Luke 19- Studies

For those who may wish to ‘study’ this chapter, the following simple resources are provided for you. Each chapter is divided into a number of studies and each study or passage has a simple four-Part, verse-by-verse approach, to help you take in and think further about what you have read.

Passage: Luke 19:1-10: Jesus with Zacchaeus

A. Find Out:    

1. Where was Jesus now? v.1
   • Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through
2. Who was there? What are we told about him? v.2-4
   • A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.
3. So what did Jesus say when he arrived? v.5
   •  When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, ‘Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.’
4. What two things followed that? v.6,7
   • So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. 7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, ‘He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.’
5. What did Zacchaeus say he was going to do? v.8
   • But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, ‘Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.’
6. How did Jesus describe him? v.9
   • Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham.
7. What did Jesus say he had come to do? v.10
   •  For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.’

B. Think:

1. What sort of person was Zacchaeus?
2. What did Jesus’ initial words indicate?
3. What did his later words indicate?

C. Comment:

This is a remarkable encounter, a story full of surprises! It is remarkable, first of all, because of the sort of person Zacchaeus is. He is a CHIEF tax collector, a Jew who works for the Romans. He is therefore strongly disliked and probably corrupt (you didn’t get to the top of that profession by being straight!). He’s also a little man, which means he probably tries to make up for it in arrogant behaviour. Not a nice man! But he wants to see who Jesus is! Why???

What is next (possibly) surprising (if you are a Pharisee) is Jesus’ response to him. Jesus basically invites himself to dinner! This teacher of good morals is going to the home of a man with no morals!

     What is the third surprising thing is that Zacchaeus responds gladly. He wants Jesus to come. The man with no morals wants the man with morals to come! Why????

Zacchaeus is overwhelmed by Jesus’ acceptance of him and responds very positively. He is a changed man, but love does that! Jesus has loved and accepted this man and that has released Zacchaeus to make a step of faith and become, in Jesus’ words, a man of faith, a son of Abraham. He was lost and now he is saved – that is what Jesus comes to do.   

D. Application:

1. Would we have loved and accepted Zacchaeus in this way?
2. Love transforms. Are we transforming people

Passage: Luke 19:11-27: Parable of the King & his servants

A. Find Out:

1. Why did Jesus tell this parable? v.11
   • While they were listening to this, he went on to tell them a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once.
2. What happened to the man in the story? v.12,15
   •  He said: ‘A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return. 15 ‘He was made king, however, and returned home. Then he sent for the servants to whom he had given the money, in order to find out what they had gained with it.
3. What did he do with his servants? v.13
   • So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. “Put this money to work,” he said, “until I come back.”
4. What happened with the first two servants? v.16-19
   • ‘The first one came and said, “Sir, your mina has earned ten more.” 17 ‘“Well done, my good servant!” his master replied. “Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.” 18 ‘The second came and said, “Sir, your mina has earned five more.” 19 ‘His master answered, “You take charge of five cities.”
5. What happened with the third servant? v.20-24
   • ‘Then another servant came and said, “Sir, here is your mina; I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth. 21 I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow.” 22 ‘His master replied, “I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant! You knew, did you, that I am a hard man, taking out what I did not put in, and reaping what I did not sow? 23 Why then didn’t you put my money on deposit, so that when I came back, I could have collected it with interest?” 24 ‘Then he said to those standing by, “Take his mina away from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.”
6. How did bring surprise? v.25
   • ‘“Sir,” they said, “he already has ten!”
7. What did Jesus teach from this? v.26,27 
   • ‘He replied, “I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what they have will be taken away. 27 But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them – bring them here and kill them in front of me.”’

B. Think:

1. What did we say was the reason for Jesus telling this story?
2. How does the story counteract that?
3. What is the warning at the end of it?

C. Comment:

A powerful story! Again, Luke tells us why Jesus tells it: because there is a growing sense in the people about Jesus that he is going to Jerusalem to bring about some change which will usher in the kingdom of God. The story is a warning to live wisely while waiting for the kingdom to arrive in its fullness.

In the story Jesus pictures a man who is of noble birth ( he is the Son of God) who is going away to be proclaimed king (when he returns to heaven he will be acclaimed as such by what he has achieved!). Before he leaves, he gives each of his servants one mina (a limited amount of money). When he returns, he calls them to account for what they have done with it. To the ones who used it well he gives more authority to rule. To the one who did nothing with it, he takes away even the one. The message is clear: use what has been entrusted to you.    

At the end of it the point is emphasised and in the spiritual realm we must assume the words to mean, that if you receive Jesus and have a little faith and use it, much more will be given to you. If you refuse Jesus or refuse to use even the little faith he grants you, what you have will be taken from you and eternal death is the ultimate end. The call in the kingdom is to respond to the king and go on responding to him, for this is what faith is all about. 

D. Application:

1. Faith either dies or grows. There is no standing still.
2. We are called to use what God has given us.

Passage: Luke 19:28-38: Jesus approaches Jerusalem

A. Find Out:

1. Where was all this taking place? v.28,29a
   • After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 29 As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives
2. What did he do? v.29b – 31
   • he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, 30 ‘Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks you, “Why are you untying it?” say, “The Lord needs it.”’
3. What happened? v.32-34
   •  Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. 33 As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, ‘Why are you untying the colt?’ 34 They replied, ‘The Lord needs it.’
4. What started to happen as Jesus rode along? v.35,36
   • They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. 36 As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road.
5. What then happened as they got nearer? v.37
   • When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:
6. What did they declare? v.38,39
   • ‘Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ‘Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!’

B. Think:

1. What appeared to be spontaneous in this passage?
2. Yet what things had Jesus done to “set the scene”?
3. So actually what was happening?

C. Comment:

They are rapidly approaching Jerusalem on this last journey and when they actually draw near there is a tremendous sense of rejoicing (v.37) and an anticipation that this is the entry of the conquering king, the one long foretold in the prophecies of old. The crowd are going wild. Yet, there is a sense that the whole thing is being stage-managed by God.

First Jesus performs miracles in the surrounding area that excite the people. We’ve recently read (18:35 -) of the healing of the blind beggar – an obvious miracle. John’s Gospel records the miracle of the raising of Lazarus from the dead (The Synoptic Gospels don’t perhaps because Lazarus was still alive while they were writing). The crowds have been seeing the wonderful things he did. He appealed to the ordinary people as he mixed with tax collectors and ‘sinners’.

Second, he gets his disciples to get a donkey for him to ride in on, and thus he fulfils a very well-known prophetic Scripture (Mt 21:5) and the crowds know it! Everything about Jesus’ activity goes towards building up a tremendous climax at his entry. Here is a conquering king – a threat to the Roman and Jewish religious authorities, a threat to the stability of Jerusalem and the religious order. The sinful hearts of men will rise up and destroy him, just as he predicted.

D. Application:

1. Understand that Jesus is in control of events – yes, even today!
2. Jesus understands the hearts of men and knows how they will act.

Passage: Luke 19:39-48: Jesus at the Temple

A. Find Out:

1. Who objected and what was Jesus’ response? v.39,40
   • Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, ‘Teacher, rebuke your disciples!’ 40 ‘I tell you,’ he replied, ‘if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.’
2. What did Jesus feel about Jerusalem and why? v.41,42
   • As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it 42 and said, ‘If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace – but now it is hidden from your eyes.
3. What did he say would happen to Jerusalem? v.43,44
   • The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. 44 They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognise the time of God’s coming to you.’
4. Where did he go, what did he do and why? v.45,46
   • When Jesus entered the temple courts, he began to drive out those who were selling. 46 ‘It is written,’ he said to them, ‘“My house will be a house of prayer”; but you have made it “a den of robbers”.’
5. What did he do each day and who watched to do what? v.47
   • Every day he was teaching at the temple. But the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the leaders among the people were trying to kill him.
6. But why couldn’t they? v.48
   • Yet they could not find any way to do it, because all the people hung on his words.

B. Think:

1. How again does Jesus show his knowledge of events?
2. What effect would the temple episode have had?
3. How does all this push events towards the climax of death?

C. Comment:

The crowd is welcoming Jesus along the road to Jerusalem as a glorious deliverer. They declare that he comes in the name of the Lord, and this upsets the Pharisees. All this adoration is too much for a religious teacher, is what they reason.

No, it’s real, replies Jesus, it’s right. If they didn’t do it the stones would! That really would have added further upset to them. But Luke is more concerned to record Jesus’ feelings for Jerusalem. He sees the holy city and weeps, because in his spirit he knows the failure of inhabitants of the city to be God’s people, and he knows what will happen in the future, that in AD70 Jerusalem will be destroyed. Yes, the Son of God knows all these things and his heart is broken for their failure. This is the God with whom we deal!

When he arrives in Jerusalem, he doesn’t go towards the Roman garrison, for this is not a military move, but goes the other way up to the Temple where he ousts all those making trade out of religion. This is a spiritual revolution and, as he continues teaching in the week leading up to Passover, those diehards of traditional, deathly, orthodox religion looked on, felt uncomfortable and threatened and considered how they could possibly do away with him. But the reality was that he was surrounded by adoring crowds and so any move against him would have caused instant rebellion. The time is not yet right.

D. Application:

1. Jesus comes to bring a spiritual revolution. All else follows!
2. Has my life been revolutionized by Jesus? Really?