Sermon and Worship Resources

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Luke 18:35-43

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

This section includes the healing of the blind man at Jericho (18:35–43) and Jesus’ encounter with Zacchaeus (19:1–10). In both passages we see individual men responding to Jesus in faith. 18:35–43 Luke’s account of the healing of the blind man at Jericho is taken from Mark 10:46–52. In the Marcan account the blind man is named “Bartimaeus” (10:46; Bartimaeus=son of Timaeus). In the Matthean vers...

2. A Crippled Woman Healed on the Sabbath

Luke 13:10-17

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

The healing of the woman with a crooked spine occurs only in Luke. Like earlier episodes in Luke (6:1–5, 6–11), the controversy centers around Jesus, who allegedly violates the law by healing someone on the Sabbath. The episode exposes yet another example of Pharisaic hypocrisy, while it also furthers the general theme of the growing hostility that eventually will result in Jesus’ arrest and cruci...

3. A Dead Girl and a Sick Woman

Luke 8:40-56

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

8:40–56 The stories of the resuscitation of Jairus’ daughter and the healing of the woman with the hemorrhage are also derived from Mark (5:21–43). As often is the case, Luke has abbreviated his Marcan material. (Matthew’s version is the briefest; 9:18–25.) The emphasis of both of these episodes is the need to have faith in Jesus. In view of what Jesus has just accomplished on the lake (vv. 22–25)...

4. A Lamp On a Stand

Luke 8:16-18

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

The Parable of the Sower: This section is comprised of three parts: (1) the Parable of the Sower (vv. 4–15), (2) the Parable of the Lamp (vv. 16–18), and (3) Jesus’ definition of his true family (vv. 19–21). What unites these three parts is the theme of hearing and obeying the Word of God (see vv. 8, 15, 18, 21). Luke has obtained these materials from Mark. A comparison of the parallel passages in...

5. A Tree and Its Fruit

Luke 6:43-45

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

Instruction for the Disciples: Luke’s account of the choosing of the Twelve (6:12–16) is based on Mark 3:13–19, while his summarizing account of Jesus’ healings on the “level place” (6:17–19) is based loosely on Mark 3:7–12. Luke reversed the order of these Marcan units to accommodate the sermon that follows (6:20–49). As it now stands in Luke, Jesus goes up on a mountain (v. 12) to appoint the Tw...

6. Additional Teachings

Luke 16:16-18

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

16:16–18 Contained in these three verses are three sayings, originally independent in all likelihood (as comparison with Matt. 11:12–13; 5:18, 32 would seem to indicate). What connection these sayings have with the surrounding context is not immediately clear. In view of Jesus’ teaching about proper standards for living in the new age, Luke possibly wished to clarify how the law, the rule and guid...

7. At the Home of Martha and Mary

Luke 10:38-42

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

10:38–42 The point of this episode is simple and relates in some ways to the parable that precedes it: It is more important to hear and obey the word of Jesus than to be busy with other matters, even though they may be commendable of themselves. It would have been far better for Martha to have made simpler and less time-consuming preparations in order, like her sister Mary, to learn from the Lord....

8. Blessings and Woes

Luke 6:17-26

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

9. Do Not Worry

Luke 12:22-34

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

12:22–31 The applications of the Parable of the Rich Fool are now driven home. Jesus wants the lives of his disciples to be guided by interests other than worldly, material ones. The disciple is not to worry about food and clothes, which is not only a distraction, but betrays a lack of faith in God (see v. 28). There is more to life than food and clothing. God will supply food for his children jus...

10. Interpreting the Times

Luke 12:54-59

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

12:54–56 Jesus’ address now shifts from the disciples to the crowd. The theme of the end times continues, however. People are able to recognize changes in the weather (rain from west, that is, the Mediterranean Sea; heat from the south, that is, the Negev Desert), but as hypocrites they are oblivious to the meaning of this present time. Discerning the weather may pose no problem, but they are comp...

11. Introduction

Luke 1:1-4

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

Luke's Preface: The first four verses of Luke’s Gospel make up what is sometimes called a “prologue” or “preface.” Since these verses, which are only one sentence in the Greek, actually function as a literary preface, it is probably best to regard them as Luke’s preface introducing his Gospel. Since Luke 3:1–2, however, also functions as an introduction to the Gospel and since some of the componen...

12. Jesus Again Predicts His Death

Luke 18:31-34

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

18:31–34 The first two passion predictions were uttered in Luke 9 (vv. 21–22, 43b–45), the chapter in which the journey to Jerusalem began (v. 51). Now that the journey is almost completed, the third passion prediction is uttered (though there were other utterances of pending trouble in the journey itself, see 12:50; 13:32–33; 17:25). In the Lucan version there is found a significant addition: eve...

13. Jesus and Beelzebub

Luke 11:14-28

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

This section consists of two parts: (1) the accusation that Jesus is empowered by Beelzebub and Jesus’ reply (vv. 14–23), and (2) Jesus’ teaching on the return of an evil spirit to the person from whom it had gone out (vv. 24–26). The first part is derived from Mark 3:20–27, which is also adopted by Matthew (12:22–30). The second part is found elsewhere only in Matthew (12:43–45) and so probably i...

14. Jesus and John the Baptist

Luke 7:18-35

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

Jesus’ Answer to John: This section consists of three parts that are loosely related to Jesus’ answer to the messengers of the imprisoned John the Baptist. Another factor uniting these stories together are the parallels with the Elijah/Elisha stories in 1 and 2 Kings. The first of Luke’s episodes is about the healing of the officer’s servant (7:1–10); the second is about the raising of the widow’s...

15. Jesus Anointed by a Sinful Woman

Luke 7:36-50

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

7:36–50 The episode of the sinful woman who anoints the feet of Jesus bears some interesting similarities to the accounts of Jesus’ anointing just prior to his arrest and crucifixion (see Matt. 26:6–13; Mark 14:3–9; John 12:1–8). Since Luke does not have a later anointing episode and since there are several specific parallels between the Lucan episode and the other Gospel accounts (see Fitzmyer, p...

16. Jesus Appears to the Disciples

Luke 24:36-49

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

The appearance to the disciples in Jerusalem constitutes Jesus’ third resurrection appearance. Of the first two only one is actually narrated (the appearance to the two on the road to Emmaus, vv. 13–28), while the other is merely reported (the appearance to Simon Peter, v. 34). The appearance to the Eleven disciples will be Luke’s second narrated appearance of the risen Christ and it, like the fir...

17. Jesus Arrested

Luke 22:47-53

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

22:47–53 Luke tells us that while Jesus was still speaking a crowd came up (which, according to v. 52, included chief priests, the officers of the temple guard, and the elders) led by Judas, one of the Twelve. Judas approached Jesus to kiss him (according to Mark 14:44–45 he does kiss him, for it was the sign by which Jesus would be identified to his enemies). Jesus’ question in v. 48 (found only ...

18. Jesus at a Pharisee's House

Luke 14:1-14

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

Doing Good on the Sabbath This episode is part of a section unique to Luke (14:1–24); the section is loosely tied together by the setting of Jesus being invited to the house of a Pharisee. The episode is the fourth and final episode in which controversy over Sabbath laws emerges. Previously Jesus has been accused of breaking the Sabbath by doing what the Pharisees regarded as work, such as pickin...

19. Jesus At the Temple

Luke 19:45-48

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

19:45–46 Luke’s account of the cleansing of the temple is briefest of the Gospel accounts (see note below). Luke’s account is briefest because he has omitted the various details regarding those who were selling and changing money (see Matt. 21:12; Mark 11:15; John 2:14–16). Also omitted in Luke is the cursing of the fig tree (see Mark 11:12–14), as well as a few other less noteworthy details. The...

20. Jesus Before Pilate and Herod

Luke 22:66--23:25

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

22:66–71 Unlike Mark 14:55–64, the Lucan version of Jesus’ trial before the council (or “Sanhedrin”) says nothing of the accusation brought by the two false witnesses who claimed that Jesus had threatened to destroy the temple (but see Acts 6:13–14). According to the Lucan account, Jesus is asked directly if he is the Christ (see 2:11; 3:15). He responds by saying that as Son of Man (see note on 5...

21. Jesus' Burial

Luke 23:50-56

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

23:50–56 Luke’s account of Jesus’ burial follows, but in abbreviated form. Joseph … from the Judean town of Arimathea is described as a good and upright (same word used of Jesus in v. 47 above) man. This man, like the righteous Simeon (2:25), was waiting for the kingdom of God. By describing him thus, the evangelist is implying that Joseph was in sympathy with John the Baptist’s earlier call to re...

22. Jesus Calms the Storm

Luke 8:22-25

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

The stilling of the storm is taken from Mark 4:35–41 (and is also found in Matt. 8:23–27). Luke’s account is the shortest and most succinct. By omitting and modifying a few of the Marcan details and by inserting the episode immediately after the section on hearing and obeying the word of Jesus, Luke has drawn out a slightly different emphasis. Whereas in Mark the story underscores the mysteriousne...

23. Jesus' Death

Luke 23:44-49

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

This section may be divided into two parts: (1) the death of Jesus (vv. 44–49) and (2) the burial of Jesus (vv. 50–56). As in the previous section (vv. 26–43) the Lucan account basically follows Mark (15:33–47), but not without various omissions, additions, and modifications. 23:44–49 There are four noteworthy differences between the Lucan and Marcan accounts: (1) Whereas in Mark 15:38 the temple...

24. Jesus Drives Out an Evil Spirit

Luke 4:31-37

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

Jesus Casts Out Demons: With the exorcism in 4:33–36 we have the first of some twenty-one miracles performed by Jesus in the Gospel of Luke. These miracles may be assigned to four basic categories: Exorcisms, healings, resuscitations, and nature miracles. (1) In addition to the exorcism of the demon-possessed man in the synagogue, Jesus exorcises two other demon-possessed persons (the Gerasene “de...

25. Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand

Luke 9:10-17

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

Luke’s account of the feeding of the 5,000 is based on the Marcan account (Mark 6:30–44) and is the only miracle found in all four Gospels (Matt. 14:13–21; John 6:1–15). Luke omits, however, Mark’s feeding of the 4,000 (Mark 8:1–10 and see Matt. 15:32–39). Such an omission is due to (1) Luke’s avoidance of repetition and to (2) the fact that the evangelist has omitted a large section of Mark (6:45...

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