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Pastor Rene's Bible studies
 

 Today we'll look at chap 7 and 8.  We'll see more acts of mercy and more acts of power. 

• Keep in mind that Jesus is moving around with his newly chosen Apostles, with many disciples and with large crowds of all kinds of people.
These people have all kinds of motives: Needs to be met, hope for a better life, curiosity, looking for reasons to criticize (accuse)...

• Note that Jesus has not sent his Apostles on a mission yet. He's revealing himself to them, teaching them about the Kingdom of God, and preparing them for ministry.
• They still had so many things to learn.

What are some of these things they had to learn? These same things we have to learn them also.

• 2 persons raised from the dead: The son of the widow of Nain Luke 7:11-17; and the daughter of Jairus Luke 8:41-56.
• 2 persons healed: The centurion's servant Luke 7:1-10 and a woman with an issue of blood for 12 years Luke 8:43-48.
• one sinful lady forgiven; Luke 7:36-50.
• one demon possessed man delivered: Luke 8:26-39.
• One miracle over nature: Wind and wave obey Jesus Luke 8:22-25.
• Mentions of women who have been healed of diseases or been set free from evil spirits.

Through these acts of mercy and power, Jesus is revealing Himself and teaching his followers Absolute Faith in Him: The Messiah.

•  Many times Jesus mentions Faith:
• Luke 7:1-10 - About the Centurion who heard about Jesus and sent elders to ask Jesus to come heal his servant. Jesus said of him: "I have not found such great faith even in Israel..."
He believed Jesus was sent by God, and he believed His authority.
As a soldier he didn't have to be present to have his orders carried out. He didn't need Jesus to be present to heal.
His WORD is ENOUGH. (What a lesson for us. He does not need to be present (physically). His Word is enough to strengthen our faith and to be the strong foundation of our prayers.)
• Luke 7:36-50 - To the sinful woman who stood at Jesus feet, washing his feet with her tears, drying them with her hairs, kissing his feet and anointing them with perfume, Jesus first said: "Your sins are forgiven". Then he said: "Your faith has saved you. Go in peace." 

• Luke 8:22-25 - He rebuked the lack of faith of his Apostles in the boat during the storm. "Where is your faith?"  did he tell them after he caused the storm to stop. Then they were afraid and said to each other: "Who is this?"  They were in the process of learning to know who he is. (There is a process to know him. We all need time to read the many testimonies of his miracles and we need time to experience situations and storms in our own life where we learn to depend on him and to trust him.) We need to give people time to grow.

• Luke 8:40-56 - He encouraged Jairus' faith and his trial: "Don't be afraid, just believe, and she will be healed."  His faith was more like hope, a pleading - Can you? - When people told him, it's over, then his hope collapsed. How do we see Jesus when our faith is wavering? Is he there to judge or to support?

• Luke 8:43-48 - He told that fearful lady who just touched him and was instantly healed: "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace." 
• We see many people blessed as a result of God's Love and mercy and as the result of their faith as a positive response to what they heard about Jesus or out of his own teaching. 

Is it always easy to believe? Are good Christians absolutely without doubts?

• From V. 18- 35, we read about John the Baptist.
When he was in prison, he heard from his disciples about Jesus' ministry. 
• Did John had doubts or was it only legitimate questions? 

• When he baptized Jesus, God revealed to John that Jesus was the One (when the Spirit came upon him in the form of a dove). 
• But John's ministry was so short that he did not see Jesus in his ministry... He only heard reports of what Jesus was doing... 
• Now that he was in prison... struggling with many questions, he sent his disciples to Jesus...
 
Jesus did not rebuked John's questions. God welcomes our questions. Note that he addresses his questions to Jesus... not to people...
Questions are not the same as falling away. Questions are not the root of the problem concerning our faith.
Questions are in the dimension of our intelligence. Question should not lead us to lose faith but questions should support our faith.
The problems lies with our motives...  (EX: PHARISEES)
• The only answers Jesus gave John was to refer to Isaiah's prophecy and to tell his disciples to report to John what he was doing to confirm that these works were the works of the Messiah. These proofs of who Jesus was, were observable deeds... They were actions that were seen by many witnesses both followers and adversaries.  (Is 35:5,6; 61:1)
• Luke 7:23; - Jesus gave a promised: Blessed is the one who is not offended because of me (the man who does not fall away on account of me) (Scandalizo)
 
• Jesus bore witness of John. 
• John was the last of O.T. prophet. He prepared the people to the coming of the Messiah.

Jesus said he was the greatest prophet. No one more than John fulfilled his God given purpose. 
But still the New Covenant brings a greater heritage, a greater knowledge of the purpose of Jesus' death and experience
•  Jesus is not contrasting the man, but the life before and after Christ.

• Then Jesus compared the tax collectors and the Pharisees:

Luke 7:29 (NIV) (All the people, even the tax collectors, when they heard Jesus' words, acknowledged that God's way was right, because they had been baptized by John.  
30 But the Pharisees and experts in the law rejected God's purpose for themselves, because they had not been baptized by John.) 

The ministry and message of John had a great impact to prepare Jesus' listeners. 
The Pharisees always justified their own actions or point of view. 
They criticized John for not eating and drinking, and they criticized Jesus accusing him to be "a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and "sinners." 'V.34 
They were inconsistent. (extreme). 
It was certainly not because they cared for their diet, but instead they wanted to justify their rejection of God's righteous ways. They did not want their sins to be exposed, and their life style changed... 
But the sinners, Jesus called them wisdom's children because they believed John's message, they repented and were baptized, and they believed the message of Jesus. They showed by their changed lived the wisdom and the righteousness of God. 
 

Wonderful example of faith:

Luke 7:36-50 A sinful woman forgiven 

This story brings out many contrasts to show how different people react and respond differently to Jesus. 
 

• A sinful woman (prostitute) from the city and a religious man
• The lady (devoted to sin, not free from sin). She was not a guest. She found her way to him (behind him at his feet). She could no longer keep her feelings to herself. 
• "wash" Send down like rain (abundant tears), "kiss" kiss much, again, tenderly).

• What caused so much love?
• Has she met with Christ before? What words has she heard that brought life to her sinful heart? A sense of divine forgiveness filled her guilty soul.
• She probably was among the "publicans and sinners" who often crowded around Jesus, and that's probably where she heard from his lips some of those words such as only Jesus could speak...

 

• Simon, the Pharisee:  The fact he did not extend any courtesy to Jesus shows he had no respect for him, that his motive was either curiosity or to find material to accuse him.
• V.39; To Simon, Jesus was a poor preacher, not even a prophet. "ha, I have him now, he knows nothing of the person he allows to touch him." In his reply, Jesus shows he knows what sort of man Simon is. He can see through Simon's heart.
• V.40-43: The Lord hid his truth under the veil of a parable, and he made Simon pronounce upon the case (as Nathan for David): 
• This is a parable of contrast, between two debtors, the amount of debt (500 to 50), the inability to repay, the forgiveness of the debts, and the contrasting gratitude of both. The woman and Simon are the two debtors.
• Simon's lack of hospitality is contrasted with the woman's devotion.
• Her love is the fruit of her penitent heart...
• Jesus showed the principle, the greater the forgiveness the greater is the love.
• In applying the principle to Simon and to the woman, Jesus shows that one who realizes the depth of his own sin and the greatness of God's mercy ought to love God as this woman does. Her love resulted of her forgiveness.
• In the parable, the 2 are forgiven, in reality are the 2 forgiven?
• The Lord made it plain; only one is forgiven. 

Luke 7:47 (NIV) Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little." Jesus saw in her much love the realisation of her forgiveness and gratitude. 
• Then the Lord wanted to give her the assurance of her forgiveness;

48 Then Jesus said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." (To confirm... not only in emotions, but knowledge) 
49 The other guests began to say among themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?"  
50 Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace." 

• "FAITH" made her pardon secured. and the realization of God's forgiveness brought her to express her gratefulness.
• "Saved you" Sozo: To save, heal, keep safe and sound, to deliver.
• Saves from physical death by healing and from spiritual death by forgiving sin... To give new life and to cause to have a new heart.

Women who ministered to Jesus

Luke 8:2 (NIV) and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out;  
3 Joanna the wife of Cuza, the manager of Herod's household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means.

 

• Another form of gratefulness.
• Jesus has been teaching to his followers the importance of faith:
• Faith to receive special blessings, faith that is expressed by loving him back, faith that is expressed in commitment to serve him, to support his ministry
• The ministry of these women continue to be an example for believers today.

 
 

But in these crowds, there were many more people who didn't receive any special blessings.

WHY?

• The Lord was surrendered by a great multitude that had come from every city, in the middle of all these mighty deeds,  spoke a parable: The Parable of the Sower

Again, he made clear distinctions in breaking the crowds into different categories: 4 kinds of ground.

• The key word of that long section (from V.4-21) is "Hear"  - V.8 "He who has ears to hear..." 
• In the interpretation of this Parable, the 4 types of ground, they all heard the word. (Same word).

But their response is different and that's what distinguished them from each other.

1. Has not yet believe and not yet saved. (Because of the devil)
2. No root, they believe for a while. In time of testing (temptation, trial, persecution), they fall away.
3. As they go on their way, They choke by the distractions of this life. (worries, riches & pleasure).
4. They have a noble and good heart. They hear, retain (1,2 root), persevere (2,3 resist and grow)  and produce a crop.

V. 16-18; Jesus' words are not to be hidden, they are to shine on everyone so that the secrets will be revealed.

"Consider carefully how you listen" 

Warning: Whoever produces fruits with what he hears from the Lord will receive a reward, but to hear without producing fruits will bring a disillusion. Even what he thinks he has, will be taken away from him. It is not enough to hear...

V. 19-21, Those who are considered family with the Lord are: "Those who hear God's word and put it into practice."  

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