours to Him! In Hebrews 4:7, God is speaking to you: Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your heart. Give your heart to him while the door remains open make it your prayer right now. Behold & Be Transformed What did you see as you beheld God s Son? How does beholding (looking upon) Him, motivate you to change your thoughts, habit, attitude, speech or actions? Pause... What is the most significant lesson you have learned this week? Ponder... How will you put it into practice? 7

Behold & Be Transformed What did you see as you beheld God s Son? How does beholding (looking upon) Him, motivate you to change your thoughts, habit, attitude, speech or actions? Pause... What is the most significant lesson you have learned this week? 9