Lecture Nine: The Gospel of John - Divine Wisdom Made Flesh

Context of John

Author

Unknown. Traditionally, John son of Zebedee. The Gospel itself claims to be the testimony of the unnamed “disciple whom Jesus loved.” This individual’s identity is intentionally kept secret in this Gospel.

Other possibilities

If we eliminate characters who are named in this Gospel, particularly Lazarus, Simon Peter, Thomas, Nathanael, Philip, Andrew, and James and John, the two sons of Zebedee, and Judas Iscariot, who is left?

Of the Twelve apostles it is noteworthy that the only ones not named in the Gospel of John are the “other” James, the “other” Jude, the “other” Simon, and Matthew. Jesus has three brothers: James, Simon, and Jude, as well as a fourth, Joseph.

In this Gospel’s portrayal of the Crucifixion, Jesus tells the “beloved disciple” to take care of Mary, his mother, so it is possible that the “beloved disciple” is actually Jesus’ younger brother James, who would become the leader of the Jerusalem church.

However, we’ll just stick with church tradition for now, and say that John wrote it.

Some evidence for this is that the writer or writers were very familiar with the religious beliefs and customs of the people of Asia Minor at the time, so it would make since for John to have written at least the portion known as “The Signs Gospel” because John is traditionally known as the apostle of Asia Minor who did much of his work there.

Structure of John

Prologue (1:1-51) 

The Book of Signs (2:1–11:57) 

The Book of Glory (12:1–20:31) 

Epilogue (21:1-25) 

Themes of John

John’s Gospel was most likely written for the Johannine community living in Asia Minor.

One of the main headquarters of the church at the time this Gospel was written was in the city of Pergamum.

It is interesting to see how this Gospel has been custom made for those living in Asia Minor at this time. 

Jesus’ story is laid out before them in such a way as to show Jesus’ superiority over the various local pagan gods. 

In Pergamum, there are six interesting phenomena about the local pagan gods. 

First, there is the god Dionysus, who every year turns water to wine on his birthday.

Second, is the god Asclepius, who was born of a virgin, had the power to heal, and he healed with moving water. He got so good that he raised a man from the dead. Zeus was mad, so Zeus killed him. Then he felt bad, so on the third day he raised Asclepius from the dead, and ascended Asclepius to heaven to sit at his right hand.

There’s a goddess, Demeter, who was the goddess of groceries, who could feed thousands of people. 

And there was the god Serapes who had the ability to heal sight. 

These different miraculous signs were well-known among the people at the time, and they would have recognized when they heard John’s Gospel that he was stating that Jesus was not inferior to these other gods because he could do all of those things, too – and better!

Prologue (1:1-51)

Hymn to the Logos (1:1-18) 

The Gospel of John begins with a Hymn to the Word which identifies Jesus as the Logos and the Logos as divine. 

It is an introduction to the Gospel as a whole, stating that the Logos is "God" and acts as the mouthpiece (Word) of God "made flesh", i.e. sent to the world in order to be able to intercede for humans and forgive their sins. 

This portion of John's gospel is of central significance to the development of the Christian doctrine of Incarnation. 

Comparisons can easily be drawn from this part to Genesis 1 where the same phrase In the beginning first occurs along with the emphasis on the difference between the darkness (such as the earth was formless and void, Genesis 1:2) vs light (the ability to see things not understood/hidden by the darkness, John 1:5). 

The summation of this comparison occurs in the statement, the law given through Moses... grace and truth came through Jesus Christ (John 1:17). 

Here John successfully bridges the gap for the reader – including Jewish readers well-versed in the Torah – from the Law to the One who would fulfill the Law (such as the requirement of animal sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins), Jesus. 

The Word Introduced (1:1-5) 

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” 

The Word's Witness (1:6-13) 

“There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.” 

“The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” 

The Word in Flesh (1:14-18) 

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” 

“(John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, ‘This is the one I spoke about when I said, “He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.”’) Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.

Testimony of the Baptist (1:19-34)

John the Baptist Denies Being the Messiah (1:19-28) 

The second part of chapter one shows the preparation that John the Baptist was in the process of doing for the coming of the Messiah, the Messiah's arrival and the Messiah's first disciples. 

First, John consistently denies being the Light himself and instead to be making the way for the Light to come. 

When asked, he also denies being Elijah and The Prophet, but instead refers to himself with the words of Isaiah as “the voice calling in the desert…” 

John Testifies About Jesus (1:29-34) 

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! ” 

John explains that Jesus is the one he was talking about when he said that someone greater than himself was coming after him. 

Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.” 

Call of the Disciples (1:35-51)

John’s Disciples Follow Jesus (1:35-42) 

The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!” 

When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus and spent the day with him. 

Andrew was one of these disciples, and the text says that the first thing he did was to go find his brother Simon and introduce him to Jesus, saying, “We have found the Messiah!”

Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter). 

Cephas (Aramaic) and Peter (Greek) both mean rock. 

Jesus Calls Philip and Nathanael (1:43-51) 

Jesus is leaving for Galilee with his new disciples and comes across a guy names Phillip.

Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. 

Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

Nathanael is skeptical that anything good can come out of Nazareth. 

When Jesus sees Nathanael, he says, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.” 

Nathanael is like, “What do you know about me?” 

Jesus tells Nathanael that he saw him while he was still sitting under the fig tree.

Nathanael is very impressed by this and declares that Jesus is the Son of God. 

Jesus is in turn impressed by Nathaniel’s faith, and tells him that he’s going to see much greater things than that – he will see “heaven open, and the angels ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” 

Jesus is referencing the Genesis story of Jacob’s dream of the ladder between heaven and earth with the angels descending and ascending on it. 

Jacob, however, did not realize that he was in God’s presence until after he saw this sign; whereas, Nathaniel recognized God in his midst well before he would see the sign of the Son of Man bridging the gap between heaven and earth. 

Also, Jesus says that Nathanael is an Israelite without deceit, and Jacob was definitely a deceitful Israelite. 

The Book of Signs (2:1–11:57)

First Sign: The Miracle at Cana (2:1-12) 

The second chapter of John begins with the miracle of Jesus turning the water into wine at a marriage at Cana. 

He is attending a wedding with his disciples and the hosts run out of wine. 

His mother is also there and asks him to help. He seems annoyed that she would ask him for a miracle and says that it is not his time yet. 

Nevertheless, she still tells the servants to do whatever he asks, so he tells them to fill up the empty wine containers with water…which miraculously turns into wine. 

Afterwards, the headwaiter of the wedding tastes it and remarks to the groom that they have saved the best wine for last. 

John tells his audience that the water was there for the Jewish rite of purification.

According to John, this was his first miracle (in Cana). 

According to the hypothesis of the Signs Gospel, this miracle was originally in that document. 

The Cleansing of the Temple (2:13-25) 

Jesus goes to Jerusalem for the Passover, the first of three in John, the others being John 7, where he goes to the Feast of Tabernacles, and the final Passover during which he is crucified. 

He enters the Temple courts and sees people selling livestock and exchanging money. 

So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. To those who sold doves he said, "Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father's house into a market! 

John says his disciples remembered Psalm 69:9, "zeal for your house will consumes me," perhaps a bit of wordplay interposing the ideas of "demanding all my attention” and “leading to my destruction." Whether the disciples remembered this during the incident or afterward is not clear. 

He is asked to perform a "miraculous sign" to prove he has authority to expel the money changers. 

He replies, "Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days." 

The people believe he is talking about the official Temple building, but John states that Jesus meant his body, and that this is what his disciples came to believe after his resurrection. 

John then says that during the Passover Feast Jesus performed miraculous signs, but does not list them, that caused people to believe in him, but that he would "not entrust himself to them, for he knew all men." 

Perhaps John included this statement to show Jesus possesses a knowledge of people's hearts and minds, an attribute of God. 

John mentions the incident with the money changers as occurring at the start of Jesus' ministry, while the synoptic gospels have it occurring shortly before his crucifixion. 

Some scholars insist that this instead shows that Jesus fought with the money changers twice, once at the beginning and once at the end of his ministry. 

The incident in the synoptics occurs in Mark 11:12-19, Matthew 21:12-17, and Luke 19:45-48. 

Perhaps John has relocated the story to the beginning to show that Jesus' arrest was for the raising of Lazarus in John 11, not the incident in the Temple. 

The Dialogue with Nicodemus on Spiritual Rebirth (3:1-21) 

The first part of the chapter begins with Nicodemus, said to be a member of the ruling council, secretly coming at night to talk with Jesus, whom he calls Rabbi. 

Jesus' "miraculous signs" have convinced him that Jesus is "...from God." 

Jesus tells Nicodemus that he must be “born again” to see the kingdom of God.

Nicodemus has known this his whole life, but he wants Jesus to take the answer in a different direction, so he’s like, “Born again? What’s that supposed to mean, anyway? How can I crawl back up into my mother’s birth canal?” 

And Jesus is like, “Don’t play stupid with me, Nicodemus. The case has always been that you must be ‘born again.’ That’s what I’m all about. The reason God sent me into the world was so that my death would bring new life to all the world. I’m going to be lifted up on a symbol of death, just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert – in order that you may experience new life, rebirth, resurrection.” 

Jesus says that God has sent his only son into the world, not to condemn the world, but to save it. 

He says that the Light has come into the world, but that people have loved darkness more than light because the darkness obscures their evil deeds. 

But those who live by the truth will step into the light. 

John Testifies Again About Jesus (3:22-36) 

In the second part of the chapter John contrasts Jesus' talk of being born again with a scene of Jesus baptizing. 

Jesus goes into Judea with his disciples and baptizes. 

John the Baptist is also baptizing people nearby, at Aenon. 

John's disciples tell John that Jesus is also baptizing people, more than John it seems.

John replies that "A man can receive only what is given him from heaven. You yourselves can testify that I said, 'I am not the Christ but am sent ahead of him.' The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom's voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. He must become greater; I must become less."

He finishes by saying "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him."

This passage is meant to show John's acceptance of Jesus' superiority as well as a further emphasis on belief in him as the path to eternal life.

Dr. Ray Vander Laan on John’s connection to Elijah…

The Conversation with the Samaritan Woman (4:1-42) 

The Pharisees learn that Jesus is baptizing more people than John the Baptist, although it says that "...in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples."

Jesus learns this, leaves Judea, and returns to Galilee. 

Jesus then goes to the Samarian town of Sychar, and rests at Jacob's Well. 

His disciples go into the town to get food. 

While Jesus is waiting for them, a Samaritan woman comes to the well and Jesus asks her for a drink. 

The woman is surprised and says that Samaritans and Jews do not associate. 

Jesus responds that if she really knew who he was, she would have asked for the "water" that Jesus was offering. 

"Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."

The woman asks for this "water" and Jesus tells her to go and find her husband and bring him back. 

The woman states she has no husband, and Jesus says that in fact she has had five husbands and is now living with a man who is not her husband. 

She then believes that he is a prophet. 

Jesus then teaches her about worshiping God, how it has been done in the past, at certain locations, and how it will be done properly in the future. 

"Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."

The woman then says that the messiah will come and explain all.

Jesus declares that he is the messiah. 

His disciples return and the woman returns to town, tells people that Jesus knew all about her, and wonders if he is the messiah. The people decide to go and see for themselves. 

The disciples meanwhile try to give Jesus some food but he refuses, saying that his food "...is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work." 

The people from town come and Jesus talks with them and they convince him to stay for two days teaching. His words convince them that he is "...the Savior of the world." 

Like the story of Nathanael sitting beneath the fig tree, this story also brings to mind the life of Jacob. This story takes place at Jacob's Well, and like Jacob, Jesus offers the young woman he finds there water... though not of the same variety.

Now the Samaritans were, of course, half-breeds, being the descendants of Jews who’d intermarried with non-Jews. They continued to honor God, but they were banned from the Temple because of their lineage. Therefore, they’d kept the Torah, but treated Mt. Gerizim, in Samaria, as the place of the true temple. 

When the Jews overthrew Seleucid rule and gained a brief period of independence under the Hasmonean dynasty, they destroyed the Samaritan temple — making relationships between the temples all the more hostile. 

Thus, the Samaritan woman initiated a discussion about the proper place to worship — a question that would have been of intense interest to most Jewish rabbis. God may only be worshiped in Jerusalem! 

Jesus declares that in the new age, it will no longer be about worshiping in a particular place. Worship won’t be a matter of geography. Rather, the true test of worship will be whether it’s “in spirit and truth.”

Lecture Seven: The Gospel of Luke - The Journey to Jerusalem

Luke’s Travel Narrative: Jesus’ Teachings (the “Greater Interpolation”) on the Journey to Jerusalem (9:51–18:30)

“The Travel Narrative” does not pay strict attention to the order of events.

The arrangement of the material within this section is not according to chronology, but rather to theme. 

Samaritan Opposition (9:51-56) 

Rejection by Samaritans (9:51-56) unique to Luke’s Gospel

Jesus is said to send his disciples on ahead of Him to prepare the way.

However, when they come to a Samaritan town, and the Samaritans find out that Jesus is on His way to take care of business in Jerusalem, the Samaritans say that He and His disciples are not welcome.

When the disciples report this news to Jesus, James and John (the sons of Zebedee) ask Jesus if He would like them to call down fire from Heaven upon these Samaritans.

This may in fact be a reference either by the gospel-writer, or by the young disciples themselves to the famous prophet Elijah.

The disciples would have known the story of Elijah calling down fire from Heaven to consume the commander and soldiers when they came from Samaria to arrest him.

James and John believed that if Elijah would call down fire to destroy unbelieving Samarians, then Jesus would certainly do no less.

However, Jesus rebuked the two disciples for saying such a thing.

Luke uses this event to show that Jesus did not come to destroy life, but to save it.

He also shows that Jesus had compassion on the Samaritans, thus indicating that Jesus came not just for the Jews, but for the Gentiles as well.

This is the first reinforcement of Luke’s theme of salvation for all people presented in “The Travel Narrative.” 

The Cost of Following Jesus (9:57-62) 

Second objection to following - to say farewell (9:61-62) unique to Luke’s Gospel 

Three potential disciples all wish to follow Jesus, but they have various things that they would like to do first. 

Jesus tells each of them that if they really want to follow Him, they must give up all of these other things. 

This is a hard teaching, because Jesus is asking them not to do things that were considered good, even important for an individual to do, but Jesus is saying that following Him is more important than even ones family ties. 

There is also another reference to Elijah here. One man states that he would like to go say good-by to his family before following Jesus. This is the same request that Elisha made to Elijah when he received his calling. Elijah allowed Elisha his request, but Jesus says that whoever “puts his hand to the plow and looks back” is not fit for “service in the kingdom of God.” This is also a reference to the same story, for Elisha was plowing when he received his call. 

Jesus Sends Out the Seventy-Two (10:1-24) 

Mission and return of seventy-two (10:1-12, 17-20) unique to Luke’s Gospel 

In chapter ten, Jesus sends out the seventy (or seventy-two) to the towns ahead of Him to prepare them for His arrival. 

Jesus then is recorded as saying that those Jewish towns who reject Him will receive a worse punishment than the wicked pagan nations who did not have a chance to receive Him. 

Jesus indicates that the wicked Gentile cities of Tyre and Sidon, and even Sodom and Gomorrah, will receive a lesser punishment than the Jewish cities that reject Him. 

This would appear to be another attempt by the gospel-writer to show that the Jews are no better than the Gentiles. Jesus even says that if the miracles that had been performed in the Jewish cities had been performed in the wicked Gentile cities they would have repented. 

Throughout Luke, the gospel-writer has a way of turning things on their heads. He portrays Jesus as being one who has no problem with messing with people’s traditions if they interfere with the Kingdom of God. In this way, many role-reversals may be seen presented. 

In verse twenty-one Jesus praises His Father for hiding “these things from the wise and learned” and instead revealing them to “little children.” 

The Parable of the Good Samaritan (10:25-37) 

Good Samaritan (10:25-37) unique to Luke’s Gospel 

A Torah-Teacher asks Jesus, “What is the greatest commandment?” 

The answer is obvious: The Shema! – or to love God with all of yourself. 

And how do you love God with all of yourself? With the second greatest commandment! Love your neighbor! 

But the man wants to know, “Who is my neighbor?” 

Jesus says: 

“A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’” 

Why does the priest avoid the man lying for dead on the road? Because he knows the Law that says “Don’t touch dead bodies!” 

The priest believes the laws of cleanliness are more important than the law to love ones neighbor. 

The Levite does the same, walking clear over on the other side of the road (which on this particular road exists only as the edge of a cliff) 

Then Jesus changes the parable by exchanging the third person to happen upon the half-dead man, a Pharisee, for a…Samaritan!!! The Jews didn’t even think Samaritans counted as human! 

And the Samaritan is the only one that knows how to love his neighbor!!! 

So Jesus says: Go love the person who despises you! Go love the person you hate! Be like the Samaritan in the story and love the Samaritans! – Love your enemies! 

At the Home of Martha and Mary (10:38-42) 

Mary and Martha (10:38-42) unique to Luke’s Gospel 

Jesus journeys to Bethany and stays at the home of Mary and Martha 

Jesus is also recorded as allowing Mary to sit at his feet which is another way of saying that she was his disciple.  

This is another example of Jesus’ overturning the laws of social norms when they interfere with the Kingdom of God. 

Jesus came not only for men, but for women as well. 

When Jesus arrives, Martha, who is also Jesus' disciple, tells him to rebuke her sister Mary who has been out and about with him instead of at home helping her with the meal preparations. But Jesus says that Mary “has chosen a good portion, and it will not be taken away from her.” Jesus doesn't tell Martha to be more like Mary, and Jesus doesn't tell Mary to be more like Martha. The ministry of both sisters was valid but different.

Jesus’ Teaching on Prayer (11:1-13) 

Friend at midnight (11:5-8) unique to Luke’s Gospel 

One of Jesus’ disciples asks him to teach them how to pray like John had taught his disciples. 

Jesus responds by reciting to them the following lines: 

“Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.” 

This version of the Lord’s Prayer is shorter than the version appearing in Matthew’s Gospel. 

Jesus then tells a parable about a friend who eventually agrees to help his neighbor who doesn’t have enough food to feed a surprise guest. 

He helps him due to his persistent demands rather than because they are friends, despite the late hour and the inconvenience of it. 

Jesus and Beelzebul (11:14-28) 

Jesus healed a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, so that he could both talk and see. People were astonished and said, "Could this be the Son of David?" 

But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, "It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons." 

Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them: 

“Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall. If Satan is divided against himself, how can his kingdom stand? I say this because you claim that I drive out demons by Beelzebul. Now if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your followers drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.” 

Jesus then adds a parable: 

“When the strong man, fully armed, guards his own dwelling, his goods are safe. But when someone stronger attacks him and overcomes him, he takes from him his whole armor in which he trusted, and divides his spoils.” 

The strong man represents Satan, and the attacker represents Jesus. Jesus thus says that he could not perform exorcisms (represented by stealing the strong man's possessions) unless he was opposed to – and had defeated – Satan (represented by tying up the strong man) 

It has been suggested that "Beelzebul" means "house of Ba'al," and that the image of the strong man's house was originally a wordplay on this. 

While on the subject of demons, Jesus adds: 

“When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first.” 

At this point a woman in the crowd loudly blesses Jesus’ mother for having given him birth and nursed him. 

Jesus counters that those who hear God’s words and obey them are more blessed than his mother. 

True blessedness (11:27-28) unique to Luke’s Gospel 

The Sign of Jonah (11:29-32) 

Jesus then goes on to say that the people He has been speaking to are wicked, saying that all they want is a sign but the only sign they’ll get is the sign of Jonah. 

He says that he himself will be a sign to the people just as Jonah was to the Ninevites when he was swallowed up for three days. 

He emphasizes that the Gentiles are no worse than the Jews by referring to the Ninevites who repented at Jonah’s preaching, and the Queen of the South, who sought out Solomon’s wisdom. 

He says that they will condemn “this generation” at the judgment for not receiving Him.

The Lamp of the Body (11:33-36) 

Covered more thoroughly in Matthew 6:19-24 

Woes on the Pharisees and the Experts in the Law (11:37-41) 

Covered more thoroughly in Matthew 23:13-39 

True cleansing (11:37-54) unique to Luke’s Gospel 

Later, Jesus again flips tradition on its head by not washing before the meal at a Pharisee’s house. 

Jesus uses this as an opportunity to point out that there are more important laws than washing ones hands, and the Pharisees have decided to follow the less important laws while ignoring the most important laws of loving God and loving neighbor. 

Warnings and Encouragements (12:1-12) 

A huge crowd shows up to listen to Jesus and Jesus begins to tell his disciples to watch out for the “yeast of the Pharisees” – which is hypocrisy. 

He says that every secret and hidden thing will one day be revealed, and what has been whispered will be proclaimed from the rooftops. 

Jesus also says to not be afraid of those who can kill the body, but instead to dear the God who can destroy both body and soul in hell. 

He adds that God even cares about worthless sparrows, so we shouldn’t be afraid because we’re worth a lot more than sparrows to God – he’s even counted the number of hairs we have on our heads. 

The Parable of the Rich Fool (12:13-21) 

Unique to Luke’s Gospel 

An audience member tries to enlist Jesus' help in a family financial dispute. 

Jesus is like “Who made me a judge?” 

He adds, “Watch out for greed! Your life is more than the stuff you own!” 

He tells them a story: 

“A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops. He said to himself, ‘What should I do? I don’t have room for all my crops.’ Then he said, ‘I know! I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll have room enough to store all my wheat and other goods. And I’ll sit back and say to myself, “My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!”’ 

“But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?’” 

Jesus adds that anyone is a fool who has earthly riches but is not rich towards God. 

Do Not Worry (12:22-34) 

Covered more thoroughly in Matthew 6:25-34

Watchfulness (12:35-48) 

Jesus tells his disciples that believers must keep watch and be prepared for the coming of the Lord. 

He compares them to servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding feast – they have no idea if he will come in the middle of the night or just before dawn, but they must be ready for him when he comes home. 

He also compares them to a homeowner who has no idea when a burglar might break into his home, but who must be prepared nonetheless. 

Peter wants to know if this teaching is for them as leaders or for all believers. 

Jesus says that it will not go well for the servant left in charge who is discovered to be a drunk and beating his fellow servants upon his master’s return. 

Jesus says that those who don’t know any better won’t be punished as severely, but to those who have been given much, much is expected. 

Not Peace but Division (12:49-53) 

Covered more thoroughly in Matthew 10:1-42 

Interpreting the Times (12:54-59) 

Jesus accuses the people of being more interested in interpreting the weather than interpreting the times. 

He compares them to people being dragged into court who don’t have the sense to reason or barter with the accuser along the way. That kind of person ends up serving a full sentence and paying every fine.

Repent or Perish (13:1-9) 

Jesus calls all to repentance. In the midst of this call, Luke records a unique teaching of Jesus. 

Jesus goes against popular thought and says that people who had been killed tragically were not being punished by God for sin. They were no more guilty than anybody else. 

This includes the people Pilate had recently killed and used as sacrifice material as well as the eighteen people who had recently died when a tower collapsed on them. 

Pilate’s violence and tower falling unique to Luke’s Gospel 

Jesus then points out to the people that since they have such an interest in death and punishment for sins, they ought to examine their own hearts to see if they are ready for death, and they shouldn’t think poorly of other people who have died or have had bad things happen to them, because the people who had been tragically killed were no worse than anyone else. 

Repentance or destruction (13:1-5) unique to Luke’s Gospel 

Jesus also tells a parable about a man who had a fig tree that never gave him any figs for three years. 

So he was going to cut it down, but his gardener intervened and convinced him to wait a year while he gave it special attention. 

Jesus is saying that God isn’t out to cut people down. He’s like the patient gardener who works hard to bring out the good in people. 

Barren fig tree (13:6-9) unique to Luke’s Gospel 

Jesus Heals a Crippled Woman on the Sabbath (13:10-17) 

In this passage, Luke records the healing of the crippled woman on the Sabbath. 

In both this story and previous teaching, Luke appears to use Jewish symbolism. 

He uses the number eighteen to describe both the number of people tragically killed as well as the number of years this woman had been crippled by a spirit. 

The fact that her infirmity was caused by a spirit is significant. 

The number eighteen is essentially the same as six and six and six, indicating that her infirmity, as well as the tragic deaths of the others, were directly related to Satan. 

It is fitting then that Jesus heals this woman on the Sabbath, the seventh day. 

In this way, Luke uses Jewish convention to tell his version of the gospel. 

At this point, Jesus also reiterates the fact that the Pharisees have chosen to make certain rules, such a strict interpretation of keeping the Sabbath more important than the law of loving ones neighbor. 

Healing of woman with spirit of infirmity (13:10-17) unique to Luke’s Gospel

The Parables of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast (13:18-21) 

Covered more thoroughly in Matthew 13:31-35 

The Narrow Door (13:22-33) 

Jesus presses on towards Jerusalem, preaching and teaching as he goes. 

Someone asks him if only a few will be saved? 

Jesus says to try hard to enter through the “narrow door” because many will try to enter God’s Kingdom and fail. 

He says when the door finally closes it will be too late and people will be banging on the door begging to be let in. 

They will say, “But we ate an drank with you and you taught in our streets!” 

And then He will say, “I don’t know you or where you came from. Get away from me!” 

Jesus says there will be great weeping and gnashing of teeth when those outside see the Patriarchs and the Prophets taking their places of honor – because the lowest know will be the highest then, and those who were first in everything now will be last then. 

Some Pharisees show up and tell Jesus to run and hide because Herod wants to kill him. 

Jesus says, “Go tell that fox, ‘I will keep on driving out demons and healing people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.’ In any case, I must press on today and tomorrow and the next day—for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem!” 

“Who are in the kingdom?” (13:22-30) unique to Luke’s Gospel 

“That fox Herod” (13:31-33) unique to Luke’s Gospel 

Jesus’ Sorrow for Jerusalem (13:34-35) 

Covered more thoroughly in Matthew 23:13-39 

Jesus then laments the role of Jerusalem as the one who killed the prophets of God. 

He uses feminine and animal imagery to describe himself as the one who wanted to safely gather up Jerusalem as a hen gathers up her chicks under her wings – but Jerusalem was unwilling. 

He predicts that some time after his visit, Jerusalem will be destroyed, and that they will never see him again until they once again bless the one that God sends to them. 

Jesus at a Pharisee’s House (14:1-14) 

Healing of man with dropsy (14:1-6) unique to Luke’s Gospel 

One Sabbath, Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee, and he was being carefully watched. 

There in front of him was a man suffering from dropsy, i.e. abnormal swelling of his body. 

Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in the law: "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?” 

But they remained silent. So taking hold of the man, he healed him and sent him on his way. 

Then he asked them: "If one of you has a child or an ox that falls into a well on the Sabbath day, will you not immediately pull it out?"

And they had nothing to say. 

Which is the greater commandment? Keep Sabbath? Or love neighbor? 

According to Jesus – love neighbor. 

Invitation to banquet, and places of honor (14:7-14) unique to Luke’s Gospel 

Jesus also notices that the people at the meal have all tried to sit in the best seats possible, so he tells them that if they go to a wedding banquet they shouldn’t try to take the best seat because someone more important than them might show up and then they’ll have to move and take whatever seat is leftover. 

He says it’s better to sit in the worst seat in the house because you may get offered a better seat and be publicly honored, but if you try to take the best seat you may be publicly embarrassed. 

Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” 

The Parable of the Great Banquet (14:15-24) 

Jesus then tells another parable about a man who invited many guests to a great banquet. 

But the guests made excuses not to come – I need to go see the new field I bought…I need to go try out my new oxen…I just got married… 

So the master of the feast quickly sent out his servant to the streets and alleys to bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame. 

But there was still room, so the master sent his servants out to the roads and country lanes to bring in everyone they could. 

But the ones who were originally invited tasted no banquet.

The Cost of Being a Disciple (14:25-35) 

Jesus says to the large crowds traveling with him that if any of them wants to be his disciple they must hate their own families and even their own life. They must pick up a cross if they want to follow Jesus. 

He tells two short parables to explain what he means: 

What if someone tries to build a tower but they don’t check to make sure they have the supplies to do so? They will start but not finish and become a laughing-stock. 

What if a king goes to war with another king and learns that the other king has twice the number of troops that he has? He will ask for peace instead of war. 

In other words, Jesus is asking if they have what it takes to follow him – are they willing to surrender everything? 

Two examples of counting cost (14:28-33) unique to Luke’s Gospel 

The Parable of the Lost Sheep (15:1-7) 

A shepherd leaves his flock of ninety-nine sheep in order to find the one sheep who is lost 

Jesus is the shepherd, thus identifying himself with the image of God as a shepherd searching for stray sheep in Ezekiel 34:11–16. 

The rejoicing of the shepherd with his friends represents God rejoicing with the angels. The image of God rejoicing at the recovery of lost sinners contrasts with the criticism of the religious leaders which prompted the parable. 

The Parable of the Lost Coin (15:8-10) 

Lost coin (15:8-10) unique to Luke’s Gospel 

A woman with ten silver coins (Greek drachmae) loses one. 

She then lights an oil lamp and sweeps her house until she finds it, rejoicing when she does.

Married women in the First Century wore ten coins on a chain, rather as women today wear a wedding ring. The coins were so important to a woman that they couldn’t be taken from her, even to pay a debt. 

The loss of a coin was not only a financial disaster, it would be deeply embarrassing that she failed to protect this symbol of her marriage. Imagine her husband coming home and asking how she could have lost the coin had she not taken the necklace off — and why take it off?! 

The Parable of the Lost Son (15:11-32) 

Lost son (15:11-32) unique to Luke’s Gospel 

Question: What is God like? 

The Jewish version of this well-known parable: 

A kid commits a terrible sin and thinks he can make it on his own, so he says, “Dad, give me my share of the inheritance,” and he goes off and lives riotously. 

After feeding pigs (hitting rock bottom), he think to himself, “There’s a rabbinic law interpreting the passage ‘obey your parents’ which says ‘if you break community, for the sake of community you can’t go back as a community member, but you can come back as a slave or a servant.’” So the kid thinks, “I’d rather be a slave in my community than a free person where I can’t live for God.” So he comes home. 

In the Jewish parable, as he approaches his home, he meets his father accidentally. 

He says to his father, “I’ve sinned against you and against heaven. I can’t come back as your son; let me come back as your slave.” 

The father began to cry, and said, “Son, when you left, you broke community. For the sake of community, you can never come home.” And he closed the door. 

And the family gathered around the weeping old man, consoling him, and encouraging him for having done the righteous thing.

Jesus’ version of this same parable: 

There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them. 

“Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. 

“When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ So he got up and went to his father. 

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. 

“The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 

“But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate. 

Jesus’ addendum: 

The older brother gets mad that the sinful brother has been welcomed by his father back into the community. 

Jesus says that the folks he’s talking to are not like either the loving father or the sinful son, but they are the angry, jealous, unforgiving older brother. 

The Parable of the Shrewd Manager (16:1-15) 

Unjust steward (16:1-9) unique to Luke’s Gospel 

A steward who is about to be fired curries favor with his master's debtors by remitting some of their debts. 

Jesus explains that the dishonest steward had been wasting his master’s money up until this point; however, when he sees that his time is almost up in his current life, he uses his position to make friends with his master’s customers, so that when he gets the boot he will be taken in by them and won’t become a homeless beggar. 

He had been using the resources given him on himself, but by the end he realized that these resources would serve him better in the end if he used them for the needs of others. 

In the end, his master is impressed by what he has done even though he still fires him for dishonesty. 

Jesus’ point is that you should use what you have been given on others instead of just looking out for yourself, and in the end those you have helped will not forget you… but the love of money will lead to ruin. He says, “You cannot serve both God and money.” 

The Pharisees sneer at Jesus’ parable because they love money. 

He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts. What people value highly is detestable in God’s sight.” 

Covetous hypocrisy of Pharisees (16:14-15) unique to Luke’s Gospel 

Additional Teachings (16:16-18) 

Covered more thoroughly in Matthew 11:1-19; 19:1-12 

The Rich Man and Lazarus (16:19-31) 

Rich man and Lazarus (16:19-31) unique to Luke’s Gospel 

There once was a rich man who dressed in a purple robe and wore fine linen clothes and lived in luxury every day. 

Now, in front of the rich man’s house, lying by the gate – too weak to stand - was a beggar named Lazarus. 

The man was covered with sores and he longed to eat what fell from the rich man's table - even the dogs came and licked his sores. 

The time came when the beggar finally died. The angels carried Lazarus up to heaven where he met his ancestor Abraham. 

Eventually, the rich man also died and was buried. 

In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 

So he called to him… 

Father Abraham! Oh, Father Abraham! Have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire! 

But Abraham replied… 

Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, there is a great chasm between you and us, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.

Rich Man: Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus back to my house, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment. 

Abe: They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them. 

Rich Man: No, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent. 

Abe: If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead. 

So does this give us logistical or systematic information about hell? 

First off, this is a parable in a series of teachings that are also parables, so it is highly unlikely that Jesus is conveying a real story about real people, so we cannot definitively say that this is a story meant to convey literal truth. 

This story does reference some beliefs from pseudepigraphic books – The Book of Enoch and The Apocalypse of Zephaniah, along with the Rabbinic work, Genesis Rabbah. In these beliefs, Sheol/Hades has different places, separated by a chasm or a river, where the wicked dead and righteous dead are kept until a day of judgment. So, the question becomes – did Jesus consider these works authoritative, or was he using them as common Jewish mythologies his audience would have been familiar with? 

We know nothing about the rich man or Lazarus’ temporal life, in terms of their orthodox belief, just that the rich man was rich, and that Lazarus was poor and afflicted with sores. We do not know why the rich man was in Hades and Lazarus in the Bosom of Abraham. 

Ultimately, this is a story of ethics, not one trying to teach about the cartography of hell. While we might make some guesses, we do not know if Jesus was teaching about a literal truth or a literary truth (a story familiar to his listeners).