LUKE LESSON 23

    We will begin this lesson in Luke 9:1 "Then he called his twelve
disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils,
and to cure diseases."

    Up until this time, Jesus was doing this just Himself. Now Jesus
has empowered the disciples. We see in this sending forth of His
disciples, a sending forth throughout all ages of those who will work
for Him. Notice in this sending forth, the first step of a minister is
to come to Him ourselves, then He must empower the minister or else
they go in vain.

    Luke 9:2 "And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to
heal the sick."

    Here, again, we see the job God intends for His ministers to do.
First, work on their spirit and get them saved by the foolishness of
preaching. Then minister to their physical needs after they are saved.
In the 14th chapter of ST. John beginning with the 12th verse. we see
that these disciples and the Lord's ministers today must heal in the
name of Jesus. It is not the minister's power that heals or saves, but
the name of Jesus Christ.

    Luke 9:3 "And he said unto them, Take nothing for [your] journey,
neither staves, nor scrip, neither bread, neither money; neither have
two coats apiece."

    We see in this that these ministers are not to be self-sufficient.
They are to depend on all of these necessities being furnished to
them by the people they minister to. Of course, God is their real
provider, as He moves upon the hearts of the people.

    Luke 9:4 "And whatsoever house ye enter into, there abide, and
thence depart." Luke 9:5 "And whosoever will not receive you, when ye
go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet for a
testimony against them."

    This ministry would actually be headquartered in each city in
someone's home. This is the way it was in early Christianity. They met
in homes. This shaking of the feet, just meant that they had cut all
ties with that family. Even as late as in Paul's day, the ministry was
held in homes such as Lydia's.

    Luke 9:6 "And they departed, and went through the towns, preaching
the gospel, and healing every where."

    This was a missionary journey that Jesus sent these disciples on:
a training time while He was on this earth that after He was gone away
they would know exactly how to go about this. The gospel, of course,
is the good news of Jesus Christ.

    Luke 9:7  "Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done by
him: and he was perplexed, because that it was said of some, that John
was risen from the dead;"

    A guilty conscience is acting here. Herod had beheaded John, and
now he was tormented by it, The people could not explain the
supernatural power of Jesus, and they imagined all sorts of things.

    Luke 9:8 "And of some, that Elias had appeared; and of others,
that one of the old prophets was risen again."

    Again, I say they could not explain the powers of Jesus, so they
used all sorts of excuses how this could be. No mere man could do
these things that Jesus did. they believed that Isaiah, Jeremiah, and
Elijah would appear right before Messiah came, and they thought Jesus
might be one of them.

    Luke 9:9 "And Herod said, John have I beheaded: but who is this,
of whom I hear such things? And he desired to see him."

    The fame of Jesus had gone throughout the land. Herod wanted to
see this man that had these miraculous powers that everyone was
talking about. I believe he wanted to see Him; but at the same time,
feared seeing him in case it was John risen from the grave.

    Luke 9:10  "And the apostles, when they were returned, told him
all that they had done. And he took them, and went aside privately
into a desert place belonging to the city called Bethsaida."

    "Bethsaida" means house of fish. It was located on one side of the
Sea of Galilee. We read earlier how Jesus would go out in a friend's
boat into the middle of the sea to avoid the tremendous crowd which
now followed Him wherever He went. He lands unexpectedly, unannounced,
here in Bethsaida so that He can meet privately with His disciples to
hear of their journey.

    Luke 9:11 "And the people, when they knew [it], followed him: and
he received them, and spake unto them of the kingdom of God, and
healed them that had need of healing."

    Jesus has a short time with the disciples on the sea and at
Bethsaida before the masses of People caught up with Him. Jesus never
turned them away. He ministered the word  to them first, and then took
care of their physical needs. the order was always the same, spirit
first and flesh second.

    Luke 9:12 "And when the day began to wear away, then came the
twelve, and said unto him, Send the multitude away, that they may go
into the towns and country round about, and lodge, and get victuals:
for we are here in a desert place."

    The disciples are still thinking abut the physical needs of the
people. They were thinking all these hungry women and children would
probably start to fuss as it became dark.

    Luke 9:13 "But he said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they
said, We have no more but five loaves and two fishes; except we should
go and buy meat for all this people."

    This feeding of the multitude is mentioned in all 4 gospels. We
know there are many lessons to be learned in it or it would not be
mentioned 4 times. We should never limit God and His possibilities is
perhaps one of the most important messages found in this. "Five" is an
important number. It means grace. and "two" means agreement. We know
that we are taught that if any two agree, it shall be done of our
Father. We know that the grace of God is what feeds this vast number
of people (possibly 15,000).

    Luke 9:14 "For they were about five thousand men. And he said to
his disciples, Make them sit down by fifties in a company." Luke 9:15
"And they did so, and made them all sit down."

    When Jesus says give them to eat, it is a literal statement of a
spiritual statement. He will later on say to Peter: "feed my sheep".
The Lord shows us and them, here, that little is much when God is in
it. Jesus now has His table spread and has asked his guests to sit.

    Luke 9:16 "Then he took the five loaves and the two fishes, and
looking up to heaven, he blessed them, and brake, and gave to the
disciples to set before the multitude."

    When Jesus told Peter to feed His sheep, He was speaking of the
Word of God. If we looked at this "feeding" here from the spiritual
standpoint, we would see the prayer of thanksgiving, Then we would see
Jesus rightly dividing (breaking the bread), the next step would be
giving the message to His ministers, and the ministers feed the
multitude. Each, feeding the group he has been entrusted with. We
know, also, that there is a literal meal provided here. Again, the
first and most important part in the meal that fed this multitude is
the prayer. Then as Jesus broke the bread and fishes, it multiplied.
Another message that I receive loud and clear here is that the
ministers (shepherds) must see to the needs of the flock, not the
other way around.

    Luke 9:17 "And they did eat, and were all filled: and there was
taken up of fragments that remained to them twelve baskets."

    It is surely plain to see that as these disciples took care of the
people, God provided for their needs, as well. there was a basketful
left over for each disciple: 12 disciples, 12 basketful. Of course,
God does not expect them to eat scraps, this is just symbolic. It
appears, also, in this meal that it was the same as Jesus breaking the
bread: symbolic of His body at the last supper.







                           Luke 23 Questions

1.  When Jesus called His disciples together, what powers did He give
    them?
2.  Before going out to minister, what should be the first step taken?
3.  What 2 things did Jesus send the disciples to do?
4.  What order does that show us?
5.  What were the disciples to take with them?
6.  Any house that did not receive the disciples was to have what
    happen to it?
7.  Where did the early church meet?
8.  Where did the disciples go and what did they do?
9.  Who did Herod believe Jesus was?
10. Why were the people imagining who He was?
11. Name 3 different old prophets various people thought He was.
12. What had Herod done to John?
13. Where did Jesus go privately with the disciples?
14. When Jesus returned and found the multitude, what did He do?
15. When the disciples realized it was getting late and the multitude
    was hungry, what did they suggest Jesus do?
16. What did Jesus tell the disciples to do that seemed impossible?
17. How much food did they have?
18. How many of the gospels mention this story?
19. Approximately how many people were in the multitude?
20. How did He have the disciples to seat them?
21. This statement "give them to eat" is like the statement Jesus
    tells Peter later that is a spiritual statement. What is it?
22. What did Jesus do before He broke the bread?
23. What is the spiritual indication of the breaking of bread?
24. What message to the shepherds do we receive loud and clear in
    this?
25. How does this point us to the last supper?