trying to find His way
The whole purpose of Jesus being sent is to proclaim the good news of the kingdom.At first this seems like a narrow mission; didn’t He do so much more?But as mentioned earlier, to proclaim is more than words.The word is eu (good) angelos (message), from where we get ‘angel’.The angel/messenger is the medium through which…
I enjoy word studies, you can discover so much more depth of meaning.The Greek word translated rebuke literally means ‘to place value on’.Epi (upon) timao (honour) does not seem to express rebuke.But the implication is that the situation is lacking honour.Something is wrong, or incorrect, or mistaken, or bad.The situation needs to be corrected, restored…
It was by the authority of God’s words that all creation was made.“And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.” (Genesis 1:3)God assigned this authority to Adam and Eve, to speak into creation.“Whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name.” (Genesis 2:19)This naming was more than attaching labels, it was shaping…
This is the verse I am thinking about this morning.A mechanic that cannot fix their own car.A tax consultant that cannot manage their own taxes.A family counselor that cannot figure out their own family.A pastor that cannot apply bible wisdom to their own life.This proverb is a way of saying that they are hypocrites, or…
What was Jesus’s sense of purpose and mission?Here Jesus uses Isaiah to explain what God’s purpose for Him is.The Spirit of God is given to Him to do something specific.* To proclaim good news to the poor.* To proclaim freedom for the prisoners.* To restore sight for the blind.* To set the oppressed free.* To…
Jesus stands firm in this wilderness, but the devil is not done.Luke describes this as waiting for the opportune time.It seems the devil knows how to make the most of every opportunity. “Be very careful, then, how you live — not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days…
Luke has just finished showing how Jesus is the Son of God.Now His experience as God’s Son will be tested.The test is the wilderness, surviving in that hard setting.No bed, no family, no great source of food or shelter.God is still with Him, but He is not experiencing abundance.In a sense, it is like the…
To be the son of someone is to be their duplicate, a ‘chip off the old block’. “When God created mankind, he made them in the likeness of God. He created them male and female and blessed them. And he named them ‘humanity’ when they were created. When Adam had lived 130 years, he had…
When one of my children was young, they struggled with their sense of value.At bedtime we would repeat, ‘you are a precious, much-loved child of God!’To which they replied, ‘no I am not!’We did this regularly, and urged them to say it back to us.One time in grumpy reluctance they mimicked it back, not meaning…
You can read about the history of Herod Antipas and Herodias here.Herod Antipas was a cruel person, as husband, father and leader of the Jews.John is calling out Herod for his corrupt ways, and Herod has him arrested.Luke describes this as just one more corruption added to the list. It was not Herod, but Herodias,…