![]() ![]() Jesus explained to the Pharisees that she showed so much love because He had forgiven her for all her sins. She wept and washed Jesus’ feet with her tears, dried them with her hair, and anointed them with perfume. After Jesus forgave a sinful woman for her sins, she loved Jesus so much that she was not ashamed to wash His feet in the home of a Pharisee who would condemn her very presence. Radically changed lives prove that Jesus has the authority to forgive sins. When Jesus healed a sick man, He wanted people to know that the Son of Man had authority on earth to forgive sins so, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home” (Luke 5:24). Except for the fact that Jesus is the Son of God, and when He came into the world as the Son of Man, God the Father had given Him authority to forgive sins. Since no one but God can forgive the sins of someone who has wronged others as well as themselves or has disobeyed and neglected God, the Pharisees seemed to be right. They argued that only God could forgive sins, but they did not know all the facts. Many Pharisees condemned Jesus for blasphemy because He forgave people’s sins. Your faith has saved you go in peace’” (Luke 7:48, 50). “Then Jesus said to her, ‘Your sins are forgiven. Posted on ApCategories Gospel of John, Gospel of Luke Much Love and Peace Follows Forgiveness- Luke 7:36-50 For Personal and Group Bible Studiesīy L.G. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him” (John 3:16, 17). Since these demons had the power to so possess a man that they drove him out of his mind and he lived naked in the tombs, imagine what life would be like spending eternity with evil beings like that! But people can repent, turn to Jesus, and avoid hell: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. Jesus mercifully granted these demons their request, but they refused to repent and destroyed themselves. Based on what Jesus revealed and demons know by experience, those who sincerely live to go to hell will discover that they made a sad and sorry choice. He warned that people would be divided into two groups, and some would be sent to hell - into the eternal fire where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 25:41 Matthew 13:50). ![]() He revealed that hell had been prepared for the devil and demons. Jesus repeatedly warned people to avoid hell or the Abyss. They recognized that Jesus had the authority and power to save them from hell or send them to hell, where they would be under the authority of the abusive and evil king Abaddon (in Hebrew) or Apollyon (in Greek) which means “Destroyer” (Revelation 9:11). Perhaps you have heard someone say that they want to go to hell, but that sounds shockingly strange since the demons, who had seen hell, repeatedly begged Jesus not to order them there. “And the demons begged Jesus repeatedly not to order them to go into the Abyss” (Luke 8:31). Posted on Categories Gospel of Luke, International Bible Lesson - Uniform Series Even Demons Want to Escape Hell - Luke 8:26-39 We may not be able to stop someone from mistreating or ignoring the needs of others however, we can do what Jesus said. He did more than anyone could expect, because he treated the wounded man as he would have treated himself: he loved his neighbor as himself. The Good Samaritan loved with all the love that God poured into his heart. He promised the innkeeper that he would pay all of the man’s medical bills and lodging until he was well. He stopped, applied wine and oil as medicine to the man’s wounds, put the man on his donkey, and took him to an inn and cared for him. Then, a Samaritan walked by, a man who knew the law of love as much as the others for he too believed in the first five books of the Bible. By a sin of omission, they too broke God’s law, though no doubt they could think up many excuses for not helping the man. Though they did not act as badly as the robbers, they did not love their neighbor and they left the man dying. First, two men walked by and ignored him. In His parable, Jesus does not tell what happened to the robbers, but He does tell us what happened to the victim. If the criminals had loved God, they would have loved their neighbor and not beaten or robbed anyone: they would never have become criminals or they would have ceased to be criminals. In Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan, a stranger is robbed, beaten, and left for dead. Some people rob, beat, and kill others without mercy. “The lawyer said, ‘The one who showed him mercy.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Go and do likewise’” (Luke 10:37). ![]()
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