Category: Luke

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Luke Luke 4 Mark Mark1

Authority

The gospels

What makes Jesus different from all the other great religious leaders that started major religions?

There are many things, of course, first and foremost the fact that Jesus is God, and that he rose from the dead. All the others have this one thing in common: they’re all dead. Which proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that they weren’t God.

But as we look at this passage, we see another difference between Jesus and them: authority.

It was the thing that struck the Jews immediately when they started listening to him teach from God’s word.

All the other teachers they heard would preface their remarks with phrases like, “So-and-so said this about this passage.”

Or “According to so-and-so, this passage means…”

Jesus never said that. Instead, he would repeatedly tell them, “I say to you…” or “I tell you the truth…”

The people marveled at this. “This man speaks with authority. It sounds like he actually knows and is confident about what he is teaching.”

As a teacher myself, I think I would marvel myself. While I of course do my own studies and ask God for insight, nevertheless, I wouldn’t pretend to have a fraction of the authority that Jesus Christ has. It must have been marvelous to hear him speak.

He then backed it up with his works, casting out a demon from a man in the synagogue. Is it any wonder that word about him spread like wildfire throughout Israel?

But what does it mean for us?

I suppose the question you need to ask yourself is, “Do I accept the fact that Jesus does indeed speak with authority? Or do I just think he was giving his own opinion, and my opinion is as good as his?”

Too often, though we may give lip service to Christ’s authority, nevertheless we do not obey him. Either because we think it’s too “pie-in-the-sky,” the ideals of a man who didn’t have a grasp of “real life,” or because we simply don’t want to do what he has said.

But if we claim Jesus as our Lord, we can’t think this way. And we certainly can’t live that way. Jesus said,

Why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord,’ but don’t do what I tell you? (Luke 6:46)

If there are two words that are oxymoronic, they are “No” and “Lord.”

How about you? Do you accept Christ’s authority in your life?

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Luke Luke 4

To all who receive him

Luke

As I read this passage, I can’t help but think about John 1:11-12, where it says,

He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.

Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.

In this passage, Jesus literally came to the people that he had grown up with all his life in the town of Nazareth. They knew him and his family well. He had undoubtedly visited this very synagogue hundreds of times.

And yet when he preached to them, they did not receive him. Instead, they rejected him and tried to kill him.

But Jesus makes clear here that to any who received him, they would receive the right to become children of God.

The passage in Isaiah he quotes (Isaiah 61) goes on to talk about God’s vengeance against Israel’s enemies and all those who would oppose him.

But Jesus pointed out that until that time, God’s grace extends to any who believe, even the Gentiles like the widow of Zarephath and Naaman the Syrian.

And to those who believe in him, he brings good news to those who are poor and in need.

This, of course, is true in the physical sense, but also in the spiritual sense. That to those who are poor in spirit, and realize their need for God, Jesus brings news of a new relationship with God based on grace.

He brings freedom and forgiveness to those enchained to their sins. To those chained to the hurts of their past, he also brings healing.

Jesus healed the physically blind, but also gives sight to those Satan has blinded spiritually, that they might see the light of the gospel, and the hope that Jesus brings.

Jesus releases those oppressed by Satan and his demons. Through his blood, he brings us not only victory, but overwhelming victory.

More than that, he proclaims the Lord’s favor here and now.

This was perhaps a reference to the time of Jubilee in the Old Testament, a time when slaves were set free, debts were forgiven, and land that was sold to pay off debts were returned to their original owners. In short, people were given a new start.

That’s what Jesus came to bring. A new start. A new relationship with God.

And as John said, it’s available to all who will put their faith in Christ.

How about you? Will you put your faith in him today?

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Luke Luke 4 Mark Mark1 Matthew Matthew 4

A light in the darkness

The gospels

I mentioned yesterday the question of why God allowed John the Baptist to go to prison. We don’t know for sure, but perhaps one reason was to get people’s eyes off of John and solely on to Jesus.

For right after John went into prison, it says that Jesus returned to Galilee to begin his formal ministry. In doing so, Matthew tells us he fulfilled the words of Isaiah who wrote,

Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, along the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles– the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. (Matthew 4:15-16)

It’s amazing that the Pharisees totally missed this passage as they disparaged Jesus’ background. (John 7:52)

But here we see one of the reasons Jesus came. We were living in darkness, separated from God by our sin, condemned to death. But in Jesus, a light dawned.

Hope sprang anew as he showed the way to the Father. He declared to the people,

“The time has come…The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!” (Mark 1:15)

That is our message to this day. The King has come. His kingdom is near. Both in the fact that it is working in the hearts of all who believe in him, and in the fact that Jesus will come again to establish his kingdom here on earth forever.

And so we are called to repent. To repent is to turn around. To change our way of thinking. To stop living for ourselves and start living for God. To put aside our distrust of God and to follow him wholeheartedly.

A big part of that, of course, is to believe in the good news of Jesus Christ.

That God became man, becoming one of us. That he died on a cross to take the punishment for our sins, and that he rose again. And that if we will only put our faith in him, trusting in him as our Lord and Savior, we will be saved from eternal hell.

That’s the message Jesus came to bring.

Now there are two questions we all must ask.

First, have you put your faith in Christ? And if you have, are you continuing to pass on the message Jesus came to give?

How about you? Can you say yes to both questions?

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Luke Luke 3

But wasn’t I doing your will?

Luke

Sometimes, as we go through the Christian life, we go through hard times as a result of our own bad decisions.

I once went through unemployment, because though all the warning signs were there that my company was about to go under, I nevertheless ignored them and eventually went down with the ship.

But other times, we’ve done nothing but follow the will of God in our lives, and yet we end up in trouble anyway. And we ask God, “Why? Wasn’t I doing your will?”

That’s what happened to John the Baptist. It says in verse 18 that he was exhorting the people and preaching the good news to them.

We’ve seen in the passages in John that he was also pointing out Jesus to his disciples and telling them, “He is the one you need to follow.”

Not only that, he fulfilled his role as prophet by pointing out the sins of the people, and this is what ultimately got him in trouble.

King Herod (Antipas) had taken his brother Phillip’s wife for his own, and John publicly rebuked him for it. Not only that, he publicly rebuked Herod for many of his other misdeeds as well.

As a result, Herod had him thrown in prison. And there, John was left to rot.

We’ll get more into what happened to John in prison later, but it does bring up the question, “Why did God let it happen?”

Did John deserve to be in prison? No.

Could God have rescued John? Yes.

So why didn’t he? I don’t know.

And ultimately, we just have to accept that (if not be satisfied with it).

God does not promise that our lives will always be nice and comfortable if we follow him. He doesn’t promise that things will always go well.

Jesus, though he was perfect, was himself beaten and crucified. Hardly a comfortable situation. And if he who was perfect suffered, can we expect anything different as his followers?

Peter wrote,

But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God.

To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. (1 Peter 2:20-21)

What were we called to? Suffering for the sake of Christ.

What steps did Jesus take that we are called to follow in? The steps of suffering.

Am I saying that we should look to suffer? No. But don’t be surprised if it comes.

And if it does come, remember what the writer of Hebrews admonishes us,

Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. (Hebrews 12:3)

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Luke Luke 4 Mark Mark1 Matthew Matthew 4

Following the Father

The gospels

Happy New Year all!

I suppose there’s no better way to start the year then remembering who we are to follow heading into the New Year. It’s the person whom Jesus followed while he walked this earth, and you see it clearly in these passages.

This is one of the most famous passages in scripture in which Jesus gets tempted in the desert.

But as I read it this time, and looked at the scripture that Jesus quoted in fighting the temptations thrown at him by Satan, one thing struck me: Just how much trust he put in his Father.

Filled with and led by the Holy Spirit, Jesus went out into the desert after his baptism, and stayed out there for 40 days.

It seems only fitting, then, that the scriptures he quoted came from Deuteronomy after the Israelites had been wandering around in the desert for 40 years. Because what Moses told the Israelites right after that, Jesus lived out in his life.

What did Moses say?

Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands.

He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD. (Deuteronomy 8:2-3)

Just as the Father led the Israelites through the desert to test them, so he led Jesus out into the desert to be tested. Like the Israelites, Jesus was humbled, being caused to become hungry.

But unlike the Israelites, he refused to complain against his Father during that time. Rather, he trusted that his Father would provide what he needed, when he needed it.

Satan tried to get Jesus to rely on himself and his own powers to meet his needs by turning stones into bread. But Jesus refused, and relied solely on his Father in heaven to provide what he needed.

When Satan tempted Jesus to throw himself down from the temple and let the angels catch him, even quoting scripture to do so (which shows how important it is to understand context when we’re reading scripture), Jesus pointed to Deuteronomy 6, where Moses told the people,

Do not test the LORD your God as you did at Massah. (Deuteronomy 6:16)

What happened at Massah? The Israelites again showed a lack of trust in God, this time because they had no water, saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?” (Exodus 17:7)

Sometimes, we question God in the same way. We go through struggles, and say, “Is God really with me or not?”

Satan was basically tempting Jesus to question God in that way too. He was saying, “Is your Father really with you? If you’re going to serve him, you’d better find out by jumping off the temple. If he’s really with you, he’ll catch you.”

But Jesus refused to do so, fully believing that his Father was with him, though he couldn’t see him.

Finally, Satan tempted Jesus to worship him in order to gain the kingdoms of the world. But again Jesus refused. He would not let anything or anyone deter him from following his Father saying,

Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’ (Matthew 4:10)

How about you? Who are you following as you head into this new year? Are you following the Father?

Are you trusting that he is with you and will meet your needs? Are you making following him your first priority, above your job, your family, your friends, and everything else?

Who are you following?

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John John 1 Luke Luke 3 Mark Mark1 Matthew Matthew 3

Loved by the Father, Filled with the Spirit

Jesus baptized by John the Baptist
www.LumoProject.com

During the time that John was baptizing multitudes of people, Jesus also came up to him to be baptized.

I wonder just how well John knew Jesus and exactly who he was when he did. How much did his parents tell him about his cousin? How much did God tell him?

John had been living in the desert probably from the time he was old enough to survive on his own. Did he even recognize Jesus?

He must have, at least to some degree, for when Jesus came to be baptized, John saw in his eyes someone unlike any other he had ever met. Someone who had no need of repentance. And so he told Jesus,

I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me? (Matthew 3:14)

But Jesus told him,

Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness. (Matthew 3:15)

Why did Jesus get baptized? For two reasons. One was to make clear to John with no room for doubt just who he was preparing the people for. Later, when John saw Jesus, he gave this testimony:

Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’

I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel…

I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him.

I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’

I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God. (John 1:29-34)

From his words, it seems clear that up until that point, that though he recognized something different in Jesus, nevertheless, he didn’t know he was the One God had promised, the one that he was preparing Israel for.

The second reason Jesus got baptized was to identify himself with us as fallen people in need of repentance.

Although Jesus himself never sinned, he would take our sins upon himself at the cross, and die for us. By his birth, he identified with us as being human. By his baptism, he identified with our sinfulness.

But the thing that strikes me is what happened when he got baptized, something that John the Baptist alludes to.

Namely, that when he got baptized, the Spirit came upon Jesus in power. Not only that, the Father affirmed his love for him.

If we are to be effective Christians, we need these things in our lives. If Jesus, the only unique Son of God, needed these things, how much more do we?

To know that the Father loves us. If we do not know this, we will always fear to draw near to Him. We will always be afraid of his words of rebuke, and so we’ll hesitate to draw into a close relationship with him.

But also, if we are not secure in the love of the Father, it makes all our other relationships much more difficult.

It becomes difficult to love others when they don’t return that love, or at least as much as we would expect or hope.

It becomes difficult to forgive when people hurt us.

The reason so many people find it hard to love as God does is simply because they don’t know God’s love for them.

But because Jesus was so completely filled with his Father’s love, he could love others despite their failings.

At the same time the Father affirmed his love for Jesus, however, the Spirit empowered him. Jesus didn’t start his ministry until that happened.

In the same way, if we want to be effective servants for God, we need to be filled with his Spirit. According to John, that was what Jesus also came to do. To baptize us with his Spirit.

How about you? Do you know God’s love in your life? Are you filled with his Spirit?

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John John 1 Luke Luke 3 Mark Mark1 Matthew Matthew 3

Telling it like it is

The gospels

We leap approximately 18 years in time from when Jesus was 12 years old to when he turned 30. And just before he began his ministry, his cousin John started his own.

The apostle John makes very clear who John the Baptist was and was not, saying,

There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John.

He came as a witness to testify concerning that light (i.e. Jesus), so that through him all men might believe.

He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. (John 1:6-8)

Or as John the Baptist himself put it when questioned by the priests, the Pharisees, and the Sadducees,

I am not the Christ…I am the voice of one calling in the desert, “Make straight the way for the Lord.” (John 1:20, 23)

His whole purpose in life was to pave the way for Jesus. To prepare people’s hearts to receive him.

It strikes me that as followers of Jesus, God has passed on that mission to us. To prepare people’s hearts for Jesus. We cannot make them follow him. All we can do is plant the seed.

Our message, really, isn’t much different from John’s. The main difference, of course, was that he was preaching that they needed to prepare their hearts because God’s salvation was coming. (Luke 3:6)

We preach that God’s salvation has already come in Jesus Christ.

But the other thing that strikes me is that John really didn’t mince words. When he saw the Pharisees and Sadducees coming down towards him, he said,

You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.

And do not think you can say to yourselves, “We have Abraham as our father.”

I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.

The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry.

He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire. (Matthew 3:7-12)

Why did John come down so hard on these people? Because for the most part, they were hypocrites that looked good on the outside, keeping the letter of the law, while on the inside, they were utterly corrupt.

They thought they were in with God because they were Jews. Not only that, unlike the “ignorant,” they knew God’s law.

But on the inside, they were filled with pride and were utterly devoid of the mercy of God in their lives.

And though he was less harsh with the rest of the people, even the most hated of people in Israel, the tax collectors and astonishingly enough the Roman soldiers (although some would argue that the soldiers were Jewish soldiers), nevertheless, he called them to repentance as well.

He warned them that they could not just keep living the way that they were. Because as he told all of them, a day of judgment is coming.

We need to do the same. We need to tell people like it is.

The King is coming back to this earth someday, and when he does, he will judge all evil and make all things right.

That’s good news, but most people don’t recognize the evil in their own lives. And because of their sin, they too will be judged unless they repent, welcoming their King from their hearts and accepting his reign in their lives.

If we don’t warn people about that, God will hold us accountable. (Ezekiel 3:16-21; Acts 20:26-27)

How about you? Are you telling it like it is?

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Luke Luke 2

Misunderstood

Luke

I suppose that one thing that most people would like is to be understood. And it can be hurtful when those whom we love don’t understand us.

Jesus certainly understood that feeling. His disciples often didn’t understand him. The people he ministered to often didn’t understand him. And in this passage, we see that his own parents didn’t always understand him either.

This is the first story we see of Jesus in the New Testament where he actually interacts with someone, and the people he interacts with are his parents.

When he was twelve years old, he and his parents went to the Passover feast. After the feast, his parents started to return home, but Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem talking with the teachers in the temple.

Unfortunately, his parents didn’t notice, and by the time they realized he wasn’t around, a whole day had passed. It then took another two or three days to finally find him.

One can understand the agitation in Mary when she rebuked Jesus, saying,

Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you. (Luke 2:48)

And Jesus was totally confused by their reaction, replying,

Why were you searching for me? Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house? (Luke 2:49)

In other words, “You know who I am. I expected you to know where I was.”

But in verse 50, it says,

But they did not understand what he was saying to them.

The people who should have understood Jesus the best, had no clue.

How did Jesus respond?

Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. (Luke 2:51)

When he saw that they didn’t understand him, he didn’t get defensive. He didn’t scathe them for their lack of understanding.

Rather, he did his best to make things right with them. And as a dutiful son, he submitted himself to them.

Think about that for a moment. He was God incarnate. He had created them. And yet, he humbled himself and submitted himself to their authority as his earthly parents.

There will be times when people don’t understand us. And it’s easy to get upset with them. To hold on to hurt because we feel like they should understand us.

But even so, let us learn a lesson from Jesus and humble ourselves. Let us do what we must to make things right. As Paul said,

If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. (Romans 12:18)

“But Bruce,” you may say. “It’s all well and good to say that, but it still hurts. Why can’t they understand me?”

For one reason. They’re not God. Much as we sometimes wish they were, they’re not all-knowing. They can’t see your heart. So don’t expect them to.

But there is one who can understand you, and that’s Jesus. Because he is God. More than that, he experienced what it was like to be human.

So whatever you are going through, he understands you completely.

So just as Jesus took comfort in the fact that his Heavenly Father could understand him, even though his earthly parents couldn’t, take comfort in the knowledge that Jesus can understand you.

When you’re feeling hurt or misunderstood, turn to him. Talk to him. Because he does understand you.

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Luke Luke 2

A heart prepared for the King

Luke

Every Christmas, we sing a song that says,

Joy to the World,
The Lord is come.
Let earth receive her King.
Let every heart prepare him room.

And in this passage, we see a woman who did just that. She prepared her heart to receive the King.

Her name was Anna, and she was a prophetess. She suffered tragedy when she was very young. After just 7 years of marriage, her husband died.

I don’t know this for certain, but it’s possible that she was childless. The text seems to imply that right after her husband died, she went to live in the temple and dedicated her life to worship, fasting and prayer.

If so, she was a remarkable woman. It would have been very easy for her to become bitter. To ask God why. Certainly to ask why he took her husband from her. And if she had no children, to question why she had been barren during those 7 years she had been married.

(Remember that this was considered shameful back in those days).

But instead of her tragedy driving her away from God, it drove her to God. And because of this, it gave her a heart that was prepared for meeting the King.

Indeed, she was one of the few who recognized him for who he was. Not only that, her joy was such that she had to tell those around about what she had found.

How about you? Do you have a heart prepared for the King? Do you have a heart that’s seeking God daily?

I’m not saying that you have to be like this woman spending every waking hour in worship, prayer, and fasting. But do you take the time getting to know him on a daily basis.

Or do you let the busyness of life, the worries of this world, and the hardships that you go through to drive you away from him?

So many people in Jesus’ time were that way, and because of that, they ended up crucifying the very Messiah they said they were seeking.

And if we fail to seek God daily, we will very likely miss seeing him in our lives, and the things he’s trying to accomplish.

Christmas may be over, but let us prepare room for God in our hearts every day, spending time with him, and drawing close to him.

For only when we do so, will we find the joy that Jesus came to bring.

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Luke Luke 2

The One who causes many to fall

Luke

Merry Christmas to the rest of you celebrating Christ’s birth in the world! (It’s already the 26th in Japan…and all Christmas decorations are already gone).

Anyway, this passage strikes me, because the words that were spoken by Simeon are just as true today as they were when Christ was first born.

Simeon was a godly man, and somehow God had revealed to him that he would not pass away until he had seen the Messiah, the one who would come to save Israel…and the world. And when Simeon saw Jesus with his own eyes, he prayed,

Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace.

For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel. (Luke 2:29-32)

But while Joseph and Mary marveled at his words, Simeon warned them,

This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed.

And a sword will pierce your own soul too. (Luke 2:34-35)

Truer words have never been spoken. For as many people accepted Jesus as their Messiah, many more rejected him. As many people honored the name of Jesus, many more cursed it.

And because of the Jews’ rejection of Him, it caused a piercing to the soul of Mary, who had to watch him crucified before her very eyes.

But while Simeon’s words were true of Israel in that time, they are just as true in the world today. Because while many people honor the name of Jesus, and worship him as Lord, so many others curse his name and reject him.

In doing so, they reveal the true state of their hearts.

For while many people may seem “good,” by rejecting the One who came to die for their sins, they show their rejection of God and his ways in their hearts. Instead they insist on living their own way whether God approves or not.

And seeing this pierces the souls of all who truly love Him. Especially when we see our loved ones reject Him.

I suppose at Christmas time, it’s especially painful to see. That at the time we rejoice in Christ’s birth, yet people choose to reject him.

Christ said that he didn’t come to bring peace, but a sword. (Matthew 10:34).

Some of you may say, “But what about the angels’ words at Christ’s birth, ‘peace on earth’ and all that?”

Christ did indeed come to bring peace, peace between God and us. But he is also a dividing point. People divide because of his name. Families divide. Friends divide. It’s inevitable because not everyone will believe.

I guess what I’m trying to say is this: If you are truly going to follow Christ and preach his name, you cannot please everyone. Not everyone will like you.

Why? Because if they hate Christ, can you truly expect them to love you?

Jesus told us,

If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own.

As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. (John 15:18-19)

So let us not waste time trying to make everyone love us. Instead, let us love Christ and preach his name. Because while some may fall because of him, some will rise and find life in his name.

And if those you love find him, isn’t it worth it?

God bless, and Merry Christmas!

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Luke Luke 2

Spreading the Joy

Luke

Merry Christmas all! I trust you’ll forgive this short, but sweet blog on this Christmas day (in Japan).

When the shepherds heard the news that a Savior was born, they immediately raced down to Bethlehem to find him. And when they found Him, they rejoiced greatly.

It says that after they returned, they were glorifying and praising God. To be honest, I think that was an understatement for the joy they felt.

But it was a joy that they could not hold to themselves, for it says in verse 17, that they spread the news to anyone that would listen.

It says that the people were amazed at what the shepherds told them. What it doesn’t say is how they responded after that.

Did they truly believe the shepherds and go see the child themselves? Somehow, I get the impression that they didn’t. Some may have, but if they did, it’s recorded nowhere in scripture.

But to the shepherds, it didn’t matter whether or not the people believed them. They were so filled with joy that they HAD to tell others about it or they’d burst.

How about you? Are you so filled with the joy of the Lord that you’ll just burst if you don’t tell them?

We can’t control how people will respond to the good news about Jesus. What’s more, that’s not our responsibility.

But if we truly love Jesus, if we are truly filled with his joy, we should be telling people about him so that they can know that same joy in their lives too.

How much joy are you spreading?

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Luke Luke 2

When Joy came

Shepherds

As I write this, it is Christmas Eve. And as I reflect on that first Christmas night, it’s hard to truly fathom. For it was on that day that joy truly did come to the world.

When the angel appeared to the shepherds, he said,

Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.

Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. (Luke 2:10-11)

As I read this, and think of the feelings of the shepherds, I think of the old carol that says,

Long lay the world in sin and error pining
‘Til he appeared and the soul felt its worth.

Ever since Adam and Eve first sinned in the garden, the world had lived under the shadow of death. We were dying because of our sin. Without hope, and without God in the world.

And particularly for Israel at that time, they may have started to wonder if God had abandoned them. Though God had appeared to their forefathers and revealed himself to them, they hadn’t heard from him for 400 years.

But then, for the first time in centuries, God spoke, and said, “I am here.”

Literally. “Emmanuel” had come. And by his birth he said, “I not only care about you, but I have come to walk among you. To be a light in your darkness. To bring you hope. To bring you salvation.”

And when he sent angels to announce this, he didn’t send them to the priests who were supposed to be closest to God. Nor did he send them to the teachers of the law or any of the “religious” folk.

He came to ordinary folk. To shepherds. People, who in those days, were despised among the general Jewish population.

And by coming to them, God let them know that he truly had come for everyone. That this good news was truly for all people from the greatest to the least.

And because he came, the barrier between God and man came crumbling down. Peace between God and man became possible.

Not because of anything we had done. But because of what Jesus did, not on that Christmas night, but on the cross years later, when the curtain that stood between God and us was torn in two forever.

I pray that you may know that peace this Christmas. And may the joy the shepherds felt that night, fill your heart as well.

Joy to the World! The Lord is come!

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Luke Luke 2

The One who is truly in control

Luke

When Luke gave his account of the birth of Jesus, he gave us some historical context. It happened during the time of Caesar Augustus, who was the emperor of the Roman Empire.

Augustus had taken complete control over the Roman Empire by conquering Mark Antony and Cleopatra’s forces, and shortly thereafter, he became the first Emperor of Rome.

He would flex his powers in many ways, including bringing peace to Rome, as his reign marked the beginning of the Pax Romana.

But what he didn’t know was that an even greater King was about to be born. And that though he was in control of the Roman Empire, there was a greater hand at work.

Augustus ordered that a census be taken of the entire Roman world, probably for tax purposes. With one snap of his fingers, his subjects all had to leap and go back to their hometowns to register.

One wonders what Joseph and Mary thought. We always assume that Mary was in her ninth month of pregnancy when the decree came, but we don’t know that. It may have been earlier.

But if true, I suspect that it wasn’t that much earlier because if it had been, there probably would have been time to find a better place to stay than in a cave, which was probably where Joseph and Mary had to go (contrary to all our images of a nice, clean stable).

Joseph must have wondered, “Why now, God? Why didn’t you work things out so she could be more comfortable?”

But God knew what he was doing. On a lesser note, it probably got Mary and Joseph out of a very uncomfortable situation in Nazareth where rumors were no doubt flying around concerning Mary’s pregnancy, because they were not yet married.

On a more important note, though, through this census, Jesus was forced to be born in Bethlehem, fulfilling the prophecy of Micah. (Micah 5:2)

Though Augustus thought he was in control, it was God who truly was in control. And while Augustus helped set up a peace that continued for roughly 200 years, eventually all he helped build crumbled.

But through Jesus, God started a kingdom that continues to this day and will have no end. No man, no woman, and no kingdom, will be able to overthrow it.

And when all is said and done, there will be a true peace in this world that will never be broken again.

How about you? Do you think that you are in control? Of your own life if nothing else?

Remember that there is Someone bigger than you are. And if your life is based solely on your wisdom and your efforts, it will eventually crumble.

Do you sometimes wonder if God is in control? Do you wonder why God allows things to happen as they do?

Continue to trust in him. Because he’s working things out according to a plan that we can’t always see. And in the end, all creation will see it.

On that day, as the angels cried out at Jesus’ birth, all will say,

Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests. (Luke 2:14)

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Luke Luke 1

Salvation

Luke

One wonders all that Zechariah thought during the nine months his mouth was stopped due to his unbelief.

Somehow, one gets the feeling that while he regretted his unbelief, it nevertheless didn’t put a damper on his spirit, because his inability to speak proved to him that God’s promise was true.

Instead of wallowing in sorrow, I think he walked each day with a new spring in his step.

And when his son was finally born, and his mouth was opened, all his joy came bubbling out. He sang,

Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come and has redeemed his people.

He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago). (Luke 1:68-70)

And as he goes on in his song of salvation, we see just what salvation is all about.

It’s a salvation that shines on those in darkness and in the shadow of death. (Luke 1:79)

So many people today are living in the darkness of sin, and because of that, the shadow of death hangs over them. For as Paul wrote, the wages of sin is death. (Romans 6:23)

But to those in darkness, salvation proclaims the forgiveness of sins to all who will believe. (Luke 1:77)

It’s a salvation that comes not through works, but through the mercy of God. (Luke 1:78)

We deserve nothing from God but eternal death. But because he loved us so much, he sent his Son to die for us, and through him, our sins can be forgiven.

It’s a salvation that rescues us from Satan’s kingdom. (Luke 1:71, 74)

Though Satan hates us and desired to keep us in bondage, God set us free from the chains of sin Satan had bound us in.

It’s a salvation that brings us a new life (Luke 1:74-75)

Instead of serving Satan’s kingdom, leading to our own destruction, we now serve in God’s kingdom.

Instead of living in sin, leading to fear, sorrow, and shame, we now live in the holiness and righteousness that he has clothed us in.

And each day, he transforms us more and more into his likeness. (2 Corinthians 3:18)

It’s a salvation that brings us peace. (Luke 1:79)

A peace that goes beyond our personal circumstances and is beyond all comprehension. A peace that comes because we know that we are at peace with God.

How can we receive this salvation? It’s as easy as a prayer:

Lord Jesus, I admit I’m a sinner. I have done so many things that have hurt you and others. Please forgive me.

Thank you for dying on the cross for me and taking the punishment for my sin. Please give me a new start. I desire to follow you and become more like you each day. Grant me your peace each day. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Categories
Luke Luke 1

Blessed

Mary

When Mary heard that her relative Elizabeth was pregnant, she quickly hurried down to see her.

This is quite understandable considering Mary’s own unusual circumstances. She probably wanted to confirm that this wasn’t just some kind of delusion or dream.

Any such thoughts were quickly dispelled the moment Elizabeth saw Mary. Because Elizabeth’s baby leaped within her, and filled with the Holy Spirit, she said,

Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?…

Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her! (Luke 1:42-45)

There was no human way for Elizabeth to know that Mary was pregnant nor was it possible for her to know that Mary’s baby was to be the Messiah. The only way that she could know was if God told her.

And because of this supernatural knowledge, all remaining doubt Mary may have had dissolved, and she sang,

My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant.

From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me—holy is his name. (Luke 1:46-49)

As I look at her words, it reminds me of how God has blessed us as well.

Like Mary, it’s not because we are deserving of anything of God. We are simply his humble servants. It’s not because of the things we have done that we are blessed, but because of the great things God has done.

What has he done for us?

1. He has extended his mercy to us. And not only to us, but to those who came before us, and all who will follow after. (Luke 1:50)

We deserve punishment for all the sins we have committed, but God instead shows us mercy.

Why could he show his mercy to us? Because all his wrath was poured out onto his Son when he died on the cross. And because Jesus took our punishment for us, we can receive God’s mercy instead.

2. He has acted on our behalf. (Luke 1:51)

When Israel was in slavery to Egypt, God humbled Pharaoh and lifted up Moses and the Israelites.

He also cast down nations and rulers that were more powerful than them, and brought them into the land he had promised.

And though his people failed him again and again, nevertheless, he never forgot his promises to Abraham, and has preserved them to this day.

That’s amazing, considering not only how many other races have perished in that time, but also how many times other nations have tried to destroy Israel, even up to the present time.

Just as God has acted on the behalf of Israel, he has acted on our behalf as well. He did so by sending Jesus to die on the cross for us. But even now, he continually acts on our behalf.

When our problems are bigger than we are, he brings us victory. When we are in need, he meets those needs. And when Satan seeks to destroy us, God watches over us and preserves us.

So as Mary did, especially in this Christmas season, let us magnify the Lord. For he has done great things for us. And we truly are blessed.

Categories
Luke Luke 1

Surrendered

Luke

If one wonders why an ordinary teenage girl like Mary was chosen to be the mother of Jesus, it can be summed up in one word: Surrendered.

She was a woman completely surrendered to the will of God in her life, and you see it here in this passage.

Six months after appearing to Zechariah, Gabriel appears to Mary, and says,

Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you. (Luke 1:28)

Despite Gabriel’s words, Mary is troubled wondering what was going on. So Gabriel said,

Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.

He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end. (Luke 1:30-33)

Mary could not mistake what the angel was saying. All young women prayed that their child would be the Messiah. But she had a very logical question.

How will this be…since I am a virgin? (Luke 1:34)

Gabriel replied,

The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. (Luke 1:35)

At this point, some people will say, “Come on. Virgin birth? You don’t really believe that, do you?”

But in this day of modern medicine, we see it all the time. When a couple is infertile, a doctor will take the husband’s sperm and inject it into the woman’s womb. In some cases, they inject the sperm right into the egg.

Are we seriously going to say that God can’t do what human doctors can?

Gabriel knew, however, this was a lot to swallow, and so she told Mary, “Go to your relative Elizabeth. Everyone told her that she would never get pregnant. But now she is. With God nothing is impossible.”

With these words, Mary said,

May it be to me as you have said. (Luke 1:38)

No more arguments. No more objections. Just surrender.

But think about this for a minute. By surrendering to God, she was risking much.

She was risking her reputation with her family and neighbors. She was risking her upcoming wedding to Joseph. And she was even risking her life.

By law, Joseph could have had her stoned (though admittedly, this rarely happened by Jesus’ day).

After all, who would believe that God was responsible for making her pregnant?

But Mary said, “If this is what you want God, I’m willing. No matter the cost.”

She had no guarantees from God. He never promised to preserve her upcoming wedding. He never promised to preserve her reputation.

But she believed in her heart that God was good, and that his plans were good. More than that, she said, “I am yours. I am your servant. Do what you will.”

That’s a heart of surrender. And because she was surrendered, God was able to do great things through her.

How about you? Are you surrendered to God? Are you willing to let everything go in order to follow him?

Categories
Luke Luke 1

Disappointment

Luke

We start the book of Luke with a prologue talking about why it was written.

Luke was a doctor who had become a Christian when the church first began. He was a learned man, and here he writes to a man named Theophilus.

Luke tells him that in becoming a Christian, he himself had carefully investigated the story of Jesus, and now he wanted to lay out all his findings for Theophilus and all who were interested.

I must say that this gives me some comfort that a man of Luke’s education would do this for us so close to Christ’s time here on earth. It gives a real credibility to the history of the story of Jesus.

Luke starts with the story of Zechariah who was a priest. And as you read between the lines of this story, you see someone who, though he was a good man and loved God, nevertheless had suffered deep disappointment in his life.

Namely, his wife was barren. As painful as that is in this day and age, it was much more so in theirs. And for his wife Elizabeth in particular, their culture considered it a disgrace.

One wonders how long they prayed for a son. Perhaps there were months that Elizabeth’s period was late, and hope sprang anew. But then her period would start, and hope would be dashed. How often did this pattern repeat in their lives?

How do we respond to unanswered prayers in our lives? How do we respond to hopes dashed?

For some, they get bitter.

“Why won’t you answer my prayers? I need this! Don’t you hear? Don’t you know what I’m going through? Don’t you know how I’m feeling?”

Others get resigned.

“Well, I guess God just isn’t going to answer this one.”

And they just move on with their lives, living in disappointment.

But others hope beyond hope. Abraham was an example of this in a similar situation to Zechariah.

How did Zechariah feel? At a guess, he had resigned himself to “the facts.”

“My wife and I are old. It’s too late. If it hasn’t happened now, it never will. Maybe God just had more important things to worry about.”

But one day, he was chosen by lot to burn incense at the altar in the temple. Because of the number of priests in Israel, the odds of getting chosen were very slim. But that day, he was chosen for this honor.

The smoke of the incense was a symbol of the people’s prayers rising to God, so while Zechariah was in there, the people outside the temple prayed, and no doubt, so did Zechariah.

What did he pray for? Undoubtedly, he prayed for the nation. Perhaps he even prayed that the Messiah would finally come. For God had not spoken to anyone in 400 years.

Did he pray for himself? Perhaps. Perhaps not. One wonders if after years of discouragement, he started to doubt if God really cared about him personally.

“Sure God loves Israel. But does he really care about me?”

But in the midst of his prayers, to his great shock, an angel appears. His first reaction is fear. Did he do something wrong? Would he be struck down as Aaron’s sons had once been while doing the very same thing (Leviticus 10)?

But the angel said, “Don’t be afraid. I’ve got good news for you. Do you remember all your prayers that you prayed for a son? God has heard them. And he’s giving you a son.

“More than that, your son’s going to prepare the way for the Messiah you’ve been hoping for.”

Zechariah’s reaction? Disbelief. Years of unanswered prayer had beaten him down. And he said,

How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years. (Luke 1:18)

In other words, “I’ve been praying for years. Nothing has happened. Time and again my hopes have been dashed. I don’t want to get my hopes up again only to be disappointed.”

How often do we respond the same way? Because of disappointments, we lose hope.

God graciously didn’t take away the blessing because of his doubt, but he did rebuke Zechariah, and said, “Do you want a sign? Here it is: You won’t speak again until the birth of your son.”

That certainly got his attention. And he believed. Soon, so did his wife. She got pregnant, and when she did, she said,

The Lord has done this for me…In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people. (Luke 1:25)

What can we get from all this?

First, whether we feel like it or not. God does hear all our prayers. It was one of the first things the angel Gabriel told Zechariah.

“Your prayers were not in vain. Your prayers were not bouncing off the ceiling. God has heard you.”

Second, God is weaving a story that we can’t always see. A story that is often bigger than us. You can’t get much bigger than preparing the way for Jesus to come.

But because of that, our prayers may seem to go unanswered at times.

But don’t lose hope. God has heard you. He may or may not give you what you desire. But know that God is working something out in your life. He’s working out something for your good. Because he loves you.

And if you’ll keep hoping and trusting in him, in the end, whether it’s in heaven or on earth, you will see the story he wove and the beautiful tapestry that resulted.

So whatever you’re going through, stay in the story. And you will find blessing as Zechariah and Elizabeth did.

Categories
Luke Luke 3 Matthew Matthew 1

Identifying with a fallen people

The gospels

As we look at the genealogies of Jesus, there are a couple of things that should be noted.

First, the genealogy in Matthew is clearly incomplete as several kings are skipped over (e.g. Joash, Amaziah, and Jehoiakim). So when you read “father of,” in Matthew, it would be better to read it as the “ancestor of.”

Second, most scholars agree that these genealogies are not both from Joseph’s line. It is assumed that the account of Matthew is giving us Joseph’s actual genealogy, while Luke’s gives us Mary’s.

The main reason is that in Luke, it says that Jesus was the son, “so it was thought,” of Joseph.

So as we read Luke’s account, it should probably be read, “[Jesus] was the son, so it was thought of Joseph, but really the descendant of Heli…” and so on. (The word “son” in the book of Luke can be translated descendant).

This is the first time I’m taking such a close look at the genealogies, and I’m realizing just how complex the issues with the genealogies can be, but I don’t want to get into them here except to say that the explanations are certainly very interesting.

At any rate, before I get lost in the explanation of the genealogies, let’s get to the fiercely practical.

As I look at these genealogies, one thing strikes me. When Jesus came, he didn’t just appear out of nowhere. He didn’t just drop out of the sky and say, “Here I am!”

Rather, fallen people though we are, he chose to identify with us. He chose to become one of us.

Just look at his ancestors.

  • Adam, who was created in a perfect world, but still managed to bring sin into it.
  • Terah, an idol worshipper, as were probably many of his ancestors.
  • Jacob, who had been a conman for much of his life.
  • Judah, who because of his ill-treatment of his daughter-in-law after his son’s death, was deceived by her and slept with her thinking she was a prostitute. The result? Two sons, one of whom just happened to be Jesus’ ancestor. (A complex story: See Genesis 38).
  • Rahab, who was not only an outsider to the Jewish people, but a prostitute.
  • Ruth, a woman from an outcast group of people, the Moabites. (See Deuteronomy 23:3-4)
  • David, who committed adultery with Bathsheba and murdered her husband. Yet Solomon (Matthew 1:6) and Nathan (not the prophet — Luke 3:31) were both sons of this union.
  • Numerous kings who had turned their backs on God (Ahaz and Manasseh among others).

Jesus could have skipped out on all this if he had wanted to. He could have held himself out as completely separate from us. But he didn’t. Instead, he identified himself with us, saying, “I am one of you.”

He identified with us in other ways as well. He wasn’t particularly handsome. (Isaiah 53:2)

He didn’t come from a rich family. He grew up working hard, supporting his family once his father Joseph died.

He got tired. He got hungry and thirsty. He went through temptation and trials. He suffered rejection. He was misunderstood. He was abused. He was betrayed. He suffered pain.

Why?

The book of Hebrews tells us, saying,

[Jesus] had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God. (Hebrews 2:17)

In short, he did it to understand us. And because he understands us, he has become more merciful towards us as our high priest before God.

Because of this, it says in Hebrews 4:16,

Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may find mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

How are you feeling today? Depressed because of your struggles with sin? Struggling just to support your family? Tired? Troubled? Rejected? Hurt? Betrayed?

Bring it all before Jesus. Because he understands. And he will help.