Lesson #2



Luke, Lesson #1Luke 1.1 - 25 What do we know about Luke, the man?Luke, a physician, writes with the compassion and warmth of a family doctor as he carefully documents the perfect humanity of the Son of Man, Jesus Christ. He emphasizes Jesus’ ancestry, birth, and early life before moving carefully and chronologically through His earthly ministry.At the very beginning of his Gospel, Luke tells his audience that he wasn’t an original apostle or even an eyewitness to Jesus’ words and works. Many believe Luke came to faith in Christ through the ministry of the apostle Paul, whom he befriended and accompanied on some of his missionary journeys. Luke is the only non-Jewish writer of a New Testament book (he also penned the Acts of the Apostles). Luke has a fondness for parables; of the twenty-five he includes in his Gospel, seventeen appear nowhere else. He also describes seven of Jesus’ miracles not mentioned in the other two synoptic Gospels.Luke’s Gospel includes many details of Jesus’ life omitted from the other three Gospels. Only Luke records a detailed account of Jesus’ birth and the events surrounding it, including the angelic announcement to Jesus’ mother, Mary, that she would give birth to the Messiah. He also records the story of the conception and birth of John the Baptist. Only Luke includes anything about the boyhood of Jesus.Luke presents Jesus as a man of great compassion and intense emotions. Luke alone, for example, records how Jesus looked out over the holy city of Jerusalem and wept over its coming destruction. Luke also shows us that Jesus had a very sympathetic attitude toward women, the poor, the sinners, the sick, and the dying—and His resurrection ensures that His purposes will be fulfilled: “to seek and to save that which was lost” (19:10).Kata Loukon, “According to Luke,” is the ancient title added to this Gospel at a very early date. The Greek name Luke appears only three times in the New Testament (Col. 4:14; 2 Tim. 4:11; Philem. 24). — Charles F. Stanley, The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible: New King James Version (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles, 2005), Lk.Luke 1.1 – 4. What do we know about Theophilus?Luke dedicated his works to “most excellent Theophilus” (lit. “lover of God”—1:3; cf. Acts 1:1). This designation, which may be a nickname or a pseudonym, is accompanied by a formal address (“most excellent”)—possibly signifying that “Theophilus” was a well known Roman dignitary, perhaps one of those who had turned to Christ in “Caesar’s household” (Phil. 4:22).It is almost certain, however, that Luke envisioned a much broader audience for his work than this one man. The dedications at the outset of Luke and Acts are like the formal dedication in a modern book. They are not like the address of an epistle.Luke expressly stated that his knowledge of the events recorded in his gospel came from the reports of those who were eyewitnesses (1:1, 2)—strongly implying that he himself was not an eyewitness. It is clear from his prologue that his aim was to give an ordered account of the events of Jesus’ life, but this does not mean he always followed a strict chronological order in all instances (e.g., see note on 3:20). — John MacArthur Jr., ed., The MacArthur Study Bible, electronic ed. (Nashville, TN: Word Pub., 1997), 1504.Luke reveals that this work was the result of research. What do we learn about the Bible from this?By acknowledging that he had compiled his account from various extant sources (see note on 1:1), Luke was not disclaiming divine inspiration for his work. The process of inspiration never bypasses or overrides the personalities, vocabularies, and styles of the human authors of Scripture. The unique traits of the human authors are always indelibly stamped on all the books of Scripture. Luke’s research is no exception to this rule. The research itself was orchestrated by divine Providence. And in his writing, Luke was moved by the Spirit of God (2 Pet. 1:21). Therefore, his account is infallibly true (see note on 1:3). — John MacArthur Jr., ed., The MacArthur Study Bible, electronic ed. (Nashville, TN: Word Pub., 1997), 1504–1505.Luke 1.5 – 25. Let’s read, then summarize this story.If you’re like me, you sometimes wake up at 2:00 A.M. and cannot get back to sleep. Let’s suppose that the next time that happens, you go out to the kitchen, turn on the light, and find an angel standing there. He might call you by name. I say he because the Bible indicates angels are masculine. What would you say? And what do you think he would say?Luke’s story begins with a situation like this. An angel appears and speaks to Zacharias, a priest. Zacharias and his wife, Elizabeth, were both from priestly stock, a fact that had a great deal of weight with the Jews. Verse 6 says that they were “both” righteous before God. Just think what that means. Most of us are playing our lives to someone. We may be trying to be righteous and Christian for the benefit and esteem of our neighbors, friends, and family. That’s not all bad. But how much better to be righteous before the One who sees us in secret, who knows our thoughts and actions when we are alone. Zacharias and Elizabeth were righteous but not sinless. Sinlessness is not an option for any of us. The desire of their hearts was to belong to God and to serve Him. They were playing their lives to God. We might say these were very unusual people. — Bruce Larson and Lloyd J. Ogilvie, Luke, vol. 26, The Preacher’s Commentary Series (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc, 1983), 24–26.What do we learn about God from this story? Luke does not start with the birth of this new Savior, however, but with the birth of his cousin John. John’s parents were of the priestly family. His father’s name was Zechariah, which means “the Lord remembers.” Only a handful of the people of Israel remembered God’s promises. But God remembered what he had sworn to the prophets and was sure to bring it to pass.John’s mother’s name was Elizabeth, which means “my God is an oath.” God had sworn a covenant oath with his people, and those who were truly his people were relying on it. In these names we see the faith of Israel preserved. The God who had sworn an oath to redeem sinful humanity would not forget his people. The parents of Zechariah and Elizabeth had believed and taught this promise to their children, who believed it as well. Zechariah and Elizabeth are described in Scripture this way: “Both of them were upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commandments and regulations blamelessly” (1:6). In an age of infidelity they were faithful.What a fantastic honor to have this said about you. How would you like to have this verse inscribed on your tombstone? Others had forsaken the Lord, but they were loyal to him and to his covenant. — R.C. Sproul, Before the Face of God: Book 2: A Daily Guide for Living from the Gospel of Luke, electronic ed. (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House; Ligonier Ministries, 1993).What application do you find in this story?If an angel said to you, “Your prayer is heard,” what would it mean for you? What is the “too good to be true” news in your life? You may have given up believing God can bring it about. You may think you’re too old to start something new and exciting. Remember that people in their nineties have written plays and governed nations. Perhaps you have been praying about your loneliness. You are single and well past the age of expecting to marry. I had a wedding invitation recently from somebody well past the accepted age. It said, “Celebrate with me. I have found my true love.” And that message gladdened my heart. Whatever it is that might seem too good to be true for you, remember Zacharias. — Bruce Larson and Lloyd J. Ogilvie, Luke, vol. 26, The Preacher’s Commentary Series (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc, 1983), 30.Luke 1.7. But they were childless. Read for emotion. What is the emotion in this short phrase?These two unusual people were suffering. Most Jews did not believe in eternal life. Immortality came through their children and heirs; it was through them that one lived on forever. So although righteous, Zacharias and Elizabeth had no children, and were thus suffering the ultimate disappointment and humiliation. If you think life is fair, the Bible does not encourage you in that view.Zacharias and Elizabeth, like so many Old Testament characters, have meaningful names. Zacharias means “The Lord Remembers.” Elizabeth is “My God Is an Absolutely Faithful One,” or, “My God Is an Oath.” These two, whose very names were affirmations of faith, married. I have spoken and written a good deal about the power of a name and of how much we Christians need new names with positive and spiritual connotations. The Jews gave their children names with profound meaning. Later, Elizabeth and Zacharias were to name their son John, which means “Gift of God.” — Bruce Larson and Lloyd J. Ogilvie, Luke, vol. 26, The Preacher’s Commentary Series (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc, 1983), 26.Luke 1.9. Chosen by lot. Look at the context. Chosen for what?There were twenty-four divisions of priests in Israel at that time, far more priests than needed. Each division took a turn yearly to serve for a week. Only one priest at a time had the honor of burning the incense at the altar, an important task since this was the symbolic representation of the rising up to God of the prayers and longings of the people. There were so many priests that this special honor might come just once in a lifetime or perhaps not at all.On this occasion Zacharias was chosen by lot as the one to burn incense before God. During this, his great moment, the angel appeared. Zacharias’s reaction was fear. You might think that this man, born of a priestly tribe and righteous before God, would have been delighted about seeing an angel. But when God intervened in his life personally, he was afraid and troubled. Perhaps it’s not surprising. If a preacher were to announce that everybody who came to church next Sunday would hear the Lord speak to them by name directly, do you think there would be an overflow crowd? If God really were there personally or through an angel to give us a direct message, we might react just as Zacharias did. We might say, “Oh, that’s my Sunday to wash the car or visit the sick. I’m not sure I can be there.”The angel said to Zacharias, “Your prayer is heard.” Zacharias didn’t believe it. He had been praying without conviction. He did not really believe God would answer his fervent prayers. Even a righteous man can pray with no sense of expectation. The angel says, “Do not be afraid,” the same assurance the angels gave to Mary and the shepherds in the fields of Bethlehem later in this same Gospel. — Bruce Larson and Lloyd J. Ogilvie, Luke, vol. 26, The Preacher’s Commentary Series (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc, 1983), 26–27.Luke 1.14ff. What do we learn about the Christian faith from this section?The angel promised Zacharias that he personally would have joy and gladness and that many would rejoice at the birth of his son. But not all. Eventually this baby grew to manhood and was beheaded for speaking out against the sins of the king. Nevertheless, according to the angel, many were to rejoice at the birth of John the Baptist.Did many (or any) rejoice at your birth? If nobody rejoiced at or about your birth, then you’ve missed your inheritance. Certainly John was special, but remember what Jesus said about his cousin, John: “Among those born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist, but he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he” (Luke 7:28). If you are in the kingdom of God then you are meant to be a greater source of blessing than John.A farmer once told me that a watermelon seed is able to reproduce itself two hundred thousand times. That tiny seed draws power from the earth to become a great, green watermelon. In the same sense, God can use a single life—John’s or yours, or mine—to reproduce blessings for countless others. — Bruce Larson and Lloyd J. Ogilvie, Luke, vol. 26, The Preacher’s Commentary Series (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc, 1983), 27–28.Skip ahead to Luke 2.9 – 11. What is the emotion of this passage?Some people think anything having to do with God is very serious and could never be outrageously happy. They assume that doing things for God, studying about God, going to church and worshiping God, or even just thinking about God will be really boring and no fun. But Jesus is not a bore or a burden; he’s not a drag or drudgery. Jesus is the greatest joy in the universe! He’s the best news anyone has ever heard! In fact, nothing in all the world can give people as much joy as Jesus can.That’s what the angel told the shepherds who were taking care of their sheep on that dark night outside Bethlehem. Luke recorded,Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the?city?of?David!” (Luke 2:9-11).Initially, instead of being excited, the shepherds were afraid—terrified, even. Evidently the angel was right there with them and radiated a bright light like they had never seen, and it was scary.But the good news of Jesus replaced their fear with joy. What was this good news? “The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today.” The good news was that the Messiah the Jews had been expecting for centuries was born that very night.When the shepherds checked it out for themselves, they found that what the angel had told them was true, so they returned to their flocks, “glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen” (Luke 2:20). They couldn’t keep what they had seen to themselves. They told everyone what happened. “And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them” (Luke 2:18, ESV). That word wondered means that the people who heard about it marveled—they were blown away.The reason we celebrate Christmas is that we are still blown away by the incredible news that God became a baby that night in Bethlehem. And when we grow in our understanding of what this means, we begin to experience the great joy the angels talked about. — Nancy Guthrie, Let Every Heart Prepare Him Room: Daily Family Devotions for Advent (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale Momentum, 2011).Tozer said, “God has charged Himself with full responsibility for our eternal happiness.” Do you agree?Happiness depends less upon our circumstances than upon our thoughts. When we turn our thoughts to God, to His gifts, and to His glorious creation, we experience the joy that God intends for His children. But, when we focus on the negative aspects of life, we suffer needlessly.Do you sincerely want to be a happy Christian? Then set your mind and your heart upon God’s love and His grace. The fullness of life in Christ is available to all who seek it and claim it. Count yourself among that number. Seek first the salvation that is available through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and then claim the joy, the peace, and the spiritual abundance that the Shepherd offers His sheep.God has charged Himself with full responsibility for our eternal happiness and stands ready to take over the management of our lives the moment we turn in faith to Him. — A. W. Tozer / Grace for Each Day: 365 Devotions and Prayers (New York, NY: Worthy Inspired, 2014).C.S. Lewis said, “It is a Christian duty… for everyone to be as happy as he can.” Do you agree?But what an incredibly wonderful responsibility it is .?.?. like being required to eat Mom’s apple pie! We’re accustomed to thinking of duty as drudgery, not happiness. But a person’s duty to love his or her spouse or to care for a son or daughter, and a soldier’s duty to defend his country?—when done with the right heart and perspective?—all bring satisfaction, contentment, and happiness.Paul’s words in Philippians 4:4 are often translated “Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice.” They could also be translated, “Be happy in the Lord always, and again I say be happy.” Commenting on this verse, Spurgeon said, “It is intended that we should be happy. That is the meaning .?.?. that we should be cheerful.”[2]This passage commands us twice to be glad in God. A command carries with it the duty to obey, and when it’s repeated, that expectation is intensified. Fortunately, when God commands us to rejoice, his Holy Spirit empowers us to obey.God could have stated, “You have cause to rejoice.” But a command is different from a statement. A command doesn’t leave us the option to passively wait for joy, hoping it comes to us. Rather, we must take action to lay hold of joy in God.The command to be sexually pure and abstain from immorality requires proactive choices (see 1?Thessalonians 4:3). Similarly, to glorify God in all we do, love our neighbor, care for our families, help the poor, and resolve conflicts requires actions on our part. The same is true of the command to rejoice.The fact that “rejoice” is followed by “always” and is repeated (“again I say rejoice”) makes it one of the most emphatic directives in Scripture. If our lives are not characterized by rejoicing, or if we’ve given up on happiness, we’re missing out on what God intends for us. We must go to him and ask for his help and empowerment to find joy in him.Only if we truly want to experience the happiness-driven desires of our hearts will we be drawn to God by verses such as this: “Seek your happiness in the LORD, and he will give you your heart’s desire” (Psalm 37:4, GNT). Judging by what we hear, we might expect Scripture to say, “Obey God, and say no to your heart’s desire.” Not so!Jesus says, “Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full” (John 16:24).The Contemporary English Version and God’s Word Translation both render the final clause in John 16:24 this way: so that we will be “completely happy.”Can our joy be full if we’re not happy? No.The CEV, a translation from the original biblical languages (not a paraphrase), says:Be happy and shout to God who makes us strong! (Psalm 81:1)Be happy and excited! You will have a great reward in heaven. (Matthew 5:12)The Bible clearly commands us to be happy. “But that’s just one English version,” someone might say. Correct. But every other version echoes the same command even when using other words. The CEV isn’t alone in its translation of these and similar passages. The Good News Translation says:Be happy with your wife and find your joy with the woman you married. (Proverbs 5:18)Go ahead?—eat your food and be happy; drink your wine and be cheerful. It’s all right with God. (Ecclesiastes 9:7)Be happy with those who are happy, weep with those who weep. (Romans 12:15)You may not be accustomed to thinking that God commands us to be happy. But it’s a fact. And I’m betting it’s a command most of us would like to obey! — Randy Alcorn, Happiness (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2015).How can we be happy Christians and live joyful lives?Why did the Almighty God use a scrubby bush to reveal His presence and glory? It would seem that the bush was just a common acacia plant. It had no intrinsic worth. It was in itself completely helpless. And it could not back out. It was caught there, indwelt by the presence of God and fire.Like the bush, we will never know God until we are helpless in His hands. We will never be of worth to Him until there is no escape. As long as we can run, as long as we know we can depend upon our avenues of escape, we are not really in God’s hands.…Let me tell you with assurance that the happy Christian is the one who has been caught—captured by the Lord. He or she no longer wants to escape or go back. The happy Christian has met the Lord personally and found Him an all-sufficient Savior and Lord. He or she has burned all the bridges in every direction.Some of God’s children are dabbling with surrender and victory. They have never reached that place of spiritual commitment which is final and complete and satisfying. They still retain their escape routes.…I thank God for the little bush! It was caught, it was helpless. But it was radiant and useful and enduring in the presence and hands of the living God. — A. W. Tozer and Ron Eggert, The Tozer Topical Reader, vol. 1 (Camp Hill, PA: WingSpread, 1998), 102–103.Luke 1.15 mentions the Holy Spirit. How did the Holy Spirit work differently in the New Testament in comparison with the Old Testament?The angel says John will be filled with the Holy Spirit from birth on. This is a whole new concept of the Holy Spirit. Throughout the Old Testament God anointed special people, prophets and kings, with His Spirit. The Spirit was given for specific tasks at particular times. Gideon was filled with the Spirit to lead the Israelites in battle. Moses was filled with the Spirit to carry out the Exodus from Egypt. John is the first person who from his birth was to be filled with the Holy Spirit. At Pentecost, the apostle Peter, quoting the prophet Joel, said, “I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh” (Acts 2:17). Henceforth, it would be possible for all believers to live in the Spirit. John was a forerunner of that Pentecost experience. — Bruce Larson and Lloyd J. Ogilvie, Luke, vol. 26, The Preacher’s Commentary Series (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc, 1983), 28.Luke 1.18. We have a tendency to think if we could see an angel, or a miracle—something—then we would believe. Zechariah saw an angel. Did he believe?John the Baptist is the morning star that announces the dawn. You see that first star while the sky is still dark and you have the certainty that it will soon be light. John appears as a harbinger proclaiming that “great days are coming.” Zacharias could not have known that. His reaction to all that the angel had predicted was disbelief. It was all too good to be true. He was like Thomas, the disciple who doubted the Resurrection and said, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe” (John 20:25). He was given proof and he believed. — Bruce Larson and Lloyd J. Ogilvie, Luke, vol. 26, The Preacher’s Commentary Series (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc, 1983), 29–30.Why didn’t Zechariah believe? What is the lesson for us?Think of the dialogue: The angel tells Zacharias that he and Elizabeth are going to have a son. Zacharias argues that he is an old man. The angel pulls rank. He says, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God.” In other words, “God sent me. How dare you argue with me?” Zacharias could not believe the good news, chiefly because of his age. I love the story of the man in his nineties who went to his doctor with knee trouble. The doctor said, “At your age, what do you expect?” “I expect you to fix this knee,” was the reply; “my other knee’s the same age, and it works fine.” Our age can be a barrier, whatever age we are, and we can believe we are restricted because of it. Zacharias’s age was not a factor in his ability to carry out God’s purposes. — Bruce Larson and Lloyd J. Ogilvie, Luke, vol. 26, The Preacher’s Commentary Series (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc, 1983), 30.Are you ever too old for God to use?You are never too old for God to work in your life. You are never too old to turn to God. You are never too old to follow God with your whole heart.Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. Genesis 21:5One hundred years old. That is old. But not too old for God to work. You are never too old for God to work.C. S. Lewis said, “You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.”The American dream is to retire early with plenty of money, move to Florida, play golf and collect seashells. That is not God’s dream. He still has something for me to do.Moses was eighty years old when God called him at the burning bush. Eighty years old was not too old. It was time to go to work; it was time to get started on his life’s call. He has spent 40 years imagining God was through with him. God showed up. It was time to go to work. — Josh Hunt, Unpredictable God (Josh Hunt, 2015).Besides being too old, what other excuses do people use for not being used by God?If discipline is the highway that takes us where we want to go in life, then excuses are exits off that highway. And believe me—there are lots of exits. Take a look at some of these, and see if you’ve ever found yourself saying any of them:I’ll start after the new year.I don’t want to do it alone.My spouse won’t do it with me.I’ll do it when I finish school.I’ll do it after the kids get out of school.I’ll do it after the kids go back to school.I’ll do it when I have more energy.I’ll start it when the weather gets better!I’ll do it when I’m not as busy.I’ll do it after my birthday.I’ll do it tomorrow.I’ll do it when I retire.I’m too heavy—I’ll do it after I lose some weight.I’m too old. (Are you planning to get younger?)I’m too inexperienced.I’m too afraid.I’m too tired.I don’t know how to start.I’ve used a few of those myself, but I’m not proud of it.How do you know something is an excuse? Ask yourself, “Would it stop me from doing something I love to do?” If it wouldn’t, it’s an excuse. Get rid of it. — John C. Maxwell, No Limits: Blow the Cap off Your Capacity (New York City, NY: Center Street, 2017).What did you learn today? What do you want to think about some more?How can we pray for each other this week? ................
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