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Did Jesus’ Ministry Last 3 Years?

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Protestants sometimes accuse Roman Catholics of holding to traditions not found in the Bible (e.g. Mary’s immaculate conception and perpetual virginity, etc.). But even Protestants must be careful with their judgment, as they will certainly be measured by the same measure with which they measure others (Matt 7:1-2). Certainly they don’t irrationally hold on to traditions unsupported by Scripture, do they?

We could explore a number of such traditions that Protestants ought to be willing to reconsider in light of the biblical data. In this post, I’ll tackle the typically unexamined maxim that Jesus’ ministry lasted for 3 years. A related assertion is that Jesus was 33 years old when he was crucified. Careful observation of the scriptural data will show us that these assertions could be true, but they are far from certain.

Reasons for the Tradition

If you research an article or book that examines the question, and doesn’t merely assert the 3-year timeframe, you’ll find the answer typically hinges on a few pieces of biblical evidence:

  1. Luke says Jesus began his ministry at “about 30 years of age” (Luke 3:23).
  2. John records three Passover events during Jesus’ ministry (John 2:13, 6:4, 11:55). That third Passover is drawn out also in John 12:1, 13:1, and John 19:14.

From this evidence, the conclusion is drawn: He began at age 30, he ministered for 3 years (through 3 annual Passover feasts), and therefore he died at age 33.

St. Paul’s Timeline, Heidi Blanton (2010), Creative Commons

Familiarity vs. Observation

But please don’t allow your familiarity with the tradition to blind you from careful observation of the text!

  • Luke clearly says that Jesus was “about” 30, not “exactly” 30. Perhaps Luke wants us to think of the beginning of Jesus’ ministry as analogous to the “coming of age” of priests (Num 4:1-3) and rulers (Gen 41:46, 2 Sam 5:4) at age 30. Or perhaps he has other reasons for rounding the number.
  • Though John records three Passover events, we have no proof that he intends his narrative to be literally chronological. Some scholars argue that the first Passover (chapter 2) was the same Passover as the one during which he was crucified, and that John bumps it early in his narrative to make a theological point. Others argue that the Passover of John 6:4 refers to same Passover of the year Jesus was crucified (and therefore, that John 6:4 and John 11:55 are referring to the same event).
  • But regardless of whether John tells us about three Passovers, two Passovers, or even one—he never says that these were the only Passovers Jesus attended during his ministry. To assert or assume these 3 Passover references mean Jesus’ ministry lasted 3 years is to argue from silence.

Conclusion

Now I hope this analysis doesn’t generate seismic repercussions in anyone’s faith. My guess is that most people reading this explanation are not shaken to their core by it. If your reaction is along the lines of, “Who cares whether Jesus’ ministry was 3 years, or 2 years, or even 6 years long?”—I would like to buy you a drink and bless you in the name of Christ.

So why do I care enough to point it out?

Because these things snowball across generations. It’s not difficult for an angel’s legitimate blessing of Mary (Luke 1:28) to evolve over time into sacred legends about her moral perfection, perpetual chastity, or extraordinary origin. In the same way, who knows when or how the mistakenly assumed “three-year ministry of Jesus” might evolve into a three-year master plan for discipleship, or a three-year sacred tradition for church planting, or a set of uncompromisable three-year expectations for how God must work to build his kingdom?

Most spurious traditions have their origin in something true and good. But we cannot add to that truth without, in the end, compromising the very truth we sought to uphold. For example, it is a good and right thing to love God more than your parents (Luke 14:26). But it’s an altogether wicked thing to add traditions to that truth which end up undermining the obligation to care for your aging forebears (Mark 7:9-13).

The Bible doesn’t tell us exactly how many years Jesus spent with his disciples, going about doing good and healing. So we ought not to casually assert a three-year timeline as though it were self-evident.

What I Learned By Reading a Passage 25 Times

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money

Sharon McCutcheon (2018), public domain

In my last article, I described my latest experiment. In preparing to lead my small group through Luke 16, I read the chapter as many times as possible.

In this article I’ll provide the results.

An Overview

There are three sections to Luke 16.

The Dishonest Manager (verses 1–13)

Jesus begins the chapter with a story of a rich man and a dishonest manager. The manager squandered the man’s possessions and was fired. On the way out, he had to give an account of his business transactions (Luke 16:2).

The manager called the man’s debtors and cut their bills. He aimed to gain favor with these debtors in hopes of securing his next employment.

The rich man praised the manager “because he had acted shrewdly” (Luke 16:8). Jesus extracted principles about money from this story (Luke 16:8–13).

The Pharisees (verses 13–18)

Pharisees were listening and scoffed at Jesus (Luke 16:13). Jesus rebuked the Pharisees as those who justified themselves and sought only what is praised by men (Luke 16:15).

Jesus then spoke about the relationship between the Law and the Prophets and the preaching of the gospel (Luke 16:16–18).

The Rich Man and Lazarus (verses 19–31)

The chapter concludes with the story of the rich man and Lazarus. The rich man lived lavishly while Lazarus suffered severely just outside the rich man’s gate. After death, the rich man cried out from Hades to Lazarus and Abraham in heaven for relief.

The rich man asked Abraham to send Lazarus to his family to warn them (Luke 16:28). Abraham told him that Moses and the Prophets were warning enough.

Themes in Luke 16

The major themes in Luke 16 become obvious when we pay attention to repetition: money and the law and the prophets.

The “rich man” is a character in two stories in this chapter. In between, after Jesus says “You cannot serve God and wealth,” the Pharisees are introduced as “lovers of money.” There is also instruction on wealth in Luke 16:8–12.

Earlier portions of Luke (Luke 6:1–11, Luke 11:37–54, Luke 14:1–6) show the Pharisees’ devotion to and distortion of the law and the prophets, so the Pharisees’ self-justification is likely related to the law. Jesus then talks about the preaching of the law and the preaching of the gospel, concluding that not even one stroke of a letter of the Law will fail (Luke 16:17). Abraham tells the rich man that the law (Moses) and the prophets should be enough to bring his family to repentance.

How Rereading Brought Clarity

It didn’t take long for me to identify the most confusing verse in this chapter.

And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings. (Luke 16:9)

By reading this chapter multiple times, I began to see the structure of the passage, and this helped me grasp the main point. (Most commentaries on Luke were not helpful, because they took the text in too-small portions. Despite good analysis of the trees, there was no analysis of the forest.)

When we consider the context of a passage, we usually look backward: an earlier passage sheds light on a later one. In this chapter the opposite is true.

In the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, Jesus shines a spotlight on the rich man’s money (Luke 16:19). The rich man ignored Lazarus, who needed just a bit of the rich man’s abundance. Further, since wealth often runs in families, the rich man’s concern for his brothers (Luke 16:28) was a concern for other rich men. The rich man’s wealth produced a numbness in him toward his neighbor (Lazarus). Wealth is dangerous, as it can also lead to an ignorance of Moses and the Prophets (Luke 16:29–31).

We need this story to understand verse 9. The dishonest manager was shrewd with his master’s wealth, hoping to be welcomed into the homes of others, and Jesus praises this shrewdness. But, lest we think too highly of this manager, Jesus criticizes him in verses 10–12.

In contrast to the dishonest manager, the “sons of light” (verse 8) are to do better things with their wealth. He used wealth for worldly gains; followers of Jesus are to use wealth for heavenly gains.

Here’s the key. Money kept the rich man (at the end of the chapter) out of the eternal dwellings (verse 9). Christians are to use money in such a way that we make friends who can receive us into the eternal dwellings. This points to generosity.

The middle section of the chapter brings all of this together. You cannot serve God and wealth. In particular, you cannot serve God if you are a lover of money. However, you can (in fact, you must) serve God with your wealth.1

Main Point and Conclusion

The main point of this chapter can be stated succinctly.

You cannot serve God and wealth, but you can (and must) serve God with your wealth.

I don’t claim a perfect understanding of this passage, but I owe the understanding I have to reading this passage multiple times. This practice unlocked the chapter’s structure for me, giving me insight into a confusing verse. I commend this discipline to you.

  1. This interpretation depends on the phrase “unrighteous wealth” referring to wealth on earth as opposed to treasures in heaven, not wealth gained in an evil way. This interpretation depends on Luke 16:11. ↩

Are All Who Laugh or Have Wealth Cursed?

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Luke 6:20-26 appears to make no qualification whatsoever:

  • Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God…Woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.
  • Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied…Woe to you who are full now, for you shall be hungry.
  • Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh…Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.

We may be inclined to race to Matthew’s parallel passage so we can qualify the text with “poor in spirit,” “hunger for righteousness,” etc. But that would violate a fundamental principle of observing and interpreting Luke’s intended message for his audience.

So what should we make of these extreme statements?

In a recent episode of the Ask Pastor John podcast, John Piper masterfully demonstrates why context matters. He takes up this question on this text, and he observes the context of Luke’s argument to help us understand and apply these verses as Luke intended.

The podcast would be a great use of 11 minutes of you day. Check it out!

Context Matters: The Prodigal Son

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celebration

Hieu An Tran (2018), public domain

Perhaps you’re familiar with the story of the Prodigal Son. This parable has made it well into the cultural atmosphere. We hear the term “prodigal” whenever anything precious returns.

Within the church, this story is everywhere. It is held up as both a model of repentance and a reason for parents of wayward children to hope. Many sermons have been preached and many books have been written on this famous parable.

Are we reading this story properly in context? Is it really all about repentance after reaching the lowest point? When we learn to read the Bible for what it is, and not as a collection of morals and memorable phrases, we’ll find that some of our most cherished stories have a different or deeper meaning than we’ve assumed.

The Context of Luke 15

The story of the Prodigal Son is found in Luke 15:11–32. But it would border on Bible study malpractice not to read this story in the context of the entire chapter. We find stories of a lost sheep, a lost coin, and then the lost son. These parables seem to rush out of Jesus in one long breath, so we should consider them together. (In fact, Luke refers to the three stories as “this parable” (Luke 15:3).)

Additionally, we cannot miss the introduction Luke provides.

Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” So he told them this parable. (Luke 15:1–3)

Note that the parables are addressed to the Pharisees and scribes after they grumbled about the way Jesus welcomed tax collectors and sinners. They were offended Jesus would share his time and space with such people.

The Lost Sheep

In verses 4–7, Jesus tells the well-known story about the one sheep out of a hundred who was lost and then found. Notice the ending of the parable and its emphasis on rejoicing, made especially relevant by the audience Jesus was addressing.

And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

The Lost Coin

In verses 8–11, Jesus tells the story of a woman who lost one of her ten silver coins. She seeks diligently, finds it, and throws a party.

And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

The Lost Son

Let’s note the way the third story picks up on the themes we’ve already mentioned.

The younger son left his father with his inheritance, squandered it, and reached the lowest of all possible low points for a Jewish person: feeding pigs (an unclean animal) and even longing to share their food (verse 16).

This son “came to himself,” planned his speech, and headed home. He was planning to take a place as a servant (verse 19), but his father would have none of that. The father “ran and embraced him and kissed him” while he was still a long way from the house. The son confessed his sin and admitted “[he is] no longer worthy to be called [his] son” (verse 21).

The father then shifted into party-planning mode. He called his returning child “my son,” and “they began to celebrate” (verse 24).

If we’re looking at the three parables of Luke 15 as a group, we’d expect the story to end here, in celebration. But we have eight verses and one major character remaining.

The Grumbling Son

The father’s older son bristled at the sound of the party for his prodigal brother. “He was angry” and refused to join the festivities (verse 28). The conversation between the older brother and the father that followed shows that the older brother is a spitting image for the Pharisees and scribes at the beginning of the chapter.

The older son emphasized his service and rule-keeping to his father, and he wondered why his father never allowed him a party (verse 29). The son couldn’t believe that his brother who wasted all of his inheritance money on sinful pursuits was worthy of the fattened calf (verse 30).

The central points of the chapter can be found in its final two verses.

And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’” (Luke 15:31–32)

The older brother didn’t grasp the freedom and joy of being with his father. And he didn’t grasp the heartache and loss of his brother’s departure or the significance of his return. As the NASB puts it, “we had to celebrate and rejoice” (verse 32).

We Must Rejoice

Though the first two stories in Luke 15 involve searching for something that is lost, that is not the main theme of this chapter. And though all three parables feature the restoration of what was lost, that’s not it either.

In telling this parable to the Pharisees, Jesus is shining a bright light on God’s delight and pleasure in welcoming sinners. There is joy in heaven, joy before the angels of God—a party worthy of rings and robes and fattened calves—when even one sinner repents.

And for those who do not share the Father’s joy in welcoming sinners? Well, their focus on the law instead of the Father should make them re-examine what it means to be a child in the first place.

Context matters.

For more examples of why context matters, click here.

Context Matters: Count the Cost

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coins

Michael Longmire (2018), public domain

Perhaps you’ve heard that Christians need to count the cost. They must plan and be prepared; they should always know what they’re getting into.

The advice to “count the cost” often comes up when raising money for a new building or a missions trip. (Let’s color in that thermometer!) I’ve also heard people use this expression when launching a project or undertaking a new venture.

What does Jesus mean by this little phrase? In Scripture as in life, context matters. If we learn to read the Bible properly—instead of as a loose collection of proverbs and pull-quotes—we’ll find that some familiar phrases and verses have far different meanings than we’ve assumed.

Jesus Teaches About Discipleship

The phrase “count the cost” (or “calculate the cost”) only appears one place in the Bible: Luke 14:28. The larger context is Luke 14:25–35, where Jesus lays out the demands of being his disciple.

Jesus punctuates this sermon with three statements about what qualifies a person to be his disciple; the phrase “cannot be my disciple” appears in verses 26, 27, and 33.

These are indeed hard sayings!

If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. […] So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:26–27,33)

It is between the second and third warning that Jesus uses two illustrations about counting the cost. In the first (Luke 14:28–30), Jesus tells of a man who wanted to build a tower. If the builder lacks the proper finances and supplies, he will end up with an unfinished project and ridicule. In the second illustration (Luke 14:31–32), a king ponders an upcoming battle. Outnumbered two-to-one, if he foresees disaster for his army, he will pull out of the fight and ask for a peace treaty.

In the first illustration, the question is: Do I have enough? In the second: Am I strong enough?

What is the Cost?

In the middle of a discourse on discipleship, Jesus’s illustrations raise a natural question: What is the cost of being a disciple of Jesus?

The answer from Jesus flashes as stark as lightning. “So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:33). Combined with verses 26 and 27, the comprehensive answer is as simple as it is difficult. Being a disciple of Jesus may cost you everything.

Christian discipleship is not about frequent cost-counting and recalibration. It must be obvious from the beginning of your journey with Jesus that you may lose everything. In fact, you must be willing to lose all family, all possessions, all respect, all dignity—even your very life—as a Christian disciple.

The question of counting the cost only needs to be raised once, because the answer is always the same. The only fruitful disciples are those who are willing to drop everything, as Jesus highlights in the last two verses of this chapter (Luke 14:34–35). Like tasteless salt, a Christian still clinging to family, possessions, or life is not effective or useful.

Lose Everything to Gain Everything

Jesus demands everything of his followers. But those who give up everything for Jesus will not find loss, but gain. Those who have Jesus have everything.

And in giving up everything, Christian disciples follow the pattern of the same Jesus who issues the call. He laid aside all family, possessions, relationships, glory, and dignity—at both his incarnation and at the cross—to purchase the salvation of his people.

Have you counted the cost of following Jesus? There is no discount, and the bill is extreme. But Jesus supplies what you lack and gives joy along the path.

Context matters.

For more examples of why context matters, click here.

 

Does Jesus Commend Dishonesty?

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If you’ve ever read the parable in Luke 16:1-9 about the fraudulent servant who gets fired, further cheats his employer, and is commended—you might have wondered what in the world was going on. When Jesus criticizes the sons of light for failing to be as shrewd as as the sons of this world (Luke 16:8), is he expecting his people to act like the crook?

John Piper answers this question for us by looking carefully at the text, within the context of Luke, and by drawing application from the parable’s main point. He shows us how to answer difficult questions with good Bible study skills.

Check it out!

The Resurrection of Jesus According to Luke

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Why did Jesus rise from the dead? We’ve previously looked at Matthew’s account, and today we turn to Luke.

The Purpose of Luke

Luke’s purpose is evident from the first verses of his book (Luke 1:1–4). He is writing an “orderly account” for Theophilus, that he would “have certainty concerning the things [he had] been taught.” Luke writes as a historian.

Following Daniel Wallace, I take this as Luke’s theme: Jesus is the Son of Man, rejected by Israel, offered to the Gentiles.

(See also Peter’s look at Luke for a previous series.)

The Witnesses

Luke 24 opens with three women approaching Jesus’s tomb at dawn (Luke 24:1), expecting to anoint his body with spices they prepared (Luke 23:56). They had seen Jesus’s body laid in the tomb (Luke 23:55), so when they find the stone rolled away, they know where to look. They are “perplexed” to find no body.

As the angels tell the women that Jesus has risen, they emphasize Jesus’s own words.

Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise. (Luke 24:6–7)

The women then remember (Luke 24:8) and tell the apostles what they saw (Luke 24:9). But the apostles don’t believe them (Luke 24:11), so Peter checks it out himself. He leaves the tomb convinced (Luke 24:12).

Remember that Luke is a historian, so he presents his readers with evidence and testimony about this miraculous discovery. We have not one, but two heavenly witnesses declaring, “He is not here, but has risen” (Luke 24:6). All three women who saw the empty tomb are named (Luke 24:10), perhaps for the purpose of verification. The angels point to Jesus’s prophecy about himself (Luke 9:22) as more evidence.

Peter gives the final testimony. It is significant that Peter saw the linen wrappings (Luke 24:12) instead of an empty tomb. Grave robbers would have taken the body with the cloth; a resurrected Jesus would shed his wrappings.

Peter’s previous appearance in Luke did not end well. Jesus looked at Peter after the rooster crow marked Peter’s third denial (Luke 22:61). After being absent at the crucifixion, he was desperate for another chance to see the Lord. He had to see the evidence for himself, and we see it through him.

Who is this Risen Jesus?

Luke doesn’t just present the empty tomb. He teaches us about Jesus in the process.

Through the account of the crucifixion, Luke highlights Jesus’s innocence. Pilate proclaims Jesus innocent three times (Luke 23:4, 23:14, 23:22). Herod can find nothing in Jesus worthy of death (Luke 23:15). One of the crucified criminals recognizes Jesus has done nothing wrong (Luke 23:14). And after Jesus breathed his last, the centurion praised God, knowing Jesus was innocent (Luke 23:47).

In Luke’s gospel, the phrase “sinful men” (Luke 24:7) is unique to this passage. He uses it here as a contrast: Jesus was unlike the men that carried out his death. In his resurrection, Jesus was vindicated, declared righteous and innocent. (See also 1 Timothy 3:16.)

Secondly, in Luke 24:7 the angels refer to Jesus as the “Son of Man.” This was Jesus’s favorite title for himself; the angels confirmed that Jesus used the title rightly. So what does that title mean?

At first glance, the title “Son of Man” seems ordinary, as though Jesus just meant he was a human. But Luke has far more in view.

The title “Son of Man” comes from Daniel 7. In a vision, one “like a son of man” appears before the Ancient of Days and is given dominion, glory, and a kingdom. Strikingly, “all peoples, nations, and languages” will serve him and “his dominion [will be] an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed” (Daniel 7:13–14). Instead of an earthy, human title, “Son of Man” is heavenly and kingly, with worldwide consequences. (For more on Jesus as the Son of Man, see here or here.)

Beyond Israel

A few more details from the surrounding chapters will help us firm up the main point.

Jesus prayed that his Father would forgive those who crucified him (Luke 23:34). He promised one of the criminals that he would be with Jesus in paradise (Luke 23:43). Additionally, when the resurrected Jesus meets with his disciples, he says that “repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in [the Christ’s] name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem” (Luke 24:47). Jesus came for Jews and Gentiles.

What’s the Main Point?

Here is Luke’s main point.

Believe this: Jesus is the innocent Son of Man, raised from the dead for the whole world.

In the resurrection passage, Luke aims for the head, so let’s focus our application there. Do you believe in Jesus’s resurrection? How does that affect your thinking about forgiveness, God’s power, and God’s promises?

Luke also wrote the book of Acts, and there we see that Jesus’s resurrection changed the apostles and turned the world upside down. Be careful, or it will have the same effect on you.

Two Ways to Outline a Bible Passage

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mkorsakov (2014), Creative Commons

mkorsakov (2014), Creative Commons

There must be high demand for Bible outlines, since they show up everywhere. Almost every study Bible outlines each book. Almost every commentary has a central outline. Most sermons and study guides outline their passages. And most introductory essays on books of the Bible share a few key topics: date, author, audience, key themes, and—you guessed it—outline.

We generate and consume Bible outlines in massive quantities, but have you ever considered what goes into creating an outline? How do you know if the outline is accurate or not? And what makes some outlines better or worse than others, at least for specific purposes?

Let’s assume you’re already convinced it’s worth your time to pay attention to structure. (If you need more convincing, see how structure shapes the meaning of a passage and 10 reasons why we should take note of structure.) How does that structure translate into a formal outline? What should you look for in an outline? Why are some outlines of the same text so different from one another?

Outline #1: Observational

The first way to make an outline is to summarize what the passage says. This type of outline takes the bare facts of a passage and puts them in order.

For example, here is part of an outline of Job from the Gospel Transformation Bible:

III. The Intervention of Eliphaz (Job 4:1-5:27)
IV. Job’s First Response to Eliphaz (Job 6:1-7:21)
V. The Intervention of Bildad (Job 8:1-22)
VI. Job’s First Response to Bildad (Job 9:1-10:22)
VII. The Intervention of Zophar (Job 11:1-20)
VIII. Job’s First Response to Zophar (Job 12:1-14:22)

This outline contains some important observations. Job’s speeches alternate with those of his 3 friends, who each speak in turn. If you continue through the outline, you’ll see that Eliphaz and Bildad each speak three times, and Zophar speaks only twice. But Job has a response to each one of their speeches.

This outline gives you a straightforward, clear grasp of the text’s structure. Similarly observational outlines for other books of the Bible might go like this:

Luke:
I. Jesus’ Birth (Luke 1-2)
II. Jesus’ Galilean Ministry (Luke 3-9)
III. Jesus on the Way to Jerusalem (Luke 9-19)
IV. Jesus in Jerusalem (Luke 19-21)
V. Jesus’ Suffering and Death (Luke 22-23)
VI. Jesus’ Resurrection (Luke 24)

Proverbs:
I. Introduction (Prov 1-9)
II. Proverbs of Solomon (Prov 10:1-22:16)
III. Sayings of the Wise (Prov 22:17-24:34)
IV. Hezekiah’s Collection (Prov 25-29)
V. Proverbs of Agur (Prov 30)
VI. Proverbs of King Lemuel (Prov 31:1-9)
VII. The Virtuous Woman (Prov 31:10-31)

These outlines tell you exactly what happens in the text, and they’re great for helping you get your bearings in a book. But they don’t say much more than the foundational what.

Outline #2: Interpretive

The second way to make an outline is to describe what the passage means. This type of outline takes the main points of a passage and shows their logical flow.

For example, here is part of an outline of Job (same section as above) from the ESV Study Bible:

B. The friends and Job: can Job be right before God? (Job 4:1–25:6)

1. First cycle (Job 4:1–14:22)

a. Eliphaz: can mortal man be in the right before God? (Job 4:1–5:27)
b. Job: life is futile (Job 6:1–7:21)
c. Bildad: the wisdom of the sages (Job 8:1–22)
d. Job: how can a mortal be just before God? (Job 9:1–10:22)
e. Zophar: repent (Job 11:1–20)
f. Job: a challenge to the “wisdom” of his friends (Job 12:1–14:22)

This outline goes beyond bare observation and shows the flow of ideas from one speech to the next. The chief benefit of such an outline is that it gives you not only the what but also the why. It focuses not only on summaries but also on main points (do you know the difference?). The chief weakness of such an outline is that it’s more likely to be mistaken or even off-center, since it’s not as clearly based on the surface of the text.

Different Outlines for Different Uses

In some cases, the observational outline will be more useful. Such cases include the first pass through a book overview, a detailed review to confirm the validity of an interpretive outline, or a quick compass check to find your place in a book (I’m slogging through Isaiah 25 and need to be reminded of the larger sections).

In other cases, the interpretive outline will be more useful. Such cases include teaching or preaching, concisely organizing the main points or train of thought, or moving toward application.

Let’s say you’re studying Mark 15:1-20 to teach to others. You might begin your own study with a simple observational outline:

  1. Jews deliver Jesus to Pilate (Mk 15:1-5)
  2. Pilate delivers Jesus to be crucified (Mk 15:6-15)
  3. Soldiers mock Jesus (Mk 15:16-20)

But I hope you don’t teach the passage that way. That outline doesn’t help anyone to understand why Mark wrote these things. Something like this will be more useful for teaching:

  1. Don’t mistake this King’s identity (Mk 15:1-5)
  2. Don’t miss this King’s release (Mk 15:6-15)
  3. Don’t abhor this King’s mockery (Mk 15:16-20)

Can you see the difference? Do you see how you can get from one outline to the other? Can you see benefits to each one? Why do you think some outlines are better than others?

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Why It’s Hard to Delegate Responsibility

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Peter Rasmussen (2014), Creative Commons

Peter Rasmussen (2014), Creative Commons

In family life, we call them helicopter parents, because they hover close and swoop in when their wards need rescue. They keep younglings caged and well-padded. They argue over grades with college professors. They sit in on job interviews. They expect daily phone calls and pre-decision consultations.

And these “helicopter parents” run rampant also in Christian ministry. I confess: I am prone to be one of them. But by way of contrast, let me tell a few stories.

Eighteen Months

I know one guy who served the Lord in a previously unreached part of the world. This community tolerated monotheism, and some folks had been influenced by Jewish ideas. But they had never heard of Jesus or his saving work until this man arrived. His ministry got kicked out of its meeting place several times. He made a remarkable number of enemies. He was even abducted and brought before the local judge on charges of anarchy (thankfully, he was acquitted). But he stayed there for a total of 18 months, preaching and making disciples. When God called him elsewhere, he left a thriving church with regular worship services, a reputation for strong teaching, and a group of pastors and elders to shepherd them.

Did you hear that? This guy trained and launched leaders from unbelief, through conversion, and into competent shepherding in 18 months! If someone new came to my Bible study, I might not even let them lead a prayer time in 18 months. I care too much to allow such reckless indiscretion.

On-the-Job Training

Another fellow in my acquaintance focused on itinerant ministry. He gathered a few trainees about him and poured himself into them, while he hit the preaching circuit. I was amazed by his ability to turn absolutely anything into an object lesson. He coached, explained things, served people, and let his apprentices participate and practice. Within a few years, he began booking his apprentices to preach on his behalf.

While I appreciated the multiplying ministry, I also had significant concerns here. A few of these apprentices didn’t yet have a clear Christology (doctrine of Christ). They hadn’t gone to seminary or received any other formal theological training. But this missionary was convinced their syllabus for learning needed a good proportion of teaching to help them progress faster in their training. It was pretty risky and almost created a disaster.

What Holds Us Back

Why is it so hard for me (and perhaps for you) to let people go, to send them out and let them try their hand at ministry? Why do we hover, hang on to responsibility, and pass things off with stalwart reluctance?

Of course, there are many possible answers. But the main reason for me is that I fear failure. It’s the same reason I hated group projects as a student. It’s why I carry burdens I don’t need to carry. It’s why I find it easiest to do something myself.

Can you relate?

  • Do you ever feel like an unskilled apprentice would reflect negatively on your leadership?
  • Do you think the stakes are too high for the people you minister to, for a newbie to make mistakes in caring for them?
  • Do you believe you’re caring for weaker brothers or sisters when you cushion their fall?

One of the best ways people learn is by feeling the pain of their mistakes. If we are serious about training others to lead Bible studies (or do any other kind of ministry), we must take risks. We must launch apprentices quickly, bring them back to debrief, and send them out to try it again. We need to give them real authority to try things. We must be okay with imperfection. We have to make peace with some people’s needs going unmet while the apprentice figures out how to meet them. We can’t jump in and fix it.

We should be okay with mistakes in the Bible study, mistakes in the small group, mistakes in the pulpit. We should never hammer ministry apprentices for trying and failing, though we might need to admonish them for not really trying.

I was not ready to lead my first Bible study, but I needed that first one so the second one could be better. Someone trusted me enough to let me try it. If I were that leader, training up that younger me, I might not have taken the risk. But I praise God for the courageous leaders in my life, and I want to be more like them.

Postscript: I want my argument to be biblical and not merely anecdotal, so allow me to introduce my two missionary friends from the case studies above. You may find them in Acts 18:1-18 and Luke 10:1-24.

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The Feeding of 5,000 According to Luke

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Why did Jesus feed the 5,000?

Each Gospel writer gives a different answer. In this post, I’ll unpack Luke’s account. I’ll start wide before zooming in on the passage.

Ron Cogswell (2012), Creative Commons

Ron Cogswell (2012), Creative Commons

The Book

Luke writes his Gospel to give an “orderly account” of “all that Jesus began to do and teach” so a man named Theophilus could be certain about what he had been taught (Luke 1:1-4, Acts 1:1-2).

A few themes distinguish Luke’s Gospel, especially in contrast to Matthew and Mark:

  • Jesus cares for the poor and marginalized of society.
  • Jesus receives Gentiles.
  • Jesus relies on and sends the Holy Spirit to carry out God’s work.
  • Much space is spent “on the way” to Jerusalem (Luke 9-19).

These themes are not absent from the other Gospels; they’re just given greater prominence in Luke.

The Structure

Luke orders his account of Jesus’ life around (primarily) geographic divisions:

  1. Prologue: Jesus’ birth and preparation for ministry—Luke 1:1-4:13
  2. Ministry in Galilee (northern Israel)—Luke 4:14-9:50
    1. Summary scenes—Luke 4:14-37
    2. First tour—Luke 4:38-7:50
    3. Second tour—Luke 8:1-56
    4. Third tour—Luke 9:1-50
  3. Journey to Jerusalem—Luke 9:51-19:27
  4. Final Week in Jerusalem—Luke 19:28-24:53

Because the feeding of the 5,000 occurs in Luke 9:10-17, this post will focus on the Galilean section of Luke.

Notice how Jesus’ ministry in Galilee unfolds. First, Jesus preaches the good news of the kingdom of God on his own, gathering his disciples along the way (Luke 4:43). Second, he proclaims the good news of the kingdom, being more intentional about incorporating his disciples in the work (Luke 8:1). Third, he gives the disciples much opportunity to do the work themselves under his oversight (Luke 9:2).

At the end of the section, however, they are unable to:

  • cast out a demon (Luke 9:40)
  • understand Jesus’ destiny (Luke 9:45)
  • become truly great (Luke 9:46-48)
  • distinguish enemies from friends (Luke 9:49-50)

These disciples must learn the way of the cross before they’ll be ready to build the Kingdom. So Jesus sets his face to go to Jerusalem (Luke 9:51), and the next 10 chapters illustrate Jesus’ immovable commitment to go and die for the sins of the people.

The Ministry

Before we look at the feeding episode in detail, we should understand Luke’s summary of the entire Galilean ministry. Luke’s introductory scene sets the stage for all that follows:

And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4:16-21, ESV)

Time slows as Luke draws out the tale: standing up, receiving the scroll, unrolling it, finding just the right spot, reading, rolling it up, handing it back, and sitting down. Eyes glued. Scripture fulfilled.

According to Luke, Jesus’ ministry is one of proclaiming good news to the poor. He brings liberty, sight, freedom, and favor to the captive, blind, oppressed, and miserable. Jesus chose that passage from Isaiah to describe his work. Luke chose that scene from Jesus’ life to describe God’s purpose in Christ.

Jesus’ work in Galilee—and his inclusion of the disciples in that work—is focused on bringing good news to the poor.

The Feeding

Like Matthew, Luke shows Jesus instructing the disciples in the preaching of the word of God (Luke 8:1-14). But Luke doesn’t focus on the word nearly as much as Matthew does. In the third Galilean tour, Luke gives a more complementary twofold commission “to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal” (Luke 9:2).

As they proclaim and heal, the disciples must take no provisions. They must learn to rely on the hospitality of those who will receive the kingdom (Luke 9:3-6).

As they preach, Herod the tetrarch hears of it and feels some guilt over his oppression of the captive John (Luke 9:7-8). He wants to see Jesus (Luke 9:9), but not so he may worship him (Luke 23:8-11).

On their return from proclaiming and healing, the apostles make a report, and Jesus withdraws with them to Bethsaida (Luke 9:10). The crowds follow, and Jesus welcomes them. He again models for the disciples the twofold ministry: “He spoke to them of the kingdom of God and cured those who had need of healing” (Luke 9:11).

Though Luke’s account of the feeding is very similar to Matthew’s account, be careful not to sidetrack interpretation by harmonizing them. Notice a few subtle differences that highlight Luke’s unique purpose.

The disciples’ solution to overcrowding:

  • Matthew: “Send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves” (Matt 14:15).
  • Luke: “Send the crowd away to go into the surrounding villages and countryside to find lodging and get provisions” (Luke 9:12).

Jesus’ alternative proposal:

  • Matthew: “They need not go away; you give them something to eat” (Matt 14:16).
  • Luke: “You give them something to eat” (Luke 9:13).

The disciples’ indignation:

  • Matthew: “We have only five loaves here and two fish” (Matt 14:17).
  • Luke: “We have no more than five loaves and two fish—unless we are to go and buy food for all these people” (Luke 9:13).

Jesus’ hospitality:

  • Matthew: “Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass” (Matt 14:19).
  • Luke: “And he said to his disciples, ‘Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each‘” (Luke 9:14).

While Matthew’s account focuses on the crowd’s real need (not just food but the word of God), Luke’s account focuses on the idea of hospitality. The crowd needs not just food but lodging. The disciples are unwilling to be hosts for such a crowd. Jesus directly plays the role of host: speaking, instructing the disciples, and shepherding the people into smaller groups.

The Main Point

With the feeding of the 5,000, Luke isn’t focused on Jesus’ identity as the Son of God (as John is). He’s also not focused on training the disciples to preach the word (as Matthew is). He’s more interested in showing Jesus’ benevolent hospitality to the poor and hungry masses.

The point of the story is this: Jesus’ followers, on mission from their master, must learn not only to accept hospitality but give it in Jesus’ name. Such hospitality will be both lavish (Luke 9:17) and costly (Luke 9:13b). This good news of the kingdom is not only for the wealthy, the successful, the happy, the Jews. It’s for those who are down and out, oppressed, captive, blind, marginalized, and hungry. And the message of the Kingdom must be illustrated visibly by the Kingdom’s messengers.

Question: This week, how can you be lavishly hospitable to the poor who might be ready to follow Jesus?