A 5-day per week study.
April 9 – Reading Luke 9:1-20
Read and believe in Jesus.
“Who do you say that I am?” “The Christ of God.” Luke 9:20
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The Gospel according to Luke 9:1-20
Review – In the last study, two “daughters” are restored to “life” by Jesus. Jairus’ 12-year-old daughter and the woman who had a blood flow issue for 12 years. Both were unnamed, but both were loved and healed by Jesus.
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Vss. 1-6.
The TWELVE, whom Jesus has called “apostles,” have been watching and listening to Jesus’s teaching. They heard him preach the message of the Kingdom and saw countless miracles and healings. It’s now their turn to “practice,” if you will.
Jesus gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases.
He also gave them the principles of “living by faith.”
- Take nothing for your journey, no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money, nor two tunics.
- Stay in the first house that receives you for as long as you minister in that town.
- Wherever they don’t receive you, shake the dust of that town off your feet (as a judgment) and leave.
And they obeyed, going through the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.
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Vss. 7-9.
Luke gives us a little “aside” here. King Herod heard all that was happening (from the many reports circulating about Jesus), and he was perplexed. Who WAS this??
Remember, at the whim of his adulterous wife and her daughter, Herod had been tricked into beheading John the Baptist, whom he considered a righteous man. Evidently, he was feeling massive guilt, fear, and condemnation, so much so that he feared John had returned from the dead and was preaching again … and now doing miracles!
Herod wanted above all else to see this miracle worker.
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Vss. 10-11.
All four Gospel accounts tell the miracle of the feeding of 5,000+ people. Luke’s account of the miracle is brief, but accurate.
First, the Twelve disciples return from their short-term Gospel ministry to nearby towns and villages. Jesus took them away to Bethsaida to let them share how it went and to ask questions. But the crowds learned where they were going and followed Him.
He welcomed them and spoke of the kingdom of God. He also cured those in need of healing.
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Vss. 12-19.
Finally, at sundown, the Twelve came to Jesus and said, “Send the crowd away to go into the surrounding villages and countryside to find lodging and get provisions. This is a desolate place.”
You are probably familiar with what happened next.
- “YOU give them something to eat,” said Jesus.
- “WE have no more than five loaves and two fish – unless we are to go and BUY food for all these people.”
- “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty.”
- They obeyed.
- “Tell them all to sit down.”
- They did.
- Jesus took the loaves and fish in hand, looked to heaven, blessed them, broke them up, and gave the pieces to the disciples to distribute.
- All ate and were full.
- The Twelve went around picking up the leftovers. There were twelve small baskets of broken pieces… a simple supper for the disciples.
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Vss. 18-20.
Later, or perhaps at another time, while they were alone and Jesus was praying, He asked them a question.
- “Who do the crowds say that I am?”
- (They’d probably heard lots of speculation in that 5,000+ crowd as they passed around the food.)
- “Some said ‘John the Baptist’.”
- “Others said, ‘Elijah’.”
- “And others said, ‘one of the prophets of old has risen’.”
- “But who do YOU say that I am?”
- Peter answered for them, “The Christ (Messiah) of God.”
Jesus strictly charged and commanded them to tell this to no one. (We’ll find out why tomorrow.)
Morning Meditations 