The Teaching Ministry of Jesus

Introduction

Luke 6:12–26 ESV

In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God. And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles: Simon, whom he named Peter, and Andrew his brother, and James and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot, and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor. And he came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. And those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. And all the crowd sought to touch him, for power came out from him and healed them all. And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. “Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied. “Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh. “Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets. “But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. “Woe to you who are full now, for you shall be hungry. “Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep. “Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets.

Explanation

Jesus chose 12 disciples.

Blue-Collar guys. Everyday workers. Eclectic. Somewhat at odds with one another.

Judas Iscariot, the betrayer is among this group.

Jesus taught them in close proximity with him. They travelled with him, lived with him, ate with him, and learned from him.

Inner 3 (Peter, James, and John), and Outer 9 (the rest)

Jesus ministers to the multitudes.

To minister to the multitudes does not mean that we neglect to closely disciple a few near to us. To disciple a few who are near to us does not mean that we neglect to minister to the multitudes.

We must ask these questions:

How do I minister to everyone?

How do I minister to the few?

The Sermon on the Plain

The sermon on the plain is not the same as the sermon on the mount. I want to let you in on a little secret - preachers sometimes preach the same message more than once.

I went to a conference once that was a Monday-Wednesday. The speaker (well-known) preached, the four non-negotiables of a missionary. I went to a men’s conference that weekend, he was there. Wow, I will get the chance to hear him twice in the same week. His sermon title - four non-negotiables of men of God.

It could be an earlier version of his sermon on the mount. It could be abbreviated. It could be that Jesus saw that these people were concerned with earthly things as he was healing them. It could be that Luke accentuated Jesus’ discussions with the poor and the sick. Or it could be a combination of all of it.

Blessed - means happy.

Jesus is describing the state of those who struggle who have given their lives to Jesus. He is talking to His disciples at this point.

He contrasts the “earthly tent” that is our lives with the eternal reward.

Jesus is teaching values, and He is teaching values that are different from what the world values.

Exposition

Blessed

Luke 6:20-21 “And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. “Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied. “Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.”

People who are poor will inherit the Kingdom of God.

You’re physical state doesn’t matter NEARLY as much as your eternal state.

Prioritize the Kingdom of God… not your wealth.

People who are hungry will be satisfied in the Lord.

People who weep will one day laugh.

When I read this verse, I think about Jim Elliot. If you read his journal, you begin to realize just how troubled he was.

He was troubled for the lost to know Christ. He was insistent that His life count. He was killed for his faith to take the gospel to the Wadani people.

Today, he experiences joy. Life is hard. God calls us to do hard things. Never forget it. Jesus was called the “Man of Sorrows.”

It is okay to weep when you pray over your children who don’t know Jesus. It’s okay to hurt when your spouse won’t come to church.

God uses the brokenness to spur us to Himself and to others.

Luke 6:22 ““Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man!”

Luke 6:23 “Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets.”

Woe

Luke 6:24 ““But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.”

When you prioritize your wealth, you cannot prioritize the Lord.

God asks for one or the other.

Luke 6:25 ““Woe to you who are full now, for you shall be hungry. “Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.”

Luke 6:26 ““Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets.”

Luke 6:27 ““But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,”

Invitation