Jn 1:1-28

• in the beginning was the Word, the Word is God;
  
• the Word became flesh;
• no one has ever seen God, but God has made him known;
• John the Baptist
• I am not the Christ

Lk 24:13-53

• Emmaus
• 7 miles from Jerusalem (11 km, or 25 li)--about 2 hour walk;
• they were kept from recognizing him
• by who? what for?
• their eyes were later opened
  
• What things? --Jesus asked them to describe the entire event
• powerful prophet; redeemer of Isreal
  
• crucified
• empty tomb
• How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!
• Christ have to suffer and then enter his glory
• Jesus explain in the scripture all that's concerning him
• they urged Jesus to stay with them for the evening
• at the table their eyes were opened the finally recognized Jesus, but then Jesus disappeared;
  
• at once they got up and return to Jerusalem to report to the Eleven
• Jesus appeared to them at their gathering
• in flesh
• ate a piece of broiled fish in front of them
  
• then he explain again in the scripture what's concerning him
• he opened their minds so they could understand the scripture
• Ascension
• near Bethany
• while blessing the disciples
• taken up into heaven
  

Lk 23:44-24:12

• Jesus' last words:
• Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.
• Jesus buried by Joseph;
• the women prepared spices and perfumes (to be used for Jesus' body after Sabbath)
  
• the followers observed Sabbath after the burial;
• Jesus resurrected
• Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen!

Lk 23:13-43

• Jesus before Pilot
  
• Pilate wanted to release Jesus (vv16, 20, 22), but the crowd shouted against it
• in 'one voice' they cried out, 'away with this man!'
• they kept shouting 'Crucify him!'
• with loud shouts they insistently demanded Jesus be crucified
  
• eventually their shouts prevailed;
• Pilate surrendered Jesus to their will;
• Jesus Crucified
• with 2 criminals
• one insulted him
• the other ask Jesus to remember him in his kingdom
• Jesus answer today he will be with him in paradise
  

Lk 22:54-23:12

• Peter disowns Jesus before the rooster crows
  
• Woman, I don't know him
• Man, I am not!
• Man, I don't know what you're talking about!
• Jesus turned and looked straight at Peter, and he went outside and wept bitterly
• the guards mocked Jesus;
  
• At daybreak, Jesus was taken to
  
• the council of
• elder of the people
• chief priests
• teachers of the law
• If I tell you, you will not believe;
• Jesus admitted he is Son of God;
• then Jesus was taken to Pilate
• Jesus admitted he is the king of Jews;
• then Jesus was taken to Herod
• who rules over Galilee
• Herod heard of Jesus and had been wanting to see him for a long time
• he hoped to see him perform some miracle, but Jesus performed none;
  
• Jesus did not answer his questions
• Herod's soldiers mocked Jesus;
  
• then Jesus was taken back to Pilate
• that day Pilate and Herod became friends--before this they were enemies
  

Lk 22:35-53

• now you can
• take a purse
• and a bag
• and a sword
• Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.
• an angel strengthen Jesus
• Jesus' sweat was like drops of blood
• Judas led the crowd to arrest Jesus; they are mostly Jews:
  
• chief priests
• officers of the temple guard
• the elders
  
• One disciple (Peter?) took a swords and cut off the right ear of a servant of the high priest
• this is your hour;
  

Lk 22:14-34

• v22: the Son of Man will go as it has been decreed, but woe to the man who betrays him
• Judas was not part of God's plan, even though God knows and allows it to happen;
• Satan entered Judas and carried it out as he desires;
• Satan has asked for others too (v31); but Jesus had prayed for them (as least for Peter) that their faith may not fail;
  
• so where is the line of division between God's work and man's duty? it seems that it's not clearly defined; there seems to be a gray area where you can call that's our responsibility (e.g. to take guard against Satan), but also God's work (e.g. Jesus prays for us; or God would not allow it) at the same time;
  
• however, has Jesus ever asked men to take guard against Satan? Or did he only asked us to take guard against men's false teaching (e.g. the yeast of the Pharisees)?
  
• After all, is man equipped to fight against Satan? Apparently, yes. The 'full armor of God' (Eph 6:14-18) is for us to struggle against 'the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms' (Eph 6:11-13); are they like flies that hover over our head and not more than just an annoyance? Probably not;
  
• therefore, we might be able to say this:
  
• yes, we are at war--it's a spiritual one;
• sometimes we are in the front line, where the battle is most severe, and sometimes not; but we are involved in this constant struggle so we need to do our part (Judas didn't take his part, so woe to him);
  
• God is involved, too; even more so than men and from the very beginning; ultimately it's His war;
  
• and He has given us the needed armors;
  
• spiritual warfares require spiritual weapons, the most important of which is probably prayer (so Jesus prays for us, and we also need pray "on all occasions");
• if we don't take the weapons and fight, then we won't be able to stand in the end;
  
• v33: a resolved Peter;
• but is it sufficient? Apparently not.
• so is it necessary that we are resolved, if all is depending on God and not men alone? the answer is probably yes;
• if not then we can all indulge ourselves in every possible way; the result of that is easily imaginable;
• however, where does our faith and our conviction ultimately come from?
• Again, it's from God;
• so men are not complete free? Probably not; just like the stars and planets in the universe--there are laws that constricts their motions, invisible forces that define their relations;
• the purposes are probably only known to the invisible God, and what we know depends on how much can really be revealed to us;
  

Lk 21:29-22:13

• Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
• Be careful not to let your heart weighed down with:
  
• dissipation
• drunkenness
• anxieties of life
• Be on watch always; pray
• to escape all that is about to happen
• to be able to stand before the Son of Man
• Satan entered Judas
• Disciples prepared for the Last Supper
  

Lk 21:1-28

• Widow's offering
• others give our of wealth
• she out of poverty put in all;
• => she has given more than all the others;
• Signs of the end of the age
• Jesus predicts the ruin of the temple;
• then the disciples asked for the signs
• among other physical disruptions, the disciples will be arrested and put on trial
• make up your mind (v14)
  
• stand firm (v19)
• Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory
• stand up and lift up your heads
• your redemption is near
  

Lk 20:27-47

• Sadducees -> don't believe in resurrection
• Who's wife is she?
• in this world -> people marry
• in that world and for those resurrected -> no marriage
• they cannot die, like the angels
• the God of the living, not the dead;
• to God all are alive;
• the Lord is lord of David and the son of David at the same time;
  

Lk 20:1-26

• Authority of Jesus questioned
  
• by the
  
• chief priests and the
  
• teachers of the law,
  
• elders
• Jesus links his authority to John's
• apparently the right answer is from God; but the questioner didn't want to admit that, fearing that they, too, must submit to it;
• so their hearts had set to against Jesus, if they were really asking, then the answer had been given;
• Parable of the Tenants
• Jesus was aiming this at
  
• the chief priests
• teachers of the law
• they got the message and wanted to arrest him immediately
• Tax to Caesar
• spies were sent to try to catch Jesus on something he said against Caesar, so they might send him to the Roman authority;
  
• give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's

Lk 19:28-48

• The triumphant entry
• got the colt from a village, 'the Lord needs it'
• disciples put their cloak on the colt
  
• people spread their cloak on the road
• Jesus saw Jerusalem and wept
• Jesus at the Temple
• drove out those selling
• already trying to kill Jesus:
• chief priests,
  
• teachers of the law and
  
• the leaders among the people
  

Lk 19:1-27

• Zacchaeus
• he was a tax collector
  
• a short man and couldn't see Jesus, he climbed a sycamore-fig tree along the way Jesus was coming
  
• Jesus saw him and called his name, 'Come down immediately, I must stay at your house today'
• he hurried down and gladly welcomed Jesus
• during Jesus' stay he stood up and said
  
• he would give half of his possessions to the poor
• return 4 times the amount to those he cheated
• Jesus acclaimed that salvation had come to that house on that day
• Son of Man came for what was lost
  
• to seek and
• to save them
• Parable of 10 Minas
• => I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away
• 
  

Lk 18:18-43

• the rich ruler
• kept the law since childhood
• wants to know what to do to inherit eternal life
• lacked one thing according to Jesus:
• sell everything and give to the poor
• then follow Jesus
• he became very sad
• he had good reason to be sad
• because
  
• his wealth was great
• and it's the only thing between him and getting eternal life
• who can be saved?
• What is impossible with men is possible with God.
• leave for the sake of the kingdom of God and will receive many times in this age and eternal life
• the rich man failed to see this
• he doesn't need his wealth, neither does God
• if he would have let go of it for the sake of God, God will repay him many folds, and grant him what he really needs--eternal life;
• apparently there is one thing he wouldn't let go for the sake of God, and that's what he lacked;
• Jesus predicted his death and resurrection
• Jesus healed the blind beggar
  

Lk 18:1-17

• 1st Parables on Prayer
• a judge
• neither feared God
• nor cared about men
• a widow
• kept coming to him with the same plea for justice
• for some time he refused
• but just because the widow kept bothering him, he will see to it that she gets justice
• God's selected people cry out to Him day and night, He will see that they get justice, and quickly!
• => always pray and not give up!
• 2nd Parable on Prayer
• a Pharisee
• prayed to (or about) himself, I did this, didn't do that...
• a tax collector
• dared not look up to heaven
• beat his breast and plead for God's forgiveness
• the tax collector will be justified before God
• For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted
• => be not self-righteous
  

Lk 17:11-37

• Jesus healed 10 lepers
• one of them, a Samaritan, came back and thank Jesus;
• Jesus asked, 'Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine?'
• Kingdom of God
• does not come with careful observation
• is within (or among) you;
• the days of Son of Man
• like the lightning
• just like the days of
• Noah
• Lot
• remember Lot's wife!
• whoever tries to keep his life -> lost it
• whoever tries to loses his life -> preserve it;
  
• one of two will be taken, the other left;
  

Lk 16:19-17:10

• the rich man and the beggar
• when they were both alive, their lives were drastically different
• but they both had to die
• after their death, their lives were drastically different again
• the beggar was carried by angels to Abraham's side
• the rich man were descended to hell
• the rich man look up and saw Abraham and the beggar
• he begged Abraham to send the beggar down to give him water at the "tip of his finger"
• Abraham replied it cannot be done due to the fixed, uncrossable "great chasm"
• he begged Abraham then to send the beggar to his family and testify to his five brothers
• Abraham said they have Moses and the Prophets, let them listen to them
• he begged again that they need someone from the dead to go to them
• Abraham denied, if they don't listen to the prophets, they will not listen to even someone from the dead
• the point is certainly not that all rich men will be in hell and all beggars in heaven; but it's that how we live our lives can determine how we live after death; consider we are the brothers of the rich man, whom he wished to reach out to.
• 17:1-2: Do not cause others to sin!
• vv3-4: Forgive!
• vv 5-6: A little bit of faith will do.
• vv7-10: obey the Lord as servants obey the master
• We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty

Lk 16:1-18

• The shrewd manager
• why is the master praising the dishonest manager? (v8)
• what's the point Jesus was trying to make as he said 'use worldly wealth to gain friends'?
• be trustworthy in handling worldly wealth -> can be trusted with true riches
• cannot serve both God and Money;
• the Law and Prophets proclaimed until John; afterwards -> Gospel of kingdom is preached
• still, not a stroke of a pen will drop out of the Law;
  

Lk 15:1-32

• Lost sheep
• man lost one sheep;
  
• leave the 99 in the open country and go after the lost one;
• until it is found;
• calls friends and neighbors to rejoice with him;
• Lost coin
• woman lost one silver coin
• light a lamp, sweep the house, search carefully until found;
• calls friends and neighbors to rejoice with her;
• Lost son
• man with two sons
• older son->Pharisee? (v31)
• younger son -> lost and is found (v32)
• younger son demands his share of the estate
• took all of it
• left for a foreign country far away;
• squandered all the money (with prostitutes) (v30)
• with a sever famine, he was in need
• got employed as a pig feeder
• went hungry and wanted to eat pig's food;
• he came to his senses and decided to
  
• return home
• admit his sins to his father
  
• and become an employee of his father
• he got up and went to his father
• his father
• saw him while still a long way off
• filled with compassion for him
• ran to his son
• threw his arms around him
• kissed him
• after the son admitted his sins, his father ordered his servants to
  
• be quick
• get the best robe for his son
  
• put a ring on his finger
• sandals on his feet
• kill the fattened calf (yum!)
• the calf, not a calf!
  
• have a feast and celebrate
• the elder son found out about this
• got angry
• refused to go in
• answered to his father, who went out and pleaded with him
• look!
• all these years
• I'm a slave to you
• never disobeyed you
• you never gave me even a young goat
• but when this son come home, you killed the fattened calf for him
• father's reply
• my son
• you're always with me
  
• everything I have is yours (the younger son got his share already)
• but we had to celebrate and be glad
• because this brother of yours was
• dead and is alive again
• was lost and is found
• the story ends here, without telling us how it turned out in the end; I can identify with the elder son, but the father's heart for his son is filled with compassion; that's probably the only way the younger son can be saved; go in and celebrate, be a good brother; in the end, God is just.
  

Lk 14:7-35

• Humble yourself until exalted by God
• Exalt yourself and you'll humbled by God
• Take the lowest seat until the host honors you by inviting you to a better seat;
• the Pharisee's friends took the places of honor themselves;
  
• Desire the reward by God and not by men
• invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; they have nothing to repay you, but you'll be repaid when Jesus comes again;
• invite the rich and you'll be repaid when they invite you back;
• the Great Banquet (feast in the kingdom of God)
• those invited originally were too occupied to come; none of them came in the end (v24);
  
• invited instead were the poor, the crippled, the blind, the lame and random people on the street;
• speaking of this at the prominent Pharisee's house implied that they were the original guests;
• The cost or the prerequisites
  
• these people cannot be disciples of Jesus:
• those who do not love Jesus to the point of hating his father, mother, wife, and children, and brothers and sisters, and even his own life;
• those who do not carry his cross and follow Jesus;
• those who do not give up everything;
  
• again, very high standards!
• 
  

Lk 13:22-14:6

• Narrow door
• is it by God's selection or is it by people's choice? Calvinist or Arminian? is there a valid in-between or not? those are the questions;
• God's love is for everyone, that should be clear; but not everyone response to it (or at least not in a positive way); since God knows all and controls all, does it follow that He loves only a chosen few? does the concept of 'free will' contradict with "God knows all things" (i.e. omniscient--one of the three O's; the other two being omnipresence and omnipotent)? If God doesn't really knows "all", does it lessen the fact that He is the Creator?
• in some ways, theology is a logical way of reasoning God; is that really necessary?
  
• that fox -> Herold;
• v33: no prophet can die outside Jerusalem!
• Is it lawful to heal on Sabbath or not? Jesus did:
  
• 13:10-17 -> the woman crippled by a spirit;
  
• 14:1-6 -> man with dropsy;
  

Lk 13:1-21

• repent or will perish, same as:
  
• the Galileans who mixed blood with sacrifices;
• the 18 who died when the tower fell on them;
• Jesus cured the woman who could not straighten up
• let the ox of donkey out to give it water on Sabbath day
  
• a daughter of Abraham
• bounded by Satan for 18 years
• should be set free on Sabbath day
• Kingdom of heaven is like
  
• a mustard seed
• became a tree
• birds perched in its branches
• yeast
• work through the dough
• -> small (even tiny!) but can affect the surrounding in a big way
  

Lk 12:35-59

• Watchfulness
• the timing is unknown
• servants don't know when his mater returns;
• owners don't know when the thief might come;
• the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him
• given more will be demanded more
• manager of the servants must be faithful and wise;
• v41: in a sense Jesus is implying the disciples are the managers of the servants and will be asked more since they are entrusted more;
• Division
• Jesus came not to bring peace to earth, but division!
• it will cause division in the families, family members will be against each other;
• Jesus came to bring fire on the earth;

Lk 12:8-34

• acknowledge Jesus before men -> will be acknowledged by Jesus before the angels of God;
• or else, then won't be;
• blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven;
• the Hole Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say when one is brought before the authority;
• be rich toward God, for we don't know when our life will end; it's pointless if we store up things for ourselves but our life is taken away;
• consider the ravens...
• v23: Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes;
• little flock
• v31: seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well;
• v33: Jesus to his disciples:
• sell your possessions and give to the poor
• what stern instruction that is; the same as he said to the rich young men;
• but this is said to his disciples (all of them and not someone in particular);
• not just sell all, but also give all to the poor; leaving nothing to one's self;
• what about our family? our children? don't they deserve some of our possessions, too?
• who can really do that?
• provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out; treasure in heaven;
• in the end, worldly wealth is nothing to God;
  

Lk 11:37-12:7

• Six woes
• to the Pharisees and the experts in the laws
• yeast of the Pharisees (12:1)
  
• Hypocrisy!
  

Lk 11:14-36

• driving out demons by the prince of demons?
• divided force will be weakened, as a kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, so the price of demons won't drive out its own demons;
• Who's the strong man and the stronger?
• v23: He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me, scatters.
• v24: evil spirit will return and could bring more of them;
• Who are more blessed?
• Jesus's mother, says one woman
• Jesus replied, those who hear the word of God and obey it;
• v34: eye is the lamp of the body;
• its good or bad affects the whole body being full of light or full of darkness;
  

Lk 10:38-11:13

• only one thing is needed
• Martha opened her home to Jesus, and became responsible for all the preparation, which is keeping her busy;
• she asked Jesus to tell her sister to help her;
• Jesus replied he cannot take her choice away from her;
• In the end, Martha's service to the Lord will be remembered and rewarded; even though she missed a sermon, she's doing what's needed (somebody must do it); her problem is that she worried and became upset about too many things; had she served with gladness and worry less about what her sister's doing she'd be 100%;
• If I were in Mary's position I'd be alarmed, too; there will be an end to the sermon, and there are works to be done; there's a time to listen and a time to learn, but there's also a time to work, a time to serve and a time to give; the former is not the purpose, and the latter is; the more one gives, the more he will be given; enjoy the time to do whatever is necessary at the moment and do it whole-heartedly; don't be distracted by the calls to service too soon, wait for God's time; but when the time comes, do it gladly, whole-heartedly, and don't look back;
  
• Key to prayer
• the focus is the person who's pleading for his friend;
• even though it's late, the friend asked boldly and persistently;
• his request will be granted;
• sometimes I ask why to pray for our needs; after all God already knew before we ask; but here when we plead for others, apparently God look at our attitude too; but the attitude must come from within the heart, it's not something to put on; so the key is to 'see' other's need with the heart;
• Ask and will receive
• James 4:2b-3: You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

Lk 9:28-50

• Jesus transfigures
• Moses and Elijah
• represents the Laws and the Prophets
• they talk about Jesus' departure (v31)
• v33: Peter did not know what he was saying
• was he speaking in tongues or
  
• he just didn't realize the meaning of what he just said
• Jesus rebuked the evil, and the boy was healed;
  
• v50 - whoever is not against you is for you;