All posts by Luella Campbell

LUKE’S GOSPEL…THE REAL JESUS – 22

Bible Study, ,

“About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem…While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and covered them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. A voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.” When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. The disciples kept this to themselves and did not tell anyone at that time what they had seen.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭9‬:‭28‬-‭31‬, ‭34‬-‭36‬ ‭NIV‬‬

I wonder what impact this unveiling of the real Jesus had on Peter, James, and John. What were the flashbacks that surfaced in their memories in their quiet moments? Flashbacks happen to people who have had sudden, dramatic experiences that stain their memories and intrude uninvited…often really bad things that cause serious emotional distress. 

Unlike traumatic experiences that are unforgettably painful, Jesus’ transfiguration must have been both exciting and puzzling.  What was the three men’s initial reaction. Fear! They were so scared that they couldn’t look at Him! What! Not overwhelmed with His majesty, beauty, grandeur? Not thrilled with His power and authority? Just plain terrified!

Matthew reports that the voice of the Father frightened them. 

“While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.””

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭17‬:‭5‬-‭7‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Mark reported that the vision of Jesus terrified them…Peter blurted out the first thing that came into his head…good old Peter! 

“Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.)”

‭‭Mark‬ ‭9‬:‭5‬-‭6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

It seems that the whole episode was so terrifying that the disciples were completely unnerved. Get this! This was no “near death experience,” where they were in the heavenly realm where there were new experience and understanding of heavenly realities. 

This was heaven breaking into earth…

To be continued…

LUKE’S GOSPEL…THE KINGDOM WITHIN – 21

Bible Study, ,

“And he said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.” Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭9‬:‭22‬-‭25 NIV‬‬

How in the world does this disclosure fit with the words Jesus has just spoken to His disciples? He promised to build a church so strong that nothing in hell could break it! Now He’s talking about dying. The Son of God dying! How crazy is that!

Jesus was speaking words far above the understanding of His twelve followers and, as so often, above the mindset of many, if not most of His followers today. The notion of a kingdom entered only through death makes no sense to sane-thinking people. 

In the natural world, birth spells the beginning of new life and citizenship which cannot be taken away. Even if one relocates to another country, one forever remains an expatriot in a foreign land. Dual citizenship I guaranteed. 

However, God’s kingdom functions on a completely different principle which Jesus’ disciples struggled to understand. Only after Pentecost, when the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the disciples first, and then on all who believe in Jesus, regardless of birth or nationality, brought understanding and full participation in this kingdom, did God’s spiritual realities make sense. 

Jesus had sown the seeds of truth in many parables and illustrations about the nature of this kingdom. The coming of the Holy Spirit lit the fire  of understanding…Jesus’ words came alive in  their spirits…and the disciples went out to announce the arrival of this kingdom to the world. 

Unlike the entrance of the newborn into the land of its birth, the door into God’s kingdom begins with death. Why? There is no access for sinners into the eternal presence of a holy God. Sin is the impenetrable barrier between God and humans. 

However, God accepts a sinless sacrifice to atone for the sin of the world. However, not one human qualified, so He came Himself to pay the price. For the disciples, this truth was unthinkable because they were schooled to believe that the promised Messiah would come as a conquering hero to usher in a kingdom in the pattern of their great ancestor, King David. 

The minds of these men were closed to the thought of their leader dying. To them, sin was not the issue. The Roman oppressors were! It would take the horrific death of their Master and His miraculous return from the tomb finally to convince them that this kingdom was both of another realm and powerfully real. 

However, if the establishment of this supernatural kingdom on earth happened through the death of its king, so does the membership of this kingdom in the hearts of its citizens. No one can gatecrash this kingdom. One must first die to enter. 

Jesus’ words are uncompromising. 

“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.”

There is no place for self-will in God’s reign. The old nature must be set aside for a new nature that increasingly reflects the nature of its king. The test is this…in this dual nature at war with each other, which one wins? Jesus clarifies the vital outcome… and three steps to victory. Deny self, die to self, and follow Jesus. Simple…but not easy. 

Paul expands on this unending war in the soul. 

“For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭13‬-‭14‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.”

‭‭Galatians‬ ‭5‬:‭16‬-‭18‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The Holy Spirit, freely given to every believer, is God’s answer to the rampant demands of the flesh. He lives within every true child of God to tame the unruly old nature and to cultivate the fruit of His indwelling presence. 

The issue is, to whom do I give allegiance…to my untamed evil desires or to my Lord who is in me   by His Spirit? My response makes the difference between life and death. 

“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.”

‭‭1 John‬ ‭2‬:‭15‬-‭17‬ ‭NIV‬‬

To be continued…

LUKE’S GOSPEL…THE TURNING POINT – 20

Bible Study, ,

“Once when Jesus was praying in private and his disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say I am?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life.” “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “God’s Messiah.””

‭‭Luke‬ ‭9‬:‭18‬-‭20‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Matthew’s version of this pivotal incident includes a vital part of this exchange which Luke did not include. 

“When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and de. still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭16‬:‭13‬-‭20‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Why are these details so important? 

First, Matthew tells us where it happened. Jesus had purposely taken His disciples to a notoriously pagan and sleazy region in Israel. Caesaria Philippi, a Gentile city, dominated by pagan religion, in northern Israel near the source of the Jordan river. Founded in honour of the Caesar, this city had a temple dedicated to the his worship. Added to that, in the vicinity, at the base of a rocky cliff near a grotto, known as “the gate of hell”, the underworld, from which water flowed to join the snowmelt from Mt Herman to form the source of the Jordan, a pagan temple was built to honour Pan, a fertility god which was half human, half goat. 

Second, Matthew tells us why it happened. Worship of Pan included sexual intercourse with goats! Imagine Jesus and His disciples observing this perversity! What did Jesus have in mind?

Disgusting as it was, there was no better place in all Israel to illustrate what Jesus would reveal to His disciples. After Peter’s confession as spokesman for the disciples, Jesus declared, “Do you see this awful place? This is exactly the kind of place where I will build my church! So powerful is my name, Peter, as you have confessed, and my yoke of mercy and grace, that not even hell itself can withstand the message that can rescue people from this delusion.”  

Yes, Peter, “Upon this rock, where people worship Pan, I will build my church…”  Not on Peter.  He was a mere mortal. On the solid rock of truth that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, and His message of salvation, Jesus’ church would stand firm and grow across the globe despite the very power of hell that stood against it. 

How we need this reassurance today! Despite every effort to discredit, to stamp out, to obliterate the church, its people, and its truth and power, the church of the Lord Jesus had not only stood against every hostile power, but it is flourishing and growing against all odds. Even in the darkest of places and the most hostile environments, His church stands firm. 

Jesus’ return, as we consider the signs, seems imminent. The earth itself longs for His coming, yearns for the day of unveiling, of the revelation of the glory of His hidden sons and daughters, and its liberation from bondage. 

“For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭19‬-‭21‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Yes, it’s coming! Of this we came be sure because Jesus always did what He promised. 

To be continued…

LUKE’S GOSPEL…A STRANGE INSTRUCTION – 19

Bible Study, ,

“When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. He told them: “Take nothing for the journey—no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra shirt. Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that town. If people do not welcome you, leave their town and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” So they set out and went from village to village, proclaiming the good news and healing people everywhere.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭9‬:‭1‬-‭6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Jesus’ mission about the kingdom was urgent. He needed to announce its arrival quickly, so He sent His disciples ahead of Him to prepare the people for its message. They were to do two things…announce and demonstrate the presence of God’s rule among His people. 

Demonstration involved a great healing campaign, as the disciples went along, as evidence of the nature and power of the kingdom of God. God was not only telling but showing His people that He was right there among them, setting right in part what had gone wrong in the beginning. 

Imagine the disciples’ joy when their touch healed people exactly as Jesus was doing!  This was real! God was with them, breaking Satan’s power and releasing a tsunami wave of miracles through them. 

However as always, not every Jew was impressed by the disciples’ activities, especially when it came to their association with Jesus. At the instigation of His enemies, some people were suspicious. Not everyone welcomed them with open arms. What would be the test? 

Some would, by offering the disciples hospitality and all the perks, show their acceptance of their message. Others, by refusing them hospitality, would call down judgment upon themselves by their refusal to reciprocate. What were the disciples to do?

“Jesus told his disciples to shake the dust off their feet as a symbolic act to signify that a town or household had rejected God’s message, marking them as spiritually unclean and worthy of judgment, like Gentiles, indicating the disciples’ task was done there and they should move on, leaving the responsibility for rejection with the people, a practice rooted in Jewish tradition of avoiding Gentile contamination. It served as a testimony, a warning of divine judgment, and a directive to focus efforts where the message was received, not to waste time on stubborn rejection.” (Source: Google AI). 

By shaking the dust off their feet, the disciples’ would be absolving themselves of all responsibility for the decision of those who rejected them and their message. They would be treating them as pagan Gentiles upon whom God’s judgement would fall for rejecting Him and His grace. 

Jesus’ instruction was in line with His warning to His disciples in His discourse about life in God’s kingdom. 

“Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭7‬:‭6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Don’t waste your time on people who show by their words and attitude, that they have no interest in the things of God. They may even do you harm if you continue to interact with them. 

The counsel was the same for errant church members. 

“If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭18‬:‭15‬-‭17‬ ‭NIV‬‬

As harsh as this may sound, Jesus instructed church leaders to treat unrepentant members under their leadership in the same way. Cut off connection with them because they become a danger to unity in the body of Christ. 

In the Old Covenant, the principle was harsh but clear for the simple reason that a bad apple in a box caused the rot to spread. 

“Anyone who attacks their father or mother is to be put to death…“Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.”

‭‭Exodus‬ ‭21‬:‭15‬, ‭17‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Likewise, people who were guilty of sexual misconduct were to be executed. For example…

“ ‘If a man commits adultery with another man’s wife—with the wife of his neighbor—both the adulterer and the adulteress are to be put to death.”

‭‭Leviticus‬ ‭20‬:‭10‬ ‭NIV‬‬

This way of reacting to resistance to the message may seem to cut across grace but, in actual fact, it is both protection and a statement. Sin spreads quickly in a community of vulnerable people. Therefore, people who can cause dissension must be excluded as quickly as possible. Don’t waste time on them because they have already disqualified themselves from God’s  grace. 

Does this sound harsh? God is not playing games. He takes seriously what people do and say. He gives opportunity to repent, even second chances, but He also responds to rejection by rejecting those who reject Him. 

Jesus gave the same counsel to the seventy two He sent out to the wider community of Jews and Gentiles…

“Whoever listens to you listens to me; whoever rejects you rejects me; but whoever rejects me rejects him who sent me.””

‭‭Luke‬ ‭10‬:‭16‬ ‭NIV‬‬

We should heed this wise counsel to protect ourselves, our families, and fellowship from the poison that can quickly spread and cause untold harm in a group. 

To be continued…

LUKE’S GOSPEL…TWELVE YEARS – 18b

Bible Study, ,

“While Jesus was still speaking, someone came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. “Your daughter is dead,” he said. “Don’t bother the teacher anymore.” Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed.” When he arrived at the house of Jairus, he did not let anyone go in with him except Peter, John and James, and the child’s father and mother. Meanwhile, all the people were wailing and mourning for her. “Stop wailing,” Jesus said. “She is not dead but asleep.” They laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. But he took her by the hand and said, “My child, get up!” Her spirit returned, and at once she stood up. Then Jesus told them to give her something to eat. Her parents were astonished, but he ordered them not to tell anyone what had happened.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭8‬:‭49‬-‭56‬ ‭NIV‬‬

We pick up the story of Jairus and his dying child again. 

In the interim, Jairus’s daughter died. What did the father feel about the interruption that lead to his child’s death? Was he angry, bitter against the woman, especially because it was a woman who had caused the delay? Little did he know that Jesus was weaving a complex situation into a perfect process. 

Jesus was about to step into a home where death had occurred. As a rabbi, it was unlawful for Him to do so. When the sick woman touched Him, she had automatically made Jesus “unclean” according to the law. Jesus asked…loudly…twice, “Who touched me?” Didn’t He know? Of course He knew! 

He wanted to ensure that the people around Him would know that He was ceremonially unclean. Therefore, for Him to go into the room where a dead body lay wouldn’t matter because He was already “unclean”!

Jesus took with Him His three most trusted disciples and the parents of the child as witnesses to what He was about to do. Just as the healing of the woman was connected to the prophetic word about His tallith, so the tallith would again play a central role in the healing of the little girl. 

“But he took her by the hand and said, “My child, get up!” Her spirit returned, and at once she stood up.”

What did Jesus say to her? The words in Aramaic are translated, “Child, get up!” However, if we examine the words carefully…

“He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum!” (which means “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”).”

‭‭Mark‬ ‭5‬:‭41‬ ‭

…they can mean either…

“Talita koum!…”Child, get up!”…or

“Tallith, ha koum!”…“The tallith is here,” depending on the punctuation…

Which translation is more likely?

Since we have already seen how the faith of the woman was in the prophetic word about the Messiah’s wings…kanaph…the corners of the tallith…

“But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays (wings…kanaph – corners of the tallit – prayer shawl). And you will go out and frolic like well-fed calves.”

‭‭Malachi‬ ‭4‬:‭2‬ ‭NIV‬‬

…Isn’t it logical that Jesus would refer to His tallith as the symbol of her healing as well? 

Of course, Jairus, as a man well- educated in the Tanach, the Hebrew Scriptures, would immediately get the connection. Is that not the reason for Jesus’ warning…

“Her parents were astonished, but he ordered them not to tell anyone what had happened.”

As usual, Jesus’ method was to convince people that He was the Messiah by aligning Himself with prophecy rather than by what one person told another.  

So, we have an amazing story of two suffering people, beginning twelve years previously and woven together into one continuous whole. Together, they bear witness, again, to the readers of Scripture that what Jesus had done perfectly confirmed who He was, the Messiah, the Son of God. 

To be continued…