Luke
Calvary Chapel Cherry Creek
Luke 24 vs 36-53
August 10, 2022 • Pastor Matt Korniotes • Luke 24:36–53
Luke Chapter 24 Verses 36 – 37 • I get their surprise… Jesus is just appearing and vanishing and John Chapter 20, a parallel account of what we are reading here, tells us that they were assembled together in a room essentially locked in for fear of the Jews, and so here Jesus is all of a sudden and they were startled. But I hinted at this a bit last week, there’s a bit of training going on here… • At all times, in all places, no matter the circumstance or situation, the Lord is with me, and He is with you. And in one way that is entirely comforting and reassuring, but in another way, that’s at times enraging. Just being real… You never have to truly wonder where God is. So many times, I’ve asked, “Where are You, God?” But the truth is, what I was saying is, “Do something!” And that’s the enraging part… • But you need to know not even by faith, but this is by fact, God is there. And if He is seemingly not doing anything, perhaps this is the faith part…because, yes, He is… He is working a work of faith in you, growth in you, strengthening in you… You will never grow muscular without resistance training. And God not only wants me to be saved but He also wants me to be strong. The process is sometimes not pleasant but God knows what He's doing, even when He is seemingly doing nothing. • And Jesus shows up and His greeting is, “Peace to you.” This is different now. Different than what Jesus talked about before the cross, well perhaps better said, different than He was able to deliver before the cross. This is peace on a macro level. Peace on all levels. Peace having been established between sinful man and a holy God… And so, no matter what’s going on, who you’re afraid of presently, peace unto you at a higher level. • This is how you can baseline the circumstance. There is peace in heaven. Psalm 119:89 says, “Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven.” And Mark 16:19 says, “So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.” Things are at peace at the highest level. And so go about a thousand times down, into my current situation where there is a storm, and let it be known, at the higher level, there is peace… • Any engineers in the house? The drawings, the design closes at the highest level…and yet we keep working issues and stressing issues at the third and fourth indentured level down…in a way, that makes no sense! If the design closes at the highest level, then we can relax…move forward. This is the peace of God. We work the issues yet, but with hope, with grace, with joy, with peace… Completely different than one who does not have the peace of God within their hearts… Luke Chapter 24 Verses 38 – 43 • It’s interesting that time and time again, Jesus has to say something like, “It’s really Me,” to whomever He is speaking with. Something about Him is very different than before. We aren’t given exactly what because we have no comparative descriptions of what He looked like before the cross and then after (other than Revelation 1). • But it does give us a clue as to what Paul was talking about in 1 Corinthians 15:40-44, when he said, “There are also celestial bodies and terrestrial bodies; but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.” And then skipping to verses 51-53, “Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed; In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.” • Paul speaks of this tent as a seed of sorts, sown into the earth and yet raised something very different. Something very changed. A tomato seed or an apple seed look nothing like what happens to it after it is sown into the earth. And perhaps that’s the indication we get with Jesus having to convince many that it was actually Him. • Also interesting is that Jesus seems to bear the scars of the cross even after resurrection. • And the Bible is very very clear that Jesus did not raise only in Spirit or as a Ghost but it is very clear that Jesus raised bodily from the grave as we see here the disciples able to not only see Him but also handle Him… And so cool, He eats! Isn’t eating the best!? We have indication that we will eat in heaven! Isn’t that just great news!? • Revelation Chapter 19 verses 7-9 say, ““Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!” • You know why we are glad, rejoicing, giving God glory and feeling blessed at the marriage supper of the lamb? Because it’s a Pizza Hut buffet! With no heart burn after or getting fat! Raise Praise! HA, just kidding, but there will be eating as we see Jesus eat here in Luke 24… Luke Chapter 24 Verses 44 – 45 • I love this. That it was a work of God Himself personally to them (continually we’ve seen this – in calling Mary by name at the tomb, He was revealed; In the road to Emmaus with two of His disciples; And now here as well) it was a personal work of God to each of them to open their understanding. • Now, John 20 is a parallel account to this scene in Luke 24 and I think by looking at these two accounts together, we can derive the moment that understanding was given to them. John Chapter 20 Verses 21-22, “So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” • John 14:26, Jesus said, “The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.” It is with the receiving of the Holy Spirit that you are given understating in the things of the Spirit… And what does the receiving of the Holy Spirit look like continually? Placing your trust over the circumstance onto the Person and promises of Jesus Christ! (The opposite of the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit) Things straighten out in your mind… • That’s the wording Luke uses here in verse 45. The phraseology is to untangle, and there is even an implication of combat in this action, which is interesting. Because truly, to seek the Lord, I must fight back my flesh. To walk by faith, I must be willing to stiff-arm even my sight sometimes…but that is truly to “open your mind” to something bigger than yourself. Luke Chapter 24 Verses 46 – 49 • Jesus continually puts emphasis on the written Word of God. The Law of Moses, the prophets and the Psalms. He is overt about giving weight and importance to the Word. And notice the beginning of the Gospel, the beginning of the “Promise of the Father.” It is the same with Jesus that it was with John the Baptist and Peter and Paul and the Gospel writers…it is repentance THEN remission of sin. Without repentance, there is no salvation. That is the transaction… It is the turning from sin toward God and in that turning there is an agreement, a communion, as you come to God and He, through His sovereign will and your free will, enters your heart of hearts having been in that moment forgiven of all sin that you so personally renounce. • Interesting…what is the “Promise of the Father?” Back to John 14, the indwelling of the Spirit of God. The communion of forgiven man with a Holy and Perfect God. But Jesus says, “but…” “But tarry until you are endued with power from on high.” What is He talking about? • Precisely what happened in Acts Chapter 2 and what Jesus spoke to them about in Acts Chapter 1, which was probably the same conversation as we have in Luke 24. In Acts 1:8, Jesus said, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” • We believe that the Bible clearly speaks of the Holy Spirit, the promise of the Father, having three separate and distinct ministries. The first two mentioned by Jesus in John 14:15-17, “If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.” The Holy Spirit, with every person, testifying and calling each and every person to the truth of Jesus Christ. • Then, at the moment of salvation, John 20 for the disciples, you receive the Holy Spirit and from then on, He is IN you…but yet a third work of the Spirit in your life remains… As Jesus spoke of in Acts Chapter 1, He also comes epi/upon you, empowering you to be a witness of Jesus Christ on this earth. “Endued with power from on high,” as Jesus put it here in Luke 24. Certainly, missing in many Christians lives…why? Not waiting on the Lord but rather waiting on self… Luke Chapter 24 Verses 50 – 53 • I love this. To the outside world they had lost their way. Lost their everything. Lost their jobs. Lost their Leader. Lost their respect. Lost their position. Lost their purpose…and yet here they are, praising and worshipping in the temple! This is what stuns the world…the hope and joy we should have and return to no matter what the circumstance…that just as He ascended, we wait on the Lord in hope, knowing that so shall we one day and hit that Pizza Hut buffet! Because He promised!!! Lucas Capítulo 24 Versículos 36– 37 · Entiendo su sorpresa... Jesús está apareciendo y desapareciendo y Juan Capítulo 20, un relato paralelo de lo que estamos leyendo aquí, nos dice que estaban reunidos en una habitación esencialmente con candado por temor a los judíos, y aquí Jesús está de repente y se sorprendieron. Pero insinué esto un poco la semana pasada, hay un poco de entrenamiento aquí ... · En todo momento, en todos los lugares, sin importar la circunstancia o situación, el Señor está conmigo, y Él está contigo. Y de una manera eso es completamente reconfortante y tranquilizador, pero de otra manera, eso es a veces enfurecedor. Solo siendo real... Nunca tienes que preguntarte realmente dónde está Dios. Muchas veces, he preguntado: "¿Dónde estás, Dios?" Pero la verdad es que lo que estaba diciendo es: "¡Haz algo!" Y esa es la parte enfurecedora... · Pero necesitas saber ni siquiera por fe, sino que esto es por hecho, Dios está allí. Y si aparentemente no está haciendo nada, tal vez esta sea la parte de la fe... porque, sí, Él es... Él está obrando una obra de fe en ti, de crecimiento en ti, de fortalecimiento en ti... Nunca crecerás musculoso sin entrenamiento de resistencia. Y Dios no sólo quiere que yo sea salvo, sino que también quiere que yo sea fuerte. El proceso a veces no es agradable, pero Dios sabe lo que está haciendo, incluso cuando aparentemente no está haciendo nada. · Y Jesús aparece y su saludo es: "Paz a ti". Esto es diferente ahora. Diferente de lo que Jesús habló antes de la cruz, bueno, tal vez mejor dicho, diferente de lo que Él fue capaz de entregar antes de la cruz. Esto es paz a nivel macro. Paz en todos los niveles. Habiendo sido establecida la paz entre el hombre pecador y un Dios santo... Y así, no importa lo que esté pasando, a quién le tengas miedo en este momento, paz para ti en un nivel superior. · Así es como puedes basar la circunstancia. Hay paz en el cielo. El Salmo 119:89 dice: "Por siempre, oh Señor, tu palabra está establecida en el cielo". Y Marcos 16:19 dice: "Entonces, después de que el Señor les habló, fue recibido en el cielo, y se sentó a la diestra de Dios". Las cosas están en paz al más alto nivel. Y así sucesivamente mil veces más abajo, en mi situación actual donde hay una tormenta, y que se sepa, en el nivel superior, hay paz ... · ¿Algún ingeniero en la casa? Los dibujos, el diseño se cierra al más alto nivel... y, sin embargo, seguimos trabajando los problemas y haciendo hincapié en los problemas en el tercer y cuarto nivel contratado hacia abajo ... en cierto modo, ¡eso no tiene sentido! Si el diseño se cierra al más alto nivel, entonces podemos relajarnos... avanzar. Esta es la paz de Dios. Trabajamos los problemas aun, pero con esperanza, con gracia, con alegría, con paz... Completamente diferente a uno que no tiene la paz de Dios dentro de sus corazones... Lucas Capítulo 24 Versículos 38– 43 · Es interesante que una y otra vez, Jesús tiene que decir algo como: "Realmente soy yo", a quienquiera que esté hablando. Algo acerca de Él es muy diferente a lo que era antes. No se nos da exactamente qué porque no tenemos descripciones comparativas de cómo se veía Él antes de la cruz y luego después (aparte de Apocalipsis 1). · Pero sí nos da una pista de lo que Pablo estaba hablando en 1 Corintios 15:40-44, cuando dijo: "También hay cuerpos celestes y cuerpos terrestres; pero la gloria de lo celestial es una, y la gloria de lo terrestre es otra. Hay una gloria del sol, otra gloria de la luna y otra gloria de las estrellas; porque una estrella difiere de otra estrella en gloria. Así también lo es la resurrección de los muertos. El cuerpo se siembra en la corrupción, se cría en la incorrupción. Se siembra en la deshonra, se levanta en la gloria. Se siembra en la debilidad, se eleva en el poder. Se siembra un cuerpo natural, se cría un cuerpo espiritual. Hay un cuerpo natural, y hay un cuerpo espiritual". Y luego saltando a los versículos 51-53, "He aquí, te digo un misterio: No todos dormiremos, sino que todos seremos cambiados; En un momento, en un abrir y cerrar de ojos, en la última trompeta. Porque sonará la trompeta, y los muertos resucitarán incorruptibles, y seremos cambiados. Porque este corruptible debe vestirse de incorrupción, y este mortal debe vestirse de inmortalidad". · Pablo habla de esta tienda como una especie de semilla, sembrada en la tierra y, sin embargo, levantó algo muy diferente. Algo muy cambiado. Un tomate una semilla o una semilla de manzana no se parecen en nada a lo que le sucede después de que se siembra en la tierra. Y tal vez esa es la indicación que obtenemos con Jesús teniendo que convencer a muchos de que en realidad era Él. · También es interesante que Jesús parece llevar las cicatrices de la cruz incluso después de la resurrección. · Y la Biblia es muy muy clara en que Jesús no resucitó solo en Espíritu o como un Fantasma, sino que está muy claro que Jesús resucitó corporalmente de la tumba como vemos aquí a los discípulos capaces no solo de verlo sino también de manejarlo ... ¡Y tan genial, él come! ¿¡No es comer lo mejor!? ¡Tenemos indicios de que comeremos en el cielo! ¿¡No es solo una gran noticia!? · Apocalipsis Capítulo 19 versículos 7-9 dicen: "Alegrémonos y regocijémonos y démosle gloria, porque el matrimonio del Cordero ha llegado, y Su esposa se ha preparado". Y a ella se le concedió estar dispuesta en lino fino, limpio y brillante, porque el lino fino son los actos justos de los santos. Entonces me dijo: "¡Escribe: 'Bienaventurados los que son llamados a la cena de bodas del Cordero!". · ¿Sabes por qué estamos contentos, regocijándonos, dándole gloria a Dios y sintiéndonos bendecidos en la cena de bodas del cordero? ¡Porque es un buffet de Pizza Hut! ¡Sin reflujo después o engordar! ¡Eleva tu adoración ! HA, es broma, pero habrá comida como vemos a Jesús comer aquí en Lucas 24 ... Lucas Capítulo 24 Versículos 44– 45 · Me encanta esto. Que fue una obra de Dios mismo personalmente para ellos (continuamente hemos visto esto: al llamar a María por su nombre en la tumba, Él fue revelado; En el camino a Emaús con dos de sus discípulos; Y ahora aquí también) fue una obra personal de Dios para cada uno de ellos abrir su entendimiento. · Ahora, Juan 20 es un relato paralelo a esta escena en Lucas 24 y creo que al mirar estos dos relatos juntos, podemos derivar el momento en que se les dio entendimiento. Juan Capítulo 20 Versículos 21-22, "Entonces Jesús les dijo de nuevo: "¡Paz a vosotros! Como el Padre me ha enviado, Yo también te envío". Y cuando dijo esto, sopló sobre ellos y les dijo: "Reciban el Espíritu Santo". · Juan 14:26, Jesús dijo: "El Ayudador, el Espíritu Santo, a quien el Padre enviará en Mi nombre, os enseñará todas las cosas, y os recordará todas las cosas que os dije". Es con la recepción del Espíritu Santo que se te da entendimiento a las cosas del Espíritu... ¿Y cómo es la recepción del Espíritu Santo continuamente? ¡Poniendo su confianza sobre las circunstancias en la Persona y las promesas de Jesucristo! (Lo opuesto a la blasfemia del Espíritu Santo) Las cosas se enderezan en tu mente... · Esa es la redacción que Lucas usa aquí en el versículo 45. La fraseología es desenredar, e incluso hay una implicación de combate en esta acción, lo cual es interesante. Porque verdaderamente, para buscar al Señor, debo luchar contra mi carne. Para caminar por fe, debo estar dispuesto a endurecer el brazo incluso mi vista a veces ... pero eso es realmente "abrir tu mente" a algo más grande que tú mismo. Lucas Capítulo 24 Versículos 46– 49 · Jesús continuamente pone énfasis en la Palabra escrita de Dios. La Ley de Moisés, los profetas y los Salmos. Él es abierto acerca de dar peso e importancia a la Palabra. Y note el comienzo del Evangelio, el comienzo de la "Promesa del Padre". Es lo mismo con Jesús que con Juan el Bautista y Pedro y Pablo y los escritores de los Evangelios... es arrepentimiento ENTONCES remisión del pecado. Sin arrepentimiento, no hay salvación. Esa es la transacción... Es el volverse del pecado hacia Dios y en ese giro hay un compromiso, una comunión, cuando vienes a Dios y Él, a través de Su voluntad soberana y tu libre albedrío, entra en tu corazón de corazones habiendo sido en ese momento perdonado de todo pecado al que tú personalmente renuncias. · Interesante... ¿Cuál es la "Promesa del Padre"? De vuelta a Juan 14, la vida en la permanencia en el Espíritu de Dios. La comunión del hombre perdonado con un Dios Santo y Perfecto. Pero Jesús dice: "pero..." "Pero quédate hasta que estés dotado de poder desde lo alto". ¿De qué está hablando? · Precisamente lo que sucedió en Hechos capítulo 2 y lo que Jesús les habló en Hechos capítulo 1, que probablemente fue la misma conversación que tenemos en Lucas 24. En Hechos 1:8, Jesús dijo: "Pero recibiréis poder cuando el Espíritu Santo haya venido sobre vosotros; y seréis testigos de Mí en Jerusalén, y en toda Judea y Samaria, y hasta el fin de la tierra." · Creemos que la Biblia habla claramente del Espíritu Santo, la promesa del Padre, que tiene tres ministerios separados y distintos. Los dos primeros mencionados por Jesús en Juan 14:15-17, "Si me amáis, guardad Mis mandamientos. Y rogaré al Padre, y Él te dará otro Ayudador, para que permanezca contigo para siempre: el Espíritu de verdad, a quien el mundo no puede recibir, porque ni lo ve ni lo conoce; pero tú lo conoces, porque Él mora contigo y estará en ti". El Espíritu Santo, con cada persona, testificando y llamando a todas y cada una de las personas a la verdad de Jesucristo. · Entonces, en el momento de la salvación, Juan 20 para los discípulos, recibes el Espíritu Santo y de ahí en adelante, Él está EN ti... pero, sin embargo, una tercera obra del Espíritu en tu vida permanece... Como Jesús habló en Hechos Capítulo 1, Él también viene epi/sobre ti, dándote poder para ser un testigo de Jesucristo en esta tierra. "Dotado de poder desde lo alto", como Jesús lo expresó aquí en Lucas 24. Ciertamente, faltan en muchas vidas cristianas... ¿por qué? No esperar en el Señor, sino más bien esperar en uno mismo... Lucas Capítulo 24 Versículos 50– 53 · Me encanta esto. Al mundo exterior habían perdido el rumbo. Perdieron todo. Perdieron sus empleos. Perdió a su líder. Perdieron su respeto. Perdieron su posición. Perdieron su propósito... ¡y sin embargo, aquí están, alabando y adorando en el templo! Esto es lo que aturde al mundo... la esperanza y la alegría que debemos tener y a la que debemos volver sin importar las circunstancias... que así como Él ascendió, esperamos en el Señor con esperanza, sabiendo que así lo haremos un día y golpearemos ese buffet de Pizza Hut! Porque Él lo prometió!!!
Luke 24 vs 13-35
August 3, 2022 • Pastor Matt Korniotes • Luke 24:13–35
Luke Chapter 24 Verses 13 – 16 • Why these two? Why this walk? Why would Jesus do this? Why would Luke know this? Why would we have this story? God is all about this sort of thing. What seems unimportant or insignificant to us, completely different to God. Did you know that there is no detail of your life or moment of your life that is more important to God than the other? He is intimately interested in every detail of every moment of your life. • Why these two, why this walk? Why not? God was there already, with them already, and we will find out in just a moment, they weren’t doing too well. So, Jesus just shows up and walks with them a bit. There is an issue however… Luke tells us that they did not know it was Jesus, their eyes were restrained. • We are looking to replace my older son’s vehicle. His car, well it’s even miraculous that it is still running! We’ve looked at several and for a few different reasons, we’ve centered on the Nissan Rogue. Not too small, good gas mileage, all-wheel drive, affordable…those kinds of things. The funny thing is that now that we have somewhat decided on that specific make/model, we see them everywhere. Before this circumstance, I don’t think I’ve ever even noticed one on the road… • What’s my point? We miss what we don’t know and/or what we are not familiar with… They just pass us by continually on the street and we never take notice. The same, in many ways, happens in the Spirit. If you’re spending time with the Lord, talking to Him in prayer and reading His Word, taking and contemplating and applying what you’re hearing, then you’ll start to see Him sort of everywhere. • And then circumstances will arrive and you’ll say, wait, I know this, I remember this, I read about this, He told me about this, and you’ll know what to do, how to navigate… God will speak and you will hear… Same thing… The point is…Jesus is walking alongside of you in every detail of every second of every day… Wanting to encourage you, guide you, care for you, simply be near to you… The recognizing of that fact is in the knowing Him… • Something that Charles Spurgeon said that I think is a wonderful truth. “When two saints are talking together, Jesus is very likely to come and make the third one in the company. Talk of Him, and you will soon talk with Him.” Jesus said in Matthew 18:20, “Where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” Luke Chapter 24 Verses 17 – 19 • See, there’s the issue. They stop short of their understanding of who Jesus is… Their characterization is that Jesus is a “Prophet, mighty in deed and word before God and all the people.” And while that is accurate, it’s not complete! He is those things but He is also the Agent of creation. The First and the Last, the Alpha and the Omega. Not just the Worker of mighty deeds but the All Mighty Himself. The Great I Am. Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. • He’s not just one to hear about, He is One to know. He’s not just the Speaker and Giver of life, He is Life Himself. He doesn’t just shed light on the Way, He is the Way. He doesn’t just speak the truth; He is the Truth. He’s not just the God but He is my God, not just the Savior, but He is my Savior. And that personalization ushers in the greatest of differences. It’s the distance between believing in Christ and being IN Christ… • Notice, Jesus said to them, “What kind of conversation is this…and why are you sad?” I just want to point out that the Lord is both concerned with the issue and with the person. So often we parachute in, even as messengers of God, servants of the Lord, with great intentions, and we just get to work solving the issue. But the way of the Lord is to be concerned equally with the state of the person… Luke Chapter 24 Verses 20 – 27 • This must have been the most amazing Bible study! And honestly, I don’t know for the life of me why we don’t have the “Gospel According to Cleopas!” I would LOVE to read that book, wouldn’t you!? But for some reason, we didn’t get it… • Their perspective wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t complete. They made the statement, “We were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel.” That was their idea, their understanding of the coming Messiah and that was entirely incomplete! Jesus did redeem Israel, but that’s not all that He came to do…so He begins with Moses and all the prophets, He lays it out for them… • The Old Testament is all about Jesus. From Genesis to Revelation, the entire Bible is one story, with one main character, and one main message or plot. This is why we study and teach the entire Bible, Old Covenant and New, line upon line, verse by verse, book by book. I’ve heard it said this way, “We teach the whole Word of God, to make whole Christians, to reach the whole world.” • I also like what is described here as Jesus’ choice of how to teach. It says here that He “expounded to them in all the scriptures the things concerning Himself.” The act of expounding is simply to let the text speak for itself and I like that very much. That’s actually what truly attracted me to the Calvary Chapel Movement. No opinions, no single message week over week disguised in a sermon, no random Bible study on whatever the pastor felt the Lord gave him week to week. Simply open the Bible, read and explain. Searching the scriptures together… • Now, I do like a good topical study also along with my main course. But the topical study isn’t the main meal. It’s like living off of the starter menu. No, get to the entre! The verse-by-verse meat of the Bible. Teach me what the Bible says… But even here, in Jesus’ awesome expounding of the scriptures, He was teaching topically…truly as every good Bible teacher should do…what do I mean? Well, what was the topic that Jesus taught? “The things concerning Himself!” Even teaching verse by verse, the central them should always be steadied onto the Person of Jesus Christ…because truly, every page of the Word of God is about Him! • Now, what happens here, and last point and we will move on, is actually a bit of a rebuke by Jesus. These are two of His disciples. Not two of the twelve, but two disciples none the less. We see in Luke Chapter 10 that at one time he appointed 70 of His disciples for a specific task… So, these two are disciples and yet they are sad and walking in unbelief. • This is the third day…it shouldn’t have been for them a reason to leave and kick rocks as they walk away from Jerusalem, the third day should have been for them THE day! THE day of expectation! The day of hope. Jesus had been very clear… You cannot get more clearer than Mark Chapter 9 Verse 31, “For He taught His disciples and said to them, “The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him. And after He is killed, He will rise the third day.” And yet here they are, walking away from what God promised and kicking rocks, sad along the way. Even after hearing the testimony of the women that went to the tomb and Peter which apparently didn’t make a difference to them either… Luke Chapter 24 Verses 28 – 35 • Alright, check this out, there is SO much going on here. Jesus was on His way but they constrained Him. How? How is God constrained? They simply asked Him. That’s all. “Stay with us, it’s late, just stay.” And He did… God loves to answer the request of His people for Him to be near to them… A prayer that will always receive a sure answer of “Yes!” • Also, check this out… Even after all of the knowledge and the understanding and the teaching, they still didn’t know Him. 1 Corinthians 8:1, Paul said, “We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies.” Being saved, being a Christian, being heaven bound, being set free, being alive in the Spirit, it’s not just in the knowing, it’s in the growing! If something isn’t growing, then it’s not alive… • Proverbs 4:7 says, “Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore, get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding.” It’s great, the more you know…and this world will tell you that knowledge is power, but in all your wisdom, if you don’t know the Lord personally, you’ve gained really nothing… • So, Jesus gets personal with them. He takes bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them and their eyes at that point were opened. To break bread with someone is to become one with them. That is what it meant culturally and that is what is messaged here spiritually. Your eyes will be opened, my eyes were opened, not when I believed in God but when I communed with Him. Opened my heart and allowed Him to know me… • And then, now, I don’t need eyes anymore to know He is there, I believe Him. The Spirit testifies within the depth of the part of me that is even to me inaccessible and unknowable, my heart of hearts, God is there and He has taken up residence and now I just know that I know that I know… I believe that’s why Jesus simply vanished here… No longer needed… (He did this a lot by the way, training them that He is always there with them…) • One with the Lord now you can walk by faith and not by sight. Yes, He is there. Yes, He is working. Yes, I am saved. Yes, He has died for my sins. Yes, He has prepared a place for me. Yes, He has a plan for me. Yes, He is always walking with me, watching over me, providing and guiding me. How do you know…I just know…because I know Him… • And in the believing, oddly enough is truly the seeing. Now, a blade of grass slapping another and making the sound it makes is a mountain moving for me as I understand by faith and by knowledge that all of creation is held together by His hands. (Colossians 1:17) And even through a season of difficulty, I know that God is with me and Jesus is cutting a path for my victory. (Hebrews 13:5, 2 Corinthians 2:14). • So, yea, “Where are You, God!” Although that may come across my lips, in the moment of overwhelm that I go after that call and cry for help, I know by faith and by understanding the answer… And my heart is settled and calmed through that lighting crack (during a storm of life), because ultimately, just like these two, my eyes have been opened…and once you’ve seen, you can’t unsee… • They remark here, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us?” I believe this is the desired state of God for every believer. In truth, the majority of the church these days is neither hot not cold but rather lukewarm. A body of believers that love the Lord but as a whole, are not living their whole lives for Him. And Jesus tells us in the Book of Revelation that that is an unacceptable state to the Lord… Perhaps sadness and rock kicking has become too many standards of life for children of God… Get back to a simple faith, simple communing with Jesus, get to know Him again! Lucas Capítulo 24 Versículos 13–16 · ¿Por qué estos dos? ¿Por qué este paseo? ¿Por qué Jesús haría esto? ¿Por qué Luke sabría esto? ¿Por qué tendríamos esta historia? Dios se trata de este tipo de cosas. Lo que nos parece poco importante o insignificante, completamente diferente a Dios. ¿Sabías que no hay detalle de tu vida o momento de tu vida que sea más importante para Dios que el otro? Él está íntimamente interesado en cada detalle de cada momento de tu vida. · ¿Por qué estos dos, por qué este paseo? ¿Por qué no? Dios ya estaba allí, con ellos ya, y descubriremos en un momento, que no lo estaban haciendo demasiado bien. Entonces, Jesús simplemente aparece y camina con ellos un poco. Sin embargo, hay un problema ... Lucas nos dice que no sabían que era Jesús, sus ojos estaban restringidos. · Estamos buscando reemplazar el vehículo de mi hijo mayor. Su coche, bueno, ¡incluso es milagroso que siga funcionando! Hemos visto varios y, por algunas razones diferentes, nos hemos centrado en el Nissan Rogue. No demasiado pequeño, buen kilometraje de gasolina, tracción total, asequible ... ese tipo de cosas. Lo curioso es que ahora que nos hemos decidido un poco sobre esa marca / modelo específico, los vemos en todas partes. Ante esta circunstancia, creo que nunca había notado uno en la carretera... · ¿Cuál es mi punto? Echamos de menos lo que no sabemos y/o lo que no conocemos... Simplemente nos pasan continuamente por la calle y nunca nos damos cuenta. Lo mismo, en muchos sentidos, sucede en el Espíritu. Si estás pasando tiempo con el Señor, hablando con Él en oración y leyendo Su Palabra, recibiendo, contemplando y aplicando lo que estás escuchando, entonces comenzarás a verlo en todas partes. · Y entonces llegaran las circunstancias y dirás, espera, sé esto, recuerdo esto, leí sobre esto, Él me habló de esto, y sabrás qué hacer, cómo navegar ... Dios hablará y tú escucharás... Mismo... El punto es... Jesús camina a tu lado en cada detalle de cada segundo de cada día... Queriendo animarte, guiarte, cuidarte, simplemente estar cerca de ti... El reconocimiento de ese hecho está en conocerlo a El... · Algo que Charles Spurgeon dijo que creo que es una verdad maravillosa. "Cuando dos santos están hablando juntos, es muy probable que Jesús venga y haga el tercero en la compañía. Habla de Él, y pronto hablarás con Él". Jesús dijo en Mateo 18:20: "Donde dos o tres están reunidos en mi nombre, yo estoy allí en medio de ellos". Lucas Capítulo 24 Versículos 17– 19 · Mira, ahí está el problema. No llegan a comprender quién es Jesús... Su caracterización es que Jesús es un "Profeta, poderoso en obra y palabra ante Dios y todo el pueblo". Y aunque eso es preciso, ¡no está completo! Él es esas cosas, pero también es el Agente de la creación. El Primero y el Último, el Alfa y el Omega. No sólo el Obrero de obras poderosas, sino el Todopoderoso mismo. El Gran Yo Soy. Maravilloso, Consejero, Dios Poderoso, Padre Eterno, Príncipe de Paz. · Él no es solo uno para escuchar, Él es Uno para conocer. Él no es sólo el orador y dador de la vida, Él es la vida misma. Él no solo arroja luz sobre el Camino, Él es el Camino. Él no solo dice la verdad; Él es la Verdad. Él no es sólo el Dios, sino que Él es mi Dios, no sólo el Salvador, sino que Él es mi Salvador. Y esa personalización marca el comienzo de la mayor de las diferencias. Es la distancia entre creer en Cristo y estar EN Cristo... · Fíjate, Jesús les dijo: "¿Qué clase de conversación es esta... y ¿por qué estás triste?" Sólo quiero señalar que el Señor está preocupado tanto por el tema como por la persona. Muy a menudo nos lanzamos en paracaídas, incluso como mensajeros de Dios, siervos del Señor, con grandes intenciones, y simplemente nos ponemos a trabajar para resolver el problema. Pero el camino del Señor es preocuparse igualmente por el estado de la persona... Lucas Capítulo 24 Versículos 20– 27 · ¡Este debe haber sido el estudio bíblico más asombroso! Y honestamente, no sé por la vida de mí por qué no tenemos el "Evangelio según Cleopas". Me ENCANTARIA leer ese libro, ¿no es así? Pero por alguna razón, no lo tenemos... · Su perspectiva no era mala, simplemente no estaba completa. Hicieron la declaración: "Esperábamos que fuera Él quien iba a redimir a Israel". ¡Esa fue su idea, su comprensión de la venida del Mesías y eso fue completamente incompleto! Jesús redimió a Israel, pero eso no es todo lo que vino a hacer... así que Comienza con Moisés y todos los profetas, se lo pone delante a ellos... · El Antiguo Testamento es todo acerca de Jesús. Desde Génesis hasta Apocalipsis, toda la Biblia es una historia, con un personaje principal y un mensaje o trama principal. Es por eso que estudiamos y enseñamos toda la Biblia, el Antiguo Pacto y el Nuevo, línea por línea, versículo por versículo, libro por libro. He oído decir de esta manera: "Enseñamos toda la Palabra de Dios, a hacer cristianos enteros, a alcanzar al mundo entero". · También me gusta lo que se describe aquí como la elección de Jesús de cómo enseñar. Dice aquí que Él "les expuso en todas las Escrituras las cosas concernientes a Sí mismo". El acto de exponer es simplemente dejar que el texto hable por sí mismo y eso me gusta mucho. Eso es en realidad lo que realmente me atrajo del Movimiento Calvary Chapel. Sin opiniones, sin un solo mensaje semana tras semana disfrazado en un sermón, sin estudio bíblico aleatorio sobre lo que el pastor sintió que el Señor le dio semana a semana. Simplemente abra la Biblia, lea y explique. Escudriñando las Escrituras juntos... · Ahora, me gusta un buen estudio de actualidad también junto con mi plato principal. Pero el estudio tópico no es la comida principal. Es como vivir del menú de aperitivos. ¡No, llega al platillo principal! La carne versículo por versículo de la Biblia. Enséñame lo que dice la Biblia... Pero incluso aquí, en la impresionante exposición de Jesús de las Escrituras, Él estaba enseñando tópicamente... verdaderamente como todo buen maestro de la Biblia debería hacer... ¿Qué quiero decir? Bueno, ¿cuál fue el tema que Jesús enseñó? "¡Las cosas concernientes a sí mismo!" Incluso enseñando versículo por versículo, el centro siempre deben ser estabilizado en la Persona de Jesucristo... porque verdaderamente, ¡cada página de la Palabra de Dios es acerca de Él! · Ahora, lo que sucede aquí, y el último punto y seguiremos adelante, es en realidad un poco de una reprimenda de Jesús. Estos son dos de Sus discípulos. No dos de los doce, sino dos discípulos, sin embargo. Vemos en Lucas capítulo 10 que en un momento nombró a 70 de Sus discípulos para una tarea específica... Entonces, estos dos son discípulos y, sin embargo, están tristes y caminan en incredulidad. · Este es el tercer día ... no debería haber sido para ellos una razón para irse y patear piedras mientras se alejan de Jerusalén, ¡el tercer día debería haber sido para ellos EL día! ¡EL día de la expectativa! El día de la esperanza. Jesús había sido muy claro... No se puede ser más claro que Marcos Capítulo 9 Versículo 31, "Porque Él enseñó a Sus discípulos y les dijo: "El Hijo del Hombre está siendo traicionado en manos de los hombres, y lo matarán. Y después de que él sea asesinado, él resucitará al tercer día". Y sin embargo, aquí están, alejándose de lo que Dios prometió y pateando piedras, tristes en el camino. Incluso después de escuchar el testimonio de las mujeres que fueron a la tumba y Pedro, que aparentemente tampoco hizo una diferencia para ellas ... Lucas Capítulo 24 Versículos 28–35 · Muy bien, echa un vistazo a esto, hay TANTAS cosas sucediendo aquí. Jesús estaba en camino, pero ellos lo detuvieron. ¿Cómo? ¿Cómo está Dios limitado? Simplemente le preguntaron. Es todo. "Quédate con nosotros, es tarde, solo quédate". Y lo hizo... A Dios le encanta responder a la petición de su pueblo que esté cerca de ellos... Una oración que siempre recibirá una respuesta segura "¡Sí!" · Además, echa un vistazo a esto ... Incluso después de todo el conocimiento, el entendimiento y la enseñanza, todavía no lo conocían. 1 Corintios 8: 1, Pablo dijo: "Sabemos que todos tenemos conocimiento. El conocimiento envanece, pero el amor edifica". Ser salvo, ser cristiano, estar atado al cielo, ser liberado, estar vivo en el Espíritu, ¡no está solo en el conocimiento, está en el crecimiento! Si algo no está creciendo, entonces no está vivo ... · Proverbios 4:7 dice: "La sabiduría es lo principal; Por lo tanto, obtén sabiduría. Y en todo lo que consigas, obtén comprensión". Es genial, cuanto más sabes... y este mundo te dirá que el conocimiento es poder, pero en toda tu sabiduría, si no conoces al Señor personalmente, realmente no has ganado nada... · Entonces, Jesús se vuelve personal con ellos. Él toma pan, lo bendice y lo partió, y se los dio y sus ojos en ese momento se abrieron. Partir el pan con alguien es convertirse en uno con ellos. Eso es lo que significaba culturalmente y eso es lo que se envía aquí espiritualmente. Tus ojos se abrirán, mis ojos se abrieron, no cuando creí en Dios, sino cuando comulgué con Él. Abrió mi corazón y le permitió conocerme... · Y entonces, ahora, ya no necesito ojos para saber que Él está allí, le creo. El Espíritu testifica dentro de la profundidad de la parte de mí que es incluso para mí inaccesible e incognoscible, lo más profundo de mi corazón, Dios está allí y Él ha tomado residencia y ahora solo sé que sé que sé que sé ... Creo que es por eso que Jesús simplemente desapareció aquí ... Ya no es necesario... (Hizo esto mucho, por cierto, entrenándolos que siempre está ahí con ellos...) · Uno con el Señor ahora puedes caminar por fe y no por vista. Sí, Él está allí. Sí, Él está trabajando. Sí, soy salvo. Sí, Él ha muerto por mis pecados. Sí, Él ha preparado un lugar para mí. Sí, Él tiene un plan para mí. Sí, Él siempre está caminando conmigo, cuidándome, proporcionándome y guiándome. Cómo lo sabes... Solo sé... porque lo conozco ... · Y en el creer, curiosamente es realmente el ver. Ahora, una brizna de hierba abofeteando a otra y haciendo el sonido que hace es una montaña moviéndose por mí al yo entender por fe y por conocimiento que toda la creación está unida por Sus manos. (Colosenses 1:17) E incluso a través de una temporada de dificultades, sé que Dios está conmigo y Jesús está cortando un camino para mi victoria. (Hebreos 13:5, 2 Corintios 2:14). · Entonces, sí, "¡Dónde estás, Dios!" Aunque eso pueda llegar a través de mis labios, en el momento de agobio que voy tras esa llamada y clamo por ayuda, lo sé por fe y por entender la respuesta... Y mi corazón se asienta y se calma a través de esa grieta de iluminación (durante una tormenta de vida), porque en última instancia, al igual que estos dos, mis ojos se han abierto ... y una vez que lo has visto, no puedes dejar de ver ... · Comentan aquí: "¿No ardió nuestro corazón dentro de nosotros mientras Él hablaba con nosotros?" Creo que este es el estado de Dios deseado para cada creyente. En verdad, la mayoría de la iglesia en estos días no es ni caliente ni fría, sino más bien tibia. Un cuerpo de creyentes que aman al Señor, pero como un todo, no están viviendo toda su vida para Él. Y Jesús nos dice en el libro de Apocalipsis que ese es un estado inaceptable para el Señor... Tal vez la tristeza y las patadas de roca se han convertido en demasiados estándares de vida para los hijos de Dios ... Vuelve a una fe simple, a una simple comunión con Jesús, ¡conócelo de nuevo!
Luke 24 vs 1-12
July 27, 2022 • Pastor Matt Korniotes • Luke 24:1–12
Luke Chapter 24 Verses 1 – 2 • What do you think they expected? There is so much faith in these two verses. They weren’t really concerned with how they were going to get to the body of Jesus. They just set out, and I love that! All of ministry is that! We plan, we prepare, we discuss, we do what we can to be ready, so ready, but ultimately if there is any part of it that’s going to be Godly, well then God is going to have to do it! And so that means the really good stuff, the major muscle movements in the faith, all you have to get past is the part where you leave the house…set out! • They got up very early, they had bought the spices and prepared them, they had made the plan to be together and to go together to the tomb…, they had set out, but the Godly part of it all, they FOUND! Third word, verse 2. The word means, “they came upon” it. “Learned,” “discovered,” “detected,” “recognized” it… The word even means they just fell in it! You’re going to love this…, the Greek word is “heyrisko.” It’s a risk! But God loves loves loves to bless and He loves loves loves to use ordinary things to even change the life of a person… • After this morning, none of these women were ever the same again! They were all a little more filled with faith. A little more in awe of God. A little more aware of God’s greatness! Now, imagine if that’s what God did in your life at least twice a week! And many more times than twice a week! Because I prepare and I pray and then I come here and I don’t just read my notes to you! God lights a fire and blesses and does miracles EVERY service! It’s just awesome! Just like this morning for these women…why? All they did was prepare a bit and then set out in faith!! Luke Chapter 24 Verses 3 – 4 • Am I the only one excited about the fact that Heaven is into bling!? Shining garments!? That’s awesome! We are into Christmas lights at my house, a lot of them! We love to see things lit up and glistening…and I’m extremely Greek so I love marble structures, polished marble tile flooring, elaborate fountains and lots of gold! HA! • I’m excited to see and experience Heaven, how about you!? Paul was caught up into heaven once and he wrote in 2 Corinthians 12:2-4, “I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a one was caught up to the third heaven. And I know such a man—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows— how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.” • Paul only describes what he saw as “Paradise.” It’s actually concerning the words that he says, “it’s not lawful for a man to utter…” But he says what he saw was simply Paradise and we know from Revelation 2:7 that is where the tree of life is… So, what does it look like? What’s it like? Revelation 21:21 says, “The twelve gates were twelve pearls: each individual gates was of one pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.” Bling bling!! HA! And here are two servants of Paradise standing by them in shining garments and look what they say…. Luke Chapter 24 Verse 5 • Yes! Best advice ever! Epic advice! Why do you seek life where there is no life!? Money, power, earthly achievement, riches, promotion, popularity and Amazon Prime… There’s nothing wrong with any of those things…but they aren’t where we should seek life! There’s no life in the tomb. It’s just a hole hewn out of a rock… Admire it for what it is…but seek life where life is and that is…well check this out…. Luke Chapter 24 Verses 6 - 8 • Remember what He spoke… Life is found by me and by you…and this is so entirely counter cultural and counter to the world…life is found in hearing, learning, trusting and applying the Word of God! Remember what God has spoken… That will enable you to admire the tomb and appreciate it for what it is but will also enable you not to find yourself on your face in a graveyard looking for life…! • Now, Bible commentators make the point, I think it is an interesting one to make, that the actual event of the resurrection is not described for us anywhere in the scriptures. All we really have is this statement, “He is risen.” That’s interesting because it speaks to the authenticity of the Bible itself. Why? If the resurrection was fiction, I would expect it to be embellished. Described with great pomp. But it’s simply a fact presented in the Word of God. Luke Chapter 24 Verses 9 – 12 • Earlier we read that the women were greatly perplexed and here we read that Peter was marveling at what had happened… Processing this must have been taxing and exhilarating and confusing…all the emotions! If Jesus had risen from the grave, then everything…everything else He said now was validated. The weight of truth added to the good and great news He talked about… • That sin is forgiven. That He is the Way to the Father. That He is the Christ. That there is a place for them. That He will return. That the world is His. This meant that…oh my…when they ate with Jesus, they ate with the Creator Himself. Let that all sink in! And, that somehow, don’t understand it yet, somehow things are completely, everything different even for Peter from then on… • Listen, the resurrection proved the Word of God. And it put on display that Jesus wasn’t a Survivor…able to make it through or capable of being ok in the end…the resurrection didn’t show that Jesus was a Survivor but rather than He was a conqueror! And through Him, it is ordained and offered that you and I be the same! He MUST be delivered into the hands of sinners…remember how He said that? Why? Because that was the way to the resurrection! • Tonight, you may be in a very rough season but there is an element of walking with Jesus, a hope that you and I can certainly cling to and that is Jesus never just survives, He always conquers and so if He must take you to and into this tough time it’s because there IS a resurrection… An “everything changes” kind of breakthrough that He is able to bring about in your life. It's not in the surviving…its in the seeking of Jesus through it all you walk with Him in conquering! There will never be a miracle in your life without a serious and significant hardship or problem or predicament. • Now, John tells us that he was there also with Peter. We read this in John Chapter 20 and he gives us some additional information. John 20:3-8, “Peter therefore went out, and the other disciple, and were going to the tomb. So, they both ran together, and the other disciple outran Peter and came to the tomb first. And he, stooping down and looking in, saw the linen cloths lying there; yet he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; and he saw the linen cloths lying there, and the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who came to the tomb first, went in also; and he saw and believed.” • The women were perplexed, Peter marveled but John believed. John however had not seen Jesus risen. And yet he believed. Why? A combination of what he observed, and what Jesus had said. This is why its so important to learn the Word of God. Because the clues and proof of a risen Jesus is all around us all the time. • Even through the existence of evil, the existence of good can be proved…and yet even Christians walk away from the faith, from Jesus and from truth. Why? Unbelief. Learn the Word of God. Seek the living among the living…and then the things of heaven will glisten around you…they’ll stand out so completely. Lucas Capítulo 24 Versículos 1 – 12 · ¿Qué crees que esperaban? Hay tanta fe en estos dos versículos. No estaban realmente preocupados por cómo iban a llegar al cuerpo de Jesús. Acaban de partir, ¡y eso me encanta! ¡Todo el ministerio es eso! Planeamos, preparamos, discutimos, hacemos lo que podemos para estar listos, tan listos, pero en última instancia, si hay alguna parte de ella que va a ser piadosa, ¡entonces Dios tendrá que hacerlo! Y eso significa que las cosas realmente buenas, los principales movimientos musculares en la fe, todo lo que tienes que superar es la parte en la que sales de la casa ... ¡Listo! · Se levantaron muy temprano, habían comprado las especias y las habían preparado, habían hecho el plan de estar juntos e ir juntos a la tumba..., se habían puesto en marcha, pero la parte piadosa de todo, ¡ENCONTRARON! Tercera palabra, versículo 2. La palabra significa, "vinieron a" ella. "Aprendido", "descubierto", "detectado", "reconocido"... ¡La palabra incluso significa que simplemente cayeron en ella! Te va a encantar esto..., la palabra griega es "heyrisko". ¡Es un riesgo! Pero Dios ama, ama, ama bendecir y Él ama, ama, ama usar las cosas ordinarias para incluso cambiar la vida de una persona... · Después de esta mañana, ¡ninguna de estas mujeres volvió a ser la misma! Todos estaban un poco más llenos de fe. Un poco más de asombro de Dios. ¡Un poco más consciente de la grandeza de Dios! Ahora, ¡imagina si eso es lo que Dios hizo en tu vida al menos dos veces por semana! ¡Y muchas más veces que dos veces por semana! ¡Porque me preparo y oro y luego vengo aquí y no solo te leo mis notas! ¡Dios enciende un fuego y bendice y hace milagros CADA servicio! ¡Es simplemente increíble! Al igual que esta mañana para estas mujeres ... ¿por qué? ¡Todo lo que hicieron fue prepararse un poco y luego partir con fe! Lucas Capítulo 24 Versículos 3– 4 · ¿¡Soy el único entusiasmado con el hecho de que el Cielo está las cosas que brillan!? ¿¡Prendas brillantes!? ¡Eso es increíble! Nos gustan las luces de Navidad en mi casa, ¡muchas de ellas! Nos encanta ver las cosas iluminadas y relucientes... y soy extremadamente griego, así que me encantan las estructuras de mármol, los pisos de baldosas de mármol pulido, las fuentes elaboradas y mucho oro. ¡Ja! · Estoy emocionado de ver y experimentar el Cielo, ¿qué hay de ti? Pablo fue arrebatado al cielo una vez y escribió en 2 Corintios 12: 2-4: "Conozco a un hombre en Cristo que hace catorce años, ya sea en el cuerpo que no lo sé, o si fuera del cuerpo no lo sé, Dios sabe, tal fue arrebatado al tercer cielo. Y conozco a un hombre así, ya sea en el cuerpo o fuera del cuerpo que no lo sé, Dios lo sabe, cómo fue atrapado en el Paraíso y escuchó palabras inexpresables, que no es permitido que un hombre pronuncie". · Pablo sólo describe lo que él vio como "Paraíso". En realidad, es un poco preocupante de las palabras que dice: "no es permitido que un hombre pronuncie ..." Pero él dice que lo que vio fue simplemente el Paraíso y sabemos por Apocalipsis 2:7 que es donde está el árbol de la vida... Entonces, ¿cómo se ve? ¿Cómo es? Apocalipsis 21:21 dice: "Las doce puertas eran doce perlas: cada puerta individual era de una perla. Y la calle de la ciudad era de oro puro, como vidrio transparente". Brillante, brillante!! ¡Ja! Y aquí hay dos siervos del Paraíso de pie junto a ellos con vestiduras brillantes y mira lo que dicen... Lucas Capítulo 24 Versículo 5 · ¡Sí! ¡El mejor consejo! ¡Consejos épicos! ¿Por qué buscas la vida donde no hay vida? Dinero, poder, logros terrenales, riquezas, promoción, popularidad y Amazon Prime... No hay nada de malo en ninguna de esas cosas... ¡pero no son donde debemos buscar la vida! No hay vida en la tumba. Es solo un agujero tallado en una roca ... Admirarlo por lo que es... sino buscar la vida donde está la vida y eso es... bueno, echa un vistazo a esto.... Lucas Capítulo 24 Versículos 6 - 8 · Recuerda lo que Él habló... La vida la encuentro yo y tú... y esto es totalmente contracultural y contrario al mundo... ¡la vida se encuentra en escuchar, aprender, confiar y aplicar la Palabra de Dios! Recuerda lo que Dios ha hablado... ¡Eso te permitirá admirar la tumba y apreciarla por lo que es, pero también te permitirá no encontrarte en tu cara en un cementerio buscando vida ...! · Ahora, los comentaristas de la Biblia hacen el punto, creo que es interesante de hacer, que el evento real de la resurrección no se describe para nosotros en ninguna parte de las Escrituras. Todo lo que realmente tenemos es esta declaración: "Él ha resucitado". Eso es interesante porque habla de la autenticidad de la Biblia misma. ¿Por qué? Si la resurrección fuera ficción, esperaría que fuera embellecida. Descrito con gran pompa. Pero es simplemente un hecho presentado en la Palabra de Dios. Lucas Capítulo 24 Versículos 9– 12 · Antes leímos que las mujeres estaban grandamente perplejas y aquí leímos que Pedro se maravillaba de lo que había sucedido... Procesar esto debe haber sido agotador, estimulante y confuso ... todas las emociones! Si Jesús hubiera resucitado de la tumba, entonces todo... todo lo demás que dijo ahora fue validado. El peso de la verdad sumado a las buenas y grandes noticias de las que habló... · Ese pecado es perdonado. Que Él es el Camino al Padre. Que Él es el Cristo. Que hay un lugar para ellos. Que Él regresará. Que el mundo es Suyo. Esto significó que... Dios mío... cuando comían con Jesús, comían con el Creador mismo. ¡Permitan que todo eso sea digerido! Y, que de alguna manera, no lo entiendas todavía, de alguna manera las cosas son completamente, todo diferente incluso para Pedro a partir de entonces... · Escucha, la resurrección probó la Palabra de Dios. Y puso en evidencia que Jesús no era un sobreviviente... capaz de pasar o capaz de estar bien al final ... ¡la resurrección no mostró que Jesús era un sobreviviente, sino que era un conquistador! ¡Y a través de Él, se ordena y se ofrece que tú y yo seamos iguales! Él DEBE ser entregado en las manos de los pecadores... ¿recuerdas cómo dijo eso? ¿Por qué? ¡Porque ese era el camino a la resurrección! · Esta noche, puede que estés en una temporada muy difícil, pero hay un elemento de caminar con Jesús, una esperanza a la que tú y yo ciertamente podemos aferrarnos y es que Jesús nunca sobrevive, Él siempre vence y, por lo tanto, si debe llevarte a este momento difícil es porque HAY una resurrección ... Un tipo de avance de "todo cambia” un clase de quebrantamiento, que Él es capaz de lograr en tu vida. No está en los supervivientes... está en la búsqueda de Jesús ¡a través de todo esto caminas con Él en la conquista! Nunca habrá un milagro en su vida sin una dificultad seria y significativa, un problema o una situación difícil. · Ahora, Juan nos dice que él también estaba allí con Pedro. Leemos esto en Juan capítulo 20 y él nos da información adicional. Juan 20:3-8, "Pedro salió, y el otro discípulo, y fueron a la tumba. Entonces, ambos corrieron juntos, y el otro discípulo superó a Pedro y llegó primero a la tumba. Y él, agachándose y mirando hacia adentro, vio las telas de lino que yacían allí; sin embargo, no entró. Entonces simón Pedro vino, siguiéndolo, y entró en la tumba; y vio las telas de lino tiradas allí, y el pañuelo que había estado alrededor de Su cabeza, no acostado con las telas de lino, sino doblado en un lugar por sí mismo. Entonces el otro discípulo, que vino primero a la tumba, también entró; y vio y creyó". · Las mujeres estaban perplejas, Pedro se maravilló pero Juan creyó. Juan, sin embargo, no había visto a Jesús resucitar. Y, sin embargo, creyó. ¿Por qué? Una combinación de lo que él observó, y lo que Jesús había dicho. Por eso es tan importante aprender la Palabra de Dios. Porque las pistas y la prueba de un Jesús resucitado están a nuestro alrededor todo el tiempo. · Incluso a través de la existencia del mal, la existencia del bien puede ser probada... y, sin embargo, incluso los cristianos se alejan de la fe, de Jesús y de la verdad. ¿Por qué? Incredulidad. Aprende la Palabra de Dios. Busca la vida entre los vivos... y entonces las cosas del cielo brillarán a tu alrededor... se destacarán por completo.
Luke 23 vs 26-34
July 13, 2022 • Pastor Matt Korniotes • Luke 23:26–34
Luke Chapter 23 Verse 26 • Luke doesn’t give us the account of what happened to Jesus from the time Pilate condemned Him up until this moment but remember, Pilate had made the proclamation back in verse 16 that Jesus was to be “chastised.” What’s meant by that is that Jesus would have been scourged. Matthew 27:26 is more-clear about this in that Matthew writes, “Then he released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, delivered Him to be crucified.” • I want to make a few statements that are entirely biblical but may not be entirely popular but that is the risk I have pledged to take, personally. We know that Jesus was scourged. There is no debate about that, its quite clear in the scripture. However, we have no detailed account, in any of the Gospels really whatsoever, what that looked like. • The Romans had several ways or methods to scourge someone accused or convicted of a crime. It was essentially a tactic used to cause someone to confess. They had no mercy rule either like the Jews. The Jews had the 40 lashes minus one (spoken of by Paul even in scriptures such as 2 Corinthians 11:24), but the Romans had no such mercy rule. • Ancient sources describe Roman corporal punishment such as scourging and there are many different types of instruments detailed from the lorum (whip), sometimes leather straps were used, lashes, goads, staffs, rods, chains, sticks and flagrums. Flavius Josephus offers accounts of flagellations carried out in the area at this time where the strokes were delivered with such strength that they exposed the victim’s innards and he also confirms that scourging was a prelude to crucifixion. • The only detail we have in the Bible of the scourging of Jesus is actually found written in one Psalm and by the Old Testament prophet Isaiah. Psalm 129:3, “The plowers plowed on My back; They made their furrows long.” Isaiah 53:5, “He was wounded for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His stripes we are healed.” Isaiah 50:6, “I gave My back to those who strike…” And Isaiah 52:14, “As many were astonished at You, His appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and His form beyond that of the children of mankind.” • These are essentially the only clues given from which we are able to derive the severity of the sourging of Jesus and indeed it appears to be quite severe. Especially the last passage we read that Jesus was so beaten that His body was not able to be readily identified as human. And so, the conclusive scene given to us, for example, in the Passion of the Christ film, can be biblically substantiated but isn’t necessary biblical. In truth, we aren’t sure what Jesus scourging looked like and since all of the gospel writers essentially give the entire account no more than one sentence each, many scholars have concluded over the years that the scourging may not have been as brutal as some of the imaginations of man’s literation’s over the years. • Here’s what we do know though. By now He is greatly weakened. His skin would have already been softened and weakened through the process and condition He experienced in the Garden of Gethsemane called Hematidrosis. He’s been led around to various places all night and beaten most likely severely in His face. And by some means and to some degree, He has been scourged. One other thing we know… • At the time of Jesus, there was a longstanding rule that free citizens of Rome were exempt from scourging. This method was only used on foreigners, slaves and gladiators. I find that interesting. Jesus was all three. In His own creation, because of my sin, God Himself, the Creator and Originator and rightful Owner of this world was a Foreigner, a Slave and a Gladiator. And He chose that… He doesn’t blame me for putting Him in that state rather He willfully and gracefully stepped into that state, becoming a Foreigner here so that I would no longer be a slave and foreigner for eternity… • Crazy interesting as well, this Simon was from Cyrene which was a place in northern Africa…a complete foreigner as well and this man took up the cross of Jesus and followed Him. In the midst of millions, this one man was joined with Jesus in His suffering and burden…one man…and the joining was through taking up the cross… Luke Chapter 23 Verses 27 – 31 • These statements of Jesus are only given to us in Luke’s gospel account. Why did Jesus make these statements? Hard to tell. But what He was talking about, not so much. He essentially says to the women of Jerusalem wailing for Him…wait, why are they wailing for Him? It was customary in that day for the Roman guard to lead the accused through the city, to the place of crucifixion, with a sign that read the name and the crime of the condemned. And in order to be an example to the people, they would take the scenic route… • These aren’t the women that knew Jesus. They were all of Galilee…Luke says here that Jesus addressed them as “Women of Jerusalem.” Most likely, these are simply empathetic women who seeing Jesus’ state, seeing another Jewish man, a son of another Jewish woman, being killed by the enemy of Jerusalem…and they simply follow weeping and wailing. • And so, Jesus turns and He essentially says to them, “Don’t weep for Me, rather there is far more reason to weep for they that reject Me.” History books tell us that in just a few short years, because of the rejecting of the Kingdom of God that Jesus preached to them, the nation would follow other leaders into a political and military revolt, placing themselves on a collision course with Rome, that within a generation, would have a tragic result. • History tells us that the sacking of the city by Titus Aspasian was so horrific (completely destroying the city) that many Jews, having swallowed their gold…literally…in order to keep it from the Romans, were cut open in the city streets by the Roman soldiers, in order to plunder the nation. It really doesn’t get more horrific than that… The suffering would be so terrible, that Jesus says here, women would consider themselves blessed to be barren. • Completely opposite of the cultural norm. In that time, if you were barren, couldn’t have children, you were considered cursed by God and that was actually sufficient in and of itself grounds for divorce. And yet Jesus says here, it will be so bad, that even a curse will seem as a blessing. That is precisely what the rejecting of Jesus will bring upon a life. Curses become blessings as everything is turned on its head backwards from the way God intended… • And so, Jesus says, “Weep for yourselves!” Spurgeon put it this way, “To weep over a dying Savior is to lament the remedy; It were wiser to bewail the disease,” speaking of the rejection of the Savior… Luke Chapter 23 Verses 32 – 34 • Making the statement here that it was at this time they divided His garments, after He makes this statement, leads many to believe that He actually uttered these words while they were driving the nails through His hands and feet… • Now, notice, this statement of Jesus is the ultimate manifestation of empathy, selflessness, forgiveness and grace. That as He is being actively brutalized, He prays for His aggressors and that prayer is for them to be forgiven. Incredible display of unconditional, grace-filled and fueled love. The kind of love He has for me and for you today…but notice, this statement comes of the heels of His warning and I think that is important. • Just because we as Christians are to forgive, to give grace, to love even our enemies, does not mean that we are to not rebuke, correct, exhort and teach truth to the same people we actively forgive. Folks get this twisted… I’m willing to sacrifice for you and to forgive you but you are going to hear rebuke and correction from me for what you’ve done or what you’re doing. And that is not unloving in anyway… We’ve just got it all twisted. • We think love looks like tolerance of sin… God has never tolerated my sin! He died because of my sin! That was tolerance, that was judgment. That was love. That was grace. And today, Hebrews 12:6 says, “For whom the Lord loves, He chastens.” And so yes, I walk by grace and grace alone. Yes I enjoy the unconditional love of the Father through a close and personal relationship with Jesus Christ…and YES, within God’s forgiveness, the Holy Spirit convicts me of the sin in my life. • So indeed, I love my enemies and I want to see them saved and I want to see them well, but I have zero qualms in being very clear with them as to why they are an enemy to me, even calling them to weep over their own sin which I’m willing to suffer through in order to glorify God and follow the Lord I proclaim to love…
Luke 23 vs 35-56
July 20, 2022 • Pastor Matt Korniotes • Luke 23:35–56
Luke Chapter 23 Verses 35 – 37 • Their reaction to Jesus being there dying on the cross is understandable. This is the Jesus who has fed the multitudes, healed the sick, raised the dead to life…and now, He appears to be helpless…? I understand that, that’s confusing. The thing is, sometimes things don’t look like you might think they should… • What looked to them like defeat, was actually victory. What looked to them like helplessness, was complete control. What looked to them like a victim, was actually Victory Himself. They just didn’t understand truly what was going on… • This will happen to you and to me as well. Jesus said John 16:33, “In the world you will have tribulation…” and in that trouble, many times we will hurt, we will suffer and the world and even ourselves will look on and say, “This doesn’t make sense! Where are You, God? Shouldn’t I be doing so well? I’ve done everything You’ve asked of me…” But Jesus continued in that verse, “But be of good cheer, I have overcome the world!” • God is doing a greater work than the emotion of the moment. And that is something that not only do I not see, confuses me, doesn’t make sense to me while I’m suffering, but that is something honestly I don’t even care about when I’m suffering…if I’m being honest. I’m just sad, hurt, angry…suffering. But this is something to just know and accept by faith. That God is indeed working a greater work. • What’s going on is not limited to what’s going on. That’s the world…and Jesus overcame that…so He now works at a much higher level. They were confused seeing this Man of power hang on the cross but He hung on the cross BECAUSE He was not just a man of power but also the God of all power… Take it by faith, know it as fact, and even though perhaps even right now it doesn’t matter to you because you’re just suffering…doesn’t matter, even when we are faithless, He is faithful…! He’s going to do the greater work anyway!! Luke Chapter 23 Verses 38 • This inscription was entirely offensive to the Jews for several reasons. Obviously, they did not agree that Jesus was their King but perhaps more importantly, this title written above Jesus was a national offense because it put on display Rome’s dominance in that they were able to humiliate and execute the “King of the Jews.” • The Jewish leaders objected to this title. In John 19:21, we read, “The chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but, ‘He said, “I am the King of the Jews.”’” But Pilate effectively shut them down in the next verse, John 19:22, saying, “What I have written, I have written.” • Side note here, have you ever seen the letters I.N.R.I. in some religious settings? That acrostic stands for “Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum,” which is Latin for, “Jesus of Nazareth, The King of the Jews.” Luke Chapter 23 Verses 39 – 43 • There are some that say they have issue with or don’t believe at all in what we call, “death-bead confessions.” But, here truly is a biblical example of just that. This criminal, in his last moments, realizes his own sin, acknowledges Jesus as Lord, and asks for mercy. Even after a life of complete faithlessness and sin, Jesus assures him of salvation. Life after death and that life is to be with Jesus. • And this is perhaps the strongest biblical example of salvation. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” This man has literally done absolutely nothing, no church attendance, no good works, no giving, no keeping his body clean from tattoos, no circumcision, no rosary prayers, no communion, nothing…nothing at all, except place his faith in Jesus Christ. Anything added to the simple gospel of salvation by grace through faith is heresy. Luke Chapter 23 Verses 44 – 46 • The sixth hour would be noon and the ninth hour would be 3pm. And Luke tells us that darkness was over the entire earth for these three hours… Now historians about this time record an extraordinary eclipse that turned the day into night, which is cool, but truly this was perhaps the darkest hour of all humanity and creation… As the Savior sent and all He did was love, provide, heal, teach, He was nothing but good, perfect in all ways… was rejected and forsaken… and so, darkness. • Just like so many situations, circumstance, lives and even people…just a darkness about the whole thing. Rejection of Jesus Christ as a Person, and His ways, and His commands, and His guidance…the wisdom of God Himself…grace and truth…will always lead you to darkness. While the embracing of Jesus will always lead you not into darkness but out of it… • And that, my friend, often must be taken on faith and on wisdom. Because following Jesus and trusting Jesus may at times look like the short end of the stick…and maybe for today, just now, it is…three hours of darkness was upon the entire earth… But that darkness, will have to flee. So many accept at times life-long darkness rather than three hours of darkness and that is total total total deception. Walk by faith, act by wisdom…limit the darkness. • And Luke tells us that the veil in the temple, just a short distance away, the temple visible by Jesus at Golgotha, at that point tore in two. This is not only incredibly supernatural but also incredibly significant. The veil in the temple separated the Holy Place within the temple from the Holy of Holies. It was very literally the barrier between the presence of God and the presence of man… • God instructed Moses in Exodus 26:31-33, “You shall make a veil woven of blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen. It shall be woven with an artistic design of cherubim. You shall hang it upon the four pillars of acacia wood overlaid with gold. Their hooks shall be gold, upon four sockets of silver. And you shall hang the veil from the clasps. Then you shall bring the ark of the Testimony in there, behind the veil. The veil shall be a divider for you between the holy place and the Most Holy” • Some sources say that the veil was blue at the top, scarlet at the bottom and purple in the middle…which is a wonderful picture of heaven (blue), the flesh (red) and purple (royalty) bringing those two things together. Hebrews 10:19-20 says, “Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.” • Jesus, being fully man and fully God became and was that joining mediator between God and man through His blood and with His sacrifice, all those that are found in Him are now welcomed into the presence of God the Father, having been forgiven of all sin, past, present and future. Matthew adds in Matthew 27:51 that, “the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom…,” signifying that the work of redemption was the work of God and not of man! • The veil itself was untearable by the strongest of men. It was 60 feet high, 30 feet wide, and 4 inches thick of interwoven fabric! If it was going to be torn in two then it was going to have to be God who did it…and as Jesus died on my cross for my sin, that veil separating me from God was peeled back…and now, I simply walk in that in joy! Nothing to add to it, nothing to earn, nothing more at all…but to accept what has been done… Far too many people and religions and churches and groups attempt to mend the vail…which is nonsense and profitless! Luke Chapter 23 Verses 47 – 56 • Luke records for us only three statements of Jesus while being crucified but in surveying all of scripture, we have a total of seven statements. “Father forgive them; for they know not what they do.” “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” “Woman, behold your son. Behold, your mother.” “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” “I thirst.” “It is finished.” “Father, into Your hands, I commit My Spirit.” • Where in those statements is condemnation? Even as Jesus was being crucified wrongly, time after time being proven innocent, knowing full well that it was the sin of the world, my sin and yours, that was the cause of His torture, His words were of comfort, forgiveness, provision and love… And tonight, you for some reason carry shame, you carry guilt, you carry condemnation of not being good enough…? None of that is from the Lord, and none of that is true… • Your just caught up in the emotion of it all…but walk by faith, act by wisdom… God is doing a much greater work than the emotion of this life. Many people hope to be like mighty Peter or faithful Paul… My aim is to be as the thief. Simple. Nothing more to offer to God than the cross of Christ… And nothing to prove, everything to gain. Lucas Capítulo 23 Versículos 35-37 · Su reacción a que Jesús esté allí muriendo en la cruz es comprensible. Este es el Jesús que ha alimentado a las multitudes, ha sanado a los enfermos, ha resucitado a los muertos... y ahora, ¿parece estar indefenso...? Entiendo eso, eso es confuso. La cuestión es que a veces las cosas no se ven como podrías pensar que deberían ... · Lo que les parecía una derrota, era en realidad la victoria. Lo que les parecía impotencia, era un control total. Lo que les parecía una víctima, era en realidad la victoria misma. Simplemente no entendían realmente lo que estaba pasando ... · Esto te sucederá a ti y a mí también. Jesús dijo Juan 16:33: "En el mundo tendréis tribulación..." y en ese problema, muchas veces nos doleremos, sufriremos y el mundo e incluso nosotros mismos miraremos y diremos: "¡Esto no tiene sentido! ¿Dónde estás, Dios? ¿No debería hacerlo tan bien? He hecho todo lo que me has pedido ..." Pero Jesús continuó en ese versículo: "¡Pero sed de buen ánimo, he vencido al mundo!" · Dios está haciendo una obra más grande que la emoción del momento. Y eso es algo que no solo no veo, me confunde, no tiene sentido para mí mientras estoy sufriendo, sino que es algo que honestamente ni siquiera me importa cuando estoy sufriendo... si soy honesto. Solo estoy triste, herido, enojado ... sufrimiento. Pero esto es algo que hay que conocer y aceptar por fe. Que Dios ciertamente está obrando una obra mayor. · Lo que está pasando no se limita a lo que está pasando. Ese es el mundo... y Jesús venció eso... así que ahora trabaja a un nivel mucho más alto. Estaban confundidos al ver a este Hombre de poder colgado en la cruz , pero Él colgaba en la cruz PORQUE no era solo un hombre de poder, sino también el Dios de todo poder... Tómalo por fe, conócelo como un hecho, y aunque tal vez incluso en este momento no te importe porque solo estás sufriendo... no importa, incluso cuando somos infieles, ¡Él es fiel...! ¡¡Él va a hacer el trabajo más grande de todos modos!! Lucas Capítulo 23 Versículos 38 · Esta inscripción era totalmente ofensiva para los judíos por varias razones. Obviamente, no estaban de acuerdo en que Jesús era su Rey, pero quizás lo más importante, este título escrito sobre Jesús era una ofensa nacional porque puso en exhibición el dominio de Roma en el sentido de que pudieron humillar y ejecutar al "Rey de los judíos". · Los líderes judíos se opusieron a este título. En Juan 19:21, leemos: "Los principales sacerdotes de los judíos le dijeron a Pilato: "No escribas: 'El Rey de los judíos', sino' Dijo: 'Yo soy el Rey de los judíos'". Pero Pilato efectivamente los cerró en el siguiente versículo, Juan 19:22, diciendo: "Lo que he escrito, lo he escrito". · Nota aquí, ¿alguna vez has visto las letras I.N.R.I. en algunos entornos religiosos? Ese acróstico significa "Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum", que en latín significa "Jesús de Nazaret, el Rey de los judíos". Lucas Capítulo 23 Versículos 39– 43 · Hay algunos que dicen que tienen problemas o no creen en absoluto en lo que llamamos "confesiones de cuentas de muerte". Pero, aquí realmente hay un ejemplo bíblico de eso. Este criminal, en sus últimos momentos, se da cuenta de su propio pecado, reconoce a Jesús como Señor y pide misericordia. Incluso después de una vida de completa falta de fe y pecado, Jesús le asegura la salvación. La vida después de la muerte y que la vida es estar con Jesús. · Y este es quizás el ejemplo bíblico más fuerte de salvación. Efesios 2:8-9 dice: "Por gracia habéis sido salvos por la fe, y no por vosotros mismos; es el don de Dios, no de las obras, para que nadie se jacte". Este hombre literalmente no ha hecho absolutamente nada, ni asistencia a la iglesia, ni buenas obras, ni dar, ni mantener su cuerpo limpio de tatuajes, ni circuncisión, ni oraciones de rosario, ni comunión, nada... nada en absoluto, excepto poner su fe en Jesucristo. Cualquier cosa añadida al simple evangelio de salvación por gracia a través de la fe es herejía. Lucas Capítulo 23 Versículos 44– 46 · La sexta hora sería el mediodía y la novena hora serían las 3 de la tarde. Y Lucas nos dice que la oscuridad estuvo sobre toda la tierra durante estas tres horas... Ahora los historiadores sobre esta época registran un eclipse extraordinario que convirtió el día en noche, lo cual es grandioso, pero realmente esta fue quizás la hora más oscura de toda la humanidad y la creación ... Como el Salvador envió y todo lo que hizo fue amar, proveer, sanar, enseñar, Él no era más que bueno, perfecto en todos los sentidos... fue rechazado y abandonado... y así, la oscuridad. · Al igual que tantas situaciones, circunstancias, vidas e incluso personas... solo una oscuridad sobre todo el asunto. Rechazo de Jesucristo como Persona, y Sus caminos, y Sus mandamientos, y Su guía... la sabiduría de Dios mismo... gracia y verdad... siempre te llevará a la oscuridad. Si bien el abrazo de Jesús siempre te llevará no a la oscuridad, sino fuera de ella... · Y eso, amigo mío, a menudo debe ser asumido por la fe y por la sabiduría. Porque seguir a Jesús y confiar en Jesús a veces puede parecer el extremo corto del palo ... y tal vez por hoy, justo ahora, es... tres horas de oscuridad estaban sobre toda la tierra... Pero esa oscuridad, tendrá que huir. Muchos aceptan a veces la oscuridad de toda la vida en lugar de tres horas de oscuridad y eso es un engaño total, total. Camina por la fe, actúa por la sabiduría... limita la oscuridad. · Y Lucas nos dice que el velo en el templo, a poca distancia, el templo visible por Jesús en el Gólgota, en ese punto se partió en dos. Esto no solo es increíblemente sobrenatural, sino también increíblemente significativo. El velo en el templo separaba el Lugar Santo dentro del templo del Lugar Santísimo. Era literalmente la barrera entre la presencia de Dios y la presencia del hombre... · Dios instruyó a Moisés en Éxodo 26:31-33, "Harás un velo tejido de hilos azules, púrpura y escarlata, y fino lino tejido. Se tejerá con un diseño artístico de querubines. Lo colgarás sobre los cuatro pilares de madera de acacia recubiertos de oro. Sus ganchos serán de oro, sobre cuatro zócalos de plata. Y colgarás el velo de los cierres. Entonces traerás el arca del Testimonio allí, detrás del velo. El velo será para vosotros un divisor entre el lugar santo y el Santísimo" · Algunas fuentes dicen que el velo era azul en la parte superior, escarlata en la parte inferior y púrpura en el medio ... que es una imagen maravillosa del cielo (azul), la carne (rojo) y el púrpura (realeza) uniendo esas dos cosas. Hebreos 10:19-20 dice: "".Por lo tanto, hermanos, teniendo la audacia de entrar en el Santísimo por la sangre de Jesús, por un camino nuevo y vivo que Él consagró para nosotros, a través del velo, es decir, Su carne, y teniendo un Sumo Sacerdote sobre la casa de Dios, acerquémonos con un corazón verdadero en plena seguridad de fe, teniendo nuestros corazones rociados de una mala conciencia y nuestros cuerpos lavados con agua pura.” · Jesús, siendo plenamente hombre y plenamente Dios se convirtió y fue que uniéndose al mediador entre Dios y el hombre a través de Su sangre y con Su sacrificio, todos los que se encuentran en Él ahora son bienvenidos a la presencia de Dios el Padre, habiendo sido perdonados de todo pecado, pasado, presente y futuro. Mateo agrega en Mateo 27:51 que, "el velo del templo fue partido en dos de arriba a abajo...", lo que significa que la obra de redención fue la obra de Dios y no del hombre! · El velo en sí era inaprendible por el más fuerte de los hombres. ¡Tenía 60 pies de alto, 30 pies de ancho y 4 pulgadas de grosor de tela entretejida! Si se iba a partir en dos, entonces iba a tener que ser Dios quien lo hiciera... y como Jesús murió en mi cruz por mi pecado, ese velo que me separaba de Dios fue despegado... y ahora, ¡simplemente camino en eso con alegría! Nada que añadir, nada que ganar, nada más... pero aceptar lo que se ha hecho... Demasiadas personas, religiones, iglesias y grupos intentan reparar el velo... ¡lo cual es una tontería y sin ganancias! Lucas Capítulo 23 Versículos 47– 56 · Lucas registra para nosotros sólo tres declaraciones de Jesús mientras era crucificado, pero al examinar todas las Escrituras, tenemos un total de siete declaraciones. "Padre perdónalos; porque no saben lo que hacen". "Ciertamente, les digo, hoy estarán Conmigo en el Paraíso". "Mujer, he aquí a tu hijo. He aquí, tu madre". "Dios mío, Dios mío, ¿por qué me has abandonado?" "Tengo sed". "Está terminado". "Padre, en Tus manos, encomiendo Mi Espíritu." · ¿En qué parte de esas declaraciones está la condenación? Aun cuando Jesús estaba siendo crucificado erróneamente, una y otra vez se demostró su inocencia, sabiendo muy bien que era el pecado del mundo, mi pecado y el tuyo, la causa de Su tortura, Sus palabras fueron de consuelo, perdón, provisión y amor... Y esta noche, ¿tú por alguna razón llevas vergüenza, llevas culpa, llevas condenación de no ser lo suficientemente bueno...? Nada de eso es del Señor, y nada de eso es cierto... · Acabas de quedar atrapado en la emoción de todo ... pero andad por fe, actúad por sabiduría... Dios está haciendo una obra mucho mayor que la emoción de esta vida. Muchas personas esperan ser como el poderoso Pedro o el fiel Pablo... Mi objetivo es ser como el ladrón. Sencillo. Nada más que ofrecer a Dios que la cruz de Cristo... Y nada que probar, todo que ganar.
Luke 22 vs 63 - Luke 23 vs 25
July 6, 2022 • Pastor Matt Korniotes • Luke 22:63–71, Luke 1:25
Luke Chapter 22 Verses 63 – 65 Just as a side note, when you compare the accounts within the synoptic gospels, you may get a little confused because of how each author chose to record the night. Comparing these verses with the parallel account in Matthew, we find that Jesus is now with Caiaphas, but Luke doesn’t give us that. We can however piece it together because we know Jesus and Peter locked eyes while Jesus was being led out of the house of Annas according to John chapter 18… Also, Luke doesn’t give us the details of what happened in this trial/interaction…he only gives us what happened directly after it, but Matthew unpacks in Matthew Chapter 26 that they sought a reason to justify His arrest and death sentence. We read in Matthew 26:59-60, “Now the chief priests, the elders, and all the council sought false testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, but found none.” Why mock Him then? Why beat Him then? Why blindfold and strike Him then? Evil, the flesh, the world, is cruel… It’s as simple and as sad as that. Harming another person without cause or even for some personal enjoyment…Jesus knows what its like to be on the receiving end of that… They sought to find fault in Him, found none, didn’t matter… But notice, He didn’t return hate for hate. He didn’t give way to anger or wrath in any way. He didn’t defend Himself. He simply trusted in the Father, held His peace and took outright abuse in complete patience. His innocence remains completely and perfectly intact… What blows me away is that from the arrestors to the accusers to the abusers, in every moment of all of this, He loved them all… Your Christian and spiritual maturity is not seen in how you love Jesus, it’s seen in how you love Judas… That amazes me…this scene and this truth even continuing to today. There are many that stand in opposition of Jesus, but put Him to the test, test His Word, test His ways, it’s quite incredible… In every instance, every circumstance, every situation, in everything, He is found to be faithful and unfailing. People think the Bible is written by man… but 1,500 fulfilled prophecies and counting? Simply incredible. But many yet choose not only to not give faith a chance but even to stand against God. Jesus being the sacrificial substitutionary Lamb for the sin of all mankind from all time, His examination is underway, and He has been found to be without spot or blemish…qualified to proceed to the next examination. So, after this, after finding Him to be without fault, instead of receiving His Words and submitting to His Kingship, they instead decide to blindfold Him, strike Him, and another gospel tells us they spit on Him. Now, I don’t want to be too hard on myself, because I know that God knows my frame, that I am only dust using 3% of my human brain, and He forgives me constantly because ultimately, I don’t know what I’m doing, but when I eagerly and willingly chose to walk in the flesh, these are my actions too…I blindfold Him and what I do, strikes Him to the heart even today because of His great love for me. He knows that sin will cause harm to me, and He loves me… Luke Chapter 22 Verses 66 – 67a Over and over again… Throughout the gospel accounts, Jesus used the term, “Son of Man,” 102 times. He used the term, “Son of God,” 65 times. Jesus proclaimed that God was His Father 54 times. From Jesus’ own words to the words of the disciples, to the Jews, Romans and even Satan Himself, Jesus is called the Son of God a total of 231 times. Even God Himself, speaking from heaven on the day of Jesus’ baptism proclaimed, “This is My Son, in Whom I am well pleased.” What more do they need? Only faith… Most agree that this is now the fourth examination of Jesus. He was first taken to Annas, then to Caiaphas, where there was also a gathering of the Sanhedrin still during the night. Now, this is the fourth, and while Jesus stood in righteousness, everything about how He was examined was unlawful. According to Jewish law, criminal cases could not be tried during Passover. According to their own laws, only a verdict of innocent could be issued on the day of the actual trial; guilty verdicts had to wait a day to allow for anger/shock to subside and mercy to arise. The law at the time stated that any witnesses against the accused could not have any contact with each other. False witnesses were punished with death but nothing was done against the false witnesses of Jesus. Their own law mandated evidence for innocence be presented before evidence of guilt. The accused were not permitted by law to testify against themselves… None of this was done with Jesus and they all knew it… Jesus knew it too. And yet He didn’t even care to point out their unrighteousness…He would rather die for them… Luke Chapter 22 Verses 67 – 71 Jesus couldn’t be more-clear with them when He says, “Hereafter the Son of Man will sit on the right hand of the power of God.” He is referring to Psalm 110:1 which reads, “The Lord said to my Lord, ‘Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool.’” Which is understood to be and was understood to be a Messianic Psalm… Then they ask Him, after identifying Himself as the “Son of Man,” “Are you the Son of God?” And He answers, “Yes.” And in that interaction, we see Jesus, fully man…and yet also fully God… Now, there are many things I want God to tell me, to show me, to reveal to me… I’ve asked to understand, to know many things throughout my life, and this response of Jesus causes me to settle just for a moment… Would I believe Him? He has given me, in His Word, everything that pertains to life and Godliness. Peter writes in 2 Peter 1:2-4, “Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” Could it be that there are things you yet don’t know or understand, things that haven’t been given to you as of yet even though you may have sought after them passionately, but if God would give, you would reject? “If I tell you, you will by no means believe.” So, I’m not going to tell you… The truth is He had already told them, on numerous occasions. This only proved that they weren’t asking this question with a heart to hear and understand but rather with preconceived conclusions that He was not worthy to be believed… Luke Chapter 23 Verses 1 – 4 Jesus has revealed Himself to the Jews, now, being rejected of the Jews, reveals Himself to the gentiles in this statement and interaction with Pilate. The fifth time He is examined and the fifth time He is found to be innocent and perfect. Luke Chapter 23 Verses 5 – 10 Jesus was Herod’s father’s failure. This is Herod Antipas, son of Herod the Great who gave the edict for all of the Jewish baby boys to be killed when Jesus had been born. This is an odd meeting for sure. Antipas is a construction of two words. “Anti,” meaning “against,” and “pas,” meaning, “all people.” And so literally the one that is against all people now comes face to face with the One who is and was FOR all people…and the One that is FOR all people was the walking failure of the father of the one against all people. Odd for sure! And he is excited to meet Jesus. Having heard time after time the stories of this man…and so he goes on to question him but it says here that Jesus answered Herod Antipas nothing… Jesus answered all accusers prior to Herod…why not Herod? Herod in his heart of hearts lived up to his name and Jesus is His opposite, not the accuser of the brethren but rather the Savior of even His own enemies… People tell me all the time that God is being very silent with them…1% of me wonders if it’s because they are seeking vengeance and not mercy… God has nothing to say to a Herodian heart… Luke Chapter 23 Verses 11 – 12 Jesus comes back to Pilate bearing gifts… A gift of ridicule, humor and even the practical gift of Jesus’ arraignment. This was a sick and twisted way of communicating between these two rulers…and now, with a common problem, they become friends… Luke Chapter 23 Verses 13 – 25 He is innocent, He is innocent, He is innocent…and the cry of the people was crucify Him anyway. Lucas Capítulo 22 Versículos 63– 65 · Solo como nota al margen, cuando comparas los relatos dentro de los evangelios sinópticos, puedes confundirte un poco debido a cómo cada autor eligió grabar la noche. Comparando estos versículos con el relato paralelo en Mateo, encontramos que Jesús está ahora con Caifás, pero Lucas no nos da eso. Sin embargo, podemos reconstruirlo porque sabemos que Jesús y Pedro cerraron los ojos mientras Jesús estaba siendo sacado de la casa de Anás según Juan capítulo 18 ... · Además, Lucas no nos da los detalles de lo que sucedió en este juicio / interacción ... solo nos da lo que sucedió directamente después de eso, pero Mateo revela en Mateo capítulo 26 que buscaron una razón para justificar Su arresto y sentencia de muerte. Leemos en Mateo 26:59-60: "Ahora los sumos sacerdotes, los ancianos y todo el concilio buscaron falso testimonio contra Jesús para matarlo , pero no encontraron ninguno". ¿Por qué burlarse de Él entonces? ¿Por qué vencerlo entonces? ¿Por qué vendarle los ojos y golpearlo entonces? El mal, la carne, el mundo, es cruel... Es tan simple y tan triste como eso. · Dañar a otra persona sin causa o incluso para algún disfrute personal... Jesús sabe lo que es estar en el extremo receptor de eso... Buscaron encontrar falta en Él, no encontraron ninguna, no importaron... · Pero fíjate, Él no devolvió el odio por el odio. No dio paso a la ira o la ira de ninguna manera. No se defendió. Simplemente confió en el Padre, mantuvo Su paz y tomó el abuso absoluto con total paciencia. Su inocencia permanece completa y perfectamente intacta... Lo que me sorprende es que desde los q lo arrestaron hasta los acusadores y los abusadores, en cada momento de todo esto, Él los amó a todos... Tu madurez cristiana y espiritual no se ve en cómo amas a Jesús, se ve en cómo amas a Judas... · Eso me sorprende... esta escena y esta verdad incluso continúan hasta hoy. Hay muchos que se oponen a Jesús, pero ponerlo a prueba, probar Su Palabra, probar Sus caminos, es bastante increíble... En cada caso, en cada circunstancia, en cada situación, en todo, Él es encontrado fiel e infalible. La gente piensa que la Biblia está escrita por el hombre... pero 1.500 profecías cumplidas y contando? Simplemente increíble. Pero muchos, sin embargo, eligen no solo no darle una oportunidad a la fe, sino incluso oponerse a Dios. · Siendo Jesús el Cordero sacrificial sustituto del pecado de toda la humanidad de todos los tiempos, Su examen está en marcha, y se ha encontrado que no tiene mancha ni inpureza ... calificado para pasar al siguiente examen. · Entonces, después de esto, después de encontrar que Él no tiene falta, en lugar de recibir Sus Palabras y someterse a Su Realeza, en su lugar deciden vendarle los ojos, golpearlo, y otro evangelio nos dice que lo escupieron. Ahora, no quiero ser demasiado duro conmigo mismo, porque sé que Dios conoce mi marco, que solo soy polvo usando el 3% de mi cerebro humano, y Él me perdona constantemente porque, en última instancia, no sé lo que estoy haciendo, pero cuando con entusiasmo y voluntad elegí caminar en la carne, estas son mis acciones también ... Le vendo los ojos y lo que hago, lo golpeo en el corazón incluso hoy debido a Su gran amor por mí. Él sabe que el pecado me causará daño, y El aún me ama... Lucas Capítulo 22 Versículos 66 – 67a · Una y otra vez... A lo largo de los relatos de los evangelios, Jesús usó el término "Hijo del Hombre" 102 veces. Usó el término "Hijo de Dios" 65 veces. Jesús proclamó que Dios era Su Padre 54 veces. Desde las propias palabras de Jesús hasta las palabras de los discípulos, los judíos, los romanos e incluso Satanás mismo, Jesús es llamado el Hijo de Dios un total de 231 veces. Incluso Dios mismo, hablando desde el cielo el día del bautismo de Jesús, proclamó: "Este es mi Hijo, en quien estoy bien complacido". ¿Qué más necesitan? Sólo fe... · La mayoría está de acuerdo en que este es ahora el cuarto examen de Jesús. Primero fue llevado a Anás, luego a Caifás, donde también hubo una reunión del Sanedrín todavía durante la noche. Ahora, este la cuarta ocasión que lo ponen a prueba, y mientras Jesús estaba en La Justicia de Su Padre, y era el Justo todo acerca de cómo fue examinado por todos sus oponentes era ilegal. · De acuerdo con la ley judía, los casos penales no podían ser juzgados durante la Pascua. De acuerdo con sus propias leyes, sólo se podía emitir un veredicto de inocencia el día del juicio real; Los veredictos de culpabilidad tuvieron que esperar un día para permitir que la ira / conmoción disminuyera y surgiera la misericordia. La ley de la época establecía que los testigos contra los acusados no podían tener ningún contacto entre sí. Los falsos testigos fueron castigados con la muerte, pero no se hizo nada contra los falsos testigos de Jesús. Su propia ley exigía que las pruebas de inocencia se presentaran antes de las pruebas de culpabilidad. A los acusados no se les permitía por ley testificar contra sí mismos... Nada de esto se hizo con Jesús y todos lo sabían... · Jesús también lo sabía. Y, sin embargo, ni siquiera le importó señalar su injusticia... Preferiría morir por ellos... Lucas Capítulo 22 Versículos 67– 71 · Jesús no podría ser más claro con ellos cuando dice: "En lo sucesivo, el Hijo del Hombre se sentará a la diestra del poder de Dios". Se está refiriendo al Salmo 110:1 que dice: "El Señor dijo a mi Señor: 'Siéntate a mi diestra, hasta que haga de tus enemigos tu estrado'". Lo cual se entiende y se entendió como un Salmo Mesiánico... Luego le preguntan, después de identificarse como el "Hijo del Hombre", "¿Eres tú el Hijo de Dios?" Y Él responde: "Sí". Y en esa interacción, vemos a Jesús, completamente hombre... y, sin embargo, también plenamente Dios... · Ahora, hay muchas cosas que quiero que Dios me diga, que me muestre, que me revele... He pedido entender, saber muchas cosas a lo largo de mi vida, y esta respuesta de Jesús me hace conformarme solo por un momento... ¿Le creería? Que Él me ha dado, en Su Palabra, todo lo que pertenece a la vida y a la piedad. · Pedro escribe en 2 Pedro 1:2-4: "La gracia y la paz se multipliquen para vosotros en el conocimiento de Dios y de Jesús nuestro Señor, ya que Su poder divino nos ha dado todas las cosas que pertenecen a la vida y la piedad, a través de la conocimiento de Aquel que nos llamó por gloria y virtud, por el cual se nos han dado promesas extremadamente grandes y preciosas, para que a través de ellas seáis partícipes de la naturaleza divina, habiendo escapado de la corrupción que hay en el mundo a través de la lujuria". ¿Podría ser que hay cosas que aún no sabes o no entiendes, cosas que aún no te han sido dadas a pesar de que puedes haberlas buscado apasionadamente, pero si Dios te diera, las rechazarías? · "Si te lo digo, de ninguna manera creerás". Entonces, no te lo voy a decir... La verdad es que Él ya se los había dicho, en numerosas ocasiones. Esto solo demostró que no estaban haciendo esta pregunta con un corazón para escuchar y entender, sino más bien con conclusiones preconcebidas de que Él no era digno de ser creído ... Lucas Capítulo 23 Versículos 1– 4 · Jesús se ha revelado a los judíos, ahora, siendo rechazado de los judíos, se revela a los gentiles en esta declaración e interacción con Pilato. La quinta vez que es examinado y la quinta vez se encuentra que es inocente y perfecto. Lucas Capítulo 23 Versículos 5 – 10 · Jesús fue el fracaso del padre de Herodes. Este es Herodes Antipas, hijo de Herodes el Grande, quien dio el edicto para que todos los niños judíos fueran asesinados cuando Jesús hubiera nacido. · Esta es una reunión extraña sin duda. Antipas es una construcción de dos palabras. "Anti", que significa "en contra", y "pas", que significa "todas las personas". Y así, literalmente, el que está en contra de todas las personas ahora se encuentra cara a cara con Aquel que es y fue PARA todas las personas ... y el que es PARA todas las personas fue el fracaso andante del padre del uno contra todas las personas. ¡Extraño seguro! · Y está emocionado de conocer a Jesús. Habiendo escuchado una y otra vez las historias de este hombre... y así continúa interrogándolo, pero aquí dice que Jesús no respondió nada a Herodes Antipas... Jesús respondió a todos los acusadores antes de Herodes... ¿por qué no Herodes? · Herodes en su corazón de corazones hizo honor a su nombre y Jesús es su opuesto, no el acusador de los hermanos, sino más bien el Salvador incluso de sus propios enemigos... La gente me dice todo el tiempo que Dios está siendo muy silencioso con ellos... El 1% de mí se pregunta si es porque están buscando venganza y no misericordia... Dios no tiene nada que decirle a un corazón herodiano... Lucas Capítulo 23 Versículos 11– 12 · Jesús regresa a Pilato llevando regalos... Un don de ridículo, humor e incluso el don práctico de la lectura de cargos de Jesús. Esta era una forma enfermiza y retorcida de comunicarse entre estos dos gobernantes ... y ahora, con un problema común, se hacen amigos... Lucas Capítulo 23 Versículos 13– 25 · Es inocente, es inocente, es inocente... y el grito del pueblo era crucificarlo de todos modos.
Luke 22 vs 54-62
June 29, 2022 • Pastor Matt Korniotes • Luke 22:54–62
Luke Chapter 22 Verse 54 This is the house of Annas and interestingly, Luke doesn’t give us the interaction between Jesus and Annas. We find this interaction in John Chapter 18 verses 12-24… “Then the detachment of troops and the captain and the officers of the Jews arrested Jesus and bound Him. And they led Him away to Annas first, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas who was high priest that year.” It was a complex situation in Israel at the time. Luke calls Annas the high priest but John calls Caiaphas the high priest. So, what’s going on here? The Romans had deposed Annas and made Caiaphas the high priest. So, officially, Caiaphas, the son-in-law of Annas, was high priest but in the eyes of the Jews, Annas held more clout which is made obvious here in that he was the first person Jesus was brought to… Continuing in John Chapter 18… “Now it was Caiaphas who advised the Jews that it was expedient that one man should die for the people. And Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. Now that disciple was known to the high priest, and went with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest. But Peter stood at the door outside. Then the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to her who kept the door, and brought Peter in. Then the servant girl who kept the door said to Peter, “You are not also one of this Man’s disciples, are you?” He said, “I am not.” Now the servants and officers who had made a fire of coals stood there, for it was cold, and they warmed themselves. And Peter stood with them and warmed himself. Peter is involved in a series of mistakes here, poor decisions, that ultimately lead him to outright denying Jesus. John records for us that Peter followed Jesus but Luke, Matthew and Mark all give us this phrase, “Peter followed from a distance, or from afar.” Understand, that’s not the beginning of the red flags that ultimately signal a coming denial of Jesus… The first can be seen in the upper room. Earlier in this chapter, Verse 33, Peter answer’s Jesus saying, “Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death!” Oddly enough, spiritual pride is a sign of spiritual weakness, and true confidence in the spirit is displayed through humility. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 10:12, “Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall…” The idea of, “I’ve got this thing figured out and I know what to do,” not only leads you to falling right of your face but also leads you into the abuse of others… Unthinkable, right? The abuse of others part…but let me throw you a wake-up call… In the economy of God, if we are not walking in the Spirit and actively loving our brother, no matter what we think we are not doing, in God’s eyes, we are abusing them. Why? Because in order to actually walk in righteousness, we are loving each other as we love ourselves. To ignore someone, to not actively love them, in God’s eyes, that’s to abuse them. There are only few that will care about doing anything about that…I know…but I’m thankful for those few, super thankful. Spiritual pride leads to all sorts of problems and we ought to be against it in our own heart of hearts. No one has “arrived.” Not one Christian on this planet “gets it.” Paul wrote in Romans 3:9-12, “What then? Are we better than they? Not at all. For we have previously charged both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin. As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one.” Do you know when Paul wrote this, he himself was including he himself? The minute we think we get it is the minute we stop depending on God and walking by grace. Pride comes before the fall, Proverbs 16:18, and that applies in all situations and people, including people of faith. It is rather as Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 8:1-3, “We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies. And if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know. But if anyone loves God, this one is known by Him.” Who needs the grace of God and the leadership of God anymore when we know what to do ourselves…? Peter’s first red flag warning was his pride even in the faith. In fact, we see Peter go through a progression, a growing up of sorts. From correcting Jesus, telling Him not to talk about going to Jerusalem to suffer and be killed (Matthew 16), to then spiritual pride. Hey, no longer correcting God, “My way is better Jesus…,” but now thinking that He is able in his own strength…to being completely humbled which we will see by this chapter…and in that humility, FINALLY, after following Jesus for YEARS, being FILLED with the Holy Spirit and then standing and leading by spiritual strength, which is humility and lowliness of heart. One example of this is Acts Chapter 9 when Peter comes to the Lydda and finds a certain man named Aeneas who was paralyzed. We read in Acts 9:34, “And Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus the Christ heals you.” And then another scene in Acts 9:40, in the healing of Dorcas,, “Peter put them all out, and knelt down and prayed…” Kneeling shows complete subservience, dependance and humility. Peter wasn’t great when he was strong in himself…he became great when he was strong in the grace of God and dependance upon Jesus. The second issue we see in Peter is that he was sleeping when he ought to have been praying. Prayer speaks of relationship. It’s as simple as that. And when the day comes along with its decisions, troubles and temptations, are you one to go to the Lord in prayer or are you one to do your own thing and perhaps if it goes wrong, then resort to prayer? That is a symptom of one of two things. Spiritual ignorance or spiritual pride. This spiritual pride and prayerlessness laid the foundation for Peter’s third fallacy in that he began, as all spiritually arrogant people do, he began to follow Jesus at a distance. Only natural. No need to be close to Jesus…I pretty much am Jesus…just ask me, I know what the Lord would do or say… And so, the energy and excitement around church and serving and ministry and Bible study and service towards God and others begins to fade, why? Jesus isn’t so special anymore… Look at the next verse as we see the continued downward progression. Luke Chapter 22 Verse 55 In a matter of minutes, we have seen Peter go to gung-ho for the Lord to sitting together with those that opposed the Lord and warming himself at their fire. Doesn’t take long at all to slide down that slippery slope… Luke Chapter 22 Verses 56 – 62 Spiritual pride, failure in personal devotion, following at distance, warming at the fires of the world… open denial. This is the pattern and it is repeated time and time again… What are we to do? Defend against denying Jesus in our lives? No! You can’t do that. Denying Jesus is a result not a cause. It’s being awake to and working against spiritual pride. It’s being awake to and active and passionate in your devotional life with the Lord. It’s taking a temperature check every now and then on yourself and asking, “Am I following Jesus closely…” It’s being wise to the traps set for you in the flesh, in the world… Now, what are the words in the eyes of Jesus? It says that He turned and looked at Peter…we know from another Gospel that they are leading Him out now to go to Caiaphas…Jesus there in the courtyard hearing what Peter says…what’s the look on Jesus’ face? What you see says everything about what you think about Jesus. “How could you, Peter? How could you?” Is that what you see? “You’re a disgrace, Peter. After all and everything, this is what you do?” Is that how you see Him? “I’ll deny you too, man. You’re no real friend…” What do you see…? This scene says so much for each of us personally. There are times in my life that I have seen all of those faces…but I’ve learned since then. There is no doubt, I know this to be true because it is shocking and it destroys my flesh… May I give this to you? Will you take this and never forget it? We can tell this by the response of Peter, not just now but in the weeks to come, Jesus looks at Peter and says to him, “I understand. It’s ok.” I was stuck here for years and could never get to this conclusion. How can God be understanding towards my sin? Sin is confusion to God, right? In Him is no darkness at all so how could He not just hate my sin…? I mean, that’s what we say, right? Love the sinner, hate the sin! Isn’t that how God is….? Yes…no. What was He doing for 30 years? Living His life and doing life? I don’t think so. He was watching, studying, seeking to understand…not walking in sin but compassionately relating to those who, well like Eve, fell being deceived…and once He understood, I believe that’s when He was ready go forward into His earthly ministry…man, there’s a whole sermon there for the leadership of the church. I think we see this on the cross when He cries from God’s one perspective/person of the Son to another of God’s perspectives/persons of the Father saying, “Forgive them…they don’t know what they’re doing…” How did He know that? He understood. Jesus’ eyes were NOTHING but love, compassion, forgiveness, understanding… Peter, its ok… I understand. This is what saved Peter. Yes, he goes out and weeps bitterly, but in a matter of days, he goes from denying to proclaiming. We see in no time, in the Book of Acts, the same crowd questioning him on a healing…watch this scene in Acts 3:11-17… “Now as the lame man who was healed held on to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the porch which is called Solomon’s, greatly amazed. So, when Peter saw it, he responded to the people: “Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this? Or why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let Him go. But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses. And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.” And the next thing Peter says…, “Yet now, brethren, I know that you did it in ignorance, as did also your rulers…” Zero condemnation. Zero judgment. Zero. It’s all understanding. Where’d he learn that? Can you never forget this, please…? How have you fallen? How have you denied Jesus? God is not mad at you, He has never been disappointed in you, He hasn’t turned from you or left you in anyway… God understands… and by His blood, it’s ok… Would you return to Him? We’re interesting like that, we humans. If you come down on someone there’s something in us that defends…I mean, we have to…but grace given and received, compassion given and receive, love given and received, understanding given and received…leads to humility and humility is strength…it’s so pleasant even though we may weep bitterly… It’s the goodness of God that leads me and led Peter to repentance. Perhaps tonight, change everything, all the faces you’ve seen, and receive finally the one true God…and savior and understander of your soul.
Luke 22 vs 47-53
June 22, 2022 • Pastor Matt Korniotes • Luke 22:47–53
Luke Chapter 22 Verses 47 – 48 • Spurgeon calls this scene and action of Judas, “A well of grief.” In this culture, a kiss on the cheek was a common greeting but it wasn’t just for any interaction. It signified a depth of respect, honor and brotherly love. Judas’ actions were hypocritical and demeaning and hurtful in the extreme… • His actions said, “I respect and honor You. You are my brother,” at the exact time he was betraying Jesus to be killed… I can only begin to glimpse in my imagination the intense pain of this moment for Jesus. This moment emotionally was the internal crucifixion of Jesus… • David understood this to an extent, writing in Psalm 51:12-14, “It is not an enemy who reproaches me; then I could bear it. Nor is it one who hates me who has exalted himself against me; Then I could hide from him. But it was you, a man my equal, my companion and my acquaintance. We took sweet counsel together, and walked to the house of God.” You can sense the terror and the tragedy in the words of David as he tries to process this utter rejection, feeling of worthlessness, devaluation, severe sadness full of fury… • David continues with his heart reaction in verse 15, “Let death seize them; let them go down alive into Hell, for wickedness is in their dwellings and among them…” The implication here is that David couldn’t process the betrayal of his beloved. He was overwhelmed with grief and overcome in desperation. The same moment for Jesus… • No one else is there. Not the disciples. Not the hundreds that have come with Judas. Everything else fades to black. In the eye and mind of Jesus…it’s just Him and Judas. The focus is the fall of the relationship, the reception on the part of Jesus that the commitment He had and felt for His beloved was not what was felt for Him…and in that the great desperation of the Son of Man…emotionally, spiritually and then expressed physically, “Judas, are you betraying Me with a kiss?” Of all the moments of pain Jesus will remember for all of eternity (and in remembering, relive in a manner of speaking), arguably this is the most damaging… And yet, I know in contemplating this scene, He endured even this for me…and for that I’m thankful to the Lord… • Now, even so…even though all of this did indeed transpire, Jesus still has forgiven Judas today and moved on… He has let go of that offense, because that is what love does. The same is the Godly direction for us all. If you allow your heart hurt to fester and grow inside of you, just give it a place to live, it will only make you bitter and ugly. That actually keeps the pain alive! It’s time for you to forgive and let go of that offense so that you can move on and forward with your life. • Learn for sure… You don’t ever have to allow another Judas to be your best friend again…but if you don’t forgive and move on you risk disallowing the Holy Spirit to lead you to the finest of friends you’ve had yet! Yes, the pain was killer, take the loss and take the lesson and make that experience work for you, not against you! Let it make you a stronger and a better person, not a bitter and a lesser person! And when you come out on the other side, you’ll be in a position to understand what others are going through who hurt so you can be a help and a blessing to them! Just like Jesus is today…because He allowed this… More than that…what freed Him here is that He chose this… • Now, why a kiss? Most agree that was to identify Jesus. Nothing particularly special about His appearance. He was in all ways just like you and just like me… What made Him so very different and so very wonderful was not what was on the outside but rather what was on the inside. A heart that loved the Father with all of His heart, soul, mind and strength…and loved others as Himself. Not immediately visible on the outside and far far far more important than what the outside looks like at all…. Luke Chapter 22 Verses 49 – 53 • This was the final healing miracle of Jesus and its ironic that it was the healing of one who was coming to accuse and arrest Him…but that’s the heart of God. It was simply the righteous, the kind, the humble thing to do. Often times I get the opportunity to pray with someone and for someone after hearing a bit about their story or what’s going on…and the question they’re almost always taking to the Lord is centered around what they should do… • The truth is, for their specific situation, life, circumstance, issue…I don’t exactly know. Every situation is layered. History, emotion, relationships, causes and consequences and complexities that are only really know by them and the Lord…but I am confident in giving this direction every time. Do the next right thing. • What way is kind? What action is righteous? What is the humble thing to do? Even if it leaves you in a state of wrongful arrest and accusation, that’s the path. You see we so often are looking for whatever takes us out of harms way…and that can cause us to make very bad decisions. I’m thankful for the people in my life that will pursue what is right over what is good and fair for them personally… • We know from Matthew’s gospel that this flailing sword swinger is Peter…and what a goof to do what he did. He misses by a very small margin mind you, but he misses all the same and his sword is razor sharp enough to take Malchus’ ear right off…one more inch to the left and Malchus would have take a sword right through his skull and Peter would have been stoned to death…what’s my point? • Peter looked like a fool in this moment no doubt. Even though he displays complete bravery in taking on upwards of 600 Roman soldiers (according to the language used in John Chapter 18). He no doubt clumsily pulls out this sword he had stashed and lunges, missing his target and leaving not a soldier but a servant injured. It’s a scene rich in foolishness…but…even in this moment of disgrace, we see the providence of God… Had Peter been successful, tragedy would have ensued. • We’ve all made a fool of ourselves in the past. Made mistakes, humiliated ourselves and even others around us…, God has his hand even in those things. • Now Matthew, Mark and Luke all leave out one of the most amazing aspects of this scene that John does not. John Chapter 18 verses 1 – 6. “When Jesus had spoken these words, He went out with His disciples over the Brook Kidron, where there was a garden, which He and His disciples entered. And Judas, who betrayed Him, also knew the place; for Jesus often met there with His disciples. Then Judas, having received a detachment of troops, and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, came there with lanterns, torches, and weapons. Jesus therefore, knowing all things that would come upon Him, went forward and said to them, “Whom are you seeking?” They answered Him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am He.” And Judas, who betrayed Him, also stood with them. Now when He said to them, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground.” • This proclamation of Jesus was so powerful that creation failed, why? This is the declaration of creation. What Jesus actually said was, “I am.” Echoing back to the revelation of God in the burning bush of Moses, “They won’t listen to me…who am I…? Whom should I tell them has sent me?” And God replied, “Tell Him I am has sent you!” Exodus Chapter 3. • That mysterious and wondrous identifying revelation…that God is the eternal, “I am,” claimed and demonstrated by Jesus on the night of not His accusation and arrest but His surrender and willful personal decision to accept what was excruciating for Him but meant freedom for me… No one could stand, no one except for Jesus that is… • And at this moment, after Malchus is healed…the other gospels tell us that all of the disciples fled and forsook Him…left Him alone…because it was Him and Him alone, God in the flesh, fully God, fully perfect, fully man, fully qualified to represent all of us…it was His work alone to accomplish, as it remains yet today…. • Now, one more thing…this was the darkest hour of creation, Jesus called it, “the power of darkness,” …in that its Creator, innocent and pure, was taken by force under the darkness of night…and yet, Jesus Himself declared this night and this moment not to be His darkest hour but rather His hour of greatest glory. • We find this in John Chapter 12 as Jesus is talking about this “hour,” and He says in verse 23…, “Jesus answered them, saying, “The hour has come that the Son of man should be glorified…” And then He goes on to provide the process by which God is glorified… • John Chapter 12 verses 24-26, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain (or fruit). He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.” • You and I will never ever ever glorify the Father living for ourselves. It’s just not how it works. And here’s the secret of it all… Jesus reveals here for our understanding, because they at this time couldn’t understand this, this is here for us…that when we make the decision to lay aside our own security, convenience, safety and freedom of fairness to serve someone else, allowing even the work of humility in our lives, that’s when we get company. We no longer remain alone… • What does that mean? We become popular and we get a friend and someone on earth cares about us and devotes themselves to us? Maybe, but that’s not what Jesus is talking about and even if you have that, you can remain and you can feel alone… Jesus says here that you will produce much grain, much fruit… From whom does fruit flow forth from in the life of a Christian? Love, joy, peace, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, self-control? • These are all gifts and giving’s of God Himself in the Person of the Holy Spirit. And so, the picture and revelation is complete. Filled by the Holy Spirit, empowered by the Holy Spirit, blessed by the Holy Spirit, used by the Holy Spirit and enriched with and by the fruit of the Holy Spirit…reserved only for those who will gladly allow themselves to fall, be lowered, to die, set aside their “rights” and become who or what someone else needs them to be… That is not the darkest hour at all…whatsoever…that is the hour in my life and yours, as it was in Jesus’ life, of glory!
Luke 22 vs 35-46
June 15, 2022 • Pastor Matt Korniotes • Luke 22:35–46
Luke Chapter 22 Verses 35 – 37 • Essentially what Jesus is saying here is that the times are changing. Public approval, generosity, affection, affirmation, even popularity, these things seemed to follow Jesus and we’ve seen them throughout our studies of His travels, activities and teachings, but in just a matter of hours the crowd would cry out, “Crucify Him!” • We have to be prepared (in a way) and ultimately ok with not having these things either. Jesus said in John 15:18-19, “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” • It hurts and its hard when you are despised and rejected because you belong to Jesus, and when that happens, its super important not to allow yourself to hate back. Jesus continued in John 15:21, “All these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me.” One of the greatest proofs that you belong to Christ is that when you are reviled, your heart is not to revile in return… • This is also one of the most important reasons why Christians need to be in fellowship with other Christians. Attending church services and activities and plugged into ministries…because if you’re living for Jesus then you’re going to inevitably be treated as He was treated… Honestly, if you don’t need church, and you don’t need to be plugged into ministry then where are you getting your affirmation and approval? The world? Many times, that certainly is the case… And many times, people just aren’t getting that at all…one of the most basic human needs… • And just in case you’ve ever wondered or had a thought of doubt, Jesus links Himself with this statement to that wonderfully well-known prophetic Old Testament scripture, Isaiah 53. Confirming that it was all about Him. Now, that’s entirely wonderful, why? Because in the midst of everything found in Isaiah 53, we have verses 5-6, “By His stripes we are healed. While all like sheep have gone astray, we have turned, every one to his own way, and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” • He really did die for your sins. Your sins really have been forgiven and forgotten by the blood and sin payment of Jesus Christ. God’s grace really is yours and you really don’t have to do anything at all to earn it. All there is to do is receive it…. Luke Chapter 22 Verse 38 • Proof text that concealed weapons are biblical. HA! Now, interestingly, there exists within the Roman Catholic tradition what is known as the “Doctrine of the Two Swords,” which is derived solely from this verse. Explained by Pope Boniface VIII around the year 1300, “We are taught by the words of the Gospel that in this Church and under her control there are two swords, the spiritual and the temporal . . . both of these, i.e., the spiritual and the temporal swords, are under the control of the Church. The first is wielded by the Church; the second is wielded on behalf of the church. The first is wielded by the hands of the priest, the second by the hands of kings and soldiers, but at the wish and by the permission of the priests.” • This doctrine was the basis by which Pope Gregory IX started the War of the Keys against Emperor Frederick II in the year 1228… What a mess, for many reasons, but perhaps the most obvious is that this doctrine, as many doctrines of men do, actually contradicts scripture in that Jesus identified this world being fallen and given over to Satan as “The god of this age,” (2 Corinthians 4:4), and “The ruler of this world,” (John 12:31). Jesus Himself saying in John 18:36, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight…” • And so, here’s the thing, the doctrine of the two swords is better captured as the doctrine of two gods or two kingdoms because the spiritual kingdom is the Lord’s and the temporal kingdom is the enemies… Anytime the church plays both sides, or the Christians plays both sides, all commandments of God are broken… Luke Chapter 22 Verses 39 – 40 • We know from other Gospels that the “place” that Luke is writing about here is the Garden of Gethsemane. And this prayer is a perfect prayer even for us today. Lord, that you would open my eyes, sharpen my senses and strengthen my heart, that I may not enter into temptation… • And notice, Jesus had customs, routines if you will in terms of prayer and seeking the Father. Do you? I believe we all should have our own customs, specific to us, just like Jesus, in how we administrate our relationship with God. You could say customs, routines…or you could say disciplines. And without discipline there is no disciple… Luke Chapter 22 Verses 41 – 42 • All too often I remember the cross and overlook the cost. It was intensely difficult and demeaning and disheartening what Jesus went through. Betrayal, abandonment, excessive and relentless spiritual, emotional and physical pain…to the point that He even pleads with the Father here…look…knowing that there was no other way…knowing…and yet expressing His grief and cry for relief anyway…which is totally acceptable! Even strengthening to face what is yet ahead… • But ultimately, the strength of His desire to accomplish what was right was stronger than the strength of His personal pain and sacrifice. And by that equation, heaven was opened to me, you and countless others… That’s the location of spiritual maturity and the vision of the heart of one who seeks what is good, what is right and to glorify God. • A vision is a statement or creed adopted by a person or an organization that defines, in certain terms, what one espouses to become. As a Christian, this is it…that we would pursue the will of God at any and all costs…and the cost of the cross speaks volumes of the heart of Christ for you and for me and also the power available to us to overcome sin and evil in our own lives…but also in the lives of others and even the world… Luke Chapter 22 Verses 43 - 44 • This is an odd scene. He who is the Creator of the angel, is strengthened by the angel. It’s incredible…and yet it puts on display the intense weight of the cross. What did the angel do? What did the angel say? Did he say anything at all? We don’t know. In fact, only Luke gives us this detail…but one thing I think we can conclude from this scene statement is how Jesus was strengthened… • His mission was from heaven, unto heaven and for heaven…but in the midst of that mission, the world and its difficulty, in this moment, was overwhelming. And so, we don’t know what this angel did or what this angel said. We do know that this angel came and by his coming, Jesus was strengthened…and so the conclusion that I offer you is that Jesus was strengthened by the reality of reality… Heaven is real. Heaven is the mission. And heaven awaits…simply the presence of the angel proves and proclaims that in the volume of the earthly pain…quite strengthening indeed… • Spurgeon writes, “This was the Father’s reply to the cry of his fainting Son…Possibly, you have sometimes said, “I feel so sorrowful that I cannot pray.” Nay, brother, that is the very time when you must pray. As the spices, when bruised, give forth all the more fragrance because of the bruising, so let the sorrow of your spirit cause it to send forth the more fervent prayer to the God who is both able and willing to deliver you. You must express your sorrow in one way or another; so, let it not be expressed in murmuring, but in supplication. It is a vile temptation, on the part of Satan, to keep you away from the mercy-seat when you have most need to go there; but do not yield to that temptation.” Luke Chapter 22 Verses 45 – 46 • I want to close on a simple yet critical observation from these verses and ultimately the Garden of Gethsemane scene… Sometimes, the world cannot provide what you need… Jesus needed in this scene. Call it help, call it support, call it reinforcement, call it strengthening…not sure we can really put our finger on it precisely but to simply say, Jesus was in desperate need…and even the disciples of God on earth didn’t have the strength to stay awake… • The world and the wonderful people in it are a wonderful source of help and happiness but help and happiness evaporate (seem to evaporate) with the advent of the next challenge, the future crisis…the solitude of personal identity. The depth of need of the human soul is only satisfied in a relationship with it’s Creator. And once that resource is acknowledged, received and embraced, even the pressure that causes you to sweat great drops of blood is overwhelmed by courage and steadiness. • If you are facing the trial of your life, or when you face the trial of your life, don’t give up…lift up your voice to your Creator. Check out this testimony of the Psalmist from Psalm 121 (verses 1-8). • “I will lift up my eyes to the hills. From whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper; The Lord is your shade at your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul. The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore.” Lucas Capítulo 22 Versículos 35–37 · Esencialmente, lo que Jesús está diciendo aquí es que los tiempos están cambiando. Aprobación pública, generosidad, afecto, afirmación, incluso popularidad, estas cosas parecían seguir a Jesús y las hemos visto a lo largo de nuestros estudios de Sus viajes, actividades y enseñanzas, pero en cuestión de horas la multitud gritaba: "¡Crucifícalo!" · Tenemos que estar preparados (en cierto modo) y, en última instancia, estar de acuerdo con no tener estas cosas tampoco. Jesús dijo en Juan 15:18-19: "Si el mundo te odia, sabes que me odió a Mí antes de odiarte a ti. Si fueras del mundo, el mundo amaría a los suyos. Sin embargo, debido a que no eres del mundo, sino que te elegí fuera del mundo, por lo tanto, el mundo te odia". · Duele y es difícil cuando eres despreciado y rechazado porque perteneces a Jesús, y cuando eso sucede, es súper importante no permitirte odiar de vuelta. Jesús continuó en Juan 15:21, "Todas estas cosas te harán por causa de Mi nombre, porque no conocen a Aquel que me envió". Una de las mayores pruebas de que perteneces a Cristo es que cuando eres vilipendiado, tu corazón no debe injuriar a cambio... · Esta es también una de las razones más importantes por las que los cristianos necesitan estar en comunión con otros cristianos. Asistir a los servicios y actividades de la iglesia y conectarse a los ministerios ... porque si estás viviendo para Jesús, entonces inevitablemente vas a ser tratado como Él fue tratado... Honestamente, si no necesitas la iglesia, y no necesitas estar conectado al ministerio, entonces, ¿de dónde estás obteniendo tu afirmación y aprobación? ¿El mundo? Muchas veces, ese es ciertamente el caso ... Y muchas veces, la gente simplemente no está entendiendo eso en absoluto ... una de las necesidades humanas más básicas... · Y en caso de que alguna vez te hayas preguntado o hayas tenido un pensamiento de duda, Jesús se vincula con esta declaración a esa escritura profética maravillosamente conocida del Antiguo Testamento, Isaías 53. Confirmando que todo se trataba de Él. Ahora, eso es completamente maravilloso, ¿por qué? Porque en medio de todo lo que se encuentra en Isaías 53, tenemos los versículos 5-6, "Por sus yagas somos sanados. Mientras que todos como ovejas se han extraviado, nos hemos vuelto, cada uno a su manera, y el Señor ha puesto sobre Él la iniquidad de todos nosotros". · Él realmente murió por tus pecados. Sus pecados realmente han sido perdonados y olvidados por la sangre y el pago del pecado de Jesucristo. La gracia de Dios realmente es tuya y realmente no tienes que hacer nada en absoluto para ganártela. Todo lo que hay que hacer es recibirlo.... Lucas Capítulo 22 Versículo 38 · Texto de prueba de que las armas ocultas son bíblicas. ¡JA! Ahora, curiosamente, existe dentro de la tradición católica romana lo que se conoce como la "Doctrina de las Dos Espadas", que se deriva únicamente de este versículo. Explicado por el Papa Bonifacio VIII alrededor del año 1300, "Las palabras del Evangelio nos enseñan que en esta Iglesia y bajo su control hay dos espadas, la espiritual y la temporal... ambas, es decir, las espadas espirituales y temporales, están bajo el control de la Iglesia. El primero es esgrimido por la Iglesia; el segundo se esgrime en nombre de la iglesia. El primero es manejado por las manos del sacerdote, el segundo por las manos de reyes y soldados, pero por deseo y con el permiso de los sacerdotes". · Esta doctrina fue la base por la cual el Papa Gregorio IX inició la Guerra de las Llaves contra el emperador Federico II en el año 1228. Qué desastre, por muchas razones, pero quizás la más obvia es que esta doctrina, como lo hacen muchas doctrinas de los hombres, en realidad contradice las Escrituras en que Jesús identificó a este mundo siendo caído y entregado a Satanás como "El dios de esta era" (2 Corintios 4: 4), y "El gobernante de este mundo" (Juan 12:31). Jesús mismo diciendo en Juan 18:36: "Mi reino no es de este mundo. Si Mi reino fuera de este mundo, Mis siervos pelearian..." · Y entonces, aquí está la cosa, la doctrina de las dos espadas se captura mejor como la doctrina de dos dioses o dos reinos porque el reino espiritual es del Señor y el reino temporal son los enemigos ... Cada vez que la iglesia juega a ambos lados, o los cristianos juegan a ambos lados, todos los mandamientos de Dios se rompen... Lucas Capítulo 22 Versículos 39– 40 · Sabemos por otros Evangelios que el "lugar" sobre el que Lucas está escribiendo aquí es el Jardín de Getsemaní. Y esta oración es una oración perfecta incluso para nosotros hoy. Señor, para que abras mis ojos, agudrices mis sentidos y fortalezcas mi corazón, para que no entre en tentación... · Y fíjate, Jesús tenía costumbres, rutinas si se quiere en términos de oración y búsqueda del Padre. ¿Y tú? Creo que todos debemos tener nuestras propias costumbres, específicas para nosotros, al igual que Jesús, en la forma en que administramos nuestra relación con Dios. Se podría decir costumbres, rutinas... o se podría decir disciplinas. Y sin disciplina no hay discípulo... Lucas Capítulo 22 Versículos 41– 42 · Con demasiada frecuencia recuerdo la cruz y paso por alto el costo. Fue intensamente difícil, degradante y desalentador lo que Jesús pasó. Traición, abandono, excesivo e implacable dolor espiritual, emocional y físico... hasta el punto de que incluso suplica al Padre aquí... mirar... sabiendo que no había otra manera http://...aun sabiendo… y sin embargo, expresando Su dolor y clamor de alivio de todos modos... lo cual es totalmente aceptable! Incluso fortaleciéndose para afrontar lo que aún está por venir... · Pero en última instancia, la fuerza de Su deseo de lograr lo que era correcto era más fuerte que la fuerza de Su dolor y sacrificio personal. Y por esa ecuación, el cielo se abrió a mí, a ti y a muchos otros ... Esa es la ubicación de la madurez espiritual y la visión del corazón de alguien que busca lo que es bueno, lo que es correcto y glorificar a Dios. · Una visión es una declaración o credo adoptado por una persona o una organización que define, en ciertos términos, lo que uno propugna llegar a ser. Como cristiano, esto es todo... que buscaríamos la voluntad de Dios a toda costa... y el costo de la cruz dice mucho del corazón de Cristo para ti y para mí y también del poder disponible para nosotros para vencer el pecado y el mal en nuestras propias vidas... pero también en la vida de los demás e incluso en el mundo... Lucas Capítulo 22 Versículos 43 - 44 · Esta es una escena extraña. Aquel que es el Creador del ángel, es fortalecido por el ángel. Es increíble... y, sin embargo, pone en exhibición el intenso peso de la cruz. ¿Qué hizo el ángel? ¿Qué dijo el ángel? ¿Dijo algo en absoluto? No sabemos. De hecho, solo Luke nos da este detalle ... pero una cosa que creo que podemos concluir de esta declaración de la escena es cómo Jesús fue fortalecido ... · Su misión era desde el cielo, al cielo y para el cielo... pero en medio de esa misión, el mundo y su dificultad, en este momento, era abrumadora. Y entonces, no sabemos lo que hizo este ángel o lo que dijo este ángel. Sabemos que este ángel vino y por su venida, Jesús fue fortalecido... y así la conclusión que les ofrezco es que Jesús fue fortalecido por la realidad de la realidad... El cielo es real. El cielo es la misión. Y el cielo te espera... simplemente la presencia del ángel prueba y proclama que en el volumen del dolor terrenal... bastante fortalecido, de hecho ... · Spurgeon escribe: "Esta fue la respuesta del Padre al grito de su Hijo desmayado... Posiblemente, a veces has dicho: "Me siento tan triste que no puedo orar". No, hermano, ese es el momento en que debes orar. Así como las especias, cuando están magulladas, dan más fragancia debido a los moretones, así que deja que el dolor de tu espíritu haga que envíe la oración más ferviente al Dios que es capaz y está dispuesto a liberarte. Debes expresar tu dolor de una manera u otra; por lo tanto, que no se exprese en murmuración, sino en súplica. Es una tentación vil, por parte de Satanás, mantenerte alejado del propiciatorio cuando más necesitas ir allí; pero no cedas a esa tentación". Lucas Capítulo 22 Versículos 45– 46 · Quiero terminar con una observación simple pero crítica de estos versículos y, en última instancia, de la escena del Jardín de Getsemaní... A veces, el mundo no puede proporcionar lo que necesitas... Jesús necesitaba en esta escena. Llámalo ayuda, llámalo apoyo, llámalo refuerzo, llámalo fortalecimiento... no estoy seguro de que realmente podamos poner nuestro dedo en ello con precisión, pero simplemente decir, Jesús estaba en una necesidad desesperada ... e incluso los discípulos de Dios en la tierra no tenían la fuerza para permanecer despiertos ... · El mundo y las personas maravillosas en él son una maravillosa fuente de ayuda y felicidad, pero la ayuda y la felicidad se evaporan (parecen evaporarse) con el advenimiento del próximo desafío, la crisis futura ... la soledad de la identidad personal. La profundidad de la necesidad del alma humana sólo se satisface en una relación con su Creador. Y una vez que ese recurso es reconocido, recibido y abrazado, incluso la presión que te hace sudar grandes gotas de sangre se ve abrumada por el coraje y la firmeza. · Si te enfrentas a la prueba de tu vida, o cuando te enfrentas a la prueba de tu vida, no te rindas... eleva tu voz a tu Creador. Echa un vistazo a este testimonio del salmista del Salmo 121 (versículos 1-8). · "Levantaré mis ojos hacia las colinas. ¿De dónde viene mi ayuda? Mi ayuda viene del Señor, quien hizo el cielo y la tierra. Él no permitirá que tu pie sea movido; El que te mantiene no dormirá. He aquí, el que guarda a Israel no dormirá ni dormirá. El Señor es tu guardián; El Señor es tu sombra a tu diestra. El sol no te golpeará de día, ni la luna de noche. El Señor os preservará de todo mal; Él preservará tu alma. El Señor preservará tu salida y tu venida a partir de este tiempo, e incluso para siempre".
Luke 22 vs 7-34
June 8, 2022 • Pastor Matt Korniotes • Luke 22:7–34
Luke Chapter 22 Verses 7 – 12 • A man carrying a pitcher of water would be something out of the ordinary and easy to spot. Culturally this was not something you would find a man doing. Carrying the water pots was a task for the women. But this circumstance perhaps gives us a clue that helps solve what some consider to be a Bible difficulty. • Traditionally, the crucifixion of Jesus is remembered through what we call “Good Friday,” and that creates somewhat of a difficulty because when they asked Jesus for a sign to prove that He was the Messiah, Jesus responded to them in Matthew 12:39-40, “But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” • Where that introduces a difficulty is that if Jesus was crucified on Friday. then I can get three days (Friday, Saturday, Sunday), but I cannot get three nights as according to Mark 16:2, we read, “Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week (Sunday), they came to the tomb when the sun had risen...” • But what we read here in Luke may perhaps give us some help. There was one group living in Jerusalem at this time that was essentially male only. Pretty much the only group you would find the men doing and carrying out the culturally traditional tasks of the women in their community and they were called the Essenes. • The Essenes were extreme separatists and believed that the religion of Judaism had been so corrupt by the Jewish leaders of the day that they essentially wanted nothing to do with them including fellowship or worship. So much so that they even celebrated the Passover separately, specifically earlier (going first if you will). (You may have heard of the Essenes because it was this group that stocked the caves of Qumran giving us the Dead Sea http://scrolls...and many believe that John the Baptist was actually a part of this group). • Enough to say that this clue given by Peter may indicate that Jesus ate the Passover at the home of an Essene which would place this meal as early as Wednesday evening and thereby removing any Bible difficulty but perhaps introducing a difficulty to the church tradition of good Friday because that would put Jesus’ actual crucifixion on a Thursday... Luke Chapter 22 Verse 13 • Take your pens and put right next to that verse in your Bibles a very important and critical doctrinal word. “Duh.” HA! They found it just as Jesus had said to them... There are a lot of very very bad investments in our world http://today...the flesh is at the top of that list. However, the Words of Jesus are the very best of investments one could make. As the Word of God has been given, as the Lord has said, so it will be. Bet. • Seems that I wouldn’t have to even say that, but according to the Family Research Council in a study published less than a year ago, they found that only 6% of American adults hold to a Biblical worldview! The same study found that 88% held to a form of syncretism (which means a little bit of everything). • Further, three out of four people surveyed considered themselves to be Christian but 95% of those surveyed do not consider success in life to be described as consistent obedience to God and over 70% do not believe that the Bible is the true and reliable source of communication from God. It is absolutely no wonder the church is in the state that it is in today… Luke Chapter 22 Verses 14 – 16 • Literally what Jesus says here is “with desire, I have desired.” The Passover meal for the Jew wasn’t just a sit down and eat event. There were prayers involved, traditions, all thick with meaning and all memorializing the national escape from the captivity and death sentence of Egypt and yet all predicting also the coming Lord’s Passover in the person and sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Perfect proof text for this is Colossians 2:16-17, “So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.” • John the Baptist proclaimed openly when he saw Jesus in John 1:29, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” And with each recital, with each prayer, with each action, Jesus would be filled with joy at what it meant for those that He loved and loves with all of His heart. The Passover that year meant to His loved ones freedom from the power and penalty of sin. Restoration to God for sinful man and eternal life where there was none, again, for those He loved. • You see, here’s the thing, when you open your heart to truly love then you also truly accept that to care for them, it may cost http://you...and that becomes ok. Hebrews 12:1-2 says, “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” • Yes, the cross was before Him, but so was the freedom of His loved http://ones...to have the capability through His blood to lay sin aside, overcome the snares of the flesh and have eternal life. All of that on His mind in this statement to His disciples, “With fervent desire I have desired this....” • And He says that He won’t eat of it until it is fulfilled in the Kingdom of God. When was the Kingdom of God fulfilled? Or has it been? I think one can conclude that when Jesus died on the cross, the Kingdom of God completed its fulfillment as it began at that moment to flood with the souls of forgiven men and women. • John 19:29-30, “Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth. So, when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.” Just moments before that, He had turned His head to the thief being crucified alongside of Him who had said to Him, “Lord, remember me when you come into Your kingdom”, and Jesus replied, “Today, you will be with Me in Paradise!” Luke Chapter 22 Verses 17 – 18 • This was totally new to the Passover meal…why? Because this was signaling the fulfillment of it… Luke Chapter 22 Verses 19 – 24 • Comical, they go from wondering which of them will be the worst to which of them is the greatest...typical males. HA! Luke Chapter 22 Verses 25 – 27 • Jesus literally came to flip the entire flawed world system on its head. The leaders and the “greaters” are the ones who will humble themselves and become those that benefit others. The richest isn’t the one with the most but the one that is willing to give the most. This will all be revealed and permanent in the Kingdom of God. Luke Chapter 22 Verses 28 – 30 • What thrones is Jesus speaking of? Perhaps that which John sees in Revelation 4:4, “Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones, I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white robes; and they had crowns of gold on their heads.” Luke Chapter 22 Verses 31 – 34 • This scene is intriguing to me. What has Peter done to provoke or enable the enemy? Up until now he has left everything to follow Jesus. Stayed loyal and by His side. Protected Him, served alongside Him. Loved Him with his whole heart. What has he done wrong that Satan would target him? Absolutely nothing. • Peter isn’t a target for the enemy because he has done anything wrong but rather, he is a target because of the power and impact that he is capable of against Satan’s kingdom. You may be going through a very hard season of life and it’s easy to blame it all on yourself but it could be that the enemy just has you sidelined because of what you are and could be for the Kingdom of God. • Return to Jesus. After Peter did so, he alongside of very few others, ignited a world-changing movement. A “door opening” to billions of people being saved out of the grip of sin and hell... It wasn’t Peter’s fault that Satan targeted http://him...it was Satan’s http://fault....and Peter did get sifted, Satan knew after studying him for years what his weak point would http://be...and Satan deployed and http://struck...but Peter returned. It’s time perhaps you do so as well. • Now, some of y’all in the grip of Satan and it is your fault. You haven’t trusted the Lord. Haven’t had the wisdom to learn and walk in His Word. God’s grace is for you also. Return to Jesus and strengthen your brethren. • That’s how you know by the http://way...how you know you’ve walked past the plan of the devil in your http://situation....is that you are strengthening those around you... Get after it... because the pause, the sifting, can last a lifetime if you let it. Notice Jesus said to Peter, “When YOU return....”
Luke 22 vs 1-6
June 1, 2022 • Pastor Matt Korniotes • Luke 22:1–6
Luke Chapter 22 Verse 1 • The Feast of Unleavened Bread follows right after Passover, and I’d like us to understand Passover specifically is not a week, its not even a day, it’s a meal that is held on the 14th day of the month of Nisan on the Hebrew Calendar. The Passover meal commemorates essentially the 10th plague that God brought upon Egypt for the enslavement of the Jew. • On that night, God told the Israelites to sacrifice a spotless lamb, mark their doorposts, sides and top, with the blood of the lamb, and then the Lord passed through the nation of Egypt taking each first born from each home… But the Lord promised that if your home was marked as He had commanded and ordained with the blood of the lamb, that He would “pass over” and spare that home. • Along with the instruction to apply the Passover lamb’s blood to their doorposts, God instituted a commemorative meal consisting of fire roasted lamb, bitter herbs and unleavened bread. Why unleavened? Many link this to how leaven is a picture of sin in the Bible and that is a correct picture, but the more substantiative meaning is found in Exodus 12:11 and Exodus 12:39. • Exodus 12:11 God said to Moses of the unleavened bread, “And thus you shall eat it: With a belt on your waist, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. So, you shall eat it in haste. It is the Lord’s Passover.” And then Exodus 12:39, “And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they had brought out of Egypt; for it was not leavened, because they were driven out of Egypt and could not wait, nor had they prepared provisions for themselves.” • And so, the bread was unleavened because they were to go now, go fast, go immediately, no time for the bread to rise, no use in using any yeast for that purpose at all. And so, the Passover meal and then the Feast of Unleavened Bread, often referred to as one event but truly two things joined into one…with all sorts of layers of meaning, but just one for tonight… • The Passover is the receiving of the blood of the lamb in a permanent, public, obedient and trusting manner… Receiving and understanding and processing that it means life or death and it is the only way…knowing that God will and would be true to His word… And then the unleavened bread. Nothing being allowed to hold you back to delay you but just like a race horse charges out of the gates at the beginning of the Kentucky derby, when God says go, you GO! • The delay is for the distrusting. For the unfaithful. We are to trust the Lord. Take Him at His word even if that means the cakes are flat. Its not how its supposed to be, or used to be or even how we like it. But man, we have made a decision and our resolve of faith is not my will but Your will be done, God! And we MOVE out. • Maybe even exactly what Jesus was thinking on this day. Feeling in this circumstance as it will be just a matter of hours and those exact words will come forth from Him. And so, Luke tells us the Passover was upon Him… Luke Chapter 22 Verse 2 • This is “inner circle” type stuff. They couldn’t publicly confront and lay hold of Jesus. He was loved by the people and they loved their position. So, they feared the people. And yet Luke tells us here that they “sought” how they might kill Him. How? Answer, not publicly. They’re too cowardly. • So, what did they do? They looked for people that also might have a reason to hate Jesus and then they conferenced privately with them. That’s “inner circle” type stuff. Happens all the time today. I want to ask you to be inner circle explosives unto the glory of God! • Someone has a problem with someone and they are talking to you about it…correct them! Either tell them to forgive, pray and get over it or tell them to go talk to the other person about it…the person they are complaining about. What happens is that more often than not people listen to others complaining and that stirs up complaints in their own hearts and then before you know it, there’s some sort of inner circle formed against someone and it’s not good at all. The commonality they share is immaturity, unrighteousness, cowardice and a common hatred for someone else. Not sure you can get any more sinful than that… • Precisely what’s going on right here…let me just ask you, can you please not be a part of that and if you have the spiritual spine for it, please destroy as many inner circles as you can. All they are are sin-ships. You know what I’m saying, relationships based on sin…and all that does in a life is breed bitterness and destruction and all that does in a church is breed discord and division which by the way, all that put Jesus on the cross…why go back to it? Luke Chapter 22 Verses 3 – 4 • This wasn’t some sort of hostile, surprise attack takeover by Satan, and its not so much a “devil made me do it” moment for Judas. Which by is by the way a debatable statement in the first place due to free will. • First, Satan couldn’t get to Jesus directly. He tried. He tempted Jesus three time explicitly when Jesus was alone in the wilderness. And after Jesus resisted Him masterfully, Luke tells us in Luke 4:13, “Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time.” Three years ago, the day of opportunity has come. • This is why we can’t sleep. This is why we have to stay in the grace and love of Jesus, walking in the Spirit and trusting Him moment to moment, situation to situation, Peter says it this way in 1 Peter 5:8, “Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaming lion, seeking whom he may devour.” He is opportunistic…you MUST know that…three years he’s been just fine waiting… • And Judas, has not at all been vigilant. Nothing has happened yet, he has been grumbling, no doubt a negative presence within the 12, even stealing from the provisions of Jesus and the 12, and getting away with it…all of that is over. John tells us in John 12:4-6, “But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, who would betray Him, said, “Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it.” • This was no hostile take over of Judas by Satan. Judas had been waltzing with Satan for years… He just had never been caught, no price to pay, Satan had been lulling him to sleep this entire time for just this specific opportunity. Look, it really would be best for you to turn from your sin now…because sin doesn’t just end quietly, it wrecks shop, man. And you won’t be able to blame the devil…just as Judas will realize and eventually end himself. • Now interestingly and encouraging, John tells us that when Satan entered Judas, we find this in John 13:27, “Then Jesus said to him, “What you do, do quickly.” Two take aways…one, when sin comes to call your debt, its like a whirlwind…be vigilant, be sober, because the Lion doesn’t nibble…he devours and the implication is it is fast, man…. • Second, and here is where we can be encouraged, who is in control? Let me ask it another way, who is commanding who? See that? Jesus is commanding His betrayer and He is commanding Satan. Do it quickly, loser. Yes, God is a God of justice and purity and perfection and goodness and therefore consequence must be ordained and allowed, but His heart is for it to hit quickly and be done…and then restoration. Within just a few days, all will be forgiven…even Judas… Luke Chapter 22 Verses 5 – 6 • According to Matthew, the price paid for the betrayal of Jesus, essentially what Jesus was worth to His enemy, was 30 pieces of silver. Matthew 26:15, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to you?” And they counted out to him thirty pieces of silver.” Now, that is significant, do you know why? • This is not the first time we have seen that specific amount of money set as a price in the scriptures. Thirty pieces of silver, as defined by God Himself, is the price of a male or female slave. Exodus 21:32, “If the ox gores a male or female servant, he shall give to their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.” There’s a double price paid by Jesus in that He was priced as a slave and stoned as the burden bearer upon the cross…but that’s a topic for another day… • The point is, prophesied 500 years before Jesus was even born in Zechariah 11:10-14, “And I took my staff, Beauty, and cut it in two, that I might break the covenant which I had made with all the peoples. So, it was broken on that day. Thus, the poor of the flock, who were watching me, knew that it was the word of the Lord. Then I said to them, “If it is agreeable to you, give me my wages; and if not, refrain.” So, they weighed out for my wages thirty pieces of silver. And the Lord said to me, “Throw it to the potter”—that princely price they set on me. So, I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the Lord for the potter. Then I cut in two my other staff, Bonds, that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.” • We may have to revisit this for next week’s study but we end tonight with the prophecy fulfilled, and the statement of God fully revealed, that to secure my freedom and pay my debt of sin, Jesus Christ, God Himself, my Creator accepted the position and placelessness of a slave…because I was one…and that was the only way to buy my freedom…and yours…
Luke 21 vs 5-38
May 25, 2022 • Pastor Matt Korniotes • Luke 21:5–38
Luke Chapter 21 Verses 5 – 19 • Which of these things has not come to pass? The temple was not just a structure for the Jew. It was their center of identity. Built by Solomon originally 1,000 years before this day in this scene, it was rebuilt by Ezra and Zerubbabel and then greatly expanded and improved by Herod. Five hundred yards long and 400 yards wide, it took Herod 80 years to complete his work. (Pic 1) • It wasn’t only big but it was tremendously ornate and amazing to see. The Jewish historian Josephus said that the temple was covered on the outside with gold plates, that were so brilliant that when the sun shone on them, it was blinding to look at. (Pic 2) Where there was no gold, there were blocks of marble of such a pure white that from a distance travelers thought there was snow on the temple mount. • Herod finally completed his work in 63 AD. Seven years later, the temple was completely destroyed, not one stone remaining upon another, just as Jesus predicted in these passages. (Pic 3) In fact, the destruction was so complete that today there is true difficulty and great debate as to where the temple actually was… • All of these other predictions, are there any that we have not seen in our history? Certainly not! And so, what are we to do with all of this? The first verse we read, and the last. Take heed that you not be deceived. In patience, possess your souls. Interesting direction…what does it mean? The word patience in the Greek is hypomone, which literally means, steadfast endurance. The characteristic of a person who is not swerved from deliberate purpose and loyalty of faith towards God even by the greatest trials and sufferings. • How? Why? Because we know that God is truth and we know that He is faithful. And so, we grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ and we hold the line, we stand in trust, until Jesus calls us home. Whether it be to call us into the air or to call us to heaven, because He is who He said He is and He will do what He said He will do, we stay the course, we finish strong! Luke Chapter 21 Verses 20 – 24 • This prophetic warning of Jesus ended up being so eerily accurate. In 70 AD, when the Roman armies circled Jerusalem, the Christians remembering what Jesus said, fled to a place called Pella which is north of Jerusalem, across the Jordan River. (Pella Pic) History records that few if any Christians perished in the fall of Jerusalem. 1.1 million Jews were killed and another 97,000 taken captive, yet few if any Christians were harmed at all. Why? Simple, listened to Jesus… • What were they though? Inconvenienced. Displaced. But not destroyed. A great sub-lesson embedded in the historical account of the fall of Jerusalem in terms of the safety in simply trusting Jesus and taking Him at His word. • The Christian historian Eusebius recorded in his “History of the church,” that the Christians fled the city in response to an oracle given by revelation.” When the siege of Jerusalem was complete, just as Jesus prophesied, it was left completely desolate. Not a single Jew was left alive in the city. The Romans would rename the city Aelia Capitolina, and for many years would not even allow a Jew to enter the city at all except on one day a year, the anniversary of the fall of Jerusalem, when Jews were permitted to come and mourn bitterly. It truly was left completely desolate. • Now, what is meant by verse 24 is the subject of much debate. I’ll offer you my perspective. Although miraculously in 1948 the Jewish state of Israel was re-established, re-born in a single night, today control over the heart of the land, Zion if you will, the temple mount, remains in control of the gentiles. And therefore, I would offer that the time of the gentiles as described in verse 24 is not yet complete. But we know that during the Great Tribulation, there will be a rebuilt temple. • In order for the Jews to be permitted to build a third temple, they must have control over the temple mount. And so, it is my opinion, loosely held for sure, that the time of the gentiles will complete with the time of the Great Tribulation, the seventieth week of Daniel, which at the conclusion of that short time, Jesus Himself will touchdown in Jerusalem, claiming it and the entire world once again. Luke Chapter 21 Verses 25 – 26 • Recorded in Revelation Chapters 6,8,9, and 15-18 you’ll find the fulfillment of these words of Jesus which is the time period of the Great Tribulation…and then at the culmination of the seven-year Great Tribulation period, verse 27… Luke Chapter 21 Verses 27 – 28 • So, a couple of ways to take this. First, Jesus says, “when these things begin to happen…” Now, we haven’t seen the destruction of the heavens and the earth as described by Jesus here, but we have seen earthquakes, tumults, wars and rumors of wars, pestilences and the like…and Matthew 24 records those things as, “The beginning of sorrows.” And so, when we see those things, Jesus says take heart and remember what is yet to come…the total redemption of the Body of Christ… • Or this can be applied solely to the Jews who during the Great Tribulation will see all that Jesus is describing and also recorded for us in Matthew 24 specifically verse 22, Jesus says, “Unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.” And so, you could interpret this as to the Jews specifically to take heart and stay the course during the Great Tribulation. Luke Chapter 21 Verses 29 – 33 • Again, two ways (at least) to take this. First for the Christian, the fig tree throughout scripture is a metaphor for Israel. And one could accept that when we see Israel coming back into existence, “budding” again, then that generation will see the culmination of all things. A biblical generation is 40 years, 80 years, or 120 years. 1948 Israel returned and so many believe we are in the generation of the budding fig tree… • Perhaps less of a stretch interpretively, it may simply be a reiteration of the previous encouragement to the Jewish nation…that when these things take place, the Kingdom of God is near…and we know that during the Great Tribulation, specifically the second half, there will be great revival within the Jewish people… • But important is this statement of Jesus of the efficacy of the Word of God…everything else will fail but the Word of God will not fail! Luke Chapter 21 Verses 34 – 38 • Ok so crazy important verse set for those that hold to the Pre-Tribulation rapture perspective. First, Jesus says that that Day will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the earth. Simply not applicable for the saved. It would not be a snare but a hoped for and longed for day… Although that point is not without its own problems. • Perhaps more important is the next thing Jesus says. “Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass and stand before the Son of Man.” The key is the word escape. It is a specific word in the Greek meaning not “escape within,” but rather, “escape out of…” or “away” from a thing. • A word never found in the Book of Revelation. Clear and thorough 14-chapter description of the time of the Great Tribulation and not once is the church mentioned nor this concept of escape. And so, for me this is entirely encouraging that although this world is destined for total destruction, I am destined for total redemption, and to stand in the presence of Jesus…and at that moment, I’m counted worthy for what He did for me! That will be the most amazing moment yet in my life and I am looking forward to that greatly! • Ok, so while we wait, super applicable final point… The way to escape out of the snare of the enemy, the plan and plot of sin in my life…is to return to verse 8…, “Take heed that you may not be deceived.” How? Return to verse 19, “By your patience, possess your souls.” Lucas Capítulo 21 Versículos 5– 19 · ¿Cuál de estas cosas no han sucedido? El templo no era sólo una estructura para el judío. Era su centro de identidad. Construido por Salomón originalmente 1.000 años antes de este día en esta escena, fue reconstruido por Esdras y Zorobabel y luego ampliado y mejorado en gran medida por Herodes. Quinientas yardas de largo y 400 yardas de ancho, Herodes tardó 80 años en completar su trabajo. (Foto 1) · No solo era grande , sino que era tremendamente ornamentado y sorprendente de ver. El historiador judío Josefo dijo que el templo estaba cubierto en el exterior con planchas de oro, que eran tan brillantes que cuando el sol brillaba sobre ellas, era cegador mirarlas. (Foto 2) Donde no había oro, había bloques de mármol de un blanco tan puro que desde la distancia los viajeros pensaban que había nieve en el monte del templo. · Herodes finalmente completó su trabajo en el año 63 d.C. Siete años más tarde, el templo fue completamente destruido, sin que quedara ni una piedra sobre otra, tal como Jesús predijo en estos pasajes. (Foto 3) De hecho, la destrucción fue tan completa que hoy en día hay una verdadera dificultad y un gran debate sobre dónde estaba realmente el templo ... · Todas estas otras predicciones, ¿hay alguna que no hayamos visto en nuestra historia? ¡Ciertamente no! Y entonces, ¿qué vamos a hacer con todo esto? El primer versículo que leemos, y el último. Presta atención a que no te engañen. Con paciencia, posean sus almas. Interesante dirección... ¿Qué significa? La palabra paciencia en el griego es hipomona, que literalmente significa, resistencia inquebrantable. La característica de una persona que no se desvía del propósito deliberado y la lealtad de la fe hacia Dios, incluso por las mayores pruebas y sufrimientos. · ¿Cómo? ¿Por qué? Porque sabemos que Dios es verdad y sabemos que Él es fiel. Y así, crecemos en la gracia y el conocimiento de Jesucristo y mantenemos la línea, permanecemos en confianza, hasta que Jesús nos llama a casa. Ya sea para llamarnos al aire o para llamarnos al cielo, porque Él es quien dijo que es y hará lo que dijo que hará, ¡mantenemos el rumbo, terminamos fuertes! Lucas Capítulo 21 Versículos 20– 24 · Esta advertencia profética de Jesús terminó siendo tan inquietantemente precisa. En el año 70 d.C., cuando los ejércitos romanos rodearon Jerusalén, los cristianos que recordaban lo que Jesús dijo, huyeron a un lugar llamado Pella, que está al norte de Jerusalén, al otro lado del río Jordán. (Pella Pic) La historia registra que pocos o ningún cristiano pereció en la caída de Jerusalén. 1,1 millones de judíos fueron asesinados y otros 97.000 tomados cautivos, sin embargo, pocos o ningún cristiano fue dañado en absoluto. ¿Por qué? Sencillo, escucharon a Jesús... · ¿Que eran? Fueron incomodados, desplazados. Pero no destruido. Una gran sub-lección incrustada en el relato histórico de la caída de Jerusalén en términos de la seguridad en simplemente confiar en Jesús y tomarlo en Su palabra. · El historiador cristiano Eusebio registró en su "Historia de la iglesia", que los cristianos huyeron de la ciudad en respuesta a un oráculo dado por revelación. Cuando el asedio de Jerusalén se completó, tal como Jesús profetizó, quedó completamente desolado. Ni un solo judío quedó vivo en la ciudad. Los romanos cambiarían el nombre de la ciudad a Aelia Capitolina, y durante muchos años ni siquiera permitieron que un judío entrara en la ciudad, excepto un día al año, el aniversario de la caída de Jerusalén, cuando a los judíos se les permitía venir y llorar amargamente. Realmente quedó completamente desolado. · Ahora, lo que se entiende por versículo 24 es objeto de mucho debate. Te ofreceré mi perspectiva. Aunque milagrosamente en 1948 el estado judío de Israel fue restablecido, renacido en una sola noche, hoy el control sobre el corazón de la tierra, Sion si quieres llamarle asi, el monte del templo, permanece en control de los gentiles. Y por lo tanto, yo ofrecería que el tiempo de los gentiles como se describe en el versículo 24 aún no está completo. Pero sabemos que durante la Gran Tribulación, habrá un templo reconstruido. · Para que a los judíos se les permita construir un tercer templo, deben tener control sobre el monte del templo. Y así, es mi opinión, vagamente segura, que el tiempo de los gentiles se completará con el tiempo de la Gran Tribulación, la septuagésima semana de Daniel, que al final de ese corto tiempo, Jesús mismo aterrizará en Jerusalén, reclamándolo a ella y al mundo entero una vez más. Lucas Capítulo 21 Versículos 25– 26 · Registrado en Apocalipsis Capítulos 6,8,9 y 15-18 encontrarás el cumplimiento de estas palabras de Jesús, que es el período de tiempo de la Gran Tribulación... y luego, en la culminación del período de siete años de la Gran Tribulación, versículo 27... Lucas Capítulo 21 Versículos 27–28 · Entonces, un par de formas de tomar esto. Primero, Jesús dice, "cuando estas cosas comiencen a suceder..." Ahora, no hemos visto la destrucción de los cielos y la tierra como la describe Jesús aquí, pero hemos visto terremotos, tumultos, guerras y rumores de guerras, pestes y cosas por el estilo ... y Mateo 24 registra esas cosas como: "El comienzo de los dolores". Y así, cuando vemos esas cosas, Jesús dice anímate y recuerda lo que está por venir... la redención total del Cuerpo de Cristo... · O esto se puede aplicar únicamente a los judíos que durante la Gran Tribulación verán todo lo que Jesús está describiendo y también registrado para nosotros en Mateo 24 específicamente en el versículo 22, Jesús dice: "A menos que esos días fueran acortados, ninguna carne sería salva; pero por el bien de los elegidos esos días se acortarán". Y así, podrías interpretar esto como a los judíos específicamente para animarse y mantener el rumbo durante la Gran Tribulación. Lucas Capítulo 21 Versículos 29–33 · Una vez más, dos formas (al menos) de tomar esto. Primero para el cristiano, la higuera a lo largo de las Escrituras es una metáfora de Israel. Y uno podría aceptar que cuando veamos a Israel volviendo a existir, "brotando" de nuevo, entonces esa generación verá la culminación de todas las cosas. Una generación bíblica es de 40 años, 80 años o 120 años. 1948 Israel regresó y muchos creen que estamos en la generación de la higuera en ciernes... · Tal vez menos exagerado interpretativamente, puede ser simplemente una reiteración del estímulo anterior a la nación judía ... que cuando estas cosas tienen lugar, el Reino de Dios está cerca... y sabemos que durante la Gran Tribulación, específicamente la segunda mitad, habrá un gran avivamiento dentro del pueblo judío... · Pero importante es esta declaración de Jesús de la eficacia de la Palabra de Dios... ¡todo lo demás fallará, pero la Palabra de Dios no fallará! Lucas Capítulo 21 Versículos 34–38 · Ahora bien, casi una locura este grupo de versos importante establecido para aquellos que se aferran a la perspectiva del Rapto Pre-tribulación. Primero, Jesús dice que ese día vendrá como una trampa para todos aquellos que moran sobre la faz de la tierra. Simplemente no es aplicable para los Salvos. No sería una trampa sino un día esperado y anhelado... Aunque ese punto no está exento de problemas. · Quizás lo más importante es lo siguiente que Jesús dice. "Por lo tanto, vigilad y orad siempre para que seáis considerados dignos de escapar de todas estas cosas que sucederán y estar delante del Hijo del Hombre". La clave es la palabra escape. Es una palabra específica en el griego que no significa "escapar dentro", sino más bien, "escapar fuera de..." o "lejos" de una cosa. · Una palabra que nunca se encuentra en el libro de Apocalipsis. Descripción clara y exhaustiva de 14 capítulos del tiempo de la Gran Tribulación y ni una sola vez se menciona a la iglesia ni a este concepto de escape. Y así, para mí esto es totalmente alentador que aunque este mundo está destinado a destrucción total, estoy destinado a la redención total, y a estar en la presencia de Jesús... y en ese momento, ¡me cuentan digno por lo que Él hizo por mí! ¡Ese será el momento más increíble en mi vida y estoy deseando que llegue! · Ok, así que mientras esperamos, punto final súper aplicable ... La forma de escapar de la trampa del enemigo, el plan y la trama del pecado en mi vida ... es volver al versículo 8..., "Presta atención, escucha y haz para que no seas engañado". ¿Cómo? Regrese al versículo 19, "Por vuestra paciencia, poseer, preservar vuestras almas".
Luke 21 vs 1-4
May 18, 2022 • Pastor Matt Korniotes • Luke 21:1–4
“Sometimes to solve a problem, you have to make the decision to no longer participate in it.” Embrace the solution…and become the solution. Luke Chapter 21 Verses 1 – 4 • There’s more going on here for Jesus than money. This is the final temple scene. He has only a few days left and they are difficult days, and then He will be crucified. He’ll not go to His hometown again. Never again attend a wedding. Never again just spend a day with family. The cross is before Him. Do you think He cares about money? Not a chance. Why spend this time then? Because He cares about you, and He cares about me, and money grips the heart, and is an idol standing in the way of jubilee, of every person that doesn’t prioritize the Kingdom of God over this world when it comes to finances. And that grip limits folks…crazy how it rips people off… • But this is more than just about money. Something is going on for Jesus. There is a connection He feels with this woman. He describes her as a poor widow. She has very little, she has endured great loss and grief, and she is alone. Jesus looks up and says, in a way, “There, there I am, she understands.” There’s a connection there… • And I want you to know, if you are suffering or sacrificing, there is special connection there available to you with the Lord. He understands both of those things very very well. This woman is poor and she has nothing including no one…and yet she comes to God and gives unto the Kingdom. That is what Jesus means here by, “She has given out of her poverty.” • And there’s an interesting play on words here because this could mean, and we could take this as, she has given from her place of poverty, or we could take this as, she has given to COME OUT of her poverty. She has put in all her livelihood which in the Greek is the word, “deficiency, poverty or want.” And so, the play here is that she is putting these two mites in but what is really being given to God is all of her destitution. While those that are rich, giving comparably little, are giving right out (taking their hearts out) of their abundance… • Giving is like that and you need to know this. Notice, God doesn’t recognize the amount with reward and honor, necessarily. What He recognizes is the cost. Winston Churchill once said, “You make a living by what you get. But you make a life by what you give…” • Whether you have a lot or a little, whether you give a lot or a little, a heart to give is a fundamental character trait of a person that is walking in the Spirit and should be a condition of the heart of every Christian. We serve a God that knows nothing of taking, keeping, holding or hoarding. All He knows how to do is give because it is His very identity. • For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son… God gives grace, He gives mercy, He gives favor, He gives joy, He gives His Holy Spirit, He gives life, He gives and gives and gives and gives… It never fails, when I encounter a Christian that is increasingly discouraged or lacking joy, the one thing lacking is a heart to give. Whether its grace, forgiveness, kindness, energy, effort and yes, definitely money. Let me say it this way, if you hesitate to give money, to invest in the kingdom of God with your earthly treasures, you will ALWAYS lack and hesitate in giving in all other ways…always. • It comes down to this. Every Christians should be an investor in the work of the ministry. And if you’re not, it’s not a result of your fiscal condition, it’s an issue of ignorance, faith and ultimately the heart. This woman had absolutely nothing but because of her heart like Jesus’, she has everything. She is giving…coming out…of poverty. Some scriptural help… • Proverbs 11:24-25 (ESV), “One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want. Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.” • 2 Corinthians 8:1-3, “Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia: that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality. For I bear witness that according to their ability, yes, and beyond their ability, they were freely willing,” 2 Corinthians 8:7, “But as you abound in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all diligence, and in your love for us—see that you abound in this grace also.” • April and I did alright early on financially. I made enough money to support our family, and every two weeks we made it with a few extra dollars in our account and then that next check would come and we’d be good for another two weeks. It was great and we were happy. But we weren’t abounding in the grace of giving at church. Then one day the Lord spoke to us through His word and we decided to trust Him. • I’ve heard the same story from countless others, we were barely making it and kept a cushion for the two-week periods where we would go into the red, and then we started giving sacrificially. For most, that’s called “tithing” (I say that because giving 10% of your increase takes life changes for the majority of folks) and things began to change. Where we are today is exponential, multiplication type scenario, not just in finances but in all other ways. Why does it work that way? Simple, you can’t outgive God. And God wants your heart as His treasure and He knows that it takes us trusting Him with ours. • God invites you to test Him in this…find this out for yourself. Malachi 3:10 (ESV), “Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put Me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.” • A little secret about why you do or why you don’t perhaps have enough to give…. Deuteronomy 8:18, “And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.” It’s cart before the horse for those stuck in the grip of finances, hindered by money rather than honoring God… You don’t flourish and then give… You give… and according to the Word of God, then you flourish. Don’t be ignorant. Grow in faith. Figure this out… • This lady is more free, more joyful, more alive than any of the world topping rich rascals around her and that is put on display by her giving out of her poverty. Because of her giving, GREAT is her life-experience of God’s grace and God’s freedom! And perhaps more importantly, Jesus is even comforted somehow by witnessing her worship and that’s awesome! That connection with the Lord… How about you? Luke Chapter 21 Verses 5 – 19 • Which of these things has not come to pass? The temple was not just a structure for the Jew. It was their center of identity. Built by Solomon originally 1,000 years before this day in this scene, it was rebuilt by Ezra and Zerubbabel and then greatly expanded and improved by Herod. Five hundred yards long and 400 yards wide, it took Herod 80 years to complete his work. (Pic 1) • It wasn’t only big but it was tremendously ornate and amazing to see. The Jewish historian Josephus said that the temple was covered on the outside with gold plates, that were so brilliant that when the sun shone on them, it was blinding to look at. (Pic 2) Where there was no gold, there were blocks of marble of such a pure white that from a distance travelers thought there was snow on the temple mount. • Herod finally completed his work in 63 AD. Seven years later, the temple was completely destroyed, not one stone remaining upon another, just as Jesus predicted in these passages. (Pic 3) In fact, the destruction was so complete that today there is true difficulty and great debate as to where the temple actually was… • All of these other predictions, are there any that we have not seen in our history? Certainly not! And so, what are we to do with all of this? The first verse we read, and the last. Take heed that you not be deceived. In patience, possess your souls. Interesting direction…what does it mean? The word patience in the Greek is hypomone, which literally means, steadfast endurance. The characteristic of a person who is not swerved from deliberate purpose and loyalty of faith towards God even by the greatest trials and sufferings. • How? Why? Because we know that God is truth and we know that He is faithful. And so, we grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ and we hold the line, we stand in trust, until Jesus calls us home. Whether it be to call us into the air or to call us to heaven, because He is who He said He is and He will do what He said He will do, we stay the course, we finish strong! Perhaps start today, solving the issue and the problem…by no longer participating in it… "A veces, para resolver un problema, tienes que tomar la decisión de no participar más en él". Adopte la solución... y convertirse en la solución. Lucas Capítulo 21 Versículos 1 – 4 · Hay más cosas sucediendo aquí para Jesús que dinero. Esta es la escena final del templo. Le quedan solo unos pocos días y son días difíciles, y luego será crucificado. Él no volverá a ir a su ciudad natal. Nunca más asiste a una boda. Nunca más, solo pasara un día con la familia. La cruz está delante de Él. ¿Crees que a Él le importa el dinero? Con seguridad no es así en lo absoluto. ¿Por qué pasar este tiempo entonces? Porque Él se preocupa por ti, y se preocupa por mí, y el dinero se apodera del corazón, y es un ídolo que se interpone en el camino del jubileo, de cada persona que no prioriza el Reino de Dios sobre este mundo cuando se trata de finanzas. Y ese agarre limita a la gente... es una locura cómo estafa a la gente... · Pero esto es más que solo dinero. Algo le está pasando a Jesús. Hay una conexión que Él siente con esta mujer. Él la describe como una viuda pobre. Tiene muy poco, ha soportado grandes pérdidas y dolor, y está sola. Jesús levanta la vista y dice, en cierto modo: "Ahí, ahí estoy, ella entiende". Hay una conexión allí... · Y quiero que sepas, si estás sufriendo o sacrificándote, hay una conexión especial disponible para ti con el Señor. Él entiende ambas cosas muy bien. Esta mujer es pobre y no tiene nada, ni siquiera a nadie ... y sin embargo, ella viene a Dios y da al Reino. Eso es lo que Jesús quiere decir aquí: "Ella ha dado de su pobreza". · Y hay un juego interesante de palabras aquí porque esto podría significar, y podríamos tomar esto como, ella ha dado desde su lugar de pobreza, o podríamos tomar esto como, ella ha dado para SALIR de su pobreza. Ella ha puesto en todo su sustento, que en griego es la palabra, "deficiencia, pobreza o necesidad". Y entonces, el juego aquí es que ella está poniendo estas dos monedas, pero lo que realmente se le está dando a Dios es toda su indigencia. Mientras que los que son ricos, dando de manera comparable poco, están dando fuera (sacando sus corazones) de su abundancia... · Dar es así y necesitas saber esto. Fíjate, Dios no reconoce la cantidad con recompensa y honor, necesariamente. Lo que Él reconoce es el costo. Winston Churchill dijo una vez: "Te ganas la vida con lo que obtienes. Pero haces una vida por lo que das..." · Ya sea que tengas mucho o poco, ya sea que des mucho o poco, un corazón para dar es un rasgo fundamental del carácter de una persona que camina en el Espíritu y debe ser una condición del corazón de cada cristiano. Servimos a un Dios que no sabe nada de tomar de alguien, guardar para sí mismo, reservar para sí mismo, o acumular. Todo lo que Él sabe hacer es dar porque es Su propia y mera identidad. · Porque de tal manera amó Dios al mundo que dio a su único Hijo... Dios da gracia, da misericordia, da favor, da gozo, da su Espíritu Santo, da vida, da y da y da y da... Nunca falla, cuando me encuentro con un cristiano que está cada vez más desanimado o carente de alegría, lo único que falta es un corazón para dar. Ya sea su gracia, perdón, bondad, energía, esfuerzo y sí, definitivamente dinero. Déjame decirlo de esta manera, si dudas en dar dinero, en invertir en el reino de Dios con tus tesoros terrenales, SIEMPRE te faltará y dudarás en dar de todas las demás maneras ... siempre. · Todo se reduce a esto. Cada cristiano debe ser un inversionista en el trabajo del ministerio. Y si no lo eres, no es el resultado de tu condición fiscal, es un tema de ignorancia, fe y, en última instancia, el corazón. Esta mujer no tenía absolutamente nada, pero debido a su corazón como el de Jesús, ella tiene todo. Ella está dando... saliendo... de pobreza. Un poco de ayuda bíblica... · Proverbios 11:24-25 (ESV), "Uno da libremente, pero hace crecer a todos los más ricos; otro retiene lo que debe dar, y sólo sufre la necesidad. Quien traiga bendición será enriquecido, y el que riega será regado". · 2 Corintios 8:1-3, "Además, hermanos, os damos a conocer la gracia de Dios concedida a las iglesias de Macedonia: que en una gran prueba de aflicción abundaba la abundancia de su alegría y su profunda pobreza en las riquezas de su liberalidad. Porque doy testimonio de que, de acuerdo con su capacidad, sí, y más allá de su capacidad, estaban libremente dispuestos", 2 Corintios 8:7, "Pero como abundas en todo, en la fe, en el habla, en el conocimiento, en toda diligencia y en tu amor por nosotros, mira que también abundas en esta gracia". · April y yo nos iba muy bien desde el principio financieramente. Gané suficiente dinero para mantener a nuestra familia, y cada dos semanas lo hacíamos con unos pocos dólares adicionales en nuestra cuenta y luego llegaría ese próximo cheque y estaríamos bien por otras dos semanas. Fue genial y estábamos felices. Pero no estábamos abundando en la gracia de dar en la iglesia. Entonces, un día, el Señor nos habló a través de Su palabra y decidimos confiar en Él. · He escuchado la misma historia de muchos otros, apenas lo estábamos haciendo y mantuvimos un colchón durante los períodos de dos semanas en los que íbamos a entrar en números rojos, y luego comenzamos a dar sacrificialmente. Para la mayoría, eso se llama "diezmo" (lo digo porque dar el 10% de su aumento requiere cambios en la vida de la mayoría de las personas) y las cosas comenzaron a cambiar. Donde estamos hoy es exponencial, escenario de tipo multiplicación, no solo en finanzas sino en todas las demás formas. ¿Por qué funciona de esa manera? Simple, no puedes superar a Dios. Y Dios quiere tu corazón como su tesoro y él sabe que nos lleva a confiar en Él con el nuestro. · Dios te invita a probarlo en esto... descúbrelo por ti mismo. Malaquías 3:10 (ESV), "Trae el diezmo completo al almacén, para que haya comida en mi casa. Y así me pongo a prueba, dice el Señor de los ejércitos, si no os abro las ventanas del cielo y derramo por vosotros una bendición hasta que no haya más necesidad." · Un pequeño secreto sobre por qué lo haces o por qué quizás no tienes suficiente para dar.... Deuteronomio 8:18, "Y recordaréis al Señor vuestro Dios, porque es Él quien os da poder para obtener riquezas, para que él establezca su pacto que juró a vuestros padres, como es hoy". Es un carro delante del caballo para aquellos atrapados en las garras de las finanzas, obstaculizados por el dinero en lugar de honrar a Dios ... No floreces y luego das... Tú das... y de acuerdo con la Palabra de Dios, entonces floreces. No seas ignorante. Crece en la fe. Descúbrelo ... · Esta mujer es más libre, más alegre, más viva que cualquiera de los sinvergüenzas ricos del mundo a su alrededor y eso se pone en evidencia por su donación de su pobreza. ¡Debido a su entrega, GRANDE es su experiencia de vida de la gracia de Dios y la libertad de Dios! Y quizás lo más importante, Jesús incluso se consuela de alguna manera al presenciar su adoración y eso es increíble. Esa conexión con el Señor... ¿Y tú? Lucas Capítulo 21 Versículos 5– 19 · ¿Cuál de estas cosas no ha sucedido? El templo no era sólo una estructura para el judío. Era su centro de identidad. Construido por Salomón originalmente 1000 años antes de este día en esta escena, fue reconstruido por Esdras y Zorobabel y luego ampliado y mejorado en gran medida por Herodes. Quinientas yardas de largo y 400 yardas de ancho, Herodes tardó 80 años en completar su trabajo. (Foto 1) · No solo era grande, sino que era tremendamente ornamentado y sorprendente de ver. El historiador judío Josefo dijo que el templo estaba cubierto en el exterior con planchas de oro, que eran tan brillantes que cuando el sol brillaba sobre ellas, era cegador mirarlas. (Foto 2) Donde no había oro, había bloques de mármol de un blanco tan puro que desde la distancia los viajeros pensaban que había nieve en el monte del templo. · Herodes finalmente completó su trabajo en el año 63 d.C. Siete años más tarde, el templo fue completamente destruido, sin que quedara ni una piedra sobre ella. otro, tal como Jesús predijo en estos pasajes. (Foto 3) De hecho, la destrucción fue tan completa que hoy en día hay una verdadera dificultad y un gran debate sobre dónde estaba realmente el templo ... · Todas estas otras predicciones, ¿hay alguna que no hayamos visto en nuestra historia? ¡Ciertamente no! Y entonces, ¿qué vamos a hacer con todo esto? El primer versículo que leemos, y el último. Presta atención, escucha, y haz, para que no te engañen. Con paciencia, posean sus almas. Interesante dirección... ¿Qué significa? La palabra paciencia en el griego es hipomona, que literalmente significa, resistencia inquebrantable. La característica de una persona que no se desvía del propósito deliberado y la lealtad de la fe hacia Dios, incluso en las mayores pruebas y sufrimientos. · ¿Cómo? ¿Por qué? Porque sabemos que Dios es verdad y sabemos que Él es fiel. Y así, crecemos en la gracia y el conocimiento de Jesucristo y mantenemos la línea, permanecemos en la confianza en El, hasta que Jesús nos llama a casa. Ya sea para llamarnos al aire o para llamarnos al cielo, porque Él es quien dijo que es y hará lo que dijo que hará, ¡mantenemos el rumbo, terminamos fuertes! Tal vez comience hoy, resolviendo la situación y el problema ... al dejar de participar en el...
Luke 20 vs 19-47
May 11, 2022 • Pastor Matt Korniotes • Luke 20:19–47
Luke Chapter 20 Verse 19 • Why? Why chose this path? Here’s some help, that vineyard isn’t yours. Your spouse, your home, your car, your job, your ministry, even you…you are not your own, you’ve been bought with a price…and yet the vineyard has been leased to you. • Glorify God with your life, tend well to what has been entrusted to you, and even if things seem they are falling apart, they are not. Bear fruit. Live your life to glorify you, you’re gone just as soon as the wind blows…being grinded even by this life. These that harden their hearts fear the people, they are shut down, they have been shut up, they have been publicly humiliated, they are defeated… and yet, this same day there are those being blessed, fed, filled, healed… Luke Chapter 20 Verse 20 • Maybe not to you, but to me, that is intense. What we just read is extremely intense. High volume. All the sirens, red alert! Why? Because it says here that they pretended to be righteous. That’s scary because I am naturally someone who offers. Friendship, accommodation, trust…and just like some of you, I have been sucker-punch stunned by people that even though I knew they were intensely self-centered, I was hopeful…and it turned out very badly for me. This verse scares me… • Don’t pretend to be righteous. Be righteous. And that means no pretending. Folks pretend because they don’t want to deal with their real issues. If you deal with your real issues, you’ll be free, man! Don’t pretend to be righteous! Be righteous and that means sometimes telling someone how much of a problem you have with them! Because even in that, you are walking in truth! Ever read Matthew 18? • Now, you want to do this in order to fix things, to make peace, to enact and restore kindness…speaking the truth in love…if you can’t do that, then don’t tell them how much you hate them in the name of Matthew 18! Go to a counselor, or go to the Lord and work out why you’re so hard-hearted! Ugh! • But pretending leads only to terrible things. And ultimately pretenders are prisoners. WHY!? And they watch, and they spy, and they gossip, and they look for opportunity to hurt others. You may say, nope…but the truth is you’d protect yourself over protecting them… The righteous don’t do that. Look at the cross…. Luke Chapter 20 Verses 21 – 23 • This is them pretending, trying to seize on His words. If Jesus had answered, “yes, it is lawful for us to pay taxes,” then the people would have turned on Him and stoned Him for being a traitor. If Jesus had answered, “no,” then they would immediately report Him for insurrection to Rome and have Him arrested. • This is the part that scares me. It’s a trap. This is what pretenders do…they set traps. Here’s the hope though, Jesus navigates it perfectly! SO, while the pretenders scare me, because I know I’ll believe their fake righteousness, I don’t have to harden my own heart… • What does that mean? I have to have the faith to walk right into the traps of others. There is going to be pain and hurt and sadness when I find out they aren’t and weren’t anything true…more clearly, when I find out that I wasn’t and am not anything to them…there’s going to be pain. BUT, Jesus will navigate me out of the trap perfectly if I can hold to trusting in Him (difficult in distress, for sure). • But look, the good I did for the pretender, I’m glad for that. The faith I build by walking with Jesus through the whole ordeal, priceless. The pain of being nothing again to someone who I was willing to make important to me…indescribable…but that softens you a bit when you walk with the Lord because all of heaven and earth had to forsake Jesus to carry out His love… it’s an eye-lock personal moment with Jesus. • And I love this, Jesus says, “Why do you test Me?” The word test is in the present active indicative tense which means literally, the way it is spoken, “Why are you yet testing Me again!?” Don’t you get tired of losing? Has it worked yet? I know the path to destruction, to being ripped off, to missing out, to self-protect is wide and easy and many go that route, but the path that leads to life is narrow and it is hard and few will find it. Which path are you on? Luke Chapter 20 Verses 24 – 26 • An absolute perfect response. The coin is made in the image of Caesar; Therefore, it belongs to him. It is not its own. So, return the coin to its owner. You however are made in the image of God. Therefore, you belong to Him. You are not your own. So, return to your Creator. That really is the answer for the issue. The issue in the scene and the issue or issues you are in now. I am in now. Return unto God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Resist God and He will resist you. God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. • Check this out. If the Jews had lived out verse 25 in the first place, then they wouldn’t have been under Roman rule! Can you hear that!? The whole situation they are in, oppressed, controlled, restrained, taxed and frustrated…is because they reached out to Rome, mixed with Rome, and were eventually taken over by Rome… Luke Chapter 20 Verse 27 • The Sadducees where an odd bunch. Religious leaders, members of the Sanhedrin, and yet they were not spiritual at all. They only accepted the first five books of Moses and they did not believe in immortality, spirits or angels. They believed that this life was all that there was and that’s why they were sad, you see! HA! • But here’s the oddest part of this bunch and this scene. These are they that deny that there is a resurrection, and yet who is with Jesus? Lazarus! Crazy! Right in front of them and yet they continue in their hardened ways! Their turn to try and trap Jesus… Trapped people try to trap people…it stinketh. Freed people try to free people… Luke Chapter 20 Verses 28 – 33 • This is the most ridiculous of questions for several reasons. First, it’s hardly feasible and second, they don’t even believe in the resurrection. Here’s what blows me away. Why didn’t Jesus throw dirt in their eyes? I mean, my face would have at least condemned them. But not the Lord. He has very little time left and yet in His grace, He responds and He does so with care, and poise. Luke Chapter 20 Verses 34 – 36 • Jesus’ answer gives us information about the age to come. Life in the resurrection does not merely continue this order but is an entirely different order and way of life. What will it be like? Not sure. Different. No more sin and death. Unfortunately, no more marriage…and since that is so extremely wonderful, there must be something wildly amazing in store for us! • Family relationships will still be known. We know that from Luke 16 as the rich man Jesus described who was dead was aware of his brothers. But for those that have had a spouse go on to be with the Lord ahead of them, and now you are remarried, perhaps this is something you’ve wondered but you can be confident that there will be no jealousy or weirdness in heaven… • Interesting how Jesus separates that “age” and “the resurrection.” You see, saved or not, all of us made in the image of God with the breath of life within us are eternal beings. And so, heaven or hell…both are forever…one is considered the resurrection because you continue to live on for eternity in heaven while the other is considered not the resurrection since those that go to hell die a second death…and yet are still eternal in death. Luke Chapter 20 Verses 37 – 38 • Awesome grace flowing from Jesus in these statements because He is using the Torah, which is the only text accepted by the Sadducees, to give proof of the resurrection. But even more awesome and hope-filled is what He says here. My father died before Link was born, before Madison took up the drums, before this church was started…he’s missed so much and that hurts…but I know I will sit with him at the shore of a sea of glass and tell him all the things one day soon…because of what Jesus says here…. • By this time, Abraham had been dead for 1,800 years. And yet he is not dead, but alive. Isaac and Jacob had been dead for 1,700 years. And yet they live! Jesus said in John 11:25, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live!” This is the hope that we have in Jesus. Not just for ourselves but for those that we love and miss so very much! Proven factual and real and trustworthy and legit by Jesus’ resurrection Himself. Luke Chapter 20 Verses 39 – 40 • Some were persuaded and came to faith. The others were shut up. Sheep and goats. The separation in these sentences here are the same as it is today and will be in the final judgment. Which side of the statement are you on? Luke Chapter 20 Verses 41 – 44 • A plea from Jesus for those that are listening to open their hearts and minds and be ok with not being right about everything. There is still something to learn and more to understand perhaps about the Messiah. For example, quoting from Psalm 110, how is it that the Messiah would be both Son to and Lord of King David? Unspeakable, inconceivable! But John would later write of Jesus in Revelation 22:16, that He is both the root and the offspring of David. • John! An uneducated, unknown, failed fisherman was able to grasp, understand, comprehend and know more than the book-worm religious elite! Why? The best teacher of all was his guide? Jesus…sure…but in truth…humility! Luke Chapter 20 Verses 45 – 47 • Interesting description given by Jesus. Long robes means no work. They considered themselves so great and yet they watched others do all the work. It never fails. The folks that become the most dis-satisfied are the ones not in the fight for souls. Self-centeredness is just natural in that circumstance. The folks not giving to the ministry…reserving their treasures for their own long robes…no investment. These are the ones most susceptible to pride in the body of Christ and against the body of Christ… • They loved greetings which means they demanded and thrived off of the recognition they got from others. No results, just pomp. They took the best seats. They didn’t serve those around them. They devour widow’s houses. They take advantage of the life-issues of others. Pretention filled prayers… they pray for themselves and not for the Lord. Jesus says here, they have a greater condemnation. Bruh, why? • Same hell awaits anyone that doesn’t receive Christ, but in addition, they miss out on this life too… Living for yourself rips you completely off! It is the opposite of humility and humility is the well spring of joy. • Do you want everything that the Lord has for you? Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Him. Do the hard things. Take the narrow path. I know, it seems like that will be the path of pain…a little insight…it will. But from humility and fellowship with Jesus comes the life that He had even within Himself. The life that defeats every form and every power of death…and every enemy that comes against you with stupid accusation and questions…just like in these scenes.
Luke 20 vs 1-18
May 4, 2022 • Pastor Matt Korniotes • Luke 20:1–18
Luke Chapter 20 Verses 1 – 2 • I want you to see that Jesus never went looking for these great debates. His focus was to care for the people. He was teaching them, preaching the Gospel to them. Sometimes He fed them, sometimes He healed them. Sometimes, He just comforted them. The great debates over authority and crafty arguments over theology, these weren’t at the initiation of the Lord. Luke Chapter 20 Verses 3 – 8 • It wasn’t that Jesus was skirting the question. He is actually answering them and we will see that in a moment but this interaction is entirely revealing that the real issue they had with Jesus was His power and authority. And no matter how He answered them, they wouldn’t receive. Turning it around on them like this puts that on display. • Why John? Why was John Jesus’ go-to? Because of what John said. John 1:29 we read, “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, ‘Behold! The Lamb of God who take away the sin of the world!’” And also, John 1:34, where John said, “I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.” • John the Baptist had clearly identified the authority. Had explicitly already answered the question that Jesus is faced with on this day. “Who are You and where did you get this authority?” John said it, Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, the Messiah, and Jesus is the Son of God. • So why ask a question that had already been so clearly answered? Are they just stupid? Did they just forget? Are they having a collective senior moment (I mean, they are the “elders?” None of those things. They don’t accept His authority. It’s clear. It’s there. It’s on display. It’s proven. It’s evident and obvious. They don’t like that they, who in their own minds are top of the food chain, are accountable and under the authority of this man. • This is a major issue and blessing-blocker for tons and tons of people, especially people that have been taught that they have certain “inalienable rights” and are entitled to the “pursuit of happiness.” Listen, that’s the western culture, those things aren’t necessarily how life works. Did you know that? • That embedded and deep-seeded mindset sounds good and feels good but without humility and gratefulness and subordination to the Spirit of God, it can very quickly and quite naturally lead anyone right to a obstinate spirit within a person. Which means they become difficult to manage, not responsive to treatment and overall resistant to both observation and authority. Is that you? • Ever heard someone say, or maybe even said yourself, “Don’t judge me!?” You think that’s a good thing? Like you are protecting your rights or your person? That’s actually a symptom of an authority complex and our culture is terminal with this stuff! • Listen, an emotionally charged personal perception of and general negative response to authority is actually an attempt to satisfy your own personal and private yearning for authority. That’s what ship-wrecked so many of the brilliant minds of Jesus’ day. They wouldn’t bow to His authority…why? They were drunk with passion and lust for their own authority. • We were taught this this past weekend at the Men’s Retreat and it is so good! Joy, we are to pursue joy… Happiness is good but you can get happiness even from sin…even from something that ultimately will destroy you! Joy, you cannot get from sin. Joy comes from being filled with the Spirit and it only comes through humility. Joy comes from the Spirit, through humility! And humility is allowing and even welcoming, even provoking Godly authority into your life. The single problem of all people stuck on self is a lack of humility and in that stuck on stupid! Just like what’s happening here in this scene… Luke Chapter 20 Verses 9 – 16 • That’s an odd response, don’t you think? As the story goes, the owner of the vineyard is more than fair and extremely patient and ultimately takes care of the problem effectively but the response from the chief priests, scribes and elders? “Certainly not?” You see, they knew He was talking about them… • Psalm chapter 80, Isaiah chapter 5 would have been well known by these religious leaders and specifically in Isiah 5, God speaks of Israel as being a vineyard that was expected to have good fruit but instead had brought forth wild fruit. SO, they knew He was talking about them, that’s why they responded that way… • The response was not according to how the story played out…the response was, “Not us!” In their blindness, they thought, “That could never be us!” It’s amazing…the people that are the hardest to reach are the ones that refuse to admit or even entertain the thought that they are the problem…or at least their portion of the problem! • Here’s the test. What is God looking for? The Owner of the vineyard? He is looking for fruit! He’s not coming and trying to take back the vineyard! That’s not His aim. Why did He come in the first place? Verse 10 … that they might give Him some of the fruit. That is what God is wanting. The fruit of the Spirit is love (YOU DO WHAT IS RIGHT for THEM), joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, self-control… • Notice, no fruit beats the servants…and KILLS the Son. What part of the problem are you? Maybe even the entire problem! “Certainly not!” Will leave you cycling through destroying others until you destroy yourself… Luke Chapter 20 Verse 17 • He’s laying it on thick now. From Isaiah to Psalm 118 which He now quotes…and they knew that to be a Messianic Psalm… He is making it so obvious to them and yet they still won’t believe. • He is full of wisdom, no one can speak against Him. He is full of life, He has Lazurus there next to Him. He is full of healing, everywhere He goes the blind see, the lame walk and the sick are made well. He is full of truth and intensely completes all that is written of the Messiah… • Isiah 11:1-2 says of the coming Messiah, “There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots. The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him (hello John the Baptist confession!), the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.” It’s like we’re reading Jesus’ resume! And yet they hardened their hearts, covered their eyes and plugged their ears even though it is obvious…and here’s the thing…they are SO missing out! Luke Chapter 20 Verse 18 • A promise and a promise. Go this way, here’s the promise. Go this way, here’s the promise. Whoever falls on the stone will be broken…personal choice, YOU take the action, YOU do the thing, you come to the Lord and fall upon Him…the word “broken” in the Greek (only used in this statement by Jesus) is “synthleo” and it literally means, “to dash together.” • Yes, to face your demons and charge your personal giants there will be a breaking, even a shattering, but it is for the purpose of bringing you to a state of goodness, wholeness and completion. If you have given your heart to the Lord and purposed in your heart to honor the King of Kings no matter the personal cost, your whole “you” might fall apart…but you will be reformed, rebuilt, reconstructed into a new creation, prepared and equipped for good work. A fruit bearer…and that is what God is looking for…that’s what glorifies His goodness and amplifies your witness! • But, on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder. The word for “grind” in the Greek (only used one time here in this statement by Jesus) literally means to crush to pieces and be scattered like chaff in the wind. These two specific words used by Jesus, one means to cleanse into while the other means to cleanse away, and each of us are on one of those two paths…there are no other paths at all… Luke Chapter 20 Verse 19 • Why? Why chose this path? Let’s go back and end on one simple observation. The vineyard isn’t yours. Your spouse, your home, your car, your job, your ministry, even you…you are not your own, you’ve been bought with a price…and yet the vineyard has been leased to you. • Glorify God with your life, tend well to what has been entrusted to you, and even if things seem they are falling apart, they are not. Bear fruit. Live your life to glorify you, you’re gone just as soon as the wind blows…being grinded even by this life. These that harden their hearts fear the people, they are shut down, they have been shut up, they have been publicly humiliated and defeated… and yet, this same day there are those being blessed, fed, filled, healed…