A Lamp Unto My Feet Bible Study Website
LUKE 11:29-54
Lesson #34
THE SIGNS AND THE WOES
- Memory Verse: Gal 3:26
- Review:
- Jesus is continuing to address the Pharisees and Scribes after they accused Him of doing miracles because His source was Beelzebub, another name for Satan.
- Jesus told us that there are two opposing kingdoms: the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan.
- Jesus told us that His unity with God, the Father, makes Him stronger than the enemy.
- Jesus told us you can tell the source by the fruit of the ministry.
- Jesus proved He had greater power than the enemy when He cast out demons.
- Jesus is continuing to address the Pharisees and Scribes after they accused Him of doing miracles because His source was Beelzebub, another name for Satan.
- Read Luk 11:29-36 The evil generation
- Jesus address the “evil generation”. (29)
- What are the characteristics that make this an “evil generation”?
- =1= They were only interested in miracles. (29)
- =2= They were spiritually blind and unable to discern the truth of the light of God. (34-35)
- The Parable of the Sign of Jonah and the Queen
- Read Mat 12:38-42
- The parable in Mat 12:38-42 is in two parts, each with a slightly different meaning.
- The religious leaders already had their minds set firmly against Jesus.
- Therefore, they would not recognize spiritually any sign. What they needed was not light but sight.
- The central truth of the sign of Jonah:
- Jesus Himself is the sign. His death and resurrection are proofs that He is the Son of God.
- The story of Jonah:
- God called Jonah to the city of Nineveh to preach repentance. If the city did not repent, God would destroy it.
- The people of Nineveh were Gentiles. The Ninevites and Jews hated each other.
- Therefore, Jonah rebelled against God’s command and went in the opposite direction. God caused Jonah to be swallowed by a big fish. Jonah was 3 days and 3 nights in the big fish before being vomited onto the beach. Then Jonah obeyed God and preached to the people of Nineveh.
The sight of one coming back from the dead along with his message caused the people to repent.
Therefore, God did not destroy the city for another 100 years.
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- Why did Jesus use this sign of Jonah? (Mat 12:41)
- =1= Jesus used the sign because the Ninevites repented, and the Scribes and Pharisees would not repent.
- This is a warning that judgment will come upon the Scribes and Pharisees because of their rejection of Jesus Christ.
- Judgment did come upon them in 70 AD when the Romans came and destroyed the temple and the city of Jerusalem.
- =1= Jesus used the sign because the Ninevites repented, and the Scribes and Pharisees would not repent.
- Why did Jesus use this sign of Jonah? (Mat 12:41)
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The Scribes and Pharisees lost their job, their position in Jewish society, their place of business in the temple, and in many cases their lives.
With the temple gone, there was no more animal sacrifice and no more temple worship. Without that, there was no need for Scribes and Pharisees.
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- =2= Jesus used the sign because Jonah was 3 days and 3 nights in the big fish. This is Jesus’ prophetic prediction that He would be 3 days and 3 nights in the tomb, then He would rise from the dead as Jonah did.
- He is telling them that He, Himself, is the sign.
- =2= Jesus used the sign because Jonah was 3 days and 3 nights in the big fish. This is Jesus’ prophetic prediction that He would be 3 days and 3 nights in the tomb, then He would rise from the dead as Jonah did.
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If they had spiritual sight, they would recognize the fulfillment of Jesus’ prophecy when Jesus was crucified and resurrected.
If they repented at that time, they would be saved.
We know of only 2 of the Pharisees that did repent and were born again:
Nicodemos was one Pharisee that was saved. (Joh 3)
Joseph of Arimathea was the other one. He buried Jesus in his own tomb. (Luk 23:50-52)
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- The sign of the three days and three nights:
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Common Christian belief is that Jesus died on a Friday (Good Friday) and was raised on the following Sunday. That does not amount to 3 days and 3 nights in the tomb.
The problem is that Jesus did not die on a Friday. He died on a Thursday at 3 pm. (the 14th day of the Jewish month of Nisan).
Jesus died at the same time the Passover lamb was killed in the temple on the 14th day of Nissan which is Passover according to the Jewish calendar.
On the Thursday of the Jewish Passover there was a special Passover Sabbath. Then there was the regular weekly Sabbath beginning the next day on Friday evening. (two Sabbath days back to back). A burial must take place before a Sabbath began. Therefore, Jesus was buried before the day ended at 6 pm Thursday evening.
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- The central truth of the sign of the Queen of Sheba:
- The Queen of Sheba risked much to come and hear God’s wisdom through King Solomon, but the Scribes and Pharisees would risk nothing to hear God’s truth.
- The story of the Queen of Sheba:
- The Queen of Sheba was a black queen from distant Ethiopia. She had heard about how God had abundantly blessed King Solomon.
- She traveled far from her home and kingdom to seek knowledge about this God.
- Why did Jesus use this sign?
- The Scribes and Pharisees had great respect for King Solomon. However, they did not have respect for God’s wisdom, nor did they recognize it when they heard it.
- The Scribes and Pharisees did not listen to Jesus to gain wisdom. They listened to Him to see if they could trick Him into making some statement with which they could bring legal charges.
- Why did Jesus use two signs?
- Usually in scripture when there are 2 similar examples, and in this case, 2 similar signs, the two usually refer to two different audiences.
- For example:
- The sign of Jonah = Jonah was a Jew, so this is a sign to the Jews.
- The central truth of the sign of the Queen of Sheba:
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Even though Jonah preached to the Gentiles, it only indicates that the Jews were to be a light to the Gentiles.
And, in this case, the Gentiles were more open to God’s truth than the Jews.
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- The sign of the Queen of Sheba = the Queen of Sheba was a Gentile open to the truth of God. God is not partial to Jews. His truth is for all people who will accept it, whether Jew or Gentile.
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- With the parable of the sign of Jonah and the Queen of Sheba Jesus included the parable of Light and the City that we discussed earlier in our study of Luke. (Luke 8:16-21 Lesson #24)
- In the context of this situation with the Scribes and the Pharisees, Jesus is bringing an emphasis to the fact that these religious leaders did not have any spiritual insight.
- They could not determine the difference between what God was doing from what Satan was doing.
- To see the light of truth, man must have eyes to see it.
- The religious leaders could not see the light of truth because they did not have spiritual eyes to see and understand.
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- Read Luk 11:37-54 The Ten Woes of Hypocrisy (Mat 23:13-35)
- Read Mat 23:13-35
- What is a woe?
- The word “woe” means = grief.
- It is a declaration of judgment that brings grief.
- There are ten woes that Jesus declared on the religious leaders of His day.
- Matthew gives us 8 woes upon the religious leaders.
- Luke gives us 6 woes upon the religious leaders.
- The number 10 in the Bible is the number for testing according to God’s standard.
- Like the Ten Commandments, without Jesus Christ in a person’s heart, that person will be judged according to God’s standard of Law.
- The Scribes and Pharisees will be judged according to God’s standard of honesty vs. hypocrisy.
- Do you live what you preach?
- Do your actions promote the truth of God or not?
- Some of the woes of these two Gospels coincide but some are found only in Luke while others are found only in Matthew.
| Woes | Scripture | The Woes in Luke | The Woes in Matthew |
| 1 | Luk 11:42 Mat 23:23 |
#1 Hypocrites that major in minor things leaving the important things undone. | #5 Hypocrites that major in minor things leaving the important things undone. |
| 2 | Luk 11:43 | #2 Hypocrites that have pride of self-importance. | |
| 3 | Luk 11:44 Mat 23:27 |
#3 Hypocrites that appear to have life but are dead inside. | #7 Hypocrites that appear to have life but are dead inside. |
| 4 | Luk 11:46 | #4 Hypocrites that put unnecessary burdens on the people that they themselves do not fulfill. | |
| 5 | Luk 11:47
Mat 23:29 |
#5 Hypocrites that build memorials to the prophets that the religious system killed. | #8 Hypocrites that build memorials to the prophets that the religious system killed. |
| 6 | Luk 11:52
Mat 23:13 |
#6 Hypocrites that deny the truth of God, hiding it from the people. | #1 Hypocrites that deny the truth of God, hiding it from the people. |
| 7 | Mat 23:14 | #2 Hypocrites that take advantage of widows and orphans instead of helping them. | |
| 8 | Mat 23:15 | #3 Hypocrites that convert Gentiles to Judaism making them children of Satan. | |
| 9 | Mat 23:16 | #4 Hypocrites that are blind guides to the people. | |
| 10 | Mat 23:24 | #6 Hypocrites that appear holy outwardly but are sinful internally. |
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- Specific points in Luke:
- Verse 41: Giving money to the poor does not make a person sinless in the eyes of God. Religion is not a matter of external practices, but a matter of the heart’s attitude.
- Verse 42: Tithing was part of the Old Testament Law. The religious leaders thought tithing was the ultimate of spirituality and they tithed on the little things in their gardens like herbs and seeds.
- Jesus indicates that this type of tithe is not important in the kingdom of God.
- In this New Testament age of Grace, the standard for giving to God is not the tithe but Luk 6:38.
- Verse 43: The religious leaders wore expensive robes so that people could distinguish them in public to walk on the other side of the street so as not to hinder the leader’s path or so he could give up a seat in a public place to honor the religious leader. Prestige, wealth, and honor were encouraged by the leaders.
- Verse 44: Graves were marked in the Jewish culture because a person became ceremonially unclean if he walked over a grave. Jesus says that these hypocrites were spiritually dead but they were not marked so that the people could not see that they were dead inside.
- Verse 46: The Lawyers or Scribes insisted people keep minute details of the Law of Moses that they themselves did not keep.
- Verses 47-51: All the Old Testament prophets of God were killed by their own people because they brought the message of the truth of God to the people. But then they said what great prophets these were, yet they affirmed their deaths at the hands of their forefathers.
- “That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation;” (50)
- Jesus is the ultimate prophet. They would kill Him also and give an answer to God for their actions.
- From the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah:
- Abel was the first righteous death.
- Zechariah was a priest that preached against hypocrisy in 1Chr 24:20-21.
- Verse 52: The key of knowledge is Jesus Christ revealed by the Holy Spirit.
- Hypocrites hate exposure.
- Therefore, the Scribes or Lawyers, and Pharisees began to outwardly plot against Jesus after this declaration of their hypocrisy. (53-54)
- Notice the word “vehemently” in verse 53. This is a very strong word that indicates their strong determination to find a way to kill him.
- Specific points in Luke:
Homework
Luke 12:1-12
- Application of Luk 11:29-54
- As you examine the hypocrisy of the religious leaders, does the Holy Spirit convict you of any outward practice that does not conform to what you know you should do?
- If so, ask the Lord to forgive you and make a determination to live honestly before God.
- Preparation for Luk 12:1-12
- Read Luk 12:1-12
- What does leaven represent in the Bible? (1)
- Who is it that men should fear in verse 5? Why?
- Read Luk 12:1-12
- Memory Verse: Psa 9:10
