Luke, Chapter 4 part 2

I have a confession this morning. I very nearly walked away from writing this blog here at Veritas. It has not become what I wanted it to become. I didn't feel like I was reaching much of an audience. Also, I felt like I wasn't developing as a writer anymore. I felt like I was rehashing the same message over and over again, especially in the writings on the life of David. I don't know if it was my inner strength leaving me or what, but I simply didn't feel qualified to write on this anymore.

Then I realized I was breaking a cardinal rule I set forth when I created this space: I was making it about myself. I had gone away from the focus on God and what He was doing behind my words and instead drew disappointment that the focus wasn't on how I can advance myself. I see that same lesson today in the second part of Luke chapter 4. In it, Jesus begins his public ministry away from his home town. He starts in Capernaum, which is a town he would use as one of the bases during His short public ministry.

40When the sun was setting, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness, and laying his hands on each one, he healed them. 41Moreover, demons came out of many people, shouting, "You are the Son of God!" But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the Christ. – Luke 4:40-41

Why would Jesus refuse to allow people to talk about His miracles? It is simple. The miracles and discussion hat would follow would put the focus on Him instead of His message. These miracles did serve a purpose. They drew attention to His ministry. What we see though throughout this ministry is that Jesus never made them the focus. The focus was always His message of salvation and forgiveness through repentance. It is almost like he used the miracles simply as an attention getter. They would say, "If you liked that, let me tell you what else I have," in a way.

Jesus knew he had more important things to say. These were messages that were conveyed not in words or actions, but in the meaning behind them. Jesus only promoted himself in the ways that it matters (i.e. I am the way, the truth, and the life.). The rest of the time, it was all about his message. That is why I am going to continue writing here. It is about the message and the Truth found in the Word, not about my own goals. I invite you to keep reading with me.

Luke, Chapter 4 part 1

What is temptation to you? There are personal demons that everyone battles. In my life, there are three in particular that continue to plague me daily. It is easy to fall prey to temptation even when we are strong. Our own strength is never enough because we are not Christ. Lately I have fallen prey to some of my temptations, particularly those rooted in frustration and anger, because they are the easy way. I don't necessarily get what I want, but it is the easy way to give in and lash out at those around me because life seems directionless. Essentially, that is what temptation boils down to: What is the easy way?

The beginning of Luke, chapter 4, deals strongly with temptation. Before beginning His public ministry, Christ is tempted by Satan directly. It is hard to imagine the Son of God taking the easy way when, if you think about it, everything could be the Easy Way for Him. The easy way was not His mission though. It was not His choice to avoid the suffering and sacrifice He had to face on the Cross. As the Son of God, He didn't have to do it. He wanted to do it though, no matter how difficult it was. The Sacrifice, which was never easy, was necessary in order to provide reconciliation for all mankind to God. Simply put, the Easy Way was not going to cut it.

5The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6And he said to him, "I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. 7So if you worship me, it will all be yours."

 8Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.'" – Luke 4:5-8

How could Satan give Jesus everything if He already had it? It is easy to see how a normal man would fall prey to this. Being given the entire world is a tempting offer. Jesus, however, knew the truth. The kingdoms of the world not only were already promised to Him eventually, but they weren't even in Satan's power to give. To me, if I were Jesus (and I know I am far from Jesus), this is the easiest temptation to resist of the three. Jesus knew patience was the key. He was going to win regardless, so why take the easy way?

The second part I wanted to discuss today was Jesus' rejection in His hometown. I love this because it speaks to my character. Jesus did not do what was expected of Him. He did not conform to other peoples ideals. I can relate to this, because I hate conforming. I hate going along with society on many things simply because that is what is expected. Some call it being difficult, but I prefer to think of it as unique. That is a strong part of Jesus' nature though. If you look closely at His ministry, he never makes it about Himself or about others. He is constantly at odds with those He comes in contact with. He directed the message and focus on God instead. In this, he specifically and boldly pointed out the truth without regard to what people thought He should do. Some, like those in Nazareth, rejected Him for it. Personally, I love him for it.

Luke, Chapter 3 part 1

I have long been fascinated by the life of John the Baptist. He is one of my favorite Biblical figures, right up there with Abraham, David, and Paul. John was an extraordinary man. He saw that he had a special calling and pursued it with ambitious zeal. In that, he also knew his place. He developed a great following in the desert, yet never let this following go to his head. He never sought power. He longed only to pursue his mission and teach the message of repentance. He knew he was here to prepare the way for Christ, not to be Christ.

15The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Christ. 16John answered them all, "I baptize you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 17His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." – Luke 3:15-17

The heart of John's message was one of repentance. We see in these verses that he did not have the power to forgive. He knew that salvation was not his to grant. Instead, he was here to teach the basic path of Jesus' message. Jesus is the one with the power to grant salvation. First though, we must repent of our sins and recognize the need for salvation. This was the essential message that John the Baptist preached. He wanted to show us that we had a need for salvation, not that we can automatically expect it because of who we are.

What fascinates me about John the Baptist is the way he selflessly filled this role, even unto death. He ends this passage by being imprisoned, yet he served with the same gusto that Paul would later serve. I also like how there was no middle ground with him. I am a very black and white person, almost too much so. I do not like middle ground. With me, you're either on one side or another. That is how John was, and that is good because it relates to Christ's message. There is no middle ground when it comes to repentance. You must have it. John taught this, and it is an essential part of what we need when we approach Christ seeking salvation.

Luke, Chapter 2 part 2

Very little is known of Jesus' childhood. The only account of him as a boy comes late in this chapter, where as a 12 year old we find him debating with the teachers in the courts of the temple. I have always wondered what Jesus was like growing up. Here He was, completely in human form, yet He was also fully God at the same time. Did he go through all the stages of growth hat humans go through, or did He instantly know everything even as an infant? This is the only glimpse we get of him as a child, but it shows that even then He was quite exceptional.

46After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, "Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you."

 49"Why were you searching for me?" he asked. "Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?" 50But they did not understand what he was saying to them.

 51Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. 52And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. – Luke 2:46-52

First of all, this shows an incredible amount of maturity for a 12 year old. Second, this is one of the few times where the religious leaders of the day were at least partially understanding of His ministry. Most of the time they were plotting to kill Him. I don't fully understand what was going through their heads, but maybe they were simply astounded that this was coming from a 12 year old boy. They gave him leeway because of His youth, but later on when Jesus clearly threatened their power they revoked that leeway.

I also especially love the last part of this chapter. It really paints a picture of Jesus' humility. Jesus clearly was superior to every single human being who ever lived. In that, He never lorded it over people. He never showed human pride, being content to serve rather than seek power. He was obedient to His human parents, and much of His life was spent working as a carpenter in His father's business. Remember, His public ministry was only about 3 years long. The time between this story and his public ministry was six times longer than that. In that time, he humbly lived as a normal human being.

Was Christ trying to fully understand what it was like to live as merely a man in that time? I don't know. It is a mystery because if He is omniscient, then he didn't need to do this. I think this allows us to relate to Christ on a very personal level. Though He didn't have to, He still lived just like one of us. To have a Creator that sacrificed everything to live among us is overwhelming.

Luke, Chapter 2 part 1

Today we deal with the greatest event in the human history. What else can you call the birth of Jesus Christ? His coming was foretold across the centuries and still gives us our sole hope for salvation and eternal life to this day. As mentioned yesterday, His predecessor in John the Baptist had a pretty exceptional birth. Instead of human speculation on his life, Jesus’ birth was announced with divine signs from the heavens.

8And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. 12This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." – Luke 2:8-12

Why would God choose to announce the birth of mankind’s Savior in this way? Why not go to Rome, or to the temple in Jerusalem? It is very important that these shepherds were among the first that knew of Jesus’ birth. They were among the bottom level of society even though David, Israel’s greatest king, was once one of their number. The message is brought to them first to show that Jesus came for all mankind. Had the religious leaders or political figures of the day been contacted first it could have been construed differently. Instead, this humble birth is announced first to the common people, those He came to save.

We see further that the shepherds, these uneducated men on the fringe of society, instantly grasped what the religious leaders of the day failed to do over the course of Jesus’ ministry. They understood that their Savior had been born even without fully understanding the need for one. This only proves that God speaks directly to the heart, not the mind. We will see over the course of the rest of this book that when the mind gets involved, it can be an impediment to the truth. When we listen with our hearts, however, we hear and feel God’s presence move us.

Luke, Chapter 1, part 2

The second part of this chapter begins with Mary’s song. This is nothing less than a beautiful song of praise. If you take a look at the societal norms of the time, however, you can see how difficult it would be for Mary to have a song of praise. She was pregnant before being married. This was more than enough to have her shunned from society. We see in the other gospels that Joseph considered quietly breaking off the engagement as well. We also know that Mary was possibly as young as 14. The fact that she had this song undoubtedly shows an enormous amount of maturity for her age.

This also exhibits the power of God in the way He overcame what surely had to be an enormous amount of fear because of the above conditions. I can barely overcome my own fears, and they aren’t nearly on the scope of Mary’s here.

The rest of the chapter deals with the birth of John the Baptist. As we have discussed before, John was a special type of prophet. He was sent to prepare the way for Christ. His mission was one of change, preparing the people for when Christ would bring about even more dramatic change. Zechariah celebrates this with his won song of praise, but let’s take a look at John’s birth.

62Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child. 63He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone's astonishment he wrote, "His name is John." 64Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue was loosed, and he began to speak, praising God. 65The neighbors were all filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea people were talking about all these things. 66Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, "What then is this child going to be?" For the Lord's hand was with him. Luke 1:62-66

This is very interesting. John the Baptist was a man that openly admitted he wasn’t as good as Christ, yet his birth is met with great fanfare and wonder by the people around him. As we will see tomorrow, Christ came into the world under even more extraordinary circumstances (the virgin birth), yet His birth was met with very little fanfare. If not for God speaking to the shepherds and the Magi through His angels, it would have met with even less fanfare.

So what can we take from this? It is important to praise God even when things look bleak. It is also important to know that we each have roles. John was someone whom people discussed what he would be in wonder. There were great expectations on him, and he lived up to them. I believe we each have great expectations regardless of what others think. We each have a mission, a purpose for why we are here. It is up to us to seek God first and follow that path.

Luke, Chapter 1

My writings on the life of David didn't go as well as I expected, so I have decided to jump back to the gospels for a moment. Since we are now officially in the Christmas season it is the perfect time to do so. I have already written on the gospels of Matthew and Mark, so today I wanted to get into Luke’s gospel. I think this is my favorite of the four gospels because it feels like Luke is merely writing a letter to a friend. It takes a tone much like Paul’s letters later on in the New Testament.

The first chapter is a long one, but it sets up the background for the birth of Jesus. We get a much better picture of John the Baptist before his birth. He would play a major role in preparing the way for Christ’s own ministry.

11Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. 12When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. 13But the angel said to him: "Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John. 14He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, 15for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth. 16Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God. 17And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." – Luke 1:11-17

This is very similar to the birth of Isaac as we saw in the life of Abraham. When God Himself gets involved dramatically in human affairs like this is definitely something that we should pay attention to. John the Baptist was the one who would prepare the way for Christ. To this point there have been many people who have prophesied the need for a Savior, but it was up to John to actually prepare the people of the day to receive him.

Christ Himself was going to bring about dramatic change. He challenged the very ideals of Israelite society. It is almost as if God knew that his type of change would be too radical to be completely understood, so he sent John as an intermediary.

41When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42In a loud voice she exclaimed: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! 43But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!" – Luke 1:41-45

This second part is important because it shows that Elizabeth understood her place. She knew she was having her own special child, but that child was merely a servant for the one that Mary would have. Even before His birth Jesus was already making changes in the hearts and minds of people.