JESUS' CONTINUE GOSPEL TEACHING

                                     1. JESUS TEACHES IN THE TEMPLE

                                                    Read Luke 4:16-24

After finishing his testing in the wilderness Jesus decided to start TEACHING IN THE TEMPLE. He spoke the word of Isaiah to "fulfill the future of His ministry". 

"The spirit of the Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me the PROCLAIM THE GOOD NEWS to the poor. He has sent me to PROCLAIM FREEDOM to the prisoners and recovery if sght to the blind, set the oppressed free, to PROCLAIM THE YEAR OF THE LORD'S FAVOUR." Luke 4:18&19 (NLT)

Luke starts with Jesus sermon in the Temple in his home town in Nazareth. People were astonished at his teaching, at His READING OF THE SCROLLS (the Scripture) and "Torah" AND PRAYERS, and they sat down to listen to Him.

They had watched Jesus grow up as a carpenter, working with his father Joseph. Now, they believed he might be the promised Messiah, the Son of God.  The believed the Scriptures in Isaiah that he read may have been "fulfilled in their hearing."

"He rolled up the scroll and handed it back to the attendent, and sat down. All the eyes in the synagogue looked at him intently. Then He began to speak to them: "The Scripture you've just heard has been fulfilled this very day." Luke 4:20&21 (NLT)

There were many Jews who did not believe Him and "they dragged him out of the Temple". Yet in their confusion, "He slipped away". They had been waiting for their Messiah for a long time, but this was not the type of "SERVANT, JESUS", they had been expecting. 

 

                                      2.  JESUS - LORD OF THE SABBATH
                          
                              Read Matthew 12:1-4; Mark 2:23-28; Luke 6:1-5

"Remember to observe the SABBATH DAY by keeping it holy. You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seven day is tHE SABBATH DAY OF REST dedicated to the Lord your God. On that day none of you may do any work......For in six days the Lord mad the Heavens, the earth and the sea; but on the seventh day HE RESTED. That is why the LORD BLESSED THE SABBATH DAY and set it apart to be HOLY." Exodus 20:8-10a; 11 (NLT)

When Jesus came to Jerusalem for the Passover, there was lots of antagogism from the Jewish leaders. They had seen him "work" on the Sabbath with his "healing" and His "teaching", and they has so many laws and regulations from the Ten Commandments. The "day of rest" - a time of worship and prayer had been lost! 

When Jesus' disciples were hungry in the synagogue , it was a case of "human need", just like David and his soldiers. 

"David went to the town of Nob to see Abimelech the Priest.........."Now what is there to eat? Give me 5 loaves of bread or anything else you have?" 

"We don't have any regular bread," the priest replied, "But there is the Holy Bread, which you can have if your young men have not slept with any women recently?"     1  Samuel 1a, 3&4 (NLT)

On the Sabbath, Jesus had been going through grain frields and and began to pick "heads of grain", for their disciples to eat.  The Pharisees had seen them and said: "Why do you do what is unlawful on the sabbath?" 

"Jesus said, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. The SON OF MAN IS LORD EVEN OF THE SABBATH." Mark 2:27&28 (NIV)

Jesus was not just a great RELIGIOUS TEACHER, He was  the SON OF GOD, the MESSIA, the LORD OF THE SABBATH!  After spending 3 years on earth, his disciples knew that they could WORSHIP HIM, in the Temple, on the SABBATH DAY, and every day.

                                               3. QUESTIONS FOR JESUS

                                                         Read Luke 20:1-8

This is Passover Week and Jesus is in Jerusalem. This is a Passion Week and everyone has gathered, many to hear from Him. They all remember the story of Moses and the exile from Eqypt. They gather together outside the Temple.  People have had their lambs expected. The lamb has to be SPOTLESS, in obedience to God!

"Now Jesus, the Lamb of God was about to be challenged for authority, integrity and doctrine. Will He pass the inspection? Is He a SPOTLESS LAMB?" Kris Langham

He has been challenged about his AUTHORITY by the Religous Leaders.  Is it okay to ask questions? Will he respond if we don't really want to listen to his answers. 

a) Why Should We Listen to Him?'

Why were the Religous Leaders  asking Jesus questions? They didn't just want answers, they didn't even want to listen to Him.  

We too often challenge Jesus' authority? There are times we don't want to respect the message He gave to us? Why? Because we sometimes want to follow our own way, He has given us "gifts", but we don't want to serve Him.  

When Jesus comes again, will He be please we have OBEYED HIS WILL rather than our own and followed HIS AUTHORITY. I hope so!

"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what GOD'S WILL IS - HIS GOOD AND PLEASING, PERFECT WILL." Romans 12:2 (NIV)

b) What Authority Does Jesus Have?

Jesus is the Son of God - our Messiah and King of Kings.  He has the GREATEST AUTHORITY over all things. They were questioning his authority, and this was valid, but they needed to be asked to a question too. 

"One day Jesus was teaching in the Temple courts and proclaiming the Good News, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, together with the elders came up to Him, "Tell us, by what authority you are doing these things", they said, "Who gave you this authority?" Luke 20:1&2  (NIV)

Jesus asked them a question?  "Who authorized John's baptizm? Was it from Heaven or Man?".  This confused them, and they decided not to answer, as the people would be unhappy. Jesus "won that round" and didn't answer their question. Sometimes Jesus won't answer our question, or he will give us a "answer with a parable".

What questions do we ask Jesus? One of the questions I always ask Him is about PRAYER, for this is what I struggle most with.

"We don't know how to pray when we are weary, but he still hears us no matter how we feel. Our prayers don't have to be "brilliant" or "intelligant"; all we have to do is seek Him, and the HOLY SPIRIT will "intercede for us." All we need to do is "declare the Father's will", and "be bold" and "reverent" with our prayers. HELP IS COMING! THE SPIRIT WILL SPEAK ON OUR BEHALF!" Max Lucado

"In the same way, THE SPIRIT HELPS US IN OUR WEAKNESS. We do not know what we ought to pray, but the SPIRIT HIMSELF INTERCEDES FOP US through wordless groans. And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the SPIRIT, because the SPIRIT INTERCEDES FOR GOD'S PEOPLE in accordance with the WILL OF GOD."                                                                                           Romans 8:26&27 (NIV)        

                              

c) Should We Pay Taxes to Ceasar?

"Now, tell us - is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar not?" Luke 20:22 (NLT)

Jesus knew that they were trying to trick Him, but he had an answer for them. Picking up a Roman Coin, he asked them whose picture was on it?

"Caesars", they replied." 

"Well then", he said, "Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God." Luke 20:24b-25 (NLT)

What does Jesus want us to give us to God? This is something we too need to think about, not just tithes, but with our time. 

I believe that I need to commit myself to God's service, "presenting myself as a living sacrifice".  This is the only way I can "be holy and acceptable" with my tithes and time.  I seem so busy at the moment with doctor's appointments etc; but I need to make sure I start and end my day in Scriptuure and in Prayer if I am truly to be committed to my Father's and His Son's service. 

"I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies as a LIVING SACRIFICE, holy and acceptable to God, which is your REASONABLE SERVICE." Romans 1:1 (NIV)

d) What Happens in Heaven?

This is something for the the Religious Leaders (the Saducees) to ask Jesus, for they don't actually believe in RESURRECTION as such.  Yet Jesus explains, that marriag doesn't doesn't exist in Heaven. I didn't think about this much - I have two Mum's in Heaven and one dad - but according to Jesus they aren't couples, but what is of most importance to us is that GOD LOVES THEM ALL,  and that HE SENT HIS SON TO DIE FOR US, so that we could have SALVATION and ETERNAL LIFE. 

"For God so loved the world that He gave HIS ONLY SON, that whoever BELIEVES IN HIM, will not perish, but will have ETERNAL LIFE. For God did not send His Son into the world, to condenm, the world, but TO SAVE THE WORLD THROUGH HIM."                                                                                          John 3:16 &17 (NIV)

This is what Jesus was sharing with Nicodemus when he came to Him one night, to find out more about Him. He was one of the Teachers who truly wanted to learn about Jesus, the Son of God. 

 As far as I am concerned, at the moment, I still have work the Lord wants me to do here on earth - reaching others for SALVATION!   For Jesus is our Messiah - the King of Kings - the Son of David and the Lord of Lords!!

"Jesus is not a God of the dead, but of the LIVING. He is with us on on earth, and he is with those in Heaven, with His Father. One day we will go to Heaven and have ETERNAL LIFE, with  the resurrection power, but for now we will LIVE ON EARTH, spreading God's message of the SALVATION." Kris Langham

"THE HOLY BIBLE - NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION", 2011, Biblica

"THE HOLY BIBLE - NEW LIVING TRANSLATION", 2015, Tyndale House Publishing

"CHRIST'S SERMON IN NAZARETH - Luke 4:16-30", (2023) The Chosen - Series 3, You                                                                                                                                                       Tube

"JESUS' DISCIPLE'S PLUCK GRAIN ON THE SABBATH" - Mark 2:23-28 (2022) Teaching with the Chosen - Series 2, You Tube

"WE DO NOT KNOW HOW TO PRAY", Max Luxado, 2025, Gateway Church -                                                                                                                                        "Let Us Pray", You Tube. 

LANGHAM, Kris, "Questioning Jesus - Luke 20", (2025), Throughout the Word.