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THE GOSPEL OF LUKE – DAVID’S SON

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DAVID’S SON

“Then He put a question to them, ‘How is it that they say that the Messiah is David’s son? In the book of Psalms, David clearly says,

“God says to my Master,                                                                                                                                                   ‘Sit here at my right hand                                                                                                                      until I put your enemies under your feet.'”

“David designates the Messiah as ‘my Master’ – so how can the Messiah also be his son?'” Luke 20:41-44.

That got them!

This was no trick question. The one thing that stuck in the throats of His religious opponents was that Jesus, an obviously perfectly ordinary human being, whom they rejected because, to them He was only the son of Joseph and Mary, was claiming to be the Son of God. That was blasphemy, and blasphemy was punishable by death.

Had the claim come from anyone else, they would have had every reason to have him tried and executed, but from Jesus…that was another story. They had all the evidence they needed but they refused to examine it objectively. Jesus was a man; He was claiming to be God; He must die.

Their questions were designed to trick Him into incriminating Himself either by contradicting Moses or teaching something treasonable against Rome. Jesus was too smart to be outwitted by these religious ‘experts’ who were actually ignorant of the truths concealed in their ‘Law’.

So He asked them a question, one that would get them to the crux of their issue with Him. ‘Who are you?’ they kept asking.  Moses, David…these were the heroes of their religion. What they said went. What they failed to realise was that Moses and David wrote about Him and what they said accurately presented Him.

David’s statement, quoted from Psalm 110:1, highlights two of Jesus’ qualifications which they refused to believe and which, incidentally, are still rejected by some sects today. Two phrases are glaringly contradictory — ‘my (David’s) Master’ and ‘his (David’s) son.’ That was a teaser for the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and one which focuses on one of the central truths of our faith.

The Bible clearly teaches that Messiah was fully God and fully man. He is both David’s Master and his son. He is God and He is man of the lineage of David, Israel’s greatest king and the model of kingship in the Old Testament. Therefore Jesus is the rightful king of Israel even though the religious leaders refused to acknowledge Him.

In His own masterful question, Jesus’ answer to their persistent interrogation, ‘Who are you?’ was always the same. ‘The evidence is right in front of you. You decide.’

This is the question that everyone must answer for themselves. Our eternal destiny depends on it. ‘Who do you say that I am?’ Even if we ignore the question, we have still answered it. Whether willingly or reluctantly, this will be our final response:

“And being found in appearance as a man,

He humbled Himself                                                                                                                              and became obedient to death –                                                                                                          even death on a cross!                                                                                                                                                Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place                                                                            and gave Him the name that is above every name,                                                                      that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,                                                                          in heaven and on earth and under the earth,                                                                                  and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord                                                                                      to the glory of God the Father.”                                                                                                          Philippians 2:8-11 (NIV).

Guess what! Even the devil himself will bow on that day, and that will seal his final doom and the doom of those who refused to acknowledge that Jesus is Lord! That was their choice.

What’s yours?

WATCH OUT!

THE GOSPEL OF LUKE – DON’T BE SLOVENLY (PART 2)

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DON’T BE SLOVENLY – PART 2
“You know that if the house owner had known what night the burglar was coming, he wouldn’t have stayed out late and left the place unlocked. So don’t you be slovenly and careless. Just when you don’t expect Him, the Son of Man will show up.” Luke 12:39, 40.
The autumn feasts, which took place seven months after the spring feasts, concluded the annual harvest festivals. Where the spring feasts were fulfilled by Messiah in order during His first coming, His second coming will fulfil the three autumn feasts also in order.
1.Yom Teruah – the Feast of Trumpets
After a month of preparation during the month of Elul, when the trumpet was blown daily to remind the people that Yom Teruah was coming. Tishri 1, the first day of the new month following Elul was the day when the Feast of Trumpets was celebrated. Yom Teruah or the Feast of Trumpets ushered in the 10 days of preparation or the Ten Days of Awe, for the holiest feast of the year, the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur). During Elul, the people prepared themselves for Yom Kippur  by repentance, prayer and almsgiving,
“For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.” 1 Thessalonians 4:16 NIV.
2. Yom Kippur – the Day of Atonement
“The Day of Atonement (Leviticus 23.27-28) also known as Yom Kippur, was the most solemn holy day of all the Israelite feasts and festivals, occurring once a year on the tenth day of Tishri, the seventh month of the Hebrew calendar… The solemnity of the day was underscored by God telling Moses to warn Aaron not to come into the Most Holy Place whenever he felt like it, only on this special day once a year, lest he die (v. 2). This was not a ceremony to be taken lightly, and the people were to understand that atonement for sin was to be done God’s way.
“Before entering the tabernacle, Aaron was to bathe and put on special garments (v. 4), then sacrifice a bull for a sin offering for himself and his family (v. 6, 11)…Then Aaron was to bring two goats, one to be sacrificed “because of the uncleanness and rebellion of the Israelites, whatever their sins have been” (v. 16), and its blood was sprinkled on the ark of the covenant. The other goat was used as a scapegoat. Aaron placed his hands on its head, confessed over it the rebellion and wickedness of the Israelites, and sent the goat out with an appointed man who released it into the wilderness (v. 21). The goat carried on itself all the sins of the people, which were forgiven for another year (v. 30).    
“The sufficiency and completeness of the sacrifice of Christ is seen in the two goats. The blood of the first goat was sprinkled on the ark, ritually appeasing the wrath of God for another year. The second goat removed the sins of the people into the wilderness where they were forgotten and no longer clung to the people. Sin is both propitiated and expiated God’s way – only by the sacrifice of Christ on the cross.” http://www.gotquestions.org/Day-Atonement-Yom-Kippur.html
3. The Feast of Tabernacles – Sukkoth
The final feast of the year, called Sukkoth, was celebrated from 15 Tishri. It was to remember the booths the Israelites lived in during their 40 year sojourn in the wilderness. After they entered the Promised Land, it came to be associated with the fall harvest and became known as the Festival of Ingathering.
During the 40 years in the desert, God lived among His people in the tabernacle, but His intention was to live in His people as His temple. Jesus “tabernacled” among them for thirty three years so that He can dwell in us forever, <em>“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you; whom you have received from God.” 1 Corinthians 6:19 NIV.
It is His intention to live with His people forever when He has restored all things.
“And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Now the dwelling of God is with men and He will live with them. They will be His people and He will be their God.’” Revelation 21:4.
These 3 autumn feasts were an annual rehearsal for the coming of Messiah and the consummation o this age when Jesus would usher in His eternal kingdom and reign over His renewed earth together with His bride, the church. So, Jesus warned His followers to be alert and ready for that great event, by being faithful in all that He had called them to do.

THE GOSPEL OF LUKE – THE INSIDE STORY

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THE INSIDE STORY

“The interest of the people by now was building. They were all beginning to wonder, ‘Could this John be the Messiah?’ But John intervened: ‘I’m baptising you here in the river. The main character in this drama, to whom I’m a mere stagehand, will ignite the kingdom life, a fire, the Holy Spirit within you, changing you from the inside out. He’s going to clean house – make a clean sweep of your lives. He’ll place everything true in its proper place before God, everything false He’ll put out with the trash to be burned.'” Luke 3:15-18.

Just imagine! These were the people who stood on the threshold of a new era in Israel’s history. Messiah was about to be revealed! And they were in on it.

No wonder they ran after John, even putting up with his scathing accusations to hear what he had to say. There was something in the air and they did not want to miss it. But, just like Jesus’ disciples, they all suffered from selective hearing. They associated Messiah so closely with their hope of deliverance from Rome that they conveniently missed the crux of Messiah’s purpose for coming.

John could not have made it clearer: kingdom life; fire; Holy Spirit; changing you from the inside; clean sweep; true/false…all these things had to do with the heart, and attitude, and behaviour, and relationships, and people – the  inner being – and nothing to do with politics and Roman occupation. But they just didn’t get it.

Funny how little has changed. Judging by much of what is propagated by so-called Christian television, the message still has to do with externals – blessing and prosperity and houses and cars and me, me, me; a free passport to heaven and everything I can get out of it now while I wait.

But that’s not what John told them. Messiah was about kingdom life and fire! If we read this like a Hebrew, fire was not about hell for those who don’t believe; fire was about purifying and burning off everything that contradicted the nature of God and His way of doing things; getting rid of the chaff so that the grain can be used. There is no place in His kingdom for anything false, like greed, selfishness, bitterness, anxiety, fear, unforgiveness, unbelief, jealousy, discontent and everything that makes our lives fall apart. It’s got to be burned off, burned up, if we are to have any place in God’s kingdom.

Unless a person is willing to let the fire burn, following Jesus becomes a very uncomfortable business. He’s not afraid to turn up the heat because He is passionate about presenting to His Father a family that resembles Him. If we are not prepared to let the fire burn off what does not resemble Jesus, the alternative is “torment”.

Torment is very much about “hell” now – the unquenchable fire of inner pain and turmoil. Have you ever been there? Jesus’ fire works quickly – it burns off the offending thoughts, attitudes and behaviour that contradict who He is, and peace is the blissful outcome, His peace that makes no sense but it’s real anyway. Hang on to your “stuff” and the fire burns slowly and never stops. It does not consume your issues but it does consume you.

When you think about it, God’s fire is pure mercy. Who, in his right mind, would want to hang onto the things that cause torment anyway? I recently read an article in a popular South African magazine about a woman who spends R3500.00 a month (about $350.00) on tranquillisers because she was raped. I have a young woman in my study group who endured the same terrible experience but she’s free because she allowed Jesus to “burn off” her anger and bitterness, and the torment has gone.

What John was introducing was something far better than a “Romans-free” life. When you are free inside, the outside has no power to enslave, no matter how bad the circumstances are. With shredded backs and their feet in the stocks, Paul and Silas sang in the jail because they were free.

That’s what Messiah came to do!

THE GOSPEL OF LUKE – IN ON THE SECRET!

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IN ON THE SECRET!

“In Jerusalem at the time, there was a man, Simeon by name, a good man, who lived in the prayerful expectancy of help for Israel. And the Holy Spirit was on him. The Holy Spirit had shown him that he would see the Messiah of God before he died. Led by the Spirit, he entered the Temple. As the parents of the child Jesus brought Him in to carry out the rituals of the Law, Simeon took Him into his arms and blessed God.

“God, you can now release your servant;                                                                                        release me in peace as you promised.                                                                                                  With my own eyes I’ve seen your salvation;                                                                                      it’s now open for everyone to see:                                                                                                      A God-revealing light to the non-Jewish nations,                                                                            and of the glory of your people, Israel.”  Luke 2:25-32.

Who was Simeon? Was he a Pharisee? A member of the Sanhedrin? The royal family? A religious boffin? Apparently none of these!

What was his claim to fame? From God’s perspective (and He was the one guiding Luke’s writing), he was “a good man, who lived in prayerful expectancy of help for Israel”. It’s natural, don’t you think, that God would choose someone like him with whom to share His good news?

I can imagine that the Father was brimming over with excitement when the most important phase of His recovery plan was in place – centred in a small baby who had just been born. Like any human being, He was bursting to share the news with someone, especially someone who was eagerly looking forward to the announcement.

Years before, the Holy Spirit had whispered in Simeon’s spirit that he would still be around when it happened. That morning when he woke up, he felt that gentle prompting again. ‘Simeon, go to the Temple. I have something to show you.’ Obedient to the impression, he shuffled through the streets of Jerusalem towards the gleaming white building on the hill. His old legs needed pampering as he slowly climbed the steps of his favourite place in the city.

Stopping to rest after the steep climb, he noticed a young couple entering the courtyard through the massive door. The mother looked so young, hardly more than a child. She was cradling a baby in her arms and the father was carrying a cage with two pigeons in it… Again he heard the voice in his spirit, ‘That’s Him, Simeon.’ Simeon’s heart leapt for joy. ‘God’s Messiah!’ He could hardly believe his eyes.

Stepping forward as they approached him, he held out his arms for the baby. Without hesitation Mary placed her beloved little one in the arms of the old man. Simeon gazed with wonder into the face of the sleeping child. He was actually holding the One of whom the ancient prophets has spoken over centuries of interaction with God.

Simeon began to speak, softly at first but with rising confidence as the full impact of this moment dawned on his spirit. ‘Lord, I can go to my fathers in peace now because my eyes have seen your promised Messiah. Your rescue plan is on track, not only for Israel but for the whole world. It’s here for everyone to see if they have the eyes of faith to believe.’

Simeon was uniquely privileged to be one of the few, a nobody according the world, like the shepherds, to be in on God’s secret. Why did Luke choose these incidents, shepherds, old man, told by no other New Testament writer, to include in his story? Luke’s gospel is a message to the world. Himself a Gentile, he wanted his reader, Theophilus, and, through him, the whole world to know that this Jesus, a Jewish Messiah, was God’s gift to everyone, Jew and Gentile, rich and poor, male and female, somebody and nobody; He came to restore everyone and everything to God’s original plan.

THE BOOK OF ACTS – A COSTLY COMMISSION

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CHAPTER 17

A COSTLY COMMISSION

“They took the road south through Amphipolis and Apollonia to Thessalonica, where there was a community of Jews. Paul went to their meeting place, as he usually did when he came to a town and for three Sabbaths running he preached to them from the Scriptures. He opened up the texts so they understood what they’d been reading all their lives: that the Messiah absolutely had to be put to death and raised from the dead — there were no other options — and that ‘this Jesus I’m introducing you to is the Messiah.'” Acts 17:1-3 (The Message).

Day two after their release from jail! How could these men, who had just been severely beaten and were covered in welts and raw wounds, travel such long distances on foot without painkillers, antibiotics or anti-inflammatories? What was it that produced such determination in them to proclaim this message all over the empire regardless of the hostility they encountered from their fellow Jews and from the Roman government?

God had called them to press into Europe and to Europe they would go, regardless of the cost, because they knew that He had commissioned them and He would accompany and support them no matter how people responded. He had never promised them immunity from trouble and suffering. He promised them His own presence, with all His resources, so that they would fulfil their mission, no matter what.

Why could they be so sure of what they were doing? They had at least three reasons for sticking to their ministry, no matter how high the price:

  1. They had the Scriptures. Centuries before, Hebrew prophets had recorded, in detail, prophecies about the Messiah. Every one of those prophecies had been fulfilled in Jesus, the Christ. As Paul preached, he matched prophecies with Jesus and the people recognised the truth that Jesus was their Messiah, just as the Scriptures had predicted.
  1. They had personal contact with those who had lived with Jesus for three years, those who had watched and listened to Him; who had been present at His crucifixion and talked with Him after His resurrection over a period of forty days. Paul had had an encounter with Him on his way to Damascus that changed the course of his life.
  1. Through the miracle of faith, their own lives had been changed, giving them an inner peace and joy that not even the experience of the past days could erase. How could they pray and sing instead of cursing and complaining when they were treated so cruelly and unfairly by civil authorities? They had a Master who had suffered for them. His grace was enough to see them through adversity until they had completed their assignment.

All these experiences added to Paul’s CV, giving him all the testimony he needed to pen the letters that became part of the Scriptures of the New Testament. Paul could never have written words of encouragement and hope to the believers in so many churches had he not had personal experience to which he could testify. Every word he wrote about living the life was first hammered out on the anvil of his own experience. It had to be so otherwise his words would have been nothing but untested theory and useless for his readers.

This life Jesus came to give us is free but costly. Paul found it so, and so shall we if it is our purpose to follow the Master closely and faithfully. It will cost our plans and desires. The Master’s way may take us along rough and even dangerous paths but the rewards will far outweigh any price we are called to pay.

Paul could say, at the end of his journey, that there was a crown of righteousness awaiting him and all those who are looking forward to the Master’s return.

Are you?