Posted on Feb 13, 2016 in General |
Read Luke 13:22-30
JESUS TEACHES ABOUT ENTERING THE KINGDOM OF GOD
Jesus knew He was on His way to die, but He continued preaching to large crowds. The prospect of death did not deter Jesus from His mission.
Finding salvation requires more concentrated effort than most people are willing to put forth. Obviously you cannot save yourself: there is no way you can work yourself into God’s favor. You get in through the narrow door by asking Christ into your heart and receiving His forgiveness, and, this is what most people miss, earnestly desiring to know Jesus more and more, and diligently striving to follow Him whatever the cost. You dare not put off making this decision because the door will not stay open forever.
The people were eager to know who would be in God’s kingdom. Jesus explained that, although many people know something about God, only a few have acknowledged their sins and accepted His forgiveness. Just listening to Jesus’ words or admiring His miracles is not enough. You must turn from sin and trust God to save you.
You may not necessarily see the people you expect to find in the kingdom of God. Some perfectly respectable religious leaders claiming allegiance to Jesus will not be there because secretly they were morally corrupt.
God’s kingdom will include people from every part of the world. Israel’s rejection of Jesus as the Messiah would not stop God’s plan.
There will be many surprises in God’s kingdom. Some who are despised now will be greatly honored then; some influential people here will be left outside the gates. Many great people on this earth are virtually ignored by the rest of the world. What matters to God is not a person’s earthly popularity, status, wealth, heritage, or power but his/her commitment to Christ. How do your values match those of the Bible? Put God in first place, and you will join people from all over the world who will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God.
Posted on Feb 12, 2016 in General |
Read Luke 13:18-21
JESUS TEACHES ABOUT THE KINGDOM OF GOD
The general expectation among Jesus’ hearers was that the Messiah would come as a great king and leader, freeing the nation from Rome and restoring Israel’s former glory. But Jesus said His Kingdom was beginning quietly. Like a tiny mustard seed that grows into an enormous shrub, or the spoonful of yeast that makes the bread dough double in size, the kingdom of God would eventually push outward until the whole world was changed.
Posted on Feb 11, 2016 in General |
Read Luke 13:10-17
JESUS HEALS A CRIPPLED WOMAN
In our fallen world, diseases and disabilities are common. Their causes are many and often multiple. Whatever the immediate cause of your illness, you can trace its original source to Satan, the author of all the evil in the world. The Good News is that Jesus is more powerful than the Devil or any disease. He often brings physical healing in this life; and when He returns, He will put an end to all disease and disability.
Why was healing considered work? The religious leaders saw healing as part of a doctors profession, and practicing one’s profession on the Sabbath was prohibited. The synagogue leader could not see beyond the law to Jesus’ compassion in healing this crippled woman. Jesus shammed him and the other leaders by pointing out their hypocrisy. They would untie their animals and care for them, but they refused to rejoice when a human being was freed from Satan’s bondage.
The Pharisees hid behind their own set of laws to avoid love’s obligations. You, too, can use the letter of the law to rationalize away your obligation to care for others. But people’s needs are more important than rules and regulations. Take time to help others, even if doing so might compromise your public image.
Posted on Feb 10, 2016 in General |
Read Luke 13:1-9
JESUS CALLS THE PEOPLE TO REPENT
Whether a person is killed in a tragic accident or miraculously survives is not a measure of righteousness. Everyone has to die: that’s part of being human. But you will not stay dead. Jesus promises that those who believe in Him will not perish but have eternal life.
Pilate may have killed the Galileans because he thought they were rebelling against Rome; those killed by the Tower of Siloam may have been working for the Romans on an aqueduct there. The Pharisees, who were opposed to using force to deal with Rome, would have said that the Galileans deserved to die for rebelling. The Zealots, a group of anti-Roman terrorists, would have said that the aqueduct workers deserved to die for cooperating with the Romans. Jesus said that neither the Galileans nor the workers should be blamed for their calamity. And instead of blaming others, everyone should look to their own day of judgment.
In the Old Testament a fruitful tree was often used as a symbol of Godly living. Jesus pointed out what would happen to the other kind of tree – the kind that took valuable time and space and still produced nothing for the patient gardener. By this illustration, Jesus warned His listeners that God would not tolerate forever their lack of productivity. Have you been enjoying God’s special treatment without giving anything in return? If so, respond to God’s patient care, and begin to bear the fruit God has created you to produce.
Posted on Feb 9, 2016 in General |
Read Luke 12:54-59
JESUS WARNS ABOUT THE FUTURE CRISIS
For most of recorded history, the world’s principle occupation was farming. The farmer depended directly on the weather for his livelihood. He needed just the right amounts of sun and rain to make his living, and he grew skilled at interpreting natural signs. Jesus was announcing an earth shaking event that would be much more important than the year’s crops – the coming of God’s kingdom. Just as dark clouds forewarn of a rainstorm, there are signs that God’s kingdom would soon arrive. But Jesus’ hearers, though skilled at interpreting weather signs, were intentionally ignoring the signs of the times.
