Luke Chapter 5

1.      Borrowed Ship

a)      Knew disciples before (Peter and Andrew – John 1:35-42) He borrowed boat  – from His baptism – they were at Jordan

b)      Sound travels great over water – Jesus used nature – master of physics (Of Course John 1:3)

2.    Let Down Nets

a)      Peter already decided to leave empty-handed (vs 5)

a)      Vs 8v – Peter overwhelmed with emotion

b)      Knows Jesus’ deity – affirmed

c)      Vs 9 - All disciples (soon to be) amazed, and indeed saw this as a sign of His deity. Everywhere Jesus went people were amazed at: authority, wisdom, miracles. – a lot of the people who followed Him did not see His miracles as signs like they should. Very soon He gets tired of this and starts teaching in parables.

·         All miracles He performed were not only out of compassion but were signs pointing to His deity and Kingdom of God. No one has ever been saved because of an outward sign – signs only meant to make people wonder how or why.  

3.         Call Of Peter, Andrew, James, John

a)      As said before, they already knew Jesus. Perhaps the decision was already made and they were just waiting for an invitation.

b)      Unless the Gospels are put together in proper chronology, this seems like a total “pied-piper” event.

c)      They may have already decided to follow Him if He asked.

4.      Jesus Heals Leper

a)      leprosy very feared – no cure – aids of that day?                                                                   

b)       Advanced case still believed Jesus could heal him.

c)      (vs ) “I will” – this is what God says every time His children ask Him His will. His will  is already made known. Now up to man to ask, agree with God and to realize God timing is not always our timing.

d)      (vs14) “Tell no man but go show yourself to the priest” – Jesus always kept law. – (Mt 5:18, Gal 3:24) came to fulfill law.

e)      Touching would make Jew ceremonially unclean

f)     priest particularly saw leprosy as a sing of God's judgement against that person

5.      Heal Multitudes

a)           (vs 15) “crowd came” = kept coming, non-stop, relentless

b)           Take refuge, re-charge, stay spiritually connected

c)           Crowds came for miracles, teaching, deliverance from Rome (marching orders from the Messiah)  very few put together that that He was a different kind than they expected.

d)           Some just wanted to be fed (welfare program)

e)           He kept hammering that he was preaching the Kingdom Of God. He wanted them to be concerned with spiritual kingdom not military

6.      Return To Capernaum – Heals Man On Mat

a)         Came to get healed but could not get close enough crowd so thick.

b)         Crowd so engrossed in own needs that they wouldn’t yield to him

c)         Faith in Jesus so great  they made a hole in sod (probably) roof to get him to Jesus

d)         He was addressing Sin of Adam’s disobedience, not his individual sins. Only God can solve our man’s Sin problem.

e)         Jesus healed him by linking healing with sin. By doing this He made Himself equal to God. Healing common in those days but not by God. This was the first Jesus made Himself equal to God to Pharisees. They were already irritated. Jesus had just said and made Himself equal to God.

7.      Call Of Levi (Matt)

a)        Tax collectors much hated – profit off of people – many were unfair

b)        My take is that he knew of Jesus and when He showed him some love by asking                            him to be part of His ministry team, Levi saw his way out. No more being hated and   left immediately

c)      This was a great sacrifice as tax collectors usually quite wealthy

8.      Answer Pharisees (eats / sinners)

a)            One of my favorite sayings is that if you are serious about saving souls – you must

sit in the smoking section.

b)            No turning back – easy going back to fishing but not tax collecting. This would have ticked off Rome not to mention you had to buy that position.

c)             Jesus and His followers are criticized in this way then and they are now. The critics expect His followers to be perfect when forgiveness is the message.

·         The saints in Christ aren’t perfect – just forgiven (Sin – not sin)

9.      Question of fasting disciples - Parable (wine skin / new cloth)

a)        At some point Jesus started speaking in parables. I think this was so those wanting an answer (understanding) would understand and those seeking an argument would be shut up.

b)      b. No one puts a piece from a new garment on an old one: "Patching up an old garment with new not only disfigures the new garment, but causes the old garment to become more ragged than ever, for the new piece still to shrink and will then pull the old threadbare garment to pieces. It would be wrong to try to adapt the principles of Jesus to the old systems (salvation by trying to keep law).

c)      c. But new wine must be put into new wineskins, and both are preserved: Jesus’ point is clear. You can’t fit His new life into the old forms. This explains why Jesus did not begin a reform movement within Judaism, working with the rabbinical schools and such. Jesus says, "I haven’t come to patch up your old practices. I come with a whole new set of clothes."