The Good Samaritan
Ephesians 4:3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Ephesians 4:13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.
I. The Holy Spirit brings unity to the body of Christ
II. The Holy Spirit is the invisible hero of the Trinity
A. The Holy Spirit is available for everything we need in life
1. Healing
2. Supplying our needs
3. Praise
4. Worship
B. The Holy Spirit has come to take the place of the Lord Jesus Christ in the earth, while he is absent
Matthew 16:15-20And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature, (literally, all of creation).
He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; and he that believeth not shall be damned.
And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name they shall cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.
And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with the, and confirming the word with sings following. Amen."
III. Mark 16:15-20 is a controversial passage for some
A. Some believe that this passage does not belong in the Bible
B. Everything mentioned in Mark 16:15-20 was demonstrated in the book of Acts
Luke 10:25-37And behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?
And answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself.
And he said unto him, thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.
But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbor?
And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.
And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
And likewise, a Levite, when he was at that place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.
But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him.
And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.
Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?
And he said, He that showed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do likewise.
IV. The Parable of the Good Samaritan is a response to a question
Luke 10:25 Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
A. A lawyer asked a question knowing the answer in an attempt to trick Jesus
1. Lawyer was using his professional skill to twist words
2. Lawyer was using his professional skill to twist meanings
3. Lawyer was using his professional skill to box Jesus into a corner
B. The lawyer's question was "How do I have eternal life?"
1. Jesus responded with the question "What is written in the law?"
2. Jesus was, in essence, saying, "I think you already know the answer to your question."
3. The lawyer correctly responded to Jesus' question
C. The lawyer wanted Jesus to qualify who the neighbor was that he was to love
D. Jesus responded with a parable (Luke 10:30-37)
V. A traditional application of the parable of the Good Samaritan
A. Traditional theme: Be good to others
B. When people are in need, help them
C. Being good to others is an application of the parable, but not the interpretation
D. The interpretation must be a response to the question "How do I have eternal life?"
VI. Elements necessary for eternal life
A. An individual must recognize that they have a problem
Romans 3:23 For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
B. An individual must recognize that God has an answer to their problem
Romans 3:24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
VII. Interpretation of the Parable of the Good Samaritan
Luke 10:30 A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho…
A. …went down is a type of Adam
1. Because of the original sin, Adam fell and affected all of mankind
2. Mankind is getting worse every day
B. No matter what direction you go from Jerusalem, it is down
1. Jerusalem is in the mountains
2. Jericho is located near the Dead Sea
3. The Dead Sea is the lowest place on earth
4. Jericho is down from Jerusalem
5. This is a type of Adam's fall
Luke 10:30 …and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.
C. There is a threefold curse of the law
1. Poverty
…which stripped him of his raiment
2. Sickness
…and wounded him
3. Spiritual death
…leaving him half dead
Genesis 2:16-17 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:
But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
a. …surely die means die twice in the Hebrew
Many translations read In the day that thou eatest thereof, dying (spiritually) thou shalt die (physically).
b. When Adam partook of the fruit, he died spiritually
c. Spiritual death set in motion physical death in Adam's body, which occurred hundreds of years after he died spiritually
d. When Adam sinned in the garden, he became half dead
1). A person who does not know Jesus is half dead
2). Dead spiritually
3). Alive physically
e. Satan comes to strip you of your raiment, wound you and leave you half dead
f. Satan will lie to unbelievers and tell them he will give them everything that they want, but he will steal everything and leave them on a trash heap
g. Satan is in the process of stealing everything he can from the unbeliever's life
Luke 10:31-32 And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
And likewise, a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.
likewise, means by chance
D. The Law and sacrifices
1. The priest represents the Law and the Levite represents sacrifices
a. Neither the Law nor sacrifices can bring salvation
b. Neither the Law nor sacrifices can remove sin
2. The purpose of the Law and sacrifices was to expose the fact that we are sinners (Romans 3:20; Romans 5:20)
3. The Law is like a mirror exposing the fact that man is dead in trespasses and sin
4. The Law can only point out the problem
Luke 10:33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him
E. The Good Samaritan
1. Jesus was the Good Samaritan
2. What the priest and the Levite could not do, the Good Samaritan can do
3. The Good Samaritan had a purpose; he did not come by chance
4. God's purpose was not to send the law, His purpose was to send grace
5. The Good Samaritan had compassion on the man who was wounded
Luke 10:34 And he went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
6. And he went to him… The Good Samaritan went to the man who was beaten, stripped, wounded, had no strength and half dead; He didn't say "Come to Me."
7. Jesus sought us out
8. The first thing the Good Samaritan did was bind up the man's wounds
9. The first thing Jesus did through His atoning work was provide healing
10. The Good Samaritan poured oil and wine into the man's wounds
11. The Good Samaritan departed after taking the man to the inn but said that he would return
12. Jesus had to leave for awhile but will return
VIII. The original question being answered through the parable was "Who is the neighbor that I need to love to have eternal life?"
A. Eternal life does not come by being good to others, it does not come by loving the man who is stripped, wounded and half dead
1. After the fall, Adam and Eve thought that by being good to each other they would be acceptable to God
2. Religion tries to help people, and if they help enough they think that they will get into Heaven
B. Eternal life comes by loving the one who came to redeem us--the Good Samaritan--Jesus Christ
Luke 10:33-34 A certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: when he saw him, he had compassion on him,
And went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
IX. The Holy Spirit
A. The Holy Spirit ministers behind the scenes in the parable of the Good Samaritan
B. Oil is a symbol of the Holy Spirit in the new birth
C. Wine is a symbol of the Holy Spirit in the infilling
D. Oil comes before wine just as the new birth comes before the infilling
E. The beast is a symbol of the Holy Spirit
1. The Holy Spirit translates us out the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light
2. The Holy Spirit takes us out of the kingdom of death and into the Spirit of life
3. The Holy Spirit causes old things to be passed away and all things to become new (II Corinthians 5:17)
F. The innkeeper is a symbol of the Holy Spirit
1. The innkeeper watches over those in the inn (the church) until the Good Samaritan returns
John 14:16-17 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
Even the Spirit of truth;
John 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost (Holy Spirit), whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and will bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
John 16:5-7 But now I go my way to him that sent me; and none of you asketh me, Whither goest thou?
But because I have said these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart (soul).
Nevertheless, I tell you the truth; it is expedient (absolutely necessary--not for Him but for us) for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
John 16:12-13 I have yet many things to say unto you, but you cannot bear them now, (at this time).
Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
2. The innkeeper (the Holy Spirit) distributes God's riches in glory by Christ Jesus while man is in the earth
3. The Holy Spirit is the invisible hero (the innkeeper) who watches over the inn (church) and takes care of the needs until the owner (Jesus) returns
Luke 10:35 And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.
X. The return of the owner of the inn--the Good Samaritan (Jesus)
A. Two pence represents the amount of time the Good Samaritan will be gone
Matthew 20:2 And when he had agreed with the laborers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard.
B. One penny (pence) was the wage for a full day's work
Revelation 6:6 …A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny;
C. During the Tribulation, inflation will be so high that it will cost an entire day's wages to buy a measure of wheat (enough for one loaf of bread)
D. A day with the Lord is as a thousand years
II Peter 3:8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day.
E. Jesus will return in approximately 2,000 years
XI. New wine into new bottles
Matthew 9:17 Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runs out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved.
A. Bottles were actually wineskins
1. Bottles were made of animal skins
2. Bottles were leather
3. Bottles took time to make and were very expensive
B. Wineskins were carried by men on pack animals
C. When the wineskins were empty they would dry out and become hardened because of the arid climate
…but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved.
D. Two Greek words for new
1. new wine means brand new wine
2. new bottles means renewed wineskins
E. Wineskins were renewed by rubbing oil them
1. Oil softens the dried skin
2. Oil prepares the skin to be filled with brand new wine
XII. The temple of the Holy Spirit
A. Man was new in Adam
B. On the road, man was overtaken by the thieves--Satan
C. The thieves came
1. Stripped man of his raiment
2. Wounded man
3. Left man half dead
D. Man laid on the road for some time
E. The Good Samaritan (Jesus) came
F. The Good Samaritan poured oil ( the Holy Spirit--the new birth) into man's wounds
G. The oil brought man back to Adam's original place with God
H. Man was then filled with new wine (infilling of the Holy Spirit)
I. The new birth prepares man for the infilling of the Holy Spirit
Mark 16:17-18 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name, they, shall cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
They will take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
