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Jun 11

Connecting the Dots in Luke 9

2009 | by Ryan Kelly | Category: Sermon Follow-Up

Last Sunday’s sermon looked at Luke 9. Below is a basic outline for the sermon.

THE CHAPTER IN EIGHT SCENES:

Scene 1: The twelve sent out on mission (1-11)

Scene 2: Five thousand fed (12-17)

Scene 3:  Peter’s confession (18-21); Prediction of Jesus’ death (22); Discipleship explained (23-27)

Scene 4: The transfiguration (28-36)

Scene 5: A demon possessed boy healed (37-45)

Scene 6: Who is the greatest? (46-48)

Scene 7: Who is for us and who is against us? An outsider who heals in Jesus’ name? (49-50); Inhospitable Samaritans? (52-56)

Scene 8: Discipleship explained again (57-62)

CONNECTING DOTS BETWEEN THE STORIES

1.  It’s time to get more clear about who Jesus is

• He’s the commissioner of the disciples (1-6)
• He’s the Elijah-like Prophet (8, 19, 30)
• He’s a miraculous provider (12-17)
• He’s the Christ (20-21)
• He’s the friend of Elijah and Moses (30-31)
• He’s the unique glory of God incarnate (32, 34-35)
• He’s uniquely sovereign over demons – unlike the disciples (40-43)
• He came to save, not destroy (56)
• He’s on a mission – He’s “determined to go to Jerusalem” (51)

2.  It’s time to tell the disciples of his impending death

• Herod is growing concerned (7-9) – this is Luke tipping his hand about what’s to come
• Jesus explicitly says that he will suffer and die and be raised (22, 44)
• His disciples will have to follow him to take up their cross (23) 
• He was “determined to go to Jerusalem” (51) 
• In light of v 51, the significance of v 31 becomes clearer (“they were speaking of His departure which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem”)

3.  It’s time to start to pass the mission on to the disciples

• Disciples go out as an extension of Jesus and his ministry (1-2, 6)
• Disciples are to join Jesus in seeking salvation of the lost (54-56)
• Disciples are not to be rivals (49-50)

4.  It’s time to fully warn of the sacrifice and single-focus of the mission

• Disciples go out expecting their provision to come from God (3)
• Disciples go out anticipating rejection and suffering (5, 23-27)
• Disciples are to be child-like, not jockeying for greatness (46-48)
• Disciples go out in sacrifice and with a singular focus (57-62)

5.  It’s time for the disciples to start to really get all of this

There are a couple examples of them getting it in this chapter:
• When they’re sent out with nothing and return with a good report  (1-11)
• Peter’s confession (20)

There are more examples of the disciples not getting it (being knuckleheads):
• Peter doesn’t understand the utter uniqueness of Jesus in God’s plan (32-35)
• Jesus is frustrated with the disciples’ failure to cast out a demon (40-41)
• They did not understand what he said about his death (44-45; cf 22)
• They debate among themselves about which of them is the greatest (46)
• They wonder if they should oppose an outsider who works in Jesus’ name (49)
• They wonder if they should call down destruction on inhospitable Samaritans (53-54)