Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Prayer Meeting Lesson Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/pm/pm20090909.htm

THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION
Luke: Jesus, The Son Of Man For All Mankind
Part XLIV: Christ's Identity As God's Savior By His Conflict With Falsely Righteous Spiritual Leaders
(Luke 11:37-54)
  1. Introduction
    1. Zechariah 11:8 predicts that the Messiah and Israel's spiritual leaders would be intolerant of each another.
    2. Luke 11:37-54 presents such a conflict between Jesus and Israel's leaders, providing rich applications:
  2. Christ's Identity As God's Savior By His Conflict With Falsely Righteous In Spiritual Leaders.
    1. Jesus exemplified true righteousness in countering the false righteousness of the Pharisees, Lk. 11:37-44:
      1. When a Pharisee asked Jesus to dine with him, Christ entered his home and sat down to eat without ritually washing His hands in accord with extrabiblical Pharisee tradition, a move that astonished the Pharisee, Luke 11:37-38 ESV; G. Campbell Morgan, The Gospel According To Luke, 1931, p. 149.
      2. Jesus used this event to critique the way Pharisees practiced artificial spirituality, Luke 11:39-44:
        1. Jesus critiqued the way Pharisees typically ritually cleansed the outside of the cup and dish but inside themselves they were defiled with greed and other kinds of wickedness, Luke 11:39-40.
        2. Specifically, Jesus noted how the Pharisees greedily held onto their wealth instead of sharing it with needy people, and that if they repented and gave alms, they would be truly upright, Luke 11:41.
        3. Jesus pronounced a judgment of woe on the Pharisees for tithing their tiny produce of mint, rue and every herb while thus neglecting the much weightier issues of justice and love for God, Luke 11:42.
        4. Jesus pronounced another judgment of woe on the Pharisees for proudly loving the upper seats in the synagogues and being greeted with honor in the public marketplaces, Luke 11:43.
        5. Jesus thus pronounced a judgment of woe on the Pharisees for influencing others toward such false spirituality like one who is unwittingly polluted by walking over an unmarked grave, Luke 11:44.
    2. Jesus exemplified true righteousness in countering the false righteousness of the scribes, Luke 11:45-52:
      1. Christ's critique of the Pharisees touched on the deeds of the "lawyers," the scribes (Luke 11:53), so they replied that when Jesus criticized the Pharisees as He did, it offended them as well, Luke 11:45!
      2. Jesus responded by critiquing the scribes for their similar artificial righteousness, Luke 11:46-52:
        1. Christ pronounced a judgment of woe on the scribes for lovelessly applying the Law in laying legalistic rules on others that they could not keep while not in any way easing its burden, Lk. 11:46.
        2. Christ pronounced another judgment of woe on the scribes for pretending to support Old Testament prophets while inwardly opposing their teachings, Lk. 11:47-48; Bible Know. Com., N. T., p. 237. For this reason, Christ revealed the Father would sent prophets and New Testament apostles to hold the same righteous ness, that these scribes would persecute them as did their forefathers, bringing on themselves God's judgment for all the prophets from the first Old Testament prophet martyr in Abel (Genesis 4:2-8) to the last one in Zachariah (2 Chronicles 24:20-22), Luke 11:49-51.
        3. Finally, Jesus pronounced a judgment of woe on the scribes for taking away the key of knowing God's truth, not entering into it themselves, and for hindering others from gaining it, Luke 11:52!
    3. As Jesus was teaching these things, the scribes and the Pharisees who couldn't answer His critiques, but who were growing angry as He exposed their sins, began vehemently asking Jesus many questions in order to could catch Him in an error so they might discredit Him, Luke 11:53-54. This only worked to fulfill Zechariah 11:8b that revealed the spiritual leaders of Israel would abhor the true Messiah!
Lesson: Jesus exposed the false spirituality of Israel's spiritual leaders, leading them to abhor Him in fulfillment of the prophecy of Zachariah 11:8 that this would occur when the true Messiah arrived!

Application: (1) May we trust in Jesus as God's True Savior of the world. (2) May we view externalism, greed, injustice, lovelessness, pride, wrongly influencing others, laying down harsh extrabiblical rules, opposing the Biblical prophets and apostles and hindering others from knowing Biblical truths as acts typical of false spirituality in leaders! (3) May we heed and seek to be the opposite kind of leader, one who focuses on the heart, selflessness, justice, love, humility, properly influencing others, being gracious, supporting the Biblical prophets and apostles and revealing God's Bible truths for others.