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LUKE CHAPTER 19 KJV WEB / Parallel Gospel See previous page Lk 19,1-10 (23f) Sin >> Poverty (Oppression) >> Rich are those who are poor in their own minds (85l) Thy kingdom come >> Belief >> Treating the knowledge of God as fact >> Believing the Son by obeying the Father >> Obeying the law by faith in the cross >> Obedience represents our faith (122g) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Confidence in yourself as you die to sin >> Confident in good conscience – Zaccheus found faith in God through repentance. His conscience led him to repentance, which led to confidence and confidence led to faith. The person who lived in debauchery and greed as a swindler, accumulated large sums of money and became acquainted with an extravagant lifestyle, when he was introduced to the savior, usually doesn’t have any place for Him in his heart. However, there were other issues involved in the case of Zaccheus; everyone hated him. Zaccheus had an evil conscience, and he didn’t have any friends, and he was seeking rest for his soul. The beauty of Zaccheus was that he never resorted to lying to himself. This is where people get into trouble. If we have a conscience that makes us aware of evil, we should not try to stop His voice from speaking to us, for it is our lifeline to salvation. Repentance and restoration remains on the table so long as our conscience has a voice, but the minute we start lying to ourselves and violate our conscience or worse, say that conscience isn’t real, that is where we get into big trouble. Those who never come to Christ have sabotaged their conscience. (132e) Temple >> Your body is the temple of God >> Holy Spirit is in God’s people >> God gives his spirit as a pledge >> Spirit pledges the presence of God – Contrasting Zaccheus against t he rich young ruler, had he pledged to give half his fortunes to the poor like Zaccheus did, it probably would have sufficed the Lord. What matters most is our genuineness of heart to make good on our promise of repentance. This is just one example of how God works in people: the things we do in our heart are just as real to Him as the things we do with our hands. Pledging his repentance to the Lord allowed him to make a covenant with Jesus right then and there, and God later gave Zaccheus His Spirit as a pledge of that which will come in eternity. Every person who comes to Christ is in various stages of bondage to sin, and most bondage can be overcome by a simple pledge of repentance to God, which virtually removes the obstacle from his heart so he can make a covenant with God regarding salvation, and then deal with the sin afterward. However, there are some people who are so steeped in bondage that a simple pledge doesn’t work, because it is not in their heart to repent. This is what Jesus meant when He said to the rich man, “It is hard for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven” (Mat 19,23-26). (143h) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Witnesses of Jesus >> Popularity >> Sought commendably >> Seeking Jesus for His favor – Zaccheus was a rich man who got saved, which Jesus said in the previous chapter was miraculous, like threading a camel through the eye of a needle, yet this story proves that some rich people do go to heaven. Notice two things about Zaccheus: he was very rich and was also a crook. There is such a thing as rich people who are not crooked, but there is no such a thing as the ultra-rich who are not crooked, who underpay their help by the simple proof of all their money. Even the worst of the filthy rich are not exempt from salvation. We must always hold out hope for anyone to be saved, for there is no one who is completely and utterly without hope, except of course for the reprobate. Paul said in 2Tim 2-19 that God knows those who are His, suggesting that He also knows those who are not His, meaning we don't know, so we should not be quick to judge. (194b) Die to self (Process of substitution) >> Turn from sin to God >> Run to God >> Run to Jesus when He calls for you (213b) Sovereignty >> God is infinite >> God is all powerful >> All things are possible with God – Someone might ask why Jesus would stay at a rich man’s house instead of a poor man's house who was His primary ministry, and the answer lies in the fact that Zaccheus’ salvation was a greater miracle than any poor man. Jesus spent time with Zaccheus, because he was one of God’s great miracles; he was the camel that God threaded through the eye of a needle! The eye of the needle represents a very narrow gate (Mat 7-13,14). (219h) Sovereignty >> God overrides the will of man >> The elect >> God chooses us as we choose ourselves >> God chooses us through our faithfulness – Salvation cannot exist without our response, and predestination is not applicable to the human perspective. That is, those who reject Him do so with their own will, not God's will (2Pet 3-9). Predestination is 100% foreknowledge and has nothing to do with God willing anything to happen. Predestination is just a fancy word for God knowing the end from the beginning, though there are exceptions to this, such as when God causes things to happen, such as creating the universe and judging Pharaoh in the days of Moses. In cases like these we say that they were predestined to happen, but God did not predestine anyone to hell; that is, He did not cause anyone to lose his soul. God wants worshipers who are made in His image, who know good from evil and have the power to choose good, like our friend Zaccheus. God could not just create the kind of worshipers He wanted; they had to be made in a step-by-step process through testing if they were going to be truly free and in His image. These two things: His holiness and His freedom are what has driven up the price of His worshipers, but it is also what makes them so valuable to Him. Without testing them there was no way both God and man could be on the same page together. Essentially, most people complain about God regarding the kind of worshipers He wants to make, suggesting they are complaining about His creation. They want Him to settle for robots, people who were not tested, but merely love God based on their word without ever having to prove their devotion to Him, but such a worshiper would not be able to relate to God. Paul said, ‘Who are they to tell God what He can and cannot make?’ (Romans chapter 9). (232k) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> Seeking the kingdom >> Seek the essence of his kingdom >> Seeking the righteousness of His kingdom (250h) Priorities >> God’s prerequisites >> Sequence of priorities >> The first is a precondition for what comes after it (Cause and effect) – According to the story of Zaccheus, this is the proper sequence of obtaining salvation: (1) we already have God’s favor, (2) faith comes next, pledging repentance from sin and our service to God (3) He imparts His Holy Spirit, (4) we become disciples of Jesus. If we get the sequence wrong we will never understand the grace of God. If we become His disciples in effort to win His grace, we will be working for our salvation, and that is not what the Scripture teaches. We come to God in faith that He already accepts us, and we become His disciples in response to His salvation. Lk 19,1-6 (234aa) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> Seeking the glory of God >> God chooses us as we seek His glory >> As we appeal to Him Lk 19,1-5 (240f) Kingdom of God >> Opposition toward the Kingdom of God >> Hindering the kingdom >> Natural disadvantage >> Natural disadvantage of the flesh >> Limitations of the flesh KJV WEB / Parallel Gospel / Navigation Bar Lk 19,5-10 (35j) Gift >> God gives Himself to us >> Gifts from the Holy Spirit >> Spiritual gifts >> Knowing the mind of God – Jesus obviously knew Zaccheus by name, but it doesn’t say He personally met him until now. Some might say that Jesus knew him because He was God, but He set aside His omniscience and all the qualities of His deity, except that He remained without sin, which proved His Godhood and demonstrated His perfection as His most valuable trait. If God feels this strongly about righteousness, then why do some people still accuse Him of evil? Jesus took on human flesh, which includes having a brain like ours, and we are all familiar with its many imperfections and limitations; He could not have been omniscient, which means that His Father revealed Zaccheus to Him, not only his name but also God’s plan to stay at his house that night. Jesus was operating by the gifts of the Spirit, specifically the gift of knowledge, according First Corinthians chapter twelve. See also: Jesus Christ (His soul is the Church); Jn 14-20; 224e (193i) Die to self (Process of substitution) >> Turn from sin to God >> Repent >> Making amends with people you offended – Zaccheus admitted to the Lord that he stole half the money he possessed; had he stolen it all, true repentance would have required him to give it all back. A chief tax gatherer was someone who had tax gatherers under him, and Zaccheus increased the amount his employees were supposed to collect, so when the money returned for him to deliver to the state, he would keep a certain amount, doubling his income, and the tax collectors would do the same until they nearly bled the people dry, a scenario that is happening in our own day and time. Getting saved is just like quitting a smoking habit; you must want to quit or you won’t be able. Most rich people feel at home in the world, because their money buys them respect, but in the case with Zaccheus, he didn’t have a lot of respect because tax collectors were not well liked, and to parade around with a lot of money would be like salt in the wounds to those he defrauded, who happened to be his neighbors. Rich people usually get the feeling that they were made for this world, but not Zaccheus; He felt lost here even with all his money. He was one of the few wealthy people whose conscience bothered him. Those who feel lost in the world belong with the Lord, who will introduce them to the Kingdom of Heaven, where they will be made magistrates of the greatest kingdom that creation will ever know. (207l) Salvation >> Salvation verses >> The kindness of God >> God is kind to sinners >> He seeks and saves that which was lost – The Pharisees and others grumbled that Jesus was staying at the house of a sinner, yet Jesus on a number of occasions was the guest of many a Pharisee, though Jesus wasn’t exactly the finest houseguest. He rebuked many of them right in their own homes, sitting around their dinning room table. Far as Jesus was concerned, He was staying at the house of a sinner no matter who invited Him. Lk 19-5,6 (125f) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Joy >> Joy is the result of partaking of the Holy Spirit >> Joy is the result of receiving from God Lk 19-5 (152g) Witness >> Validity of the Father >> Witnesses of the father >> Prophets >> Jesus is a prophet >> Jesus prophesies to the world Lk 19,8-10 (119g) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Freedom >> Debt free – We should strive to become debt free, pay off our loans and be responsible with our money. We shouldn’t max out our credit cards and then file for bankruptcy as a financial plan, and then get new credit cards and do it again, defrauding the system. If everyone did this, the entire economy would implode, which it did in 2008 with the housing market. The way we should seek the freedom of Christ is by settling our accounts with God. When we get saved, all our sins are wiped away, so does that mean we can keep sinning? Repentance is proof of our faith, so a lack of repentance looks like a lack of faith. God commands us to repent, being why Jesus was so happy with Zaccheus when he repented. He became debt-free with God and man at the same time. Doing a 180-degree turn-around is the greatest possible evidence of our faith. Nowadays we wonder about people’s salvation because of their lack of repentance, but there was no questioning Zaccheus’ salvation, since faith was the only possible motive for his sudden change of heart that translated into action. How do those who feel no need to repent convince themselves that they believe? When we repent, we don’t have to depend on our feelings; rather, we can trust that the only motive for a changed life is a saving faith in Jesus. (156f) Witness >> Validity of the believer >> Evidence of salvation >> You will know them by their repentance (234i) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> Invest in the kingdom >> Sold out >> Relinquishing your assets to Christ >> Dispose of every asset except Christ (236j) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> Invest in the kingdom >> Invest in the treasures of the kingdom >> Invest your life in God’s faith – Jesus got excited when He discovered that Zaccheus not only believed in Him but was also giving God his whole heart, suggesting that if we don’t give Him our whole heart, our salvation is not real. It seems more important to settle our accounts with God than to settle our accounts with man, yet God sees them as the same, suggesting that if we don’t settle with man, our account with God is still pending. This story is pointing to the fact that an unrepentant heart is incapable of holding onto a genuine faith in God. In this age of apostasy there are many people who think they can live any way they want and still be saved, having a humanistic viewpoint, as though it were an act of our will to believe in God. This kind of theology reduces to merely believing in a certain set of doctrines, but that is not the Bible’s view of faith, for there are thousands of psychopaths rampaging the countryside stealing, killing and destroying, who may well believe those same doctrines. Faith is something God gives us on the day and moment of our salvation, not to be confused with the gift of faith (1Cor 12-9). Faith is the mustard seed that must grow as proof that it is alive. Faith is the pearl of great value that is traded for everything in the man’s possession. Faith is the treasure that a man found in someone else’s field and then hid it somewhere else in a field that was for sale, and then liquidated his assets and bought that field. Does this mean that we Christians are not allowed to own anything? We can own things, but the value of our possessions must be liquidated and reinvested in our faith. KJV WEB / Parallel Gospel / Navigation Bar Lk 19,11-26 (101i) Thy kingdom come >> Ambition >> Be an ambitious businessman for God >> Investing spiritual currency Lk 19-11 (69a) Authority >> Discernment >> Judging truth and error >> Correcting false reasoning – Expecting the kingdom of God to appear immediately is the New Testament version of the coming Millennium age, which was also the Jewish hope, that Jesus would deliver them from their enemies the Romans and establish the Kingdom of God according to Old Testament prophecy. God predestined Jesus for the cross, and the following parable starting in verse 12 is dedicated to Israel's rejection of Him. The attitude of the parable does not praise the Jews for rejecting Jesus so He could pay for the sins of the world, but conveys a complaint that they had no excuse. (95a) Thy kingdom come >> False perspective in the world (177a) Works of the devil >> The religion of witchcraft >> False doctrine >> Distorting Scripture >> Distorting Scripture from a lack of understanding – Jesus often testified that the words of His mouth and the miracles He performed were not coming from Himself, but originated from His Father who lived in Him. This was His explanation to the Pharisees and to the scribes and even to His disciples who were trying to understand Him. Much of the problem the disciples had with comprehending Jesus was the fact that they were expecting Israel’s messiah to come in great power and glory and deliver them from their enemies. Israel’s religious leaders had been teaching this for centuries, but they made an error interpreting the Scriptures. They rightly understood that their Old Testament writings alluded to the age of millennium, but they wrongly attributed these prophecies to the time of Christ, and consequently overlooked the subtle passages of Scripture that spoke about their Messiah's first visit to them in quiet and humble fashion, teaching them the ways of God, who would ultimately die for the sins of the world. They overlooked these things because they saw no value in them as they ironically demonstrated by crucifying Him. They kept waiting for Jesus to conform to their expectations, which caused them to misunderstand everything He said and did. As Jesus approached Jerusalem toward the end of His life, everyone expected Him to attack the Roman tyranny that held Israel in bondage, and for the Kingdom of God to suddenly appear, and for Jesus to go through some kind of metamorphosis like the transfiguration that His closest disciples secretly witnessed on the holy mountain. Jesus strictly told his disciple not to tell a soul about what they had seen on the mountaintop, because He didn’t want people thinking He would do that again and save them from their enemies; He came to save them from their spiritual enemy -- sin. (215ia) Sovereignty >> God controls time >> Suddenly >> The Kingdom of Heaven appears suddenly >> Without warning >> Disciples expected the kingdom to appear immediately -- This verse goes with verses 28-38 KJV WEB / Parallel Gospel / Navigation Bar Lk 19,12-27* (5m) Responsibility >> Jesus’ yoke of obedience >> Our obligation to shepherd the flock (11a)* Servant -- Principle verse of this chapter – Perhaps the greatest mystery of the Bible and the key to Christianity is how God could humble Himself, leave His home in heaven and come to serve mankind in the frailty of human flesh. The Bible gives this subject much attention. Servant-hood is one of our greatest privileges as the children of God. Those who study its precepts will acquire a sense of humility and duty for their creator and fellow man. Essentially the study of a "Servant" is the study of greatness in a person’s character. The calling of a servant is universal to all human life. It is one of the traits that separate us from the animals; animals are rarely seen in nature serving other animals, except in the case of interdependency, where differing species meet their own needs by meeting the needs of others. Everyone is called to be a servant; even God is a servant. If we desire to serve God, we are big in His eyes, and He sees us as entreating Him to appoint His power and authority in our lives. (13m) Servant >> Serve God faithfully (21b) Sin >> Disobedient to the call (40e) Judgment >> Jesus judges the Church (128k) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Bearing fruit >> Living a fruitful life >> It is a way of survival (148l) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Works of the Church bear witness to Jesus >> Evangelism >> Obligation to preach the gospel >> Slave laborers (192d) Die to self >> Result of putting off the old man >> Gain by losing >> Receiving from God by substitution >> Wheeling and dealing in God’s spiritual economy – Those ten cities that God awarded the faithful servant who made ten minas from the one will have humble beginnings. He may inspect his cities and find one man and one woman living there and ask, ‘What good is this?’ God will speak over them and say, "Be fruitful and multiply," and over the course of eternity their numbers will grow to infinity. The servant who buried his mina in the ground instead of placing it in the bank to gain interest for his master would have received one city, and at the end of eternity he would have ruled over just as many people as the one who had ten cities, for infinity is infinity. If we segment any part of infinity, that segment is infinity in itself. Therefore, in eternity it doesn’t matter if we receive one city or ten cities, it’s all the same; we are destined to rule over an infinite number of people. At the beginning of eternity, it will seem that the person who rules over ten cities has more, but as time elapses both one with ten cities and one with one city will appear to have the same amount. This is the justice of God. We will become governors and magistrates and ministers of righteousness and we will make decisions for the good of all, and play our part in establishing God’s infinite kingdom forever. See also: No end to His increase; Lk 19,12-19; 229c / New heavens and a new earth (Our inheritance is infinite and eternal); Lk 20,27-36; 209a (211c) Salvation >> Jews and gentiles are being saved >> Gentiles included >> Gentiles steal the kingdom from Israel through obedience – There were two groups of people that Jesus mentioned in this parable: the citizens of the kingdom, whom the nobleman went to receive; these were the Jews, and the ten slaves represent the gentiles, whom He gave to each a mina. The first slave used his mina to make ten more. The mina could represent the indwelling Holy Spirit; in that case, the multiplying of wealth represents the anointing of the Holy Spirit that overflows from our innermost being and spills onto the world, winning souls for the Kingdom of God. Note that each slave received the same amount at the beginning, one mina, but each reproduced different rates of growth, corresponding to each person's zeal in serving the Lord. (212i) Sovereignty >> God is infinite >> God is all knowing >> Nothing hidden >> God knows your secrets (225e) Kingdom of God >> Illustrating the kingdom >> Parables >> Parables about wealth >> Parables about a king and his kingdom (236e) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> Invest in the kingdom >> Invest your strength into the kingdom >> Invest your labors Lk 19,12-19 (229c) Kingdom of God >> God’s kingdom is a living organism >> Kingdom grows by itself >> Growing In Numbers Corresponds With Spiritual Growth >> Kingdom grows in size – The one who made ten minas more was given authority over ten cities. This sounds great, but it is far greater than it sounds, in that the Kingdom of God is not static but ever growing and increasing throughout eternity, for God is infinite and eternal and His kingdom reflects His nature. God will create a new Adam and a new Eve, without exposing them to the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, so sin will not exist, and He will command them to be fruitful and multiply, and from that seed will grow a kingdom that will produce throughout eternity to fill God’s creation with His loyal subjects, and we will rule over them. We, a finite number of people whom God has winnowed and refined, are to rule an infinite kingdom that will grow throughout eternity! See also: No end to His increase; Lk 19,12-27; 192d Lk 19,12-15 (237d) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> Transferring the kingdom >> The Church is transferred to the kingdom >> The rapture >> Receiving the kingdom in God’s time – God knows that we perceive 2000 years as a very long time, but He spoke on His own terms, so mankind would watch for His return throughout the ages, and be full of hope that perhaps the Lord will come in their time. Perhaps the bigger reason Jesus spoke in this way was to prevent man from organizing a two-millennium party that they would prolong to the very last minute before Jesus returned, similar to the Israelites as they “waited” at the base of Mount Sinai for Moses with the law. Jesus put the kybosh on the party before it started saying, ‘Stay on the alert, because you never know when I may return.’ Lk 19,12-14 (48n) Judgment >> Jesus’ enemies are destroyed >> Enemies of His glory -- These verses go with verse 27 KJV WEB / Parallel Gospel / Navigation Bar Lk 19-14 (165a) Works of the devil >> Manifestations of the devil >> The world is at enmity with God >> The world rejects God (200a) Denying Christ >> Man chooses his own destiny apart from God >> Rejecting Christ >> Unwilling to receive Christ >> Asking Jesus to leave -- This verse goes with verse 27 Lk 19,15-27 (226i) Kingdom of God >> Illustrating the kingdom >> Rewards of heaven >> Levels of reward >> God rewards us to the degree of our labors – The mina represents our rewards in heaven, our offering when we meet God for the first time and bow at his feet with gift in hand, like the magi who traveled the world to find Jesus on Christmas night were careful to bring gifts. God has given a gift to each of us, and we are expected to multiply its value and bring glory to God. Many will wish they had dedicated more of themselves to the kingdom of God once they enter the Holy City and see their King in all His glory. Lk 19,15-26 (4h) Responsibility >> Advocate God’s cause >> Everyone who has shall more be given (248i) Priorities >> God’ s preeminence >> Values >> Valuing God >> Do not value things that devalue God Lk 19,15-20 (243m) Kingdom of God >> The eternal kingdom >> There shall be no end to His increase >> God's kingdom is Infinite >> God will create a new Adam and Eve – This parable is about inheriting ten cities and five cities respectively. The New Jerusalem is where all saints live. Jesus won't make some of us live in other cities. No, Jesus said about the New Jerusalem, "If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will receive you to myself; that where I am, you may be there also." He said this about us. Who, then, will live in these other cities? Lk 19,15-19 (102c) Thy kingdom come >> Faithfulness (Loyalty) >> Faithfulness is dependable >> God’s servants are dependable (222k) Kingdom of God >> The elusive Kingdom of Heaven >> Do not give what is holy to dogs >> Give to him who has >> Whoever has shall more be given Lk 19,16-19 (34k) Gift of God >> God is willing to Give >> Receiving God’s blessing through obedience (45c) Judgment >> God judges our walk in the Spirit >> He rewards us for bearing fruit Lk 19-16,17 (221a) The Kingdom Of God (Key verse for the entire chapter) – This subject “The Kingdom of God” in the Bible is so enormous that it had to be split into two of the biggest chapters of the concordance: “Thy Kingdom Come” and “The Kingdom of God”. On the one hand, “Thy Kingdom Come” is a topical list of prerequisites devoted to the Church's obligation to establish God's kingdom in our heart in a step-by-step process, with “unity” as the ultimate goal (John 17). On the other hand, this chapter “The Kingdom of God” is a list of traits associated with the Kingdom of God, organized in relation to their importance, elucidating the distinct elements of heaven and placing them into proper perspective. It describes heaven and depicts how it appears through the eyes of His beloved children. Its twin chapter, Thy Kingdom Come, reveals the Christian responsibility of establishing the kingdom of God in the world, while this chapter reveals God's part in manifesting His own kingdom in the world. (234f) Invest In The Kingdom Of God (Key verse) Lk 19,19-22 (2d) Responsibility >> Avoid offending God >> Keeping your commitments >> Complete God’s calling in your ministry as Christ did – Clearly, God takes our lives more seriously than we do. We lose many rewards by not being diligent about serving Him with a whole heart. KJV WEB / Parallel Gospel / Navigation Bar Lk 19,20-27 (179i) Works of the devil >> Practicing witchcraft >> Wolves >> Unworthy servant >> Unworthy because of unfaithfulness – The man who buried his gift in the ground handed his soiled mina back to God as though proud of himself for not losing it. God said to him, “You wicked lazy slave,” and then threw him into the outer darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth (See Mat 25,24-29). God doesn't ask a lot from us. Taking his mina to the bank was to entrust his mina to other people, which amounts to going to church and putting his salvation in the hands of the pastor to manage for him, hoping he knows what he is doing. The man who buried his mina wouldn’t even take a trip downtown to the local bank and deposit his mina there. That was such a small thing for the Lord to ask of him. God would have given this man eternal life and a whole city for such a small act of obedience, which would eventually blossom into an infinite reward over the course of eternity, but there are those who don’t have enough faith to perform even the minimum requirements of salvation (go to church), and he will ultimately pay an eternal price for his laziness. There were evil motives in his heart that account for not investing his mina, too busy in the flesh and in the world dedicating his mind and heart to his five senses. These are the only things he thinks he can trust, but we know God in a way that is more sure than our fleshly perceptions. God considers everything about this man to be an excuse. Lk 19,20-26 (21h) Sin >> Premeditated sin >> Having no intensions of doing the will of God – This parable of the minas is not a parable about salvation, but one about faithfulness. The master gave a mina to each person, and the one buried it in a handkerchief, and when his master came to collect his earnings and discovered that his mina had made Him no interest, He said to His steward, ‘why didn’t you put it in the bank?’ His reply, ‘Because I was afraid of you.’ Putting his mina in the bank would have actually been simpler than digging a hole and burying it. The rich man ordered the mina be taken from him and given to the one who had ten minas, and the others complained saying, ‘Sir, he already has ten minas.’ Then He spoke the principle, “To him who has shall more be given, and he shall have an abundance, but the one who does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him.” This is a heavenly principle that works just as well in the world. The more money we have, the easier it is to make more, but the less we have the harder it is to make even a little money, and what we do have will be taken from us and given to the rich. The one who buried his mina in the ground had no intension of serving God, and the obvious reason is that he didn’t think he needed to obey his Master, nor did he fear God as he claimed. He must have gotten it into his head somehow that the mina he received belonged to him and that he could do with it whatever he wanted. The gifts that God gives are not our own, but we act as stewards over them and are careful to employ them, instead of burying them. This man who buried his mina was under the impression that he was not obligated to serve God as a Christian, but was content to just sit on it. That doesn’t mean he was idle in the flesh but in spirit; in the flesh he lived as he pleased, completely ignoring the Lord. (45d) Judgment >> Judgment of God >> God judges our walk in the Spirit >> For not bearing fruit (186e) Works of the devil >> The result of lawlessness >> The reprobate >> Man’s role in becoming a reprobate >> The fool does nothing with Christ – From the day this person received the mina, he intended to do nothing with it. He heard that God was loving and merciful, though he knew Him to be "an exacting man, taking up what I did not lay down and reaping what I did not sow," yet he thought he could take advantage of His kindness and blow off the assignment of investing his mina. The slave could have placed the mina in the bank, and his Master could have received it back with interest, albeit interest from a savings account is minute. God did not ask much from him. It would have been a short trip downtown to deposit the mina, taking about an hour of his time, and that small gesture would have been enough to avert the wrath of his Master, but he just didn’t care. Apparently he had already made up his mind that God was not worth serving. His attitude was, ‘God can save me and take me to heaven and treat me to all His treasures and make me to sit above angels beside His own Son and give me the entire creation, but I will not lift a finger for Him.’ How is this right? Yet, this is what we find in so many people these days who call themselves Christians. They are blatantly abusing the grace of God. (197b) Denying Christ >> Man exercises his will against God >> Spiritual laziness >> Rebelling Against what God wants you to do >> Refusing to take on responsibility (222j) Kingdom of God >> The elusive Kingdom of Heaven >> Do not give what is holy to dogs >> Give to him who has >> Take from him who does not have – This is a principle that is equally true in heaven and in the world, and it is very rare when God’s kingdom intersects with the world. It is easy for a man with money to make more money, but it is difficult for a man with no money to make ends meet. On the one hand, what options does one have who is flat broke? He can always live under a bridge, but he can’t go to school because he can’t pay for tuition. The only thing he can do is get a job, but what kind of experience does he have if he’s broke? Apparently, he hasn’t been working, so who’s going to hire him? He is caught in a downward spiral, poverty leading to further poverty. On the other hand, the man with lots of money can invest it while he goes on vacation and dines at fine restaurants or eats steak on the grill at home. He may have worked hard to save up the initial investment, but now that he has it, his money works for him; all he has to do is make the right investments and his money grows by itself. The same thing is true about the Kingdom of Heaven; the person who dug a hole for his gift, God with throw him into it, but the man with the ten minas was industrious at first and then received ten cities and was rolling in power and affluence to the point of walking on streets of gold. Lk 19,20-22 (84k) Thy kingdom come >> Your words can lead to your own demise >> They will condemn you – Listen to what the man said who buried his mina, “I was afraid of you,” claiming to fear of God, but he didn’t; he lied to God in His very presence. Had he truly feared God, he would have obeyed Him. He confessed knowing that God was an exacting man, hoping to receive mercy from his confession, but he misjudged the Lord. There have been many whom God has delivered from a life of sin and debauchery, and after they were saved they served the Lord from a grateful heart and a deep love and affection, but there was no mention of sin with this person. The only sin that existed in him was an attempt to abuse the grace and mercy of God. He Couldn’t be bothered with God's expectation of him, having willingly received the mina without intension of doing anything with it and expecting God to simply forgive him, but things didn’t go as planned. He found himself in the heat of God’s judgment and consequently found his place among those weeping and gnashing their teeth. This person didn’t seem much of a sinner, yet he will go to the place of the damned, because he had no true reverence for God. He gave lip service, saying that he was afraid of God, but by his deeds he proved that he didn’t fear Him at all. Lk 19-22 (48i) Judgment >> Judgment of God >> Levels of judgment >> Judged according to your knowledge of God Lk 19,24-32 (13k) Servant >> Serve God though small in stature >> Greatest is the least Lk 19,24-27 (96e) Thy kingdom come >> Attitude >> Positive attitude toward God >> Good attitude toward Jesus KJV WEB / Parallel Gospel / Navigation Bar Lk 19-27 (47f) Judgment >> God Judges the world >> Hell is a place of torment – There are those who believe God is evil, because He made a hell for those who do not value what is good and right, but in fact He made a hell because He is good and right. Otherwise, where would He put the people who are evil? Since the wicked hate God, He has made a place for them where they will be shielded from His presence, not one attribute of Him exists there; that’s why they call it hell. Even if He would have created an Eden for them, they would have ruined it and eventually turned it into hell. There is no difference between God creating hell and man inventing it for himself, it judges him just the same. Evil people think that God should zap them from existence, instead of sending them to hell, but now they are telling God what to do with His own creation and making moral judgments, but they are in no position to tell God what to do or make moral judgments. Maybe He would grant their request, except that He would be doing them a favor, though they refused to serve Him or even acknowledge His existence. (48n) Judgment >> Jesus’ enemies are destroyed >> Enemies of His glory -- This verse goes with verses 12-14. The primary reason people reject the will of God for themselves is that they don’t want to be His worshipers, nor do they want Him reigning over them, telling them how to live. This smacks of rebellion. They reserve the right to pick their own god to reign over them, which ultimately is Satan after they have rejected Christ. They claim to be god of their own lives, but this too reduces to Satan reigning over them, for it is the way of the world to be god of your own life, and Satan is the ruler of the world (Jn 14-30). The point is, those who don’t want Christ reigning over them want the freedom to choose their own god so they can find one that accepts their fleshly appetite for sin. They think that the God of heaven is boring because He doesn’t let them live a hedonistic lifestyle, but there has never been a society throughout history that has sustained such a lifestyle for long. It is an extremely destructive way of life both to the person and to society at large. (165b) Works of the devil >> Manifestations of the devil >> The world is at enmity with God >> The world is accountable to God (200a) Denying Christ >> Man chooses his own destiny apart from God >> Rejecting Christ >> Unwilling to receive Christ >> Asking Jesus to leave -- This verse goes with verse 14 Lk 19,28-40 (194c) Die to self (Process of substitution) >> Turn from sin to God >> Run to God >> Running to meet Jesus prior to His visitation – It is interesting that Jesus would enter Jerusalem in this way, so different from the way he intends to enter the holy city next time He comes. He will take possession of Jerusalem, delivering it from their enemies at the onset of the millennium. When He comes like lightning flashing from one end of the sky to the other with all His saints behind Him, destroying His enemies along the way by His mere presence and sets His foot on the Mount of Olives, it is to make the distinction with the obedience of Israel. That is, to the degree that Israel was disobedient, so their Messiah will return, but first He came to them riding on a small donkey to the degree of their obedience. When He comes the second time, the Jews will have repented from their unbelief to the degree that warrants their Messiah making His return on white horse riding on a lightning bolt! Their obedience was not complete the first time, but it will be the second time, also indicating the greatness of the revival that is yet to come by the Jews in the last days. His chosen people Israel will fully obey Him with such zeal and passion that no other nation could emulate, totally making up for all the screw-ups they have done in the past. Literally billions of people will be saved through their last days' ministry. The gentiles have been in control for the last two thousand years and have effected salvation, yet the Jews’ ministry of endtime revival will bring more people to Christ than those who were saved throughout the entire span of the Church age. Beginning with the two witnesses, they will establish the 144,000, who will reestablish the gentile church in the true doctrines of the faith, ending all schisms and denominations, and those who will not accept their teaching will be swept away by the antichrist. See also: Great Endtime Revival (Two periods: first century and last century); Jn 9-4,5; 112g Lk 19,28-38 (215ia) Sovereignty >> God controls time >> Suddenly >> The Kingdom of Heaven appears suddenly >> Without warning >> Disciples expected the kingdom to appear immediately -- These verses go with verse 11. In verse 37 it says that the people worshipped Jesus because of the miracles they saw, but it doesn't say they worshipped Him because of the word of God they heard. They worshipped Him, thinking He was going to Jerusalem to destroy their enemies the Romans and set up His throne as their long awaited Messiah, right then and there, believing this because of all the miracles He performed. They knew that if he entered Jerusalem merely to celebrate Passover without the express purpose of overthrowing the governmental powers that resided there, they would crucify Him. They worshipped Him for the things they wanted Him to do, but these did not pertain to His mission. They shouted "crucify Him" only two days later, because He didn't give them what they wanted, which was relief from their physical enemies, whereas Jesus came to give them relief from their spiritual enemy, the devil. The same goes for us; if He doesn't give us what we want, which is usually physical and not spiritual, we abandon Him, but His disciples don't do this. Like the seed that was sown on rocky soil and among the weeds (Mat 13,20-22), they have a laundry list of things they want Him to do for them, and when He doesn't meet their expectations, they fall away. A true disciple doesn't have a litany of things they want from Him; rather, they have an open mind and willingness to do whatever He wants them to do for Him. Therefore, it was not a triumphal entry at all but a misconception of the will of God for Jesus Christ that led them to worship Him, and those who misunderstand Jesus also tend to misunderstand the will of God for themselves. KJV WEB / Parallel Gospel / Navigation Bar Lk 19,29-35 (68b) Authority >> Doing God’s work under His authority >> Natural Ministry of helps Lk 19,29-34 (152h) Witness >> Validity of the Father >> Witnesses of the father >> Prophets >> Jesus is a prophet >> Jesus prophesies about the fulfillment of Scripture Lk 19,30-35 (110a) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Spirit and the word >> Spirit speaks through you >> Word of knowledge >> knowing their thoughts by the mind of Christ – Jesus knew these things in the same way that He knew Zaccheus by name, by a word of knowledge according to the gifts of the Spirit as outlined in First Corinthians chapter twelve. When Jesus lived in the flesh, he wasn't omniscient; rather, His Father revealed to Him the needed details that He spoke to His disciples about the donkey they borrowed from its owner. This story was the fulfillment of prophecy that the Old Testament prophets saw hundreds of years in advance (Zechariah 9:9). Lk 19-36 -- No Entries Lk 19,37-40 (224g) Kingdom of God >> Illustrating the kingdom >> Description of heaven >> The joyful kingdom >> Rejoicing in heaven (252a) Worship Jesus (Key verse) (252b) Trinity >> You shall put no other gods before Me >> Worship Jesus (Because He is equal with God) >> Jesus is worthy of our worship >> Worship Jesus for who he is – The Pharisees were saying to Jesus, ‘Hey, your followers are worshipping you, that’s against the Law of Moses,’ for it says, “You shall worship the Lord your God and Him serve Him only” (Deuteronomy 6-13; 10-20). Jesus did nothing to stop the people from worshipping Him, proving that He was either God in human flesh, making it lawful to worship Him according to Scripture, or that He was a common sinner. Jesus asked in Jn 8-46, "Which one of you convicts me of sin?" If any one of us offered our friends (and especially our enemies) an opportunity like that, we would get a dozen or more people testifying of our sin, but no one was able to say a word against Him. Lk 19-40 (224c) Kingdom of God >> Illustrating the kingdom >> Description of heaven >> Describing the kingdom after he makes all things new >> Description of the new creation – Many miracles took place during the days of Jesus, though maybe He was just saying, “the stones will cry out.” The stones may not have actually cried out, but who’s to say that Jesus was not depicting a world from which He came? This might be one of the characteristics of heaven, a place where everything is alive, not just animate objects but inanimate too. The atoms and molecules that currently make up our bodies are essentially no different from the inert atoms and molecules of dirt, yet they miraculously come together to form cells, which scientists say are by definition alive, and these cells come together to make up our bodies which are also alive, but the hypothesis is that in heaven there is no such thing as “inert.” That is, the so called “atoms and molecules” themselves are alive! We will be alive in every possible dimension. KJV WEB / Parallel Gospel / Navigation Bar Lk 19,41-44 (49a) Judgment >> Nations are destroyed >> Israel judged as an example for us – Apparently the gentiles were angry at Israel in AD 70 when they destroyed the Jerusalem, dispersing the people throughout the world, after which the Jews have extraordinarily returned to their homeland, starting only in the 19th century. Nineteen centuries Israel existed without a nation, only reclaiming its sovereignty in 1948. Now there are millions of Jewish people living in Israel, yet they still have no temple of worship, which some say must be rebuilt for endtime prophecy to be fulfilled. Were the nations angry at Israel for rejecting their Messiah? Their rejection has turned to salvation for the gentiles (Rom 11-11,12). Most of the persecution of World War II and the holocaust was attributed to their rejection of Christ, calling them Jesus killers, but the people who would murder a Jew for killing the Savior does not understand that He had to be crucified for the salvation of the world. It is to the benefit of the gentiles that the Jews rejected their Lord and Messiah, so why would they be angry at them? They should be thanking them! But that is asking too much for sin-ridden man who seems to have lost his mind, seemingly unable to come to terms with a rational thought. For them to draw this conclusion is proof that they are incapable of properly interpreting Scripture. (51d) Judgment >> Judging the Church with the world >> Warned to heed the word of God (123j) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Love >> Spiritual affection >> Being in love with the body of Christ >> Weeping in the Spirit (169g) Works of the devil >> Manifestations of the devil >> The world is blind to God >> God blinds their eyes (219i) Sovereignty >> God overrides the will of man >> Predestination >> Predestined according to the word of God – Man’s will is involved in God’s foreknowledge. Israel rejected their Messiah, and God knew they would, these two happened simultaneously, not one overruling the other but both having equal weight. It was prophesied in Scripture that Jesus was slain from the foundation of the world (Rev 13-8). In that sense the Jews didn’t really have a choice to believe in their Messiah, for they were predestined to reject Him. It goes back to Paul’s question in Romans chapter 9, “Why does He still find fault? For who resists His will?” His answer: “On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God?” (Vs19,20). This answer suggests that the question is inherently accusatory, meaning that whoever asks this question does it with an evil motive. Other potentially better answers are a bit more complicated, because man has a will too, suggesting that there are two viewpoints vying for control: God’s and man’s. God’s will predestined Israel to reject the Lord. He didn’t make Israel reject Him; He simply knew what they would do, basically taking credit for what they did. Like Jesus says to those who willingly get saved: ‘You did not choose Me but I chose you;’ the same is true of the world, only the opposite: ‘You did not reject me but I rejected you.’ Nevertheless, man has a legitimate will that is not shadowy or two-dimensional but has the power to affect change in the real world. God concurs that the will of man is real; in fact, He sees it as one of the most sacred things He has given man. It is too bad we don’t often have the same sentiments about it. (221g) Kingdom of God >> The elusive Kingdom of Heaven >> Kingdom hidden behind the veil from the world >> God hides from the mind of man >> He denies His kingdom to man’s stubborn will – Paul said in Rom 5-1, “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Israel could have had peace with God had they received their Messiah. They had no excuse for rejecting Him, having every reason to believe He was the expected One. Jesus said, “The things which make for peace… have been hidden from your eyes,” meaning God hid His Son from them. This actually takes power from unbelievers and puts it in the hand of God. If we refuse to believe in Him, He will hide from us, making it impossible to believe in Him. There is only so much unbelief God is willing to take. When Adam sinned, Genesis reads that he and his wife hid from God when He came calling for them. Adam finally came from his hiding place and admitted what he had done, but Israel did not do this. When God called and called for them, they never answered, so God said, ‘Okay then, I will hide from you.’ It was no longer under their power to reject God, but under His power that they rejected Him. God knows how to turn the circumstances, and if we mess with Him, He will mess with us. Jesus revealed Himself to man as God in human flesh, and after being rejected, from then on they would no longer be able to believe in God, and for this reason the Jews have been lost for 2000 years, though some have come to believe in Jesus as Israel’s Messiah, for those who seek Him with all their hearts will find Him. (223j) Kingdom of God >> The elusive Kingdom of Heaven >> Miss God >> Missing the train >> Miss the invitation from God – Based on this passage it is impossible to deny that what happened to the Jews was a direct result of their unbelief in Jesus Christ. This was the cause of all their troubles that have come upon them: they rejected the Son of God. When we think of all the turmoil the Jews have faced all these centuries, being without land or country, hunted like animals and killed for being Jews, it happened because they rejected their Messiah. Lk 19-41,42 (126f) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Peace >> Terms of peace Lk 19,42-44 (223e) Miss God (Key verse) KJV WEB / Parallel Gospel / Navigation Bar Lk 19,45-48 (16k) Sin >> Continuing in sin to avoid the light >> Suppressing the truth they cannot deny (64c) Paradox >> Anomalies >> Limits of God >> God has limited patience (198j) Denying Christ >> Man exercises his will against God >> Frustrating the grace of God >> Frustrating Jesus >> Frustrating Jesus through unbelief (203c) Denying Christ >> Dishonor God >> Dishonor God by not receiving Him (241k) Kingdom of God >> Opposition toward the Kingdom of God >> Persecuting the kingdom >> Persecution to the death >> Kill Jesus >> Kill Jesus because of what He did – Jesus can rebuke the Pharisees for living immorally, for being hypocrites, for misinterpreting the Scriptures and for not understanding the time of their visitation, but when He turned over their tables, ran them out of the temple with a whip and condemned their moneymaking business of religion, that is what got Him killed. You don’t touch the apple of man’s eye, his unrighteous mammon, though apparently it’s okay to touch the apple of God’s eye, His Son, Jesus Christ, and those who believe in Him. Lk 19-45,46 (69d) Authority >> Righteous judgment (outcome of discernment) >> Righteous anger >> God is angry at sin (179b) Works of the devil >> The religion of witchcraft >> Hypocrisy >> Jesus rebukes the Pharisees >> Rebuked for loving money – Paul coined the phrase, “The love of money is the root of all evil” (1Tim 6-10), but Jesus talked more about the evils of money than anyone else; and if we want to know how Jesus really felt about it, we look at this verse. Nothing put the whip in His hand like moneygrubbers in the temple. Jesus put up with a lot of lies and trickery by the chief priests and the Pharisees, and He patiently answering them all, but when He saw them in the temple making a profit selling doves and other sacrificial animals, Jesus showed a side of Himself that was less than graceful. These money changers went as far as to create a temple coin that could be used only for the temple, so the people had to buy these coins that were of course offered at a price higher than the value of the things they needed to buy; and so they made a profit in the changing of money and also at selling the animals for sacrifice. It was a cleaver scam, using God and religion as a means of amassing wealth, and Jesus hated it. Some of the mega-church leaders and televangelists of our day are so filthy rich, it would make the devils of Jesus’ day green with envy, who travel the world in private jets and own mansions, and they have servants on both arms satisfying their every whimsical desire, but what does God think of them? Lk 19-47,48 (28d) Gift of God >> God is our advocate >> God protects the Church through the world (148e) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Works of the Church bear witness to Jesus >> Evangelism >> Natural advantage of the public eye (159b) Works of the devil >> Essential characteristics >> Counterfeit >> Counterfeit godliness >> Love sickening sweet >> The kind of love that replaces wisdom – Many of the Jews loved Jesus, yet they crucified Him anyway. They enjoyed that He loved them, that He healed their sick and defended them from the religious institution that held them in spiritual bondage. More than anything, though, they hoped He would fulfill Old Testament prophecy according to their interpretation of it and deliver them from the Romans. When they realized that this wasn’t going to happen, they dropped Him like a hot potato. (167f) Works of the devil >> Manifestations of the devil >> Carnality/Secularism (mindset of the world) >> The carnal mind is set on the flesh >> Carnal mind is fueled by our emotions – We don’t serve God by our emotions, one day worshipping Him and the next day wanting Him crucified, depending on how we feel. The Jews were to some degree convinced He was their Messiah, but He wasn’t saying the words they expected to hear, and they kept waiting for the words and they never came, and then He got arrested like a common criminal, and they didn't support Him. The Pharisees formulated an excuse they thought the people would accept. The people quickly got tired of waiting and became disgusted that He never attempted to conquer their enemies, none of His words were heading in the right direction. Without dropping the notion that He was their Messiah, they developed the attitude that He was not giving them what they wanted, so they had Him crucified. They knew He was their Messiah, but He was not the person they envisioned, so they let the crucifixion proceed. Although He was a great man and a miracle worker, what they wanted was freedom from their enemies, the Romans. They wanted fulfillment of prophecy according to their interpretation of it. This was their great mistake: they wanted to be in control of how God blessed them. God wanted to deliver them from their spiritual enemies first, which would eventually manifest as freedom from their physical enemies, but they wanted to take a shortcut and bypass their sin problem. People hesitate when God requires them to contain their sinful nature. Most people’s definition of freedom involves allowing their flesh to do whatever it wants, but Jesus’ teaching was about love, which by definition cannot allow our flesh to do what it wants. (176e) Works of the devil >> The religion of witchcraft >> Zeal without knowledge (Spirit w/o the word) >> Devotion without direction – The Jewish people had Jesus crucified on a whim. It may have been well planned by the Pharisees and religious leaders as how to effect His demise, but it was purely whimsical on the part of the people when they cried-out with one voice, “Crucify Him.” The religious leaders whipped the people into a frenzy; they were not thinking right anymore; they crucified the man they loved, and they paid the price with the loss of everything they cherished, their temple and their nation, and many at the time and throughout the centuries paid with their lives. Who understands the heart of man? They may have loved the Lord and hung on his every word, yet they never committed themselves to Him, though it was obvious to everyone that Jesus was completely devoted to them. To the very end their fascination with Him never rose above that of a circus act, an enigma, a mere source of entertainment, our version of TV. ‘Let’s go see what Jesus is doing today,’ they may have said, but there were some who believed. “Hanging upon his words,” even that was an expressive emotion, the very medium the Pharisees tapped to make them bellow, “crucify Him!” (181k) Works of the devil >> The origin of lawlessness >> Deception >> Self deception >> Deceiving and being deceived – The religious leaders of Israel hated Jesus because He opposed nearly every aspect of their theology and lifestyle, but especially because He opposed their lucrative business of religion. In response, they harnessed the will and emotions of the people and turned them against the Lord. The people loved Jesus and clung to His every word; they loved His boldness to fearlessly confront the murderous psychopaths, the Pharisees. They were amazed at His charisma and His miracles, always having another surprise up His sleeve, which drove their anticipation to learn what He would do next, but the surprise He had in store for them would fool everyone, man and demon, Jew and gentile. See next page