Sunday
Morning Bible Study
April
30, 2017
Introduction
Do people see Jesus? Is the gospel
preached? Does it address the person who is: Empty, lonely, guilty, or afraid
to die? Does it speak to the broken hearted? Does it build up the church? Milk
– Meat – Manna Preach for a decision Is the church loved? Regular: 2900 words Communion:
2500 words Video=75wpm
Israel
Tomorrow is the last day to sign up online and pay your deposit for the
Israel Trip in November.
We will be visiting over 50 sites in Israel. You will see the Bible come
alive.
Yes it’s a lot of money, but it truly is the trip of a lifetime.
This will be my fifth trip. My friend Terry in Oregon has gone about a
dozen times. We’ve got one of the best tour guides in Israel (Miriam Feinberg
Vamosh) lined up to guide us (she’s the one that writes the tour books). We
know what we’re doing.
If you are concerned for your safety, yes there are concerns, but the
nation of Israel knows more about handling terrorists than anyone. On our last
trip, while people were worried about us being in Israel, the San Bernardino
terrorist happened (back here). We were fine in Israel.
Because our group will be small (about 20 folks), we will be able to get
more done and have more interaction with our sites. (slides end with Petra)
Luke was a doctor and a travelling
companion of the apostle Paul.
He wrote this book while Paul was
in prison.
In writing this book about Jesus,
Luke made use of other older documents like the Gospel of Mark, as well as
extensive eyewitness accounts.
Jesus’ ministry is well under way,
and the people have been amazed not just at the things He’s been teaching, but
the things He’s been doing.
We are now on the homestretch of Jesus’ ministry.
Jesus is now in Jerusalem, on His way to be crucified.
Luke has reminded us of what Jesus’ main purpose was in life:
(Luke 19:10 NKJV) for the Son
of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
We saw Jesus arrive in Jerusalem on the previous Sunday, Palm Sunday, to
the shouts of an adoring crowd, crying “Hosanna”.
After cleansing the Temple, Jesus taught every day in the Temple.
We are now on Thursday night, the night of the Last Supper.
Jesus took the Passover meal and
turned it from being something to remember God’s deliverance of the Jews from Egypt,
to being something to remember Him and His death.
Jesus has told His disciples that one of them would betray Him.
22:31-34 Peter will deny
:31 And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that
he may sift you as wheat.
:31 Simon, Simon!
Simon – from the Hebrew word Shim‘own
– “heard”
This is the same word used for the second
son of Jacob and the tribe of “Simeon”. (Gen. 29:33)
(Genesis 29:33 NLT) She soon
became pregnant again and gave birth to another son. She named him Simeon, for
she said, “The Lord heard that I
was unloved and has given me another son.”
This was the name that Peter’s parents gave him when he was born.
When Simon Peter first met Jesus, Jesus said,
(John 1:42 NKJV) …“You are
Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas” (which is translated, A
Stone).
Cephas is Aramaic for “stone”, but the word John uses for “stone” is the
Greek word petros, which is the name
of “Peter”.
Jesus is giving him a nickname, like calling him “Rocky”. Yo Adrian!
:31 Satan has asked for you
Even though Jesus is addressing Simon Peter, the “you” here is plural.
Satan has been asking for ALL the disciples.
Lesson
Permission needed
Satan is not God’s equal.
Satan does not have free access to
you.
He has to ask permission first.
We see this with Job.
Satan had to ask God’s permission
before the trials came in Job’s life (Job 1:6-12)
:31 sift you as wheat
he may
sift – siniazo
(“winnowing fan”) – to sift, shake in a sieve
This is a picture of shaking someone up to separate them from what’s
important.
It’s like the process of winnowing, separating the wheat from the chaff.
(Luke 22:31 The
Message) “Simon, stay on your toes. Satan has tried his best to separate all
of you from me, like chaff from wheat.
Satan would like to separate you from what’s really important in your life
– Jesus.
Sometimes he does this by tempting you and getting you to stray so far from
Jesus that you think you’ll never make it back.
Sometimes he does this by creating such difficulty and confusion in your
life that you will wonder if it’s really worth following Jesus.
Satan – Satanas
– adversary (one who opposes another in purpose or act), the name given to;
the prince of evil spirits, the inveterate adversary of God and Christ
has
asked – exaiteomai
– to ask from, demand of; to ask or beg for one’s self, to ask that one be
given up to one from the power of another
you – this is plural here. “Satan has asked
to sift all of you …”
This might be referring to the
process of separating the chaff from the wheat.
One translation (“The Message”)
translates this:
“Simon,
stay on your toes. Satan has tried his best to separate all of you from me,
like chaff from wheat.
Barnes: Grain was agitated or
shaken in a kind of fan or sieve. The grain remained in the fan, and the chaff
and dust were thrown off. So Christ says that Satan desired to try Peter; to
place trials and temptations before him; “to agitate him” to see whether
anything of faith would remain, or whether all would not be found to be
chaff—mere natural ardor and false professions.
wheat – sitos
– wheat, grain
:32 But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when
you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.”
I have
prayed – deomai
– to want, lack; to desire, long for; to ask, beg; to pray, make
supplications
for
you
– this is singular. Jesus has prayed specifically for Peter.
:32 I have prayed for you
The “you” here is singular, referring to Peter alone.
Jesus has been praying specifically for Peter.
Jesus is also praying for us as well.
(Hebrews 7:25 NKJV)
Therefore
He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him,
since He always lives to make intercession for them.
:32 that your faith should not fail
should
not fail – ekleipo
(“out of” + “leave”) – fail; quit; cease, stop
Present active subjunctive
faith – pistis
– conviction of the truth of anything, belief; in the NT of a conviction or
belief respecting man’s relationship to God and divine things, generally with
the included idea of trust and holy fervour born of faith and joined with it
Did Peter’s faith fail?
You might make the case that Peter’s faith did not completely fail, but you
can also make the case that Peter’s faith at least “faltered”.
Even with Jesus praying for him.
:33 But he said to Him, “Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison
and to death.”
ready – hetoimos
– prepare ready; ready prepared; to do something
prison – phulake
– guard, watch; a watching, keeping watch; of the place where captives are
kept, a prison
death – thanatos
– the death of the body
to go – poreuomai
– to lead over, carry over, transfer; to pursue the journey on which one
has entered, to continue on one’s journey
:33 I am ready to go with You
Lesson
Spiritual Pride
Peter was not ready to accept that he might fail Jesus.
Sometimes we can think we’re ready to handle the bad guys when we’re really
not.
Here’s a clip from the 1984 movie “Karate Kid”, where Daniel-son thinks he
can play a prank on the school bully Johnny and get away with it…
Video: Karate Kid – Halloween Fight
Scene
We face a dangerous adversary.
Peter would later write,
(1
Peter 5:8 NKJV) Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about
like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
We all play a part in the spiritual warfare going on around us.
If you think that you are strong enough to handle every problem,
you’re a …sitting duck.
The Bible says,
(Proverbs 16:18
NKJV) Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall.
(1 Corinthians
10:12 NKJV) Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.
Do you think that you will never let the Lord down and will never fall?
If you do, you’re in for a rude awakening.
:34 Then He said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day
before you will deny three times that you know Me.”
:34 I tell you, Peter
Jesus uses the singular again,
specifically talking to Peter.
Instead of calling him “Simon”, now Jesus calls him by the name He gave
him, Peter.
Over the years I’ve heard pastors try to contrast Peter’s two names.
They suggest that “Simon” can also mean “wavering”, while “Peter” means
“Rock”.
They will say that before Simon met Jesus, he was a quivering mess, but
Jesus made Peter someone solid that He would build His church on.
But pay attention here:
Jesus has already hinted that Simon’s
faith might be shaken as he’s being “sifted”.
Then Jesus says that it’s “Rocky” that’s going to flat out deny that he
even knows Jesus.
Peter – Petros
– “a rock or a stone”.
Jesus now uses the name He gave to
Peter.
crow – phoneo
– to sound, emit a sound, to speak; of a cock: to crow
this day – semeron
– this (very) day); what has happened today
cock – alektor
– a cock, or male of any bird, a rooster
:34 you will deny three times that you know Me
deny – aparneomai – to
deny; to affirm that one has no acquaintance or connection with someone
The word is used in:
(Luke 12:9 NKJV) But he who
denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God.
The first “deny” was a simpler,
less strong version of our word.
The angels use the stronger word.
I’ve had folks talk to me who feel like they’ve failed the Lord, and are
facing hell because God is now going to deny them.
Peter denied the Lord. Three times.
In Luke 12:9 Jesus is warning about denying Him as a way of life, not the
occasional, expected failure.
know – eido
– to see; to perceive with the eyes; to know; to know of anything
Lesson
You will fail
Here’s a lovely word of encouragement. But it’s the truth.
This wasn’t the first-time Peter failed.
After having made the magnificent proclamation that Jesus was the Christ,
the Son of the Living God (Mat. 16:16) …
(Matthew 16:16 NKJV) —16 Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of
the living God.”
The next thing you know Peter is rebuking Jesus for talking about being
killed and Jesus says to him,
(Matthew
16:23 NKJV) …“Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not
mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”
It won’t even be the last time that Peter fails.
A few years later, Peter would be up north visiting the Gentile believers
at Antioch.
For a while Peter was being gracious and hanging out with the Gentile
believers, but when legalistic Jewish teachers showed up, Peter stopped hanging
with the Gentiles.
Paul himself had to take action,
(Galatians
2:11 NKJV) …I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed
You and I were born with a sin nature. After you accept Christ as your
Savior, you still have a sin nature.
Though Jesus is at work in us to help us sin less, we are still going to
sin.
Paul the apostle wrote to the Romans,
(Romans 7:18–19
NLT) —18 And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful
nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. 19 I want to do what is good, but I
don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.
Illustration
The driver rolls down the window. The
driver is a squirrel. The squirrel says to the man says, “See, it’s not as easy
as it looks, is it?”
The Christian life is not as easy as it
sometimes looks.
You are going to fail at times.
Others are going to fail at times.
Learn compassion on others who fail because you could be
next.
Thirty years after his denial of
Jesus, what was Peter like?
He wrote that we ought to fear God.
(1Pet. 1:17)
(1 Peter 1:17 NKJV) And
if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each
one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in
fear;
He wrote that we ought to abstain
from evil. (1Pet. 2:1)
(1 Peter 2:1 NKJV) Therefore,
laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking,
He also reminded his readers of
God’s mercy.
(1 Peter 2:10 NKJV) who
once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not
obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.
(1 Peter 4:8 NKJV) —8 And
above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a
multitude of sins.”
At the end of his
last letter, Peter wrote,
(2 Peter 3:18 NKJV) but
grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
:32 when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren
Lesson
After the fall
Jesus knew that Peter would fall, and He told him what to do when he did.
Turn around
Peter would fail, and he would need to turn his life around.
returned – epistrepho –to turn to; to the worship
of the true God; to bring back to the love and obedience of God
The idea is that when you are going down the road the
wrong way, you turn around.
It may take you days, it may take you minutes, but turn
around.
Strengthen
After turning things around, Peter was to strengthen others.
strengthen – sterizo (“steroids”) –to make stable, fix; to strengthen, make firm
At the end of his
first epistle, Peter would use the same word to write to his readers:
(1 Peter 5:10 NKJV) But
may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus,
after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.
Even after the resurrection, things
weren’t quite right with Peter.
He and the other
disciples headed north to Galilee like Jesus told them to.
But instead of
preaching the gospel, Peter went fishing.
Jesus met them on
the shore of Galilee and wanted to speak directly to Peter. (John 21)
Peter had denied
Jesus three times, and for some reason Jesus asked Peter three times, “Do you
love Me?”
It’s as if Jesus
was dealing with the three denials of Peter.
Each time, Jesus
told Peter to “Feed My Sheep”
It’s like Jesus
was reminding Peter to “strengthen” his brothers.
Strengthening others requires that we be in “community” with others.
We need each other.
Developing relationships with others in the church is
vital – things like the Men’s and Women’s fellowship, like the Home
Fellowships.
Video: Lord of the Rings – I Can
Carry You
We will all face times like Frodo when we feel like we
can’t make it up the hill.
We all need Sams in our life, we need to be “Sams” to each
other. Learn to carry each other. That requires connection, relationship.
One of the ways we strengthen each other is by admitting our own
weaknesses.
Knowing that others struggle and have found grace, mercy,
and help, encourages me that I too can overcome my sin.
When we pretend that we never struggle, we only perpetuate
the lie that Christians are supposed to be perfect. And nobody can live up to
that.
The truth is, we all fail. Even me.
You need to know that I fail just like you do.
And like you, I will turn around and strengthen others.
22:35-38 Two Swords
:35 And He said to them, “When I sent you without money bag, knapsack, and
sandals, did you lack anything?” So they said, “Nothing.”
money bag – balantion
– a money bag, purse
knapsack – pera
– a wallet; a leathern sack, in which travellers and shepherds carried
their provisions
sandals – hupodema
– what is bound under, a sandal, a sole fastened to the foot with thongs
lack – hustereo
– behind; to be inferior in power, influence and rank; to fail, be wanting;
to be in want of, lack; to suffer want, to be devoid of, to lack (be inferior)
in excellence, worth
:35 did you lack anything?
Jesus is reminding the guys of several previous times when He sent them out
on mission trips.
He sent out the twelve in Luke 9 telling them,
(Luke 9:3 NLT) “Take
nothing for your journey,” he instructed them. “Don’t take a walking stick, a
traveler’s bag, food, money, or even a change of clothes.
Later, when He sent out 70 disciples on a bigger mission trip, He gave the
same instructions:
(Luke 10:4 NLT) Don’t take
any money with you, nor a traveler’s bag, nor an extra pair of sandals.
One of the lessons of those early mission trips was to learn to live by
faith, to learn to let God lead and let God provide.
And now Jesus asks them to think back and recall whether they had actually
lacked for anything when they were on that trip.
They recalled they had been just fine.
:36 Then He said to them, “But now, he who has a money bag, let him take it,
and likewise a knapsack; and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and
buy one.
money bag – balantion
– a money bag, purse
let him take it – airo – to raise up,
elevate, lift up; to take upon one’s self and carry what has been raised up, to
bear; to bear away what has been raised, carry off
knapsack – pera
– a wallet; a leathern sack, in which travelers and shepherds carried their
provisions
garment – himation
– a garment (of any sort); the upper garment, the cloak or mantle
sword – machaira
– a large knife, used for killing animals and cutting up flesh; a small
sword, as distinguished from a large sword
:36 But now
Jesus is going to contrast that earlier time with what’s up ahead.
Changing times require a different response on our part.
Some of us get quite inflexible about things.
We think that our whole life needs to be lived under the guidelines of
those early days.
But sometimes new adventures require new guidelines.
Lesson
Flexible
Some people want to live their
lives under the first set of rules, intended to teach lessons for that first
mission trip.
They will say that you must never
be prepared, and just let God supernaturally provide.
Yet Jesus changed that rule for the
next stage of their lives.
Now Jesus is telling them to be
prepared and gather materials.
I’ve known people over the years
who have claimed that they’re living their life by faith and expecting that God
will provide all their needs – all the time meaning that they won’t get a job
to support themselves.
There is a time in life where we
need to indeed live by faith.
But sometimes we need to support
ourselves.
Paul wrote,
(2 Thessalonians 3:7–10 NKJV) —7 For you yourselves know how you ought to follow us, for we were
not disorderly among you; 8 nor did we
eat anyone’s bread free of charge, but worked with labor and toil night and
day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, 9 not because we do not have authority, but to make ourselves an
example of how you should follow us. 10 For even
when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither
shall he eat.
:36 he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one
Was Jesus really asking His disciples to start carrying weapons?
Some take this passage to be spiritual, that the Word of God is our “sword”
of the Spirit.
Yet when the disciples will mention in a minute that they have a couple of literal
swords, that seems to satisfy Jesus.
Keep in mind, if you find this puzzling, so did the disciples.
When Judas brings the soldiers to the Garden of Gethsemane to arrest Jesus…
(Matthew 26:51–54 NKJV) —51 And
suddenly, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand
and drew his sword, struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear. 52
But Jesus said to him, “Put your sword in its place,
for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. 53 Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will
provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels? 54 How then could the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen
thus?”
(John 18:10–11
NKJV) —10 Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high
priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus. 11 So Jesus
said to Peter, “Put your sword into the sheath. Shall I not drink the cup which
My Father has given Me?”
In Jesus instructing His disciples to carry swords, He was
also certainly saying that there was a proper time and place to use them, and
when Jesus was arrested, that was NOT the proper place.
Matthew records Jesus warning the disciples that those who
take the sword will perish by the sword (Mat. 26:52).
Luke records that Jesus went on and healed Malchus’ ear
(Luke 22:51).
:37 For I say to you that this which is written must still be accomplished
in Me: ‘And He was numbered with the transgressors.’ For the things
concerning Me have an end.”
be accomplished – teleo
– to bring to a close, to finish, to end; to perform, execute, complete,
fulfil, (so that the thing done corresponds to what has been said, the order,
command etc.)
the
transgressors – anomos – destitute of (the Mosaic) law;
of the Gentiles; departing from the law, a violator of the law, lawless, wicked
he was numbered – logizomai
– to reckon, count, compute, calculate, count over; to reckon or account;
by reckoning up all the reasons, to gather or infer
an end – telos
– end; termination, the limit at which a thing ceases to be (always of the
end of some act or state, but not of the end of a period of time). This is the
root word for the word translated “be accomplished” (teleo).
:37 this which is written must still be accomplished
When Jesus asks the disciples to get swords, He’s connecting it with the
fulfillment of this prophecy, and it’s a little vague as to just how.
It’s possible that Jesus means that the disciples are to be the
“transgressors” because they are sword-carrying men.
I think it’s more likely that Jesus is saying that things are going to get
rough. Jesus Himself is about to be treated like a criminal, and His disciples
may need to take measures for self-defense, like having swords.
:38 So they said, “Lord, look, here are two swords.” And He said to
them, “It is enough.”
:38 here are two swords
Lesson
God and guns
Some folks use this passage to justify Christians owning guns, or, modern
day “swords”.
I’m NOT going to clarify this issue for you. I want to you think about your
position.
I found it amusing a few weeks ago when we showed fictional 1953 movie “The
Robe”, that the Christian Roman Tribune Marcellus was using his sword to free
his friend Demetrius.
The Bible does make it clear that it’s okay for soldiers and policemen to
carry guns.
(Romans 13:1–4
NKJV) —1 Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there
is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed
by God. 2 Therefore
whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who
resist will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want
to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from
the same. 4 For he is
God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not
bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute
wrath on him who practices evil.
God gives the government authority to use weapons.
I found it interesting that of the remaining eleven disciples (Judas has
already left them), two of them already had swords.
But notice, Jesus doesn’t seem to think that they all need to be carrying
swords.
Two was enough.
If Jesus was thinking of mounting an armed resistance,
they would need more than two swords.
But to be honest, I do not know of any record of any of these disciples ever
using a sword after Peter’s incident in the garden later that night.
Be careful about making the mistake
of taking verses like this and thinking that all Christians should arm themselves and swing their sword at
anything that moves.
I’m not saying it’s wrong for you
to own a gun.
Jesus thought that two out of
eleven was enough.
There’s a time to fight and there’s a time not to.
If you are going to own a sword (or a gun), you need to be careful that you
know when the right time is to use it, lest Jesus be reminding you that those
who live by the sword also die by the sword.
:37 He was numbered with the transgressors
Lesson
He died for me
Part of this prophetic fulfillment had to do with Jesus being condemned to
die between two thieves.
Yet Jesus was quoting from,
(Isaiah 53:12 NKJV)
Therefore
I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with
the strong, Because He
poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore
the sin of many,
And
made intercession for the transgressors.
Though it is quoted in the New
Testament letters, this is the only place in the four gospels where Isaiah 53
is quoted.
Isaiah wrote that Jesus would die for sins.
Jesus even prays for sinners.
The Bible says that I too am a “transgressor”.
(Romans 3:23 NLT) For everyone
has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.
Paul wrote,
(2 Corinthians
5:20–21 NLT) —20 So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through
us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” 21 For God made
Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be
made right with God through Christ.
Are you a sinner? Have you done things that are wrong?
How can you ever find forgiveness with God for what you’ve done?
Only through Jesus.
This is not just for those who have never opened their heart to Jesus, but
for long-time Christians as well.
We all need forgiveness.
We all need Jesus.