The Good News according to Luke, chapter 20
To: 38,033 subscribers we pray ‘God is making Temples of His Spirit’, 8/1/22, God’s 5th month, Av, 4, 5,782, (Day 2 until sunset.)
When Jesus first sent His disciples on missions, He commanded they take no provisions, He was present and protecting. (Luke 22:35-38; “Later Jesus said to them, “When I sent you out with no money bag, or traveler’s bag, or sandals, you didn’t lack anything, did you?” They replied, “Nothing.” He said to them, “But now, the one who has a money bag must take it and likewise a traveler’s bag too. And the one who has no sword must sell his cloak and buy one. For I tell you that this scripture must be fulfilled in Me, ‘And He was counted with the transgressors.’ (Quote from Isaiah 53:12) For what is written about Me is being fulfilled. So, they said, “Look, Lord, here are two swords.” Then He told them, “It is enough.”) Jesus would die as a criminal, on a stake between two. When Jesus sent them out at first they were under His supernatural guidance and protection, but later as the likes of Jesus’ apostle Paul went out they had people’s help, we should go out prepared. Jesus’ principle of counting the cost applies in this age.
(Luke 22:39-46; “Then Jesus went out and made His way, as He customarily did, to the Mount of Olives and the disciples followed Him. When He came to the place, He said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.” He went away from them about a stone’s throw, knelt down and prayed, “Father, if You are willing, take this cup away from Me. Yet not My will but Yours be done.” (Then an angel from heaven appeared to Jesus and strengthened Him. And in Jesus’ anguish He prayed more earnestly, and His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. When Jesus got up from prayer, He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, exhausted from grief. So, Jesus said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you will not fall into temptation!”) Twice in these verses Jesus said, “pray that you not fall into temptation.” That too should be our concerns. Temptations comes from two fronts. (1) Our own fleshly instinctive nature wants its own way, which is naturally the way of get. (2) Satan is always on the prowl, wanting to deceive and tempt us to succumb to his devices. (See 1Pet 5:8) and Paul explains our opposition in Galatians.
(Gal 5:15-26; “However, if you continually bite and devour one another, beware that you are not consumed by one another. But I say, live by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh. For the flesh has desires that are opposed to the Spirit, and the Spirit has desire, that are opposed to the flesh, for these are in opposition to each other, so that you cannot do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, depravity, idolatry, sorcery, hostilities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish rivalries, dissensions, factions, envying, murder, drunkenness, carousing, and similar things. I am warning you, as I had warned you before: Those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God! (Compare this Galatian verse to Rev 21:8 and verses 22-26; But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also behave in accordance with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, being jealous of one another.”) Now back to Luke.
Remember it’s the 14th day of God’s first month, likely before midnight. The next sunset begins God’s first annual Sabbath of the year. These times don’t fall on particular days of a week.
(Luke 22:47-53; “While Jesus was still speaking, suddenly a crowd appeared and the man named Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He walked up to Jesus to kiss Him. But Jesus said to him, “Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?” When those who were around Jesus saw what was about to happen, they said, “Lord, should we use our swords?” Then one of them struck the high priest’s slave, cutting off his right ear. But Jesus said, “Enough of this!” And He touched the man’s ear and healed him. Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple guard, and the elders who had come out to get Him, “Have you come out with swords and clubs like you would against an outlaw? Day after day when I was with you in the temple courts, you did not arrest Me. But this is your hour, and that of the power of darkness!”)
Imagine Jesus having the mind to heal at such an hour. (The chief priest and supporters could only see Jesus as a disruptive man on a mission to dilute their power over people. What we need to understand is that all these things were preplanned. Jesus the Creator and Son of God preplanned the shedding of His own blood for the remission of sin. Jesus’ apostle Paul was blessed to understand and share Jesus’ deity as John did, at John 1:1-5.)
(Colossians 1:15-20; “Jesus is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation, for all things in heaven and on earth were created by Him – all things, whether visible or invisible, whether thrones or dominions, whether principalities or powers – all things were created through Him and for Him. Jesus Himself is before all things and all things are held together in Him. He is the head of the body, the church, as well as the beginning, the firstborn from among the dead, so that He Himself may become first in all things. For God (the Father) was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in the Son and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself by making peace through the blood of His cross – through Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven.”) Hebrews chapter 1: teaches the same and one day all the world will know this truth.)
While Jesus was praying; “not Mine but His Father’s will be done” His apostles were tired and sleeping. It was the time of His Passover, the 14th day of God’s first month. Earlier in the evening Jesus had set the new covenant precedent for honoring Him on His Passover. (He’s the Believer’s Passover. By His stripes we’re healed, by believing IN Him as He manifest Himself to be, we’re saved from eternal death to eternal life. (Study Isaiah 53, for this study’s purpose see verses 4-7.
(“But He lifted up our illnesses, He carried our pain; even though we thought He was being punished, attacked by God, and afflicted for something He had done. He was wounded because of our rebellious deeds, crushed because of our sins; He endured punishment that made us well; because of His wounds we have been healed. All of us had wandered off like sheep; each of us had strayed off on His own path, but the Lord caused the sin of all of us to attack Him. He was treated harshly and afflicted, but He did not even open His mouth. Like a lamb led to the slaughtering block, like a sheep silent before her shearers, He did not even open His mouth.”)
Jesus’ apostle Peter knew Isaiah 53: and shares his understanding. (1Peter 2:20-25; “For what credit is it if you sin and are mistreated and endure it? But if you do good, suffer, and so endure, this finds favor with God. For to this you were called, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving an example for you to follow in His steps. He committed no sin nor was deceit found in His mouth. When He was maligned, He did not answer back; when He suffered, He threatened no retaliation, but committed Himself to God who judges justly. He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, that we may cease from sinning and live for righteousness. By His wounds you were healed. For you were going astray like sheep but now you, (followers of Jesus) have turned back to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.”) Again, it was all preplanned.
(Matthew 26:26-30; “While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after giving thanks He broke it, gave it to His disciples, and said, “Take, eat, this is My body.” And after taking the cup and giving thanks, Jesus gave it to them, saying, “Drink from, (this cup) all of you, for this is My blood, the blood of the covenant, that is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you from now on I will not drink of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.” After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.”) (Keeping Jesus’ Passover represents belief IN Jesus’ Godly life, and shedding His blood for the remission of sin. It’s believing IN what Jesus accomplished by sacrificing His life blood; it’s only through Jesus’ sacrificing His life blood for many that sinners are saved from eternal death.)
Jesus came back to Jerusalem for the purpose of keeping His Passover, “this particular 14th day of His first month.” Jesus knew Judas was conspiring to aid the high priest in arresting Him.
(Luke 22:54-62; “Then they arrested Jesus, led Him away, and brought Him into the high priest’s house. But Peter was following at a distance. When they had made a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat down among them. Then a slave girl, seeing Peter as he sat in the firelight, stared at him, and said, “This man was with Jesus too!” But Peter denied it: “Woman, I don’t know Him!” Then a little later someone else saw Peter and said, “You are one of them too.” But Peter said, “Man, I am not!” And after about an hour still another insisted, “Certainly this man was with Him, because he too is a Galilean.” But Peter said, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” At that moment, while Peter was still speaking, a rooster crowed. Then the Lord turned and looked straight at Peter, and Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, “Before a rooster crows, today you will (have) denied Me three times.” And Peter went outside and wept bitterly.”) Remember, Peter was not yet a believer IN because Jesus had not yet opened his mind.
(Luke 22:63-71; “Now the men who were holding Jesus under guard began to mock Him and beat Him. They blindfolded Him and asked Him repeatedly, “Prophesy! Who hit You?” They also said many other things against Him, reviling Him. (It’s after sunset the 14th) When day came, the council of the elders of the people gathered together, both the chief priests and the experts in the law. Then they led Jesus away to their council and said, “If you are the Christ, tell us.” But Jesus said to them, “If I tell you, you will not believe, and if I ask you, you will not answer. But from now on the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God.” So, they all said, “Are you the Son of God, then?” He answered them, “You say that I am.” Then they said, “Why do we need further testimony? We have heard it ourselves from His own lips!”) (The 14th of God’s 1st month started before their Passover meal. The first annual Sabbath was coming up and Jesus would be entombed before that sunset beginning the 15th and be in the tomb thorough the 17th.