Jesus' Teaching On The Law

                     
                                                                            Sunday School Lesson
                                            

Lesson: Matthew 15:1-11, 18-20
                                                                                                 
Golden Text: “This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” (Matthew 15:8-9).

INTRODUCTION.  God’s laws were not given because He wanted to limit how much fun we could have in life, but to protect us from individual and social sin, and to show us boundaries that reveal our own sin nature.  As Paul wrote, the law served as a tutor to show us our need for Christ (see Galatians 3:19-24).  In this week’s lesson we will examine Jesus’ teachings on the law of God as given in the Scriptures, and how He dealt with the teachings and traditions of the rabbis and elders when they came into conflict with that law.
THE CHALLENGE (Matthew 15:1-2).   Our lesson this week takes place about a year and a half after Jesus began His public ministry.  By this time, the religious leaders had become more opposed to Him and His teachings.  As a result, they looked for, and found more occasions to find fault with Him. The lesson text this week reveals one of those occasions.
A. The challengers (Matthew 15:1).  Our first verses says “Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying.”  This verse is a perfect illustration of how badly the religious leaders wanted to find fault with Jesus.  These “scribes and Pharisees” came to Jesus from Jerusalem.  There were scribes and Pharisees all over Israel, but this group made a concerted effort to go to Galilee where Jesus was ministering just to critique His words and actions.  Note:  The era of the scribes began after the Jews returned from the Babylonian Captivity (see Nehemiah 8:1-5).  In New Testament times Scribes were members of a learned class who were recognized as experts in the law.  They interpreted the law and made their interpretations the rule for Jewish life.  In their interpretations of the law, the scribes often added oral laws referred to as traditions of the elders (se Mark 7:3).  The Pharisees were both a religious and a political party in Israel in New Testament times.  They were known for insisting that the law of God be observed as the scribes interpreted it and for their special commitment to keeping the laws of tithing and ritual cleansing or purity.
B. The issue (Matthew 15:2).  This verse is a continuation of the previous verse.  The scribes and Pharisees came to Jesus saying “Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.”  While it may appear that the scribes and Pharisees were accusing Jesus’ disciples of transgressing or violating the “tradition of the elders,” they were really accusing Jesus.  The “tradition of the elders” were oral and written sayings of famous rabbis or teachers.  These sayings were only commentaries on the written Law of Moses, but they were regarded by these Jewish leaders as equal to the law of God.  In other words, these religious leaders gave rabbinical traditions precedence over God’s Word.  Jesus’ disciples were not accused of violating God’s law, but transgressing the “tradition of the elders.”  The tradition that the disciples were violating was that “they wash not their hands when they eat bread.”  The issue was not simply cleanliness, but ceremonial purity.  Mark’s Gospel tells us that the Jews washed whenever they came from the market, where they would come in contact with Gentiles who were considered unclean (see Mark 7:2-4).  The scribes and Pharisees also applied this ritual cleansing to other objects such as cups, pots, vessels and tables, all of which may have been handled by Gentiles shopping in the market.
III. THE REJOINDER (Matthew 15:3-9) 
A. Jesus’ counterchallenge (Matthew 15:3).  This verse says “But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?”  Instead of answering their question directly, Jesus brought up the underlying issues of the question that the Jewish leaders had asked.  It involved what spiritual authority a person should follow: human tradition or divine revelation.  The scribes and Pharisees placed emphasis on the rules made by rabbis which were not commanded in Scripture.  So Jesus asked “Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?”  These Jewish leaders had condemned the disciples for breaking or violating the tradition of the rabbis, but Jesus accused them of transgressing or violating God’s command in order to keep their tradition. 
B. God’s command (Matthew 15:4).  In this verse, Jesus gave an example of how these religious leaders put tradition over God’s commands.  He said “For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death.”  Jesus stated the fifth commandment “Honour thy father and mother” (see Exodus 20:12) but He also added the consequences of not obeying this law: “and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death” (see Exodus 21:17; Leviticus 20:9).  These words were God’s direct revelation to Moses which the Jewish leaders claimed to reverence and obey.  Note:  Jesus immediately recognized that the religious leaders from Jerusalem were not seeking Him for good, so He had a Scriptural response ready to their ridiculous question.  This teaches us as  Christians to devote ourselves to prayerfully studying God’s Word so that the Holy Spirit can bring up in us a powerful defense of our love, obedience, and unwavering faith in God and His Son, Jesus Christ (see I Peter 3:15).
C. The Pharisees’ evasion (Matthew 15:5-6).
1. (vs. 5).  In this verse Jesus continued to say “But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me.”  The phrase “But ye say” puts emphasis on the scribes and Pharisees instead of on God.  The point Jesus was about to make was that tradition of the elders and rabbis had found a way to get around this Mosaic command.  As a person honored their parents, they were expected to support them financially in their old age.  But according to rabbinical tradition, a son could take the property set aside to help his parents and claim that “It is a gift.”  This means that it was devoted to God for sacred use and not be used by his parents. The Hebrew word for this type of gift is “Corban” (see Mark 7:11) which means “gift” or “offering.”  It originally referred to any offering a person might give.  However, according to tradition and not God’s Word, once given, the offering could not be taken back or changed.   But the gift could remain in the possession of the giver who said they dedicated it to God.  Thus the giver was actually not giving up anything.  The phrase “by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me” can be translated as “I have dedicated to God what might have been used to relieve your need.”  It’s true that the person in Jesus’ illustration may not have actually cursed his parents, but this heartless disrespect for their parents was just like cursing them.  Note:  The same error of the scribes and Pharisees exists today.  There are religious people who often add tradition to God’s Word which ends up contradicting it.  If we think that we can gain God’s favor by reciting creeds, liturgical observances, or family practices, we are violating biblical teaching on salvation by grace alone.
2. (vs. 6).  In this verse, Jesus went on to say “And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.”  Because the rabbis had come up with this tradition surrounding “Corban,” Jesus here said that it allowed a son not to honor his father or his mother, and would be free to do it.  As a result, Jesus said “Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.”  In other words, by putting tradition ahead of God’s Word, the religious leaders were making God’s law worthless.  Note:  As mentioned earlier, these traditions were oral and written sayings of famous rabbis.  While these sayings were only commentaries on the written law, they were regarded as equal to the law of God.  The rabbinical traditions took precedence over God’s Word.  
D.  Jesus’ condemnation (Matthew 15:7-9). 
1. (vs. 7).  Still talking to the scribes and Pharisees, in this verse Jesus said “Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying.”  Jesus called His opponents “hypocrites” which comes from a word that means “to act out a part in a play.”  Therefore, a hypocrite is an actor, one who pretends to be someone he is not.  In the New Testament this word is used to describe someone who professes to be devoted to God but has nothing real behind it.  Then Jesus said “well did Esaias (a variation of Isaiah) prophesy of you, saying.”  The Lord was telling the scribes and Pharisees that Isaiah was prophesying about them when he said what’s quoted in the next verse.
2. (vs. 8).  This verse gives the first portion of Isaiah 29:13 that Jesus quoted.  “This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.”  Isaiah originally spoke these words against the hypocritical Jews of his day who were spiritually asleep and unable to understand God’s revelation.  They had boldly professed religion with their lips but their hearts were far from God.  By quoting this Scripture, Jesus was saying that this prophecy could just as easily apply to the scribes and Pharisees.  These religious leaders made long, loud, prayers in public places.  They easily quoted the rabbis.  To the average Jew, they were the epitome of godliness.  But despite their words and actions, they were far from God.  Jesus quoted Isaiah 29:13 from the Septuagint or the Greek translation of the Scriptures.  Note:  When we compare Jesus’ words in this verse with the King James Version of Isaiah 29:13, they appear to be different.  However, Jesus quoted from the Septuagint or the Greek translation of the Scriptures. The Septuagint is the oldest Bible translation in the world.  It was made in Alexandria, Egypt where the Old Testament was translated from Hebrew into Greek for the benefit of the Greek-speaking Jews in that city.  A Jewish community had existed in Alexandria almost from its foundation by Alexander the Great in 331 B.C.  Two or three generations after this, these Jews had forgotten their native Palestinian language.  They realized that they needed the Hebrew Scriptures translated into the only language they knew which was Greek.  The first section of the Hebrew Bible to be translated into Greek was the Pentateuch or the first five books of the Old Testament some time before 200 B.C.  Other parts were translated during the next century.   
3. (vs. 9).  The second part of this prophecy that Jesus quoted says “But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.”  Jesus told the religious leaders that since they put tradition above God’s commandments, their worship of God was “vain” or empty.  Isaiah told the Jews of his day that all the things they did in worship was worthless because they were “teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.”  In other words, they taught the tradition of the rabbis or “the commandments of men” as if they were “doctrines” which refers to God’s commandments.  These scribes and Pharisees robbed widows (see Matthew 23:14), led Gentile worshippers astray (see Matthew 23:15) and disregarded justice, mercy, and faith (see Matthew 23:23).  Jesus also said they were like cups that were clean on the outside but filthy inside (see Matthew 23:25-26).  This had become such a way of life for the scribes and Pharisees that they now considered their traditions were really God’s commands.  The Pharisees knew a lot about God, and so does Satan (see James 2:19), but they didn’t know God.  It’s not enough to act religious.  Our actions and attitudes in worship must be sincere.  If they are not, then Isaiah’s words also describe us.   
IV. THE LESSON (Matthew 15:10-11, 18-20)      
A. A word for the multitude (Matthew 15:10-11). 
1. (vs. 10).  At this point, this verse says “And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand.”  After having addressed the issue of what has authority the Scriptures or tradition, Jesus prepared to answer the Scribes and Pharisee’s original question regarding what makes a person spiritually unclean.   He then called the multitude closer which seems to indicate that what Jesus had said previously was spoken to the scribes and Pharisees privately.  However, the multitude was close enough to know what the dispute was about, but they hadn’t heard Jesus’ comments about where authority laid, with tradition or God’s commandments.  Jesus then commanded the crowd to “Hear, and understand” His answer regarding whether a person can be defiled by what he or she ate with unwashed hands.  He wanted them to be clear and not confused about the subject.      
2. (vs. 11).  In this verse, Jesus speaking in a parable went on to say “Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.”  In essence Jesus was saying that what a person eats does not defile or make him or her unclean spiritually.  What does defile or corrupt a person are the things that “cometh out of the mouth” meaning their words.  Jesus was referring to the Jewish regulations concerning food and drink.  Note:  The law stated what foods a Jew could eat and could not eat (see Leviticus 11:1-23), but it had nothing to do with their spiritual condition.  These regulations in the Mosaic Law were given to show that Israel was a special people to the Lord, and different from all other peoples.  Jesus didn’t give any further explanation of His words to the multitude.  He left it up to them to interpret it.  Those who had spiritual insight would either understand what He meant by “that which cometh out of the mouth” or they would seek further enlightenment.  To those who had no spiritual insight, Jesus’ words would remain simply a riddle.
B. A word for the disciples (Matthew 15:18-19).  Verses 12-17 are not part of our text but they deal with the concerns expressed to Jesus by His disciples.  They were worried that the scribes and Pharisees were offended by His words to them (see Matthew 15:12).  Jesus told them not to concern themselves with that, because these Jewish leaders were spiritually blind and were not fit to teach anyone.  That would be like the blind leading the blind: they both would fall into a ditch (see Matthew 15:13-14).  Peter then urged Jesus to explain His parable to them (see Matthew 15:15).  After rebuking His disciples for not understanding what the parable meant (see Matthew 15:16), in Matthew 15:17, Jesus said to His disciples “Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught?”  In other words foods go through the digestive system and come out as waste not affecting a person’s spiritual condition.  In essence Jesus was saying that all meats were clean and allowed to be eaten by His people (see Mark 7:19).  This is where the remaining portion of our lesson begins.
1. (vs. 18).  Still talking to His disciples Jesus said in this verse “But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.”  Jesus was saying that the real problem is a wicked heart.  The source of a person’s defilement is within that person and is shown by our words and our actions.
2. (vs. 19).  Jesus continued to say in this verse “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.”  Jesus mentioned several sins that come from the heart or from within a person.   First is “evil thoughts” which refers to corrupt ideas that lead to any and all of the sins that follow including “murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness” which violate commandments six through nine.  “Blasphemies” refer to slanders against either God or man.  “Blasphemies” are violations of the two great commandments to love God and one’s neighbor (see Matthew 22:35-40).       
C. A final summary (Matthew 15:20).  In our final verse Jesus says “These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.”  The phrase “These are the things which defile a man” refers to the sins that He had just listed which come from within.  Of course this list of sins is not exhaustive.  There are many more that Jesus could have included.  The answer to the scribes and Pharisees’ question and Jesus’ conclusion is that “to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.”  Jesus proved His point by quoting Scripture from God’s Word and not from tradition.  He gave the law its proper place and set aside the traditions of men.  As the One who fulfilled all the law (see Matthew 5:17), Jesus had the right to abolish all the Jewish dietary practices because at this point they had served their purpose (see Romans 10:4; 14:3; I Timothy 4:1-5).   
                   
V. Conclusion.  Jewish tradition, built over a long time, had taken the place of Scripture.  Man-made traditions and outward actions cannot make us what we need to be before God and others.  What’s most important is what we are inside.  Human traditions may have their place, and they can be helpful if we use them intelligently.  But we must not confuse traditions with or substitute them for biblical teaching.  Wise is the person who has studied the Bible enough to know the difference.


 

 

 







 

 

 

 







 

 

 

 

 

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Jesus' Mission on Earth

                    
                                                        Sunday School Lesson
                                            

Lesson: Luke 4:14-21
                                                                                                 
Golden Text: “And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears” (Luke 4:21).
I.  INTRODUCTION.  Critics will say that Jesus was nothing more than a simple yet wise itinerant or travelling preacher.  However, the Bible is consistently clear in presenting Jesus as the Son of God and the promised Messiah.  In this week’s lesson we will see that Jesus clearly stated that He was the Messiah prophesied by the Old Testament prophets.  Jesus’ ministry was clearly in fulfillment of what the prophets foretold that the Messiah would do.
II. BACKGROUND FOR THE LESSON.  After Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist (see Matthew 3:13-17), He was led into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit to be tempted by the devil.  After His victory over Satan in the wilderness, Jesus went to where John was baptizing in Bethabara, east of the Jordan (see John 1:28-29).  While there, He chose His first five disciples (see John 1:35-51) and then returned to Galilee where He performed His first miracle in Cana (see John 2:1-12).  Jesus then attended a Passover in Jerusalem, where He performed other miracles and met with Nicodemus (see John 2:13-3:21).  After spending time baptizing in Judea (see John 3:22-36), Jesus returned to Galilee, evangelizing as He went through Samaria (See John 4:1-42).  This is when Jesus and His disciples returned to Galilee according to our text in Luke.
III. A MINISTRY IN GALILEE (Luke 4:14-15)    
A. Jesus’ return (Luke 4:14).  Our first verse says “And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.”  Jesus returned to Galilee “in the power of the Spirit.” From the moment of His baptism forward, the Holy Spirit was the indwelling and empowering personal force that characterized Jesus’ ministry.  Even though Jesus is the Second Person of the Trinity, His ministry was carried out in the strength and under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  Note:  Luke noted three important points in the progression of events surrounding the beginning of Jesus’ ministry.  As He prayed at the conclusion of His baptism, the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove (see Luke 3:22).  Immediately after that, being filled with the Holy Spirit, He was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tested (see Luke 4:1).  Soon after His testing was finished successfully, Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Holy Ghost.   Just as the Holy Spirit was present with and in Jesus throughout His ministry, the Holy Ghost also indwells every believer, helping us to live the holy life that pleases God (see I Corinthians 3:16; 6:17-19).  When Jesus returned to Galilee, “there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.”  Jesus had already gained a reputation by performing miracles at Jerusalem during the Passover (see John 2:23).  So when He arrived in Galilee, His home province, those who had attended the Passover welcomed Him back.  He had become a Galilean celebrity.
B. Jesus’ influence (Luke 4:15).  This verse says “And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.”  As Jesus ministered in Galilee, He regularly attended the synagogue on the Sabbath where He would teach on His own authority while causing amazement and spiritual hunger among His listeners (see Matthew 7:28; Luke 4:31-32, 36).  The Greek word for “synagogue” means “a place of assembly.”  “Synagogues” functioned as places to teach from the Scriptures and to worship God.  Note:  The institution of the synagogue didn’t exist prior to the Babylonian Captivity, but apparently was born during that time as a way of holding the exiles of Israel together after the temple was destroyed in Jerusalem.  Over time, these gathering places were used for prayer and study and as community centers.  Today, synagogues are located wherever Jewish people are found.  Ten Jewish males (called a “minyan”) are required to hold a synagogue service.  For Orthodox Jews, the tradition is that worshippers must live within a few hundred yards of the synagogue, which is the traditional distance a Jew can walk on the Sabbath day.  As Jesus “taught in their synagogues,” He was “glorified of all.”  This means that the people praised Jesus.  Even though later in His ministry Jesus would face much opposition from the religious leaders and even be abandoned by His disciples (see Luke 18:47; 20:19; John 6:60, 66), at this particular time He was popular with the crowds.
IV. A SABBATH IN NAZARETH (Luke 4:16-21)      
A. Attending the synagogue service (Luke 4:16).  Still referring to Jesus, this verse says “And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.”  Sometime later, Jesus returned to “Nazareth, where he had been brought up.”  The village of “Nazareth” was located in the province of Galilee.  It’s not mentioned at all in the Old Testament or in any early Jewish writings.  It appears that if Nazareth hadn’t been mentioned in the New Testament we would’ve never heard of it.  The phrase “where he had been brought up” refers to Jesus’ early life.  But very little is recorded in the gospels about His early life.    It had become Jesus’ custom to go “into the synagogue on the sabbath day.”  The Sabbath Day was the Jewish day of rest from all work, but by Jesus’ time, it had also become a day of worship and teaching.   Whenever Jesus visited the synagogues He also “stood up for to read.”  Visiting rabbis or teachers were often given the honor of reading and expounding the Word of God in the synagogues.  It was normal practice for the Scriptures to be read while standing, but they were explained from a sitting position as we shall see in verse 20.
B. Reading the prophecy (Luke 4:17-19).
1. (vs. 17).  This verse says “And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written.”  When Jesus stood up to read, “there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias.”   The “book” that was given to Jesus was actually a scroll, pieces of dried skin sewn together with the two ends attached to two wooden sticks.  This particular scroll was “the book of the prophet Esaias” or Isaiah.  When Jesus unrolled or “opened the book, he found the place where it was written.”   The Scripture Jesus found to read was Isaiah 61:1-2 which was a prophecy of what the Messiah would come to do. 

2. (vs. 18).  The passage Jesus read said “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised.”  This Scripture reading began with “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me.”  Jesus was indwelt and empowered by “The Spirit of the Lord” or the Holy Spirit (see Luke 3:21-22).   The power of the Spirit of God “anointed” the Messiah to do several things according to this verse.  The word “anoint” means to appoint a person to a particular work or service.  The “anointed” person belongs especially to the Lord.  Both Messiah (Hebrew) and Christ (Greek) mean “anointed one.”  This verse lists five works that the Messiah was commissioned to do when He came.

a. He was anointed to “preach the gospel to the poor.”  The word “gospel” means “good news.”  The coming Messiah would “preach” or proclaim the good news to the “poor.”  The word “poor” here refers to all those who recognized not only their material need, but also their spiritual need (see Matthew 5:3; James 2:5). 
b. The Messiah was anointed to “heal the brokenhearted.”  The word “heal” can also mean “to bind up.”   The “brokenhearted” were those who recognized that their deplorable condition was ultimately due to sin and therefore they looked to Christ for complete restoration.
c. The Messiah was also anointed to “preach deliverance to the captives.”  The word “captives” may have originally been understood to refer to those who would become captives in Babylon.  But the true fulfillment in the word “captives” includes everyone who is held captive by sin.  During Jesus’ ministry some who believed in Him stated that they had never been in bondage to any.  But Jesus replied that anyone who lives in sin is in bondage to it (see John 8:31-33; Romans 6:16; II Peter 2:19).  Only through faith in the Son of God could those captive by sin receive “deliverance” or become truly free (see John 8:32-36). 
d. The Christ was anointed to preach the “recovering of sight to the blind.”  This phrase is not part of Isaiah 61:1, but the idea is found in several other passages in Isaiah’s prophecy (see Isaiah 42:7, 16).  During His public ministry, Jesus gave physical sight to the blind (see John 9:1, 7).  However, as the Light of the world (see John 8:12), Jesus also gave sight to those who were spiritually blind (see Matthew 15:14; 23:16-17; II Corinthians 3:14-16; 4:3-4).  Through faith in Him they were no longer like prisoners bound in darkness (see John 9:38-41).
e. The Messiah was also anointed “to set at liberty them that are bruised.”  The word “bruised” can mean “broken in pieces” or “oppressed.”   In Jesus’ day, this included people who were demon possessed (see Luke 4:31-37), experiencing long incurable illnesses (see Matthew 8:14-15; 9:27-31; Mark 5:25-34; Luke 13:10-13), or oppressed by unbearable requirements of Jewish and Roman law (see Matthew 19:1-12; John 8:3-11).  Jesus set them free by giving their lives new meaning, joy and purpose.
3. (vs. 19).  Above all, this verse also says Messiah was anointed “To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.”  This refers to the “day of salvation” Isaiah prophesied about (see Isaiah 49:8; II Corinthians 6:2) that Jesus was now introducing.  The phrase “acceptable year” does not refer to any particular year, but to a season or a divinely appointed time when the Anointed One of Israel would come to rescue His people from their sin through the gospel message.  As Jesus began His ministry that divinely appointed time had come.   “The acceptable year of the Lord” was a Jewish way of refering to the Year of Jubilee (see Leviticus 25:8-11).
C. Applying the Scripture (Luke 4:20-21). 
1. (vs. 20).  This verse says “And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.”  When Jesus finished reading, He “closed the book” meaning He rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the “minister.”  The term “minister” here refers to an attendant.  Every synagogue had at least two officials, a ruler (see Mark 5:35-36; Luke 8:41; 13:14) and an attendant.  The ruler was responsible for the building, the property and overseeing worship.  The attendant or “minister” was responsible for the maintenance of the building and its furnishings, which included the sacred scrolls from which Jesus read.  After Jesus gave the book back to the attendant He “sat down.”  As noted in the commentary on verse 16, in the first century synagogue, sitting was the usual position for a teacher.  The Scriptures were read while standing, but the teacher would then sit as they explained the Scripture.  Note:  It’s important to note that Jesus stopped short of reading the last portion of Isaiah 61:2 which says “and the day of vengeance of our God.”  The reason Jesus didn’t read that portion is because at His first coming, His ministry was about redeeming the lost.  Luke 19:10 says “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”  The part that Jesus didn’t read “and the day of vengeance of our God” refers to Christ’s second coming when He will destroy God’s enemies and set up His kingdom on earth (see II Thessalonians 1:7-10; Revelation 19:11-16).  The Old Testament prophets didn’t distinguish between the two advents or comings of the Messiah: instead they viewed the coming of Christ as one event.  They didn’t mention the present church age which separates Christ’s first advent from His second advent.  After Jesus sat down preparing to expound on the Scripture He read, the last part of this verse says “And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.”  The Greek verb translated “fastened on” indicates strong anticipation.  In other words, they were sitting on pins and needles waiting to hear what Jesus had to say.  This eager anticipation was heightened by the teaching reputation Jesus already had (see Luke 4:15).
2. (vs. 21).  Our final verse says “And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.”  What Jesus said was simple and direct.  He declared “This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.”  The tense of the verb rendered “fulfilled” signifies that the words of Isaiah 61:1-2 that Jesus read had been fulfilled and were being fulfilled right up to that present moment.  In no uncertain terms, Jesus was claiming to be the Messiah.  The words of Isaiah 61:1-2 found their fulfillment in Him.          

                           

V. Conclusion.  In Jewish synagogues, guest rabbis and other important people were regularly called on to read Scripture and expound on it; so it was not unusual for Jesus to be given that privilege.  His reputation preceded Him and the leaders of the synagogue were pleased to grant Him the honor.  After reading a select portion from the Prophet Isaiah, Jesus applied it to Himself, thus making a claim to be the Messiah.  Jesus’ first advent on earth was to declare salvation and provide the sacrifice for it.  But only those who trust Him can experience its blessings.  Those who don’t will experience the portion of Scripture that Jesus didn’t read “the day of vengeance of our God.”

 







 

Victory over Temptation

                                                                    Sunday School Lesson
                                            

Lesson: Deuteronomy 6:13-16; Matthew 4:4-11
                                                                                                 
Golden Text: “But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4).
I.  INTRODUCTION.  Although He was the Son of God, Jesus Christ didn’t lead a sheltered life.  As the God-Man, He fully and perfectly faced temptation without yielding to it.  Christians are often tempted to turn to popular but false teachings instead of to God and the Bible for spiritual support.  In this week’s lesson we will see how Jesus Himself, the Author of Scripture relied on the Bible when faced with His own time of temptation.  This lesson should inspire us to study and learn all of Scripture so that we will be ready when faced with temptation.  If even Jesus saw the need to use Scripture to overcome Satan’s tricks, surely we need its help even more.
II. THE LAW’S EDITS (DEUTERONOMY 6:13-16.  Forty years after leaving Egypt (see Deuteronomy 2:7), the nation of Israel was on the verge of entering the Promised Land of Canaan.  There, on the plains of Moab (see Deuteronomy 1:5), Moses spoke the words that form the book of Deuteronomy.  “Deuteronomy” is the title taken from the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Bible and means Second Law.  It refers to the fact that this book contains a second giving of the law.  The Hebrew title for Deuteronomy is Debarim which literally means Words.  The repetition or giving of the law a second time was necessary because a new generation of people would enter the Promised Land.  The generation that received the law at Mt. Sinai, with the exception of Joshua and Caleb and those under twenty years old, perished in the wilderness for their unbelief and rebellion against God (see Numbers 14:27-30).  In chapter 6 from which this portion of our lesson comes, as Moses reviewed the law to this new generation, he told them that their obedience to God’s law would ensure that they would continue to inhabit and prosper in the new land (see Deuteronomy 6:1-3).  Moses then encouraged them to love the Lord completely, taking His commandments to heart and teaching them to their children (see Deuteronomy 6:4-9).  He also warned them that great temptation also lied ahead.  They would prosper with cities, houses, walls, vineyards, and olive groves that they didn’t work to produce (see Deuteronomy 6:10-11).  But in their prosperity they would be tempted to forget the Lord and take the credit themselves (see Deuteronomy 6:12).  This is where this portion of our lesson begins.
A. Fear the Lord (Deuteronomy 6:13).   This verse says “Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name.”  Moses declared that the one thing that would prevent Israel from forgetting the Lord would be to “fear the Lord thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name.”  The word “fear” means proper reverence and respect for God that every believer ought to have.  The proper respect for the Lord will affect a person’s behavior in a positive way. Proverbs 16:6 says “By the fear of the Lord men depart from evil.”  The more we fear or reverence God, the less likely we are to yield to temptation and sin (see Proverbs 3:7; 8:13).  Along with fearing the Lord, the Israelites were to “serve him.”  Anyone who does not fear and honor God will not “serve Him.”  The word “serve” has the idea of being a servant to someone.  In Bible times a servant was the property of a master, and service to his master was the servant’s full-time duty.  To serve the Lord means that we pursue His interests constantly because His interests become our interests.  Everything we do in life revolves around our commitment to serve Him.  The one who reverences the Lord will also “swear by his name.”  For Israel this included oaths in court as well as private oaths or promises.  When an Israelite made such promises it would reveal to whom they were loyal.  However, Jesus later taught that swearing was improper for His followers (see Matthew 5:33-37).  But we must also remember that as followers of Christ, when we make promises we must keep them to honor the God we fear and serve.
B. Do not follow false gods (Deuteronomy 6:14-15).
1. (vs. 14).  In this verse Moses said to the people “Ye shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the people which are round about you.”  The fact was that if Israel forgot the Lord, they would surely look for other gods to worship.  In Canaan every ethnic nation had its own false gods.  Therefore, Moses repeated the first of the Ten Commandments which warned the people not to “go after other gods, of the gods of the people which are round about you.”  God commanded His people to destroy all the nations that were in Canaan (see Deuteronomy 7:1-4, 16), but unfortunately they disobeyed and didn’t.  God was well aware that being surrounded by idol worshippers would lead His people to be tempted to follow the idolatrous practices associated with the occupants of Canaan.
2. (vs. 15).  Here Moses continued to say “(For the Lord thy God is a jealous God among you) lest the anger of the Lord thy God be kindled against thee, and destroy thee from off the face of the earth.”  One reason that Israel was expected to forsake other gods was “For the Lord thy God is a jealous God among you.”  This is a parenthetical statement that Moses repeated from part of the second of the Ten Commandments (see Exodus 20:5-6).  God being Jealous indicates His eagerness for the glory that He deserves (see Exodus 20:5; 34:14; Deuteronomy 4:23-24).  Since He is a jealous God, He demands exclusive worship and service and will not share it with false gods (see Isaiah 42:8).  Another reason why Israel was to forsake other gods was “lest the anger of the Lord thy God be kindled against thee, and destroy thee from off the face of the earth.”  If Israel didn’t want God’s anger “kindled” or hot towards them, it would be to their benefit not to follow other gods and make Him jealous.  If they did go after other gods, the penalty would be harsh and the judgment severe for Moses said that God would “destroy thee from off the face of the earth.”  Note:  For Israel, idolatry was considered the worst of all sins.  The prohibition against it was the very first commandment (see Exodus 20:3-5).  Death was the penalty for any individual who followed other gods or even enticed others to do it (see Exodus 22:20; Deuteronomy 13:6-10).  As for the nation as a whole, following other gods would lead to removal from their land (see Deuteronomy 4:25-27; 29:24-28).
C. Do not put the Lord to the test (see Deuteronomy 6:16).  In the last verse of this portion of our lesson, Moses further commanded the people that “Ye shall not tempt the Lord your God, as ye tempted him in Massah.”  The word rendered “tempt” here generally means to prove, test, or to put to the test instead of “entice to do wrong” which is the idea behind the word in English.  To “tempt the Lord your God” does not mean to get God to do evil, because He can’t be touched by that kind of temptation (see James 1:13).  It means to put God to a test to see whether He is faithful, or can be counted on.  When we do this it shows a lack of faith in His promises and power.  Moses went on to remind them of what happened to their forefathers when they “tempted (or tested) him (God) in Massah.”   The name “Massah” comes from a Hebrew word translated “tempt.”  It means proving, or test, and was the name given to the place where the children of Israel murmured against Moses because they had no water (see Exodus 17:1-6).  The specific reason for the name of this place was “because they tempted the Lord, saying, Is the Lord among us, or not (see Exodus 17:7)?”  Because there was no water, the people complained and questioned Whether God was with them.  The Lord did supply water, but the name “Massah” or “test” was a reminder of their unbelief.  Instead of having faith and taking God at His word, Israel questioned God’s faithfulness and demanded proof of His care and concern.  Note:  Do we sometimes find ourselves guilty of this same sin?  If things don’t go exactly according to our schedule, do we question God’s care and love?  To do that is to “tempt the Lord.”
III. THE LAW’S APPLICATIONS (Matthew 4:4-11).  This second portion of our lesson takes place just after Jesus was baptized, and the Holy Spirit came upon Him and His Father acknowledged that Jesus is “my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased” (see Matthew 3:16-17).  In Mark’s account we are told that “immediately the Spirit driveth him into the wilderness” (see Mark 1:12) where He fasted for forty days and forty nights (see Matthew 4:1-2).   As a result, He was hungry.  This confirmed His humanity, and made Him vulnerable for the devil’s first temptation which was to turn stones into bread (see Matthew 4:3).  Satan doesn’t usually tempt any of us in our areas of strength; instead he repeatedly tempts us where he knows we are weak and vulnerable.  Our lesson begins here with Jesus’ response to this first temptation.
A. Live by the Lord’s Word (Matthew 4:4).  Our first verse gives Jesus’ response to Satan’s temptation to turn stones into bread.  This verse says “But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”  Jesus didn’t just fulfill Old Testament Scripture; He used it repeatedly just as He did here.  This first temptation centered around the “lust (or desire) of the flesh” (see I John 2:16).  The devil wanted Jesus to turn a stone into bread (see Luke 4:3).  The words “It is written” calls attention to God’s Word or the Holy Scriptures which revealed God’s will.  It was God’s will for man to live according to His Word.  Jesus knew that acting outside of God’s will, even for the real purpose of feeding Himself would be sin.  He was in this condition of hunger at the leading of God’s Spirit for a divine purpose.  To Jesus, obeying God’s Word was more important than having bread to eat.  He fought off Satan’s first temptation (and subsequently all three temptations) by using the “sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (see Ephesians 6:17).  The scriptural passage that Jesus chose to combat Satan was Deuteronomy 8:3.  In that passage God said that He had led Israel into the wilderness in order to determine whether they would keep His commandments (see Deuteronomy 8:2).  God wanted Israel to know that obedience to His word is the most important value in life, even more important than satisfying physical hunger.  Like Jesus, we too can be deprived, yet content when we’re certain we are living in His will.  But in order to live in God’s will we must know His will which only comes from studying His Word (see Psalms 119:33-35; II Timothy 3:15-17).   By leaning on God’s Word, Jesus countered Satan’s first attack and won round one.  The score is Jesus 1, Satan 0!
B. Trust in the Lord wholly (Matthew 4:5-7).  
1. (vs. 5).  This verse says “Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple.”  Satan next took Jesus to the highest “pinnacle” or highest point of the temple.  This is believed to have been the southeast corner of the temple complex about 450 feet high overlooking the Kidron Valley.  We are not told if this happened physically or in a vision.  But since the scriptures don’t say, it’s best to see it happening just as the Bible says.
2. (vs. 6).  This verse is a continuation of the previous verse and presents the second temptation.  After Satan took Jesus to the highest point of the temple, he “saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.”  Once on top of the temple, Satan issued a second challenge.  He said, “If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down.”  The word “If” here should be understood as “since.”  Satan had no doubt that Jesus was the Son of God.  What he wanted in this temptation was for Jesus to jump from the temple to test God’s faithfulness in protecting Him.  Satan even used Scripture to make His point.  He said “for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.”  This second temptation was related to the “pride of life” (see I John 2:16).  Satan was suggesting that if Jesus jumped, the angels would keep Him from any harm including death.  Satan quoted from Psalms 91:11-12.  No doubt Satan thought that if Jesus wanted to play the quote the Scripture game, he could do that too!  However there were two things wrong with Satan’s use of this Scripture passage.  First, he left out the phrase “to keep thee in all thy ways” which is a reference to walking in God’s will.  Second, Satan misapplied the passage.  The context of this entire Psalm describes God’s protection of those who trust and obey Him.  It promises that God would deliver His people who fell into difficulties as they followed His will.  There is no indication that God’s protection is extended to those who decide to operate apart from Him and on their own.  Therefore, this passage as Satan used it didn’t apply to this situation at all.  Note:  It should be a warning to us that Satan knows Scripture and how to use it for his own benefit.  There are times when well-meaning people might lead us astray by giving bad advice based on some Bible verse taken out of context.  All Scripture should be used in the context of the passage it comes from and with other similar passages.  False doctrines are built upon selective truths found in the Bible.  We must stay aware and follow Christ’s teachings carefully.
3. (vs. 7).  In this verse “Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.”  Jesus countered Satan’s misuse of Scripture by quoting from another Scripture, Deuteronomy 6:16 in a way that agreed with the original context.  That Scripture text specifically says “Ye shall not tempt the Lord your God, as ye tempted him in Massah.”  It’s part of the first section of our lesson. For the second time Jesus leaned on God’s Word to counter Satan’s second attack, thus winning round 2.  The score is now Jesus 2, Satan 0.       
C. Worship the Lord only (Matthew 4:8-10).
1. (vs. 8).  This verse says “Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them.”  In Satan’s third and final temptation on this occasion, he took Jesus to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world.  How this happened is not explained but since no such mountain view exists and Luke 4:5 says it happened in “a moment of time,” many believe that it was through a vision.  But at any rate it was done supernaturally.
2. (vs. 9).  Satan, showing Jesus all the kingdoms of the world continued to say in this verse “All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.”  We may not know exactly how Satan showed Jesus all the kingdoms of the world, but we do know that his offer was legitimate, for he is “the prince of the power of the air” (see Ephesians 2:2) and “the god of this world” (see II Corinthians 4:4).  We currently live in a world that is largely Satan’s.  But his control is limited to only what God allows (see Job 1:6-12; 2:1-7).  Note:  Jesus knew that the earth rightfully belonged to Him and that He would eventually reign as King over it all (see Revelation 11:15).  Nevertheless, before He could rule over the earth, Jesus had to redeem the earth from sin.  He had to come to earth as a man so that He could be God’s Substitute for sinful human beings on the cross.  Before Jesus could wear the crown He had to endure the cross.  This third temptation was related to the “lust of the eyes” (see I John 2:16).  The devil offered Christ all the world’s kingdoms in exchange for worship.  For sure, the offer Satan made was tempting.  He would give the whole earth to Jesus if He would only fall down and worship him.  In other words, Satan was saying that Jesus could be King without having to go to the cross.  What a tragedy it would have been if Jesus had accepted this proposal!  By grabbing the crown Satan’s way, Jesus would have forfeited salvation for humans.  Besides, Satan was a usurper.  Only God could give authority over the earth, and He will one day give it to Jesus (see Philippians 2:9-11; Revelation chapter 5).  Note:  This gives us an insight into how the devil will often tempt us.  He said in essence that he could give Jesus something in a better way than God could.  If Jesus would take a different direction, He could more easily have what He desired.  How often have we veered away from God’s Word and will in hopes of achieving something in an easier way.  We then found out the hard way that it’s always best to do things God’s way, no matter the cost. 
3. (vs. 10).  This verse says “Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.”  Jesus rejected this last temptation outright.  He ordered “Satan” to “Get thee hence” or to leave Him.  “Satan” means “adversary” and is a correct title for him since he opposes God’s plan for Jesus and mankind.  But once again Jesus quoted the Bible saying “for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.”  This was a quote from both Deuteronomy 6:13 and 10:20 where God demanded complete worship and allegiance from Israel as they were about to enter Canaan.  Jesus knew that His Father would expect no less from His Son.  Note:  Instead of thinking that the end would justify the means, as we are frequently tempted to suppose, Jesus fixed His focus on worshipping the Lord and obeying His Word.  No one else is to share the worship that belongs exclusively to God.  There is no expected benefit that can ever justify disobeying what God has said.  Jesus resolutely loved God and lived by His Word.  Do you?   For the final time on this occasion, Jesus again leaned on God’s Word to counter Satan’s third attack, thus winning round 3.  The final score is Jesus 3, Satan 0.  Likewise, If we turn to God’s Word, the sword of the Spirit to fight Satan’s temptations, we too can be victorious everytime and Satan will continue to suffer defeat.
D.  Experience the Lord’s victory (Matthew 4:11).  Our final verse says “Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.”  Satan couldn’t stay around when Jesus ordered him to leave.  This reminds us of the words of James 4:7, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”  It’s ironic that Satan had just offered to be a giving master to Jesus, but Jesus’ authoritative response and Satan’s cowering obedience demonstrated who the real Master was.  Jesus had passed the tests successfully.  Rather than yield to temptation, Jesus was obedient to the Word and will of God.  As a result, the devil left him.  However, Satan left for only “a season” according to Luke 4:13.  Temptation would return later in other ways, but Jesus had established a behavior of obedience and trust that would characterize His ministry.  The last part of this verse says “and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.”  Immediately after the devil left, angels came and ministered to Jesus in His weakened, famished condition.  Most likely they provided food to nourish Him physically and fellowship to encourage Him emotionally.  Whatever Jesus needed, these angels provided.   Later near the end of His ministry, in His time of greatest need angels would again assist Him (see Luke 22:43).
                                  
IV. Conclusion.  Jesus was tested fully, but was victorious over every temptation that was presented to Him.  Satan tempted Jesus in the same ways that he tempted Eve in Eden (see Genesis 3:1-6), through the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (see I John 2:16).  He will tempt us in the very same ways.  However, Satan couldn’t find anything about Jesus that could cause Him to yield to temptation.  With each temptation, Jesus countered with scriptural principles that kept Him focused on God’s will. If the Son of God was victorious over temptations by using God’s Word, won’t we be as well?

 







 

Suffering to Glory

                                                                                            Sunday School Lesson                                           

Lesson: Isaiah 53:5-8; Luke 24:25-27, 44-47
                                                                                                 
Golden Text: “And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself” (Luke 24:27).

 INTRODUCTION.  Without doubt, the Old Testament prophets pointed to Jesus.  When the directions and descriptions are given in advance that will enable you to identify a particular person, it’s foolish to miss that person when he arrives.  Even with prophecy, the ancient Jews couldn’t grasp that their Messiah would have to experience suffering.  They expected Him to be a great Conqueror, but couldn’t accept Him hanging on a cross.  Even His most loyal disciples, as this week’s lesson shows had to have their minds changed to understand the full scope of His mission.  In this week’s lesson we will look at Isaiah’s prophecy of the Suffering Servant and at Jesus’ meetings with His disciples during which He explained the Old Testament prophecies of His sufferings, death and resurrection.
A DESCRIPTION OF CHRIST’S SUFFERING (Isaiah 53:5-8).   Isaiah 53 is part of the fourth Servant Song of the Book of Isaiah.  It begins with Isaiah 52:13 and continues through Isaiah 53:12.  The other three Servant Songs are found in Isaiah 42:1-9; 49:1-13, and 50:4-9.  In the fourth Servant Song in Isaiah 53, plural pronouns are used (see Isaiah 53:1-2 for the pronouns “our” and “we”) to either indicate that Isaiah was speaking for the remnant of Jewish believers or they were speaking for themselves.  At any rate, this week’s lesson text is preceded by Isaiah 53:1 which asks the question “Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?”  This question indicated how difficult it would be for Israel to accept the message about a suffering Messiah.  Isaiah’s report or message actually describes the life and death of our Lord as if it had already happened as seen in the use of the past tense.  In verse 2, Isaiah’s message stated that the Servant would grow up before the Lord, but there would be nothing special about His appearance that would attract people to Him.  He would be a normal looking human.  In verse 3, the prophet said that God’s Servant, the Messiah would be despised, rejected and familiar with suffering.  Still speaking in the past tense, verse 4 says that He had borne our sorrows, and the Jews failing to understand the true nature of Jesus’ suffering, concluded that He was “stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.”  In other words, they assumed that Jesus suffered because of His own sin.  This is where our lesson begins.
A. The reason for His suffering (Isaiah 53:5-6).
1. (vs. 5).  This verse says “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”  Verse 4 which is not part of our text, says that the people would think that Jesus was “smitten of God” because of His sins.  However, the word “But” in this verse indicates that such reasoning was incorrect.  Since Jesus would be sinless, the real reason for His suffering was substitutionary, because “he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities.”  Jesus died for our sins and took the punishment that we deserved.  The word “Wounded” in Hebrew means “pierced” referring to Jesus’ wounds on the cross caused by nails and a spear (see Zechariah 12:10; John 19:34; 20:25).  “Transgressions” are any acts of rebellion against God and His Word.  The word “bruised” means “crushed” and here it means to be pulverized by beatings.  The term “iniquities” refers to crooked, perverse behavior.  The phrase “the chastisement of our peace was upon him” means that the punishment that brought us peace with God, fell on Christ instead of us (see Ephesians 2:14-17; Colossians 1:20).  The word “stripes” refers to marks caused by scourging (see Matthew 27:26) and beating (see Matthew 27:30).  The term “healed” refers not to physical healing but to our spiritual healing from sin sickness and the gift of spiritual life that the Servant provided for sinners by dying on the cross (see Romans 6:23; II Corinthians 5:21).
2. (vs. 6).  This verse says “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.”  The focus of this Servant song briefly changes from the Servant’s death to the behavior that caused His death.  First, it’s because “All we like sheep have gone astray.”  The words “All we” includes everyone, both Jews and Gentiles (see Romans 3:10-12).  The phrase “like sheep have gone astray” pictures all sinners as straying sheep, helpless and unaware of their need for help.  Because we imitate the first parents (Adam and Eve), it’s not natural for the human race to seek fellowship with the true God.  But instead, sinful man prefers to follow paths of their own choosing (see Romans 5:12).  The second behavior that caused the Servant’s death was that “we have turned every one to his own way.”  This refers to personal responsibility.  We disobey God of our own free will, not because someone or something forces us to sin.  There is no truth to the saying that “the devil made me do it!”  We willingly choose not to enjoy the blessings of God’s green pastures.  The last part of this verse says “and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.”  The verb translated “hath laid” means to hit or strike violently.  So the terminology here sees “iniquity” or sin as being capable of causing serious injury as it did to Christ.  Each of us carries a load of iniquity that makes it impossible to have peace with God on our own.  We deserve to be punished if we are going to enjoy peace with God.  But the Lord chose to lay “on him (Christ) the iniquity of us all.”  We must be mindful that this was not just a shifting of our load to Christ.  As noted, the term “hath laid” means to hit or strike violently which perfectly describes the suffering Christ endured as our divine Substitute.
B.  The manner of His suffering (Isaiah 53:7-8).
1. (vs. 7).  This verse says “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.”  The Servant patiently endured being “oppressed” and “afflicted” by His tormentors.  Both high priests, Annas and Caiaphas (see Luke 3:2; John 18:13-14), Herod Antipas, the tetrarch of Galilee (see Luke 3:1; 23:11) and Pontius Pilate, all misused their authority in condemning a righteous man to death.  The soldiers abused Him physically (see Matthew 27:27-30), and the crowds mocked Him.  Through all of this, the Servant “opened not his mouth.”  He didn’t defend Himself before Pilate (see Matthew 24:14) and Peter wrote that Jesus “when he was reviled, reviled not again” (see I Peter 2:23).  In His submissiveness, Christ is likened to a lamb being brought out quietly to be slaughtered and a sheep being sheared without any resistance.
2. (vs. 8).  In this verse Isaiah continued to describe the Servant’s suffering.  He said “He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.”  Since Jesus was never imprisoned, the term “prison” can mean “unjust restraint.”  However, Jesus did face “judgment” at the hands of the Jewish religious leaders, as well as Herod and Pilate.  The question “and who shall declare his generation?” is best interpreted as “And who can speak of His descendents?”  The idea is that since Jesus was killed in the prime of life, He left no descendents.  This is supported by the phrase “for he was cut off out of the land of the living.”  In Scripture, the words “cut off” always refers to a violent and premature death (see Exodus 12:19; Numbers 9:13).  The last part of this verse says “for the transgression of my people was he stricken.”  This phrase brings us back to the theme of substitution.  The use of the words “my people” indicate that either Isaiah or God is speaking.  But either way, it refers to Israel.  They had transgressed or violated God’s law and deserved His judgment.  However, the Servant took their place and was “stricken” with God’s punishment (see Isaiah 53:10).
III. AN EXPLANATION OF CHRIST’S SUFFERING (Luke 24:25-27, 44-47).  This portion of our lesson takes place on the day of Jesus’ resurrection.  On that day after He arose, Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene, Peter and then His disciples.  However, Thomas was not present at that time (see John 20:18-20).  Later that day, two followers of Jesus were walking from Jerusalem to Emmaus which was about seven miles away.  However, the Scriptures give us the name of only one of those disciples, Cleopas.  They were disciples as in followers of Jesus.  They were not part of the Eleven.  As they walked along, these two disciples were discussing the things that had happened during the previous three days.  While they were talking, Jesus came up and began to walk along with them, but they didn’t recognize Him.  Seeing that they were downcast, demoralized and confused, Jesus asked them what they were talking about.  They then questioned if He was aware of the things that had happened in Jerusalem.  Jesus replied, what things?  At that point they went on to tell Him everything that had happened to Jesus in the last three days including finding His tomb empty (see Luke 24:13-24).   This is where the next portion of our lesson begins.
A. A rebuke for unbelief (Luke 24:25-26). 
1. (vs. 25).  This verse says “Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken.”  After hearing their sad story, Jesus took over the conversation.  The Greek word for “fools” means “lacking in understanding.”  Their lack of understanding caused these two disciples to be “slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken.”  Because of unbelief, these disciples failed to consider and understand the things the prophets, including Jesus had said (see Psalms 16:8-10; Luke 24:9).  It appears that they only focused on the Scriptures that foretold the Messiah’s glorious reign and not His death and resurrection.
2. (vs. 26).  Jesus went on to ask “Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?”  The words “Ought not” means “Wasn’t it necessary.”  For sure, nothing in Jesus’ life happened by accident, not even His death (see Luke 2:49; 4:43; 19:5; 21:9).  In order for Christ to “enter into his glory” it was necessary that He “suffered these things,” referring to all the things that Jesus endured, from His betrayal to His crucifixion.  Jesus had to die before He was glorified (see Philippians 2:5-11), and His disciples, like the prophets, should have believed this even though they didn’t understand.  Note:  Christ’s glory began with His resurrection (see Acts 17:3) but also includes His ascension into heaven where He would take the most exalted position in the universe (see Psalms 110:1; Acts 2:33-36; Hebrews 8:1; 12:2).  He will reach the fullness of glory when He returns to reign on earth (see Daniel 7:13-14; Matthew 26:64; Revelation 1:7; 19:11-16).  However, none of this would have been possible without His death.      
B. An exposition of messianic prophecies (Luke 24:27).  This verse says, “And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.”  The term “expounded” means to explain the meaning, or to interpret the significance of something.  In order to explain to these two disciples the things “concerning himself,” Jesus started with “Moses and all the prophets.”  This was Luke’s way of referring to the entire Old Testament Scriptures, but the Hebrew Scriptures were actually divided into three sections, the Law, the Prophets, and the Writings.  The phrase “he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself” means that Jesus went through the entire Hebrew Scriptures and covered all the passages that referred to Him.  As previously mentioned, these disciples didn’t recognize Jesus, but we can be assured that  Jesus’ teachings had a tremendous effect on them because later when they thought about what Jesus had taught them they said “Did not our heart burn within us…while he opened to us the scriptures” (see Luke 24:32). 
C. A reminder of Scripture’s fulfillment (Luke 24:44).  As they approached Emmaus, Jesus acted as if He was going farther.  But since evening was near, the two disciples urged Him to stay with them.  Jesus agreed and went in and sat down to eat with them.  However, after Jesus gave thanks for the food, their eyes were opened and they recognized Him and He disappeared from their sight (see Luke 24:24-32).  They immediately got up to return to Jerusalem to share this good news with the Eleven and others who were present with them (see Luke 24:33-35).  But while they talked with the other disciples, Jesus appeared in their midst.  This frightened them because they thought they saw a ghost.  Jesus calmed them and reassured them that it was Him.  As further proof, He showed them the wounds in His hands and feet and ate food in their presence (see Luke 24:36-43).  The second portion of our lesson begins here.  Verse 44 then says “And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.”  Jesus reminded the group that when He was with them He told them that everything that happened to Him “must be fulfilled” meaning it was the necessary fulfillment of God’s plan.  The things concerning Him were “written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms.”  The Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms (or Writings) were the three major divisions of the Old Testament.  Therefore, all parts of Scripture bore witness of Christ.
D.  An enlightenment of understanding (Luke 24:45-47).
1. (vs. 45).  This verse says “Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures.”  Jesus opened the understanding of the disciples making clear the spiritual truths of Scripture about Him.  Jesus did for this group of believers what He had done for the two disciples who had been travelling to Emmaus.  He illuminated their minds so that they could see Him throughout all of the Old Testament Scriptures.  Jesus had the power to enlighten the minds of believers and would later assign that same power to the Holy Spirit (see John 14:25-26; 15:26).
2. (vs. 46).  This verse says “And (Jesus) said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day.”  With the words “Thus it is written” Jesus summed up the things written about Him in the Old Testament that “it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day.”  The word “behooved” means necessary and reminds us of verse 44, that “all things must be fulfilled.”  Jesus pointed out two things that were necessary for Him to fulfill.  First, it was necessary for “Christ to suffer.”  His suffering and death were prophesied with great detail in the Old Testament (see Psalms 22:14-18; Isaiah 43:7-9).  It was also necessary for Christ to “rise from the dead the third day.”  Christ’s resurrection was also prophesied in the Old Testament (see Psalms 16:10-11; Isaiah 53:11-12).  This is the essence of the gospel message.  The Apostle Paul described the gospel as the good news that Christ died, was buried, and rose on the third day” (see I Corinthians 15:3-4).
3. (vs. 47).   Jesus stated here in our final verse that the Scriptures also taught “that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.”  This is a reference to the gospel message.  The term “repentance” means “to change one’s mind.”  In repentance we change our minds from a desire to live in sin to a willingness to live for Christ.  Simply put, when one repents, he or she turns away from sin, disobedience, or rebellion and turns toward God.  The Greek word translated “remission” in the New Testament is often rendered as “forgiveness.”  In the Greek, “remission” means “to send away” or “to cast away.”  Throughout Scripture, this is the fundamental meaning of forgiveness---to cast away sin from the sinner.  As we preach the gospel, people who believe it repent of their sins, and also receive forgiveness for their sins.   Jesus also stated that this gospel “should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.”  The gospel was not for Jews only.  It was for people from every nation.  No one is to be excluded from hearing it (see Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:15; Acts 1:8).  Even the Old Testament speaks of salvation being extended to Gentiles or non-Jews (see Isaiah 49:6; 56:6-7).  The spreading of this good news was to be preached in the name of Jesus to all nations “beginning at Jerusalem.”  It was in Jerusalem that all that happened to Christ took place so it was fitting that the gospel of salvation would begin there.  Note:  Verses 48 and 49 are not part of our printed text but we should note that in those verses, Jesus concluded talking with His disciples by reminding them that they were witnesses to everything that had happened.  They were also ordained, or chosen to spread this good news (see Luke 24:48; Acts 1:8; 2:32).  But Jesus also encouraged them that God would give them the power to perform this task (see Luke 24:49).
 
                        
IV. Conclusion.  In order to understand and grasp Christ’s glory, we must have a deep appreciation for His suffering.  In a very real sense, before He took on the form of man and came into this sin-cursed world, He understood that suffering would dominate His ministry.  However, He willingly endured affliction and humiliation at the hands of His despisers to rescue man from the clutches of the enemy.  Because of His love for us, we can share in His glory---that great reward awaiting the faithful.

 







 

 

 

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