Luke 11
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
God’s timing for us to get to Luke 11 on the first Sunday of 2026. Since I’m sure more than one of us has decided this would be the year we finally pray more and get closer to God!
With the first Sunday falling on the fourth, I also hazard a guess there are plenty who have already fallen behind if not given up on those resolutions.
But a resolution isn’t a goal because a goal requires a plan and this morning Jesus is going to give us the plan that helps us achieve the goal of being closer to God as well as praying more AND better in 2026.
1 And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. 2 And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. 3 Give us day by day our daily bread. 4 And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.
model prayer not the Lord’s prayer (John 17). We ought to call it the “disciples prayer” since this is how they AND us are supposed to pray
teach US: we often think of this personally but don’t lose the fact this was a lesson for the community, let it be for our families, our church, and the whole community of God. John the Baptist had taught his community a prayer and the community of believers around Jesus wanted one as well
What do we see in the prayer:
“Our Father which art in heaven”: reverence but closeness
“Hallowed be thy name”: remind ourselves of His holiness. Who it is we’re praying to and what it means for us
“Thy kingdom come”: God’s promised rule on earth and in our lives. Are we wanting Jesus to come back so the mean people and bad stuff go away? Or for His glory to shine and show his power and authority and grace and mercy so ALL HIS PEOPLE will be saved?
“Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth”: we want and accept His perfect will to come to pass here on earth the same way it is in heaven, this changes the way we see hardship and loss
“Give us day by day our daily bread”: give us our daily provision not only food but spiritual as well
“And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us”: we’ve been forgiven much, so we shouldn’t approach Him whose forgiven all our sins toward him, not having forgiven every one that might sin against us
“And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.”: help us overcome sin and temptation but not only that but deliver us from “the evil one”, the devil!
5 And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves; 6 For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him? 7 And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee. 8 I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth. 9 And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. 10 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. 11 If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? 12 Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 13 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?
A man gets an unexpected visit from a friend
They didn’t do food like we do now, they would have made enough bread to get them through the day or few days and then get up early and make another batch.
This friend caught the man between batches and he had no food to give. That would have been shameful to not provide the hospitality of feeding him so he goes to his neighbor friend at midnight
Thing is his neighbor is gonna be really bothered. But he gets up, not because he’s his friend, but because of his importunity (may mean persistence of the one knocking OR the desire of the neighbor to not be shamed by not helping out depending on the subject); either way, Jesus is making the point:
if this guy, a sleepy, irritated man that will wake up his whole family, gets up and helps how much more will God, because of His chesed, His lovingkindness, that covenant love he has for His people, give His children what they need
9: ask, seek, knock: in this context isn’t really an evangelism passage but points out God the Father’s willingness because of His grace and mercy, and who He is and how He loves us is more than willing to give better gifts in what’s needed
Jesus asks hypothetical questions showing even you wicked sinners give better things to your children, how much more will the God of heaven and earth give the best gifts, the best gift He will give is the gift of the Holy Spirit!
14 And he was casting out a devil, and it was dumb. And it came to pass, when the devil was gone out, the dumb spake; and the people wondered. 15 But some of them said, He casteth out devils through Beelzebub the chief of the devils. 16 And others, tempting him, sought of him a sign from heaven. 17 But he, knowing their thoughts, said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house divided against a house falleth. 18 If Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? because ye say that I cast out devils through Beelzebub. 19 And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your sons cast them out? therefore shall they be your judges. 20 But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you. 21 When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace: 22 But when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils. 23 He that is not with me is against me: and he that gathereth not with me scattereth. 24 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out. 25 And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished. 26 Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first.
We see:
Jesus divine authority over the spiritual by casting out a demon. When the mute guy talks though, some of them accuse him of working for the devil
The Beelzebul accusation shows their spiritual blindness. Why would Satan use his power to overthrow Satan’s rule? A logical impossibility and silly on top of that. They have so hardened hearts that they’re unwilling to say it’s God's work.
20: point blank Jesus tells them the Kingdom of God has arrived - By casting out demons Jesus is giving a messianic sign that the promised reign of God is breaking into history through Christ's ministry.
Impossible to be spiritually neutral - Jesus tells them "Whoever is not with me is against me,". There is no middle ground when it comes Him. You are with Christ or against Him.
The parable of the unclean spirit returning with seven worse spirits warns against only having a moral reformation without genuine conversion. Only turning over a new leaf without filling the void with God's truth and the Holy Spirit leads to greater spiritual bondage later because every new leaf eventually withers and rots. The pendulum always swings farther.
This applies both individually and to Israel's rejection of their Messiah.
27 And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked. 28 But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it. 29 And when the people were gathered thick together, he began to say, This is an evil generation: they seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet. 30 For as Jonas was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation. 31 The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and condemn them: for she came from the utmost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here. 32 The men of Nineve shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here. 33 No man, when he hath lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they which come in may see the light. 34 The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness. 35 Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness. 36 If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light.
27-28: While not denying the blessedness of Mary, Jesus didn't elevate Mary as an object of veneration. Even as His earthly mother, Mary gets no greater honor than the blessedness of those who hear and obey the Word of God.
Faith given by the grace of God and truth reveled by the word of God believed by those saved by God is the only thing to overcome unbelief. Apart from that, no evidence or signs will ever make a difference.
Jonah arriving and preaching to the Ninevites as they were saved was the sign. Jesus has arrived and is preaching to this generation and is also the sign they will get. Only it will also be a sign of judgement as well as revival. Because at least the Ninevites listened and repented
33: candles and lamps are meant to be seen. They are meant to be put on the stand so their light will reach the furthest. Psalm 119:105 “105 NUN. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” God gives the Holy Spirit to indwell the saved. We are to fill our hearts and minds with the word of God so it shines brightest in the world around us.
34-36: Jesus is pointing out to them, their problem isn’t the lack of light. Their problem was the source of the light. They had the light of the world in front of them! They needed hearts willing and able to receive Jesus as savior and messiah.
Our lives and words should preach to the world around us, and make no mistake, they are. The question is WHAT they’re preaching? Full of the Spirit and the Word, our lives preach Jesus and shines brightest
37 And as he spake, a certain Pharisee besought him to dine with him: and he went in, and sat down to meat. 38 And when the Pharisee saw it, he marvelled that he had not first washed before dinner. 39 And the Lord said unto him, Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness. 40 Ye fools, did not he that made that which is without make that which is within also? 41 But rather give alms of such things as ye have; and, behold, all things are clean unto you. 42 But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. 43 Woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye love the uppermost seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets. 44 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them.
Didn’t invite Jesus to be hospitable, did so for accusation.
The pharisee wasn’t bothered by cleanliness, he was bothered because he washed as he entered the house for a ritual to cleanse himself of possible ceremonial defilement.
Any of the 100’s of ways he could have been defiled, from animals, gentiles, brushing past women after childbirth or time of the month to unclean dishes or the wind blowing on them past someone with any of the skin conditions the bible refers to as leprosy
Jesus tells him “speaking of unclean” then compares them to washing dishes on the outside and leaving the inside dirty.
They go to all the effort of tithing, which is the easy part and completely overlook the judgement and the love of God which are the hard things of being Christ’s
They love all the outward shows and activities and pay no mind to what’s inside. They strive to look clean but inside they’re filthy. They worry more about what’s on them than what’s in them!
45 Then answered one of the lawyers, and said unto him, Master, thus saying thou reproachest us also. 46 And he said, Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers. 47 Woe unto you! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and your fathers killed them. 48 Truly ye bear witness that ye allow the deeds of your fathers: for they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchres. 49 Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute: 50 That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation; 51 From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation. 52 Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered. 53 And as he said these things unto them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to urge him vehemently, and to provoke him to speak of many things: 54 Laying wait for him, and seeking to catch something out of his mouth, that they might accuse him.
The scribe tells Jesus, “hey, what you said about them, you’re pointing at us too mister!”
Jesus response: “oh, I’m sorry, Woe unto you scribes too”
Abel was the first martyr and Zechariah was the last martyr in the Torah, Jesus is saying ALL the prophets (from the ones whose blood your fathers have spilled to the apostles whose blood you will spill) is bringing prophecy to pass.
And because of that, the blood due for all the blood spilled WILL BE REQUIRED OF THIS GENERATION!
53-54: The scribes and the pharisees from this point start shouting “what about this and what about this and what about this??? Trying anything they can to trap him into some kind of sin that violated the law
Vs 49-51- We ought to at least see the scriptures the same as Jesus sees the scriptures:
49: as the word of God - “Therefore also said the wisdom of God”: Jesus is saying the stories of the prophets and the apostles and the
51: as historical and complete: He points to Abel (story in Genesis, the first book of the Hebrew canon, the Torah) and Zacharias (story in 2 Chronicles, in the Hebrew order of the OT, the last book of the Torah).
Same as us saying “from Genesis to Revelation, it’s ALL the word of God”
Conclusion
Conclusion
There we have Jesus plan for us for the new year:
We need to be clean on the inside more than the outside and the only way that happens is salvation and sanctification and the filling of the Spirit and our hearts and minds with the word of God
Persistent prayer. Not praying without ceasing to pester God until He answers us to get us to leave him alone. Rather to change us and align us with His fatherly, covenant, gracious, generous, and merciful love that looks to supply our needs and shine his glory through us to the world
