12:8 “I 15 tell you, whoever acknowledges 16 me before men, 17 the Son of Man will also acknowledge 18 before God’s angels.
1 tn Grk “this one.”
2 sn Compare the description of Jesus as great here with 1:15, “great before the Lord.” Jesus is greater than John, since he is Messiah compared to a prophet. Great is stated absolutely without qualification to make the point.
3 sn The expression Most High is a way to refer to God without naming him. Such avoiding of direct reference to God was common in 1st century Judaism out of reverence for the divine name.
4 tn Or “ancestor.”
5 tn Grk “And all.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
6 tn Grk “And they.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
7 sn The form of the question assumes a positive reply. It really amounts to an objection, as Jesus’ response in the next verses shows. Jesus spoke smoothly and impressively. He made a wonderful declaration, but could a local carpenter’s son make such an offer? That was their real question.
9 tn Grk “Behold a man.”
10 sn Neither were they happy with Jesus (the Son of Man), even though he was the opposite of John and associated freely with people like tax collectors and sinners. Either way, God’s messengers were subject to complaint.
13 tn Grk “And behold.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the somewhat unexpected appearance of the man. The Greek word ἰδού (idou) at the beginning of this statement has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1).
14 tn Grk “cried out, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
15 tn This verb means “to have regard for”; see Luke 1:48.
17 tn Grk “the birds of the sky” or “the birds of the heaven”; the Greek word οὐρανός (ouranos) may be translated either “sky” or “heaven,” depending on the context. The idiomatic expression “birds of the sky” refers to wild birds as opposed to domesticated fowl (cf. BDAG 809 s.v. πετεινόν).
18 sn Jesus’ reply is simply this: Does the man understand the rejection he will be facing? Jesus has no home in the world (the Son of Man has no place to lay his head).
21 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
22 tn Or “confesses.”
23 tn Although this is a generic reference and includes both males and females, in this context “men” has been retained because of the wordplay with the Son of Man and the contrast with the angels. The same is true of the occurrence of “men” in v. 9.
24 sn This acknowledgment will take place at the judgment. Of course, the Son of Man is a reference to Jesus as it has been throughout the Gospel. On Jesus and judgment, see 22:69; Acts 10:42-43; 17:31.
25 sn Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit probably refers to a total rejection of the testimony that the Spirit gives to Jesus and the plan of God. This is not so much a sin of the moment as of one’s entire life, an obstinate rejection of God’s message and testimony. Cf. Matt 12:31-32 and Mark 3:28-30.
26 tn Grk “it will not be forgiven the person who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit.”
29 tn Grk “And after.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
30 tn Grk “after not many days.”
31 tn Or “wasted.” This verb is graphic; it means to scatter (L&N 57.151).
32 tn Or “estate” (the same word has been translated “estate” in v. 12).
33 sn This statement links the parable to the theme of 15:6, 9.
34 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the result of the father’s remarks in the preceding verses.
37 sn Note the younger son is not “my brother” but this son of yours (an expression with a distinctly pejorative nuance).
38 sn This is another graphic description. The younger son’s consumption had been like a glutton. He had both figuratively and literally devoured the assets which were given to him.
39 sn The charge concerning the prostitutes is unproven, but essentially the older brother accuses the father of committing an injustice by rewarding his younger son’s unrighteous behavior.
40 sn See note on the phrase “fattened calf” in v. 23.
41 sn The Son of Man’s coming in power will be sudden and obvious like lightning. No one will need to point it out.
42 tc Some very important
45 tn Some argue this should be translated “suddenly.” When vindication comes it will be quick. But the more natural meaning is “soon.” God will not forget his elect and will respond to them. It may be that this verse has a prophetic perspective. In light of the eternity that comes, vindication is soon.
46 sn Will he find faith on earth? The Son of Man is looking for those who continue to believe in him, despite the wait.
49 sn That is, those who were at the front of the procession.
50 tn Or “rebuked.” The crowd’s view was that surely Jesus would not be bothered with someone as unimportant as a blind beggar.
51 sn Public opinion would not sway the blind man from getting Jesus’ attention. The term shouted is strong as it can be used of animal cries.
53 tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
54 tn Grk “my beloved son.” See comment at Luke 3:22.
57 tn Grk “saying that,” but this would be redundant in English. Although the translation represents this sentence as indirect discourse, the Greek could equally be taken as direct discourse: “Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee: ‘the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again.’”
58 tn See Luke 9:22, 44; 13:33.
59 tn Because in the historical context the individuals who were primarily responsible for the death of Jesus (the Jewish leadership in Jerusalem in Luke’s view [see Luke 9:22]) would have been men, the translation “sinful men” for ἀνθρώπων ἁμαρτωλῶν (anqrwpwn Jamartwlwn) is retained here.
60 sn See the note on crucify in 23:21.
61 tn Here the infinitive ἀναστῆναι (anasthnai) is active rather than passive.