Sermon and Worship Resources

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Luke 11:1-13

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

... . 9–13). The first and third parts evidently come from the sayings source and appear in Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount, though not together as they are here (see Matt. 6:9–13; 7:7–11). The Parable of the Persistent Friend occurs only in Luke. Evans (p. 43) suggests that Luke may have seen a parallel with Deut. 8:4–20 where Moses reminds the Israelites of God’s adequate provision of food and clothing during their years of wandering in the wilderness. 11:1–4 Some commentators have suggested that ...

2. Jesus Sends Out the Seventy-two

Luke 10:1-24

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

... :12 Deut. 12:17–32 – Luke 12:13–34 Deut. 13:1–11 – Luke 12:35–53 Deut. 13:12–18 – Luke 12:54–13:5 Deut. 14:28 – Luke 13:6–9 Deut. 15:1–18 – Luke 13:10–21 Deut. 16:1–17:7 – Luke 13:22–35 Deut. 17:8–18:22 – Luke 14:1–14 Deut. 20:1–20 – Luke 14:15–35 Deut. 21:15–22:4 – Luke 15:1–32 Deut. 23:15–24:4 – Luke 16:1–18 Deut. 24:6–25:3 – Luke 16:19–18:8 Deut. 26:1–19 – Luke 18:9–14 (5) Whereas Evans understood Luke’s purpose for this arrangement ...

3. The Parable of the Good Samaritan

Luke 10:25-37

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

... , not selectively. As the Parable of the Good Samaritan will illustrate, it is the man who treats a stranger as a neighbor that really keeps the commandments of the law. The legal expert, by his qualifying question, may have been trying to find a loophole. Evans (p. 43) naturally sees a correspondence between this section of Luke and Deuteronomy 5–6, where the Ten Commandments are repeated (5:6–21) and the summarizing commandment (called the “Shema” from the first word “hear”) is found (6:4 ...

4. The Parable of the Shrewd Manager

Luke 16:1-15

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

... loyalty. The heart reveals a person’s character. So when the Bible says that God knows the heart, it means that God knows what a person really is like, what he or she really thinks. detestable in God’s sight: The language is actually much stronger: “an abomination before God.” Evans (pp. 48–49) suggests that Luke 16:1–18 parallels Deut. 23:15–24:4. It is worth noting that the word “abomination” comes from Deut. 24:4 in reference to divorce and remarriage. Thus, it is possible that ...

5. Jesus and Beelzebub

Luke 11:14-28

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

... tradition regarded Jesus as a sorcerer empowered by Beelzebul. Typical is this statement: “Jesus practiced magic and led Israel astray” (b. Sanhedrin 107b; see Lachs, p. 211, for additional references). For more on Beelzebul see HBD, p. 86. 11:20 by the finger of God: Evans (p. 44) places Luke 11:20 opposite Deut. 9:10. But in what sense does God’s writing upon the stone tablets with his finger relate to Jesus’ casting out demons? Robert W. Wall (“ ‘The Finger of God’: Deuteronomy 9.10 and ...

6. An Unforgettable Baptism

Luke 3:21-22

Sermon

King Duncan

... Silver got the message that he was no longer in charge. When that happened, Silver became an amazing horse. (3) Here’s Anthony Evans’ point. God created you and me to do amazing things. But we will never be all God created us to be until we ... Holy City, was that he was obedient to his parents and that he “grew in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man” (Luke 2:52). But now, at his baptism, he has this amazing experience. After he is baptized and while he is praying, heaven opens and the ...

7. The Parable of the Sower

Luke 8:1-15

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

... hear: This saying appears to “float” in the sayings tradition, appearing in a variety of places (Matt. 11:15; 13:43; Mark 4:23; Luke 14:35; cf. Rev. 2:7, 17; 3:6, 13, 22). It is a call to the spiritually discerning to pay close attention to ... suggested that Mark’s entire passage (4:1–20) is a unified interpretation based on the “holy seed” of Isa. 6:13c; see Craig A. Evans, “A Note on the Function of Isaiah, VI, 9–10 in Mark, IV,” RB 88 (1981), pp. 234–35. The parable may reflect Isa. 55 ...

8. Out On A Sycamore Limb

Luke 19:1-10

Sermon

Richard Hasler

... something still missing in his life. Perhaps Zacchaeus had heard this man really was “a friend of tax collectors and sinners” (Luke 7:34). In spite of the embarrassment and ridicule he would get from the hometown folks, he proceeded to climb this ... dear friend, Nan. She and her husband had just become the proud parents of thirteen-month-old Evan. Lynne commented upon what she saw in her visit, “Evan is just learning to walk without the support of furniture or walls; he is beginning to walk completely ...

9. Repent or Perish

Luke 13:1-9

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

... 6–9). The incidents reported here, in which reference is made to the murder of some Jews from Galilee and the death of 18 people in Siloam, is unique to Luke. Neither of the episodes is mentioned in secular histories (though some scholars point to two or three inexact parallels to the incident of the murdered Galileans; see Marshall, p. 553). Concerning theme, Evans (p. 46) points to a parallel with Deut. 13:12–18, where the emphasis on turning to the Lord in order to live is quite similar to the Lucan ...

10. Made for Joy

Philippians 4:2-9

Sermon

King Duncan

... circumstances on the outside. Even though there’s nothing happening out there, there’s plenty happening in here.” Anthony Evans goes on to say, “When you accepted Jesus Christ, He came into the inside. So what’s happening on the ... joy which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:10-11) Don’t worry about your future this Advent season. God is in control. Don’t worry about disappointing your family or your friends. ...

11. Samaritan Opposition

Luke 9:51-56

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

... may be an idiom of dispatch, against which the Lord’s commands to Ezekiel should probably be viewed (see Ezek. 6:2; 13:17; 15:7; 21:2; 25:2) and against which Luke may also be understood (see William H. Brownlee, “Ezekiel,” ISBE [1982], vol. 2, pp. 254–55; Craig A. Evans, “ ‘He Set His Face’: Luke 9:51 Once Again,” Biblica 68 [1987], pp. 80–84; Tiede, p. 197). Marshall (p. 405) believes, however, the expression means no more than “determination to do something.” This idea lies behind ...

12. The Parable of the Great Banquet

Luke 14:15-24

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

... very similar to three of the conditions that disqualify an Israelite from participation in holy war, as seen in Deuteronomy 20 (Evans, pp. 47–48; James A. Sanders, “Banquet Parable,” pp. 256–58). Deuteronomy 20:5–7 gives three reasons why one ... on 16:1–13 and 16:14–18 below) and, in this instance, fails to appreciate the interpretive significance that Deuteronomy 20 has for Luke 14. See Tiede, pp. 266–67. 14:23 make them come in: These words contain no suggestion of force or violence (as was ...

13. The Parable of the Lost Sheep

Luke 15:1-7

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

... one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent. Additional Notes Evans (p. 48) suggests that Deut. 21:15–22:4 corresponds to Luke 15, especially vv. 11–32, which make up the Parable of the Lost Son. The parallels are ... the consoling words of his father in vv. 31–32 imply that the older son has a place in his father’s heart. If Luke freely composed the second part of this parable (vv. 25–32), as Sanders claims, and did so as a polemic against the Pharisees ...

14. The Parable of the Tenants

Luke 20:9-19

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

... Isaiah’s song are essentially the same. Both invited the hearers to pass judgment upon themselves. (For further details see Craig A. Evans, “On the Vineyard Parables of Isaiah 5 and Mark 12,” BZ 28 [1984], pp. 82–86.) 20:16 to others: J. T ... to the Parable of the Wicked Vineyard Tenants with “May this never be!” (v. 16), J. T. Sanders (pp. 211–13) believes that Luke really intends the parable to apply to the entire nation, and not just to the religious leaders (as, contrary to Sanders, is made ...

15. Warnings and Encouragements

Luke 12:1-12

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

... –20, 26b–36; 12:31–32; 16:2–3, 6; 24:43–51) and thus should be understood as being derived from the sayings source utilized by Matthew and Luke. Luke’s Parable of the Rich Fool (vv. 13–21) and the saying on watching and waiting (vv. 35–40) are unparalleled (though cf. the latter with Matt. 24:43–44). Evans (pp. 45–46) relates most of Luke 12 to Deuteronomy 12–13, where Israel is commanded to tithe faithfully and to serve God alone. No one, not even brother, son, daughter, or wife is to ...

16. Jesus' Sorrow for Jerusalem

Luke 13:31-35

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

... prophets’ messages is seen throughout the OT, from Elijah down to the post-exilic prophets. In Jesus’ day the idea of the persecuted and stoned prophet had become commonplace. See also the account of the stoning of Stephen in Acts 7:54–60. Evans (p. 47) compares Luke 13:31–34a with Deut. 17:2–7, where the Israelites are commanded to stone those who teach and practice false religion. Obviously, in the eyes of his opponents, Jesus taught a false religion. as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings ...

17. The Cost of Being a Disciple

Luke 14:25-35

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

... preceding Parable of the Great Banquet (vv. 15–24), since Deuteronomy 20 apparently has conceptual and verbal parallels to these Lucan passages (so Evans, pp. 47–48; see commentary on 14:15–24 above). The main point of the section is that the would-be follower of ... , and way of thinking of his teacher (or master). The goal of the disciple is to become as much like his teacher as possible (see Luke 6:40). 14:28 a tower: a look-out for the purpose of guarding a vineyard (see Isa. 5:2), the land, or a house ...

18. The Rich Man and Lazarus

Luke 16:19-31

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

... message of the risen Christ (as the Book of Acts gives eloquent testimony). (On the relation of the name Lazarus to the raising of Lazarus in John 11 see note on v. 20 below.) Additional Notes Evans (p. 49) suggests that the injunctions regarding the treatment of the poor and the needy found in Deut. 24:6–7, 10–15 parallel Luke’s Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus. The rich man’s lack of concern for his poor neighbor would surely violate the spirit of the laws of Deuteronomy. 16:19 In most of the ...

19. Three Temptations Of The American People

Mark 6:1-6

Sermon

King Duncan

... to our fellow creatures is not to hate them, but to be indifferent to them; that's the essence of inhumanity." The early church had such a powerful love for others that Luke records that "abundant grace was upon them all." They were experiencing the joy of servinga joy that can't wear a price tag. Early in this century Louis Evans, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Hollywood, found this out on a trip to visit his church's missionaries. One stop found him in Korea where he was to meet a missionary ...

20. Help From Habakkuk?

Habakkuk 1:1-4, 2:1-4

Sermon

R. Kevin Mohr

... misunderstanding of faith as a commodity we possess or as a personal achievement. Jesus' parable of the mustard seed illustrates our mistake in thinking (Luke 13:18-19; 17:5-6). In that story Jesus is saying that the level of faith really isn't the issue. What matters ... and forgiving. In one scene in the movie Evan Almighty, Morgan Freeman, who plays God, is incognito as a waiter in a restaurant. He has a conversation with the wife of the lead character, Evan Baxter, a first-year US Congressman, who believes ...

21. Moving Heaven and Earth

Acts 16:16-34

Sermon

King Duncan

... by your trust in God. And someone will be listening to you. Will they hear the hope of God in your life? Author Colleen Townsend Evans tells of a time when she felt the urge to take a copy of the book A Man Called Peter to her friends, Neal and ... . Which led to the jailer and all the members of his household coming to faith in Jesus Christ. Which set all of them free. Which led Luke to write his story in the book of Acts—a book which has led countless people to find freedom in Jesus Christ over the past 2, ...

22. The Baptism of Jesus

Luke 3:21-38

Sermon

King Duncan

... worth noting that doves were the minimum sacrifice that a poor person could bring to the temple to be sacrificed for his or her sins (Luke 2: 24). This may have symbolized Jesus’ coming as a sacrifice for our sins, even for the very poorest and least of us. (3) And ... what the ring does do is serve as a sign that she is married. Many times when you see a guy talking to a girl,” Evans continues, “you will see his eyes go south as he is looking at the left hand to see whether or not she has already been ...

23. Too Good to Be True?

Luke 24:36-49

Sermon

Robert Noblett

... praying for greater patience and understanding, but I quit ..." In the last frame, she continues: "I was afraid I might get it." James Evans McReynolds was onto something when he wrote: Whatever else the resurrection of Jesus means, it means that God is getting close to us ... one Easter word. Then a second one: led. We are a companioned people, and we are a led people. After breaking bread together, Luke tell us Jesus led them out: "Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and, lifting up his hands, he blessed ...

24. A Crippled Woman Healed on the Sabbath

Luke 13:10-17

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

... the growing hostility that eventually will result in Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion. To this point in his Gospel account Luke has frequently presented Jesus as teaching in one of the synagogues (4:15, 16, 33, 44; 6:6). This ... Jesus may have regarded such a healing on the Sabbath as especially appropriate, in that God’s act of power in effect consecrated the day. Evans (p. 46) has suggested a parallel with Deut. 15:1–18, where every Sabbath (seventh) year is proclaimed a time of “release” from debt for ...

25. At the Home of Martha and Mary

Luke 10:38-42

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

... , the priest and the Levite of the Parable of the Good Samaritan needed to learn that God and people are better served by deeds of mercy than by religious rituals. Evans (p. 43) suggests that Luke intends this passage to parallel Deut. 8:1–3 where people are to learn that they are to live not by bread alone, but by every word that comes from God (see Luke 4:4). This could very well be the case. By choosing to listen to Jesus’ teaching (v. 39), Mary is an example of one who knows that “man does not ...

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