Not (Yet) "Above" The Law (Luke 2)

The title notwithstanding, Jesus was not above the law, but He transcended it. Read the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). Repeatedly, He said, "You have heard it said...," referring to the Mosaic Law; then he followed with "But I say to you..."- transcending it. Law pervades this chapter of Luke.

In Luke 2, the first verse begins w/ a law- Caesar Augustus has decreed a census be taken and everyone was to return to their hometown to register. Hence Joseph and Mary go from Nazareth to Bethlehem. Interestingly, God uses human law to fulfill His sovereign will. Gabriel says Mary's son will inherit the throne of David (1:32). In 1:4, Joseph is of the line of David and hence must return to Bethlehem for the census. This fulfills the prophecy in Micah 5:1-3, of which v2 is cited in Matthew 2:5-7

1"Now muster yourselves in troops, daughter of troops;
They have laid siege against us;
With a rod they will smite the judge of Israel on the cheek.
2"But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
Too little to be among the clans of Judah,
From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel
His goings forth are from long ago,
From the days of eternity."
3Therefore He will give them up until the time
When she who is in labor has borne a child
Then the remainder of His brethren
Will return to the sons of Israel.

Something that pops into mind here is what God said about Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon: Jeremiah 27:5-7

5"I have made the earth, the men and the beasts which are on the face of the earth by My great power and by My outstretched arm, and I will give it to the one who is pleasing in My sight.

6"Now I have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, My servant, and I have given him also the wild animals of the field to serve him.

7"All the nations shall serve him and his son and his grandson until the time of his own land comes; then many nations and great kings will make him their servant.

In the O.T. God used a Gentile king to carry out His will- to judge Judah. God used Nebuchadnezzar as He used Caesar Augustus- to accomplish His will. Interestingly, Jesus provides a commentary about obeying Caesar in Luke 20:19-26.

I find it remarkable, as well, that Jesus, the Son of God Omnipotent, was subject to human law. Further, He was also subject to the physical laws of the universe and rarely used His powers to break those laws as when He walked on water*or miraculously fed the 5000.

Let's fast-forwarding to Luke 2:21 and on... (Don't worry, I'll come back to Luke 2:8-20 later)

In addition to obeying the law of man (Caesar), Mary and Joseph obeyed God. It may seem like a minor detail, but they followed Gabriel's instruction (1:31) and named the baby Jesus. They further obeyed the Law per Leviticus 12: (all from the cross references in my Bible)

2:21 - Circumcise the baby after eight days. Leviticus 12:3
2:22 - After the days of purification were over, they were to bring the baby and present him to the Lord. Leviticus 12:6-8

2:23 refers to Exodus 13:2, 12; Numbers 3:13; 8:17

2:24 - Offer a sacrifice per the Law of the Lord. Leviticus 12:8

Mary and Joseph's obedience to the law is highlighted in 2:27, but especially in 2:39- (emphasis mine)

39When they had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own city of Nazareth.

The story that follows in Luke 2:41-52 is very interesting in light of what we've just read... It begins "Now," a marker word signifying something is going to happen, "His parents..." The word parents, as referring to Mary and Joseph, only appear in this story. Ironically, in the passage where the word "parents" appears, Jesus is in disobedience his "parents" by staying behind in the temple while his parents had already left the temple and only realized he was missing three days later. Imagine that- we could make a movie about it: "Home Alone: Jesus in the Temple" (har har har, ok, seriously)

When Mary and Joseph finally return to the temple to find Him in the temple, she says, (emphasis mine) "Son, why have You treated us this way? Behold, Your father and I have been anxiously looking for You." And Jesus' response is telling, "Did you now know that I had to be in My Father's house?" (2:48, 49) Clearly, this passage underscores Jesus' true father to be God. Finally, in 2:51 Luke mentions that Jesus continued "in subjection to them."

Hence, Jesus, being fully God, was in subjection to man-made law, physical law, Mosaic law and even (earthly) parental law, but His ultimate submission was to God the Father as evidenced by this story. Though we are not conceived of the Holy Spirit and God the Son as Jesus was, like Him we are subject to the "law of the land," in broad terms, of our existence. Yet, we must ultimately obey our Heavenly Father as Jesus did.


Now, back to Luke 2:8-19. Why did God choose to send the angels to appear to the shepherds?

One of the recurring images in the Bible is of shepherding. In the O.T., there are many people who were shepherds- Abel, Moses, Rachel, David... In fact, Jacob's sons tell us that their ancestors were all shepherds, Genesis 47:3 -

3Then Pharaoh said to his brothers, "^(A)What is your occupation?" So they said to Pharaoh, "Your servants are shepherds, both we and our fathers."

Of course, there's Psalm 23, where God is personified in a shepherd. In the Gospels, Jesus calls himself the Good Shepherd in John 10. Then who else to proclaim the birth of the Messiah, the Good Shepherd than to shepherds?


On another note, we often gloss over the proclamation of the heavenly host in Luke 2:14:

14"Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased."

How many times have we heard "Peace on Earth and goodwill towards men" at Christmas time? Sounds nice doesn't it, but is it Biblical? Nope. In fact, Jesus said it Himself-

Do you suppose that I came to grant peace on earth? I tell you, no, but rather division;

Luke 12:51

Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.

Matthew 10:34

Wow. How about putting that on your Christmas cards this year?

In the Wilderness, Tempted, Hungry...

Is this a Survivor episode? 40 days without food. Sometimes it's hard to last 40 minutes without thinking about a snack or something to satisfy our hunger or physical desires. But the key, I believe, is found in v.1: Jesus, "full of the Holy Spirit", prior to the temptations by Satan; and in v.14: Jesus returned to Galilee in the "power of the Spirit", after the temptations.
-So, how are we to fight off temptations? With God's Word and by the power of the Spirit.

Jesus, like John in Chapter 3, was in the wilderness. But whereas John was already preaching the gospel to the people, Jesus was alone with the devil. Also note that both of them quoted or read from the book of Isaiah.
John spoke of the coming of the Lord; Jesus spoke of the fulfillment of the Scripture (v.21).
John spoke of how the crooked will be made straight, the rough roads smooth; Jesus specifically told of what his ministry would be:
1) to preach the gospel to the poor
2) to proclaim release to the captives
3) to give sight to the blind
4) to set free those who are downtrodden
5) to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord

- Here I believe that Jesus came to minister to:
1) those who are lacking (materially, spiritually)
2) those who are in bondage (physically, emotionally, spiritually)
3) those who cannot see (physically, spiritually)
4) those who are without hope or have lost hope (emotionally, spiritually)
5) those who are looking for a Savior

Then I wonder why those he was speaking to in the synagogue were filled with rage (v.28) after Jesus spoke about the prophets Elijah and Elisha (Elijah was sent to a widow in Sidon, Elisha was cleansed a leper from Syria.)
- If I was to guess, though, I would say that Jesus mentioned that there were many widows in Israel at the time of Elijah and during the famine. And there were many lepers in Israel at the time of Elisha. But the two prophets ministered to and healed non-Jews (a widow in Sidon and a leper from Syria).
-Jesus may have been saying that God cares for, provides, and is able to heal all people (though He may not always choose to) and that salvation is indeed for both Jews and gentiles. This is just my thoughts, so feel free to comment on this.

Jesus spoke and taught with power and authority, and the people were amazed. Unclean spirits and demons were cast out by Jesus, but Jesus would rebuke them and not allow them to say who Jesus was: "the Holy One of God" (v.34), the "Son of God" (v.41).
- I wonder why Jesus did not want his identity to be revealed at this time. But Jesus was focused and knew his purpose and why he was sent (v.43): "to preach the kingdom of God to the other cities".
- Do we tend to hide our true identity? Clark Kent in glasses, Peter Parker with great power comes great responsibility, Bruce Wayne under the mask. I know I do at times. Why? Fear, shame, embarrassment, judgment, ridicule. We need be ashamed of our identity in Christ.

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the POWER of God for SALVATION to EVERYONE who BELIEVES, to the Jew first and also the Greek (gentile)." - Romans 1:16

Have a blessed the weekend!

-Ying

Thy Kingdom Come (Luke 1)

The Gospel According to Luke opens w/ the purpose of the book, addressing its intended audience. I've previously written about it here on my personal blog:

http://wilsonleungsworld.blogspot.com/2007/04/according-to-luke.html

Reading Luke 1, I was struck by the incredible parallelism between Zechariah and Mary's separate encounters with the Archangel Gabriel.

Compare Zecharias and Mary’s Encounter w/ Gabriel

What	Zecharias	Mary	Comment Z. = Zecharias M. = Mary
Angel Appears	10And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense.	28"Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you."	Gabriel doesn’t say anything to Z., but does to M. when he 1st appears.
Reaction	12Zacharias was troubled when he saw the angel, and fear gripped him.	29But she was very perplexed at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was.	Likewise, Z. is troubled by the angel’s appearance, whereas M. is perplexed at what he said.
Angel says	13Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your petition has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will give him the name John. "You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. 15"For he will be great in the sight of the Lord; and he will drink no wine or liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit while yet in his mother's womb. 16"And he will turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God. 17"It is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah,TO TURN THE HEARTS OF THE FATHERS BACK TO THE CHILDREN, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."	30"Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. 31"And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. 32"He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; 33and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end."	Z. and M. both get “Do not be afraid.” God hears and answers Z’s petition, whereas M. did not petition anything, yet God found favor in her. Gabriel proceeds to foretell the lives of John and Jesus.
Response	18"How will I know this for certain? For I am an old man and my wife is advanced in years."	34"How can this be, since I am a virgin?"	In v18, “for certain,” is not in the Greek, but added for clarity. Z. asks how he will know it will be true, whereas M. asks how it will happen. Fine distinction, but it is supported in Gabriel’s response…
Angel says	19"I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. 20"And behold, you shall be silent and unable to speak until the day when these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their proper time."	The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God. 36"And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month. 37"For nothing will be impossible with God."	Let me try to paraphrase the Gabriel’s response to Z. and to M.: To Z.: You will know this for certain b/c I am archangel of God and have been sent by God. (He appeals to the authority of the master.) To M.: Gabriel answers by explaining how it will come to be since that is what Mary asked! Pretty simple!
Response	Elizabeth 25"This is the way the Lord has dealt with me in the days when He looked with favor upon me, to take away my disgrace among men."	38"Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word."	Interestingly, Z. doesn’t get to reflect on what has occurred; at least it is not recorded by Luke. So, as Z. was muted due to doubt, he’s also muted in the Scriptural record. Rather, Elizabeth reflects on God’s blessing, not Z. M.’s response is of such beautiful total submission to God. And, the final clause, “may it be done to me according to your word” – really shows that she never doubted Gabriel’s word!

In the Old Testament, Abraham/Sarah, Isaac/Rebekah, and Jacob/Rachel were not able to have children until the Lord allowed it. As Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were the beginning of the original covenant to form the Israelite nation - a physical kingdom, so John (the forerunner) and Jesus (the King) is the beginning of the new covenant to begin the spiritual kingdom of God. This "new beginning," so to speak, starts are off in similar yet different fashion. Zechariah and Elizabeth, who are advanced in age, are not able to have children until God allows it per the Holy Spirit; echoing the travails of the patriarchs.

Then the pattern changes! Before, God gave child(ren) to couples who were previously unable to have children. Now, He gives a child to a couple that is not even yet married, though betrothed, and the woman has not even "known" a man. Yet again, it is achieved by the Holy Spirit. Whereas the former O.T. couples and Zech./Elizabeth petitioned God to have children, Mary and Joseph in no way asked for a child before marriage. In fact much has been made of the fact that Joseph, and Mary too, were likely to be seen in disgrace by common folk in that she was pregnant before marriage! (Boy, what an age and society we live now. How far we strayed!)

And so, God ushers in His kingdom on Earth by breaking the pattern w/ the birth of His son.

Putting myself in that time, in that place, in their shoes... reflecting on what I knew about the patriarchs, I hope I would have surmised that the birth of this baby Jesus was something the Israelites, and the world, has never seen and will never seen again- The virgin birth- of the Messiah no less.

I'm amazed by Mary's attitude. Romans, Galatians, Philippians, Titus, Jude, James, 2 Peter, and Revelation open w/ the writer referring to himself as a bond-servant of Jesus Christ. But it was Mary, the mother of the Jesus, who is the 1st in the N.T. to choose to be eternally bonded as servant to her own son, the Son of God. Luke 1:38 is the key application verse: "Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word."


Update, July 7:
v66 poses the question, "What then will this child (John) turn out to be?" Who woulda thought he (v80) "lived in the deserts until the day of his public appearance to Israel?"

Again, there is parallel between John and Jesus. Nothing is written about John's childhood just as nothing is written about Jesus', save Luke 2.

Luke 4

About a year ago, I was waiting to pick up a friend when she told me she would need a lot more time than anticipated. So I picked up the Bible and randomly picked a chapter to read while I waited. I turned to Luke 4. For whatever reason, at that moment, God revealed a lot to me through His Word.

Luke 4 has since become one of my favorite chapters in the Bible. The applicable reality is staggering. I couldn’t wait to make this post.

The Temptation of Jesus
Jesus was *led by the Spirit* to be tempted by the devil. Why would the Spirit purposefully lead Jesus to be tempted? One interpretation I heard compares this to a new car test drive challenge: a car salesman will let you test drive a car to show you that the car will pass your test. Similarly, the Spirit led Jesus to be tempted, not to see whether Jesus would pass, but to show that Jesus will pass.

The temptations, to me, typify three of our biggest weaknesses:

Human Weakness 1: Seeking gratification from the world instead of from God

And the devil said to Him, ”If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”
And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’”

If I were hungry, or in general yearning for anything, God has full power to grant me whatever I want immediately. But this scripture tells me that God will use those yearnings to teach me that it is Him and His Word that I need to hunger for – not the hungers of the flesh. And by doing so, His Word will fill me with more life than anything else possibly can.

* The verse that comes after “Man shall not live on bread alone” is “but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD.” – Deuteronomy 8:3

Human Weakness 2: Taking the spiritual easy-out

And the devil said to Him, "I will give You all this domain and its glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish.
"Therefore if You worship before me, it shall all be Yours."
Jesus answered him, "It is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.’”

The neat twist #1 here is that, the world and all its glory was slated to belong to Jesus anyway. The devil was giving Jesus an easy-out on the process to glory over the world. i.e. Jesus could have it all without dying on the cross.

As believers, we are often faced with enticing easy-outs which cause us to worship something other than God.

Neat twist #2: in verse 5, it says the devil showed Jesus the kingdoms of the world “in an instant.” I wonder if “in an instant” makes the difference between the temporary fleeting dominion of the devil’s enticements versus the everlasting glory and splendor of God!

Human Weakness 3: Putting ourselves in close proximity to sin, counting on God to keep us from "falling"

The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down from here. For it is written:
" 'He will command his angels concerning you
to guard you carefully;
they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'"
Jesus answered, "It says: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'"

As believers, we can count on the Lord to get our backs. But often we think it’s a carte blanche to do whatever we want, and that the Lord will protect us. We have free will. And the devil knows that. We need to be prayerful and constantly ask for God’s wisdom; and when God tells us not to jump off the cliff, follow the instructions.

Luke Chapter 4

Luke Chapter 4 –
• This chapter resonated with me the most thus far. I
often wonder about some of the theological concepts
contained within this chapter, particularly with
regard to Satan's reality and presence in the world.

• For example, it is quoted in Luke 4:1-2, "Jesus,
full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and
was led around by the Spirit in the wilderness for
forty days, being tempted by the devil."

This sentence seems to suggest that it was God's (Holy
Spirit) intent to allow Jesus to be tempted by Satan,
which brings to mind the concept of God's interaction
with Satan. Because God's omnipotence is
unquestioned, it stands that Satan acts only to the
extent that is allowed by God. The next logical
question is why and to what extent God allows Satan
act.

• It is telling that Jesus' primary and immediate
response or method of defense against Satan's
attack/tempting is to refer to and quote scripture.
This occurs three times, Luke 4: 4, 8, 12 ("it is
written/said…."). Interestingly, the three quotes
Jesus used are all from Deuteronomy.

• The devil's repeated attacks/temptations to Jesus
reveal a few things about Satan's engagement style (in
no particular order).

1. Persistence – tried three times.
2. Crafty/conniving – changes strategies on the third
attempt to mimic Jesus' style of refutation by also
using scripture (out of context) and saying, "for it
is written," Luke 4:10-11.
3. Never-ending – "When the devil had finished every
temptation, he left Him until an opportune time." Luke
4:13. I think the key word in this sentence is
"until", which is followed by "an opportune time".
Put another way, it seems one could interpret the
sentence as saying the devil left Jesus temporarily,
in anticipation of the next opportunity to tempt. It
clearly does not state that Satan gave up finally.

• Key Takeaway - I feel like this chapter gives the
reader a strong indication of Satan's character and of
the manner in which he interacts. Clay.7/6/07

Luke Chapter 3

v.2- "the word of God came to John in the wilderness"
-Interesting how the word of God came to him "in the wilderness". I remember when Dorman was preaching on the book of Numbers, which the title in Hebrew was "in the wilderness", or "in the desert" (bemidbar).
During many times of trouble, pain, or uncertainty, God's word will come to me to encourage me and give me hope despite the circumstances. Hope it does the same for you.

v.3- John preached a very specific message: "a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins".
-This is not to say that you need to be baptized to be saved though, but rather repentance of one's sins, and salvation through Jesus and the forgiveness of sins.

v.4-5 - The words in Isaiah speak of the way, paths, ravines, mountains, hills, and rough roads.
-These words remind me that the path and road to salvation and the Christian walk and journey afterwards is not always smooth and easy. There will be ups and downs, highs and lows, but the end goal in v.6 is "all flesh will see the salvation of God". Embrace and enjoy the journey and walk with Christ.

v.7-9 - John exhorts the people to "bring forth fruits" and to bear "good fruit", lest they be "cut down and thrown into the fire".
-Sounds pretty harsh to me, but there are times when I (we) need to hear the truth so I (we) don't become too complacent and rest on my (our) laurels.

v.10-14 - John gives practical suggestions to the people when they ask him what they should do.
-A lot of times, we ask God what we should we do about this and that. The answers that John offers us some practical suggestions too:
1) Share with others to meet their needs (v.11)
2) Deal honestly at work and have integrity (v.13)
3) Do not use power or authority over others unjustly (v.14)
4) Do not accuse others falsely (v.14)
5) Be content with what you have and are given (v.14)

v.15-18 - John pointed to Jesus as the one people should be looking for and the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire.
- We, like John, should be pointing people to Jesus and the gospel (good news), not to gifted individuals.

v.19-20 - John was locked up in prison, for preaching the gospel.
- There are risks and there are people who will be opposed to us and the message we want to share.

v.21-22 - Jesus was baptized, was praying when the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came out of heaven.
- These verses are often referenced to when one speaks of the trinity. The Holy Spirit is referenced to as a person here.

v.23-38 - Jesus' humanity is revealed in his lineage through the male descendants (David, Abraham, etc.), fulfilling Biblical prophecy.

Blessings and thanks for reading.

-Ying

Luke Chapter 2 - New American Standard Version (originally posted July 3)

The birth of Jesus happened quietly, at night, without many people around.

Imagine the Savior born in humble surroundings, with no announcement except that spoken by the angel, and then suddenly praises from a multitude of heavenly hosts.

v.10 - "good news", "great joy", "for all the people"
v.14 - "Glory to God", "peace among men"

-What does Christ's coming mean to me and to you? What words would you use to describe His birth?

Throughout the chapter, I found there are lots of "seeing and looking", things being "revealed" or made known, and things being said and told.

v.15-The shepherds went to Bethlehem to "see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to them".

v.17-The shepherds saw, and made known the statement which had been told them about Jesus.

v.18-All who heard wondered at the things told by the shepherds.

v.20-The shepherds praised God for all that they heard and seen, just as had been told them.

v.25-Simeon was "looking for the consolation of Israel".

v.26-It was revealed to Simeon by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ.

v.30-Simeon says "For my eyes have seen Thy salvation".

v.32-"A light of revelation to the Gentiles".

v.33- Joseph and Mary were amazed at the things which were said about Him.

v.35b-"...to the end that thoughts from many hearts will be revealed".

v.38-Anna spoke of Him to all those who were looking for Jerusalem's redemption.

v.44-45: Joseph and Mary were "looking for Jesus".

v.47-48: All who heard Him were amazed, and when they (Joseph and Mary) saw Him, they were astonished. Joseph and Mary were anxiously looking for Jesus.

-What have we heard from others about Jesus? And what has been said about Him? --> "Who do the people say I am?...Who do you say I am?" (looking ahead in Luke 9)

-What has been revealed to each of us that we can tell others? Are we looking for something more? Is Jesus enough?

Reminds me of the following praise song:
"Enough" - Passion/Chris Tomlin

All of you is more than enough for all of me,
For every thirst and every need.
You satisfy me with your love, and all I have in you is more than enough.

You’re my supply, my breath of life,
Still more awesome than I know,
You’re my reward, worth living for,
Still more awesome than I know.

You’re my sacrifice of greatest price,
Still more awesome than I know,
You’re my coming king, you are everything,
Still more awesome than I know.

More than all I want, more than all I need,
You are more than enough for me.
More than all I know, more than all I can see,
You are more than enough for me.


Again, thanks for reading my lengthy comment.

Good night, God bless.

-Ying

Luke Chapters 1-3 (Second Delivery Attempt)

...acknowledgments to UPS. My first attempt at
posting did not go through because I sent these as a
word attachment. I thought Kayan was reviewing these
first and then posting. haha. Anyway, here are my
first entries.

Luke Chapter 1 –
• Main point of this chapter appears to be laid out in
1:1-4, that the reader (specifically, Theophilus) is
being given a pretty detailed account of Jesus'
background. It occurred to me that the amount of
detail is prodigious as supported by the author
describing Elizabeth's pregnancy in months (first 5,
then sixth, etc).

• I found interesting the comparison between the
pregnancies of Zacharias/Elizabeth and Joseph/Mary.

• Similarities: God sent His angel Gabriel to speak
to one party of each of the couples. Both Zach and
Mary were initially afraid as Gabriel remarked to
each, "Do not be afraid…" Both Zach and Mary appeared
to exhibit initial apprehension to what Gabriel said.

• Differences: Gabriel spoke to Zachariah (man) and
Mary (woman). It appears that Zach/Elizabeth asked
God for a child, whereas Mary/Joseph did not.
Gabriel's response to the apprehension conveyed by
Zach and Mary is very different. In Zach's case, he
is slightly rebuked for his doubt, but Mary is only
encouraged by Gabriel and by no means rebuked.

• The multiple use of the word "favor" concerning Mary
in 1:28-30 is interesting. Perhaps the implication is
that finding favor with God can result in miraculous
things. In fact, seven verses later in 1:37, it
states, "For nothing will be impossible with God."

• A question arises as to why God uses angels
(Gabriel) to communicate at times, particularly given
the paramount importance of this event. Why would He
not communicate directly?

• What is the purpose of the clearly different
structure of The Magnificat 1:46-55?

Key Takeaways – It appears from this chapter that God
works in at least two different ways. He answers the
petitions of those that call to Him (Zachariah), and
He also works without being asked (Mary). Clay. 7/3/07

Luke Chapter 2 -
• Again, when the angel of the Lord appeared before
the shepherds, the angel said, "Do not be afraid…"
This was the exact same response by Gabriel to both
Zachariah and Mary. Why the need and purpose to
constantly reiterate this point? Perhaps it is just
human nature to be afraid of something one has never
seen or experienced before. However, the exact
phrasing and repetition of the statement makes me
think that there is some other reason for the
statement, "Do not be afraid…"

• Use of the word "Spirit" or "Holy Spirit" in
reference to Simeon is pronounced (mentioned 3 times)
in Luke 2:25-27. I went back to chapter 1 and found
seven occurrences of the word "Spirit". Makes me
wonder why God communicates through the Holy Spirit at
times, directly, through prophets, or through angels.

• How did Simeon and Anna, the prophetess know that
they were in the presence of the Christ?

• I found it interesting in that it appears that God
gave continuous affirmation to Mary and Joseph that
they were indeed in the presence of the Christ
throughout chapter 2. Clay. 7/3/07

Luke Chapter 3 –
• Definition of Tetrarch - Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Latin tetrarcha, from
Greek tetrarchEs, from tetra- + -archEs –arch
1 : a governor of the fourth part of a province
2 : a subordinate prince

I wanted to look this word up since it has not been a
highly utilized component of my vocabulary.

• It seems that there is a pattern through chapters 1
through 3 that what God says will be done, will in
fact occur. This is supported by the birth of Jesus,
the birth of John as told by Isaiah the prophet in
Luke 3:4-6.

• Did not fully understand the whole wheat and chaff
metaphor by John, and it seemed particularly
important.

• Completely missed the meaning of the Genealogy of
Jesus verses. I know that these are important but
nonetheless was unable to understand it. Clay. 7/3/07

Luke 4 (originally posted July 5th)

vv1-12 Jesus was tempted by the devil for forty days.

Temptations of Satan:

- tell stone to become bread (physical temptation - Jesus was without food for forty days)
-all the authority and splendor of the world (temptation of worldly power and glamor)
- temptation to test God's limit - If God is so good,loves you, powerful...., He would do....

vv 4,8,12: Jesus resisted all Satan's temptation using God's Word!

Takeaway: I shall immerse myself in His Word, develop habit of memorizing key scriptures for they are the best shield against temptations!

vv18,19: Jesus' ministry on earth which is
- To preach good news to the poor (Wow, the poor is close to Jesus' heart)
- To proclaim freedom for the prisoners (True liberation/freedom from all sort of bondages - we are now truly free to choose to do what's right and pleasing to Him) I believe this true freedom is different from the worldly free will/freedom to do whatever one's right in his own eyes - for this is a bondage in a different way - it results in more bondages.

- To give sight to the blind - truly, all of us were spiritually blind at one point until we received His new life into our lives! This reminded me of John Newton, the slave trader, in Amazing Grace, in his words, " Was blind, but now I see!"

- To release the oppressed - Jesus is in the business of setting the oppressed free!

- To proclaim the year of the Lord's favor - To proclaim the good news of Salvation to all!

vv 24-29 Jesus was rejected in his hometown. Let us not be like those in Nazareth, let us hold fast onto the good news of salvation through Jesus! Like Naaman who believed Elisha's word and was healed of leprosy.

vv31-37 Jesus taught with authority (v32). Jesus has authority and powe over evil spirits. He drove them out.

vv38-40: Jesus healed many and drove out demons of many.

v42: Jesus retreated to a solitary place - If Jesus needed to have quiet time alone with His Father, how much more so do I need to develop a daily devotional/quiet time with Him? May God help me develop a discipline of daily devotional time with him.

v43 - Jesus was faithful and singleminded in His ministry that He was sent for. May He also help me to be singleminded to walk my faith journey - to seek to know and please Him with all of my life!

- Su

Luke 3 (originally posted July 5th)

vv2-4:

When the word of God (v2) came to John, he began his preaching on a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sin. This was to fulfill the scripture as well as to prepare the way for Jesus.

v7-9: John's message of repentance distinguishes true repentence as one that was clearly evidenced by its fruit v8. He cautioned against not bearing fruit v9.

vv10- 14: True repentence resulted in an obvious change in heart attitude as well as outward behavior:
- share clothings and food with those who have none
- conduct business honestly
- Don't extort, don't accuse falsely and be content.

vv 16,17: Jesus' ministry was different from John's in that His was marked by power. Jesus baptizes with the Holy Spirit and with fire (?) as opposed to John who baptized with water.


v21: Jesus was baptized by John - Why? This act appears to reflect His humble and obedient heart to identify with us all.

v22 -Jesus is God's beloved Son.

- Su

Luke 2 (originally posted July 2nd)

The birth of Jesus was perfectly timed (to enter the history of humanity) and orchestrated by our Heavenly Father - Jesus' humble birth was intentional - birth in a manger for there was no room for Him in the inn! Wow, what a humble birth that God had chosen for His Son! Truly, there must be some lessons I can learn from this:

1. Is the humble birth an expression of His infinite love for us? - His love for us is so infinitely deep that He chose to identify with the true state of my soul - my nothingness and totally sinful nature.

2. Knowing that I have done nothing to deserve what the most High God has done for me, I therefore should know that there is nothing in life I should hold on to so dearly that I cannot let go because truly my life belongs to Him. How else should I live to receive this great love that He has shown me?

3. vv 8-20 described the celebration of Jesus' birth by the heavenly host as well as the shepherds' praises. Truly, the birth of Jesus was the single most important event in the history of humanity that had taken place, as reflected in Simeon's prophecy in v34:

This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed....

Do I truly take this seriously? Lord, please show me and forgive me for my slowness in responding to Your great love!

- Su

Luke 1 (originally posted July 2nd)

vv1-4: Praise God for the faithful men who were obedient to the leading of the Holy Spirit to keep careful and orderly account of what happened so that we may know that our faith is based on solid ground and so that we can live according to His will with confidence.

vv23-25: Elizabeth was quick to acknowlege God's faithfulness and grace in her life. Her intimate relationship with Christ was reflected by her response to God's gift for her (her pregnancy) - she spent five months in seclusion with Him. Takeaway: Time alone with God will deepen my relationship with Him.

v38: Mary's obedience and humility (servant heart) were probably the qualities that gained her favor in the Lord's eyes. May He culcultivate in my heart and make it ever more atune to the leading of the Holy Spirit so that I can see His work in my life with increasing clarity.

vv46-55: Mary's song once again reflects her intimacy with God. She was confident of God's will for her and embraced it with joy. She knew her Lord and understood His character. May God continue to mold me to be like Mary - obedient, humble, joyful and full of praise!

- Su

Luke 1: the beginning

I wasn't sure what new information I might uncover on this reading once
through. the phrase "rising sun" in verse 78 stood as I found something
unique about this phrase. I don't recall Jesus ever being referred to as
the rising sun. A search through the NIV using biblegateway.org does not
reveal any other instances of this phrase. The NASB version uses the proper
noun Sunrise. Using biblegateway again reveals no other instance of
sunrise to refer to Jesus.

I think of one parallel-- the rising sun marks the beginning of the day.

The Bible contains many phrases, such as "light of the world" that describe
Jesus. Now we have "rising sun" as another Biblical phrase that describes
Jesus. phil out

Luke Chapter 1

Musings and Life Lessons from the book of Luke:
Chapter 1-NAS

v.1-4: There were those who were eyewitnesses to the things (miracles, healings perhaps) accomplished among them (disciples and followers of Christ I believe).
-People say seeing is believing, but faith is believing the truth that has been taught us and revealed to us in the Word and through the Holy Spirit. Thoughts?

But then there are "servants of the word (gospel)". When I think of the word servant, I usually think about the servant of a king, or master, or a human being.
-What does it mean to be a servant of the word?

Or when Mary calls herself "the bondslave of the Lord (or the Lord's servant [NIV]) in v.38, 48. And when she says that "He (God) has given help to Israel His servant" in v.54.
-Who or what are we a slave to?

I also observed the theme of fear throughout Ch.1...

v.12: Fear gripped Zacharias when he saw the angel of the Lord.
v.65: Fear came on all those living around Zacharias and Elizabeth, after Zacharias began speaking again, after having been kept silent.
-Fear is very real.

But then there is reassurance from the Lord...

v.13: "Do not be afraid, Zacharias, (why?) for his petition (prayer) has been heard".
v.30: "Do not be afraid, Mary; (why?), for you have found favor with God."
-God answers prayer and he is with us and wants to bless us.

-Interesting to note too that Elizabeth earlier in v.25 says that the Lord also looked with favor upon her, by allowing her to become pregnant, and taking away her disgrace among men. Interesting statement that she made, considering her circumstance and how both she and Zacharias were righteous and blameless in the sight of God (v.6).

Continuing on the thought of fear...

v.50: Mary states that "His mercy is upon generation after generation toward those who fear Him".
v.74-75: Zacharias says that we might serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him all our days.
-So fear Him (because God is holy) and then serve Him without fear.

Now on to the Holy Spirit...

v.15: The angel tells Zacharias that his son John will be filled with the Holy Spirit and tells Zacharias all the things that John will do.
v.35: The angel tells Mary that the Holy Spirit will come upon her and the power that will come.
v.41: Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and blesses Mary.
v.67: Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied.
-The indwelling of the Holy Spirit and His power to do and say things that bring glory to God.

Last thoughts:
The NAS uses the word "behold" 6 times in Ch.1:
v.20,31,36,38,44,48
-Each time a significant announcement is made.

I looked up the definition online:
to perceive through sight or apprehension; or to gaze upon.

-What do we consider significant enough that we can say "Behold!"
-I know this is a Luke study, but remember what John said in John 1:29:
"Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!"

Thanks for reading...Good night and God bless.

-Ying

Luke - A chapter a day

We're trying an experiment: To read, and blog, each chapter of The Gospel of Luke.

It's completely free-form. The goals are to:
1. Establish daily devotion time
2. Encourage, challenge, and learn from each other in the Word
3. Experience the pure joy of the Holy Spirit revealing Himself in the Bible

Let's go!
- Kayan