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THE GOSPEL OF LUKE – A NEVER-ENDING STORY

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A NEVER-ENDING STORY

“‘What comes next is very important. I am sending what my Father promised to you, so stay in the city until He arrives, until you’re equipped with power from on high,’

“He then led them out of the city over to Bethany. Raising His hands He blessed them, and while blessing them, took His leave, being carried up to heaven.”

“And they were on their knees worshipping Him. They returned to Jerusalem bursting with joy. They spent all their time in the Temple praising God. Yes.” Luke 24:49-53.

Luke’s story of the earthly Jesus comes to an end but never has a story ended like this before. His story could never have originated in human imagination; and to have been told as fact and truth would have been the biggest fraud ever spawned on the human race.

Unlike any other story, Luke writes only the first chapter here. He wrote chapter 2, recorded in the Book of Acts, for the same reader, Theophilus, and in the same straightforward, factual style, as a sequel to the life of this amazing Man, and the outcome of His life, death and resurrection. What other human figure has impacted humanity as He has?

The first chapter of Jesus’ story closes with His return to the Father; the second opens with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. He had assured His followers that they would not be abandoned as orphans. He would send His representative, one exactly like Himself, with the same disposition and mission who would not only be with them but in them.

Of what value would their three years with Him and everything He had taught and demonstrated, be to them without the power to carry out His instructions? They would be no better off than the Israelites who had God’s teaching, but no inner strength to put it into practice. The Holy Spirit had been present and active in the old dispensation, but there always remained the barrier of sin between them and their God which animal blood could not remove.

Jesus had established a new covenant with them, sealed with His own blood; not just a cut on the wrist, but every drop poured out as an atoning sacrifice for the sin of the world. There was nothing left to alienate humanity from the Father for, in that offering was the forgiveness of sins and cleansing from the uncleanness sin had brought.

The Father was now free to send His Spirit to take up residence in the spirit of human beings once again, when they chose to respond to the invitation to return to their original status as sons of the living God.

The disciples were no longer sckeptical and suspicious of Jesus. Had He not opened their understanding and given them the whole picture? They were overflowing with joy as they returned to the city, having watched their beloved Master go back to the unseen realm of the Father’s presence. It seems strange that they were rejoicing at His departure. Did that mean that their faith was so strong that they anticipated with joy the promise He had made?

They waited and worshipped in the Temple, no longer intimidated by the religious leaders who had so terrified them days before. They were convinced and they ignored the very people before whom they had cowered. Jesus was alive and that was all that mattered.

 

THE GOSPEL OF LUKE – WHO WAS ON TRIAL?

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WHO WAS ON TRIAL?

“When it was morning, the religious leaders of the people and the high priests and scholars all got together and brought Him before their High Council. They said, ‘Are you the Messiah?’

“He answered, ‘If I said yes, you wouldn’t believe me. If I asked you what you meant by your question, you wouldn’t answer me. So here’s what I have to say: From here on the Son of Man takes His place at God’s right hand, the place of power.’

“They all said, ‘So you admit your claim to be the Son of God?’

‘”You’re the ones who keep saying it,’ He said.

“But they had made up their minds. ‘Why do we need any more evidence? We’ve all heard Him as good as say it Himself.’ Luke 22:66-71.

This has to be the strangest court case in history! Jesus was the prisoner and yet His subtle answer to their question and their attempt to force Him into incriminating Himself, exposed their guilt, not His. Their charge, punishable by death according to their religious law, was blasphemy. For them, His guilt was cut and dried, if they could get Him to make a confession. ‘If you are claiming to be the Son of God, say it.’

The only witnesses they could produce contradicted one another and, according to Mark’s account, brought an accusation so feeble that their testimony was dismissed. All they could bank on was that Jesus would admit guilt to their charge by His own confession.

His counter charge was: ‘If I am not the Son of God, prove it.’ As the members of the High Council, it was their duty to uphold justice and to do this, they had to provide evidence to support their charge, but they could not even produce at least two reliable witnesses.

Jesus turned the tables on them by His reply to their question. ‘If I said yes, you would not believe me. If I asked what you meant by your question, you would not answer me.’  He dug underneath their hypocritical “justice”, exposed their motive and revealed their wicked hearts. They were not after the truth. They were after an excuse to condemn Him.

Instead of giving them a direct answer, He made a statement which they were forced to weigh up for themselves. Their response would be the verdict on themselves, guilty or not guilty. Their refusal to drop the case drove them deeper into guilt and His resurrection three days later finally sealed their doom.   

Once before, they were caught in the same dilemma when they came to Him with a trick question, ‘Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar?’  His answer took them by surprise. They were expecting Him to get Himself into trouble either with Jewish or Roman authorities. Instead, He put them in their place by reminding them of both their civil and religious responsibilities. “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s” Luke 20:25b (NIV).

Motive and responsibility – Jesus was big on both these issues. Why we do things is just as important as what we do. Taking responsibility for what we do and why we do what we do is the essence of maturity. Adam and Eve tried to play the “blame game” but it did not work with God. Man has been doing the same thing ever since and it still doesn’t work.

Even though Jesus was found guilty, condemned and crucified, He was the judge in the end, and His accusers the condemned. Yes, Jesus was guilty as charged, guilty of being who He said He was, the Christ, the Son of the living God, and He not only claimed it, He proved it by rising from the dead.

Those who tried and condemned Him were the guilty ones, guilty of prejudice, injustice and treason because they betrayed the God they claimed to serve and condemned to death the Son of God because they refused to recognise and believe in Him.

THE BOOK OF ACTS – DRUNK….ON THE HOLY SPIRIT

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DRUNK…ON THE HOLY SPIRIT

“Parthians, Medes…..even Cretans and Arabs!

“‘They’re speaking our languages, describing God’s mighty works.’

“Their heads were spinning. They couldn’t make head or tail of any of it. They talked back and forth, confused. ‘What’s going on here?’

“‘Others joked, ‘They’re drunk on cheap wine.'” Acts 2:9-13 (The Message).

Confusion again! But the disciples were not confused – they had it all together for the first time. They had finally got it and were focussed on the right thing – the mighty works of God. No doubt they were telling the startled bystanders about Jesus, about His death and resurrection and about the forgiveness of sins and the kingdom of God.

As usual, there was a mixed reaction from the crowd. Some of them had no clue what was happening. They watched and listened with open mouths to these crazy people, mostly uneducated Galileans, who were now speaking their languages fluently and eloquently.

As usual, there were the sceptics and mockers among them who could not see beyond the end of their cynical noses. ‘Drunk!’ was their diagnosis, ‘and so early in the morning.’ They neither heard what they were saying, nor did they process it for their own benefit. They simply wrote them off as drunk and laughed at them.

Did the disciples know what they were saying? Probably not at first. They were simply celebrating this unique experience in the best way they knew how, by shouting out their joy, not realising that in it was a message and a sign for all the people around them. No longer would they secrete themselves behind closed doors. They had a story to tell to the world and the energy of the Holy Spirit to tell it in power and truth.

By sending the Holy Spirit to be in them forever God had initiated a partnership which guaranteed the effectiveness of their mission no matter where they went or what barriers and obstacles they met on the way. The same power that saturated Jesus was now saturating them and all those who would follow after them.

Why do we see so little of the evidence of Jesus’ presence in many parts of the church today? I guess there are many reasons why the church had slipped from being an exuberant organism to a sterile organization. Hosea’s diagnosis for Israel’s dismal failure to represent God to the world still holds: “My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge.” Hosea 4:6 (NIV)

Some groups, still believing that they are part of the church, have become nothing more than followers of a religion, practising rituals and keeping rules which have twisted the simple message and mission of Jesus so out of shape that it is no longer recognisable. Others have gone off the track, chasing the rabbits of theology, prosperity, titles and authority, and even mystical experiences, or majoring on minors to the extent that Jesus is buried under a thousand additions.

The early church experienced the undiluted power of the Holy Spirit working in and through them because they were in partnership with Him. They said what He said, did what He did and went where He sent them just like Jesus had done. Their eyes were on Jesus, their ears listened for His voice and their hearts were for Him.

Why have we lost the plot? Lack of knowledge! We have relied on others to tell us how to live and what to do instead of soaking ourselves in God’s Word and sticking to the simplicity of what Jesus taught and modelled. We have the same Spirit as He had, and we have the written Word to guide us – therefore we have no excuse for being so far from the truth.

It is imperative for the church to get back to Jesus’ command, ‘Follow me.’ Imagine what could happen in the world it we did!

THE BOOK OF ACTS – THE PROMISE OF THE FATHER

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THE PROMISE OF THE FATHER 

“As they met and ate meals together, He told them that they were on no account to leave Jerusalem but ‘must wait for what the Father promised: the promise you heard from me. John baptised you in water; you will be baptised in the Holy Spirit. And soon.’” Acts 1:4-5 (The Message)

Finally, at last, here it comes! The promise of the Father is on the brink of fulfilment. With these words, Jesus linked Himself and His ministry to the ministry of His forerunner, John the Baptist. “John answered them all.’ I baptise you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.'” Luke 3:16 (NIV).

The outpouring of the Holy Spirit was crucial to the existence of the church because He is the key to the completion of Jesus’ ministry on earth. Everything Jesus accomplished in His life, death and resurrection would end right there had the Holy Spirit not been given to apply what He did in the hearts of believers.

Some branches of the church claim the baptism of the Holy Spirit as special to their persuasion and others react by shying away from Him and relegating Him to a doctrine. The truth is that He was given, not for an experience or for a doctrine, but for the very life of Jesus in us without which we are mere empty shells.

It is the Holy Spirit who convicts us of sin and draws us to the Saviour. “‘Unless I go away, the Counsellor will not come to you; but if I go I will send Him to you. When He comes He will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin…'” John 16:6b-8a (NIV).

It is the Holy Spirit who brings our dead spirits back to life in response to our faith in Jesus. “‘Jesus answered, ‘I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit…'” John 3:5 (NIV).

It is the Holy Spirit who reproduces the life of Jesus in us, “So I say, live by the Spirit and you will not gratify the deeds of the sinful nature…But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” Galatians 5:16, 22 (NIV).

It is the Holy Spirit who gives us the gifts that are necessary for the life of the Body. “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good…All these is the work of one and the same Spirit, and He gives them to each one, just as He determines.”  1 Corinthians 12:7, 11 (NIV).

It is the Holy Spirit who enables us to bear witness to the life-changing power of Jesus at work in and through us. “‘But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses…'”  Acts 1:8a (NIV).

The coming of the Holy Spirit would complete the reversal of the disaster that came on the human race and on the earth when Adam decided to go it alone. Jesus made it possible for God’s rebellious sons to return to the Father’s house, to be reconciled to the Father and to be reinstated as His beloved sons. The Holy Spirit makes it all happen by His working within the spirit of man.

No wonder then that Jesus ordered them to wait in Jerusalem for His coming which had to take place on a specific day to fulfil the Feast of Pentecost and without which any effort on their part to carry out the mandate of Jesus would only be futile and disastrous.

Immeasurably More!

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IMMEASURABLY MORE!

Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more that all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work in us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for even and ever! Amen (Eph. 3: 20-21).

How typical of Paul to break out into an exclamation of praise! Packed into this outburst is a wealth of truth which will enrich our understanding of our heavenly Father if we mine the gold of its meaning.

Paul passionately longed that his readers would experience God’s love in its fullness which, in the end, is as measureless as God Himself. No matter how vast the dimensions of God’s love, like the universe around and above us, we will never exhaust that love or reach the limits of what God has for us, supplied by this love. As the old hymn states:

Thou art coming to a King,

Large petitions with thee bring;

For His grace and power are such,

None can ever ask too much.

http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/you-can-never-ask-too-much – retrieved January 2016.

How tragic that most of us are satisfied to paddle in the shallows of God’s love when we can explore and embrace His love in its inexhaustible magnitude if we but leave our selfish selves and delve into God, our Father!

How can we know a love like this which is beyond knowing? This is the paradox. The more we know, the more we realise that we do not know and that there is so much more to know. I will dare to suggest a few ways in which we can move out of our comfortable personal environment into new and yet unexplored ways of knowing God?

  1. The first way to get to know God is to pray David’s simple prayer in Psa. 86:11.

Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.

The Father loves to answer a sincere cry to know Him. He will open the door to the treasure stores of understanding His ways to anyone who diligently and sincerely seeks Him.

  1. God is knowable when we open our hearts in generosity and mercy to those who are or have less than ourselves. God rebuked King Shallum for greed and commended his father, King Josiah for showing compassion to the poor.

‘Does it make you a king to have more and more cedar? Did not your father have food and drink? He did what was right and just, so all went well. He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well. Is that not what it means to know me?’ declares the Lord (Je. 22: 15-16).

  1. Knowing God is about gazing at His glory. How do we do that? We are transformed as we contemplate Jesus, who is the image of the Father. Spend time in the gospels, following watching and listening to Him. You will be thrilled with the revelation of Jesus the Holy Spirit will give you as you contemplate Him.

And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect (contemplate) the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory which comes from the Lord who is the Spirit (2 Cor. 3: 18).

  1. Seek His face. We are so opportunistic that we continually seek God for what we want and not for who He is. How often I hear the phrase from the lips of a child of God, “I am believing God for. . . “ as though our relationship with Him is nothing more than beggars wanting handouts! God is our Father; we are His sons and daughters. Knowing God is so much more than treating Him as a celestial vending machine.

Our Father has promised us that He will take care of all our physical and material needs as we focus on doing His will and seeking His kingdom first (Matt. 6:33).

Look to the Lord and His strength; seek His face always (Psa. 105: 4).

God is love. To seek Him and to know Him is to become aware of the immensity of the love that He pours into our lives, even in the seeming disasters and adversities that come our way. What if, instead of whining and moaning, and questioning His love when trials and tragedy hit, we seek His face and find, to our surprise and joy, that He is able to do immeasurably more than our finite minds can imagine when we trust His love and allow Him to be God when life makes no sense.

After all, He is writing a much bigger story than our short chapter; He is painting on a much bigger canvas than our little corner. When God is free to be God in our lives without the restrictions of fear and mistrust, He will do immeasurably more than we can ever ask or imagine, according to the power at work in us. He is at work to reproduce the image of Jesus in us.

Scripture is taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Have you read my first book, Learning to be a Son – The Way to the Father’s Heart (Copyright © 2015, Partridge Publishing)? You’ll love it!

ISBN: Softcover – 978-1-4828-0512-3,                                                                              eBook 978-4828-0511-6

Available on www.amazon.com in paperback, e-book or Kindle version, on www.takealot.com  or order directly from the publisher at www.partridgepublishing.com.

My second book, Learning to be a Disciple – The Way of the Master (Copyright © 2015, Partridge Publishing), a companion volume to Learning to be a Son – The Way to the Father’s Heart, has been released in paperback and digital format on www.amazon.com.

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http://luellaannettecampbell.com/

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