Afleveringen
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Today,we will be looking at Luke 21:20-24. In this passage, Jesus gives His greatprophecy concerning future events to His disciples from the Mount of Olives asthey overlook the city of Jerusalem. He's answering their question: what willthe signs be of the end of the age, and when will that happen? Here, Jesusdescribes what we've already discussed as the great tribulation period, theseven years between the time of the church age, the rapture of the church, andthe millennial reign of Jesus Christ on earth.
Nowin verses 20-24, Jesus describes the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple. Thispassage is peculiar to Luke; there is no parallel description found in Matthewor Mark, in spite of the similar language in Matthew 24:16-21 and Mark13:14-17. However, it is clear that both Matthew and Mark were referring toevents in the middle of the Tribulation when "the abomination ofdesolation" would be set up in the Jewish temple and the Antichrist (theworld ruler) would begin to persecute Israel (Dan. 9:24-27; Rev. 13). That iswhere Jesus warned the Jewish people, to flee and go into hiding, for"great tribulation" was about to fall.
Luke'saccount here in verses 20-24 refers not to a distant event to occur during theTribulation but to the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus and the Roman army in 70A.D., just forty years from that time that Jesus is explaining these events toHis disciples (see Luke 19:41-44). This terrible event was in many respects a"dress rehearsal" for what will happen when Satan vents his anger onIsrael and the believing Gentiles during the last half of the Tribulation (Rev.12:7-17).
Whenthis event in verses 20-24 historically took place in 70 A.D., the Jewishhistorian Josephus claimed that nearly a million people were killed by theRomans, and over 100,000 taken captive, when Titus captured the city. And theJewish people and nation was scattered throughout the world.
Butthis was not the first time Jerusalem would be "trampled by theGentiles," for the Babylonians had destroyed the city in 586 B.C. andtaken the people captive to Babylon. This is basically when, what is called "thetimes of the Gentiles" began. The Jewish people went back into their homelandin 1948 at the end of War World 2, and in 1967 recaptured and occupiedJerusalem in the Six Day War.
Butwe believe that this significant time period of the Gentiles did not end then. Becausein the middle of the Tribulation the Antichrist will break his peace treatywith Israel and again take over Jerusalem after he kills to two witnesses in Revelation11. In God's plan, the âtimes of the Gentilesâ will end when Jesus Christreturns to the earth, destroys all Gentile power, and sets up His own righteouskingdom (Daniel 2:34-36, 44-45; Revelation 19).
TheApostle Paul also spoke of this time of the Gentiles ending in Romans 11:25-27.He called it the âfulness of the Gentilesâ, speaking of the time at the end ofthe Tribulation when Jesus comes again and there is a national spiritual salvationfor the Jewish people.
Todaywe need to remember that believers are looking for their Lord's return shouldnot apply Luke 21:20-24 to their own situation. Jesus was talking aboutJerusalem in 70 A.D.. In Matthew 24:15-28 and Mark 13:14-23, He was speakingabout Israel's situation at the middle of the Tribulation. Since our Lord'scoming for the church will take place "in the twinkling of an eye" (1Cor. 15:52), no one will have time to go back home for a coat; nor will we haveto worry about traveling on the Sabbath or caring for nursing babies.
Myfriend, we are getting closer every day to the return of Jesus Christ! Makesure you are ready!
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Today,we will continue looking at Luke 21:8-19. In this passage, Jesus gives Hisgreat prophecy concerning future events to His disciples from the Mount ofOlives as they overlook the city of Jerusalem. He's answering their question:what will the signs be of the end of the age, and when will that happen? Here,Jesus describes what we've already discussed as the great tribulation period,the seven years between the time of the church age, the rapture of the church,and the millennial reign of Jesus Christ on earth.
Remember,this is primarily a Jewish prophecy for the Jewish nation, but there areapplications we can make for the church today. As we see these events and signsintensify, it simply means it's getting closer. In the book of 2 Timothy 3:1-5,it says as you see these things approaching, in the last days perilous timeswill come, men will be lovers of themselves, blasphemers, lovers of pleasure.And so, there are indications that we're getting close to the end of the age.
Wealso need to remember that the second coming of Christ happens in two stages:the first stage is when He comes back in the air to rapture the church (1 Thessalonians4:13-18), and the second stage is when He sets His feet down on the Mount ofOlives and establishes His kingdom (Zechariah 14:4-5). Before that is aseven-year tribulation, described here in Luke 21:8-19.
Jesussays during that age, "Take heed that you do not be deceived, for manywill come in My name, saying, 'I am He,' and the time has drawn near.Therefore, do not go after them." False teachers, false prophets, andfalse messiahs will come and claim to be Jesus or the Messiah. Even now, inplaces like Israel, there are signs on the back of buses and billboardsclaiming the Messiah is almost here, pointing to a rabbi who they believe willbe that Messiah.
Inverse 9, Jesus says, "When you hear of wars and commotions, don't beterrified, for these things must come to pass first, but the end will not comeimmediately." Wars and chaos will happen and are already happening,but they will intensify in the first part of the tribulation period. This iswhy the Antichrist, the man of peace, will be able to bring peace amid theseevents. Jesus continues, "Nation will rise against nation, kingdomagainst kingdom." There will be international chaos, but in verse 11,He adds, "There will be great earthquakes in various places, famines,and pestilences, and there will be fearful sights and great signs fromheaven." Not only will things take place on earth with pestilences andearthquakes during the tribulation, as described in the book of Revelation, butthere will also be signs in heaven, indicating that the seven years of tribulationare nearing their end.
Inverse 12, Jesus says, there will be tremendous persecution during this time. Jesusspeaks of the abomination of desolation, when the Antichrist breaks his peacetreaty with Israel and persecutes them. He tells them they will have to flee tothe mountains, but He assures them they will be given words to speak as theyare brought before courts, the Antichrist, and the rulers he sets up. This willbe an occasion to be a great witness. I believe thousands and millions ofpeople will come to know Jesus Christ during the tribulation period, thoughthey will be persecuted for their faith.
Thisis Jesus' description of what it will be like in the tribulation period,especially for the Jewish nation. God bless you as you think on these things,and remember the application for us today: God gives us the words to speak whenwe are persecuted in this age, through the Holy Spirit giving us the thoughtsof God through His Word.
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Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
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We'recontinuing in Luke chapter 21, looking at verses 8-19. Jesus has been asked byhis disciples, as they're sitting on the Mount of Olives overlooking thebeautiful city of Jerusalem and the great temple that Herod built. They askedbecause Jesus just said, "There will not be one stone left upon another ofthis temple that shall not be thrown down." In verse 7, they said,"Wow, when is that going to happen? When will these things begin to happenthat you're talking about, and what will be the end of the age?"
Ineed to remind you, as we look at this passage of Scripture, Jesus is speakingto a Jewish group of people, His disciples, prophesying about the Jewishnation's future. We need to understand that Scripture has only oneinterpretation but many applications. There are things in this passage thatyou and I can apply to the church age. I was sharing yesterday with myson-in-law, Chris, in Roanoke, Virginia, and as you can see in the video chat,we're back in Sneads Ferry. I have a makeshift studio because we have companyhere with our grandchildrenâabout six or seven grandchildren with us for a fewdays. It's a makeshift studio here in my dining room, and I hope you can adjustto it as I'm trying to.
Aswe said yesterday to our son-in-law, there are three agendas that God seems tohave in Scripture for three different groups of people. First, there's theJewish nation, and God has a specific agenda for them, their purpose, and theirfuture. Then there are the Gentile nations, which include you and meâanybodythat's not a Jewâand these are the nations that make up the different peoplegroups of the world. Then, of course, in this age, beginning at Pentecost, wehave the Church, the body of Jesus Christ. God has an agenda for the church.
It'sreally important, as you look at Scripture, that you make the proper interpretationand applications concerning each of these groups. The Church is made up of bothJews and Gentiles, and we become a part of that group, even though, at the sametime, God's agenda for the Jewish nation will be fulfilled.
Webelieve the next thing on God's agenda is the rapture, the catching up of thechurch, as described in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, 1 Corinthians chapter 15:50-58,and other passages of Scripture. We are caught up to heaven before thetribulation begins. Shortly after the rapture, when the Antichrist signs apeace treaty with Israel, the seven-year tribulation begins to take place.That's the seven years prophesied in Daniel's 70th week. We see that justaround the corner too.
Whenthe Bible speaks of the second coming of Christ, it's speaking of His coming atthe end of the tribulation in great power and glory, bringing us, His church,his bride, His saints, with Him. He throws the devil into the abyss for athousand years and the Antichrist and the false prophet into the fiery pit, thelake of fire, as the Bible says. Then we rule and reign with Christ for athousand years on the earth (Revelation 19-20).
That'sGod's agenda for both the Jewish nation and the tribulation period, preparingthem for the end of that period when they will see Him whom they have piercedand receive him, as prophesied in Zechariah 12:10 and Revelation 1:7. Jesus isspeaking here in this passage of Luke 21, particularly about the tribulationperiod, the agenda for the Jews, the time of Jacob's trouble, as we see in OldTestament and New Testament scripture.
Asyou read this passage, remember one interpretation, mainly for the Jewishnation, but many applications for us because, before Jesus comes again at Hissecond coming, seven years earlier, He comes for His church.
Myfriend, we need to be looking up because these things are beginning to happen.Jesus is coming again. He said, "If I go away, I will come again" (John14:3). And Jesus always keeps Hispromises.
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8 And He said:"Take heed that you not be deceived. For many will come in My name,saying, 'I am He,' and, 'The time has drawn near.' Therefore do not go afterthem. 9 But when you hear of wars and commotions, do not be terrified;for these things must come to pass first, but the end will not comeimmediately."
Todaywe're looking at Luke chapter 21. Jesus has been asked by His disciples inverse 7, "When will these things be, and what will the sign be when thesethings are about to take place?" In Matthew 24:3, they also asked,"When will be the end of the age?" As they were looking over at thetemple, Jesus had said, "This temple will be destroyed. Not one stone willbe left upon another." This took place in 70 AD, when Titus, the Romangeneral, moved into Jerusalem, slaughtered the Jews, tore down the temple, andscattered them. Only in 1948 did the Jews return to the land of Palestine.
Jesuscontinues to answer their question, but we must remember that the signs andevents He talks about here in Luke 21, Mark 13, and Matthew 24-25, are notprimarily about the rapture but the return of Christ seven years after therapture. Most of these signs and events relate to the events that take place inthe Tribulation that we read about in the book of Revelation, starting inchapter 6.
Therewe find out that the Tribulation is divided into three parts: the first threeand a half years, the middle of the Tribulation (read about that in Danielchapters 9 and 10), and the last half of the Tribulation, which Jesus calledthe Great Tribulation in Matthew 24:21; âFor then there will be Great Tribulation,such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, norever shall beâ. Which also last three and a half years, a total of sevenyears. These signs point to His return when He comes in great glory, judges theearth, and sets up His millennial kingdom. Too many of us are looking for signswhen we should be looking up for the Savior, living for Him, and reachingothers.
InLuke 21:8-19, Jesus gives three main messages in response to the disciples'questions. In verse 8, He said, "Take heed that you do not bedeceived, for many will come in My name, saying, 'I am He,' and, 'The timehas drawn near.' Therefore, do not go after them. When you hear of wars andcommotions, do not be terrified, for these things must first come topass, but the end will not come immediately." Two key points here: donot be deceived, and do not be terrified.
Mostof us are very interested in end-time events, and as these signs intensify, itindicates the end of the tribulation is near. Since the rapture happens seven yearsbefore then, Jesus says, "Lift up your head; your redemption drawsnigh." We need to be living, working, and serving, not deceived, becausethere have always been false Christs, persecution, and wars.
Inverses 12-13, Jesus also talks about persecution. In verse 14, He says, "Thereforesettle it in your hearts not to meditate beforehand on what you willanswer." Jesus is encouraging those who are true believers during thistime that as they see these things happen, âdonât be deceived, terrified,afraid, or fearful, but also donât worryâ. I love what He says: "Not ahair on your head will be lost." This doesnât mean people wonât die.In the tribulation, believers may die by the hundreds of thousands, perhapsmillions, under the persecution of the Antichrist.
But,my friend, when you know Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, you donot dieâyou simply change places. He takes care of you, and not a hair of yourhead will perish. In your patience, possess your souls.
Weall need this message today! Donât be deceived, terrified, or worried. Keeplooking up; Jesus is coming soon, and we look forward to that day.
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Luke 20 ends with Jesusgiving a scathing rebuke to the Pharisees, scribes, Sadducees, elders, andleaders of Israel about their religious hypocrisy. Matthew 23 gives thismessage of âWoesâ that Jesus pronounced upon them in greater detail. Now inLuke 21, Jesus notices the poor widow giving her offering of two mites andcompares her sacrificial heart to their greedy and selfish ones. Compared tothe gifts of the rich men, her two copper coins seemed insignificant, but Jesussaid that she gave more than all the others combined.
Now it was thedisciples' turn to ask the questions! Their attention was on the temple infront of them which was a beautiful structure, embellished with many costlydecorations that a poor widow could never give, and the disciples mentionedthis to Jesus. But our Lord was not impressed, and He responds by telling themthat the day would come when the beautiful Jewish temple would be demolished(Luke 21:5-6). Remember Jesus had already announced that the city would bedestroyed in Luke 19:41-44, but now He specifically mentioned the destructionof the temple.
Jesus left the templeand went to the Mount of Olives, and it was there that Peter, James, John, and Andrew(Mark 13:3) asked Him three questions: (1) When would the temple be destroyed?(2) What would be the sign of His coming? (3) What would be the sign of the endof the age? (see Mark 13:3-4; Matt. 24:3) The disciples thought that thesethree events would occur at the same time, but Jesus explained thingsdifferently. Actually, the temple would be destroyed first, and then therewould be a long period of time before He would return and establish His kingdomon earth (see Luke 19:11-27).
Our Lord's replycomprises what we call "The Mt. Olivet Discourse," the greatestprophetic sermon He ever preached. It is recorded in greater detail in Matthew24-25 and Mark 13, and you will want to compare the three passages. Weespecially need to remember that since Luke wrote with the Gentile reader inmind, he omitted some of the strong Jewish elements of the sermon whileretaining the essential truths that we must consider and apply.
We also need to keep inmind that this was a message given to Jews by a Jew about the future of theJewish nation. Though there are definite applications to God's people today,the emphasis is on Jerusalem, the Jews, and the temple. Our Lord was notdiscussing His coming for the church, for that can occur at any time and nosigns need precede it (1 Corinthians 15:51-58; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). Webelieve in the âimminent return of Jesusâ when we are speaking of the âraptureof the churchâ. We read in 1 Corinthians1:22 that: "âŠthe Jews require a sign"; while the church looks for a Savior.In Philippians 3:20-21 we read: âFor our citizenship is in heaven, fromwhich we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who willtransform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body,according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things toHimself.â
This âMt. OlivetDiscourseâ focuses on a period in God's program called "theTribulation" when God will pour out His wrath on the nations of the world.Many Bible students believe that the Tribulation will begin after the Lordcomes in the air and takes His church to heaven (1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:11). Timewise, the seven-year tribulation actually begins when the Anti-christ makes hispeace treaty with Israel (Daniel 9:24-27). It will climax with the return ofJesus Christ to the earth, at which time He will defeat His foes and establishHis kingdom (Rev. 19:1-20:6).
As we study Luke 21over the next few days, we will find that Jesus answered the disciples'questions by discussing four topics relating to the future of the nation ofIsrael.
Today, as believers weshould be looking up and at the same time doing all we can to prepare othersfor the Lordâs return!
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Today, we're looking at Luke chapter 21, but we need toremember how chapter 20 ends. Jesus had just asked the Pharisees and scribesabout who is the son of David in Psalm 110, and they refused to answer becausethey would have had to acknowledge that Jesus Christ, the Messiah, is indeedthe son of David. The people had already recognized that. Then he gave ascathing rebuke to the disciples in front of these Pharisees, scribes,Sadducees, elders, and leaders of Israel about their religious hypocrisy. Hefinished chapter 20 by saying, "Beware of the scribes who desire to goaround in long robes, love the greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats inthe synagogues, and the best places at feasts, who devour widows' houses andfor a pretense make long prayers. These will receive the greatercondemnation."
Thenchapter 21 starts. As he makes this statement about the scribes and Phariseesbeing devourers of widows' tables, he looks up and sees the rich putting theirgifts into the treasury. Here are the elite, the people with money who ownvineyards, orchards, and businesses, sometimes even the tax collectors, tryingto be religious now, putting their money and gifts into the treasury. At thesame time, Jesus saw a certain poor widow putting in two mites, hardly anythingat all, a couple of pennies. He said, "Truly I say to you, this poorwidow has put in more than all, for all these out of their abundance have putin their offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all thelivelihood that she had." Jesus is making the statement that sheoutgave them all because God is not looking at the portion, how much we give,but the proportion, not only how much we give but how much we keep forourselves.
He'salso teaching that everything is the Lord's. The earth is the Lord's and thefullness thereof. He owns the cattle on a thousand hills, the wealth in everymine, and we are his stewards of his resources that he has given us. He givesus the breath we breathe. The book of Deuteronomy says it is God who gives uspower to get wealth. In the book of Malachi, the last book of the OldTestament, thereâs a stinging rebuke of the people of God who were back in theland, yet they were bringing offerings that were not the kind God wantedbecause they were just practicing outward religion while inwardly robbing God.He says, "You have robbed God." They respond, "Well, where havewe robbed you?" In Malachi 3:7-12, God says, "You've robbed me inyour tithes and in your offerings." Again, he's teaching that he owns itall, and your offerings are beyond the tenth, the tithe, that you give off thetop as an act of worship to remind yourself, as the Old Testament teaches, thatGod gave you everything you have, and the least you can give is a tenth back tohim.
Somepeople say, "Well, the tithe is under the law, we're under grace, we don'thave to tithe." But I remind you that Abraham paid tithes before the lawwas given, and Jacob said, "I'll give you a tenth," before the lawwas given. Tithing is a spiritual principle in the scripture that teaches us weare worshiping God when we recognize and set aside the first fruits at thebeginning of every week of all that God has given us the previous week, showinghim that we honor him.
Jesussaid of this widow, "She gave more than them all because they gave out oftheir abundance, but she gave all her living." God doesn't want just apart of our lives; he wants 100% of our lives. Men see what is given, but Godsees what is left, and by that He measures the gift and the condition of ourhearts. Winston Churchill said, "We make a living by what we get, but wemake a life by what we give." He may have learned that from Jesus (Luke6:38) or perhaps from Paul in 2 Corinthians 8:1-15.
Let'sstart off chapter 21 of Luke by knowing God is the Lord, it's all his, andlet's keep him first in every area of our life.
Godbless.
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I think it is interesting that thischapter begins with a question by the priests, the scribes, and the elders.They asked Jesus by what authority did He cleanse the Temple and was teachingthe people. Then the chapter ends in these last verses with Jesus asking them aquestion.
Whilethe priests, scribes, and elders were still gathered together, Jesus asked thema final question: "What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son isHe?" (Matt. 22:41-42, NKJV) This is the key question for everygeneration and each individual, for our salvation and eternal destiny aredependent on what we think about Christ and how we answer this question. (1John 2:21-25; 4:1-6; 5:1).
Ofcourse, these religious leaders knew the expected reply: The Christ, theMessiah is "The Son of David." They based this on such verses as 2Samuel 7:13-14; Isaiah 11:1; and Jeremiah 23:5. God had ordained that theMessiah should come from the family of David and be born in David's city,Bethlehem (Micah 5:2).
Jesusthen referred them to Psalm 110, which is quoted in the New Testament more thanany other psalm. The Jewish religious leaders in that day identified Psalm 110as a prophetic psalm and said that David was speaking of the Messiah. But ifthe Messiah is David's Lord, how can He be David's son? The only explanation isthat Messiah must be both God and man. As eternal God, Messiah is David's Lord,but as man, He is David's son (Romans 1:3; 9:4-5; Acts 2:32-36; 13:22-23).
OnPalm Sunday, the multitudes had acclaimed Jesus as the Son of David, and He hadnot rebuked them (Matt. 21:9; Mark 11:10). By applying Psalm 110:1 to Himself,Jesus claimed to be Israel's promised Messiah, the Son of God. Then why did thePharisees not believe in Him? Because their minds were made up, their heartswere hardened, and their eyes were blind (John 12:37-50). They did not have thecourage to confess the truth, and they persecuted those who did affirm faith inJesus Christ. And it was out of envy and jealousy that they delivered Jesus upto Pilate to be crucified (Matthew 27:18; Mark 15:10). Christ's questionsilenced His enemies (Matthew 22:46) and ended their public challenges, butthey would not admit defeat.
Inthe last verses, 45-47, Jesus warned the people about the hypocrisy anddishonesty of the scribes and Pharisees (see Matthew 23). Men see the outside,but God sees the heart (1 Samuel 16:7; Hebrews 4:12). These religious leadersdid not desire personal holiness; they wanted public recognition. Therefore,they wore special garments, expected special titles and greetings, and lookedfor special seats at public gatherings.
Thereis a double tragedy here. First of all, their deliberate hypocrisy was only acover-up that enabled them to fool people and exploit them. Of all rackets,religious rackets are the worst. The religious leaders had turned the temple ofGod into a den of thieves and religious devotion into playacting. The generalpublic actually thought that their leaders were godly men, when in reality theywere defiling and destroying souls (Matt. 23:13-36).
Thesecond tragedy is that they rejected their own Messiah and voted to crucifyHim. They led the nation into ruin because they would not admit their sins andconfess Jesus Christ. Keep in mind that these men were "experts" inthe Bible, yet they did not apply its truths to their own lives. Their religionwas a matter of external observance, not internal transformation. How sad it isthat we see so much the same in many of our churches and religious institutionstoday.
Atthis point, according to Matthew (Matthew 23:37-39), Jesus once again uttered alamentation over the blind unbelief of the nation and their unwillingness totrust in Him. He had given them many opportunities, but they had wasted them.Now it was too late.
Andone day it will be too late for us if we donât repent!
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The Sadducees, a group ofJewish leaders who do not believe in angels, resurrection, or spirits pose a hypothetical question about a man who marries a woman and dies, andaccording to the law of Moses, his brother must marry her. Seven brothers endup marrying this woman, all die without children, and the Sadducees ask, inheaven, if there is a resurrection, which one of these men will she be marriedto? They think they have Jesus in a dilemma, but He answers them.
InMatthew 22:29, Matthew records Jesus immediate response to their question. Jesussaid, "You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power ofGod." Jesus points out their ignorance of the Scriptures and the power ofGod. They only recognize the first five books of Moses, while Jesusacknowledges all 39 books of the Old Testament in the Septuagint (the Greek translationof the Old Testament available in the time of Jesus). Yet even from the Law ofMoses, Jesus affirms there is a resurrection.
Asa young pastor, I sometimes preached at funerals, stood by the casket, andsaid, "This is just a body." I wish I could go back and tell thosedear people I was wrong. God created us individually, uniquely, with a body wewill live in for eternity. Your spirit, soul, and body are eternal in a sense.According to Scripture, such as Job 14:14; 19:25-27; Psalms 16:9-10; 17:15; Isaiah26:19; Ezekiel 37; and Daniel 12:2, the bodies of both the lost and the savedwill be resurrected one day. These bodies will either go to heaven or to aneternal lake of fire, where they will be tormented day and night forever. Jesusand the Bible teach this truth. My friend, Jesus believed that God has thepower to raise us from the dead.
Inheaven, we will have glorified bodies, with no need for procreation. Regardingthe Sadducees' question about the seven brothers, Iâve always thought after thethird or fourth brother, Iâd say, "Iâm not marrying her; Iâm not takingthe chance of dying like the rest!" When we question Scripture and try tofigure it out logically, we miss the point and like the Sadducees we will misinterpretand wrongly apply the Scripture to our lives.
ButJesus went beyond logic and referred them to the Word of God, particularly whathappened to Moses as recorded in Exodus 3. There God identified Himself withAbraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and thus affirmed that these three patriarchs werevery much alive. But if they were alive, then they were "out of thebody," for they had died (James 2:26). There must be a real world ofspirit beings or Moses would not have written these words. (By the way, Mosesalso affirmed the existence of angels: Genesis 19:1, 15; 28:12; 32:1.)
ButJesus is also basically saying that Exodus 3:6, 15-16 teaches not only thetruth of life after death but also the reality of the resurrection. In whatway? Not by direct statement but by inference. God is the God of the wholepersonâspirit, soul, and body (1 Thessalonians 5:23), because He created thewhole person. He does not simply "save our souls" and ignore the restof our being. Inherent in the very nature of God's creative act is His concernfor the total person. Hence, He will not keep us disembodied spirits foreverbut will give us glorious bodies to match our heavenly perfection.
ForGodâs covenant promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to be fulfilled, they willneed resurrected bodies to rule and reign with Him in the millennial reign ofJesus Christ. We have something to look forward to. God knows our future. Ilove what Job says in Job chapter 19, verses 25-26: "For I know that myRedeemer lives, and He shall stand on the earth. And after my skin isdestroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God."
Godis not the God of the dead, but of the living and He made us wholeâsoul,spirit, and bodyâand He knows how to take care of all of them.
Godbless!
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InLuke 20, the Jewish priests, elders, scribes, and the Herodians confront Jesuswith different questions or situations seeking to find a reason to have Himkilled (v.19). They have questioned Him about His authority and Jesus respondswith a question for them about the authority of John the Baptist and also aparable (vv. 1-19). The spies, sent by the Pharisees and the Herodians (Mark12:13), question Him about paying taxes to Caesar and Jesus shuts them downwith His answer (vv. 20-26).
Inverses 27-40, we find next in line were the Sadducees with a hypotheticalquestion based on the Jewish law of "levirate marriage". You willfind where they get this teaching from in Genesis 38 and Deuteronomy 25:5-10.The word levirate comes from the Latin levir, which means "a husband'sbrother." The Sadducees accepted as Scripture only the Five Books of Moses.Also in Acts 23:8 we are told they did not believe in angels, spirits, or theresurrection of the dead. They claimed that Moses did not write about any ofthese doctrines.
Itis interesting to also note that the priestly party in Israel during the timeof Jesus was mostly composed of Sadducees, which explains why the priestsopposed the Apostles' preaching of the Resurrection (Acts 4:1-2) and why theywanted to kill Lazarus, who was raised from the dead (John 12:10-11).
Jesuspointed out that His opponents were wrong and that their question revealedassumptions that limited God's power and denied God's Word. Resurrection is notreconstruction; it is the miraculous granting of a new body that has continuitywith the old body. Paul compared our present body to a planted seed and thefuture resurrection body to the glorious flower and fruit (1 Cor. 15:35-50).Our Lord's resurrection body was the same as before His death and yetdifferent! Remember after Jesusâ resurrection His disciples recognized Him andeven felt Him; He could eat food and yet He could also walk through closeddoors, change His appearance, and vanish suddenly.
Thefuture life with God is not a mere continuation of the present life only on"a higher scale." We will maintain our identities and know each other(1 Thessalonians 4:13-18), but there will be no more death-hence, no need formarriage and procreation. Christians do not become angels.
Inheaven we will share the image of Jesus Christ and be much higher than theangels (1 John 3:2). Angels appear in Scripture as men, but they are spiritbeings without sexuality. It is in this regard that we will be like them; therewill be no need for marriage or childbearing in heaven.
Isnot God powerful enough to raise the dead and give them new bodies suited totheir new environment? If today He can give different bodies to the variousthings in creation, why can He not give people new bodies at the resurrection? (1Corinthians 15:35-44). In their attempt to be "rational," theSadducees denied the very power of God!
Paulunveils the mystery of when and what takes place concerning the believerâsresurrection body in both 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 and 1 Corinthians 15:47-58. Ibelieve that Jesus is coming back soon and âin a moment, in the twinkling of aneyeâ the living believers will experience a great change! Our perishable bodywill put on the imperishable, and our mortal body will put on immortality.
Hallelujah!!!What a day that will be! Are you prepared for that great day! It could betoday!
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InLuke 20:20-26 the Jewish priests, elders, scribes, and the Herodians continueto confront Jesus seeking to find a reason to have Him killed (v.19). On thisparticular occasion, Jesus knew that the men who questioned Him were spies sentby the Pharisees and the Herodians according to Mark 12:13, but He patientlylistened and replied.
Thesetwo groups were usually fighting each other, but now they had a common enemy,and this brought them together. They wanted to discuss taxes and Romanauthority, hoping to provoke Jesus into offending either the Jews or the Romans.If Jesus said, âpay the Roman tax,â they knew that He would offend and angerthe Jews who hated the Romans ruling over them. If Jesus said, âdonât pay the Romantax,â He would be considered an insurrectionist by the Roman rulers and couldbe put to death. But Jesus lifted the discussion to a much higher level andforced the spies to think about the relationship between the kingdom of God andthe kingdoms of men.
TheBible teaches that governmental authority is instituted by God and must berespected (Prov. 8:15; Dan. 2:21, 37-38; Rom. 13; 1 Peter 2:11-17). Yes, ourcitizenship is in heaven (Phil. 3:20), and we are strangers and pilgrims onearth, but that does not mean we should ignore our earthly responsibilities.Human government is essential to a safe and orderly society, for man is asinner and must be kept under control.
Whenyou read the book of Judges you find what it is like when there is no authorityover the people. Because there was no king in Israel, âevery man did what wasright in his own eyesâ (Judges 21:25). The land was filled with anarchy,violence, murder, stealing, confusion, and chaos! God knows we need human governmentfor peace and order.
Inverses 20-26, Jesus was not suggesting that we divide our loyalties between Godand government. Since "the powers that be are ordained of God" (Rom.13:1), we live as good citizens when we obey the authorities for the Lord'ssake. When obedience to God conflicts with obedience to man, then we must putGod first (Acts 4:19-20; 5:29), but we must do it in a manner that is honorableand loving. Even if we cannot respect the people in office, we must respect theoffice.
Thecounsel that Jeremiah gave to the Jewish exiles in Babylon is a good one forGod's "strangers and pilgrims" to follow today. âAnd seek thepeace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and prayto the LORD for it; for in its peace you will have peace.â (Jeremiah 29:7) Todaywe are instructed in 1 Timothy 2:1-4, âTherefore I exhort first of all thatsupplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for allmen, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet andpeaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptablein the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come tothe knowledge of the truth.â
Caesar'simage and name were on the coins, so it was basically his currency. To pay thepoll tax meant simply to give Caesar back that which belonged to him. God'simage is stamped on us; therefore, He has the right to command our lives ascitizens in His kingdom. We should seek to be such good citizens that God willbe glorified and the unsaved will be attracted to the Gospel and want to becomeChristians (1 Peter 2:9-12; 3:8-17).
Itis unfortunate that some Christians have the mistaken idea that the moreobnoxious they are as citizens, the more they please God and witness forChrist. We must never violate our conscience, but we should seek to bepeacemakers and not troublemakers. Daniel is an example to follow (Dan. 1).
God bless!
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Theseverses 17-19, continue the confrontation that Jesus has on Tuesday of PassionWeek with the scribes, the priests, and the elders, just days before He iscrucified. Jesus has just finished telling a parable to the people that thesereligious leaders were also carefully listening to. It was the story of the ownerof a vineyard who finally sent his beloved son to receive the fruit, but he isrejected and killed by the vinedressers. They realize Jesus is claiming to bethe son in the story who is being rejected and killed.
NowJesus turns back from the crowd to these leaders of the Jews and speaks directlyto them and quoted Psalm 118:22. The rulers knew that this was a messianicpsalm, and they had heard some verse from this same psalm shouted by the crowdwhen Jesus rode into the city (compare Luke 19:38 with Ps. 118:26). By applyingthis verse to Himself, Jesus was clearly claiming to be the Messiah. The"builders who rejected the stoneâ, were of course, were the Jewishreligious leaders (Acts 4:11).
Inthe Old Testament, the "stone" is a familiar symbol of God and of thepromised Messiah (see Gen. 49:24; Ex. 17:6; 33:22; Deut. 32:4, 15, 30-31; Isa.8:14; 28:16; 1 Cor. 10:4). Because the Jews did not believe, they stumbled overHim and were judged. Those who trust Jesus Christ find Him to be the foundationstone and the chief cornerstone of the church (1 Cor. 3:11; Eph. 2:20).
ButJesus is also referring to Daniel 2:34-35, 44-45. This is where Daniel is interpretingthe dream of King Nebuchadnezzar where the Messiah is pictured as a"smiting stone" that crushes all that gets in its way. He was warningthe Sanhedrin that they would only destroy themselves if they condemned Him. Weneed to realized that this same principle applies today, and unbelievers shouldcarefully heed His warning.
Youmight think about it this way. When the rulers rejected John the Baptist, theysinned against the Father who sent Him. When they crucified Jesus, they sinnedagainst the Son. Jesus had told them that they could sin against Him and stillbe forgiven, but when they sinned against the Holy Spirit, there could be noforgiveness (Matt. 12:24-37). Why? Because that was the end of God's witness tothe nation.
Thisis the so-called "unpardonable sin," and it was committed by theJewish leaders when they finally rejected the witness of the Spirit of Godthrough the Apostles. The evidence of their rejection was the stoning ofStephen (Acts 7:51-60). Then the Gospel went from the Jews to the Samaritans(Acts 8) and then to the Gentiles (Acts 10). Even today the Jewish people havea double veil over their eyes that keeps them from acknowledging that Jesus istheir promised Messiah (2 Corinthians 3:7-18).
Inthis parable of the vineyard and vinedressers who rejected the servants of theowner and kill his son, Jesus illustrated the insidious nature of sin: the morewe sin, the worse it becomes. The tenants started off beating some of theservants and wounding others, but they ended up becoming murderers! The Jewishleaders permitted John the Baptist to be killed, they asked for Jesus to becrucified, and then they themselves stoned Stephen. They sinned against theFather and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and that was the end of God's witnessto them.
Itis a serious thing to reject the message of God and the messengers of God (seeJohn 12:35-43) Remember the warning we read in Hebrews 2:1-4; âFor if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and everytransgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape ifwe neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by theLord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him,
Today,if the Holy Spirit is dealing with you heart about salvation or some sin inyour life, respond in humility and repentance, trusting and receiving theforgiveness that only Jesus can give you!
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The priests, scribes,and elders have been listening to this. And when you read John 11:47â54, it isobvious that Jesus knew what these religious leaders were thinking. When hetells this parable, they know heâs speaking of the vineyard, which is Israel. God,in the Old Testament, had sent prophets to call the nation to repentance. Read Jeremiah7:25â26, where Jeremiah said the Father, who has this vineyard sent prophets toask you to repent, to turn back, but because you have not repented, judgment iscoming.
Also, in Nehemiah 9:26,Nehemiah, after the captivity in Babylon, in one of the longest recordedprayers in the Bible, prays a public prayer before the remnant that returned toJerusalem. In this prayer he mentions how that God sent prophets, teachers, andpeople calling the people to repentance, but they rejected and killed them.
In John chapter 11:47-53,we read: âThen the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered a council andsaid, "What shall we do? For this Man works many signs. If we let Himalone like this, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come andtake away both our place and nation." And one of them, Caiaphas, beinghigh priest that year, said to them, "You know nothing at all, nor do youconsider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people,and not that the whole nation should perish." Now this he did not say onhis own authority; but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesuswould die for the nation, and not for that nation only, but also that He wouldgather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad. Then,from that day on, they plotted to put Him to death.â
Jesus knows what thesereligious leaders are thinking when He shares this parable. They know He issaying that He is the Son that the owner of the vineyard sent to claim His vineyardand they are rejecting him. Jesus is proclaiming that judgment will surely fallupon them, and thatâs why they said, âCertainly not.â
Jesus, the Messiah, isthere, presenting himself openly, and religious leaders know that if the peoplereceive Christ and accept Him as the Messiah, it is all over for their religioushypocrisy, and thatâs what they fear. Already, when John the Baptist baptizedJesus, and the Spirit came upon Jesus, and people saw this. They also heard thevoice from heaven say, âThis is my beloved Son.â Now, when here Jesus inthis parable said, âHe sent his beloved son,â they knew He was speakingof Himself. And these scribes, lawyers, priests, and elders knew that He wasspeaking of them rejecting him as the Messiah. And that Godâs judgment wouldcome upon them and the âvineyardâ would be given to others.
What a powerfulparable. My friend, it is a costly mistake to reject Jesus as your only hopefor salvation. He is your only Way to avoid the judgment to come. Donât be likethese religious Pharisees, hypocrites. Trust Jesus, focus on him, and live forhim every day.
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InLuke 20 we are looking at what happen in Passion Week, the Jewish Passover. At this point in this chapter, we're onTuesday. where Jesus is confronted by the chief priests, elders, and scribes.They ask Him the question: "By what authority are you doing thesethings?"
Whatauthority did He have to cleanse the temple, and what authority did He have tobe teaching? Who made Him a rabbi? Where did He get his credentials? Whatseminary did He go to? Of course, Jesus didnât go to any seminary, and basicallythey are rejecting Him. Theyâre threatened by Him. Heâs disrupting their religiousand political power. And their profits, as they have been in charge of the merchantsselling things in the temple area called the Gentilesâ Court. They should haveknown who Jesus was!
So,when Jesus is asked, âBy what authority are you doing these things? Who gaveyou this authority?â He has already told them on many occasions that Hisauthority came from the Father. But He answered and said to them, âI will alsoask you one thing, and answer me: The baptism of John, was it from heaven orfrom men?â In other words, who gave John the Baptist the authority to bebaptizing people and calling them to repent of their sins? They got in a littlehuddle and reasoned among themselves, put their heads together, and said, âNow,how are we going to answer him?â They said amongst themselves, âIf we say fromheaven, he will say, âThen why didnât you believe him?â But if we say from men,all the people will stone us, for they are persuaded that John was a prophet.âSo, they answered that they did not know where it was from. Jesus said to them,âNeither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.â
Amazingly,Jesus turns the tables on them. By answering them with a question, by giving aparable (vv. 9-16), and then offering a prophecy (vv. 17-18), He reveals thesins of the nation of Israel. Their main sin right now is that they arerejecting their own Messiah. Jesus takes them back to John the Baptist for tworeasons. First, John had pointed to Jesus and introduced Him to the nation, sotheir rejection of John was actually a rejection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Theyshould have recognized who Jesus was based on the message and presentation ofJohn that Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Second,it is a spiritual principle that if we disobey truth we already know, Godcannot reveal new truth to us (see John 7:14-17). Why answer their questionwhen they had refused to submit to John's message?
Remembersomething else and this is so important. We go back to the Old Testament toExodus 12, where the Passover lamb had to be set aside for ten days to ensureit was without spot and without blemish. It had to be thoroughly checked beforeit was slaughtered for the sacrifice, for the blood to be applied to thedoorpost and lintel. Picture Jesus as that Lamb of God who has come to takeaway the sin of the world. Jesus is now being examined by these people duringthese three days of Passover week. Heâs being questioned: âWho are you? Wheredo you get your authority?â This fits so well because Jesus is now going to berejected, slaughtered, and crucified because he is going to take away the sinof the world.
Nowit was the religious leaders who were in the dilemma! No matter what answerthey gave, they were in trouble, so they decided to "play dumb" andnot answer at all. They were deceitful in asking the question and dishonest inthe way they avoided answering it. Even if Jesus had given them an answer,their hearts were not prepared to receive it. If they had disobeyed God'smessage given by John the Baptist (Luke 7:24-30), they would disobey themessage given by God's Son.
Theyshould have already known who Jesus was and received His message! And so shouldwe!
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Aswe come to this chapter, we need to remember several things. It's Passoverweek. Jesus has finished almost three and a half years of ministry, healing thesick, raising the dead, giving sight to the blind, feeding the hungry,preaching to the multitudes, teaching His disciples, confronting the Pharisees,scribes, and hypocrites. All this has taken place now for three and a halfyears.
Jesus has publiclyrevealed Himself as the Messiah. He's come into Jerusalem on Sunday of Passoverweek. He is the Lamb of God who has come to take away the sin of the world. Thecrowd, the multitudes, believed and trusted that He was the Messiah to deliverthem from the Romans. When the Pharisees asked Jesus to rebuke them, Jesussaid, "Even these stones would cry out if they didn't recognize who Iwas." He had publicly revealed Himself. Yet, there was a group whorejected Him, and they were the spiritual and political leaders of the Jewish nation.
On Sunday, Jesus ridesinto Jerusalem. On Monday, Jesus cleanses the temple. Now on Tuesday, Jesus isconfronted by the scribes, the high priest, the lawyers, (thatâs who thescribes are), and the elders. Three groups of people, representing thereligious and political leaders of the day for the Jews, confront Jesus.
Verse 1, âNow ithappened on one of those daysâ. We believe the day was Tuesday specificallyin this passage, as He taught the people in the temple and preached the gospel.Jesus has come back on Tuesday of Passover week. He is teaching and preaching.He's loving the people, teaching them the gospel. âThe kingdom of heaven is athand; the King is hereâ. He is telling them wonderful things about who God is,who the Savior is, and how salvation and peace can come through trust andbelieving in Him.
He is preaching thegospel about Himself. Isn't that amazing? Because the Gospel is all aboutJesus.
So, Jesus is preachingand teaching the Gospel, and that's when the chief priests, the scribes, andthe elders confronted Him. These people are incensed. The fact that Jesus ispreaching and teaching and the crowd has received Him, brings them to the pointthat they have to do something about Him. It says âthey confronted Himâ,means they came upon Him suddenly. They hope to catch Jesus with a questionthat will humiliate Him, and expose Hm to be against the leadership of theRomans politically. Then He could be crucified, stoned, or killed.
They'd already tried tostone Him on several occasions. Now they're going to use the tactic of getting Himto break one of the laws of the land so that the Romans will put Him to death.Of course, that fulfills the Old Testament scripture about how Jesus would die,not by stoning but by crucifixion. Read Psalms 22, and Isaiah 53. Theyconfronted Him and spoke to Him, saying, "Tell us, by what authorityare you doing these things, or who is he who gave you this authority?"
The priests had theirauthority from the law of Moses; they got their authority because the Leviticaltribe had been set apart to be the priests of the people, and the high priestcame from that tribe also. The scribes, these were the lawyers who had beentaught by the rabbis. They understood the law, they interpreted the law. So,the lawyers had their authority from the rabbis. The elders, these were theleaders of the different clans, the different tribes. They'd been chosen fortheir wisdom, leadership, and ability to lead. Probably on Monday night, thesethree groups of leaders have gotten together determined how they would confrontJesus on Tuesday.
But Jesus is ready forthem. When they ask, "Where did you get your authority?" they'resaying, "We have authority, but who are you? Where does your authoritycome from?"
We can't wait to talkabout the answer the gave them and how He turned the table on them over thenext few days.
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Weneed to remember that this what we call Passion Week. Jesus rides intoJerusalem on Sunday morning, and the people cheer Him, celebrate Him, andbelieve that possibly He is the Messiah who has come to rescue them from theRomans. Jesus sees the city and weeps because He knows they will truly rejectHim. Then He goes into the temple according Mark 11:11, âAnd Jesus went intoJerusalem and into the temple. So when He had looked around at all things, asthe hour was already late, He went out to Bethany with the twelve.â
Didyou notice that it says that after Jesus rode into Jerusalem, He went into thetemple, and when He had looked upon all these things, as the hour was alreadylate, He went out to Bethany with the twelve. Also in Mark 11:12, we are told, âThenext day, they went out from Bethany, and He was hungry.â So, on Sunday,Heâs in Jerusalem, theyâre cheering Him, He weeps, makes His proclamation aboutthings to come, and then goes to Bethany, where He spends the night. The nextmorning, He goes back to Jerusalem, and thatâs when He goes to the temple, asyou see here. So we conclude that the event that takes place where Jesus iscleansing the temple for the second time is on Monday of Passion Week.
WhenJesus comes to the temple on Monday morning, He must have gone first into theCourt of the Gentiles, the only place where pagan Gentiles are welcome to comeinto the temple area, which is outside the main temple area. This is the placewhere the Jews are supposed to be doing evangelism, witnessing to theseGentiles, and telling them that God is the one and true God and can only be knownby faith. But instead, the chief priests, priests, and many of the Levites haveturned it into a den of thieves. Theyâve turned it into a place where theyâreselling goods and sacrifices to people who have come from other lands.
Thesepilgrims didnât bring their animals, like pigeons, goats, and sheep for theirsacrifices with them. So, they would have to buy these sacrifices. The chiefpriests and the religious leaders allowed the merchants to set up their littlestores in this area of the court of the Gentiles. This area was being used fora "religious marketplace" where Jews from other lands could exchangemoney and purchase approved sacrifices. The priests managed this business andmade a good profit from it.
Jesusgoes into this area and proclaims, âMy house shall be called a house ofprayer, but you have made it a den of thieves.â quoting from Isaiah 56:7. InIsaiah 1:11-20, we read the prophesy that people were bringing sacrifices, buttheir hearts are far from God. Jesus said, âThis shall be called the house ofprayer,â but youâve made it a den of thieves. A den of thieves is the placethieves run to hide from the authorities. Theyâve made the house of prayer,where God wants His people to pray, into a place where theyâre hiding undertheir religious cloaks to do their business of taking advantage of people.
Insteadof praying for and with the people, theyâre preying on them. Doesnât that sayso much about religion even today? We run to the place of religion, and therewe hide in our sins, try to act religious, yet at the same time, weâre doingthose things with a heart full of sin, not repenting. Our churches, where weshould be praying and seeking the face of God, has become a place where we tryto hide our sins under the cloak of religion. Said to say, our churches havebecome a âden of thievesâ.
MayGod help us today to do what Isaiah wrote in Isaiah 1:16-18: "Washyourselves, make yourselves clean; Put away the evil of your doings from beforeMy eyes. Cease to do evil, Learn to do good; Seek justice, Rebuke theoppressor; Defend the fatherless, Plead for the widow. "Come now, and letus reason together," Says the LORD, "Though your sins are likescarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, Theyshall be as wool.â
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Today is Memorial Day. Have you ever noticed we donât sayâHappy Memorial Dayâ? During Christmas time we might say, âMerry Christmasâ or âhappyholidaysâ and so forth as we celebrate the season. But we donât celebrate MemorialDay. Memorial Day is not a day to be happy; itâs a day to remember the greatsacrifice many made so that we might live in a free country.
Itrust today that youâll take time to remember that freedom is not free. Overone million people in our country paid the price of giving their own lives.They made the ultimate sacrifice. âGreater love has no man than this, than aman lay down his life for his friends.â These people laid down their lives fortheir friends, their family, their country, and their God.
Americais a great place to live. With all the problems, difficulties, divisions, andstrife we might have, itâs still the greatest place on planet Earth that Godhas blessed us with to be citizens in and live in. The freedom we enjoy is notfree; a great price was paid for it. We need to remember that today. Today takethe time to go to a memorial service. Iâll be going to one this morning withsome local veterans and active military guys right here in my own neighborhood.There are other services in your community that you can choose to attend. Please,in some way today, remember and take time to honor those who died for ourfreedom. If you know someone or a family that gave a son or daughter to serviceand maybe sacrificed their life, give them a call. You can let them know youârethinking about them today. You can pray for them, and take that time toremember.
Itâsinteresting to note how this ties in to what we are studying here we are inLuke chapter 19. Jesus has already told us that He has come to seek and to savethat which was lost. For Jesus to seek and to save that which was lost, He hadto die. He had to die on an old rugged cross. He had to pay the ultimatesacrifice. He had to lay down His life for His friends, and He did that for youand for me.
Oh,my friend, what a great sacrifice Jesus made. Did you ever think of thedifference between the sacrifice Jesus made, and the soldiers and those in ourmilitary made as they laid down their lives for our country. Yes they made theultimate sacrifice for our freedom. But what kind of freedom is that? Thefreedom to live in homes we want to live in, work jobs we want to work, gowhere we want to go, travel as we like to travel. Weâre free to choose ourvocations. There are so many things we are free to do.
ButJesus didnât die to set us free to do what we want to do. Jesus died to set usfree to be able to do what we ought to do! And that is to live a life that honors,glorifies, and pleases Him and to enjoy the fullness of lifeâeternal life, Godliving within us. Oh, my friend, Jesus paid that sacrifice so we could be freefrom the guilt, the shame, the penalty, and the power of sin over us! We areset free by His sacrifice to do what is right and good. We are free to forgive othersbecause we have been forgiven!
Weâre looking at Luke 19, the very last verses of the chapter.
Thisis interesting, and weâll talk more about this tomorrow, but I believe this istaking place on Monday morning. Remember, on Sunday morning, Jesus rode intoJerusalem on a colt, a donkey, and as He rode in, the people celebrated, cheeredand yelled, âHosanna in the Highest.â Jesus wept over the city. And then Jesusgoes back to Bethany where He spends the night. The next morning, Mondaymorning, Jesus goes into the temple to cleanse it. Just like we have ourproblems in America today, they had their problems in Jerusalem in those days.Jesus denounced the wickedness and the evil of the religious leaders who wereusing the temple to make money. Oh, my friend, not much has changed over theyears. We will talk more about this tomorrow.
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41Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, 42 saying, "If youhad known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for yourpeace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.
As I mentioned yesterday, Iâm in Kingsland, Georgia. Iprerecorded this video for you, and I trust itâll be a blessing. This morning,Iâll be attending a worship service with Edith at Kings Bay Submarine Base to hear my son Nathan,a Navy chaplain, speak.
Letâscontinue in Luke chapter 19:28-48, which take place on what we call Palm Sundaymorning, and in verses 35-44, Jesus is entering Jerusalem, riding a colt. Thecrowd comes out to meet Him, proclaiming, âBlessed is the King who comes in thename of the Lord.â They are singing praises, throwing palm branches and clothesin front of the colt Jesus is riding. The Pharisees criticize, saying, âRebukethese people.â Then, in verse 41, as Jesus draws near, He sees the city andweeps over it.
Ican picture this, having been there many times. I can imagine seeing Jesus comingdown the Mount of Olives with a clear view of Jerusalem. The crowd isrejoicing, but Jesus is weeping. In verse 42, He says, âIf you had known,even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! Butnow they are hidden from your eyes. For days will come upon you when yourenemies will build an embankment around you, surround you, and close you in onevery side, and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; andthey will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know thetime of your visitation.â
Jesusgoes from this rejoicing and celebration of the people, to weeping overJerusalem. No matter where He looks, He finds a cause to weep. Looking back, Hesees how the nation wasted its opportunities to receive Him as the Messiah,ignorant of the time of His visitation. Looking within, He sees spiritualignorance and blindness in the peopleâs hearts.
Theyshould have known who He was. God gave them His Word with all the prophecies concerningHis first coming and had also sent John the Baptist to prepare the way. Jesus Himselfhad been preaching for three and a half years for the nation to repent because theKingdom of Heaven was at hand. And by His miracles and healings and power overthe demons, the elements of nature, manifesting Himself to be the Son of God.
Lookingaround, Jesus sees religious activity that accomplishes little. The temple hadbecome a den of thieves, the religious leaders were out to kill Him, and thoughthe city was filled with pilgrims celebrating Passover, their hearts were heavywith sin and lifeâs burdens.
Lookingahead, Jesus weeps because He sees the terrible judgment coming. In AD 70,about 40 years after His death, the Romans would come, and after a 143-daysiege, they would kill over 600,000 Jews, take thousands captive, and destroythe temple and city. Why? Because the people did not know God had visited them.As Scripture says, âHe came to His own, and His own received Him not.â
Thepeople are rejoicing, but Jesus is looking within, around, and ahead. I believeHeâs looking into our hearts today, too. What does He see in our lives thatwould cause Him to weep if we donât believe, trust, and are not living for Himas we should?
Whata powerful passage. Jesus sees the crowd celebrating, calling Him King, yet Heweeps because He knows the reality of what will happen. He knows in a few daysthis same crowd will be yelling âcrucify Himâ and have Him nailed to a cross todie. Jesus know that will reject Him and will not trust Him to be their Messiahand Savior.
MayGod give us grace today to bring a smile to the face of Jesus as we live toglorify His name in everything that we say and do!
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Welcometo Pastor's Chat. I prerecorded the chat for today in my office in NorthCarolina, but today Iâm actually in Kingsland, Georgia, celebrating mygranddaughter Kaitlynâs high school graduation. Both this chat and Sundayâs wasdone there, but I still wanted to share this wonderful passage from Lukechapter 19.
InLuke 19, Jesus sent the disciples to find a colt to ride into Jerusalem. Wecall this Palm Sunday, marking the last week of Jesusâ ministry before Hiscrucifixion on Friday and resurrection the following Sunday. We will be goingthrough this week in the final chapters of Luke. Jesus is preparing to enterJerusalem and needs a colt. This is the only place in the New Testament whereJesus allows a celebration of Himself as the Messiah. There are several reasonsfor this.
First,Heâs fulfilling the Old Testament prophecy in Zechariah 9, riding in on adonkey. To us, a donkey might not seem exciting, but in those days, it was abeast used for royalty, for a king to ride into town triumphantly as the crowdcelebrated. As Jesus enters Jerusalem, the crowds celebrate Him as the Messiah,shouting, âHosanna in the highest!â In verse 35, it says, âAnd as he went, manyspread their clothes on the road.â Then, in verse 37, as He was drawing nearthe descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of disciples began torejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they hadseen.
Imagine,for three and a half years, Jesus has been healing the sick, raising the dead,giving sight to the blind, feeding the hungry, caring for the poor, preachingthe kingdom, and casting out demons. The word has spread, and people arelooking for a deliverer, a king to free them from Roman rule. Theyâre hopingfor someone like Moses to lift the Roman oppression. So they praise God,saying, âBlessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heavenand glory in the highest!â
Itâsinterestingâthe Gospel of Luke begins with the angel proclaiming, âPeace onearth and goodwill toward men.â Now the people are saying, âPeace in heaven andglory in the highest,â celebrating not only peace on earth but also peace inheaven with the King of glory. Because the King was rejected, there could be nopeace on earth. Instead, there would be constant bitter conflict between thekingdom of God and the kingdom of evil (Luke 12:49-53). There would be no peaceon earth but, thanks to Christ's work on the cross, there is "peace withGod" in heaven (Rom. 5:1; Col. 1:20). The appeal today is, "Be yereconciled to God!" (2 Cor. 5:17-21)
SomePharisees in the crowd told Jesus, âTeacher, rebuke your disciples.â But Hereplied, âI tell you, if these should keep silent, the stones would immediatelycry out.â As He drew near, He saw the city and wept over itâa moment weâllexplore tomorrow. For now, Jesus allows this great celebration as the peopleproclaim the King has come.
Thesecond reason for this celebration is that Jesus knew it would provoke theJewish leaders to a point where they could no longer tolerate Him. In verse 47,it says that as He was teaching daily in the temple, the chief priests,scribes, and leaders of the people sought to destroy Him. They had alreadytried to stone Him or throw Him off a cliff, but it wasnât time yet. Now,during Passover week, Jesus, the Passover Lamb, fulfills the Old Testamentprophecies. This is why He allows this demonstration, letting the crowdproclaim Him as the Messiah, the King who has come.
Godâstiming is always perfect and every prophecy concerning Jesus was fulfilled! Todaywith faith and great confidence we can believe that Jesus is indeed the Son ofGod and by believing we have life through His name!
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Welcometo Pastor's Chat. Today we're looking at Luke chapter 19. Yesterday, we talkedabout Jesus sending two of His disciples ahead when He was at the Mount ofOlives to go to a village and find a colt tied by a door. Mark's gospel says itwas where two ways met. Today, I want to talk about divine appointments.
Thatcolt tied by the door is a beautiful picture of a sinner tied by their sins,right outside the door of salvation, where two roads crossâone leading todestruction, the other to life. What a picture of how God wants us to go outand find people that He is working in, preparing their hearts to come to JesusChrist.
Itâsa mystery to me how we have the Great Commission to share the gospel with everycreature, yet at the same time God is sovereignly working in peopleâs hearts,preparing them to receive it. Sometimes He uses trials, troubles, ordifficulties; sometimes itâs His providential care that brings them to a senseof needing something they donât have, something money or family canât provide.They feel a deep dissatisfaction with life and are searching for truth. God isworking in their lives, and He needs someone to tell them about Jesus.
Thinkof Cornelius, the centurion who was a good, godly man in a senseâhe prayed andgave alms, yet he didnât know Jesus. An angel told him to find Peter, who wouldshare what he needed to do. The angel couldnât share the gospel, but Peter wasavailable, and the Holy Spirit sent him to deliver the message to Cornelius.
Ialso think of Abrahamâs servant, Eliezer, in Genesis 24 that was sent to find abride for Isaac. Abraham told him not to take Isaac to the land he was going tobut to find a bride and bring her back. If she wouldnât come, Eliezer would befree from his oath. Weâre like that servant, sent by God to find a bride for Christ.Eliezer came to a well where Rebekah was drawing water. He prayed, asking Godto show him the right woman for his masterâs son, and when Rebekah offered todraw water for him and his camels, his prayer was answered. He worshipped,saying, âI, being in the way, the Lord led me.â (Genesis 24:27).
Myfriend, there are people everywhere waiting for someone to tell them aboutJesus. God has prepared their heartsâtheyâre like that colt tied by the door ofsalvation, just a step away from eternal life. They need someone to loose themwith the power of the resurrection message of Jesus Christ. Paul said, âIâm notashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ; itâs the power of God unto salvation toeveryone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greekâ (Romans 1:16).
Wednesday,I was out with a friend named Ben, having lunch. Our waitress kept coming toour table, and we had the opportunity to invite her to Benâs church, and also tellher about the Lord. She promised to come with her husband. I believe everywherewe go, thereâs someone waiting to hear about Godâs kindness and Christâs love,someone we can show the way to salvation.
DivineappointmentsâIâve had them all my life. On planes, in hotel rooms, at restaurants,at gas stations, on my neighborhood streets, at sports events, and many otherplaces! How exciting it is to look back and see what the Lord did when we werejust in the way, and He directed our steps. The same can be true for you today.Trust the Lordâthereâs someone waiting for you to untie them and bring them toJesus. When Jesus sat on that colt, that had been never ridden before,everything was fine. Jesus can change a life and still does today.
Itrust you will be looking for a divine appointment today. Someone is waitingfor you!
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Todayas we look at this passage in Luke 19, we need to remember that in the lastseveral chapters, Jesus has been on his way to Jerusalem with his disciples. Heis giving His last lessons and messages, teaching them things about the comingkingdom. Now, on this particular occasion, in verse 28, it says, "Andwhen he had said this, He went ahead, going up to Jerusalem." Webelieve this is Jesus' last trip to Jerusalem, where he will be crucified. Theevents we read about here in verses 28 and following take place on what we callPalm Sunday. Over the next several dayswe will be talking about the events of this week leading up to his crucifixion.
Thisevent takes place on the east side of Jerusalem on the Mount of Olives. Jesussends two of His disciples to a nearby village to loose a colt that is tied by âadoor outside, where two ways met.â Of course this event is about what takesplace on Palm Sunday, but I think the great lesson here is, especially as wewere looking at the previous parable Jesus just gave about the ten minas thatwas given to the ten servants by their master (vv. 11-27), He was talking abouthow we, as the servants of Jesus, have been entrusted with the Word of God,with the seed of God's Word, and we are to take this seed to the world. We areto invest it in the lives of others, showing them the way to Jesus.
Thenwe have Luke recount this event that takes place. You also read this event indetail in the Gospel of Mark chapter 11. In Mark chapter 11, it talks about howJesus sends two of His disciples. You have a great illustration and applicationof how Jesus sends out His disciples two by two. The Bible teaches us that weshould have a companion to go with us as we share the gospel with others. Thereare many reasons for that.
Aswe go out two by two, we are to find a colt that's tied by the door. I love howMark's Gospel says it: âThey went their way and found a colt tied by thedoor, outside in a place where two ways met, and they loosed him.â Thiscolt represents a lost sinner. It was a colt that had never been ridden, agreat picture of a sinner who is lost in his sins. He is tied by the door, andisn't it interesting that Jesus says, "I am the door"? He's tied by adoor that's outside. The people who are lost are tied to sin, outside the doorof salvation, Jesus Christ.
Theyare also in a place where âtwo ways metâ. This is a place of decision. Youeither go to heaven from here, or you go to hell. When you meet Jesus Christ,you have to make a choice: Is He indeed the Christ, the Messiah, the Son ofGod, the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world, or is He justsomeone else you don't care to know? If you decide that He is Jesus the Christ,the Son of God, my friend, you want to be loosed from the bondage of your sin.And you need someone to bring you the power of the Gospel Word to loose you.
So,what should we be doing as servants and disciples of Jesus Christ? We should beobeying Him, going to the place where two roads meet, a crossroads for a lostsinner tied to his sin. Our job is to share the good news of Jesus Christ,loose him, and bring him to Jesus. Jesus said, "I have need ofhim."
Oh,my friend, Jesus has need of every lost sinner, who is someone who will bring Himglory, praise, and honor like no one else can. And serve Him to bring others toChrist also. Today, let's apply these scriptures to our lives and be like thesedisciples who went and did as the Lord told them. We have been given the GreatCommission also. We are sent by Jesus to loose a tied colt today! He or she isat the crossroad of decision! Be looking for him or her as you go!
Yesterday,my friend Ben and I had the opportunity to begin âloosingâ a tied colt (awaitress), as we were eating lunch at a local restaurant. How exciting!!!!
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