The Establishment And Expansion of Jesus' Messianic Ministry (5:1-9:50).
In this section we see the see the establishment and growth of Jesus' ministry as Messiah as He manifests Himself to Israel, and then how He goes about establishing the new Israel. This will be revealed as we go along, but note that central to it all is the proclamation of the Kingly Rule of God.
The whole may be analysed as follows:
a Jesus calls Peter and John and appoints them as fishers of men (Luke 5:1-11).
b An ‘unclean' skin diseased man is cleansed and all are amazed, a picture of what Jesus has come to do for Israel (Luke 5:12-16).
c The Messiah reveals His glory under a series of Old Testament pictures. As the Son of Man He has power to forgive sins, as God's Physician He has the ability to restore outcasts, as the Bridegroom He brings rejoicing to the people and as Son of Man He is Lord over the Sabbath. His glory shines out. The old has passed the new has come - it includes the Messianic healing of the paralysed man who is forgiven by the Son of Man - the door to faith as open to Levi and the outcasts through the Great Physician (The Messianic healer is here) - the joy that is present because of the coming of The Heavenly Bridegroom - the new authority of the One Who is Son of Man and is therefore also Lord of the Sabbath (Luke 5:17 to Luke 6:11).
d Jesus appoints His Apostles (Luke 6:12-19).
e Jesus' declares God's blessings on the people of God, and woes on the rich and those who are highly thought of by men, followed by the new giving of the Law and general teaching (Luke 6:20-38).
f Jesus' power is sent out to heal the centurion's servant (Luke 7:2-10).
g The son of the widow of Nain is raised from the dead (Luke 7:11-17).
h John the Baptiser questions whether Jesus is the Messiah and is informed of the signs and wonders Jesus is doing so as to establish his faith - he is exalted by Jesus (Luke 7:18-35).
i The sinful woman wipes His feet with her hair and kisses Him because she believes in Him, a picture of the response that should be Israel's, while the Pharisee's response is muted - the parable of the two Debtors (Luke 7:36-50).
j Jesus proclaims His parables concerning the secrets of the Kingly Rule of God (Luke 8:1-18).
i Jesus own mother, and his brothers, come to take Him away because they do not believe in him. They do not respond to Him (Luke 8:19-21).
h Jesus as the Messiah quells the storm and delivers the demoniac (revealing His power over nature and evils spirits) establishing faith in His Apostles by signs and wonders (Luke 8:22-39).
g The daughter of Jairus is raised from the dead (Luke 8:40-56).
f Jesus' power is sent out through the twelve to preach and to heal (Luke 9:1-6).
e The rich and powerful Herod is in doubt while the people of God are blessed at the sacramental meal where they receive His teaching (Luke 9:7-17).
d His chosen Apostles, through Peter, confess Jesus as the Messiah (Luke 9:18-27).
c The Messianic revelation is made at the Transfiguration where Jesus' glory shines forth. He is God's Servant and the focus of the law and the prophets as represented by Moses and Elijah (Luke 9:28-36).
b A demon possessed boy with an ‘unclean' spirit is cleansed and all are amazed, a picture of the deliverance of Israel (Luke 9:37-43).
a What the fishers of men must recognise and the position that they must take up. The Son of Man must die - he who is great shall be least - he who is not against them is for them (Luke 9:44-50).
· The section closes with ‘For he who is not against you is for you' (Luke 9:50).
We note how in ‘a' He calls Peter, James and John as fishers of men, and in the parallel makes clear the message that they must take out and the attitude that they must have. In ‘b' a leper who is unclean is cleansed, and in the parallel a boy possessed by an unclean demon is cleansed, both pictures of what Jesus wants to do for Israel. In ‘c' the Son of Man is revealed as what He is and in the parallel Jesus is revealed as what He is. In ‘d' He appoints His Apostles, and in the parallel they recognise Him for what He is. In ‘e' we have blessings on the people of God and woes on the rich and important, and in the parable we have the rich and important Herod in grave doubt and the people of God blessed at the sacramental meal, a meal which symbolises the future blessing. In ‘f' His word and power are sent forth to heal the centurion's son at a distance, and in the parallel the Apostles are sent forth with His word and power, and through them He heals at a distance. In ‘g' the son of the widow of Nain is raised from the dead and in the parallel the daughter of Jairus is raised from the dead (another man/woman parallel). In ‘h' John is told of the signs and wonders that Jesus is doing and in the parallel Jesus does signs and wonders so as to encourage the disciples. In ‘i' the outcast sinful woman wipes His feet with her hair and her tears because of her love for Him and comes in, and in the parallel Mary, with her family, come to take Him because they do not believe in Him and remain outside. In ‘j', central to it all, is the proclamation of the Kingly Rule of God.
The section can now be divided into four parts.
1). Jesus Has Come As The Fulfiller Of Old Testament Promises (Luke 5:1 to Luke 6:19).
In the first part of the section incidents are described which bring out how Jesus is the One Who fulfils in Himself the Old Testament promises (Luke 5:1 to Luke 6:19).
a He calls the three and is the One Who sends out fishermen to fish for God's people in the last days (Jeremiah 16:16).
b He heals a skin diseased person as Elisha did (2 Kings 5) - a picture of His cleansing of men's lives.
c He is the Son of Man Who forgives men's sins.
d He eats and drinks with ‘sinners' and is the Great Physician Who makes men whole (compare Jeremiah 8:22).
e He is the Bridegroom Who has come for His bride (Isaiah 62:5).
d He brings new clothing and new wine for His people.
c He is the Son of Man, the One like David, Who is Lord of the Sabbath.
b He heals a man with a withered hand - a picture of the restoration of the withered Vine to fruitfulness and of the withered bones of Israel to life.
a He calls His Apostles - the twelve - establishing the foundation of the New Israel - and with them alongside He preaches and heals.
2). The Foundation Of The New Israel Under The Kingly Rule of God (Luke 6:20 to Luke 8:18).
In the second part of the section (Luke 6:20 to Luke 8:18), He reveals Himself as the founder of the new Israel under the Kingly Rule of God:
a He proclaims the new Law of the Kingly Rule of God (Luke 6:20-49).
b He sends out His power to the Gentiles, to those who are seen as unclean, but who have believed. They too are to benefit from His Kingly Rule (Luke 7:1-10).
c He raises the dead, a foretaste of the resurrection, revealing Him as ‘the Lord'. The Kingly Rule of God is here (Luke 7:11-17).
d John's disciples come to ‘the Lord' enquiring on behalf of John, and He points to His signs and wonders as evidence that He is the promised One. The King is present to heal and proclaim the Good News of the Kingly Rule of God (Luke 7:18-23).
c He exalts, yet also sets in his rightful place, John the Baptiser as the greatest of the prophets and points beyond him to the new Kingly Rule of God, emphasising again that the Kingly Rule of God is here (Luke 7:24-35).
b He is greeted by the transformed prostitute, who has believed, a picture of restored Israel (Ezekiel 16:59-63) and of the fact that the Kingly Rule of God is available to all Who seek Him and hear Him.
a He proclaims the parables of the Kingly Rule of God (Luke 8:1-18).
3). Jesus is Revealed As The Messiah Come With Power (Luke 8:19 to Luke 9:36).
In the third part of the section He is Revealed as the glorious Messiah Who has come with power (Luke 8:19 to Luke 9:36):
a He no longer owns responsibility to His own family who do not believe in Him, and are on the outside (earth does not recognise Him) (Luke 8:19-21).
b He is revealed as the One Who is from above by quelling the storm, revealing His power over nature (Luke 8:22-25).
c He delivers the demoniac of a legion of demons, revealing His power over the spirit world (Luke 8:26-39).
d He raises the dead, revealing His power over death (Luke 8:30-56).
c He sends out His power to preach and to heal through the twelve, with power over all demons (Luke 9:1-10).
b He is revealed as the One Who is from above by providing a miraculous sacramental meal, revaling His power over nature (Luke 9:11-17).
a He is confessed as Messiah by His followers, and by being transfigured before them revealing Who His true Father is (Luke 9:18-36).
4). Jesus Commences The Training of His Disciples (Luke 9:37-50).
In the final part He commences the training for those who must take over His work (Luke 9:37-50).
a They are unable to cast out demons and through a demon possessed boy they learn their own weakness (Luke 9:37-43 a).
b They learn that the Son of Man must be humbled under the hands of men but did not understand (Luke 9:43).
b They learn that they too must not seek greatness, and must receive little children in His name, because he who is least is greatest (Luke 9:46-48).
a They forbid one who casts out demons' in Jesus name and learn the lesson that he who is not against them is with them (Luke 9:49-50).
These are vital lessons for the future.
JESUS HAS COME AS THE ONE WHO WILL FULFIL THE OLD TESTAMENT PROMISES (Luke 5:1 to Luke 6:19).
The promise of One Who would come ‘in the last days' is prominent in the Old Testament under various descriptions, Prophet (Deuteronomy 18:15; Isaiah 61:1), Greater David (Isaiah 9:6-7; Isaiah 11:1-4; Ezekiel 37:24-28; Daniel 7:13-14; and often), Servant of the Lord (Isaiah 42:1-6; Isaiah 49:1-6; Isaiah 50:3-8; Isaiah 52:13 to Isaiah 53:12). But Jesus here calls also on other ideas which in the Old Testament applied to God, but which He applies to Himself. It is a half-hidden revelation of Deity.
a He calls the three, Peter, James and John, and is the One Who sends out fishermen to fish for God's people in the last days (Jeremiah 16:16).
b He heals a skin diseased person as Elisha did (2 Kings 5)- a picture of His cleansing of men's lives.
c He is the Son of Man (Daniel 9:13-14) Who forgives men's sins.
d He eats and drinks with ‘sinners' and is the Great Physician Who makes men whole (compare Jeremiah 8:22).
e He is the Bridegroom Who has come for His bride (Isaiah 62:5).
d He brings new clothing (Zechariah 3:4-5 compare Matthew 22:11-12) and new wine (Isaiah 25:6 compare John 2:1-11) for His people.
c He is the Son of Man (Daniel 9:13-14), the One like David, Who is Lord of the Sabbath.
b He heals a man with a withered hand - a picture of the restoration of fruitfulness (Ezekiel 17:24) and of life (Ezekiel 37:2; Ezekiel 37:4) to His new people.
a He calls His Apostles - the twelve - establishing the foundation of the New Israel - and with them alongside He preaches and heals.
‘Now it came about, while the multitude pressed on him and heard the word of God, that he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret.'
The crowds continued to gather around Jesus in order to hear ‘the word of God', the truth of God taught by Jesus, as He was standing by the lake of Gennesaret. They were so eager that they were pressing in on Him and making it difficult for Him to speak in comfort and safety.
Gennesaret was a region south of Capernaum whose name had become attached to the Sea of Galilee. The lake is know as Gennesaret in outside sources, and is seven miles (eleven kilometres) wide and thirteen miles (twenty one kilometres) long. It is liable to sudden storms because of the wind swirling through the surrounding hills, and is six hundred feet (211 metres) below sea level, being bountifully supplied with fish, and in Jesus' day its shores were dotted with towns.
The crowds had gathered to hear ‘the word of God.' The spreading of this word, and its effectiveness, is a theme of Luke and Acts. It is the word concerning the Kingly Rule of God and in Acts includes the proclamation of the name of Jesus Christ. The popularity of it among the ordinary people is brought out here.
‘Gennesaret.' The lake is called that only here in the New Testament. It suggests that Luke obtained this story from a local who thought of the Lake in those terms. Peter, James and John clearly did not see it as a story to be spread around. They would think that it could only fully be appreciated by fishermen, and by recounting it they may have thought that they would be seen as putting themselves in a position of superiority to those whose calls were less spectacular.