To Know ... Assuredly - An Expository Study of the Gospel according to Luke

* Over the past month, we have been studying Luke 14 through 16. In this portion of Luke, we have seen Jesus teaching various people groups that were following Him. In this section, we have seen Jesus' use of parables - or word pictures - to help illustrate, or portray, the point which He was conveying. Additionally, Jesus tended to teach into a moment by addressing a question, or statement, from...

* Last week, we saw Jesus share the value of a repentant sinner and the situation of a repentant sinner to the Pharisees and the multitudes in general. The first two parables that he spoke were about a man who had lost a sheep and a woman who had lost a coin. Then he shared the parable regarding the Prodigal Son. * Today, we see that Jesus turns his teaching specifically toward His disciples - sha...

* Last week, we saw Jesus again telling the multitude the expectations and costs of being His disciple. Jesus declared that being his disciple requires a full commitment - you must be "All In!" The Messiah expected that those who would be His disciples would be fully committed - forsaking everything including family and self! * In today's passage, we see that this teaching got the attention of the...

* Last week, we took a one week break from Luke to examine ourselves as new creations in Christ. Paul declared, "If any one be in Christ he is a new creation." Indeed, he continued by stating that "old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." If you are a disciple of Christ, then you cannot be the same as you were before Jesus came into your life. While you used to live for th...

* The Gospel accounts of Matthew, Mark and Luke report how Jesus performed many miracles on the Sabbath. Two weeks ago, we saw that Jesus healed a woman - in the synagogue - who was bent over and had been bound by Satan for eighteen years. These acts of grace and kindness put Him at odds with the Scribes, Lawyers and Pharisees who viewed healing as "work" which was unlawful to perform on the Sabba...

* Jesus began His ministry by declaring that the Kingdom of God had drawn near. As a result, people were going to need to change the way they thought. * We have seen that Kingdom awareness and Kingdom teaching has been an important part of Jesus' interaction with His disciples and with the crowds. * As He is making His final trip to Jerusalem, Jesus begins to prepare the people for life after His...

* Over the past couple of weeks, we have seen how Jesus taught while answering questions from the multitude. In the passage which we plan to consider today, we see that Jesus again is asked one question and then responds with an apparent non-corresponding answer. The Master knew where the hearts of the people were and addressed the core issues. * In today's passage, we see Jesus address the topic...

* Last week, we saw Jesus address the crowd who was following Him to beware of covetousness. Today's portion is actually a continuation of that teaching. Jesus had warned the people to not be anxious about the things of this world but rather to trust God as their provider and protector. Specifically, regarding financial covetousness, Jesus stated, "For where your treasure is, there you heart will...

* Luke 12 begins with Luke's description of the size of the following that Jesus was beginning to have. The Greek declares that there were myriads of a multitude. In fact there were so many that they were literally stepping upon one another. (cf. Matt 5:13; 7:6; Luke 8:5; Heb 10:29). Two weeks ago, we began to see how Jesus would interact with various individuals in the crowd, who would shout a st...

* Last week, we saw Jesus rebuke the Pharisees and Lawyers for being concerned about their outward appearance and living differently on the inside. * We would call this activity "hypocrisy." Hypocrisy is actually the transliteration of a Greek Word and it is actually what Jesus summarizes their activity as and about which He warns His disciples. * In today's passage, we see Jesus present four warn...

* Earlier in our study of Luke's account of the Gospel, we saw that Jesus shared an important detail of those who are truly part of the Kingdom of God ... having ears they will hear the message of God and they will heed what they hear! To "hear" and to "keep" - Shema and Shamar - is a very basic Jewish teaching. (cf. Deuteronomy 6:4-12) * Today, we will see Jesus reiterate this concept. The Jewish...

* When we considered Jesus healing of the demoniac of the Gadarenes (8:26-39), we saw that the Greek term "daimonizomai" which is best translated by it's transliteration: demonized. Biblically, it refers to someone who is being vexed by a demon - whether through possession or oppression. That man of the Gadarenes was possessed by many demons, for when Jesus asked the demon - who was speaking throu...

* During the last five messages in our study of Luke, we have seen Jesus' instructive interaction with His disciples. * Last week we saw that those who are disciples of Jesus will be devoted to the Mind of Christ (loving others) and the Word of Christ (desiring to learn from Him). * The disciples must have heard Jesus' rebuke of Martha and praise of Mary .... For they now come to Jesus to seek tea...

* The last four messages in our study of the Gospel According to Luke have focused on the expectations, costs, and motivations of being a disciple of Jesus Christ as opposed to being just a convert, or one who is called a Christian. * In the passage that we are examining today, we see that Luke shares two more vignettes of Jesus instruction regarding the passions of a disciple of Christ. A discipl...

* Our study of Luke has gotten juggled a little bit. After Hurricane Helene, it seemed appropriate to set aside our study to refocus upon our Great and Sovereign God who is also our Faithful and Loving Shepherd. * While I was in Argentina, David picked up in our study of Luke with the sending of the seventy disciples recorded at the beginning of chapter 10. Today, we will drop back into chapter 9...

* Over the last two months we've worked our way through Luke 8 and 9, where Jesus' disciples have begun to realize that Jesus is truly YHWH incarnate, not just a "human" prophet. Jesus has performed multiple miracles demonstrating His deity, including calming a storm, casting out demons, raising Jairus' daughter from the dead, and feeding the 5000. He sent the 12 disciples out in pairs for ministr...

* Last week, we considered how what you believe will affect your desires and your actions. Jesus had asked His disciples who the world thought He was and then who they thought that He was. He then proceeded to share with them what would shortly happen to Him and what His expectations would be of those who proclaimed to be His disciples. He would shortly be rejected by the elders, chief priests and...

* Jesus had sent out His twelve Apostles to proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God and had equipped them with power and authority over all demons and with the ability to cure diseases. He then took them aside to talk about their experiences, but they had been interrupted by the 5,000+ crowd. Jesus used the moment to teach the people, but also to teach His disciples regarding the necessity of...

* Two weeks ago, we considered when Jesus sent His twelve apostles out to herald the good news of the Kingdom of God. Jesus had given them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases. He had also instructed them to take nothing for the journey (to trust in God), to remain in whatever house they first entered, and to shake off the dust of their feet as a testimony against city that rej...

* Luke is writing in order that those who would read his account of the life and ministry of Christ would be assured of the truthfulness of the message. * What message did the people hear? Where did that message originate? From whom did they hear the message? * In Romans 10, we read: "For 'Whoever calls on the name of YHWH shall be saved." (cf. Joel 2:32) How then shall they call on Him in whom th...

* In the beginning of our study of Luke's account of the life and ministry of Jesus, we saw that he was a "Physician." In different passages, we have found that Luke gives details that other writers did not give. * Last week, as we considered the deliverance of the man who had a legion of demons dwelling in him, Luke revealed many details of this man's situation before Jesus, and how he was healed...

* In our study of Luke, we have seen that Luke has declared from the beginning that his purpose in writing this account of the life and ministry of Christ was that believers "Would know assuredly" the things with which they were instructed. Luke recorded immediately how Gabriel was sent to Mary to inform her that she would be overshadowed by the power of God and give birth to a son who "will be ca...

* Last week, we considered Scriptures regarding "The Kingdom of God." Jesus declared that His purpose was to share the good news of the Kingdom and then called upon His disciples to share that message as well. He also declared that this Kingdom was not just one that was, or would be, physical. Rather, the ultimate Kingdom of God is spiritual, and begins in the heart. Allegiance to God begins in th...

* As Chuck reminded us last week, Luke wrote this gospel account that we are studying in order "that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed." * We have seen, that it was Jesus' custom to go to the Synagogue on the Sabbath. It was on the Sabbath that Jesus gave His Messianic proclamation in the Synagogue in Nazareth. It was also on the Sabbath that we saw His minist...

Though we have taken a few detours along the way, we have spent the bulk of the past 5 months examining Luke's gospel account, with our plan this morning being to finish up chapter 5. This means that at our current pace, we will be in Luke, not only for the remainder of 2024, but most likely a good portion of 2025 as well. * And while for some, this might be considered a "slow" pace, for me it is...