Posts with the tag “luke”

Daily Devotional from Luke 24—Verses 46-49He also said to them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead the third day, and repentance for forgiveness of sins will be proclaimed in his name to all the nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And look, I am sending you what my Father promised. As for you, stay in the city until you are empo...  Read More

Daily Devotional from Luke 23--Verses 18-19Then they all cried out together, “Take [Jesus] away! Release Barabbas to us!”  (He had been thrown into prison for a rebellion that had taken place in the city, and for murder.)This scene always gives me pause. I am struck by the Jews’ hatred toward Jesus. They ask for the release of a rebel and murderer—instead of the release of the *actual* messiah.I c...  Read More

Daily Devotional from Luke 22--Verses 13-15And they went and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover. And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.”Passover is a Jewish holiday celebrating the departure of the Jewish nation from slavery in Egypt. Specif...  Read More

Daily Devotional from Luke 21--Verse 4The widow put in all she had to live on. I find it interesting that Jesus would even let her do this. She had nothing and he watched her give even the little she had away. He passively sat there and observed the scene. He didn’t offer any help to the poor woman as she walked away. Now from one perspective that seems a bit callous and insensitive. But from a he...  Read More

Daily Devotional from Luke 20—Verse 26And they were not able in the presence of the people to catch him in what he said, but marveling at his answer they became silent.The scribes were trying to trap Jesus. They hoped that His answer would be enough to give Him up to the governor to be punished. But even they marveled at His wisdom. Throughout Luke 10 we see those jealous and offended by Jesus try...  Read More

Daily Devotional from Luke 19—Verses 38-40“Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples. He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”God often uses us to spread His glory and praise him among humankind. We worship God because He...  Read More

Daily Devotional from Luke 18--Verses 38-39So [the blind beggar] called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Then those in front told him to keep quiet, but he kept crying out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”When one of our senses is lost, others are heightened to compensate. This blind man sat on the road, begging of travelers. He couldn’t see them—but he could hear them. ...  Read More

Daily Devotional from Luke 17--Verses 4-5"And if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him." The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”There is a well-known Chinese proverb stating, “Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.” We should learn from our mistakes. This is common sense. But on the subject o...  Read More

Daily Devotional from Luke 16--Verse 31If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead. What a stunning statement. With this parable, Jesus basically says—You can have signs from heaven, but signs won’t save you.You can have miracles from God, but miracles won’t save you.You can even have the Scriptures, but the Scriptures won’t save ...  Read More

Daily Devotional from Luke 15—Verse 4What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it?God is so good. He desires that none should perish, but that all would have eternal life through His Son (John 3:16-17). He relentlessly pursues us, but it’s up to us to decide to enter int...  Read More

Daily Devotional from Luke 14--Verses 12-14He said also to the man who had invited him, “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For...  Read More

Daily Devotional from Luke 13--Verses 2-3And [Jesus] responded to them, “Do you think that these Galileans were more sinful than all the other Galileans because they suffered these things? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as well.”It can be easy to look at others’ choices, lifestyle, and situation and think that they deserve what they get. They are just dealing with the c...  Read More

Daily Devotional from Luke 12—Verses 43-33Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions.It’s easy to get calloused to the teaching that Jesus is coming back soon (Rev. 22:20). After all it has been almost 2000 years since that message was written. But only God knows what He means by “soon”. (One of His days i...  Read More

Daily Devotional from Luke 11--Verse 33No one after lighting a lamp puts it in a cellar or under a basket, but on a stand, so that those who enter may see the light. As believers in Jesus, we are the light of the world (Matt. 5:14). And as things get darker the light naturally grows with intensity. And, as we all know, the darkness of uncertainty has cast its shadow upon the world. So, now, more t...  Read More

Daily Devotional from Luke 10—Verse 40But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.”Martha was concerned about doing lots of things for Jesus and His disciples. But Mary just wanted to sit at His feet and learn from Him.It’s so easy to get caught up in doing the right things,...  Read More

Daily Devotional from Luke 9—Verse 20Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” And Peter answered, “The Christ of God.”The world has many things to say about Jesus. That He was a prophet, a good guy, a good teacher, a lunatic, a liar, some even say He never lived. If we are saved, we know Jesus is the Messiah, the Savior of the World – and so much more. Matthew 16:16 describes the same...  Read More

Daily Devotional from Luke 8--Verse 18aTherefore take care of how you listen…Sometimes, when we listen, we’re just waiting to say what we want to say, without truly hearing what the other person is saying. And sometimes we only hear what we want to hear, instead of hearing what is actually being said. We do it with other people, and if you’re like me, you do it with God as well.Jesus was just expl...  Read More

Daily Devotional from Luke 7--Verses 6-7And Jesus went with them. When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. Therefore I did not presume to come to you. But say the word, and let my servant be healed."When Jesus walked on earth, many people came to Him in hopes of gaining a mirac...  Read More

Daily Devotional from Luke 6--Verse 22Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the son of man! Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven. Sometimes following Jesus will put you out of step with the world. And whenever that happens, we’re tempted to fall in line. Yet those who fal...  Read More

Daily Devotional from Luke 5--Verse 20And when he saw their faith, he said, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.”Jesus saw the faith of the paralyzed man’s friends. He saw their desperation to get him to Jesus. And before He performed the miracle of healing, He forgave him of his sins.I know that for many of us, we have friends and family we desperately want to see come to Jesus. Jesus sees your fait...  Read More

Daily Devotional from Luke 4--Verse 4The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone.’”Jesus went 40 days without food and when the devil tried to tempt Him, Jesus knew that God’s Word is nourishment, even more than physical food. Of course, we have to eat, but because Jesus knew the ...  Read More

Daily Devotional from Luke 3--Verse 18 (NLT)John used many such warnings as he announced the Good News to the people.We often see groups of people who like to shout about the end of the world. They love to proclaim that Jesus is coming back soon and some groups like to focus on  judgment more than hope. John the Baptist was no stranger to calling out sin—doing so got him killed eventually. But—Joh...  Read More

Daily Devotional from Luke 2--Verses 10-11And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”How did you (will you) announce the coming birth of your first child? God the Father did it up big!He announced to shepherds with angels. He announced to ...  Read More

Daily Devotional from Luke 1--Verses 3-4It seemed good to me also… to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.Luke’s Gospel has literally been in the hands of billions of people, but do you know that it was originally addressed to one guy named Theophilus? Interesting. God had much larger plans for the work...  Read More

Luke 24:32Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road?Sometimes we can become enamored. So much so that our hearts are set on fire.However, there’s a difference between smoke and heat. There’s a difference between human fire and godly fire. One doesn’t have much substance and therefore producesa lot of smoke. The other has sustainable fuel and produces a healthy flame. You ...  Read More

Luke 23:34Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. There’s Jesus suspended by nails, scanning the scene below. Soldiers sporting. Crowds gawking. Rulers pontificating. Criminals haranguing. Bearers of God’s image with really no clue. Flashes of pain. Waves of nausea. The taste of death. Sin crouching at the door. Murder, Jealousy, Hypocrisy, and Spite – mingling in and around the peop...  Read More

Luke 22:24A dispute also arose among them, as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest. Are you kidding me? Jesus just gets done predicting his own betrayal and subsequent murder, and the disciples are posturing for promotion? The timing couldn’t have been worse. And why are they concerned about it in the first place? Yet Jesus didn’t blast them for their insensitivity. Rather he told t...  Read More

Luke 21:4The widow put in all she had to live on. I find it interesting that Jesus would even let her do this. She had nothing and he watched her give even the little she had away. He idly sat by and observed the scene. He didn’t offer any help in the moment. From a human perspective that could seem callous. From a heavenly perspective, he’s doing her the greatest honor in the world, and allowing ...  Read More

Luke 20:23But he perceived their craftiness. Tricky, tricky, tricky. Throughout chapter 20, the various leaders of the Jewish establishment were pretty slick, seeking ways to catch Jesus in an indiscretion. They were crafty, devising questions that would proffer needed evidence. Jesus was going down. They just needed to figure out a way of pulling it off. But Jesus wasn’t thrown off in the least. ...  Read More

Luke 19:41When Jesus drew near and saw the city, he wept over it. When’s the last time you wept? To weep is a powerful thing. A full surge of emotions that occurs all at one time. And the force of it can sometimes take you by surprise. Is it surprising to think that Jesus wept? A full surge of emotions happening all at once. He looked at Jerusalem and knew the suffering she would endure. I believe...  Read More

Luke 18:16Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. We have a little girl who is a part of our congregation who always comes up and either gives me a little fist bump or a great big hug. She has such delightful eyes. Eyes full of love and eager excitement. Everything in her heart is riding on that moment. Well, last time we gathered as a church, d...  Read More

Luke 17:17Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Have you ever found yourself in a thankless job? People just expect things from you, and when they get it, well, that’s what you were there for in the first place. And they go happily on their way. Well, Jesus probably has the most thankless job ever. Savior of the world? That’s what he’s here for, right? People get in a pinch and they know wher...  Read More

Luke 16:31If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead. This is a stunning statement. Through this parable, Jesus basically says—You can have money, but money won’t save you.You can have miracles, but miracles won’t save you.You can even have the Scriptures, but Scriptures won’t save you, unless you HEAR them. Faith comes by hearin...  Read More

Luke 15:32This your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found. Chapter 15 is all about recovering the lost. A sheep was lost, a coin was lost, and a son was lost. And when they were found, oh, the rejoicing that took place! Is there any greater purpose to life than being a part of God’s rescue mission? That’s the overall scheme of things – partnering with God to find souls. I was r...  Read More

Luke 14:34-35Salt is good, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is of no use either for the soil or for the manure pile. It is thrown away. He who has ears to hear, let him hear. There were times when Jesus didn’t mince his words, and we would do ourselves a great disservice if we danced around his difficult sayings. Given the context here, we see this is a warni...  Read More

Thursday, March 19 Luke 13:34O Jerusalem, Jerusalem… How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! I’ve always been impressed by the passion bubbling up in Christ’s heart in this moment of time. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem. This is what I was willing to do, yet you were not willing to let it happen. Have you ever had a block...  Read More

Luke 12:24, 27Consider the ravens… Consider the lilies… What a great passage. And what a great exercise. Take a moment now and consider the birds of the heaven and the flowers of the earth. Do they toil? Do they fret? Yet God feeds them, and God clothes them. How much more valuable are you! Fear not little flock. God is with us....  Read More

Luke 11:33No one after lighting a lamp puts it in a cellar or under a basket, but on a stand, so that those who enter may see the light. As believers in Jesus, we are the light of the world (Matt. 5:14). And as things get darker the light naturally grows with intensity. And, as we all know, the darkness of uncertainty has cast its shadow upon the world. So, now, more than ever, let your light shin...  Read More

Luke 10:3I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. Right now, in the world, we are advised to practice social distancing. COVID-19 has us needing to pull back from social gatherings. And yet these words of Jesus still apply. “I am sending you out.” Even though you need to pull back socially, I want you reaching out relationally. So, how can you reach out today? Well, there are a few sa...  Read More

Luke 9:20But who do you say that I am? You ever been called out in a meeting? You can get pretty comfortable in the group, until that moment your boss or leader calls you out. What do you think? What are your thoughts? It’s a brand-new game from that moment on. Jesus does this all the time. It’s the moment of reckoning. No more hiding behind popular opinion. No more discussing prevalent views. He ...  Read More