Reaction to the word

Luke 9:7-27

In 1914, Ernest Shackleton set out to cross Antarctica

with a crew of twenty‑seven men.

Before they ever touched land, their ship — Endurance — got trapped in ice. For ten months the ice was slowly crushing the ship like a toy until it finally sank beneath their feet. -

There they stood: No ship. No radio. No rescue coming. Temperatures far below zero.

Twenty‑eight men looked to Shackleton. He didn’t deny the danger. He simply took responsibility for every life under his care. He vowed, “Not one man will be lost.” He slept near the coldest men, carried the heaviest loads, kept morale alive, and made the hardest decisions himself.

Eventually they reached Elephant Island. Shackleton hand‑picked five men, climbed into a tiny open boat,

and sailed 800 miles through hurricane seas to get help.

Weeks later he returned — and counted them. Every man alive. Not one lost.

Jesus said the same thing. On the night He was arrested, He stepped forward and said, “If you seek Me, let these go their way.” John tells us why:

John 18:9 LSB

in order that the word which He spoke would be fulfilled, “Of those whom You have given Me, I lost not one.”

We will read Yeshua’s say later in Luke “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost.”

Paul experienced the same thing in Acts 27. In a deadly storm, an angel told him,

Acts 27:34 LSB

“Therefore I encourage you to take some food, for this is for your salvation, for not a hair from the head of any of you will perish.”

When they were in danger of sinking and fearful of death, Paul was sharing the gospel and they reacted in fear of God.

And today our world feels like a sinking ship. But Jesus says, “You may lose relationships and possessions, but if you believe Me I’ll bring you home.

So why does He wait?

2 Peter 3:9 LSB

The Lord is not slow about His promise, [His coming] as some consider slowness, but is patient toward you, not willing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.

Ever since Luke 8 Yeshua has been referring to the authority and power of the word. And last week we saw He sent them out to the house of Israel to preach the kingdom of God which is essentially “the word was dwelling with them”. If they were rejected it, they were to shake the dust off their feet and move on.

So the power and authority of His word continues and yet the reaction varies! And I noticed four different reactions. Verse 7

Luke 9:7–11 LSB

Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was happening, and he was greatly perplexed, because it was said by some that John had risen from the dead, and by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the prophets of old had risen again.

Luke 9:7–11 LSB

9 And Herod said, “I myself had John beheaded, but who is this man about whom I hear such things?” And he kept trying to see Him.

Jot these down - Reaction to His word #1: Showing Curiosity

Herod Antipas was a ruler or tetrarch over Galilee and Perea, one fourth of Israel; the regions where most of Jesus’ ministry took place. He was assigned when his father Herod the Great died. Antipas heard what Jesus was doing and was perplexed. Rumors were flying Some said JTB had risen from the dead. Some said it was Elijah because according to Malachi 4 -that prophesies “Elijah will come before the coming of the great and awesome day of Yahweh”. Jesus will later confirm JTB came in the spirit of Elijah So Herod said, “I beheaded John… who is this man?” And he kept trying to see Jesus. He respected Jewish customs when politically convenient. I suspect it’s why he enjoyed listening to John the Baptist and was hesitant to kill him…

So Herod had a window of opportunity. Later Herod’s nephew, Herod Agrippa I, accused Antipas of plotting against Rome and Caesar Caligula believed Agrippa and back then any sign of betrayal was taken seriously. Half of our government would be executed today! But Antipas ended up exiled to Gaul, [France today] and stripped of his power and wealth.

So showing Curiosity is good — but it must lead to surrender. And hopefully he did later.

2nd reaction to His word: Encountering Epiphany - what does that mean? A surprising realization or insight that we witness. Vs 10

Luke 9:10–11 LSB

10 And when the apostles returned, they recounted to Him all that they had done. Taking them with Him, He slipped away by Himself to a city called Bethsaida. 11 But when the crowds became aware of this, they followed Him; and welcoming them, He began speaking to them about the kingdom of God and curing those who had need of healing

So the apostles returned excited but exhausted. Mark 6 adds they didn’t even have time to eat. It’s a parenthetical note by Mark.

Mark 6:31–32 LSB

“Come away by yourselves to a desolate [desert] place and rest a while.” (For there were many people coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.) And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves.

When Jesus said, “Come away and rest.” It was music to their ears. But this is where the epiphany happens in ministry. Expect the unexpected!

We call them divine appointments today not hinderances!

So the guys were excited but up ahead was a huge crowd looking for Yeshua so they had an idea

Luke 9:12–17 LSB

12 Now the day was ending, and the twelve came and said to Him, “Send the crowd away, that they may go into the surrounding villages and countryside and obtain lodging and find provisions, for here we are in a desolate place.”

But Yeshua turn this suggestion on them! Verse 13

Luke 9:12–17 LSB

13 “You give them something to eat!” And they said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless perhaps we go and buy food for all these people.”

I can see their reaction - eyes bugging out and hearts pumping!

Luke 9:12–17 LSB

14 (For there were about five thousand men.) And He said to His disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.” 15 And they did so, and had them all sit down.

So much for resting [they thought] -now they’re scurrying, worrying, and stressing about trying to feed a massive crowd essentially the size of Cottage Grove!

So I can just see Yeshua, a great teacher, watching them reacting to His word, so after watching He decides to jump in and help them organize things.

John 6 states Andrew and Phillip found a boy with five barley loaves & two fish & presented this meager portion to Yeshua.

Meanwhile, the other disciples were getting everyone seated along with women and children on the grass! The epiphany is about to come! Verse 16

Luke 9:12–17 LSB

16 Then He took the five loaves and the two fish,[their lack] and looking up to heaven, He blessed them. And He broke them and kept giving them to the disciples to set before the crowd. 17 And they all ate and were satisfied; [satiated] and the broken pieces which they had left over were picked up, twelve baskets full.

Note that each disciple got a basket of bread and we learn that Jesus can take our lack and multiply it! This miracle showed Yeshua’s divine authority.

What's the lesson here? we might say a quick prayer or serve somewhere in the church thinking its nothing but Jesus can satiate souls with what little we offer!

The epiphany: Real rest isn’t the absence of work — it’s Jesus multiplying what we lack.

When I was sent up here, I didn’t feel ready at all but Jesus told me in essence “Jeff, give Cottage Grove something to eat”. I excused my lack of experience, bible training, knowledge and ability to start a church, let alone lead a ministry, yet He’s been feeding people here for 28 years, birthing two healthy churches and those who moved away continue to flourish.

Quit waiting until you feel comfortably educated — just give people what you’ve got.

First reaction to His word: Showing Curiosity

Reaction #2: Encountering Epiphany. Jesus multiplies what we place in His hands.

Reaction #3: Recognizing His Divinity - Jesus took them to Caesarea Philippi — a beautiful but spiritually dark place.

At the base of Mt. Hermon stood a massive rock with a cave.

This is where the Greek god Pan was worshiped. [Maybe you see similarities with “Peter Pan”]

People believed the god Pan lured children and wanderers into that cave — called “Gate of Hades.” It was an entrance to the underworld, and they meant it!!

Spirits or likely demons came and went through it - this was how ancient parents warn their kids “Don’t go near the cliff.” “Don’t talk to strangers.” “Don’t wander into the woods alone.”

It wasn’t about Pan hunting children. It was about children being drawn toward danger. So the idea of Pan “drawing” people was tied to the belief that the cave itself was a threshold between worlds. Remember that as Jesus speaks to Peter.

After some prayer on his own, Jesus asks this question against this backdrop. Verse 18

Luke 9:18–22 LSB

18 And it happened that while He was praying alone, the disciples were with Him, and He questioned them, saying, “Who do the crowds say that I am?”

Please note He prayed alone. This is an important practice for all of us. Group prayer is vital but personal prayer is a privilege we should all make time for.

But after praying He comes to them with a teaching moment. What’s the scuttlebutt? What’s the talk of Me around the water cooler? “Who do men say that I am?”

Luke 9:18–22 LSB

19 And they answered and said, “John the Baptist, and others say Elijah, but others, that one of the prophets of old has risen again.” 20 And He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” And Peter answered and said, “The Christ of God.”

Matthew offers more detail...let’s read from Matt 16:16-19

Matthew 16:16–19 LSB

And Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, [son of Jonah] because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.

Matthew 16:16–19 LSB

“And I also say to you that you are Peter, [petros - stone] and upon this rock [Petra - massive rock - revelation of Christ] I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.”

And standing in front of the cave of Pan, Jesus declared: “The gates of Hades will not prevail.” If you know He is the Christ you won’t wander or enter toward spiritual danger!

You see, the Mormons believe Jesus progressed to godhood, [flesh & blood] Muslims say Jesus is not divine or the Son of God, [flesh & blood] JW’s claim He was created and not equal with God, [flesh & blood] In the church some will claim he was a radical like John the Baptist who rebukes the establishment and cited the KJ bible, Elijah or like Moses to help us keep the law. [flesh and blood] - No! the law drove us to Christ, not so we could keep but so he could fulfill it and make us righteous!

Flesh and blood cannot answer this correctly. Jesus is always demoted from divinity. But Jesus is not like God—He is God. and He asks us “who do you say that I am?”

The keys of the kingdom are not some Catholic Hierarchy. Yeshua is still building the church, not Pope Peter or Peter Pan. So what are the keys of the kingdom?

Loosing people free with the gospel, and those who refuse remain bound in their sin. So as Christians we have the keys of the kingdom to set loose the wandering children of disobedience free from bondage!! Those are the keys of the kingdom!

Luke 9:21–22 LSB

But He warned them and directed them not to tell this to anyone, saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed and be raised up on the third day.”

This was the first time Yeshua plainly predicts His suffering, death, and resurrection. The disciples didn’t get it just then but Yeshua will repeat Himself as that day draws near. Yet there are consistent pictures in the OT - Genesis 22, Passover, [Ex 13-14]; Psalm 22, Isaiah 53 ...Which explains the following verses.

Reaction #4: Revealing our new identity - I thank the Lord for His honesty because yes, God loves and treasures us and then delivers us but we often skip this part when sharing the gospel verse 23

Luke 9:23–27 LSB

And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it.

Rome designed the cross to crush one’s identity long before it killed him.

So Jesus said we must also suffer, die and live a resurrected life by His word. - it’s the narrow gate that leads to life.

This is impossible if we don’t know Jesus personally.

This is a tall order for the pride of man. We want the attention, fame and notoriety, take selfies, we want “likes” on our platforms

But Jesus says following Him means dying daily to self not biannually on Christmas and Easter.

Watch as Jesus plays out the “live‑for‑self game”. Verse 25

Luke 9:23–27 LSB

“For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself? [his own soul] “For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory, and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.

Those who may own a lot of stuff will be ashamed of Jesus and His gospel thus He will be ashamed of them when He returns. But Paul wrote to the Romans...

Romans 1:16 LSB

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first !

Many will do ministry, miracles, podcasts, and prophecy schools — Those celebrities in mega ministries getting wealthy off the people convinced that their failed prophecies didn’t matter, and those healings or exorcisms that dazzled the people will earn them no reward in heaven. But He will shock and horrify them on as Jesus says on that day, “I never knew you, DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’ .” Why? Because it was self promotion - they never died to self, they promoted using the name of Jesus.

Reaction #4: Revealing Our New Identity. We live by dying. We gain by losing. We follow by surrendering. Verse 27

Luke 9:23–27 LSB

27 “But I say to you truthfully, there are some of those standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.”

Remember the kingdom of God is the embodiment of Yeshua and next week we will see Peter, James and John get a glimpse.

[Worship Team]

When Jesus speaks, His word always demands a response. As we come to the table, we ask:

Am I just curious? - Am I resisting the unexpected? - Who do I say Jesus is? - Am I learning to die daily? - Am I ashamed of Him or His words?

And maybe after communion, you’d like to pray with someone or for someone. We would be happy to do that as we dismiss!