Category NT Book 03 – Luke

Feb 4 2014

A Cure For What Ails Me

English: Gerhard Amauer Hansen, Norwegian bact...

English: Gerhard Amauer Hansen, Norwegian bacteriologist who discovered the bacillum for leprosy. Since this photograph was likely taken before 1923 as Hansen died in 1912, it is public domain in the United States. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The leper that came to Jesus to be cleansed in verse 12 of Luke chapter 5 may have had one of many skin diseases that in biblical times was referred to as leprosy – not necessarily what we know today as leprosy, which is also known as Hansen’s disease (named for the physician, Gerhard Armauer Hansen, who discovered the bacteria that caused it). But it may very well have been this form of leprosy. It is beside the point, however. There are several things that are significant about this account, which occurs in verses 12-16 – none of which have to do with leprosy.

First, there is the matter of the miracle itself. Verse 13 tells us that Jesus stretched out His hand and touched the leper, and immediately, the leprosy left him. That was it – it was gone. Secondly, it is quite significant that Jesus touched Him at all. Such a thing simply was not done. Nothing was known by people then about bacteria or “germs,” but the public health was protected by the fact that such a condition made the sufferer ceremonially unclean, and thus they had to be separated from everyone else until the condition healed – after which a ritual of cleansing would be performed. Once Jesus had cured his disease, He instructed the man to go to a priest to make an offering – as the law of Moses commanded “for a proof to them.” The proof would be the priest’s use of the offering for cleansing, and would serve to allow the man to be among others again. The details of all of this can be found in Leviticus 14:2-32.

A third matter of significance here is that Jesus instructed the man to “tell no one.” Certainly, He knew that the man was going to tell the priest, and that word of what had occurred would be made known. He was admonished not to run to tell others right away, but to take care of the requirements of the law of Moses straightaway. One effect this would also have would be to minimize the spreading of the news which would bring a flood of people to Jesus for more healing. Even so, verse 15, says, it brought more crowds of people – both to hear God’s word, and for more healings.

Olive Trees in the Garden of Gethsemane, on the Mount of Olives.

Olive Trees in the Garden of Gethsemane, on the Mount of Olives.

All of this is important in its own way, but there is also a point made that may not be so obvious. Besides the fact that Jesus came to sacrifice Himself for our sins, and the plan of salvation that He gave to us, He also left us with divine guidance for our lives here on earth – and as is often the case with the word of the Lord, that guidance can have great benefit to us in the here and now, as well as our long-term good. Verse 16 says that as more and more demands were made on His time and energy, “he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.”

Jesus was fully God, but had come here as a man with emotions, stress thresholds, and the ability to be physically taxed and to become fatigued. Throughout His ministry, we read in each of the Gospels of times when He went to be alone, to rest when weary, and to spend time talking at length to God. I find that the days in which I make the time to talk to God at greater length are the days that my anxiety and stress – my entire well being is the most improved. If our Lord and savior needed to do this when He was here in order to keep his “battery charged,” is it any wonder that we should need to do these things as well? The Lord does not want us to be lazy, but He knows better than we do that we must “close shop,” shut things down and rest, and most importantly, spend time in prayer with God.

(This year’s reading plan for Luke, Acts, and 1 and 2 Chronicles averages just 15 verses per day – 5 days per week!)
Schedule for this week
Read or listen to audio of today’s selection from Luke here
Read or listen to audio of today’s selection from 1 Chronicles here

/Bob’s boy
___________________
some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Please note: I did not design the reading plan that I am following in my blog.  All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility.  When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules, as well as a link to the site where you can get the reading plan that I’m currently following for yourself can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com.  

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Feb 3 2014

No Chance Encounter

Plain of Gennesaret, bordering the northwestern side of the Sea of Galilee. After feeding the 5,000, Jesus crossed the Sea to this region, where he healed many.

Plain of Gennesaret, bordering the northwestern side of the Sea of Galilee. After feeding the 5,000, Jesus crossed the Sea to this region, where he healed many.

Luke’s account in the opening verses of chapter 5 are of what quickly became a frequent occurrence around Jesus. As word spread about Jesus and the word of God which He spoke, as well as the miracles that He did, the crowds “pressing in on Him” sometimes became an issue that He had to withdraw from. In this case, Luke says that He was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret. This name is the Greek form of “Chinnereth,” which was a town allotted to Naphtali in Joshua 19:35.  The body of water is also known as Lake Tiberias and, more familiarly, the Sea of Galilee.

Jesus saw two boats beside the lake, and the fishermen were not in them. They were done with their night of fishing and were washing their nets, making ready to put them away until another day. He got into one that belonged to “Simon Peter,” and began to teach the people from the boat. This is not the only time that Jesus used a boat to get some breathing room, and it should not be mistaken for the time he did so in Matthew 13, when he told the parable of the sower and other parables. That will come later in the Gospel of Luke. Note that here in this chapter, Luke does not put the emphasis on the sermon, but on the interaction between Jesus and the fishermen that would be His new disciples.

Jesus performs a miracle, helping the disciples catch many fish -- Matthew 4: 13-16; Luke 5: 1-11.

Jesus performs a miracle, helping the disciples catch many fish —Luke 5: 1-11.

Notice Peter’s slight irritation with Jesus’ instructions to put the nets out in deep water. The fishermen had completed a night of fruitless work, and were doubtless tired and quite unhappy with the results of that labor. Yet, to his credit, he does as Jesus says, and the haul was enough for both boats to be overloaded. Peter then realized that this was no ordinary man – that He was sent from God, and that they had been a part of something very special. He bowed down to him, declaring his sinful nature, surely regretting his doubt. But Jesus told him, his brother Andrew, and his partners (two brothers that were the sons of Zebedee, James and John) that they would now be “catching men.”

When they got their boats to shore, they left everything and followed Jesus. The speed of the narrative here, and especially in the Gospel of Mark, makes us think that these were strangers to Jesus that immediately left their worldly possessions on a shoestring encounter. We should notice, however, that Mark tells us that James and John were in another boat a little farther along (Mark 1:16-20). It is unlikely that this was just a chance encounter with Peter and the others for the first time. Jesus boarded Peter’s boat as someone who was familiar to him. We can easily deduce that there was already a relationship between them, as well as with James and John. And the casual mention of the astonishment of the latter two also indicates some discussion (and certainly no small amount of excitement) had taken place once ashore.

(This year’s reading plan for Luke, Acts, and 1 and 2 Chronicles averages just 15 verses per day – 5 days per week!)
Schedule for this week
Read or listen to audio of today’s selection from Luke here
Read or listen to audio of today’s selection from 1 Chronicles here

/Bob’s boy
___________________
some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Please note: I did not design the reading plan that I am following in my blog.  All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility.  When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules, as well as a link to the site where you can get the reading plan that I’m currently following for yourself can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com.  

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Jan 30 2014

Down To Capernaum

After Jesus left Nazareth in Luke 4, he went down to Capernaum. Here Luke mentions that Capernaum was in Galilee, which of course was for the benefit of Theophilus (and any Gentile reader), where He was teaching people on the Sabbath. Luke said that they were “astonished” at His teaching because His word “possessed authority.” This was an appropriate assessment, as it was a case of the word of God being taught by the Lord. It is with that same authority that He commands an unclean spirit to come out of a man in the synagogue, and the people marvel at that as well. And verse 37 says that “reports about him went out into every place in the surrounding region.”

Capernaum, Sea of Galilee

Capernaum, Sea of Galilee (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In verse 38, Jesus goes to the home of  Peter, whose mother-in-law is very ill with a high fever. Here, he shows His authority over even sickness, as the scripture says He “stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her, and immediately she rose and began to serve them.” It is here that we learn that the “reports” about Him that are mentioned in verse 37 have caused a great many people to bring their sick and diseased relatives to Jesus to be healed; and He heals them all (verse 40).  We are also told that demons came out of many, and that they knew He was the Son of God. But Jesus rebuked them. He was not ready for this fact to become known far and wide.

The verses here in Luke and in other parts of the Gospels concerning demons can be difficult for us to understand because such things are so foreign to our experience. But there is much we do not know about where spirits and demons are concerned. For whatever reason, God allowed these spirits to dwell in and among many people just prior to and after Jesus’s time here on earth. We have some opinions about that, which we wrote about here in this article. Hopefully, that may be helpful to you in understanding better, but remember, it is just an opinion – hopefully, an informed opinion, but an opinion, just the same.

Verse 42, says that when it was day, He departed and went to a “desolate place.” This implies that He must have spent all night – from sunset on (see verse 40)  healing people. This verse indicates that He was tired and needed time alone. The people did not want Him to go, and went looking for Him. Verse 43 gives His response: “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose.” And in verse 44, He begins preaching in synagogues throughout Judea.

For two good articles with pictures of Capernaum, please see this article with an aerial photo and this article with a picture of a partially reconstructed synagogue from Ferrell’s Travel Blog.

(This year’s reading plan for Luke, Acts, and 1 and 2 Chronicles averages just 15 verses per day – 5 days per week!)
Schedule for this week
Read or listen to audio of today’s selection from Luke here
Read or listen to audio of today’s selection from 1 Chronicles here

/Bob’s boy
___________________
some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Please note: I did not design the reading plan that I am following in my blog.  All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility.  When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules, as well as a link to the site where you can get the reading plan that I’m currently following for yourself can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com.  

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Jan 29 2014

The Rejected Servant

Not surprisingly, the rejection of Jesus in Luke 4 (beginning in verse 16) is often mistaken as being the same event as the one written about in Matthew 13:54-58 and Mark 6:1-6. Both the Luke event and the one in Matthew and Mark took place in His home town of Nazareth. But the one in Luke took place at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry.

Recall that the rejection written about by Matthew and Mark occurred after Jesus had explained the parables to his disciples (Matthew 13:36-52). It should not be surprising to us that Jesus would go back there, much less that he would be trying to teach them when he did. That second rejection was fairly uneventful, relatively speaking. This first rejection in Nazareth, however, resulted in a mob attempting to kill him.

After his temptations in the wilderness, Jesus returned  to Galilee, and the word was spreading about him. He taught in the synagogues, and verse 15 says He was “being glorified by all.”  Then we find Jesus in Nazareth in the synagogue on the Sabbath. Luke says that this was His custom, which is, of course, what we would expect.  He stood up to read, and the scroll of Isaiah was given to Him.  He quoted from Isaiah 61:1-2, which is part of what is known as the fifth “servant song” in Isaiah. This one would seem to speak to those returning from exile at the time Isaiah wrote it. And at first (although all eyes were on Him after reading it), many of those in the synagogue appeared not to “get it” at first.

Then, as understanding began to come to them, some reminded others that He was Joseph’s son. Jesus perceived the way they were headed, telling them that “no prophet is acceptable in his hometown.” He then cites 1 Kings 17:9, where Elijah (during the famine) was sent to the Gentile widow in Sidon. Next, He refers to 2 Kings 5:1-14, where (though there were plenty of lepers in Israel in Elisha’s time), only Naaman of Syria was cleansed.  The point of referring to these incidents was to underscore the unbelief that was widespread in Israel at the time, and the contrasting faith shown by these Gentiles.

Filled with rage, the people drove Him out to the edge of the hill on which the town was built, intending to throw Him down. It was the same murderous rage that nearly got Paul killed in Acts 22:17-22, as he also referred to Gentiles. But this was not the time for Jesus to be murdered, and so verse 30 says that He went away, “passing through their midst.”

(This year’s reading plan for Luke, Acts, and 1 and 2 Chronicles averages just 15 verses per day – 5 days per week!)
Schedule for this week
Read or listen to audio of today’s selection from Luke here
Read or listen to audio of today’s selection from 1 Chronicles here

/Bob’s boy
___________________
some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Please note: I did not design the reading plan that I am following in my blog.  All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility.  When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules, as well as a link to the site where you can get the reading plan that I’m currently following for yourself can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com.  

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Jan 27 2014

The Tempting of Jesus

As Luke chapter four opens, Jesus is just returning from the Jordan River and His baptism, filled with the Holy Spirit. And it was the Spirit, Luke tells us, that led Him into the wilderness for 40 days, where He was tempted by the devil. The 40 days reminds us of the 40 days that Moses went without food in Exodus 34:28, as well as the 40 years that the Israelites spent wandering in the desert before entering the Promised Land (Numbers 14:34). The parallel with this latter seems significant. God provided manna for them daily, teaching them dependence on Him. The Spirit, it would seem, was leading Jesus to depend on faith that God would provide for Him. It was this faith that the devil was determined to derail.

There are those who have expressed the opinion that Jesus could not truly have sinned, since He was the Son of God. This opinion refers to what is called “peccability,” from the Latin verb “peccare” – meaning to sin. If He had not been able to sin, there would have been no real temptation. But we know this to be false, as the Hebrew writer tells us in Hebrews 4:14-16.

The Temptation of Christ (detail)

The Temptation of Christ (detail) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

John the baptist had indeed prepared the way for Him, and God knew that Jesus needed these tests. This was a great opportunity for Satan because he knew that Jesus’ ministry was about to begin. His hunger and weakness was very real after 40 days in the wilderness. The temptation to deviate from the Spirit’s direction and satisfy His own hunger would be great. Then Satan showed Jesus a large portion of what must have been the Roman Empire (the “kingdoms of the world” in verse 5) that could be under his authority if he would simply bow down to him. The last temptation would have made Jesus famous throughout the land, and nobody would have been able to doubt His greatness after throwing Himself down from the Temple. And after all, would God really allow harm to come to Him?

One of the lessons we can learn from these temptations that Jesus was able to overcome can be seen by looking at how Jesus answered the devil. In each case, he used the Scriptures to answer (Deuteronomy 8:3, Deuteronomy 6:13, and Deuteronomy 6:16). Jesus showed us that our best defense against temptations is a thorough knowledge of God’s word. By reading and studying the Bible, we come closer to God, and His word gives us the answers – the knowledge and understanding to get through the trials of this world.

(This year’s reading plan for Luke, Acts, and 1 and 2 Chronicles averages just 15 verses per day – 5 days per week!)
Schedule for this week
Read or listen to audio of today’s selection from Luke here
Read or listen to audio of today’s selection from 1 Chronicles here

/Bob’s boy
___________________
some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility.  When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com.

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Jan 24 2014

Luke’s Controversial Genealogy

Verses 23-38 of Luke chapter 3 contain the genealogy of Jesus Christ. This genealogy differs from that contained in Matthew (Matthew 1:1-17) in a number of ways. In fact, the differences are so striking that the fact has generated considerable criticism from skeptics, as well as disagreement among scholars.

 

To begin with, the genealogy in Matt

 

Luke’s genealogy of Jesus, from the Book of Ke...

Luke’s genealogy of Jesus, from the Book of Kells, transcribed by Celtic monks circa 800 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

hew goes forward, beginning from Abraham to David, then (through Solomon) on down to Joseph. The genealogy here in Luke goes backward – not to Solomon, but to Nathan, one of David’s other sons, and then all the way back to Adam. Clearly, the genealogy presented by Luke is that of Jesus’ mother, Mary.

 

Surprisingly though, there has been much scholarly resistance to this view, largely because it is Joseph that is named as the “son of Heli (Eli)” in verse 23. But the word “son” is often used quite loosely in the Bible. For example, a grandson, a great-grandson, or any descendant may be referred to as a “son” of a particular person (Jesus was called the Son of David by many – i.e. in Matthew 22:42). Use was made of the word “son” for a son-in-law as well (1 Samuel 24:16), especially where no male heir existed, as is believed to be the case with Mary and Heli. Some scholars explain this also with the significance of the absence of the article “the” (in the Greek) before Joseph’s name in Luke’s genealogy (Godet, Louis. A Commentary on the Gospel of St. Luke Edinburg: T&T Clark, 1893).

 

The second objection to the genealogy being through Mary’s blood line is that it would be a huge departure from Jewish tradition, where giving genealogies is concerned. This writer sees no problem with that for two important reasons. First, this is a very different genealogy, and the Holy Spirit had good reason for giving a second, very detailed genealogy of the Christ. One might think that breaking from tradition in giving that blood line might be expected, eh? Secondly, the Gospel of Luke (which, incidentally, was written in Greek – not Hebrew) was addressed to Gentiles, not really to Jews (specifically, of course, to Theophilus). Matthew was the Gospel that was written mainly for the benefit of Jews. In light of this, a departure from Jewish tradition in genealogies should not surprise us in the least.

 

Josiah - Jechoniah - Shealtiel

Josiah – Jechoniah – Shealtiel (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

Some also see the fact that Luke’s genealogy is through Mary’s line as an answer to the “Jeconiah objection.” As the last king of Judea before Babylonian captivity, Jeconiah was totally rejected by God, and Jeremiah 22:24-30 makes that rejection clear, saying that “none of his offspring shall succeed in sitting on the throne of David and ruling again in Judah.” In Matthew 1:12, we see that Jeconiah is in Joseph’s genealogy, so the argument goes that this fact disqualifies Jesus from being the Messiah. This, of course, is ridiculous because God obviously did not mean that no descendant would ever rule. That would have broken His covenant with David. And just a few verses later, in chapter 23 (Jeremiah 23:5) we get the rest of the story concerning Messianic prophecy:

 

“…the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.”

 

Of course, Mary’s line includes a Zerubbabel and a Shealtiel in the genealogy given by Luke. But the Zerubbabel that 1 Chronicles 3:17-19 lists in Jeconiah’s line is the son of Pedaiah – not Shealtiel; and he doesn’t have a son named Rhesa. These certainly appear to be different people. Any internet search engine will tell you that Shealtiel is a family surname for many to this day, and Zerubbabel (meaning seed of Babylon) was likely not the name of just one man either, in light of the exile. So Mary’s line was not affected by the Jeconiah problem in the first place, and it is a moot point in the second place, proven by Jeremiah’s own prophecy.

 

But getting back to the beginning, Luke clearly lists a different heritage going through David’s son Nathan, rather than through Solomon, as Joseph’s line went. Luke’s words have stood the test of time in many areas that are beyond the scope of this subject. We should have no problem standing by his words here.

 

(This year’s reading plan for Luke, Acts, and 1 and 2 Chronicles averages just 15 verses per day – 5 days per week!)
Schedule for this week
Read or listen to audio of today’s selection from Luke here
Read or listen to audio of today’s selection from 1 Chronicles here

 

/Bob’s boy

 

___________________

 

some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

 

All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility.  When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com.

 

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Jan 22 2014

The Wheat and the Chaff

The baptisms performed by John the baptist, the truth in his preaching, and the authoritative warnings of the urgency of repentance were just some of the things that made the people who witnessed it all (and, no doubt, many who simply had heard about him) wonder if he was the Messiah that had been promised to come since the beginning (Genesis 3:15). Indeed, Luke 3:15 points out that many must have desperately wanted him to be “the one.” But verse 16 tells us how John answered that question:

“I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”

Winnowing grain by tossing it into the wind so the chaff will blow away

Winnowing grain by tossing it into the wind so the chaff will blow away

The concept of being baptized with the Holy Spirit is fairly straightforward to us as Christians – followers of Christ, who have been baptized with true repentance have had their lives changed, and can be guided by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. But what is meant by the statement that He will baptize with fire? The answer can be found in the following verse:

“His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

Rather than being something positive for Christ’s followers, the baptism by fire is the judgment for the unbelievers, with the unbelievers represented by “chaff” in that verse. Chaff is the dry, scaly, inedible casing of seed or grain. Before the invention of the threshing machine in the latter part of the 18th century, threshing was often done by placing the sheaves on the threshing floor and beating them or running over them. It was the most labor intensive part of the harvest. Afterward, the wheat would be separated by winnowing, often done with a winnowing fork by tossing the grain into the wind so that the chaff would be blown away. The chaff was often burned then to dispose of it.

The Baptism of Jesus

The Baptism of Jesus (Photo credit: Travis S.)

Luke then speaks in verse 18 of John’s distinction of being the first preacher of the “good news” of the kingdom of heaven – a very different sort of prophet from those who had come before him in the Old Testament. But not everyone was happy with the preaching of John the baptist (verse 19). Herod the Great’s son, Herod Antipas, had the title of “tetrarch,” which means “ruler of a quarter” (his father had divided Judea into districts, and he was given Galilee and Perea). He had divorced his first wife, and taken his brothers wife, Herodias. John’s condemnation of this and many evil acts done by the ruler resulted in Herod having him thrown in prison.

Verses 21-22 tell of Jesus submitting to the baptism, and of the sign of the Holy Spirit and God’s pleasure in His Son. Though these verses come after the verse about John’s imprisonment, one should not infer that Luke did not know of John’s role in Jesus’ baptism, as he acknowledges John’s role in Acts 1:22.

(This year’s reading plan for Luke, Acts, and 1 and 2 Chronicles averages just 15 verses per day – 5 days per week!)
Schedule for this week
Read or listen to audio of today’s selection from Luke here
Read or listen to audio of today’s selection from 1 Chronicles here

/Bob’s boy
___________________
some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility.  When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com.

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Jan 21 2014

Preparing the Way

John the Baptist preaching repentance - polych...

John the Baptist preaching repentance – polychrome, Amiens cathedral (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

If this writer kept a “top ten list” of the most important chapters of scripture in the Bible, Luke Chapter 3 would almost certainly be in that list, for reasons that will hopefully become apparent by the end of this blog. In verse 7, John the Baptist is speaking to the crowds that came out to be baptized. In Matthew chapter 3, we are told that Pharisees and Saduccees were among those who had come. The impression that is most natural to take away from John’s harsh-sounding words here are that they are meant for those two groups. But just as likely, they are aimed at any of those who had come without true repentance on their minds. That is what John had been preaching – a baptism of repentance.

Referring to them as a “brood of vipers,” the question he poses is “who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” Judging from the verses that follow, it seems that what he meant was “where did you get the idea that you can avoid the wrath that is to come simply by baptism – that is, without repentance?” “Bear fruits in keeping with repentance” means that they must not only repent, but they must show the change in their lives by how they live, and by how they treat others from this day forward. He then admonishes them not to have the idea in mind that because they are descendants of Abraham, they have nothing to fear. God, he tells them, can raise up children of Abraham from the stones present around them. In other words, it is not enough – God is not so impressed with their pedigree.

Jesus warned His disciples that the Temple would be completely destroyed. His prophecy was fulfilled in 70 A.D. by the Roman general Titus (Matthew 24:1-2)

Jesus warned His disciples that the Temple would be completely destroyed. His prophecy was fulfilled in 70 A.D. by the Roman general Titus (Matthew 24:1-2)

In verse 9, John tells them that already “the axe is laid to the root of the trees.” They do not know it, but the imminent destruction that this alludes to is the coming destruction that will result from the Jews’ rejection of Jesus. And “every tree,” he says, “that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” So when the various people asked what they were to do, everything that he tells each of them in verses 10-14 has to do with a complete change in the way John knows (from the Spirit) that they are living – mostly how unjust they are to others, especially the poor and down-trodden. That part is the same story throughout the Old and New Testaments – God has always cared very deeply about how those two groups of people are treated.

All of these things together make up the crux of what John’s commission by God is all about, as far as “to prepare the way” is concerned. This is part of what makes this chapter of Luke one of the most important in the New Testament. There has been no word from God for 400 years – since Malachi foretold the coming of John the Baptist in Malachi 3:1 and 4:5. Now comes John the Baptist, filled with the Holy Spirit and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

Although baptism in some form did exist before John the Baptist received his calling from God, it was not a baptism of repentance, nor was it for the forgiveness of sins. There was no real forgiveness of sins under the Law of Moses because, as Paul said, “it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” (Hebrews 10:1-4). There was washing for purification, as first implemented with Aaron and his sons (Exodus 29:4, Leviticus 16:23-24), and for remedy of defilement (Numbers 19). And at some point (though not Biblically required), baptism (immersion in water) was added to circumcision as a requirement for Gentile proselytes to be converted to Judaism.

But now it was different. John the Baptist did not come up with the idea of this baptism on his own. It was part of “the word” that came from God (Luke 3:2-3). John the Baptist “prepared the way” for Jesus in three important ways that we can clearly see: 1) by proclaiming and practicing the baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins (Luke 3:3) 2) by proclaiming that the kingdom of heaven (and, necessarily, the Messiah’s arrival at last) was at hand (Matthew 3:2, Matthew 3:11-12), and 3) by clearly pointing his followers to Jesus as that long-awaited Messiah – the Son of God (John 1:29-34).

(This year’s reading plan for Luke, Acts, and 1 and 2 Chronicles averages just 15 verses per day – 5 days per week!)
Schedule for this week
Read or listen to audio of today’s selection from Luke here
Read or listen to audio of today’s selection from 1 Chronicles here

/Bob’s boy
___________________
some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility.  When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com.

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Jan 20 2014

Out of the Wilderness – John the Baptist

Luke chapter 3 opens with some information that allows for some dating – and some confusion. The subject of the first three verses is when it was that the word of God came to John the Baptist in the wilderness. Although there are a lot of names of historical figures mentioned, as well as their titles and domains, the most telling is in the first phrase of the opening verse.

English: "Saint John the Baptist" (c...

English: “Saint John the Baptist” (c.1560) by Joan de Joanes (1523-1579). Joan J. Gavara Collection (Valencia) Español: “San Juan Bautista” (c.1560) por Joan de Joanes (1523-1579). Colección Joan J. Gavara (Valencia) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It was in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar. He ascended to the throne as emperor on September 17, 14. A.D., with the Senate validating his position as “Princeps” – a title first given to his predecessor, Augustus – on September 18. So, depending on the literal meaning of “the fifteenth year,” it was likely between 28 and 29 A.D. Attempts at applying this to the date of the birth of Jesus, however, have generated less agreement. Forgetting the errors in the calendar, which is beyond the scope of this study, there are a number of scholars who believe that “reign” in this case may have been applied to Tiberius’ rule over other provinces as well – which may have begun about 11 A.D.  It all becomes much too overwhelming, and there is no real proof. It is sufficient to say that Jesus birth was not in the year “1” (there was no year “0”), and in any case, best estimates are that it was between 4-6 B.C, based on the death of Herod the great.

What does all of this have to do with the calling of John the Baptist from the wilderness by the Lord?  Not much really. The most important thing is told to us in verse 3 – that “he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” It is in this manner, as a result of his calling, that he “prepared the way” for Jesus. Verses 4-6 quote the prophet Isaiah from Isaiah 40:3-5:

“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight.
Every valley shall be filled,
and every mountain and hill shall be made low,
and the crooked shall become straight,
and the rough places shall become level ways,
and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’”

(This year’s reading plan for Luke, Acts, and 1 and 2 Chronicles averages just 15 verses per day – 5 days per week!)
Schedule for this week
Read or listen to audio of today’s selection from Luke here
Read or listen to audio of today’s selection from 1 Chronicles here

/Bob’s boy
___________________
some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility.  When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com.

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Jan 17 2014

The Boy Jesus In the Temple

After the blessing by Simeon in the temple 40 days after the birth of Jesus, Luke 2:39 has Mary and Joseph returning to Nazareth. Verse 40 says that he grew and became strong, “filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him.”

Luke then “fast-forwards” to the age of 12. The text says that his parents went up to Jerusalem every year for the Feast of the Passover. Of course they did – Joseph and Mary would observe all of the required feasts. By the Law of Moses, all males were required to attend the feast (Exodus 23:14-17, Deuteronomy 16:1), and the whole family usually made the journey together. This year, when they left to return home, Jesus stayed in Jerusalem. As a matter of expediency, to help each other, and for greater safety, people who had to go long distances for the feast would travel together in caravans with their extended families and friends. So they had gone a day’s journey (likely the end of the day) before they began looking for him among their relatives and friends.

When Jesus was twelve, Mary and Joseph took him to the Passover feast in Jerusalem. But Jesus remained behind to talk with the teachers in the temple. Mary and Joseph searched for him throughout the caravan with which they were traveling, then returned to Jerusalem to find him

When Jesus was twelve, Mary and Joseph took him to the Passover feast in Jerusalem. But Jesus remained behind to talk with the teachers in the temple. Mary and Joseph searched for him throughout the caravan with which they were traveling, then returned to Jerusalem to find him

Not finding him, they went back to Jerusalem to search for him there. After three days (likely meaning a day before missing him, a day to return, and a day of searching) they found him in the temple listening to the teachers and asking questions. The text says that all who heard him were amazed at his understanding. And when Mary told him how they had been searching for him, he said “Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”

Verse 50 says that Mary and Joseph did not understand what he had said. We might wonder what difficulty they would have with the statement. Jesus at that age was fully aware of who He was (if not before this Passover, then certainly now that it had ended, that was so). But were Mary and Joseph really fully aware of who Jesus was yet? Certainly they knew that He was a gift from God, and the angel Gabriel had told Mary that He was to be the Son of God. But they had nevertheless been raising a child that in all physical aspects was thoroughly human. He had the same needs and dependencies as any other child, and he had required the same sort of nurturing as other children.

Any parent goes through moments of pride and moments of wistful sadness at watching their child grow up. Imagine the added complexity of raising the Son of God! As verse 51 says, Mary treasured all these things in her heart. Naturally, the text also says that he came with them to Nazareth and was submissive to them.

(This year’s reading plan for Luke, Acts, and 1 and 2 Chronicles averages just 15 verses per day – 5 days per week!)
Schedule for this week
Read or listen to audio of today’s selection from Luke here
Read or listen to audio of today’s selection from 1 Chronicles here

/Bob’s boy
___________________
some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility.  When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com.