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The Gospel of Luke (Part 1)

A practical Bible Commentary by Terry Baxter

The Gospel of Luke has been called, “The most beautiful book ever written.” 

Amazingly, The Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts are the only two books in the Bible written by a Gentile. Luke was well-educated, both as a historian and a doctor. He researched diligently, talked to many eye-witnesses of the life and ministry of Jesus, and most likely interviewed all the Apostles. The details of the birth of Jesus are almost certainly things he learned from Jesus’ mother, Mary. He was able to substantiate and validate many of the miracles performed by Jesus. It’s also clear he also interviewed a good number of people who were healed or set free from demonic oppression. Over half of the material contained in these 24 chapters is exclusive to the Gospel of Luke. Luke is credited for capturing many teachings and works of Jesus that would have been lost without his painstakingly diligent work. Later in his ministry, Luke became a traveling companion of Paul and was with him to the very end. 

Get ready for an exciting journey into the life and ministry of Jesus with Luke as your tour guide!

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Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible ®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by the Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org) Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the NASB.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Carol Stream, Illinois, 60188. All rights reserved.

Cover design by Dan Jones. Cover art obtained via GoServ Global’s license with Canva. 

Edited and occasional comment by Dan Jones

© 2026 Written and published by Reverend Terry C. Baxter.

So That You May Know the Exact Truth: Luke 1:1-4

“1) Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile an account of the things accomplished among us, 2) just as they were handed down to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, 3) it seemed fitting for me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in consecutive order, most excellent Theophilus; 4) so that you may know the exact truth about the things you have been taught.” 

The Gospel of Luke has been called “The most beautiful book ever written.”  Luke himself was a Gentile. His two biblical books of Luke and Acts are the only two books in the Bible written by a Gentile. 

Luke was well-educated. He was both an historian and a medical doctor. He researched diligently, talked to many eye witnesses of the life and ministry of Jesus, and most likely interviewed all the Apostles. He was able to substantiate and validate many of the miracles performed by Jesus. He may have interviewed a good number of people who were healed or set free from demonic oppression. 

Later, Luke became a traveling companion of Paul and was with him to the very end. He also wrote the book of Acts. 

In verse 3, he mentioned Theophilus. His exact identity is unknown, but he commissioned Luke to investigate the life and ministry of Jesus Christ and the early spread of the gospel. (See Acts 1:1-2) Theophilus is a Greek name. He may have underwritten the work of Luke. 

Luke was very diligent in his research. Over 50% of the material  in this book is exclusive to the Gospel of Luke. We credit Luke for capturing many teachings and works of Jesus that would have been lost without his diligent work. 

Prepare for an exciting journey into the life and ministry of Jesus Christ with Luke as our tour guide. 

Meet the Cast: Luke 1:5-7

“5) In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah; and he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6) They were both righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord. 7) But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both advanced in years.”

Luke begins the nativity story with Zacharias and Elizabeth. He was introducing the cast. They were the parents of John the Baptist. Zacharias was a priest from the division of Abijah. He had the right pedigree. 

They lived during the reign of Herod the king. That is significant because it attached a date to these events. Many times, significant events were noted in relation to kings and dignitaries. This anchored the event in time and space. It was verifiable.

Luke makes special note of the fact that both Zacharias and Elizabeth were righteous in the sight of God. They were walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord. 

There are huge blessings in living a righteous life. Psalm 4:3 says; “But know that the LORD has set apart the godly man for Himself. The Lord hears when I call to Him.” God was ready for the next big event on His calendar. He looked for godly and trustworthy people to work through. 

The same is true today. God favors those who walk with Him in sincerity and truth. If you want to experience God’s favor, power, and blessings, then walk in close fellowship with Him.

There was one major problem; Elizabeth was barren and they were getting old. When God prepares to do something special, He often makes it extra difficult. The stage was being set for multiple miracles converging around the ultimate birth of the Messiah through the Virgin Mary.

Into the Holy Place: Luke 1:8-10 

“8) Now it happened that while he was performing his priestly service before God in the appointed order of his division, 9) according to the custom of the priestly office, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10) And the whole multitude of the people were in prayer outside at the hour of the incense offering.”

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The priestly divisions would come to Jerusalem to serve in the temple for a month at a time. Zacharias was of the division of Abijah. He was in Jerusalem serving his monthly duty at the temple. 

He was involved in the daily sacrifices and taking the offerings from the people. It was an exhausting schedule six days a week, but even on the Sabbath they had certain duties in the temple.

The daily duties included replacing the show bread, offering incense, and trimming the lamps that illuminated the Holy Place. One hour a day was devoted to this ceremony. It was called “the hour of incense offering.” (Hebrews  9:1-10 gives a brief synopsis of the temple service.)

From the priestly division on duty at the temple, a daily lot was taken to see who would enter the Holy Place and replace the show bread, trim the lamps and burn incense.

It happened on this day that the lot fell on Zacharias. Few in each division were ever selected for this honor. It was a once-in-a-lifetime privilege. 

While the priest was in the Holy Place, the people outside would be in earnest prayer. (See verse 10.) The procedure took approximately one hour. 

Thus the stage was set for a significant event that put Zacharias in the spotlight for all Israel. He was delayed in the Holy Place long past the usual hour. That meant he was either dead because of the burning anger of God for some irreverence, or God was doing something very special and unusual. Stay tuned as the story continues. 

The First Domino: Luke 1:11-17

“11) And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense. 12) Zacharias was troubled when he saw the angel, and fear gripped him. 13) But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your petition has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will give him the name John. 14) You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. 15) For he will be great in the sight of the Lord; and he will drink no wine or liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit while yet in his mother’s womb. 16) And he will turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God. 17) It is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers back to the children, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.””

The forerunner to the Messiah was about to be conceived. He would be the first domino in a series of events that would fulfill a volume of Old Testament prophecies and eventually lead to the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Whenever God is ready to initiate a change in epochs, it is accompanied by four things: 1) something seemingly impossible, 2) prophetic fulfillment of a biblical magnitude, 3) angelic interaction, and 4) the birth of an extraordinary child. All four of these came into alignment with Zacharias.

As he was performing his priestly duties in the Holy Place, an angel of the Lord appeared to Him with a birth announcement. Elizabeth was about to conceive a child in her old age.

That theme should sound familiar. Unique birth circumstances happened surrounding the births of Isaac, Moses, Samuel, Obed the grandfather of king David, John the Baptist, and Jesus Christ.

As the angel talked to Zacharias, he informed him of the very unique mission and call of the child about to be born to him and his wife Elizabeth. 

First, his name would be John. That name was a total departure from his family heritage. He was to be marked for something special. John came from  priestly lineage, but his ministry would be very unique. 

Second, his birth would bring about joy and gladness. It was so unusual it would spark a candle of expectancy that God was at work after nearly 400 years of silence. 

Third, he would like a nazarite from birth. He would drink neither wine nor strong drink. He was set aside for God.

Fourth, he would be filled with the Holy Spirit while yet in his mother’s womb. This was unprecedented. 

Fifth, he would turn back many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God. He was destined to kindle the fires of revival and awakening in Israel. 

Sixth, he would go as a forerunner to the messiah in the spirit and power of Elijah. (See Malachi 4:5)

Finally, God would use him to “turn the hearts of children back to their fathers, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous; so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” Compare this with Malachi 4:6. 

God was indeed keeping His Word. This was more than a birth announcement. It was the first domino in God’s plan for human redemption. 

Gabriel Brings a Message: Luke 1:18-20 

“18) Zacharias said to the angel, “How will I know this for certain? For I am an old man and my wife is advanced in years.” 19) The angel answered and said to him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. 20) And behold, you shall be silent and unable to speak until the day when these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their proper time.”” 

Like many of us, Zacharias was a doubter. He looked at all the reasons why it could not happen. “How can this happen?” “ I am an old man. My wife is also old and past menopause. This is impossible! 

Faith does not look at the natural, instead it sets its hope on the supernatural. It does not focus on the seen, but the unseen. It does not embrace the humanistic, but the divine. Faith puts God into every equation.

God wants us to walk by faith and not by sight. He wants us to live in the reality of His existence, power, and goodness. See Hebrews 11:6. Notice that this verse is the main premise of the faith chapter.

The angel answered the rhetorical questions and skepticism of Zacharias in two ways. First, he identified himself as Gabriel who stands in the presence of God. He is God’s primary messenger angel. He was the angel that appeared to Daniel. (Daniel 8:16; 9:21) This connection to Daniel would have been significant to Zacharias. As a priest, he knew the Old Testament. 

Second, Gabriel noted that he had been sent from the presence of God with a divine message of good news. What was about to unfold was the will, plan, and work of God.

Third, Zacharias would be silent and unable to speak until John was born. This was the consequence of his unbelief. It both prevented him from verbalizing doubt and it became a sign to all the people. God was at work! 

Beyond Time: Luke 1:21-23

“21) The people were waiting for Zacharias, and were wondering at his delay in the temple. 22) But when he came out, he was unable to speak to them; and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple; and he kept making signs to them, and remained mute. 23) When the days of his priestly service were ended, he went back home.”  

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We are not sure how long  Zacharias was delayed in the temple, but he lingered way beyond the hour for incense burning. The people outside became concerned. 

So it happens, those who linger in God’s presence lose track of time. Bible reading and prayer coupled with intimate communion with God should not  be hindered by the clock. 

Unique to the western church is putting a stopwatch on God for our so called “worship services.” We give Him an hour with a cushion of another half, but then our attention span is ended. 

I have been to many African, Latino, Haitian, and underground churches where they lose track of time in the presence of God. The one who created time cannot be restrained by time. 

You know you have graduated into true communication and delight in God when you lose track of time! Zacharias lost track of time in the presence of the Divine. It was something new for his time and age. It became common for people seeking Jesus during His public ministry and for the church after Pentecost. They even lost track of food and meals. 

When Zacharias came out of the Holy Place after his delay, the people realized that he had seen a vision, for he was mute and unable to speak. He finished his tour of duty and returned to his home. 

There are precious things that happen to the man or woman of God who learn the secret of basking in His presence that defy words. Such was the case for Paul in 2 Corinthians 12. He was caught up to the 3rd heaven and heard inexpressible words. Concerning the full scope of his revelation, God put a muzzle on him. 

In the presence of God, things can happen in the Spirit that defies both time and words. Do not restrain God by time, theological boxes or even words. (Study 1 Corinthians 2) Notice, I did not include the Bible. God always works within biblical parameters. 

Let me give you some wise counsel. Drop the words fundamentalist, evangelical, charismatic, and Pentecostal from your vocabulary. They are restrictive boxes. Instead adopt the title of “Spirit-Filled Christ-Follower.” Then pull all stops in your pursuit of Jesus Christ. Seek to enter into every promise in the Word of God. It is your inheritance “in Christ.” (See 1 Peter 1:2-11)

In so doing, expect to receive many pearls from your intimate communion with God. Do not throw them before swine. To say too much is to invite the wrath of critics devoted to some camp more than to Jesus. Instead, enjoy basking in the presence of God. 

Inside or outside? Luke 1:21-23

“21) The people were waiting for Zacharias, and were wondering at his delay in the temple. 22) But when he came out, he was unable to speak to them; and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple; and he kept making signs to them, and remained mute. 23) When the days of his priestly service were ended, he went back home.”  

Things have changed. There were two groups of people in the days of Zacharias. There were the rare few who had access to the inside of the temple, but most of the people waited on the outside. 

Jesus changed everything! When He died on the cross, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. This veil separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies. Not even Zacharias was allowed to enter the Holy of Holies. 

But now, every born-again believer through faith in Jesus Christ has access to God Most Holy. Jesus has prepared the way for us. 

Not only that, according to 1 Peter 2:5, we become part of a holy priesthood. We are called to offer up holy sacrifices to God. 

Not only that, according to Hebrews 4:14-16, because of Jesus our high priest, we have access to the very throne of God. We need not remain on the outside. 

This merely scratches the surface of what we have in Christ. We have been raised up with Him and seated with Him in heavenly places “in Christ.”. (See Ephesians 2:6) What does that mean?

We are not part of an earthy tabernacle or temple anymore. These are a mere shadow of heavenly reality. We have access to heaven itself! 

I will leave you to wrestle with these concepts. But I must ask a question; “Are you on the outside or on the inside?” Have you trusted in Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord, or do you merely believe God exists? The latter are on the outside. 

If you know Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord, start living in your full position in Christ. Enter often into the throne room of God’s presence. Embrace the blessings of  what is called “the priesthood of the believer.” 

And So a Child Was Conceived: Luke 1:23-25

“23) When the days of his priestly service were ended, he went back home. 24) After these days Elizabeth his wife became pregnant, and she kept herself in seclusion for five months, saying, 25) “This is the way the Lord has dealt with me in the days when He looked with favor upon me, to take away my disgrace among men.”” 

After his tour of duty in Jerusalem, Zacharias returned home to the hill country of Judah. It must have been a joyous reunion, for his wife Elizabeth became pregnant. 

She was both excited but also in denial. She kept herself in seclusion for five months. After so many years with empty arms she wasn’t sure how to respond to people. Like Sarah many years before her, she was part of a miracle much greater than herself. 

Have you noticed in the Bible that when God is ready to do something very big, He usually sends a baby?  I believe in dedicating children to the Lord while they are yet in the womb.

This is one reason I am pro-life! We cannot calculate the human genius, grace, gifts and potential that have been cancelled due to the curse of abortion. This is second only to the curse of human trafficking. Both are a blight to humanity. 

Elizabeth fully recognized that God was looking upon her with favor. Her child was a gift from the Lord. He was an answer to her prayers. He was a treasure. 

I look at every baby, child, and person as a treasure. All people have value and dignity because they are created in the image of God. No person is beyond the possible reach of redemption through the gospel and faith in Jesus Christ. 

The Favored One: Luke 1:26-28

“26) Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, 27) to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. 28) And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” 

Six months later, Gabriel was on assignment again. This time he went to a city of Galilee called Nazareth. After nearly four hundred years of silence, things were ramping up quickly. God was up to something very special. 

This time, he appeared to a young virgin woman whose name was Mary. This was not random. Suddenly, the reader is forced to think about Isaiah 7:14; “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.”  Could it be the long-awaited Messiah was about to be conceived?

But wait, the Messiah had to be a direct descendant of David. Such was the case for both Mary and Joseph. 

It is no wonder the angel greeted Mary by saying; “Hail, Favored One.” She had been chosen by God to give birth to the Messiah. God’s favor rested on her. 

But God honors human free will. Gabriel’s next task was recruiting both Mary and Joseph for this Divine initiative. Stay tuned!   

The Favored One: Luke 1:28-34

“28) And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” 29) But she was very perplexed at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was. 30) The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. 31) And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. 32) He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; 33) and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.” 34) Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?””

Gabriel addressed Mary as a “favored one.” Some people make the mistake of assuming that God is no respecter of persons. They think He treats all people alike. That line of reasoning is an excuse for sinful living.

Psalm 4:3 exposes the false premise of that reasoning; “3) But know that God has set apart the godly man for Himself; the Lord hears when I call to Him.”  God bestows favor on the righteous! 

Such was the case with many key actors in the nativity story. They were godly and righteous. So Mary found favor with God. 

So it is with every believer. Jesus died to make us holy. He wants us to walk in moral freedom, a clear conscience and holiness. (See 1 Peter 1:13-19, 1 Timothy 1:5) 

It was at this point that Gabriel told Mary about God’s plan. She was going to conceive in her womb a son and she was to name Him Jesus. Matthew 1:21 gives meaning to this name; “… for it is He who will save His people from their sin.”

Luke 1:32 and 33 are two of the most important verses in the Bible; “32) He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; 33) and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.” 

Those two verses are packed with Old Testament prophecy about the Messiah. They are profound! 

Mary’s next question was “How can these things be, since I am a virgin”” Her testimony was honest and sincere. She was absolutely holy and pure. 

It is at this point that one wonders about the different treatment between Zacharias and Mary?  At his doubt Zacharias was silent and unable to speak until John was born, but Mary did not lose her ability to speak. Why? 

Neither Mary nor Zacharias understood how Gabriel’s prophecy could possibly come true. The difference is that Zacharias did not believe it was possible while Mary believed and accepted what Gabriel had said, even though she did not understand how.

The Immaculate Conception: Luke 1:35-38

“35) The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God. 36) And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month. 37) For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38) And Mary said, “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.” 

It is called “the immaculate conception.”  The power of the Most High overshadowed the Virgin Mary and fertilized the egg in her womb. The end result was the hypostatic union. Jesus was both God and man. 

The implication was that Jesus did not have the sin nature of Adam passed on through the male sperm at conception. He was sinless both by nature and choice. He became the second Adam. He came to bring life and not death. 

Some doubt this miraculous event. Keep in mind, this is exactly what Isaiah prophesied years earlier in Isaiah 7:14; “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.”

This really comes down to your view of God. As Gabriel told Mary; “For nothing will be impossible with God!” (Vs 37). But the big question is “why was the virgin birth necessary?” 

The answer is “to make human redemption possible!”  It took a sinless sacrifice to atone for the sins of mankind. Study Romans 5:12-21 and 1 Corinthians 15:20-22. These texts summarize the theology. 

How did Mary respond to this revelation?  She said; “ Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.”  It is significant that God did not bypass free will. Mary consented to God’s plan. 

Divine Encounter: Luke 1:39-45

“39) Now at this time Mary arose and went in a hurry to the hill country, to a city of Judah, 40) and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. 41) When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42) And she cried out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43) And how has it happened to me, that the mother of my Lord would come to me? 44) For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy. 45) And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord.””

According to verse 36, Elizabeth was a relative of Mary’s. She was in the sixth month of her pregnancy with John the Baptist.

As soon as Mary called out a greeting, John jumped for joy in the womb of Elizabeth and she was filled with the Holy Spirit. It became a divine encounter. 

When people are filled with the Holy Spirit, God begins to reveal divine truth to them. (1 Corinthians 2:19-13; Ephesians 1:17-18) Such was the case with Elizabeth. She immediately blessed Mary and the fruit of her womb. 

At this point, Mary was less than a month pregnant. There was no outward indication that she was with child. The Holy Spirit was revealing the truth to Elizabeth.

This was an indication of things to come. Not only was the Messiah conceived, but the Holy Spirit was about to fill ordinary people. 

If you know Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, you should be sealed and filled with the power of the Holy Spirit as well. Start learning everything from the Bible you can about the Holy Spirit and spiritual gifts. Embrace your new life in Christ! Learn to walk in the Spirit and not your flesh. 

The Magnificat: Luke 1:46-56

“46) And Mary said: “My soul exalts the Lord, 47) And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. 48) For He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave; For behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed. 49) For the Mighty One has done great things for me; And holy is His name. 50) And His mercy is upon generation after generation Toward those who fear Him. 51) He has done mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart. 52) He has brought down rulers from their thrones, And has exalted those who were humble. 53) He has filled the hungry with good things; And sent away the rich empty-handed. 54) He has given help to Israel His servant, In remembrance of His mercy, 55) As He spoke to our fathers, To Abraham and his descendants forever.” 56) And Mary stayed with her about three months, and then returned to her home.”  

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These verses are known as “The Magnificat.”  It was Mary launching into praise and exaltation of God upon her trip to see Elizabeth and most likely Zacharias. It is impossible to imagine the rich fellowship in that home during her three month visit. (See verse 56) 

Two things had just happened to Mary that greatly shaped her theology. First, she had a visitation from Gabriel the archangel. This in itself is an astounding event full of revelation.

Second, the power of the Most High overshadowed her and sparked the life of the Messiah in her womb. The event was most likely accompanied by a conscious encounter with God. It most likely transformed her into a new person. 

In verses 46 and 47, she talks about both her soul and spirit. She may have become the first since Adam to come alive in her spirit. It is hard to imagine the Messiah in her womb without her being filled with the Holy Spirit. She was so contagious for God that upon her greeting, Elizabeth likewise was filled with the Holy Spirit. (See verses 39-41) 

To say much more would take away from the wisdom and revelation of her praise of God and her message to mankind. It must be studied by every Bible student for their own enrichment and edification. 

The Birth of John the Baptist: Luke 1:57-66

“57) Now the time had come for Elizabeth to give birth, and she gave birth to a son. 58) Her neighbors and her relatives heard that the Lord had displayed His great mercy toward her; and they were rejoicing with her. 59) And it happened that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to call him Zacharias, after his father. 60) But his mother answered and said, “No indeed; but he shall be called John.” 61) And they said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who is called by that name.” 62) And they made signs to his father, as to what he wanted him called. 63) And he asked for a tablet and wrote as follows, “His name is John.” 64) And they were all astonished. And at once his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he began to speak in praise of God. 65) Fear came on all those living around them; and all these matters were being talked about in all the hill country of Judea. 66) All who heard them kept them in mind, saying, “What then will this child turn out to be?” For the hand of the Lord was certainly with him.” 

The story of the birth of John the Baptist was intended to be a sign to Israel. Not only was it miraculous in terms of the age of Zacharias and Elizabeth, but at his naming the tongue of Zacharias was loosened. 

Finally, after nine months of not being able to describe what happened to him in the temple, he was filled with the Holy Spirit and launched into praise of God. 

According to Jewish custom, the eldest son was named after his father. He is the legal heir of the family estate. At his circumcision, the officiating priest intended to call him Zacharias after his father. But both Elizabeth and Zacharias gave him the name John according to the command of the angel Gabriel. (See Luke 1:13) 

Have you ever studied name changes in the Bible?  Abrams’ name was changed to Abraham. Sarai was changed to Sarah. Jacob was changed to Israel. Even Saul was changed to Paul. 

The changing of the name Zacharias to John was significant. Unfortunately, the family name stopped with John. There is no record of him ever marrying or having children. His mission was very specific. He prepared the way for the Messiah. The name “John the Baptist” is forever etched in the annals of human history. 

There is one more contrast that must be noted in this story, Elizabeth was old and advanced in years while Mary was most likely a teenager. God uses both young and old to accomplish work. There is never an age excuse for not serving God!  None are too old and none are too young. 

So what is your excuse? 

The Prophecy of Zacharias: Luke 1:67-80 

“67) And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying: “68) Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people, 69) And has raised up a horn of salvation for us In the house of David His servant— 70) As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from of old— 71) Salvation from our enemies, And from the hand of all who hate us; 72) To show mercy toward our fathers, And to remember His holy covenant, 73) The oath which He swore to Abraham our father, 74) To grant us that we, being rescued from the hand of our enemies, Might serve Him without fear, 75) In holiness and righteousness before Him all our days. 76) And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; For you will go on before the Lord to prepare His ways; 77) To give to His people the knowledge of salvation By the forgiveness of their sins, 78) Because of the tender mercy of our God, With which the Sunrise from on high will visit us, 79) To shine upon those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, To guide our feet into the way of peace.” 80) And the child continued to grow and to become strong in spirit, and he lived in the deserts until the day of his public appearance to Israel.”

This is known as “The Prophecy of Zacharias.”  Though the religious leaders got it wrong, he got it right. Salvation was coming. The Messiah was about to be born. It would be the job of his son John to prepare the way for Him. He would be known as the prophet of the Most High God. 

The Decree: Luke 2:1-5 

“1) Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth. 2) This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3) And everyone was on his way to register for the census, each to his own city. 4) Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, 5) in order to register along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child.” 

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Luke, being a historian, attached the birth of Jesus to a secular event. It happened that Caesar Augustus ordered that a census be taken of the whole inhabited world. Leaders strike their pride by the size of their Kingdom. 

Because Joseph was from the city of David called Bethlehem, he and Mary had to travel back from Galilee to register. Both he and Mary were from the house and family of David. 

This fact is significant because Biblical prophecy taught that the Messiah would be a descendant of David and would be born in Bethlehem. And so, more biblical prophecy was unfolding. The stage was being set.

The intriguing part of this story is that God used a secular ruler to help fulfill a divine injunction. It intrigues me who God uses to accomplish His divine purpose. 

This story has a special meaning for me. Shortly after the Iron Curtain came down, I was participating in a mission trip in Slovakia. My host was a history buff. So I asked him if we could find something to remind me of ancient history. He had the perfect idea. 

He took me to a coin store and asked the owner if he had any ancient coins. He smiled and shortly produced a tray of coins. My host then asked, “Do you have any connected to Biblical history?” He smiled and brought out another tray. It was amazing! 

Then he picked up one coin in particular and said, “This is my prize coin.”  As I looked at the coin, the bust of Caesar was still visible. On the back was the inscription, “Caesar Augustus.”

Yes, it was the very Caesar Augustus who decreed that a census be taken of the whole inhabited world that brought Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem.

I walked out of that coin store as the new owner of a piece of history. What did it cost me?  Far less than its apologetic value to me over the years. 

Sometimes when I preach the Christmas story, I pass the coin around for the congregation to view. It is amazing to watch believers and skeptics alike when they hold that coin in their hand.

Two things happen. First, their eyes light up as they realize they are holding an undeniable piece of history. Second, the Christmas story as told by Luke comes alive. They realize they are holding a  true and authentic piece of history surrounding the Christmas story. 

The Bible is not fiction. It is the most reliable historical record known to mankind. Everything about the birth and life of Jesus Christ is historically verifiable fact. The whole Bible is true and trustworthy. 

The Savior is Born: Luke 2:6-8 

“6) While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth. 7) And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” 

The journey from Galilee to Bethlehem was difficult for ordinary people, I cannot imagine it for Joseph caring for his pregnant wife. 

In fulfilling God’s command, Joseph married her but kept her  a virgin until Jesus was born. 

Read the Mathew account about Joseph in Matthew 1:18-25. The Gospel of Matthew follows the story line of Joseph. The Gospel of Luke follows the story line of Mary. 

Have you ever noticed that both Matthew and Luke give a genealogy? One follows Joseph and the other follows Mary. They deviate after King David. Both were of the Royal line and direct descendants of King David.

A side benefit of this trip to Bethlehem for this census may have been confirming the family lineage of both Mary and Joseph. Both lines fulfilled the prophet’s promise of Jesus being a direct descendant of King David. 

Thousands of people most likely migrated for this census. Every inn, motel, and lodging was full. Every bed and breakfast was taken. The only loading left was out in the barn with the hay, feed, and cattle. 

It was there that Jesus was born and wrapped in swaddling clothing and laid in a manger. Though not mentioned, a midwife was likely in attendance and most likely took care of both mother and infant.

And so, the Savior was born just in time to have His name etched in the official historical record. In obedience to the angelic visit, Joseph gave the infant the name “Jesus.” (See Matthew 2:34-25) 

Both John the Baptist and Jesus were named according to the command of God as given by Gabriel. God was at work within human history. 

Heavenly Birth Announcement: Luke 2:8-18 

“8) In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. 9) And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. 10) But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; 11) for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12) This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 13) And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “14) Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.” 15) When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, “Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.” 16) So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger. 17) When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. 18) And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds.” 

The birth announcement of Jesus was proclaimed by angels to shepherds in the region. No wonder, for even King David himself had been a shepherd watching over his flocks by night. Much revelation to David came from God while he was tending his father’s sheep. 

As you read the above text, it started with an angel of the Lord standing before a group of shepherds and the glory of the Lord shining around them. They were overwhelmed by the sight and became frightened. 

Then the angel announced the good news of the birth of the Savior and gave directions as to how to find the newborn baby wrapped in swaddling clothing and lying in a manger.

I am not sure what to make of the mention of His physical clothing, but He was wrapped in righteousness from birth. He was absolutely pure and sinless.

This is a key difference between the first and second Adam. The first Adam was created as a mature sinless adult. His sin and transgression brought a curse on all humanity. Jesus was born as a sinless infant and had to progress through every stage of growth and development while still being without sin. This is huge!  His sinless life brought redemption and salvation to humanity. (See 2 Corinthians 5:21) 

The multitude of heavenly hosts may have included more than angels. Cherubim and Saraphim may have added their voices to the heavenly choir. It is reminiscent of 1 Peter 1:12 describing how angels themselves were mystified by the prophecies of the coming Messiah.

Following this glorious heavenly visitation, the shepherds made haste to go immediately to Bethlehem and find Mary and the baby Jesus. It undoubtedly caused a stir in Bethlehem.

The descendants of King David were all gathered in Bethlehem for the census. They were aware of the prophecies concerning their native town and the birth of the Messiah. (See Matthew 2:6, Micah 5:8 and Isaiah 7:10-16)

And so, the birth announcement did not fall on deaf ears. A chain reaction had begun. Many treasured everything in her heart. She was in the inner loop because of her visitation from Gabriel and time with Zacharias and Elizabeth. 

It is most probable that Zacharias and Elizabeth themselves were also in Bethlehem for the census with their own six month old child named “John.”  I can only imagine the conversations and stir in Bethlehem during this census among descendants of King David. Something extraordinary was happening! 

The Story Spreads: Luke 2:18-20

“18) And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds. 19) But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20) The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them.” 

These verses need to be emphasized. The impact of the shepherds was huge. Many visitors in Bethlehem and nearby Jerusalem heard the story of the angelic visitation. 

The two towns were very close together. Most likely the priestly line in Jerusalem who came for the census and the kingly line descended from David intermingled openly during the census.

The story was widely broadcast in the whole region. God was not doing this in secret! 

Notice verse 20. The shepherds talked openly about what they both saw and heard. This was not a dream or vision by one or two shepherds. It happened openly before many. I relish times when heaven openly mingles with the physical realm. It has happened numerous times throughout human history. 

The response of Mary was a bit more tranquil. It appears that she did not openly share her personal encounter with Gabriel beyond a small circle. She and Joseph were still in the critics den by many who accused them of fornication. The true identity of her child would have to await His public ministry. 

The text merely says “19) But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart.” She was a mother. At heart she was a scrapbooker. Can you imagine the collection of stories and pictures she would have amassed if Facebook or Instagram were available at the time?   

The Name Above All Names: Luke 2:21

“22) And when eight days had passed, before His circumcision, His name was then called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.” 

This verse provides some important insights. Mary and Joseph  performed all the requirements of the Law for Jesus. Thus He was circumcised on the eighth day according to the Law. 

According to Romans 8:3-4, Jesus fulfilled all the requirements of the Law so as to be a sinless sacrifice on our behalf. 

In this verse, Luke places emphasis on the naming of the baby; “His name was then called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.” 

This fact was noted both in Luke 1:31 given by Gabriel to Mary and by an angel to Joseph as recorded in Matthew 1:21. The name “Jesus” was important because it defined both the identity and the mission of the baby. Luke emphasizes His identity as “the Son of the Most High God” and Matthew emphasized His mission of “saving His people from their sin.” 

Paul also weighed in on the importance of His Name in Philippians 2:9-11. It is the name above every name. At the name of Jesus every knee in heaven, on earth and under the earth will bow and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. As the gospel chorus says; “There’s just something about that name.” 

There was no arguing or disputing between Mary and Joseph about the name of the baby. God Himself had given the name. 

I strongly urge you to learn how to live and walk in the power and authority of His name. He has been granted all authority in heaven and on earth. Go therefore.. (Matthew 28:18-20) 

Dedication of Jesus: Luke 2:22-24

“22) And when the days for their purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord 23) (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”), 24) and to offer a sacrifice according to what was said in the Law of the Lord, “A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”

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Sufficient to say from this text that every requirement from the Law for the purification of Mary and the dedication of baby Jesus was fulfilled meticulously. For those who want to study the ordinances of the Law that were fulfilled, read Leviticus 12:6-8, Exodus 13:2, Numbers 3:13 and Leviticus 12:8. 

This may have required a separate trip to Jerusalem after the census and His circumcision. For a male child, the time of purification was 33 days after birth. (See Lev 12:4) 

We are not sure if Mary and Joseph remained in Bethlehem a few months or if they moved into a rented house for an extended period of time. Matthew 2:9-12 mentions that the magi from the east followed the star to Bethlehem and entered “a house” to worship the baby. They told Herod they had observed the star for two years. (Vs 16) 

These are mere trivial points, but they underline the historical significance of the birth of Jesus and the care taken to fulfill every requirement of the Law. His birth and dedication were marked in the official historical Jewish genealogy and counted in the Roman census. 

According to the Gospel of Luke, two more wonders accompanied the dedication of Jesus in the temple. Matthew adds another huge detail to the saga. Stay tuned as the momentum grows and the story builds. 

The Witness of Simeon: Luke 2:25-35 

“25) And there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26) And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.”  

God’s will and leading are often confirmed with unique circumstances and godly people. Such was the case of Simeon. He had the reputation of being a righteous and devout man. The Holy Spirit was upon him and he was looking for the consolation of Israel.

The Holy Spirit had confirmed to him that he would not see death until he had first seen the Lord’s Christ. Supernatural timing is one of God’s signs and wonders. 

Just as Mary and Joseph entered the temple to carry out for the baby the full custom of the Law, Simeon came into the temple full of the Holy Spirit.

He quickly took baby Jesus into his arms and blessed God and said;  ““29) Now Lord, You are releasing Your bond-servant to depart in peace, According to Your word; 30) For my eyes have seen Your salvation, 31) Which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, 32) A Light of revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel.”” This was a huge sign confirming the identity and mission of this baby. 

The earthly mission of Simeon was complete. He was now “free to depart in peace!”  That small verse contains a message all of its own. Are you fulfilling God’s calling and mission for your life? 

I take those words of Simeon seriously! Our first obligation is to obey God and accomplish His call. Don’t let anyone or anything stand in your way. 

His father and mother were amazed at the things being said by Simeon. His words were packed with revelation. This child was indeed the Christ, the promised Messiah.

Then he pronounced a blessing on Mary; 34) … “Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed— 35) and a sword will pierce even your own soul—to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.””  It would not be a smooth road for Mary. Her own heart would be pierced because of this baby. 

When I read those words, my mind rushes to the scenes of Jesus being scourged and crucified. All Mary could do was watch as her innocent son suffered and died a horrific death. Certainly her heart was pierced more than any other. 

Simeon became a crucial actor in the nativity story. He served as an independent witness through the Holy Spirit of the identity and destiny of this baby. 

This incident was added to the story of the shepherds and the visitation of the magi. Every fact was being confirmed by multiple witnesses. Such are the ways of God!  He usually works openly! He is mysterious, but He is not cruel! His ways are open to all with ears to hear and eyes to see! 

The Witness of Anna:  Luke 2:36-38

“36) And there was a prophetess, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years and had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37) and then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple, serving night and day with fastings and prayers. 38) At that very moment she came up and began giving thanks to God, and continued to speak of Him to all those who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.” 

The prophetess Anna had become a fixture in the temple. After seven years of marriage her husband died. There is no telling how old she was at the time. She was most likely in her early twenties. 

At the time of this incident, she was 84 years old. It is safe to assume she had spent the past 60 years in the temple seeking God, praying, often fasting and serving wherever she could. Undoubtedly, she was highly respected and walked with God. Her life had not been wasted. 

At the very moment that Jesus was being dedicated in the Temple, Anna approached and began praising God for the baby. She began proclaiming openly that the redeemer had come. 

This was an example of Amos 3:7; “Surely the Lord God does nothing unless He reveals His secret counsel to His servants the prophets.”  So it was in this case, Anna knew exactly what was unfolding that day in the temple. 

Once again, more evidence and confirmation of the identity and mission of this child was piling up. The witness of Anna was so significant that the historian Luke reported it over 35 years later as he did his research for the Gospel of Luke. He is the only writer that included this story. 

The Constitution of Jesus During Adolescence: Luke 2:39-40

“39) When they had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own city of Nazareth. 40) The Child continued to grow and become strong, increasing in wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.” 

This is an important verse about the constitution of Jesus during adolescence. It seems to span from birth to age twelve. Where do I get that observation from the text?

Luke seems to be writing chronologically. Verse 39 refers to the family’s return home to Nazareth after his dedication in the temple. Verse 41-42 jumps forward to age twelve and a family trip to Jerusalem to keep the Passover. 

Luke makes an important observation about Jesus during His early years; “40) The Child continued to grow and become strong, increasing in wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.” It appears that Jesus was healthy, strong and vigorous physically. He was also full of wisdom and grace mentally and physically. 

As a physician, Luke was observing that Jesus stood out from the crowd. He was exceptional in all categories. As the second Adam, He did not carry any curse from the fall in His body, soul or spirit. He was growing and increasing according to God’s original design for humanity.

I make this observation because some picture Jesus as weak and frail. That is far from the biblical picture. In fact, the Greek word for “strong” includes being full of physical strength, energy and vigor. He was the only human in history untouched by sickness, disease, or cognitive disorder associated with the fall.

Adam and Eve before the fall and Jesus from birth through adulthood were the only three humans to live and function at 100% original design and potential in body, soul, and spirit. This biblical truth is packed into the description Luke makes about Jesus in verse 40. 

Luke was assessing the physical, mental, emotional, moral, and spiritual fitness of Jesus. He excelled in every category during His growth and development. He was living and walking in the grace and favor of God. This verse and theology should shape our view of Jesus during His adolescence and youth. 

Think with me for a moment, it is said that most people develop far less than 2% of their body, brain, and spirit potential. This verse pictures Jesus at the other end of the spectrum. Let me emphasize, He excelled on every level. His constitution was amazing! He had no negative sin baggage weighing Him down on any level. 

A Glimpse of Jesus at Age Twelve: Luke 2:41-52

“41) Now His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. 42) And when He became twelve, they went up there according to the custom of the Feast; 43) and as they were returning, after spending the full number of days, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. But His parents were unaware of it, 44) but supposed Him to be in the caravan, and went a day’s journey; and they began looking for Him among their relatives and acquaintances. 45) When they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem looking for Him. 46) Then, after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. 47) And all who heard Him were amazed at His understanding and His answers. 48) When they saw Him, they were astonished; and His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You treated us this way? Behold, Your father and I have been anxiously looking for You.” 49) And He said to them, “Why is it that you were looking for Me? Did you not know that I had to be in My Father’s house?” 50) But they did not understand the statement which He had made to them. 51) And He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and He continued in subjection to them; and His mother treasured all these things in her heart. 52) And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” 

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We now have the only glimpse of Jesus as a teenager recorded in the Bible. It happened when He was twelve years old.

Every year Mary and Joseph would travel to Jerusalem to keep the Passover. They traveled in a caravan with relatives and other acquaintances. On this occasion on the return trip, they discovered that Jesus was not with them. Becoming anxious, they returned to Jerusalem and began searching for Him. 

After three days, they found Him in the temple sitting among the teachers both listening to them and asking questions. Verse 47 says; “And all who heard Him were amazed at His understanding and His answers.” He knew the Scriptures and had keen insight into

theology.

There was no natural explanation for His knowledge and insights. Though He most likely attended a synagogue, His family had no direct access to scrolls of the Old Testament. Jesus had listened and learned well. Most Jewish boys had memorized the book of Proverbs by age twelve. It appears that Jesus had mastered much more  of the Scriptures. 

After three days of searching, His parents found Him in the temple. His mother asked Him, “Son, why have you treated us this way? Behold, your father and I have been anxiously looking for you.” 

The reply of Jesus was respectful, but included a play on the word “father.”  “Did you not know that I had to be in my Father’s house.”  He was reminding both Mary and Joseph who His true Father was!  He was indeed in His Father’s house. He was indeed 100% in subjection to His actual Father! God Himself was indeed His literal Father!  Joseph was merely His stepfather.

Verse 50 indicates that they did not understand His statement, yet there seemed to be mutual respect. There is no indication of discipline or punishment. He submitted to them and returned to Nazareth and lived in subjection to them. Yet Mary treasured these things in her heart. 

There remains one mystery from this text. This is the last time Joseph is mentioned in conjunction with Jesus. Most scholars believe that sometime after this story, Joseph died and the care of providing for the family fell on Jesus as the eldest son. He fulfilled this responsibility until age thirty. 

The calling of God does not exempt us from other responsibilities in life. Jesus fulfilled His biblical responsibility as the eldest son of Mary. 

Increasing In Wisdom, Stature, and Favor:  Luke 2:52

“52) And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.”

This is an intriguing verse. It summarizes the growth and progress of Jesus from age twelve up to the beginning of the public ministry of John the Baptist. 

That would generally be accepted as around age 25 for Jesus. Of course, that depends on when you view the starting of the public ministry of John the Baptist. I am estimating roughly five years before Jesus started His public ministry.

These were silent years for Jesus, but they were not wasted years. “He kept increasing…”  Because of the incarnation, Jesus had to go through a normal growth and development process. His humanity was the weak link in His chain. He needed to learn and grow like every other human. 

Even so, every Christian needs to go through a continual growth and development process. Notice it included growing in wisdom and stature. I take that to include spiritual, physical, emotional, relational, and work ethic growth. Jesus grew as a total person.

I believe in total life development. It takes intentionality and self-discipline. The moment you stop growing, you start declining. You go backward instead of forward. Keep pressing on!  Keep reaching forward!  Keep increasing in wisdom and stature. Never stop learning and never become lax with taking care of your physical body, which is the temple of the Holy Spirit.

The end result was that Jesus kept increasing in “favor with God and men.”  The Greek word for “favor” is “charis.” It means “to rejoice, a joy, favor, acceptance, a kindness granted or desired, a benefit, thanks, gratitude, grace.”  It has the idea of a favor given without expectation of return.

In summary, it means Jesus became likable by both God and man. There was nothing negative in His appearance, attitudes, morals, kindness, charity, godliness or people skills. He was responsible and cared for others above Himself. He found favor with both God and man.

Many descriptions of His public ministry lead us to conclude that Jesus was not rude, brash, greedy, exploitive, or self-promoting. Jesus was gentle, approachable, kind, considerate, loving, just, and merciful. Yet He had a power and presence about Him that earned respect from others.

But here is the catch – He learned or acquired these qualities. As He grew, they increased. They were not automatically bestowed on Him. Even His Father repeatedly said, “this is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” (See Matthew 3:17; 17:5)  

Favor was granted because of His character, attitudes, wisdom and mannerisms. He became an extraordinary person!  

Being a Christian is not an excuse to be rude, disrespectful, sloppy, or arrogant. To the contrary, we should become more like Jesus. We should continually be growing and increasing in wisdom and stature so as to increase in favor both with God and men. By far the hardest person I’ve ever tried to mentor, mature, and grow is myself! It is an unending process. 

The Historical Anchor: Luke 3:1-2 

“1) Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip was tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene, 2) in the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness.”

Everything heaven does unfolds within an earthly context. God made it clear to Nebuchadnezzar that “Heaven rules.” (See Daniel 4:26) God is always Sovereign and in control!

So Luke proceeds in these verses by painting the political and religious landscape when John the Baptist stepped into his public ministry. He was about to announce that the Messiah was coming. The kingdom of heaven was about to shake up the kingdoms on earth.

I will leave the details of these political and religious leaders to the historians, but let me make a few crucial observations from Luke 3:1-2. 

First, the whole ministries of John the Baptist and Jesus Christ unfolded within a documented historical context. These verses anchor them in history. They were genuine historical figures with real ministries. 

As a side note, the four gospels tell their story with more documentation than all the political and religious figures mentioned in these two verses combined. No secular or sacred history is more documented and validated than the life and ministry of Jesus Christ!

Second, the Kingdom of Rome was in power and Israel was under its jurisdiction. Israel was not a sovereign state. Tiberius Caesar was in his fifteenth year as Emperor of Rome and Pontus Pilate was Governor over Judea. Herod and his brother Philip were both tetrarchs or mayors under his charge. Rome had a very organized system of government. 

Third, Rome allowed religious freedom within its territories under the boundaries of Roman law. The second temple was in place and the Jewish religious system was in full swing in Judea. The priesthood was  intact and the high priesthood was transitioning from Annas to Caiaphas. In these two verses, Luke provides some amazing historical facts. These verses might sound like useless trivia to you, but for a historian, they are a goldmine.

Fourth, the priesthood had become strong and powerful and tried to maintain good relationships with Rome. As the four gospels unfold, they tell the story of outward religious formality, but very weak inward spirituality. The religious leaders were guilty of terrible religious abuse and control over the Jewish people. 

Finally, neither Rome nor the Priesthood were ready to welcome or relinquish control to a promised Messiah. The ministries of both John the Baptist and Jesus were destined to be met with resistance and stiff opposition. Both ended by becoming martyrs.

Yet the gospel seeds planted by John the Baptist and Jesus Christ changed the course of human history. Revival and awakening do not happen quickly. Reformation unfolds over time. 

Surprisingly, we are in very similar times today. We are once again awaiting the return of the Messiah. Many segments of the body of Christ have become apostates. Human government needs serious help. 

What exciting days to be walking with God and waiting for the trumpet blast. Nothing in biblical or human history compares to what is unfolding before our eyes these days! 

God’s Purpose through John the Maverick: Luke 3:2-6 

“2)  the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness. 3) And he came into all the district around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins; 4) as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make ready the way of the Lord, Make His paths straight. 5) Every ravine will be filled, And every mountain and hill will be brought low; The crooked will become straight, And the rough roads smooth; 6) And all flesh will see the salvation of God.’ ”” 

Luke now jumps forward to the start of the public ministry of John the Baptist. He came out of the wilderness with a fiery message of repentance. 

According to Matthew, he was dressed in a garment of camel’s hair and had a leather belt around his waist. He also lived on a diet of locust and wild honey. (See Matthew 3:4) He was a real maverick! But he quickly gained a wide audience. He focused his ministry by the Jordan River where he was baptizing those who repented. 

Luke noted that the people quickly associated John with the prophecy of Isaiah. He then quoted Isaiah 49:3-5. It is helpful to read this both in Isaiah and Luke 3:4-6.

The common people quickly recognized John as the forerunner to the Messiah. His ministry of preaching the Word and calling for repentance started breaking up the fallow ground. God was at work through John in big ways. But not surprisingly, the religious leaders for the most part rejected or at least tried to discredit John.

A quick note, the Old Testament ends with a prophecy of the coming of a prophet like Elijah to prepare the way for the messiah. (See Malachi 4:5-6) The ministry of John the Baptist ended 400 years of relative silence from God.

Here is a point to ponder; whose name was John using for Baptism?  Was it the name of the Father, the Son, or the Holy Spirit?  (See Matthew 28:19) This is important! 

It had to be in the name of the Father. Jesus had not yet been revealed and the Holy Spirit had not been given. A strong case can be made that the baptism of John called people to repent from the sins of the body and flesh toward the Father. 

Though not popular today, the call for repentance is seen throughout the whole New Testament. It is especially emphasized in the book of Revelation.

As the story moved forward through the gospels, baptism in the Name of Jesus gained momentum. It related more to repentance and forgiveness on the level of the soul. (Acts 2:38) As the healer, Jesus wants to restore the human soul.

Going a step beyond, even John pointed to the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. (See Luke 3:16) This relates more to the human spirit and is a baptism of power. (See Acts 1:4-8) Jesus is the One who does this baptism. 

Do you see what just happened? Each person of the trinity is applied to the makeup of man. The body, soul and spirit must each be ministered to by God. We need to respond to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Every believer needs repentance, restoration, and power.

The book of Acts is the story of catching believers up with all three of these crucial works of God. In Acts 18:24-28, Priscilla and Aquila helped Apollos catch up with the full ministry of God. He was only familiar with the baptism of John the Baptist. 

Then in Acts 19:1-10, Paul graciously helped another group of disciples in Ephesus who only knew about the Baptism of John understand the complete gospel of Jesus Christ and the ministry of the Holy Spirit. They were radically changed when he laid hands on them and they were baptized in the Holy Spirit.

My observation is that many modern denominations struggle with the same issue. They wrap their minds, ministry, and theology around only one primary member of the trinity.

For example, some denominations  stress the Father and focus on repentance. They often stress keeping the Ten Commandments and living good moral lives.

Others are more evangelical and focus primarily on Jesus and the gospel. They call people to confession of sin and forgiveness. They seldom talk about repentance and are inhibited about the Holy Spirit to the point of willful blindness. They are often Bible smart but Spirit void. But they love the gospel. 

Others focus on the Holy Spirit to the point of lacking reverence toward the Father. He is almost forgotten. Emotionalism often becomes the pursuit of extreme manifestations of these groups and the Bible and good doctrine can be  set aside in favor of the latest fad. 

The characteristic of the early church was loving, enjoying, and walking in fellowship with all three persons of the trinity. They lived holy lives, had solid doctrine and moved in the power of the Holy Spirit. It was accompanied by many signs and wonders.

They were bold, full of agape love, and the fruits of the Spirit. As a result, they were very focused on the Great Commission. God used them to shake the world with the gospel.

My observation of the past few decades is that churches are either becoming cold, stagnant, and apostate or they are moving toward revival and awaking in ways that reflect the early church. These are very exciting days.

God is doing something very special! There is a “Spirit led” coming together of the three groups mentioned above. I strive to feed and encourage this process. It has wondrously happened in my own life. 

I believe Jesus is preparing His Bride for His soon return. It no longer surprises me where God is working through His Spirit and where He is not. 

I no longer trust the name on the sign out front or denominational affiliation. The Spirit of God is using the Word of God to wake up and revive the people of God. I welcome these days with great enthusiasm. 

Beware lest you grieve or quench this wonderful work of the Holy Spirit. Rather, ask God for a fresh and deep work in your life through illumination in His Word and a deep and transforming work of the Holy Spirit! 

On the other hand, I weep over the apostate church. The enemy is at work in and through these churches in tragic ways. Many are blindly following false teachers and damning doctrines. As Paul in Philippians 3:18-19; “… their end is destruction.” 

The Serpent’s Bite: Luke 3:7-9

“7) So he began saying to the crowds who were going out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8) Therefore bear fruits in keeping with repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father,’ for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham. 9) Indeed the axe is already laid at the root of the trees; so every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”” 

John had a fiery message. He preached repentance and he wanted to see evidence of a change before he baptized people. This was especially true of the religious elite. 

According to Matthew 3:7-10, the comparison to a brood of vipers was aimed at the Pharisees and Sadducees. These religious leaders were false teachers. They taught  that external religious ceremony rather than an inner change brings merit with God.

John was the precursor to what was practiced in the New Testament. This is commonly known as “believers baptism.”  Hearing the gospel and putting personal faith in Jesus Christ always came before baptism in the early church. (See Acts 8:35-38; 16:28-33; 1 Corinthians 1:17; 2:4-5) 

An external ceremony does nothing to change or convert the heart. John said “bring forth the fruit of a changed life and then I will baptize you!” Becoming a Christian is inward and not outward.

He further warned them not to play the religious affiliation card as proof of salvation. They could not say; “I’m Jewish, therefore I belong to God.”  Church membership does not make a person a Christian no matter their church affiliation!  

Many people are deceived into thinking that infant baptism and church affiliation saves them. That is not taught in the Bible! 

The Bible teaches that we must be born-again through personal faith in Jesus Christ. (See John 3:1-21) Then the Holy Spirit seals us and baptizes us into the body of Christ. (See Ephesians 1:13-14 and 1 Corinthians 1:13) 

It is interesting that John used the analogy of a viper. Satan is often pictured as a serpent. His venom is always laced with deception. The two lies exposed in this text are deadly. Satan uses them all the time to poison and paralyze religious people into thinking infant baptism and church membership is the basis of salvation!  This is nothing less than the serpent’s deadly bite! 

John as the forerunner of Jesus was already combating these false perceptions. He was looking for evidence of true repentance toward God. He wanted to see a changed life. 

Maybe you are blinded by the serpents bite. I beg you to open your New Testament and study the biblical bases of salvation. Find out what it means to be “born-again.” What you discover will be enlightening and will change your eternal destiny. 

Saving faith in Jesus Christ is the only basis of salvation. It is always accompanied by repentance and the fruit of a new life. (See Romans 10:9-17) Start by studying the Gospel of John, Romans, or Ephesians. Invite the Holy Spirit to guide you. The whole New Testament is full of anti-venom for the serpent’s bite! 

Getting to the Root of the Matter: Luke 3:9-14 

“9) Indeed the axe is already laid at the root of the trees; so every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” 10) And the crowds were questioning him, saying, “Then what shall we do?” 11) And he would answer and say to them, “The man who has two tunics is to share with him who has none; and he who has food is to do likewise.” 12) And some tax collectors also came to be baptized, and they said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?” 13) And he said to them, “Collect no more than what you have been ordered to.” 14) Some soldiers were questioning him, saying, “And what about us, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Do not take money from anyone by force, or accuse anyone falsely, and be content with your wages.””  

According to verse 9, if the fruit on the tree is bad there is a root problem. So it is with people, change does not happen until you address root problems. Bad character comes from twisted morals and values. John didn’t counsel people, he called them to repentance.

So how do you know repentance has taken place? Genuine inward change produces a change in outward character. Luke cites three examples from the conversations John had with people. 

First, people stop being selfish and hoarding and start sharing and showing compassion. So the person who has plenty of clothing and food should share with those who have none. 

Second, people stop cheating and exploiting others and become honest in their dealings with other people. So the tax collectors needed to become honest and stop taking from people more than what was required. 

Finally, people stop hurting, bullying, or abusing others and begin caring for their welfare.. So the soldiers needed to put away force and false accusations and start treating people with honesty, dignity and respect. 

These three things represent a huge change in the value system of the day. They do not bring salvation, but they represent a measurable change in attitude, personal philosophy, and people skills. They point to an inner change of heart. The inner compass moves from self to others. 

People can make these changes without knowing God. It is called personal growth and development. But those who truly know God will start making these changes. At some point on this “change journey” most people encounter Jesus Christ. 

One of my favorite personal growth and development authors is John Maxwell. God has used him around the world to raise up effective leaders. In the process, he has reached hundreds of thousands of people with the gospel. 

People soon come to realize they cannot genuinely change inwardly apart from the grace of God. Like John the Baptist, John Maxwell has spent much of his life faithfully pointing people to Jesus Christ. Many of his books are in my personal library. 

Though these five verses do not sound evangelistic, they are far more profound than they appear at first glance. No matter your ethnicity, occupation, or social status in life, your true root system will catch up with you. Beware of what you become in the pursuit of what you want!

Stop blaming others for your negative circumstances in life. If you truly want change, you must dig deeply into your own root system. The true problems are within you!  If you want change, you must first change.

Jesus Christ is waiting to help you change from the inside out. Sincerely reaching out to Him is a necessary step in your personal transformation journey. I never minimize what He can do in and through those who seek Him. 

The Coming Baptizing Ministry of Jesus Christ: Luke 3:15-17

“15) Now while the people were in a state of expectation and all were wondering in their hearts about John, as to whether he was the Christ, 16) John answered and said to them all, “As for me, I baptize you with water; but One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to untie the thong of His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17) His winnowing fork is in His hand to thoroughly clear His threshing floor, and to gather the wheat into His barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.””  

Momentum was building. When you add up everything that had happened in the previous thirty years, God was definitely at work. This was crowned by the public ministry of John the Baptist. He was gaining a huge following. Even many of the religious leaders were seeking baptism. 

The logical conclusion was that many started reasoning that John was the long awaited Messiah. The notion was gaining popularity. 

John was indeed a messenger from God, but His role was not to promote Himself, it was to point people to Jesus. In a sense, every pastor, evangelist, missionary, and believer has this same calling. We are called to be witnesses and point people to Jesus.

John was faithful to his calling. The Gospel of John 1:19-36 tells the story best. Take time to read this account of the ministry of John the Baptist. 

Every Gospel including Acts 1:5 tells the same story of John the Baptist describing the coming ministry of Jesus Christ. He would be much greater than John and would baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire.”  (Compare Matthew 3:11-12, Mark 1:7-8, Luke 3:16-17, John 1:30-34, and Acts 1:5) 

It shocks me how many Christians and churches are blinded to the emphasis of Jesus baptizing with the Holy Spirit and fire. Apart from His work on the cross to redeem humanity, this would be His distinguishing ministry. He was about to usher in a new dispensation marked by the indwelling Holy Spirit. 

The power of the Holy Spirit was about to transform believers into new people. They would be radically different from their religious counterparts produced by Old Testament Judaism.

I sincerely question the salvation of any so-called Christian who is ignorant and void of the ministry and fire of the Holy Spirit in their life. This is a biblical anomaly! It is a denial of the distinction of the kingdom of God, the Promise of the Father, the message of John the Baptist, and the baptizing ministry of Jesus Christ! (Acts 1:3-8) 

When the Holy Spirit is marginalized or ignored, the power of God is absent. In the absence of good teaching about the Holy Spirit, a key focus of the New Testament is being obscured. 

In this void, spiritual gifts become a point of confusion and discord. Carnality reigns. The flesh is empowered. 

I believe Satan is activity blinding people to the distinctiveness of this present age typified by the indwelling Holy Spirit. More tragic, Christianity is reduced to mere religion! 

If this describes you, get your Bible out and start studying the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Then seek Jesus for this biblical promise. Ask, seek and knock until you receive. (See Luke 11:9-13)

Don’t back away until you are consumed by fire from heaven and the carnal chaff in your life is burned up. Don’t back down until the power of God comes upon you and you are filled with zeal to be a fruitful witness for Jesus Christ. 

Don’t back yourself into a pathetic theological box that marginalizes the Holy Spirit and concludes that God does not do miracles today. This is a one-way road into boredom, defeat, and religious agnosticism. 

Don’t resign yourself to living the Christian life in your own fleshly strength and self-effort. You will either become legalistic or disillusioned while secretly wallowing in shame, conflict, and bondage. 

Embrace the words of John the Baptist about the coming ministry of Jesus Christ!  Jesus came to save His people from their sin and baptize them with the Holy Spirit and fire. (Review John 1:29-34) 

The Final Mission of John the Baptist: Luke 3:18-20 

“18) So with many other exhortations he preached the gospel to the people. 19) But when Herod the tetrarch was reprimanded by him because of Herodias, his brother’s wife, and because of all the wicked things which Herod had done, 20) Herod also added this to them all: he locked John up in prison.” 

God raises His servants up for a purpose. When their mission is fulfilled, He has ways of taking them out of the way.

Many times it’s aging and natural death. Sometimes it’s a move to another location or ministry. Often it involves handing the baton to the next generation as illustrated by Moses and Joshua, Elijah and Elisha, and even Paul passing the baton to Timothy and others. 

In the case of John the Baptist, he was only six months older than Jesus. But he faithfully fulfilled his calling of preparing the way for the Messiah.

According to John 3:22-36, John clearly understood that he had to decrease so Jesus could increase. He was not about to compete for the spotlight. He had fulfilled his calling and purpose of introducing Jesus to Israel.

According to Matthew 14:1-12, there was one more vital mission for John the Baptist. He had to preach righteousness to none other than Herod the tetrarch. He had to confront him about his open adultery. 

This mission would cost John his life. But God had no other man who would not shrink away from declaring truth and righteousness. John became a righteous plumb line and martyr for the kingdom of God. 

Sin and evil must be confronted in every generation. Part of the role of the pulpit in society is to become a standard for truth and righteousness. When preachers shrink away from declaring God’s Word and the standards of righteousness, evil and darkness take over the land.

Revival and awakening always involves a return to truth and the ways of God. Repentance cannot happen when righteousness is not openly proclaimed. 

John’s message was not received well by Herod. But John ended his calling by faithfully knocking down immoral mountains and filling in valleys of sin and darkness. He died defending truth and preparing the way for the Messiah.

This text speaks volumes to Christian leaders today. They are called to be a plum line of truth within society. Every prophet of God in the Bible fulfilled this role. Jesus was eventually crucified for the same reason. 

Darkness always hates the light, but woe to that church or society that forsakes truth, righteousness, and the light of the gospel! If the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness. 

The Significance of the Baptism of Jesus: Luke 3:21-22

“21) Now when all the people were baptized, Jesus was also baptized, and while He was praying, heaven was opened, 22) and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came out of heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased.”” 

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It is at this point that it is helpful to do a harmony of the four gospels. Luke actually has the shortest account of the baptism of Jesus. Matthew 3:12-17 and John 1:19-36 fill in the most details of this significant event.

In the Gospel of John, the Baptist makes it clear that he was using baptism to identify the Messiah. (See John 1:30-34) This is a profound testimony from John. 

When Jesus was baptized, the heavens were opened, the Father spoke and the Holy Spirit descended as a dove upon Him. This was the sign John the Baptist was waiting for as confirmation of the Messiah. 

He is the One who would save His people from their sins and baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire. And so the stage was set for the public ministry of Jesus Christ. But there is so much more in this story. 

It has been observed that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit were all present at the baptism of Jesus. This is one of those texts that present them as separate and distinct from one another. Yet they are often presented as one. 

This is a picture of the name “Elohim” as first used in Genesis 1:1 and 2598 other times in the Bible. This name for God is in the plural form. It pictures the “plural/singular God” of the Bible. 

It is a mystery. God is One and yet consists of three persons referred to as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. They are separate from one another and yet inseparable and often pictured as one and the same. This is commonly called the doctrine of the Trinity. 

Most quality Bible Colleges have four units of study about God. During Theology Proper, they study many verses about God the Father. During Christology, they study many verses about Jesus Christ. During Pneumetology, they study many verses about the Holy Spirit. Then during the Unity of God, they study multiple passages where they are spoken of as One and the same. 

This is a fascinating study. It underlines the mystery of the trinity as taught in the Bible. It is a biblical encounter with “Elohim.” It was one of the most fascinating and helpful studies during my formal training at Bible College. 

The story of the Baptism of Jesus is crucial to this study. It stretches our understanding of the God of the Bible. Because of stories like this, Muslims accuse Christians of being “polytheistic.” (Believing in many gods) But Judaism and Christianity are both “Monotheistic.” (The belief in one God) 

Apart from the name “Elohim” and the mystery of the Trinity, stories like the Baptism of Jesus seem to provide ammunition for Islam in this debate. It even creates a rift between orthodox Judaism and Christianity. 

The claims of Jesus to be God led to His condemnation and death. Why? It stretched the notion of monotheism. 

Early Christians were accused of polytheism. At first glance, Christianity mimics paganism. The events surrounding the baptism of Jesus can be troublesome as it pertains to the Trinity because it underlines the three separate persons of the godhead. 

 The Genealogy of Jesus: Luke 3:23-38

“When He began His ministry, Jesus Himself was about thirty years of age, being, as was supposed, the son of Joseph, the son of Eli, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph, the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Hesli, the son of Naggai, the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda, the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri, the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er, the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim, the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David, the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Salmon, the son of Nahshon, the son of Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Ram, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah, the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor, the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Heber, the son of Shelah, the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech, the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel, the son of Cainan, the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.” 

We are not going to do a deep dive into these verses except to note a few differences between the Matthew account and the Luke account. A casual comparison shows they are different. 

Why?

Scholars agree that Luke traces the genealogy of Mary while Matthew traces the genealogy of Joseph. Notice that both of them go back to King David. 

Another difference is that Matthew goes forward from Abraham and Luke goes backward all the way to Adam. They are both very complete. 

Both of these genealogies are important because they prove the prophetic fulfillment of Jesus Christ as a descendant of both Abraham and King David. This was true for both Mary the mother of Jesus and Joseph the legal father of Jesus. They remove all doubt of the historicity of Jesus Christ! 

An Extended Fast: Luke 4:1-2

“1) Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led around by the Spirit in the wilderness 2) for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And He ate nothing during those days, and when they had ended, He became hungry.”

During His baptism by John the Baptist, the Holy Spirit descended  from heaven as a dove and rested upon Jesus. (See Mathew 3:16) Water baptism was the moment the Holy Spirit came upon Jesus. 

I see this as more of a description than a prescription in the Bible. Baptism of the Holy Spirit can be associated with water baptism with proper teaching and preparation, but it did occur at other times in the New Testament as well. For example, there was no water baptism taking place on the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was initially poured out.

Notice from the text that Jesus was immediately led about by the Spirit in the wilderness. 

Learning to walk in the Spirit is essential to the Christian life. (See Galatians 5:16-26) Apart from walking in the Spirit, we are carnal and in bondage to the flesh. 

At this point it is essential to ask a few questions. First, “If Jesus was sinless, what did He have to repent from?” And second, “If Jesus did not have a sin nature, how could the devil tempt Him?” These are good questions. Let’s briefly look at each of them. 

First, according to Matthew 3:13-15, repentance wasn’t a precondition for Jesus being baptized.

In fact John wanted to exempt Him from baptism. Jesus was baptized to “fulfill all righteousness.”  He did it as an adult to be an example for all believers. It marked a significant event in His life.

Second, the temptations of the devil on Jesus were not aimed at His sin nature, they were aimed at basic appetites common to all humans. The timing was after a prolonged fast of forty days and nights. The temptations were crafted to appeal to  the human appetites of physical hunger, power and self promotion, and pride and self glory.

In a sense, these same temptations were involved when the serpent tempted Eve in the garden. Though the serpent can package them differently, these three daggers are very effective against people.

One more observation from the text: Jesus began His ministry with a prolonged fast. I am an advocate of fasting for both spiritual and physical benefits. I have several friends who have completed forty day fasts. It is very manageable, with preparation, guidance, and some precautions. 

An extended fast does not prove you are spiritual, rather it forces you to confront your flesh and mental weaknesses at every level. During a prolonged fast, you will battle the enemy, other people, ignorance, cultural norms, baseless emotions, and yourself!

I consider an extended fast to be seven days or longer. For some reason the numbers 7, 14, 21, 30 and 40 days are good targets for extended fasting. I highly encourage you to do research before launching into an extended fast and seek guidance from knowledgeable people. 

God designed the human body, soul and spirit to regenerate, detoxify, repair, heal, reprogram, and restart during an extended fast. Isaiah 58:5-12 provides amazing insights.

The internet is full of great information the medical community is learning about the health benefits of prolonged fasting. It is now being used to treat many chronic health conditions including some forms of cancer. I will let you do your own research in this area.

Dr Eric Berg is a great starting point on YouTube for the medical benefits of fasting. He does a great job of explaining the complex in simple terms. 

Surprisingly, the spiritual benefits do not come easily during an extended fast. Your mind will wonder. You will face hidden skeletons you have locked away. You will experience everything from euphoria to times of fatigue. You will wrestle with doubt, deception, and many psychological behaviors stemming from cultural conditioning. 

You might even have weird dreams that expose hidden things in your heart. Fasting is a time of both physical and spiritual cleansing. In a sense, during an extended fast, your spirit is detoxing. 

Be ready to have many sins and weaknesses exposed. Extended fasting is a time for personal revival. It is not easy, but it is very beneficial and rewarding on every level. 

I do not wrestle with separating physical or spiritual benefits as my motivation for fasting. I welcome them both! The Bible lays out both as reasons for extended fasting. I embrace everything God has for me! 

Satan’s First Temptation:  Luke 4:1-4

“1) Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led around by the Spirit in the wilderness 2) for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And He ate nothing during those days, and when they had ended, He became hungry. 3) And the devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” 4) And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’ ””.

After fasting for forty days and nights, Jesus became hungry. His body had used its reserve. It was time to consume food again or starvation would set in.

The first temptation was aimed at His physical body. It related to His appetite for food. The temptation was to use His divine power and nature to serve Himself.

Jesus responded by quoting Scripture; “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.” 

Matthew adds, “…, but on every Word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.” 

Always respond to the enemy by standing on God’s Word. It is a higher authority. Jesus demonstrated that walking in the Spirit is walking in the Word. Jesus was the living Word. He modeled this principle. We need to live by His Word. 

Ephesians 6:17 says the sword of the Spirit is the Word of God.” It was the weapon Jesus used against Satan during every temptation. As soon as He stood on the Word, that battle ended!

We need to increase our appetite for God’s Word above all other human appetites. Come to the place where you hunger and thirst more for the Word than for food or air. This requires spending abundant time in God’s Word daily. 

I feed on the Word at least three times a day and snack in between. I snack by listening to audio Scripture and great teaching messages when I’m doing redundant tasks. 

I also meditate often on Scriptures I’ve committed to memory. Especially when I’m lying down. This facilitates my listening to the teaching ministry of the Holy Spirit.

Here is the secret Jesus lived out, “He put the needs of His Spirit above the needs of His body.” He fasted from food, but He never went without the Word! He starved the flesh but always feasted in the Spirit! 

This is illustrated in 1 Corinthians 6:13. Listen to this verse; “Food is for the stomach and the stomach is for food, but God will do away with both of them. Yet the body is not for immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body.”

At first this verse sounds strange, but it is profound and packs a huge punch. Though our physical body needs food, and food was created to nourish the body, the primary design of God for the human body is spiritual and not physical. We were created for God and worship and not base appetites like sex.

At the moment of salvation, our bodies become the temple of the Holy Spirit!  What was Paul saying?  From that point forward, our bodies host the Spirit of God! (See 1 Corinthians 6:19-20) Maturity comes when we begin to focus on spiritual priorities above physical needs and appetites. 

The lie of the enemy is that we cannot live without meeting physical needs like food, sex, and the pursuit of wealth. Jesus taught that life does not consist of these things! Take control of your basic appetites or they will take control of you and squeeze God out of your life! 

Victory over food, sex, and hedonism begins the moment you realize these are mere addictions and not necessities. They are like alcohol and drug addictions. They are distractions and counterfeits to the abundant life Jesus promised. 

The first step is breaking your psychological dependency and fixation on these base appetites. The notion that you cannot live without them is a lie from the enemy. 

According to 1 John 2:15-17, these are values of the world and not of the kingdom of God. If you want to serve God, stop chasing after base appetites and the world’s value system! Do what Jesus modeled, walk in the Spirit and not the flesh.

Pursue God! Renew your mind!  Change your thinking!  Adopt a biblical world view!  Walk in the footprints of Jesus! Feast on the Word daily! Crucify your flesh and its passions! Discover the abundant life! 

The Second Temptation of Christ: Luke 4:5-8 

“5) And he led Him up and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6) And the devil said to Him, “I will give You all this domain and its glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. 7) Therefore if You worship before me, it shall all be Yours.” 8) Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.’ ””

The second temptation of Jesus was aimed more at His soul. It appealed to the human hunger for power, control, and self promotion.

In a moment of time, the devil showed Him all the kingdoms of the world. Then he offered Him world dominion if He bowed down and worshipped him.

Notice the phrase in verse 6, “for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish.” That phrase is very insightful. When was world dominion handed over to the devil?

The answer is shocking. In Genesis 1:26-31, God originally gave Adam and Eve dominion over the world. God created mankind to rule planet earth. At the time of the fall, they forfeited their dominion over the world to Satan.* He became the god of the world. (See the terminology of 2 Corinthians 4:3-4) 

The final phrase in Luke 4:6 is more insightful. The devil boasted, “I give it to whomever I wish.” Many leaders and political figures throughout human history have sold their soul to the devil for power and favors. This helps explain the tendency toward evil and corruption in many human civilizations. They often have an underlying anti-Christ bias.

Jesus once again quoted Scripture. He purposed to worship and serve only the LORD GOD. He refused to bend His knee to the enemy. 

Why should He? The full identity of Jesus Christ is found in Revelation 19:20. He is King of kings and LORD of Lords. 

The word “domain” or “dominion” appears twice in Colossians 1:13-17. This context proclaims that the Kingdom of Light has dominion over the kingdom of darkness. Jesus rules over the highest kingdom. He is a higher authority. He has infinitely more power. He is absolutely first.

The full teaching of the New Testament is that at the moment of salvation, the believer is raised up and seated with Christ in the heavenly places. We are invited to live in the authority and power Jesus offers us in the kingdom of light. 

Most Christians are ignorant of these blessings and the position given us in Christ. (See Ephesians 1:3; 1:15-23; 3:13-21; Colossians 1:9-23) The early Christians were taught how to live and serve through their new dominion and authority given them “in Christ.”

The Holy Spirit desires to transform the human soul by the truth of Scripture and bring it into submission to the renewed spirit. He wants believers to live and walk in their full dominion “in Christ.”  

The enemy thrives on ignorance. He works to keep Christians in sinful bondage and convince them that they are still ruled by the domain of darkness in this life.

The Freedom Quest Workshop that I teach dives into the depths of these biblical truths. Truth has the power to set people free and launch them on a new trajectory in life. I strongly encourage you to attend one of these workshops. 

(*Note that Satan –as is his very nature– is telling a lie here. Satan did indeed take dominion over the world away from humanity, but it was not “handed over” nor was it given to him. He stole it by lying and deceiving. Any power he had is what was stolen from humanity. Jesus took that power back and redeemed humanity, as He says in Matthew 28:18. All authority in heaven and earth now belongs to Jesus Christ, not to Satan. –dj)  

The Third Temptation of Jesus: Luke 4:9-12

“9) And he led Him to Jerusalem and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here; 10) for it is written, ‘He will command His angels concerning You to guard You,’ 11) and, ‘On their hands they will bear You up, So that You will not strike Your foot against a stone.’ ” 12) And Jesus answered and said to him, “It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ””

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The third temptation of Jesus related more to His spirit and understanding of the ways of God. (See Isaiah 55:6-9) This time Satan used Scripture to tempt Jesus. It’s amazing how often the liberal left and apostate church recklessly quotes and twists the Bible. 

The devil quoted Psalm 91:11-12 to Jesus as the basis of this temptation. In the context, Psalm 91 deals with God’s protection on those who walk with Him, seek Him and serve Him.

To attempt suicide by jumping off the temple and testing God’s intervention would be making a spectacle of self and forcing the hand of God. This had nothing to do with the intent or context of Psalm 91.

Satan was trying to get Jesus to test or provoke God by twisting the Bible. Listen to this very carefully; “the tempter was trying to get Jesus to tempt God.” He wanted Jesus to set aside His mission of “Savior of men” and take up the role of “critic of God!”

The devil was sitting in the chair of the atheist or agnostic and trying to provoke Jesus. These constantly use the same ploy. Jesus refused to give the devil the upper hand.

Such is the case of those who always demand special signs to prove the existence of God. This was the practice of the Pharisees and religious leaders throughout the four gospels. They constantly demanded signs from Jesus. (See Matthew 12:38-41; 16:1-4) 

Signs and wonders are given to confirm the gospel message and pave the way for the Great Commission. (See Hebrews 2:3-4) They are not given to draw attention to the human agent or promote self. They are given to glorify God and adorn the gospel of the kingdom. (See Matthew 10:7-8) 

Jesus had nothing to prove to the devil. Satan is not the one who sets the rules of engagement; God does!  Never forget that principle! 

When you stop obeying God and start listening to the promptings of the devil, your spiritual source of truth is compromised. Your faith is undermined. You just stepped away from abiding in the shadow of the Almighty. 

Satan always tries to push people to the edge in testing God. Psalm 91 is about dwelling in the shelter of the Most High and abiding in the shadow of the Almighty. If you are in the shadow of the Almighty, that means He is the one in the spotlight, not you. When the tempter comes, quickly run back into the shelter of the Most High. 

Over the next three years in the course of spreading the gospel, Jesus would perform many signs and wonders that pointed to His identity. Jesus set the parameters and the rules of engagement. 

Very interestingly, Psalm 91:13 was ignored by the devil. This is the very next verse in the context from where the devil quoted,  It says; “13) You will tread upon the lion and cobra, The young lion and the serpent you will trample down.”

Satan always twists God’s word and ignores the context. Instead of taking Him to the pinnacle of the temple, according to the context of Psalm 91, the devil should have said; “If you are the Son of God, step on my head!” 

Jesus would have replied, “Don’t worry, it’s coming soon enough!” Jesus always fulfills the Word of God!  He always sets the rules of engagement. He always wins. And so, the devil was both immediately and ultimately defeated by Jesus. 

Our Persistent Defeated Foe: Luke 4:13

“13) When the devil had finished every temptation, he left Him until an opportune time.”

“11) Then the devil *left Him; and behold, angels came and began to minister to Him.” Matthew‬ ‭4‬:‭11‬ ‭

“12) Immediately the Spirit *impelled Him to go out into the wilderness. 13) And He was in the wilderness forty days being tempted by Satan; and He was with the wild beasts, and the angels were ministering to Him.” Mark‬ ‭1‬:‭12‬-‭13‬ 

Both Luke and Mathew dive in depth into the Temptations of Jesus following His forty days of fasting in the wilderness. Mark summarizes the events, but includes the presence of the Holy Spirit dwelling in Jesus. 

After the devil had thrown three big temptations at Jesus, the text says, “he departed from Jesus for an opportune time.”

The devil wasn’t done. He was still on the prowl looking for weaknesses in Jesus. (See 1 Peter 5:8) He is always on the prowl looking for people to devour. He seeks to tempt both believers and unbelievers. 

As you study the public ministry of Jesus, it becomes obvious that Jesus suffered and was tempted in many ways. He endured rejection, opposition, misunderstandings, betrayal, threats, beatings, and even the cross. 

Even His family was against Him much of the time. He was hungry, thirsty, and weary from long journeys. He also encountered many men and women of ill repute with twisted morals. He was victorious over the full range of human sufferings, trials, and temptations. 

Hebrews 2:18 says; “For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.” Never minimize the unique temptations that accompany sufferings. The devil feeds on human misery and suffering.

Hebrews 4:15 says; “For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.”  During His life and public ministry, the Tempter used His full arsenal on Jesus, yet He did not sin. He never gave in. He did not yield. He was victorious over every temptation. 

Therefore, He is ready and willing to come to the aid of those who are tempted. When these two texts in the book of Hebrews are combined, we discover that Jesus is ready to extend mercy, grace, and help to those who are tempted. He is for us in our struggles and not against us. He is not the tempter! 

So what can we draw from these texts?  The first is obvious, we all have a common enemy that is out to tempt and devour us. He is relentless. If he fails in one area, he will come at us in others. He is there in our youth, middle age, and senior years. Never be so proud as to assume you are beyond temptation.

Second, Jesus offers us huge resources and help so we can stand firm against the temptations, attacks and schemes of the enemy. (See Ephesians 6:10-20) Let’s review a few that come from these texts. 

For starters, both the Holy Spirit and angels were there to minister to Jesus. They are there for us as well!  

Next, three times Jesus resisted the devil by quoting Scripture. According to Ephesians 6:17; the word of God is the sword of the Spirit. 

An observation must be made at this point, Jesus did not carry a Bible or scrolls with Him into the wilderness. He was armed with Psalm 119:11; “Thy word I have treasured in my heart, That I may not sin against You.”  Throughout His life He had studied, memorized and applied the Word of God to daily living. He learned the Word of God the same way we need to learn; He studied! 

God wants us to renew our minds by memorizing and meditating on the Word of God as well. (See Ephesians 4:22-24; 2 Peter 1:2-11) Then He wants us to build our lives on the solid rock of Scripture. (Matthew 7:24-29)  The devil is absolutely subject to the authority and power of the Word of God. He hates truth as clearly defined by the Bible. 

When the two texts mentioned above from the book of Hebrews are added to the coverage of Matthew and Luke, things get really exciting!  We have instant access to the throne of grace and Jesus who is ever present to come to our aid in our time of need with unlimited mercy, grace, and help. 

Let me summarize: I  find great insight, encouragement, and grace from these stories of the devil trying to devour Jesus with his many schemes, lies, temptations, and attacks. He failed! 

Jesus is my hero! He is my God, Creator, Savior, Advocate, High Priest, Shepherd, truth, life, light, agape love, and friend. He has baptized me with His Holy Spirit and given me His Word. He is my ever present help in any time of need. He will never leave or forsake me. 

Why should I be discouraged or fear the defeated foe who seeks to cause me harm?  Why should I crumble or bow knee to him, his schemes, or his demonic minions? 

Greater is He who is in me than He who is in the world! (1 John 4:4) It is not by our strength, but by God’s amazing power, Word, and grace that we can stand and live in freedom and victory! 

Stop making excuses for your sin, bondage and failure! Stop minimizing and marginalizing Jesus in your times of need! 

The Power of the Spirit: Luke 4:14-15

“14) And Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about Him spread through all the surrounding district. 15) And He began teaching in their synagogues and was praised by all.”  

His forty days of fasting and being tempted by the devil did not weaken Jesus. To the contrary, it strengthened Him. The text says, “And Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit.” 

The word “power” in verse 14 is the same Greek word used in Acts 1:8 to describe the power that comes upon believers when they receive the Holy Spirit. They will live and be witnesses for Jesus with the same kind of power that flowed through Jesus during His public ministry. 

Jesus was sinless, so it would be wrong to say He was refined or purified through His trial in the wilderness. But Hebrews 2:10 does say that the author of our salvation was confirmed perfect through His sufferings. Hebrews 5:8 says; “Although He was a Son, He learned obedience through the things He suffered.” 

Being filled with the Holy Spirit does not exempt us from trials or the doctrine of suffering.

According to 1 Peter 1:3-9, it does mean the testing of our faith is a purifying and growth process. Trials and testing result in the salvation or transformation of our soul. They help move us from being soul governed to being “spirit” governed.

In every way, we could conclude that Jesus was tested by fire or put through the testing of fire by His trials in the wilderness. He came through to the glory and praise of God. 

The result was that “He returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit.”  He was consistently walking in the power of the Spirit, and people noticed!  News about Him began to spread through all the surrounding district. 

This is what officially launched Him into His public ministry. Take note of this point. It is important. Jesus was distinguished not because of a degree, a title, or education –  but because of the power of the Spirit on His life.

This “power of the Holy Spirit” was the distinguishing characteristic qualifying people for leadership in the early church. Look at Acts 4:31; Acts 6:3, 8 and 10. There are many such references in the book of Acts. 

But it doesn’t stop there. Study on through 1 Corinthians 2:4-5. (The whole chapter is actually amazing in emphasis on those who are spirit-minded.) Don’t miss 1 Corinthians 4:18-21. Let me quote verse 20; “For the kingdom of God does not consist in words, but in power.”  Again, that’s the same Greek word used for “power” in Luke 4:14. 

I recently studied the word “power” through the entire New Testament. It was very enlightening. This is the characteristic that marked true followers of Jesus Christ. They had the “power” of the Holy Spirit working in and through them. 

I will not labor this point, but as I noted earlier, this was a primary qualification for leadership in the early church. But tragically, it has been removed from being a qualification for pastors and leaders in the modern western church. 

This has resulted in carnality in the pulpit, naturalism engrained in the  doctrine being taught, and powerless religion being falsely showcased as Christianity. We opt for counseling based in secular psychology rather than a power encounter with the Holy Spirit.

This is not the way Jesus returned to Galilee! He returned “in the power of the Holy Spirit.”  Do not settle for less in your life or in your spiritual leaders! 

The Announcement: Luke 4:16-21

“16) And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read. 17) And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And He opened the book and found the place where it was written, “18) The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, And recovery of sight to the blind, To set free those who are oppressed, 19) To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.” 20) And He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him. 21) And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.””  

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When properly understood, this text captured the decisive launch of Jesus into His public ministry. On the Sabbath after returning from His time in the wilderness, Jesus entered His home town synagogue. 

He had been there many times as a boy growing up in Nazareth. He had most likely participated in public reading of Scripture numerous times. But this was very different.

As the scroll of Isaiah the prophet  was handed to Him, Jesus quickly “scrolled down” to Isaiah 61:1-2. It was not an easy task for the ancient scrolls did not have chapter and verse divisions. 

The Jewish synagogues were the keepers of these treasures known as “the sacred writings.” (2 Timothy 3:15). The sabbath was when Jewish people would assemble for the public reading of Scripture. 

As Jesus began to read, He announced that something new as prophesied through Isaiah was beginning. The Spirit of the Lord was upon Him. He was about to start preaching what is commonly called “the gospel of the Kingdom.” (See Matthew 4:17; 23-25 These parallel verses must be studied to understand what was launched that day.) 

According to Isaiah, His ministry would include preaching the good news, healing the blind and sick, setting captives free from sin, bondage and demonic oppression and inaugurating the favorable year of the Lord. God was keeping His promise to Israel! 

Jesus was indeed the Messiah. His ministry was about to impact many in Israel. His power and authority resulted in signs and wonders that confounded the spiritually dead religious leaders. Jesus became a light in the abyss of religious darkness.

Few perceived the significance of His closing words as recorded in Luke 4:21; “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”  And so it started!  The announcement was made. The public ministry of the Messiah was launched! The course of human history was about to change! 

Rejection by His Home Town: Luke 4:22-30

“22) And all were speaking well of Him, and wondering at the gracious words which were falling from His lips; and they were saying, “Is this not Joseph’s son?” 22) And He said to them, “No doubt you will quote this proverb to Me, ‘Physician, heal yourself! Whatever we heard was done at Capernaum, do here in your hometown as well.’ ” 24) And He said, “Truly I say to you, no prophet is welcome in his hometown. 25) But I say to you in truth, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the sky was shut up for three years and six months, when a great famine came over all the land; 26) and yet Elijah was sent to none of them, but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. 27) And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.” 28) And all the people in the synagogue were filled with rage as they heard these things; 29) and they got up and drove Him out of the city, and led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city had been built, in order to throw Him down the cliff. But passing through their midst, He went His way.” 

It is hard to tell religious people they are lost sinners and need a Savior, especially in your home town and home synagogue. But that’s exactly what happens in this short section. 

The attitudes of the people quickly moved from approval and good will to rage and animosity. They wanted to kill Him.

There was something about His home town. They were leaders in rejecting Him. He could not do many miracles there because of their unbelief. It was hard for them to believe the carpenter’s son was indeed the Messiah. 

Don’t judge your calling or ministry by your initial success or failure. Just get far enough from home where people don’t know you and start ministering to the lost, sick, hurting, and needy. This is where you develop compassion and love for people. Soon God will begin to work and word will spread. 

The Authority Starting Point: Luke 4:31-32

“31) And He came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and He was teaching them on the Sabbath; 32) and they were amazed at His teaching, for His message was with authority.” 

We are now introduced to the authority of Jesus Christ. His teaching was with authority. (See Matthew 7:28-29) From this point forward, everything in His ministry was based on authority. 

He taught with authority. He cast out unclean spirits with authority. He healed with authority. He performed many signs and wonders with authority. 

Soon, both Matthew and Luke connected authority and power to the overall ministry of Jesus Christ. (See Luke 4:36) This comes out strongly as you read Matthew 8-9 in context. You will discover that Jesus had authority over sickness, diseases, demons, death, the wind, waves, storms, water, multiplying food, and His ability to forgive sin.

The story of His authority and power expanded as His ministry increased and gained momentum. Take a highlighter and mark every time the words “authority” and “power” appear in the next several chapters of both Matthew and Luke. God is trying to tell us something! 

This was the distinguishing characteristic of the ministry of Jesus Christ and the Gospel of the Kingdom. It was accompanied by miraculous signs and wonders. But that’s not the end of the story. 

Then in Matthew 10:1, Jesus called the twelve and gave them this same authority. Take special note of what He told them in Matthew 10:7-8; ““7) And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 8) Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give.” For years I subconsciously skipped over those verses. 

Then in Luke 10:1-20, He appointed 70 others and gave them the same authority and power in His Name. As they ministered in His Name, they had the same results. 

Frankly, this bothered me because my church tradition and theological background was powerless. Over time, I came to a biblical crisis. Something was wrong. Something was missing. None of these things were happening in my ministry or Christian circles. 

Fortunately, I came to the realization that the problem was within me and not with God. The more I studied the Bible, the more it screamed at me that the early church operated with authority and power. It was connected to both the Name of Jesus Christ and the ministry of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 1:8) 

Paul taught extensively on this theme in his writings. Don’t take my word on this matter, take time and study texts like Galatians 3:2-5; 1 Corinthians 2; Ephesians 1:15-23; 3:14-21, and 2 Peter 1:2-4) Caution: you may experience a “crisis of faith” or the realization of your own “pathetic lack of faith!” 

Over time, I began to discover the root problem. The western church has been indoctrinated with the secular philosophies of naturalism. As you read the book, “Return of the God Hypothesis” by Stephen Meyer, the mask comes off and the hypnosis of the western church becomes obvious. 

We say we believe in God but we deny His power. We reject the biblical premise of “supernaturalism” and grasp instead for a “natural” answer for everything. The end result is the rational but extremely unbiblical notion that “God does not do miracles today!”

The exposing of my root problem and the renewing of my mind has taken decades. I’m actually ashamed to admit my own deep-seated unbelief in God’s power that consumed my early years in ministry. Thousands of hours studying the Scriptures and ministering on the front lines of missions around the world has transformed me into a radically different man.

I am now a biblically convinced supernaturalist who believes in the authority of Jesus Christ and lives and operates in the miraculous power of the Holy Spirit. I am not an Evangelical, Pentecostal, or Charismatic. Actually, I don’t like those terms because I see strengths and weaknesses in every camp. 

I am a Bible-believing, Father-revering, Jesus-glorifying, and Holy Spirit-filled follower of Jesus Christ. I live and surf in the wake of the supernatural. I have a very small view of myself but a very big view of God!  I have growing faith that God “is” and that He “can” and “does” do everything the Bible teaches about Him. 

I also accept the premise that if there is a disconnect between my faith experience and the promises of God’s Word, the problem is within me and not with God!  My faith is growing, my biblical theology is deepening, my learning curve is expanding and my love for Jesus Christ is going off the charts. 

So what does this have to do with Luke 4:31-32? Wrestling with the existence of God, identity, and authority of Jesus Christ, and the power of the Holy Spirit is a necessary and progressive journey of faith. Don’t let anyone or anything stop your progress! 

Enjoy the journey. The same man who wrote the Gospel of Luke also wrote the book of Acts!  His chronological journey of faith into the mysteries and power of God was amazing. God wants every one of us to embark on this same journey in our deepening relationship with Jesus Christ and ever-increasing faith!  

His First Demonic Encounter: Luke 4:31-37

“33) In the synagogue there was a man possessed by the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice, “34) Let us alone! What business do we have with each other, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!” 35) But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet and come out of him!” And when the demon had thrown him down in the midst of the people, he came out of him without doing him any harm. 36) And amazement came upon them all, and they began talking with one another saying, “What is this message? For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits and they come out.” 37) And the report about Him was spreading into every locality in the surrounding district.”

We are now left with a harmony of events between the four Gospels. Mathew and Luke highlight some different miracles and events in the public ministry of Jesus.

From this account, Luke records what may have been the first public confrontation between Jesus and a man possessed by an unclean spirit. It happened in the synagogue at Capernaum.

When the unclean spirit saw Jesus, it made a public scene and cried out with a loud voice, “Let us alone! What business do we have with each other, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!” 

This is an example of a “power encounter.”  It was a direct confrontation between Jesus and a demonic spirit that manifested itself through the person. The same kind of demonic manifestations happen today. The enemy has many captives, but Jesus came to set people free! 

Notice that Jesus took immediate authority over the unclean spirit and rebuked him. He simply said; “Be quiet and come out of him.”  That was it!  The spirit threw the man to the ground and came out without doing him any harm. Jesus set the parameters for the encounter. 

This became a strong testimony to the people about the authority and power of Jesus Christ. He had instant and unquestionable authority over the demonic realm. There was no big scene or extended drama. Jesus gave the command and it was done! 

The report about Him began to spread rapidly. This was new and unusual territory. Jesus Christ had authority over the demonic realm. 

And so His reputation began to grow and spread throughout the region. Those with sickness, diseases and spiritual bondage began to seek Him out. 

Read and study these early stories about the public ministry of Jesus. He has the same authority and power today! 

Jesus Heals Peter’s Mother In-Law: Luke 4:37-39 

“38) Then He got up and left the synagogue, and entered Simon’s home. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked Him to help her. 39) And standing over her, He rebuked the fever, and it left her; and she immediately got up and waited on them.”  

Everywhere Jesus went He was presented with ample opportunity to minister to sick, oppressed, and downcast people. The same is readily available today! On this occasion, it happened as He entered Peter’s house. 

Peter’s mother in-law was suffering from a high fever. According to the Matthew and Mark account, she was lying in bed because of her condition. (See Matthew 8:14-14; Mark 1:29-31) 

The high fever is a clue that she was suffering from an infection, virus, or something like malaria. The Greek word “suffering” stressed the seriousness of her condition. This was not the common cold! 

The passage might give a clue that she was widowed and according to Jewish custom, she may have been living with Peter and his family. Jewish homes often had a room or quarters for elderly family members. They were close-knit family units. 

No matter her living status, she was immobilized with the fever and they immediately brought her to the attention of Jesus. It speaks to the seriousness of her condition.

When the three accounts of Mathew, Mark, and Luke are harmonized, they give crucial insight into how Jesus ministered to her. Matthew says that He touched her. Mark says He took

Her by the hand and raised her up. Luke adds that He verbally rebuked the fever. 

Reading these accounts in context gives the strong indication that Jesus approached sickness and disease with the same authority and power He exerted over unclean spirits. Astonishingly, none of the texts say that “He prayed for her.”  Rather, he took authority over the fever and commanded it to leave. 

It worked! Immediately the fever left and she arose and waited on them. She was healed. She resumed her role of assisting with family chores. 

When doing a serious study on the healing ministry of Jesus, this story adds significant insight. According to Matthew 4:23-25, Jesus had already begun His preaching, teaching, and healing ministry. Verse 23 says that He “was healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people.”  Verse 24 adds significant detail to the long list of conditions Jesus healed. Nothing was beyond His authority and power. 

My theological background did not venture into developing a comprehensive doctrine on healing. That’s tragic because the Bible is full of stories and teaching on both deliverance and healing. Biblical ignorance on any subject is a rejection of manifold blessings God has for His people. 

When the principles of hermeneutics and Bible interpretation are applied to this subject, the results are amazing! Healing and deliverance ministries should not be treated as a taboo subjects. It was a normal part of the everyday life and ministry of Jesus, His disciples, and the early church. 

In many countries around the world today, it is equally commonplace in the church and in daily Christian living. It is a central part in reaching the lost with the gospel message. God still works in miraculous ways.

What really intrigues me is that Luke was a physician. He documented not only the healing ministry of Jesus during His public ministry, but also numerous accounts in the book of Acts. He added validation to the stories and the biblical subject of healing.

This story of Jesus healing Peter’s mother in-law is foundational to our understanding of the identity, authority, and power of Jesus Christ related to healing. It was included by three of the four gospel writers. I believe God is trying to tell us something!  

Stay tuned, what happened next in all three gospel accounts is astounding. 

The Crowd Gathers: Luke 4:40-41

“40) While the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and laying His hands on each one of them, He was healing them. 41) Demons also were coming out of many, shouting, “You are the Son of God!” But rebuking them, He would not allow them to speak, because they knew Him to be the Christ.” 

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As word spread that Jesus was at Peter’s house, people started bringing the sick and oppressed to Jesus for healing and deliverance. He took the time to lay His hands on each one of them and they were being healed. Jesus had compassion for people. He  had a 100% success rate! 

Take note of the fact that any place and any time was appropriate for ministry! Jesus was always ready and willing to minister to people! He did not have office hours. He was approachable. 

Everyplace Jesus went, crowds began to gather. People were seeking both help and hope!  Help came from His healing ministry. Hope came from His preaching ministry. His touch could heal. His message could save. 

This was a stark contrast to the religious leaders. They isolated themselves from the people. They abandoned people to their plight in life. They exploited people. As you read the gospels pay close attention to this contrast. Beware lest your church or ministry becomes institutionalized, rigid, and ineffective.

As Jesus cast demons out of people, the unclean spirits would cry out, “You are the Son of God!”  They knew who He was. In one sense they had better theology than the religious leaders. 

Yet Jesus had no part of it. He rebuked them and refused to let them speak, because they knew He was the Christ. They recognized both His identity and His authority, but Jesus refused to allow them the spotlight or the microphone. Why?

All demons are liars and deceivers. The Old Testament strictly forbids seeking knowledge or guidance from evil spirits. They will deceive, mislead, steal, kill, and destroy. 

Beware of your source of truth! Jesus is the way, the truth and the life, no man comes to the Father except through Him. (John 14:6). When you start listening to the world, the flesh or the devil you will be deceived. You will be misled. 

The Secluded Place: Luke 4:42-44

“42) When day came, Jesus left and went to a secluded place; and the crowds were searching for Him, and came to Him and tried to keep Him from going away from them. 43) But He said to them, “I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, for I was sent for this purpose.” 44) So He kept on preaching in the synagogues of Judea.” 

His open air meeting near Peter’s house in the previous verses had a big impact. Many people started seeking Jesus. It might have been an all-nighter! 

But notice that Jesus left for a secluded place, most likely for prayer and solitude with His Father. Many equate this text from Luke with Mark 1:35-39. It appears that Jesus had the habit of rising early for quality times of communion with His Father. 

One of the secrets to overflowing ministry is spending much time in secret with God. Many get so busy “for” God their time “with” God gets squeezed out. 

The daily habit of spending quality time alone in the presence of God is the signature of every great man and woman of God through the ages. It was true of Moses, David, Daniel, Jesus, and the Apostle Paul. Many of his Epistles give a snapshot of Paul’s daily prayer life. 

Spending daily time with God in the Spirit focusing on prayer, praise, worship, and intimate communion with God is the secret of tapping into the rivers of life that never run dry. (See John 4:24; 7:36-39) 

This is the biblical antidote to burnout. Thus Moses spent much time alone with God in the tent of meeting despite the millions of people clamoring for his time and attention. (Exodus 33:7-11) 

Acts 3:19 talks about “times of refreshing” coming from the presence of God. There is no substitute for spending daily time in solitude in the presence of God.

Satan will throw every imaginable distraction at you. In this text, there were throngs of people clamoring after Jesus. Even the disciples scurried about trying to find Him. Many times it’s your own lack of self-discipline that slams the door on spending quality time in the presence of God.

According to John 15:1-16, ministry fruitfulness is directly proportional to abiding in Jesus, His Word, and prayer. When these are squeezed out of your life you become dry and barren.

Fleshy self-effort cannot match walking in the Spirit!  Self-effort will run dry and leave you empty, discouraged, depressed, angry, and bitter. You can fake it only so long before your house comes crashing down! 

Self-effort is a poor substitute for genuine Spirit energy. Activity is a poor substitute for unction. Programs are a pathetic substitute for spiritual power. There can be no sustaining fire apart from spending quality time daily alone in God’s presence. 

Jesus exemplified putting quality time with God as the first and highest priority in His daily life. Everything else was the overflow of His walk in the Spirit. 

These few short verses speak volumes!  Ponder them until they become real in your life. If you don’t have time for everything chasing after your attention, learn the secret of spending more quality time alone in God’s presence until you begin to delight in Him. 

This involves removing time-suckers from your life! It includes casting your cares upon Him! It involves slaying worry and anxiety with prayer, praise, and worship. Be still in His presence and watch Him miraculously calm the storms in your life!

At some point, a precious transition will take place. You will begin to delight more in spending time with Jesus in the Spirit than any worldly entertainment. Jesus will become your best friend. 

Prayer will become a delight. Instead of “burning out” you will discover what it really means to be “fired up.”  You are not walking in the footprints of Jesus until your daily path takes you into solitude in the presence of God. 

The Gospel of the Kingdom: Luke 4:43-44

“43) But He said to them, “I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, for I was sent for this purpose.” 44) So He kept on preaching in the synagogues of Judea.” 

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Jesus preached a unique message. It was called “The Gospel of the Kingdom.”  This phrase is used extensively throughout the four gospels. 

Other synonyms phrases might include “the Kingdom of God”, “the Kingdom of Heaven”, “Sons of the Kingdom”, “the Kingdom of His Beloved Son”, and even “the Kingdom of Light.” 

The whole subject is fascinating and shrouded with a bit of mystery. I see these uses of the word “kingdom” being different from the kingdom of Israel or the coming Millennium Kingdom when Jesus comes back and rules on earth for 1,000 years as spoken about in Revelation 20.

There is no way I can develop this amazing subject in this short format, but possibly I can persuade you to launch into your own deep study. Caution: when properly understood and embraced this subject will be life-changing! 

Let me try to summarize a few components of the Gospel of the Kingdom and what is sometimes referred to as “kingdom living.” 

First, it is based on the work of Jesus Christ to redeem humanity. 

Second, those who become sons and daughters of the kingdom are called to live by faith and embrace all the promises of God. 

Third, kingdom living includes living in the authority of Jesus Christ and His dominion over this present world. (That’s a huge subject of which I am just now beginning to understand and embrace.) 

Fourth, the gospel of the kingdom  includes the indwelling ministry of the Holy Spirit and living by His power. 

Finally, the kingdom of light is composed of all born-again and Spirit filled believers who live in stark contrast to the kingdom of darkness over which Satan himself rules. There is tension and conflict between these two kingdoms. 

My daily pursuit is to walk in kingdom truth, life, power,  blessings, identity, calling, and mission. Citizenship in the kingdom of God is a “now reality” and comes with manifold benefits, blessings, promises, and responsibilities. 

The gospel as preached by Jesus is the foundation of kingdom living. The balance of the New Testament adds depth and meaning to kingdom living during this present life and beyond into eternity.

As an obvious side note, the message Jesus preached  was accompanied by amazing signs and wonders. The Gospel of the Kingdom includes an invitation into supernatural living based on the promises of God and the walk in the Spirit. Kingdom living is a journey of faith way beyond mundane human existence based on naturalism. 

I trust this short introduction of “the Gospel of the Kingdom” sparked your curiosity. Jesus came and preached this amazing message. 

Seek to understand, live, and walk in the full benefits of kingdom citizenship in your daily life. It means you must “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness” in order to have all these things added unto you! (See Matthew 6:33-34)

The Floating Podium: Luke 5:1-3

“1) Now it happened that while the crowd was pressing around Him and listening to the word of God, He was standing by the lake of Gennesaret; 2) and He saw two boats lying at the edge of the lake; but the fishermen had gotten out of them and were washing their nets. 3) And He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little way from the land. And He sat down and began teaching the people from the boat. 

This may be an expanded account of Jesus calling His first disciples as recorded in Matthew 4:18-22. As is often the case, Luke as the historian adds depth and details to the story.

The Sea of Galilee was also known as the Lake of Gennesaret. If you harmonize the accounts of John and Luke, Jesus has some previous contact with Andrew and Peter. (See John 1:35-42) It is left to the reader to piece together the sequence of how these events unfolded.

According to Luke 4:38-39, Jesus was most likely a guest in the home of Simon the night before this eventful day. Simon’s home was in  the fishing village of Capernaum in the district of Galilee on the north shore of the Lake of Gennesaret. 

It appears from the text that the fisherman had worked hard all night and caught nothing. As morning dawned, they had returned to the shore and were washing their nets as Jesus took a morning stroll along the sea shore.

Crowds from the previous evenings spontaneous open air meeting and healing service were already gathering around Jesus and following Him. Jesus took advantage of the situation for a dedicated time of teaching. 

As He approached the fishing site, He climbed into Simon’s boat and asked him to push offshore a little way. This accomplished two things. 

First, the boat became a floating podium for the morning’s preaching service. Second, it put a slight separation between Jesus and the crowd so they couldn’t interrupt His message.

Undoubtedly, most came only for healing and deliverance in the body, but they needed to hear the gospel which accomplishes the greater work of saving the soul. Physical healing is temporal, salvation is eternal! Jesus came to seek and save the lost, His healing ministry merely opened the door for His evangelistic ministry. 

Many people are desperate for physical healing while they have no yearning for spiritual healing. They don’t want to face the root issue of their sin. Jesus never took His sight off from His primary calling which was saving people from their sin! 

What happened next was shocking. Stay tuned as Jesus turned the world of four fishermen upside down! 

Turning Over Your Nets to Jesus: Luke 5:4-11

“4) When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” 5) Simon answered and said, “Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing, but I will do as You say and let down the nets.” 6) When they had done this, they enclosed a great quantity of fish, and their nets began to break; 7) so they signaled to their partners in the other boat for them to come and help them. And they came and filled both of the boats, so that they began to sink. 8) But when Simon Peter saw that, he fell down at Jesus’ feet, saying, “Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man!” 9) For amazement had seized him and all his companions because of the catch of fish which they had taken; 10) and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not fear, from now on you will be catching men.” 11) When they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed Him.”

With the order to launch out and put the nets down, Peter began to butt heads with Jesus. After all, Peter was the fishing authority, not Jesus.

Peter and his crew had worked hard all night and caught nothing. Our ways often come up empty, yet we keep doing what we have always done.

Peter’s attitude was terrible! He gave in more to prove his point to Jesus than any desire to obey. He was locked in a battle of wills with Jesus. How often does that happen to you?

When he put down the nets, they were filled with so many fish, he needed another boat and his partner to come to his aid. Both were filled and began to sink! 

Keep in mind, the crowd on the beach were still watching. Some had likely come as they did daily to buy some fresh fish from the fishermen. Previously, there were none available, but after obeying Jesus there was an abundance.

Jesus is the Provider. He always pays His bills. There was enough value in that catch of fish to care for these families for several months. In fact, of all the boats in the fishing village that morning, there were only two with fresh fish to sell. They had a monopoly!  These were big boats. They were filled to the point of sinking. That’s called “abundance!” 

Think about it, Jesus had spent the night in Peter’s home, but Peter missed the occasion. He and his partners opted instead to go fishing all night. People abandon sweet fellowship with Jesus for the dumbest reasons! 

That partially explains the response of Peter. He was shocked and so were his partners!  He finally turned his nets over to Jesus for one hour and everything changed! Peter fell down before Jesus and said, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man.” 

Peter had been exposed. He was proven wrong. His priorities were messed up. He lost the wrestling match with Jesus in front of his family and the entire village. He was finally ready to bend his will to the Lordship of Jesus –at least for a while. 

This is when Jesus issued the call for Peter, Andrew, James, and John to leave their nets completely and follow Him. It was a huge step of faith. Jesus wanted to equip them to start catching men! 

In the previous twenty-four they had heard and seen so much. They heard two sermons, witnessed many healings and deliverances,  and now witnessed His omniscience omnipotence in action through their own nets. 

They were being confronted with the true identity of Jesus Christ. He was far more than an ordinary man. They had a decision to make. They left everything and followed Him. 

Are you ready to exchange your dreams and ambitions for the will of God for your life?  The best way to start following Jesus may be turning your current “nets” over to Him. I don’t know what they are in your case, but Jesus can work through them in miraculous ways! 

Think about it. Before meeting Jesus, these four men dreamed of building a successful fishing business. They were devoted night and day to that ambition. They were well on the way.

Then Jesus stepped into their path! He issued a simple call to follow Him. How could they envision the call included being transformed into Apostles and Jesus working through them to change the course of human history? 

God’s ways are so much higher and better than ours. Jesus displayed His power, provision and abundance; but they had no idea that His call also included true fulfillment and significance.

The names of the other fishermen on the beach that morning have long been forgotten; but Peter, Andrew, James, and John are etched in the annals of human history. If you want your life to count, follow Jesus and devote yourself to doing His will! 

I Am Willing: Luke 5:12-15

“12) While He was in one of the cities, behold, there was a man covered with leprosy; and when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and implored Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” 13) And He stretched out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” And immediately the leprosy left him. 14) And He ordered him to tell no one, “But go and show yourself to the priest and make an offering for your cleansing, just as Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.” 15) But the news about Him was spreading even farther, and large crowds were gathering to hear Him and to be healed of their sicknesses.”  

This story seems to parallel Matthew 8:1-4. This man entreated Jesus to heal Him. His statement to Jesus deserves serious consideration.

“Lord, if you are willing, You can make me clean.” He understood it was not an issue of Jesus having the authority or power to heal him, rather it came down to His will. People still wrestle with that question today. Some use it as an excuse for unbelief. So let’s dig deeper into this story.

According to the context, the leper may have been asking Jesus if He was Jehovah Rapha as found in Exodus 15:26. It literally means “The Lord Who Heals You.” If Jesus was indeed Jehovah Rapha, then it was His will to heal, because healing was part of His nature.

If that was the case, the leper was actually stating an amazing proposition before Jesus. The only way it could be His Will was if Jesus was indeed “The God Who Heals.”  No one else has the authority to “will” healing. 

Another way of understanding this interaction was the leper saying, “If you are Jehovah Rapha, then it is your will to heal me because healing is your identity.” 

The response of Jesus was two fold. First, He said, “I am willing, be cleansed.”  When Jesus said “I am” it was usually connected to His identity in some way. (See Exodus 3:14) God revealed Himself to Moses as “I AM” Then Jesus touched the leper and he was made clean.

Second, Jesus sent him to the priest to confirm his healing. This was a direct connection to Leviticus 13-14. It was a priest who initially confirmed him as a leper. The text says before meeting Jesus, he was “covered with leprosy.”  But with the touch of Jesus, he was made completely clean. It was an instant healing. 

This now becomes a very unique miracle. Jesus was using His opponents to confirm His authority and power. I can only imagine the witness this became both to the priesthood and to the people. The news spread far and wide!

There remains one more mystery to this story. Was this “Simon the Leper” as referenced in Matthew 26:6 and Mark 14:3? Was he the man from Bethany who hosted Jesus before His betrayal in his home?  

Many believe that to be the case. If so, we are forced to conclude that he became a close companion of Jesus and His disciples. What a testimony that your past separation  has no bearing on the potential of your future fellowship with Jesus! This truly was an amazing story. 

The Critics Gather: Luke 5:17 

“17) One day He was teaching; and there were some Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting there, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem; and the power of the Lord was present for Him to perform healing.” 

As the crowds began to grow, so did the number of critics that followed Jesus. This verse is shocking. It says they came from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. The storm clouds were gathering.

So it is in the Christian life. The closer you follow Jesus and obey His Word, the more critics you will stir up. Some will come from family and former friends, but most will be religious people with different theological views. 

Such was the case with Jesus. This verse mentions the number of Pharisees. Other texts include priests, Sadducees, scribes, and lawyers. It was the religious leaders that led the charge in having Jesus crucified.

Actually, it is almost comical. It was the common people made up of transformed fishermen, publicans, sinners, tax gathers, former lepers, and social outcasts that followed Jesus. These were the people that Jesus delivered, healed, fed, or had huge needs that the religious elite could not help.

Notice, the verse says “the power of the Lord was present to heal.”  According to 1 Corinthians 2:4-5, the power of God became the distinguishing characteristic of the early church and the spread of the gospel. 

When you study the Greek word used for “power” in this verse through the New Testament, it becomes very sobering. Verses like Acts 1:8,  Acts 6:8, 1 Corinthians 1:18, and 2 Timothy 2:7. These are but a few examples. There are many! 

In Ephesians 1:16-23 and 3:14-21, Paul prayed that believers would understand and walk in this power. In fact, according to 1 Corinthians 4:18-21, the absence of this power is a characteristic of false workers. 

Don’t settle for being religious. Most of the world’s people are religious. You need a faith relationship with Jesus Christ, a biblical foundation of truth, and the power of the Holy Spirit in your life. This is what separated the believers from the religious critics. 

Lessons From the Paralytic: Luke 5:18-26

“18) And some men were carrying on a bed a man who was paralyzed; and they were trying to bring him in and to set him down in front of Him. 19) But not finding any way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down through the tiles with his stretcher, into the middle of the crowd, in front of Jesus. 20) Seeing their faith, He said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven you.” 21) The scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, “Who is this man who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?” 22) But Jesus, aware of their reasonings, answered and said to them, “Why are you reasoning in your hearts? 23) Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins have been forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? 24) But, so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,”—He said to the paralytic—“I say to you, get up, and pick up your stretcher and go home.” 25) Immediately he got up before them, and picked up what he had been lying on, and went home glorifying God. 26) They were all struck with astonishment and began glorifying God; and they were filled with fear, saying, “We have seen remarkable things today.”

This story was also shared by Matthew and Mark. (Matthew 9:2-8; Mark 2-3-12) When God repeats Himself three times, it must be important.

Two main points are highlighted in this story. First is the faith of the four friends and the paralytic. They went to extraordinary measures to get to Jesus. 

The story does not differentiate between the determination of the four friends or the paralytic in getting to Jesus. The text merely says; “and seeing their faith.” 

They were all convinced that Jesus could heal him. There was no wavering. There was no turning back. There was no obstacle standing in their way that they were not willing to overcome.

When the crowd prevented access, they found another way to get to Jesus. They hoisted the pallet up on the roof, opened a hole and lowered the man right in front of Jesus. We all need friends like that! Faith can be expressed by determination! 

Think about it: The crowd blocked the paralytic from getting in, but now the paralytic and his pallet blocked Jesus from getting out!  They weren’t leaving without healing. The reputation of Jesus was now on the line! 

The story doesn’t say it, but I suspect the four friends threw the ropes down with the pallet. They weren’t about to hoist him back up. Their mission was complete. They got the man to Jesus. If Jesus didn’t heal the paralytic, He would have to carry him out! 

The second point in the story was that Jesus has authority to forgive sin. This is actually the main point to the story. 

If you follow the story line of the four gospels, there is a progressive revelation to the authority of Jesus Christ. There are actually several applications to His authority, but the basic three are healing, deliverance, and forgiveness of sins. 

The Scribes and Pharisees got it right when they reasoned; “Who can forgive sins, but God alone?” (Vs 21) Jesus used the occasion to drive home a powerful witness of His authority and true identity. He was now stressing that He has authority to forgive sins!

This truth was punctuated when the paralytic rose up before them, took up his own pallet and walked out. The authority of Jesus to forgive sins, His authority to heal, and His destruction of the works of the devil are all rooted in His atonement.

They are biblically tied to His suffering and death on the cross. By His stripes we are healed and by His crucifixion and resurrection we are forgiven and set free. He is the God Who heals, the God Who destroyed the works of the devil, and the God Who forgives. 

In this story, Jesus was weaving His authority to heal and forgive sins together. Ironically, the main characters in this story had more faith in His authority to heal than His authority to forgive sins. This was a new revelation about Jesus during His public ministry up to this point.

The opposite is true today. Most western Christians and churches have more faith in His authority to forgive sins than His authority to heal or set free. 

My mind and faith were both stretched when I realized that in this story Jesus was making them synonymous. Because of Who He is, He has absolute authority to forgive sins, heal, and deliver captives from demonic activity! 

For years, I focused only on bringing people to Jesus for forgiveness and freedom. I never mentioned healing. God used this text to convict me. I was a pastor, but didn’t qualify to be one of the four friends who brought the paralytic to Jesus.

I was the byproduct of the western theology of naturalism. It can be expressed by the phrase; “God does not do miracles today.” But that’s the wrong issue! The real issue is whether or not Jesus still has authority today and how far His authority extends?

The more time I spent in the Bible, the more I was confronted with the unquestionable authority of Jesus in the three areas of salvation, deliverance, and healing. It began to expose my pathetic and erroneous theology.

My faith in the healing authority of Jesus was small. I still have a long way to go, but things are beginning to change. I am starting to understand biblically that the gospel includes the three fronts of salvation, deliverance, and healing. They cannot be separated in the four gospels or the book of Acts.

It is now becoming natural and normal for me to minister in all three areas. I embrace the full authority of Jesus Christ. My job is to bring people to Jesus, His job is to save them, set them free and heal them. Once they are at the feet of Jesus, I now drop the ropes! 

From that point forward they are ultimately His responsibility. I cannot save, deliver, or heal anyone!  Jesus has unlimited authority and power to do all three!

The Call of Matthew: Luke 5:27-32

“27) After that He went out and noticed a tax collector named Levi sitting in the tax booth, and He said to him, “Follow Me.” 28) And he left everything behind, and got up and began to follow Him. 29) And Levi gave a big reception for Him in his house; and there was a great crowd of tax collectors and other people who were reclining at the table with them. 30) The Pharisees and their scribes began grumbling at His disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with the tax collectors and sinners?” 31) And Jesus answered and said to them, “It is not those who are well who need a physician, but those who are sick. 32) I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.””

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Jesus went to the strangest places and recruited the most unlikely people to be on His leadership team. He didn’t recruit from the local synagogue or theological training school, nor did he gather resumes from the priests, Pharisees, Sadducees, or Levites. They had too much negative baggage. They had too much to unlearn.

Instead, He started by calling four rugged fishermen. Why? They understood long hours and hard work. True ministry doesn’t punch a clock or take typical vacations. They do whatever it takes to catch lots of fish! They were devoted to their cause. Jesus simply introduced them to a greater cause! 

Then He stopped by a tax booth and called Matthew. What potential did Jesus see in this tax collector? Well, Levi knew everyone, was well connected, had some basic people skills, and was courageous. He had the stuff you can’t learn at Bible school.

Wouldn’t you know, Matthew threw  a big reception for Him at his house and invited his friends and acquaintances to meet Jesus. They were the movers and shakers in Galilee, but by no means the religious crowd. The place was full of other tax collectors, sinners, and non-religious people. 

The Pharisees criticized Jesus for even attending this gathering. Most likely they felt shunned for not receiving an invitation. 

No matter, their condescending and judgmental demeanor didn’t fit this crowd. They were viewed as religious critics and irrelevant for real life. They weren’t on anyone’s friend list, except their own little religious clique and subculture.

Why did Jesus feel at home in this environment?  Well, He Himself came from real life in the carpenters shop. He most likely knew these people and even built projects for them. He was not a religious insider or condescending critic. Jesus was godly, but genuine and real. He earned respect in the market place of life. 

Jesus also had a mission to reach sinful, lost, and hurting people. He understood relational ministry. He was the Great Physician and knew where to find unhealthy people.

He went to where the fish were! He didn’t fish in an aquarium. He knew when, where, and how to spread the gospel message.

Christians today have much to learn from this story. We can either become a religious subculture, or we can reach out to lost people in everyday life. 

Let me underline the fact that Jesus did not leave the gospel message out nor did He Himself become sinful. He remained true to Himself, His God and His positive reputation. He was a man of integrity and treated everyone with respect and dignity.

Jesus had compassion for people. He cared for their needs. He listened and people trusted Him and opened up to him. He became magnetic. People were attracted to Him and his message. He planted the seeds of the gospel everywhere.

He called disciples who could walk in His footsteps. He called ordinary, hard-working people to be His  followers and His leaders. He duplicated himself in His disciples. They in turn became fruitful and effective in the highways and by-ways of life.

Jesus was criticized by the religious elite because his message and methods were perceived as being way out of the religious box. I like that about Jesus. I am learning that fruitful ministry walks in His footsteps.

(The NLT translates verse 30: “But the Pharisees and their teachers of religious law complained bitterly to Jesus’ disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with such scum?”” Some other versions translate that last word as “notorious sinners.” Luke used the Greek word ἁμαρτωλῶν (hamartōlōn), which means “Sinning, sinful, depraved, detestable.” The Pharisees were accusing Jesus of eating with people who were despised and rejected, beneath contempt and beyond salvation – the very bottom of the barrel. But Jesus defended his ministry to them. –dj)

Is Your Walk with God A Wedding Celebration or Funeral Wake? Luke 5:33-35

“33) And they said to Him, “The disciples of John often fast and offer prayers, the disciples of the Pharisees also do the same, but Yours eat and drink.” 34) And Jesus said to them, “You cannot make the attendants of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them, can you? 35) But the days will come; and when the bridegroom is taken away from them, then they will fast in those days.”” 

Jesus was totally secure in His own identity, calling, and ministry. That’s what made Him immune to the attacks of comparison and pressure toward conformity. Satan will use them against all of us.

They wanted Jesus to produce disciples more like those of John the Baptist or the disciples of the Pharisees. This religious spirit is dangerous. 

It creates a false notion of what spirituality looks and acts like. It’s rigid, indifferent, legalistic, judgmental and detached from other people. But the true goal is to turn out disciples who are more like Jesus! He was refreshingly different! 

Jesus groomed His disciples to develop their own unique personality, gifts, and ministries. They were all godly but not legalistic. They were real and authentic. They loved people.

Jesus developed the inward person and not outward appearance, rituals, or strict disciplines. He clothed them with compassion and equipped them to be effective at ministering to others with the gospel of the kingdom.

Then He gave them His authority to heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons, and to give freely to others. (See Matthew 10:7-8) They learned ministry by doing ministry. 

He also promised to give them the coming Helper who would be sent in His Name. (See John 14:16-18) His authority would be accompanied by the power of the Holy Spirit. Even the way they prayed would be different! (John 14:12-15) 

Jesus taught His disciples to walk with God and minister to people. He gave them grace and not the Law. (See John 1:16-18) They became outgoing and not an introverted sub-culture governed by strict rules and regulations. 

They were like attendants of the bridegroom. They were joyous! They were filled with optimism. They were celebrating a wedding and not like mourners at a funeral! As a result, they were contagious. 

The end result was very fruitful ministries that could adapt to any situation and flourish in any culture. (See John 15:1-16) Jesus pointed His disciples to a thriving personal walk with God. 

There is much to learn from this text. Jesus painted a graphic contrast between a living and organic relationship with God and the dead formalities often associated with institutional religions.

Unfortunately, the claws of institutional religion have sunk deep into Christianity. It has obscured the gospel and clouded our mission. Revival and awakening aims at correcting this dreadful contamination of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ! 

Patchwork and Mixed Wine:  Luke 5:36-39

“36) And He was also telling them a parable: “No one tears a piece of cloth from a new garment and puts it on an old garment; otherwise he will both tear the new, and the piece from the new will not match the old. 37) And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled out, and the skins will be ruined. 38) But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. 39) And no one, after drinking old wine wishes for new; for he says, ‘The old is good enough.’ ””. 

Jesus was bringing in something new. He was moving from the Law to grace. He was moving from works to faith. He was moving from the outward to the inward. He was moving from the flesh to the Spirit. He was moving from rituals to true worship.

The problem was that many were satisfied with the old. They wanted an additive and not a revival. They want to force the new into the old. It did not work! 

It was like patching an old garnet with new cloth. It was like putting new wine into old wine skins. Both were ruined.

Jesus did not come to make Old Testament Judaism better, He came to fulfill and replace it. He came to pay for human sin and set people free from bondage. He did not come to make people religious. He came to redeem them, fill them with His Holy Spirit, and transform them into new creations.

With this parable, Jesus was drawing a line in the sand. He was telling the religious leaders that the old was fulfilled and something new had come.

Change comes slowly, especially in the realm of religion, tradition, ceremonies, and rituals. Many wanted to keep the old. Others tried mixing the old with the new.

The book of Acts tells the sad story that Judaism rejected Jesus as the Messiah. The result was the gospel spreading to the Gentiles after Pentecost and the Great Commission being fully embraced by the born-again believers. 

It spread rapidly around the world, but not without opposition. It met other old garments and old wine skins of pagan religions. Satan loves to water down pure Christianity with patchwork and mixed wine. Such is the case with many brands of Christianity around the world. It is a cheap substitute for the real thing! 

Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath: Luke 6:1-5

“1) Now it happened that He was passing through some grainfields on a Sabbath; and His disciples were picking the heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands, and eating the grain. 2) But some of the Pharisees said, “Why do you do what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” 3) And Jesus answering them said, “Have you not even read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him, 4) how he entered the house of God, and took and ate the consecrated bread which is not lawful for any to eat except the priests alone, and gave it to his companions?” 5) And He was saying to them, “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”” 

This story records the story of walking through some grain fields on the Sabbath and the disciples of Jesus casually picking some heads of grain and eating them. 

These were most likely the gleanings left for the needy and strangers as mentioned in Leviticus 19:9-10 and 23:22. It was by no means stealing. The Lord of the harvest had made provision for this activity. 

The Pharisees were most likely comparing this to gathering Manna on the Sabbath as talked about in Exodus 16. Gathering manna was forbidden on the Sabbath as also harvesting crops later became as well. There are three problems in the text.

First, the grain wasn’t manna and the disciples were not the owners of the field. They were not engaged in business for resale. They were strangers passing through and casually enjoying God’s provision for them. It was not laborious work. 

Second, the Pharisees were working on the Sabbath. They were “on duty” snooping after Jesus and His disciples. Many times legalistic hypocrites condemn others while excusing themselves. 

Finally, they failed to realize that Jesus is “Lord of the Sabbath.” From this point forward Jesus was going to do many signs and wonders on the Sabbath. Just as people are no less people on the Sabbath, Jesus was no less God on the Sabbath.

Because Jesus was God, He did not abandon any offices, attributes, roles, or characteristics of His many names on the Sabbath. God-sized things constantly happen with God. Signs and wonders are as normal for God as breathing, eating, drinking, and daily hygiene are for people.

Granted, God rested from His work of actively creating on the seventh day. Why? That work was done! But never once has He taken a day off from being “Sustainer.”  If He did, the whole universe would collapse!  There are certain “God things” that God does daily, just as there are certain “people things” that people do daily. 

Just because “God things” are much bigger than “people things”, doesn’t mean it constitutes “work” for God. Rather, it screams that He is God!  

This is one reason why it baffles me that some theologians are so foolish as to believe that “God no longer does miracles today.” What we call “signs and wonders” naturally and normally happen in the presence of God simply because He is “God.” 

Jesus did God-size things on the Sabbath because He is no less God even on the Sabbath. If you abide in the presence of the true God, then “God-sized things” will become normal in and around your life.

Don’t be a Pharisee!  Stop putting Jesus in a box. Stop reducing God to the small confines of humanism and naturalism. 

My view of reality includes God being God. My biblical world view is based on “Supernaturalism.” It is the lens through which I see everything. I surf daily on the wave of the supernatural. 

It’s not that my faith is big. The difference is that my biblical view of God is big! I am no longer a religious agnostic. I seek to live in the presence of God and expect Him to constantly do God-sized things. He is LORD and I am His humble servant. He is in control and I am just hanging on for the ride. 

Tension on the Sabbath: Luke 6:6-11

“6) On another Sabbath He entered the synagogue and was teaching; and there was a man there whose right hand was withered. 7) The scribes and the Pharisees were watching Him closely to see if He healed on the Sabbath, so that they might find reason to accuse Him. 8) But He knew what they were thinking, and He said to the man with the withered hand, “Get up and come forward!” And he got up and came forward. 9) And Jesus said to them, “I ask you, is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the Sabbath, to save a life or to destroy it?” 10) After looking around at them all, He said to him, “Stretch out your hand!” And he did so; and his hand was restored. 11) But they themselves were filled with rage, and discussed together what they might do to Jesus.”

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We are now confronted with a second miracle done by Jesus on a Sabbath. For some reason, this infuriated the scribes and Pharisees. We now have to ask some basic questions that force us to think.

First, what was the purpose of the Sabbath? It was for rest and worship. It was a day set aside to rest from regular labor, go to the synagogue, learn about God and worship Him. 

Second, where did this miracle take place? It was in the synagogue on the Sabbath. Jesus and His disciples were indeed keeping the Sabbath. They were exactly where Jewish people were expected to be on the Sabbath. 

Third, is healing a physical act of work or a spiritual act of faith? Does it fall under work or worship? Is it an act of man or a manifestation of God? These are very important questions.

Fourth, how much physical work is involved for God to heal someone? Is it like gathering wood, doing basic cattle chores, walking to the synagogue or preparing a meal? Was the man with the withered hand working to earn his healing or was it a gift of grace? 

So what was the problem with the scribes and Pharisees?  This brings up the final point.

Finally, it appears that healing was so everyday common for Jesus they wanted Him to take a break from it on the Sabbath. They wanted Him to stop being Who He was on the Sabbath!

But wait a minute; were they still scribes and Pharisees on the Sabbath?  Were the priests still priests on the Sabbath? Did the temple and sacrificial system close down on the Sabbath? Not at all!  Actually, spiritual service kicked into high gear on the Sabbath! 

Though not intentionally, they were on the verge of making some quantum discoveries about Jesus. Let me highlight three:

First, God is still God on the Sabbath. The Great Physician is still the Great Physician on the Sabbath.

Second, healing is not a physical work, it is a spiritual act of faith. It is a manifestation of God.

Third, healing was so common for Jesus it pointed to His true nature and identity!  He could no less stop being God on the Sabbath than they could stop being scribes and Pharisees. 

This story actually screams a loud warning: “Beware of your theological bias, it can leave you blind, faithless, and hypocritical!” 

All-Night Prayer Meeting: Luke 6:12-16 

“12) It was at this time that He went off to the mountain to pray, and He spent the whole night in prayer to God. 13) And when day came, He called His disciples to Him and chose twelve of them, whom He also named as apostles: 14) Simon, whom He also named Peter, and Andrew his brother; and James and John; and Philip and Bartholomew; 15) and Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot; Judas the son of James, 16) and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.” 

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Jesus was about to pick His twelve apostles. It was a huge decision. He preceded with a night of prayer. Ministry and leadership must always be bathed in prayer! Leaders have a big target on them. 

Why did it take so long? 

The text does not say, but I suspect He was wrestling over “Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.”  Did Jesus get it wrong? Was it to fulfill prophecy? It is a difficult question.

I suspect He genuinely loved Judas, just as the others. He knew the end from the beginning. No amount of prayer, even from Jesus Himself could force free will! 

Judas was numbered with the eleven, despite the fact that he would become a traitor.

We now have a flashback to the three temptations in the wilderness. Satan left Him for an opportune time. Often the most difficult trials come from within the inner circle.

And so the stage was set for His betrayal. The team was about to be torn and tested. Judas disguised himself so well, none of the others guessed the guile in his heart. 

He was sent out with the others in groups of two. He performed signs and wonders in the name of Jesus, yet he was a traitor. It shows that the Name of Jesus carries authority even when coming from someone like Judas. 

I often think of Judas when I read Matthew 7:22-23;  “23) Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 23) And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’”

It was a long night of prayer. Jesus travailed over the path in front of each of His leaders. Judas would take his own life. All but John would die a martyr’s death. The appointments He was about to make had monumental implications for these twelve men.

All who follow Jesus must be prepared to deny self to serve the Master. According to Romans 8:27, Jesus travails in prayer over every believer. 

I take great consolation in the intercession of Jesus on my behalf. Nothing short of His active power, glory, and grace could account for the wonders that crown the life of those who sincerely seek and serve Him.

The Mountain Gathering: Luke 6:17-19 

“17) Jesus came down with them and stood on a level place; and there was a large crowd of His disciples, and a great throng of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon, 18) who had come to hear Him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were being cured. 19) And all the people were trying to touch Him, for power was coming from Him and healing them all.” 

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Luke presents a slightly different account of the sermon on the mountain than Matthew. When they are studied side-by-side, Luke focuses more on the occasion for the sermon while Matthew captures the content of the message itself. Both elaborate on the growing crowd that was following Jesus.

It is entirely possible that there were numerous times that large crowds gathered around Jesus and He sought open spaces to teach them. A mountain location was most likely chosen to form a natural amphitheater for sound to carry.

Whereas God called Moses alone to the mountain top and forbid the people from coming close, Jesus welcomed multitudes. The contrast highlights a key difference between the Old and the New Testaments. Jesus was indeed the way, the truth and the life. He was the only doorway to God. He welcomed the multitudes.

From the Luke account, Jesus was coming down from an all night prayer meeting with His twelve while a multitude ascended the mountain in search of healing and deliverance. They were seeking Jesus.

Twice in the text Luke emphasizes the large size of the crowd. Verse 17 talks about both “a great multitude of His disciples” and “a great throng of people.” Some had become devoted followers of Jesus while many more were curious seekers.

It reminds me that there are stages of drawing near to Jesus. The tug of the Spirit may start with personal needs, but soon the message of the gospel is planted in the heart and starts growing. It often results in being born-again through saving faith in Jesus Christ. This in turn becomes an invitation to follow Jesus Christ as a devoted disciple.

Notice from the context that Jesus chose twelve Apostles, but there were many disciples. These were the twelve apostles of the Lamb mentioned in Revelation 21:14. They were put in office by Jesus Christ prior to the day of Pentecost.

After Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was poured out, spiritual gifts were given to believers. According to Ephesians 4:11-12, one of the five leadership gifts in the church also includes “apostles.” 

These were “sent out ones” to carry the gospel to new regions and plant churches. I view them as the modern office of “the missionary.” Though the root Greek word is the same, there are considerable differences between the two groups of apostles. I believe in the Antioch model of multiple leadership offices in the local church. (See Acts 13:1-4)

It is noteworthy from our text in Luke 6:17 that the “great throng” included people from “Judea and Jerusalem and the coastal regions of Tyre and Sidon.” Sufficient to say that people came from great distances to seek Jesus. But why did they come?

Verse 18 says;  “who had come to hear Him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were being cured.” They came both to hear His message and to be healed from diseases and the side effects of unclean spirits.

Verse 19 then adds; “And all the people were trying to touch Him, for power was coming from Him and healing them all.” This is an insightful verse. This is the same word for “power” used throughout the New Testament for Spirit-filled believers. (See Acts 1:4-8;  1 Corinthians 2:4-5; and Ephesians 3:20-21… and many other places) 

I will not elaborate further on the subject of “power” at this time; except to point out that in John 14:12-18 Jesus promised that His followers would do greater works than He did because He went to the Father and was about to send the Holy Spirit. 

Every verse in the Bible on this subject of “power” should be carefully studied by every disciple of Jesus Christ. It is a profound study that frustrates and exposes the false teachings of the modern naturalistic theologians. It is a journey you must take for yourself on your way to discovering the power of the Holy Spirit.

It is also important to note that according to the text, Jesus was “healing them all.”  There was no sickness, disease, injury, or demonic bondage too difficult for Jesus! His authority triumphed over them all!

Poor in Spirit: Luke 6:20-23

“20) And turning His gaze toward His disciples, He began to say, “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. 21) Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh. 22) Blessed are you when men hate you, and ostracize you, and insult you, and scorn your name as evil, for the sake of the Son of Man. 23) Be glad in that day and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven. For in the same way their fathers used to treat the prophets.”

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Status in this life does not translate to equal status in the kingdom of God. Many who are poor in this life can be rich in spirit and in kingdom blessings.

Many who are wealthy in this life can be poor in spirit. They look to money rather than God for provision, supply, value, and identity. Such was the case with the Laodicean church as recorded in Revelation 3:14-22. They thought they had everything but they suffered from spiritual poverty.

True wealth in the kingdom is of the spirit and not the flesh or worldly value system. It is the blessing of the Lord that makes people rich, and He adds no sorrow, anxiety, or greed to it.

There is also a kind of poverty that leaves the whole person poor. It too is a tragedy. It leaves people bitter, poor, and destitute. Rather than seeking God and His ways, they bend to the values of the world. Faith and virtue are not measured in monetary terms. 

Condemning Hedonism: Luke 6:24-26

“24) But woe to you who are rich, for you are receiving your comfort in full. 25) Woe to you who are well-fed now, for you shall be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep. 26) Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for their fathers used to treat the false prophets in the same way.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭6‬:‭24‬-‭26‬ ‭

This is a strong indictment against hedonism. Anyone who exploits others to promote themself or uses them to gain personal wealth has the spirit of antichrist and the world working in them.

Life is not fair, but God will make it right. What you sow you reap. 

There is no other joy higher than being a supply of hope to others and living serving them in the advancement of the gospel.

We at GoServ Global are committed to believing in the gospel message of hope. We work hard to bring together people and resources in delivering hope to the needy. 

The Golden Rule: Luke 6:27-36

““27) But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28) bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29) Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also; and whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either. 30) Give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back. 31) Treat others the same way you want them to treat you. 32) If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33) If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34) If you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to receive back the same amount. 35) But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men. 36) Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” 

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This text contains the “Golden Rule.” Treat others the way you want to be treated. But it goes beyond a simple rule. It holds the secrets to positive interpersonal relationships. 

In Philippians 2: 1-4, Paul explained it as looking to the needs of others above your own. That was the love that Jesus modeled. It is found throughout the entire New Testament. 

It is so self-explanatory that I will not elaborate much more. Sufficient to add that Jesus said this king of agape love is the distinguishing characteristic of the Holy Spirit. (See John 13:34-35) 

Pouring out this love is one of the roles of the Holy Spirit in the life of true believers. (See Romans 5:5 & Galatians 5:22-24) Walking in this love is one of the secrets of fruitfulness in the Christian life. 

The Ways of God Toward Evil Men. Luke 6:35-36

“35) But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men. 36) Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” 

True love puts people above things. It recognizes that things are temporal but people are eternal. Love sees intrinsic value in all people. It also recognizes that the gospel can change people.

Many times things destroy relationships and build walls between people. The greatest solution is turning your things over to God and viewing them as tools to reach people. 

Our highest mission as believers is to reach people and not accumulate things. When this is put in perspective, fruitfulness begins to abound. 

This approach is connected to the ways of God in this context. He shows His grace and mercy to ungrateful and evil men. At some point it either softens them or hardens them. They will give an account on the day of judgement.

Showing Mercy: Luke 6:36-37

“36) Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. 37) “Do not judge, and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned.” 

Being merciful and non-judgmental were important themes in the beatitudes as recorded by both Matthew and Luke. God is the ultimate judge, but He goes to extraordinary lengths to show mercy and grace to lost and sinful people. He wants people to be saved and not perish.

He expects the same from His people. He does not want us to be critical, judgmental, or condemning. All people are sinners, make mistakes, and mess up. Redemption and life change usually comes with the second chance. It is where wisdom is found and lives are changed.

The consequences of our sinful choices often lead us to the cross and the need for a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. When the Holy Spirit comes in radical change begins to happen, but many times Christians are the ones hindering the process with our mean and judgmental ways. 

Such was the story of Saul. After becoming a believer and radically changing his ways, it was the Christians that rejected him and refused to associate with him. His acceptance was a gradual process in the early church. Some unforgiving Christians may have been in the crowd in Jerusalem calling for his death.

The church at Corinth had trouble forgiving the man that fell into moral transgression, even after he repented and returned to the Lord. (See 2 Corinthians 2:5-11) 

Living in a fallen world means there are daily opportunities to show love, grace, and mercy to sinful people. We all need the same! Jesus came to save and not condemn the world. Study John 3:16-17 together.

The above two verses are the most ignored within the beatitudes, and yet they are the most powerful in giving defeated and discouraged people a second chance. 

Kingdom Living and Giving: Luke 6:38

“38) Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.””

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This verse has been misused by many. It is not about trying to “buy off” God for personal wealth and self-consumption.

In this sense,  I totally disagree with the basic premise of the modern prosperity gospel. It degenerates into hedonism and self-glorification. It uses and exploits poor and ignorant people to build personal prosperity. It has done much damage to the true Gospel around the world. Under this system the poor get poorer and the rich get richer. It is abominable! 

Rather this verse is about being totally devoted to God and the advancement of His kingdom. In that context, it is impossible to “out give God.” 

The verse is reminiscent of Malachi 3:8-12. God calls Israel to stop robbing Him of tithes and offerings, but rather test Him with faithful giving. He actually challenges them to test Him as the Provider. He promises to “open the widows of heaven and pour out His blessing on faithful givers.”

Here is the biblical promise, God abundantly takes care of His faithful and sacrificial givers. Paul made the same point in 2 Corinthians 8 and 9. God has a “Kingdom Accounting System.” 

Did you see it? This verse is about giving and not selfishly receiving! This concept is exemplified by the heart of God in John 3:16; “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.”  

My goal in life is not to become rich. Rather, it is to radically give of my time, energy, financial resources, spiritual gifts, and talents to help millions come to Jesus and enter into Spirit-Filled Kingdom Living! 

For us, that means debt -free frugal living. It means used cars rather than new cars. Ministry trips to remote and difficult places rather than extravagant vacations. Equipping and training national believers to reach and care for their own people rather than promoting myself. 

It means storing up more treasures in heaven than on earth. It means living, giving, and investing in such a way that after I die the Kingdom continues growing and reaching many more people with the Gospel! 

Blind Guides: Luke 6:39

“39) And He also spoke a parable to them: “A blind man cannot guide a blind man, can he? Will they not both fall into a pit?”

There are so many blind guides today. They show up in religion, ethics, philosophy, psychology, science, politics, education, and interpersonal relationships. They promise much but deliver nothing but disappointment and despair. It amounts to empty hope. 

I choose to follow the One who had a track record of making blind eyes see. Jesus Christ healed the sick, raised the dead, and set captives free. He did far more than preach the gospel, He became the gospel. 

On the cross He defeated sin and Satan. Three days later, He rose from the dead offering eternal life. It is called “Zoe” life. It is life on the level of the spirit. It goes way beyond mere biological existence. 

Being born-again by the power of the Holy Spirit removes the blinders and imparts new life. Jesus does fare more than make blind men see, He makes dead men live!

The Meaning of Discipleship: Luke 6:40 

“A pupil is not above his teacher; but everyone, after he has been fully trained, will be like his teacher.”

The goal of discipleship is to help people become like Jesus. This is true in body, soul and spirit. He wants to utterly transform us! 

Jesus saves people, fills them with His promised Spirit, transforms them into new people, gives them His authority and power, and then sends them out into the world to minister as He did while on earth. “As He is” so also are we in this world. (1 John 4:17c) 

There is a difference between salvation and discipleship. Salvation is believing “in Jesus.” Discipleship is becoming “like Jesus.” True conversion embraces both! 

To the degree that you fail to become “a partaker of the divine nature” as taught by Peter in 2 Peter 1:2-11, you fail at discipleship! The target for discipleship was much different in the early church than the modern church. 

The full meaning of Luke 6:40 is nothing short of profound and miraculous. The big question is not “do you believe in Jesus?”  The big question is “are you becoming like Jesus in every way and in every area of your life?” Are you becoming a new creation in Christ?

Blind Hypocrisy Exposed: Luke 6:41-42

“41) Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 42) Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye.”

Hypocrisy is blinding. It condemns others for minor things while ignoring major issues in self. It’s like trying to remove a speck of dust from the eye of another while you have logs of dust in your own eye.

Eye surgery is very delicate work. An ophthalmologist must have the clearest vision or he /she will do irreversible damage to many others. Focus on clearing up your own vision before offering surgery for others. 

The best counselors are those who have gained sincere victory in their own lives. A humble personal testimony is better than condemnation from a Pharisee.

Learning from your own mistakes and failure is the pathway to wisdom. Encouragement is more powerful than criticism. A loving pat on the back with love and truth is more helpful than the many slaps of criticism to the face from a hypocrite. The first builds up while the second tears down.

Good and Bad Trees: Luke 6:43-44

“43) For there is no good tree which produces bad fruit, nor, on the other hand, a bad tree which produces good fruit. 44) For each tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they pick grapes from a briar bush.”

The keeper of the orchard gets to know each tree by its fruit. Over time, he can do a “blind taste test” and tell you exactly which tree produced each price of fruit. 

A good tree is soon labeled by the good fruit it produces. It produced the same fruit year after year.

So it is with bad fruit. The owner soon knows exactly what tree it came from. It is quite fascinating. In our small orchard, the family knows which trees to avoid and which ones produce the best apples.

After three or four years of fruit bearing, each tree develops its own reputation. Bad trees are replaced because their fruit will always be the same! 

What kind of tree are you?  The bottom line is that you are known by your fruit.

Meaning of Lordship: Luke 6:46

““46) Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” 

The measure of Lordship is obedience. The Lordship of Jesus in your life is not based on what you say, it’s based on how you live. It’s not based on words, it’s based on actions. It’s not based on good intentions, it’s based on consistent application of His Word in your life. It is an outgrowth of a crucified flesh and a thriving walk in the Spirit.

Beatitude Living: Luke 6:47-49

“47) Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and acts on them, I will show you whom he is like: 48) he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock; and when a flood occurred, the torrent burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. 49 But the one who has heard and has not acted accordingly, is like a man who built a house on the ground without any foundation; and the torrent burst against it and immediately it collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great.”” ‭(See also Matthew 7:24-26) 

I understand this as “Beatitude Living” or “Sermon on the Mountain Living.”  This might sound like a radical application, but Jesus was promising that any follower of His who built their life on “Beatitude Living” would be gloriously blessed. 

He was literally applying this promise and warning to the simple godly moral code for daily living as taught in Matthew 7-8 and Luke 6:2-49. When properly applied, it turns His followers into “the light of the world.” 

He said that those who followed this code would be like the wise man who built on the rock. 

Those who neglected this code would be like the foolish man building on sand. Let me share an experience that God used to greatly impact my thinking of about this text. 

I recently stayed with a born-again and Spirit filled community of Amish believers who adopt this simple code as an essential part of daily living. They are amazing and blessed beyond measure.

Because of their love for Jesus and dynamic view of the Holy Spirit, they have been shunned by the broader Amish, but that gave them the freedom and courage to become boldly biblical in applying their Amish traditions while putting Scripture and Jesus first. It has been a challenging journey, but the end result is so precious! 

I have never met a more godly and gracious group of believers. God is mightily using them to impact their surrounding region and carry the gospel around the world. They are so genuine and real. 

They see daily miracles of healing, deliverance, signs, wonders, and conversions as they send teams across the country and around the world. They treat everyone with respect and dignity. 

Every one of them is a seasoned intercessor and glows from spending much time in the presence of God. Even their youth are on fire for God!

One of their simple values is living for Jesus according to the Beatitudes and the Sermon on the Mountain. They persuaded me to take these words of Jesus as literally applying to the Beatitudes. 

They have become a modern version of Amish values based on Jesus, the Word of God and the Holy Spirit. There was not even a smell of legalism or condescension among them.

It was the first time in 50 years that I met a genuine community of believers that I did not want to leave. They live and walk in unity and the daily presence of God. I had a taste of kingdom living that quenched my thirst for biblical community as expressed in the book of Acts. 

Their simple “Beatitude Living” was so powerful, fresh and blessed. I will return to my many new friends to drink in more of their agape love and overflowing Spirit-filled fellowship in the near future.

God used them to give me a taste of a biblical community that is living, organic, holy, pure, welcoming, peaceful and dripping with Agape love. Any who get close to them are embraced and soon transformed by the gospel and presence of Jesus and His Spirit. 

God used them to help me rethink my whole understanding of “the church.” I am so ready to have that box shattered! I am so disappointed and disillusioned with “church as usual.”  

Faith and Authority: Luke 7:1-10

“1) When He had completed all His discourse in the hearing of the people, He went to Capernaum. 2) And a centurion’s slave, who was highly regarded by him, was sick and about to die. 3) When he heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders asking Him to come and save the life of his slave. 4) When they came to Jesus, they earnestly implored Him, saying, “He is worthy for You to grant this to him; 5) for he loves our nation and it was he who built us our synagogue.” 6) Now Jesus started on His way with them; and when He was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to Him, “Lord, do not trouble Yourself further, for I am not worthy for You to come under my roof; 7) for this reason I did not even consider myself worthy to come to You, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 8) For I also am a man placed under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.” 9) Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled at him, and turned and said to the crowd that was following Him, “I say to you, not even in Israel have I found such great faith.” 10) When those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave in good health.” 

This is a parallel story to Matthew 8:5-13. Some of the details seem different, but a harmony of the two stories is easy to accomplish. At some point, it seems the centurion arrived in person to converse with Jesus. Luke merely highlights a few important concepts to be learned from the story. 

First, the centurion’s slave was highly regarded by him. They had a positive and healthy relationship. It was not abusive or exploitative. The centurion was leveraging his authority to get his servant healed. 

Second, the Jewish elders attempted to be mediators with Jesus on behalf of the centurion. He had done some good and wonderful things for the Jewish people and they argued that the centurion had “earned” the right for healing. No one deserves God’s grace. God is no man’s debtor. 

Third, both Matthew and Luke emphasize that both the centurion and Jesus connected faith with understanding authority. True faith is not measured by how strong your belief system is, rather it is measured by how big your God is. 

Because the centurion understood that Jesus was the highest authority,  the issue would be settled the moment He gave the command for the healing. All He needed to was “say the word” and his servant would be healed. 

This story has shaped my view of both deliverance ministry and healing. Both rest squarely on the authority of Jesus Christ. The question is not whether or not He is willing to set free or heal?

The question is “does He have authority diseases and demons? Is He the God that heals?

Finally, the matter was settled. The servant was healed. Faith in the authority of Jesus Christ resulted in the healing. Faith is the expression of your true view of Jesus Christ!

If you say, “Jesus can heal, but He no longer does miracles today”, you are double-minded!  You will get what you believe! 

Interrupting a Funeral Procession: Luke 7:11-17 

“11) Soon afterwards He went to a city called Nain; and His disciples were going along with Him, accompanied by a large crowd. 12) Now as He approached the gate of the city, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow; and a sizeable crowd from the city was with her. 13) When the Lord saw her, He felt compassion for her, and said to her, “Do not weep.” 14) And He came up and touched the coffin; and the bearers came to a halt. And He said, “Young man, I say to you, arise!” 15) The dead man sat up and began to speak. And Jesus gave him back to his mother. 16) Fear gripped them all, and they began glorifying God, saying, “A great prophet has arisen among us!” and, “God has visited His people!” 17) This report concerning Him went out all over Judea and in all the surrounding district.”

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This story appears only in the gospel of Luke. Because Jesus is the resurrection and the life, He has authority over death. (See John 11:25-26) He had a habit of interrupting funerals. 

This story is significant because the mother was a widow and this was her only son. Her future became tragic with the death of this son. He was her only support for old age. Death has many victims. 

When the Lord saw her, He felt compassion for her, and said to her, “Do not weep.”  Jesus was moved with compassion. He cares about people. He feels their pain. He cares about you and me and our circumstances as well. 

I like what happened next. And He came up and touched the coffin; and the bearers came to a halt. And He said, “Young man, I say to you, arise!”  Jesus interrupted the funeral procession. The enemy, death, lost another victim to Jesus. 

Make no mistake, death is an enemy. John 10:10 connects it to the work of Satan. 1 Corinthians 15:26 says; “The last enemy that will be abolished is death.” In Jesus is life and not death. (See John 1:4) 

It is noteworthy that Jesus merely spoke to the man; “Young man, I say to you, arise!” With that command, the young man came back to life.

This story challenges me, because in Matthew 10:7-8 when Jesus sent the twelve out to preach the gospel of the kingdom, He gave them authority to “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers and cast out demons.” Raising the dead was part of their job description based on the authority of Jesus Christ. 

Granted, I have never witnessed a dead person come back to life, but neither have I ever had the faith or obedience to speak the name of Jesus over them. But, I am hearing of more cases of it happening in the name of Jesus.

After years of biblical study, I am coming to the place where speaking the Name of Jesus in the face of death no longer sounds weird or strange to me. 

I am persuaded that the biblical response in some cases might be for all believers to join hands for several minutes and simply repeat over and over again; “In the Name of Jesus, you shall live and not die.”

I emphasize “several minutes.” Death is a battle with the enemy. It is a time of spiritual warfare. 

Why not speak life in the Name of Jesus over them? What harm can it do? Jesus is the resurrection and the life.

One thing I know, silence in the face of death concedes defeat. I would rather appeal to the authority, compassion, and power of the Name of Jesus than be silent. 

Many times when Jesus raised the dead, He had the critics leave the room. (See Mathew 9:23-26) This is a wise move. Such an occasion would call for unwavering faith and not doubt. 

I am not seeking these occasions, but my approach moving forward would be markedly different than my past ministry. I would rather obey Jesus in simple faith than yield to the enemy by default. 

If the person is brought safely home to the arms of Jesus, I rejoice!  If death is defeated, I rejoice!  Either way, I choose to turn death into a worship experience with all focus and praise on Jesus. 

The Ministry Evaluation: Luke 7:18-23

“18) The disciples of John reported to him about all these things. 19) Summoning two of his disciples, John sent them to the Lord, saying, “Are You the Expected One, or do we look for someone else?” 20) When the men came to Him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to You, to ask, ‘Are You the Expected One, or do we look for someone else?’ ” 21) At that very time He cured many people of diseases and afflictions and evil spirits; and He gave sight to many who were blind. 22) And He answered and said to them, “Go and report to John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have the gospel preached to them. 23) Blessed is he who does not take offense at Me.””

Jesus was increasing, John was decreasing. But there was a problem. John was expecting Jesus to set up an earthly kingdom and return national sovereignty to Israel. He was expecting a political King that ruled with a rod of iron! It was reflective of John’s own strong and abrasive approach. 

But Jesus was preoccupied with preaching the gospel, healing people from sickness and diseases, casting out evil spirits, and interrupting funerals. Jesus was falling short of John’s expectations. Jesus was setting up a different kind of Kingdom. 

So John sent some of his disciples to do an evaluation of Jesus and His ministry. John was preparing to sift through some more resumes!  

What are your expectations of Jesus?  Has He ever let you down?  I guarantee the problem is with you and not Jesus! 

With the inquiry from John’s disciples, Jesus doubled down on His ministry. Verse 21 says; “At that very time He cured many people of diseases and afflictions and evil spirits; and He gave sight to many who were blind.” He was doing what only Jehovah Rapha can do. He was being “The Lord Who Heals You!”

There is no record of John the Baptist ever healing anyone or performing a miracle, but it was common for Jesus. John was the thundering preacher. Jesus was the compassionate healer. He was working from His role as the Savior and great physician. He came to take away the sins of the people and destroy the works of the devil. 

His public ministry was a foretaste of His work on the cross. (Compare Isaiah 53:4-5 and 1 Peter 2:24) For some reason, John was overlooking the prophecies about the cross and instead was focusing only on the prophecies about restoring the Kingdom to Israel. He was looking for the crown apart from the cross.

After doubling down and healing many and preaching the gospel, Jesus told the disciples of John to report back what they had “seen” and “heard.”  The gospel is intended to be both “seen” and “heard.”

I find no biblical exception to this in the gospels, the book of Acts or the Epistles. Put on your study glasses and look at texts like Mark 16:14-18; Acts 1:3-8; Acts 2:43; Acts 4:29-41; Acts 6:8; Acts 19:11-12; Hebrews 2:2-4; and 1 Corinthians 12-14. Study the word “power” through the whole New Testament. The power of God is to be “seen” while the gospel is being “heard!”

However, I do see strong warnings against a powerless gospel. Look at texts like 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 and 1 Corinthians 4:18-20. Paul was appalled at a gospel that came in word only but was void of the power of the Holy Spirit. He did not accept exceptional theological preaching that was void of power of the Holy Spirit. This “word only” approach undermined dynamic faith in the power of God!

If it continued long enough, people might start believing in a God who no longer does miracles. They might accept an intellectual Jesus based on human logic and reason but totally absent of the Holy Spirit and power. They might accept a different gospel.

So Jesus doubled down with the disciples of John the Baptist. He told them to go and report to John about a gospel that could be both “seen” and “heard.” He was making the point that good preaching and the power of the Holy Spirit should go hand-in-hand!  

The true gospel has the power to radically heal and change lives. It doesn’t merely add another layer of legalism and condemnation. Jesus came to set captives free and radically transform them into new people. That takes the power of the Holy Spirit!

Notice verse 23; Jesus sent the disciples back to the Baptist with the strong words; “And blessed is he who keeps from stumbling over me.” Beware of putting Jesus in a box. He created the universe, He doesn’t fit in man-made boxes. Never remove the power of the Holy Spirit from the preaching of the gospel! It results in a naturalistic gospel. It leaves people religious and legalistic, but morally shipwrecked. 

Greater than John the Baptist. Luke 7:24-28

“24) When the messengers of John had left, He began to speak to the crowds about John, “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 25) But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Those who are splendidly clothed and live in luxury are found in royal palaces! 26) But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and one who is more than a prophet. 27) This is the one about whom it is written, ‘Behold, I send My messenger ahead of You, Who will prepare Your way before You.’ 28) I say to you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”” 

John the Baptist was the last of the Old Testament prophets. In this text, Jesus said he was the greatest of them. He prepared the way for the Messiah. 

But a new age was coming. It would bring salvation through the work of the Messiah on the cross. Jesus said the least in the Kingdom of God would be greater than John the Baptist. (See vs 28) How could this be?

The answer is simple, every believer would be Baptized with the Holy Spirit. John himself spoke about it. (See John 1:19-34) 

Every believer would become a temple of the Holy Spirit. The age of the indwelling Holy Spirit was about to begin. John was the last of the old, but Jesus was about to pour out a new kind of relationship with God. Study Acts 1:1-8. The promise of the Father was coming! 

The Justice of God! Luke 7:29-30 

“29) When all the people and the tax collectors heard this, they acknowledged God’s justice, having been baptized with the baptism of John. 30) But the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected God’s purpose for themselves, not having been baptized by John.” 

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These verses contrast two very different groups of people. On the one hand were the tax collectors and the common people. They are often referred to as sinners

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On the other hand were the Pharisees and lawyers. They viewed themselves as the self-righteous. They were the religious guardians. 

The first group responded to the preaching of John the Baptist by repenting and getting baptized. They prepared to meet the Messiah. 

The second group saw no need for repentance, baptism, or the Messiah. They rejected the need for a Messiah. (At least as it pertained to their own spiritual health. –dj)

God honors free will. Our response to God makes a difference. There are consequences to our actions. “Blessed” those who choose to humble themselves and welcome Jesus. “Woe” to those who reject Him walk in their own stubborn ways.

Jesus pointed out that God’s plan for John the Baptist and the coming work of the Messiah fulfilled the justice of God. Justice embraces mercy and grace. It makes room for both Jesus and the gospel.

The Critics Obituary: Luke 7:31-35 

““31) To what then shall I compare the men of this generation, and what are they like? 32) They are like children who sit in the market place and call to one another, and they say, ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not weep.’ 33) For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon!’ 34) The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ 35) Yet wisdom is vindicated by all her children.””

Some people are never pleased. They criticize everything God does and put down every ministry.

Jesus said they are like people who refuse to dance at great Jewish festival music and they refuse to mourn at a sober dirge.

They condemned John for being too righteous and separated from people and Jesus for associating with lost and sinful people. They are chronic complainers and critics!

I have learned to focus relentlessly on my calling and relationship with Jesus while ignoring the constant noise of the critic. I don’t have time or energy to waste complainers who are doing nothing worthwhile for the kingdom themselves. 

I highly value input from mature and highly fruitful brothers and sisters in Christ who are walking in the Spirit and being used to move mountains for the glory of God. They are seldom critics or complainers. They give godly encouragement and counsel because they are co-laborers with Jesus. 

I also don’t have time to waste criticizing others. It’s not my job. I would rather build up than tear down, encourage rather than discourage, and build bridges rather than walls. I recognize God often works in mighty ways through others who have different callings and techniques than myself.

Frankly, I don’t have time or margins in my life to waste being a critic. In the end, I have to answer for my walk with Jesus and service of Him. That is a full-time job. 

Guard your own heart. Beware that you don’t waste your life as a critical spectator in the grandstands of life rather than being a gifted and fully mobilized member on God’s team! Don’t let your name show up in the Critics Obituary! 

The Trap: Luke 7:36-39

“36) Now one of the Pharisees was requesting Him to dine with him, and He entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 37) And there was a woman in the city who was a sinner; and when she learned that He was reclining at the table in the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster vial of perfume, 38) and standing behind Him at His feet, weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears, and kept wiping them with the hair of her head, and kissing His feet and anointing them with the perfume. 39) Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet He would know who and what sort of person this woman is who is touching Him, that she is a sinner.””

Herein is an interesting story. At first glance, it looks like a kind gesture by a Pharisee who genuinely wanted to get to know Jesus better. But let’s dig a bit deeper. 

The nagging question relates to the sinful woman. How and why did she gain admittance into the private house of a Pharisee?  She was obviously not a usual guest in his home. 

Like the woman caught in adultery, she was most likely being exploited and used to trap Jesus. The problem came when instead of trying to seduce Jesus, she began to weep over her lost condition and adorn Jesus with honor. 

The Pharisee used the occasion to judge the woman and condemn Jesus for His apparent lack of character. In the next section, Jesus seized the occasion to expose the deceit and wicked heart of the Pharisee. 

But sticking to these verses, we have a huge lesson to learn about religious abuse. Instead of treating people with honor, dignity, respect, and compassion, legalistic religion always builds up self by judging and putting others down. It is exploitative and abusive of needy and broken people. It lacks genuine compassion. By nature it is critical and condemning.

Use this story to examine your own heart. How do you treat sinful and broken people?  Why are you seeking Jesus? Are you trying to use Him for some selfish motive or gain?  Are you looking for fault in Him? Are you using Him to promote yourself or gain a positive reputation?  Are you attending church to prospect for future clients or sales?

The mask of a Pharisee is worn by many people. The religious game leaves many victims. So I return to my original question; “How and why was the woman admitted into the Pharisees private home?” Much about this story doesn’t smell right. Merely religious people often have a stench about them! 

Basis of Salvation: Luke 7:40-50

“40) And Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he replied, “Say it, Teacher.” “41) A moneylender had two debtors: one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42) When they were unable to repay, he graciously forgave them both. So which of them will love him more?” 43) Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.” And He said to him, “You have judged correctly.” 44) Turning toward the woman, He said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has wet My feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45) You gave Me no kiss; but she, since the time I came in, has not ceased to kiss My feet. 46) You did not anoint My head with oil, but she anointed My feet with perfume. 47) For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little.” 48) Then He said to her, “Your sins have been forgiven.” 49) Those who were reclining at the table with Him began to say to themselves, “Who is this man who even forgives sins?” 50) And He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”” 

What a contrast between Simon and the sinful woman! Simon wanted to judge the woman for her sinful past, Jesus looked at her present repentant heart. 

Jesus then made it clear that the one who has been forgiven much loves much in return. The one who has been forgiven little loves little in return. 

Simon was so busy earning his own salvation by his religious good deeds that he saw no need for grace or mercy from Jesus. He did not see himself as a debtor. He viewed Jesus as an equal. 

The woman saw herself as hopelessly lost. Jesus was her only hope for forgiveness and salvation. 

Jesus made two statements to the woman; “Your sins have been forgiven”; and, “Your faith has saved you.” So it is with everyone who comes to Jesus for grace and forgiveness. Personal faith in Jesus is the basis of both forgiveness and salvation. 

Unfortunately, He said nothing to Simon. He was neither forgiven nor saved. His self-righteousness failed him. Religion can make you feel good, but it is not the basis of salvation.

The Kingdom of God: Luke 8:1-3

“1) Soon afterwards, He began going around from one city and village to another, proclaiming and preaching the kingdom of God. The twelve were with Him, 2) and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and sicknesses: Mary who was called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, 3) and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others who were contributing to their support out of their private means.” 

Jesus was preaching the gospel of the kingdom. This message came with authority and power to heal the sick and set captives free from demonic bondage. (See Luke 4:18-21; 31-44) 

As Luke chapter 8 opens, He is relentlessly preaching the kingdom of God. Those following Him had been healed or set free by His authority. Mary Magdalene had been delivered from seven demonic spirits. 

His team had been deeply impacted by His message and miracles. Many contributed to His support from their private means. Ministry is always underwritten by the followers of Jesus Christ. 

The gospel of the kingdom was preached throughout His entire ministry. It was also His primary message between His resurrection and ascension. (Acts 1:3-8) Study these verses carefully.

In the above text, He promised that the Holy Spirit would be given to those who believed in Him. The baptism of the Holy Spirit as promised by John the Baptist would be accompanied by “power.” This miraculous power would equip them to be effective witnesses wherever they went. 

In the New Testament, it is impossible to separate the gospel of the kingdom from the accompanying power of God. It was not an empty carnal message of mere words. It was rooted in the Holy Spirit and the power of God. 

To amplify this point, I strongly encourage you to study scriptures like Mark 16:14-18; Acts 1:3-8; Acts 4:29-31, 1 Corinthians 2:4-5,  1 Corinthians 4:18-21, Galatians 3:2-5; Ephesians 3:14-21; Titus 3:4-7 and Hebrews 2:4. These verses all point to the powerful ministry of the Holy Spirit in and through those who believe. I could add many more verses. 

It took me years to see the power of the Holy Spirit as the signature of the gospel of the kingdom. This gospel transfers believers from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of His Beloved Son. (See Colossians 1:12-13)  It utterly transforms them. It endows them with power from on high.

Jesus both preached and modeled the gospel of the kingdom. His followers were the fruit of His gospel. As the text illustrates, His followers were healed and set free by His gospel. They had profound testimonies of personal transformation. 

Jesus did not come to start a new religion, He came to build His kingdom. He came to set captives free and provide a way for sinful and carnal people to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit. 

The Sower: Luke 8:4-8 

“4) When a large crowd was coming together, and those from the various cities were journeying to Him, He spoke by way of a parable: “5) The sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell beside the road, and it was trampled under foot and the birds of the air ate it up. 6) Other seed fell on rocky soil, and as soon as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. 7) Other seed fell among the thorns; and the thorns grew up with it and choked it out. 8) Other seed fell into the good soil, and grew up, and produced a crop a hundred times as great.” As He said these things, He would call out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”” 

At this point in His public ministry, great multitudes were seeking Jesus. They were coming from many cities and regions. As Jesus gazed upon them, they represented four kinds of soil. It was then that He told the parable of the sower.

He talked about the farmer who took his bags of seed and broadcast it into the field. He was called “the sower.”  

It appears that he was planting the same seed, but the yield was drastically different. The seed represented the gospel message, but the harvest was radically different because it fell on four different kinds of soil.

The first kind of soil was beside the hard-packed road. It had no soil to cover the seed so it laid on the surface. As soon as the seed hit the ground, the birds of the air gathered and ate up the seed. 

Other seed fell on rocky soil and spouted quickly. But as the sun beat down on the rocks, the ground was heated and all moisture was depleted. The small plants quickly withered away. 

Still other seed fell among the thorns. The little plants started well, but were soon choked out by the thorns and weeds. 

But other seed fell on good soil and grew up and produced an abundant crop a hundred times as great. Mark 4:8 says “thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.”  That’s an abundant harvest.

Before looking at the interpretation Jesus presented about the four kinds of soil, let’s make a few observations about the sower. 

First, he was very diligent. He kept sowing his seed knowing the birds, rocks, and thorns were going to consume some of his precious seed. It’s part of life. Some seed fails to produce a harvest. 

Second, he didn’t get distracted. He could have stopped sowing and spent his time chasing birds or picking rocks, but instead he kept sowing. There is plenty of time during the year to prepare the soil, but during planting season you need to focus on planting. Don’t miss planting season! 

Finally, he understood the law of  sowing and reaping. Paul talked about it in Galatians 6:7-8. The law has two parts. First you reap “what” you sow. Your seed determines the kind of fruit you harvest. Paul said you can sow flesh seed or Spirit seed. They produce radically different crops. 

Second, you reap “as” you sow. If you sow sparingly you will reap sparingly. If you sow abundantly you will reap abundantly. (See 2 Corinthians 9:6)  

The sower in the story was very smart, he used the best seed and sowed very abundantly. He kept sowing right through the whole planting season. 

What kind of sower are you?  Are you diligent or distracted?  Are you sowing quality Spirit seed or worthless flesh seed? Are you sowing abundantly or sparingly? The harvest is coming. It will expose you!

The Seed: Luke 8:9-11

“9) His disciples began questioning Him as to what this parable meant. 10) And He said, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is in parables, so that seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.”11) Now the parable is this: the seed is the word of God.”  

In the Parable of the Sower, the seed represents the word of God. It reveals the mysteries of the kingdom of God. Though many can see and hear its message, not everyone understands. 

So is the Word of God. Notice, Jesus did not say “the gospel.” He left the seed open to include the entire counsel of God’s word. There are thousands of subjects and themes covered in the word of God. Each are important and carry manifold promises. (See 2 Peter 1:4) Embrace them all! 

Whenever God’s word is preached, it can fall on four kinds of soil. As we shall see in the next section, it has three kinds of opposition preventing it from reaching maturity. 

It is the job of the Holy Spirit to teach (1 John 2:27) and reveal the deep truth of God’s word to believers  (Ephesians 1:17). Welcome His ministry in your life. 

I have heard numerous non Christians say; “I have tried reading the Bible, but I cannot understand it!” I sometimes respond; “That’s  the problem with reading some else’s mail. It was written to believers.” The veil is removed when someone turns to the Lord in salvation. (See 2 Corinthians 3:14-16) 

But there is also the problem of disobedience. Many believers read or hear God’s word but choose to ignore it. They are like the foolish man who built his house on the sand. (Matthew 7:24-37) God’s word must be believed and applied to become fruitful in our lives. 

So, “the seed is the word of God.” Plant much in your life and cultivate and care for it diligently. Its potential yield is beyond imagination. 

The Soil: Luke 8:11-15

““11) Now the parable is this: the seed is the word of God. 12) Those beside the road are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, so that they will not believe and be saved. 13) Those on the rocky soil are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no firm root; they believe for a while, and in time of temptation fall away. 14) The seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with worries and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to maturity. 15) But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance.” 

In the last two sections, we looked at the sower and the seed. In this section we are going to look at the soil. When you pull these three sections together you have a nice three-point message for a sermon or a teaching. 

Jesus pointed out that the seed of the word of God falls on four kinds of soil. The first soil is like hard-packed clay by the roadside. As it falls, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word from their heart. Make no mistake, he is the first enemy against the word of God taking root in your life. As in 2 Corinthians 4:3-4, the god of this world runs interference with the gospel to prevent people from being saved. 

The second soil is filled with rocks. When people hear the word, they receive it quickly, but it is only temporary. When temptation or ridicule comes from other people, they quickly turn away. According to Mark 4:17, the  second enemy relates to other people. 

The third soil is full of thorns and weeds. These choke out the Word and prevent it from growing. These weeds are the worries and riches and pleasures of this life. By far the biggest enemy for the word of God bearing fruit is self!  Distraction in life or the desire to please others can quickly choke the word. 

The final soil is the good soil. Through an honest and good heart, the hearer holds fast to the word of God. Over time and with perseverance, the word produces a bumper crop. Mark 4:20 records yields of thirty, sixty, and a hundred fold. That’s huge! 

Jesus did not say 30%, 60% or 100%. He said “a hundredfold.”  That is a multiple of 30, 60 or 100. Modern farming techniques can produce much higher yields. Planting God’s word in your life can produce a harvest that far surpasses anything the world has to offer! 

This parable can be applied to both the gospel for non-Christians and any theme of the word of God in the life of a believer. Whenever God’s word is heard, it must persevere through three enemies before it can produce an abundant yield. 

So how does this apply to you and me?  God’s word is full of promises, but they only bear fruit for those who claim and apply them. (2 Peter 1:2-11) Like farming, it takes work and diligence. Is it worth it?  Payday comes with the harvest! 

Let Your Light Shine:  Luke 8:16-18 

““16) Now no one after lighting a lamp covers it over with a container, or puts it under a bed; but he puts it on a lampstand, so that those who come in may see the light. 17) For nothing is hidden that will not become evident, nor anything secret that will not be known and come to light. 18) So take care how you listen; for whoever has, to him more shall be given; and whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has shall be taken away from him.””

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Light is powerful. It is not intended to be obscured or hidden. When you start walking in the truth of the gospel and the presence of God, let it shine brightly. Don’t try to hide or dim your testimony. Don’t be ashamed of Jesus. 

Be aware that light has a way of exposing things. There is nothing hidden or secret that truth and light will not expose. The closer you walk with God the more sin and wickedness will be exposed. God wants us to forsake all sin and darkness in our lives. 

Take a moment and read Ephesians 5:6-14. Christians are to walk as children of light. When we cower from truth and righteousness, darkness can overtake the land. When we hide the light, darkness prevails. When we boldly live and proclaim the gospel, revival and awakening come over the land. 

Herein is the contrast between the godly and wicked kings of Judah and Israel in the Old Testament. When God was embraced and obeyed, truth and righteousness spread through the land. Prosperity and blessings were poured out like light.

When God and righteousness were suppressed, the land became dark and oppressive. Wickedness came in like a flood. Judgement followed. 

The church has a role to be salt and light in the world. We are light and truth bearers. When the church goes silent, darkness spreads over the land. 

The present corrupt and immoral condition of western culture is the result of the church aborting its calling in the world. The world has put a muzzle on Christians. Where is it written in the Bible that faith is a private matter? Jesus and the early Christians were very public.

Be careful how you listen and walk with God. As a Christian, step into your calling as the light of the world. Live boldly in truth, love and the power of God. Proclaim the gospel and take the muzzle off your mouth. 

We are not called to be harsh or abrasive. We are called to be like Jesus in this present world. Stop hiding your light!  Stop being ashamed of Jesus and the gospel! 

Reaching Your Family: Luke 8:19-21

“19) And His mother and brothers came to Him, and they were unable to get to Him because of the crowd. 20) And it was reported to Him, “Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, wishing to see You.” 21) But He answered and said to them, “My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it.”” 

At first glance, it appears that Jesus was being rude to His natural family. But that is not the case. At this point according to the other gospels, His family was opposing Him rather than embracing Him and His ministry. (John 7:3-5) They were siding with His critics that He had gone too far. 

Jesus was merely sending the message that His walk with God and His calling was His top priority. He was devoted to the family of God. 

Many followers of Jesus are opposed and even ostracized by their natural families because of the gospel. Some face persecution or even martyrdom. 

The family of God needs to fill the void. Those who hear the word of God and do it need to walk together. They have a unique bond in the Spirit. They can become closer than natural families. 

But it must be stressed that Jesus did not burn bridges with His natural family. His mother followed Him right to the cross. His stepbrothers James and Jude emerged as leaders in the early church. 

This underlines an important point: Family members must respond to the gospel for themselves and be born-again. Not even His own family could skip this step. They each in turn eventually embraced Jesus as the Messiah. 

This is actually an amazing testament of the dignity, genuineness, and consistency of Jesus Christ. Family members are often our greatest critics, but even they were won over to the true identity of Jesus Christ. This may have been His most difficult sell. This point alone causes me to marvel! 

Understanding the Dominion Of Jesus Christ: Luke 8:22-25

“22) Now on one of those days Jesus and His disciples got into a boat, and He said to them, “Let us go over to the other side of the lake.” So they launched out. 23) But as they were sailing along He fell asleep; and a fierce gale of wind descended on the lake, and they began to be swamped and to be in danger. 24) They came to Jesus and woke Him up, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” And He got up and rebuked the wind and the surging waves, and they stopped, and it became calm. 25) And He said to them, “Where is your faith?” They were fearful and amazed, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him?”” 

This story is held in common by Mathew, Mark, and Luke. It is the story of Jesus falling asleep in the boat as they were crossing the Sea of Galilee.

The disciples were confident that they were in control. Four of them were seasoned fishermen. They were most likely in one of their own boats. They were within their natural dominion. They were master seamen. 

But suddenly, they were caught in a fierce storm. The boat was in danger of being swamped. They recognized that they were caught in a life-threatening situation. Fear gripped them. But Jesus was peacefully sleeping through the storm. 

What a contrast. Peace and panic are on opposite sides of the emotional spectrum. So are faith and fear. 

As a last resort, they woke up Jesus and said; “Master, Master, we are perishing!” Do not minimize this story. They were facing an imminent disaster. Jesus used it to teach them a huge lesson about His dominion.

They got it right, He was “The Master!” But the looming question was, “How far does His  Mastership extend?”  They knew he had authority over sickness, disease, demons, and even death; but what about the forces of nature?  This story was about to stretch their understanding of Jesus Christ.

Think about it. We throw the word master around loosely. We have master plumbers, master electricians, martial arts masters, and even servants who refer to the head of the house as master. But in each case their dominion is very limited.

We might assume when they said, “Master, Master” they were hoping He was the Master of all Masters. They were hoping his dominion  extended to the winds and the sea. Indeed, if He could handle their present crisis,  it would put Him in a very unique category. 

Watch what happened next. Jesus rebuked the wind and the surging waves and it became calm. Does that sound odd? He did not pray, rather He issued a command. He had authority to command the winds and the sea, because He had dominion over them! 

He then questioned the disciples, “Where is your faith?” We might ask, “What is faith?”  From the story of the centurion in Luke 7:1-10, we are forced to conclude that faith involves understanding authority and how it works. 

From this story of Jesus calming the sea, we now have to expand our definition to include understanding the full dominion of Jesus Christ. How far does your understanding of the authority and dominion of Jesus Christ extend?

Notice the conversation among the disciples after Jesus calmed the raging sea; “Who then is this, that He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him?” (Vs 25) They were forced to connect the identity of Jesus with His authority and dominion. 

But something else was happening in this story. When Jesus asked them, “Where is your faith”, He was prodding them. He had given them His authority, it appears that He was wondering why they did not use it in this situation? 

The simple answer is that they didn’t understand that His delegated authority extended to their present situation. They had limited understanding of the extent of His dominion. 

I confess, this story stretches me. I can no longer ignore the growing revelation of the authority and dominion of Jesus Christ as it builds in story after story through the gospels. I now see it as very intentional progressive revelation about Jesus Christ. 

Jesus wants us to understand His identity, authority, and dominion and live in it as sons of the kingdom. When the Promise of the Holy Spirit was poured out at Pentecost, He added “power” to the mix. 

The distinction of the early church is that they embraced these truths and walked in His dominion. They stepped into their identity “in Christ” and lived in His authority and power.

That’s why the book of Acts and the balance of the New Testament became an extension of the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. His signs and wonders continued through His church. He was building His kingdom. 

He is still building His Church and His Kingdom. He wants us to know and embrace His identity, dominion, authority and power just as the early believers did. We are living in the same biblical epoch or age as they. Nothing has changed! 

 (The Sea of Galilee is eight miles wide, thirteen miles long, and 150 feet deep. It sits in a rift valley, meaning the earth has split apart and created the mountainous valley and the lake inside it. Storms come up suddenly and, because of the size of the lake and the mountains around it, they can be severe.
In 1986, there was a drought in Israel and some local fisherman discovered a sunken boat in the northwest corner of the lake. It turned out to be from approximately the same time as Jesus. Great care was used to remove it from the lake, preserve it, and move it to a museum in Ginosar, on the western side of the lake.

While no one claims this is the same boat mentioned in the Bible, it does tell us a lot about what the boat in this passage would have been like. The “Ancient Galilee Boat,” as it is called, is 27 feet long, 7 ½ feet wide, and about four feet deep. This is not a small boat. 

While it is built primarily from cedar, experts found many types of wood were used to repair it while it was in use –probably over the course of about 100 years. It was probably passed down from generation to generation. 

What that means for us as we read this passage is that the four disciples who were fishermen almost certainly came from many generations of fishermen of that same lake. When verse 23 says the boat was being “swamped” that means the water inside the boat was approaching four feet deep. When the disciples cried out that they were all going to die, those cries were not the hysterics of scared little girls. These were seasoned, experienced, fishermen of this very lake. They were absolutely qualified to assess the situation as life-threatening. So, when Jesus rebuked the wind and waves and everything went flat and calm – and they weren’t going to die like they were certain was inevitable just seconds before – it’s absolutely understandable that the disciples were astounded and amazed.) – dj

Legion Was No Match For Jesus Christ: Luke 8:26-39 

“26) Then they sailed to the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. 27) And when He came out onto the land, He was met by a man from the city who was possessed with demons; and who had not put on any clothing for a long time, and was not living in a house, but in the tombs. 28) Seeing Jesus, he cried out and fell before Him, and said in a loud voice, “What business do we have with each other, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me.” 29) For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For it had seized him many times; and he was bound with chains and shackles and kept under guard, and yet he would break his bonds and be driven by the demon into the desert. 30) And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Legion”; for many demons had entered him. 31) They were imploring Him not to command them to go away into the abyss. 32) Now there was a herd of many swine feeding there on the mountain; and the demons implored Him to permit them to enter the swine. And He gave them permission. 33) And the demons came out of the man and entered the swine; and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned. 34) When the herdsmen saw what had happened, they ran away and reported it in the city and out in the country. 35) The people went out to see what had happened; and they came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting down at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind; and they became frightened. 36) Those who had seen it reported to them how the man who was demon-possessed had been made well. 37) And all the people of the country of the Gerasenes and the surrounding district asked Him to leave them, for they were gripped with great fear; and He got into a boat and returned. 38) But the man from whom the demons had gone out was begging Him that he might accompany Him; but He sent him away, saying, 39) “Return to your house and describe what great things God has done for you.” So he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.” 

This is the classic story of the encounter between Jesus and the man possessed by a legion of demons. It is also recorded by Matthew and Mark. Because of the length of commentary I gave on this story in those two books, I am going to restrict myself to only a few comments here in Luke.

First, demons exist and spiritual warfare is a reality. It is woven into the fabric of the entire Bible. If you doubt this point you deny the testimony of the Bible and call God a liar. 

You have a serious problem of not having a biblical world view and you are denying the authority of Scripture. With that reckless view of Scripture, I sincerely doubt your salvation. You either believe it all or you are not a believer at all! 

Second, Jesus cast out many demons and set hundreds of people free from demonic torment and bondage. He never encountered a demonic entity He did not have absolute authority over, even prior to His death, burial, and resurrection. Why? Because of His identity. Jesus Christ is God! 

Third, the man was totally set free and restored to normality. Jesus Christ is in the business of defeating bondage and darkness and setting people free. He gave His disciples authority to do the same in His name. He does the same today. 

Finally, the man went and told his story broadly throughout Decapolis. When Jesus returned to this region several months later people flocked to Him. Hundreds were healed and set free. This is where Jesus fed the four thousand. The testimony of one formerly demon-possessed man prepared the whole region for Jesus and the gospel. This illustrates the power of a testimony that Jesus Christ and the gospel saves and sets free! 

Jairus and the Crowd: Luke 8:40-42 

“40) And as Jesus returned, the people welcomed Him, for they had all been waiting for Him. 41) And there came a man named Jairus, and he was an official of the synagogue; and he fell at Jesus’ feet, and began to implore Him to come to his house; 42) for he had an only daughter, about twelve years old, and she was dying. But as He went, the crowds were pressing against Him.” 

Jesus was developing a reputation very unlike the religious leaders of His day. He preached the Gospel of the Kingdom. He had genuine compassion for people. He cast out evil spirits. He healed the sick and performed many amazing miracles. 

Yet He had many critics, especially from the Pharisees, Sadducee’s, priests, and religious leaders. But when they faced a huge personal crisis, even they quickly turned to Jesus. 

Such was the case of Jairus, the official of the synagogue. His only daughter was dying. She was twelve years old. He came and fell at the feet of Jesus and began to entreat Him to come to his house and heal his daughter. 

This was no time for religious bias, jealousy, or prejudice. He was desperate and only Jesus offered any hope for help. Notice, he did not run to his own religious leaders. They were inept and powerless.

There is nothing like a crisis to force people to filter through religious and philosophical barriers and consider Jesus. Don’t wait for a crisis to seek Jesus!

Time was of the essence, but there was one problem – everyone else was flocking to Jesus as well. During His time on earth, Jesus was restricted to time and space. There wasn’t enough of Him to go around!  Jesus had to duplicate Himself. 

Stick with me, you are about to discover two amazing promises. First, in John 14:11-15, Jesus promised that those who truly believed in Him would do greater works than He performed. He gave/gives His authority to His followers to do in His name everything He did. He did indeed duplicate Himself. 

Second, in the same text a few verses later, Jesus promised to send the Helper. (John 14:16-18) He would come with power and He would be omnipresent. He would be everywhere at the same time.

We are now living in the age of the Holy Spirit indwelling every true believer. The fullness of Jesus is in every born-again and Spirit-filled believer. Nothing is lacking for those who understand and embrace the full scope of their new identity and position “in Christ.”

Ignorance and unbelief are barriers blocking most believers from appropriating the authority, power, dominion, and presence of God in their life and ministry. These are like the crowd that hindered Jesus from getting to the daughter of Jairus.

The last paragraph is pregnant with meaning. Review it many times until your spiritual understanding embraces the full scope of your identity, filling, and position “in Christ.” 

The Healing Touch: Luke 8:43-48

“43) And a woman who had a hemorrhage for twelve years, and could not be healed by anyone, 44) came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His cloak, and immediately her hemorrhage stopped. 45) And Jesus said, “Who is the one who touched Me?” And while they were all denying it, Peter said, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing in on You.” 46) But Jesus said, “Someone did touch Me, for I was aware that power had gone out of Me.” 47) When the woman saw that she had not escaped notice, she came trembling and fell down before Him, and declared in the presence of all the people the reason why she had touched Him, and how she had been immediately healed. 48) And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.” 

Everyone had their own reason for seeking Jesus. This woman had been suffering for a long time. According to Mark 5:26, she “ had endured much at the hands of many physicians, and had spent all that she had and was not helped at all, but rather had grown worse.” This description sounds like many people today. 

She came up behind Jesus in the crowd and touched Him secretly. Her “faith point” was that touching Jesus was that was all it would take to be cured. Sure enough, she was healed. She literally pulled power from Jesus. 

Jesus immediately recognized someone had touched Him. According to verse 46, He felt that power had gone out from Him. He wasn’t upset, but He did want her to testify. 

Sure enough, she fell at His feet and told her story. “And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.” 

What an amazing story. In this case, it was her faith reaching out and touching Jesus that had made her well. Sometimes you need to get desperate enough to reach out and touch Jesus. You need to define a “faith point.”

She had no doubt about her plan. It cost nothing and touching Jesus was her last hope. It worked!  Notice, Jesus did not “will” her healing, it was based on her faith. This text intrigues me. 

Life Resumes For The Little Girl. Luke 8:49-56

“49) While He was still speaking, someone came from the house of the synagogue official, saying, “Your daughter has died; do not trouble the Teacher anymore.” 50) But when Jesus heard this, He answered him, “Do not be afraid any longer; only believe, and she will be made well.” 51) When He came to the house, He did not allow anyone to enter with Him, except Peter and John and James, and the girl’s father and mother. 52) Now they were all weeping and lamenting for her; but He said, “Stop weeping, for she has not died, but is asleep.” 53) And they began laughing at Him, knowing that she had died. 54) He, however, took her by the hand and called, saying, “Child, arise!” 55) And her spirit returned, and she got up immediately; and He gave orders for something to be given her to eat. 56) Her parents were amazed; but He instructed them to tell no one what had happened.” 

This was an emotional rollercoaster for the family. It appeared that the father got to Jesus just in time. When He was delayed because of the crowd, the reality set in that He was too late. 

Yet Jesus said to the father, “Do not be afraid any longer; only believe, and she will be made well.” Circumstances were saying one thing, Jesus was saying another. 

So what do you believe, faith or sight? Sometimes the two do not line up. In fact, sometimes faith sounds crazy! 

When Jesus and the father arrived, the mourners had already assembled, the girl’s spirit had already left her body. But the Resurrection and the Life had other plans. He gave the command, “child arise”, and life returned to her body!

Jesus has power over life and death. Why?  He is the Creator of life. (John 1:4) He is the mystery solution to the question, “Where did life come from?”  He created mature living organisms with multiple systems ready to support and sustain life. Then he made them live! 

He formed Adam’s body from the dust of the ground totally complete with every system needed to sustain life, then He breathed life into Him, and the first man began to live! Life comes from Jesus Christ!

Think about it – the girl’s body was lying in front of Jesus, totally complete and ready to support life, but her spirit had departed. She was just like the body of Adam the moment before Jesus breathed into his nostrils the breath of life.

In the present story, the hard work was already done. Her physical body was complete. The only thing missing was her spirit. 

At death, a separation takes place between the body and the spirit. In fact, in theology, the word “death” literally means separation. Jesus has authority over the human spirit. 

So what is a resurrection?  It is Jesus commanding a human spirit to return to the body and begin functioning again. 

To celebrate the reunion, Jesus said “give the girl something to eat.”  The food jump started the stomach and digestive system. At the taste of that food, her brain said, “all systems are present and functioning!” Life had resumed according to God’s original design.

When viewed in this fashion, raising the dead back to life is merely the human spirit obeying the authority of Jesus Christ!

With this understanding, Matthew 10:8 no longer sounds crazy or impossible. Jesus gave His authority to His disciples and then commanded them to; “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give.”

Am I there yet?  My faith and understanding are moving quickly in that direction because of my growing realization of Who Jesus is! It’s not about me; it’s all about Him.

Let me make a statement: I’m not a cultural Pentecostal, I’m merely a convinced believer in the identity and authority of Jesus Christ. I certainly believe in and accept the power of the Holy Spirit, but the command of Matthew 10:8 was given before Pentecost. Its fulfillment rests solely on your view of Jesus Christ. 

So let me ask the obvious question; “how can a believer raise the dead?  The biblical approach would be to command the departed human spirit to return to the body in the Name and authority of Jesus Christ!   And then stand in that authority! 

Jesus Gives His Authority to the Twelve: Luke 9:1-6

“1) And He called the twelve together, and gave them power and authority over all the demons and to heal diseases. 2) And He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to perform healing. 3) And He said to them, “Take nothing for your journey, neither a staff, nor a bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not even have two tunics apiece. 4) Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that city. 5) And as for those who do not receive you, as you go out from that city, shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” 6) Departing, they began going throughout the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.”

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This is the same event recorded in Mark 6:7-13 and Matthew 10:1-15. Jesus gave the twelve authority and power over demons and diseases. According to Matthew 10:8, it also included raising the dead. He also instructed them not to take anything with them, but to trust God to provide. 

Let’s unpack this a bit deeper. Jesus told them to believe and preach the gospel of the Kingdom. 

That can be summarized as proclaiming and believing in Jesus Christ as Savior, Healer, 

Deliverer, Provider and the Resurrection and the Life. It is basically proclaiming Him as the living and powerful God of Creation. 

The big debate is if this authority and power extended to others beyond the twelve?  In Luke 10:1-20, Jesus gave this same authority to the seventy. In Matthew 28:18-20, He gave His authority to all believers. (See also Mark 16:14-18 and Acts 1:3-8) 

There is one qualifier in every text related to these amazing signs and wonders: They accompanied the spread of the gospel. Acts 4:29-31 and Hebrews 2:2-4 also backs up this understanding. They are God’s way of confirming the gospel and building faith. Jesus gave them His authority then sent them out on mission trips. 

This concept has been lost by the modern church. Instead of being viewed as powerful tools for evangelism, the church has become introverted and tries to hoard this authority and power for self-consumption. I see that as problematic. 

I would encourage you to step out in your faith and authority and start sharing the gospel. As you go, minister to the sick and oppressed in Jesus name. You will be surprised what God starts doing.

Personal Growth in Understanding the Gospel of the Kingdom. Luke 9:1-11

““1) And He called the twelve together, and gave them power and authority over all the demons and to heal diseases.” 2) And He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to perform healing. 

6) Departing, they began going throughout the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere. 

10) When the apostles returned, they gave an account to Him of all that they had done. Taking them with Him, He withdrew by Himself to a city called Bethsaida. 11) But the crowds were aware of this and followed Him; and welcoming them, He began speaking to them about the kingdom of God and curing those who had need of healing.” 

Sometimes it is important to highlight several verses in a context to let a theme emerge. There seems to be a direct connection between proclaiming the kingdom of the kingdom and effective healing and deliverance ministry. This is true for the four Gospels and the book of Acts. 

If you throw 1 Corinthians 2:4-5, 4:18-20, Galatians 3:2-5, Ephesians 3:20-21, Hebrews 2:3-4, 2 Peter 2:24 and James 5:12-18 into the discussion, it seems that signs and wonders accompanied the preaching of the gospel throughout the entire early church  era. God constantly confirmed the message of the gospel with signs that followed.

As a short testimony, I was an evangelist from an evangelical background, but the power of the Holy Spirit and miraculous signs were not part of my training. I was taught they had ceased.

But for the past 50 years, I have been active in Freedom and Deliverance ministry. We have seen hundreds of people set free from bondage and demonic activity. This is anchored in the Name, blood and cross of Christ. It was based on authority. 

Over time as I saturated myself daily with Scripture, I began seeing that the Gospel of the Kingdom included both deliverance and healing ministry. It soon exposed a huge weakness in my approach to the gospel and created an inner crisis of faith. 

One thing that undergirded my rejection of biblical healing was the number of fake faith healers that preyed on innocent, ignorant and gullible people. They were becoming rich off people’s pain, suffering, and sickness. They were frequently exposed as planting fake healings at their meetings. They were marketing and profiting from false healings. It amounted to spiritual abuse and fraud. I would have no part of it! 

But over time, the false could no longer obscure stories of true and genuine healings. They pointed to the conclusion that the Gospel of the Kingdom had not changed. God was still in the business of confirming His word with signs that followed. 

My big enlightenment came from studying the names, attributes, and titles of Jesus Christ. He is not only the Savior, He is also our Provider, Deliverer, Healer, Protector, Guide, and Shepherd. These titles and  roles have not changed. They are synonymous with His claim to Deity. 

I always had a dynamic view of the Holy Spirit and belief that the Bible was written against the backdrop of Supernaturalism. I rejected the philosophy of naturalism as a theological lens. I refused to deny the many accounts of miracles in the Bible. 

Over the past few decades, I stopped looking at others and just saturated myself with the Bible and started obeying everything it said. As we slowly started praying over the sick and injured, we started seeing results. We were still seeing more results with deliverance ministry than healing, but the gap was closing. 

Then I started studying healing from the Bible. I was constantly challenged and my negative bias was exposed. My faith was growing  and I started obeying the command of Jesus to pray for the sick. When there were no results, I chalked it up to my lack of understanding and bias of unbelief. 

I am now at the point of being as comfortable praying for healing as I am for deliverance and salvation. My job is to obey, God’s job is to move the mountain. I cannot save, set free, or heal anyone. My only job is to obey!  I embrace the full counsel of God as revealed in the Bible. 

Jesus Captures the Headlines: Luke 9:7-9 

“7) Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was happening; and he was greatly perplexed, because it was said by some that John had risen from the dead, 8) and by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the prophets of old had risen again. 9) Herod said, “I myself had John beheaded; but who is this man about whom I hear such things?” And he kept trying to see Him.” 

The report about Jesus was spreading far and wide. It included not only His message but also His miracles. In this respect His ministry eclipsed that of John the Baptist. It is not recorded that John performed any miracles. John’s ministry was to prepare the way for the Messiah.

John was the last of the Old Testament prophets. Jesus was about to launch the New Covenant. His work on the cross was about to atone for the sins of all mankind. John proclaimed that the ministry of Jesus would include both salvation from sin and the baptism ministry of the Holy Spirit. (See John 1:19-36) 

The report about Jesus was spreading to the point that even Herod the tetrarch heard about Him. He was seeking an opportunity to see Him. Everyone had a theory about Jesus. According to Matthew 14:1-2, Herod held the view that John the Baptist had risen from the dead and that explained His miraculous powers. 

So what is our takeaway from this text?  Jesus had become the leading news story. Everyone was talking about Him. His ministry was open for all to see and hear. Even secular historians of the day were moved by His story. He totally captured the headlines! 

The Kingdom of God: Luke 9:10-11

“10) When the apostles returned, they gave an account to Him of all that they had done. Taking them with Him, He withdrew by Himself to a city called Bethsaida. 11) But the crowds were aware of this and followed Him; and welcoming them, He began speaking to them about the kingdom of God and curing those who had need of healing.”

Ministry can be both exciting and exhausting. When the Apostles returned from their various mission trips, they were bubbling with enthusiasm,  Jesus pulled them aside to listen, debrief, teach, instruct, and spend some time resting. 

The maximum benefit from a good short-term mission trip comes afterward from a time of intensional processing. It is important! Withdrawing to Bethsaida was intended for a time of rest and recuperation. 

But there was one problem – as soon as the crowds saw them, they began flocking to their retreat area. By this point, there was no escaping notice. How big was the crowd?  The next context records that this is where and when Jesus fed the five thousand. 

True to form, Jesus welcomed them. He loved people and wanted to minister to their needs. His prime focus was speaking to them about “the kingdom of God” and afterward He cured those who needed healing.

What catches my attention is His focus on “the kingdom of God!” It is sometimes called “the gospel of the Kingdom.” It was His focus even after His resurrection. (See Acts 1:3-5) 

So what’s involved in kingdom living? Let me try to give a short synopsis:

Being born-again transfers the new believers from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light. (See Colossians 1:12-14) A truly converted person is baptized, sealed, filled and empowered by the Holy Spirit. (See Acts 1:5-8, Ephesians 1:13-14, Ephesians 5:18) The ministry of the Holy Spirit is a central theme in the kingdom of God. 

The Holy Spirit begins an immediate and thorough transformation and sanctifying process in the life of those truly born-again. (Titus 3:4-7) The change is so significant that new believers are called “children of light.” (Ephesians 5:6-10)

They live by the Word, embrace all the blessings of being in heavenly places “in Christ”, crucify the flesh, walk in the Spirit, walk in divine power, are rooted in love, and become God’s salt and light in the world. 

Tragically, these concepts are a mystery to many Christians. Christianity has been watered down and reduced to mere religion rather than new life “in Christ.”  

I encourage you to start studying your Bible earnestly. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you. Study the kingdom of God, the ministry of the Holy Spirit and all of the New Testament Epistles. Continually read through the four Gospels and the book of Acts. 

Our daily Bible reading includes a chapter a day from the gospels. We also read four chapters a day from the Epistles. This is foundational. 

Then step out and start doing ministry!  Do what Jesus commanded His disciples to do! Your faith will grow and God will begin opening amazing doors. Be obedient to the Word and follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. 

Expect God to do more “in” you than “through” you. He is committed to your growth and transformation. Be ready and willing to learn, grow and change. Remember, you are being called into deep fellowship with God. Spending daily time with Him will change you. 

Liberalism tries to change God. Being born-again means God radically changes you through His Word and His Spirit. Embrace the personal transformation and enjoy the journey. 

Feeding the Five Thousand: Luke 9:12-17

“12) Now the day was ending, and the twelve came and said to Him, “Send the crowd away, that they may go into the surrounding villages and countryside and find lodging and get something to eat; for here we are in a desolate place.” 13) But He said to them, “You give them something to eat!” And they said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless perhaps we go and buy food for all these people.” 14) (For there were about five thousand men.) And He said to His disciples, “Have them sit down to eat in groups of about fifty each.” 15) They did so, and had them all sit down. 16) Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed them, and broke them, and kept giving them to the disciples to set before the people. 17) And they all ate and were satisfied; and the broken pieces which they had left over were picked up, twelve baskets full.”

This story presents Jesus as the Provider. The multitudes who came to Him in a remote place did not bring provisions for a long stay. By evening, many were getting hungry. 

The disciples were concerned about logistics. They came and wanted Jesus to dismiss the crowd so they could disperse in search of food. Being a desolate place, even that would be a challenge. Many would have to walk hours before finding food to buy. Even then, the supply would be short. 

Jesus had a better idea. He looked at the disciples and said, “You give them something to eat.”  That brought a bewildered look. 

Had they understood the full significance of the situation, they should have connected their present situation to God feeding His millions of people under Moses for forty years in the wilderness. After all, if Jesus was indeed the God of Moses, their present situation was small by comparison. 

They should have also recognized that when Jesus gave them His authority and dominion, this situation was within their realm of possibilities. That’s why Jesus said, “You give them something to eat.” 

But this was new turf for them. They were stretched. They had already taken inventory and only had five loaves and two fish. The supply was much shorter than the need.

In the natural realm this did not add up. But faith goes beyond naturalism to Supernaturalism. They left one factor out of their equation: Five loaves + two fish + Jesus = twelve baskets more than what was needed to feed five thousand hungry people.

When God is left out of the equation, it never works. That also applies to the origin of the universe and the mystery of life. 

But most people doubt that such a miracle can happen today. But it did for one of our GoServ Global pastors in India. Let me quickly share the story. 

Pastor Sunny had one Hindu woman come to Jesus in a remote village. He had been teaching many stories about Jesus to her and her family. Her sons were not believers, but listened to the stories about Jesus. 

Shortly, the woman died of cancer and her sons went to Pastor Sunny to do the funeral. As is the custom in India, the family prepared to feed rice to the fifty or so who they thought might attend the funeral. 

Because she was the only Christian in the Hindu village, Sunny thought it was a trap so he decided to skip the funeral. He was certain the village was going to kill him.

The next day, her sons sent and asked Sunny why he skipped the big miracle?  They said because it was going to be the only Christian funeral ever in the village, over 800 people showed up for the event. 

The family was overwhelmed at the multitude because they only had enough rice for fifty people. The situation allowed one of the sons to share the Bible story he heard from

Pastor Sunny about Jesus feeding the five thousand.

He said, “Now we have a chance to see if Jesus is who the Bible claims He is.”  They had the crowd sit down and prayed over the scant supply of rice. They handed it out and everyone ate and they had leftovers. The end result was that the entire village turned to Jesus.

The next day they invited Pastor Sunny back to preach the gospel and teach them more about Jesus from the Bible. Pastor Sunny missed the miracle of Jesus multiplying the rice, but enjoyed the fruit of Jesus converting an entire village to the gospel. 

In retrospect, Sunny says his faith may have been too small to pray over the meal. The story even stretched him. He calls it his story of shame. 

So why do I include this story?  First, I personally know Pastor Sunny. I can validate the story. 

Second, this story underlines the truth that Jesus is still Jesus. He still works in miraculous ways to confirm the gospel message. Finally, it punctuates the fact that the problem is not with Jesus, it is within us. 

Our faith is small and we constantly put God in our little boxes of naturalism. The disciples in the story did the same thing. To build their faith, Jesus gave each one of them a full basket of leftovers. I am confident they quickly started sharing with others. Giving and not hoarding is God’s formula to abundance! 

Praying Alone In The Presence of Others: Luke 9:18

“18) And it happened that while He was praying alone, the disciples were with Him, and He questioned them, saying, “Who do the people say that I am?”” 

For this section, I want to deal with the first two phrases in this verse; “…while He was praying alone, the disciples were with Him.”  

Let’s be honest, this verse seems to have a contradiction. How could Jesus be praying alone and yet have His disciples with Him? The answer exposes a spiritual secret often seen in mature men and women of God. 

Jesus could physically have the disciples with Him while at the same time in His spirit be alone with God. Let me say it another way: Outward circumstance need not unplug inward communion with God!  We can function in the physical realm and the spiritual realm at the same time.

I could argue that Jesus constantly maintained this dual connection between the physical realm and the spiritual realm simultaneously. He did not slip in and out of walking in the Spirit. 

I suspect the continual flow of spiritual power in the life of Jesus was directly associated with His uninterrupted fellowship with His Father. He didn’t unplug from God so He could plug into people. He maintained them both! 

According to 1 John 1:3-7, we are called into this same constant communion or fellowship with God. We are called to walk with God in the spirit and minister to people at the same time. 

I have no other explanation for Luke 9:18. Jesus was able to be alone with God in prayer and have His disciples with Him at the same time. 

This verse introduces us to a spiritual dynamic seldom considered. We can be 100% present in the physical realm and 100% present in the spiritual realm at the same time. 

Nehemiah 2:4-5 captures this concept. Nehemiah was able to pray to the God of heaven and answer the king at the same time. He was plugged into both realms at the same time. 

I encourage you to ponder this concept. It goes beyond multitasking. It is more like living with a panoramic view of biblical reality. It is being fully conscious of the physical realm and spiritual realm at the same time. 

The Most Important Question: Luke 9:18-22

“18) And it happened that while He was praying alone, the disciples were with Him, and He questioned them, saying, “Who do the people say that I am?” 19) They answered and said, “John the Baptist, and others say Elijah; but others, that one of the prophets of old has risen again.” 20) And He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” And Peter answered and said, “The Christ of God.” 21) But He warned them and instructed them not to tell this to anyone, 22) saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed and be raised up on the third day.” 

This same story is told in greater detail in Matthew 16:13-20. Both texts should be studied side by side. 

Why do you suppose Jesus questioned His disciples about this matter?  He Himself was omniscient. He knew the thoughts and opinions of people. 

Like a good teacher, He was asking the question for the sake of His disciples. He was prompting them to think and process. 

The second question was more important; “But who do you say that I am?”  The disciples were with Him night and day. They were invited to follow Him into a deep discovery process. The timing was more than midway through their journey. In a sense, this was a mid term exam. 

Everyone has an opinion about Jesus. We all have to answer this question. The way you answer this question determines your salvation. 

Romans 10:9-11 says; ““that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.””  The key is believing that Jesus is Lord! 

Islam believes Jesus is a prophet. The Jehovah Witnesses believe He died for our sins. But they both reject Him as Lord. They refuse to acknowledge Him as the Son of God, the Messiah, coequal with the Father. (See Colossians 2:9; Revelation 5:13-14) 

This is what makes Peter’s answer so profound. “And Peter answered and said, “The Christ of God.” (Luke 9:20) Matthew 16:16 says; “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.”  This answer is the cornerstone upon which Jesus is building His church. 

It is no wonder Peter was later used to write the amazing truth found in 1 Peter 2:4-10. Take time to study these verses. They explain how Jesus is building His church even today.

Psalm 118:22-23 prophetically says; “22) The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief corner stone. 23) This is the Lord’s doing; It is marvelous in our eyes.”  Jesus quoted this Psalm in Matthew 21:42-46 and Luke 20:17-18. 

The religious leaders rejected Him, but those who understand His true identity and believe in Him are saved and become living stones is the church He is building. 

So why did Jesus warn the disciples to tell no one that He was the Christ? There are two reasons. The first is timing. This was before His death, burial and resurrection. The gospel had to be fulfilled. 

The second reason was preservation. They would have been accused of blasphemy and crucified with Him had they openly expressed their discovery at this time. 

They had the mission to build the church. They were given the keys to the Kingdom. Indeed, most became martyrs because of this doctrine. They laid down their lives to defend the gospel and the true identity of Jesus Christ.

I now ask you the questions: “Who do you say that Jesus is?”  “Have you placed personal faith in Him to be your only hope of salvation?” The way you answer these questions determine your eternal destiny. 

The Prophecy: Luke 9:22

“22) saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed and be raised up on the third day.”” 

We must not skip over this verse. It contains a prophecy that needs special attention. It was fulfilled to the smallest punctuation mark. 

The religious leaders of Israel all rejected Jesus. He came to His own and they did not receive Him. (John 1:10-12) 

The elders had no excuse because He was a direct descendant of king David. The priests had no excuse because He fulfilled every requirement of being the sinless Lamb of God who would fulfill the Passover. Even John the Baptist had introduced Him to Israel. (See John 1:19-36) The scribes had no excuse because He fulfilled over 300 prophecies from the Old Testament. 

Yet because of them, He suffered many things. What they perpetrated upon Him fulfilled Isaiah 53 right down to his trial, scourging and crucifixion. He was indeed the suffering Messiah foretold by Isaiah. The keepers of the Law missed the fulfillment of the Law. 

They were religious leaders and yet they were blind. They had Him crucified for claiming to be the Son of God. Yet it was God who cried out three times from heaven that Jesus was His beloved Son. 

The vindication came after three days with the resurrection. Romans 1:4-5 says; “4) who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord, 5) through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for His name’s sake,”

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God replaced the worthless elders, chief priests, and scribes with new leadership through whom Jesus would build His Church. They would build on the Chief Corner Stone of Jesus Christ. They were common men and women who believed and accepted the gospel and were baptized with the Holy Spirit, fire, and power in keeping with Acts 1:1-8. 

They became the first fruits of many who followed. They were not stuck in a building made of stones, they became living stones in an organic building made without human hands. According to 1 Peter 2:4-10, they became a chosen race, and a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession. (See vs 8) 

Such is the calling of every born-again child of God. Jesus is at work through them building His church. What He is doing around the world today through His Spirit is glorious and marvelous. He is preparing His bride for His imminent return.

Beware lest your faith is reduced to lifeless religion. Don’t fall into the trap of the Jewish elders, priests, and scribes. They missed Jesus as the Messiah. Many today are missing what God is doing all around them through His Spirit. 

The Call to Follow Jesus: Luke 9:23-27

“23) And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. 24) For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it. 25) For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself? 26) For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory, and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. 27) But I say to you truthfully, there are some of those standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.”” 

Jesus went to the cross to save us, so we need to take up our cross to serve Him. It means that our selfish goals and ambitions end so that we can give ourselves to His will and purpose through us in the world. 

We either live for Him or we live for self. We either walk in the Spirit or we walk in the flesh. We either promote Him or we promote self. We either openly identify with Him or we  deny that we know Him. 

Whatever part of our life we set aside for Him, we gain much more. When we selfishly cling to our own goals, dreams, and ambitions we forfeit His will and kingdom. 

Years ago as a young man, I had dreams of going to trade school and opening a wood working shop or being a carpenter. I was already actively sharing my faith and preaching in numerous churches. 

One day, my pastor approached me with an application for Bible College. I said I wasn’t interested, I was going to a trade school. He then asked me very directly; “What would God have you do with your life?” 

As I wrestled with God over my future, Jesus quietly said to me; “Terry, I have an abundant life for you if you follow me! If you compare your plans for your life with my plans for your life, yours are so much smaller than mine. Where you write a word, I will write a sentence. Where you write a sentence, I will write a paragraph. Where you write a paragraph, I will write an entire chapter. Where you might write a chapter about your own plans, I will write a book. Where you might write a book, I would write volumes of books” 

That ended my wrestling. I yielded to God and headed down a radically different path and prepared for a life of ministry. It has been a tsunami that has carried me around the world. God is so good! I confess, by comparison my plans for my life were so small. 

So what about you? How are you going to approach this day, this week, and this month? They add up fast. Are you going to selfishly live for self or put God and others first? The two outcomes will be radically different! 

The Kingdom of God: Luke 9:27-31

“27) But I say to you truthfully, there are some of those standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.” 28) Some eight days after these sayings, He took along Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. 29) And while He was praying, the appearance of His face became different, and His clothing became white and gleaming. 30) And behold, two men were talking with Him; and they were Moses and Elijah, 31) who, appearing in glory, were speaking of His departure which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.”

God’s word is always true. When Jesus said; “there are some of those standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God”, He meant it. 

This used to trouble me untilI continued reading the context. Eight days later on the mount of transfiguration, Peter, James, and John saw the kingdom of God in its fulness and glory.

Notice, Jesus took them to the mountain to pray. True prayer enters into the spiritual realm. The seasoned prayer warrior recognizes  they are ushered by the Spirit into the very presence of God. They are before the very throne of grace. (See Hebrews 4:14-16) 

The kingdom of God is not a future event. It is now! It is a present reality! God is on His throne and rules now!  Jesus has been exalted to the right hand of the Father and is King of kings and Lord of lords now!  The kingdom of God is a spiritual reality now! 

What happened on the Mount of Transfiguration was not a preview of something coming, it merely pulled the curtains back so they could see the heavenly dimension. They experienced the kingdom of God in the present.

This is where naturalism is a lie and a curse in the modern church. God and His kingdom exist now! Heaven rules now! The idea that the physical realm defines reality is Satan’s greatest deception! (Daniel 4:34-37)  

I believe God wants every born-again Christian to know and walk in kingdom reality. (See Colossians 1:13, Ephesians 1:17-23.) You will never get beyond mere religion until you allow the Holy Spirit to usher you into kingdom reality. He reveals  it through the word of God.

The kingdom of God is not to be confused with the return of Christ to set up His Millennial  Kingdom on earth. They are related but not synonymous. (See Revelation 20)

The Portal of Prayer: Matthew 9:28-29 

“28) Some eight days after these sayings, He took along Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. 29) And while He was praying, the appearance of His face became different, and His clothing became white and gleaming.”

I do not intend to minimize the significance of this text, but amazing things happened when Jesus prayed. It changed His appearance. His face began to shine. He took on His future glorified appearance. 

I fully recognize this was the transfiguration, but let’s not forget the context. Prayer opened the door for all that followed. At the very least, sincere and earnest prayer has the potential of pulling back the curtains to the mysteries of the spiritual realm. 

I recognize in this story it was Jesus who was praying, but similar things happened to Moses, David, Daniel, Elijah, the 120 who gathered before Pentecost, and Paul. 

The spiritual realm will forever be an elusive mystery to the Christian who is shallow in prayer and void of the Spirit. Their continence will never be transformed. Their circumstance will remain stubborn and resist change. 

Prayer is not about prayer. It is about connecting with God and stepping into kingdom glories. It is the portal into the very presence of God. 

The Baton is Passed: Luke 9:30-31 

“30) And behold, two men were talking with Him; and they were Moses and Elijah, 31) who, appearing in glory, were speaking of His departure which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.” 

Not only was Jesus momentarily changed into His future glory on the Mount of transfiguration, Moses and Elijah appeared to them and were speaking with Jesus. This intrigues me for several reasons.

First, Moses finally made it into the promised land. The book of Deuteronomy closes with Moses not being permitted to enter the promised land. 

Second, there seems to be purpose, assignment and mission in the next life. Moses and Elijah were on a mission. They were active. They were carrying out an assignment. 

Third, they appeared in glory. Jesus changes us from glory to glory. According to 1 Corinthians 15:42-58, we will all put on our new and glorified bodies at the same time. But 2 Corinthians 5:1-9 makes it clear that we do have some form of dwelling between our death and our future resurrection. 

Finally, the subject matter related to the coming death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus  Christ. He did indeed put on His new and glorified body. He became the first fruit of the resurrection. (See 1 John 3:1-2) 

Peter, James and John heard bits and pieces of this conversation. They were able to hear and see through a mirror dimly the things which were to come. (See 1 Corinthians 13:12) 

In one sense, this meeting was a transition from the Old Covenant to the New. Moses and Elijah were handing the baton to the Apostles of the church Jesus was about to start building.

Inappropriate Response: Luke 9:32-36

“32) Now Peter and his companions had been overcome with sleep; but when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men standing with Him. 33) And as these were leaving Him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three tabernacles: one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah”—not realizing what he was saying.” 34) “While he was saying this, a cloud formed and began to overshadow them; and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. 35) Then a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My Son, My Chosen One; listen to Him!” 36) And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent, and reported to no one in those days any of the things which they had seen.” 

In the midst of the transfiguration, the three former fishermen were way out of their league. They were overcome by sleep. As you walk with Jesus, expect to be stretched way beyond your comfort zone. Do not be surprised if God has you rubbing shoulders with kings and dignitaries. 

When they were awakened, Peter opened his mouth with the most inappropriate comment; “Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three tabernacles: one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah”” 

It is intriguing that he recognized Moses and Elijah without a formal introduction. But to suggest building tabernacles for them was preposterous. It was idolatrous. At the very least, it was terribly inappropriate. The text says “he did not realize what he was saying.” 

Wisdom is often expressed by silence. When things of this magnitude are unfolding, follow the example of James and John and keep your mouth shut. 

Shortly a cloud formed around them and The Father spoke, saying, “This is My Son, My Chosen One; listen to Him!” They were in the very presence of God the Father, and didn’t even perceive Him. They only acknowledged Moses and Elijah.

There is a huge lesson here for those who worship the great men and women from past generations. It is terribly inappropriate. When you worship the saints, you miss God! 

The Tormented Boy: Luke 9:37-43

“37) On the next day, when they came down from the mountain, a large crowd met Him. 48) And a man from the crowd shouted, saying, “Teacher, I beg You to look at my son, for he is my only boy, 39) and a spirit seizes him, and he suddenly screams, and it throws him into a convulsion with foaming at the mouth; and only with difficulty does it leave him, mauling him as it leaves. 40) I begged Your disciples to cast it out, and they could not.” 41) And Jesus answered and said, “You unbelieving and perverted generation, how long shall I be with you and put up with you? Bring your son here.” 42) While he was still approaching, the demon slammed him to the ground and threw him into a convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the boy and gave him back to his father. 43) And they were all amazed at the greatness of God. But while everyone was marveling at all that He was doing, He said to His disciples,”

There is much to learn from this story. Let’s examine a few more obvious points. 

First, demonic activity is real. It happened throughout the entire Bible. We use the Bible as our textbook to expose five levels of demonic activity in the Freedom Quest Workshop. Then we equip believers to effectively deal with each of the five areas.

Second, the boy was demon-possessed. In the workshop, we cover this as the fourth level of demonic activity. Demon possession can only happen to a non-Christian, but Christians can open the door for other levels of demonic activity. 

Third, the boy was being tragically tormented by the demonic spirit. It tried to destroy him. 

When all the texts about demon possessed people are studied in the Bible, there seems to be two categories. There are those who are “used” by the spirit and given paranormal abilities like the slave girl in Acts 16. But more common are those like this little boy who are “abused” by the spirit. It can be traumatic and deadly. We have dealt with both categories over the years. 

Fourth, the father was desperate to get help for his son. Matthew 17:14-21 tells this same story. People who had loved ones that were demonically terrorized were desperate to get help. Unfortunately, the religious leaders of the day offered no hope, but Jesus did!

People are desperate for help today as well, but tragically most pastors have not been equipped or trained in biblical deliverance principles. The Freedom Quest Workshop has been used by God to train hundreds of pastors and Christian workers around the world in this crucial ministry. They are becoming very effective at setting people free as occasion arises.

Fifth, the disciples were not able to cast out this spirit. According to Matthew 17:19-21, Jesus attributed this to their lack of faith, shallow prayer lives,  and a unique kind of spirit. Some “kinds” are more stubborn than others, but none were a match for Jesus. 

Sixth, according to the text, Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit and healed the boy. In the Gospels and the book of Acts, deliverance and healing ministry often went hand-in-hand. All physical, mental, and emotional scars were healed by Jesus. He restored the boy to health and normality.

Finally, Jesus gave His disciples authority to cast out unclean spirits, and yet they had a learning curve. They became more effective with additional training and experience. There is much to learn about this subject. 

We put the biblically-based Freedom Quest Workshop together to educate, equip, and train pastors, Christian workers, and believers to stand in the authority Jesus gives them for both deliverance and healing ministry. It is available in video form on YouTube here: https://goservglobal.org/freedom-quest/.

Spiritually Shallow, Deaf, and Blind:  Luke 9:43-45

“43) And they were all amazed at the greatness of God. But while everyone was marveling at all that He was doing, He said to His disciples, 44) “Let these words sink into your ears; for the Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men.” 45) But they did not understand this statement, and it was concealed from them so that they would not perceive it; and they were afraid to ask Him about this statement.”

This was now the fourth or fifth time Jesus clearly told His disciples about His coming suffering on the cross. (Some heard it more than others) Matthew 17:22-23 which covers this same account is even more clear and candid about what Jesus said awaited Him. 

I am often baffled that they were so slow to understand. Each time the message was very clear and concise. Luke says, “it was concealed from them so that they could not perceive it.” 

Herein is one of the mysteries of spiritual truth and the word of God. Until the Holy Spirit opens the understanding, a person can remain deaf and closed to precious biblical truths for a long time. They can even viciously oppose them. 

No wonder Paul prayed in Ephesians 1:17-18 that God would give believers a spirit of wisdom and revelation into the knowledge of Christ. We should constantly seek the teaching ministry of the Holy Spirit and let Him stretch our understanding.

According to 1 Corinthians 3:1-3 and Hebrews 5:11-14, the primary reason for spiritual immaturity and ignorance is sinful carnality. Disobedience and unbelief are blinding. 

As long as you choose to live in the flesh and indulge in worldly wisdom, you will be stuck in deception, bondage, and pitiful spiritual ignorance. Many spend years in this pitiful wilderness. Some never leave.

There were myriads of precious spiritual truths that were off limits to me as a relatively new Christian living with sinful bondage in my life. I went to Bible college and got theological knowledge, but I lacked spiritual wisdom and perception.

Many concepts I viciously opposed as a young pastor fresh out of Bible College, I now embrace as precious and magnificent promises. Many of these relate to the ministry of the Holy Spirit, spiritual gifts, the power of God, Zoe life, deep communion with God, intercessory prayer, authority in Christ, and abiding in the full benefits of the kingdom of light. Living in dominion life did not even register on my radar screen. 

Back to the text. 

The problem was not with the message Jesus tried communicating with His disciples, the problem was that they were not ready for spiritual meat. They could only receive milk. They were like spiritual babies. 

By the amazing grace of God, that would change quickly. Over the next several months all but Judas would grow exponentially. The Holy Spirit was about to be poured out on them and radically transform them. They then grew quickly from infancy to adulthood.

What about you? Are content with spiritual baby food and throwing tantrums or are you ready for solid food and spiritual adulthood? It will take humility, obedience, repentance and openness to the deep ministry of the Holy Spirit. 

Stop being content with spiritual mediocrity. Let go of your shallow past and press on! 

Childlike Faith: Luke 9:46-48 

“46) An argument started among them as to which of them might be the greatest. 47) But Jesus, knowing what they were thinking in their heart, took a child and stood him by His side, 48) and said to them, “Whoever receives this child in My name receives Me, and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me; for the one who is least among all of you, this is the one who is great.”” 

The timing of this argument was so out of context with what was happening among them. Three had just been on the mount of transfiguration and witnessed the surpassing glory of Jesus. How did they respond? Peter suggested building tabernacles to Moses and Elijah. It was the crown of foolishness and stupidity.

The remaining nine had just publicly failed to cast a demon out of a little boy. Jesus rebuked them for their lack of faith and shallow prayer lives. It was hardly a commentary on greatness.

The multitudes were marveling at the surpassing greatness of Jesus,  while the disciples were trying to grab the spotlight for themselves. They were arguing over personal greatness. 

Meanwhile, Jesus was trying to prepare them for his coming arrest, trial, scourging, and crucifixion. Not one of them understood or perceived the gravity of the situation. Why? They were preoccupied with self-worship! 

That’s when Jesus pulled a little child into their midst and talked about babysitting. He implied they had much to learn about faith, spiritual power, and effectiveness from a child.

So what can we learn from children?

To start with, by nature children are outwardly focused and given to learning and exploring. They are constantly on the move. Peter borrowed this illustration from Jesus in 1 Peter 2:2-3 when he talked about the way we should approach the word of God. We should never lose our fascination and desire for the word of God.

Children are also the most innocent, trusting and believing of all people. They have unquestionable faith in God! They haven’t learned about doubt, worry, stress, or critical thinking. 

No wonder Jesus talked about receiving them in His name. Children are valuable to God!

We also need to receive Jesus like children receive Him. Many of the secrets of true spiritual greatness can be learned by watching children. 

Jesus was saying something very profound in these three verses. True spiritual maturity is becoming more child-like in faith, innocence, obedience, and focus.

Adults struggle because they complicate everything. We over-think, over-analyze, over-rationalize, over-criticize, and often over-react. Faith for us is often a calculated decision based on reducing all risk. Ironically, that’s the opposite of biblical faith.

But faith for a child is simply taking God at His word and doing accordingly. It is childlike in innocence, trust and obedience. They don’t question God’s word, character, love, power, or presence. They live in light of God’s existence and the resulting effect on reality and their daily life. 

The older I become the more childlike I try to be in my faith toward God and His word. No wonder the Bible often refers to us as  “children of God.” As long as we focus on our identity as His children, we remain less preoccupied with self and personal promotion. 

The Broader Team: Luke 9:49-50 

“49) John answered and said, “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name; and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow along with us.” 50) But Jesus said to him, “Do not hinder him; for he who is not against you is for you.”” 

This is a fascinating text. The disciples came upon a man casting out demons in Jesus name and they tried to hinder him because he was not a formal part of their team.

Doesn’t that sound familiar?  How quickly we develop a turf mentality. Jesus would have none of it. He understood the broad nature of the kingdom of God and the universal power of His name.

“He who is not against you is for you!”  What a profound concept. Anyone being effective in the name of Jesus against the kingdom of darkness is doing God’s work.

Think about the tragic turf mentality of the disciples. They would rather leave people lost and demon-possessed than recognize that others can be effective in the name of Jesus as well1

They should have been cheering, equipping and empowering others rather than resisting, hindering, criticizing, and dividing. Don’t put Jesus in a box. When God starts working, the gospel spreads quickly and may take on a different Christian culture than you embrace. That’s ok! 

Other believers were modeling what they heard Jesus teaching and doing. The result?  God was working through them as well! The gospel was spreading. People were hearing about Jesus and being set free. God was at work. 

Avoid trying to control God, the spread of the gospel, or the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Here is a radical news flash: God is not restricted to your small denominational circle, theological bias, or rigid methodology. Stop becoming like the Pharisees and religious leaders that opposed Jesus!

God’s self-imposed boundaries are truth, His holy character, a pure gospel, the name of Jesus, and His word. Beyond those guard rails, the kingdom of light is very fluid, dynamic, and broad.

Catch a wave and ride it for the glory of God!  Allow others to do the same!  Guard your spirit lest you become judgmental critics rather than advocates for the kingdom of light. Grant others the freedom to be different from you within biblical guard rails. Celebrate them, don’t criticize or hinder them. They are part of God’s broader team! 

I don’t care if they use a different translation of the Bible than me so long as it’s good and accurate and they are building their lives on the word of God!  The early Christians didn’t even have Bibles! 

One of the blessings of ministering broadly within the body of Christ across the country and around the world is that I’ve witnessed the dynamics of 1 Corinthians 12:4-7 in action many times over. I’m more concerned if people are in the Kingdom of light than in my small box. The big question; “Are they bearing fruit for the glory of God?” 

I have many dear brothers and sisters in Christ who are different from me in Christian culture, but the same in born-again gospel message and experience. I have Baptist, Methodist, Mennonite, Amish, Lutheran, evangelical, fundamentalist, Charismatic, Pentecostal, and messianic brothers and sisters in Christ. 

I am not saying every member of their circle is saved or born-again, but God has genuine believers scattered everywhere. They are salt and light for His glory and are most likely the ones “casting out demons” in His name. I encourage, mentor and empower them as they grow in Jesus and learn to walk in the Spirit. 

Two Kinds of Fire From Heaven: Luke 9:51-56

“51) When the days were approaching for His ascension, He was determined to go to Jerusalem; 52) and He sent messengers on ahead of Him, and they went and entered a village of the Samaritans to make arrangements for Him. 53) But they did not receive Him, because He was traveling toward Jerusalem. 54) When His disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” 55) But He turned and rebuked them, [and said, “You do not know what kind of spirit you are of; 56) for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.”] And they went on to another village.” 

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The closer Jesus came to His to completing His work on earth and His ascension, the more resolute He became. As He was making His final trip to Jerusalem, His Journey brought Him through Samaria.

Because of the hostilities between the Jews in Jerusalem and the Samaritans, the Samaritans would not provide food, drink, or shelter for Jews traveling to Jerusalem. Even though the Samaritans were of Jewish descent, they were shunned as gentiles in the temple system. The animosity was strong. 

In response to this rejection, when James and John heard of the matter, they became righteously indignant. They asked Jesus if they should call fire down from heaven and roast the entire city. 

It is typical of the way many Christians want to use the power of God today. Rather than extending love, grace, and forgiveness, they are ready with wrath, anger, and judgement. It shocks me that they had traveled with Jesus for three years and yet they were serious about this proposal. 

Jesus turned and rebuked them. They were sincere in their righteous indignation, but were totally out of sync with Jesus and the gospel. He came to reach the lost and not destroy them. 

John 3:16 must always be quoted with verse 17. Jesus did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. James and John did not recognize their own wicked hearts. They were harboring a worse spirit than the Samaritans. They wanted deadly revenge. 

Courage and boldness must always be tempered by agape love. Vengeance must be left to God. We often make the mistake of treating our mission field like a war zone. We often judge and condemn the very people Jesus sent us to reach.

Jesus so loved the Samaritans that He specifically included them in the Great Commission as recorded in Acts 1:8. When they were filled with the power of the Holy Spirit and sent out to be witnesses, He commanded them not to skip over Samaria. They were to be early  recipients of His gospel of love and grace.

Many times the problem with the spread of the gospel is within us. We are focused on calling judgement fire down from heaven rather than the fire of Pentecost. The two fires are very different. 

The Cost of Discipleship: Luke 9:57-62 

“57) As they were going along the road, someone said to Him, “I will follow You wherever You go.” 58) And Jesus said to him, “The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” 59) And He said to another, “Follow Me.” But he said, “Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father.” 60) But He said to him, “Allow the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God.” 61) Another also said, “I will follow You, Lord; but first permit me to say good-bye to those at home.” 62) But Jesus said to him, “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”” 

There ‭is a cost to becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ. It means we put Jesus and spreading the kingdom above all other priorities in life. 

It will involve sacrifices in the way we live. House and home will be secondary to Jesus and His kingdom. Caring for aging parents will be secondary to Jesus and spreading the gospel of the kingdom. Family and friends will be secondary to Jesus and kingdom living.

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Following and obeying Jesus must become first place above all else. It means we must seek first Jesus and His kingdom above everything and everyone. In return He gives true life. 

Many start plowing only to discover that ministry and walking in the footprints of Jesus  is hard work. Distractions pop up everywhere. Excuses abound. Satan will test your resolve.

Living a kingdom calling takes devotion, focus, and self-discipline. You will be misunderstood, ridiculed, and maligned. Initially people will criticize you and say you are wasting your life. But what you gain in your journey will be far more than your sacrifice. 

The glory, power and wonder of walking with Jesus surpasses anything the world has to offer. Knowing Jesus, the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His suffering is a surpassing value. (See the testimony of Paul in Philippians 3:7-16) 

Once you taste the goodness of God and experience His presence in the Spirit, nothing the world has to offer comes close to comparing. Soon your old life will seem boring, mundane, and empty. Like Peter, you might go back to your nets and fish all night but come up empty. 

As we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another. Shortly,  Psalm 91 will become your story. The whole chapter is amazing. It starts by saying; ““He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.”

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Nothing compares  to abiding in the shadow of the Almighty. Nothing compared walking with God and living in the Spirit. No earthly treasure or pleasure comes close.

I am not talking about mere religion or extreme legalism. When Paul met Jesus he was delivered from the bondage of religion. It was exchanged for intimacy with God. There is a huge difference! Jesus invites into His presence and glory. 

Expanding the Team: Luke 10:1-16

“1) Now after this the Lord appointed seventy others, and sent them in pairs ahead of Him to every city and place where He Himself was going to come. 2) And He was saying to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. 3) Go; behold, I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves.” 

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Jesus had a strategy for spreading the gospel. Seldom are people converted on the first hearing. It takes time and hard work to prepare the soil. So He sent many to prepare the soil and sow abundantly. 

He had a choice. He could either do all the preaching and ministry Himself or He could expand His team. He opted to expand His team. He appointed 70 others to go before Him to every city and village where He was intending to go. 

He sent them out in teams of two. That’s 35 teams. If you add the original twelve disciples  to that number, He had 41 active ministry teams out spreading the gospel and preparing the way for Him. He was most likely busy seven days a week traveling about and ministering to people in one fashion or another. 

Can you imagine the impact?  Momentum was building. The message was spreading. The story of Jesus was being proclaimed far and wide. This was not an obscure occurrence. Jesus started a movement! 

But what was His motivation?  Why work so hard?  Why train and send so many workers? 

The simple answer is that He loves people. He wanted everyone to hear the gospel message. He saw that the harvest was plentiful, but the workers were few. He saw every lost person as a prospect for salvation. He taught His followers to actively pray for more workers. 

But serving Jesus is not easy. Ministering to lost and sinful people is challenging. It is like innocent lambs being sent to reach wolves. They can be mean and cruel. But the love of God, the ministry of the Holy Spirit and the gospel can tame ravenous wolves. 

They also had the authority of Jesus to heal the sick and cast out demons. They watched God provide in miraculous ways. What they experienced deeply impacted them. You grow more by doing than by sitting around as a spectator.

His training workshop only took a few hours, the rest they learned on the job. Effective ministry is more caught than taught. 

Most Christian’s already know everything they need to be fruitful and effective in ministry. What do they lack?  Doing! They lack follow-through with what they already know. 

The Big Story: Luke 10:17-20 

“17) The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.” 18) And He said to them, “I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning. 19) Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you. 20) Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven.””  

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The seventy returned to Jesus and reported phenomenal results. The crowning experience for them was that even demons were subject to them in the name of Jesus.

This did not impress Jesus. He had news for them, He was present when Satan and all of his co-conspirators were cast out of heaven like lightning. 

This lines up with Ezekiel 28:11-19. Satan was the anointed cherub that covers, until he sinned and was cast down to the ground. It happened sometime prior to Genesis 3:1. This confession by Jesus tells us some important truths. 

First, Jesus pre-existed His incarnation. He was the one who created heaven and earth. (See John 1:1-4) Jesus was the one who ruled over the sentence against Satan that expelled him from heaven. (Luke 10:18) 

Second, Satan and demons are fallen angels. They waged war in heaven but were defeated. (Revelation 12:7-9) They were cast out of heaven. They lost the battle. Satan and demons are losers!  Let that sink in and shape your thinking.

Finally, the greatest miracle is the possibility of human salvation. (See Luke 10:20). The whole story of the gospel and human salvation is a heavenly mystery. Take time and read 1 Peter 1:10-12. 

There is no salvation for Satan and fallen angels. Why? They are not part of the human race. They were individual created beings. They were not created in the image of God. They were created as workers and servants of God. 

This is part of the glorious mystery about the incarnation of Jesus and His work on the cross for human redemption. When He became man at His conception, His sinless life and subsequent sacrifice atoned for the entire human race. He opened the door for human salvation. (See Romans 5:9-18)

He was fully Deity and the Son of God when He came to earth and walked among men. 

Through His death, burial and resurrection, He conquered sin, Satan, and death. But He was the highest authority even during His public ministry. That’s why the seventy had authority in the name of Jesus over demons. 

But the big take-away Jesus wanted to impress on the seventy was not their authority over demons in the name of Jesus, it was the amazing mystery of human salvation. Their names being recorded in heaven was the big story! Human redemption and salvation is a cosmic phenomenon. 

The Blessing of Knowing Jesus: Luke 10:21-24

“21) At that very time He rejoiced greatly in the Holy Spirit, and said, “I praise You, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight. 22) All things have been handed over to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. 23) Turning to the disciples, He said privately, “Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see, 24) for I say to you, that many prophets and kings wished to see the things which you see, and did not see them, and to hear the things which you hear, and did not hear them.””

Keep the previous context in mind. Jesus had sent out the seventy because the harvest was plentiful. Many were open to their message and even demons were subject to them in His name. The response was that “Jesus rejoiced greatly in the Holy Spirit.”  The spread of the gospel brings great joy to Jesus. 

God is in control of who opens up and understands the gospel. The wise and intelligent often miss it. This is explained in detail in 1 Corinthians 1:18-31. I am well pleased to be counted foolish by worldly standards that I might be a candidate for the gospel. 

All things have been handed over to Jesus by the Father. No one comes to know the Son except the Father and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Himself. 

If you are a believer, do not credit yourself. The grace of God has been at work in you. Many in Old Testament times longed to hear and understand the message of the gospel and the mysteries which were about to come as Jesus poured out His Spirit on the church age. 

The death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ followed by Pentecost ushered in the great epoch of human history. Those who enter into the mysteries of Christ through the gospel are blessed beyond description. Do not take it for granted, and do not miss out on anything He has for you through His Spirit.

The doctrine of election is marvelous, but it points beyond acceptance of the gospel to include embracing your full potential in Christ. Ephesians 1:3-6 stresses that we were predestined with an end result in mind. It includes sonship, holiness, and transformation.

Later in Chapter One and Chapter Three of Ephesians,  Paul prayed that new believers would enter into their full potential in Christ. The doctrine of election is not about becoming a believer, it’s about entering into a growing, fruitful, powerful, and mature walk in the Spirit. 

The Self-Justifying Lawyer: Luke 10:25-29

“25) And a lawyer stood up and put Him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 26) And He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How does it read to you?” 27) And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” 28) And He said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this and you will live.” 29) But wishing to justify himself, he said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”” 

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It is fitting that a lawyer, representing humanity, asked Jesus the big question: “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 

In one way or another, all people ponder this question. Many times it’s expressed by questions about life after death. 

True to form, Jesus turned it into two questions. “What is written in the Law? How does it read to you?” Questions can be incredible. They can get to core issues very quickly.

The first thing the lawyer said was very instructive; “You shall Iove…” Ironically, he used the word “agape” for love in his answer. I often call this “the God kind of love.” 

This kind of love goes way beyond brotherly kindness, respect, granting dignity, benevolence, or good will. It is the kind of love the Apostle John had in mind in 1 John 4:8 and 16 when he said, “God is love.” The lawyer set the standard very high! 

Then he quoted Deuteronomy 6:5. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” This is the standard for the way we should love God.” Then for good measure he added; “… but you shall love your neighbor as yourself” from Leviticus 19:18. This is the standard for loving people. 

There was only one problem, he had fallen short of loving people as himself. If you read the context of Leviticus 19:18; it is a prohibition against taking vengeance on people. As a lawyer, much of his job was ensuring vengeance on people. 

Ironically, Jesus responded that he had answered correctly. After all, agape love is the fulfillment of the Law. (See Romans 13:10 and Galatians 5:14) This is impossible for the unregenerate human heart. 

Wishing to justify himself, he said to Jesus; “And who is my neighbor?” He wanted to boil it down to those few people living next to him. 

Of course, these are sometimes the hardest people to consistently show agape love toward, but it was a lot safer for the lawyer to apply this standard to loving his neighbor to the few people in his neighborhood than the many people he was prosecuting in the legal system. 

Applying the letter of the Law to others always evokes contention and conflict between people. It is based on anger, bitterness and vengeance. Human nature cannot judge and prosecute others while loving at the same time! That’s why legalism is self-defeating. It always violates love. 

This episode with the self-justifying lawyer resulted in Jesus telling the story of the Good Samaritan. Stay tuned, there is much to learn. 

 Five Ways To View  Other People: Luke 10:30-37

“30) Jesus replied and said, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among robbers, and they stripped him and beat him, and went away leaving him half dead. 31) And by chance a priest was going down on that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32) Likewise a Levite also, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33) But a Samaritan, who was on a journey, came upon him; and when he saw him, he felt compassion, 34) and came to him and bandaged up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them; and he put him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35) On the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper and said, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I return I will repay you.’ 36) Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers’ hands?” 37) And he said, “The one who showed mercy toward him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do the same.””

This might qualify as the greatest story ever told. It came in response to the question from the lawyer; “And who is my neighbor?” (Vs 29) 

There are several characters in the story. First, is the victimized traveler. He had a very bad day. He was exploited, beaten, robbed and left half dead. He needed urgent care. 

Life is hard for many people. It leaves terrible wounds. Many people need help. They need urgent care. Let’s see how the other people in the story viewed the traveler. 

The first were the robbers themselves. What did they see in the traveler?  They saw him as a victim to exploit!  Tragically, that’s how many people view others. They see them as easy targets.

Second was the priest. What did he see in the victimized traveler?  He saw a problem to avoid. He had no desire to get involved. He didn’t want to risk being defiled by a corpse. He had to keep himself holy for God. 

Third, what did the Levite see? Most likely he saw a tragedy to talk about. He got the juicy details but did not have time to get involved. After all, he was on a mission to serve God in his temple service rotation.

Fourth, let’s skip ahead to the inn keeper. What did he see in the victimized traveler? He saw a customer to serve. He would provide needed service for pay. He wanted to be compensated. Some people see the tragedy of others as an opportunity to gain wealth.

But finally, what did the Samaritan see in the victimized traveler? He saw a neighbor to help. He was motivated by the kind of love and compassion the lawyer talked about. He displayed agape love in action. 

In the next section we are going to view this story from another vantage point, but first you need to search your heart. Which character are you in the story?  How do you view other people? What motivates you about people in need? 

 Different Views About Salvation: Luke 10:30-37

 “30) Jesus replied and said, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among robbers, and they stripped him and beat him, and went away leaving him half dead. 31) And by chance a priest was going down on that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32) Likewise a Levite also, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33) But a Samaritan, who was on a journey, came upon him; and when he saw him, he felt compassion, 34) and came to him and bandaged up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them; and he put him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35) On the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper and said, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I return I will repay you.’ 36) Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers’ hands?” 37) And he said, “The one who showed mercy toward him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do the same.”” 

The story of the Good Samaritan was prompted by the question; “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” (Vs 25) Each character in the story represents the way people commonly answer that question. In the story, each figure consistently lived out their religious position. Let’s look at them again.

However, we are going to set the Good Samaritan aside, because as we will see in the next section, he represented a Savior figure. He was a picture of Jesus. 

Let’s look at the story.

First, we have “The Robbers View.” They might represent the “Beyond Hope Position.” These people basically think “I’m so bad, there’s no hope for me!”  As a result they often live reckless lives. 

How did they respond to the savior figure? The robbers hid from the Samaritan. Some feel so hopeless and lost they run and hide from Jesus. 

Second we have “The Priestly View.” He represents the Self Righteous Position. He was so preoccupied trying to save himself that he ignored the savior figure. His view may have been, “I’m so good God will certainly accept me!”

It is likely on that day he also passed the Samaritan in his travels. How did he respond to the saviour figure? The priest avoided the Samaritan. Many see themselves  as being so good they don’t need Jesus.

Third, we have “the Levite View.” This could be called The Religious Good Works Position. It manifests itself as “I’m doing religious good deeds to earn my salvation!” 

Again, on that day he most likely also passed the Samaritan on the road. How did he respond to the Saviour figure?  The Levite was too busy to even notice the Samaritan. Like the Levite, many are so busy trying to earn their own salvation they have no time for Jesus. 

Fourth, we have the Inn Keepers view. He represents the Good Work Ethic Position. It basically thinks, “I’m such a good and honest person God has to accept me!” 

How did the Inn Keeper respond to the Savior figure? He treated the Samaritan as a preferred customer. Some are so busy with their work they have no margins in their life for Jesus.

Finally, we have The Victimized Traveler view. He represents “The Unconditional Grace Position.” He desperately needed help because there was nothing he could do to save himself. He was totally dependent on the grace and help of a Savior figure. 

In the story, the victimized traveler simply put his faith in the saviour figure to save him. He totally trusted in the Samaritan and received his help.

Think about this – each position in the story encountered the Samaritan that day, but only the victimized traveler was saved. Why? He’s the only one who viewed himself as needing to be saved

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When looked at from this perspective, the story of the Good Samaritan clearly presents the gospel. Jesus is everywhere offering His grace and help. He is there for you as well! How are you responding to Him? 

In the next section, we are going to look at the amazing characteristics of the Good Samaritan that makes him the savior figure in the story. We are going to answer the question; “How does the Good Samaritan represent Jesus in the story?”

A Picture of Christ: Luke 10:33-35 

33) But a Samaritan, who was on a journey, came upon him; and when he saw him, he felt compassion, 34) and came to him and bandaged up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them; and he put him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35) On the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper and said, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I return I will repay you.’ 

In the last section, I made the statement that the Good Samaritan was a picture of Christ. He was a savior figure. As we examine the text, we discover seven characteristics of the Good Samaritan that paint a picture of Christ 

Let me list seven amazing characteristics of the Good Samaritan from the verses:

1. He saw his need.
2. He felt compassion. 
3. He came to him. 
4. He healed his wounds. 
5. He put him on his own beast.

   6) He paid his bill.

   7) He aimed at total recovery.

I could preach a very convincing and passionate message about Jesus and the gospel from these seven points. The obvious conclusion is that the Good Samaritan filled the role of a Savior figure. He was a picture of Jesus. 

Our calling as Christian’s is to go into the world and be imitators of Christ. (See 1 Corinthians 11:1,  Ephesians 5:1.) We are to go and do the same in Jesus’ name! This is  what it means to love God and love our neighbor. 

I can only imagine what would happen if every born-again Christian took imitating the Good Samaritan seriously. What amazing doors would open for the gospel. More about that in the next section. 

The Key To Fruitful Ministry. Luke 10:25-37

37) And he said, “The one who showed mercy toward him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do the same.”

Now let’s answer an important question about the story of the Good Samaritan. Let’s fast forward about six months. Let me set the stage: 

The victimized traveler is in Jerusalem wrapping up his final stages of rehabilitation from his life-threatening injuries. As is often the case, he is searching for answers about the meaning and purpose of life. He is pondering where to find the truth about knowing God. 

Then, in the course of a few days, he encounters each of the five characters in his story. How does he react or respond to them? 

As fate would have it, the first day he encounters the robbers at a sidewalk cafe. How does he respond to those who viewed him as a victim to exploit? That’s easy, he quickly calls the temple guard! 

A few hours later the self-righteous priest passes by him. When the traveler was in need, the priest viewed him as a problem to avoid and ignored him. I guarantee you, the victimized traveler responds in kind. This time he crosses to the other side of the street to avoid that hypocrite. 

Then a few hours later, the Levite had just arrived in Jerusalem for another tour of duty at the temple. Again, their paths cross. How does the victimized traveler respond? The Levite saw him as a tragedy to talk about. This time the traveler saw the Levite as a deceived religious reclusive to avoid. 

Suddenly, he stumbles past the innkeeper. They may engage in some small talk, but the innkeeper is not viewed as a friend. After all, he had merely treated the victimized traveler as a customer to serve.

Then, the next day, the Good Samaritan rides past on his horse. As soon as the victimized traveler sees him, he breaks into a run to catch up with him. After a warm embrace, the victimized traveler starts unpacking his many questions.

The first question was probably; “What makes you so different from other people?” It was quickly followed by, “How can I get what you have?” The door of the traveler’s heart was wide open to whatever the Good Samaritan had to share. Why? 

A trusted relationship had been formed. The Samaritan proved he was the real deal. There were no false motives detected in the Samaritan. He was the only one in the story to display the genuine agape love the lawyer had originally talked about. (See  verses 27-28)

Do you realize what Jesus accomplished with this short story?  He unpacked a complete course on effective and fruitful ministry!  When you and I put off our religious garb and step into the sandals of the Good Samaritan, we unleash all the dynamics for fruitful ministry!

Do you really want to reach people with the gospel?  Go and show agape love and mercy to people. Become like the Good Samaritan to the people around you and as the door swings wide open tell them about Jesus! 

The Gospel Must Be Seen and Heard: Luke 10:36-37 

“36) Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers’ hands?” 37) And he said, “The one who showed mercy toward him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do the same.”” 

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Before we leave the story of the Good Samaritan, I want to make a closing observation; “Jesus wants the gospel to be both seen and heard.”  He wants it to be accompanied by deeds of agape love. 

These deeds of love often open the door for the verbal gospel. Certainly, we follow the leading of the Holy Spirit both in what we do and say. Let me illustrate the importance of the gospel being both seen and heard with a few more passages. 

First, in Luke 7:18-23 when John the Baptist sent his disciples to evaluate the ministry of Jesus; “22) “And He answered and said to them, “Go and report to John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive sight, the lame walk… “. Then immediately He ministered healing to many people and preached the gospel to them. In the story, the Good Samaritan also ministered to the physical needs of the victimized traveler as his first response. 

Second, the book of James repeatedly screams this same message. James 1:27 says, “Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.” The gospel involves taking care of the physical needs of the poor, orphans, and widows. If we do not, they will be targeted for horrific exploitation, abuse, and human trafficking! 

Finally, James 2:14-26 emphasizes this same point. In the text it goes beyond merely praying for people to stepping into the trenches with them by providing food, clothing, and shelter. This is long-term agape love. 

When done right, caring for the poor, orphans, and widows is not an entitlement program. Rather it combats poverty, creates the ultimate gospel culture, impacts an entire region, and turns out the next generation educated, godly, mature, and responsible believers who can contribute to nation-building.

That is why fresh water, food, housing for the poor, schools, medical ministry, agriculture, and Bible conferences are added to the mix. When that happens it goes way beyond an orphanage. The Holy Spirit uses it to impact entire regions with the gospel. 

That is the amazing story of the work of GoServ Global in Haiti. We have empowered Haitians to reach and care for their own people. As a result the entire region has been greatly impacted with the gospel. Regional awakening has come to the surrounding area. We are in it for the long haul! 

But things are very difficult in Haiti right now. The country has collapsed and gangs have taken over. Many western-led ministries have closed. But the Consolation  Center remains open. Food is scarce, but school is still in session for over 1,200 children. 

The black market has taken over the country. Prices for everything have soared. We need your financial help now more than ever.

Meals have been reduced to one a day or sometimes less for many of our godly widows, orphans, teachers, students, nurses, and staff. Yet they remain faithful to Jesus and the spread of the gospel. 

Could you please step up and help us through this crisis until relief comes to Haiti. The situation is now urgent! 

I promise 100% of every gift will go directly to the needs in Haiti. Nothing will be held back for administration overhead. That is our unshakable policy for designated giving. 

Right now, Haiti is one of the most oppressed, poor, and suffering stories in the world – but the story is not being told. Because of the lack of news coverage, support  for Haiti has dried up. We must not abandon them at this time. 

Let me say that I am deeply humbled by our Haitian staff who are working through this growing crisis with great sacrifice and resolve. They daily deny themselves and put Jesus and others first. Their agape love puts me to shame. 

Please consider sending a generous gift through GoServ Global at this time for Haiti. The situation is more dire now than after the big earthquake. Better yet, step up and become a monthly supporter until change and relief comes to Haiti. Become a Good Samaritan to the many victimized people in Haiti. To give go to our GoServ Global web page.

Thank you in advance for your compassion and generous gifts!  The hardest part of being a cofounder of GoServ Global is having my heart constantly ripped out with tragic stories like this!  I firmly believe it is my job to tell the story, it is God’s job to move the mountain.

My dear friend, Ken DeYoung would say the same. But the impact of the past fifteen years is beyond measure thanks to many of you who have stood with us as faithful supporters and volunteers. To God be the glory!  

The Story of Two Sisters: Luke 10:38-42

“38) Now as they were traveling along, He entered a village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. 39) She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the Lord’s feet, listening to His word. 40) But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me.” 41) But the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; 42) but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”” 

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People are wired differently. People have different priorities. Such was the case with Martha and Mary. 

When Jesus and His disciples passed through their village, Martha invited them to her house. The text makes it sound like it was a spontaneous invitation, but Martha quickly turned it into a major production. She started preparing a banquet. She became distracted by her many preparations. 

Meanwhile, Jesus took advantage of the occasion to teach those who were gathered. Mary was seated at His feet and listening intently. Jesus was her sole focus and attraction.

This made Martha angry. She even interrupted Jesus and asked Him to tell Mary to get up and get to work. She was certain Jesus would take her side and intervene. But that’s not what happened. 

Instead Jesus used the occasion to teach Martha two important lessons about life. She became an object lesson in the practical teaching of Jesus. 

The first lesson related to worries and distractions in life. Martha was creating her own stress because of unnecessary expectations. Martha had turned a cup of cold water into a major production. I love the wisdom that says, “Keep it simple.”

The second lesson related to priorities in life. Nothing is more important than Jesus. We only get to spend our time once. Martha and Mary were spending their time on radically different priorities. 

There would be ample time to do domestic chores. I sincerely doubt that Mary was lazy. She understood that Jesus was only in their home for a few hours. At that moment, He became her number one priority. 

There is much to learn from this story. Where are your priorities?  What are you allowing to squeeze Jesus out of your daily life? Are you wasting your life on futile things of your own making? 

I learned a long ago that a priority is measured by what it takes to bump it off your schedule. Do you have a daily time slot set aside for Jesus and His Word that nothing bumps? Are you tithing your time and life to futile things? Are turning a cup of cold water into a time consuming banquet? 

Teach us to Pray: Luke 11:1

“1) It happened that while Jesus was praying in a certain place, after He had finished, one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John also taught his disciples.”” 

No matter how busy Jesus became, His life was always fueled by prayer. Again, I want to stress that prayer is not about prayer, it is about deep fellowship and communion with God. Jesus made a daily priority of spending time in solitude with His Father. 

This was such a distinguishing characteristic in His life a disciple asked; “Lord, teach us to pray as John also taught his disciples to pray.”

This indicates that prayer is a learned activity. It deepens as we spend more time with Jesus and the Father in prayer. It is the inner craving of every true believer to cry out “Abba Father.”  (See Galatians 4:6)

The longer I walk with God the more central prayer has become in my life. It is no longer a rigid time slot, rather it has become an unending conversation. This is the byproduct of walking in the Spirit. I now spontaneously pray throughout the day and night. 

At some point, prayer and fellowship with God becomes synonymous. Sometimes it is very conscious. Other times it is more subconscious. It is now natural to commune with God in the Spirit at all times. 

Seek to deepen your walk with God rather than merely repeating vain repetitions. Prayer is more about listening to the promptings of the Holy Spirit than making self-centered demands of God.

Eventually, prayer will become more about praise and worship than making petitions. It actually becomes more about walking closely with God. 

That was the deep yearning of this disciple as he observed Jesus. He was asking Jesus to teach them to walk with God the way Jesus walked with His Father. 

Kingdom Praying Leads to Kingdom Living: Luke 11:2-4 

“2) And He said to them, “When you pray, say: ‘ Father, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. 3) Give us each day our daily bread. 4) And forgive us our sins, For we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.’ ”” 

This is the Lord’s Prayer according to Luke. Most of us are more familiar with the Matthew 6:9-12 version. But for now we are going to focus on the Luke rendition.

He started by praising and exalting the Father. His name was to be lifted up. This acknowledgment and worship of the Father is essential in effectual prayer.

Then Jesus turned to the kingdom of God coming. Mathew said, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” We are living in a fallen world ruled by the evil god of this world. (See 2 Corinthians 4:3-4) The mission of the church is to radically change things on earth at this present time. (Read Ephesians 3:8-12) Few understand this plan for the church. We are to be world-changers! 

Believers are to pray in the will and rule of God on earth. It starts with the spiritual kingdom gaining ground daily, but culminates with the return of Christ setting up His literal physical kingdom. (Revelation 20) 

Praying for our daily bread is acknowledging God as Provider. It includes food, but extends to all physical needs. We need to acknowledge that Jesus Christ is alive and active in every area of our daily lives. 

Then Jesus moved to the subject of both being forgiven and forgiving others. Both are needed. This is the only remedy for anger, bitterness and hate. It is essential to gaining and maintaining lasting freedom. It is part of putting off darkness and walking in the light. 

Finally, in the Luke version, Jesus tells His disciples to pray that they be delivered from temptation. This is basically asking for God’s grace to overcome the stupidity and emotions of our flesh.

Our flesh has a magnet for sin. We need God’s grace, strength, and wisdom to combat sin. This was eventually answered by the giving of the Holy Spirit as our inner compass. The key is crucifying the flesh and walking in the Spirit. Every believer will undergo this battle.

If you review this prayer, it is appealing for the full manifestation of the work of Christ to redeem mankind and His Spirit to transform people. The ultimate goal is the overthrow of the kingdom of darkness and the reign of the kingdom of light. (See Colossians 1:9-15)

These tensions between the kingdom of darkness and the kingdom of light are in full conflict at the current time. This cosmic battle is a reality. (See Ephesians 6:10-20) Prayer is essential to this process. 

We are on the verge of a new epoch. In a sense, we are called to pray in the coming of a new age. It is both personal and universal. It starts in every believer. Kingdom praying leads to kingdom living. I am eagerly looking for the soon return of Jesus Christ to set up His earthly kingdom. 

Perseverance in Prayer:  Luke 11:5-8 

“5)Then He said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and goes to him at midnight and says to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves; 6) for a friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; 7) and from inside he answers and says, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been shut and my children and I are in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.’ 8) I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs.”

In this story, Jesus stressed the importance of persistence in prayer. It might be noted that the man had a genuine need. He had company drop in unannounced. According to custom, the host was obligated to feed weary travelers. 

This put him in a place of urgent need, because he had no bread. All stores were closed. His only recourse was to go to his neighbor and entreat help. 

Initially, the neighbor was unwilling to help because it was an inconvenience. But because of persistence, he got up and provided what was needed. 

It is not a coincidence that this story follows shortly after the story of the Good Samaritan and what it means to be a loving neighbor. When a neighbor is in need, it calls for action. Sometimes we will be asking, but many times we will be providing for others.

But in this story, Jesus was talking about persistence in prayer. He was stressing the importance of persistence with God. If the need is genuine, don’t give up! God is better than any friend and He has unlimited provisions to meet every need. Jesus is the Provider. 

There is a prevailing nature to some kinds of prayer. Most people give up on God too quickly. They run to other sources for provision. This bypasses the refining process. 

God allows us to wait for numerous reasons. He may be exposing wrong motives. He may be purifying our hearts. He may be testing our faith. He may have other solutions that we are not seeing. He might be teaching us what it means to wait on God! He might be teaching us the importance of perseverance.

But here is the important key: As we wait on God, He reveals His heart and mind to us. Perseverance is not about getting what we want, it is about getting to know the heart, mind, and will of God. Perseverance is about spending quality time with God.

Sometimes provisions come quickly. Sometimes they take years. Perseverance conforms us to God’s time table, will and character. He is always listening, teaching, pruning, and providing. He never slumbers or sleeps. 

The timetable to pray is always “now.” The timetable for faith is always “now.”  The timetable for deep communion with God is always “now.”

Don’t wait for a crisis to pray. Don’t wait for an emergency to get to know God. Build a deep relationship with Him now. 

Another word for perseverance is “abide.” According to John 15:7, one key to answered prayer is abiding. Don’t be a stranger to God and expect Him to meet your every demand. 

There is much to this story. Don’t give up on God. Instead, use your need as an invitation to get to know God!  Your relationship with God is your greatest need. It is much more important than a few loaves of bread. 

Asking, Seeking, and Knocking: Luke 11:9-10 

““9) So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10) For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened.” 

This comes right after the story about persistence. The idea is that we should keep seeking God. No matter our circumstances or needs, we should bring them to God and not give up.

We should ask, seek and knock. We have not because we ask not. We find not because we seek not. It is not opened to us because we fail to knock. 

When these three are added together we come up with a relentless pursuit of God. When God becomes your highest pursuit everything changes. 

In the pursuit of God, we change. Our morals and values change. Our emotions change. Our thoughts change. Our focus changes. Our circumstances change. Soon our relationships change. 

It is not long in the persistent pursuit of God that our prayer and praise lives change. Soon, the Potter will scoop you up and place you on His potter’s wheel. Get ready. In the relentless pursuit of God you will be turned into a vessel for His glory. 

I started asking, seeking, and knocking over fifty years ago. I could write books on my many answered prayers, revelations of God, and journeys of faith. 

There is one big difference between now and then. I am a far different man. My focus has changed from self to the glory of God. I now ask for bigger things, seek greater movings of God, and knock on far more doors. 

The results? I have a growing reverence for the Father, I love Jesus more, and I understand the ministry of the Holy Spirit much better. As a result, more mountains are moving. More miracles are unfolding. Much more time is spent in the Spirit than in the flesh. I delight more in being in the presence of God than any earthly pursuit. 

As you keep asking, seeking and knocking, you also will be caught up into a glorious pursuit of God. You will be given things you never imagined. You will discover the surpassing ways of God. Amazing doors will begin to open. 

Soon the natural will give way to the supernatural. The carnal will crumble before the spiritual. Your focus will shift from self to God. 

The big question is “how long should I be persistent in seeking God?”  I am not talking in terms of minutes or hours. My perspective is not even days, weeks, months, or years. I am now at the point of talking about decades that have given way to half a century of seeking God. But even that perspective is microscopic compared to eternity. 

Here is the mystery: At some point in my journey, God Himself became my pursuit. Old things passed away, new things have come. My asking, seeking, and knocking are very different today. 

I am now seeking all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. (Ephesians 1:3) I ask, seek and knock for things connected to my heavenly citizenship much more than my temporary earthly residence. (Philippians 3:20-21) 

Do you understand what I am saying?  Asking, seeking, and knocking contain an invitation into an amazing journey of pursuing God. The goal may have been an answered prayer, but the end result is a totally new life! 

Father, Give Me the Holy Spirit! Luke 12:11-13

“11) Now suppose one of you fathers is asked by his son for a fish; he will not give him a snake instead of a fish, will he? 12) Or if he is asked for an egg, he will not give him a scorpion, will he? 14) If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?”” 

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This text troubles some people. They do not believe it is right to ask the Father for the Holy Spirit. But in this text Jesus speaks to the contrary.

In fact, in John 14:16, Jesus asks the Father to send the helper. How could anyone paint the Holy Spirit in a negative light? How could they doubt the good character of God?  Jesus poses those questions in this text.

But it gets even better. In Acts 1:4, Jesus says the Holy Spirit is the promise of the Father. A few verses later, it is called the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Numerous texts teach that Jesus is the one who actually does the baptizing with the Holy Spirit. (See Matthew 3:11, Mark 1:4, Luke 3:16, and John 1:33.)

As I studied these texts years ago, I asked Jesus to filled me to overflowing with the Holy Spirit. I confess, according to Ephesians 5:18, I seek to be continually filled with the Holy Spirit. I believe, receive, and am dependent on all the many ministries of the Holy Spirit revealed in the Word of God. 

I am sealed, baptized, filled, anointed, empowered, gifted, instructed, and overflowing with the Holy Spirit. God created my body to be the temple of the Holy Spirit and I welcome Him to dwell in me in His exceeding abundant fulness. I refuse to grieve, quench, or minimize the Holy Spirit. 

Because the Bible is my guide book, I do not let Satan blind me or deceive me related to the Holy Spirit. If the Bible says it, I believe it and receive it by faith!  As you saturate yourself with the word of God, the confusion will evaporate. 

I cannot imagine life without sweet communion with God continually through the Holy Spirit. I’m not a charismatic, Pentecostal, or evangelical. I am a biblical, born-again, and Spirit filled believer in relentless pursuit of God through His Word.

If you want to remove all confusion about the Holy Spirit, get an exhaustive concordance and look up every time the words “Spirit” or “Holy Spirit” or “Holy Ghost” are used in the entire Bible. Get ready to be stretched! 

Then do three things. First, ask God for the grace to help you set aside your theological bias and believe His word. Second, ask the Father to give you the Holy Spirit according to the promises in His word. Third, persevere until your request is granted. Ask, seek, and knock with a believing heart while trusting the character of God. 

Be ready – your life is about to radically change. God is about to work in you and through you in new and glorious ways. Be patient, the journey will encompass the rest of your life.

Measure everything by God’s word. Make seeking and knowing Jesus Christ your ultimate pursuit. Be patient with others who are at a different place in their journey. 

You will most likely be misunderstood. Conduct yourself with godly maturity. Always build up the bride of Christ and avoid a critical spirit and tearing others down. 

Test every spirit, especially in your own heart. Your flesh and the devil can play games with you. 

Biblical truth will set you free. Agape love is the first fruit of the Spirit. He never tears down or destroys. He always builds up and edifies. 

Expect Him to expose sin in you as the process of sanctification unfolds in your life. Be obedient and responsive. Confess, repent, and forsake.

When I encounter a critical, condescending, or judgmental spirit in other so-called “Spirit-filled believers”, yellow lights begin to flash. These are not fruits of the Holy Spirit. 

Be patient, wise, loving, and discerning. Remember, it’s called “the walk in the Spirit” and not “the run in the Spirit.” God is not in a hurry. He has been at this for a very long time! He is constantly working in many places, in many people, and in many ways. Jesus is faithfully building His church around the world. 

(It’s interesting to note here that Jesus is linking a child asking his father for food with us asking our heavenly Father for the Holy Spirit. Not only does this send the message that the Holy Spirit is essential for life as described in Genesis 2:7, it also seems to me that Jesus is recommending that we ask for the Holy Spirit as spiritual bread as often as we ask for our daily physical bread.–dj)

Tensions Build: Luke 11:14-16 

“14) And He was casting out a demon, and it was mute; when the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke; and the crowds were amazed. 15) But some of them said, “He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons.” 16) Others, to test Him, were demanding of Him a sign from heaven.” 

These three verses are transitional. As the narrative in the Gospel of Luke moves forward, Luke begins to highlight more of the critics of Jesus. These three short verses set the stage for detailed teaching by Jesus on some very important subjects. 

When He cast out a demon, some accused Him of doing it by Beelzebul, the ruler of demons. That required a response. Others were demanding a sign from heaven. Critics are never satisfied. 

Not one of them could cast out demons or perform miracles. Not one of them could heal the sick, cleanse leprosy, raise the dead, calm the sea, or feed multitudes with a few fish and a few loaves of bread. 

The ministry of Jesus had broken 400 years of silence from God. His ministry was on the level of what God had done through Moses in terms of signs and wonders. God was speaking. It was time for people to listen.

Critics always run interference. They defend their bias. They are not searching for truth or looking for answers. They are blind, judgmental and divisive. Their goal is to create confusion. 

Reading the four Gospels presents the case that Jesus Christ was extraordinary. He was more than a mere man. He was the Son of God. He was announcing the dawn of something very special for humanity. Set aside time to read and study the four Gospels. 

By this point in the Gospel of Luke, Jesus was into His final stretch of earthly ministry. The Mount of Transfiguration was already past. Tensions were building. Watch carefully what happens. 

Jesus catapults off the accusations of these critics to launch into one of the longest recorded teachings of His ministry. His response encompasses the balance of Luke chapter 11, and over the next few days spills into two more chapters. 

Get ready, Jesus is about to get very direct and cover some amazing topics. He starts by exposing Satan and the kingdom of darkness. 

The Finger of God: Luke 11:27-20 

“17) But He knew their thoughts and said to them, “Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and a house divided against itself falls. 18) If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I cast out demons by Beelzebul. 19) And if I by Beelzebul cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? So they will be your judges. 20) But if I cast out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.”  

Jesus started by responding to His critics that He casts out demons by Beelzebul. The first problem with that theory was that if Satan casts out demons, his kingdom is divided. Why would he work against himself? If that is the case, His kingdom will quickly fall apart. 

The second problem related to the Jewish exorcists. As was the case recorded in Acts 19:13-16, some from priestly descent were casting out some demons. They had very mixed results. In the Ephesus case, it did not go well for them. Such is the case of most religious exorcists. 

But it did raise an interesting point. How were they casting out demons? Were they channeling Beelzebul or were they using some Old Testament ceremonies or religious  rituals?  In a sense, the critics were implicating their own ranks.

Jesus quickly presented a third proposition. He might be doing deliverance ministry by the very power and finger of God!  If he was casting out demons by the finger of God, that meant one thing: The kingdom of God had come upon them! They had better sober up and listen!

Jesus consistently defeated every demon and unclean spirit he encountered. Many fell before Him recognizing His true identity  and absolute authority. In Jesus, the kingdom of light was quickly triumphant over the realm of darkness… every time! 

The critics had actually opened a subject that pointed to the absolute supremacy and authority of Jesus Christ. No figure in biblical history including Moses, Elijah, or David came close to the absolute authority of Jesus Christ over the demonic realm. 

Had they paused long enough to examine their own subject matter, they would have had to concede the absolute authority of Jesus Christ over Satan and his subordinates. 

The finger and kingdom of God was indeed standing before them. The battle was not even close. Jesus Christ won every encounter. 

Overcoming the Strong Man: Luke 11:21-23

“When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are undisturbed. But when someone stronger than he attacks him and overpowers him, he takes away from him all his armor on which he had relied and distributes his plunder. He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me, scatters.” 

These are incredible verses. Keep the context in mind. Some of the religious leaders had just accused Jesus of casting out demons by Beelzebul, the ruler of demons.

In verse 21, Jesus acknowledged the strong man. He was most likely referring to Beelzebul. His job is to secure and protect his house. And it works until someone stronger than he attacks and plunders his household.

Do you realize what Jesus just said?  He implied not only that He was stronger than Satan, but that He was out to plunder his house! Every time he sets a captive free or someone becomes born-again, Satan’s kingdom is plundered. 

I thrive on seeing people come to Jesus. I enjoy watching demonically oppressed people set free and sick people healed. The whole public ministry of Jesus was about defeating the strong man. Why? Because someone much stronger than Satan just showed up! 

Take a moment and read 1 John 3:7-8. Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil because He is infinitely stronger and more powerful!  

You will not overcome the schemes of the enemy in your life until you understand and live in this truth! 

Help or Hindrance: Luke 11:23

“23) He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me, scatters.” 

This is a very sobering verse. The context is the clash between two kingdoms. There are many ways to look at this verse. We can take a macro view and look at the battle of two kingdoms in the world. It is a fierce clash.

Or, we can take a micro view and look at how it can be applied to our inner battles. This is my approach in this section. We are going to view this verse through the lens  of 1 Peter 2:11. “Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul.”  Let’s expose the inner war.

There are things that strengthen your walk with God and things that cause and feed inner turmoil and battles. A huge sign of spiritual maturity comes when you stop feeding your flesh and start feeding the spirit. 

Let me paraphrase the words of Jesus in this verse: “Those things that are not for the work of God in your life are against them!”  

Many Christians are given over to pleasures and activities that feed the flesh. According to 1 Peter 5:8, Satan prowls about as a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. Stop baiting him! 

When James 4:7-10 are added to this discussion, our part of the formula comes into focus. Submit to God and resist the devil. “8) Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands you sinners and purify your hearts you double-minded.” 

If you want the inner war to end, stop supplying arms to the enemy! Repent of the darkness in your life and slam the doors closed!  Don’t be double-minded. 

Back to Luke 11:23. Those things that are not for the work of God in your life are against them. Get focused. Become single-minded. Clean out the junk. Stop feeding your soul with sewage and garbage! 

Yes, get rid of everything that feeds fleshly lusts, fantasies, greed, and your own ego. Don’t beg God for spiritual victory and freedom when you have a demonically driven IV tube pumping sinful plasma into your soul.

Here is your formula for victory: 1) Confess, 2) Repent, 3) Resist, 4) Renounce, 5) Rebuke, 6) Replace, 7)  Refocus. Starve the flesh and feed the spirit! 

The law of the sower says; “7) Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. 8) For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.” (Galatians‬ ‭6‬:‭7‬-‭8‬) 

This is one of numerous ways of applying Luke 11:23 to your life. This is one you can do something about. You can start immediately. The starting place for winning the inner war is simply by getting rid of Satan’s feeding tubes into your soul.

Lasting Freedom: Luke 11:24-26 

““24) When the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and not finding any, it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ 25) And when it comes, it finds it swept and put in order. 26) Then it goes and takes along seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first.”” 

It is not enough to be set free from an unclean spirit or demonic torment. Unless a person makes Jesus Christ the Lord and new owner of the inner house, the unclean spirit will circle back and seek to take possession of the person again. There are several important lessons in these three short verses. 

First, unclean spirits seek a host to inhabit. Their preference is people, but like in the case of the swine in Mark 5:12, they can inhabit some unclean animals. I do not fully understand this, but I take scripture at face value.

Second, they do not leave a host randomly. According to Luke 11:21-22, an authority greater and more powerful has to evict them. According to the Bible that authority is Jesus Christ and those to whom He has given authority to operate in His name. (See Luke 10:17) 

Third, there seems to be different ranks or kinds of demonic entities. Notice the word “kind” in Matthew 17:21. Some need a host to inhabit, others are powers of the air. They work against geographical regions. (See Ephesians 6:12) 

Fourth, as mentioned earlier, Jesus indicated that an evicted spirit will circle back and seek entrance into a human host again. This is why it is essential to lead people to personal faith in Jesus Christ so they become born-again and Spirit-filled. Being religious is not a safeguard. Jesus cast unclean spirits out of countless religious people.

Fifth, it is possible for people to be possessed by multiple unclean spirits. In this text Jesus talked about “seven others” joining the original unclean spirits. 

Finally, when the process is not concluded properly, the last state for the person can become worse than the first. Again, I emphasize hearing the gospel, putting saving faith in Jesus Christ and being filled with the Holy Spirit. (Review the context of Luke 11:13) 

Jesus is in the business of saving people and setting them free. Satan is in the business of deceiving people and making them slaves to sin and destruction. 

By all means make Jesus Christ Savior and Lord of your life and walk in freedom and holiness. You can have lasting freedom. Become a seasoned soldier of Jesus Christ! 

The Cut Short Conversation: Luke 11:27-28 

“27) While Jesus was saying these things, one of the women in the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, “Blessed is the womb that bore You and the breasts at which You nursed.” 28) “But He said, “On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.”” 

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This woman was trying to glorify the mother of Jesus, but He had no part of it. The seeds were there for a cultish worship of Mary. There is no basis for this in the Bible. 

It is reminiscent of Luke 8:19-21, when His mother Mary and His brothers came to visit Him. Their intent was to stop Him from going too far in His ministry. He ignored them and responded; “21) But He answered and said to them, “My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it.””  He was not being rude, but He was very blunt. He emphasized being the Son of God and not the son of Mary. 

The answer was almost identical to the way He responded to the woman in this context; “28) But He said, “On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.””  Mary has no spiritual blessing to impart. She is a mere human.

This text opens the door for an important discussion. 

There is no biblical basis for the way the Catholic Church makes a deity figure out of Mary. Never in the Bible did anyone pray to her or seek to receive any spiritual grace from her. The whole practice of exalting Mary is unbiblical, dark, sinful, and cultish. 

Jesus Christ Himself is the focus of the Bible. Acts 4:8-12 is the final word for this conversation. Salvation stops and ends with Jesus Christ. Mary is not in the formula. The redemptive work of God rests in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

The Bible gives no merit to either Mary or Saint worship. This practice comes from paganism and is abominable. Jesus was swift to cut off any conversation that would lend merit to this tragic error and religious heresy. 

Follow and obey the word of God and not superstition, church tradition, or Catholic paganism. As born-again believers, the Bible is our sole authority. It points to faith in Jesus Christ as our only means of salvation and the power of the Holy Spirit as our source for daily living and service. 

The Greatest Sign: Luke 11:29-30

“29) As the crowds were increasing, He began to say, “This generation is a wicked generation; it seeks for a sign, and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah. 30) For just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation.”  

The conversation about the sign of Jonah goes back to Luke 11:16; “And others to test Him, were demanding a sign from heaven.” Jesus was about to obligate them and grant an amazing sign. 

Matthew 12:38-41 covers this same exchange. It related to Jonah being three days and three nights in the great fish, so also Jesus would be three days and nights in the heart of the earth.

His coming death, burial and resurrection would be the greatest sign of His true identity. This also fulfilled the typology of Genesis 22 and the prophecies of Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53. (There were many other Old Testament prophecies fulfilled by Jesus Christ as well) 

Romans 1:4 says He was “…declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead…” He did indeed give them a great sign from heaven.

It was the resurrection that separated Jesus Christ from every other religious leader. This sign validated His entire ministry and established the gospel. (See John 3:16-17) 

It is impossible to study the life and ministry of Jesus Christ and remain neutral. He performed many signs and wonders, the greatest of which was His death, burial, and resurrection for the redemption of humanity. 

I beg you not to remain undecided. “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved.” (Acts 16:31) 

Warnings of Coming Judgement: Luke 11:31-32

“31) The Queen of the South will rise up with the men of this generation at the judgment and condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, something greater than Solomon is here. 32) The men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation at the judgment and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.”

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The story of the visit of the Queen of the south to Solomon is recorded in both 1 Kings 10:1-10 and 2 Chronicles 9:1-12. To this day, it is a celebrated part of the royal history of Ethiopia. They maintain that this visit resulted in the birth of a son that became a significant ruler in Ethiopia. It is talked about at length in their national museum. 

Notice that this piece of documented history is sandwiched between two texts about Jonah and the city of Nineveh. Though some liberal scholars reject the book of Jonah because of its miraculous story line, Jesus spoke of both of these events as historical facts! He validated the book of Jonah as a true and literal fact of history. 

He used both of these stories to pronounce judgement on the Jewish leaders and blind people of His time who rejected both His message and miracles. They had no excuse for their unbelief or hardness of heart. The Old Testament is filled with prophecies about the Messiah. They rejected everything. 

It is very important to note that Jesus warned about coming judgement. The Bible is full of warnings about judgement. This is a common theme in both the Old and New Testaments. (See Romans 2:1-16; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Revelation 20:11-15) 

For the believer, Jesus bore the wrath and judgement of God on sin on our behalf on the cross. We will not face eternal judgement, but we will be held accountable for our actions. Therefore, we are to live sober and holy lives with great reverence for God. (See Hebrews 12:25-29 and 1 Peter 1:13-19.)

I am deeply concerned that the doctrines of God’s holiness, wrath, and judgement have been dropped from consciousness in the modern church. They were crucial components in the preaching of the early church and the messages that led to the Great Awakenings. Where there is no fear and reverence for God, there is no basis for repentance or holy living. We have a very watered down gospel today. 

Let Your Light Shine: Luke 11:33-36

““33) No one, after lighting a lamp, puts it away in a cellar nor under a basket, but on the lampstand, so that those who enter may see the light. 34) The eye is the lamp of your body; when your eye is clear, your whole body also is full of light; but when it is bad, your body also is full of darkness. 35) Then watch out that the light in you is not darkness. 36) If therefore your whole body is full of light, with no dark part in it, it will be wholly illumined, as when the lamp illumines you with its rays.””

Jesus used the illustration of an oil lamp for walking in truth and light. Once a lamp is lit and trimmed, it is placed on a lamp stand to give light to the entire room. It illuminates the eye to prevent stumbling because of darkness. It is not hidden away in a cellar or placed under a basket. That would be a waste.

So is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ through the gospel. It ignites an inner lamp. It is intended to shine brightly through every situation and relationship in life. Several scriptures speak loudly on this theme. 

Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.” God’s word is a trustworthy light to illuminate our path. This verse has shaped my walk with God over many decades. 

1 John 1:5-7 says, “5) This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. 6) If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; 7) but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.” These verses capture the illuminating factor of a relationship with God. There is no excuse for sin and darkness in the life of a believer. 

Furthermore, passengers like Ephesians 5:7-8 and Colossians 1:12-14 teach that we are delivered by the domain of darkness and transferred into the kingdom of light. As born-again believers we become children of light. We have both a new identity and a new inner beacon shining within. Don’t obscure it! 

No wonder in Matthew 5:14-15, Jesus proclaims that we are the light of the world. The darker the world the brighter we shine. 

If Jesus is in you, let your light shine. Place Him in open view on the lamp stand of your life!

Don’t be shy, timid, reserved, or ashamed. Let the light and life of Jesus shine through you! Don’t be timid to be who you are in Christ. Light is part of your new identity! 

The Judgmental  Meal: Luke 37-38  

“37) Now when He had spoken, a Pharisee asked Him to have lunch with him; and He went in, and reclined at the table. 38) When the Pharisee saw it, he was surprised that He had not first ceremonially washed before the meal.” 

This meal invitation set the stage for a lengthy conversation about the difference between righteous and being religious. True righteousness is the inward condition of the heart. Being religious is the outward practice of legalism. 

As Jesus went into the house of a Pharisee to dine, He did not observe the ceremonial washings before the meal. These washings were not prescribed in the Law. They were the outcome of years of religious rituals, traditions, and ceremonies assembled by the religious elite.

But it made them look and feel good and devoutly religious.These outward ceremonies had  become a measuring stick of spirituality. These traditions and ceremonies soon became etched in stone and became a standard to judge others. 

But Jesus and the disciples were cut from very different fabric. Jesus had spent most of His life as a carpenter. He came from the working class. Four of the disciples were from a commercial fishing background. Godly they were, religious they were not! 

Can you imagine how hungry and hard-working men prepared for a meal? Jesus focused on His heart and not His hands. He was holy inwardly. These men most likely did not sit down to “dine” while working.

This clash set the stage for a lengthy conversation. Jesus used it to expose all kinds of religious sin and hypocrisy. You can paint the barn but until you remove the manure, it’s still a barn. 

The Pharisees were painting the outward barn thinking it turned them into cathedrals, but inwardly they were full of sinful manure. That’s the problem with religious legalism. It makes people look good and feel good outwardly, but it ignores the inward condition of the heart. It ignores the manure pile of human depravity. 

Outward versus Inward: Luke 11:39-41

“39) But the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and of the platter; but inside of you, you are full of robbery and wickedness. 40) You foolish ones, did not He who made the outside make the inside also? 41) But give that which is within as charity, and then all things are clean for you.”

Jesus now begins a series of three accusations against the Pharisees. He exposes them. 

The first summarized their tendency to focus on the outward rather than the inward. This is the way legalism always works. It parades an outward show but the inward heart is sinful and ugly. 

This is a stark contrast to the born-again experience and the inner cleansing and sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit. The Law worked from the outside in, the gospel works from the inside out. (See Titus 3:4-7) 

This is true of every system of religion based on self-effort trying to be righteous. No external moral or religious code can change the human heart. This requires the inner working of the Holy Spirit.

The extent of their inner depravity was openly manifest a few short months later when the religious leaders plotted to put Jesus to death. They looked good outwardly, but inwardly were filled with jealousy and hate. By contrast, even from the cross Jesus manifested agape love by forgiving them. 

At some point, religious legalism will fail you. It will leave you hard, cold, and judgmental. Your religious garb will amount to hypocrisy. The outward show will eventually betray you.

Many religiously legalistic people become narcissists. They dominate, rule over, and control others. Those closest to them become victims of their anger and overbearing control. There is no genuine fruit of the spirit adorning their life. They are fake! 

Slaves to Religious Formality: Luke 11:42

““42) But woe to you Pharisees! For you pay tithe of mint and rue and every kind of garden herb, and yet disregard justice and the love of God; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others.” 

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At first glance, the tithing of the Pharisees looked commendable. They were tithing right down to the most basic garden plants of mint, rue, and garden herbs. It looked and even smelled good. But Matthew 23:23 tells a very different story. 

They were good at outwardly tithing the small provisions of the Law, but they were neglecting the big provisions of the Law like showing justice, mercy, love, and faithfulness. They were great with plants but terrible with people.

They were so absorbed with the small details of the Law they missed the call to love others as themselves. Their legalism made them blind to justice and mercy.

They were eager to apply an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, but did not value people. They would quickly prosecute a thief or exploit an alien, but failed to recognize that they were hungry, thirsty, poor, and destitute. They ignored mercy and compassion.

Part of tithing and giving to God is caring for orphans, widows, the poor, and the oppressed. The Pharisees were out of touch with the heart of God. They had become blind slaves to religious formality. 

It can happen to us so quickly. Religious legalism can obscure the heart and compassion of God. It can blind us to the needs around us. It can make us self-focused rather than truly seeing and serving those around us. 

This is what made Jesus so radically different from the scribes and Pharisees. He focused on ministering to people. 

The Stench of Self-Promotion: Luke 11:43

“43) Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the chief seats in the synagogues and the respectful greetings in the market places.”

This third woe could be called “self-promotion.”  The Pharisees lived for fame and prestige. They wanted to be known and celebrated. They wanted to sit in the first chair and be greeted by everyone. 

You cannot glorify God and self at the same time. You end up worshipping the god in the mirror.

You cannot serve others and yourself at the same time. Your motives will always be warped and disingenuous. 

You cannot be humble and proud at the same time. Your focus will always come back to self. 

The Pharisees were provoked to jealousy over Jesus. The multitudes were flocking after Him. 

Their resolve was to discredit and destroy Him. Those who promote self always compete for the spotlight. They are surrounded by a terrible stench. 

The Religious Graveyard: Luke 11:44

“44) Woe to you! For you are like concealed tombs, and the people who walk over them are unaware of it.”” 

Such is the plight of all false teachers and leaders of self-righteous religions. They look and sound good, but they are graves. They produce death and not life. They lead people astray.

This was the story of the Pharisees. Behind their religious garb and pious legalism was death. But it looked good outwardly. How could something so impressive be so misleading? Their followers had no idea they were walking into a spiritual graveyard. 

They were part of the fulfillment of John 10:10; “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”  Following them leads to death. Following Jesus leads to life. 

The Bloodguilt on the Lawyers: Luke 11:45-52

“45) One of the lawyers said to Him in reply, “Teacher, when You say this, You insult us too.” 46) But He said, “Woe to you lawyers as well! For you weigh men down with burdens hard to bear, while you yourselves will not even touch the burdens with one of your fingers. 47) Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets, and it was your fathers who killed them. 48) So you are witnesses and approve the deeds of your fathers; because it was they who killed them, and you build their tombs. 49) For this reason also the wisdom of God said, ‘I will send to them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and some they will persecute, 50) so that the blood of all the prophets, shed since the foundation of the world, may be charged against this generation, 51) from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the house of God; yes, I tell you, it shall be charged against this generation.’ 52) Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge; you yourselves did not enter, and you hindered those who were entering.”” 

This lawyer recognized that Jesus was implicating them with everything He said about the Pharisees. They were side-by-side in their hypocrisy. But there was a key difference.

The Pharisees would parade around in their legalism and self-righteousness, but they had no power or authority to enforce the Law. The lawyers on the other hand could pass a guilty verdict on others. Their words could bring a verdict of guilt and condemnation. Their opinion would bring a sentence of punishment including death. 

Jesus charged them with the guilt of the Old Testament Martyrs. They were behind the killing of many prophets and righteous men throughout the centuries who had been sent by God to warn His people. They had blood on their hands.

They would interpret the Law in such a way as to weigh men down with heavy burdens while claiming personal exemption. They were the masters of the double standard. They could always find a loophole for themselves while condemning whomever they opposed. 

In a few short months, their counsel would feed the charge of guilt and condemnation against Jesus Christ. They would take their seat in the Sanhedrin and stand shoulder to shoulder with the high priest pronouncing a sentence of death on Jesus. 

Spiritual Heart Disease: Luke 11:53-54

“53) When He left there, the scribes and the Pharisees began to be very hostile and to question Him closely on many subjects, 54) plotting against Him to catch Him in something He might say.” 

After His exposure and rebuke of the Pharisees and Lawyers, everything changed. He was no less blunt than John the Baptist a few years earlier (Matthew 3:5-12), but they had now become cold, hard, calloused, and vengeful. 

From this point onward, they become openly hostile. Every encounter had the goal of trapping and destroying Jesus. 

There is a sober lesson in this story. If we do not respond with confession and repentance to the conviction ministry of the Holy Spirit in our lives, it affects us inwardly. We become cold and hard. 

Many contexts of Scripture warn about this phenomenon. One example is Ephesians 4:17-32. In this text Paul warns believers about the deceitfulness of sin. It can quickly lead to callous and heard hearts. It results in grieving the Holy Spirit. 

Hardening of the spiritual arteries is a tragic condition. Like heart disease in the body, it becomes a silent killer. It kills fellowship and communion with God. It turns us into mean and grumpy people. It eats away at marriages and key relationships. 

Unconfessed sin leads to spiritual heart disease. It has the same effect on us as it did in the Pharisees and Lawyers. 

They were the religious leaders of Israel, but they became enemies of God. Their hearts were cold and callous. 

Let this story serve as a sober warning. You need to deal with your sin if you want to be closer to God. Attend to your heart with all diligence. From it flows the forces that govern your life. (Proverbs 4:23)