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Reading the Gospels in 2026: (6/10) Luke 24:36-52

Jun10

A five-day-per-week study

June 10 – Luke 24:36-52

Read and Believe in Jesus

“It is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His name to all nations beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.” Luke 24:46b-48

The Gospel according to Luke.

REVIEW – Jesus, in His “resurrected body disguise,” joined two disciples as they walked to Emmaus from Jerusalem after Passover week. They were astounded that this man didn’t know all the amazing things that had happened there, and told Him. Jesus then explained how all those things fulfilled the prophesies about the Messiah in the Scriptures. The two were amazed and said that “their hearts burned.” Jesus accepted their invitation to stay at their home, and when He took the bread, broke it, and gave it to them …. they suddenly recognized him as their Master. At that moment Jesus disappeared. The two rushed back to Jerusalem to tell the apostles.

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Luke 24:36-43.

Meanwhile, back in Jerusalem, the apostles and disciples were hearing and rejoicing at Simon Peter’s account of seeing Jesus himself. The two from Emmaus arrived and told their story. And there was great rejoicing.

As they were talking, encouraging each other, Jesus suddenly appeared among them. “Peace to you,” He immediately said, for they were frightened, thinking He was a ghost!

“Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? See my hands and feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see, for a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.”

(We may laugh at them, but seriously! How would YOU feel if Jesus in resurrected flesh was suddenly behind you while you read this on your phone or tablet? You would be wide-eyed. You would gasp. Your heart might start pounding. I know that’s how “I” would feel.)

Jesus then held out His nail-printed hands and showed his scarred feet. Surely they could see the healed wounds the crown of thorns made on his forehead. Yes, it was Jesus! Yes, He had risen as He said! But oh, how absolutely amazing and astounding it was to actually SEE Him. They looked and touched, wide-eyed and trembling. They saw Jesus but still “disbelieved for joy.”

(You know how that is. Sometimes something is SO amazing, we might say, “Wow! Unbelievable! I can’t believe I saw that!” That’s the attitude they had.)

Smiling at their amazement and joy, Jesus sought further proof to show them, and asked for some food. Surely ghosts don’t EAT! They gave Jesus a piece of boiled fish, and He ate it. Oh, how they watched wide-eyed as He bit, chewed, and swallowed.

(I can even see Him open His mouth and stick out His tongue to show that the fish had actually been swallowed!! Ha-ha)

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Luke 24:44-49.

Then, as He had done with the two on the road to Emmaus, Jesus told them that “Everything written about Me in 1) the Law of Moses, 2) the Prophets, and 3) the Psalms (the whole Old Testament) must be fulfilled.” Then Jesus did a wonderful thing. He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. Often, when He had taught the crowds, He told His disciples that they wouldn’t understand it all “then,” but they would later. NOW was that time.

(Can you imagine how it would be to totally understand and “see” Jesus throughout the Bible? We study and learn some, but to have instant understanding! Wow. Of course, these men (and women) would need that knowledge, as well as the Holy Spirit in them, to begin preaching the Gospel to all the world.)

Then Jesus states clearly the Gospel that is to be preached to all nations. “That Christ (Messiah) should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His name.” This message would first be preached in Jerusalem and then spread to the whole world.

Jesus also promised that He would “clothe them with the power” they would need for the task. The Holy Spirit of God would soon come upon them. They were to wait in the city until this happened. (40 days later, on Pentecost)

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Luke 24:50-53,

Their clear task before them; the promise of power soon to be fulfilled; it was time for Jesus to return to Glory, to the Father, to the place of honor from which he had come 33 earth-years earlier. From there, He would send the Holy Spirit. And there He would intercede for them when the Tempter tried to prevail. And from there He would welcome them home when they were martyred for His name’s sake.

Jesus led them out as far as Bethany on the easter slope of the Mount of Olives. He lifted up His hands in a final blessing on them. And as He did, He parted from them and was carried up into heaven.”

Like we would, they continued to stare in amazement into heaven at the last tiny spot they had seen Jesus. Then they worshiped Him (in praise and prayer). They returned to the Holy City with great joy, and were in the temple continually blessing God.

Hallelujah!!

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Luke omits some incidents and words that the other Gospels include after the Resurrection and goes straight to the glorious point of Jesus’ ascension.

As we study John next, we will see Jesus in those precious moments with Mary Magdalene in the garden, with “doubting” Thomas, who then proclaimed Him as “My Lord and my God”, with 500 disciples at one time in Galilee, and with the disciples beside the Sea, when Peter humbly said three times that he DOES love Jesus.

Matthew ends with the Great Commission and Jesus’ promise, “I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Reading the Gospels in 2026: (5/25) Luke 21:20-37

May25

A 5-day per week study

Read and Believe in Jesus

“But stay awake at all times, praying….” Luke 21:36

The Gospel according to Luke.

REVIEW – Jesus commended the offering of a poor widow while condemning the ruthlessness of the scribes for “devouring widows’ houses.” Then Jesus told about the signs of the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D., which also mingle with events of the great tribulation.

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Vss. 21:21:24.

Jesus foretells the dark future of Jerusalem, both in 70 A.D. and when the final “abomination of desolation” comes in the end times. It will be a horrible time for the Jews. Titus introduced the “times of the Gentiles” with his destruction of Jerusalem and the carrying away of millions of Jewish slaves. It begins a time when Israel is temporarily set aside. It is also a time of grace for Gentiles who believe and trust in Jesus. They will be “grafted into the stock of Israel. These “times” will end when Jesus returns with power and establishes the promised Millennial Kingdom on earth.

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Vss. 21:25-28.

Signs in the sun, moon, and stars, as well as distress and perplexity on earth, are signs of Jesus’ second coming. People will faint with fear and foreboding of what is coming on the world.

(Sounds like these days we are living in, right?)

But Jesus tells the faithful that when they begin to see these things take place… “straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” (They will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.)

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Vss. 21:29-36.

Jesus then gives an example of the fig tree. (Actually, all trees). When they see trees begin to leaf out, they KNOW that summer is near. So also, when they see the signs Jesus spoke about, they will KNOW that His coming is about to happen.

Indeed, Jesus says, “Truly, I say to you, THIS generation (the one who sees these signs) will not pass away until all has taken place.

(Could this be OUR generation?)

Did His listeners look at Him (and the great stones of the temple) and feel skeptical? Jesus responds. “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will NOT pass away.”

Jesus then gives a stern warning to them … and to us …

“Watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. (For it WILL come upon ALL who dwell on the face of the WHOLE earth!) “But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have STRENGTH to escape all these things that are going to take place and to stand before the Son of Man.”

How did the people who heard Him react to these words? Probably like people today, when we tell them that Jesus is coming soon, and to prepare! Come to Jesus and be saved!

Did they shrug and think, “Oh, that can’t happen in my lifetime. That’s way far off. I have things to do … places to go… people to see… I’ll think of this another time.”

Oh, LORD, save us!

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Vss. 21:37-38.

“Every day, He was teaching in the temple. (Jesus will remind the Jewish leaders of this when they arrest Him.)

“But at night, He went out and lodged on the Mount of Olives.

Then every morning, early, Jesus went to the temple. And all the people came to hear Him teach.

(And the ruthless Jewish leaders’ hands were tied. But the “people” didn’t stop their murderous intentions, as they supposed. It was God, the Father, who was perfectly orchestrating everything. Jesus, the Lamb of God, would die at Passover. And His blood applied to all who believed and obeyed would save them (and us) from death. Eternal death.

Thank You, Jesus.

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(I use the 2010 MacArthur Study Bible, English Standard Version, for my studies.)

Reading the Gospels in 2026: (5/22) Luke 21:1-19.

May22

A 5-day per week study.

Read and believe in Jesus.

“…you will be brought before kings and governors for My name’s sake. This will be your opportunity to bear witness.”  Luke 21:12b-13

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The Gospel according to Luke 

Review – While Jesus taught at the Temple, the Sadducees, Pharisees, and others tried to trick Him with their questions. But His answers stumped them, and when He asked THEM a question, they silently went away,

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Vss. 21:1-4.

At the end of chapter 20, Jesus warned the people to beware of the ways of the scribes (Pharisees), because, among other ridiculous things, they “..devour widows’ houses..” This was a practice in which pious religious leaders would visit newly widowed and vulnerable women and persuade them to give all their inherited possessions to the “religious community.” It would be a “donation to God,” and “what their husbands would have wanted.” This usually left the new widows bankrupt, and the temple coffers bulging. Jesus hated the practice of “devouring widows’ houses.”

Now, it seems that when Jesus lifted His eyes, there, in front of them, was just such a desperately poor widow. (Righteous anger for her must have burned in Him for what those scribes had done. But for the woman, herself, noting but love and tenderness and admiration.

As this widow dropped two tiny copper coins into the temple offering box (ALL that she had, says Mark 12:42), Jesus commended her. “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them (the rich). For they all contributed out of their ABUNDANCE, but she out of her POVERTY, put in all she had to live on.”

(This makes me feel convicted. When I drop 10% or even 20% into the offering box, I often feel so “righteous.” But I would be giving out of “my abundance.” LORD, help me to be generous (even till it hurts) with all You’ve given me!”)

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Vss. 21:5-6.

While Jesus continued to sit in the temple courtyard, watching the people with His disciples, He heard a comment about how beautiful the temple was and how it was adorned with noble stones and decorations (donations from the wealthy). And although this temple was not as grand as Solomon’s, Herod had done a pretty amazing job at renovating the old one. It was almost gaudy-beautiful.

Still, Jesus knew its future was less than 40 years….

“As for these things that you see, the days will come when there will not be left here one stone upon another that will ot be thrown down.”

Shocking words. It would be like someone saying this about the U.S. Capitol Building or the White House. Unimaginable. Still, the God of the universe knew everything from eternity past to eternity future, and Jesus spoke the truth.

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Vss. 21:7-19.

Horrified, the disciples and people around Jesus wanted to know WHEN this would happen and WHAT the warning signs of imminent destruction would be.

Jesus listed a few “signs of the times,” mingling the horrors of 40 A.D. and Titus’ destruction of Jerusalem, with the signs of the Great Tribulation, still future to us.

  1. Many would come, claiming to be the Messiah.
  2. They would hear of wars and tumults.
  3. Nations fighting nations would be common.
  4. Earthquakes would be everywhere.
  5. Famines and plagues (viruses) would come.
  6. Terrible signs in the sky would appear.
  7. Severe persecution would come.
  8. Family betrayals unto death would be common.
  9. Martyrdom.

Then Jesus says some amazing words that speak to a believer’s ETERNAL SECURITY even in the face of martyrdom.

“But not a hair of your head will PERISH. By your endurance, you will GAIN your lives.

John 10:28-29 makes this even clearer. “I (Jesus) give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.”

True believers are double-protected, in the hands of Christ underneath, and the hands of God Almighty above. Completely covered and protected FOR ETERNITY, though we may suffer loss and death in the horrific times to come (as many Jews did in 40 A.D.).

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(I use the 2010 MacArthur Study Bible, English Standard Version, for my studies.)

Reading the Gospels in 2026: (5/21) Luke 20:21-47.

May21

A 5-day per week study.

Read and believe in Jesus.

“They were not able in the presence of the people to catch Him in what He said, but marveling at His answers, they became silent.”  Luke 20:26

The Gospel according to Luke 

Review – In the temple, Jesus taught and told a parable that infuriated the religious leaders. A vineyard owner, his tenants, his servants, and his son are all in the story. THEY know it’s about their faulty oversight of Israel. And they hate Jesus even more.

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Vss. 20:21-26.

After that scathing parable, the Jewish leaders tried even harder to catch Jesus. They sent “spies” who seemed “honest” but who asked Him controversial questions in hopes Jesus would say something indictable.

#1. The first was so obvious.

“Teacher, we know that you speak and teach rightly, and show no partiality, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful for us to give tribute to Caesar, or not?”

(In other words, should godly people pay taxes to an ungodly government. (A good question for today, too.)

Of course, Jesus saw right through their craftiness. “Show me a denarius. (They did.) “Whose likeness and inscription does it have?”

They knew, but they looked anyway. “Caesar’s.”

“Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

(And the first set of spies left, defeated and silent.)

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Vss. 20:27-

#2. The second came from a delegation of Sadducees (or chief priests), who did NOT believe in a bodily resurrection. (This made them … Sad, you see!)

‘Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies, having a wife but no children, the man must take the widow and raise up offspring for his brother.”

This WAS a provision given by Moses to help carry on the line of ownership for Israel in a new land. It was not compulsory, but a single brother sharing an estate might be looked down upon if he refused to do this for his brother’s line. (See Deuteronomy 25:5-10)

But these Sadducees carried the example to absurdity, suggesting that this poor widow went through seven brothers without producing an heir, leaving them all dead. (We might call her a “black widow!”) “In the resurrection (if there IS one) whose wife would she be?” they asked, believing they’d “caught” Jesus.

You can almost see Jesus rolling His eyes. Matthew’s account begins with Jesus correcting them, “You are wrong because you know neither the scriptures nor the power of God.” Here, in Luke, Jesus merely explains that there is no marriage in the resurrection. Those who have attained heaven are equal to angels. There is also no death, because God is the God of the living, and all the resurrected live in Him.

The Sadducees were stumped. But some of the scribes (Pharisees, who did believe in bodily resurrection) thought Jesus had “spoken well.” And they no longer tried to trick Him with their questions.

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Vss. 20 41-47.

But Jesus had a question of His own, one that left them speechless, fearful of answering either way.

“How can they say that the Christ (Messiah) is David’s son? For David himself says in the book of Psalms, (110:1) ‘The LORD said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.’ “David thus calls ‘LORD,’ so how is He his son?“

Then Jesus, in the hearing of ALL the people, said to His disciples, “Beware of the scribes (Pharisees), who like to walk around in long robes, and love greetings in the marketplaces and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.“

This is not the first time Jesus warned His disciples about the Pharisees – not the men themselves, but their hypocrisy – teaching extreme righteousness but acting entirely differently.

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(I use the 2010 MacArthur Study Bible, English Standard Version, for my studies.)

Reading the Gospels in 2026: (5/20) Luke 20:1-20.

May20

A 5-day per week study.

Read and believe in Jesus.

“Tell us, by what authority do you do these things… who gave you this authority?”  Luke 20:2

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The Gospel according to Luke 

Review – Jesus rode triumphant into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday to the cheers of the crowds and wild expectations of His disciples … and the terror of the religious leaders. He cleansed the Temple and then taught there, and the temple authorities could do NOTHING against Him….yet.

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Vss. 20:1-8.

Smarting at having lost all their income from the marketplace in the Temple courtyard, these three groups of religious leaders accosted Jesus while He was teaching and preaching the gospel … in that very Temple courtyard.

“WHAT authority do you have to do this? WHO gave you this authority? They said, fists on hips, evil in their eyes.

“I’ll ask YOU a question,” said Jesus calmly. “Was the baptism of John from heaven (God) or from man?

The accusers muttered among themselves, seeing that Jesus had them over a barrel. No matter which way they answered His question, they were in trouble. So … “We do not know where it came from,” they finally spat out.

Jesus knew their dilemma. If they said John’s ministry was God-given, then the question was, why didn’t they heed it? If they said it was by John’s own doing, the people would attempt to stone them because they believed (rightly) that John was a prophet of God.

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Vss, 20 9-15.

Jesus then tells a parable to those religious leaders (about themselves – would they understand?) The people around Jesus also listened intently.

“A man planted a vineyard…”

Right away, the song in Isaiah 5:1-7 must have come to mind, at least to these teachers of the Law. It is the story of Israel portrayed as a vineyard. The men (and maybe the general people) would know what this story was going to be about.

A vineyard = Israel. But who are the characters? Jesus would make that plain.

In Jesus’s parable, He tells of the landowner (representing God) going to a far country for a long while, leaving his vineyard in the care of the tenant farmers.

(Who, but the Jewish leaders, could be represented by the tenants? THEY knew, and so did the people listening to the parable.)

Jesus continues. Harvest time came, and the landowner sent his servant to collect the crop (money earned). But these tenants beat up the servant and sent him away empty-handed.

The landowner sent another servant, perhaps a more forceful one, but the greedy tenants treated him shamefully and sent him packing as well.

The landowner sent a third servant to collect his due. The now-confident tenants wounded him and threw him out without the landowners’ wages.

These servants the landowner sent represented the prophets God sent to Israel, hoping to turn them from their wicked ways and give Him the worship due to Him. Often, the religious leaders in Israel’s history disregarded and often tortured and killed God’s prophets.

Was the crowd around Jesus “getting the picture?”

Jesus continued, “Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.” WHO but Jesus Himself was Jesus portraying?

But the murderous tenants threw the son out of the vineyard and killed him, believing that now the vineyard would be THEIRS.

Did Jesus gaze at those religious leaders standing around? Of course, He knew their murderous hearts, plotting HOW they might catch Him and kill Him.

Jesus asks a question to the people and those religious leaders, “What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? His answer shocked them.

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Vss. 20:16-20.

Jesus said forcefully, “He will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others!”

Whoa, did that ever cause a reaction!

“SURELY NOT!” Exclaimed the crowd. Yes, they understood very well what Jesus was saying. Israel without their priests and teachers!

But Jesus quotes from Psalm 118:22 and Isaiah 8:13-15. HE was the “stone” that the builders rejected. But HE would become the Cornerstone of the new order.

“The one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces.” And, “When this stone falls on anyone, it will crush him.” Whether a vase falls on a rock or a rock falls on a vase, the result is the same. Both those who are not interested in Christ and those who hate Him… the result is the same. They will be crushed.

Okay, the scribes and chief priests knew that Jesus told this parable against them.

They sought to lay hands on Jesus that very hour, but … they feared the people. So they watched Him. And they sent spies who pretended to be sincere to “catch Him” in something He said. They wanted to deliver Jesus up to the authority and jurisdiction of the governor (Pilate).

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In tomorrow’s reading, we will see some of these attempts by quasi-sincere questioners. Jesus knows. He always gets the better of them.

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(I use the 2010 MacArthur Study Bible, English Standard Version, for my studies.)

Reading the Gospels in 2026: (5/19) Luke 19:28-48.

May19

A 5-day per week study.

Read and believe in Jesus.

“Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!”  Luke

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The Gospel according to Luke 

Review – Jesus told a parable about a nobleman, his servants, and his citizens, that, if the disciples and religious leaders were truly listening, would have explained just how and when Jesus would set up His Kingdom on earth. It would be in the future, not during the coming Passover in Jerusalem, which the disciples eagerly anticipated and the religious leaders desperately wanted to prevent.

Today’s lesson would ramp up the disciples’ hopes and terrorize the religious leaders.

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Vss. 28-35.

After telling the parable, Jesus left Jericho and traveled up the road towards Jerusalem. When He came to Bethphage and Bethany on the Eastern brow of the Mount of Olives, He sent two of the disciples on a mission.

“Go into the village in front of you, where, upon entering, you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say this: ‘The Lord has need of it.'”

The two disciples went into the village, found the colt, and answered the questioning owner just as Jesus told them. They brought the young donkey to Jesus, threw their cloaks on its back, and set Jesus on it.

(Now this was a miracle in itself. If you have ever been around horses or donkeys, you know that an unbroken animal would not stand still as a person perched on its back, but would shy away and even buck. AND, besides that, flapping cloaks thrown over its back would have totally spooked it. — BUT, this was Jesus. This young donkey was as chosen for this task as the disciples were for the ministry He had for them. Like the wind and sea, the colt knew its Creator. Perhaps it even knew its destiny to carry the King of the Jews into the Holy City, NOT for coronation, but for execution.)

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Vss. 36-40.

As Jesus rode along the descending Mount of Olives, over the Kidron Brook, and then into the City of God, the growing crowd spread their cloaks on the road. The other Gospels tell of them cutting palm branches and waving them before Jesus, calling “Hosannah.”

Luke tells us Jesus’ disciples really got “into” the rejoicing too. YES!! THIS WAS IT! JESUS WOULD NOW DECLARE HIMSELF KING!

They and the crowds began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice, for all the mighty works they had seen, saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”

And Jesus allowed it. He WAS their King, but His time to set up the kingdom was not now. He had to “go away” for a time, just as the nobleman did in yesterday’s parable. But the day would come when He would return to set up His kingdom.

Some of the Pharisees in the crowd, in a panic, called to Jesus. “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”

But Jesus answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.” This was a strong claim to deity, and perhaps reflected Habakkuk 2:11.

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Vss. 41-44.

Luke is the only one who recorded Jesus weeping over Jerusalem at this point. They had been calling out, “peace and glory,” but Jesus longed for them to know what/who could truly bring them peace. “But now, the things are hidden from your eyes.”

Then (and WERE THEY LISTENING??) Jesus foretold of the time in less than 40 years, when “enemies would set up a barricade around the city and tear down its walls to the ground, not leaving one stone upon another.” Why would this happen? Because Jerusalem and her people did NOT recognize their Messiah. Not a king to ruin Rome, but a Messiah to rule their hearts in righteousness. No wonder Jesus wept.

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Vss. 45-48.

Later, with the donkey returned, Jesus is drawn to the Temple, His Father’s House, the place where Israel was “supposed” to meet with their God. Instead, the courtyard is again filled with noise, filth, and buying and selling, with no sense of holiness or worship. Yes, it is Passover, and lambs needed to be purchased. The temple tax was due, and coins of other lands needed to be exchanged for shekels. BUT, in the House of the Living God???

Jesus began to drive out those who sold, crying, “It is written, ‘My house shall be a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a den of robbers!“

Then, with it cleansed, Jesus came there daily to teach. And the people were all hanging on His words.

But the chief priests (Sadducees, rulers of the temple), scribes (Pharisees, experts in the law and traditions), and the principal men of the people (prominent Jewish laymen with influence in temple affairs) were seeking to destroy Him. And although Jesus was now in the very heart of the opposition … they did not find anything they could do.

(I use the 2010 MacArthur Study Bible, English Standard Version, for my studies.)

Reading the Gospels in 2026: (4/29) Luke 13:22-35

Apr29

A 5-day per week study.

April 29 – Reading Luke 13:22-35

Read and believe in Jesus.

“Lord, will those who are saved be few?”  Luke 13:23

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The Gospel according to Luke 

Review – Do natural disasters mean God’s judgment? Jesus answers. He then gives three parables – the barren fig tree, the mustard seed and birds, and “good” leaven making soft, raised bread.

Then a woman afflicted for 18 years by a disabling spirit was healed …. on the Sabbath. Ah-oh!

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Vss. 13:22.

Luke reminds us readers that Jesus is still ultimately heading towards Jerusalem and His death.  The fact that he is vague about specific destinations (“through towns and villages”) is probably because Jesus has moved His ministry eastward to the other side of the Jordan River in Perea.  (See Matthew 19:1, Mark 10:1, and John 10:40.)

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Vss. 13:23-30.

Perhaps seeing the dwindling crowds following Jesus in Perea, or because of Jesus’ recent strong teaching about repentance, someone in the people following called out a question.

“Lord, will those who are saved be few?”***

As Jesus continues, we see that it is probable this man was a religious leader and a Jew confident in his place in the Kingdom.  Jesus confirms the man’s question with a roundabout answer.

“Strive to enter through the narrow door. For MANY, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able to.

“Once the master of the house has shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock, saying, ‘Lord, open to us,’ then He will answer you, ‘I do not know where you come from.’

“Then you’ll say, ‘We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets…’ But He will say, ‘I do not know where you come from.  Get out of here, all you workers of iniquity!!’

(Here’s where it’s confirmed that Jesus was talking to an important Jewish man, who thought that because he “kept” all the rules, he was assured a place in the kingdom.)

“There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets in the Kingdom of God, but YOU YOURSELVES cast out!  Many (gentiles) will come from east and west, and from north and south, and recline at the table in the Kingdom of God.

“Behold, some are last (the Gentiles) who will be first, and some are first (the Jews) who will be last.”

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***A reminder: After His resurrection, there were only 500 gathered to see Him in Galilee, and some of them doubted. And in the upper room at Pentecost, there were only 120 believers.  Few indeed from the great thousands who followed Jesus.

(So what does that mean for me?  Am I a true believer? Have I entered through the ‘narrow door’?  Jesus later told His disciples, “No man comes to the Father except by Me.”  Am I trusting fully in Jesus’ righteousness to cover my sin? Am I following and obeying Him as Lord of my life?

2 Peter 1:10 encourages us “to make our calling and election sure.”

Philippians 2:12:  Paul tells believers in Philippi to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.”

But gives this encouragement from Philippians 1:6. “And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”)

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Vss. 13:31-35.

A Pharisee came to Jesus and said, “Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.”

Herod ruled Perea as well as Galilee. Perhaps the Pharisee wanted Jesus back in Judea, where THEY had jurisdiction over Him.

(I love Jesus’ answer to this threat [from both Herod and the Pharisees].)

“Go tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I finish my course.”

Jesus was following His own time schedule. His “hour” was coming, and Jesus knew exactly the time on the clock and the date on the calendar.  No one could force Him earlier or later.  Especially not King Herod.

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Then, Jesus turns His heart and mind toward Jerusalem, beginning with a proverb of the day,

“’It cannot be that a prophet should perish away from Jerusalem.’”

(Most Old Testament prophets were martyred at the hands of the Jewish people, not by foreign enemies. This underscores that the purpose of Jesus’ relentless journey to Jerusalem WAS to die.)

And then Jesus continues,

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it. How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings!  And you WOULD NOT.”

Jesus desired foremost that His people would return to Him. To embrace their promised Messiah. To believe in Him and be saved.  But alas, FEW did. And the Gospel would be taken to the Gentiles after Pentecost.

But, there will be a day when “all Israel will be saved.”

Paul writes this in Romans 11:25-26b, 28-31

“I want you to understand this mystery, brothers,

A partial hardening has come upon Israel,

Until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.

And in this way, all Israel will be saved.”

“As regards the gospel,

They are enemies of God for your sake.

But as regards election,

They are beloved for the sake of their forefathers.

For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.

 

And from Zechariah 12:10, 13:1

“And I will pour out on the house of David,

And the inhabitants of Jerusalem,

A spirit of grace and pleas for mercy

So that, when they look on me,

On Him whom they have pierced,

They shall mourn for Him….

On that day, there shall be

A fountain opened for the house of David

And the inhabitants of Jerusalem,

To cleanse them from sin and uncleanness.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reading the Gospels in 2026: (4/28) Luke 13:1-21

Apr28

A 5-day per week study.

April 28 – Reading Luke 13:1-21

Read and believe in Jesus.

“Ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan bound for 18 years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath Day?”  Luke 13:16

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The Gospel according to Luke 

Review – Jesus told the crowd that they knew the signs of upcoming weather: a cloud in the west means rain, wind from the south means heat …. but they didn’t know the signs of Jesus’ coming.  Get prepared!

Vss. 13:1-9.

Do political persecution and natural disasters indicate judgment by God?  Does this mean people who suffer in this way are MORE sinful and deserve to experience violent deaths?

Yes and no.  It could.  God sometimes brought destruction on wicked sinners.

But Jesus told His questioners that these victims (of Pilate’s anger, and a faulty tower) were NOT more sinful.  And THESE “pious” tattlers were not morally superior to have escaped such fates.  And, in fact, if THEY did not repent, they would also perish.

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Jesus then told them a parable about a barren fig tree (picturing Israel, which lacked all fruit of righteousness). After three years with no fruit, the “owner” wanted to cut it down, saying, “Why should it use up the ground?”

(This could have pictured the years Jesus had been ministering among them. There were some who honestly believed, but the majority of Israel were rejecting Him.)

The gardener pleaded for the tree. “Let me dig around it and put on manure this year. Then, if it should bear fruit next year, well and good! But if not, then cut it down.”

(Jesus’ life and death, and glorious resurrection, plus the apostles’ preaching at Pentecost and beyond, represented the “digging and fertilizing” year. But for the most part, Israel still rejected their Messiah.  And, in less than 40 years, Jerusalem and its temple would be destroyed, and the Jews taken captive into Roman slavery.  The “barren fig tree” would be cut down. But…a stump would remain, guarding living roots.)

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Vss. 13:19-21.

Skip the incident of the women in the synagogue for now, and go to two more of Jesus’s parables, which seem to connect with the fig tree (representing Israel) parable.

Jesus here compares the Kingdom of God to a grain of mustard seed, which a farmer plants. It grows tall enough that birds can safely build nests (and raise their young) in it.

The second parable is similar. A woman (perhaps, the farmer’s wife) takes some leaven (yeast) and works it into “measures” of flour in order to bake some nice, soft bread.

The small mustard seed and the leaven (in this case, NOT representing sin, but a good baking ingredient) both grow and influence for good.

These parables illustrate 1) the inclusion of Gentiles in the Kingdom of God (the birds) and 2) the unstoppable pervasiveness of the Kingdom of God (or the Gospel) in the world (like leaven in the dough).

Yes, Israel would reject their Messiah, but this would open the doors for the Gospel to spread to ALL peoples of the world.  PRAISE GOD!

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Vss. 13:10-17.

Jesus is back in a synagogue on Sabbath Day, teaching as He normally does.

There was a crippled woman also in attendance. She had been “bent over from the waist” for EIGHTEEN YEARS!   A “disabling spirit from Satan” had caused this.

The woman was quiet, probably resigned to her permanently bowed state.  She did not come forward to ask Jesus to heal her. She did not try to touch the “hem of His garment.”

But Jesus saw her.

He called her to Him.

He said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your disability.”

And He laid his hands on her.

Immediately, she was made to stand straight, AND SHE GLORIFIED GOD.

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BUT, the ruler of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the people, “There are six days in which work ought to be done. Come on THOSE DAYS and be healed, and NOT on the Sabbath Day.”

It had probably NOT been the woman’s intention to come for healing. She was probably worshiping and listening to the teaching as the others were.  JESUS had called HER over.

This hypocrisy infuriated Jesus, and He lashed out at them, perhaps pointing an accusing finger.

“You hypocrites!  Does not each of YOU on the Sabbath untie his ox or donkey from the manger and lead it away to water it?  Ought not THIS WOMAN, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan bound for 18 years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?

(In other words, was she (a Jew, like them) not better than their animals?)

Of course, when He said this, all those accusing “adversaries” were put to shame (and angered all the more).

However, all the people REJOICED at all the glorious things that were done by Jesus.

 

 

 

 

Reading the Gospels in 2026: (4/27) Luke 12:49-59

Apr27

A 5-day per week study.

April 27 – Reading Luke 12:49-59

Read and believe in Jesus.

“Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, but rather division.”  Luke 12:51

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The Gospel according to Luke 

Review – Jesus talked about being prepared with their lamps burning, ready for His return in power and glory. He told His disciples to be faithful in working for His Kingdom until He comes.

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Vss. 12:49-53.

Here, Jesus opens with two surprising statements:

“I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled.”

and,

“Do you think I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.”

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Jesus has set His face “like flint” towards the cross, although He is dreading it. (He’s already told his disciples about this twice.)

He’s seen and preached against the hypocrisy of the Jewish leadership and the temporal greed and self-concern of the crowd.  He probably wants to shake the people and tell them to “wake up!” Judgment is coming!”

He warns of conflict, not peace, when someone in a household hears and trusts in Him. Divisions will arise between believers and non-believers. Lines will be drawn. Persecution and perhaps denouncing will happen.

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Vss. 54-56.

“When you see a cloud rising in the west, you know a shower is coming.”

“When you see the south wind blowing, you know it will be hot.

Jesus tells them to WAKE UP!  They know the signs of approaching weather, but they can’t discern the spiritual signs of the times.  Judgment is coming, can’t they see that?

(Perhaps Jesus would say this to us today, too. ‘Can’t you see the day of My return approaching?  Look around you, read My scriptures. Get ready!  Be prepared!’)

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Vss. 57-59.

Perhaps Jesus is thinking about the man who earlier called out for Him to settle an inheritance dispute between him and his brother.

Why don’t you judge between yourselves what is right? Seek reconciliation even if it means self-sacrifice.  Settle before you get to court, or the magistrate may sentence you to something you will not like.

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(In this whole section, Jesus seems to be saying, “C’mon, you guys!  Get serious! Recognize the times. Get right, and live right. Judgment is coming.”

Appropriate for today too.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reading the Gospels in 2026: (4/24) Luke 12:35-48

Apr24

A 5-day per week study.

April 24 – Reading Luke 12:35-48

Read and believe in Jesus.

“You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”  Luke 12:40.

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The Gospel according to Luke

Review –

Jesus talked about anxiety, what we worry about, and told us to seek and store our “treasures” in Heaven, and not on earth in the material “things” of the here and now.

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Vss. 12:35-40.

From Jesus’ last admonition to “Sell your possessions, give to the needy, and provide yourselves with treasure in Heaven,” where He seems to tell them to free themselves from the pull of earthly possessions, He now urges His listeners toward further preparedness for Christ’s return.

“Stay dressed for action!”

“Keep your lamps burning!”

“Be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once!”

And… “Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes.”

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Vss. 12:41-48.

Peter, the spokesman for the disciples, asks a question that you and I are probably wondering too.

“Lord, are You telling this parable for us or for all?”

Good question, but Jesus does not answer it fully.  He sort of implies that these admonitions are for unbelievers, especially the ones to whom much had been given.

Jesus then compares three “managers” or chief servants of the Master.  (Those in leadership?)

  1. The faithful and wise one, whom the Master will find doing what He commanded before He left, will be rewarded plentifully.
  2. The lazy and cruel one who knew the Master’s will but did not do it. Instead, he beat the other servants and indulged in eating, drinking, and getting drunk. This one will be “rewarded” with a severe beating.
  3. And lastly, the servant who had not heard and did not know the Master’s will. He still deserved punishment, but received a light beating.

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(NOTE: Yes, the Bible teaches that there will be varying degrees of punishment in hell.  See Matthew 10:15, 11:22 & 24, Mark 6:11, and Hebrews 10:29)

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Jesus ended this teaching (perhaps peering into the faces of the people and Jewish leaders around Him) by saying,

“Everyone to whom much is given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrust much, they will demand the more.”