BiblicalMastery Buddy's bible blog

 Lesson 17

Evidence for Jesus

Luke 7:18-35

When I accepted Jesus as my Savior at the age of nine, I knew only that I believed in Him because of faith.  As I remember there was no proof that He was who He said He was, I just put my trust in Him to save me from my sins.  I was baptized based on that statement.  Years later I committed to serving Him not based on a body of evidence.  I just knew under the influence of the Holy Spirit that was what I was called to do. When confronted by an unbeliever that was all I had to share with that person.

Since those days I have come to enjoy reading books and listening to those who discuss what we call apologetics, the proof that Jesus is the Son of God, Savior of the world as taught from the pages of the Bible.  I did not realize it at the time but “Mere Christianity” by C. S. Lewis was the earliest taste I had on apologetics.  One of the easiest books on the subject is “More Than a Carpenter” by Josh McDowell.  He also wrote “Evidence that demands a Verdict.” There are now more books and articles available than I could possibly read, I continue to be fascinated by the explanations of so many learned men seeking to refute the false doctrine of the anti-Christ movement.

Why is it that with such much material available to us in the church that we seem to become less able to defend ourselves against the onslaught of a secular worldview?  There are one or two possibilities.  One we are not aware of what is being written about the evidence for the Bible.  The other is that we have just accepted what the world has said about us and have retreated inside the walls of the church.  Neither is an option for us.  We must wake up to the fact that no one is going to help us if we do not begin to take it upon ourselves to learn the truth.  Jesus said many times to just look at the works that He was doing to believe that He had been sent by the Father.  The answers will not be found in those opposed to Christianity but those who spend their lives searching for and discovery the truths found in Scripture.

Luke 7:18-19

Since John the Baptist had been imprisoned by Herod, his disciples became his eyes and ears to the outside world.  It would appear that although John was being held by Herod, he was stilled allowed to have visitors.  They came to him and told him of the things that Jesus had been doing. None of those things would indicate that Jesus was about to set things right for the Jewish people.  It did not appear that He was the Messiah that John was expecting.  John the Baptist called two of his disciples to him in order to send them to Jesus to find out what His intentions might be. He had two questions for Jesus.

• Are You the Expected One (meaning Messiah)
• If not are the people to look for someone else who would fill the requirements.

John’s own words earlier should have been a clue.  He had called Jesus the Lamb who had come to take away the sins of the people.  There was no mention of setting up an earthly kingdom or a beginning a military uprising of any type.  He, it appeared was beginning to question his own earlier assessment of Jesus.  He may have expected to be freed by Jesus which had not happened.

1. How did John the Baptist know about the activities of Jesus?
2. Why did that news raise questions in the mind of John? (Because Jesus was not acting like the Messiah?
3. What had happened previously that should have been a clue for John of Jesus’ reason for being on earth?
4. What did John’s questions tell us about his thinking?
5. If Jesus had come to set up an earthly kingdom what expectations might John have had? (To gain his freedom from prison.)

Luke 7:20

When the men came to Jesus they first identified themselves as having been sent by John.  Once they had done so they then shared the questions that he had sent them to ask. 

1. Why was the answer to the questions not only important to John but also to the men themselves? (They needed to know what to think about Jesus.)
2. Why did Luke repeat the questions? (The evidence of who Jesus was hinged on the answer in the mind of John.)
3. Why is the answer important to us today?

Luke 7:21-22

Jesus did not immediately answer them but continued healing people of

• Diseases
• Afflictions
• Evil spirits

He also gave sight to the blind.  How better to answer them than for them to see His work first hand. Once He gave them physical evidence He then turned to the Scriptures to provide the message they were to take back to John. He cited two verses from Isaiah that described the coming Messiah.  The first was found in Isaiah 35:5-6 which spoke of the healing of the blind, deaf and the lame.  The second was found in Isaiah 61:1 which Jesus summarized.  The entire verse reads:

“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed Me to bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to captives and freedom to prisoners.” 

This is what Jesus was to do at His first coming.  It is interesting that He did not continue on into the second verse which spoke of those things to be accomplished when He returns the second time.

1. Why did Jesus not answer them immediately?
2. What was the best way for them to understand who Jesus was? (No one had ever been able to do those things that He was doing.)
3. Why did Jesus summarize Isaiah 35:5-6 and 61:1 for the messengers as the words they were to carry back to John? (John the Baptist being of the priestly family would know that those two passages referred to the coming Messiah.)
4. Why did Jesus claim them for Himself?
5. Who else would have been the recipient of the message that day? (Those who were healed.)
6. Why did Jesus purposely leave out the part about the prisoners being set free? (The word to John could not include freedom because that was not in his future.)
7. How do these two Scriptures provide us with evidence that Jesus was the Messiah? (Fulfilled prophecy)

Luke 7:23

Those who did not reject His words or become offended by the claims He made would find joy in their lives.  Jesus was the fulfillment of prophecy.  There would be some among the crowd who even seeing what He had done would take issue with Him because they had already turned away from the Father.  To be specific the Pharisees were looking for every opportunity to condemn Him and prove that He was not the Son of God.

1. Who were those who would be offended by what Jesus said and did? (The religious leaders of His day)
2. What was their reasoning?
3. How do we know that it was taking place? (The very fact that Jesus had to address the issue is proof enough.)
4. Can you name an incident when you were ridiculed for your stance on Christianity?
5. When have you played it safe and not let others know you are a Christian because of the fear of being ridiculed?
6. Why should we have no fear?

Luke 7:24-27

Jesus was not finished with His focus on John. As the men left Jesus turned to the crowd and began to clear up the minds of the people who John was.  He began by asking about their perception of him.  Based on His words most people did not understand the mission of John.

His questions what did you expect to see when you went out into the wilderness where John was living and baptizing?  Was he to be like?

• One who was as easily swayed in his belief as a reed being blown about in the wind?
• Those who were men of wealth and position.
• Those in leadership who lived in fancy homes.

Jesus in essence was saying that John was none of those things.  He was a prophet.  But even more of a prophet than who had preceded him, he was the forerunner who was bringing the message that the Messiah was coming.  Jesus used the prophecy spoken about in Malachi 3:1 to affirm the identity of John.  By speaking of John in that way, He also was asserting that He was the One to which John was pointing.  Many of those there may even have been present when John announced to the world that Jesus was the Lamb of God. (John 1:29)

1. Why did Jesus ask the people what they expected to see when they went to John the Baptist?  (He wanted them to understand he truly was.)
2. What did the three things that Jesus said about John tell us about his character? (Strong man who had rejected all the trappings of the Jewish religious leaders.)
3. What was the purpose of John’s ministry?
4. What was Jesus asserting about Himself when He identified John as a messenger?
5. What had John said about Jesus affirms what Jesus was saying about Himself? (John 1:29)
6. In what way do these statements help you understand who Jesus is?

Luke 7:28

After describing the purpose and character of John, He went on to clarify both in His final words about him.  According to Jesus John was the greatest of all men born.  He had the privilege of pronouncing the coming of the Messiah. He stood at the crossroads of history bridging the old order of the law and the age of grace that was coming through the death and resurrection of Christ. 

Jesus was very clear that it would take the completion of His work that would bring salvation to mankind and the entry into the eternal kingdom.  Anyone born prior to that time was part of the Old Testament and not part of the age of grace.  John was the greatest in the previous age but what he had could not compare to one born again into the new kingdom.

1. Why was John called the greatest man, born of a woman up to that time? (He was given the privilege of announcing the coming of the Messiah.)
2. What was John’s place in history?
3. Why was John considered least in the new kingdom?
4. What would it take for John and all who followed him to find salvation?
5. What is the good news for you that can be derived from this verse?

Luke 7:29

The people who heard Jesus speak understood what God had done through John.  They had come to him for a baptism of repentance.  They had been the recipients of God’s justice because they had been willing to repent.  On the opposite side were the Pharisees and lawyers who had rejected the message of John.  They would not admit that they were sinners in need of repentance and baptism.

1. Who were those who understood what Jesus was saying?
2. Why did they understand? (They had experience the work of God in their hearts.)
3. What was in their future? (Salvation built of the repentance and baptism they had received.)
4. Who were those who reject the words of Jesus?
5. Why had they refused to be baptized by John?
6. What lay in their future?
7. Into which of these two groups of people do you fall?
8. Based on your thoughts what are you willing to do?

Luke 7:31-35

Jesus carried the theme of the difference between those who accepted John’s teaching and were baptized and those who rejected him.  Those same groups treated Jesus in the same way.  No matter how each of those men acted and spoke there would be critics.  John had turned his back on his religious heritage of being a religious leader.  He was ridiculed for his aesthetic life style.  Jesus on the other hand associated with all types of people and the religious leaders criticized Him.  He knew that in the end, the truth of His message would prevail. Those who were willing to truly listen to the message of Jesus would be open to what He was telling them.  Those with closed minds will always reject His words.

1. Who were the people that Jesus was describing?
2. Why would they not accept the actions of both John and Jesus?
3. Who are those who truly understand what Jesus came to do?
4. Which of these people better describes who you are?
5. What does it take for you to have an open mind to God’s word?

 

• Always begin with the Bible to answer any questions you may have.
• Medicate on passages like the one in this study to get a clear picture of Jesus as the Son of God.
• If there is a question in your mind about the identity of Christ, utilize tools that will help you address your doubts.
• Look to see if there is anything in your life that we keep you separated from Christ.
• Be careful that you do not develop the attitude of the Pharisees and Lawyers.

It is a fantastic journey that we have an opportunity to take.  There are people at all different levels of spiritual maturity in the church.  To see the growth that can place as each person is transformed from unbeliever to a follower of Christ is exciting.  It is what the church is to be all about.  The way this transformation can occur depends on the our understanding of Christ and His identity.  For this kind of church to exist it must be built on the foundation of the truths that can only be discovered about Christ in the pages of the Bible.  We must be careful not to be swayed by false teachings which may cause others to be misled. Once we have identified with Him we are to put into practice all that we have learned. Let us be a church that has chooses to make the gospel the center of all of who we are.