LUKE-In the Steps of the Savior (Page 2)
The focus of the message today is a series of teachings and encounters with many who would consider themselves as the enemy of Jesus—people who were hurling false accusations and unfounded theories on who He was. These accounts of the rejection of Jesus are interspersed with snippets from those who received Him in a positive…
In this portion of Luke’s Gospel, the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray. They had seen Him model the need for prayer, but they apparently did not know how Jesus was praying when He went away to pray. So, Jesus provided them with a pattern for prayer—not necessarily to quote verbatim, but to…
In this story of the two sisters who loved Jesus, we see this love demonstrated in two very different ways. Martha was the consummate hostess— abounding with the gift of hospitality. In many ways (it seems), Martha found her since of worth and identity in what she was able to do for the Lord Jesus.…
The Parable of the Good Samaritan is one of the most well-known teachings of Christ from the Gospel of Luke. While we are probably all aware of the specifics of this parable, it is important to interpret this parable on two levels—the straightforward teaching and the symbolic teaching of the parable. On the surface, this…
Just like the seventy-two in Luke 10, we have also been commanded to carry out the mission of Christ. While the specific details of this mission may not transfer to our modern setting, the principles behind these instructions inform us as to how we are to reach the world for Christ—through prayer and dependency upon…
There are two sections in our text today that have a related theme—when given the opportunity, will we follow Christ or make excuses? In the first section (v 51-56), Jesus went again to the region of Samaria with the good news. Unlike His first encounter with the Samaritans (John 4), the people did not receive…
In today’s text, we find an interesting mixture of events that highlight the limitations and failings of Jesus’ disciples. This segment begins with the disciples being unable to cast a demon out of a young boy; then they are unable to grasp Jesus’ teaching about His impending betrayal and crucifixion. Just after that, the disciples argue over which one of them is the greatest; and then John is rebuked for His elitist attitude toward others. As we consider these events and the dysfunction of the disciples at that time, I hope that we can ultimately see Jesus’ purpose in everything that was happening and use that as a warning sign to us as we walk through our lives.
Throughout this section of our study through the Gospel of Luke, Jesus’ power and authority has been on display. In our study last week, Jesus confirmed the testimony of Peter proclaiming Him as the Christ, the chosen one of God. In today’s passage, we will witness additional confirmation that Jesus is the Christ, but we’ll also be given a glimpse into some of the struggles that we have when we attempt to worship Him and what we need to do differently when we come before Him in worship.
We are continuing in our study through the Gospel of Luke today and the passage that we will be studying is the heart of all we’ve been looking at these past few months. Week after week, we have considered the question, “Who is Jesus?” In today’s passage, we receive a definitive answer to this question and several more. So, let’s get right to it today and look at these four questions regarding the “Cost of Following Christ.”
Luke 9:1-2 Jesus, “…called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal.” This is the first time his disciples have been sent out on their own to proclaim the message of the Kingdom. Upon their return, Jesus gives a dramatic display of provision that is meant to convey to them (and to us) that Christ will not only supply the power and authority needed to minister effectively, but He is able to provide for every single need we will ever face in life and ministry.