The Life of Christ – Lesson 8 Preaching in galilee – Raising a widows son - John’s inquiry Dinner with a pharisee - Luke 7 March 6, 2019

Luke chapter 7 A discourse on faith: The great faith of the Centurion The new faith of the widow The evidenced faith of John the Baptist and his disciples The saving faith of a sinful woman

Luke chapter 7 A discourse on vision: How the Centurion saw himself How the widow saw Jesus How the multitudes saw John How the Pharisee saw sinners

Jesus speaks re: John the Baptist Luke 7:18-35; Matthew 11:2-30 “What did you go out to see?” “A reed shaken by the wind?” One who is swayed by human pressure and opinion? John stood firm in his conviction of truth. Matthew 3:7-10; Mark 6:17-20 “A man dressed in soft clothing?” A man motivated by the pleasures of life or having a lofty reputation? John forewent the luxuries, sensual pleasures, or ease of life in order to fulfill his mission. Matthew 3:4

Jesus speaks re: John the Baptist Luke 7:18-35; Matthew 11:2-30 “What did you go out to see?” “A prophet?” “… They regarded John as a prophet.” (Matthew 14:5; Luke 20:6) One who spoke with the authority of heaven. “… Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.” One charged with preparing the way for the Messiah. (Luke 7:27; Matthew 11:10) “Make ready a people prepared for the Lord” (Luke 1:17, 76 ) “… They are convinced that John was a prophet.” (Luke 20:6)

Jesus speaks re: John the Baptist Luke 7:18-35; Matthew 11:2-30 “I tell you, among those born of women none is greater than John.” (Luke 7:28) “… he will be great in the sight of the Lord …” (Luke 1:15) “Yet the one who is the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.” “…they were not serving themselves, but you …” (1 Peter 1:12; Ephesians 1:3; 18-19)

Jesus speaks re: John the Baptist Luke 7:18-35; Matthew 11:2-19 Matthews account records and interesting expression by Jesus in this context: Matthew 11:12, “From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and violent men take it by force.” (Luke 16:16) “Violence” – biazo – “overpower, impel, but also to rush into … the kingdom of God is sought with eagerness, haste.” (Zodhiates)

Jesus speaks re: John the Baptist Luke 7:18-35; Matthew 11:2-19 “Jesus, ‘calls attention to the powerful movement in favor of the Messiah’s kingdom which had taken place since the commencement of the Baptist’s ministry’” (Commentary by Curtis Pope) The preaching of John the Baptist had stirred up a passion and zeal for the kingdom that the Jewish leadership had never accomplished.

Jesus speaks re: John the Baptist Luke 7:18-35; Matthew 11:2-19 What do you think about John? (verses 29-30) “Tax-gatherers … acknowledged* God’s justice, having been baptized” * by receiving and accepting His commands … including baptism …“ God’s justice!

Jesus speaks re: John the Baptist Luke 7:18-35; Matthew 11:2-19 What do you think about John? (verses 29-30) “Pharisees and the lawyers rejected God’s purpose for themselves, not having been baptized by John” What God had determined. Ephesians 1:11 speaks of God’s “purpose,” “counsel,” and “will.” They had “judge(d) yourselves unworthy of eternal life” (Acts 13:46) by rejecting Jesus and John’s baptism. (Matthew 21:31-32)

Jesus speaks re: “This generation” Luke 7:18-35; Matthew 11:2-19 “They are like children …” Not in a good way. (cf. Matthew 19:14) Rather, childish and immature … selfish and impossible to please. Always changing the rules to manipulate the others. Once described as the “parable of the brats.”

Jesus speaks re: “This generation” Luke 7:18-35; Matthew 11:2-19 “They are like children …” Also referred to this “generation” as: “Unbelieving and perverted” (Luke 9:41) “Adulterous and sinful” (Mark 8:38) “Faithless” (Mark 9:19)

Jesus speaks re: “This generation” Luke 7:18-35; Matthew 11:2-19 “They are like children …” “We played the flute for you, and you did not dance …” “… We sang a dirge, and you did not weep.” “John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, ‘he has a demon’” “The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘behold a gluttonous man and a drunkard.’” “Dirge” – a lamentation. Dancing – the lifting of the feet in rhythmic and rapid motions. That generation rejected John because he was different and his lifestyle was too radical and austere for them. When he did not join in their spirit, they accused him of having a demon. They thought he was brash, caustic, unbalanced, unsociable, and had lost all sense of propriety. You didn’t do what we wanted you to do! You didn’t play our game!