Draw near to God and He will draw near to you
. . . no sign will be given to [this generation] but the sign of Jonah the prophet; for just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. Matthew 12:39-40
Jesus used words in a way that both revealed and concealed his meaning. When asked for a sign, he referred to himself in the third person as “the Son of Man.” He did not say he would be crucified and laid in a tomb, but that he would be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. Nor did he mention his resurrection even though it is implied in the short span of time that he would be under ground. read more…
Now when all the people were baptized, Jesus was also baptized, and while He was praying, heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came out of heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased.” Luke 3:21-11
INTRO: This last week I read the story of the flood and realized we had to return to Luke 3
Jesus’ baptism deserves a closer look
– Peter saw a correspondence between the Genesis flood and baptism (1 Pe. 3:20-21)
– the flood gave the earth a good bathing – it washed away human corruption
Think of the Earth after the flood as a “sterile field”
– it could have remained disinfected if God had not spared Noah and his family, because they carried in their hearts the germ of human corruption read more…
Draw near to God and He will draw near to you
Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit. . . The good man brings out of his good treasure what is good; and the evil man brings out of his evil treasure what is evil. Matthew 12:33, 35
First of all, let’s be clear regarding the people who had critized Jesus. They were “good people” in terms of their devotion to God and the Scriptures (v. 24). When it came to following God’s commandments, they were the best. How is it that these upright and deeply religious people could say evil things about Jesus? read more…
Now when all the people were baptized, Jesus was also bapized, and while He was praying, heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came out of heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased.” Luke 3:21-22 (read entire chapter)
INTRO: From the end of chapter 2, the story jumps ahead, skipping eighteen years of Jesus’ early life
Verses 1-3 give us the geopolitical setting for John’s story
These names of people and places are like vectors that help us locate the story in its historical and cultural context
– a hierarchical and oppressive system and at all levels in the service of Rome
Luke isn’t writing a history as we think of it–that is to say, he isn’t marking a point on a “time line”
– he’s telling a story, so his concern is not a date, but what this situation means to the characters
– in verses 19-20 we will see how politics affect John the Baptist
Draw near to God and He will draw near to you
Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute was brought to Jesus, and He healed him, so that the mute man spoke and saw. Matthew 12:22
In this story we meet one of the many anonymous characters that appear in the gospel. In this instance, a man who was blinded and silenced by demon-possession was brought to Jesus. It is beautiful to see how people had learned to take their problems and hardships to Jesus–even the most severe cases. read more…
And He said to them, “Why is it that you were looking for Me? Did you not know that I had to be in My Fathers house?” Luke 2:49 (read 2:21-52)
INTRO: For many years, my parents had a stable Sunday routine
We would go to church, go out to lunch with other families, swing by the store for the Sunday paper on our way home, nap, and then return to church for the evening service
– the predictability of a routine can be boring, but it can also comforting
– if our weekdays are chaotic, then falling back into a routine on the weekend helps to restore our sanity
One Sunday Dad pulled up to the front of the grocery store and I jumped out as usual read more…
Draw near to God and He will draw near to you
He will not quarrel, nor cry out;
Nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets.
A battered reed He will not break off,
And a smoldering wick He wil not put out,
Until He leads justice to victory.
And in His name the Gentiles will hope. Matthew 12:19-21
Some dreams we carry in our soul are most likely shared by everyone; for example, to enjoy the companionship of friends and spouse, improve our life situation, be loved and respected, live securely and free from suffering, and so on. But for millions of people, sickness, injury, mental instability, oppressive circumstances, or chronic pain frustrate those dreams and place them out of reach. read more…
Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:10-11 (read verses 1-20)
INTRO: Let me say this just once this year:
I do not like the direction that our culture herds us at Christmas time
For example, there is the television commercial that lists all the important things a husband should tell his wife
– then we’re told that the way to communicate these things is with a gift of diamonds
I not only resent being told how I am supposed to express myself (let alone the cost of diamonds), but also the idea that a thing given can substitute for the words we need to say to each other and the deeds we need to perform for each other
– I think that too frequently we are trying to buy with gifts the affection we are too lazy to earn through our undying devotion read more…
Because of the tender mercy of our God,
With which the Sunrise from on high will visit us,
To shine upon those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death,
To guide our feet into the way of peace. Luke 1:78-79 (read vv. 57-80)
INTRO: A day or two after our most recent grandson was added to the clan, I went to see him
When I asked the baby’s name, my son-in-law began to explain how he came up with “Indy”
– he got it from the movie character, Indiana Jones–only Sid didn’t care for “Indiana,” but he liked the nickname Indy
– my daughter, who was lying on her side gently stroking her fourth child, said with a sigh of resignation, “That was our deal. I got to name the girls and Sid got to name the boys.” read more…
Draw near to God and He will draw near to you
But if you had known what this means, “I desire compassion, and not a sacrifice,” you would not have condemned the innocent. Matthew 12:7
Jesus protected his disciples from unnecessary spiritual abuse. The Pharisees had passed judgment on the disciples for doing something that was “not lawful to do on a Sabbath” (v. 2). Jesus responded with two questions that took them back to the Scriptures–both begin with, “Have you not read . . .?”–and then with three statements. read more…
Daily Meditations From the Scriptures