Archives for November 2021

OVERVIEW:

The messengers of the kingdom prepared (chapter 1); the offer of the kingdom of heaven to the nation of Israel (chapter 2); a second offer of the kingdom of heaven to the nation of Israel (chapters 3 and 4).

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

• Author: Luke, the physician (Colossians 4:14); also, the author of the Gospel of Luke. (compare Acts 1:1 with Luke 1:1-4)
• Approximate date of writing: 59-65 AD
• Dates of the recorded events: 33-62 AD
• Theme: God’s plan for Israel postponed and the revelation of the church.
• Christ is seen as our High Priest ministering in the heavens. (Hebrews 4:14-16)
• Key verses: Acts 1:6-7
• Key chapters: 7-13
• Chapters: 28 • Verses: 1,007 • Words: 24,250

As we discussed in our introduction to the book of Matthew, there are four books of the Bible where you can lose your way if you don’t keep your compass pointed toward the “ancient landmark” of the nation of Israel. (Proverbs 22:28; 23:10) They are Matthew, Acts, Hebrews, and James. It’s not difficult to navigate your way through the book of Acts if you keep the following “trail markers” in mind.

Trail Marker #1:

This book is entitled, “The Acts of the Apostles.” The title is NOT “The Doctrine (or Teaching) of the Apostles.” That is very significant! The book of “ACTS” is the historical record of the “ACTIONS” of the Apostles. Simply stated, it’s the story of what happened through the continued ministry of Jesus through the Apostles. (Acts 1:1)

Trail Marker #2:

The key verses of the book are Acts1:6 and 7: “…[the Apostles] asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And [Jesus] said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.” The Apostles’ minds, in verse 6, are focused on one thing and one thing only: the return of Jesus Christ and the establishment of His kingdom on earth. Remember, Jesus had told them they’d be sitting on 12 thrones with Him in the kingdom! (Matthew 19:28) This was, obviously, a big deal to them! Jesus’ answer to them concerning the timing for the establishment of the kingdom in verse 7, however, is rather vague. Basically, what He tells them is, “It depends!”

At this point, in the book of Acts and in the plan of God, the literal, earthly kingdom (the “kingdom of heaven”) and the King of that kingdom, Jesus Christ, the Messiah, are still being offered to the nation of Israel. When Jesus answered the Apostles’ question in verse 7, it remained to be seen what Israel would do with their final offer. However, by the time Paul writes his first letter to the Thessalonians, in 54 A.D., it is clear that the question had been answered. If we compare Acts 1:7 where Jesus says, “It is not for you to know the times or the seasons,” with 1^st Thessalonians 5:1-2, where Paul says, “But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye…know perfectly”, obviously, a transition has been made! It’s gone from, “It’s not for you to know,” to “You know perfectly!” As we will see, the Apostles’ question was actually answered in Acts 7 after the nation of Israel rejected the offer of the kingdom for the third time. This brings us to our third trail marker.

Trail Marker #3:

Acts is a transitional book. One thing we will observe as we make our way through this book is that the most CONSISTENT thing about the book of Acts is its INCONSISTENCY! God does one thing in one place, and does something completely different in another place. This is very simply because God is making key transitions for key purposes throughout this entire book. This book is a bridge that carries us from one dispensation into a new dispensation, the Church Age. We are currently living in the Church Age. Acts is the record of God’s transition from accomplishing His plan through the nation of Israel to accomplishing His plan through the church. God’s change in plans is made obvious through seven transitions and three key events in the book of Acts.

‣ Transition #1: From the ministry of Jesus Christ to the ministry of the Holy Spirit. (1:2)

‣ Transition #2: From “the twelve” being referred to as “disciples” to “apostles”. (1:2)

• Key Event #1: The nation of Israel’s final rejection of the kingdom of heaven. (Acts 7)

‣ Transition #3: From the nation of Israel to the Samaritans—a race of half Jew and half Gentile. (8:1-5)

‣ Transition #4: From the nation of Israel to the church—a group composed of Jews and Gentiles. (8:26-11:18)

‣ Transition #5: From the preaching of the “kingdom of heaven”—the literal earthly kingdom offered to the nation of Israel, to the preaching of the “kingdom of God”—the unseen spiritual kingdom inside individual believers. (8:12)

• Key Event #2: The salvation of the Gentile, Cornelius, and the determination by the apostles that God is no longer dealing exclusively with the Jews, but has now taken salvation to the Gentiles. (11:18)

• Key Event #3: The execution of the Apostle James, the decision not to replace him, and Peter’s departure to Caesarea. (12:1-2, 19)

‣ Transition #6: From Peter, the apostle to the Jews, to Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles. (9:1-13:1)

‣ Transition #7: From God’s base of operations being in Jerusalem to it being in Antioch. (11:26-13:1)

It’s important to understand that the transition from Israel to the Church and the Church Age were “mysteries”, or truths that were hidden from the twelve apostles. (see Romans 11:25; Ephesians 3:1-12; 2:11-22) The twelve believed that God dealt exclusively with the nation of Israel (Matthew 10:5-7), and in their ethnocentric opinions, the Gentiles were pagan heathens unworthy to receive anything from God. (Acts 11:1-3) The apostles, however, thought they were going to find themselves in the millennial reign of Christ, but actually found themselves in the Church Age. Needless to say, their journey was full of surprises!

Trail Marker #4:

Keep in mind, as we’re making our way through these key transitions and events in the book of Acts, that the Jews require a sign. God makes this explicitly clear in 1^st Corinthians 1:22, saying, “For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom.” The signs and wonders done by Jesus and the apostles were designed to prove to Israel that the message and the messengers were sent by God. (Hebrews 2:3-4) Miraculous healings and speaking in tongues were signs for the nation of Israel. It says in 1^st Corinthians 14:22, “Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not.” Tongues were a sign given to unbelieving Jews, and every time tongues occur in the Bible (which, by the way, is only three times—Acts 2, 10, 19), an unbelieving Jew is present to witness the sign. The reason that apostolic healings and speaking in tongues do not occur today is because God has postponed His dealings with Israel. Romans 11:25 makes this very clear: “For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.” God has temporarily blinded Israel and is currently working exclusively through the church.

With these four trail markers at the forefront of our minds, let’s take a look at some highlights in chapters 1-4.

Acts 2 — This chapter is a vortex of doctrinal error in contemporary Christianity. This is where the modern-day Pentecostal and Charismatic churches (speaking in tongues, baptism of the Holy Spirit, etc.), and the Church of Christ and the Christian Church (water baptism is essential for salvation), lose the “ancient landmark”, Israel. If you keep your eye on the landmark, and pay close attention to the context, this chapter is easily understood. Here’s the whole chapter in one sentence: Jews from all over the world (2:5-11) came to Jerusalem (the holiest city of the Jews) to celebrate Pentecost (a Jewish holiday, 2:1) where they saw the sign of tongues (Jews require a sign) and heard a Jewish apostle (Peter) tell them that just 50 days prior, they had killed their Jewish Messiah (2:22-24, 36), and that they needed to do exactly what John the Baptist (the last Jewish prophet) and Jesus (their Jewish Messiah) told them to do in the Gospels (repent and be baptized in water for the remission of sins (Matthew 3:1-2; Luke 3:3; Matthew 4:17; John 3:22-23; 4:1-2), to prepare themselves for the soon coming “kingdom of heaven”! Obviously, you get the point! This passage deals exclusively with the nation of Israel! Simply stated, unless you’re a Jew living in 33 A.D., there’s no need for you to speak with tongues, and water baptism does not save you from your sins!

Acts 3 — Again, we see from the context that God is dealing exclusively with the nation of Israel. Note that Peter and John (Jewish Apostles) are on their way to the temple (the Jewish place of worship) at the hour of prayer (Jews prayed three times a day) and Peter performs a miracle (Jews require a sign) and upon seeing the crowd gathering (other Jews at the temple to pray), Peter tells them that they killed the Jewish Messiah (3:13-16), but tells them that if they repent, Jesus will return to establish His literal, earthly, Jewish kingdom! (3:19-21) In this passage, Peter is offering Israel a second chance to accept Jesus of Nazareth as their Messiah, and prepare themselves for the coming of His literal earthly kingdom.

OVERVIEW:

Christ’s resurrection (20:1-10); Christ’s post-resurrection appearances to Mary and to His disciples (20:11-31); Jesus’ reinstatement and restoration of Peter (21:1-17); Jesus’ final instructions to His disciples (21:18-25).

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

By the time we move into John 21 in today’s reading, Jesus has already risen from the dead. (John 20) He has made numerous appearances, two of them to His disciples. But at this point, the disciples are in danger of drifting back into their old way of life. (21:3) They had spent three years with the Lord, but all of that is pretty foggy right now. Things didn’t really go like they had planned. They’ve gone from disillusionment to despair. Sure, there was certainly a tremendous rejuvenation in their hearts to realize that Jesus had risen from the dead, but at this point, the disciples still hadn’t quite pieced the whole thing together. Things were different now.

For three years they had walked with the Lord and talked with Him; they were always together. Now He appears and disappears without any notice. It’s just different. On top of that, they’re all bearing the guilt of the fact that they had forsaken the Lord. All of them, but John, scattered when Jesus needed them most.

When you come to the end of chapter 20 in today’s reading, the main narrative ends with the great climax of Thomas’ confession of faith, in verse 28, as he says to Jesus, “My Lord and my God.”

Then, John gives an explanation of his purpose in writing the book, in verses 30 and 31, saying, “And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.” It’s a beautiful conclusion to the whole thing! If you couldn’t see the next chapter just below these verses in your Bible, you’d think that the book had ended with verse 31 of chapter 20. But that’s not the end! There are still some extremely important things the Holy Spirit wants us to know about Peter’s situation.

John, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, doesn’t want his Gospel to end without telling his readers that Peter had been fully restored and reinstated. Without chapter 21, there would have been a major question, in all of our minds, about whether a person who has blown it like Peter had, could be restored in his relationship with the Lord. Because Peter hadn’t just turned his back on the Lord as had the other disciples; he had actually denied Him on three different occasions! I mean, how could someone who had done something like that still be entrusted with the responsibility of shepherding the flock of Jesus Christ? Again, without chapter 21, the question would remain unanswered.

Also, were it not for chapter 21, it would be a mystery, in all of our minds, why in the world Peter is so prominent in the first 12 chapters of the next book of the Bible, the book of Acts. I mean, how does a guy go from completely denying the Lord when he’s 50 feet away from Him, to the boldness exemplified on the Day of Pentecost, just seven weeks later, as he looked out on the religious leaders of Israel, and all the people of Judea and Jerusalem, and faced them with the fact that they had taken God’s own Son, the Lord of glory, and by their wicked hands, had slain Him! Those are some pretty strong words! How do you go from being a coward, to having that kind of courage? What takes place in chapter 21 is the missing link.

Then, there’s at least one other reason for chapter 21. When you come to the end of chapter 20, the last of the disciples has come to genuine faith. That, of course, was “Doubting Thomas”. They had all been convinced of the resurrection, and that, of course, was wonderful, but now what? What were they going to do about it? Chapter 21 is Jesus’ call for action.

A few other things to grab a hold of as you make your way through chapter 21:

21:3 – Perhaps we could paraphrase, “Well, I’ll tell you what fellas, I may not be a great preacher or evangelist, but there is one thing I do know how to do, and I’m gonna do that! I’m goin’ fishin’! Come on boys, let me show ya how it’s done!” Notice, they didn’t even get a bite. The one thing Peter thought he could do, he couldn’t do anymore (John 15:5), because God had put His hand on his life and was in control. Learn the lesson from Peter.

21:15-17 – No matter how our love has failed, there is restoration! Perhaps that’s the message God wants you to receive today…there IS restoration! Notice, in this passage, the restoration was initiated by the Lord! He could have said, “You know what Peter, you’re a chump! You talk a big talk, but you can’t be counted on to do anything! I gave you three years of my life, and I can’t even get you to follow one simple command. Just forget it, man!” But that’s not the way it was at all. Jesus initiated the restoration, and provided the one who had denied Him three times, the opportunity to affirm his love for Him, three times!

21:17 – After the third time Jesus asked Peter if he loved Him, Peter appeals to the doctrine of omniscience. He says, “Lord, thou knowest all things.” In other words, “Lord, you’re going to have to read my heart, because I know my love for you isn’t obvious by my life.” The doctrine of omniscience is a tremendous thing. The fact is, if God weren’t omniscient, there would be a lot of times God wouldn’t know that we love Him, because like Peter, it isn’t always obvious from our lives. Sometimes, we too, have to ask Jesus to look on the inside, at what is in our hearts.

21:15-17 – Saying, “Feed my lambs. Feed my sheep. Feed my sheep,” was Jesus’ way of saying, “I forgive you, Peter. I still believe in you, Peter. I still think you’re the right man for the job, Peter.” The things revealed in chapter 21 of John’s Gospel were a turning point in Peter’s life. The things that took place seven weeks later, on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2, are the proof. May God use this chapter to be a turning point in our lives today as well!

OVERVIEW:

Jesus teaches about abiding in Him (15:1-11); Jesus teaches about loving one another (15:12-17); Jesus warns about persecution (15:18-16:6); Jesus’ promise of the Holy Spirit (16:7-33); Jesus’ prayer of intercession (17:1-26); Jesus’ betrayal and arrest (18:1-14); Peter’s denial (18:15-18); Jesus before the high priest (18:19-24); Peter’s second and third denial (18:25-27); Jesus before Pilate (18:28-38); Barabbas is released (18:39-40); Christ’s crucifixion (19:1-37); Christ’s burial (19:38-42).

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

We enter the whole arena of our Lord’s betrayal, arrest, and crucifixion today for the fourth time in almost as many weeks. One of the most important things to keep in mind, as you read about His incredible sacrifice, is something Jesus said back in chapter 10, verses 17 and 18. Jesus said, “Therefore doth my Father love me, because I LAY DOWN MY LIFE, that I might take it again. NO MAN TAKETH IT FROM ME, but I LAY IT DOWN OF MYSELF. I have power to LAY IT DOWN, and I have power to take it again.” The reason these two verses are so significant is that they help us to interpret what is really taking place as Jesus is being crucified. Though it appears that He is the victim, nothing could be further from the truth! Jesus was never a victim to anybody! The fact is, Jesus died, not because men killed Him, because they couldn’t! There was no way that Jesus could have died had He not willed to die.

For centuries people have been arguing about who killed Jesus. The Jewish leaders, of course, are the primary targets of the blame, and rightly so, because it was their plot, and their false charges that forced the issue. Others choose to blame the Romans, and they, too, deserve a portion of the blame, because they were the ones who set aside what was normal justice to appease an angry mob, and they knowingly went ahead and executed an innocent man. But if you really want to get to the bottom line on who bears the responsibility for Christ’s death, all you have to do is listen to Peter in Acts 2:23: “Him, (that is, Christ) being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of GOD, ye have taken (the Jews), and by wicked hands (the Romans) have crucified and slain.”

Who was it that was responsible for the death of Christ? It was neither the Jews nor the Romans, though they certainly bear the guilt for the actual execution and sin that was involved. The ultimate responsibility, however, lies with God! It was God who destined it. It was God that planned it. And Jesus, in an act of submissive obedience, simply carried out the eternal plan. (Revelation 13:8) But don’t ever lose sight of the fact that HE LAID DOWN HIS LIFE! John 19:30 says, “When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and HE BOWED HIS HEAD, AND GAVE(!!!) UP THE GHOST.” Nobody TOOK it. He GAVE it! He yielded His life. Just as surely as He laid down His life, He TOOK IT AGAIN!

Allow me to call to your attention to a few places in today’s reading where Jesus is demonstrating the fact that HE is in control:

19:16 – “Then delivered he (Pilate) him (Christ) therefore unto them to be crucified. And they took Jesus, and LED him away.” It seems a minor thing to say, “they led him away”, but it isn’t minor. Jesus did not have to be driven, He went willingly. He followed them to the cross. That, of course, is just how the prophet Isaiah said it would happen. Isaiah 53:7 says, “He is BROUGHT AS A LAMB to the slaughter.” Unlike cattle which are DRIVEN, sheep are LED.

19:17a – “And he BEARING HIS CROSS…” Notice, Jesus carried His own cross. Why is this happening? Because it, too, is exactly how God prophesied that it would unfold in a prophetic type in the Old Testament. Genesis 22:6 is a prophetic type rather than a prophetic statement as in Isaiah 53:7 above. In Genesis 22:6, Isaac is a picture of Christ, and the verse says, “And Abraham took the WOOD of the burnt OFFERING, and LAID IT UPON ISAAC HIS SON.” So, Isaac went up to Mt. Moriah, carrying the wood that was to be used for his own execution. So, Jesus, controlling every detail of what is taking place in John 19, carries His own “wood”, in a perfect fulfillment of what Isaac pictured prophetically.

19:17b – “And he bearing his cross WENT FORTH…” “Went forth” means that He was led outside the city walls. Why did that happen? Because that was Roman law. Roman law said that no one could be crucified inside the city. So, they had a place outside the city “called the place of a skull” (19:17c), and it was called that because from a distance the mountainside resembled a skull. Jesus was taken there because it was the normal place for crucifixions. But, once again, long before Rome built that law into its books, way back in the book of Exodus when God instituted the offering for sin He said, “But the flesh of the bullock and his skin, and his dung, shalt thou burn with fire WITHOUT (i.e. OUTSIDE) the camp: it is a sin offering.” (Exodus 29:14) Therefore, Jesus, in perfect fulfillment of the picture of the sin offering in the Old Testament, was sacrificed outside the city. The Romans had no idea about that when they made their laws, but they made that law because God knew that one day His Son was coming to fulfill the picture of Exodus 22:6.

19:18a – “they CRUCIFIED Him”. This is another exact fulfillment, and one that certainly couldn’t have been anticipated, because the Jews didn’t crucify people! They stoned people. But Christ was to be crucified. That was a Roman way to die. Once again, it fulfills Numbers 21:6-9, which says that when Israel was bitten by snakes, they were to make a serpent and lift it up on a rod, and anybody who looked upon it would be healed. Jesus said in John 3:14 – “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up.” And that’s exactly how it happened. In His crucifixion, Jesus was lifted up on a cross. That kind of death was unheard of by the Jews in the Old Testament, but that’s how prophecy said it would happen, so it did.

19:18b – “they crucified him, and TWO OTHER WITH HIM, ON EITHER SIDE ONE, AND JESUS IN THE MIDST (i.e. middle).” Is it significant that He died with criminals? Absolutely! Isaiah 53:12 says, “He was numbered with the transgressors.” We could continue like this through this entire passage! It is simply one fulfilled prophecy after another. Jesus is ordering every detail of His own execution to fulfill the plan that God Himself laid down in eternity. He was in control of every single detail that was unfolding.

Finally, John 19:28 says, “After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, said, I thirst.” Why did He say, “I thirst?” Was it because He was thirsty? I’m sure He was! But that’s not why He said it. He said it, because He knew that every single other Old Testament prophecy concerning His death had been fulfilled except that one. Only one prophecy remained unfilled. Psalm 69:21 says about Him in His death, “In my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.” So, in John 19:28, when Jesus says, “I thirst,” what He is actually doing is reaching back to grab that one unfulfilled prophecy so that His death could be, “according to the Scriptures.”

Because, according to 1^st Corinthians 15:3, for the gospel to actually be the gospel that has the power to save us, it required that every detail prophesied in the Old Testament concerning Christ’s death be fulfilled to the absolute letter! John 19:30 says, “When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished.” In other words, “Every prophecy has now been fulfilled. I can go ahead and die now.” Verse 30 goes on to say, “And he bowed his head (no slump to the side, He bowed it!) and gave up the ghost.” How did He die? Did he bleed to death? Did He die of exposure? Did He have a heart attack? Did He suffocate? No. He died because He willed Himself dead. He GAVE His life.

OVERVIEW:

The raising of Lazarus (11:1-46); the Pharisees’ plot to kill Jesus (11:47-57); Mary’s anointing of Jesus’ feet (12:1-11); the triumphal entry (12:12-19); Jesus’ answer to the Greeks (12:20-50); Jesus washes the disciples’ feet (13:1-17); Jesus foretells His betrayal, His death, and His second coming (13:18-14:14); Jesus promises the coming of the Holy Spirit (14:15-31).

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

As has been mentioned, and as you have no doubt already noticed, the Gospel of John is the most unique of all of the Gospels. It is unique for numerous reasons, but perhaps the main reason for its uniqueness has not yet been mentioned: its unique author. As far as Jesus’ disciples are concerned, John is in a category all to himself. John is, without a doubt, the greatest picture or illustration of what a Christian should be in the entire New Testament. As Jesus begins His ministry and calls the Twelve, what soon becomes evident is that out of all the disciples, John is going to be:

A UNIQUE FOLLOWER.

As Jesus calls the Twelve, it is interesting to observe that in a loose sense, they actually picture and represent all of Christianity. There are things that were true about that group that have been true of every group of believers who have ever gathered together.

Of the Twelve, there was one that made the same claim as all of the others. He looked like a Christian. He knew how to speak Christianese. He knew how to present himself as a Christian. The only problem was that he had never genuinely been saved. Of course, that was Judas. Perhaps that same ratio exists in the church today. Maybe one out of twelve have a “profession” of salvation, but no real “possession”.

Then, of the rest of the eleven, there were eight. These guys were saved, and just really “good folk”. They attended the meetings of the assembly. They sang the songs; they gave their offerings, and were a part of the activities. But that’s about as far as it went. They were just kind of satisfied with being “average”. I think most pastors would tell you that just like the disciples, that description fits about two-thirds (8 out of 12) of their congregation.

But then there were the three. There were three of the disciples that couldn’t be satisfied with the status quo. There were three who had a more intimate relationship with the Lord than all of the others. Of course, they were Peter, James, and John. They witnessed greater miracles than the others. (Matthew 17:1; Luke 9:28; Mark 5:37; Luke 8:51) The Lord revealed to them what He revealed to no one else. (Mark 13:3) He shared more of His heart with them than He did the others. (Mark 14:32-34) All the way throughout Jesus’ ministry, they were just more in tune with the Lord. There is that same 25% in churches today. While it seems others are just passively walking through life, these folks are walking with their eyes fixed on things which cannot be seen. (2^nd Corinthians 4:18) They walk up mountains with the Lord, and He reveals to them His glory. (Matthew 17:1-8) They just go further in their walk than everyone else. (Mark 14:32-33)

Yet, even out of those three, there’s that one that goes even further! That, of course, was John. John is an incredible picture of somebody who goes all the way with Christ. At the crucifixion, Judas had already done his thing. James is gone. Peter is following afar off. (Luke 22:54) All of the disciples have scattered. (John 16:32) All except one. You know where you find John at the crucifixion? He’s right where He’s supposed to be! He’s at the cross, at the feet of Jesus! (John 19:26) Oh, what a unique follower! He’s the only one who followed Jesus all the way. Are you that one out of twelve?

Secondly, God has for this “unique follower”,

A UNIQUE TITLE.

On six different occasions when the Bible is making reference to John, when it could have very easily simply said “John”, the Holy Spirit inspired it to be written, the “disciple whom Jesus loved”. It’s a phrase not used of any of the other disciples. Didn’t Jesus love them? Certainly, He did. But Jesus had a very special love for John. Do you know why Jesus had such a special love for John? It was because John had a very special love for Jesus! John is a great example of what it is to love Jesus with all of your heart. That love for Jesus gave John something else:

A UNIQUE CONFIDENCE.

In the upper room with His disciples when Jesus revealed that one of the Twelve would betray Him, Matthew 26:22 says they “began every one of them to say unto him, Lord is it I?” All of them except John. John 13:25 says that John’s question was, “Lord, who is it?” John may not have had enough spiritual discernment to figure out which one would betray Him, but there was one thing he knew for sure: it wasn’t going to be him!

But there’s at least one other thing that makes John more unique than perhaps any other person in the Bible, and that is that John had:

A UNIQUE PRIVILEGE.

In fact, John had the privilege of all privileges! John 13:25 says that in the upper room the night before Jesus was crucified, he had the unbelievable privilege of laying his head on “Jesus’ breast”. Do you realize Whose breast this actually is? It is God in human flesh! Here is John with his head on Jesus’ breast, as he has the unique privilege of listening to the very heartbeat of God!

That may sound like an over-spiritualization, or you may think it is dramatizing the point, and yet the fact is, the problem we face in Christianity today is that we don’t have our head on “Jesus’ breast”! Because we don’t, we don’t hear the heartbeat of God!

Most Christians are so in love with themselves (2^nd Timothy 3:2), they hear and know their own heartbeat. Most Christians are so preoccupied with people’s opinion of them, they definitely hear and know the heartbeat of others (1^st Corinthians 4:3). Most Christians are so engulfed in the world and enamored with the things of this world, they hear and know the heartbeat of the world. But realize today, that the book you hold in your own two hands today, is God’s heartbeat! (John 1:1, 14) Through it, lay your head on Jesus’ breast, and listen today with John (John 13:25), to the very heartbeat of God!

OVERVIEW:

The conflict over Moses (7:1-8:11); the conflict over Abraham (8:12-59); the conflict over Christ’s Sonship (9:1-10:42).

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

As we continue seeking to get our bearings in John’s Gospel, and seeing how it relates to the other Gospel accounts, there is plenty to glean just by observing the introductory genealogy in each of the books.

Because Matthew presents Christ as the King of the Jews, Christ’s genealogy in this Gospel runs through David, back to Abraham. (Matthew 1:1)

Because Mark presents Christ as the Servant of the Lord, the significant thing about Mark’s genealogy is that there is none! A servant’s genealogy is insignificant! His significance is determined by what he does (i.e. His work).

Because Luke presents Christ as the Son of Man, His genealogy is traced in his Gospel through His human mother back to the first man.

Because John presents Christ as the Son of God, Christ’s genealogy in this Gospel takes us back to the very “beginning” (John 1:1; Genesis 1:1), to show Christ’s deity (that He is, in fact, God and very God), and the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ has always eternally existed in the Godhead. There has never been a time that Christ didn’t exist, and there has never been a time that He wasn’t God and completely co-equal with the Father. (Hebrews 1:8; Philippians 2:6)

Today’s reading is absolutely jam-packed with irrefutable biblical evidence that Jesus Christ is God. One of the key arguments Jehovah’s False Witnesses assert is that Jesus never actually claimed to be God. All I can say is, how do you spell “BLIND”?!!! (1^st Corinthians 4:4)

Familiarize yourself with John 8:12-57 before we take just a second to comment on Jesus’ statement in verse 58: “Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.” Do you understand what is actually happening here? Jesus was declaring to the Pharisees (and to the whole world!) that He is God, using the same name for HIMSELF that Jehovah Himself used when He revealed HIMSELF to Moses in Exodus 3:14! Jesus is claiming here that He is none other than the Great “I AM”!!! Listen, there is absolutely nothing that Jesus could have said that would have been a stronger claim of deity than that! Notice that Jesus didn’t say, “Before Abraham was, I WAS.” Jesus is not simply claiming here that He existed before His physical birth. He uses the term “I AM” to show that He was not only “A god”, but “THE God”, “JEHOVAH GOD”!!!

Be it known, that this is not simply “my interpretation”, or “one way of interpreting the meaning of the verse”! That this verse is specifically teaching that Christ is, in fact, Jehovah God is made abundantly clear by the response of the Pharisees in the very next verse (verse 59)! They understood exactly what Jesus was claiming! That’s why they “took up stones to cast at him.” Stoning, according to Leviticus 24:16, was the penalty for blasphemy! They wanted to stone Him because He claimed to be God!

The same exact thing happens in chapter 10, verses 22-33. Jesus makes His absolute claim of deity in verse 30 (again, how totally ludicrous to say that Jesus never claimed to be God!), stating, “I and my Father are one.” The Jehovah’s False Witnesses can claim all they want that Jesus’ statement here doesn’t mean that He was claiming deity, but the passage teaches otherwise! Again, those who were listening to Jesus in John 10 understood exactly what Jesus meant by what He said, evidenced by their reaction to it! In verse 31, they “took up stones again to stone him,” because that was the Old Testament penalty for blasphemy! Jesus even forced them to identify exactly why they were responding in such a manner so there would never ever be a question about His claim: “Jesus answered them, Many good works have I showed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.” (10:32-33)

There is no doubt about it, Jesus Christ IS God, and clearly CLAIMED to be God!

OVERVIEW:

Christ and the Jewish leaders (5:1-47); Christ and the multitudes (6:1-71); the conflict over Moses (7:1-8:11).

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

As we saw in yesterday’s comments, John clearly identifies in chapter 20, verse 30 and 31, that the purpose of this Gospel was to reveal the signs Christ gave during His earthly ministry to prove His deity, so that the gift of life, both eternal and abundant (John 10:10), can be ours.

It is important to know that the first three Gospels have been referred to historically as the “Synoptic Gospels.” The word “synoptic” comes from a Greek word meaning “to see together”. These three books, as we have seen, cover the same basic material. Over 90 percent of the material covered in John’s Gospel, however, is not covered in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. While these first three Gospels deal primarily with the “events” in the life of Christ, John deals primarily with the “meaning” of these events. Perhaps the clearest example is the feeding of the 5000. While all four gospels record the event, only John follows the miracle with the sermon of Christ being the “Bread of Life” (John 6), which provides the explanation of the miracle.

But not only does John emphasize the MEANING of the events in the life of Christ, He also emphasizes the PERSON of Christ. John records key sermons that Jesus preached in which He identified WHO He is, and WHAT He came to the earth to do. It is significant that in John’s coverage of these sermons, John records the seven “I AM” declarations of Christ. “I AM” is significant in the fact that it was the name Jehovah God used to reveal who He was to Moses in Exodus 3:14. As we have noted on previous occasions, seven in the Bible is the number of “perfection” and/or “completion”. Remember, John’s purpose in this Gospel is to reveal that Christ is “perfectly” and “completely” God! (20:30-31)

1. I AM the Bread of Life. (6:35, 41 ,48, 51)
2. I AM the Light of the World. (8:12; 9:5)
3. I AM the Door of the Sheep. (10:7, 9)
4. I AM the Good Shepherd. (10:11, 14)
5. I AM the Resurrection and the Life. (11:25)
6. I AM the Way, the Truth, the Life. (14:6)
7. I AM the True Vine. (15:1, 5)

Be sure to note that there are other occasions in John’s Gospel when Jesus refers to Himself as the “I Am” in reference to His deity (4:26; 8:28, 58; 13:19; 18:5, 6, 8), but the seven listed above are unique in that they are not only descriptive of His deity, but of how He, as God, provides life. (20:30-31)

Another very distinct, unique, and interesting quality of John’s Gospel is that of the many miracles Christ performed, John chose (under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, of course) to record seven. In keeping with his purpose in everything that he recorded in this Gospel (20:31), these seven were specifically chosen to reveal that “Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God”. Not only, however, were these miracles specifically chosen, but they are revealed in a very specific order because they form a “perfect” and “complete” picture of salvation.

• The first three show the MEANS of salvation:

1. Water into wine (2:1-11) – Salvation is by the WORD of GOD.
2. Healing the nobleman’s son (4:46-54) – Salvation is by FAITH.
3. Healing the paralyzed man (5:1-9) – Salvation is by GRACE.

• The fourth miracle stands by itself to teach that dedicated disciples must give the Bread of Life to lost sinners.

4. Feeding the 5000 (6:1-14) – Salvation is brought to the world by HUMAN MEANS.

• The last three show the RESULTS of salvation:

5. Calming the storm (6:15-21) – Salvation brings PEACE.

6. Healing the blind man (9:1-7) – Salvation brings LIGHT.

7. Raising of Lazarus (11:38-45) – Salvation brings LIFE.

It is also significant to note that each of these seven miracles actually introduce the discourse that followed. For example: the discourse with Nicodemus was the direct result of the miracles that Nicodemus had witnessed. (3:2) The healing of the paralyzed man (5:1-9) led to the discourse in 5:10-47. The feeding of the 5000 was the backdrop of the discourse concerning the Bread of Life in 6:1-59. The healing of the blind man in 9:34, that led to him being cast out, is what led to the discourse concerning Christ being the Good Shepherd Who never casts out anyone (10:1-41).

As we did for each of the other gospels, the following will provide an overall analysis of the Gospel of John:

1. Information About The Author.

• His name: John.
• His name means “Jehovah (The Lord) is a gracious giver”.
• He is referred to in scripture as the disciple whom Jesus loves. (John 21:20-24)
• His father’s name is Zebedee. (Matthew 4:21)
• He has a brother named James. (Matthew 4:21)
• He was intolerant of others. (Luke 9:49-56)
• He is one of the two “sons of thunder”. (Mark 3:17)
• His initial ministry was limited to Jews. (Galatians 2:9)
• He was exiled to an island called Patmos. (Revelation 1:9)
• He also wrote the Books of 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd John, and Revelation.

2. Facts About This Gospel.

• Approximate date of writing: 85-90 A.D.
• Written from Ephesus
• Dates of recorded events: 26 A.D. – 33 A.D.
• Theme: Deity of Christ
• Christ is seen as the Son of God
• Key verse: John 20:31
• Key word: Believe (99 times)
• Chapters: 21; Verses: 879; Words: 19,973

3. Features Of This Gospel.

• This is the Gospel that identifies Christ as the Son of God more than any other.
• This is the Gospel that has the least number of events recorded.
• This Gospel contains 15 fulfilled prophecies.

4. Simple Outline Of This Gospel—Three Witnesses:

• Witness #1 – The Witness of Jesus’ Words and Works. (Chapters 1-12)
• Witness #2 – The Witness to His Witnesses. (Chapters 13-17)
• Witness #3 – The Witness to the World. (Chapters 18-21)

OVERVIEW:

Christ is the Word (1:1-3, 14); Christ is the Light (1:4-13); Christ is the Son of God (1:15-18, 30-34, 49); Christ is the Messiah (1:19-28, 35-42); Christ is the Lamb of God (1:29, 35-36); Christ is the King of Israel (1:43-49); Christ is the Son of Man (1:50- 51); Christ and the disciples (1:9-2:12); Christ and the Jews (2:13- 3:36); Christ and the Samaritans (4:1-54).

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

We have come to the fourth and final of the Gospels, the Gospel of John. One of the obvious questions that surfaces in every generation of believers is, why are there four Gospels and not just one? Certainly, the easiest answer is the simple fact that God wanted it that way! That’s good enough for me, but perhaps we can site three very basic reasons why God wanted it that way:

1. The Practical Reason.

If you were a police officer investigating an accident at an intersection and had found four people who had witnessed the accident from the four different corners of the scene, it would provide you with all the information you would need to prove conclusively what had actually taken place. The four Gospel accounts allow us to do the same.

• The Presentational Reason.

As we have seen, each Gospel is written to a particular audience with a very particular way of presenting who Jesus Christ actually is. We saw that Matthew was written to the Jews to present Jesus Christ as the King of the Jews. Mark was written to the Gentiles (perhaps more specifically, the Romans) to present Jesus Christ as the Servant of the Lord. Luke was written to the Greeks to present Jesus Christ as the Son of Man. John is written to the world to present Jesus Christ as the Son of God. It is interesting to note that the word “world” is found 59 times in this book (almost one-fourth of the times it is found in the entire Bible!) John wants every tribe, tongue, people and nation of the world to hear and understand that Jesus Christ is the Messiah, God in human flesh, and is the source and meaning of life. In fact, when John comes to the end of his Gospel he declares that very calculated two-fold purpose: “And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye MIGHT BELIEVE that Jesus is the Christ (i.e. the “anointed,” the Messiah), the Son of God (i.e. God in a human body); and that believing ye MIGHT HAVE LIFE through his name.” (20:30-31)

In presenting this Gospel to the world, keep in mind that the greatest barrier to “world communication” is not geography… it’s not money… it’s not even politics (the world is quickly moving to a one-world government!) The greatest barrier has always been and is LANGUAGE! So, take just a second to look up these verses to see what this Gospel, that seeks to present Christ to the world, is so intent on: 1:38, 41-42; 5:2; 9:7; 19:19-20. John wants every culture in the world to understand exactly what is being said, so they will BELIEVE Jesus Christ is God, and RECEIVE the life He offers.

• The Peripheral Reason.

It is quite interesting to note what God reveals in scripture that are on the four corners of His throne. In Revelation 4:6-7, John writes, “And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind. And the first beast was like a LION, and the second beast like a CALF, and the third beast had a face as a MAN, and the fourth beast was like a flying EAGLE.” The connection of the four beasts of Revelation to the four Gospels seems more than apparent by the likeness of each beast to the content of each gospel, right down to the very order in which they are listed.

• 1^st Beast: Like a LION. As Matthew’s purpose was to reveal Christ as the King of the Jews, He is presented as the “Lion of the tribe of Judah” (Revelation 5:5).

• 2^nd Beast: Like a CALF. As Mark’s purpose was to reveal Christ as the Servant of the Lord, He is presented as the One who MINISTERS in service and sacrifice.

• 3^rd Beast: Like a MAN. As Luke’s purpose was to reveal Christ as the Son of Man, He is presented as the perfect Man.

• 4^th Beast: Like an EAGLE. As John’s purpose was to reveal Christ as the Son of God, He is presented as the Word who descended from heaven like an eagle and was made flesh.

In keeping your bearings in the Gospel of John, it is important to realize that this Gospel is centered around the passover feasts. John takes us through three Passovers in this book, which ultimately culminate with the crucifixion.

1. John 1:1-2:13 is the beginning of Christ’s ministry up to the first Passover recorded in John’s account.

2. John 2:14-5:1 takes us up to the second Passover Feast.

3. John 5:2-6:4 takes us up “nigh” (near) to the third Passover to the actual record of Jesus eating the passover feast with His disciples in 13:1-2, and we move into the night before His crucifixion.

Why is everything built around the passover? Well, keep in mind the things we saw in yesterday’s comments from Luke 22… Jesus is none other than the fulfillment of the Passover Lamb! (1^st Corinthians 5:7) That’s why John the Baptist said what he said concerning Christ in today’s reading: “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” (1:29) The Passover was the commemoration of the most significant event in Jewish history: God’s deliverance from the slavery and oppression in Egypt under Pharaoh, its wicked king. How were they delivered? Through the blood of a spotless lamb! In this Gospel, John takes us to the final passover, and the shedding of the blood of THE spotless LAMB of God! This one-time historical event has been delivering people from the slavery of this world (Egypt – Ephesians 2:2) and its wicked king (Satan – 2^nd Timothy 2:26) for nearly 2000 years!

May God use each of us to declare what John the Baptist declared in 1:29 to the lost people in our world today!

OVERVIEW:

The wicked plot of the religious leaders to kill Jesus and to contract Judas (22:1-6); Jesus’ last Passover (22:7-13); the converting of the Passover meal into His own supper (22:14-38); prayer in the garden (22:39-46); Jesus’ arrest (22:47-54); Peter’s denial (22:55-62); Jesus is mocked, blasphemed, and beaten (22:63-71); Jesus before Pilate (23:1-7); Jesus before Herod (23:8-10); Jesus returned to Pilate (23:11-24); Pilate releases Jesus to His accusers to be crucified (23:25-49); Jesus’ burial (23:50-56); Jesus’ resurrection (24:1-12); the ministry of the risen Christ (24:13-45); Jesus’ commission (24:46-49); Jesus’ ascension (24:50-53).

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

The ground we will cover in today’s reading is ground that we have walked through in both Matthew and Mark’s Gospel. Though we have already read it two times in as many weeks, may God use it to minister to our hearts with a fresh sense of wonder and appreciation today. This is the manifestation of God’s love for us (1^st John 4:9), and the revelation of the Gospel (1^st Corinthians 15:1-4). In other words, as far as salvation is concerned, this is the heart of the Bible!

Because we have become at least somewhat familiar with this information, our comments today will be centered in chapter 22:7-20, as the Lord establishes the observance of communion, or what we sometimes refer to as the Lord’s Supper. First of all, keep in mind that this is the PASSOVER meal that our Lord is eating with His disciples. (Luke 22:7, 15) To understand the meaning of the Lord’s Supper, then, we must have an understanding of the PASSOVER, because it is actually the BREAD and CUP of the Passover meal that our Lord turns into His OWN supper.

• A general understanding of the passover meal

The Passover meal was a commemorative feast that reminded the JEWS of what God had done in DELIVERING them out of their bondage in EGYPT.

• The particular circumstances of the first passover (Exodus 12)

God’s people were being held in bondage in the dominant world power, EGYPT, and held captive by the will of its wicked king, PHARAOH. Day after day they labored as SLAVES under the domination of the taskmaster’s whip, as they trudged out their existence in EGYPT. God delivered them from Egypt by a series of plagues, the last of which was the curse of death upon the FIRSTBORN. The only way they could escape the death of the firstborn in their house was to kill a spotless lamb, and APPLY its BLOOD to the top beam and the two side posts of the door. When the angel of death passed through the city to execute judgment, he would “pass over” every house to which the blood of the lamb had been applied. God instituted the “passover” meal on that night, and commanded them to celebrate it each year so they would be continuously put in REMEMBRANCE of His delivering power that was manifest in bringing them out of the bondage of Egypt by the blood of the Lamb.

• The “big picture” of the passover

We, too, were being held in bondage in the course of this WORLD (i.e. Egypt), and held captive by the will of its wicked king, SATAN. (Ephesians 2:2; 2^nd Timothy 2:26) Day after day, we labored as SLAVES under the domination of the taskmaster of SIN, as we trudged out our existence in the course of this WORLD. (Romans 6:14; Galatians 1:4) God delivered us from the curse of death upon our FIRST BIRTH, because we applied the BLOOD of the true “Passover Lamb,” the Lord Jesus Christ, to our lives. (1^st Corinthians 5:7) God instituted a meal that He has commanded us to observe so we will be continuously put in REMEMBRANCE of His delivering power that was manifest in bringing us out of the bondage of this world and sin through the BLOOD of the spotless lamb of God on the cross. (Luke 22:7-20; Matthew 26:17-28)

2. The biblical and historical understanding of the Lord’s Supper.

• The transformation of the bread and the cup of the passover.

• A new meaning of the bread.

“And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.” (Luke 22:19)

• A new meaning of the cup.

“Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.” (Luke 22:20) In other words, “From now on, don’t go back to the picture; go back to the reality.”

• The meaning of “eating the bread” and “drinking the cup”.

• There are two basic things that a person needs to come to grips with in order to be saved…

#1– Who Christ is. (i.e. We must believe that Jesus is God in human flesh.)

#2– What Christ did. (i.e. We must believe that Jesus Christ shed His blood on the cross to atone for man’s sin.)

• Jesus’ metaphor of “eating the bread” and “drinking the cup” in John 6.

The religious leaders are appalled by Jesus’ claim to be God. Jesus is trying to get them to understand, that “If you never come to grips with who I am, and what I have come to do, you will never receive eternal life.”

• The connection of “eating the bread” and “drinking the cup” in the Lord’s Supper.

We are brought back to the very two things that saved us…

#1– That God opened our eyes to understand that Jesus Christ is, in fact, God in a human body.

#2– That we placed our faith in what Jesus Christ, as God, did through the shedding of His blood for the remission of our sin.

OVERVIEW:

Jesus as the Saviour Who seeks the lost (19:1-10); Jesus as the Master Who rewards the faithful (19:11-27); Jesus as the King Who offers peace (19:28-48); a question concerning John the Baptist (20:1-19); a question concerning Caesar (20:20-26); a question concerning Moses (20:27-40); a question concerning David (20:41-44); a warning concerning the Scribes (20:45- 47); a teaching concerning giving (21:1-4); the revealing of the first half of the Tribulation (21:5-19); the revealing of the middle of the Tribulation (21:20-24); the revealing of the last half of the Tribulation (21:25-28); the closing admonitions (21:29-36).

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

As we move into chapter 19 in Luke’s Gospel, keep in mind that we are also moving into the last week of Jesus’ earthly life. He is getting closer and closer to Jerusalem where two groups of people passionately await His arrival. Some are passionately preparing to exalt a King, while others are passionately preparing to execute a fraud.

As Jesus comes into Jericho in chapter 19, Luke’s account centers around a man whose name is Zacchaeus. His name means, “righteous one.” Actually, he was anything but righteous! He was the top-dog tax-collector (“chief among the publicans” – 19:2) in Jericho, which in and of itself was bad enough. For a Jew to have sold out to the Romans to extract taxes from fellow-Jews was despicable in this culture. They were viewed as ruthless, heart-less, conniving, lying, traitors—and those would have been their good qualities!

Evidently, Zacchaeus had made quite a reputation for himself! (See 19:7) It seems apparent that Zacchaeus was a guy sporting a major “short-man complex”, and found he could be “taller”, not by beating up bigger guys, but by making them submit to him as he gouged them out of money through their taxes. But, oh the difference one day can make in a person’s life! Just like Zacchaeus, when I lifted my head up off my pillow to begin my day on September 24, 1972, I had no idea what would take place in my life by the time my head would hit the pillow again, but in that one day, I was turned:

In this account in history, this was that one day that would forever change Zacchaeus’ life! He hears word that Jesus is coming to town, and desperately wants to lay his eyes on this One for whom there had been so much hype. He goes out to catch a glimpse, but because of his short stature, he can’t see Him. He decides to run ahead and climb a tree, so he can at least see Him, and much to his surprise, as Jesus passes under the tree, not only does He see him, and not only does He speak to him, but He invites Himself over to Zacchaeus’ house! Can you imagine? Zacchaeus was stoked! (19:6) He received Jesus into His home as a guest, and in just a matter of minutes, Jesus had become its Master! Zacchaeus acknowledged Christ’s lordship, and was saved! (19:9)

Do note, in verses 8 and 9, that Jesus wasn’t saying that Zacchaeus was saved because of his pledge to give to the poor and to make right the wrong he had done by gouging people of their money. His willingness to do those things was just the visible PROOF of his salvation. Anyone can talk a big talk about their salvation, but when God has a man’s finances, it’s usually a pretty good indicator that He has all of him (Matthew 6:21), and visa-versa. In this one afternoon, Jesus caused this “sinner” (19:9) to live up to his name (“righteous one”), as he became a true “son of Abraham” (19:9) by faith. (Romans 4:12; Galatians 3:7)

It might be interesting to note that in reality, like Zacchaeus, we all have a “short-man complex” that only Jesus can help us overcome: “For all have sinned, and come SHORT of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). In our lost state we tried to make ourselves not appear to be so “short” through our religiousness, our good works, and our external righteousness, but it only made us “shorter.” (Romans 10:3; Isaiah 64:6) The good news about Zacchaeus, is that not only did everybody else know he was a sinner (19:7), but he knew it too, and was willing to deal with it! HE is the only one in the story who received “salvation!” (19:9) There is a strong possibility that the self-righteous, religious crowd who got so upset in verse 7, about Jesus hanging out with Zacchaeus, ultimately went to Hell. That scenario continues to repeat itself right up to this present hour.

A few other comments about today’s reading:

• 19:10 – Zacchaeus ran up the road seeking to see Jesus, at the same time Jesus was walking up the road seeking to save Zacchaeus.
• 19:14-15 – Recognize that we are living right now in the very last hours in that time between verses 14 and 15, between the Master’s absence and His promise to return!
• 19:41-44 – This is only the second time that Jesus wept publicly. (John 11:35) Notice that, while the crowd is rejoicing (19:37), Jesus is weeping. Sounds a whole lot like Laodicea
• 20:1-47 – Chapter 20 can be broken down by the four questions Jesus asks:
• A question concerning John the Baptist. (20:1-19)
• A question concerning Caesar. (20:20-26)
• A question concerning Moses. (20:27-40)
• A question concerning David. (20:41-44)
• 21:1-4 – Jesus isn’t impressed with the size of our gift, but the size of our sacrifice.
• 21:5-38 – The remainder of chapter 21 lines up with the things we covered in Matthew 24 and Mark 13.

OVERVIEW:

Jesus teaches about stewardship (16:1-13); Jesus teaches about covetousness (16:14-31); Jesus teaches about forgiveness (17:1-6); Jesus teaches about faithfulness (17:7-10); Jesus teaches about thankfulness (17:11-19); Jesus teaches about preparedness (17:20-37); a lesson to be learned from a persistent widow (18:1-8); a lesson to be learned from a proud Pharisee (18:9-17); a lesson to be learned from a deprioritized ruler (18:18-34); a lesson to be learned from a pressing beggar (18:35-43).

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

There is a tremendous amount of action and pertinent information in today’s reading—certainly more than there is space in this venue to comment sufficiently. Our thoughts today will center around key subjects that are addressed in these chapters that have particular and significant application for believers living in these last days.

Subject #1 – STEWARDSHIP. (16:1-13) Though the circumstances were somewhat different for the steward mentioned in this passage, each of us are quickly moving toward the ultimate accounting of our stewardship at the Judgment Seat of Christ. (2^nd Corinthians 5:10; Romans 14:10, 12) Just as this steward in 16:2, we will “give an account of our stewardship.” The key determiner on that day will be the answer to the simple question, “What did we do with what He entrusted to us?” The New Testament is clear that we will give an account of our stewardship of:

• The LIFE of God. (Genesis 2:7; Romans 5:12; Colossians 1:26-27; 1^st John 5:11) We have been given the ability to LIVE RIGHTEOUSLY.
• The LOVE of God. (Romans 5:5; Mark 12:28-31; 1^st John 4:14-17, 19; 1^st Thessalonians 4:9) We have been given the ability to LOVE DIVINELY.
• The GOSPEL of God. (1^st Thessalonians 2:4; 1^st Timothy 1:11; 6:20) We have been given the ability to impact SOULS ETERNALLY.
• The GIFTS of God. (1^st Peter 4:10-11; 1^st Corinthians 3:10) We have been given the ability to be SERVE POWERFULLY.
• The RESOURCES of God. Money – Luke 16:11; Time – Ephesians 5:16; Colossians 4:5; Talents – Matthew 25:14-27; People – 2^nd Timothy 1:5; 3:15) We have been given the ability to manage RESOURCES WISELY

Verse 11 of chapter 16 is a doozy. I am convinced that many Laodiceans never reach anybody with the gospel and are never truly able to minister effectively because God is unwilling to entrust to them what He truly treasures, simply because of their unfaithfulness to Him with money.

If verse 11 is a doozy, then verse 13 is a blockbuster for our generation of believers! We have convinced ourselves that this verse has been true for everybody but us, and that we somehow have the ability to love both God and money. What part of “CANNOT” do we not understand? When God looks at our lives, does He think we love Him and hate money, or does He think we hate Him and love money? Does He think we hold to Him and despise money, or hold money and despise Him? Many 21^st century Christians are attempting to love money and love God at the same time, but Jesus said it simply “CANNOT” be done!

Subject #2 – HELL. (16:19-31) It is clear that prior to Christ’s resurrection, believers who died were held in a place of paradise called Abraham’s bosom. It was obviously close to the place of punishment called Hell where all unbelievers were located, being separated by a great gulf, or gaping opening. (16:26) Notice that Hell is a real place, where real people go, and experience real suffering and torment. Notice that in Hell, the rich man had EYES and could SEE (16:23a); had a BODY and could FEEL (16:23b); had a TONGUE and experienced THIRST (16:24); had a MOUTH and could TALK (16:27); and evidently, had a MIND and could REASON (16:28).

The passage also teaches us that there are actually no unbelievers in Hell. Unbelief may have gotten them there, but as soon as they open their eyes in Hell, they become believers! Sadly, it is eternally too late. The passage also teaches that people in Hell have compassion for the lost (16:28). Would to God that believers would have the same passion and compassion for souls that this lost rich man had. Sometimes we think that if God would just do some miraculous thing, our lost family and friends would come to Christ. The passage teaches us that if they refuse to believe the Bible, they wouldn’t believe even if someone rose from the dead to speak to them. They already proved that by not believing in the resurrected Christ!

Subject #3 – FORGIVENESS. (17:1-6) In this passage the Lord teaches us about the importance of forgiveness. When someone offends us, immediately God’s grace kicks in to be more than sufficient to help us to bear it. (2^nd Corinthians 12:9; 1^st Corinthians 10:13) Hebrews 12:15 teaches us, however, that we have the ability to “fail the grace of God” (i.e. refuse to apply His grace). If we refuse to apply that grace, Hebrews 12:15 says that our unforgiving spirit will cause a “root of bitterness” to spring up in us and “trouble” us, and “defile many” people around us, even leading us into sexual sin! (Hebrews 12:16) Don’t ever underestimate the importance of forgiveness!

Subject #4 – THANKFULNESS. (17:11-19) As you read this story about these 10 lepers, recognize that, generally speaking, believers in our day are characterized by “the nine” rather than the “one”. Jesus’ question is a good one in the Laodicean Age, “Where are the nine?” (17:17) A few cross references to keep in mind:

• 2^nd Timothy 3:2 says that being “unthankful” is as characteristic of believers in our day as being “lovers of our own selves!”
• Romans 1:21 reveals that being “unthankful” is one of the first steps toward a “reprobate mind”. (Romans 1:28) Hey, this is serious stuff!
• 1^st Thessalonians 5:18 teaches us that it is impossible to be in the perfect will of God and not be thankful! Again, pretty serious stuff!

Subject #5 – RIGHTEOUSNESS. (18:9-14) Any way you slice it, we who hold to the fundamentals of Bible-believing Christianity run the greatest risk of becoming the modern-day Pharisees. Have you become Pharisaical? Verse 9 of chapter 18 lets us know that there are two tell-tale signs:

1. Trusting in your own righteousness. (i.e. Trusting what you “do” FOR Christ, rather than who you “are” IN Christ)
2. Thinking you’re more spiritual than others.

What do you trust as the true source of your righteousness? Paul talked about those who are “ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.” (Romans 10:3) God’s righteousness could never (on either side of salvation!) be ACHIEVED! It can only be RECEIVED! Paul cried out in Philippians 3:9 the desire to “be found in him, NOT HAVING MINE OWN RIGHTEOUSNESS, which is of the law (i.e. what I do for God), but that which is through the faith of Christ (i.e. what Christ does for me), the righteousness which is of God by faith.” What do you honestly think when you look at others? Do you secretly think that you are on a higher plane than they are because of what you do or do not do? It’s spooky, folks! We must be careful!