Luke (Program #22) – The Ministry of the Man-Savior in His Human Virtues with His Divine Attributes from Galilee to Jerusalem (1)

As the Lord Jesus and His disciples were journeying from Galilee through Samaria to Jerusalem three cases are chronicled in Luke chapter 9 regarding different ones who desire to follow Him.  Verse 57 says “And as they went along the road, someone said to Him, I will follow You wherever You go. And Jesus said to him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of heaven have roosts, but the Son of Man does not have a place where He may lay His head. And He said to another, Follow Me. But he said, Lord, permit me to go first and bury my father. But He said to him, Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and announce the kingdom of God everywhere. And another also said, I will follow You, Lord; but first permit me to say farewell to those in my house. But Jesus said to him, No one who puts his hand on the plow and looks behind is fit for the kingdom of God.”

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Luke (Program #17) – The Ministry of the Man-Savior in Galilee (8)

The progression in the gospel of Luke is truly marvelous. Chapter 7 concludes with several very touching stories of sinful people being forgiven and drawn to the Lord Jesus in love. Surely their cases match our own. Then after teaching His follower with parables we come to the most interesting passage in chapter 8, where the Man-Savior instead of acknowledging His flesh mother and brothers, identified His chosen ones, His believers as His real family members and relatives.

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Luke (Program #16) – The Ministry of the Man-Savior in Galilee (7)

Try to picture meal-time in the home of a prominent religious leader.  The guests include Jesus of Nazareth, other religious leaders and followers of Jesus.  And then, an uninvited guest shows up, a woman, well-known in the community because of her sored background and sinful past.   The picture is a vivid one, isn’t it?  And what transpired is so unique and profound as to forever be considered when the gospel of God, love and grace to man is told.

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Luke (Program #15) – The Ministry of the Man-Savior in Galilee (6)

Have you ever noticed that shortly after introducing and baptizing the Lord Jesus, John the Baptist himself was imprisoned and held there until he was beheaded? But during his imprisonment, the Lord Jesus was healing and liberating many oppressed and suffering people. Yet for John the Baptist He offer no such miracle. Even pressed to do so by John and some of His followers. What He did offer to John, was a very unique word that outwardly seem to offer no help. But likely became an inner strengthening to John, even through his martyrdom. We will look at this case and two other interesting cases from Luke chapter 7.

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Luke (Program #14) – The Ministry of the Man-Savior in Galilee (5)

Human history has witnessed many great moral and ethical teachers, Plato, Socrates, Confucius just to name a few. The Bible also contains wonderful teachings of morality and ethical behavior but no one say the Lord Jesus Christ Himself ever claimed as He did in John 6, “that the word that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.” We all need to ask ourselves this fundamental questions, “Is God’s word to us just a book of ethical and moral teachings or is it a book that brings us to spirit and life?”

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Luke (Program #12) – The Ministry of the Man-Savior in Galilee (3)

In Luke’s gospel, we find the account of just how the Lord Jesus called and attracted many of His disciples and followers.  With some He performed mighty miracles, yet with others it was simply His word or His sympathetic care that captivated them and drew them out of whatever held them to follow Him and serve Him absolutely.  What about you?  Are you waiting for a miracle?  Or is the realization of what He has already done or even the promise of His sweet presence enough to cause you to want to give up everything and follow Him?

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Luke (Program #11) – The Ministry of the Man-Savior in Galilee (2)

After passing through a full and thorough preparation, and even an inauguration, the Lord Jesus was ready to begin His earthly ministry.  He does so by quoting from the Old Testament pages of Isaiah, speaking words of grace to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, ushering acceptable year of the Lord, the Jubilee.  Well, these words were amazing to the Jews of Galilee as they are to us today.  But as we will see today and the coming days as we continue on this life study from the gospel of Luke, His living and His ministry became a living portrait of this Jubilee and in Him, all we as the real captives and the real blind ones find our freedom and our sight.

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Luke (Program #6) – The Preparation of the Man-Savior with His Divinity (4)

Luke 2:1-4 says, “And in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus for a census to be taken of all the inhabited earth. This was the first census that took place when Quirinius governed Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee out of the city of Nazareth into Judea, to David’s city which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David.” These words introduce the most well-known story in Scripture, that of the birth of Jesus. But it is significant to know that they refer back to a prophecy from the Old Testament prophet, Micah. Listen to Micah’s words written hundred of years before, “But you, O Bethlehem, Ephrathah, So little to be among the thousands of Judah, From you there will come forth to Me He who is to be ruler in Israel; And His going forths are from ancient times; From the days of eternity”. (Micah 5:2) Marvelous prophetic words fulfilled in this most well-known story but we will look at some of the more hidden significances that are unveiled here from the gospel of Luke.

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Mark (Program #43) – The Death and Resurrection of the Slave-Savior for the Accomplishment of God’s Redemption (5)

The account of the resurrection is unique in each of the four gospels. Each one brings its’ own prospective and emphasis to this greatest of all event.  The account in Mark is typically uncomplicated but deeply and profoundly touching.

Here are the first 11 verses from Mark chapter 16:

“And when the Sabbath was past, Mary the Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might come and anoint Him.
And very early on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb as the sun rose.
And they said to one another, Who will roll away the stone for us from the door of the tomb?
And when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away, for it was extremely large.
And when they entered into the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right, clothed in a white robe, and they were alarmed.
And he said to them, Do not be alarmed. You are seeking Jesus the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has been raised; He is not here. Behold the place where they laid Him.
But go, tell His disciples and Peter that He is going before you into Galilee. There you will see Him, even as He told you.
And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them. And they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.
Now after He had risen early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary the Magdalene, from whom He had cast out seven demons.
She went and reported to those who had been with Him, who were mourning and weeping.
And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe.“

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Mark (Program #29) – The Preparation of the Slave-Savior for His Redemptive Service (3)

During the period of His gospel service, the Lord Jesus was traveling from Galilee first north toward Caesarea Philippi and Mount Hermon.  Then returning south all the way to Jerusalem. With Him on this long journey which took roughly three years were a small number of faithful disciples particularly Peter, James and John were with the Lord step by step.  And thorough out this period they witness first hand all the items, including the miracles, the teachings, the healing and His dealing with the religious opposers.

As those who desire to know Him and to know His word richly today, we need to realize that this long journey and all these events were not random. From the beginning the Lord’s intention was to arrive at Jerusalem, the religious, cultural and governmental capital.  For it must be in Jerusalem during the specific month and even on the appointed day that He would be offered up as the Lamb of God to accomplish His all redeeming and all-inclusive death.  But we also need to realize that all the preceding event were part of the Lord’s preparation and in addition for the real preparation of His disciples not just to be witnesses but to be those who would pass through His death and enter into the reality of His resurrection.

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