Learning from Luke 3-6

3:1-38 - John’s message came from ‘God’ (2). He did not begin with love. He preached about sin and divine judgment, warning his hearers to ‘flee from the wrath to come’ (7). He called for ‘repentance’ (3,8). This was not what people wanted to hear. Before we can rejoice in the Good News concerning salvation, we must recognize our sin and our need of salvation. John prepared the way for Jesus. ‘All have sinned’, ‘The wages of sin is death’ – This is the ‘bad news; which prepares us to receive, with joyful thanksgiving, ‘the Good News’: ‘the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord’ (Romans 3:23; 6:23). Like John, we are to point to Jesus, God’s ‘beloved Son’ : Before ‘Adam’ was, He is. Pray that the ‘Holy Spirit’ will bring people to Christ (22,38; 8:58).

4:1-30 - Jesus was ‘tempted by the devil’ (2). He was rejected by His enemies (28-29). When we look around us, we see nothing but temptations and rejection – What a negative way of looking at things! There is something more positive here – the presence of the Holy Spirit (1,14,18). Do not be afraid. There is no need to be discouraged. We need not be defeated. The temptations may be many. The opposition may be fierce. We can ‘pass through the midst of them’ (30): ‘God did not give us a spirit of timidity but a spirit of power and love and self-control’ (2 Timothy 1:7). Satan is persistent – They did not rest until they had crucified Him. Faced with such opposition, we – like Jesus – must walk in the Spirit (Ephesians 6:12,17-18).

4:31-5:11 - ‘His Word was with power’ (32). Where there are hindrances, obstructing the flow of God’s Word, we must pray that God’s Word will be heard for ‘what it really is’ – ‘not the word of men but the Word of God’ (1 Thessalonians 2:13). Our hearing of God’s Word is not to be a superficial thing – Here, the people of Capernaum ‘tried to keep Him from leaving them’ (42). Later, Jesus said, ‘You, Capernaum… shall be thrust down to hell’ (10:15). We must hear the Word of God and act on it (1,3). We may feel, ‘it’s a waste of time’. We must be obedient to God: ‘at Your Word I will let down the nets’ (5). We are to be ‘partners’ in the Lord’s work (7): ‘workers together with God’ (2 Corinthians 6:1). All the glory belongs to the Lord: We are ‘sinful’ – Through His grace, we can win others for Him (8,10).

5:12-32 - ‘You can make me clean… I will; be clean’ (12-13). Look at Christ’s death for you – Can you doubt His desire to save you? Look at His resurrection – Can you doubt His power to save you? The Lord ‘desires all people to be saved’ (1 Timothy 2:4). We are saved through ‘the Gospel’ which ‘is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith’ (Romans 1:16). Jesus can save. Jesus will save. ‘The power of the Lord’ (17) is available to all: ‘Whoever wishes’ may ‘come’ and receive ‘the free gift’ of salvation (Revelation 22:17). To each one, Jesus says, ‘Follow Me’ (27). We must not think of ourselves as ‘righteous’. Each one must come as a ‘sinner’ to Jesus, the Saviour of sinners (32). Through prayer, the Lord’s saving power can be released among us (16-17; John 14:13-14; 1 John 5:14-15).

5:33-6:16 - There is such a difference between the ‘old’ legalism and the ‘new’ life in the Spirit (36-39; Romans 8:2-4). The question, asked in verse 2, springs from the dead hardness of strict legalistic religion. Christ is Lord (5) – not the ‘Pharisees’. They try to control people’s lives. With their kill-joy attitude, they only succeed in making everybody miserable – like themselves! The ‘old’ needs to be ‘crucified’, so that the ‘new’ can be born in us (Romans 6:6; 2 Corinthians 5:17). Some say, ‘I don’t need to be born again’. Jesus disagrees (John 3:3). Disciples, Apostles (13): We learn everything from Jesus – nothing from the ‘Pharisees’! We are sent out by Christ for Christ – not by the Pharisees to spread Pharisaiam! God is interested in names (14-16): ‘rejoice that your names are written in heaven’ (10:21).

6:17-49 - Four thoughts from Jesus’ ‘sermon’: (a) Hunger for God (21; Matthew 5:6): Laziness leads to superficial Christianity. Do not hunger and you will not be ‘filled with the Spirit’ (Ephesians 5:18). Do not seek and you will not find (Matthew 7:7). Seek the Lord with all your heart (Jeremiah 29:13). God has so much for us (1 Corinthians 2:12). Don’t miss out (2 Corinthians 9:6). (b) Love for God: Love is the greatest thing in the world. Our love for God is to be seen in our love for others (27; 1 John 3:16-17). (c) Vision of God: The blind cannot lead the blind (39-42). Make sure you are not ‘blind and short-sighted’ (2 Peter 1:9). Run with the vision – Others will be blessed (Habakkuk 2:2). (d) Foundations in God: Make sure you are ‘rooted’ in Christ, our sure ‘Foundation’ (43-49; Ephesians 3:17; 2:19-22).