PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels — St. Luke — Volume 1
Ryle, J. C. (John Charles), 1816–1900 · 151,572 words · 360 reading sections
LUKE I. 67—80.
67 And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and pro- phesied, saying, 68 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel ; for he hath visited and re- deemed his people, 69 And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David ; 70 As he spake bvthe mouth of his holy prophets, whicn have…
252 wordsSECTION 6244 EXFOSITOKT THOTJOHTS.
Another hymn of praise demands onr attention in these verses. We have read the thanksgiving of Mary, the mother of onr Lord. Let us now read the thanksgiving of Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist. We have heard what praises the first advent of Christ drew from the Yii^gin of the house of David. Let us now hear w…
290 wordsSECTION 63LUKE, CHAF. I. VEE. 67^^80. 45
the ineaxnatioQ of dmst Let us open our eyes to tiiie extent of our obligatioiui. Let ns learn from the example of Zacharias, to be more thankM. We should notice, secondly, in this hynm of praise, bow mueh stress Zacharias lays an OocCs fulfilment of Bis promises. He declares that God has "visited and re- deemed his p…
300 wordsSECTION 6446 EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS.
preyail against any believer. — ^Their acquittal at the last day is secured by promise. They shall not come into condemnation^ but shall be presented spotless before the Father's throne. — ^Their final glory is secured by promise. Their Saviour shall come again the second time, as surely as He came the first, — ^to gat…
306 wordsSECTION 65LUKE, CHAP. I. VEE. 67 — 80. 47
f Gospel-kingdom shall yet fill the whole earth. But whether in its incomplete or complete .state, the subjects of the kingdom are always of one character. They *' serve God without fear." They serve God " in holiness and righteousness." Let us give all diligence to belong to this kingdom. Small as it seem now, it wi…
282 wordsSECTION 66ITOTBB. LUKB I. 67—80.
00. — [An Tiom of salvation.] Henry Venn remarks, " The horn of an animal is its weapon for defence and vengeance, its orna- ment and beauty too. It is used therefore in the prophetic style, to denote the power of the strongest empires. In the same sense we are to understand it here. By this image the exceed- ing great…
367 wordsSECTION 67LUKE, CHAP. 11. VEK. 1 — 1.
49 LTTKE n. 1—7. 1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree firom Ccesar Augustus, that all the world ■hould be 1»xed. 2 (And this taxing was first made whenCyrenius was governor of Syria.) 3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out o…
665 wordsSECTION 68LUKE, CHAP. 11. VBR. 1 — 7. 61
He turns the hearts of kings whithersoever He will. He overruled the time when Augustus decreed the taxing. He directed the enforcement of the decree in such a way, that Mary must needs be at Bethlehem when ''the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.'' Little did the haughty Roman emperor, and his office…
1,041 wordsSECTION 6954 EXPOSITOBT THOUGHTS.
which of the two taxings he meant. In fayour of thi^ view, it must be remembered that St Luke was infinitely more likely to be correct about a matter of fact, than any uninspired historians, and that we haye no right to assume, where he differs from them, that they are correct, and he incorrect Moreover, it is a striki…
473 wordsSECTION 70LUKE, CHAP. H. VER. 8 — ^20.
65 really correct There is do certain proof tbat the expression means anytning more than that he was "laid in the stable, because there was no room in the house." Some think that this manger was one of those hair cloths, out of which horses, in those countries, are fed. There is strong reason for supposing that the wh…
810 wordsSECTION 71LUKB, CHAP. 11. VEB. 8 — ^20. 67
darknem which had coyered the earth for four thousand years, was about to be rolled away. The way to pardon and peace with God was about to be thrown open to all mankind. The head of Satan was about to be bruised. lib^Hy was about to be proclaimed to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind. The mighty truth …
304 wordsSECTION 7258 BXF06IIORY THOUGHTS.
souls being saved^ and many brands plucked firom the burning. Let us strive to be more like-minded with the angels. Our spiritual ignorance and deadness appear most pain- fully in our inability to enter into the joy which we see them here expressing. Surely if we hope to dwell with them for ever in heayen, we ought to…
283 wordsSECTION 73LUKB, CHAP. II. VEB. 8 — ^20. 69
which Christ was to purchase wifli His own blood, — ^the peace which is offered freely to all mankind^ — the peace which, once admitted into the heart, makes men live at peace one with another, and will one day overspread the whole world. "Good wiU towards men ! " the song concludes. Now is come the time when God's ki…
1,147 wordsSECTION 7462 EXF06IT0BT THOTTGHTB.
the flesh He was a Jew, made of a Jewish woman, and ''made under the law/' (Galat. It. 4.) Without it He would not have fulfilled the law's requirements. With- out it He could not have heen recognized as the son of David, and the seed of ^Abraham. Let us remember, furthermore, that circumcision was absolutely necessary…
627 wordsSECTION 7564 EXPOBITOKY THOUGHTS.
fHother, the Virgin Mart/. This is a fact which^ at first sight, may not /stand ont dearly in Hie form of these yerses. But a reference to the twelfUi chapter of Leyiti- 008 will at once make it plain. There we shall see, that the offering which Mary made was specially appointed to be made by poor people : — " If she b…
317 wordsSECTION 76NOTBB. LVTLE U, 21—24.
21. — [CireumeUing of the ehUd.] Bishop Hall remarks, " He that came to be sin for us, would in our persons be legally unclean, that by satisfying the law he might take away our uncleanness. Though he were exempted from the ordinary conditions of our birth, yet he would not deliver himself from mose ordinary rites that…
480 wordsSECTION 7766 EXFOSITOBY THOUGHTS.
is nowhere else mentioned in the "Sew Testament, a ''just and devout man" named Simeon. We know nothing of his life before or after the time when Christ was bom. We are only told that he came by the Spirit into the temple, when the child Jesus was brought there by His mother, and that he " took him up in his arms and b…
308 wordsSECTION 78LUKE, CHAP. II. VER. 26 — 35. 67
have I left me seven thousand in Israel.'' (1 Kings xix. 14, 18.) Let US learn to be more hopefiiL Let ns believe that grace can live and flourish, even in the most un- favourable circumstances. There are more Simeons in the world than we suppose. We see in the song of Simeon how completely a believer can be delivered…
1,231 wordsSECTION 79LUKE, CHAP. II. VBB. 26 — 35. 71
Notes. Lukb II. 25-~35. 26. — [A man whose name was Simeon,] Some learned men bold that this Simeon was a man of great note in Jerusalem, the son of Hillel, and father of Gamaliel. Henry says, **the Jews say that he was endued with a prophetic spirit, and that he was turned out of his place because he witnessed agains…
445 wordsSECTION 8072 'K3LMPJTORY THOTIGHTS,
cially fulfilled when she stood by the cross, and saw her Son dying there. Might not our lird be reminding her of this prophecy, when in that solemn hour He commended her to His disciple John, saying, ** Behold thy mother," — ^in order that she might have a Mend in her time of need ? LUKE n. 36-40. 36 And there was o…
353 wordsSECTION 81LUKE, CHAP. II. TBIU 36—40. 73
very great. But Anna by grace overcame them all. She answered to the description given by St. Paul. She was "a widow indeed." (1 Tim. iv. 6.) Anna was a woman who loved God's bouse. '* She departed not from the temple." She regarded it as the place where God especially dwelt, and toward which every pious Jew in foreig…
574 wordsSECTION 82LUKE, CHAP. II. VBB. 86 40. 76
and prophets, fhat the coming Bedeemer would bring in holiness and righteousness, and that His principal victory would be over sin and the devil. For such a Sredeemer they waited patiently. For such a victory they earnestly longed. Let us learn a lesson from these good people. If they, with so few helps and so many di…
611 wordsSECTION 83LUKE, CHAP. II. VER. 36 40. 77
Israel when Christ was horn. But as the word ** prophet" does not necessarily imply, in the New Testament, the power of fore- telling things to oome, so also it may he with die word ** pro- phetess." [Tribe ofAser.'] This is remarkahle, when we rememher that Asher was one of the ten trihes, who were carried into capti…
483 wordsSECTION 84EXFOSHOBT THOUGHTS.
LUKE n. 41—62. 41 Now Mb parents went to Jem- lalem every year at the feast of the Passover. 42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast. 43 And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem ; and Joseph and his mother…
421 wordsSECTION 85LUKE, CHAP. II. VBB. 41 — 52. 79
people without any means of conveyance, was, doubtless, troublesome and fatiguing. To leave house and home for ten days or a fortnight was no slight expense. But God had given Israel a command, and Joseph and Mary strictly obeyed it. God had appointed an ordinance for their spiritual good, and they regularly kept it. A…
903 wordsSECTION 86I
r 82 EXFOsrroBY thouohts. ■ inclined to go back to the world. — " Are we about our Father's business P Are we walking in the steps of Jesus Christ?" — Such questions will often prove very hum- bling, and make us ashamed of ourselves. But such questions are eminently useful to our souls. Never is a Church in so healt…
1,194 wordsSECTION 87LUKE, CHAP. III. VBE. 1 — 6. 85
eth the wind shall not sow, uni he that regardeih the clouds shall not reap.'' (Ecdes. xL 4.) Let us work on, and believe that help will cope from heaven, when it is most wanted. In the very hour when a Eoman emperor, and ignorant priests, seemed to have everything at their feet, the Lamb of God was about to come forth…
310 wordsSECTION 8886 15XFOSITORT THOUGHTS.
the Holy Ghost'' to take npon him the office of a minister. The man who cannot say this, when he comes forward to be ordained, is committing a great sin, and running without being sent. Let it be a part of our daily prayers, that our churches may have no mimsters excepting those who are really called of God. An imcony…
652 wordsSECTION 89EXPOSITORY TH0UGH18.
5, — [Every vaUey ikaU he filled, dc."] These and similar expres- sions in this verse must certainly receive a figurative interpretar tion. It is no literal pulling down of mountains, or filling up of valleys, that is here meant. The sense of the prophecj evidently is, that difficulties and ohstacles as great as mounta…
761 wordsSECTION 9090 EXFOSITORT THOUGHTS.
his hearefs about hell and danger. He tells them that there is a " wrath to come." He speaks of " the axe " of God's judgments, and of unfruitful trees being cast into " the fire." The subject of hell is always offendve to human nature. The minister who dwells much upon it, must expect to find himself regarded as coar…
1,651 wordsSECTION 91Part 91
We learn, firstly, from these verses, that one effect of a faithful ministry is to set inen thinking. "We read con- cerning John the Baptist's hearers, that "the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their hearts of John, whether he were the Christ, or not." LTJKB, CHAP. ni. VER. 15 — ^20. 95 • The cause o…
972 wordsSECTION 9298 SXF061T0BT THOUGHTS.
discernment of character is an impossibility. The wheat and the chaff will continue together nntil the Lord retnms. But there will be an awful separation at the last day. The unerring judgment of the King of kings shall at length divide the wheat from the chaff, and divide them for evermore. The righteous shall be gat…
709 wordsSECTION 93EXFOSITOBT THOITORTB.
LT7KE m. 21'-dS. 21 Now when dl the pedple were baptized, it eame to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heayen was opened, 22 And the Holy Ghoet descended in a bodily shape like a doye upon him, and a yoice came from heayen, which said. Thou art my beloyed Son ; in thee I am well pleased. 23 And …
906 wordsSECTION 94102 ETPOSITORT THOUGHTS.
and prayer. We are specially told by St. Luke, that when our Lord was baptized He was also "praying." We need not doubt that there is a great lesson in this fact, and one that the Church of Christ has too much orerlooked. We are meant to learn that the baptism which God blesses must be a baptism accom- panied by praye…
609 wordsSECTION 95104 EXPOSITORY TH0T70HTS.
These solemn words no donbt contain mnoli that is deeply mysterious. One thing hoireyer about them is abundantly clear. They are a divine declaration, that oi|r Lord Jesus Christ is the promised Kedeemer, whom God from the beginning undertook to send into the world, and that with His incarnation, sacrifice, and sub-* s…
295 wordsSECTION 96LUKE, CHAP. III. VER. 21-— 38. 105
are able to turn to a living Saviour. *' I am he" says Jesus, '' that liveth and was dead, and behold I am alive for evermore." " I am the resurrection and the life." (Rev. i. 18 ; John xi. 25.) Let our main care be, to be one with Christ and Christ with us. Joined to the Lord Jesus by faith we shall rise again to live…
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natural son of one, and the adopted son of the other. This explanation is that which satisfied the early fathers, and is com- monly known as that of Julius Africanus. It is, however, in spite of its antiquity, open to several serious objections. It is difficult to see why Joseph's genealogy should be repeated by Luke, …
497 wordsSECTION 98LUKB, CHAP. IV. VER. 1 — 13.
107 uagiot version of the Old Testament. — Some think that the name has crept into St Luke's Gospel by the error of some ' transcriber, who knew nothing of Hebrew, and only knew the old Testament from the Septuagint version, and that St. Luke originally did not insert Cainan's name. — Tliis last solution is maintained…
179 wordsSECTION 99LUKE IV. 1—13.
1 And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, 2 Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing : and when they were ended, he afterward hungered. 3 And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone th…
623 wordsSECTION 100LUKE, CHAP. IT. VEU. 1 — 13. 109
lot of His disciples. That mighty spirit who did not fear to attack Jesos himself is still going about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. That mur- derer and liar who vexed Job, and overthrew David and !Peter, still lives, and is not yet bound. If he cannot rob us of heaven, he will at any rate mskfi our jo…
308 wordsSECTION 101110 EXF06ITOBY THOUGHTS.
with the feeling of their infinnities. (Heb. iv. 15.) When they pour out their hearts before the throne of grace, and groan under the burden that daily harasses them, there is One making intercession who knows their sorrows. Let us take courage. The Lord Jesus is not an " austere man.'' He knows what we mean when we co…
1,053 wordsSECTION 102^F^"
Ll7K£y CHAP. IV. VKK. 1 — 13. 113 [That it may be made bread.] Let it be noted that the first temptation contained an appeal to a fleshly appetite, like the temptation in £den. Adam and £Ye were tempted to eat un- lawniUy, and 8o also was our Lord. 4. — [It is written.] This text, we should mark, as well as the two o…
994 wordsSECTION 103LUKE IV. 14—22.
sent me to heal the lm>kenhearted, to preach deliTeranoe to the captives, and recovering of sight to the olind, to set at liberty them that are bnused, 19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. 20 And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the…
1,353 wordsSECTION 104LUKE, CHAP. IV. VEK. 22 — 32. 119
produce^ if they are really doing us good. Without such fruit, a mere barren admiration is utterly worthless. It is no proof of grace. It will save no soul. KoTBS. LuKB lY. 14—22. 14. — \Famsof him!] Here, as in other places, the word "of" is used by our trauslators in the sense of ** about/' or ** concerning.'* 16.…
319 wordsSECTION 105LUKE IV. 22—32.
22 And aU bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said. Is not this Joseph's son ? 23 And he said unto them, Ye wiU surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself : whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country. 24 And he said…
498 wordsSECTION 106LUKB, CHAP. IV. VER. 22 — 32. 121
often bold them very cheap, and underrate the extent of our mercies. Let us take heed to our own spirit in the use of sacred things. Often as we may read the Bible, let us never read it without deep reverence. Often as we hear the name of Christ, let us never forget that He is the One Mediator, in whom is life. Even th…
322 wordsSECTION 107122 EXFOSITOBY THOUGHTS.
Of all fhe doctrines of the Bible none is so offensiye to human nature as the doctrine of God's soyereigniy. To be told that Gtod is great, and just, and boly, and pure, man can bear. But to be told that '^ he hath merqr on whom He will have mercy," — ^that He **giveth no account of His matters," — ^that it is '^not of…
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Lord was regarded at Nazareth, afid how little the miraculotui circumstances of His cod caption and hirth were generallj known. 23. — [This proverb.] Let it he noted here that our Lord answers one proverb by another. It is a singular peculiarity about proverbs, that they can generally be found in defence ot either sid…
285 wordsSECTION 109LITEE IV. 33-44.
83 And in the svnagogne there was a man, which had a spirit of an un- clean devil, and cried out with a loud voice, 34 Saying, Let us alone ; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth ? art thou come to destroy us ? I know thee who thou art ; the Holy One of God. 3^ And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy …
176 wordsSECTION 110LTTKB, CHAP. IV. VEK. 33 44.
125 ^nked the ferer ; and it left her : and | immediately she arose and ministered unto them. 40 Now when the sun was setting, all they that had any sick with divers diseases brought them unto him ; and he laid his hands on every one of them, and healed them. 41 And devils also came out of many, crying out, and sayi…
677 wordsSECTION 111LUKE, CHAP. IV. VBR. 33 44. 127
ability of Christ to supply to the uttermost every want of human nature, is the very comer-stone of Christianity. Christ, in one word, is " all." (Coloss. iii. 11.) Let the study of every miracle help to engrave this truth deeply on our hearts. We should notice, thirdly, in these verses, our Lord's practice of occasio…
595 wordsSECTION 112LX7KE, CHAP. IV. VEE. 33 — 44. .129
done In the Chnrcli. Let us hear sermons in a prayerful and reverent frame of mind, and remember that they are the principal engines which Christ Himself employed, when He was upon earth. Not least, let us pray daily for a continual supply of faithful preachers of God's word. According to the state of the pulpit will a…
498 wordsSECTION 113LUKE V. 1—11.
1 And it came to pass, that, sb the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Oennesaret, 2 And saw two sfaipa standing by the lake : but the i^Lermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets. 3 And he entered into one of the 8hix>8, which was Simon's, and prayed him that he w…
371 wordsSECTION 114LUKB, CHAF. V. VEB. 1 — 11. 131
worked at the beginning of oux Lord's ministry, and another which we find Him working after His resur* rection, at the end of His ministry, recorded by St. John. (John xxi. 1., &c.) In both we read of a miracnlousr draught of fishes. In both the Apostle P^r has a promi- nent place in the story. And in both there is, pr…
317 wordsSECTION 115132 SXPOSFTORT THOL'GHIS.
the way. (Prov. xr. 19 ; xxii. 13.) Wkere we are and as we are^ in season or out of season^ by one means or by another, by tongue or by pen, by speaking or by writing, let ns strire to be ever working for God. But let us never stand still. We should observe, secondly, in 'this passage, tphat €neour<igement our Lord gi…
301 wordsSECTION 116LUKE, CHAP. V. VER. 1 — 11. 133
So acting, we shall find, sooner or later, tliat we reap a great reward. We should observe, thirdly, in this passage, how much a seme of OocFs presence abases man and makes him feel his sinfulness. We see this strikingly illustrated by Peter's words, when the miraculous draught convinced him that One greater than man …
296 wordsSECTION 117134 EXPOSITORY THOXTGHTB.
near to God wiiJi boldness, and cast fear away. Out of Christ God is a consuming fire. In Christ He is a reconciled Faflier. Without Christ the strictest moralist may well tremble, as he looks forward to lus end. Through Christ the chief of sinners may approadi God with confidence, and feel perfect peaca We should obs…
290 wordsSECTION 118LUKE, GMAF. V. VKE- 12 — 16. 135
preachers of the Gospel have a right to believe that their labour shall not prove in vain. They may often preach ^e Word with many tears, and see no result of their labour. But God's word shall not return void. (Isai. Iv. 11.) The last day shall show that no work for God was ever thrown away. Every faithM fidiaman shal…
336 wordsSECTION 119XUKE V. 12-16.
12 And it came to pasB, when he in « oertain •eily , behold a man full of leprosy : who seeing Jesus fell «n his faee, and besought bun, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. 13 And he put forth Am band, and teuohed him, 'flaying, I wiU : be thou 136…
53 wordsSECTION 120SXFOSITOKY THOUGHTS.
clean. And immediately the leprosy departed from him. 14 And he charged him to tell no man : hat go, and shew thyself to the Priest, and offer for thy cleansing, according as Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them. 15 But 10 much the man went thero a fame ahroad of him : and great mul- titudes came together to he…
355 wordsSource & rights
Public-domain historical edition (1858). Text from OCR of an original Internet Archive scan; OCR may contain recognition errors.
Project Gutenberg source record →
Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.