Luke 24:6-7

March 12, 2026 by Leave a Comment

“He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.” (Luke 24:6-7)

These verses raise an issue that is puzzling to me. Those closest to Jesus were surprised that he was crucified and that he had resurrected. Does that mean they had disregarded or forgotten the times (plural!) that he had told them about his coming death and resurrection? Were these concepts that they were unable to understand? Or, were they, for some reason, unwilling to believe?

To be clear, while Thomas is labeled the doubter (John 20:24-29) because of his demand to see Jesus’ wounds, when Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women reported the resurrection to the apostles, their words “seemed to [the apostles] an idle tale, and they did not believe them.”(10-11‬) Thomas was hardly alone in his disbelief.

Luke records that Peter immediately ran to the tomb to verify the women’s report, and the two on the Road to Emmaus had reported their experience with the resurrected Jesus. Still, when Jesus eventually appeared to the gathered saints, they were shocked, “startled, and frightened and thought they saw a spirit.” (37)

Jesus proceeded to show them the scars in his hands and feet. (39)

Here is my question: Why was it so difficult for them to believe?

I think the answer is provided in these words, “Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.”(45‬) Believing the gospel is not merely a matter of examining the evidence and deciding to accept or reject the claims as we might when selecting a car or refrigerator. Deciding for Christ is spiritual business and requires the work of the Lord in our minds and hearts. No less than Jesus had “witnessed” to these people, yet they didn’t believe until Jesus opened their minds.

Notice what Luke writes in Acts 16:14 as he tells the story of Lydia’s conversion at Philippi: “The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul.” Even the witness of the apostle Paul required the Lord’s intervention to be effective.

My conclusion is pretty straightforward. I must take more seriously the need to pray for the Lord to accompany my witness to unbelievers. Their decision to believe is not dependent on how well-versed I am (though I should be well-versed) nor how well-spoken I am (though I should be clear and kind). I must recognize that handling the story of Jesus is holy business and treat it as such.

Father, please help me to keep in mind how dependent I am on you in all areas of my life, including conversations about Jesus. Amen.

Filed Under: devotional thoughts, Evangelism, Life of Christ, Luke, New Testament

Luke 23:39-43

March 11, 2026 by Leave a Comment

“One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, ‘Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!’ But the other rebuked him, saying, ‘Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.’ And he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ And he said to him, ‘Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.’” (Luke 23:39-43)

This scene is instructive about how people receive or reject Christ, and how Christ receives or rejects people.

First, we have three people. Jesus and two criminals. While we should not assume they were identical, we can conclude the two men’s offenses were similar in severity since they were receiving the same punishment.

Second, we should notice the different interactions with Jesus. The first, with no appreciation of Jesus, he demands that Jesus act on his behalf. The second, fully acknowledging his guilt and expressing appreciation for Jesus, humbly requested that Jesus remember him.

These two demonstrate the strangeness of this world. Two people in similar circumstances may respond very differently.

The second criminal does the footwork for us. Let’s notice what he says.

  1. He rebuked criminal 1, reminding him that all three were in the same situation.
  2. He acknowledged that the two criminals’ punishment is just.
  3. He recognized that Jesus was innocent.
  4. He humbly requested that Jesus remember him in his kingdom.

These steps resulted in his salvation: Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.” The absence of response to the first criminal’s demands suggests to me that he was not redeemed because he did not demonstrate humility or repentance.

Two people. Two responses. Two outcomes.

Father, please help me be humble before your son. Help me have a repentant heart. Amen.

Filed Under: devotional thoughts, Gospels, humility, Jesus Said, Life in Christ, Luke, New Testament

Luke 22:21-22

March 10, 2026 by Leave a Comment

“But behold, the hand of him who betrays me is with me on the table. For the Son of Man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed!”

I see two things in these verses. First, Jesus revealed that he was aware of the plot to betray him. That plot was hatched in verses 3-4:

“Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was of the number of the twelve. He went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers how he might betray him to them.” (22‬:‭3‬-‭4‬)

At that moment, there were two in the room who were aware of the plot.  But there was a time when Jesus alone was aware. We saw that time back in chapter 18. “And taking the twelve, he said to them, ‘See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. For he will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon.’ (‭‭Luke‬ ‭18‬:‭31‬-‭32‬) Remember that none of them understood what he was saying because it was hidden from them. Now, it is slowly becoming clear. I said slowly because the guys still wondered who it was. (18:34)

All of the above points to Jesus’ determination to follow the Father’s will, even though he knew what that meant for him personally. He didn’t get tricked into it. He wasn’t caught by surprise. Peter told the crowd at Pentecost what Jesus already knew: “this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.” (Acts‬ ‭2‬:‭23‬)

The second thing I see is that humans face accountability for the decisions we make. In this case, Judas will be held accountable for his decision to betray Jesus. Some will say, “That’s not fair. He just did what was determined by the definite plan of God.” (Acts 2:23) Others might say, “The devil made him do it.” (Luke 22:3)

Honestly, I don’t know how man’s free will and God’s sovereignty can work together, but I trust that God does. Later in this same chapter, Jesus told the disciples to “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” (22‬:‭40‬) Based on this chapter, I know I want to pray, watch who I hang with, and perhaps avoid clandestine meetings.

Father, please help me to guard my heart and walk circumspectly for my good and your glory. Amen.

Filed Under: devotional thoughts, Jesus Said, Luke, New Testament

Luke 20:20, 26

March 8, 2026 by Leave a Comment

“So they watched him and sent spies, who pretended to be sincere, that they might catch him in something he said, so as to deliver him up to the authority and jurisdiction of the governor. (Luke 20:20)

And 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.” (Luke 20:26)

This story really has two parts: 1) The scribes and the chief priests were angry with Jesus and wanted to punish him. Because they were afraid of how the people might react, they employed others to trip up Jesus.

2) The bad actors were unable to trip up Jesus. Instead, they marveled at his answers.

This is a story I have heard many times. Two famous cases in my lifetime are Josh McDowell and Lee Strobel. Both men were skeptics who wanted to put to rest the story of Jesus. So, they dug into the text to prove Jesus wrong. However, in both cases, the more they researched, the more they marveled. Finally, rather than silence Jesus, they both surrendered to Jesus as Lord.

I do not doubt that similar stories could be told by scores of people. Some battles are clearly not worth undertaking. In some 2000 years, Jesus has not been successfully silenced. Though some likely anticipate that he may be silenced any day now, I will side with Jesus.

Father, please help me to stand firm in my faith. Help me never try to undermine Jesus. Amen.

Filed Under: devotional thoughts, Luke, New Testament

Luke 19:10

March 7, 2026 by Leave a Comment

“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” (Luke 19:10)

What a beautiful purpose statement: to seek and save the lost. That’s what Jesus did for me.

The context of this statement is the story of Zacchaeus, the diminutive tax collector. The shock, possibly scandal of a tax collector being forgiven of his sins, precipitated this declaration.

I can imagine that onlookers had the spirit that tax collectors were beyond salvation. The reason I can imagine that is that it is what I still do. This hard spot in my heart is revealed at moments I don’t expect; just like it was last week. I was subbing in a class at a “difficult” school. When I entered, two boys were huddled on the floor near the Chromebook cabinet with their devices tethered to the charging cords.

These kids were dirty, had bad haircuts, dressed in tattered clothes, and were out of place. I consider myself pretty good at interacting with kids from all backgrounds, but God helped me see that there is still some work to be done in my heart.

As the day progressed, I had several interactions with one of the boys; the other was out of the class most of the day for behavioral counseling or academic help. I had repeatedly corrected my one friend who was struggling to stay on task. He kept talking with the kids near his new workstation. He kept switching tabs on his device to look at dragons. He couldn’t find the required paragraph to complete his assignment. It was one thing, then another.

Finally, enough was enough. I told him he had to return to his desk, which was in a pod with other kids. He didn’t want to be with them, and they didn’t want to be with him. He figured out a compromise, and the next thing I knew, he was sitting at a table with me.

Again, I think I am objectively good at interacting with kids from every economic, social, and ethnic background. But the critical spirit can hide undetected deep in the heart. After he sat down beside me, he seemed to lock in on his work. I noticed how unbelievably dirty he was. Head to toe. Finger tip to finger tip. I recalled about 10 minutes earlier when he sneezed a big blob of goo on his hand, then discreetly ate it. Even while having a pleasant conversation with him, my mind was making note of all the things “wrong” with him.

I stopped chatting with him because he was locked in on his work, and I wanted him to stay locked in. He couldn’t abide the silence, though, and started humming, then softly singing “Jesus loves me, He who died, / Heaven’s gate to open wide. / He will wash away my sin, / Let His little child come in.”

Admittedly (and to my shame!), I was surprised such a “troubled” kid would know that song. I asked, “Where do you know that song from?” He answered matter-of-factly, “church.” “You go to church?” I asked with shock, but carefully spoken so as not to reveal the judgmental spirit that had just surfaced from a dark spot in my heart.

He eventually told me he goes to Freeway Church, which is a ministry that I love, love, love! I have had several students from Freeway, and they were always among my best, most dedicated students. Freeway is a ministry for folks who have been incarcerated and/or struggle with addiction. And this kid, singing Jesus Loves Me, was a fruit of Freeway. Hallelujah!

In the very best way and with the greatest respect, I describe Freeway as a bit of an old-fashioned, hard-preaching, repent and be saved ministry. They offer tremendous community for walking through life post-incarceration and post-addiction or on the way to post-addiction. And they believe “The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

I must have been red-faced as I realized the judgmental spirit that I had toward that kid. I must have been like those folks around Zacchaeus, thinking he was too far gone.

Father, thank you for rescuing sinners, me included, regardless of the package they come in. Please forgive me for focusing so intently on the external package of this particular kid and for letting me hear those glorious words “Jesus Loves Me.” Thank you for this lesson. Please help me genuinely learn from it.

Filed Under: conversion, devotional thoughts, forgiveness, heart matters, humility, Jesus Said, Life in Christ, Luke, New Testament
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