Luke 23
COMMENTARY:
: 2 And they began to accuse him, saying, we found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar saying that he himself is Christ the King. (1294 “perverting” [diastrepho] means to distort, turn aside from the right path, or corrupt.)
DEVOTION: Today Christians are said to be turning the world in the wrong direction. Christians are deceiving the world with their teachings. Being a Christian is a common joke on our television sets. Our society thinks that Christians will not fight back, so they joke about us but not about any of the false religions of the world because it would not be nice or politically correct. It is politically correct to put down Christians.
They are corrupting our society with their narrow views. We have run across people on airplanes who don’t like the exclusiveness of the Christian faith because we believe that only those who are born again through Christ will inherit eternal life. Moving from those outside Christianity to those who claim to be inside Christianity, we find that many are questioning all the fundamentals of the faith from inside our theological schools. Some are questioning the omniscience of God. They think that HE is surprised by what is happening in our world. Some are questioning the substitutionary atonement of Christ on the cross. They think that HE was a good moral example to follow but that HIS death on the cross was a surprise to HIM.
The more we read from current “Christian” books that claim to be evangelical, the more surprised we become with their personal interpretation of the Bible. They don’t want to consult those who have gone before but want to start a whole new study. Many don’t feel there are any fundamentals of the faith that are fixed. They are turning our Bible believing world upside down for those who are searching for the truth but have so many different answers out there among those who call themselves “evangelicals.”
Instead we should call them heretics but that is not politically correct, even if, it is Biblically correct. Jesus was not worried about being politically correct before the chief priest or Pilate or Herod or even in front of the thieves on the cross next to HIM. HE stayed true to the calling of dying on the cross for our sins. HE told the thief next to HIM that he would be in paradise with HIM that DAY.
Yes there were lies about Jesus but HE handled them with statements of truth or no statement. HE was not distorting the TRUTH, HE was stating it. It cost HIM HIS life but that was the main reason for HIS coming. HE will be coming back and we are to be watching for HIS return.
Those who believe the fundamentals of the faith and practice them should stand firm even when they are said to distort the nation. Stand firm in the LORD!!!
CHALLENGE: When people put you down, give them the TRUTH. Don’t change the TRUTH to fit society.
: 34 Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots. (863 “forgive” [aphiemi] means to let go, give up a debt, to remit, keep no longer, dismiss, cancel a debt, remit, set free or pardon.)
DEVOTION: Jesus came to settle the sin issue with God. We are sinners. Everyone is a sinner from the time they are born until the time they die. Some are considered worse sinners than others by many people. How many sins does it take to spend eternity in the lake of fire? It only takes one!
On the cross Jesus makes this statement concerning those who put HIM on the cross. They had told Pilate that they and their children will face the consequences of their telling him to crucify Jesus. Jesus knew that the truth of the matter was that all people are guilty. HE knew that the consequences were the same for every human being. HE also knew that those who committed the sin against HIM would be pardoned of their sins.
One of the signs that we are genuine Christians is that we are willing to pardon those who have sinned against us. The LORD will not pardon our sins if we are not willing to pardon those who sin against us. Too often people who say they are believers are not willing to pardon those who sin against them.
Our thinking should be that we realize that some people don’t understand that they are not only sinning against us but against the LORD as well. We are to let the LORD deal with them. HE is dealing with us, in that, HE wants us to be willing to let go of what someone has done to us and let HIM handle it.
There is always a purpose for what is happening in our life. God has a plan for our life that will include suffering. Suffering is supposed to cause us to go to HIM for counsel and encouragement. HE wants us to depend on HIM each day. HE wants us to be in HIS presence every day. Jesus was in HIS presence every day. HE was our example to follow.
Don’t harbor resentment or anger against those who hurt us. Don’t allow our enemy Satan to win any battle in our lives.
CHALLENGE: Claim victory by being willing to let go and let God handle those who sin against us. Jesus did!!
: 43 And Jesus said to him, Verily, I say to you, Today shall you be with me in paradise. (3857 “paradise” [paradeisos] means a garden, a dwelling place of the righteous dead in a state of blessedness, enclosure, pleasure ground, park, among the Persians, a grand enclosure or preserve, hunting ground, park, shady and well watered, in which wild animals were kept for the hunt, heaven understood as a protected, walled garden full of delightful delicacies, or garden of Eden.)
DEVOTION: What happens after we die? Jesus informed this repentant sinner that after he died he was going to be in Paradise with HIM. What is Paradise? It is a place called Abraham’s bosom where those who were Old Testament saints went to wait for the day when Christ was going to arrive and empty the place with HIS resurrection.
So Christ was going to empty Paradise after HIS resurrection, by taking the Old Testament saints to heaven with HIM at HIS ascension. HE was taken up in a cloud of witnesses.
Now we are New Testament saints during the Church Age. Once we die we are separated from our body until the Rapture of the Church. Our soul and spirit go to be with Jesus as soon as we die. Our body will not join us until the time of the Rapture. Remember the promise given that when we are absent from the body in death we are present with the LORD. It is a great promise to those of us who are New Testament saints. We are in the presence of the LORD the second we die.
The Bible talks about three types of saints: Old Testament, New Testament and Tribulation saints. Each group has their own promises. Each saint is going to spend eternity with Jesus.
CHALLENGE: Look for the promises of God to each group of saints as you study the Word of God. Ignorance is not what HE expects from HIS people.
: 55 And the women also, which came with HIM from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulcher, and how his body was laid. (2628 “followed after” [katakoloutheo] means to follow along behind, to keep on following, accompany, to comply with, to act in conformity with, or obey.)
DEVOTION: One of the characteristics of the ministry of Jesus is that HE had both men and women following HIM most of the time. These women came from Galilee to Jerusalem to be there with Jesus to celebrate the Passover.
We don’t hear of any women at the Passover celebration with Jesus. It seems to be only the twelve disciples at the dinner.
However, we know that women supported the ministry of Jesus. They provided money to keep the ministry going.
Both men and women are important to the ministry of the church in our world. Each has their gifts. Each has their calling. Each needs to remember to give their whole being to the LORD.
In this passage they were concerned that the body of Jesus needed to be prepared better for HIS death. They were going to return to the tomb to make sure that HIS body was properly carried for.
We have to remember that men and women have different gifts. Many times men are not as detailed as women. Women seem to remember exactly what should be done and the details are important to them. Men sometimes are more project oriented and details can be lost in activity.
CHALLENGE: In the church we need to make sure that we get the projects done well. Details are important to God.
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)
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)
Jesus prays Father forgive themverse 34
Jesus final prayer to the Fatherverse 46
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
Veil in the templeverse 45
Sabbathverses 54, 56
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Commandmentsverse 56
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
Jesus talks to Fatherverses 34, 46
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead – God/man, Messiah)
Christverses 2, 35, 39
Kingverse 2
King of the Jewsverses 3, 37, 38
No faultverses 4, 14
Teacherverse 5
Jesus verses 8, 20, 25, 26, 28, 34, 42, 43, 46, 52
Manverse 14
Crucifiedverse 33
Chosen of Godverse 35
Done nothing amissverse 41
Lordverse 42
Gave up the ghostverse 46
Righteous manverse 47
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Godverses 35, 40, 47, 51
Chosen by Godverse 35
Fear Godverse 40
Glorified Godverse 47
Kingdom of Godverse 51
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Pilateverses 1-6, 12-25, 52
Caesarverse 2
Herodverses 7-12, 15
Barabbasverses 18, 19
Simon a Cyrenianverse 26
Centurionverse 47
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Accuseverses 2, 10, 14
Pervertingverses 2, 14
Forbidding to give tributeverse 2
Faultverses 4, 14
Mocked Jesusverses 11, 36
Murderverses 19, 25
Seditionverses 19, 25
Evilverse 22
Malefactorsverses 32, 33, 39
Railedverse 39
Condemnationverse 40
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Teachverse 5
Miracleverse 8
Forgiveverse 34
Savedverses 35, 37, 39
Chosenverse 35
Fear of the LORDverse 40
Prayerverse 46
Glorified Godverse 47
Righteousverse 47
Good manverse 50
Justverse 50
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Nationverse 2
Chief priestsverses 4, 10, 13, 23
Jewryverse 5
Galileeverses 5, 6, 49, 55
Jerusalemverse 7
Scribesverse 10
Rulersverse 13
Peopleverse 13
Daughters of Jerusalemverse 28
Calvaryverse 33
Joseph of Arimathaea (counselor)verses 50-54
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
Deathverses 15, 22
Paradiseverse 43
Kingdom of Godverse 51
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