LUKE LESSON 18

    We will begin this lesson in Luke 7:18 "And the disciples of John
shewed him of all these things."

    In the last lesson, we had seen Jesus raise the widow's son from
death. This news has swept across the land and now has reached the
ears of John the Baptist's disciples. These disciples rush to tell
John of the news.

    Luke 7:19  "And John calling [unto him] two of his disciples sent
[them] to Jesus, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for
another?"

    John already knows that Jesus is the one, because he saw the dove
light on Jesus and remain. God had previously told John that when this
happened, the person would be the Messiah. This message that will be
brought back will be for the benefit of John's disciples. Notice the
two disciples. A thing must be established by 2.

    Luke 7:20 "When the men were come unto him, they said, John
Baptist hath sent us unto thee, saying, Art thou he that should come?
or look we for another?"

    John wants his disciples to be fully persuaded by what Jesus says
and does: that He is the Christ, the Messiah. John is in prison at
this time and his disciples may be beginning to doubt. I am sure this
is not for John's benefit; because long before this, John called Jesus
the Lamb of God.

    Luke 7:21 "And in that same hour he cured many of [their]
infirmities and plagues, and of evil spirits; and unto many [that
were] blind he gave sight."

    This just means that in front of John's disciples, Jesus did all
sorts of miracles. the "their" above does not mean John's disciples,
but the infirmities of the multitude that followed Jesus.

    Luke 7:22 "Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and
tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see,
the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are
raised, to the poor the gospel is preached."  Luke 7:23 "And blessed
is [he], whosoever shall not be offended in me."

    No prophet or priest who ever lived had done so many and so great
miracles as these. There is no doubt at all who this is. In verse 23,
here, Jesus is warning John and his disciples not to begin to doubt,
because they were faced with adverse circumstances.

    Luke 7:24  "And when the messengers of John were departed, he
began to speak unto the people concerning John, What went ye out into
the wilderness for to see? A reed shaken with the wind?"

    In verse 24. Jesus speaks highly of John the Baptist. He is
telling these people that God has great love and honor for John the
Baptist. Jesus didn't speak this way in front of John's disciples. He
was not trying to win favor with John by saying nice things in front
of John's followers. Jesus really had great respect for John the
Baptist. He is telling the people, if you expect John to be weak and
blown by every wind of doctrine, you will be disappointed. John is a
powerful man of God. Man looks on the outward appearance. God looks
inside to find the worth of a man.

    Luke 7:25 "But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft
raiment? Behold, they which are gorgeously apparelled, and live
delicately, are in kings' courts."

    Worldly people believe for you to be very important, you must be
dressed in fancy clothes and live very extravagant lives. This sort of
person would be a king or a president, not a man of God. God chooses
the lowly and humble to be His most important workers. God does not
choose by worldly standards, but by the heart.

    Luke 7:26 "But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? Yea, I say
unto you, and much more than a prophet."

    What did you expect a prophet to look like? Were you looking for a
prophet? If you found John the Baptist, you found much more than a
prophet. God has chosen him for a very special job.

    Luke 7:27 "This is [he], of whom it is written, Behold, I send my
messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee."

    Jesus is explaining to them that John the Baptist was a voice
crying in the wilderness proclaiming the coming of Messiah. He is not
Messiah; he is proclaiming His coming. the people are to be told
Messiah is coming. It was John's job to bring this message. Jesus is
coming again as Lord of Lords and King of Kings, and all believing
ministers should be proclaiming His second coming now.

    Luke 7:28 "For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women
there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is
least in the kingdom of God is greater than he."

    In this. I believe Jesus is saying that John is counted as one of
the greatest prophets who ever lived; but in the same breath, He is
saying to these people who believe Jesus to be a prophet that He is in
fact God the Son. That even though they esteem John to be greater than
He is, John is a man. John is a great prophet, but John is not God.
Jesus is Emmanuel. God with us.

    Luke 7:29 "And all the people that heard [him], and the publicans,
justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John."

    We see, here, that many of these people that Jesus was talking to
had listened to John the Baptist. They had repented and been baptized
or John. John had been a very convincing preacher, and numerous people
in this crowd had accepted him as a true prophet. They had heeded his
warning and had been baptized of him.

    Luke 7:30 "But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of
God against themselves, being not baptized of him."

    These Pharisees and lawyers had elevated themselves to a position
of not needing to repent and be baptized, and they had rejected this
message of John. Conceit can certainly keep a person from God. God
loves the humble. They had, in fact, rejected God when they rejected
the message God had given John the Baptist. Sometimes even today, we
can be so caught up in doctrines that we miss God if we are not
careful.

    Luke 7:31  "And the Lord said, Whereunto then shall I liken the
men of this generation? and to what are they like?"

    The plain way to say this would be, what in the world am I to
think of this generation who will not accept John the Baptist's
message or even the Son of God's message.

    Luke 7:32 "They are like unto children sitting in the marketplace,
and calling one to another, and saying, We have piped unto you, and ye
have not danced; we have mourned to you, and ye have not wept."

    Jesus is calling them children in the knowledge of the things of
God. Jesus says whatever message that has been brought to you, you
have refused.

    Luke 7:33 "For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor
drinking wine; and ye say, He hath a devil."

    John had been a separated servant even from his mother's womb. His
entire life had been lived in anticipation of this job God had called
him to do. He never drank wine. He lived in the desert and ate honey
and locusts. He was a very wholesome man. These worldly people accused
him of having a devil, because he lived in the desert and refused to
be involved in worldly things.

    Luke 7:34 "The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say,
Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and
sinners!"

    Jesus was criticized for eating corn on the Sabbath. His first
public miracle was turning the water into wine. Jesus walked among the
common people. Jesus was ridiculed for eating with people the Hebrews
felt were unclean. Jesus said He came to those who needed a physician.
It seems it was impossible to please these people.

    Luke 7:35 "But wisdom is justified of all her children."

    We see that only those who have the wisdom of God are the ones who
accept the prophets of God and even the Son of God. Those are the
people who become children of God.

                           Luke 18 Questions

1.  What did John the Baptist's disciples come and tell him?
2.  What news has swept across the land?
3.  Who did John send to check this out?
4.  What questions were they to ask Jesus?
5.  How do we know that John already knew who Jesus was?
6.  For whose benefit had John sent these disciples to question Jesus?
7.  Where is John when this takes place?
8.  What miracles did Jesus do before John's disciples?
9.  What were John's disciples to tell him?
10. What is Jesus doing in verse 23?
11. What questions did Jesus ask the people about John?
12. What is the difference between the way man judges man and the way
    God judges?
13. Those who wear gorgeous clothes live where?
14. What kind of people does God choose to work for Him?
15. What had they expected a prophet to look like?
16. What was John's job?
17. What was his message?
18. What should be the message of ministers today?
19. Was there a greater prophet born of woman than John?
20. Who is the one intended in verse 28 who was greater?
21. Who had baptized a great number of Jesus' followers?
22. They had accepted John as a ________ ________.
23. What 2 peoples had refused John's baptism?
24. Who had they really rejected in so doing?
25. What are many caught up in today that might cause them to miss
    God?
26. Who did Jesus liken this generation to?
27. How had John come to them?
28. What terrible thing had they said of John?
29. What 2 terrible things had they said of Jesus?
30. What does verse 35 mean?