Bible Commentaries
Luke 11

Verses 1-13

Jesus Exhorts His Disciples: Illustration of Serving in Prayer (Serving the Lord with all of our Strength) In Luke 11:1-13 Jesus teaches His disciples on prayer. The underlying emphasis of Luke 9:51 to Luke 19:48 is on the training of His disciples. Thus, in Luke 11:1-13 Jesus is teaching to His disciples how to serve the Lord with our bodies as we place ourselves before God in prayer.

Outline: Here is a proposed outline:

1. The Lord’s Prayer Luke 11:1-4

2. Persistence in Prayer Luke 11:5-13

Luke 11:1-4 The Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-15 ) In Luke 11:1-4 we have the Lord giving to His disciples the Model Prayer, or the Lord’s Prayer, which is also found in Matthew 6:9-15.

Luke 11:1 And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.

Luke 11:1 Comments - Jesus had prayed in their presence many times unashamedly, without hiding from them.

Luke 11:2 And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.

Luke 11:2 “Our Father” Comments - To call God “Father,” you must be born again, born from above.

Deuteronomy 32:6, “Do ye thus requite the LORD, O foolish people and unwise? is not he thy father that hath bought thee ? hath he not made thee, and established thee?”

Isaiah 63:16, “Doubtless thou art our father, though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Israel acknowledge us not: thou, O LORD, art our father, our redeemer; thy name is from everlasting .”

God our Father should have honor from us, His sons:

Malachi 1:6, “A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour ? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the LORD of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name?”

All things are to be done to honor and glory of God:

1 Corinthians 10:31, “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”

Luke 11:2 “which art in heaven” Scripture References - Note:

Psalms 115:3, “But our God is in the heavens : he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.”

Ecclesiastes 5:2, “Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven , and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.”

Isaiah 55:9, “For as the heavens are higher than the earth , so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

Luke 11:2 “Hallowed be thy name” Comments The Greek verb is in the imperative, which is the mood of command. Thus, “Father, let your name be shown to be Holy,” or, “Let the world know that you are a Holy God.”

God’s name reveals His character. Note Ezekiel 36:16-38.

Ezekiel 36:23, “And I will sanctify my great name , which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes.”

We cannot come to God with sin in our lives. Note:

Leviticus 10:3, “Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it that the LORD spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me , and before all the people I will be glorified. And Aaron held his peace.”

Luke 11:2 “Thy kingdom come” - Comments That is, “That the knowledge of God and of the saving of souls may spread across the earth, as God’s eternal kingdom of priests and kings, unto a Holy God. This is evangelism.

Illustration - Daniel 2:31-45:

Daniel 2:44, “And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.”

This prophecy in the book of Daniel refers to the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ.

Also, the culmination of this coming kingdom will be when all things become subject to the Father:

1 Corinthians 15:28, “And when all things shall be subdued unto him , then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.”

Luke 11:2 “Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth” - Comments In Heaven, there is no:

1. No sickness

2. No sin

3. No overcoming

In heaven, there is:

4. Praise, Joy, Gladness

5. Prefect obedience

6. Saved souls

Luke 11:3 Give us day by day our daily bread.

Luke 11:3 Word Study on “daily bread” The Greek words “ επιου ́ σιος αρτον ” literally mean “daily bread.” The word “daily” (G1967) is only used twice in the New Testament, the other occurrence being found in the parallel passage of Luke 11:3. It probably comes from the Greek verb ε ́ πειμι (G1966), which means, “to come upon, to approach.” Used in relation to time, this verb means, “to come on, be at hand,” thus as an adverb, “next, following, on the following day.” F. F. Bruce notes that this phrase is used outside the New Testament on a papyrus in the sense of “daily rations,” thus justifying the familiar rendering. [224] Our daily bread is possibly an Old Testament reference to the manna in the Wilderness.

[224] F. F. Bruce, The Books and the Parchments (Old Tappan, New Jersey: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1963), 69.

Comments Matthew 6:11 is a prayer for our daily needs, and not a prayer of desires to consume it upon the lusts of our flesh (James 4:3). The Christian life is a daily walk. God’s will for our lives is found in the events of today and not in future accomplishments. The emphasis in this verse is that the Christian life is not a project that must be completed, but rather a daily relationship with the Heavenly Father. God’s plan for our lives is to live holy and in fellowship with Him today, knowing that the cares of tomorrow will take care of themselves. We must learn to walk with Him day by day as the disciples did after forsaking all. As long as we serve Him, He will provide for us. This is why the previous verse reads, “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10) When we yield ourselves to divine service, God will provide.

James 4:3, “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.”

Illustration - I first learned this divine truth when I stepped out of Seminary where I was pursuing a Master’s Degree in Theology. I wanted to make for myself a great career in the ministry. When I took time off to learn how to wait upon the Lord and how to maintain fellowship with Him and how to hear His voice, I resigned myself to listening to His directions for that day, and not worry about tomorrow. When I prayed a year after stepping out of Seminary, saying, “Lord, would you be pleased if I finished Seminary,” his reply was, “I would be pleased if you had faith in Me.” In other words, I was to not worry about the future, but take my life today and learn how to trust Him. In doing so, I began to see how He would divinely order my steps day by day into the place and in the direction that He wanted me to go.

For example, as I began to learn how to put my faith in God, I decided to start my own company doing handiwork around people’s homes. One day, I ran out of cement bags and it was too far to drive into town to purchase more bags before the cement I had poured would have dried, and I would have had to start the work all over. While I was standing there wondering what to do, the owner of the property drove up, asked me how I was doing, and showed me several bags of cement a few feet away in a storage room. What a divine appointment.

There was another time when the Lord gave me a dream and showed me the electrical problem on my work truck, a problem that had plagued me for many days. In this dream, a figure pointed to my fuse box under the dash panel of the truck and pointed to two burned wires. When I awoke, I went out to my work truck and found these two burnt wired exactly where I had seen them in a dream.

Another day, I was installing a plastic wrap around in the bathtub of a rental home. I cut the material wrong, and realized that this mistake would cost me about US$ 80. I did not enough money at the time to purchase new material for this job. I went out into the front lawn of this house, laid down on my back facing heaven and cried, “Lord, help!” Immediately, the Lord gave me an inspired idea. I jumped up, ran into the house, flipped the plastic panels around and somehow made them easily fit into the tub enclosure.

As I met people and gave bids on repairs to their homes, the Lord would place skilled craftsmen in my path when I needed to know how to do a particular job. I would talk to these men and go back and to the job like the craftsman had instructed me.

I had dreams of how to invent tools for particular jobs. Each day became an adventure. I stopped worrying about tomorrow and began to focus on finding the Lord’s presence and divine intervention for that day. I could tell other stories, but the point is that the Lord began to teach me how to follow Him that day. I learned to simply follow His steps.

Eventually, the Lord gave me a “rhema” word, a spoken word, to return to Seminary. He confirmed this word with multiple dreams before I moved back to Texas and finished Seminary. What a testimony of divine intervention I have experienced during that season of my life, as I learned how to cast my daily cares upon the Lord.

Comments - The Scriptures teach us to not be anxious about tomorrow. The Sermon on the Mount emphasizes the need to focus on the events of today and cast the worries of tomorrow into the hands of God (Luke 6:19-34). We see this truth illustrated when Jesus tells us the Parable of the Rich Fool who stored up his wealth, only to lose his life in vanity (Luke 12:13-21). The epistle of James warns us against saying, “Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain.” He tells us that we do not know what the future holds for us tomorrow. We are to rather say, “If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.” (James 4:13-16)

James 4:13-16, “Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.”

These are stories of how people put their faith in worldly possessions. Thus, we see that looking to the future for material or social gain without trusting in the Lord becomes a form of covetousness. However, when we focus on today, we are able to place our energies into being productive for the needs at hand, rather than wasting needless energy on issue that never bring fruit in our lives.

I am learning to live each day for the Lord and trust Him to determine my future, for I have placed it in His hands. For those who have learned the “daily secret,” you have found that God has a much greater and better plan for your life than you could have every dreamed. “Lord, give us this day our daily bread.”

Luke 11:4 And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.

Luke 11:4 “forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us” - Comments - Prayer and forgiveness go together. We come to God as forgiven creatures and we must return this forgiveness to others in like manner. Note:

Matthew 6:14-15, “For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

Matthew 18:21-35

Mark 11:25-26, “And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.”

Ephesians 4:32, “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.”

Colossians 3:13, “Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.”

Unforgiveness is iniquity so that God will not hear our prayer if we do not forgive:

Psalms 66:18, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:”

Luke 11:4 “lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil” - Scripture References - Note:

Psalms 34:17, “The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.”

Psalms 121:7, “The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.” This is like the hedge about Job.

John 17:15, “I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.”

1 Corinthians 10:13, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”

1 Thessalonians 3:3, “That no man should be moved by these afflictions: for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto.”

2 Timothy 4:18, “And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”

2 Peter 2:9, “The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:”

1 John 5:18, “We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.”

The Devil is the tempter:

Matthew 4:3, “And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.”

1 Thessalonians 3:5, “For this cause, when I could no longer forbear, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter have tempted you, and our labour be in vain.”

Rich people can fall into a temptation and a snare:

1 Timothy 6:9, “But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.”

Illustration: Lack of prayer will cause us to fall into temptation. The disciples all forsook Jesus after having failed to pray.

Mark 14:38-40, “Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak. And again he went away, and prayed, and spake the same words. And when he returned, he found them asleep again, (for their eyes were heavy,) neither wist they what to answer him.”

Mark 14:50, “And they all forsook him, and fled.”

Luke 11:5-13 Persistence in Prayer While Matthew’s passage on the Lord’s Prayer is followed by a teaching on forgiveness (Matthew 6:14-15), the parallel passage in Luke 11:5-13 deals with an important ingredient in prayer, and that is persistence. He gives the example of how a friend responds to persistence (Luke 11:5-8) and explains how much more our Heavenly Father responds to it (Luke 11:9-13). The context of the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew is emphasizing the pureness of heart in prayer, while Luke’s Gospel is emphasizing the method of prayer by which we subject our bodies in prayer as His disciples.

Outline: Here is a proposed outline:

1. A Friend Comes at Midnight Luke 11:5-8

2. Asking, Seeking and Knocking Luke 11:9-13

Luke 11:5-8 A Friend Comes at Midnight In Luke 11:5-8 Jesus gives the disciples a natural illustration in order to explain a spiritual truth. He tells the story of how a man came to his friend at midnight and received what he needed because of persistence.

Luke 11:7 “and my children are with me in bed” Comments - Any parent knows the difficulty of getting children in bed and asleep. This man did not want to go to the trouble of possibly waking up his children and putting them to bed again.

Luke 11:7 Comments In the ancient world, families generally sleep together in the home (Luke 11:7), unlike modern times where each individual enjoys a private bedroom. [225] Smaller homes probably had no bedrooms, and any room could accommodate sleeping. [226] Thus, Ruth’s approach to Boaz while he was sleeping on the threshing floor was not an entrance into his privacy, but rather, an approach closer to him in a communal sleeping arrangement (Ruth 3:1-18).

[225] Charles Warren, “Bed,” in A Dictionary of the Bible Dealing with its Language, Literature, and Contents Including the Biblical Theology, vol. 1, ed. James Hastings (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1908), 262.

[226] Charles Warren, “House,” in A Dictionary of the Bible Dealing with its Language, Literature, and Contents Including the Biblical Theology, vol. 2, ed. James Hastings (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1909), 434.

Luke 11:7, “And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee.”

Luke 11:8 Scripture References - Note:

Proverbs 25:15, “ By long forbearing is a prince persuaded , and a soft tongue breaketh the bone.”

Luke 18:1-5, “And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.”

Luke 11:9-13 Asking, Seeking and Knocking (Matthew 7:7-11 ) After Jesus gives His disciples an illustration of persistence in prayer from the story of the friend at midnight (Luke 11:5-8), He explains how much more our Heavenly Father is willing to answer our prayers when we ask seek and knock with persistence.

Illustration - A child naturally expects his parents to provide for him. He will ask and continue asking for things because he expects his parents to hear and provide. How much more should we expect our Heavenly Father to hear and provide for us good things, and not the foolish things that we may request.

Luke 11:9 Comments - Importunity is involved in this type of prayer. Importunity means to trouble with requests or demands.

Luke 11:13 “how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him” Comments - The reference to the Holy Spirit in Luke 11:13 is the first record in Luke’s Gospel of Jesus teaching His disciples about the provision of the Holy Spirit in their lives. It raises the question of why Jesus would mention the Holy Spirit at this time. Perhaps the answer lies in the context of the Travel Narrative of Luke 9:51 to Luke 21:38. The underlying theme of this lengthy passage is Jesus’ teaching ministry, where He is also the training of the Twelve. Therefore, in this passage teaching about prayer Jesus was addressing His disciples, not the public, preparing them for the day when they would perform their offices and ministries in the power and anointing of the Holy Spirit. Jesus will teach His disciples on one other occasion about the office and ministry of the Holy Spirit in Luke’s Gospel.

Luke 12:12, “For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say.”

Verses 1-54

Perseverance: Jesus Testifies of Striving to Enter Into Heaven In Luke 10:38 to Luke 17:10 Jesus testifies of striving to enter into Heaven through perseverance.

Outline: Note the proposed outline:

1. Narrative: Jesus Demonstrates Perseverance Luke 10:38 to Luke 13:21

2. Discourse: Jesus Teaches on Perseverance: Luke 13:22 to Luke 17:10

Verses 14-36

Jesus Corrects People About the Kingdom of God In Luke 11:14-36 Jesus is confronted by the people as they express their rejection of His public ministry in their after having cast out a demon. Luke 11:14-16 serve as an introduction to this passage by stating the two issues that Jesus would address, which is the Kingdom of God verses the kingdom of Satan (Luke 11:15), and signs from Heaven (Luke 11:16). Jesus deals with the issue of Satan’s kingdom in Luke 11:17-28. He then addresses the issue of signs from Heaven in Luke 11:29-32. Then He concludes by speaking to both groups of people in Luke 11:33-36. This conclusion places emphasis upon the people’s heart being evil and dark.

Thus, the deliverance of the mute from the demon is not as much the focus of this passage of Scripture as it is the hardness of the hearts of those people who were evaluating and judging what Jesus was doing under the anointing of the Holy Spirit. This is the secondary them of the passage, but the underlying emphasis, or primary theme, of this passage is that Jesus took this opportunity to teach His disciples how to correct those who speak against them in ignorance. Since Jesus is teaching them to preach the Word of the Kingdom of God, being instant in season and out, to reprove those in ignorance, to rebuke those who have knowingly rejected God’s Word and to exhort those who accept their message of the Kingdom (2 Timothy 4:2). In the next passage in Luke’s Gospel (Luke 11:37 to Luke 12:12) Jesus will rebuke the Pharisees and lawyers who have knowingly rejected God’s Word.

2 Timothy 4:2, “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.”

Outline Here is a proposed outline:

1. Introduction Luke 11:14-16

2. The Kingdom of God vs. Satan Luke 11:17-28

3. The Request for a Sign Luke 11:29-32

4. Conclusion Luke 11:33-36

Luke 11:14-16 Introduction Luke 11:14-16 serves as an introduction to Jesus teaching the people about the Kingdom of God. After He casts out a demon and the mute spoke, the people responded in one of two ways. Some accused Jesus of operating under the influence of the demonic realm (Luke 11:15). Others asked Jesus to prove His identity with signs from Heaven (Luke 11:16). Thus, Jesus response to the first comment in Luke 11:17-28 by contrasting the Kingdom of God with the kingdom of Satan. Then in Luke 11:29-36 Jesus addresses the issue of requiring a sign from Heaven.

Luke 11:15 Comments Luke 11:15 is the first record of people openly and verbally persecuting Jesus Christ since His first sermon in His hometown of Nazareth (Luke 4:16-30). This verse reflects the fact that this section of Luke’s Gospel (Luke 10:38 to Luke 17:10) places emphasis upon the phase of persecutions in the Christian life.

Luke 11:17-28 Jesus Teaches on the Kingdom of God verses the Kingdom of Satan (Beelzebul) (The First Issue is Addressed) (Matthew 12:22-30 ; Matthew 12:43-45 , Mark 3:20-27 ) In Luke 11:14 Jesus heals a mute by casting out a demon. The people then accused Him of casting out demons by Beelzebul the prince of the devils (Luke 11:15). Jesus then takes this opportunity to teach these people about the Kingdom of God that has come to them by contrasting it to the kingdom of Satan, of which they say Beelzebul is the leader. Thus, He used this opportunity to speak to the people on their level to explain that the Kingdom of God was at hand. He told them that hearing God’s Word would deliver them from demonic possession, but keeping God’s Word would keep them free.

Dealing with Demonic Strongholds (Cain and Abel) The story of Cain killing his brother Abel gives us an excellent example of how Satan’s control over a person can progress and intensify. Cain first gave place to Satan in the area of anger and this led to a more demonic sin, that of murder. Cain refused to repent when his offering was rejected by God and he again refused repentance after God confronted him over the murder of Abel. Thus, he was cursed as a vagabond and a fugitive. The Scriptures tell us that it was Satan who moved Cain to slay his brother (1 John 3:12).

1 John 3:12, “Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous.”

Man can only find peace and rest when he takes back the domain that Satan took from him. Noah name means “comfort,” or “rest.” Christ in us gives us strength over Satan. Note:

2 Samuel 22:30, “For by thee I have run through a troop: by my God have I leaped over a wall.”

Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”

1 John 4:4, “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.”

Luke 11:19 Comments If the Jews were to ask any Jewish exorcist, he would quickly reply that demons can only be cast out through the power of God. They would agree with Jesus that there is no possibility of casting out a demon through Beelzebub.

Luke 11:20 Comments The Scriptures use the phrase “hand of God,” or “power of God” to express God reaching down to mankind in a display of mighty power. In contrast, the phrase “finger of God” seems to indicate that God is able to cast our devils with very little effort.

Luke 11:21 Comments - The strong get the spoil. Jesus Christ is the Strong Man who is fully armed to spoil the enemy. In His name we to can spoil the enemy.

Isaiah 53:12, “Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong ; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”

Note that the demons are also looking for peace and rest in their existence (verse 24).

Several years ago the Lord gave me a three-part dream, which opened my eyes and taught me how to exercise the authority of the name of Jesus in every area of my life. I had learned how to pray and make my requests to the Lord known using Jesus' name. Now, I was going to learn to use His name to take authority over Satan. The first part of the dream was a vision of a pastor friend of mine sitting in his house peacefully reading his Bible in a chair. I still remember how peaceful and tranquil the scene appeared. Then, the Lord spoke these words to me, “There is peace in a home when there is dominion in that home.” Finally, the Lord brought the words “ Luke 11:21 ” to my mind. I had no idea how that verse read nor if it applied to the dream. I woke up and read this passage, “When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace.” I knew immediately that this dream was from God. Through the next few months, I began to study the Bible and learn how to use the name of Jesus to set my household at peace.

Luke 11:22 Comments - When Jesus divided the spoils by seizing authority and dominion over Satan, He shared those spoils with us, the Church, through faith in His name.

Ephesians 4:8, “Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.”

Scripture References - Note:

Isaiah 53:12, “Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”

Colossians 2:15, “And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of hem openly, triumphing over them in it.”

Luke 11:24 “he walketh through dry places” - Jack Hayford says that he asked the Lord what the words “dry places” means, and the Lord told him that it refers to any place where the Spirit of God is not present or flowing. [227]

[227] Jack Hayford, “Spirit Formed with Jack Hayford,” on Trinity Broadcasting Network (Santa Ana, California), television program.

Luke 11:25 And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished.

Luke 11:25 Comments The phrase “swept and garnished means, “set in order.” When the devil comes back to find his house unoccupied, he brings other demons more wicked than him. Thus, he is able to overcome him and set up a stronger house.

Luke 11:26 Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first.

Luke 11:26 Comments - When Satan loses one battle, comes again in greater strength. This is illustrated in the book of Joshua. In the tenth chapter of the book of Joshua, the Canaanites gather five Kings with their armies to defeat Joshua when they see Jericho and Ai fall. However, God gives His people the victory. So an even larger army is gathered again in the north and comes out against Israel, only to be defeated again by Joshua.

Luke 11:24-26 Comments - The Return of the Unclean Spirit (Matthew 12:43-45 ) In Luke 11:24-26 Jesus explains how a demon is able to return into a man and make him seven times worse than he was if the man does not guard his house, which is figurative of his physical body.

When Satan is cast out by a stronger than himself, he has learned how to become stronger than his opponent and how to take back his possession. This time, he returns to exert a stronger dominion than before, lest he lose it a second time. This is the reason for seven more devils more wicked then himself coming to assist.

When a Christian is saved and delivered from so many sins, he wonders why it is so easy to be entangled again with one or more of those sins. He wonders why it is much harder now to overcome than before. This verse explains that it is because Satan has gained back this territory and set up a stronger house now. Thus, Paul says in Philippians 3:16 not to lose ground.

Philippians 3:16, “Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.”

Luke 11:28 Comments - If we keep Jesus’ statement in Luke 11:28 within the context of this passage, Jesus is simply saying that a person who hears God’s Word gets delivered. But the one who keeps it stays delivered.

Luke 11:29-32 Jesus Replies to the People’s Request for a Sign (The Second Issue is Addressed) (Matthew 12:38-42 , Mark 8:12 ) In Luke 11:14-16 the people confronted Jesus on two issues. Some accused Him of casting out demons by Beelzebub, the prince of the devils (Luke 11:15). Jesus responded to this accusation in Luke 11:17-26. Now in Luke 11:29-32 Jesus responds to the second statement from the people who sought a sign from heaven (Luke 11:16). In this passage of Scripture Jesus addresses their ability to reason with their minds.

Luke 11:29 “And when the people were gathered thick together, he began to say, This is an evil generation: they seek a sign” - Comments The Jews had sought a sign earlier in Luke 11:16.

Luke 11:16, “And others, tempting him, sought of him a sign from heaven.”

“and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet” The “sign of Jonah the prophet” is figurative of the Passion and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, as stated in the next verse.

Luke 11:30 For as Jonas was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation.

Luke 11:30 Comments The Ninevites believed that Jonah had been in the belly of the fish for three days. The Jews will be offered a similar testimony of the resurrection of Jesus Christ on the third day. The Gospel of Matthew adds, “For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” (Matthew 12:40) The Jews were seeking a sign, so Jesus' resurrection will be a sign for them (1 Corinthians 1:22-23).

1 Corinthians 1:22-23, “For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;”

There are very few Scripture references to the three days that Jesus spent in the heart of the earth. Note

Ephesians 4:8-10, “Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)”

1 Peter 3:18-19, “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;”

1 Peter 4:6, “For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.”

Luke 11:31-32 Comments “Condemn” - These two righteous acts showed that the others were not righteous. The Queen of Sheba and the city of Nineveh turned to faith in God, which showed that the others were in rebellion to God. The same idea is shown in Hebrews 11:7, when Noah condemned the world.

Hebrews 11:7, “By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.”

Luke 11:33-36 Conclusion (Matthew 5:15 ; Matthew 6:22-23 ) In Luke 11:33-36 Jesus concludes His message to the people. In this message, He addresses both those who accused him of working under the power of Satan (Luke 11:15) as well as those who sought after a sign from Heaven (Luke 11:16). He uses a natural example of a lamp illuminating a room to explain the spiritual truth of how the heart illuminates the entire body. Jesus uses the word “eye” figuratively of the heart of man. He will tell them that when their heart is pure, they will be able to distinguish between light and darkness, or between good and evil. When their heart is evil, they cannot see because they are in darkness. Thus, these people rejected Him because their hearts were hardened and evil. J. Lyle Story notes that the unbelief of the Jews was not due to a lack of seeing signs and wonders in Jesus’ public ministry, but rather, to the blindness of their own hearts. [228]

[228] J. Lyle Story, Spirit Filled Life Bible: New King James Version, ed. Jack W. Hayford (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson Publishers, c1991), notes on Luke 11:33-36).

Verses 37-54

Jesus Rebukes the Pharisees and Lawyers Over Hypocrisy (Matthew 23:1-36 , Mark 12:38-40 ) In Luke 11:37-54 Jesus rebukes the Pharisees (Luke 11:37-44) and lawyers (Luke 11:38-54) because of their hypocrisy and rejection of God’s Word.

Luke 11:39 Comments - The image of “ravening” is like a predator who greedily stalks and kills its prey for itself. The Pharisees lived off of the spoil of others.

Luke 11:41 Comments - Give from the heart in kindness and the whole person will be clean.

Scripture References - Note:

John 15:3, “Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.”

John 17:17, “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.”

Luke 11:43 Comments - They were seeking man’s praises.

John 5:44, “How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?”

Luke 11:44 Comments - That is, even though they seemed good to others, inside they were spiritually dead to God.

Luke 11:46 Comments The phrase “with one of your fingers” refers to someone making the least amount of effort. The lawyers were making burdensome laws; but they were making very little effort to live by them. A similar s made in Luke 11:20 when Jesus tells the people that He casts out demons with the “finger of God,” which means it takes God very little effort to defeat the kingdom of Satan.

Luke 11:20, “But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you.”

Luke 11:50 “may be required of this generation” - Word Study on “of this generation” - Thayer says the phrase “of this generation” means, “men of the same stock,” or, “family.” Perhaps this includes the ancestors of those who were evil, along with their offspring, which are the lawyers, the scribes, and the Pharisees.

Luke 11:50 Comments - Those who were the children of the flesh have always persecuted the children of faith. Hebrews 11:35-40 says that the world was not worthy of the prophets sent by God.

Hebrews 11:38, “( Of whom the world was not worthy :) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.”

Illustration:

Galatians 4:29, “But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.”

Luke 11:51 From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation.

Luke 11:51 “From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias” Comments - Abel was the first innocent blood to be shed in the Scriptures, and Zachariah's blood was the last innocent bloodshed in the Old Testament.

Genesis 4:8, “And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.”

2 Chronicles 24:20-22, “And the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, which stood above the people, and said unto them, Thus saith God, Why transgress ye the commandments of the LORD, that ye cannot prosper? because ye have forsaken the LORD, he hath also forsaken you. And they conspired against him, and stoned him with stones at the commandment of the king in the court of the house of the LORD. Thus Joash the king remembered not the kindness which Jehoiada his father had done to him, but slew his son. And when he died, he said, The LORD look upon it, and require it.”

F. F. Bruce tells us that it is likely that the Old Testament that Jesus was familiar with began with Genesis and ended with the books of Chronicles. He uses this verse as evidence. [229] Jesus was then saying that the Jews were party and guilty of shedding blood from the beginning to the end of the Hebrew Scriptures.

[229] F. F. Bruce, The Books and the Parchments (Old Tappan, New Jersey: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1963), 97.

Luke 11:51 “verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation” - Comments - How could this generation of Jews who lived during the time of Jesus be held guilty of the blood of Abel? Hebrews 11:4 tells us that Abel still speaks his testimony of God’s standard of righteousness. Thus, the Jews rejected his testimony and will be judged with him who shed his blood, which was his brother Cain.

Hebrews 11:4, “By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.”

In the parable in Luke 20:9-19, Jesus again deals with this issue.

Luke 11:53-54 Comments The Jewish Leaders Plot to Kill Jesus The Gospel of Luke can be broken down in the phases of God’s plan of redemption: predestination, calling, justification, indoctrination, perseverance, and glorification. Luke 11:53-54 reflects the fact that this section of Luke’s Gospel (Luke 10:38 to Luke 17:10) places emphasis upon the phase of persecutions in the Christian life, having entered a season of persecutions, culminating in His Passion. From then on, the Pharisees and scribes began to hate Him terribly and to interrogate Him, while plotting to catch Jesus saying something wrong. Jesus had spoken the piecing truth, cutting to their hearts.

Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

The Jewish leaders rejected Jesus words (John 8:47). So will people respond to us as we speak God’s Word. Note Matthew 10:24-33.

John 8:47, “He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.”