Luke
Sermons
The Barren Fig Tree | Luke 13:6-9
Luke 13 begins with breaking news reported to Jesus. Some Galileans traveled to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices. Under orders of Pilate, Roman soldiers stormed the temple and massacred the worshipers. After this atrocity in the holy place, the blood of the worshipers and the blood of their sacrifices flowed in a common stream. Without comment on the personal tragedy, political violence, or legal implications of Pilate’s blasphemous act, Jesus responded to the theological assumptions of those who reported this news. Verses 2-3 read: “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” Jesus played reporter in verse 4: “Or the eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them.” A tower in...
Sermons
The Birth of a Revolution | Luke 1:46-56
Gabriel told the virgin Mary she was pregnant. How could this be possible? Joseph would discover his betrothed carried a baby that was not his. How could this be explained? Mary’s baby was conceived by the Holy Spirit and would be called the Son of God. How could this be true? Luke 1:37 explains: “For nothing will be impossible with God.” Luke 1:38 is Mary’s response: “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” Mary then visited relatives who had also received angelic news of a supernatural birth. Aged Zechariah and barren Elizabeth would have a son named John. At Mary’s greeting, the baby in Elizabeth’s womb leaped for joy. It was prenatal praise. In Luke 1:42-45, Elizabeth cried with a loud voice: “Blessed are you among...
Sermons
The Visitation | Luke 1:39-45
Luke 1:39-45 is preceded by the angelic announcements of two miraculous births: Luke 1:5-25 is Gabriel’s announcement of the birth of John to his father, Zechariah. Luk 1:26-38 is Gabriel’s announcement of the birth of Jesus to his mother, Mary. Our text is followed by the Magnificat in verses 46-55. It is the first of a series of songs that declare the meaning and magnitude of Christ’s birth. Our text bridges the divine revelation and the human response to the Incarnation. Here the glorious meets the ordinary. Gabriel foretold that Mary would give birth to a son. It would be a miraculous birth in that Mary was a virgin. Mary’s baby, conceived by the Holy Spirit, would be called holy – the Son of God. How did Mary respond to this...
Sermons
Ten To One | Luke 17:11-19
In Ruthless Trust, Brennan Manning wrote: “Let’s say I interviewed ten people, asking each the same question – “Do you trust God?” And each answered, “Yes, I trust God,” but nine of the ten actually did not trust him. How would I find out which one of the ragamuffins was telling the truth? I would videotape each of the ten lives for a month and then, after watching the videos, pass judgment using this criterion: the person with an abiding spirit of gratitude is the one who trusts God.” Manning concludes: “The foremost quality of a trusting disciple is gratefulness.” That’s a big claim! The double miracle in Luke 17:11-19 backs...
Sermons
The Rich Man and Lazarus | Luke 16:19-31
This parable at the end of Luke 16 responds to an incident at the beginning of Luke 15. Tax collectors and sinners drew near to Jesus. The Pharisees and scribes complained that Jesus received sinners and ate with them. Jesus responded by telling a series of parables. Luke 15 records three parables about salvation. Luke 16 records two parables about stewardship. Luke 16 begins with the Parable of the Unjust Steward. Verse 13 warns: “No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” Note verse 14: “The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all these things, and they ridiculed him.” The Pharisees were...
Sermons
The Rich Fool | Luke 12:13-21
Imagine you lived during the days of Jesus. You were able to see and hear the ministry of Jesus in person. Somehow, you finagle your way to the front of the large crowd, close enough to speak to Jesus. What would you ask or say to him in that moment? That scenario is the occasion of the text. Verse 13 reads: “Someone in the crowd said to him, ‘Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.’” In Jewish custom, the firstborn son was the heir of the father’s estate, executor of his father’s will, and recipient of the lion’s share of his father’s wealth. The man of our text was the younger brother, who was deprived of his inheritance...
Sermons
The Cradle That Rocked The World | Luke 2:1-7
In 1865, William Ross Wallace wrote a poem entitled “What Rules the World.” It was an ode to the power of motherhood to influence society. The poem is largely forgotten. But its refrain remains a commonly quoted proverb: “For the hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world.” No one would argue with Wallace’s sentiments. But there is one great exception. The birth of Jesus is the cradle that rocked the world. Luke 2 records the birth of Jesus. In Chapter 1, angels predict the miraculous births of Jesus and John the Baptist. But these relatives will not be peers. Their births reveal that Jesus was greater than John. Chapter 1 records the birth of John...