Category Archives: Pastor Rick’s Study Notes

Commentary, translations, preparation for teaching from Pastor Rick.

Study Notes for Luke 24:13-32

Luke's Gospel - Study Notes, Pastor Rick's Study Notes

Study Notes on Luke 24:13-32

I hope you enjoy my notes on this passage. I always learn more than I am able to share. Sometimes, the words and meaning surprise me; other times, I’m shaken by the enormous truth God’s powerful Word contains.

v. 13 – they “homilied” together – they conversed in ways that brought mutual learning. They talked about Jesus.

v. 15 – “where two or three are gathered” discussing, praying, learning, open to the Spirit’s touch, there Jesus makes His presence known. It was Jesus, not a ghost, not “in the spirit” or a vision.

v. 16 – They didn’t recognize him – double negative – not knowing, not him.

v. 17 – Jesus asked them “what are you discussing” as in tossing back and forth like a ball between you. It was a vibrant discussion of questions and answers.

v. 18 – Do you live alone, walk alone?

vv. 19-21 They called Jesus a man, a miracle-worker, a prophet, a teacher, and a military messiah, and dead and buried. And on top of all this, our lives have been changed, we long for more, we can’t go back to what life without Jesus in it was like, on top of the grief, on top of the rumors. We are saddened and need hope. Hope is the resurrection.

v. 22 “our group of followers” indicates that cells of Jesus-followers were scattered around the city.

vv. 22-24 – confirmation of the women’s story, the angel’s appearance, and the men who ran to the tomb to find it true – add that to the fact that Jesus began instructing them about this essential goal of his mission. Still… they wanted concrete proof. The women’s story didn’t fit their grid, it didn’t make sense inside the context of what they expected. Are you not using your brains? Are you content not connecting the dots, not understanding. Slow to move from what you experienced to what has come about?

vv. 25-27 – Jesus began at the beginning and pointed them to the cross and the resurrection – and the reason it had to be. V. 26 – was it not necessary that Jesus would suffer these things? Didn’t the prophets lead to this solution? And Jesus “exegeted” the whole of the OT for them and pointed them to the Kingdom of God. The word is what we get “hermeneutics” from – the faithful interpretation. This goes beyond the “homiletics” dialog the two were having before and interjects fresh understanding from the Scripture. Both are important.

vv. 28-31 – How important the act of communion was that this opened their eyes. Some might say, “Look, Jesus was deceiving them” – he “played like” he was going on. He gave them an excuse to invite them in within the confines of the hospitality code. It’s like eating the last piece of pie after a meal. You have to “play like” you don’t want it before digging in. They sat down. They invited him into the dialog. That’s a recipe for spiritual revival. Rev 3:20

vv. 32-34 – Back to Jerusalem. How many confirming physical signs from the Spirit of God did they experience? A burning longing inside, a hunger for truth, an identity with the man they walked with, an openness to see Jesus, eyes wide open. They said it twice: Jesus opened their eyes to Himself and to the truth in Scripture. They go together.

Notes on Luke 22:52-71

Luke's Gospel - Study Notes, Pastor Rick's Study Notes

Working Notes for Luke 22:52-71 (These are compiled from different scholarly works and my own synthesis of ideas)

V 52 indicates the religious leaders were in the background waiting to see if there would be a display of power or rebellion – they wanted others to bear the brunt of the fight, but now stepped into the torch light. They were cowards afraid of truth, of God, and of people. During this exchange the disciples ran away (including young Mark).

V 53 Exousia – authority but not authority earned or resident within the person – it is a given authority or a license to exercise dark deeds. John records in multiple places that Jesus knew this was coming and the Father had given the authority to darkness. Col. 1:13 – Jesus rescued us from darkness.

V 54 – They violently arrested him. Even though he submitted to this, they took him violently and force marched him from place to place. Hands bound likely behind his back, pushed step-by-step off balanced to be tried illegally at night – the decision handed down by a former high priest, Annas, and his son-in-law Caiaphas. Ratified and rubber stamped by their supporters on the Jewish council at first crack of dawn to give the appearance of legality.

V 55 – Peter because of John’s influence entered into the inner courtyard where the servants were awaiting the next commands. Restless – he sat, then stood, then walked around among the servants – he was feeling the darkness.

V 56-57 He was called out by the servants who had likely helped arrest Jesus. He is Galilean also – as was John, and a follower. “The light” of the blazing fire revealed who Peter was. Peter wasn’t good at staying under the radar.

V 58-59 The next servant girl was more adamant, and the third person more forcefully identified him. Peter is “One of them.” Guilt by association, if Jesus is a rebel. then they are the rebels he was leading. But the rebellion is a Kingdom takeover – the Kingdom of Heaven wins and supplants the prince of darkness.

V 60-61 He swears he is not “one of them”, perhaps fearful of his life – torn between running away and watching till the end. Remember his vow earlier that night – Not me, Lord. I’ll never run away.

And Luke alone includes that when the rooster sang away the second time, Jesus looked Peter’s way. A most intimate non-verbal exchange fraught with compassion. Both knowing the failure Peter experienced. And both knowing that mercy and forgiveness was extended in Peter’s darkest moment.

V 62 – He fled “toward the dawn” it says. He ran into the light. He wept painful, stinging, tears and cried loud and long. Mark says he threw his cloak hood over his face, perhaps to hide his shame. But the cloak came off and who he was came into the light. The best place for screw ups and failures is to come into the light. What comes into the light can be forgiven. Perhaps the mystery behind all that happened, really happened to Judas in his heart and in his final moments is because he avoided the light.

Vv 63-65 – Here Luke uses the word for roughing Him up by pushing, punching, and beating him. And this account is just a sampling of what they did to Jesus. But the other gospels fill in the experience – as they unleashed their fury against him and everything about life that had built cruelty into their sinews – they slapped him with open hands and closed fists, they spit on him, they beat him in ways that flayed back his skin, they threw him around violently, and beat him with rods. Then, blindfolded him so they could mock him with anonymity. The darkness ruled.

V 66 – Everyone shows up whom they invited (remember that Nicodemus and those sympathetic to Jesus were not, somehow, available.) And they repeat what they had already done to make their decision.

Vv 67-70 – In this short exchange, from the mouths of the religious leaders, Jesus is Messiah, Son of Man, and Son of God. Jesus tops them all by declaring his deity with “I am.” And in the midst of the Darkness, Jesus reigns. He assures them that they will see him on the throne. The very throne they claim for their right to rule is the seat Jesus takes.

V 70-71 – They heard the Jesus’ words and their own words affirmed and, if this wasn’t true of Jesus – if He wasn’t Messiah, Son of Man, Son of God, the Great I am – they were in the right. But they missed the Kingdom completely because of the darkness they chose.