Advent in Luke

Advent Day 20

December 9, 2019

In chapter 20, the attacks on Jesus continues, focusing on where His authority comes from (v.2). The answer should have been obvious since the miracles He was doing came right out of the Prophets and Rabbinic teachings of His time. Jesus turns it around on them and asks by what authority was the baptism of John, through human authority or divine authority. The Pharisees and Sadducees are now caught in a dilemma! John the Baptist’s martyrdom caused people to consider him a true prophet. So, if the leaders said “from human authority”, the masses would turn on them; if they said “from God”, Jesus could then say that John declared Jesus to be the Messiah, since at His baptism John said “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” Either answer would discredit or humiliate them! In the parable of the householder and vinedressers, the Jewish leaders were the vinedressers responsible for stewarding the vineyard and giving God His due. God sent three sets of slaves/workers – many believe these were the Prophets God sent through the centuries. God finally sends His Son and they conspired against Him also. The Owner (God) would come and destroy these vinedressers and give the vineyard to others. Jesus then quotes Psalms 118 and applies it to Himself, and the Pharisees and Scribes understood that He spoke this parable against them. This was also predicted in Isaiah 8:14. Then Jesus’ accusers tried to trap Him concerning taxes. The Lord asked whose image was on the coin and to pay tribute to the Image. The principle Jesus addresses here already found in the Hebrew Bible. More than one authority exists, but they must always be in proper order. The first is Divine authority (see Genesis 9); the second, for Israel at this point in time, was Caesar, who ran the government. So, it wasn't either/or, but both/and. After clarifying the marriages in Heaven question (regarding Resurrection, the Pharisees believed in a future resurrection; the Sadducees did not), Jesus quotes from Psalm110. The significance of Jesus quoting this passage is that David was king of Israel, who didn't have a human Lord. Normally a father doesn't call his son Lord! David, in the Spirit, saw the Messiah sitting at the right hand of God, and because of the Davidic covenant, knew he was going to be Jesus’ son. Questions for Reflection: The attacks against Jesus are becoming more frequent and severe as we move towards the cross. In spite of His enemies conniving, Jesus shuts them down, to the point they no longer ask him any questions (see v. 26 & v. 40). Have you been in a spiritual conversation with someone who, like the Pharisees, isn't actually interested in truth, but only in airing their own opinions? How can we be like Jesus in answering those who are sincere in their questions, discerning where we should engage or not? Pray for God to give those whom you interact with a spiritual hunger for Jesus.

Advent Day 19

December 9, 2019

Chapter 19 deals with personal faith. Jesus emphasized that Zacchaeus was a son of Abraham, pointing to the individualization of salvation versus national salvation. After the people heard about Him speaking to Zacchaeus, He addressed the misconception about the literal Kingdom coming now and that it would be postponed – they still failed to understand His purpose of the death and atonement. In the parable of the ten servants, Jesus emphasizes that all have been given gifts to invest in His Kingdom and eternity. It’s how we use these gifts that matter to God, because the Messiah will leave and the servants will be left behind to carry out the ministry. He will return and reward according to how we invest what God gave us to do, and the citizens will be judged. With the triumphal entry, Jesus had rescinded the offer of the Kingdom to “that generation,” who had committed the unpardonable sin (Lk 12:10), causing the Kingdom to be postponed. Hence, the purpose of this ride into Jerusalem was not to officially present Himself as the King. The calendar date was the 10th of Nisan, the day of the month on which the Jewish people were to set aside the Passover Lamb, importantly from the 10th to the 14th, and the lamb was tested to ensure that it was spotless and without blemish. Jesus’ ride into Jerusalem occurred on the same day of the month that the Jewish people picked out a spotless lamb. When John the Baptizer introduced Jesus as the Messiah, he could have chosen from numerous titles; but the one he chose was “Behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world.” The Messiah wept over Jerusalem for not recognizing the time of her visitation – which if the Shepherds of Israel of that time had taught the Scriptures instead of the Talmud (additional teachings on the Hebrew Bible), they would have recognized Jesus as the Messiah, but instead will experience judgment from God (see Daniel 9:24-27). Questions for Reflection: Meditate on the parable of the ten minas (v. 11-27). Do you believe you are using the gifts that God has given you to serve others and the church? What steps do you need to take to be a good steward of what God has entrusted to you?

Advent Day 18

December 9, 2019

After instructing His disciples in eschatological issues, Jesus teaches two principles concerning prayer. The first principle is of persistence, exemplified in the persistence of the widow.  The judge in the story wasn't too concerned about being righteous before God, nor did he care about the widow, but he finally gave in because of her persistent requests. Jesus’ point is that if an unloving, unrighteous judge responds because of persistence, how much more will God, being righteous, respond to perpetual prayer! In context of the passage, Son of Man is mentioned in the second coming, thus, hinted is that we should be praying always for the Lords return. The second principle of prayer is humility. In Jesus’ second story, we see two people at opposite ends of the culture - one a supposed spiritual leader, and the other a publican, or tax collector, at the bottom of the ladder. The publican approached God based on his personal need and God's mercy. His humility before God was obvious in four ways - he kept his eyes down, he beat his chest (a sign of repentance), he stood far away from the front of the temple, and he pleaded for mercy, desiring atonement (or propitiation). The principle for this section is in the second half of verse 14 - those who exalt themselves shall be humbled; those who humble themselves shall be exalted.    Jesus then teaches that entrance into His Kingdom must be through a childlike faith. Afterward, we see Jesus interact with a rich young ruler. There are two Greek words for “good” that we see in this story; “kalos” means externally pleasing; “agathos” means intrinsically good, therefore referring to the Messiah's very character. Since Jesus claimed to be the Messiah, He claimed to be intrinsically good - a character trait that would only apply to God. For the young ruler, the problem wasn't his wealth; the problem was his tendency to trust his wealth as a sign of God's blessing and thus his own righteousness, resulting from Pharisaic teaching.    To close out the chapter, Jesus gives more detailed instructions concerning his death, which the disciples did not understand. He also heals a blind begger, who, interestingly, recognizes Jesus as the Messiah, calling Him the "Son of David".  Questions for Reflection: As we've already done in this Advent series, reflect on your own prayer life. As per Jesus' two parables that illustrate the two principles listed above, which does your prayer life struggle with more? Lack of persistence (questioning God's goodness), or humility (self-sufficiency)? What action steps can you take to address this in your life?

Advent Day 17

December 9, 2019

In chapter 17, after His discussion with the Pharisees about mammon, Jesus makes it clear He does not despise the Pharisees as people, only what they teach. He then teaches three lessons on offending and forgiveness. Sometimes in life offending is unavoidable, but we must always remain thankful for the eternal truths pertaining to us as believers. We must have faith in His working in us and that this is part of a servant’s job. We are to involve ourselves in the Lord’s works and this increases our faith. While traveling through Galilee and Samaria, Jesus cleansed ten lepers, nine were Jewish, one a Gentile. Caiaphas, the high priest, was suddenly faced with a tenfold witness of the Messiahship of Jesus. Only one leper returned thanks. Jesus has just told them the Kingdom is with them, but they didn't understand because He had started teaching in parabolic form after being accused of doing His miracles by the power of Beelzebub. He says the second coming will not be like the first. The Son of Man will be rejected and Israel will suffer many things; He describes a period of tribulation in veiled form; and then people taken off to judgment. This is not the rapture, as the context shows that unbelievers are taken off to judgment, not believers. Just like in Noah's day, it was the unbelievers taken off the earth; the believers were left on the earth. Questions for Reflection: The ability to forgive others comes out of a heart of gratitude for what you've been forgiven. Where in your life and/or with what people do you struggle with forgiveness? Ask God to reorient your heart towards gratitude, thereby increasing your ability to more freely forgive (v. 5-6).

Advent Day 16

December 9, 2019

Chapter 16 admonishes believers on how to be wise in preparing for the future. There is a proper balance between giving and preparing for unexpected health issues i.e. life insurance. Verse 9 seems strange to us, but the “unrighteous wealth” (mammon) of unrighteousness in first-century rabbinic teachings describes the principle that the world's money/wealth should be used for preparation for the days ahead; both physically and spiritually. To summarize, a proper balance exists for the believer to have a savings account, without losing faith and trusting in the Lord for one's daily needs. The Bible clearly teaches that a believer is to provide for his own family both spiritually, and in this case physically; otherwise he is to be treated like and be considered worse than an unbeliever (see 1Timothy 5:8). In the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, note that due to the use of personal names, some commentators believe this was a true story. The common Pharisaic view of the day was that wealth was a sign of Divine favor. However, since Lazarus was a beggar his position was unsure. Lazarus was always visible to the rich man, so he had sufficient opportunity to fulfill the second most important commandment of the Mosaic Law; to love his neighbor as himself (Leviticus 19:18). Both men died, and Lazarus went to Abraham's bosom. A theological note here that Old Testament believers could not enter God’s presence because the atonement had not yet been made through Jesus Christ. A person’s salvation has always been by grace through faith, but the blood of animals wasn't a final solution. We needed a Kinsman Redeemer (Hebrews 10:4)! The second division was reserved for the unbelievers. The rich man was in tremendous torment, but Abraham told him it was too late; he couldn't reach across the chasm. The rich man wanted them to warn his brothers, but an incredible statement was made - if people don't believe Moses and the Prophets neither would they believe if someone rose from the dead; thus, exalting the infinite reliability of God’s Word. Questions for Reflection: Think about the two sections of this chapter, and how both of them deal with wealth. In the parable, the rich man trusted his wealth over everything, to the neglect of others. How do you personally try to keep yourself from trusting in money over trusting in the Lord and obeying His commands? Why is our view of wealth so important as Christians? Ask God to keep a proper alignment of His blessings in our minds and hearts, trusting the Gift-giver over the gifts.

Advent Day 15

December 9, 2019

Chapter 15 is one of the many places in the Bible where sheep are the subject. We are compared to sheep; they are the most vulnerable animal on the planet – they are the only animal that needs a shepherd. They cannot fight or camouflage themselves, they don't see well, and they can't find food for themselves nor can they hunt. Their one attribute is they have incredible hearing. They can hear the voice of their Shepherd. God's Son is our Shepherd, and heaven rejoices over the repentance of one of God’s sheep that strayed. The prodigal son is one of the most well-known stories in the Bible. The emphasis over the prodigal son is restoration, which is the work of God. In the story, the father always expected the son to return because legally he was his son even though he left for a while. When the son returned the father restored him fully, not making him one of the servants, but fully treated him as his son – a picture of us in repentance when we have disjoined with our Father. Questions for Reflection: The parable of the prodigal son is actually a parable about two sons. Think over the response of the son who didn't leave his father. Which son do you think was worse off? As the father responded to his second son, how does God respond to our legalistic attitudes?

Advent Day 14

December 9, 2019

In chapter 14, we see Jesus again healing on the Sabbath, proving the Pharisees had a false interpretation of the Law. Jesus then teaches on humility, demonstrating one who is poor in spirit before God. The phrase “poor in spirit” can be understood as the recognition by the believer that we have a great need of God in all areas of our life, and we need to depend on Him every day (v.11). In the parable of the Great Banquet, Jesus showed that this humility coming from being poor in spirit was not demonstrated by the leaders of Israel who were self-glorifying, self-seeking, and self-righteous. In the parable, the host of the feast (God Himself!) was inviting to come those who were of that generation; but the leaders were condemned and would not partake of fellowshipping with the Savior. To close out the chapter, we see Jesus teaching on discipleship – following him. The first lesson is we are to leave the things of this world - even our own family - if they hinder us from following Jesus. “Hate” in the Bible doesn't mean literally “hate” as we understand it in English; it means we don't choose it. To follow Jesus means we are to choose what pleases God. Similarly, to “love” means to choose; we are to love God therefore we choose Him over everything else. In “bearing our cross”, we identify with the life and rejection (if need be) of our Savior. In Romans 12:1-2 Paul exhorts us to “present [our] bodies as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God” and to “not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind”. To be living sacrifices to God is to carry our cross and follow King Jesus! Questions for Reflection: What "costs" have you experienced in your life by choosing to follow Jesus? Is there an area in your life that you aren't willing to give up in obedience to him? Pray for God's Spirit to reveal areas we might be holding back in "presenting our bodies as living sacrifices". Confess them to God and trust in God's grace to forgive you and strengthen you to walk in light and truth.

Advent Day 13

December 9, 2019

In Chapter 13, Jesus heals a woman who for 18 years had an illness caused by a spirit. After being rebuked by the synagogue leader for healing on the Sabbath, Jesus points out the Pharisees’ hypocrisy because they realized that works of necessity and mercy were allowed on the Sabbath. By Jesus saying that she was a daughter of Abraham, He emphasizes His ministry to the nation and specifically to the poor of the flock, poor being a euphemism for believer. He loosed her out of Satan's control of her health, and the result was His adversaries were put to shame. THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN A MUSTARD SEED: He describes the new nature of the mystery Kingdom. It is a mystery because the Gentiles being joined into one body of believers with the Jews was never explicitily mentioned within the Old Testament. We live in a parenthetical age, hidden, Paul says, from the saints of the past. This Kingdom would grow exceedingly large, but from leaven that wasn't good. Leaven in the Old Testament always referred to sin. As verse 21 says, like leaven, this new Kingdom would grow large but not all of it would be truth. It refers to the false doctrine that would eventually work its way into the seen church, while the unseen church/the true Christians would also be in this Kingdom. At the end of the chapter, Jesus prophesies of the destruction of Jerusalem and gives a veiled reference to the repentance of Israel (Zachariah 12:10) at the end of the tribulation, when all of Israel still living will repent, be saved, and bring our King back!!! Alleluia! Questions for Reflection: Theologian Sinclair Ferguson recently wrote "martyrdom can never destroy the church but false teaching always will". Jesus teaches of the "leaven of sin" working its way into the church. How are you equipping yourself with God's Word to recognize sin and false teaching? Pray for the truth of God's Word to always be the foundation of your life, and our church.

Advent Day 12

December 9, 2019

Chapter twelve starts off with the Lord addressing the hypocrisy of the leadership of Israel during the 2nd temple period. Jesus warns to “beware of the leaven of the Pharisees” – the “leaven” being hypocrisy. In verse 4, Jesus tells his disciples that He doesn't want them fearing man, only to fear God, who has the power to control the destiny and reward of our souls. In verses 6-7, Jesus teaches that he wants them to place their faith in God alone and align themselves with the Messiah. He gives the illustration of how God even cares for the least of all birds, the sparrow. Following this, Jesus teaches on the brevity and uncertainty of life. He gives the parable of the rich fool who was laying up treasures on this earth – not concerned with eternity. God desires His people to be eternally minded. Only God’s Word and God’s people will go on into eternity; thus our investment should be with this in mind. Jesus wants the disciples to trust God for their needs here on earth, telling them that where their treasure was, their hearts would be also. As chapter twelve closes, Jesus teaches that He desires them to always be looking for Him, saying that the servant who is found doing His master's work is (present tense) blessed. In other words, we can be blessed now in our Kingdom labor (not only in heaven) by living for Him. Questions for Reflection: If you and Jesus were having a personal conversation about these teachings, what would He say are the things in your life that pull you towards "earthly treasures"? Where would He say is your greatest source of worry and anxiety? Reread and meditate on verses 22-31, allowing God's truth to nourish your soul.

Advent Day 11

December 9, 2019

In Chapter 11, Jesus starts out with the Disciples Prayer.  It really is not the Lord's prayer – He is the Lord and God doesn't pray to Himself.  In it, He reveals how to model our prayer life addressing God as our Father, sanctifying Him, praying for His Kingdom program and for our daily needs, ending in protection in spiritual warfare.  He then encourages persistence in prayer, and how God, the epitome of a giver of good gifts, wants to give His children blessings. The healing of the dumb demon-possessed man is another Messianic miracle that the rabbis taught only the Messiah could do, and something the rabbis could not do.  They would have had to engage the demon through the vocal cords of the person, which obviously they could not do if they could not speak.  However, the Lord can do anything He wants, and He casts out the demon.  Jesus was then accused of doing it by the power of Beelzebub – Jesus responds by uttering His incredible statement, “If Satan is divided against himself how will his kingdom stand.” THE DEFENSE:  (1) The accusation that He cast out demons could not be true because it would mean a division in Satan's Kingdom; (2) the people recognized that the gift of exorcism is from God, so to accuse Him of this was inconsistent with their own theology; (3) the miracle authenticated Yeshua’s message; (4) it showed that He was stronger than, and not subservient to Satan; (5) there was a call to individual decision – He that is not with me is against ME; and he that gathers not with me scatters (Luke 11:23). The story about the unclean spirit who left and came back emphasizes that the last state of that generation would be worse than the first; and the Sign to that generation would be the sign of Yonah (Jonah), which was the sign of Resurrection. THE LIGHT:  Light, when used symbolically, is always revelation from God.  Jesus taught that He was the light; so, He was the revelation of His Father.  Those who rejected Him were spiritually blinded and would remain in spiritual darkness.  If they would receive the revelation of the Messiah, then they would have light. Lastly, in the conflict with the Pharisees, He condemns them for being more concerned with the external than the internal demands of the Law. Questions for Reflection: Think carefully about someone who God has put in your path that you can help. What can you do today to serve or encourage that person, for the glory of God?

Advent Day 10

December 9, 2019

In chapter ten, Jesus sends out the seventy-two disciples, saying “the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.” He is teaching them about the judgment that will befall those who reject their message and to fellowship with those who receive them and their message. Jesus tells them that they are experiencing the blessing of and taking part in the incredible opportunity to empirically see what the prophets longed to know (v.23-24)! Next, Jesus engages with a lawyer who believed he could achieve eternal salvation through obedience. Jesus, knowing that perfect obedience to the law was impossible, tells a parable of the Good Samaritan. In the lesson, Jesus reveals that even our obedience doesn’t measure up to God’s perfect standard. He highlights those who, like the lawyer, believe their works are perfect, are far from it. He also illustrates that our “neighbor” is not just people of our own culture or family, but the obvious people who God puts in our path. Don’t miss the greater point that this passage points out all of humanity’s need for a Savior! Lastly, Jesus teaches about the priorities of life and how we should invest our energy, time and all that we have. Ultimately, our focus should always be on things that are eternal. Only two things will go on into eternity – God's Word and God’s people! Questions for Reflection: Think carefully about someone who God has put in your path that you can help. What can you do today to serve or encourage that person, for the glory of God?

Advent Day 9

December 9, 2019

In Chapter Nine, Jesus sends out the disciples giving them authority over demonic activity and the power to heal diseases, which were a result of the Fall. It is important to note that these miracles are what the book of Hebrews refers to as, “They tasted of the good things to come.” Jesus was showing the nation how the future Kingdom would be if the leadership accepted Him. Jesus also feeds the five thousand which was a miracle of creation. There was hardly any food, and when the food ran out, He “ex nihilo” created out of nothing an abundance of food to feed the multitudes – the lesson being that we look to Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, for our sustenance and the ability to minister to others. Also in this chapter, Jesus takes Peter, John, and James up to the Mount of Transfiguration where He reveals His Glory – which until now had been veiled and would be veiled again – revealing to these three disciples who He really was!! Questions for Reflection: In chapter 9, we see the disciples see something amazing (the transfiguration of Jesus), followed by an inability to cast out a demon from a boy because of their lack of prayer. Reflect on your own life in ways you've seen God work, and ways that you've been self-sufficient. Pray for increased faith to trust God today for all you need.

Advent Day 7

December 7, 2019

In Chapter Seven, the Messiah heals from a distance, without even having to be where the person is. The often-missed principle here is one of the reasons why – verse five says that the centurion LOVED ISRAEL and built them a synagogue. This follows the unilateral, unconditional promise God made to Abraham in Genesis 12:3, “Those who bless you I will bless, and those who curse you I will curse.” This centurion had displayed a love for Israel that probably violated the behavior of his superiors. Next, Jesus teaches concerning prayer. He wants us to be persistent in asking, seeking and knocking on the door to God's loving desire to be the Good Shepherd to His flock. Also, in this chapter, Jesus raises the dead. Only God can do this; thus, pointing to the hypostatic union – He is the God/Man Kinsman Redeemer promised in Micah 5:2 and Isaiah 9:6. John the Baptist, later in the chapter, is about to die and wants to make sure Jesus is the Messiah. For much of Jesus’ early ministry, John was in prison and didn't get to see His miracles proving that He indeed was the Messiah. Jesus quotes Isaiah back to John, putting his heart at rest. Note in verse 31, the phrase Jesus uses – “this generation”. This will begin to appear frequently in Luke’s gospel. The Pharisees, who rejected John the Baptist, were characterized as children who always insist on their own way, having a tendency to rebel. The real reason John the Baptist was rejected was because he would not succumb to the oral law, which began 200 years before Jesus. This oral law became a prism used by Satan to deceive the Jews in misinterpreting the text. From this point on in Luke, we will see a greater open rejection of the King (Jesus), just as we saw the rejection of John the Baptist by the Pharisees. Questions for Reflection: This ministry of John the Baptist was a difficult one - outright rejection, imprisonment, and eventually execution. Yet he was the forerunner to the Messiah Jesus. What does suffering look like for us in the West? How can we learn to suffer well - as John the Baptist did? Take time to pray for the persecuted church. A good resource is http://icommittopray.com

Advent Day 8

December 8, 2019

Chapter 8 involves Jesus traveling through the land of Israel, teaching about the Kingdom of God. He taught about the spread of the Gospel and the four different responses that would result. He then demonstrates His power over nature by calming the storm that frightened professional fisherman! The Greek wording implies that Jesus spoke to the storm itself and told it to "be quiet" - and nature listened! Jesus continued to cast out demons, proving that He was not doing His miracles by the power of Satan, which He was accused of (“a house divided against itself cannot stand"). Lastly, Jesus heals a woman who had been ill for 12 years after just touching the hem of His garment (which would have been His prayer shawl). Jesus also raised another person from the dead, Jarius’ daughter. Questions for Reflection: Throughout His whole life and ministry, Jesus only traveled about 30 miles away from His hometown of Bethlehem. Since He is the Messiah, the Savior of the world, why do you think He didn’t travel further, or more often?

Advent Day 6

December 6, 2019

The Pharisees question the disciples picking grain on the Sabbath. Note how Jesus responds: 1) He appeals to the account of David's actions in 1 Samuel 21, pointing out the King also did the same when he ate the shewbread (see also Mt.12:3-4), 2) The Sabbath law of rest did not apply in every situation (see Mt 12:5) - the law of Moses allowed and even commanded certain works to be done on the Sabbath, 3) Jesus noted that He is greater than the Sabbath (see Mt.12:6), 4) He/God desires goodness over sacrifice (see Hosea 6:6), and 5) Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath. The Rabbis had totally misconstrued the purpose of the Sabbath! Jesus then does healings which go back to prophecies in Isaiah proving He is the prophesied/looked for Messiah. Next, after spending a night in prayer, Jesus chooses His disciples. He then teaches them, and the crowds who were listening, how their relationship with God and their fellow man should be, in the Beatitudes. Lastly, Jesus continues to give instructions clearly applicable to the church today regarding judgment. Followers of Jesus are not to use “man-made rules” as the criteria for measuring ones spirituality; the benchmark is the Scriptures as the only proper basis for judging. Although not commonly thought or understood, as Christians, we DO make judgments, but only as we are able to see clearly through the lens of Scripture to do it. Questions for Reflection: Which is harder for you to do - love your enemies, or be sinfully judgmental toward other Christians? Why would you say one is harder for you than the other? Ask for God's help today to help you love others with both Grace and Truth.