Bible In A Year: The Gospel Of Luke & Acts

The Gospel of Luke presents an orderly account of the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Throughout the Gospel, Jesus proclaims the kingdom of God, calls sinners to repentance, teaches His disciples, and demonstrates compassion toward the needy, the outcast, and the lost. Luke highlights God’s salvation plan fulfilled in Christ and invites readers to respond in faith to the Savior who came to seek and to save the lost.

Transcript

Welcome And Where We Are

SPEAKER_00 0:00

You're listening to Teach Me the Bible podcast. Our mission is to help the people of God understand the Word of God. Join us each Monday and Thursday for new episode releases. Listen to our full library of content at teachmethebible.com or by downloading the Teach Me the Bible app from any app store. You're listening to Teach Me the Bible Podcast.

SPEAKER_02 0:27

Welcome back to Teach Me the Bible Podcast. My name is Alex Wolfe. I'm here again with Dr. David Klingler, and we are going through the story of the Bible in a year in an effort to help the people of God understand the word of God. And so we're continuing to walk through, we're we're recently just getting into the New Testament and walking through the Gospels. We've done Matthew, Mark, and John, which might seem a little bit out of order to you if you're following along in the English Bible. But we're going to do Luke Acts today, and we'll talk a little bit more about why those are together, why we're including them together, and why they seem out of order.

Why Luke And Acts Pair Up

SPEAKER_02 1:10

And so I'm going to toss it to you and you can walk us through it.

Dr. David Klingler 1:13

Yeah. So you have four Gospels. There's a couple places in the Bible where the story, history, what happens at that time is told in different books. You've got uh Kings and Chronicles, uh, and some of the prophets you even rehearse the same uh the same wording, sometimes in the exact same way, uh, exact same, you know, word for word. Um you see that in Kings and Chronicles. You also see that in the New Testament in Luke, Matthew, and Mark. We call that the synoptics. And so so the synoptic gospels, uh, I don't know why they call it that, but um there's a debate on which one was written first, Matthew or Mark. Um doesn't particularly matter, but there's not a debate that Luke was written after Matthew and Mark, then probably John was written last. That's that's how people tend to think about these things and put them together. Uh but Luke is a little different because uh Luke is written to set up the book of Acts. Right. And so the message of Luke really is being guided by what happened to Paul and the other uh folks in Paul's group, uh, you know, Timothy,

Luke’s Prologue And Eyewitness Purpose

Dr. David Klingler 2:35

um course Luke would be in that group, and uh and so many of the others that we tend to associate with uh uh with Paul. Uh and that's how the Gospel of Luke begins. It begins this way, insomuch as many have undertaken a compiled account of the things accomplished among us. Us would include Luke. Uh, and Luke isn't in the Gospel of Luke. And so when you're thinking about Luke, you need to be thinking about Acts. Right. What happens to us, and and we've mentioned this in past weeks, is that we don't know the story or the gospel of Luke or the Gospel of Matthew. Uh we know the story of Jesus walking on the water, the story of Jesus healing the blind guy or raising the dead guy. But it but we don't see how it fits into the story that Luke or Matthew or Mark or even John is telling. And so everything that's being said here is setting up the book of Acts. Let me let me give you some examples. So this says, just as those who were, this is in chapter 1, verse 2, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word handed them down to us. And so uh you're starting to see the uh what was what the apostles saw and what they were entrusted with. Uh the eyewitnesses and servants of the word handed them down to us, the second generation of believers, the third generation of believers. Um he continues, it seemed fitting for me uh as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning to write it out for you in consecutive order, is how the New American Standard translates it. Uh NIV, I think, does uh orderly account, something like that. Most high or most excellent Theophilus. An orderly account, a consecutive

Orderly Does Not Mean Chronological

Dr. David Klingler 4:25

order. For us, that sounds chronological. Right. But uh Luke really isn't Luke's not so. If we go over to chapter three, here's where you'll see it. Here's where you'll see what he's doing. We know from the other gospel accounts um that uh that John the Baptist baptized Christ. Um but in chapter three, verse twenty, John the Baptist is in prison. In the next next verse, it's the baptism of Christ by John the Baptist. So either he was released from prison or there's something else going on here. Well, here's what's going on is is it's an orderly account. Uh he begins his gospel with the birth announcement of John the Baptist, then the birth announcement of Jesus, uh, and then uh the the Mary visits Elizabeth. The mother of Jesus visits the mother. Uh you know, they meet. The mother of Jesus meets the uh the mother of John the Baptist, uh, and then the birth of John the Baptist, uh, and then the birth of Jesus, um, and then the ministry of John the Baptist, and then the ministry of Jesus. Uh, and so that's how it's an orderly account. And so uh in chapter three begins with the uh with the ministry of John the Baptist, uh, and it ends in his imprisonment and death. Uh, and then chapter three, verse uh thirty uh twenty-one begins with the baptism of Jesus, which begins his ministry. Now, why is this important?

Acts 1 And Replacing Judas

Dr. David Klingler 6:00

Well, yeah, why why is he mentioning this? Well, because if you flip over to Acts, Acts chapter one, at the end of Acts chapter one. Now, if you know the story, you know what happens that that Judas betrays Christ and uh and uh you know he's as um you know kind of out as one of the one of the twelve. And so in at the end of chapter one of Acts, the disciples are going to replace uh Judas according to uh what was you know explained in the in the Old Testament, uh it's fulfillment of prophecy, let no man dwell in it, and let his field uh let his office another man take. This is Psalm 109, verse 8. Uh picking up in chapter 1, verse 21. It is therefore necessary that of the men who accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went out uh in and out from among us, beginning with the baptism of John, until the day that he was taken up. One of these should become a witness with us of his resurrection. Now, witness, what kind of witness? Eyewitness. Eyewitness. Uh yeah, it's eyewitness. Uh, and uh they put forward two men, Joseph and Barsabas, and uh uh and um yeah and they drew lots uh and it fell upon uh Matthias. And you know, so it's Joseph called Barsabbas and Matthias, and Matthias is uh is chosen, and so he takes his place. Now that's important. Right. Just you know, we we do so much of this uh, you know, Acts 1.8, you know, uh you hear so much of you know missions, you know, whatever. You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit, and you shall be my witnesses. Well, uh the the witness there is the eyewitness. You will be my the eyewitness account is what's going to be taken out. Um

What “Witness” Really Means

Dr. David Klingler 7:55

we we aren't witnesses of Christ in the sense that they're talking about it here. Um you know, and they all you do this. John John, and we talked about this, what what uh what we have seen, what we have heard, we proclaim to you. That's first John. Um the the word became flesh and tabernacle among us, that's the gospel of John. Uh and so Peter's going to say in 2 Peter, we have the prophetic word made more sure, would you do it would do well to pay attention? Uh and so the the eyewitness account is what is taken to the ends of the earth. And passed down. Uh and this is yeah, and this is what's passed down. So that's what Luke is explaining that just as those who were eyewitnesses and servants of the word handed them down to us, it seemed fitting for me, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in consecutive order, most high Theophilus. So this is uh pretty standard. Um you know, in other words, the the the the the eyewitnesses are the their it's their account that's being taken to the ends of the earth. Um, and and so that's important to point out. Now, um, you know, we've got uh we're just trying to get through Luke Acts in maybe 30 minutes, something like that. And so we can't go into to great detail. Um, but if you will read Luke Acts, let me give you some examples of how Luke, as the storyteller, tells his story, and the way that he forms this story

Luke’s Big Story Threads

Dr. David Klingler 9:30

uh is important. So in chapter you know, one through three, there's the you know, we we talked about that, the birth announcement of John the Baptist, the birth announcement of Jesus, the birth of John the Baptist, the birth of Jesus, the ministry of John the Baptist, and now the ministry of Jesus. Ministry of Jesus begins with his baptism and then his temptation, which proves that he is the last Adam, the one who has come uh to fix the problem of Genesis chapter 3. Uh, and he comes cast out casting out demons, um, healing fever, all of those curses that were put on Israel in the Old Testament, the demons coming in, the the false gods, the foreign gods coming in, all of it. Uh, he is uh he is going to um be able to fix that. Um uh and then he starts to call his disciples and he heals uh the paralytic. All of these are signs that he is the promised one of the old testament.

unknown 10:30

Right.

Dr. David Klingler 10:30

Okay, and as it is in Matthew and Mark, Israel rejects him, and so he begins to teach Israel in parables. And so the parables kind of begin in uh in chapter seven, chapter eight. Christ is revealing the mystery of the kingdom to his disciples. That's not new, that's in Matthew and Mark as well. Uh, but the way that Luke tells his story uh is for Theophilus. What does Luke want Theophilus to do with the story? Uh think about why we tell stories. Um why do you why do you tell a story to to someone? Um, well, uh here's the example. You've you've heard this, Alex. We Alex is uh in our PhD program and he's been at the seminary. Um so you've probably heard all of the stories, all the examples. But but um, you know, let's say that uh you know I use this, uh it it's you know it's not a true illustration, but but but it illustrates the point. Let's say I'm driving down the road here and and I see a wreck, and you know, and I kind of take in all the the historical factual details of it. You know, I was a witness, I saw it. And then a few days later, let's uh let's say that one of my sons is texting and driving, or you know, or I'm texting, but let's say I wouldn't want to make it about me because I let's make it about them, right? So I've got to crack them. So I say, let me tell you a story. Uh yeah, you know, the other day I was driving down this same road and I saw a guy about kill himself right here, texting and driving. You, you know, well, I'm recounting this historical event, but I'm re I'm telling that story in really short form for the purpose of communicating a message. You shouldn't be doing this. This isn't smart, right? Um refer I'm using that event to make a point. Uh let's say a few days later, and this this uh

Read Scenes Not Headings

Dr. David Klingler 12:25

uh let's say that my you know wife wanted to borrow, we have a little ranch vehicle, and there was a time when the tires were pretty bald on it, and she said, Hey, can you mind if I take that uh ran? I said, Yeah, go ahead. But be careful, because it's been raining out there, you know. Yeah, I don't have to say that. I mean, be careful because you know, the other day I saw a guy hydroplane out there on that that freeway and about killed himself. Well, what was he texting or was he high what was he, you know, the well, all of it, right? But not all of the details of the story are relevant to make the point that the storyteller is trying to make. And so yeah, and and so why is Luke telling this story to Theophilus? And what does Luke want Theophilus to do with it? And that's why you can't mix the gospels together, right? Uh and so you'll you'll see these consistent things that happen through the story. For example, in chapter five, um in chapter five, uh it says, and after that, I'm in five twenty-seven, uh, he, Jesus, went out and noticed a tax gatherer named Levi sitting in the tax office. And he said to him, Follow me. And he left uh everything behind and rose and began to follow him. And Levi gave a big reception uh for him and his house. Now, here's one of the things you have to do to get get better at reading the gospels, reading the Bible, is you've got to disregard the the chapter breaks, you have to disregard the verse numbers, and you have to really disregard uh those subheadings that they kind of jam in there, right? Because they kind of interpret it for you, though. Well, yeah, and and they make you think that that's a you know that that that there's this one verse or this two verses, and and then you go to a new section. That's not

Meals With Sinners And Irony

Dr. David Klingler 14:20

what's going on. Right. Uh story works by scenes, uh, and so you just you've got to read the scene until the end of the scene. And so the scene is continuing. And so then Levi gave a big reception for him in his house, and there was a great crowd of tax gatherers and other people uh who are reclining at the table with him. Now let's let's stop there. Um, tax gathers. Um, you're gonna see these tax gathers and sinners all the way through the gospel of Luke. You don't you don't see this emphasis in others, uh other gospels, but here uh you do. And the Pharisees uh and their scribes, that's another group, right? So you're gonna have tax gathers and sinners, you're gonna have Pharisees and scribes, you're gonna have Jesus, and you have the disciples. Those are like the four main groups. You also have the multitudes. Well, let's say there's five. There's five groups there, and how Jesus interacts with these different groups, but the disciples are supposed to be there and watch how Jesus acts with the tax gathers and the sinners, with the Pharisees and the scribes, uh, and they are supposed to understand that they're not to do what the Pharisees think, they're to do what Jesus says. And so, and so the Pharisees and scribes begin grumbling at his disciples, saying, Why do y'all eat and drink with tax gathers and sinners? Now, that exact question is going to come up in chapter 15. Um, in fact, all through the gospel of Luke, Jesus is eating with sinners. Now, most of the time he's eating with the Pharisees, right? They just don't recognize their sinners. And and and that's intentional. It's not like, oh, isn't that a neat little observation you made? No, no, no. Um, this is Luke's point. Uh, that uh uh that Jesus came to save sinners, and the Pharisees don't recognize their sinners. That's the problem, right?

SPEAKER_02 16:15

And they're accusing him of eating with sinners.

Dr. David Klingler 16:17

So it's ironic. Yeah, there's this great uh great irony here, and so so all the way through uh this gospel, you have Jesus eating with sinners, going into the house of the uh to the Pharisees to to break bread with them, and uh and uh and so you're gonna get this all the way all the way through there. Um so that's one of the kind of storylines

Least Is Greatest For Disciples

Dr. David Klingler 16:40

that's going. Another uh is uh the um Jesus is going to call his disciples these these little ones. You know, these uh and that's the language he's gonna use, these micros, these uh the these little ones. It's translated probably the least of you, something like that. Um ironically, the Pharisees think they're a big deal, right? Right. And the disciples, they're arguing about who's the biggest deal, right? Who's the greatest? And uh and so an argument, this is uh so we're gonna return back to this, you know, eating with tax gathers and sinners along the way. Um you know, you're watching the Pharisees not recognize their sinners, and you're watching the disciples fall into some of the same thinking as uh uh as the the tax gathers and sinners. And uh and so an argument arises among the the disciples, and and they're saying, uh, you know, hey, um, which one of us is the greatest? Uh and Jesus, knowing what they were thinking in his heart, took a child and stood him by his side and said to him, Whoever receives this child in my name, I'm I'm in uh in chapter nine, verse forty-eight, uh whoever receives this child in my name receives me. And whoever receives uh receives me, receives him who sent me. For he who is my cross, least, and that language is used all throughout the book, chapter 7, 28, uh here, 948, again in 1232, and 172, and 1930. In other words, this language is going to flow through the whole story. He's gonna return to this language over and over and over. Whoever um receives me receives him who sent me. And for he who is my cross, who is least among you, this one is he who is great. Uh, and so um, you know, the story continues. Uh, Israel is rejected, Jesus is teaching in uh in parables, all of that is similar to

The Seventy Sent With Authority

Dr. David Klingler 18:40

the other synoptics, and Jesus sends out the disciples. This is in chapter 10. Jesus sends out 70. Um uh and he gives them instruction. This is in uh chapter 10, verse 16. The one who listens to you listens to me. Now that sounds very familiar to what he just said when he set the child in front of them. And the one who rejects you rejects me, and he who rejects me rejects him who sent me. And so the he sends them out, the the seventy return, they says they return with joy, and the uh and uh they they they said, Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name. So what Jesus was doing earlier, casting out demons, now they're doing. Uh and I was watching, and uh and Christ responded to them, I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning. Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and all over all the power of the enemy. Right? This is you know, powerful stuff. Uh, nevertheless, do not rejoice at this that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven. At that very time, he rejoiced greatly in the Holy Spirit and said, I praise you, oh Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent. Now, uh stories always are played out with characters, right? Uh and so who would be the wise and intelligent? Well, there's only a couple groups you have to choose from, and and it's not those who are actually wise and intelligent, those who claim to be the Pharisees and the scribes, right? Right? They claim to be wise and intelligent. Uh but uh he's so Jesus says, I thank you, Lord, that you didn't reveal these things to the wise and the intelligent, right? But you revealed them to babes, children, right? Babes. Yes, Father, for thus it was well pleasing in your sight. All things uh have been handed over to me by my father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, uh, and who the Father is except the Son, and anyone whom the Father or the Son wills to reveal the Father. And turning to his disciples, he said to them, Blessed are your eyes, because they see. Um for I say to you, many prophets and kings wished to see the things which you see and didn't see, and hear the things which you hear and didn't hear it. Right? And so uh Jesus' illustration of the child, who's going to be greatest? What's the one who does what Jesus is sending them out to do? Yeah, wow. Uh and uh and so he who listens to you listens to me. And so so you've got the the wet, you know, the the uh the banquet, the the eating uh with sinners going through here, and that eating with sinners is going to kind of transition into a wedding banquet, this wedding banquet imagery of the Old Testament. Uh you've got um uh this whole uh children micros least of these running through there. And the question is how is Theophilus to be rich towards God? To be great towards God, not great towards men. The Pharisees think they are rich. They uh they value money, they value their possessions, uh, they don't view themselves as sinners, they won't humble themselves. The tax gathers and sinners are contrasted. They're the group that is being contrasted with the the Pharisees. They're coming to Jesus. They're listening to him. They're repenting. And they're going to flow all the way through through the story. So let's pick up that that

Banquet Parables And Kingdom Refusal

Dr. David Klingler 22:25

banquet eating theme and let's flesh that out a little bit more. So this is in uh in chapter uh um oh chapter 14. Uh Jesus uh it came about when Jesus went in the house of one of the leaders of the Pharisees on the Sabbath to eat bread. There he is, eating with sinners again, and they're watching him closely. Uh and there was a and in walks a sinner, in walks uh a man suffering from dropsy. And of course the Pharisees would think, well, that's why you're a sinner. You know, that's why you have dropsy because you're a sinner, right? God's cursing you. Yeah, yeah, you're under God's curse. That's right. And so Jesus answered and spoke to the lawyers uh and uh saying, um now he's on the Sabbath to eat bread, so you know the question is is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not? But they remained silent. And so he took hold of him, the man suffering from dropsy, healed him, and sent him away. All right, so the only ones standing there are the Pharisees and uh and uh and Jesus. Um and um and so the man suffering from dropsy is gone. And and then he, Jesus, said to them, What man among you all? If you had a son or an ox and some oldest manuscripts read donkey or ox, that would actually align with with what is said in the law.

unknown 23:46

Right.

Dr. David Klingler 23:47

Fall into a well, a hole on the Sabbath day will not immediately pull it out, right? Uh and they could not reply to this. And so he begins to speak to them in uh to the you know, uh a parable because he saw how the invited guests were kind of taking their seat of honor, right? Um viewing themselves as important, viewing themselves as great, right? Uh so in other words, they're doing exactly what the disciples were doing. Which one of us is you know is great? Oh man, no, you don't get it. See, the one who's greatest is least.

SPEAKER_02 24:24

Yeah, that's good.

Dr. David Klingler 24:25

All right, and so uh and and so you you you have these these kind of subplots coming together, merging together in the story, right? Uh and so they're doing uh what they shouldn't be doing, they're viewing themselves as great. And he says, No, no, here's what you do. You you take the last seat. When someone invites you, you go and you take the last seat, and then uh when the you know the one who invited you, the uh you know, he comes to you and he says, Move up, right? Then uh you will have honor in the sight of all who are at the table with you. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled. Uh you know, if you take your high spot and the and the the one who invited you comes and says, Give your place to another, move down, you'll be That's embarrassing. Yeah, you'll be humbled, right? So whoever who exalts himself will be humbled, and uh, whoever humbles himself will be exalted. Now, that that goes back to chapter one, the Mary and the Magnificant. It goes, uh, and the exact same wording is going to be at the end of this section in chapter 18, chapter 18, verse 14. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, everyone who humbles himself will be exalted. Uh, and he continues, he went on to say, uh, when you give a luncheon or dinner, don't invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or your rich neighbors, lest they invite you in return and you have your repayment. Now, this is important. Um, because the Jews think that they, uh, the Pharisees and the scribes, they thought that they were justified before God because they're Jews, be because they were blessed. Because look at, you know, look at us. We're all rich, you know. Um and Jesus said, Don't do that. Uh, but when you give a reception, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, since they do not have the means to repay you, for you will be repaid in the resurrection of the righteous. Now, they view themselves as righteous, but are not. Um and when one of those who was reclining at the table heard this, he said, Blessed is everyone who is bred in the kingdom. Now, this is just an aside. This is good. Um parables always move the plot of the story, right? So someone will say something, and Jesus will respond by telling a parable. And the parable addresses exactly what that character just said. So um, so if you actually, you know, kind of, you know, I'm gonna speak heresy here for a minute, right? If you just ignore the red letters, you know, if you have a red letter Bible, uh the the storyteller is gonna guide you down the trail. So Jesus responds to this statement, right? Uh, blessed is everyone who eats bread in the kingdom. And Jesus basically says, Let me tell you a story about why you're not gonna be there, right? Um, a certain man was giving a big dinner. Now, this is a, you know, and he invited many, and uh, this is like a wedding feast, a wedding banquet. And at the dinner, he sent out his slave and said uh he said, Go uh to those who they translated have been invited. It's actually those who've been called, right? That that's uh those who've been called, come, for everything is ready now. But they all alike began to make excuses. The first one, I've gone, I bought, bought a piece of land, and all of these excuses are coming right out of Deuteronomy chapter 20. Israel was to take the land. Uh, if they were fearful that they would not be able to take the land or they would die in battle, then they had kind of out clauses, they had excuses. They I look, I don't want to participate in in the taking the land, I don't want to participate in uh in entry into the kingdom. And here they're doing the same thing. They're rejecting entry into the kingdom, rejecting the invitation.

SPEAKER_02 28:09

Wow.

Dr. David Klingler 28:11

Uh and another one said, I'm married, I can't come. And and the slave came back and reported to the master. Then the head of the household became angry, right? So we're still head of the household in invitation, all this is still playing out, right? So this isn't snowballing, you know, it's not a good thing. The plot's moving, the story's moving right along. Uh, and so uh the head as head of the household, you know, that's God the Father, the slave is Jesus, and he's gone out to you know, invite all those who were called, right? To to say, hey, you know, time to come to the wedding banquet. Um then the head of the household became angry and said uh to the slave, go out at once into the streets and the lanes of the cities, uh, the lanes of the city. What city? Well, Jerusalem, go into the lanes of Jerusalem, go into the city, and bring in here the poor and the crippled and the blind and the lame. Now, those are the very people who have been coming to Jesus through this whole story. And the slave said to the master, What you've commanded I've done, and there's still room. And the master said to the slave, Go into the highways and along the hedges and compel them to come into my house. Go go outside of the city, go, you know, g go to Judea, Samaria, and to the remotest parts, and compel them to come in. Yeah, it's the book of Acts. For I tell you that none of those men who are invited shall taste of my dinner. And now a great multitude were uh coming alongside him and he turned and he said to them, If anyone comes after me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Now, this is a one of those verses that's in direct contradiction. If you just read it at face value, you don't put it into the context of the story, uh, you'd say, Well, Jesus is saying opposite what Moses says. Honor your father and mother. Uh, what Paul says to the Ephesians, you know, honor your father and mother, quotes uh quotes the commandments, the the Exodus 20, Deuteronomy chapter 5 commandments. No, what he's saying here is uh righteousness is not about being a Jew, about being rich, uh, about relying on your rich friends, on your heritage, on your genealogy. Um doesn't matter that you're a child of Abraham. It doesn't matter uh who your father and mother are, your children, you know, you know, your wife or children, your brothers or sisters. Uh it matters that you follow Christ, right? Yeah. Uh which is exactly uh the the disciples are following Christ. They're learning to the Pharisees, the scribes and Pharisees, think they have enough righteousness on their own. They don't think that they're uh they're sinners. And so, you know, they think they have enough righteousness to enter the kingdom.

SPEAKER_02 30:57

Yeah. Well, I think, you know, even back in chapter 13, they're knocking on the door of the house trying to get in, and he said, Why should I let you in? Well, he says, You taught in our streets. Yeah, you taught in our streets. We're Jews, you know.

Dr. David Klingler 31:11

Yeah, we get in. Uh, he actually says there, if you if you'll notice, uh, he he says uh that um uh it's actually back even a little bit more uh with this parable uh of the uh this is back in chapter 11. Uh uh suppose that you have a friend, yeah, you know, and he shall come to him at midnight and say, Friend, uh lend me three loaves, right? So there's this person who comes at night, and and and the friend uh for a friend of mine has come to me in a journey, and and and I have nothing to set before him. Right. So here's this you know, this guy who realizes, uh-oh, I my friend has come. Yeah, you know, he's so he's inviting his own friend, his friends come to his house. Yeah. Um uh and from the inside I shall answer and say, Do not bother me, the door is already been shut, and my children and I are in bed. Yeah, so so it's the same thing, same story uh all the way through here. And so you've got to read it as a unified story that's continuing on. And and so back to chapter 14, Jesus tells this uh this dinner. He says, Look, you you've got to you have enough to you know, you think you have enough righteousness, but you don't. Your tower is gonna be laughed at, your tower of righteousness is gonna be laughed at by God. When the opposing king comes in battle, you're gonna realize you're you're woefully uh outmanned. You don't have enough righteousness to get in. Uh and and so um back to

Lost Sheep Coin Son Reframed

Dr. David Klingler 32:45

the story, chapter 15. There was all the tax gathers and sinners were coming near to listen to him. Exactly what was happening in the last chapter, and the Pharisees and the Gribes are uh Pharisees and the scribes are grumbling again, saying this man receives sinners and eats with him. He tells them three stories back to back to explain why he receives tax gathers and sinners and why they reject him. Uh and so the parable of the lost sheep, the parable of the lost son, uh uh uh and the lost coin and lost son, all three of those stories are to answer the question why doesn't he eat? You know, why does he eat with tax gathers and sinners? And more importantly, why don't the Pharisees and the scribes? Chapter 16. Um in other words, chapter 15 is not about uh if you're a sinner and you've lost your way, return to Jesus goes after you and all this stuff. Yeah, no, no, that that that's not it. Um uh chapter 15 uh is about is contrasting what the Pharisees care about, money uh and possessions, right? Their sheep, uh, their uh their coins, uh, and what Jesus cares about, what heaven cares about, what the father cares about, sinners who repent, right? And so when the Pharisee finds the sheep he lost, right, what man among you? So Jesus in chapter 15 is not the owner of the sheep, he's not a shepherd. Um uh he told them this parable saying, What man among you? So the you is the one if he owns a hundred sheep and lost one. In other words, it's the Pharisee that owns the sheep and lost one. What would you do? You'd go find it, and when you find it, you'd throw a party. Why? Because you value your sheep in the same way, verse seven. I tell you that in the same manner, there's rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents. See, heaven cares about sinners who repent, uh not lost sheep.

unknown 34:41

Right?

Dr. David Klingler 34:41

That's good. Or one, what coin? You know, uh if you lost your coin, a woman lost her coin, she'd sweep the house. But uh heaven doesn't care about coins, heaven cares about sinners who repent. In the third story, a sinner repents. And the father in this story receives him just like Jesus has been doing through the whole gospel. And what does he do? He throws a party. Of course he does, because that which is lost is found. But now the Pharisee, the older brother, is outside saying, I ain't coming in there, right? Because uh, this son of yours who squandered your wealth, you never gave me a kid so that I could rejoice with my friend. See, he cares about the money, he cares about the sheep, he doesn't care about the brother, his brother, who's returned, which is the Pharisee's problem. And so the Pharisee is going to have his stewardship taken from him.

Rich Man Lazarus And Scripture

Dr. David Klingler 35:35

That's the next chapter. Now the Pharisees, um, who were lovers of money, were listening to these things and scoffing at him. That's pretty explicit there, doesn't it? Right? And so he tells them another story.

SPEAKER_02 35:47

Yeah.

Dr. David Klingler 35:48

Rich man Lazarus, right? Uh there was a certain rich man, uh think Pharisee, who uh used to live in splendor and all this stuff, and there was a poor man, uh, a tax gatherer or a sinner who had nothing. And he uh and uh, you know, and so this uh this rich man died, they both died, and the rich man goes to you know to Hades, and the poor man is in Father Abraham's bosom. And the rich man says, Now wait a second, Father Abraham, you don't understand.

SPEAKER_02 36:18

Uh-oh.

Dr. David Klingler 36:20

Father Abraham says, Well, excuse me, but I'm not the one in hell. Maybe it's that you're the one that doesn't understand. Maybe you should rethink your position. Uh, and and so so the the rich man says, Well, send Lazarus to my brothers uh from the dead, because if someone comes to them from the dead, then they will believe. Uh and Jesus, uh, you know, Abraham says to them, and this is this is just pointing forward to Jesus, Abraham said to them, They have Moses and the prophets, let them hear them. Wow. Um, for um if you know, if they don't believe Moses and the prophets, if they won't listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone rises from the dead. Now, that's exactly what's going to happen in the book of Acts. End of Luke, Christ rises from

From Jerusalem To The Gentiles

Dr. David Klingler 37:10

the dead, uh, and they're not going to be persuaded by that either. And so all of this is setting up uh this contrast between the Pharisees who are going to reject, the tax gathered and sinners who are believing, uh, the gospel going out into the highways and the byways, into to to the Jews in the diaspora. Um, beware of the stumbling block of the Pharisees. Don't they're not going to believe even after Christ's death, burial, resurrection. And so don't you dare, disciples, return to their type of thinking, right? But continue to take the gospel out. And and so this is the this is the story of uh of Luke X. And so you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, to the remotest parts of the earth. You're going into the diaspora to proclaim these things, uh, because those in the city, Jerusalem, have rejected them. Now, uh, what continues to happen, and this is how Luke Acts tells the same story as uh Matthew and Mark and John. John says it this way. He came to his own, and his own did not receive him. Throughout the story of uh of Matthew, you get Israel's rejection, the gospel going to the Gentiles. You get the same thing in uh in Mark. But Luke is going to take his time in telling how the gospel goes from Israel to the Gentiles. It's through Israel's rejection, the gospel has come to the Gentiles to make them jealous. It's setting up Paul's ministry. Uh and so the eyewitness account, the twelve um uh are joined in the book of Acts by this new person to the scene. His name was Saul of Tarsus, he was a persecutor of the church, uh, he is saved, and his name is changed to Paul. And Paul has uh been entrusted with the gospel to take the gospel to the Gentiles, but he always goes to the Jew first, to the Jew first, and then the Gentile. And so Paul's theology uh is through Israel's rejection, the gospel has gone to the Gentiles. And so the story does go from Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria to the remotest parts, and as it's going every step along the way, uh the Jews are rejecting the gospel. And so Paul says, All right, you've rejected it everywhere, we're going to the Gentiles. Right. And Paul's ministry is then going to the Gentiles, uh, and that's going to consume the rest of the book of Acts. And so uh Luke Acts is telling the same story. He came to his own, and his own did not receive him. But whoever receives him, right? It's he but Luke Acts is telling you how the gospel went from the Jews to the Gentiles, and why the Jews rejected it, uh, and uh and how the Gentiles responded. And so so um it's a great uh story, two books. Uh, and those two books is going to set up Paul's

Paul’s Mission Next And Resources

Dr. David Klingler 40:10

ministry. And so where we're going to head next is Paul's ministry, uh, the letters that he wrote. Um the the the letters, you know, Romans, first and second Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and so forth, that's the next section of the Bible. It's the Pauline epistles or Paul's epistles, but they're not written in chronological order. They're not arranged in what we believe to be chronological order, they're arranged longest to shortest. Uh, and so we'll take them in order longest to shortest, but we'll orient them in you know where they were in Paul's ministry and why he's writing this thing. And next time we'll start uh with the monster, uh Romans. And and so we will jump in about Romans. A lot's been said about Romans, and so we will we'll try to work our way through Romans in one quick session uh to show you how that whole thing fits together. So so that's it. So Luke X is uh is this unified story, and you have to read these books together.

SPEAKER_02 41:16

Yeah, very good. Well, hey, um, thank you so much for joining in with us. We hope that you're continuing to learn. We hope that it's inspiring you to go deeper and to learn God's word. That's really our mission, helping people of God understand the word of God. And so, along those lines, if you have been inspired and if you want to go deeper, um head on over to teachmethebible.com. We have all kinds of resources there for you uh where we kind of deep dive into certain books, where there's studies you can do, there's question and answer, there's all kinds of ways to engage the story of the Bible on any level. And so uh that's a totally free resource to you. So head on over there, check that out. Um, but again, we thank you for joining, and we'll continue on with the with the story in a year next week in the book of Romans.

SPEAKER_00 42:04

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