4/2/2019

Luke’s Chapters 16-24

Opening Prayer

Four Sessions Left in this Luke Study

a. April 3 – Entry into , & Passion

b. April 10 – The Resurrection of

c. April 17 – The Film “Invictus”

Luke 19:28-40 Entry Into Jerusalem • Let’s read it. What strikes you? a. There were many grand entries into Jerusalem like that of Alexander the Great 300 years before Jesus. He praised Jerusalem, its temple, and with the acquiescence of the temple leaders, he offered (pagan) sacrifice in the Jerusalem Temple. b. They were similar to Generals entering Rome and parading in procession after a great military victory, pulled by white horses in a chariot where the victorious general wears a crown of laurel made of an aromatic evergreen. c. The conquered kings, people, and property were paraded for everyone to see, so that the people could praise the general, proclaiming words like “” or “Good News.” d. The Roman soldiers and General would often proclaim words like “Godspell” or “Gospel” or “Good News,” that is, of a Roman victory, so let’s celebrate. e. This is where Mark gets the name “Gospel” yet it is a very different kind of “Good News” that Mark and the others proclaim about Jesus. f. Jesus’ entry is similar to these, in that, he is riding an animal and people acclaim him, praising God, “Hosanna, Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord.” g. Jesus’ entry is quite different: he rides a donkey, will cleanse the temple, wears not a crown of laurel but will wear a crown of thorns. h. Alexander rejoiced over Jerusalem and its temple whereas Jesus weeps, cleanses the Temple, while denouncing what happens in the Temple.

1 4/2/2019

Luke 19:28-40 Entry Into Jerusalem i. The scene is politically charged because no one can be proclaimed King, which is what Jesus’ disciples and the people are doing, without Roman Support. j. Thus, some of the tell Jesus to tell his disciples to be quiet, to stop it. Jesus says that if they are quiet, the stones will cry out. k. Jesus enters Jerusalem as the Messiah, fulfilling the prophecy in Zechariah 9:9, “Exult greatly, O daughter Zion! Shout for joy, O daughter Jerusalem! Behold: your king is coming to you, a just savior is he, Humble, and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” l. Why is Jesus riding a donkey? m. Every Gospel quotes this prophecy. n. Yet, Zechariah goes on in 9:10-11 to say what the Messiah will do, “He shall banish the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem; The warrior's bow will be banished, and he will proclaim peace to the nations. His dominion will be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.” o. This only makes Luke’s focus on Jesus as the Nonviolent Messiah who conquers through the cross in love stronger.

Luke 19:45-48 The Cleansing of the Temple

• Let’s read it. What strikes you? a. Alexander the Great went to the temple, under the guidance of the High priest, and he offered sacrifice. b. Jesus goes to the temple to cleanse it, saying: 1. God opposes what is happening in the temple that is supposed to be a house of prayer. 2. Jesus cleanses it in what amounts to a sign that the price of such cleansing will be the sacrifice of Jesus’ own life. 3. Jesus is the true high priest who undoes what the current high priest and other leaders are doing: polluting once more the faith of Israel that is supposed to be concerned about the poor, oppressed, and widows but they are focused on the interests of Rome and their own self-preservation. 4. Jesus is saying: the temple is defunct. 5. In doing so, Jesus sets in motion a series of events that will lead to his death.

2 4/2/2019

Luke 21:1-4 The Poor Widow’s Stewardship

When Jesus looked up he saw some wealthy people putting their offerings into the treasury and he noticed a poor widow putting in two small coins. He said, "I tell you truly, this poor widow put in more than all the rest; for those others have all made offerings from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has offered her whole livelihood.“

• Jesus is contrasting the selfishness and greed of the religious leaders, scribes in Luke 20:45-47 (can I get a reader) with this poor widow and her stewardship. • What does it communicate to you? • What does this passage about the widow tell us about stewardship? • What does this passage foreshadow about the One great steward?

The Last Supper in Paul, Mark, Matthew & John 1 Cor 1:23-26 23 For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was handed over, took bread, 24 and, after he had given thanks, broke it and said, "This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me." 25 In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me." 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes. Mark 14:22-25 22 While they were eating, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, and said, "Take it; this is my body." 23 Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, and they all drank from it. 24 He said to them, "This is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed for many. 25 Amen, I say to you, I shall not drink again the fruit of the vine until the day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God." :26-29 26 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and giving it to his disciples said, "Take and eat; this is my body." 27 Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you, 28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins. 29 I tell you, from now on I shall not drink this fruit of the vine until the day when I drink it with you new in the kingdom of my Father.“ John 13:1-14 (The Washing of the Feet. There is no bread & wine in John’s Last Supper)

3 4/2/2019

The Last Supper & Luke 22-23 • Let’s start reading at the beginning of Luke 22. We will need many readers. • The Last Supper in Luke 22:14-20 (Please base your insights on the text itself) 14When the hour came, he took his place at table with the apostles. 15 He said to them, "I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer, 16 for, I tell you, I shall not eat it again until there is fulfillment in the kingdom of God." 17 Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and said, "Take this and share it among yourselves; 18 for I tell you that from this time on I shall not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes." 19 Then he took the bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body, which will be given for you; do this in memory of me." 20 And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which will be shed for you. • For what does Jesus offer his life for in Luke’s Gospel? Is it that sins may be forgiven? • Let’s compare this to Paul, Mark, Matthew, and John. • Compare :35-45 and Matthew 20:20-28 to Luke with no parallel passage. • Why does Jesus die in Luke’s Gospel? See Luke 4:18-19.

Luke 22-23 The Passion of Jesus Christ • Let’s keep reading from Luke 22:21 forward. • If we come across anything that strikes you, please say something. • What strikes you about the scene in the Garden of Gethsemane? Does Jesus actually sweat blood? Or is it a metaphor? • What does Peter say to Jesus at the Last Supper in Luke 22:33? What strikes you about Peter’s denial of Jesus in Luke 22:54-65? • What does Pilate say about Herod’s take on Jesus? • What do you notice about ? What does he proclaim 3 times? This only happens in Luke’s Gospel. • Why does Luke have Pilate proclaim this 3 times? Luke is communicating something vitally important to his Gentile audience. • That is: the charges leveled against Christianity are false such as they are cannibals, worship a human being, and their Messiah is a convicted, executed criminal. • Christianity is innocent of all charges leveled against it by anyone. • It is the real deal.

4 4/2/2019

Luke 23:39-43 A Great Reversal

39 Now one of the criminals hanging there reviled Jesus, saying, "Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us."

40 The other, however, rebuking him, said in reply, "Have you no fear of God, for you are subject to the same condemnation? 41 And indeed, we have been condemned justly, for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes, but this man has done nothing criminal." 42 Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."

43 Jesus replied to him, "Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise."

Luke 23:44-49 The Death of Jesus 44 It was now about noon and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon 45 because of an eclipse of the sun. Then the veil of the temple was torn down the middle. 46 Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit"; and when he had said this he breathed his last. 47 The centurion who witnessed what had happened glorified God and said, "This man was innocent beyond doubt." 48 When all the people who had gathered for this spectacle saw what had happened, they returned home beating their breasts; 49 but all his acquaintances stood at a distance, including the women who had followed him from and saw these events. • Let’s read the , Luke 23:50-56

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