Category Archives: Bible Study

LUKE’S GOSPEL…THE SGN OF JONAH – 29a

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“As the crowds increased, Jesus said, “This is a wicked generation. It asks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah. For as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so also will the Son of Man be to this generation. The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with the people of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon’s wisdom; and now something greater than Solomon is here. The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and now something greater than Jonah is here.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭11‬:‭29‬-‭32‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The sign of Jonah…what was it? 

The Old and New Testaments are inextricably stitched together in a variety of ways…but one continuous story of God’s dealings with humans. One way is by prophecy and fulfilment, another way by “signs” that illustrate and point to spiritual truth. 

Jesus called Jonah’s harrowing experience on the ocean a “sign”. We must first ask, “What happened?” and then, “To what does it point?”

What happened? This is a familiar “Sunday School” story. Every child raised on the Word knows what happened. Jonah received an instruction from God, refused to obey it, and fled in the opposite direction. God sent a violent storm which exposed his disobedience and led to his being thrown off the boat. God also rescued him through the intervention of a very large, unidentified sea creature, and repeated the instruction which Jonah reluctantly obeyed. 

Jonah went to Nineveh, the Assyrian capital, preached judgment for forty days and watched in horror as the people repented…and God forgave them, …from the king down, just as he anticipated would happen. As he sat outside the city, watching and sulking because of God’s mercy, God asked him a question he could not answer…

“And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left—and also many animals?””

‭‭Jonah‬ ‭4‬:‭11‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Who were the people on whom God was willing to show mercy if they repented of their wickedness? These were the same people who later ruthlessly invaded Israel and carried its citizens into exile so that they were “lost” in the Gentile nations…AND GOD KNEW IT WOULD HAPPEN!

At the moment when God sent Jonah, He saw the Assyrians, wicked as they were, not as enemies but as people needing mercy. 

Jesus Himself gives us a clue to the meaning of the sign…according to Matthew, 

“For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now something greater than Jonah is here.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭12‬:‭40‬-‭41‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“The “sign of Jonah” refers to Jesus’s foreshadowing of his own death, burial for three days, and resurrection, just as Jonah was in the belly of a great fish for three days before being delivered. Jesus presented this as the only sign for the unbelieving Pharisees, pointing to his resurrection as proof of his identity, a sign that points to transformation and repentance, much like the Ninevites‘ response to Jonah’s preaching.” (Source: Google AI)

We must understand the meaning of the sign of Jonah in the whole context of the story. The core is the comparison between Jonah’s “burial” inside the fish and Jesus’ burial in the earth. There are some similarities except that Jonah didn’t really die while Jesus did die. Jonah was figuratively “resurrected” from the belly of the fish while he was still alive, but Jesus was actually dead and resurrected from a burial tomb. 

However, the literal facts lead on to an actual spiritual reality. God’s judgment didn’t fall on Nineveh because the people repented. He withheld His judgment because of His mercy. The comparison leads on to a contrast…Nineveh, a wicked Gentile city, repented but the people Jesus addressed, God’s own people, stubbornly refused to listen to Him and repent. He warned of coming judgment because of their unbelief. 

The sign of Jonah, pointing to the death and resurrection of Jesus, has entwined in it both the offer of God’s mercy…freely available to all who repent, both Jew and Gentile, and the warning of coming judgment on those who refuse His mercy, even if they are His own people. 

As Paul concluded…

“For God has bound everyone over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭11‬:‭32‬ ‭NIV‬‬

We must never forget that the heart of the Jonah-sign is more than just the stories. The sign includes a mercy so great that it is ready to forgive the most heinous of the sin of the most wicked of people because of the death, three days in the grave, and resurrection of the Son of God. 

To be continued…

LUKE’S GOSPEL…THE FUNGER OF GOD – 28

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“Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute. When the demon left, the man who had been mute spoke, and the crowd was amazed. But some of them said, “By Beelzebul, the prince of demons, he is driving out demons.” …Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them: “Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall. If Satan is divided against himself, how can his kingdom stand? I say this because you claim that I drive out demons by Beelzebul. Now if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your followers drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭11‬:‭14-15, 17‬-‭20‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Jesus’ argument for His authority to drive out demons has interesting connotations. His opponents, the religious leaders, accused Him of being in league with the devil. Imagine that! The Son of God and His arch enemy in partnership…how ridiculous! If there was ever a perverse generation, it was the religious leaders of Israel! 

With open eyes and hearts, the Pharisees could have recognised the source of Jesus’ power. At least one of them had the honesty to admit…

“Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”

‭‭John‬ ‭3‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Apart from the fact that He, God’s  Son, could never be in cahoots with the devil, Jesus pointed out that no household that is divided can survive. If unity is the glue that provides stability, then disunity fractures a family in conflict. 

Jesus’ final, triumphant statement put an end to their ridiculous claim… 

“But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.”

What did Jesus mean? 

How often Scripture uses what theologians call “anthropomorphisms” to describe or explain God in ways we can understand. 

Google AI explains…

“Definition: From Greek anthropos (man) and morphe (form), it’s attributing human qualities to God.”

It is important to understand the way Hebrew people thought. They focused on what something does rather than what it is. This means that Jesus emphasised that His miracles, referring in this instance to driving out demons, was what God was doing through Him. 

In Matthew’s version of this incident, he uses “the Spirit of God” instead of “the finger of God”. 

“But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭12‬:‭28‬ ‭NIV‬‬

So, Jesus insisted, first, that the Father, through the power of the Holy Spirit, was doing the miracles, not Satan casting out Satan. Second, the miracles Jesus did was evidence that God’s kingdom was present among them. No longer did Satan have freedom to harass and even take people over. The king had come to put the record straight. Jesus, not the devil, was in charge. 

This is huge! After 400 years of silence…no prophet, no prophetic message from God, no word of either rebuke or encouragement, the people of God left to their own devices and at the mercy of their religious leaders, God’s word pulled out of shape by every religious opinion…Jesus comes. He speaks with authority. He announces that God’s rule is back. He does outrageous miracles that confirm His message. It was up to the people to believe or reject Him. 

Would they listen to their perverse leaders or would they believe the testimony of the words and works of Jesus that pointed to the truth that God was really there? 

To be continued…. 

LUKE’S GOSPEL…THE CASE FOR HOLY SPIRIT – 27b

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“If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭11‬:‭13‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Does God give the Holy Spirit on request or in response to faith in Jesus? We have already shown that the gift of the Spirit is for all believers.  He comes to indwell those who have been born again into God’s kingdom, to administer grace and truth to every child of God. 

If we put the two statements in Matthew and Luke under discussion side by side, it seems that Luke’s version explains Matthew’s version. 

“If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give GOOD GIFTS to those who ask him!”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭7‬:‭11‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“Good gifts” in Greek, means beneficial gifts. 

“If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give HOLY SPIRIT to those who ask him!” 

‭‭Luke‬ ‭11‬:‭13‬ ‭

Luke links “good gifts” and “holy spirit” together, that is good gifts are holy spirit. So, what does “holy spirit” without “the” mean since “the” is not in the original text?

Since we get the meaning from the context and, as we have already seen, it cannot mean “the Holy Spirit”…so, in the variety of meanings, we look for the most appropriate one. 

“Holy” here can mean “sacred,” “morally blameless” or ”pure”.  Now, hold that thought. 

“Spirit” is, in essence, “breath” or “wind”. It can also mean “vital principle” or “mental disposition”, that is, the way the mind thinks. 

Now, let’s put these ideas together. If Jesus was not teaching His disciples to ask for the Holy Spirit, what was their request to be in the context of His promise? If human fathers give good things to their children on request, what “good things” can our heavenly Father give us in keeping with His goodness, if we ask Him? “A mental disposition” that is “morally blameless” and “pure” seems to be the most logical answer. Expressed in another way, can we say that God will give us thought and a mindset that are holy and pure, in keeping with His own nature, if we ask Him? 

Is this not exactly what Paul encouraged?

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”

‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭8‬-‭9‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The promise is that, when ask the Father helps us to think the way He thinks, He guarantees that His presence will be with us to support us in every situation in life. His peace will be our mind’s guardian in every circumstance , good or bad. 

“You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭26‬:‭3‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.”

‭‭Colossians‬ ‭3‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Let us learn to think and pray according to God’s word rather than focus on the events around us or follow the false notions of preachers and teachers who will lead us astray. 

What better prayer can we pray than David’s prayer…

“Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭86‬:‭11‬ ‭NIV‬‬

To be continued…

LUKE’S GOSPEL…A CASE FOR HOLY SPIRIT – 27a

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“One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” … “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭11‬:‭1‬, ‭9‬-‭13‬ ‭NIV‬‬

A friend of mine, years ago, arbitrarily decided that the Holy Spirit should be known as, “Holy Spirit” without the definite article , “the”, in Greek, “ho”. My question was, “Is this true to Scripture?” 

When we examine the New Testament, we will find that the definite article always precedes His name, that is , “the Holy Spirit”. How significant is this? Can there be another holy spirit that does not refer to the third person of the Trinity? 

There is a variation of between Jesus’ words recorded in Matthew 7…

“If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭7‬:‭11‬ ‭NIV‬‬

…and Luke 11,

“If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give (the – not in the original text) holy spirit to those who ask him!”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭11‬:‭13‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Matthew says, “Good things…”

Luke says, “Holy Spirit…” or “holy spirit…” since there are no uppercase letters in the original Greek text. One word is not in Luke’s text…the definite article “ho” meaning “the”. 

If Jesus’s words do not refer to the Holy Spirit, what did He mean? Was He contradicting Scripture by telling us that we need to ask God for the Holy Spirit before He will come to indwell us? However, nowhere in Scripture are we taught that the Holy Spirit comes to indwell us at our request. The Holy Spirit is God’s gift to us when we believe in Jesus. He is Christ’s representative, His “other self” whom He promised would come when He, Jesus, went away. 

“But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.”

‭‭John‬ ‭16‬:‭7‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.”

‭‭John‬ ‭14‬:‭15‬-‭17‬ ‭NIV‬‬

On the day of Pentecost, when the Spirit came, Peter  declared, in response to the question…

“When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭2‬:‭37‬-‭39‬ ‭NIV‬‬

It is clear, then, that the indwelling of God’s Spirit is part of the salvation “package”. It’s a done deal. 

“For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.”

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭12‬:‭13‬ ‭NIV‬‬

To be continued…

LUKE’S GOSPEL…DISTRACTED – 26

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“As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭10‬:‭38‬-‭42‬ ‭NIV‬‬

How often we read into Jesus’ rebuke a comparison between the two sisters, Martha and Mary.  Martha was wrong…Mary was right! Was this fair? After all, someone had to prepare lunch…Middle Eastern culture demanded hospitality…and for an extra thirteen people that day. This was no small task to accomplish in a few hours. 

What was the real issue? Was it about preparing a meal or was it about something else? 

I am a lay person. I look at this situation from my 21st century western perspective. How do I read Jesus’ words? 

Let’s look at it this way. Martha was the practical sister. She was about doing things. Her way of exercising her spiritual gift, if you like, was to prepare a meal for her guests. However, in this situation, her task was overwhelming. She needed help. Her attitude changed from the joy of serving to resentment towards Mary for not helping her. Her spiritual gift lost its purpose, now no longer a ministry but a burden and the cause for a rift between her and Mary. She was, in effect, demanding that Mary participate in the exercise of her gift. 

Even worse, Martha dragged Jesus into her resentment against  Mary’s “selfishness”. Jesus also didn’t care about her distress! Both Jesus and Mary were inconsiderate and indifferent to her suffering!

Can you see the issue? For Martha, this was about “me…me…me!” Herself – her preoccupation had intruded into her supposedly unselfish serving. Her song had morphed into a whine! 

Jesus recognised, in her attitude, a subtle shift from serving others to preserving herself. Her preoccupation with the burden of the task, becoming stressed and anxious, robbed her of the true purpose of serving. 

With a gentle rebuke, Jesus pulled Martha back to the real issue. Mary, the younger sister, was not Martha’s servant. She was a person in her own right, with a personality and gifts unique to herself. She had chosen to sit at Jesus’ feet, considering His words of greater value than preparing a meal. This was her way of serving, her way of using her “spiritual gift”.  Perhaps a time would come when she would use the wisdom she gained at His feet to lift her own sister or someone else out of a difficult situation or a wrong attitude. 

Jesus was not by any means downgrading Martha’s service. Her gift was as valuable as Mary’s. However, her stress and resentment had taken the shine off her ministry. With the right attitude, Maths’s meal would benefit Mary and Mary’s listening and learning would benefit Martha as they lovingly served one another in the same household. 

There may be other lessons in this incident that we, as followers of Jesus need to learn. For example, we must not think that what Mary had chosen to do, to nourish her soul, was of greater value than Martha’s ministry of feeding her body. Yes, both are of equal value. Without food, the body will die just as without truth, the soul will wither. Spiritual gifts are never meant to be about competition. Each one is of value as it blends with others to form a mosaic. 

I find another important truth in this story. Jesus, in a roundabout way, pointed out that everyone has the right to make his/her own choices. He refused to put pressure on Mary, at Martha’s insistence, to leave her place at His feet to help Martha. Although He was Master, He would not use His own position to influence Mary. If Jesus, the Son of God, respects everyone’s right to choose, how much more should we!

An everyday story, told with simplicity, reveals many lessons that guide us towards maturity as we, God’s spiritual family, learn to do life together. 

To be continued…