Luke 11:27-36
Correcting the Incorrect
In tonight’s text, Jesus continued to correct some of the incorrect
thinking of some of the people.
1. All of these events may have taken place at about the same
time, \\#29\\ a time when the people were gathered heavily
around Jesus.
2. Incorrect thinking is common and Jesus often corrected
people’s false notions.
3. Sometimes wrong thinking is more severe than the others. In
the preceding text, Jesus issued a stern rebuke to those who
thought His work was the work of the Devil. That was very
severe.
I. \\#11:27-28\\ They were wrong about Mary.
A. Actually, that is not exactly true, but they did not have the
best truth either.
B. \\#27\\ An innocent statement was made concerning Jesus’
mother, Mary. That she was blessed.
1. In fact, it is a true statement.
a. Mary was blessed.
b. The angel, Gabriel, told her so.
Luke 1:28 And the angel came in unto her, and
said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the
Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
c. Elizabeth said so too.
Luke 1:42 And she spake out with a loud voice,
and said, Blessed art thou among women, and
blessed is the fruit of thy womb.
2. But it was not the BEST truth and Jesus wanted the woman
who spoke it and us to know that.
C. There are some far more blessed than Mary and Jesus wanted to
point that out.
1. Perhaps Jesus, knowing what was to happen, wanted to be
certain that He did not allow Mary to become overly
honored.
2. One religious group, the Catholics, have gone extremely
overboard with honoring Mary.
a. They pray to Mary.
b. They build statues to Mary.
c. They believe that Mary influences Jesus and that Jesus
influences the Father.
d. They are greatly offended when others say they worship
Mary, but anyone you pray to, build statues to, and
believe can change events for you seems to me to be
a god.
3. The Catholic Church would not be conceived for 300 years.
By that time, Jesus would have long departed.
4. But Jesus spoke up on this occasion to be sure that Mary
was not exalted beyond measure.
D. Notice, Jesus did not rebuke or even correct whoever it was
that pronounced Mary as blessed.
1. In fact, Jesus agreed with her.
a. \\#28\\ The first word translated is "Yea."
b. But then Jesus followed with a more complete truth.
c. He told them of some who are even more blessed than
Mary.
2. Who is that?
a. Those who hear the Word of God.
b. Those who keep the Word of God.
c. That is a reference to the saved.
3. In that statement, Jesus exalted both the Word of God and
the believers of it above Mary.
a. You and I as believers are more blessed than the one
who gave birth to Jesus.
b. We understand that Mary was also a believer so she
gets in on the same blessing as us; but based on her
blessing of just bringing the Messiah into the world,
every believer is more blessed than that.
II. \\#11:29-36\\ They were wrong about signs.
A. The people of Jesus’ day thought that Messiah’s coming would
be accompanied by great signs or proofs.
1. Because of the three different comings of Jesus, it was
and is easy to get confused.
a. Jesus came once as a sacrificial Lamb.
b. He will come again as a Thief in the night.
Re 16:15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is
he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest
he walk naked, and they see his shame.
c. He will come yet again as a roaring Lion.
Rev 1:7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every
eye shall see him, and they also which pierced
him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail
because of him. Even so, Amen.
2. Each coming has its own purpose and will be totally
unique.
a. Jesus did not come the first time to demonstrate great
power.
b. Neither will His second coming be for that purpose.
c. Such displays are actually reserved for Jesus’ third
coming.
B. The Jews did not expect three comings just one so they
assumed that if Jesus was the Messiah, He would have to
reveal Himself with some great sign sooner or later.
1. That is what the Jewish leaders kept asking Jesus to do.
2. The signs were to be their proof.
Matt 12:38 Then certain of the scribes and of
the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would
see a sign from thee.
Matt 16:1 The Pharisees also with the Sadducees
came, and tempting desired him that he would shew
them a sign from heaven.
C. Of course Jesus did enough miracles of His own choosing which
were more than enough proof that He was who He claimed to
be, but some of the Jews must have wanted to have more input
into the miracles.
1. I guess they wanted more miracles.
2. Perhaps they wanted to select the miracles done.
3. Maybe they wanted to control the timing of the miracles.
4. But all of that would have made Jesus their servant, and
Jesus flatly refused.
Luke 11:29 And when the people were gathered
thick together, he began to say, This is an evil
generation: they seek a sign; and there shall no
sign be given it, but the sign of Jonas the
prophet.
D. However, even in that refusal, Jesus was offered them
something much better - the PAYMENT for their sins.
1. What is the sign of Jonah?
2. Luke did not spell it out in his writing but Matthew did.
Mt 12:40 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.
3. Jesus was talking about the death, burial, and
resurrection.
a. Jesus’ being in the earth for three days was the
middle part of His payment for sins.
b. So while the people were asking for a proof Jesus
offered them something far greater, the payment.
c. Because it was not what THEY WANTED, the people did
not even ask for an explanation!
E. But Jesus also gave them something else, a rebuke.
Luke 11:31 The queen of the south shall rise up
in the judgment with the men of this generation,
and condemn them….
Luke 11:32 The men of Nineve shall rise up in
the judgment with this generation, and shall
condemn it….
1. Why? Because no other generation had seen as many proofs
as that generation.
2. That generation of Jews had seen more miracles than any
generation to live; but they wanted more.
3. And they would have kept wanting more.
4. But since that day, millions—perhaps billions—have
believed on Jesus without ever seeing one miracle,
hearing one of His sermons, or personally knowing anyone
who has!
5. We are the blessed ones that He spoke of in \\#28\\.
III. \\#11:33-36\\ They were wrong about themselves.
A. Those Jesus was speaking to did not understand the importance
of candle and its light.
1. Of course, the light is important to the candle.
a. Jesus mentioned that first.
Luke 11:33 No man, when he hath lighted a
candle, putteth it in a secret place, neither
under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they
which come in may see the light.
b. Why does one light a candle?
(1) For the light!
(2) That is the candle’s purpose.
c. Jesus had talked about the importance of the not
hiding the light elsewhere.
Lu 8:16 No man, when he hath lighted a candle,
covereth it with a vessel, or putteth it under
a bed; but setteth it on a candlestick,
that they which enter in may see the light.
17 For nothing is secret, that shall not be made
manifest; neither any thing hid, that shall not
be known and come abroad.
(1) There Jesus was speaking about the importance of
sharing the Light that changes men’s heart, the
gospel.
(2) No one should want to hid such a glorious truth
as that.
(3) But this message is not the same for that part of
message is repeated only in verse 33.
(4) New and different truth is revealed in verses 34-
36.
2. There Jesus spoke of the purity of the candle!
Luke 11:34 The light of the body is the eye:
therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole
body also is full of light; but when thine eye
is evil, thy body also is full of darkness.
35 Take heed therefore that the light which is
in thee be not darkness.
36 If thy whole body therefore be full of light,
having no part dark, the whole shall be full of
light, as when the bright shining of a candle
doth give thee light.
a. In those verses, Jesus is not talking about our
message but US.
(1) He spoke of the "body" three times.
(2) \\#34\\ Once He spoke of our body, "thy body."
(2) \\#34\\ And He spoke of our eye twice.
b. Why? Because a foul candle cannot give off light as
it should.
(1) An impure candle will flicker.
(2) It’s flame will dim.
(3) Perhaps it will go out altogether!
c. So it is not just important that we be willing to let
our light shine. It is also important that we have
a clean life to carry the message to others.
d. Here is where many are wrong.
(1) They do not understand the importance of the holy
life.
(2) I often refer to it as saying that some do not
understand the importance of their testimony.
e. Your testimony is the platform from which you speak
your message.
(1) You can have the best message in the world—and
we do—but it cannot be received if the
platform does not get us high enough to deliver
it.
(2) That is exactly what Jesus was saying here.
(3) Your light is no good if your candle is full of
darkness.
Luke 11:35 Take heed therefore that the light
which is in thee be not darkness.
f. Some who have the greatest message are dimming it by
the compromising, sin-filled life they live.
B. There is much more that could be said about this, but Luke
only mentions them. The bottom line is that we must check
our beliefs and lives against the Word of God. How would you
compare today?
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