Luke Bible Study, Day 30
Today’s passage: Luke 18:1 to Luke 19:27
Focus verse:“Everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled.” (Luke 18:31)
Jesus knows he’ll die soon. He pulls his twelve disciples aside for a private lesson. He tells them plainly what will happen. But this isn’t the first time he does this. It’s the third.
The first occurs after Peter boldly proclaims that Jesus is the Messiah, sent from God. Peter affirms Jesus’s pedigree and his mission. Not only does Peter get it right, but the other disciples hear him. Now they all know.
How this must encourage Jesus. Finally, his disciples are beginning to understand who he is and what he’ll do. This is a fitting time for him to be direct and explain things in detail.
Right after Peter proclaims Jesus as the Messiah, Jesus explains what will happen. “I’ll suffer much, the religious leaders will reject me, and I’ll be killed. But three days later I’ll come back to life.”
Luke doesn’t record the disciples’ reactions to this shocking news. Perhaps it’s because they don’t react. Maybe Jesus’s words are so foreign to them that they don’t know what to make of it or what to say. So they say nothing.
The second time Jesus brings up the subject happens a few days later. He’s just healed a boy with an evil spirit, and the people marvel at God’s power.
His disciples are likely in awe too. Jesus turns to them. “Listen up,” he says. “I have something important to tell you. I’m going to be betrayed and handed over to the authorities for execution.”
They still don’t get it, but they’re afraid to ask what he means.
Having tried twice—and failed—to let his disciples know what will happen, Jesus gives it a third try. Surely they’ll understand now. They must. He’s running out of time.
“We’re going to Jerusalem,” he says. “Everything the prophets say about me will happen. The authorities will do terrible things to me, and I’ll die. Three days later I’ll come alive again.”
The disciples shake their heads. They have no idea what he means, as if he’s talking nonsense. It’s not that the disciples are stupid. They know what the Scriptures say about the coming Messiah.
They should be able to understand, but they don’t. They can’t connect the dots.
How this must discourage Jesus. He’s spent three years with them. And this is the third time he’s told them he’s going to die. They still don’t get it.
Maybe they aren’t ready after all.
Questions:
- When we receive a new spiritual insight, how many times do we need to hear it before it sinks in?
- When we don’t understand something about God, do we dismiss it or strive to find clarity?
[Discover more about the other two times Jesus predicted his death in Luke 9:22 and Luke 9:44–45.]
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Read more about the book of Luke in Dear Theophilus: A 40-Day Devotional Exploring the Life of Jesus through the Gospel of Luke, now available in ebook, paperback, and hardcover.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront a status quo faith and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
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