From Jericho to Jerusalem

 

Zacchaeus and the Triumphal Entry

 Book of Luke Chapter 19

 

The Lord Jesus Christ was making His way to Jerusalem because He had an appointment with a cross and He intended to keep it.

 It had been only an hour or so that He had restored sight to a blind beggar from Jericho.

 This man, being blind, still recognized the Lord Jesus as the Messiah.

 Luk 18:38 And he cried, saying, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me.

 As the Lord comes to the streets of Jericho, He comes to a short man named Zacchaeus.

 Zacchaeus was a Jew, but he was also a very rich man.

 Zacchaeus was so short that he had to climb up into a tree to see over the crowded streets as the Lord Jesus was coming into view as He entered Jericho.

 Being chief among the publicans meant that he was superintendent of customs and tribute in the district of Jericho.

 He would have been especially hated by the Jews and considered a traitor to Israel.

 Something had been bothering Zacchaeus for a long time.

 Zacchaeus was a dissatisfied man. His dishonest acquisitions had made him rich but had subtracted him from his peace of mind.

 He knew that the least he could do would be to repay those whom he had robbed. But his soul required more, and longed for salvation, such as only Jesus Christ could give.

 We call this Holy Ghost conviction.

 Here we see that the Lord Jesus knew what was going on with Zacchaeus before He met him.

 The Lord Jesus stopped under the tree where Zacchaeus was located and invited Himself to the home of Zacchaeus.

 Let's read:

 *****Luk 19:1 And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho.

 We know that the walls of Jericho had fallen by a miracle of God in the time of Joshua, and he captured that city.

 Joshua also put a curse on this city; Jos 6:26 And Joshua adjured them at that time, saying, Cursed be the man before the LORD, that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho: he shall lay the foundation thereof in his firstborn, and in his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it.

 The city of Jericho had been re-founded by a man named Hiel, a Bethelite who did exactly what Joshua had said.

 1Ki 16:34 In his days did Hiel the Bethelite build Jericho: he laid the foundation thereof in Abiram his firstborn, and set up the gates thereof in his youngest son Segub, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Joshua the son of Nun.

 Not too long into the future, there was a college of prophets founded at Jericho, if we remember Elisha.

 2Ki 2:4 And Elijah said unto him, Elisha, tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Jericho. And he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they came to Jericho.

 Jericho is no more than a collection of mounds today.

 *****Luk 19:2 And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich.

Luk 19:3 And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature.

Luk 19:4 And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way.

Luk 19:5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house.

 That word “chief” tells us that Zacchaeus was a very rich man.

 Zacchaeus had one problem, and it was that his wickedness was starting to bother him.

 This was Holy Ghost conviction.

 The Holy Spirit was very busy during the time of Jesus, but He was not yet given to fill the believer.

 Joh 16:7  Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

 Joh_16:13  Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

 Zacchaeus could not understand it, but he knew he wanted to see Jesus.

 He knew it was more than curiosity; he just had to see the Lord.                            

Personal taxes and property taxes were collected by the Roman government, but the customs on goods were farmed out.

 This created a system that could be easily exploited.

 Zacchaeus had exploited this system until he was rich and probably caused the customs collectors under him to contribute to his wealth.

 There was a huge crowd waiting for the arrival of the Lord Jesus Christ.

 The streets were already crowded because of pilgrims going to Jerusalem for the Passover.

 Zacchaeus then climbed a sycamore tree to increase his chances of seeing Jesus.

 We should understand that if you are truly seeking the Lord Jesus, He will find you!

 This is how faith begins its work in us.

 We may not understand it at first, but we just know that once we meet Jesus, things will get better.

 He may not have been sure if Jesus would come that way, but something told him that He would.

 Zacchaeus was hated by those on the ground under him, but he was not ashamed to seek the Lord Jesus.

 We must never be ashamed of our Lord Jesus!

 All of a sudden, the Lord was there, and He already knew the name of Zacchaeus.

 *****Luk 19:5  And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house.

Luk 19:6  And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully.

 The Lord Jesus invited Himself to the home of Zacchaeus.

 The Lord Jesus does not just want us to turn to Him, but He wants all those in our homes to turn to Him.

 This was more than Zacchaeus expected, but he became excited and he welcomed this opportunity to meet the Lord.

 Jericho was a city full of priests.

 Jericho was the summer home of the Herods.

 The Herods were the last of the Edomites and not Jews.

Jericho had a city government.

 All the religious world hated all publicans, and Zachaeus was chief of the publicans.

 The Lord Jesus set public opinion aside and chose the home of the most hated man in that city to dine with and lodge with.

 We should also understand that the Lord Jesus was going to Jerusalem to die.

This would be Zacchaeus's only chance to repent and accept the Lord Jesus for who He is. Our Savior!

 It was the same for all those lined up to meet Jesus; that day was the day of salvation for them all.

 1Jn 1:3  That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.

 Zacchaeus obeyed the Lord and made haste, and joyfully received the Lord Jesus Christ.

 The naysayers, the mumblers, and the murmurers began to do what they do best.

 *****Luk 19:7  And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner.

Luk 19:8  And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. x

 By saying that Zachaeus was a sinner, they were also saying that they were not sinners.

 We know better!

 Rom 3:23  For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

 Zachaeus realized that all those around him were staring at him, and most of them were not pleased with him or with Jesus.

 This crowd had nothing but contempt for Zachaeus.

 The world does not understand the love of God!

 A transformation is taking place in the life of this little man.

 The Lord Jesus had not told Zachaeus as he had told the rich young ruler.

 Zacchaeus came up with these things himself. He knew he was a sinner, and he knew his sins.

 Zacchaeus was experiencing a radical change in his life.

 Zacchaeus had a new attitude about his wealth. It just did not mean the same to him any longer.

 He would give it back to those who were poor.

 Luk 12:33  Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth.

Luk 12:34  For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

 The rest of his wealth would be used to correct the wrongs he had done as a tax collector.

 Zacchaeus said, "In all those cases where he had defrauded others,” he would obey the Word of God.

 Zacchaeus knew the Scriptures; this was his sin.

 Lev 6:4  Then it shall be, because he hath sinned, and is guilty, that he shall restore that which he took violently away, or the thing which he hath deceitfully gotten, or that which was delivered him to keep, or the lost thing which he found,

Lev 6:5  Or all that about which he hath sworn falsely; he shall even restore it in the principal, and shall add the fifth part more thereto, and give it unto him to whom it appertaineth, in the day of his trespass offering.

 He goes even further. Exo 22:1  If a man shall steal an ox, or a sheep, and kill it, or sell it; he shall restore five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep.

 This law applied to sheep, but Zacchaeus applied it to anything he had taken from anyone.

 This also seems to say that Zacchaeus knew those he had caused the most harm.

 This is what the Holy Spirit does: He will remind us of those we have harmed the most.

 How did the Lord Jesus respond?

 *****Luk 19:9  And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham.

Luk 19:10  For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

 The Lord Jesus was speaking more to that crowd than He was to Zacchaeus when He said these words.

 Zacchaeus had been converted from Judaism to Christianity in a big way.

 Sadly, many more did not respond to the truth they had just seen and heard.

 Zacchaeus repented and changed his whole life.

 Zacchaeus was serious about giving his life to the Lord Jesus.

 Life has more meaning once you meet the Savior.

 It was the Lord Jesus Himself who proclaimed Zacchaeus to be saved.

 Jesus said it was repentance that saved Zacchaeus, but Zacchaeus would bring the message of salvation to his household.

 Zacchaeus met the Lord Jesus and brought Him into his heart and then took Him into his house.

Zachaeus now had peace in his soul.

 The Lord Jesus tells this entire crowd why He came to this earth: He came to seek and to save all who are lost!

 Rom 3:28  Therefore, we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.

 Zacchaeus put himself in a position to be saved by seeking Jesus, but the Lord Jesus did the speaking to the heart of Zacchaeus, and that heart was torn out, and a new heart was put in.

 Ezk_36:26  A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

 The Lord Jesus, on leaving Jericho, told the people another parable.

 After this, Jesus entered Jerusalem for the last time.

 *****Luk 19:28  And when he had thus spoken, he went before, ascending up to Jerusalem.

Luk 19:29  And it came to pass, when he was come nigh to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount called the mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples,

Luk 19:30  Saying, Go ye into the village over against you; in the which at your entering ye shall find a colt tied, whereon yet never man sat: loose him, and bring him hither.

Luk 19:31  And if any man ask you, Why do ye loose him? thus shall ye say unto him, Because the Lord hath need of him.

Luk 19:32  And they that were sent went their way, and found even as he had said unto them.

Luk 19:33  And as they were loosing the colt, the owners thereof said unto them, Why loose ye the colt?

Luk 19:34  And they said, The Lord hath need of him.

Luk 19:35  And they brought him to Jesus: and they cast their garments upon the colt, and they set Jesus thereon. 

Luk 19:36  And as he went, they spread their clothes in the way.

 Before we get to this portion of our lesson, the Lord Jesus gives us another parable which relates to His servants while He is gone back to Heaven.

 Jesus makes it very clear that many of His servants actually hate Him.

 Many of these servants expected the Lord Jesus to take the throne of King David and run the Romans out of Israel and Jerusalem.

 Had the Lord Jesus claimed to be King?

 Jesus claimed to be King of a place not on this earth.

Jesus claimed to be the King of Peace.

 We know when He returns, He will become King of this earth for one thousand years.

 There is a three-thousand-foot rise in elevation from Jericho to Jerusalem.

 Going to Jerusalem was an uphill walk all the way from Jericho.

 The Lord Jesus knew it was time to fulfill His destiny as told by the prophets.

 His purpose was to suffer and die for all mankind.

 He would enter Jerusalem as the King Messiah in peace.

 Zec 9:9  Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.

 It was the providence of God that the Lord Jesus would enter Jerusalem in such a dramatic fashion.

 The whole scene was centered around Him riding into the city of Jerusalem on this colt, which had never been broken.

 If that colt had spoken, it would have said it was happy to carry the burden of the Lord, for His burden is light.

 The Lord Jesus had come to Jerusalem as the Prince of Peace.

 Isa_9:6  For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

 The Lord Jesus had claimed the right to use this colt because He is Lord of all creation.

 The Greek word “kurios” is used here, which means the One with Supreme Authority.

 In the New Testament that word Lord carries the same meaning as Jehovah in the Old Testament.

 I have often felt like I was that colt tied to sin and only Jesus could make me free.

 Exo 13:13  And every firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb; and if thou wilt not redeem it, then thou shalt break his neck: and all the firstborn of man among thy children shalt thou redeem.

 If the Lord Jesus had not caused me to be made free, then I would have died because He would not have redeemed me.

 Fetching this colt was extremely important if the Lord Jesus was to proclaim He was indeed King.

 When we are delivered from the bondage of sin, we are servants who carry the Lord around in our hearts and on our feet.

 This is our duty as the servants of God.

 Rom_12:1  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

 When the Lord Jesus gives us specific instructions, and we follow them exactly, things will go just as He said.

 We are not to add to or take away from His Word!

 Bethany was a suburb of Jerusalem, only two miles from Jerusalem.

 When the Lord Jesus was in Jerusalem, He stayed with Mary, Martha, and Lazarus in their home in Bethany.

 The message of Jesus was very clear:

 1) He was the promised King the prophets had talked about.

2) He was not coming as a conquering King or as any world leader at this time.

3) He was coming as Savior with Peace.

4) Jesus came to show the world that God is first the God of Love and Reconciliation.

 This colt was a symbol of Peace.

This colt was a symbol of service.

This colt was a symbol of sacredness because it had never been ridden by any man, woman, or child.

 1Sa 6:7  Now therefore make a new cart, and take two milch kine, on which there hath come no yoke, and tie the kine to the cart, and bring their calves home from them:

 The Lord Jesus wanted the world to know that He indeed is that sacred hope promised in the Scriptures.

 Tit_2:13  Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

 The Apostles threw their coats upon the colt to form a saddle to protect the colt.

 The rest of their coats they threw upon the road.

 You see, not only our deeds but also our walk should be subject to the Lord Jesus.

 There were thousands of pilgrims along the road to Jerusalem, and they threw their coats or palm limbs on the roadway.

 Many of them had seen the miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead and many other miracles.

 This crowd that would be in Jerusalem was probably the largest crowd to have ever assembled in Jerusalem.

 They clearly saw that the Lord Jesus was coming in peace.

 Psa 115:1  Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth's sake.

Psa 115:2  Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is now their God?

Psa 115:3  But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.

 These people praised God for His truth.

 *****Luk 19:37  And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen;

Luk 19:38  Saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest.

 Most of the people in the area of Judah and Galilee had heard of the things that the Lord Jesus had done, and most of these same people had come to Jerusalem for the Passover Feast with great hope.

 They truly hated Rome.

 Many of them realized that the Lord Jesus Christ had the power to do anything He chose to do.

 Act 10:36  The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all:)

Act 10:37  That word, I say, ye know, which was published throughout all Judaea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached;

Act 10:38  How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.

 They thought the hour of freedom from the tyranny of Rome had come.

They thought that God was going to free all the nations of the earth from Roman domination.

They thought that Jesus would set up His throne in Jerusalem to rule and reign over the righteous.

They thought Jesus would establish Israel as the leading nation of the world.

 They had failed to see many things.

 They failed to see that Jesus was riding a colt of a donkey, which was a sign of peace.

They failed to see that Jesus was riding an animal of burden, to carry the burdens of all mankind.

They failed to see that Jesus was riding an animal of Sacredness.

They failed to see that Jesus was riding a humble animal that symbolized meekness.

 1Pe 2:23  Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:

1Pe 2:24  Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

1Pe 2:25  For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.

 And then the Pharisees speak.

 *****Luk 19:39  And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples.

Luk 19:40  And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.

 No one was going to get a Pharisee to praise the Lord Jesus.

 The Pharisees are the enemies of the Lord, and they were disturbed at what was happening around Him.

 What they see is unacceptable in their eyes and must be stopped.

 These same ones had already given the order to hunt Jesus down and murder Him.

 To them, Jesus was no more than a teacher and not a very good one.

 They considered the Lord Jesus to be an insurrectionist.

 Those stones would have been very happy to sing out in praise of our Savior!

 We know that the Sun hid its face when the Lord was crucified.

 Mat 27:45  Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.

 We also know that the earth cried out in pain at the death of our Savior.

 Mat 27:51  And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;

 Yes, those stones would have certainly cried if the Lord Jesus had told them to.

 *****Luk 19:41  And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it,

Luk 19:42  Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.

Luk 19:43  For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side,

Luk 19:44  And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.

 It should be obvious to us that God has a true love for the City of Jerusalem.

 It really hurt the Lord to allow Jerusalem to be destroyed and the nation to cease to exist for over nineteen hundred years.

 God has a plan, and nothing will change Him from completing His plan.

 Psa 81:11  But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me.

Psa 81:12  So I gave them up unto their own hearts' lust: and they walked in their own counsels.

Psa 81:13  Oh that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways!

Psa 81:14  I should soon have subdued their enemies, and turned my hand against their adversaries.

 The Greek word "klaio" means more than wept it means the Lord Jesus burst out in tears and wailed over Jerusalem.

 The Lord Jesus weeps for all the lost.

 Peace was actually within reach for Israel and Jerusalem, and they wanted no part of it.

 How many wars have been fought after the Lord Jesus offered peace, but the world wants no part of it?

 The people of the world will believe anything but the Word of God.

 This world is doomed to destruction because there is no faith!

 The word "shalom" means freedom from trouble, but it means much, much more than this.

 Jerusalem had only one day left to accept the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ, but we know their answer.

 1) There is peace of the world. This is a peace of escapism, of avoiding trouble, refusing to face reality.

2) There is the "Peace of God". A peace that comes from deep within us, a tranquility of the mind, a peace that settles and strengthens through terrible trials.

 The source of true peace is the Lord Jesus Christ!

 Jerusalem fell because they could not see that in Jesus Christ, God had visited His people, and they had rejected Him.

 There is much greater devastation coming to this world for the same reason, and it is not far off.

 Amen

Lessons to Learn

 Parables and Blessings

 Book of Luke Chapter 18

 

 Besides the Holy Spirit, prayer is our greatest weapon in this world against the evilness and wickedness of our world. 

 *****Luk 18:1  And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; 

 Prayer is the meeting of our soul with the mind of God.

 1Sa 1:15  And Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the LORD.

 Prayer is beseeching the Lord.

 Exo 32:11  And Moses besought the LORD his God, and said, LORD, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty hand? 

 Prayer is crying out to Heaven.

 2Ch 32:19  And they spake against the God of Jerusalem, as against the gods of the people of the earth, which were the work of the hands of man. 

2Ch 32:20  And for this cause Hezekiah the king, and the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz, prayed and cried to heaven.

 Prayers are seeking and making supplication.

 Job 8:5  If thou wouldest seek unto God betimes, and make thy supplication to the Almighty; 

 Prayer is drawing near to God.

 Psa 73:28  But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all thy works.

 Prayer is the bowing of the knees.

 Eph 3:14  For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 

Eph 3:15  Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 

Eph 3:16  That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; 

Eph 3:17  That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 

Eph 3:18  May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 

Eph 3:19  And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. 

We must persevere in prayer because it is our duty!

 We must put forth the effort to talk with God even when it seems He is not listening because He is always listening!

 *****Luk 18:2  Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: 

Luk 18:3  And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. 

Luk 18:4  And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; 

Luk 18:5  Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. 

 What is persevering prayer? To persevere means to be constant in our purpose for praying.

 When we look around, we see that we are in similar days of Noah and Lot where God brought destruction.

 God has already promised a future destruction, and we are very near to it now.

 Psa_2:12  Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.

 Isa_9:19  Through the wrath of the LORD of hosts is the land darkened, and the people shall be as the fuel of the fire: no man shall spare his brother.

 Isa_13:13  Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger.

 Zep_1:15  That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness,

 There is power in persistence.

 Continuous prayer is the only thing that gives us the strength to persevere.

 Continuous prayer shows that we are confident in our God.

 We are to pray and continue to pray until the Lord Jesus Christ returns to take us home.

 In this parable, we see an unjust judge who disregards the laws, hates God, and hates those who come before him.

 Yet he feels like he has the power to do as he wishes.

 This is the way of our world today.

 Everyone wants to reach in and grab a piece of power to do the things they desire.

 We live in the day of the unjust judge, and it is very noticeable.

 There was this widow who had been wronged and was seeking help from the judicial system, but this judge had no feelings for the truth, and he hated to be bothered with such trivial matters.

 Every judge in our nation needs to understand there is a Higher Judge who has His eyes on them, and they, too, will be judged the same way that they judge others.

 It is a fact that on that day of the widow, that most every widow, especially those who had no children, lived in helplessness and defenselessness.

 Luk 7:12  Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her. 

Luk 7:13  And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not. 

 Many times, this judge just ignored her and her problems.

 We know this is not the way of the Lord Jesus, who is a most compassionate God.

 This judge began to realize that if he did not do anything to help this widow, she was going to continue to come before him.

 Finally, this self-centered judge did the right thing just to free himself from her ceaseless pleading.

 The Lord Jesus is saying that if a corrupt judge on this earth will attend to the pleas of this poor widow whom he cared not for, how much more will God be moved by those He loves.

 It is a fact that God is biased in favor of innocent victims of persecution.

 We may never have to plead with God, but we must also understand that God will not answer every prayer at the time we think it is needed.

 God knows what we need and when we need it.

 God does not get mad at us if we ask for the same thing over and over again until we receive it or God says no.

 *****Luk 18:6  And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith.  

 We must not think that this judge is a type of God; he is not. He is just an unjust judge who does not care about the suffering of any people.

 The Lord Jesus wants us to continue in prayer of faith until we get an answer.

 It is not that God is just too busy; it is just that God knows what we need and when we need it.

 God knows our needs, and He promised to meet our needs.

 God will avenge His own elect!

 God's elect are those who follow His Son, Jesus!

 As God's elect, we know that only God can meet our needs!

 We also know that only God is the Judge of all His creation.

 Luk 21:36  Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man. 

 God is patient with all of us, but we know He is so full of mercy and grace that He will always meet our needs.

 We must also realize that just as Jesus suffered, we will also suffer, and this will make us stronger witnesses and servants.

 1Pe 1:7  That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: 

 These things will make us stronger, and God wants us to learn from all our trials.

 God will also avenge His elect without hesitation.

 *****Luk 18:7  And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?

 Our God is the only true Judge in this cosmos.

 That word elect means God's favorites, God's preferred, God's believers, the disciples of Jesus Christ.

 God will preserve all Christians from all their adversaries and save them from the seven years of Tribulation that is soon to come to this world.

 Remember, this is God's choice, and He did not have to make this choice.

 Only God can do the choosing of those who will not be a part of His wrath.

 Joh 15:5  I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. 

Joh 15:6  If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. 

Joh 15:7  If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. 

Joh 15:8  Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

 If an unjust judge grants the petition of a defenseless person he cares nothing for, how much more shall our just Judge, our merciful God hear the cries and avenge the cause of those He loves.

 We may have to cry out day and night before God will answer but He will answer.

 He never said we would not suffer; in fact, He said we would.

 Keep in mind the Jews suffered many years before God sent Moses to Pharaoh.

 We should know that once God chooses to avenge His elect, He will come speedily.

 *****Luk 18:8  I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth? 

 We must understand that persevering prayer is tied to our faith! He may not come soon but it will be suddenly.

 Our adversaries will not know what hit them until it is over.

 Jesus then adds, when He comes, will He find faith on this earth?

 The Lord wants us to continue to pray even though it has been so long that we are losing heart, even though the answer is delayed, and we see evil increasing daily.

 God is still hearing our prayers, but we must persevere until He comes.

 We could ask how many will keep the faith until He comes?

 We must guard against losing our faith!

 God will always remain faithful to do as He says, but will we?

 We swore an oath to be saved based on faith, and that faith must remain with us.

 God does not have to think about whether He will return or not.

 He knows He is coming and He knows when He is returning, and it will not take Him long to get here when He does come.

 The Church may pass through a period of oppression in this world, but we must cling to our faith.

 We should begin now by praying more earnestly.

 If Jesus Christ seems to be delaying His return, then He has His reasons, and it has nothing to do with the Church.

 The vengeance of the Lord will be a terrible time upon this earth, and the Lord will have to put aside His compassion to do those things, but He will do what He says He will for His Church.

 Whenever deliverance comes, it will be sudden!

  Then the Lord speaks with another parable.

 *****Luk 18:9  And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: 

 The fact is that self-righteous people do not need to pray at all!

 These people will never lose heart because they never had it to begin with.

 They do not need faith to be confident in this world.

 They feel that all they need dwells within them in their bodies and minds.

 Pro 30:12  There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness. 

 We are in the generation of the return of Christ, but we are also in the generation of self-righteousness.

 The Lord continues.

 *****Luk 18:10  Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. 

Luk 18:11  The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. 

Luk 18:12  I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. 

 When we think we stand head and shoulders above all others, we are no better off than King Saul.

 This Pharisee was a religionist.

 This publican was a sinner.

 Both these men went to the House of God to pray, which the Lord Jesus said was a house of prayer.

 There is no better place to pray than in the House of God!

 They both wanted to please God.

They were both seeking God to feel His presence in their lives.

 Deu 4:29  But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul. 

 This Pharisee represents the religious world in its most respected form.

 This publican represents people who have no honor to maintain. He knows he is a sinner and is looking for the mercy of God.

 The Pharisee prayed only with himself, only to himself.

 He glorified himself before God and just told God how great a man of God he was.

 This was not true prayer, and it did not reach into Heaven.

 Joh 9:31  Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth.

 Prayer is a means of worship, but this Pharisee only worshipped himself.

 In fact, he actually thanked God for making him who he was.

 God does not make us self-righteous, and God does not cause us to be sinners, and God does not tempt us in any way.

 This Pharisee said he had not fallen into sin, which means he made himself to be equal with the Lord Jesus Christ, who truly had no sin.

 He fasted twice a week, and he tithed. Both of these are good things and are pleasing to God, but these things do not make up for self-righteousness.

 The publican.

 *****Luk 18:13  And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.

 This man was ashamed and embarrassed by his sin, and others would not get near him because of his sin.

Remember Publicans were tax collectors for Rome, and the Jews hated them.

 This publican stood far off, much like a leper.

 He felt cut off by God and mankind. The Jews had a special hatred for publicans and considered them traitors to the nation of Israel.

 I feel somewhat like this for all Democrats and many Republicans.

 He would not even lift his eyes toward Heaven, but he did lift his heart toward Heaven.

 He knew he did not deserve God's forgiveness!

 He beat on his chest because he was angry with himself for his sin.

 He pleaded with God to forgive Him. He pleaded for God's mercy.

 We can only appeal to God's "Grace" when we do not deserve it.

 There is no other way to be received by God than to acknowledge our sin before God and plead for God's forgiveness.

 Mercy is not getting what we deserve, which is eternal death.

 Grace comes from the Lord Jesus Christ, and it is receiving what we do not deserve, eternal salvation.

 We should understand that as long as we are in these bodies of flesh, we will never be righteous; we are only "counted righteous" by our Holy God because we are covered by the Blood of Jesus.

 2Th_1:5  Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer:

 Who then was justified?

 *****Luk 18:14  I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. 

 We can see that the words of Jesus do not line up with what the world says.

 In fact, the words of Jesus do not line up with what many churches teach today.

 It is the one who acknowledges that he is a sinner who has been justified by his faith.

 Rom 5:1  Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 

Rom 5:2  By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 

 *****Luk 18:15  And they brought unto him also infants, that he would touch them: but when his disciples saw it, they rebuked them. 

Luk 18:16  But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. 

Luk 18:17  Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein. 

 We must be humble when we approach the Lord for forgiveness of our sins.

  The first characteristic that fits the Kingdom of God is that of a child.

When we doubt that the Lord Jesus can save little children, we are acting like a Pharisee.

When we think the Church is spending too much money on our youth, we act like Pharisees.

When we do not look at our youth as being the future of the Church, we are acting like a Pharisee.

When we do not look at our youth as being the future of our nation, we act foolish because we need to train them to be the future of our nation.

God cares about every stage of the process of our growth, starting from childhood.

God loves the little children as much as He loves any of us!

Most children are obedient to their parents, and they can learn right from wrong at an early age.

Most children are far more forgiving than most adults.

When we get to Heaven, we will find that we are all children, God's children!

There is no way to get into Heaven except by receiving God's Kingdom like a child!

Mat 18:3  And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. 

Amen

The Lord Jesus Will Return to This Earth

 A Miracle and the Second Coming of Christ

 Book of Luke Chapter 17 verses 12-19, 30 through 37

 

 We know that our Lord Jesus is now making His way to Jerusalem. He has an appointment with a cross where He will die for our sins. He had no sin Himself!

 Even facing the death of the cross, Jesus still shows His compassion.

 Jesus could have gone around Samaria and Galilee to give Him more time, but He chose to go through them. He also had an appointment with ten lepers.

 We can see that the Lord Jesus was not afraid to walk where He was not wanted.

 *****Luk 17:11  And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. 

Luk 17:12  And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: 

Luk 17:13  And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. 

 Lepers were not bound by geographic regions. Lepers were bound by their disease.

 Lev 13:46  All the days wherein the plague shall be in him he shall be defiled; he is unclean: he shall dwell alone; without the camp shall his habitation be.

 This leads us to believe that Jesus was now in the wilderness between Samaria and Galilee.

 These lepers stood afar off and would not approach the Lord Jesus.

 They had to raise their voices to be heard.

 They called Him Master, but the Greek word used here means more Commander than it does Rabbi.

 They knew who He was, and they knew He had the power to heal.

What is wrong with our world today? The world does not know who Jesus is!

 They knew Jesus had the power to meet their needs. We sometimes forget this.

 They knew more than most of the world does today!

 Notice how the Lord Jesus heals these ten diseased men.

 They spoke from a distance, and the Lord Jesus heals from a distance.

 Leprosy is, in fact, a type of sin, and the Lord Jesus does not have to be physically present to wash us in His blood and forgive our sins. 

Jesus does have to be spiritually present in our hearts because faith is still required.

 These ten lepers had to have faith in the power of the Lord Jesus.

 These ten lepers were desperate; they had the most feared disease of that day.

 It is somewhat like cancer. When cancer is mentioned, the first thing on our minds is death.

 The Lord Jesus can heal cancer too!

I know because He has healed me twice from this dreaded disease.

 These ten men interrupted the Lord Jesus Christ, not caring if it caused Him problems, but Jesus did not mind; He wanted to hear what bothered us at any time.

 The Lord Jesus understood their desperation, their humility, and their acknowledgment of being unclean.

 If we cannot realize that we are sinners in need of salvation, then the Lord Jesus cannot save us.

 We must recognize that, like these lepers, we were also unclean, and we must keep our distance from sinners except to witness to them.

 Jas 4:10  Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. 

 The Lord Jesus told them to obey the Laws of Moses and present themselves to the priests, after He had healed them.

 No matter what the Lord Jesus tells us to do, we need to do. He will never tell us to go against the Word of God.

They had to present themselves to the priests before they would be welcomed back into society.

 As these men traveled to the place of the priests, they were cleansed on their journey.

 There must be believing, and there must be an obeying.

 Remember Namaan from the Old Testament.

 2Ki 5:14  Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.

 Six times dipping in the River Jordan was not good enough; seven times brought his cure.

 While these men began their journey to the priests, one man, a Samaritan, realized he was clean.

 *****Luk 17:15  And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, 

Luk 17:16  And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. 

 Leprosy was the most terrible disease in the days of Jesus. It was disfiguring, and most of the time it was fatal.

 The world had judged all lepers to be dead already; they were called the Living Dead.

 A leper had to wear a black garment so he could be recognized among the dead.

 He was banished, an outcast, removed from society, defiled.

 He was thought to be polluted and incurable!

 Doctor Jesus has never met a disease he could not cure, even death!

 This Samaritan was not of Judaism, and a Jewish priest would not even see him.

 We know the priests of the Samaritans were false priests of a false religion, so they could not have helped him.

 This Samaritan knew only one person who was worthy of his thanks, and it was the Lord Jesus Christ.

 We sometimes forget this, too!

 There is never a day that we should not be thanking the Lord for what He has already done for us, and we know a lot of the things that are in our future, and we should be thanking Him for these things also.

If your name is written down in the Lamb’s Book of Life, you owe the Lord your thanks; you owe the Lord your life.

 We should also be ready to worship our Savior at any time and at all times.

 Prayer is also worship, and we can pray anywhere and at any time.

Prayer is worship when we talk to the Lord, but not when we repeat some chant over and over again.

 The Lord Jesus is always worthy of our praise.

 The Lord Jesus Christ is the only Priest we need to see, and this Samaritan realized this truth.

 Why go to some man when we can go to the Living God?

 Jesus asked His disciples, where were the other nine?

 *****Luk 17:17  And Jesus answering, said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? 

Luk 17:18  There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. 

Luk 17:19  And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole. 

 The Samaritan is cleansed and saved, but the other nine who benefited from the power of God wanted to remain Jews rather than convert to become Christians.

 They had benefitted from the true Shepherd, but they were locked into the legal system of the Law.

 Rom_4:16  Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,

 The Lord Jesus is still asking this same question today.

 Many of the modern Church have forgotten who cleansed them from their sin, and many of them have returned to the Law, forgetting the Grace of God.

Many denominations today have added their own oral laws and traditions.

 Those other nine went back to their old lives doing the same things they did before they were overcome by leprosy.

 They may have gotten an outward cure, but only the Samaritan got the Spiritual Blessing!

 We should not doubt that it was faith in the work of the Lord that made this man whole!

 That word faith is in the New Testament 245 times in 229 verses.

 The word faith is used only twice in the Old Testament, but both are important.

 1) What happens to those with no faith?

 Deu_32:20  And he said, I will hide my face from them, I will see what their end shall be: for they are a very froward generation, children in whom is no faith.

 2) Only those with true faith are justified.

 Hab_2:4  Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.

 This Samaritan was justified.

 I think it is important to add a few verses to our lesson format.

 *****Luk 17:20  And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: 

Luk 17:21  Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you. 

Luk 17:22  And he said unto the disciples, The days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it. 

Luk 17:23  And they shall say to you, See here; or, see there: go not after them, nor follow them. 

Luk 17:24  For as the lightning, that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day. 

Luk 17:25  But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation. 

Luk 17:26  And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. 

Luk 17:27  They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. 

Luk 17:28  Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; 

Luk 17:29  But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. 

Luk 17:30  Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. 

 We see that the Lord Jesus begins dealing with His return.

 We know that the return of Jesus Christ will be in two stages.

 1) He will first return to take His Church, the Bride of Christ, out of this world. We will meet Him in the clouds, as He will not place His feet on the earth at this time.

 1Th 4:13  But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 

1Th 4:14  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 

1Th 4:15  For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 

1Th 4:16  For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 

1Th 4:17  Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 

 2) Jesus will return to end the Seven Years of Tribulation before those on earth destroy themselves.

 Act 1:11  Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. 

 Dan 7:13  I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. 

Dan 7:14  And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed. 

 Dan 7:22  Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom. 

 Rev 19:11  And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. 

 We know the Kingdom of God is internal, but the Kingdom of God is also external.

 In the days of Noah, people lived their own lives, which God called corrupt in His sight.

 We can say that the Ten Commandments meant nothing to them, just as they mean nothing to the liberals of today.

The Ten Commandments only remind them of their sin, and they know they are sinners and do not want to be reminded of it.

 It was a world full of violence.

 In the days of Lot, people were more devoted to the gratification of bodily appetites and free indulgence in carnal pleasures.

 They accepted that this was the life that was meant to be.

 It was a corrupt and carnal place to live.

 Gen_13:13  But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly.

 Gen_18:20  And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;

 The Lord Jesus Christ will begin His reign with the righteous judgment of sin!

 This world will not be prepared to meet King Jesus!

 The destruction of this world will be greater than what the flood caused and it will burn like the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.

 After these things the Lord Jesus our Creator, will restore this world as it was in the day He created it.

 Mic 4:1  But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it. 

Mic 4:2  And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. 

Mic 4:3  And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. 

Mic 4:4  But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the LORD of hosts hath spoken it.

 Isa 32:17  And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever. 

 Isa 11:1  And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: 

Isa 11:2  And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD; 

Isa 11:3  And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: 

Isa 11:4  But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.

 The Lord Jesus will sit as King in Jerusalem!

 Zec 8:3  Thus saith the LORD; I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth; and the mountain of the LORD of hosts the holy mountain. 

 *****Luk 17:31  In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back. 

Luk 17:32  Remember Lot's wife. 

Luk 17:33  Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it. 

 Just before the Lord returns, people will be going about their wickedness as if nothing can happen to them.

 These are the same people who have denied the existence of God.

 When God's people, the Jews, realize what is happening, they will have to act quickly.

 They will need to move without packing or returning to their homes.

 We may not know when the Lord will come, but what we know for sure is that when He comes, it will be very quick.

 Rev_22:12  And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.

 Then the Lord Jesus reminds them, do not look back, but keep going forward.

 Lot's wife was so close to salvation, but with one turn of her neck, she became a pillar of salt.

 There is no worldly way to save lives on that day; there is only the ways of the Lord Jesus.

 Faithfulness to the truth of God will be their only escape.

 Anyone who considers some earthly possession more important than his life will lose his life.

 Just as in salvation today, whoever lets go of his life and gives it to the Lord will be saved.

 *****Luk 17:34  I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. 

Luk 17:35  Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 

Luk 17:36  Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 

 As far as the Rapture of the Church, the point is clear: people will be going about their daily routine, when all of a sudden, one here and one there will be taken up to meet the Lord Jesus in the clouds.

 The word "Rapture" means rapid seizing by violence.

 Only a believer who is truly prepared will be taken up to meet the Lord Jesus.

 "ALL" who oppose and reject the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ will be left behind.

 1Th 5:3  For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.. 

 Believers will miss out on this destruction: 1Th 5:9  For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, 

1Th 5:10  Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. 

 God knows who the true disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ are!

 God knows that those who just claim to be the disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ will be left behind to go through the seven years of Tribulation.

 Tit_1:16  They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.

 God knows all those who reject the truth of Jesus Christ, and they will be left behind to go through the seven years of Tribulation.

 There will be no last-second decisions; it will be too late to claim the Savior at that point.

 Rom_1:28  And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

 *****Luk 17:37  And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.

The Rapture of the Church will take place throughout the entire world all at the same time, At the same moment.

Some say instead of Eagles it should have been Vultures, but Jesus says what He means and He means what He says.

The vultures of Gennesaret are hideous-looking birds, almost the same size as eagles and matching their strength.

The things that the Lord Jesus is talking about here will be worldwide.

At this time, we should not expect a Deliverer of the Jewish nation, for it is devoted to destruction.

The Jews will face the wrath of God, as all the world will.

We must understand that the moral corruption throughout this world ensures that the Lord Jesus will return in Divine Judgment.

Amen

The Healer Must Be Our Teacher

 Jesus Continued to Heal and to Teach

 Book of Luke Chapter 9 Verses 37-42, 57-62

 

 There is a lot of great material between verse 22 and verse 37, but let's keep to our lesson plan.

 Our lesson begins the next day after the Transfiguration of the Lord.

 We could say that on the Day of Transfiguration, the glory of the Lord Jesus broke out in the presence of His disciples.

 The transfiguration of the Lord Jesus is hard to describe accurately, so it is best to read the Scriptures in the Gospels.

 What is recorded as a record was an absolute historical reality, and not a mere vision.

 Joh 1:14  And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. 

 Peter never forgot this day: 2Pe 1:16  For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 

2Pe 1:17  For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. 

2Pe 1:18  And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount. 

 Many today worship the Devil, who is Satan, but I wonder if they realize how the devil treats all our children.

 *****Luk 9:37  And it came to pass, that on the next day, when they were come down from the hill, much people met him. 

Luk 9:38  And, behold, a man of the company cried out, saying, Master, I beseech thee, look upon my son: for he is mine only child. 

Luk 9:39  And, lo, a spirit taketh him, and he suddenly crieth out; and it teareth him that he foameth again, and bruising him hardly departeth from him. 

Luk 9:40  And I besought thy disciples to cast him out; and they could not.

This is an epileptic seizure.

This does not mean that everyone who has seizures are caused by the Satan but if they do not know the Lord Jesus they need to have faith in Him.

He is still the Healer!

 On the mountain top, there was the glory of the Lord, showing God’s power, but in the valley, Satan was showing the people his power.

 This is the difference between Heaven and Earth.

 We can see a father who has seen his only son, who was tormented by an evil spirit.

 He was begging the Lord Jesus to have pity on him.

 We should ask ourselves why more parents do not see this today and beg for the help of our Savior for their own children.

 We all should know that the Lord Jesus has great compassion for all people.

 This man had lost all control over his son because he was a victim of Satan's power.

 1Pe_5:8  Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

 This father had no choice but to stand by helplessly and watch the Devil destroy his son.

 We can see this in our lost children today, and we need to go to the Lord Jesus for His help.

 This man had already approached the nine disciples of Christ for their help, and they could not help him for some reason.

 The Lord had given them the power over demons, and they had used it, but for some reason, their faith was not as it should have been.

We saw this in an earlier lesson, and we saw it again in this lesson.

 The Lord Jesus later told them that they had not been praying and fasting as they should have.

 The Lord Jesus gives us many gifts today, but if we will not fellowship with Him daily, that gift will have no power.

 We must never forget who the Lord is! He is the Almighty God!

 Many times, as Christians, we are a disappointment to the people around us who could use our help.

 Only the Lord Jesus knows how many times we have been a disappointment to Him.

 We may not have the powers of Jesus Christ, but we can be attentive and sympathetic to their needs.

 We can certainly begin with prayer at that very moment if we have compassion on them.

 Fortunately for us all, the Lord Jesus is always on time.

 *****Luk 9:41  And Jesus answering said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you, and suffer you? Bring thy son hither.

 After all the disciples of Christ had seen of the miracles of Jesus, we could ask ourselves how they could have a lack of faith?

 We can also see that the Lord Jesus spoke to the whole generation of Jews and not just to His chosen disciples.

 Where was this father's faith?

Where was the faith of all those who were present?

 The chosen disciples of Christ did not have the power, even though the Lord Jesus had given them that power when He sent them out earlier as evangelists.

 Notice all those present just stood around when the disciples of Christ tried to heal this son, having no concern for the life of this boy, when they too could have been praying.

 What do we do when the Lord is not physically present as He is today?

 Surely, we can all pray!

 Surely, we can all show faith!

 This father could have shown faith after all these were God's people. They could go to the priests. They could make sacrifices.

 This child continued to suffer because no one had enough compassion to seek God for him.

 Jesus said they all were faithless and perverse. Perverse here means morally corrupt.

 The Holy Spirit says: Tit 1:15  Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. 

Tit 1:16  They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate. 

 When God's people act this way, there will be no power in the Church.

 Guess what, we see very little power in the Church today!

 It is not our duty to judge other places of worship; it is our job to make sure our own place of worship is following the Word of God by being obedient in our worship and in our lives.

 *****Luk 9:42  And as he was yet a coming, the devil threw him down, and tare him. And Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the child, and delivered him again to his father. 

 The Devil tried to show his power over the boy, but the Lord just spoke the word, and the Devil had to leave.

 If the chosen disciples of Christ had been following Christ as closely as they should, they would have been able rid this boy of this demon.

 Jesus broke the power of this demon the same way He broke Satan's power; He just spoke with the Sword of His Mouth.

 Rev_2:16  Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.

 Rev_19:15  And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

 Rev_19:21  And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.

 The people who were observing what the Lord did were amazed at the mighty power of God!

 Once more, all those who were observing could only think about the great power of God.

 They marveled at the Majesty of God's Messiah, but we should also understand there is a cost for every disciple of Jesus Christ.

 *****Luk 9:57  And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. 

Luk 9:58  And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. 

 When someone tells the Lord Jesus, "I will follow you wherever you go", it sounds good, but it has to be made very clear why anyone makes such a claim.

 No one can follow the Lord who has not been called!

 A self-commitment is nothing like a Jesus Christ-centered commitment.

 If there is a real calling of "Grace," then that person must let go of all things that might hinder their walk with Christ.

 Rom 1:1  Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, "separated" unto the gospel of God, 

 Rom 1:7  To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, "called to be saints": Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. 

 Rom 8:28  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called "according to his purpose". 

 It is only the call of God that enables us to believe.

 God's purposes in Himself sum up all things in Jesus Christ!

 Eph 1:9  Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure "which he hath purposed in himself": 

Eph 1:10  That in the dispensation of the fulness of times "he might gather together in one all things in Christ", both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: 

 The Lord Jesus Christ must become our Lord of life!

 The Lord Jesus Christ gave up all of Heaven and all of Himself to meet the needs of this dying world we live in.

 A profession of faith is not enough.

Saying, "I am willing to follow" is not enough.Mrk_14:38  Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.

We must deny ourselves completely!

We must accept the Lord Jesus as the Servant of mankind and become such a servant ourselves.

 There is nothing in our old life that will help us achieve the call of Christ!

 The Lord Jesus led a perfect life, and it must be our goal to do the same, even if we cannot be perfect while we remain in these sinful bodies of flesh.

 We must accept the pattern of life that the Lord Jesus had as our own.

 Luk 9:23  And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. 

 1Pe 2:21  For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: 

 The Lord Jesus Christ had no home on this earth because His home is in Heaven. As His disciples, we must share His homelessness in this world because our home is now in Heaven, and we have no attachment to this world to bind us.

 Jesus Christ is the perfect picture of what God wants to see in each of us.

 *****Luk 9:59  And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. 

Luk 9:60  Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God. 

 In many cases, it is the son who will take care of his father in their old age.

 The Lord Jesus had invited this man to become one of His disciples, to even become a preacher to preach the Kingdom of God.

 When we decide to follow the Lord Jesus, it means we have decided that this is the most important decision we will ever make, and nothing on this earth is more important.

 We must give up everything in this world for a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

 It was not a bad thing for this man to bury his father, but the message of salvation is far more important.

This father died lost, rejecting the Lord Jesus as the Messiah.

 Those who are spiritually dead because they have rejected the Lord Jesus are not as important as those who have never had that opportunity, at least to our Savior.

 This is the truth of being loyal to Jesus Christ.

 We must consider that when the Jews rejected the Lord Jesus, it was more important for the Apostle Paul to go to the Gentiles.

 Even those who have rejected the Lord one time are not as important as those who have never heard of the Kingdom of God.

 God has already decided to meet the needs of these in the work of the Sower when one plants, another waters, and another reaps the harvest of the soul for Christ to save.

 Every person is of extreme value to the Lord, and we should know that the Holy Spirit was working hard to bring this man to conviction.

 Those whom God has called to preach need to respond as quickly as possible.

 Mat_9:37  Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few;

Mat_9:38  Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.

 The Lord Jesus knew that this man was hesitating to answer Him, and he just used the burying of his father as an excuse.

 What was the message of Christ? Luke 14:26  If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. 

Luk 14:27  And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.

It is a hard message, but it is a necessary truth to serve the Lord.

We cannot allow Satan's children to drag us down, even if they are family members.

 The word hate means "to love less". We must love the Lord with all our heart, all our body, and all our soul!

 *****Luk 9:61  And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. 

Luk 9:62  And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God. 

Following the Lord Jesus Christ is a lifelong commitment!

Here is a man who offered "on his own" to become a follower of Jesus Christ. He was not called.

Looking ahead to the Rapture of the Church is the most important event that we are looking forward to.

To the Jew, the return of Jesus Christ is the most important event they have to look forward to.

These are two separate events!

If we look at those two words "but and first", we see that this man saw something more important that he should do before committing to the Lord, which he said he had already made such a commitment.

Maybe he needed the advice of his family before he made a final commitment.

Maybe he needed someone else's approval before a full commitment to the Lord.

As we saw in the Book of Luke, Chapter fourteen, maybe he was putting his love for his family ahead of his love for Jesus Christ.

Either way, the Lord Jesus knew what was going on in this man's life; he was unwilling to cut the ties of this life and give all of himself to the Lord.

Jesus Christ is the "first" and the "last," and He must be everything to us!

Looking back can be fatal.

Just ask Lot's wife.

Gen 19:17  And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed.

Gen 19:26  But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt. 

The word commitment fits in right here.

It is true that in order to plough a straight furrow, the farmer must concentrate on a certain point in front of him.

He must keep his eyes fixed upon the goal.

As we serve the Lord, we must know that our work is not done until the Rapture of the Church on a day of the Lord's choosing.

It may be close, but it is not here yet!

It is not the time to quit on God!

We are just too close to going home.

Amen

The Miracle Worker

 A Centurion's Faith and a Dead Man Raised

 Book of Luke Chapter 7

 As we get into the miracles of Jesus Christ, let's talk about the Lord Jesus, the miracle worker.

 The Lord Jesus Christ was also a miracle worker, but we should understand that for the most part, He did these miracles to show the people He is God Almighty.

 Another thing we should see about the miracles of Jesus, He did things that only God could do.

 Such healing of a leper, the knowledge to heal a leper, is something only God can do.

 There is still no cure for leprosy even today.

 It is the same for a sinner; there is no cure for sin other than the "Grace" of God that comes in the form of the Lord Jesus Christ.

We can say that sin is a disease that only the Lord Jesus Christ can heal.

 Another miracle happened when the Lord Jesus gave sight to the blind man. There is still no cure for blindness today.

 Jesus came to this earth to open all our eyes to the truth of our Holy God.

 Psa 146:8  The LORD openeth the eyes of the blind: the LORD raiseth them that are bowed down: the LORD loveth the righteous: 

 There is another prophecy that led the Lord Jesus to perform miracles. Isa 29:18  And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness. 

The Bible must remain the truth of the Almighty God! 

Isa 35:5  Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. 

Isa 35:6  Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.

 What is the greatest miracle of Jesus Christ? Isa 43:25  I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins. 

 Isa 44:22  I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee. 

 The religious leaders of Jerusalem had no way to explain the miracles that were done by Jesus Christ without admitting He was truly the Messiah, which they were not about to do.

 They came up with a plan.

 Mat 12:22  Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw. 

Mat 12:23  And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David? 

Mat 12:24  But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils. 

 This is the sin against the Holy Spirit.

 This sin cannot be forgiven because these wicked men had seen that Jesus had performed these miracles, His words, and His works.

 These Pharisees dogmatically reported that Jesus performed these miracles under the power of Satan.

 The miracles could not be denied, but they refused to acknowledge that Jesus was indeed the Messiah.

 There will be no opportunity for repentance of this sin because it is the same sin of not believing the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

 Mat 12:31  Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. 

Mat 12:32  And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come. 

 It is a great study just to study the miracles that the Lord did while He was on this earth.

 *****Luk 7:1  Now when he had ended all his sayings in the audience of the people, he entered into Capernaum. 

 We should understand one important thing about the Word of God.

 Once we have heard the Word of God, we can no longer remain neutral; we will be on the Lord's side or on the world's side.

 After the Lord Jesus was driven out of Nazareth, He chose Capernaum as the headquarters of His ministry.

 The city of Capernaum saw many great works of the Lord during His time there, but this wicked city never accepted the Lord Jesus as God's Messiah, and it does not exist as a city today.

 Mat 11:23  And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. 

Mat 11:24  But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee.  

The Lord Jesus had just preached a great sermon to those who had gathered to hear Him.

 Capernaum was important enough to Rome that a detachment of Roman soldiers stayed there at all times.

 It was this Roman commander who had provided the money to build a Jewish synagogue in Capernaum.

 *****Luk 7:2  And a certain centurion's servant, who was dear unto him, was sick, and ready to die.

 There is a clear lesson to learn in this passage.

 People with great faith also care for other people.

 Most people look down on our military, but I found that when I was a soldier, most soldiers care for people.

 Most soldiers respect others even when they are on assignment in other nations than their own.

 When we see the word slave, we do not usually see a person who is loved or cared for.

 This Centurion would have had to buy this person for him to be a slave, and he had grown attached to his slave.

 A slave in that day was nothing more than a tool to be used and abused by most of those who owned them.

 This slave had become deathly sick and ready to die.

 The lesson we are to learn is that God will not do for those who have no or little faith.

 *****Luk 7:3  And when he heard of Jesus, he sent unto him the elders of the Jews, beseeching him that he would come and heal his servant. 

 True faith will humble us because we know we are unworthy to approach God and certainly unworthy to ask God for His help.

 We should understand that once we understand we are saved from the wrath of God, why should we think God owes us anything else?

 This soldier had only heard about the wonderful things the Lord had done, and he believed these things were true, unlike most Jews of that day.

 The Book of Matthew said that this Centurion had approached the Lord Jesus.

 The Book of Luke says that this Centurion sent some religious leaders to approach Jesus.

 The truth is, if a commander sends someone with a message, then it is as if he had approached that person himself.

 Both Luke and Matthew are right in what they wrote by the Holy Spirit.

 No doubt this military man had heard of the wonderful things that Jesus had done.

 We had better believe that Rome had someone in the crowds who approached Jesus to put down any insurrection that occurred, but we know Jesus never preached for rebellion against Rome.

 This Centurion requested help, not for himself but for a slave in his possession.

 He sent priests who were the leaders of the synagogue that he had helped to build.

 Today, we do not need a priest on this earth to intercede for us; we can go straight to our Heavenly Father as long as we go in the name of His Son, Jesus.

 1) Once we are exposed to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we must humble ourselves before the Lord if we want to seek the blessings of God!

 Mic 6:8  He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

 What was told to Jesus about this military man?

 *****Luk 7:4  And when they came to Jesus, they besought him instantly, saying, That he was worthy for whom he should do this: 

Luk 7:5  For he loveth our nation, and he hath built us a synagogue. 

 When we have faith in the truth of God, we will want to know more about Him.

 What we see is that some Roman soldiers did have true faith in the God of Israel.

 He did this knowing that his own nation and his own rulers despised the Jews.

 He helped these Jews because he loved the God of Israel, and it was not a fake love.

 The world hated the Jews just as most of the world hates the Jews today.

 When you are a hated person, you will strive to be better than those around you, and this will cause more hatred.

 We can truly narrow this down to the fact that the Jews served the One True God, and the world will always have many gods or be Anti-God.

 God said: Gen_12:3  And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

 Those who hate Israel and the Jews also hate the Word of God, no matter what they say!

 The world rejects that it is by faith that God works in our world.

 If there is one thing that the whole world has, it is that there is always someone to blame if things are not going to suit them.

 This is why there are no solutions to problems reached in this world.

 The Jews and the Gentiles have very few dealings with one another.

 The Gentiles were treated with less respect than a dog by the Jews, and so did the Gentiles treat the Jews. We know it is much the same today.

 Mar 7:25  For a certain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came and fell at his feet: 

Mar 7:26  The woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation; and she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter. 

Mar 7:27  But Jesus said unto her, Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it unto the dogs. 

Mar 7:28  And she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs. 

Mar 7:29  And he said unto her, For this saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter. 

 This Roman soldier did not allow these things to interfere with his love of God and his faith in Christ.

 *****Luk 7:6  Then Jesus went with them. And when he was now not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him, saying unto him, Lord, trouble not thyself: for I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof: 

Luk 7:7  Wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee: but say in a word, and my servant shall be healed. 

Luk 7:8  For I also am a man set under authority, having under me soldiers, and I say unto one, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. 

 We can have faith in a lot of things in this world, and most of them have little or no real meaning because there is no real benefit for them.

 If our faith is real in Jesus Christ, then He knows it, and it means something to Him!

 That soldier of Rome had great faith in Jesus Christ.

 We see this Scripture a lot, but it is a truth we can depend upon: Heb 11:6  But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. 

 This is the faith of this soldier from Rome faith even the Jews did not have.

 This faith is believing that the Lord Jesus Christ is the sovereign Lord with all the power of Heaven.

 This faith is believing that the Lord Jesus Christ will reward those who diligently seek Him, and He will use His power on behalf of those who seek Him.

 This faith is believing that there is nothing impossible for the God of the Bible.

 This faith is believing that all God has to do is speak the Word, and things will happen.

 Mat 28:18  And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 

 If we cannot believe this, then we will never get a prayer answered, and we need to question our salvation.

 *****Luk 7:9  When Jesus heard these things, he marvelled at him, and turned him about, and said unto the people that followed him, I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. 

Luk 7:10  And they that were sent, returning to the house, found the servant whole that had been sick. 

 When God has a great admiration for our faith, He will move on our behalf!

 This Gentile from Rome had stirred the heart of our Savior!

 There are only two places in the Scriptures where it is said that Jesus marvelled.

 Here in this passage about the Gentile Roman soldier and the people of Nazareth, His hometown who had no faith.

 Mar 6:4  But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house. 

Mar 6:5  And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them. 

Mar 6:6  And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching.

 There will be no great works in our life, in our church, nor in our ministries without "Great Faith" in the Lord Jesus Christ!

 It did not matter if this man was a Roman.

It did not matter if this man was a Gentile.

It did not matter if this man was a soldier who had followed commands, even commands to kill.

It only mattered that he had great faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

 The Lord Jesus Christ has the power to do as He says He will do and the power to meet all our needs!

 Mar 11:22  And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. 

Mar 11:23  For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. 

Mar 11:24  Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. 

 This is the power to answer any prayer!

 *****Luk 7:11  And it came to pass the day after, that he went into a city called Nain; and many of his disciples went with him, and much people. 

 The city of Nain was only six miles from the city of Nazareth, and this distance could be walked in less than a day.

 This is the same area where Elisha had raised the son of a Shunammite woman, so this area had seen the power of God.

 There were many witnesses to this resurrection because it was a funeral procession.

 Many unbelievers had followed the Lord Jesus from Nazareth.

 The disciples of Jesus were with Him.

 The timing of the arrival of the Lord Jesus was perfect.

 *****Luk 7:12  Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and many people of the city were with her. 

Luk 7:13  And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not. 

 We have stated before that for a woman to be left on her own in this day, it would be hard for her to survive.

 The women of that day were homemakers, while the husband and sons, if she had one, would provide for the home.

 We saw she was a widow, so her husband had already passed.

 In typology, Israel is a widow without a husband today because the Jews still reject the Lord of Glory.

 She is now attending the funeral of her only begotten son.

 All of Israel's hope lies in the only Begotten Son of God, the Son who will die for their sins as He did for all sinners. They must first admit that they are sinners.

 Was this the reason that the Lord Jesus had compassion on her? It was at least part of it.

 The crowd of people attending the funeral and the crowd of people following the Lord Jesus Christ all met together at the gates of the city.

 The crowd of the city walks with death.

 The crowd with Jesus walks with Life.

 What we will witness is that death will lose to the Giver of Life.

 Death has the last word for the unbeliever.

Life has the last word for the believer.

 Rom 6:23  For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

 When death meets the Lord Jesus Christ, death will have to give way to Life!

 Rev 1:18  I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death. 

 The Lord Jesus was touched by this whole scene. This mother was a type of the love that God has for His children.

 We should also notice that no one had asked the Lord Jesus for help.

 We see that God does act sometimes out of His own compassion. Why?

 Joh 3:16  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 

 Compassion is a mix of passion, love, and sorrow.

 *****Luk 7:14  And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise. 

Luk 7:15  And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother. 

 A bier was a flat wooden frame on which the body of the dead was carried from the house to the grave.

 The body of the Lord Jesus would lie on such a bier in a couple of years in Jerusalem.

 We know that contact with a dead body was forbidden by the Laws of Moses as a source of defilement.

 Num 19:11  He that toucheth the dead body of any man shall be unclean seven days. 

 Though God can do as He pleases, the Lord Jesus did not touch the body of this young man but only touched the bier, as written by Luke.

 Jesus then spoke: Young man, I say unto thee, Arise.

 1) The Lord Jesus did have the power to bypass traditional beliefs. The Lord Jesus Christ possesses the right and the power to override all religious laws and beliefs and over life and death as our Creator, but He would never go against the written Word of God.

 2) The Lord Jesus Christ has the power to stop the death processional. The pallbearers stopped without Jesus saying a word to them.

 3) The Lord Jesus Christ is the only one who has the power to raise the dead. He commanded life to return to this young man. 

Joh 5:24  Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. 

Joh 5:25  Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. 

Joh 5:26  For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; 

Joh 5:27  And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man. 

Joh 5:28  Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 

Joh 5:29  And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. 

We should understand that everyone who was raised from the dead by Jesus while he was first on this earth later died again.

 The Lord Jesus Christ tells us exactly what will happen after the death of the believer and the death of the unbeliever.

 The souls of the believers will return with Christ.

 The souls of the unbeliever will be reunited with their mangled bodies in the Burning Lake of Fire.

 *****Luk 7:16  And there came a fear on all: and they glorified God, saying, That a great prophet is risen up among us; and, That God hath visited his people. 

Luk 7:17  And this rumour of him went forth throughout all Judaea, and throughout all the region round about. 

 These people in Nain had never seen such a thing as this.

The disciples of Christ had never seen such a thing as this.

All those who were following the Lord as spies for the religious had never seen such a thing as this resurrection of the dead.

 Many of them had a great fear of what they saw.

 This was a fear of reverence and awe. This is the same fear that we all should have.

 Jhn_6:48  I am that bread of life.

 Jhn_14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

As far as the human body is concerned, death has the last word.

As far as the Christian is concerned, death is the next step into God's Heaven.

When death is confronted with life, death loses.

Death has no right to the body of a Christian!

1Th_4:14  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

There was only one thing left to do, and this was to glorify God.

All those present all knew one thing, and it was that only the Living God had the power to raise the dead back to life.

The Lord Jesus was not asked for any help.

The Lord Jesus saw this poor mother and had compassion upon her.

We serve a compassionate and loving God who can be touched by the suffering of His people.

Our God is the only source of true consolation.

The Lord's compassion is followed up with His "Grace".  The free, unmerited love and favor of God is the spring and source of all the benefits men receive from Him.

Why did God send His Son to save us to begin with? Because He had compassion on us and was willing to show His Grace to us.

Those words "God hath visited His people" mean they should have recognized that Jesus Christ is the Messiah, but they did not have enough faith, and even this little faith did not last long.

They began to see the Lord Jesus as only a Prophet of God, though He was a Prophet, He was so much more than a Prophet. He was God's Son.

Luk 19:41  And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, 

Luk 19:42  Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes. 

Luk 19:43  For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, 

Luk 19:44  And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation. 

The Muslims and other religions call Him Prophet, but I call Him Savior. I call Him God!

We can look forward to the Rapture of the Church or the day after our death when we hear the voice of the Lord calling us home.

1Th 4:13  But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 

1Th 4:14  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 

1Th 4:15  For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 

1Th 4:16  For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 

1Th 4:17  Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 

Amen