Category: Christ’s earthly ministry

The Good Samaritan #1

Tuesday, August 17, 2021

“But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him” (Luke 10:33,34 KJV).

How can this classic passage, the Parable of the Good Samaritan, enlighten us concerning God’s purpose and plan for the nation Israel?

We begin at verse 25 for the context: “[25] And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? [26] He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? [27] And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. [28] And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.”

The “lawyer” here is a scholar of the Law of Moses, a theologian of Judaism, Jewish religion. He has come to test or challenge the Lord Jesus Christ. Of course, as with all religious people, he is obsessed with works—doing—to have eternal life. Upon asking the Lord as to what he should do, the Lord forces him to answer his own question: “What is written in the law? how readest thou?” Being an “expert” of the Law, the lawyer is one of the few in his ranks who knows his Hebrew Scriptures. Jesus commends him for correctly summarizing Moses with two passages. “Firstly, Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might” (Deuteronomy 6:4,5). “Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD” (Leviticus 19:18).

Indeed, if one can keep the Law perfectly, it results in eternal life. Unfortunately, sinners cannot perform flawlessly, so the Law is simply the knowledge of sin instead of the knowledge of salvation (Romans 3:19,20)….

Our latest Bible Q&A: “Can you explain ‘importunity’ in Luke 11:8?”

Disciples Three #5

Monday, August 16, 2021

“And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest” (Luke 9:57 KJV).

Does today’s Scripture and its context have any modern counterparts? (Indeed, they do!)

Recall the first disciple: “[57] And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. [58] And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.” Today, many people are eager to become “Christians,” but have they really thought about the result? “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12). “[W]e must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22). If the lost world hates Jesus Christ, will they love us His Body? Our problems compound—not disappear—when we trust Him as our personal Saviour!

Now, the second disciple: “[59] And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. [60] Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.” How often do souls today—even so-called “believers”—claim they will follow Christ after they have had a “good time” in the world. Greediness and materialism are not victorious Christian living! “But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content” (1 Timothy 6:6-8).

The final disciple declared: “[61] And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. [62] And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” If we truly want to follow Christ Jesus, we must remember to not let this world’s affairs sidetrack us: “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection [focus] on things above, not on things on the earth” (Colossians 3:1,2).

Disciples Three #4

Sunday, August 15, 2021

“And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest” (Luke 9:57 KJV).

Does today’s Scripture and its context have any modern counterparts? (Indeed, they do!)

We now consider the last disciple: “[61] And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. [62] And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” (There is no parallel in Matthew.) This man is pretty bold with his initial comment, promising to follow the Lord Jesus Christ. Nevertheless, he has second thoughts, having not quite made the break from his family. Before he follows Jesus, he voices a desire to return home and say goodbye to his loved ones. On the surface, this behavior seems most thoughtful and rather harmless. Yet, as the Lord Jesus warns, he is on the verge of falling into a spiritual trap!

Doubtless, had this third disciple gone back home to bid his relatives and friends farewell, they would have pressured him immensely to remain with them and not return to “crazy” “Messiah!” Considering those many spiritual distractions, the likelihood of him heeding their “advice” was great too. They are unbelievers, for they are not followers of Christ. Employing agrarian language that is most familiar to the Jews, Jesus reminds him the farmer plowing the field must be looking forward or he will ruin his furrows by digging them circuitous. Similarly, if a Messianic Jew is to be useful in God’s kingdom, he must be willing to severe ties with anything that could hinder him. There can be no doubts or hesitations. Instead of visiting home one final time, and prone to winding up in unbelief himself, the disciple should continue on his spiritual path with Christ Jesus—looking ahead instead of behind!

Although not the Dispensation of the Grace of God in which we find our doctrine, duty, walk, destiny, and hope; we can draw some excellent counsel from today’s Scripture and its context. Let us proceed to see some current parallels….

Disciples Three #3

Saturday, August 14, 2021

“And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest” (Luke 9:57 KJV).

Does today’s Scripture and its context have any modern counterparts? (Indeed, they do!)

The exchange with the second disciple is as follows: “[59] And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. [60] Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.” A similar conversation is recorded in Matthew chapter 8, though the context is different: “[21] And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. [22] But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.”

Upon first glance, Jesus appears to be unpleasant and merciless here. This man promises to follow Jesus—but after he buries his father. Christ, however, tells him there is something more important than attending his father’s funeral. It is not to say his father is now dead and funeral arrangements are underway. Even if there is a death, Jesus was never asked to bring him back to life. Whatever the case, the disciple is not thinking Divine thoughts. He wants to return home to take care of his father until death, collect his inheritance, and then come back to follow Jesus. Materialism is distracting him—and the Lord advises him to get his priorities in their correct order.

“Let the dead bury their dead” is actually a play on words. Apparently, the man’s father is an unbeliever, a lost man, for he himself is not a follower of Christ. Therefore, the man should allow the spiritually dead—namely, other lost family members—to bury the physically dead (his father, also unsaved). Furthermore, it does not make sense for this disciple to leave the Lord (spiritual wealth) simply to gain physical wealth (inheritance in his father’s estate). Christ orders him, “Go thou and preach the kingdom of God.” This is more valuable than anything this temporary world has to offer!

Now, we get to the third and final disciple….

Our latest Bible Q&A: “What does ‘skin for skin’ mean in Job 2:4?”

Disciples Three #2

Friday, August 13, 2021

“And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest” (Luke 9:57 KJV).

Does today’s Scripture and its context have any modern counterparts? (Indeed, they do!)

We carefully re-read the verses pertaining to the first disciple: “[57] And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. [58] And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.” Matthew chapter 8, while a different context (and likely another man), is nevertheless quite similar: “[19] And a certain scribe came, and said unto him, Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. [20] And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.”

Unfortunately, Jesus’ words have often been misunderstood here. In what sense does “the Son of Man have not a place to lay His head?” Although commonly assumed to be stressing His poverty, a more excellent way to look at this is to see it as underscoring His rejection. The foxes have their dens, places in which to relax. Also, the birds have their nests, homes in which to settle down. However, can the Lord Jesus Christ be comfortable in Israel? No, He cannot, for they do not want Him! “He came unto his own, and his own received him not” (John 1:11).

In addition to what has already been stated, we can also discern some symbolism here. King Herod Antipas is called a “fox” because of his cunning craftiness and deception (Luke 13:32). Likewise, Ezekiel 13:4 associates ancient Israel’s false prophets to “foxes.” Birds symbolize Satan (Mark 4:4,15; Luke 8:5,12). In other words, Israel enjoys a pagan king over herself, a false teacher with herself, and an evil spirit in herself—but she will not have the Saviour, Jesus Christ! Therefore, when the man boasts, “Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest,” Christ asks him if he is ready to bear His rejection as his own. Let us hear the second disciple….

Disciples Three #1

Thursday, August 12, 2021

“And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest” (Luke 9:57 KJV).

Does today’s Scripture and its context have any modern counterparts? (Indeed, they do!)

In the latter half of Christ’s earthly ministry, at the close of Luke chapter 9, we see three men entering the record of Scripture. Let us read of them now: “[57] And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. [58] And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. [59] And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. [60] Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God. [61] And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. [62] And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”

The first man is in verses 57 and 58: like a Jewish student would follow a rabbi, he is so enthusiastic and willing to follow Jesus Christ wherever necessary. We find the second man in verses 59 and 60: this individual will follow Christ, but he has an additional obligation that he must first fulfill. He intends to bury his father and then return to be Jesus’ disciple. The last man is in verses 61 and 62: before he will follow Christ, he wishes to go home and say goodbye to all his family members and friends. In all three cases, the Lord issues some wise spiritual counsel. Each man does not grasp the weight of his own words. Have they fully thought through their promises to Him? Are they really as spiritual as they believe they are? Can we gain any edification from these passages? Let us study the Scriptures and see….

Our latest Bible Q&A: “Can you explain the ‘single’ eye and the ‘evil’ eye?”

Paul, the Viper, and the Barbarians #6

Friday, July 23, 2021

“And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand. And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, they said among themselves, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live. And he shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm” (Acts 28:3-5 KJV).

What is the Holy Spirit teaching through this bizarre passage?

In Scripture, fire represents wrath. When fire drove the snake out to bite Paul, it parallels unbelieving Israel responding negatively to God’s judgment against them. Instead of converting to Christ under Paul’s ministry, they continued opposing the Lord’s will. Furthermore, they militantly resisted Paul’s apostleship—that Gospel of Grace being the very present truth that delayed Christ’s Second Coming wrath from falling on them!

Paul wrote during Acts: “For ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of God which in Judaea are in Christ Jesus: for ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen, even as they have of the Jews: Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they please not God, and are contrary to all men: Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved, to fill up their sins alway: for the wrath [Israel’s fall] is come upon them to the uttermost” (1 Thessalonians 2:14-16). Not only was national Israel content in being dead in her trespasses and sins—refusing to be God’s channel of salvation and blessing to the Gentiles—her extensive unbelief caused her to outright hate and persecute Paul because Christ had sent him to preach to the nations without her!

In today’s Scripture, Paul is preaching amongst pagan idolaters—the very people to which redeemed Israel would have ministered had they accepted their King decades prior. The heathen citizens of Melita are taking care of Paul, but the viper (Israel) strikes to kill! Gentiles are surprised. Undergoing that much destructive hostility for 30 years, Paul should have been long dead. The Gospel of Grace should have disappeared decades earlier. Yet, it has endured, and Paul has survived….

Paul, the Viper, and the Barbarians #5

Thursday, July 22, 2021

“And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand. And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, they said among themselves, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live. And he shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm” (Acts 28:3-5 KJV).

What is the Holy Spirit teaching through this bizarre passage?

The LORD God dealt with the world through Israel from Genesis chapter 12 (Abraham) into the early Acts period. Whether the 20 centuries prior to Christ’s earthly ministry, or Matthew through John, or the opening of Acts, Israel overwhelmingly refused to believe God’s words to her. Her people did not want to be His kingdom of priests in the Earth: they declined their privilege to go to the Gentiles. Eventually, they killed their King (Jesus Christ) and remained in unbelief into Acts. Having blasphemed (spoken) against God the Son in Matthew through John, they were forgiven; however, they were not forgiven when they blasphemed (spoke) against God the Holy Ghost in Acts chapters 1–7 (cf. Matthew 12:31,32). In Acts 7:55,56, as they are about to stone Stephen to death, he sees Christ standing—no longer sitting—at the Father’s right hand. Second Coming wrath, which should have occurred here (Psalm 110:1; Acts 2:34-36), was delayed!

“I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy. Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness? For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office: If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them” (Romans 11:11-14). Israel stumbled at Calvary, but did not fall. She stumbled and fell in Acts chapter 7, and she diminished for the remainder of Acts. Paul’s ministry began in chapter 9, but Israel refused to believe his Gospel message too….

To Savour the Flavour of the Saviour #5

Wednesday, July 14, 2021

“But when he had turned about and looked on his disciples, he rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men” (Mark 8:33 KJV).

What can today’s Scripture and its context teach us about Satan’s policy of evil?

“Savour” means “give oneself to the enjoyment of, appreciate to the full, set affection on, place interest in.” Jesus’ “flavour” was the “indication of His essential character;” that is, He had fully given Himself over to delighting in working with His Heavenly Father. When we savour the flavour of the Saviour, we are thinking in accordance with the Head of the Church the Body of Christ: after all, His mind should govern us! (Recall Romans 8:5, Philippians 2:5, and Colossians 3:2.)

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:1,2). As the perfect Man, the Lord Jesus Christ exhibited this lifestyle during His earthly ministry. Consequently, Satan attacked Him by using the sinful world system around Him. In fact, the Adversary even used Peter, Christ’s chief Apostle of Israel. Never forget today’s Scripture!

Brethren, the application we can make here is quite simple. If we are working with our Heavenly Father in the “family business”—the grace ministry—we can be absolutely (!) sure (!) Satan will use whomever or whatever he can to distract, discourage, and destroy us. Whether fellow Christians (even beloved pastors and fellow grace saints!), spouses, sons and daughters, or dear friends, if they are not submissive to the aforementioned renewed mind; they will become Satan’s mighty vessels in causing us to stumble in sin (apostasy and/or carnality). Still, we follow Christ’s pattern in today’s Scripture. He was not sidetracked from the Father’s plan: “And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians 2:8)! 🙂

Our latest Bible Q&A: “What does ‘noisome’ mean?”

To Savour the Flavour of the Saviour #4

Tuesday, July 13, 2021

“But when he had turned about and looked on his disciples, he rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men” (Mark 8:33 KJV).

What can today’s Scripture and its context teach us about Satan’s policy of evil?

Go over to Matthew 16:23 and read it once again: “But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.” We want to focus on two particular concepts—“offence” and “savour.” Since Peter did not believe God’s Word as just spoken to him, Matthew reports Jesus called Peter an “offence” (Greek, “skandalidzo”). Peter is unknowingly functioning as a scandal, a stumblingblock, an occasion to sin. Essentially, the chief Apostle of Israel declared, “Lord, while You assume You are heading to Calvary, You really are not!”

Now, let us concentrate on “savour.” The King James (British) spelling of our American word “savor,” it is defined as “to give oneself to the enjoyment of, or to appreciate to the full.” In Greek, it is “phroneo,” as in “regarding, having set affection on, putting interest in.” Actually, the word is rendered the following ways elsewhere in the Authorized Version. “For they that are after the flesh do mind [phroneo] the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit” (Romans 8:5). “Let this mind be [phroneo] in you, which was also in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5). “Set your affection [phroneo] on things above, not on things on the earth” (Colossians 3:2).

Although Christ delighted to accomplish His Heavenly Father’s will, while He “savoured” the things of the Father, Peter was opposed to such spiritual truths because he was too focused on human thinking and carnal preferences. Today’s Scripture again: “Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men.” Peter was not using his renewed mind (Romans 12:1,2)! Let us summarize and conclude this devotionals arc by making application….