For October let's study Luke 6 and 7. These again chapters that are a bit longer so we are only dong two.
Thanks and blessings to you all.
Grounds for Love |
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I have posted some thoughts below on Luke 3, 4 and 5. We have now completed the 30 day study on those chapters and are moving to October.
For October let's study Luke 6 and 7. These again chapters that are a bit longer so we are only dong two. Thanks and blessings to you all.
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Chapter 5 set the stage for Jesus choosing His first disciples, Simon Peter and James and John the sons of Zebedee. These men were all fishermen from the same village on the Sea of Galilee.
Jesus was teaching along the shore and became swarmed by people and saw two boats at waters edge and stepped into one of them asking Peter to push it away from shore so He could continue His preaching. After Jesus finished He asked Peter to go out further and to let down the nets. Peter did but said they had worked all night and caught nothing. This time the nets were so full of fish the nets began to tear. Peter shouted for help and James and John came out to help in their boat. Both boats were filled with so many fish they were on the verge of sinking. Peter realized what had happened and said to Jesus, "Oh, Lord, please leave me - I'm too much of a sinner to be around you." I see a Savior who loves all men, even sinners. Peter admitted being a sinner, yet the Lord blessed Peter and his partners to overflowing. Or from Peter's perspective, blessed beyond belief. Jesus then said to them in verse 10; "Don't be afraid! From now on you'll be fishing for people!" I believe Jesus had them catch so many fish then saying they would soon be fishing for people to give them a vision of sorts as to how abundant their fishing for people would be. They would find their efforts would produce a catch that would go beyond what they could possibly imagine. Truthfully that is exactly what happened. These men along with others brought an entire world to accept and know Jesus Christ and find forgiveness and their work continues even today. As they traveled, Jesus healed a man with an advanced case of leprosy. Another day Jesus was teaching to a crowd so large no one could enter the place not even get close. Two men were bringing a paralyzed man to Jesus to be healed and had to go on the roof and make an opening to lower him down. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to them in verse 20; "Young man, your sins are forgiven." There were Pharisees and teacher of religious law in attendance who said to one another, " Who does he think he is? That's blasphemy! Only God can forgive sins!" Jesus knew what they were saying and asked them if it was easier to say your sins are forgiven or stand up and walk? Jesus then said to the man, "Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!" With everyone watching, the man immediately did just that and walked away praising God. The crowd was filled with awe and they also praised God. My thought ran to the idea that back then, many people believed people were sick because of sin. So if Jesus healed someone, He would have had to take away their sin. Whether he forgave their sin or made them walk again, in the eyes of some in His day, the person's sin would have to have been forgiven. He might have asked that question so they would understand. As Jesus left town, He met and called Levi, a tax collector to follow Him. Levi dropped what he was doing and went along. Levi held a banquet at his home in Jesus honor and invited many of his fellow tax collectors. The Pharisees and teachers of the religious law were bitter and asked Jesus disciples why He would eat and drink with such people. They would never do such a thing for they felt they were clean and would become unclean by associating with such scum. Jesus answered in verse 31; "Healthy people don't need a doctor - sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous but those who know they are sinners and need to repent." Jesus came to call those who knew they needed to be forgiven. One would understand that anyone who knew they were sinful and needed forgiveness would actually hear and accept Jesus message. However, Jesus message to those who "thought" they were righteous would feel they had no need to hear or act on Jesus teachings. Jesus came to heal people of their brokenness but those who (thought) were not broken had no need of healing. Jesus finishes the lesson of the new and old wine and the new and old wineskins with verse 39; "But no one who drinks the old wine seems to want the new wine. The old is just fine, they say." People who had the old religion, the old law and old ways of thinking had no need for the new messages Jesus was bringing, They thought the "good old" way they believed was fine leaving no room to learn about new ways. If they saw nothing broken in the old way why even look at the new way? For example an old thought was an eye for an eye but Jesus taught to turn the other cheek. Many people were just fine holding on to what was taught in the past. Jesus brought something very new and very different but in reality He was bringing what the old way pointed to but people just could not see that and were not ready to accept it or change to get it. Luke 4 begins with an account of the temptation of Jesus by the devil. We all know, after being baptized, Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness where Jesus time of temptation took place.
We are aware of three temptations Jesus faced but it is important to point out verse two indicating He was tempted much more than three times. V2. "where He was tempted by the devil for forty days." Yes, He was tempted the three times recorded in Luke but understand He was tempted for forty days. Being tempted for forty straight days was quite an attack on Jesus. Also notice Luke tells us Jesus ate nothing the entire time and became very hungry. Fasting is a spiritual practice and perhaps Jesus fasted knowing He would encounter such temptation. A practice we can and should apply when we are faced with difficult times and trials. Three particular temptations Jesus faced are written in Luke. The first temptation was to make bread for himself to eat to take away His hunger. The second was the offering of the devil to receive the glory of any of the worldly kingdoms tempting His pride and ego. During this temptation something the devil said jumped out at me. He said, V6 "I will give you the glory of these kingdoms because they are mine to give to anyone I please." That statement caused me to understand how carefully we should view and desire worldly things. If the devil used things many of us treasure and strive for to tempt Jesus, then maybe we need to watch and make sure we are not being tempted with such things in our own lives. The third was tempting Jesus to jump off the top of the Temple so God could save Him by ordering is angels, perhaps tempting Jesus to do something to prove God's power or exhibit His faith. Now in verse 13, we read, "When the devil had finished tempting Jesus, he left Him until the next opportunity came." I take this to imply Jesus may not have only been tempted while in the wilderness for forty days but during His entire ministry. Jesus may have overcome much more temptation that we might think at first glance. We know He addressed a time He may have been tempted in Matthew 16:23. Jesus had just told the disciples He would go to Jerusalem and die there. Peter responded with "Heaven forbid" and "This will never happen to you." To which Jesus said, "Get away from me, Satan!" I believe this supports the idea Jesus was not only tempted in the wilderness but throughout His ministry. In fighting with the devil during Hide times of temptation, Jesus used scriptures to fight back. If fighting temptation with scripture was Jesus way of combating temptation then maybe we should do the same. This is a huge reason for us all to read and study the Bible so we can use it or at least turn to it in times of trial and temptation. Chapter four also gives us accounts of Jesus speaking in the Temple, saying He was the one referred to in the writings of Isaiah 61:1-2; The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the Lord's favor has come." Through the writings in Isaiah, Jesus declared He was the one who has come in the name of the Lord to do all those things. He later supports His claim by casting out demons and healing the ill. As He cast out demons, even they knew who He was by calling Him, the Holy One of God and the Son of God. Vs 34 and 41. Crowds followed Jesus everywhere and begged Him to not leave them but He spoke to them of His mission in verse 43; "But He replied, " I must preach the Good News of the Kingdom of God in other towns too, because that is why I was sent." Jesus came to tell all people of the saving gift of salvation God had sent them through Jesus Christ. Each one of us has been given that gift and can spend eternity with God if we claim Jesus as our Lord and Savior Zechariah's son, John (the baptist) had been living in the wilderness. While there, God instructed John to leave the wilderness and he went from place to place on both sides of the Jordan River teaching people about baptism.
Today there is much debating regarding various views on baptism. Scripture tells us to not add to it or take away from it and here in Luke we are given a definition of what John was teaching about baptism. Verse three, John was ; "...preaching that people should be baptized TO SHOW that they had repented of their sins AND TURNED to God to be forgiven." (capitals emphasis mine) Verse three clearly tells why people should be baptized. 1. To show they had repented of sins 2. To show they had turned to God for forgiveness of their sins Luke gives us more information about John and baptism in verse seven. People came to him to be baptized but he lectured them about coming with a wrong heart. They came to him more or less thinking baptism would protect them from God's wrath. John must have understood they had not changed the way they lived but only wanted a ticket to forgiveness and called them a brood of snakes. Verse eight, John spoke to them; "Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God." The act of baptism was to reflect their turning away from sin and that they were looking to God for forgiveness. He was telling them that the sincerity of their baptism was expressed by how they lived from that day forward. Being baptized should mark the point in one's life where they live a more Godly lifestyle. Some thought they were safe because they were descendants of Abraham and John helped them understand that didn't matter in this case. Hearing that, the people asked what they should do. John replied in verse 10, "If you have two shirts, give one to the poor. If you have food, share it with those who are hungry." Even the tax collectors asked what they should do and John spoke to them in verse 13, "Collect no more taxes that the government requires." (Most tax collectors charged the people more that the government asked of them and kept what was left over for themselves.) Even some soldiers asked what they should do and John spoke to them saying, "Don't extort money or make false accusations. And be content with your pay." Soldiers could have people pay them for protection or pay to have the soldiers overlook some unlawful activity or business. They could be bought in many ways adding extra income to their pay. The point here is that John instructs people to be generous, to share, to care for those that are struggling or in need. He teaches us to not take advantage of others for personal gain. He teaches we should be people of integrity, uncompromising in doing what it right. Simply, to love and care for one another and to be people of honor who do the right thing no matter what. Some wondered if John was the Messiah. He clearly stated was not. He added he was not good enough to be a slave of the Messiah nor to untie the Messiah's sandals. John added that he has been baptizing with water (verse 16) while the Messiah would baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire. John's water baptism was the way people expressed their turning away from sin and turning to God seeking forgiveness for their sin. Jesus baptism would be of the Holy Spirit which would be a cleansing and purifying baptism. John also taught that Jesus would come and separate people as the farmer separated his crop of wheat. Jesus would be the one to come and judge mankind. He would separate those who had value by following His teachings (wheat) from those who continued to be wicked and have no Kingdom value (chaff). And like the farmer who burned the worthless chaff, the people who continued in wickedness would burn in a never ending fire. Jesus was also baptized by John and as He prayed the heavens opened up and the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove descended on Him. A voice from heaven then said (verse 22) "You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy." Luke 2, verses 1-7, address the birth of Jesus and Mary and Joseph's journey to Bethlehem. While in Bethlehem, in a stable, Mary gave birth to her son, Jesus the Messiah who was her first child.
There has been much discussion as to the size of Jesus family. From Luke 2:7 "She gave birth to her first child, a son." So we can be sure she gave birth to others. Many make the point that because Jesus father was God and his siblings father was Joseph , all the siblings relationship to Jesus was as a half brother or half sister. First, according to experts, the Greek word used for brothers in Jesus case was clearly brother not cousin or anything else. Most agree Jesus first brother was James who became one of the Apostles and authored the book of James. Then there was Joseph who was named after his father, Mary's husband, Joseph. Most often the first born son would be named after the father but in this case Mary was instructed to name her first born Jesus. Then there was Simeon of whom nothing is known. Last, we see Judas (not Judas Iscariot) also named Jude. He is credited with being the author of the book of Jude. As far as Jesus sisters we know there were at least two because they are always referred to in the plural. There could have been more than two we are not sure. Verses 8-20 tell us of the shepherds and their encounter. They were caring for their flocks when an angel told them of the birth of the Savior and how they could find Him. They would be the first of those who would spread the good news of the birth of Christ. Once the angel gave them the news, 13 "Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others - the armies of heaven - praising God and saying, 14 Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased." I think we have an easy time picturing an angel speaking to the shepherds but are unable to picture he armies of heaven praising God. Can you get a picture of all the angels of heaven? Thousands, millions even billions? Who knows? But given their responsibilities and the size of the universes God created I am sure there were more angels present that we can imagine. So picture angels filling the skies for as far as you can see and beyond singing praises to God! How could anyone doubt the Messiah had been born? How better can the glory of God be viewed? Once the shepherds had seen the Messiah they told everyone about Him and what they had seen. I compare other peoples experiences in the Bible to how we respond to what we learn. We have not seen the Savior in person but there was a day we came to believe in Him. There was a day when we became excited about Him. They told everyone they met, do we carry this same excitement and desire? Are we overwhelmed with the need to proclaim the Savior has been born? Are we excited to tell a family member? A neighbor? Or do we mostly keep it to ourselves? This is good news for all people! There is hope we can survive our sinful lives and experience eternity with Christ. Why would we keep it to ourselves? Then 20 "The shepherds went back to their flocks, GLORIFYING AND PRAISING GOD for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them." They realized what they had been given and that understanding brought them to a place of glorifying and praising God. Maybe we don't really grasp what we have been given, for if we had, would we not continually break out in praise to God? If we truly grasp what has happened how could anything take the place of our desire to be thankful and grateful for a new end to the end of our existence? How could we whine and complain Sunday is our only day to sleep in if we understand we have been given eternity in place of the damnation we have earned? Verses 25-35 tell of Simeon meeting Mary and Joseph who brought Jesus to the Temple to present Him to the Lord. The Holy Spirit had revealed to Simeon he would not die before he had seen the Messiah and waited eagerly for that to come to pass. Simeon saw Mary, Joseph and Jesus and took Jesus in his arms and praised God. In verse 30 he said, "I have seen your salvation, 31 which you have prepared for ALL people. 32 He is a light TO reveal God to the nations, He is the glory of your people Israel!" Two things to notice; one Jesus brought salvation to all people. All people everywhere. He brings that gift of God to all who believe. Next Jesus presence reveals God to all people like a light reveals what is unseen in darkness. Remember Jesus said if we see Him, then we have seen the Father. Who Jesus is and what He brought and taught gives us insight into who and what the Father is. Jesus came not to bring glory to Himself but to glorify the Father and he states that several times. We should live with the same mission in mind. We should live to bring glory to God. However, it is the way of the world to spend our live bringing glory to ourselves is it not? Simeon blessed them and said Jesus would cause many to fall and He would be a joy to others. He said Jesus was sent as a sign from God and He will be opposed by many. 34 "As a result, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your very soul." All the hatred and attacks upon Jesus wold be as a sword piercing her heart. The child she had been given and loved with a whole heart would be horribly treated which would pierce her heart. I also wonder if the final blow, the piercing of Jesus side with a spear on while on the cross would be the final thrust of the sword of pain Mary would bear. We see Anna , a prophet in the Temple. 37 "She never left the Temple but stayed there day and night, worshipping God with fasting and prayer," Here I want to point out that in this verse, fasting and prayer are defined as forms of worship. I do this because we may think of fasting as a torturous sacrifice and a giving of ourselves to God. We may see prayer only as a method of getting things done. But perhaps we can see that when we fast and pray we are worshipping God. They are not some drudgery we "have" to do at least once in our lives. Maybe we can see them as acts of worship and enjoy them and practice them as much as we do singing praises to God . Verses 41-62 tell us of Jesus in the Temple speaking , learning and asking questions. He stayed behind when Mary and Joseph journeyed home. They discovered He was missing and returned to Jerusalem to look for Him. Three days later they found Him in the Temple amazing those who heard Him. Jesus responds to Mary asking Him about what He had done. 49 "But why did you need to search? He asked. "Didn't you know I must be in my Father's house?" 50 But they didn't understand what He meant." He was missing and they had no idea where he could be as it took them three days to find Him. Jesus may have implied, if they couldn't find Him they should have first looked in the Temple because that was a logical part of His journey on Earth. Also they should have known His purpose would have to start being revealed and life as a normal family would soon begin to change so He could do what He came to do. |
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