Tag: Book of Luke

The Provision of Jesus

On By BrianIn Book of Luke, Uncategorized

Can the provision of Jesus meet my needs?  This is an important question today as we live in a world of uncertainty.  Many are fearful of the future with a poor economy, lack of jobs, loss of money, and the list could go on.  Do we need to be afraid?  Or can we trust in the provision of Jesus?  We get a helpful glimpse of an answer in Luke 9:10-17.

Jesus is preaching to a crowd of over 5000 in a desolate place.  Evening comes, and the crowds are hungry.  This is a big need.  It would take a lot to feed over 5000 people!  Have you ever had a big need in your life? Maybe you do now.

Jesus tells the disciples to give them something to eat.  They rightly recognize that they can’t – this situation is too big for them.  Ever been there – in a situation too big for you?  Maybe you are now.

The disciples manage to come up with five small loaves and two little fish, but that won’t even feed the disciples, let alone the multitudes.  They consider buying food, but where would they get so much food?  There are no Super Walmarts.  The surrounding towns are smaller than the crowd with Jesus.  Even if they could find the food, how would they pay for it?  Mark 6 gives us the figure of 200 denarii.  Each denarius is a day’s wage.  Estimate $100 a day and you get $20,000.  How many of us have that kind of cash on us?  None of the disciples did.  No place to buy food and no money to do it.  The situation seemed impossible.  Ever been there?  Maybe you are now.

But Jesus thanks God (literally blesses God) for the food, divides it up, and they all eat, are satisfied, and have 12 baskets of leftovers.  There was a great need beyond any of them, and Jesus provided for the need.  How has Jesus provided for your needs in the past.  Times when the need was so great you didn’t see how it could be met, but He did.  I can think of ways God has provided jobs in incredible ways for me.  I asked the congregation Sunday, and we heard a number of wonderful stories of God’s provision.  Don’t you think he can provide for your need today?

Of course Jesus provides in different ways for different people.  He might meet a need miraculously like he did in these verses.  Or he might use others to provide for our need as he did when he sent the disciples out in verses 1-6.  Often he provides a job for us to work that our needs might be met.  He makes our gardens grow that we might have food.  And on and on the list might go.  Sometimes he provides in totally unexpected ways.  We are waiting for provision in one way, and he provides in a completely different way.  We don’t understand why, but how he provides is up to him.

He also provides in various amounts.  He provided more than enough for the crowds in our passage.  In verses 1-6, he presumably provided just enough.  Verse 5 suggests there were times when they didn’t get any food, but God still provided enough to keep them going.  None of them starved.  Which reminds us that we could get by on much less than we think.  Paul tells us that if we have food and clothes, we should be content (I Timothy 6:8).  Most of us have much more than that!

Our greatest need, however, is not even food and clothes.  Our greatest need is God, a relationship with him, a home with him forever.  This too is provided to us by Jesus who died for our sins and rose again to give us a new life with God.  Should he choose to withhold food, clothing, or health, still in him we have our greatest need met.  The Psalmist reminds us of this in Psalm 73:26 – “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”  One day it will come our time to die.  He will withhold our physical needs.  But he will provide something greater – a home with him.

With all this in mind, how should we face the future?  Do we need to be afraid?  Or is the provision of Jesus enough to meet our needs?  The answer is found in the feeding of the 5000.  The answer is found in our own past experiences.  He is more than able to meet our needs.  So let us:

  • Seek.  Seek his provision for our needs.  Let us pray as Jesus taught us to pray – “Give us this day our daily bread.”
  • Trust.  Trust the Lord to take care of us.  We need not be afraid.  God will give us what we need.
  • Be Content.  God may provide abundantly or just enough.  He might provide for us to come home to him.  Regardless of how he provides, let us be content.
  • Give Thanks.  God provides for us in measureless ways.  We always have reason to give thanks to God.

Humble Gratitude

On By BrianIn Book of Luke, Virtue of Humility

A Pharisee invites Jesus to his home.  He treats Jesus rudely – neither giving him water to wash his feet or even giving  a proper greeting.  Then comes this woman.  We know little about her – only that she was a sinner.  She had a reputation – and not a good one.  Somewhere, somehow we must surmise that she had crossed paths with Jesus.  She had heard him speak of repentance and forgiveness.  She had found mercy and love and grace.  And so now she comes.  Risking the ridicule and hostility of those at the Pharisee’s house, she comes.  She begins to weep at Jesus’ feet.  She begins to anoint his feet with ointment.  She begins to wash his dirty feet with her hair, and kiss his feet.  Here is an incredible example of humble gratitude toward God.

Do we remember our past sins?  Can we see our continued failures to follow the Lord?  Are we still amazed at his mercy and love and grace in our lives?

Everything we have talked about this week in past posts – humble submission, humble worship, humble service, and humble giving will quickly become a chore, a duty, a struggle – unless it is motivated by a humble gratitude to God for all that he has done for sinners like us.

What motivates us?  Why do we do what we do?  Are we trying to earn God’s favor?  Earn our way into heaven?  Trying to impress God?  Impress others?  All of this is so much foolishness and will wear us out in the trying.

Jesus died for our sins.  He loves us in spite of our rebellion.  In humble gratitude may we give ourselves to God…like this sinful woman did.

(Luke 7:36-50)

Humble Giving

On By BrianIn Book of Luke, Virtue of Humility1 Comment

We often think of the 12 disciples when we think of those who followed Jesus, but he had many other followers – including many women.  These women not only followed Jesus, but they provided for him and his ministry from their own means.  They give us an example of humble giving to God.

Are we following their example?  Are we providing for the ministry of our local church out of our means?  Not occasional token gifts, but true regular giving to the Lord out of what God has graciously given to us?  Have we discovered the joy of giving?

I know of numerous missionaries who are stranded in our country, unable to go to the missions field because they can’t find the support.  Yet we are the wealthiest country in the world!  This is a huge indictment upon the American church.  Are we serving God with our money or ourselves?  Are we bowing down to the Lord or materialism?

How we need to follow the example of these dear women.  How quickly we could send out these missionaries if all of God’s people regularly and joyfully gave back to God a portion of what he has given to them.  Not a meager portion.  But a generous portion for his work and his glory.  Father, grant that we would humbly give to you.

(Luke 8:1-3)

Humble Service

On By BrianIn Book of Luke, Virtue of Humility

Simon’s mother-in-law was sick when Jesus came to visit, but not for long.  Jesus healed her, and immediately she arose and began to serve.  To serve.  What an incredible example of humble service to God.  Jesus gave her health, and she served him.  Even so God has given each of us whatever level of health we have so that we might serve him.  That is the reason we exist – to serve him and in doing so bring him glory.  Are we using the health God gives us to serve him?

Serving God can take many forms, but most often it comes in the form of serving people.  Simon’s mother-in-law served God by serving not only Jesus but also the disciples.  Even so, we can serve God by serving people.  We can serve God as we serve our families.  We can serve God as we serve our employers (see Colossians 3:23-24).  We can serve God as we serve our church family.  We can serve God as we serve the poor and needy.  We can serve God as we serve our neighbors, our friends, and the list goes on.

But do we see our service to people as service to God?  Do we offer up our service to people as service to God?  How do we approach serving?  What is our attitude?

And are we using the health God has given us to serve God by serving people?  Or are we too busy serving ourselves?

Simon’s mother-in-law gives us a good example of humble service to God.  May God’s Spirit help us to follow her godly example.

(Luke 4:38-39)

Humble Worship

On By BrianIn Book of Luke, Virtue of Humility2 Comments

There was a lady named Anna.  She had been a widow for many years.  She did not depart from the temple, but worshiped God with prayer and fasting night and day.  Night and day.  24/7.  Continuously.  Constantly.  This speaks volumes about her heart…and ours.  How many of us can see ourselves doing this?  Her heart must have been ablaze with love and adoration toward God to sustain this constant humble worship.

Do we approach each day as an opportunity to worship God? To spend time with God in praise and prayer?  As we awake?  On the road?  In our spare moments?  As we go to sleep?  Even in the midst of many tasks, we can praise God and pray – do we?  Most of us can’t focus exclusively on worship like Anna did – we have families and jobs.  Yet even those activities can be offered up to God as worship – honoring him, serving him.

Are you ready to offer humble worship to God today?

(Luke 2:36-38)

Humble Submission

On By BrianIn Book of Luke, Virtue of Humility2 Comments

One day an angel visited Mary with incredible news.  She was going to be the mother of the Messiah.  She would bear the one whose coming was foretold throughout the Old Testament.  What a privilege!  But she is confused.  She isn’t married.  How can she bear a child?  The angel tells her it will be through the Holy Spirit.  It will be a miraculous, supernatural birth.

Mary’s life suddenly becomes very complicated.  She was going to have a child outside of marriage in a culture that firmly held to God’s law?  What would her fiance Joseph think?  And while a great privilege to bear the Messiah – what an incredible responsibility to raise such a child.

But her response speaks volumes about the character of this young woman.  “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”  She is God’s servant.  She will humbly do what God says.  She gives us an incredible example of humble submission to God. She will submit to his word.

When we come to God’s Word, do we come with the attitude: “Behold I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word”?  Do we approach the Word ready to humbly submit to his authority?  To do whatever he commands?  To believe whatever he says?  To follow wherever he leads?  No matter what?  No matter how hard?  No matter whether we like it or not?  No matter what others think or say?  Do we come to the Word, ready to humbly submit to God?

The answers to these questions will have serious ramifications for our lives.  As we approach God’s Word today, this week, are we ready to humbly submit to his Word?

(Luke 1:26-38)

Gospel Shaped Death

On By BrianIn Book of Luke

Some say there are only two things certain in life – death and taxes.  I would suggest that there are a few more certain things, but death is certainly certain.  Even though we live in denial, death could come to our door at any time of any day.  We will die.  How should we approach death – apart from the gospel?  And how should the gospel shape our approach to death?

In Luke 23, Luke relates the story of the two criminals on crosses on either side of Jesus.  One criminal joins the mockers, but the second rebukes him – “Do you not fear God?”  Presumably these two criminals dying outside of Jerusalem are Jews with an understanding of who God is from the Old Testament.  They know God is holy and just – he will punish sin.  They know God created us to live in a perfect loving relationship with God, but that we sinned against God bringing death and separation and judgment.  Perhaps they have heard Jesus warn of hell – a place of separation and judgment after death.  Indeed, do you not fear God?  You are about to die and face his judgment.  You have every reason to fear!  Without some good news we are in a heap of trouble.

But the second criminal has noticed something.  This Jesus has done nothing wrong.  The rest of the New Testament confirms his observation – Jesus was without sin.  So if sin brings death, but he is without sin, why is he going to die?  Clearly this is further than the thief is thinking, but Peter gives the answer – Jesus is dying for our sins (I Peter 2:24).  He is taking our sins upon himself, and the death, judgment, and separation that goes with those sins.  Why?  So we can escape God’s judgment and be reconciled to God.  Again, this is more than the criminal understands, but he somehow realizes that salvation is available from this man dying on the middle cross.

And so the criminal does the only sensible thing. He asks Jesus to remember him when he comes into his kingdom.  He looks to Jesus.  He is trusting, believing in this man to save him.  And Jesus tells him that they will be together in paradise that very day.  By looking to Jesus, he has escaped eternal judgment and separation from God.  Instead he has received eternal paradise with Jesus.  No wonder that Paul later says that death is gain.  Why?  Because he will be with Jesus (Philippians 1:21-23).

The gospel utterly turns our approach to death around.  Instead of separation there is relationship.  Instead of judgment there is pardon.  Instead of hell there is paradise.  Instead of fear there is anticipation.

And yet that is only part of the gospel.  For Jesus will not only die and be buried, but he will be raised from the dead.  And because he is raised from the dead, those who look to Jesus will also be raised from the dead when Jesus comes back.  We will be victorious over death like Jesus (I Corinthians 15).  And we will dwell in a new heaven and earth forever with the Lord (Revelation 21).  We not only look forward to paradise with Jesus, but even more we hope in our own resurrection.  And this hope is not “I wish it were true” hope.  It is a certain hope based on the very promises of God.

Yes, there are more things certain than death and taxes.  Death is certain.  But for the one who looks to Jesus, paradise with him after death is certain.  And the resurrection when he returns is certain.  And so the gospel shapes our approach to death from fear to anticipation and hope.  May we live and die with this anticipation and hope alive in us as we look to Jesus.

What Is Your Testimony?

On By BrianIn Book of Luke2 Comments

What is your testimony?  What legacy are you leaving?  Does it point to Christ?  Does it reveal one who has been touched by grace?

Mary was touched by grace.  The angel greeted her with the words “O favored one.”  Later the angel says she has “found favor with God.”  In both cases, the word translated favor is grace.  God graciously allowed her the privilege to bear the Messiah.  Joseph too had the great privilege of raising the Messiah.

And what is their testimony?  Obedience to God.  Mary submits to God’s plan for her.  Joseph too submits, taking Mary as his wife.  Both of them obey everything required by the Law regarding Jesus’ birth.  Obedience to God.  Is that part of our testimony?

Simeon too was touched by grace.  He is given the great privilege of seeing the Messiah before he dies.  And what is his testimony?  He is righteous, just in his actions toward others.  He is devout in his relationship with God.  He has hope in the coming Messiah.  He is led by the Spirit.  He is ready to die when God calls him.  Are these things part of our testimony?

Anna was touched by grace.  Her very name means grace, and she is given the privilege of seeing the Messiah.  And what is her testimony?  She worships with fasting and prayer.  She gives thanks, praising God for the Messiah as did Simeon, and the shepherds and the angels.  Are these things part of our testimony?

Obedience, righteousness, devotion, hope, Spirit-led, ready to die, worship, fasting and prayer, thanksgiving and praise.  Do these things characterize our lives?  We too have received grace upon grace.  Do our lives show it?  What legacy are we leaving?  What is our testimony?

(Taken from Luke 1-2)

Good News!

On By BrianIn Book of Luke2 Comments

Of all the people God could have announced the birth of Jesus to, he chose to announce it to shepherds.  Shepherds watching sheep that would probably be used as sacrifices at the temple.  Even as Jesus would one day offer himself as a sacrifice.

The angel appears and announces good news of great joy.  What is this good news?  A Savior has been born!  We sin and sin and sin and sin, and Jesus was born to save us from our sins.  Again and again, the people would sacrifice the shepherd’s lambs for their sins, but Jesus came to save us from our sins once for all.  A Savior has been born.  Indeed this is good news of great joy!

Notice the response of the shepherds.  First they went to investigate.  They wanted to see this Savior.  Do we have the same desire?  To see our Savior.  To know him better?  To investigate further and deeper the glorious good news of great joy?

Second, they went about proclaiming the good news that they had heard and seen for themselves.  Do we have that same tendency?  No one told the shepherds to witness.  They just naturally did.  Are we so excited about our Savior that we just naturally tell others?

Third, they went home praising God for the good news they had heard and seen and proclaimed.  The good news of great joy filled them with joy.  Do we have the praises of God on our hearts and in our mouths?

Father, thank you for the good news of a Savior.  Grant us the desire to investigate, the passion to proclaim, and the joy to praise you.  Amen.

(Taken from Luke 2:1-20)

Promise of Christ

On By BrianIn Book of Luke1 Comment

After John is born, Zechariah breaks forth into praise (Luke 1).  What is the content of his praise?  The Promise of Christ.

First, there is the promise of hope in Christ (v68-75).  Zechariah speaks of salvation from enemies.  He speaks of the house of David – a reference to the kingship.  All of this was foretold by the prophets.  And so Christ is coming again to reign as king, to put every enemy under his feet, to bring about the paradise the prophets foretold.  What a glorious promise of hope we have in Christ.

Second, there is the promise of forgiveness in Christ (v76-78).  John will prepare the way for Jesus, making known the salvation and forgiveness of sins found in Jesus.  Through Christ’s death, all of our sins can be forgiven.  We can be clean and pure.  This is the glorious promise of forgiveness we have in Christ.

Third, there is the promise of light in Christ (v78-79).  Jesus is a light in the midst of our dark world.  Instead of blundering around in the darkness, we can come to the light.  In the darkness of our trials, we can look to the light.  This is the glorious promise of light we have in Christ.

Finally, there is the promise of peace in Christ (v79).  In the midst of a chaotic world filled with trials and hurts and losses and troubles, we need a source of peace.  In Christ, the Prince of Peace, we can find peace.  And one day he will usher in perfect peace over the entire world.  This is the glorious promise of peace we have in Christ.

May we remember the promises we have in Jesus!