Luke 6
Main Theme
Those who follow Jesus should reflect the heart of Jesus.
Outline
- Heart of the Pharisees (1-11)
- Key Verses - And he said to them, “The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”…And Jesus said to them, “I ask you, is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to destroy it?” (vv. 10b-11)
- The hearts of the Pharisees are revealed in their refusal to answer Jesus’s question in verse 9. They had hardened their hearts and corrupted the teaching of God’s Word to the point that they prevented acts of necessity and mercy from occurring on the Sabbath.
- Jesus Chooses His Apostles (12-16)
- Key Verse - And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles: (v. 13)
- The twelve men Jesus chose, with the exception of Judas Iscariot who would betray Jesus, became the foundation of the early church. The word apostle means messenger or sent ones. These men were appointed to the office of Apostle, which meant Jesus would give them authority to speak on his behalf so that their word, as inspired by the Holy Spirit, should be received as the Word of God.
- Jesus Shows His Heart (17-19)
- Key Verse - And all the crowd sought to touch him, for power came out from him and healed them all. (v. 19)
- Throughout his time on earth, Jesus’s heart of mercy and compassion is evident in his healing and caring for the afflicted, hurting, and humble.
- Heart of the Follower of Jesus (20-49)
- Key Verse - for each tree is known by its own fruit. (v. 44)
- This large section of Jesus’ teaching focuses on how someone who claims to follow Jesus should live. As you study what Jesus said, you see that the heart of a follower of Jesus should be overflowing with mercy, compassion, forbearance, and humility. Whenever you build your life on the person of Jesus and follow him in faith, you will gain assurance that he has saved you from your sin and transformed you for eternity.
Gospel Connection
Embracing the gospel through repenting of your sins and placing your faith in Jesus as your Lord and Savior will result in a change of life because God has changed your heart. Jesus didn’t die to make good people better or even bad people good. He died to make sinners holy. This is why 1 Peter 1:14-15 says, As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct.
Whole Bible Connection
The Pharisees considered themselves experts in their knowledge of God’s Law in the Old Testament, and they believed their keeping of the law was unmatched. However, God didn’t give the law as a means for boasting in self-righteousness. His law was intended to be a blessing to people by explicitly showing people how they should glorify Him. It was also intended to humble people by showing them they were incapable of keeping God’s law in their own strength, which then would point them to their need for a savior.
Key Takeaways
We must reject all forms of self-righteousness. Righteousness, which means right standing before God, is not obtained by use. It is a gift given to us when we place our faith in Jesus.
As we look at the list of Apostles, we should be reminded of God’s saving and transforming grace. Matthew was a despised tax collector. Simon the Zealot was a revolutionary who sought to overthrow the government through violence. Peter was a fisherman who would later deny knowing Jesus on three different occasions. Thomas doubted Jesus’s resurrection. Regardless of your past, God’s grace is powerful enough to save you from your sin and totally change your heart so that you progressively reflect the heart of Jesus in all aspects of your life.
The follower of Jesus must reflect the heart of Jesus and cherish the Word of God. Are you longing to be more like Jesus? Do you have a desire to know and keep God’s Word? Do you live by God’s Word or merely consult God’s Word? 1 John 2:2-4 says, And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him,