Luke 23:43

Verse of the Day Devotion.  Luke 23:43

“And He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.” – Luke 23:43

After the meeting with Pilate, Jesus was led out to be crucified. At some point, they forced a man, Simon of Cyrene, to take the cross from Christ and bear it for Him, for it appears that because of the brutality He had already suffered, He was unable to carry it any further.  During this journey, they were followed by many. “And there were following Him a great multitude of the people, and of women who were mourning and lamenting Him.” Luke 23:27.  The latter part of this verse indicates that, according to Luke, their following was due to sympathy, not curiosity. And once again the people’s positivity toward Jesus came forth. But Jesus’ response was no doubt surprising. “Daughters of Jerusalem, stop weeping for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For behold, the days are coming when they will say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed. Then they will begin TO SAY TO THE MOUNTAINS, ‘FALL ON US,’ AND TO THE HILLS, ‘COVER US.’ For if they do these things in the green tree, what will happen in the dry?” Luke 23:28-31. Jesus was telling them not to weep for Him, essentially because His purpose here would soon be completed. Even now at his crucifixion Luke portrayed Jesus not so much as the one judged but the Judge who was fully in control of the situation. Now, I found several ways to interpret the phrase, ‘For if they do these things in the green tree, what will happen in the dry?’ but this interpretation I believe is meant. “So long as the enemy at his incursion into a land spares the green wood, he will, perhaps, even refrain from destroying the dry; but if he does not even spare the fruitful, how should he not deny compassion to the unfruitful?” The general idea can be found in the book of Jeremiah. “For thus says the LORD, “Behold, those who were not sentenced to drink the cup will certainly drink it, and are you the one who will be completely acquitted? You will not be acquitted, but you will certainly drink it.” Jeremiah 49:12.

Now, we see here there were two others that were being crucified at the same time. “And two others also, who were criminals, were being led away to be put to death with Him.” Luke 23:32. These two were being punished for crimes they actually committed. It is here where we see a beautiful picture of the Grace of God. We see this in the following verse. “But Jesus was saying, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” And they cast lots, dividing up His garments among themselves.” Luke 23:34. It is here that He calls out to His Father asking Him to forgive those who crucified Him. Not only did they kill Him in a slow manner, but He was mocked as well.  “And the people stood by, looking on. And even the rulers were sneering at Him, saying, He saved others; let Him save Himself if this is the Christ of God, His Chosen One. And the soldiers also mocked Him, coming up to Him, offering Him sour wine, and saying, If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself! Now there was also an inscription above Him, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.” Luke 23:35-38. They mockingly stated, ‘You saved others, so save yourself.’ The said if He is the King of the Jews, use your power to save yourself.

And even one of the criminals was mocking Him. “Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!” Luke 23:40. But the other understood and made it plain to the other. “But the other answered, and rebuking him said, Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” Luke 23:40-41. The reply assumes the two criminals justly faced death due to their guilt. It was therefore not the time for hurling insults at one who was innocent but rather to seek God’s mercy. This criminal confessed his sins and acknowledged that he deserved to be punished. Such a confession is an integral part of repentance. In rebuking the other criminal, this one rejected the view that if Jesus were the Christ, he would save himself. Also, he acknowledged that Jesus did nothing wrong to deserve crucifixion.

Then the second criminal turns to Jesus and asked, “Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!” Luke 23:42. This man confessed His sin while the other simply mocked Jesus.  The second criminal understood his predicament and believed He needed forgiveness. He desired no instantaneous liberation from the cross, on which he on the contrary is convinced that he must die, but he desires solely and singly that our Lord through His grace may remember him and receive him into His kingdom. Undoubtedly he is thinking not of the heaven in which our Lord after His death would be, but the moment when the Messiah comes in His kingly glory to erect His kingdom upon earth, and desires that he then, awakened from the grave, may enter in with Him into the joy of his Lord. However, Jesus brings clarity to him in His answer. “And He said to him, Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.” Luke 23:42. The thief was thinking His being with the Lord would occur at a future time, but Jesus let him know that it would be right after He died that he will be with Him in paradise, essentially a place of great joy as was Eden before the fall.

In our focus verse, we see here the incredible grace offered to us by God. Just as the thief on the cross, we have all sinned and do not deserve eternity with a loving God. But just as the thief did, we need to understand our situation, repent of our sins, and live the remainder of our lives for Him.  Lets not be like the other who rejected the way set before us to be forgiven. He loves us all and wants us all to be saved. “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9. He wants us all to be saved and spend eternity with Him.  It is up to us to accept His invitation and make it happen.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries.

Luke 23:18

Verse of the Day Devotion. Luke 23:18

But they cried out altogether, saying, “Away with this man, and release for us Barabbas!” – Luke 23:18 

This verse addresses Pilate making a decision as to what to do about Jesus. And He presented this to the Chief Priests and rulers. “Then the whole body of them arose and brought Him before Pilate. And they began to accuse Him, saying, “We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, and saying that He Himself is Christ, a King.” And Pilate asked Him, saying, “Are You the King of the Jews?” And He answered him and said, “It is as you say.” And Pilate said to the chief priests and the multitudes, “I find no guilt in this man.” But they kept on insisting, saying, “He stirs up the people, teaching all over Judea, starting from Galilee, even as far as this place.” Luke 23:1-5. And then “You brought this man to me as one who incites the people to rebellion, and behold, having examined Him before you, I have found no guilt in this man regarding the charges which you make against Him. No, nor has Herod, for he sent Him back to us; and behold, nothing deserving death has been done by Him. I will therefore punish Him and release Him. Now he was obliged to release to them at the feast one prisoner.” Luke 23:14-17. Herod also saw Him, but he simply mocked Him. The chief priest and the Jewish leaders brought Jesus before them, and both found no fault in Jesus on the charges brought to them, especially anything involving the penalty of death.

And because Herod nor Pilot did not find Him guilty of any crime deserving death, Pilot did not want to kill Him, in fact, he wanted to release Him, according to the policy of releasing to them one prisoner at the feast of Passover. “I will therefore punish Him and release Him.” Luke 23:16. However, Pilot was shocked by their response. “But they cried out altogether, saying, away with this man, and release for us Barabbas!” Luke 23:18. Barabbas means ‘Son of Abbas’. Luke explained Barabbas was the very kind of person the chief priests, rulers, and people claimed Jesus to be, a revolutionary. There is a tragic irony here. Jesus came offering peace but was rejected in favor of a revolutionary who promoted murder. This verse foreshadows the tragedy of the Jewish revolt in A.D. 70, where ultimately the Temple was completely destroyed, with no stone left upon another. Luke portrays the choice available for Jesus’ opponents as a clear decision between good and evil; a holy, righteous man and a murderer; Jesus and Barabbas. And unfortunately, they chose evil. Three times Pilot asked them why, but all three times they called for His crucifixion. The one who deserved death was released because of the desire of the crowd, but the one whom Pilot and Herod declared innocent the crowd cried out to kill.

At the first of the week, there was a crowd in Jerusalem celebrating Jesus as the Messiah. However, by the next Friday, there was a crowd crying, ‘Crucify Him!’ This change of the city’s heart naturally causes questions. One thing to remember is that not everyone at the Triumphal Entry was celebrating the Lord. Most of the city was puzzled. “And when He had entered Jerusalem, all the city was stirred, saying, who is this?” Matthew 21:10. And the Jewish leaders were not pleased, “But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that He had done, and the children who were crying out in the temple and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David, they became indignant.” Matthew 21:15. If some people did join both crowds, they may have become disillusioned with Jesus when they discovered He was not going to set up the kingdom immediately, or perhaps they disliked Jesus’ insistence they repent. It’s quite possible the crowd gathered before Pilate at that early hour had been assembled and suborned by the Jewish leaders.

In the end, the thing we need to remember is that the crowd yelling ‘crucify Him’ was not what put Him on the cross. The fact that we sinned did that. We see this in Genesis where we read, “And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.” Genesis 3:15. It was on account of the original sin and how it was passed down from generation to generation, as well as God’s grace toward us. However, it is important to remember we must not put what we desire or deem true ahead of what God has told us was absolutely true. Throughout Jewish history, the coming of the Messiah was prophesied, but much of Judaism ignored it because it did not happen as they believed it would.  We must be careful we do not fall into the same trap, by believing it is not as I thought therefore it cannot be true. Truth is true no matter what we think.  Jesus only spoke and taught the truth.  We must not decide what is truth based on what we think, but on what God says.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries.

Luke 22:71

Verse of the Day Devotion.  Luke 22:71 

“And they said, what further need do we have of testimony? For we have heard it ourselves from His own mouth. – Luke 22:71 

This verse of the day speaks of Jesus before the Council of the Elders of the people. This group is also called the Sanhedrin. The elders were made up of both Chief Priests and Scribes. “And when it was day, the Council of elders of the people assembled, both chief priests and scribes, and they led Him away to their council chamber, saying, If You are the Christ, tell us. But He said to them, If I tell you, you will not believe.” Luke 22:66-67. This particular meeting was not assembled to seek the truth but to seek a reason to condemn Him. Once the elders were gathered where the Sanhedrin normally met, they led Jesus into this room for questioning.  Their first questions struck right at the heart of their search; how could they put Him to death?“ They brought in people to present testimonies, however, they were inconsistent. “For many were giving false testimony against Him, and yet their testimony was not consistent. And some stood up and began to give false testimony against Him, saying, We heard Him say, ‘I will destroy this temple made with hands, and in three days I will build another made without hands. And not even in this respect was their testimony consistent.” Mark 14:56-59. 

So, as we see, if they could not find a reason to kill Him, they would make a reason to kill Him. However, He was not answering their questions, for I believe He knew it would make no difference. Then, as we read in verse 67, they came right out and asked, “If You are the Christ, tell us. But He said to them, If I tell you, you will not believe; and if I ask a question, you will not answer.” Luke 22:67-68. However, He did not directly answer the question, for they would not believe Him anyway, and if He were to respond they would not address anything He said.

Then He responds to them but does not directly answer them. “But from now on THE SON OF MAN WILL BE SEATED AT THE RIGHT HAND of the power OF GOD.” Luke 22:69. Now Jesus points back to what was said at His transfiguration. “And behold, two men were talking with Him; and they were Moses and Elijah who, appearing in glory, were speaking of His departure which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.” Luke 9:30-31. This departure mentioned in the previous verse regarding Moses and Elijah would soon come to pass.  His work here to pay the penalty for the sins of all men would be accomplished in just a number of hours.

Now, Mark speaks the same words, but in a different order. Note how it is said. “But He kept silent and made no answer. Again the high priest was questioning Him, and saying to Him, “Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?” And Jesus said, “I am, and you shall see THE SON OF MAN SITTING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF POWER and COMING WITH THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN.” Mark 14:61-62. Mark says He tells them He is the Son of God and then they will see Him, whereas in Luke, He tells them they will see Him and then He answers them, telling them He is the Son of God. They both say the same thing but in a different way. However, what is significant is that when He does tell them who He is, as we read in Luke, “And they said, what further need do we have of testimony? For we have heard it ourselves from His own mouth.” Luke 22:71. As far as Jesus’ opponents were concerned, their purpose had now been achieved.  This therefore is how the accusation was presented to Pilot, yet the Sanhedrin’s condemnation of Jesus is less political than religious, for Jesus was found guilty after accepting the title “Son of God.”

Jesus gave everything to provide a way of salvation for us. And because of this, we need to stand as firm in our belief in who He is as He did in providing the way of escape for us. We must be willing to endure whatever comes our way as a witness to the truth of the gospel.  Being the light of Christ in a world that hates Him and us will be difficult, but it is the only way to fulfil His calling on our lives.  He gave it all, and we should as well.   

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries.

Luke 22:47

Verse of the Day Devotion.  Luke 22:47 

“While He was still speaking, behold, a multitude came, and the one called Judas, one of the twelve, was preceding them; and he approached Jesus to kiss Him.” – Luke 22:47 

This verse addresses the betrayal by one of His twelve disciples, Judas, that ended in the arrest of Jesus, and ultimately His death. First, lets go back a bit at the deal he made with the Chief Priests. “Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which is called the Passover, was approaching. And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how they might put Him to death; for they were afraid of the people.” Luke 22:1-2. The Jewish leadership believed that if Jesus continued with what He was doing, their positions of leadership may be minimized or forever abolished. This was not acceptable to them, so they were looking for ways to capture and then kill Him without angering the people.

Next, based on the next set of verses, Satan was working with the leadership. “And Satan entered into Judas who was called Iscariot, belonging to the number of the twelve. And he went away and discussed with the chief priests and officers how he might betray Him to them. And they were glad and agreed to give him money. And he consented and began seeking a good opportunity to betray Him to them apart from the multitude. Luke 22:3-6. Based on this verse, Judas was not a true follower of Christ, or in today’s vernacular, a Christian.  They can be influenced by them, but not possessed by them. But specifically regarding Judas, he continually did wrong for His own benefit. Here is one example. “But Judas Iscariot, one of His disciples, who was intending to betray Him, said, Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii, and given to poor people? Now he said this, not because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief, and as he had the money box, he used to pilfer what was put into it.” John 12:4-6. He would actually steal money from Jesus. And I would go on to say that Satan, using Judas’ body, worked out a deal with the chief priests.

Now, we come to our focus verse. “While He was still speaking, behold, a multitude came, and the one called Judas, one of the twelve, was preceding them; and he approached Jesus to kiss Him.” Luke 22:47. Now, it is important to understand why Judas would kiss Him. In the culture of first-century Israel, a kiss was not always a romantic expression of love; rather, a kiss on the cheek was a common greeting, a sign of deep respect, honor, and brotherly love. We see this in the writings of Peter, “Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace be to you all who are in Christ.” 1 Peter 5:14. The type of kiss mentioned here is considered a ‘holy kiss’ through much of the New Testament. Also, for a student who had great respect for his teacher, a kiss fell well within the healthy expression of honor.

However, what really stands out in the mode of Judas’s betrayal is that Judas used such an intimate expression of love and respect to betray Jesus. Judas’s actions were, without question, hypocritical to an extreme. His actions essentially said, ‘I respect and honor you,’ while at the very same time betraying Him to be murdered. His actions can be seen illustrated in Proverbs. “Faithful are the wounds of a friend, But deceitful are the kisses of an enemy.” Proverbs 27:6. Often, foes disguise themselves as friends when they are not. Actually, they are deceivers wearing a mask to conceal their true purpose. And this is what Judas did with Jesus.  He came dressed in the costume of an intimate friend. And as a side note, we need to be careful with this as well.

Jesus was betrayed by one who pretended being an intimate friend, to the point that he kissed Jesus as a sign of who was to be arrested. And when the betrayal was in process Jesus asked Judas, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?” Luke 22:48. Jesus knew this would happen, and so the question was rhetorical.  But Jesus still loved him and it was no doubt painful to see Judas playing out what He knew would come. How difficult this may have been, but it shows His following what He taught. “But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” Luke 6:27-28.  This is a perfect picture of love as laid out by our Messiah, who showed us here, through His arrest, what true love actually looks like.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries.

Luke 22:31

Verse of the Day Devotion.  Luke 22:31   

“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat.” Luke 22:31 

This verse is part of Jesus’ foretelling of Peter denying he knows Christ. Peter’s name was originally Simon; however, Jesus later changes his name to Peter. “Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He began asking His disciples, saying, Who do people say that the Son of Man is? And they said, Some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.  He said to them, But who do you say that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said to him, Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades shall not overpower it.” Matthew 16:13-18.

Another thing, when a name is repeated in the sacred writings, it appears to be always intended as an expression of love, manifested by a warning voice. It is as if he had said, while you all were contending for supremacy (See Luke 22:24-30), Satan is endeavoring to destroy you all: but I have prayed for you apostles who are most in danger. Satan desired all the apostles. The plural Greek pronoun, ὑμας, sufficiently proves that these words were not addressed to Peter alone. Satan had already taken one, Judas; he had nearly got another, Peter; and he wished to have all. However, it appears as if the devil cannot tempt a man unless he receives permission. He desires to do all evil; he is permitted only to do some. 

Then He tells Peter exclusively the following, “but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” Luke 22:32.  In this verse, the ‘you’ refers to Peter alone. It is apparent that Satan was going after Peter specifically. And we can see this in the words “and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers”. Jesus told Peter He had prayed for him that his faith would not fail. Jesus knew he would be tempted, and he would deny knowing Him due to fear.  The prayer was that Peter would not disavow his allegiance and loyalty to Jesus. This Peter did not do; and the reader, who is aware of Peter’s leadership role in the early church, knows that Jesus’ prayer for Peter was answered. And this, His prayer, was that once Peter repented. he would strengthen his fellow believers in the faith. 

Now, Peter responds by saying, “Lord, with You I am ready to go both to prison and to death!” Luke 22:33. However, he did not realize his weakness. Peter truly believed he could withstand anything that would come his way.  He even called Him Lord showing his uncompromising allegiance to Him. But at that time, Peter was not prepared for all these trials. And Jesus showed His prescience by predicting his failure to publicly acknowledge Him. “I say to you, Peter, the cock will not crow today until you have denied three times that you know Me.” Luke 22:34. Now, the phrase ‘regarding a cock crowing implies the end of the night, or the dawn of the morning.  

Now this begs the question, is our relationship with Christ strong enough to stay true to Him in troubling times? We need to be ready for troubling times are coming our way.  And we must understand that He knows how things will come out. We must spend some serious time in prayer and fellowship with Him so that we will be ready when these times arrive. We may trip, as Peter did, but we must never fall away. God loves us so much, and He says He will never leave or forsake us.  Can we say the same regarding ourselves? Become wholly sold out to God and work so as never to deny or forsake Him.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries.

Luke 22:24

Verse of the Day Devotion.  Luke 22:24 

“And there arose also a dispute among them as to which one of them was regarded to be greatest.” – Luke 22:24

In today’s focus verse, we see there was an argument regarding which of the disciples should be considered greater than the others.  This is not the only time something like this occurred, for we see in Mark a request from James and John, Zebedee’s sons who asked Jesus to make them the top two disciples. “Grant that we may sit in Your glory, one on Your right, and one on Your left.” Mark 10:35. The difference between these two events is that here, they were arguing regarding which of the twelve would be designated the top person where the event in Mark speaks of two brothers requesting the top positions.

Now, I believe Jesus saw where this was going.  “And He said to them, The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who have authority over them are called ‘Benefactors.’” Luke 22:25. The term ‘benefactor’ frequently was used to describe gods, heroes, and kings who were in fact at times quite despotic, so that there may be some irony in this statement. Then He continues.  “But not so with you but let him who is the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as the servant.” Luke 22:26.  He was telling them this was not the type of leader they were to become for  His kingdom will be greatly different than those of this world. The rulers here were for the most part despots, requiring their people to do anything and everything.

Now these words of Jesus were directed to the disciples, the future leaders in the church. And they definitely apply today as well. The following words do not deny that there are leaders in the church. What they do is describe how such leaders are to lead. The greatest in the church are not to behave as the greatest in the world.

Next He makes the following statement. “For who is greater, the one who reclines at the table, or the one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at the table? But I am among you as the one who serves.” Luke 22:27. He asks the question, who is greater, the one who is served or the one who serves? He then answers with the statement, is it not the master of the feast who is at the table?  But look at my example I show you. “But I am among you as the one who serves.” Although Jesus is clearly greater than the disciples, his behavior during his earthly ministry was one of serving them. John, in his gospel, writes this example. “Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come forth from God, and was going back to God, rose from supper, and laid aside His garments; and taking a towel, He girded Himself about. Then He poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded.” John 13:3-5. The washing of another‘s feet was one of the lowliest deeds that could be done. This lays out clearly that those who would follow Jesus should also be a servant of all.

Jesus closes this with the following, “And you are those who have stood by Me in My trials; and just as My Father has granted Me a kingdom, I grant you that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” Luke 22:28-30. They were granted access to eat at Jesus’ kingdom, as well as a throne for each of them. And we will be blessed as well if we serve God and His people as Jesus served the Father and His people while here on earth.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries.

Luke 22:15

Verse of the Day Devotion.  Luke 22:15 

“And He said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.” –  Luke 22:15  

Our focus verse today along with the verses that follow up to 23, speak of the institution of the Lord’s Supper.  They are now in the upper room of a house at around twilight which the Spirit led them to, and Jesus is telling them what will follow. “And when the hour had come He reclined at the table, and the apostles with Him. And He said to them, I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I say to you, I shall never again eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” Luke 22:14-16. To recline at the table was tradition at this time.  They would be around a table on the floor, in a reclining position with a pillow under their arms. The last supper, as all celebrations of the Lord’s Supper, was meant for those who professed to be Jesus’ followers, hence only His disciples were invited at this time. Paul lays this out in his first letter to the Church of Corinth.

“For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes. Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks, eats, and drinks judgment to himself, if he does not judge the body rightly. For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep. But if we judged ourselves rightly, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord in order that we may not be condemned along with the world. So then, my brethren when you come together to eat, wait for one another. If anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, so that you may not come together for judgment. And the remaining matters I shall arrange when I come.” 1 Corinthians 11:26-34.

Paul declares the importance of this by saying we must examine ourselves before partaking of the wine and/or bread, to ensure we are worthy to take both the bread and the wine.

Next, He passes out the wine and the bread.  “And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He said, Take this and share it among yourselves; for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine from now on until the kingdom of God comes. And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” Luke 22:17-19. He will not drink of the fruit of the vine again until the Kingdom of God comes. What is meant here is more clearly laid out in Matthew. “But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.” Matthew 26:29. Jesus looked forward to a future celebration of the Passover in heaven, one that He has not yet celebrated with His people. He is waiting for all His people to be gathered to Him, and then there will be a great supper, the marriage supper of the Lamb. “And he said to me, write, Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he said to me, these are true words of God.” Revelation 19:9. This is the fulfillment Jesus was looking forward to.

In closing, The Last Supper was a significant event and proclaimed a turning point in God’s plan for the world. In comparing the crucifixion of Jesus to the feast of Passover, we can readily see the redemptive nature of Christ’s death. As symbolized by the original Passover sacrifice in the Old Testament, Christ’s death atones for the sins of His people; His blood rescues us from death and saves us from slavery. Today, the Lord’s Supper is when believers reflect upon Christ’s perfect sacrifice and know that, through our faith in receiving Him, we will be with Him forever. And because of the importance of this, it is imperative that we examine ourselves prior to taking communion.  We are to reflect on the meaning of the ordinance and confess personal sin. Do we know what communion means, and are we taking it for that purpose? Are we actually walking out our faith and living in active relationship with God, allowing Him to do His sanctifying work in our lives? If so, communion is a sobering celebration of Christ and His church. If not, we make a mockery of the ordinance.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries.

Luke 22:8

Verse of the Day Devotion.  Luke 22:8 

“And He sent Peter and John, saying, go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat it.” –  Luke 22:8

This verse speaks of the  preparation that was necessary for the get together often identified as the Last Supper, meaning the last meal the disciples shared with Jesus prior to His crucifixion. “Then came the first day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. And He sent Peter and John, saying, Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat it.” Luke 22:7-8. Since the Passover meal had to be eaten within the walled city of Jerusalem, Jesus prepared to eat the meal within the city. We see this in the Book of Exodus. First they were to celebrate three feasts a year. “You shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread; for seven days you are to eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you, at the appointed time in the month Abib, for in it you came out of Egypt. And none shall appear before Me empty-handed. Also you shall observe the Feast of the Harvest of the first fruits of your labors from what you sow in the field; also the Feast of the Ingathering at the end of the year when you gather in the fruit of your labors from the field.” Exodus 23:15-16. Then in verse 17 we read, “Three times a year all your males shall appear before the Lord GOD.” Exodus 23:17.  The fact that they were to appear before the Lord , this speaks of celebrating these feasts in Jerusalem. And as our focus verse states, He sent Peter and John to make the preparations.

They then asked Jesus, “Where do You want us to prepare it?” Luke 22:9. They did not have a place where they resided, so they wondered if He had a specific place in mind.  Jesus then tells them, not exactly where they will celebrate, but how they will find the place. “And He said to them, “Behold, when you have entered the city, a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him into the house that he enters. And you shall say to the owner of the house, The Teacher says to you, where is the guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?” Luke 22:10-11. Now, we see something very interesting.  Jesus tells them to go out and they will find a man carrying a pitcher of water to his home,  so they follow him into his home.  Then when they arrive they were to ask the owner about a guest room.  Now, what is interesting is that the person they meet on the road is not the owner of the house.

In those days it was often said that, except for his own flask, a man does not carry water; he leaves this work to women. The text in fact does not care about the gender of the person mentioned. In Luke, as in Mark, the word translated ‘man’ is the Greek word anthrōpos, meaning man. But it is not man as opposed to woman, it is man as opposed to animal.  It speaks of the species, not the gender. Now even if the one carrying the water was a slave or a woman, neither of them in that period could own property or were unable to acquire the funds to make it happen. Then, Jesus tells them to ask about a guest room in his house. “The Teacher says to you, where is the guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?” Luke 22:11b. Jesus then gives them the answer the owner of the house will give them. “And he will show you a large, furnished, upper room; prepare it there.” Luke 22:12. He does not speak simply of a normal guest room as we understand it, but a large room that is located above the main house. Then after receiving Jesus’ instructions, “And they departed and found everything just as He had told them; and they prepared the Passover.” Luke 22:13.

So, what can we learn from this?  Jesus knew what was going to happen .  He had only a few days before He was to be crucified. On Thursday, it was Passover proper. The lamb is killed, and Jesus and His disciples eat the Passover meal in the upper room. On Friday, the Day of Preparation. Jesus is tried and executed, but not convicted. The Jews continue their Passover celebrations with the chagigah, offerings made during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. On Saturday was the weekly Sabbath, and then on Sunday, His resurrection.  The preparation for His arrest, conviction, and ultimately His execution and resurrection was only a couple days. However, these several days brought about our opportunity for salvation. He kept the Jewish celebrations and gave His life for us.  This is why He came, and this is why we have access to salvation and eternal life.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries.

Luke 19:45

Verse of the Day Devotion Luke 19:45

“And He entered the temple and began to cast out those who were selling,” – Luke 19:45  

When Jesus arrived in Jerusalem, He entered into the Temple. What He saw angered Him. “And He entered the temple and began to cast out those who were selling,” Luke 19:45. Jesus then cleansed the temple of the moneychangers and sellers of merchandise because of His disgust at what they had made of God’s house of prayer and His zeal to purify it from the abuse of ungodly men. Now, there were two basic areas where the moneychangers in Judea angered Him. 

First was the conversion of money. Judea at this time was under the rule of the Romans, and the money in current use was Roman coin. However, the Jewish law required that every man should pay a tribute to the service of the sanctuary of “half a shekel”, a Jewish coin. This is found in the Book of Exodus.

“The LORD also spoke to Moses, saying, When you take a census of the sons of Israel to number them, then each one of them shall give a ransom for himself to the LORD, when you number them, that there may be no plague among them when you number them. This is what everyone who is numbered shall give: half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary (the shekel is twenty gerahs), half a shekel as a contribution to the LORD. Everyone who is numbered, from twenty years old and over, shall give the contribution to the LORD. The rich shall not pay more, and the poor shall not pay less than the half a shekel when you give the contribution to the LORD to make atonement for yourselves.” Exodus 30:11-15.

It became, therefore, a matter of convenience to have a place where the Roman coin could be exchanged for the Jewish half shekel. The moneychangers provided this convenience but would demand a small sum for the exchange. Because so many thousands of people came up to the great feasts, changing money was a very profitable business and one that resulted in fraud and oppression of the poor.

The second was the selling of the needed sacrifices. According to the Law, at least two doves or pigeons were required to be offered in sacrifice.  

“But if he is poor, and his means are insufficient, then he is to take one male lamb for a guilt offering as a wave offering to make atonement for him, and one-tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering, and a log of oil, and two turtledoves or two young pigeons which are within his means, the one shall be a sin offering and the other a burnt offering.” Leviticus 14:21-22.

It was sometimes difficult to bring these birds from the distant parts of Judea, so a lucrative business selling the birds sprang up, with the sellers gouging the faithful by charging exorbitant prices. There were other merchants selling cattle and sheep for the temple sacrifices, as well as declaring an animal unfit for the sacrifice so they would trade them for a price, then sell them to another later.

Because of these sellers who preyed on the poor and because of His passion for the purity of His Father’s house, Jesus was filled with righteous indignation. As He overturned the tables of the moneychangers, He condemned them by saying, “It is written, My house shall be a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of robbers.” Luke 19:46.  Now there is an earlier time Jesus dealt with the moneychangers and the sellers.  In the first one, He made a whip to get them to leave. “And He found in the temple those who were selling oxen and sheep and doves, and the moneychangers seated. And He made a scourge of cords, and drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen; and He poured out the coins of the moneychangers and overturned their tables; and to those who were selling the doves He said, Take these things away; stop making My Father’s house a house of merchandise.” John 2:14-16. As you can see here, they did not learn but continued to make money off the poor.

The Temple was built for the worship of God, not to make the Jewish leadership wealthy. The same is true of the modern-day church.  Our purpose is to spread the good news of the gospel throughout all the world.  “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20. I have no problem with paying a pastor a good salary. I do have a problem when it takes priority over the Church’s primary goal, or when they flaunt it at the expense of the truth.  Christ is coming back soon, and there are millions who need to be reached.  I pray that the Church realizes this and begins allotting the funds as God intended.     

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries.

Luke 18:17

Verse of the Day Devotion Luke 18:17

“Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it at all.” – Luke 18:17  

Today’s verse shows how Jesus sees children and in a sense tells us how we must be in this world. It starts with the following statement. “And they were bringing even their babies to Him so that He might touch them, but when the disciples saw it, they began rebuking them.” Luke 18:15. In Matthew’s gospel, we get a clearer picture of what was happening. “Then some children were brought to Him so that He might lay His hands on them and pray; and the disciples rebuked them.” Matthew 19:13. When we put the two together, we see that people were bringing their babies, toddlers, and young children to Jesus.  There is no clarification as to the ages. Matthew and Mark say children, whereas Luke uses babies here, and then child/children in verse 17. This indicates to me that all ages of children were brought to Him. Then it is stated here in Luke that they brought them to Him to touch them.  In the nineteenth chapter of Matthew, we see that these children were brought to Jesus so He could pray for them. In essence, to bless them. But as we see at the end of verse 15, the disciples rebuked them. Now, it was quite customary in Israel to entreat Rabbis and rulers of synagogues for such a benefit; but that this was desired from Jesus even yet in the last period of His public life, in spite of the continually increasing opposition to Him, is an unequivocal evidence of the deep and favorable impression which His activity had left behind in these regions. They heard He was in the area, and they brought them to Him for a prayer and blessing.

But as we see at the end of verse 15, the disciples rebuked them in the hope of preventing them from bringing them to Jesus. Jesus, having seen and heard this told the disciples to stop. “But Jesus called for them, saying, permit the children to come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it at all.” Luke 18:16-17. Mark says that they were reprimanded. “But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and said to them, permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” Mark 10:14.  There was nothing wrong being done by the parents or children.  Also, Jesus was not saying that all children, simply because they are children, have received God’s kingdom. Jesus was not attributing to children an innate goodness. Rather, he appealed to some quality possessed by little children that is essential for entering God’s kingdom.  Many see this as humility, which makes sense. Others denote simple faith free from doubt and argumentation.   I see it as without prejudice, pride, ambition, and vanity, with meekness, and humility. 

In closing, Darrell L. Bock says the following that I believe is very well said. “There are two basic lessons to be learned.  The lesson about children is that they are welcome in God’s kingdom. He is available to them. God’s care for them shows that he cares for all. The kingdom is not only for adults. And the lesson for disciples is that children are good models for a disciple. Children trust their parents and rely on them. So disciples should rely on their Father. To be a part of the kingdom, we must receive it in the way a child walks through life. Entry is blocked to those who do not trust the Father. God accepts those who run into their Father’s arms, knowing that he will care for them.” Let us trust our Father, as a small child trusts their parents, not challenging or arguing, but listening and leaning on His every word, accepting everything He says while patiently waiting for the fulfilment of the promises He gave us.  This is the attitude of the children in Jesus’ time, and this should be our attitude with our Heavenly Father.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries.