Luke 9

Luke 9:1

O. The Son of Man Sends Forth His Disciples (9:1-11) 9:1-2 This incident closely resembles the sending of the twelve in Mat_10:1-15, but there are notable differences. For instance, in Matthew, the disciples were told to go only to the Jews, and they were told to raise the dead, as well as to cure diseases. There is obviously a reason for the condensed version in Luke, but the reason is not obvious. The Lord not only had power and authority to perform miracles, but He conferred this power and authority on others. Power means strength or ability. Authority means the right to use it. The message of the disciples was confirmed by signs and wonders (Heb_2:3-4) in the absence of the complete Bible in written form. God can heal miraculously, but whether healing should still accompany the preaching of the gospel is certainly questionable. 9:3-5 Now the disciples would have an opportunity to practice the principles which the Lord had taught them. They were to trust Him for the supply of their material needsno bag, food, or money. They were to live very simplyno extra staff or extra tunic. They were to stay in the first house where they were made welcomeno moving around in hopes of obtaining more comfortable lodging. They were not to prolong their stay or exert pressure on those who rejected the message, but were instructed to shake off the very dust from their feet as a testimony against them. 9:6 It was presumably in the towns of Galilee that the disciples preached the gospel and healed the sick. It should be mentioned that their message had to do with the kingdomthe announcement of the King’s presence in their midst and His willingness to reign over a repentant people. 9:7 Herod Antipas was tetrarch in Galilee and Perea at this time. He reigned over one-fourth of the territory included in his father, Herod the Great’s, kingdom. Word reached him that Someone was performing mighty miracles in his territory. Immediately his conscience began raising questions. The memory of John the Baptist still troubled him. Herod had silenced that fearless voice by beheading John, but he was still haunted by the power of that life. Who was this who made Herod think continually of John? It was rumored by some that John had risen from the dead. 9:8, 9 Others guessed that it was Elijah or one of the other prophets of the OT. Herod tried to quell his anxiety by reminding others that he had beheaded the Baptizer. But the fear remained. Who was this anyway? He sought to see Him but he never did until just before the Savior’s crucifixion. The power of a Spirit-filled life! The Lord Jesus, the obscure Carpenter of Nazareth, caused Herod to tremble without ever having met Him. Never underestimate the influence of a person full of the Holy Spirit! 9:10 When the apostles … had returned, they reported the results of their mission directly to the Lord Jesus. Perhaps this would be a good policy for all Christian workers. Too often the publicizing of work leads to jealousy and division. And G. Campbell Morgan comments that our passion for statistics is self-centered, and of the flesh, and not of the Spirit. Our Lord took the disciples to a deserted place adjoining Bethsaida (house of fishing). It seems that there were two Bethsaidas at this time, one on the west side of the Sea of Galilee and this one on the east. The exact location is unknown. 9:11 Any hopes of a quiet time together were soon shattered. A crowd of people quickly gathered. The Lord Jesus was always accessible. He did not consider this an annoying interruption. He was never too busy to bless. In fact it specifically states that He received (or welcomed) them, teaching them about the kingdom of God and healing those who needed it.

Luke 9:12

P. Feeding of the Five Thousand (9:12-17) 9:12 As evening drew on, the twelve became restless. So many people needing food! An impossible situation. So they asked the Lord to send the multitude away. How like our own hearts! In matters concerning ourselves, we say, like Peter, Command me to come to You … . But how easy it is to say concerning others, Send them away.9:13 Jesus would not send them away to the surrounding villages to get food. Why should the disciples go off on tours to minister to people, and neglect those who were at their own doorstep? Let the disciples feed the crowd. They protested that they had only five loaves and two fish, forgetting that they also had the unlimited resources of the Lord Jesus to draw on. 9:14-17 He simply asked the disciples to seat the crowd of five thousand men plus women and children. Then after giving thanks, He broke the bread and kept on giving it to the disciples. They in turn distributed it to the people. There was plenty of food for everyone. In fact, when the meal was over there was more food left than there had been at the outset. The left-overs filled twelve baskets, one for each of the disciples. Those who try to explain away the miracle merely fill pages with confusion. This incident is filled with significance for disciples who are charged with the evangelization of the world. The five thousand represent lost humanity, starving for the bread of God. The disciples picture helpless Christians, with seemingly limited resources, but unwilling to share what they have. The Lord’s command, You give them something to eat is simply a restatement of the great commission. The lesson is that if we give Jesus what we have, He can multiply it to feed the spiritually hungry multitude. That diamond ring, that insurance policy, that bank account, that sports equipment! These can be converted into gospel literature, for instance, which in turn can result in the salvation of souls, who in turn will be worshipers of the Lamb of God throughout eternity. The world could be evangelized in this generation if Christians would surrender to Christ all that they are and have. That is the enduring lesson of the feeding of the five thousand.

Luke 9:18

Q. Peter’s Great Confession (9:18-22) 9:18 Immediately following the miraculous feeding of the multitude we have Peter’s great confession of Christ at Caesarea Philippi. Did the miracle of the loaves and fishes open the eyes of the disciples to see the glory of the Lord Jesus as God’s Anointed One? This incident at Caesarea Philippi is commonly acknowledged to be the watershed of the Savior’s teaching ministry with the twelve. Up to this point He has been patiently leading them to an appreciation of who He is and what He could do in and through them. Now He has reached that goal, and so He henceforth moves on determinedly to the cross. Jesus prayed alone.

It is not recorded that the Lord Jesus ever prayed with the disciples. He prayed for them, He prayed in their presence, and He taught them to pray, but His own prayer life was separate from theirs. Following one of His seasons of prayer, He questioned the disciples as to who the crowds said that He was. 9:19, 20 They reported a difference of opinion: Some said John the Baptist; others said Elijah; still others said one of the OT prophets in resurrection. But when He asked the disciples, Peter confidently confessed Him as the Christ (or Messiah) of God. James Stewart’s comments concerning this incident at Caesarea Philippi are so excellent that we quote them at length: He began with the impersonal questionWhom do men say that I am? That, at any rate, was not difficult to answer. For on every side men were saying things about Jesus. A dozen verdicts were abroad. All kinds of rumors and opinions were in the air. Jesus was on every tongue. And men were not only saying things about Jesus; they were saying great things about Him. Some thought He was John the Baptist back from the dead. Others said He reminded them of Elijah. Others spoke of Jeremiah or another of the prophets. In other words, while current opinions were by no means unanimous as to Jesus’ identity, they were unanimous that he was someone great. His place was among the heroes of his race. It is worth remarking that history here is repeating itself. Once again Jesus is on every tongue. He is being discussed today far beyond the circle of the Christian Church. And great is the diversity of verdicts about Him. Papini, looking at Jesus, sees the Poet. Bruce Barton sees the Man of Action.

Middleton Murry sees the Mystic. Men with no brief for orthodoxy are ready to extol Jesus as the paragon of saints and captain of all moral leaders forever. Even now, said John Stuart Mill, it would not be easy even for an unbeliever to find a better translation of the rule of virtue from the abstract into the concrete than to endeavor so to live that Christ would approve our life. Like the men of his own day who called him John, Elijah, Jeremiah, so the men of today are agreed that among the heroes and saints of all time Jesus stands supreme. But Jesus was not content with that recognition. People were saying that he was John, Elijah, Jeremiah. But that meant that he was one in a series. It meant that there were precedents and parallels, and that even if he stood first in rank, he was still only primus inter pares, first among his equals. But quite certainly that is not what the Christ of the New Testament claimed. Men may agree with Christ’s claim, or they may dissent from it; but as to the fact of the claim itself there is not the shadow of a doubt. Christ claimed to be something and someone unprecedented, unparalleled, unrivaled, unique (for example Mat_10:37; Mat_11:27; Mat_24:35; Joh_10:30; Joh_14:6). 9:21, 22 Following Peter’s historic confession, the Lord commanded them not to tell others; nothing must interrupt His pathway to the cross. Then the Savior unveiled His own immediate future to them. He must suffer, must be rejected by the religious leaders of Israel, must be killed and must be raised the third day. This was an astounding announcement. Let us not forget that these words were spoken by the only sinless, righteous Man who ever lived on this earth. They were spoken by the true Messiah of Israel.

They were the words of God manifest in the flesh. They tell us that the life of fulfillment, the perfect life, the life of obedience to the will of God involves suffering, rejection, death in one form or another, and a resurrection to life that is deathless. It is a life poured out for others. This of course was the very opposite of the popular conception of Messiah’s role. Men looked for a saber-rattling, enemy-destroying leader. It must have been a shock to the disciples. But if, as they confessed, Jesus was indeed the Christ of God, then they had no reason for disillusionment or discouragement. If He is the Anointed of God, then His cause can never fail. No matter what might happen to Him or to them, they were on the winning side. Victory and vindication were inevitable.

Luke 9:23

R. Invitation to Take Up the Cross (9:23-27) 9:23 Having outlined His own future, the Lord invited the disciples to follow Him. This would mean denying themselves and taking up their cross. To deny self means willingly to renounce any so-called right to plan or choose, and to recognize His lordship in every area of life. To take up the cross means to deliberately choose the kind of life He lived. This involves: The opposition of loved ones. The reproach of the world. Forsaking family and house and lands and the comforts of this life. Complete dependence on God. Obedience to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Proclamation of an unpopular message. A pathway of loneliness. Organized attacks from established religious leaders. Suffering for righteousness’ sake. Slander and shame. Pouring out one’s life for others. Death to self and to the world. But it also involves laying hold of life that is life indeed! It means finding at last the reason for our existence. And it means eternal reward. We instinctively recoil from a life of cross-bearing. Our minds are reluctant to believe that this could be God’s will for us. Yet the words of Christ If anyone desires to come after Me mean that nobody is excused and nobody is excepted. 9:24 The natural tendency is to save our lives by selfish, complacent, routine, petty existences. We may indulge our pleasures and appetites by basking in comfort, luxury, and ease, by living for the present, by trading our finest talents to the world in exchange for a few years of mock security. But in the very act, we lose our lives, that is, we miss the true purpose of life and the profound spiritual pleasure that should go with it! On the other hand, we may lose our lives for the Savior’s sake. Men think us mad if we fling our own selfish ambitions to the wind, if we seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, if we yield ourselves unreservedly to Him. But this life of abandonment is genuine living. It has a joy, a holy carefreeness, and a deep inward satisfaction that defies description. 9:25 As the Savior talked with the twelve, He realized that the desire for material riches might be a powerful deterrent against full surrender. And so He said, in effect, Suppose you could stockpile all the gold and silver in the whole world, could own all the real estate and property, all the stocks and bondseverything of material valueand suppose that in your frantic effort to acquire all this you missed the true purpose of life, what good would it do you? You would have it for only a short while; then you would leave it forever. It would be an insane bargain to sell that one, short life for a few toys of dust.9:26 Another deterrent against total commitment to Christ is the fear of shame. It is completely irrational for a creature to be ashamed of his Creator, for a sinner to be ashamed of his Savior. And yet which of us is blameless?

The Lord recognized the possibility of shame and solemnly warned against it. If we avoid the shame by leading nominal Christian lives, by conforming to the herd, the Son of Man will be ashamed of us when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father’s glory, and in the glory of the holy angels. He emphasizes the triple-splendored glory of His Second Advent as if to say that any shame or reproach we may endure for Him now will seem trifling when He appears in glory compared to the shame of those who now deny Him. 9:27 This mention of His glory forms the link with what follows. He now predicts that some of the disciples who were standing there would see the kingdom of God before they died. His words find their fulfillment in verses 28-36, the incident on the Mount of Transfiguration. The disciples were Peter, James, and John. On the Mount they saw a foreview of what it will be like when the Lord Jesus sets up His kingdom on earth. Peter says this in effect in his Second Epistle: For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain (1:16-18). Notice the continuity of the Lord’s teaching in this passage. He had just announced His own impending rejection, suffering, and death. He had called His disciples to follow Him in a life of self-denial, suffering, and sacrifice. Now He says in effect, But just remember! If you suffer with Me, you will reign with Me. Beyond the cross is the glory. The reward is all out of proportion to the cost.

Luke 9:28

S. The Son of Man Transfigured (9:28-36) 9:28, 29 It was about eight days later that Jesus took Peter, John, and James and went up on the mountain to pray. The location of this mountain is unknown, although high, snow-capped Mt. Hermon is a likely choice. As the Lord was praying, His outward appearance began to change. An intriguing truththat among the things that prayer changes is a man’s countenance. His face glowed with a bright radiance and His robe gleamed with dazzling whiteness. As mentioned above, this prefigured the glory which would be His during His coming kingdom. While He was here on earth, His glory was ordinarily veiled in His body of flesh. He was here in humiliation, as a Bondslave. But during the Millennium, His glory will be fully revealed. All will see Him in all His splendor and majesty. Professor W. H. Rogers puts it well: In the transfiguration, we have in miniature form all salient features of the future kingdom in manifestation. We see the Lord clothed in glory and not in the rags of humiliation. We behold Moses in a glorified state, the representative of the regenerated who have passed through death into the kingdom. We observe Elijah shrouded in glory, the representative of the redeemed who have entered the kingdom by translation. There are three disciples, Peter, James and John, who are not glorified, the representatives of Israel in the flesh during the millennium. Then there is the multitude at the foot of the mountain, representative of the nations who will be brought into the kingdom after it has been inaugurated. 9:30, 31 Moses and Elijah talked with Jesus about His decease (lit., exodus) which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Note that His death is here spoken of as an accomplishment. Also note that death is simply an exodus not cessation of existence but departure from one place to another one. 9:32, 33 The disciples were sleepy while all this was going on. Bishop Ryle says: Let it be noted that the very same disciples who here slept during a vision of glory were also found sleeping during the agony in the garden of Gethsemane. Flesh and blood does indeed need to be changed before it can enter heaven. Our poor weak bodies can neither watch with Christ in His time of trial nor keep awake with Him in His glorification. Our physical constitution must be greatly altered before we could enjoy heaven. When they were fully awake, they saw the bright outshining of Christ’s glory. In an effort to preserve the sacred character of the occasion, Peter proposed erecting three tabernacles or tents, one in honor of Jesus, one of Moses, and one of Elijah. But his idea was based upon zeal without knowledge. 9:34-36 God’s voice came out of the cloud that enveloped them, acknowledging Jesus as His beloved Son, and telling them to hear or obey Him. As soon as the voice was past, Moses and Elijah had disappeared. Jesus alone was standing there. It will be like this in the kingdom; He will have the pre-eminence in all things. He will not share His glory. The disciples left with a sense of awe so profound that they did not discuss the event with others.

Luke 9:37

T. A Demon-Possessed Boy Healed (9:37-43a) 9:37-39 From the mount of glory, Jesus and the disciples returned the next day to the valley of human need. Life has its moments of spiritual exaltation but God balances them with the daily round of toil and expenditure. Out from the multitude that met Him came a distraught father, pleading for Jesus to help his demon-possessed son. It was his only child and therefore his heart’s delight. What an unspeakable sorrow then it was for that father to see his boy seized with demonic convulsions. These fits came on without warning. The lad would cry out and then foam at the mouth. Only after a fearful struggle would the demon depart, leaving him thoroughly bruised. 9:40 The distraught father had previously gone to the disciples for help but they were powerless. Why were the disciples unable to help the boy? Perhaps they had become professional in their ministry. Perhaps they thought they could count on a Spirit-filled ministry without constant spiritual exercise. Perhaps they were taking things too much for granted. 9:41 The Lord Jesus was grieved by the entire spectacle. Without naming anyone in particular, He said, O faithless and perverse generation. . . . This may have been addressed to the disciples, the people, the father, or all of them combined. They were all so helpless in the face of human need in spite of the fact that they could draw on His infinite resources of power. How long would He have to be with them and put up with them? Then He said to the father, Bring your son here.9:42, 43a As the lad was still coming to Jesus, he was seized by the demon and thrown to the ground violently.

But Jesus was not overawed by this display of the power of an evil spirit; it was the unbelief of men that hindered Him rather than the power of demonism. He cast out the unclean spirit, healed the child, and gave him back to his father. The people were all amazed. They recognized that God had worked a miracle. They saw in the miracle a display of the majesty of God.

Luke 9:43

U. The Son of Man Predicts His Death and Resurrection (9:43b-45) 9:43b, 44 The disciples might be inclined to think that their Master would continue to perform miracles until at last the whole nation would acclaim Him as King. To disabuse their minds of such a notion, the Lord again reminded them that the Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of men, that is, to be killed. 9:45 Why did they not understand this prediction? Simply because they lapsed back into thinking of the Messiah as a popular hero. His death would mean defeat for the cause, according to their thinking. Their own hopes were so strong that they were unable to entertain any contrary view. It was not God who concealed the truth from them, but their own determined refusal to believe. They were even afraid to ask for clarificationalmost as if they were afraid to have their fears confirmed!

Luke 9:46

V. True Greatness in the Kingdom (9:46-48) 9:46 The disciples not only expected the glorious kingdom to be ushered in shortly, but they also aspired to positions of greatness in the kingdom. Already they were arguing among themselves as to who would be greatest. 9:47, 48 Knowing the question that was agitating them, Jesus brought a little child beside Him and explained that anyone who received a little child in His name received Him. At first glance, this does not seem to have any connection with the question of who was greatest among the disciples. But though not obvious, the connection seems to be this: true greatness is seen in a loving care for the little ones, for those who are helpless, for those whom the world passes by. Thus when Jesus said that the least among you all will be great, He was referring to the one who humbled himself to associate with believers who are non-descript, insignificant, and despised. In Mat_18:4, the Lord said that the greatest in the kingdom of heaven is the one who humbles himself like a little child. Here in Luke, it is a matter of identifying oneself with the lowliest among God’s children. In both cases, it involves taking a place of humility, as the Savior Himself did.

Luke 9:49

W. The Son of Man Forbids Sectarianism (9:49, 50) 9:49 This incident seems to illustrate the behavior which the Lord had just told the disciples to avoid. They had found someone casting out demons in Jesus’ name. They forbade him for no better reason than that he was not one of their followers. In other words, they had refused to receive a child of the Lord in His name. They were sectarian and narrow. They should have been glad that the demon had been cast out of the man. They should never be jealous of any man or group that might cast out more demons than they did. But then every disciple has to guard against this desire for exclusivenessfor a monopoly of spiritual power and prestige. 9:50 Jesus said to him, Do not forbid him, for he who is not against us is on our side. As far as the Person and work of Christ are concerned, there can be no neutrality. If men are not for Christ, they are against Him. But when it comes to Christian service, A. L. Williams says: Earnest Christians need to remember that when outsiders do anything in Christ’s Name, it must, on the whole, forward His cause. … The Master’s reply contained a broad and far-reaching truth. No earthly society, however holy, would be able exclusively to claim the Divine powers inseparably connected with a true and faithful use of His Name.

Luke 9:51

VII. INCREASING OPPOSITION TO THE SON OF MAN (9:51-11:54) A. Samaria Rejects the Son of Man (9:51-56) 9:51 The time of Jesus’ Ascension into heaven was now drawing near. He knew this well. He also knew that the cross lay between, so He resolutely moved toward Jerusalem and all that awaited Him there. 9:52, 53 A Samaritan village that lay on His route proved inhospitable to the Son of God. The people knew He was going to Jerusalem, and that was enough reason to bar Him, as far as they were concerned. After all, there was intense hatred between the Samaritans and the Jews. Their sectarian, bigoted spirit, their segregationist attitude, their racial pride made them unwilling to receive the Lord of Glory. 9:54-56 James and John were so angered by this discourtesy that they offered to call fire … down from heaven to destroy the offenders. Jesus promptly rebuked them. He had not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them. This was the acceptable year of the Lord, and not the day of vengeance of our God. They should have been characterized by grace and not by vindictiveness.

Luke 9:57

B. Hindrances to Discipleship (9:57-62) 9:57 In these verses, we meet three would-be disciples who illustrate three of the main hindrances to whole-hearted discipleship. The first man was quite sure he wanted to follow Jesus anywhere and everywhere. He did not wait to be called, but impetuously offered himself. He was self-confident, unduly eager, and unmindful of the cost. He did not know the meaning of what he said. 9:58 At first, the answer of Jesus does not seem to be related to the man’s offer. Actually, however, there was a very close connection. Jesus was saying, in effect, Do you know what it really means to follow me? It means the forsaking of the comforts and conveniences of life. I do not have a home to call my own. This earth affords no rest to me.

Foxes and birds have more in the way of natural comfort and security than I. Are you willing to follow Me, even if it means forsaking those things which most men consider to be their inalienable rights? When we read the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head we are apt to pity Him. One commentator remarks: He does not need your pity. Pity yourself rather if you have a home that holds you back when Christ wants you out upon the high places of the world. We hear no more of the man, and can only assume that he was unwilling to give up the common comforts of life to follow the Son of God. 9:59 The second man heard Christ’s call to follow Him. He was willing, in a way, but there was something he wanted to do first. He wanted to go and bury his father. Notice what he said. Lord, let me first go … . In other words, Lord … me first.

He called Jesus by the name of Lord, but actually he puts his own desires and interests first. The words Lord and me first are totally opposed to each other; we must choose one or the other. Whether the father was already dead or whether the son planned to wait at home until he died, the issue was the samehe was allowing something else to take precedence over Christ’s call. It is perfectly legitimate and proper to show respect for a dead or dying father, but when anyone or anything is allowed to rival Christ, it becomes positively sinful. This man had something else to dowe might say, a job or an occupationand this lured him away from a pathway of unreserved discipleship. 9:60 The Lord rebuked his double-mindedness with the words, Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God. The spiritually dead can bury the physically dead, but they can’t preach the gospel. Disciples should not give priority to tasks that the unsaved can do just as well as Christians. The believer should make sure that he is indispensable as far as the main thrust of his life is concerned. His principal occupation should be to advance the cause of Christ on earth. 9:61 The third would-be disciple resembled the first in that he volunteered to follow Christ. He was like the second in that he uttered the contradiction, Lord … me first. He wanted first to say goodbye to his family. In itself, the request was reasonable and proper, but even the common civilities of life are wrong if they are placed ahead of prompt and complete obedience. 9:62 Jesus told him that once he put his hand to the plow of discipleship, he must not look back; otherwise he was not fit for the kingdom of God. Christ’s followers are not made of half-hearted stuff or dreamy sentimentality. No considerations of family or friends, though lawful in themselves, must be allowed to turn them aside from utter and complete abandonment to Him. The expression not fit for the kingdom does not refer to salvation but to service. It is not at all a question of entrance into the kingdom but of service in the kingdom after entering it. Our fitness for entering into the kingdom is in the Person and work of the Lord Jesus. It becomes ours through faith in Him. And so we have three cardinal hindrances to discipleship illustrated in the experience of these men:

1. Material comforts.
2. A job or an occupation.
3. Family and friends. Christ must reign in the heart without a rival. All other loves and all other loyalties must be secondary.