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Category Archive: Bible - NT - Luke

Sermon Notes, Second Sunday of Advent - December 04, 2006
INTRODUCTION Jesus' birth was announced by angelic choirs. It was also greeted by shepherds, to whom the angels first announced the birth of the Christ. Why would the news go to shepherds first? THE TEXT "And it came to pass...

Sermon Outline, Fourth Advent - December 13, 2005
INTRODUCTION One of the earliest Christological controversies in the church was provoked by Nestorius, who denied that Mary was the "God-bearer" (Greek, theotokos). The controversy was not about Mary, but about the nature of Christ: Was the eternal Son of...

Eucharistic meditation, Third Advent - December 11, 2005
Luke 1:53: He has filled the hungry with good things. Luke's gospel is a gospel of reversals. God chooses a humble young woman on the margins of Israel to be the mother of the Savior. While Augustus Caesar is reigning...

Exhortation, Third Advent - December 11, 2005
Mothering an infant is a thankless task. First, you have to carry a large, heavy pouch wherever you go for a number of months. Then comes the agony of labor. The momentary joy of birth is immediately followed by the...

Sermon Outline, Third Advent - December 05, 2005
INTRODUCTION The Roman Catholic church teaches many false things about Mary the mother of Jesus, but in reaction Protestants have sometimes simply ignored her. Like Joseph, she is a model of discipleship; and she is a living portrait of the...

Mary and Martha - October 21, 2005
Mary and Martha form a double Israel, two women living in the same house. One spends her time housekeeping, ignoring Jesus because she has too much to do in her little home temple and grumbling (like the older brother in...

Covenant: Legal or Filial? - February 21, 2005
Is the covenant between God and His people more or less strictly legal, a contractual relationship of Lord to servant? Or does it describe an ordered relationship of filial love, a relationship of Father and Son? The parable of the...

Sermon Outline, First Sunday in Advent - November 24, 2004
INTRODUCTION Advent (the word means �coming�E focuses our attention on the incarnation of the Son of God, but the incarnation of the Son of God not only tells us about the Son. The Son became incarnate so that He could...

Jesus and Postmodernism - May 27, 2004
Jesus predicted the rise of postmodernism. In Luke 21:27, He says that after the tribulation there will be "distress of nations, with APORIA." Derrida didn't catch Jesus by surprise. Nossir. But this does put dispensational premils at a disadvantage, since...

Herod and Pilate - May 11, 2004
As a student, Erin Linton, pointed out to me, Herod and Pilate are typical pagan enemies: Their enmity is skin deep, and liable to change to alliance and friendship when it is to their advantage. When faced with a scapegoat,...

Cool Stuff in Luke - April 12, 2004
Victor M. Wilson's book, Divine Symmetries, studies literary and numerological patterns in the Bible. He has a chapter on Luke-Acts, and includes some fairly standard material about the structural parallels between the two books, but draws some interesting conclusions. Here...

Sermon Outline, April 11 - April 07, 2004
The Word, the Bread, and the Nations, Luke 24:1-53 INTRODUCTION Jesus was condemned to death, but throughout Luke�s account various people declare that Jesus is innocent. Seven times, someone states that he is righteous or treats Him as not guilty...

Resurrection and Mission - April 07, 2004
Robert C. Tannehill points out that the resurrection narrative in Luke 24 has a generally chiastic structure. First, there is an inclusio with the idea of "return" (23:56; 24:52), and the emphasis on the fact that Jesus' disciples are observant...

Acceptance and Apocalypse - April 05, 2004
As I've suggested in several recent posts, the turning point of Luke's crucifixion narrative is the "conversion" of the criminal on the cross, and Jesus' acceptance of Him into His kingdom. Jews and Romans had joined in mockery of Jesus'...

Exhortation, April 4 - April 04, 2004
This is repetitive, but here goes: Luke�s account of Jesus�Ecrucifixion ends on a note of triumph. After Jesus breathes His last breath, the Roman centurion confesses that Jesus was �righteous�Eand begins to praise God. The crowds of people who had...

Another Chiasm in Luke 23 - April 03, 2004
There is another chiastic pattern running in Luke's account of the crucifixion. If we focus attention on the people mocking Jesus, we have this pattern: Jewish rulers (v 35) Roman soldiers (vv 36-37) Criminal (v 39) But when the second...

Chiasm of Luke's Crucifixion Account - April 03, 2004
Luke's account of the crucifixion is organized in a neatly chiastic form: A. Simon of Cyrene carries Jesus' cross, 23:26 B. Women follow Jesus, beating their breasts, 23:27-31 C. Criminals crucified with Jesus, 23:32-33 D. Jesus forgives mockery and abuse,...

Sermon Outline, April 4 - April 03, 2004
Luke 23:26-56 INTRODUCTION When Christians think of Jesus�Ecrucifixion, we often focus attention on the intense physical suffering that Jesus endured. There is no doubt that He was in anguish. During crucifixion, the victim would have his body torn with nails...

Ironies of Jesus' Trial - March 27, 2004
Some thoughts inspired by Joel Green's commentary on Luke 22-23: Luke stuffs his account of Jesus' trials with understated ironies. The soldiers mock Jesus' prophetic claims by blindfolding and beating Him; but this is just what Jesus said was going...

Sermon Outline, March 28 - March 24, 2004
Jesus on Trial, Luke 22:63�E3:25 INTRODUCTION Jesus�Etrial takes place in four stages: He is first brought before the Jewish Sanhedrin, who send Him to the Roman governor Pilate, who sends Him to Herod, who sends Him back to Pilate for...

Exhortation, March 21 - March 21, 2004
When Jesus was but an infant, Simeon saw Him in the temple and prophesied: �This one is appointed for the fall and rise of many within Israel, and for a sign to be opposed, to the end that thoughts from...

Sermon Outline, March 21 - March 20, 2004
My Body Given For You, Luke 22:1-62 INTRODUCTION Jesus has been in Jerusalem making a big scene in the temple �Edriving out the money changers, teaching as if it were His own house, debating with the scribes and chief priests....

Exodus in Luke - February 28, 2004
In Luke's account of the transfiguration, Jesus discusses with Moses and Elijah the "exodus" that he is going to accomplish in Jerusalem (9:31). That surely refers to His sufferings, death, and resurrection, which have just recently been a subject of...

Sermon Outline, February 29 - February 28, 2004
Days of Vengeance, Luke 20:45-21:38 INTRODUCTION It is always important to remember that Luke wrote two books about Jesus and the early church, and that the two books work together. In the first book, the gospel of Luke, Jesus the...

Chiasm in Luke 21:25-26 - February 24, 2004
There's a neat little chiasm in Luke 21:25-26: A. Signs in sun, moon stars B. on earth dismay among nations C. in perplexity at roaring of the sea and waves B. men fainting with fear and expectations of things coming...

Exhortation, February 22 - February 23, 2004
The sermon text this morning will be eerily familiar to some of you. Jesus has cleared out the temple, dramatizing its future destruction, and now He has set up shop at the heart of Judaism, teaching in the temple courts....

Stones in Luke 19-21 - February 23, 2004
Stones, as I've said, are all over the place in Luke 19-21. One more indication of this: When the scribes and chief priests debate about how to answer Jesus' question about John's baptism, they worry that the people might stone...

Leadership and Authority in Luke 20 - February 23, 2004
The debates in Luke 20 are focused on the issue of leadership and authority. The basic question is, Who is going to set the direction for the future of Israel -- Jesus and His followers, or the establishment. A number...

A Few Notes on Luke 20 - February 18, 2004
1) There's a new symmetry to the story of the challenge to Jesus' authority in verses 1-8. On the one hand, there's a clear chiastic structure: A. Authority: Question B. John's baptism: Question B. John's baptism: No answer A. Authority:...

Sermon Outline, February 22 - February 18, 2004
INTRODUCTION Once Jesus has cleared out the buyers and sellers in the temple, he turns the temple into a house of teaching (19:47-48). Furious at his attacks on them and the provocative action in the temple, and envious of the...

Stones Crying Out - February 16, 2004
If the disciples are silenced, Jesus says in answer to the Pharisees who demand that they stop hailing Him as king, then these very stones will cry out. He is on His way into Jerusalem, and the stones are the...

Casting Out - February 14, 2004
Luke Timothy Johnson points out that Luke 19:45 uses ekballo to describe Jesus casting out the money-changers from the temple. This is the same verb used throughout Luke's gospel to describe exorcism. Jesus has come to the temple, found it...

Laying Down Garments - February 14, 2004
Why do the disciples put their garments down in front of Jesus as he comes into Jerusalem? Why did Jehu's soldiers do the same for him in 2 Kings 9? A couple of answers are possible: 1) Perhaps there is...

Sermon Outline, February 15 - February 11, 2004
Sermon outline for Feb 15: In the Robbers' Den, Luke 19:1-48 INTRODUCTION After a long journey, Jesus arrives in Jerusalem, and we learn that all along his goal has been the temple. He enters the city of the Great King...

Exhortation, February 8 - February 08, 2004
Exhortation for Feb 8: Toward the end of this morning's sermon text, Jesus takes the twelve aside for some individual instruction. He tells them, as He has done before, that they are going to Jerusalem so that all the things...

Inheriting Life - February 07, 2004
The incident with the "ruler" in Luke 18 begins with a question about how to inherit eternal life, and ends with the promise of "eternal life" (v 30). Along the way, Jesus has radically transformed the path to eternal life....

Pharisee and Publican - February 07, 2004
Kenneth Bailey helpfully emphasizes that Jesus' parable of the Pharisee and the publican takes place in the temple, and he suggests convincingly that it is set during a public worship service. The fact that both men go up to the...

Sermon Outline, February 8 - February 05, 2004
Sermon outline, Feb 8: INTRODUCTION As we saw last week, Luke 17:11 begins a new stage of Luke's account of Jesus' journey to Jerusalem, one that comes to an end in 19:48. This large section is divided into two subsections,...

Exhortation, February 1 - February 01, 2004
Exhortation for February 1: Jesus has many things to say about faith in our sermon text this morning. One of the main things has to do with the power of faith: He says that anyone who has faith the size...

Ten Lepers - January 31, 2004
The story of the 10 lepers in Luke 17 is not just about Jesus demonstrating that He is powerful to save, cleanse and heal. He is powerful for all those things; He DOES have mercy on the unclean and the...

Sermon Outline, February 1 - January 29, 2004
Sermon outline for Feb 1: The Days of the Son of Man, Luke 17:11-37 INTRODUCTION Jesus' mission was to proclaim "the kingdom of God" (Luke 4:43; 8:1). By this, He meant that God was taking control of the world through...

Preflood Generation (Luke 17:27) - January 26, 2004
Jesus describes the activities of the unsuspecting preflood generation by listing four activities (Lk 17:27): eating and drinking marrying and giving in marriage. He then describes the activities of the unsuspecting residents of Sodom by listing six activities (Lk 17:28):...

Exhortation, January 25 - January 25, 2004
Exhortation for January 25: Jesus concluded the parable of the "unjust steward" by saying, "He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous...

Sermon Outline, January 25 - January 21, 2004
Sermon Outline for January 25: God and Mammon, Luke 16:1-17:10 INTRODUCTION Though Jesus begins a new parable in Luke 16:1, and is speaking to the disciples, in many ways chapter 16 is a continuation of what Jesus said in chapter...

Exhortation, January 18 - January 18, 2004
Exhortation for January 18: The parable of the prodigal son has many levels, but one layer is that the story of the prodigal is the story of man. It is the story of Adam. Like Adam, the younger son has...

Elder Brother - January 17, 2004
The elder brother in the parable of the prodigal is a piece of work. He enjoys the abundance of his father's house, and obviously also enjoys his father's affection. Yet, he is simmering with bitterness and anger, which breaks to...

Sinners Around Jesus - January 17, 2004
Jesus describes the sinners who gather around Him as repentant sinners. What signs have they shown of being repentant? In the context of Luke 15, there are several. First, the chapter opens by saying that tax gatherers and sinners are...

Shepherd and Lost Sheep - January 17, 2004
In telling the story of the shepherd searching for a single lost sheep, Jesus is undoubtedly playing off the prophetic indicments of Israel's shepherds in such passages as Jeremiah 23 and Ezekiel 34. That gives his parable a much sharper...

Sermon Outline, January 18 - January 15, 2004
Sermon outline for Sunday, January 18: Lost and Found, Luke 15:1-35 INTRODUCTION In Luke 15, we again see Jesus engaged in "table talk." Tax collectors and sinners come to hear Him (v. 1), but the complaint from the Pharisees and...

Luke 15 and Israel's Wilderness Wanderings - January 15, 2004
There appears to be some allusion to Israel's wilderness wanderings in Luke 15. When Jesus eats with publicans and sinners, the scribes and Pharisees "grumble" about it, as Israel did in the wilderness. The complaint in both cases, moreover, centers...

Bailey on Jacob and Rebekah - January 12, 2004
Unfortunately, Bailey's discussion of the links between the prodigal son story and the narratives of Jacob and Esau is vitiated (great word I learned from Calvin) by his misinterpretation of both Jacob and Rebekah. Jacob breaks faith with his father,...

"Safe and Sound" - January 12, 2004
Based on LXX evidence, Bailey argues that the word translated as "safe and sound" should be translated as "in peace" (the word translates SHALOM in 10 of 11 uses in the LXX, and translates SHALAM in the 11th use). The...

Bailey on the Prodigal Son - January 12, 2004
Kenneth Bailey's recent monograph on the prodigal son, Jacob and the Prodigal (IVP), is full of stimulating insights. A long-time Christian teacher in Arabic and Syriac-speaking countries, Bailey always brings to his interpretations a wealth of knowledge of the cultural...

Exhortation, January 11 - January 11, 2004
Exhortation for January 11: In the sermon text this morning, we see that Jesus is establishing and organizing His kingdom by changing practices at the table. This seems to be an odd way to establish a kingdom. We think of...

Parable of the Banquet - January 10, 2004
Green denies that the parable of the banquet in Luke 14:16ff is about the Messianic banquet. It suggests that God at one time did NOT want the poor to His banquet, but included them as a kind of afterthought; this...

Sermon Outline, January 11 - January 08, 2004
Sermon outline, January 11: Table Talk, Luke 14:1-35 INTRODUCTION Meals were central to Jesus' ministry. He comes "eating and drinking" (Luke 7:34). His meals are not just for refreshment, but are opportunities for teaching and one of Jesus' key "methods"...

Sabbath Helaings in Luke 13-14 - January 06, 2004
There's some intriguing cross-fertilization going on between the two sabbath healings in Luke 13-14. In 13, Jesus heals the woman who has been bent double for 18 years, and in ch 14 Jesus heals a man with dropsy. In both,...

Luke 3-7 Chiasm - December 31, 2003
A somewhat more expanded treatment of the chiasm of Luke 3-7. Jesus' baptism and temptation still don't fit well, but the rest hangs together pretty nicely. Some comments are appended below. A. John the Baptist's ministry, 3:1-20 B. Jesus' baptism,...

Temptation and Passion - December 30, 2003
J. Neyrey points out the links between the temptation of Jesus early in Luke and the passion narratives later in Luke. Luke's account of the temptation ends with Satan leaving until a more opportune moment, and it is commonly noted...

Chiasm in Luke 3:1-7:35 - December 30, 2003
There appears to be a chiastic structure at work in Luke 3:1-7:35. Not everything fits, but there is enough to be suggestive: A. Ministry of John, 3:1-17 B. Jesus preaching and teaching in Nazareth, 4:16-30 (1. Quotes Is 61 2....

Exhortation, November 16 - November 16, 2003
Exhortation for November 16: We often read Scripture with far too little attention. At times, the stories are so familiar that they just glide past us without our really hearing what is said or read. At other times, the stories...

Sermon Outline, November 16 - November 14, 2003
Strive to Enter, Luke 12:54-13:35 INTRODUCTION Jesus said that blasphemy against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but that blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven (Luke 12:10). The contrast has to do with different periods of Jesus'...

Under His Wings (Luke 13:34) - November 10, 2003
Jesus offers to bring the children of Jerusalem under His "wings" (Luke 13:34). The "wing" image is used commonly in the Psalms with reference to Yahweh's protective covering, and it is connected also to Yahweh's role as husband of Israel,...

Exhortation, November 9 - November 09, 2003
Exhortation for November 9: Later this morning, many of you will be taking membership vows to constitute the membership of Trinity Reformed Church. You will acknowledge your sins and confess Your trust in Jesus for salvation, and you will be...

Sermon Outline, November 9 - November 04, 2003
Sermon outline for November 9: Where Your Treasure Is, Luke 12:1-53 INTRODUCTION Luke 11 ended with Jesus' most clear and pointed condemnation of "this generation," which would be charged with all the blood of prophets from Abel to Zechariah (11:51-52)....

Chiasms in Luke 12 - November 03, 2003
There are a couple of fairly clear chiasms in Luke 12: Verses 1-12 work out this way: A. Leaven of Pharisees, v 1 B. Hidden will be revealed, vv 2-3 C. Do not fear those who kill body, v 4...

Exhortation, October 26 - October 26, 2003
Exhortation for October 26: We pray every week that God's kingdom would come. This is a very general prayer, that God would extend His righteous rule to the ends of the earth. But since we live everywhere, our prayer that...

Pharisees and the "Outside" - October 25, 2003
Jesus' condemnation of the Pharisees' concern with the "outside" is remarkable. He condemns them for cleaning the outside of the plate and cut without concern for the robbery and wickedness within. That looks like a simple opposition of inner v....

Testing Jesus (Luke 11) - October 25, 2003
In Luke 11, the charge that Jesus is in league with the devil comes immediately after Jesus' teaching on prayer, and there are verbal connections between the two sections of the chapter. One of the most important is the fact...

Sermon Outline, October 26 - October 22, 2003
Sermon notes for October 26: The Father's Gifts to His Children, Luke 11:1-54 INTRODUCTION On His journey toward Jerusalem, Jesus meets the same range of responses that He met in Galilee. He is accused of being in league with the...

Satan Falling from Heaven (Luke 10:17-20) - October 20, 2003
In her monograph on magic and the demonic in Luke-Acts (entitled The Demise of the Devil), Susan Garrett offers some illuminating comments on Jesus' declaration that He watched Satan fall from heaven like lightning (Luke 10:17-20): 1) She argues persuasively...

Exhortation, October 12 - October 12, 2003
Exhortation for October 12: In the section of Luke's gospel that we are examining this morning, hospitality serves as a symbol for receiving Christ. To receive one of the messengers of Jesus is to receive Jesus and to receive Jesus...

Good Samaritan, Mary, and Martha - October 09, 2003
Luke 10 moves from the story of the Good Samaritan to the story of Mary and Martha. Though different themes come up, they are closely related issues. First, the Good Samaritan is contrasted with two liturgical specialists, a priest and...

Sermon Outline, October 12 - October 09, 2003
Sermon outline for October 12: Toward Jerusalem and the Cross, Luke 10:1-42 INTRODUCTION Jesus has embarked on His "way" toward Jerusalem (9:51). Like the angel of Yahweh who went before Israel into the land (Exodus 23:23), so Jesus sends "messengers"...

Sower and Harvest - October 06, 2003
There must be, I think, some connection between the parable of the sower in Luke 8 and the harvest Jesus talks about at the beginning of Luke 10. Jesus has been sowing the seed of the word of God, and...

Exhortation, October 5 - October 05, 2003
Exhortation for October 5: Luke's account of the Transfiguration is one of the densest passages in the entire New Testament. In context, it is a preview of the glory the Son of Man will display when He comes in His...

Bailey on Luke 9 - October 04, 2003
Some very good material in Kenneth Bailey's discussion of the end of Luke 9 (in Through Peasant Eyes). Bailey is especially illuminating on the first of Jesus' encounters with the reluctant disciples. This man volunteers to follow Jesus, but Jesus...

Feeding of the Five Thousand - October 04, 2003
Luke 9 is largely about the final stages of the training of the Twelve before Jesus moves from Galilee to Jerusalem. Part of their training comes in the story of the feeding of the five thousand. Eugene LaVerdiere's treatment of...

Sermon Outline, October 5 - October 02, 2003
Sermon outline for October 5: Toward Jerusalem and the Cross, Luke 9:1-62 INTRODUCTION Luke 9 marks the great turning point in Luke's account of Jesus' ministry. Luke 9:1-9 forms the climax of the Galilean ministry, and later in this chapter,...

Exhortation, September 28 - September 28, 2003
Exhortation for September 28: We sometimes think of the church as a collection of families, and in some respects that is true. More fundamentally, though, the church IS a family. We are brothers and sisters of one another because we...

Luke and the Remnant Covenant - September 27, 2003
Listening to Jim Jordan's tapes on Daniel has helped me to put some pieces together in Luke. Jim discusses the "remnant covenant" at some length in the first couple of tapes, and points out some of the main features of...

Sermon Outline, September 28 - September 24, 2003
Sermon outline for September 28: Luke 8:1-56 INTRODUCTION Luke likes to organize his gospel into triads. In chapter 7, there were a series of triadic patterns: Jesus asks three times "What did you go into the wilderness to see?" (vv....

The Lamp on the Lampstand - September 22, 2003
In Luke 8:16-18, Jesus says that a lamp is made to be set on a lampstand. In context, He is talking about the Word that He preaches, and the fact that it both illuminates and exposes. A light on the...

Exhortation, September 21 - September 21, 2003
My exhortation for September 21: The word of God always divides. It always evokes hostility as well as faith. That is what Jesus says about John's preaching and ministry in our sermon text this morning, and it was also true...

Green on Luke 7:1-10 - September 20, 2003
More from Green's commentary: Luke is amazing. In 7:1-10, Jews come to Jesus interceding for the centurion. They insist that the centurion is worthy of attention because he has done good to the nation of Israel: "He loves our nation,...

Structure of Luke 7:1-10 - September 20, 2003
Building from Joel Green's comments on Luke 7:1-10, I suggest a combination of chiastic and parallel structure in the passage: A. Centurion's slave is ill, v 2 B. Centurion sends delegation of Jews, v 3 C. Jews convince Jesus the...

Sexual Imagery in Luke 7 - September 20, 2003
Bailey's discussion (previous post) also helped me to answer questions about the sexual imagery of Luke 7. Not only do we have references to "feet" (euphemistic for sexual organs), but the woman is said to "touch" him, which often has...

Simon the Pharisee (Luke 7) - September 20, 2003
There is a very intriguing analysis of Luke 7:36-50 in Kenneth Bailey's Through Peasant Eyes. He points out that Simon the Pharisee must have invited Jesus to his house with the deliberate intent of insulting him, testing him. Simon left...

A Man Under Authority (Luke 7) - September 17, 2003
Why does the centurion in Luke 7 say that he is a man "under" (Greek, hupo) authority? It seems more reasonable for him to say that he is a man HAVING authority. And what does he mean when he says...

"Sinners" in Luke 6 - September 17, 2003
In Jesus' sermon in Luke 6, he contrasts the behavior of His disciples with that of "sinners" in a series of three point. Sinners love those who love themselves, but Jesus' disciples must love enemies. Sinners do good only to...

Sermon Outline, September 21 - September 16, 2003
Sermon notes for September 21: A Great Prophet, Luke 7:1-50 INTRODUCTION The previous section of Luke's gospel (5:1-6:11) began with a call to disciples and ended with the Pharisees seeking ways to destroy Jesus. This section (6:12-7:50) begins with the...

The "Sinful Woman" (Luke 7) - September 15, 2003
I'm wondering about the sexual imagery in the incident with the "sinful woman" in Luke 7:36-50. Her attention is devoted completely to Jesus' "feet," which is often euphemistic for sexual organs. When the text says that she kissed Jesus' feet,...

Exhortation, September 14 - September 14, 2003
The exhortation for Sunday, September 14: Jesus knew that His teaching differed from the teaching of others in Israel and especially from the Pharisees, and His warnings at the end of the sermon show that He wanted to distinguish His...

Sermon on the Plain - September 13, 2003
In Jesus' "sermon on the plain" in Luke 6 there are a number of cool structures and numerological patterns. The whole sermon is divided into three large chunks, the Beatitudes (vv. 20-27), a section on love of enemies (vv. 27-38,...

Sermon Outline, September 14 - September 10, 2003
Sermon outline for this coming Sunday: A House That Stands, Luke 6:12-49 INTRODUCTION The Pharisees sought to renew Israel by applying principles of holiness and separation in every detail of life, such as table manners and how you spent your...

"Do Good and Lend" - September 08, 2003
"Do good and lend, without hoping for anything in return." That is the heart of Christian ethics, according to some, and the kind of gift that Derrida considers impossible. But is this sentence, by itself, the heart of Christian ethics?...

Transition in Luke 6 - September 08, 2003
The transition from Luke 6:11 to Luke 6:12ff is highly significant. We know it's significant because it is preceded by a night of prayer, as are many of the milestones in Jesus' ministry. What is at stake in the choosing...

Exhortation, September 7 - September 06, 2003
The exhortation from September 7, 2003: A Pharisee and a publican went to the doctor, and both learned that they needed surgery. The publican agreed to the surgery, and, after a long and painful recovery, regained his health. The Pharisee...

Healing of the Paralytic (Luke 5) - September 06, 2003
In Luke 5, the friends of the paralytic cannot get him to Jesus, and so they lower him through the roof. As many commentators have pointed out, this situation is a sign of the paralytic's exclusion from community. By the...

Sermon Outline, September 7 - September 06, 2003
Sermon outline for September 7 (though I'm reconsidering my take on Jesus' "parable" about the wineskins). Jesus and the Pharisees, Luke 5:1-6:11 INTRODUCTION Anointed and baptized, Jesus has begun His mission of proclaiming and enacting the year of release, the...

Jesus' Temptations - September 01, 2003
Even after spending a week mulling over Jesus' temptations and preaching on Luke 4, I find myself puzzled by any number of details. With help from some members at Trinity Reformed Church, however, I think I'm getting a better feel...

Exhortation, August 31 - August 31, 2003
The exhortation for August 31: The essence of original sin, and of every sin, is to trust Satan's word above God's word. Satan's word comes to us in many forms, but in essence every word of Satan is a slander...

Joseph's Son - August 30, 2003
In Luke 4, Jesus responds to the wonder and marveling of the crowd by saying that "no prophet is welcome in his home town" (v. 24). The comments, like the comments in v 23, seem to come out of left...

Sermon Outline, August 31 - August 27, 2003
Sermon Notes for August 31: Jubilee, Luke 4:1-44 INTRODUCTION At His baptism, Jesus is filled with the Spirit (Luke 3:21-22). As any Jew would know, the next thing that's going to happen is a battle. Depend on it: When the...

Tannehill on Luke - August 25, 2003
Robert C. Tannehill's 2-volume work, The Narrative Unity of Luke-Acts, is full of sharp insights. At least that's true of the bit I've read. He points out, for example, the basic structural device of using prophetic quotations and long speeches...

Deuteronomy 8:3 in Luke - August 25, 2003
Like Matthew, Luke records Jesus' quotation from Deuteronomy 8:3 in response to the devil's temptation. But the quotations differ: Matthew 4:4: "Man shall not live on bread alone but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God."...

Numerical Patterns in Luke - August 25, 2003
A couple of interesting numerical patterns in Luke: First, in Luke 18:31-34, Jesus predicts His coming suffering and death in this way: [The Son of Man] will be 1) delivered to the Gentiles 2) mocked 3) mistreated 4) spit upon...

Levi's Conversion - August 20, 2003
An insight on the conversion of Levi in Luke 5:27-32, suggested by my wife: Levi is called away from his tax booth, leaves everything to follow Jesus, and in the very next scene is hosting a banquet. There are two...

Sermon Outline, August 24 - August 20, 2003
Sermon notes for August 24: What Shall We Do? Luke 3:1-38 INTRODUCTION John's message of impending judgment on Israel is not some side issue for him or for Jesus. Both are prophets of doom, warning Israel as Moses warned Pharaoh....

Luke 8:39 - August 19, 2003
There's a nice twist in Luke 8:39 that indicates how Luke understands Jesus' relationship to God. Jesus tells the Gadarene demoniac to "return to your house and describe what great things God has done for you." The healed demoniac "went...

Luke and Justification - August 19, 2003
In Luke 5 and 8, two stories are told that may shed some interesting light on the question of justification. In 5:17-26, men lower a man on a bed through the roof of a house so that Jesus can heal...

Numbers in Luke 3 - August 18, 2003
Another thought from Luke, this time chapter 3. The genealogy of Jesus in Luke 3 contains 77 names. Several commentators suggest that the names are arranged in 11 groups of 7, and that there is a pattern of 7s (groups...

Simeon's Song - August 18, 2003
In Simeon's song in Luke 2, he says that Jesus will cause the "fall and rising" of many in Israel. "Rising" translates "anastasis," the word for resurrection. That may help to explain the sequence (fall—rise, rather than rise—fall). Simeon is...

Exhortation, August 17 - August 17, 2003
The exhortation from August 17, 2003: Ancient heretics tried to deny it, and modern heretics do the same, but Luke could hardly make it clearer that Jesus is the human God. Throughout the first chapter of Luke's gospel, Luke uses...

Sermon Outline, August 17 - August 16, 2003
Sermon notes for August 17, 2003: Savior and Lord, Emperor and King, Luke 2:1-52 INTRODUCTION Luke dates the story of John by reference to the reign of Herod the Great, king of Judea (1:5). But he dates the birth of...

Apostles - August 15, 2003
Peter Stuhlmacher says in his commentary on Romans (Westminster/John Knox) that "apostolos" in Greek literature meant "one who leads a naval expedition" or "admiral." Though he says this has nothing to do with the NT usage, I suspect that Luke...

Sermon Outline, August 10 - August 10, 2003
Sermon notes for August 10: A Forerunner Before the Lord, Luke 1:57-80 INTRODUCTION John the Baptist's motto was "He must increase, I must decrease" (John 3:30). Though Luke does not quote this saying, the early chapters of his gospel are...

Sermon Outline, August 3 - August 10, 2003
I am preaching through Luke at Trinity Reformed Church, and I will be posting sermon notes at this site. Here are the notes from last week's sermon: Things Fulfilled Among Us, Luke 1:1-56 INTRODUCTION Luke's gospel is the first part...

Exhortation, August 10 - August 10, 2003
At the beginning of the worship service at Trinity Reformed Church, where I'm serving as organizing pastor, I give an exhortation. Here is the exhortation for this week: This week, the House of Bishops of the Episcopal Church in the...

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