Luke 9
COMMENTARY:
: 5 And whosoever will not receive you, when ye go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet for a testimony against them. (3142 “testimony” [marturion] means witness, to be testified, or providing direct knowledge about a person or event.)
DEVOTION: Jesus is training HIS disciples in ministry. This chapter is as full as the last with training. HE had only three years to train them before HIS death. HE warned them repeatedly of HIS upcoming death.
We find HIM sending out the disciples for ministry. They were to go from house to house in villages and present the Gospel or Good News.
In each village they are to stay in a house that would invite them in. If the people of the house would not accept their message, they were to shake the dust from their feet as a sign of this rejection. It was to be a witness against them because they had rejected the truth of God.
Jesus gave them power and authority to do great things during the presentation of their message. Can we imagine people seeing all the healing and still rejecting the message concerning Jesus? Yet, there were people who didn’t want to listen to the message. There were people who didn’t want Jesus in their villages. There were people who knew all that Jesus did and yet they rejected him.
The disciples were to not take things with them for their trip. All their needs were to be provided by the people they ministered too. Their clothes were provided. Their food was provided. All their money was to be provided. Their sleeping arrangements were to be provided. Wow what a step of faith on the part of the disciples to do this.
Later in the chapter the disciples learn how God can provide food for a great amount of people from a small amount of food. They learn that to be the greatest they had to act like little children of faith. They learned that they had to take up their cross daily and serve the LORD. They also had to learn that not everyone who was not part of their group was outside of God’s group. They needed to learn that they were not to be judgmental to some people who rejected the message they gave.
We live in a time when many are questioning the Word of God. They are questioning who Jesus really was. They are questioning all the beliefs of Christianity. We have an opportunity to share our faith with those who are around us. There are many who will not accept our witness. There are some who will. Jesus told his disciples to shake off the very dust from their feet as a witness against the city or village that rejected Christ. There are people that we will witness to that will not only reject our witness and reject our LORD. There comes a time, we are told, in the timing of God where HE gives them up to a reprobate life. Should we give up on people easy? NO!!
We do have to move on from people who not only say no and don’t want to listen to our witness. The disciples moved on. Our responsibility is to share our faith with people in our world. There reaction is between them and the LORD. Let’s keep on witnessing for the LORD, no matter what happens.
CHALLENGE: Don’t give up too soon on people. Some have prayed for many years for individuals to become followers. I have been praying for over twenty years for some men to become followers: Darwin and Tony are still left. Two have said they believe.
: 22 Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day. (593 “rejected” [apodokimazo] means disallow, disapprove, repudiate, regard as unworthy, or unfit.)
DEVOTION: Jesus confused the doctors of theology at age twelve in the Temple. HIS parents came back to get HIM and all HE said was that HE had to be about HIS Father’s business.
HE continued to teach crowds throughout the country. HE answered the questions of the Pharisees and other religious leaders. They didn’t understand how HE could be so wise not going to their school of theology.
Jesus explained to the disciples that HE was going to Jerusalem to suffer and die on the cross. In this gospel Luke adds some other details to what HE had to say to them. He gets into more detail with the statement that Jesus was unfit by all of the religious leaders.
Today we have religious leaders who deny the substitutionary atonement of Jesus Christ. This means that HE didn’t die for our sins. The Bible says that HE did. There are religious leaders that don’t even talk about sin today from the pulpit. So there is no need for someone to die for our actions.
Our nation is watching the laws change to call evil good and good evil. With this happening we find that our world rejecting the teachings of Jesus Christ and the Bible. The major problem is that many of the churches are going alone with our government instead of the Bible.
Disapproving of the teachings of those who are faithful to the Word of God will result in final judgment for these leaders whether religious or political. We are facing a battle over our faith today.
Jesus faced HIS battle with the religious leaders and they thought they won. The reality is that HE won and they lost. We need to realize that we are winning even when we seem to be losing because we are on the winning side. We will be losing some of the inning in the game but the outcome is sure. The LORD is still in control. HE is still on the throne. HE doesn’t need the approval of the doctors of theology in HIS day.
CHALLENGE: Don’t let people who think that we are unworthy to lead because we believe the truth of the Word of God. Trust in the LORD to encourage your heart to stay the course.
: 41 And Jesus answering said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you, and suffer you? Bring your son hither. (430 “suffer” [anechomai] means bear with, forbear, endure, to sustain, to endure something unpleasant or difficult whether on one’s own behalf or on behalf of someone else, or to accept a complaint.)
DEVOTION: Jesus had given the disciples power and authority to serve HIM. They were sent
out with these things to confirm they were from God with a message from God to the children of Israel.
People came to the disciples with physical problems. This time it was a demon possessed boy that needed the demon or fallen angel removed from his body. The disciples couldn’t do it.
Why couldn’t they do it? Jesus had told them that power comes from prayer and fasting. Once prayer and fasting was practices they had the power available if they only believed. Their problem was that they kept doubting their power and doubting who Jesus Christ really was.
Jesus made a statement that is still true today. HE has to put up with us. HE is with us every step we take if we are HIS disciple. Once we become a follower we are HIS disciple. If we are HIS disciple we have power to do amazing things through HIM. HE required belief, prayer and fasting.
Most believers are not willing or able to manifest this power because they are unwilling to have enough faith to move mountains. If the LORD gives you a gift and you use it for HIS glory great things can happen in your ministry.
CHALLENGE: God can do the impossible. HE will do it when we are obedient to HIM regularly. Are we manifesting HIS power in our work for HIM?
: 50 And Jesus said to him, Forbid him not for he that is not against us is for us. (2967 “forbid” [koluo] means hinder,prevent, to stop (someone or something) from doing something or being in a certain state, withhold, or to deny or refuse one a thing.)
DEVOTION: Division is present with us all the time. The disciples found a group of people that were casting out demons in the name of Jesus but wouldn’t come with the twelve disciples.
They thought only they had the power from God to cast out demons. They asked Jesus, what they should do with these people. They wanted to tell them to stop.
Jesus told them not to forbid them because they were doing this good work in HIS name. HE said that those who are not against them was on their side.
Today we have many people who are fighting over doctrine or teaching that is given in their churches. They would like everyone to have the same music as they have. They would like every church to have the same order of service that they have. Some people want to go from one city or state and go into another church just like their church. They feel that if it has the same name on the door it should be the same. This is not true today.
We have many churches with different beliefs but the same beliefs regarding major doctrines. We are not to condemn the churches that have the same basic doctrines but the ones who don’t hold to these basics. The ones that hold to the same basic doctrines will be different but the same regarding the Gospel, the deity of Christ, belief in the Godhead of Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and that final judgment is going to be given to those who don’t follow Jesus Christ in a lake of fire for eternity with the devil and his angels to name a few.
There are still good churches in many different groups that look different but are basically the same. Study the church to see what is happening doctrinally.
CHALLENGE: If they stay true to the Word of God you can attend and support that church. If not, leave and find one that teaching truth.
DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
Jesus takes disciples to desert placeverse 10
Jesus praying aloneverse 18
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Looking up to heavenverse 16
Jesus blessed fish and breadverse 16
Jesus praying aloneverse 18
Jesus goes into mountain to prayverses 28, 29
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Gospelverse 6
Elijahverses 8, 19, 30, 33, 54
Mosesverses 30, 33
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
Jesus comes again in Father’s gloryverse 26
Father speaks from cloudverse 35
HIM that sent Jesusverse 48
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead – God/man, Messiah)
Feeding of the five thousandverses 11-17
Christverse 20
Christ of God verse 20
Son of manverses 22, 26, 44, 56, 58
Sufferverse 22
Rejectedverse 22
Killedverse 22
Raised on third dayverse 22
Countenance changed on mountainverse 28
Raiment white and glisteringverse 28
Accomplish in Jerusalem verse 31
Glory of LORDverse 32
Jesusverses 33, 36, 41-43, 47, 50, 58, 60, 62
Masterverses 33, 38, 49
Beloved Sonverse 35
Healing of man’s sonverses 38-43
Delivered to hands of menverse 44
Perceiving thoughts of disciplesverse 47
Casting out devils in Jesus’ nameverse 49
Lordverses 54, 57, 59, 61
Warning of Jesusverses 57-62
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Godverses 2, 11, 20, 27, 43, 60, 62
Kingdom of Godverses 2, 11, 27, 60, 62
Mighty power of Godverse 43
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Devils – demonsverses 1, 49
Holy angels with Jesus when he comes againverse 26
Unclean spirit – devil – fallen angelverses 39, 42
Casting out devilsverse 49
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Herod the tetrarchverses 7, 9
Samaritansverse 52
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Not receive disciplesverse 5
Reject Jesusverse 22
Gain whole world but lose selfverse 25
Ashamed of Christverse 26
Faithlessverse 41
Perverseverse 41
Thinking of greatnessverse 46
Looking backverse 62
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Disciplesverses 1, 54
Powerverses 1, 43
Authorityverse 1
Cureverses 1, 2, 6, 11, 42
Preachverses 2, 6, 60
Apostlesverse 10
Sufferverse 22
Rejectedverse 22
Deny himselfverse 23
Take up cross dailyverse 23
Followverses 23, 59
Saveverses 24, 56
Truthverse 27
Hearverse 35
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
John (the Baptist)verses 7, 9, 19
Elijah (Elias)verses 8, 19, 30-33, 54
Old prophetsverses 8, 19
Bethsaidaverse 10
Elders of Israelverse 22
Chief priestsverse 22
Scribesverse 22
Mosesverses 30-33
Jerusalemverses 31, 51, 53
Church (New Testament people of God)
Twelve disciplesverses 1, 12, 14, 16, 18
Apostlesverse 10
Peterverses 20, 28, 32, 33
Johnverses 28, 49, 54
Jamesverses 28, 54
Disciplesverses 40, 43
Disciples didn’t understandverse 45
Last Things (Future Events)
Kingdom of Godverses 2, 11, 27, 60, 62
Risen from the deadverses 7, 8
Come in HIS own gloryverse 26
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