November 22nd, 2025

We are at the end of the church year. The title of this Sunday is, therefore, very appropriate: The Last Sunday in the Church Year. The Gospel Reading for this Sunday is Luke 23:27-43. You might say that, while the text has an ending for some people, it is also a beginning for the Lord’s people.

As this past year went on, with these website writings we went through the Gospel according to Luke, a section at a time, not skipping over any parts, and this past Sunday we looked at the topic of “historical presents” that occurred within this account. These are the verbs that were expected to be in the past tense, but they appear in the text in the present.

The previous writing of this website laid out that the historical presents of the Gospel according to Luke will be examined in this week’s writing. In this writing, each will be given some of its context, and the verse which contains the historical present will be given in an EXTREMELY literal translation. The historical present verb will be in capital letters. You may wish to look up the verse in another translation or a study bible, to help you understand the text. (And a note should be made that the New American Standard Bible typically has an asterisk after the historical presents; you may want to look at that translation.)

Here are the historical presents in the Gospel according to Luke:

The first one is Luke 7:40 and has to do with SIMON, THE PHARISEE.

Jesus is at the house of Simon, the Pharisee. When a person is in the house of another, that other person who is the homeowner has the authority. In this verse, Jesus asks for permission to point out some faults, some of the things that were lacking with Simon’s hospitality, the kindliness that was usually given to guests. Jesus asks for permission to point out those things, and Simon receives it. It is interesting that Simon calls Jesus a teacher, but the other guests who are there, after Jesus says all he wants to say about the woman who washed his feet, they ask this question (v. 49): “Who is this, who also forgives sins?”

So here is an extremely literal translation of that verse with the historical present:
And having-answered, the Jesus said toward him, “Simon, I-have to-you, something to-say.”

Now the-one, “Teacher, say,” HE-REPLIES.

The second one is Luke 8:49 and has to do with THE SYNAGOGUE RULER.
Jesus had just healed a woman with a flow of blood for twelve years. And she wanted to be hidden at first, but she eventually started talking and admitting that she had been healed. And Jesus’ response to her was this: “Daughter, the faith of you has saved you. Go into peace.” What follows is one of the interruptions that happen within this account, and Jesus is the one who is interrupted this time. To interrupt someone while they are talking takes some authority. Jesus obviously has it. And the person who interrupts the conversation this time also has it, since he is from the house of a synagogue ruler. And obviously there is some authority with that position. Jesus was headed to that house to heal the daughter of that synagogue ruler.

Here is an extremely literal translation of that verse:

Still he speaking, HE-COMES, someone from the arch-synagogue saying, “She-has-died, the daughter of-you; no-more trouble the teacher.”

The third one is Luke 9:33 and has to do with PETER, THE DISCIPLE.
Peter, James, and John were all with Jesus on the “mountain-top” event of the transfiguration. Peter’s name appears again during that account, not only the first on the list, but the group is described as “Peter and the ones with him (verse 32)….” As Moses and Elijah were leaving, Peter gives this “great” idea. He is easily seen as the leader of the disciples at this time. And it is a type of leadership that does not point to himself, and that is a good thing.

Here is another extremely literal translation, this time of Luke 9:33:

And it-happened in the to-separate-themselves, they from him, he-said, the Peter, toward the Jesus, “Overseer, good it-is for-us here to-be, and let-us-make tents, three, one for-you, one for-Moses, and one for-Elias,” not knowing what HE-SAYS.

The fourth one is Luke 11:37 and has to do with A PHARISEE.
Jesus is at a Pharisee’s house another time; this time we are not given the Pharisee’s name. This time the historical present is given when the request is made by the Pharisee to have Jesus come to his house. Jesus was saying a LOT of words before this. And his popularity was increasing. It is interesting that Jesus talks about the importance of the eyes and what is seen. He also mentions the “sign of Jonah”, a reference to his coming out of the tomb after three days. He also talks about the wisdom of Solomon, which was greatly appreciated by many. And similar things happened with Jesus. And his popularity grew tremendously. While Jesus is talking about all these things, he is again interrupted, and this also points to someone who has authority. It could also be noted that the Pharisee sees that Jesus does not wash before the meal, and Jesus starts saying “Woe” to the Pharisees and others. The intensity within this account is about to increase.

Here is an extremely literal translation of that verse with the historical present, Luke 11:37:

Now in the to-speak, HE-ASKS him, a-Pharisee, that he-would-dine beside him; now having-come-into, he-reclined.

The fifth one is Luke 11:45 and has to do with ONE OF THE LAWYERS.
This historical present is extremely close to the previous one. Jesus started his “Woes”, and he is going to get some feedback, this time from the lawyers. This grouping of “lawyers” has been mentioned already with some negativity (see Luke 7:30 and 10:25).
It should be noted that after these “Woes” have finished, at the end of the chapter, the two groups of the scribes and the Pharisees are terribly angry with Jesus, and they will try to “draw out” some words from him, and they will also try to “catch” him in what he says. That certainly implies some power on the power of those two groups. The intensity is certainly increasing as Jesus heads toward Jerusalem (see Luke 9:51).

Here is one example of an extremely literal translation of Luke 11:45:

Now having-answered, a-certain-one of-the lawyers, HE-SAYS to-him, “Teacher, these-things saying, also us you-insult.”

The sixth one is Luke 13:8 and has to do with A VINEYARD-WORKER (IN A PARABLE).
Now the historical present will be used in a few parables. But the people who speak these parables will also have some authority and a leadership role. In this parable of the vine that is not producing fruit, the owner has just insisted that a vine which is not producing fruit should be cut down, since it is using up the ground.

Here is an extremely literal translation of the beginning of the worker’s response, Luke 13:8:

“Now the-one, having-answered, HE-SAYS to-him, ‘Lord, leave it also this the year, until when I-may-dig round it and may-throw manure….’”

The seventh one is Luke 16:7 and has to do with THE WISE STEWARD (IN A PARABLE).
The steward will act wisely, prudently, since he had the authority to get what was owed his master, and he used that to his own advantage.

What follows is an extremely literal translation of Luke 16:7, a discussion between the steward and someone who owed his master a LOT of wheat:

“Thereupon to-another he-said, ‘Now you, how-much you-owe?’

Now the-one said, ‘A-hundred cors of-wheat.’

HE-SAYS to-him, ‘Take of-you the writing and write eighty.’

The eighth one is Luke 16:29 and has to do with THE WORDS OF ABRAHAM (IN A STORY BY JESUS).

You may have noted that this was not called a parable. The details of the rich man in hell and Abraham in heaven are too great to say that this is just a comparison as to what happens in reality. It seems EXTREMELY real. And obviously Abraham has a significant amount of authority.

Here is an extremely literal translation of Abraham’s second response to the rich man. The first time the rich man had asked for Abraham to send Lazarus to give the rich man just a few drops of water, but that did not happen. In the second response, the rich man’s idea was to send Lazarus to warn his brothers. Here is Luke 1:29:

“Now HE-SAYS, Abraham, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let-them-hear them.’”

The ninth one is Luke 17:37 and has to do with THE DISCIPLES.
In the past Jesus had been asked by the Pharisees when the Kingdom of God would come (Luke 17:20), and that brings up a talk that Jesus had with his disciples about the coming of the Kingdom of God. He talks about two people being together, and only one being taken. And the disciples respond in the historical present, with some authority. Other disciples may not have the same authority that would prompt an answer by Jesus.

Here is an extremely literal translation of Luke 17:37, the response of the disciples to Jesus’ previous comment; included is a reference to a dead body, and eagles (or vultures) gathering around it (eagles are sometimes seen around dead carcasses as well):

And having-answered THEY-SAY to-him, “Where, Lord?”

Now the-one said to-them, “Where the body, there also the eagles will-be-gathered-together.”

The tenth one is Luke 19:22 and has to do with A WELL-BORN MAN TO THE “LAZY” SERVANT (IN A PARABLE).
In this parable, two previous servants had done the work they were to do, and the final one, the one who took the money, and because he feared his master, he did not do anything with it. And the verse begins the master’s response to that servant.

Here is an extremely literal translation of Luke 19:22:

“HE-SAYS to-him, ‘Out-of the mouth of-you I-will-judge you, evil slave. You-knew that I, a-man, austere, I-am, taking what not I-placed, and reaping what not I-sowed.’”

The eleventh one is Luke 24:12 and has to do with THE ACTION OF PETER WITH THE NOW-EMPTY TOMB OF JESUS.
It should be noted that some ancient manuscripts do not have this verse. That should not take away its importance or its validity. Much could be said about the differences between the four gospel accounts. They do work together in a very upbuilding way. And we have already noted the authority that Peter has, and that will be seen in the Book of Acts as well.

Here is an extremely literal translation of that final verse in this account of the historical present:

Now the Peter, having-risen-up, he-ran upon the tomb, and having-bent-over, HE-SEES the cloths only, and he-came-back toward himself, marveling the-thing having-happened.​

You made it to the VERY end. Congratulations! And it is the end of the church year as well. This next year, the plan is to look at the Gospel according to John, in much the way as was done this year.