“He said to them, “Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” (Luke 20:25). Jesus never met the Roman Emperor but He did meet one of his representatives. Their discussion centered around the claim that Jesus was the “King of the Jews”. “Jesus answered, “My … [Read more…]
“Jesus looked directly at them and asked, “Then what is the meaning of that which is written: “The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone?” (Luke 20:17). It appears that Jesus – the Teacher from Nazareth, was more or less OK as long as He kept His distance from Jerusalem. Jerusalem was the religious … [Read more…]
”As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory … [Read more…]
“…he went on to tell them a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once” (Luke 19:11). Jesus and His followers (disciples and others) were on their journey to Jerusalem – the royal city. It was an important journey…not because of its … [Read more…]
“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10). The purpose of Luke’s gospel: to establish the veracity of the events surrounding the life and ministry of Jesus (Luke 1:3) in order to keep Theophilus firmly set in his faith (v.4). This initial purpose of Luke’s Gospel reaches … [Read more…]
“He called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” (Luke 18:38). From the beginning, Jesus’ message was clear and simple: “The kingdom is at hand. Repent and believe the good news.” His practical ministry involved acts of healing, liberation from the dark forces; forgiveness of sins – generally He was busy doing … [Read more…]
“When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me” (Luke 18:22). Luke’s chapter 18 is a collection of stories and events that provide us with a snapshot of Jesus’ life … [Read more…]
“I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it” (Luke 18:17). The blessing of children “event”, comes as a surprise, disrupting the flow of the narrative. We find it sandwiched between the parable (or story) of the persistent widow (Luke 18:1ff), … [Read more…]
I am often amazed about how the Biblical stories connect with one another. The more we give ourselves over to the study of Scriptures the more we’ll see this intertwining of God’s redemptive plan for His people in the Person and Work of our Lord Christ Jesus. Our guide this morning, Dr. Luke, inspired by … [Read more…]
“For the Son of Man in his day will be like the lightning, which flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other” (Luke 17:24). This account of Jesus’ teaching contains two strains. He speaks about the kingdom of God answering a question about its timing, most likely as in, “When will … [Read more…]