Bible Commentaries

Luke 12:8-9 — Another special preface indicated the certainty and importance of what followed (cf. Luke 12:4-5). Confessing the Son of Man (i.e., Jesus as the divine Messiah) publicly or denying Him publicly were the disciples’ options (cf. Luke 9:26). Confessing (Gr. homolgesei) and denying (Gr. arnesetai) are polar expressions. In polarization extreme

Luke 14:1 — The setting for what follows is secondary to the attitude of the Pharisees who were present. They had already decided to do away with Jesus (Luke 11:53-54). Now the Pharisees and lawyers were watching Him like vultures waiting to pounce on their prey at the first opportunity (Luke 14:3). Views of the Sabbath were a major source of disagreement between Jesus and the Pharisees (cf. Luke 6:1-5; Luke 6:11;

Luke 15:11-32 — 4. The parable of the lost son 15:11-32 This third parable in the series again repeats the point of the former two that God gladly receives repentant sinners, but it stresses still other information. The joy of the father in the first part of the parable

Luke 19:37 — Luke alone specified that Jesus descended from the Mount of Olives toward Jerusalem. He may have done so to associate Jesus with the prophecy of Messiah standing on that mountain (Zechariah 14:4). However this was not a fulfillment of that prophecy. Fulfillment will come at the Second Coming. Jesus had predicted His entrance into Jerusalem (Luke 13:35). Perhaps Luke pictured Jesus descending toward Jerusalem as stage setting for His weeping

Luke 20:17 — and would allow Israel to fall under other presumably Gentile leadership. He now changed the figure from a vineyard to a building. Luke recorded Him quoting only Psalms 118:22, not Luke 20:23, which the other evangelists included (cf. Luke 19:38; Acts 4:11; 1 Peter 2:7). This has the effect of highlighting the stone, namely, Jesus, without reference to God. An apparently insignificant stone that builders discarded as being unfit would become the most important stone of all. Jesus would become the most

Luke 21:5 — Luke did not mention that Jesus gave this teaching on Mt. Olivet exclusively to His disciples (Matthew 24:1-4; Mark 13:1-5). His omission of these facts created continuity in his narrative and connected this discourse with Jesus’ preceding teaching in the temple that He gave on the same day. It also has the effect of making this discourse the climax

Luke 22:39-40 — this, and Jesus did not try to elude Judas. Jesus’ control over His own destiny is again evident in His leading the disciples out of the city to the mount. Luke did not identify the place where Jesus prayed as Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36; Mark 14:32) perhaps because he did not want to detract from the action in the pericope. Jesus focused the disciples’ attention on their need for God’s protection from temptation (Gr. peirasmon) and instructed them to pray for it (cf. Luke 11:4).

Luke 22:45-46 — sleep at a time like this?" They needed to pray so they would not enter into temptation much less fall before it. Spiritual preparation before testing has more effect than just calling for rescue when we are in it does (cf. Matthew 6:13; Luke 11:4). Jesus showed concern for the welfare of His disciples even when His own needs were the greatest. Luke omitted the three trips Jesus made to the sleeping disciples that Matthew and Mark recorded (Matthew 26:42-45; Mark 14:39-41). The effect is more

Luke 22:7 — this day as the day of unleavened bread because it was the first day of the combined feasts of Passover and Unleavened Bread. The Jews referred to the whole period as the feast of Unleavened Bread sometimes and as the Passover sometimes (cf. Luke 2:42; Luke 22:1; Acts 12:3-4). Another possibility is that this was the day on which they removed all leaven from their homes in preparation for the Passover. [Note: Morris, p. 304.]

Luke 24:19-20 — open-minded public, cf. Acts 18:10). "This characterization, together with the assertion of full publicity amongst the people, contains pointed echoes of Luke’s introductory summary of Jesus’ ministry [in the power of the] Spirit (Luke 4, 14; cp. Acts 10, 38)." [Note: R. J. Dillon, From Eye-Witnesses to Ministers of the Word: Tradition and Composition in Luke 24, p. 114.] "The importance of the affirmation of the two disciples here in Luke 24:19 must not in any way be underestimated.

John 10:24 — Jesus had often hinted at being the Messiah when He spoke publicly to the Jews. Still He had not plainly claimed to be the Messiah as He had when conversing with the Samaritan woman (John 4:26). The reason the Jews wanted Jesus to make His claim clear here appears to have been so they could accuse and eventually kill Him. This motivation is more apparent when we notice how Jesus responded to their request than it is when we examine what

John 14:22 — There were two members of the Twelve named Judas. The one who voiced this question was Judas the son or brother of James (Luke 6:16; Acts 1:13). He is probably the same man as Thaddaeus (cf. Matthew 10:2-4; Mark 3:16-19). Judas’ question reflects the disciples’ understanding that as Messiah Jesus would manifest Himself publicly, which He had taught them (cf. Matthew 24:30). The disciples did not understand that Jesus would rise again bodily

John 3:18 — The person who believes in Jesus escapes condemnation (cf. John 5:24; Romans 8:1). However the person who does not believe in Jesus stands condemned already with no way of escape (cf. John 3:36). The reason for his or her condemnation then becomes his or her failure to believe on the One whom God lovingly and graciously

John 4:19 — continued talking with Jesus. Probably she had become used to dealing with people who knew about her sinful life, so she coolly observed that Jesus must be a prophet. She believed He could not have known these things without special insight (cf. John 4:29; Luke 7:39). "The word ’prophet’ was used to refer to a wide range of ’gifted’ people, and at this point may not, in the woman’s mind, denote a full-orbed Old Testament prophet, let alone a messianic figure."

John 4:46 — reader of that event and to suggest the completion of a cycle. John did not reveal the reason Jesus returned there. The royal official (Gr. basilikos) was by his title a man who served a king, in either a civil or a military capacity. [Note: Edersheim, 1:424.] This was probably Herod Antipas in view of where he lived. Antipas was not an official king, but the people popularly regarded him as one (cf. Mark 6:14). This official was probably Jewish (John 4:48). Whether he was the Chuza who was Herod’s

John 7:39 — 12:13). Jesus announced that the Holy Spirit would come on believers in a new way, namely, to baptize, seal, and indwell them. John frequently spoke of Jesus’ death, resurrection, ascension, and exaltation as all part of His glorification (John 11:4; John 12:16; John 12:23; John 13:31; cf. Philippians 2:8-9). [Note: See Harris, p. 194.]

Acts 10:37 — Christian tradition, Peter influenced. Luke undoubtedly summarized Peter’s message, as he did the other addresses in Luke-Acts, and stressed points important to his readers. These points included the fulfillment of Isaiah 61:1 (in Acts 10:38, cf. Luke 4:14-30), the importance of apostolic witness (in Acts 10:39-41, cf. Acts 1:8), and Jesus’ post-resurrection eating and drinking with his disciples (Acts 10:41, cf. Luke 24:41-43). "The thing" to which Peter referred was the earthly ministry

Acts 4:32 — owned personal possessions, but they did not consider them private possessions. Rather they viewed their belongings as common (Gr. koina, cf. koinonia, "fellowship") property. Customarily they shared what they had with one another (cf. Acts 2:44; Acts 2:46; Deuteronomy 15:4). Their unity manifested itself in a sense of responsibility for one another. Love, not law, compelled them to share (cf. 1 John 3:17-18). "Their generosity sprang not from coercive legislation (as modern Socialists

Acts 7:20-22 — and deeds (Acts 7:22). ". . . after forty years of learning in Egypt, God put him [Moses] out into the desert. There God gave him his B. D. degree, his Backside of the Desert degree, and prepared him to become the deliverer." [Note: McGee, 4:539.]

Acts 8:12 — Simon promoted himself, but Philip preached Christ. "I believe that Simon is the first religious racketeer in the church-but, unfortunately, not the last." [Note: McGee, 4:543] Luke described Philip’s message as the good news about God’s kingdom and the name of Jesus Christ (cf. Acts 1:3; Acts 1:6; Acts 8:12; Acts 14:22; Acts 19:8; Acts 20:25; Acts 28:23; Acts 28:31). Those who trust in Christ become partakers