Jesus Said....Study Notes

Thoughts on Order:

Jesus’ ministry started with the wilderness. Could be a good place to start the series.

Good Starting points:

Jesus tested in the wilderness (Matt 4:1-11, Luke 4:1-13, Mark 1:12-13)

Jesus begins to preach (Matthew 4:12-17, Luke 4:14-28 ish)

Jesus calls the first disciples (Matthew 4:18-22, Luke 5:2-11, John 1:35-42, Mark 1:16-20)

Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1-7:27, Luke 6:17-49)

A Word about Parables (Matthew 13:10-17, Mark 4:10-12, Luke 8:9-10)

Reorienting Life

Parable of the Rich Fool (Life does not consist in an abundance of possessions (Luke 12:16-21)

Parable of the Wedding Feast (those who exalt themselves will be humbled, those who humble themselves will be exalted) (Luke 14:7-14)

Parable of the Shrewd Manager (Those who can be trusted with little can be trusted with much) (Luke 16:1-15)

Teaching on the OT

Luke 16:17 - Easier for Heaven and Earth to Disappear

Teaching on Faith

Parable of the Mustard Seed (Mt 13:31-32, Mk 4:30-32, Luke 13:18-19)

Teaching on the Kingdom

Parable of the weeds (Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43, Mark 4:26-29)

Parable of the Leaven (Mt 13:33, Luke 13:20-21)

Parable of the Hidden Treasure (Matthew 13:44)

Parable of the Pearl (Mt 13:45-46)

Parable of the Net (Mt 13:47-50)

Parable of the Unmerciful Servant (Mt 18:23-35)

Parable of the Tenants (Mt 21:33-44, Mark 12:1-11, Luke 20:9-18)

Teaching on the End Times

Parable of the Wedding Feast (Mt 22:1-14, Lk 14:16-24)

Parable of the Ten Virgins (Mt 25:1-13)

Parable of the Talents (Mt 25:14-30, Luke 19:11-27)

Parable of the Sheep and Goats (Mt 25:31-46)

Parable of Servants Waiting / Wise Manager (Luke 12:35-48, Mt 13:33-37/Mt 24:43-51))

Teaching on God’s Love & Forgiveness

Parable of the Lost Sheep (Mt 18:10-14, Luke 15:3-7)

Parable of the Lost Coin (Luke 15:8-10)

Parable of the Lost Son (Luke 15:11-32

Teaching on Eternal Life

Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:29-37)

For God so Loved… (John 3:16-21)

Teaching on Trust

Do Not Worry (Mt 6:25-33, Luke 12:22-31)

Teaching on Truth

Parable of the Sower (Luke 8:4-15, Mt 13:2-23, Mark 4:1-20)

Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31)

Teaching on God

God’s forgiveness - parable of the money lender (Luke 7:41-47)

God and Prayer - the Persistant Widow (Luke 18:1-8)

God and Prayer - the Pharisee and the Tax Collector (Luke 18:9-14)

Teaching on Himself

Jesus and John the Baptist (Luke 7:18-35, Mt 11:2-19)

Interactions with people

Faith of the centurion (Luke 7:1-10, Matthew 8:5-13)

Raising a Widow’s Son (Luke 7:11-16)

Annointed by a sinful woman (Luke 7:37-39, Mt 26:6-13, Mark 14:3-9, Jn 12:1-8)

General Notes

Jesus’ teaching had both ethical (what do I need to do now) and eschatological (what is going to happen later) components.

The ethical followed in light of the eschatological. How we act now needs to be determined by what will come later

The ethical is anchored in a believer’s relationship to God. God and what He provides and does for the believer informs everything they do

Jesus and the law

Jesus’ criticism against the religious elite was that they neglected the ‘weightier matters of the law’ (matt 23:23), that is, justice, mercy and faithfulness

That is to say - in the OT, God’s ‘weighty’ commands to the jews were that of justice, mercy, and faithfulness. Jesus wasn’t claiming a new direction - he was showing the jews that they had missed the primary goal of God through the law.

Jesus taught that the proper interpretive framework for the law was ‘love God’ and ‘love your neighbour’ (Matt 22:37–40; Mark 12:29–31; Luke 10:27; compare Rom 13:8–10; Gal 5:14; Jas 2:8)

Jesus actually believed that ‘Love God’ and ‘Love Your Neighbour’ were truths that the entire OT was based on.

Jesus and Judgment

Jesus looked forward to a day of judgment (Matt 10:15; 11:22, 24; 12:36; Luke 10:14, 15; John 6:39–40, 44, 54)

Look specifically at the Olivet discourse (Matt 24-25, Mark 13, Luke 21:5-38)

Jesus’ connection to two verses in the OT (Psa 110:1 and Dan 7:13), Jesus highlighted his role as judge in the future

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Jesus and the Wilderness

Thoughts

The Spirit came on Jesus in his baptism (Matthew 3:13-17), and then led him out into the desert

Jesus fasted in the desert.

‘Fasting was often used as a means for focusing one’s attention in prayer (see comments on 9:14–15) through disciplining oneself’ (NIVAC)

However, matthew explicitly points out that Jesus went into the desert ‘to be tempted by the devil’ (following the Spirit’s leading)

Temptation and testing are two sides of the same coin

God never tempts anyone (James 1:13), but God does test people (Heb 11:17)

The temptation (from the devil) was meant to derail Jesus - the testing (used by God) was meant to strengthen him

God is even in control of level of temptation (1 Cor 10:13), though not the originator of said temptation

The wilderness was God setting Jesus up as hitting key points in the OT

Jesus’ overcoming temptation in the wilderness surpassed Adam falling to it in the garden (Heb 2:17-18)

Jesus’ faithfulness in the wilderness surpassed Moses and Israel (and in fact, much of Jesus’ life mirrors the history of Israel)

The temptations

Stones into Bread

Satan was flattering the identity of Jesus (the son of God) but trying to get him to abandon his obedience to God. God wanted him to fast - Satan says, well, you’re god’s son, you don’t have to starve! Just turn the stones into bread!

Jesus had been recently baptized, and the voice from heaven confirmed his identity as God’s son.

Jesus didn’t need to turn stones to bread to know he was God’s son. God told him.

The essence of obedience to God is trust in God’s word.

In fact, Satan COULD be trying to reframe Jesus’ understanding of himself - IF you’re the son, you could do this.

‘Temptations are one of the enemy’s ways of trying to get a person to go contrary to God’s specific will. Therefore, a temptation is not always trying to get a person to do something that is inherently sinful. It is not inherently wrong to turn stones into bread. But the Father’s will for the Son at this time is to fast, not to eat. Therefore, turning stones into bread will lead Jesus astray.’

Jesus responded to Satan by quoting Deuteronomy 8:3.

In this verse, Israel was in the desert, living off not what they could produce with their hands, but rather the generous and miraculous provision from God. Moses reminds them - in the desert, in following God, you don’t live by bread alone - you live by the words of God