Luke 5:34

Verse of the Day Devotion Luke 5:34 

“And Jesus said to them, you cannot make the attendants of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them, can you?” – Luke 5:34   

Now, continuing with the words of Jesus as recorded by Luke, Jesus here is again contending with the Pharisees regarding the law, this time focusing on fasting.  This controversy involves a contrast between Jesus’ disciples who were not fasting and the practice of fasting of both the disciples of John the Baptist and of the Pharisees.  “And they said to Him, The disciples of John often fast and offer prayers; the disciples of the Pharisees also do the same; but Yours eat and drink.” Luke 5:33. It is interesting that in Mark’s telling of this, it was made clear it was not just the Pharisees asking this question. “And John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting; and they came and said to Him, Why do John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?” Mark 2:18. According to this version, both groups, John’s disciples, and the Pharisees were fasting.  The twice-weekly fast spoken of here was a tradition adopted by the legalistic Pharisees at the time, even though the Mosaic Law prescribed only one fast, that on the Day of Atonement. And it could be that John’s disciples were fasting because John had been arrested and was currently in prison.

Jesus then answers in our focus, “You cannot make the attendants of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them, can you?”  Luks 5:34.  Now, there is no Old Testament or rabbinic example in which the term, bridegroom, is used as a messianic title. However, it was used by John the Baptist in describing the Messiah. “You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but, I have been sent before Him. He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. And so this joy of mine has been made full. He must increase, but I must decrease.” John 3:28-30.  John refers to the Church, the true believers, as the Bride.  And the Christ being the Bridegroom.  And this is reinforced by our focus verse.  What Jesus is saying is that there is no reason for the bride, the Church, to be sad and fast.  He is the Bridegroom, the chief person of the Messianic feast: the time of His walk upon earth is, so long as it endures, a festival for His faithful disciples; yet this time hastens soon to an end. However, “But the days will come; and when the bridegroom is taken away from them, then they will fast in those days.” Luke 5:35.  As their master, John, was taken away from them and was now in prison, it was no wonder they mourned and fasted. And this signifies that in a short time Jesus, the bridegroom of his church, should be taken away by death, causing the bride, who is the church, to fast and mourn at that time.

This story illustrates the fact that you can’t mix old religious rituals with new faith in Jesus. Jesus’ disciples were not fasting along with the Pharisees and John’s disciples because they were now under the new covenant of grace and faith in Christ. As mentioned earlier, Jesus fulfilled the law; therefore, there is no longer any need to continue with the old rituals. Jesus cannot be added to a works-based religion. In the case of the Pharisees, they were consumed with their own self-righteousness, and faith in Jesus cannot be combined with self-righteous rituals.

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

Luke 5:31

Verse of the Day Devotion Luke 5:31 

“And Jesus answered and said to them, it is not those who are well who need a physician, but those who are sick.” –  Luke 5:31

Now, continuing with the words of Jesus as recorded by Luke, we come to the calling of Levi, also known as Matthew, the son of Alphaeus.  After completing His work where He healed the lame man,  Jesus sees a tax collector. “And after that He went out, and noticed a tax-gatherer named Levi, sitting in the tax office, and He said to him, Follow Me. And he left everything behind and rose and began to follow Him.” Luke 5:27-28. He obviously had heard the teachings of Jesus and was convinced He was legit.  He left everything behind, which included his current life and job. 

“And Levi gave a big reception for Him in his house; and there was a great crowd of tax-gatherers and other people who were reclining at the table with them.” Luke 5:29.  The act of  hosting a great banquet for Jesus at his own house further shows the sincerity of his choice to be a disciple of Christ.  The idea behind the words ‘big reception’ was the number of people who attended, not necessarily the pomp that was active during the feast.  Now the Pharisees and the scribes saw what was happening and complained to Jesus.  “And the Pharisees and their scribes began grumbling at His disciples, saying, Why do you eat and drink with the tax-gatherers and sinners?” Luke 5:30. J. P. Lange in his commentary on Luke wrote the following. “Luke does not by any means say that these men were among the company at table, for they would then undoubtedly, according to their own opinion, have defiled themselves. We must, on the other hand, conceive the matter thus: that, where Jesus abode, access was forbidden to no one, and that this feast so far bore in some measure a public character. The desire of His enemies to observe the Savior was doubtless stronger than their disinclination to enter the house of a publican, with whom, moreover, in daily life, they necessarily came from time to time in contact. Matthew, on the other hand, was so little disposed to forbid them that, on the contrary, he now with so much the greater joy admitted those as witnesses of the honor unexpectedly fallen to his lot, who once so deeply despised his station.” They just murmured and complained about the fact Levi, along with Jesus, would allow all these ‘sinners’ to associate with them.

Then Jesus answers them as follows, which we see in our focus verse.  “It is not those who are well who need a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.” Luke 5:31-32. Jesus’ reply is given on behalf of the disciples, for I believe He was aware this was a slap at His claim that He is the Messiah.  Jesus was saying the Scribes and Pharisees, who, in their own eyes were free from the disease of sin, original and actual, and who claimed they were blameless regarding the Law, were not in any need of him. Jesus came as the physician to cure the maladies of the souls, as well as of the bodies of men. Such persons who not only are sick with sin, but sick of it, who are sensible of it, and desire healing were the ones He came to heal,  therefore this was the reason of his conduct, why he conversed with sinners, and not with the Scribes and Pharisees. 

We read in Romans the following, “As it is written: None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” Romans 3:10-12.  In light of the biblical teaching here that there is none righteous, and that the call to repentance is universal, the idea of righteous here should be understood as those who falsely think themselves righteous.  Luke did not raise the question here about whether the Pharisees were truly righteous, but later in Luke he lays out what He meant. “You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts; for that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God.” Luke 16:15.

Luke explains in this series of verses, including our focus verse, that He came for those who know their fallenness, who understand the predicament they are in, and desire to make things right with God.  And also for those who thought themselves in good shape, but then came to the knowledge they are not.  Only those who truly understand they are sick know they need a doctor.  And those are the ones He came for, whether they have known for a while, or have finally come to the knowledge they cannot heal themselves. Jesus died to heal everyone, but unless we admit we need Him, repent, and give our lives to Him, we cannot be healed. And unfortunately, this was the condition of many of the Scribes and Pharisees in that day.

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

Luke 5:20

Verse of the Day Devotion Luke 5:20 

“And seeing their faith, He said, Friend, your sins are forgiven you.” –  Luke 5:20 

This verse references the healing of a paralytic; however, it ends with an interesting focus. 

Luke begins by speaking about a paralytic who is journeying to find healing.  He uses here the term paralytic, but in various other places uses the term ‘crippled’.  Joel B. Green in his commentary on Luke states, “At this time, the lame were banned from the priesthood in Israel and, at Qumran, were excluded from full participation in the community. Alienation seems to have been their fate in Luke’s world too.” Jesus sought to overturn the concept of alienation of cripples as we see in, “But when you give a reception, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, since they do not have the means to repay you; for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” Luke 14:13, as well as “And the slave came back and reported this to his master. Then the head of the household became angry and said to his slave, ‘Go out at once into the streets and lanes of the city and bring in here the poor and crippled and blind and lame.” Luke 14:21.

This account starts with Jesus teaching some Jews. “And it came about one day that He was teaching; and there were some Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting there, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem; and the power of the Lord was present for Him to perform healing.“ Luke 5:17. And while this was going on, “And behold, some men were carrying on a bed a man who was paralyzed; and they were trying to bring him in, and to set him down in front of Him. And not finding any way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down through the tiles with his stretcher, right in the center, in front of Jesus.” Luke 5:18-19.  There was a great crowd there and it was not possible to carry him to Jesus, so they got on the roof and let him down right in front of Jesus.  He saw this action as a major showing of ‘their’ faith,  not just the of the crippled man.  Hence, “And seeing their faith, He said, Friend, your sins are forgiven you.” Luke 5:20.

Note, this was not just a passive statement as, ‘God forgives you’. And the Jews correctly understood what was meant.  “And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this man who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?” Luke 5:21.  They completely believed Jesus had committed blaspheme by speaking of forgiving this man’s sins for Jesus, as the leadership saw Him, was not qualified to forgive sins for only God could.  Blaspheme was a frequent charge leveled against Jesus. There are no Old Testament analogies to Jesus’ actions here. Today, due to this passage, ministers make a clear distinction between a pastor’s pronouncement of God’s forgiveness of sins and the direct forgiving of sins by the pastor/priest.  

Now, Jesus had knowledge of what they were thinking.  He was the Son of God and nothing was hidden from Him.  So He asks them why they were questioning/reasoning this in your hearts.  And then, “Which is easier, to say, your sins have been forgiven you, or to say, rise and walk?” Luke 5:23.  And without giving them any opportunity, He tells them, “But in order that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins, He said to the paralytic, I say to you, rise, and take up your stretcher and go home.” Luke 5:24.  Jesus’ authority to forgive was no less effective because of its invisibility.  However, it will be proved by healing the paralytic. The authority to heal and the authority to forgive are the same authority that Jesus received at the baptism by both the endowment of the Holy Spirit and the Father’s declaration of divine sonship. “Now it came about when all the people were baptized, that Jesus also was baptized, and while He was praying, heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came out of heaven, “Thou art My beloved Son, in Thee I am well-pleased.” Luke 3:21-22.

In our focus verse, one thing Jesus was showing was that the healing of the body was less important than the forgiveness of a man’s sins.  What good would it be if a man’s legs were healed if he ended up eternally lost?  Jesus was not saying the paralyzed man was especially sinful, or that sin was the cause of his paralysis. Instead, He addressed the man’s greatest need, and the common root of all pain and suffering, man’s sinful condition.  Plus, this gave Him the opportunity to show the Pharisees and the Scribes just who He was, the Son of Man.  “I kept looking in the night visions, And behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, And He came up to the Ancient of Days And was presented before Him. And to Him was given dominion, glory, and a kingdom, That all the peoples, nations, and men of every language Might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away; And His kingdom is one Which will not be destroyed.” Daniel 7:13-14.

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

Luke 4:12

Verse of the Day Devotion Luke 4:12 

“And Jesus answered and said to him, it is said, YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST.” – Luke 4:12  

Now we move on to the final temptation Satan inflicted upon Jesus.  After Jesus told Satan “You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve”, Satan led Jesus to Jerusalem. “And he led Him to Jerusalem and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here; for it is written, HE WILL GIVE HIS ANGELS CHARGE CONCERNING YOU TO GUARD YOU, and, ‘ON their HANDS THEY WILL BEAR YOU UP, LEST YOU STRIKE YOUR FOOT AGAINST A STONE.” Luke 4:9-11.  Satan starts this temptation as he did the first of the three here in Luke with, “If you are the Son of God”. He was again trying to get Jesus to fall for this idea of showing who He actually was.  However, it is a bit different from the other two because in this one, Satan quotes scripture to Jesus.  “For He will give His angels charge concerning you, To guard you in all your ways. They will bear you up in their hands, Lest you strike your foot against a stone.” Psalm 91:11-12. 

Theologian Robert H. Stein says this about Satan using these verses.  “Even the devil can quote Scripture, and here he sought to support his challenge to Jesus from the Scripture itself. Defeated by Jesus’ use of the Word of God in the previous two temptations, the devil sought to use the Scriptures for his own purposes. There is no evidence that which the devil quoted was interpreted messianically in Judaism; but if the psalm states a truth concerning any believer, how much more is this true of the Messiah. Yet knowing Scripture is not enough; one must interpret it correctly.”

Now Jesus’ response is strong with this reference of Himself as The Lord your God. “And Jesus answered and said to him, It is said, YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST.” Luke 4:12.  Jesus here is quoting from Deuteronomy, “You shall not put the LORD your God to the test, as you tested Him at Massah.” Deuteronomy 6:16. And what happened in Massah? 

“Then all the congregation of the sons of Israel journeyed by stages from the wilderness of Sin, according to the command of the LORD, and camped at Rephidim, and there was no water for the people to drink. therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said, give us water that we may drink. And Moses said to them, why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the LORD?” Exodus 17:1-2. They were thirsty, and they wondered why no water was provided to them.  In fact, in verse 7 we read, “And he named the place Massah and Meribah because of the quarrel of the sons of Israel, and because they tested the LORD, saying, Is the LORD among us, or not?” Exodus 17:7.  Jesus uses the example of when Israel was camping at Rephidim and was thirsty for there was no water to drink.  So, they tested the Lord by asking if He was with them or not.  The test was that if He was there among them, why is He not providing for their needs.  And because they put God to the test, the name of this place became Massah, meaning ‘temptation’ because it was there Israel tempted God.

I have heard people do this on many occasions, saying ‘If God truly loves me He will do this”, or “If He exists He will keep me from all trials”.  He never promised we would not have trials, but He did promise great things if we persevere. “Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.” James 1:12. Therefore, I call on everyone reading this not to test Him, but to trust Him.  He said He would always be with us who are believers. “Teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:20. And He always keeps His promises.

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

Luke 4:8

Verse of the Day Devotion Luke 4:8 

“And Jesus answered and said to him, it is written, ‘YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD AND SERVE HIM ONLY.'” – Luke 4:8

I am starting 2022 by looking at verses that are specific quotes of our Lord Jesus Christ. Today we will look at another mentioned temptation of Jesus. 

Now we move on to the second of the final three temptations Satan inflicted upon Jesus.  After Jesus told Satan that man does not live on bread alone, he proceeded to the next temptation. “And he led Him up and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, I will give You all this domain and its glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. Therefore if You worship before me, it shall all be Yours.” Luke 4:5-7. In this temptation, Satan seduces Jesus to worship him, and if He does He will give Him all the kingdoms of the world to reign over.  He essentially promised Him authority and power over all this world.  He claims he has the authority to give it to Jesus for it was given to him thus giving him the right to give it to anyone he wants to. 

Now there are various references to Satan having authority over this world.  Jesus declares him at one point to be the ruler.  “Now judgment is upon this world; now the ruler of this world shall be cast out.” John 12:31. However, there is something interesting about this verse.  Satan is the ruler, but only because man has rejected the true ruler, and God has been patient in this matter.  But a time will come when he is ‘cast out’.  His kingdom will be destroyed and his reign will cease. And the one who will reign will be Jesus.  And this leads us to another interesting thought.  What Satan was offering Jesus was something Jesus would attain anyway, but with one caveat. He must die for the sins of the people.  Therefore, what Satan was offering was what Jesus would attain anyway, but He would receive it then, without the need to die.  All He would need to do was worship him. “Therefore if You worship before me, it shall all be Yours.” Luke 4:7.

However, Jesus replied with the following in our focus verse.  “And Jesus answered and said to him, It is written, YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD AND SERVE HIM ONLY.“ Luke 4:8.  We see this verse also in the Old Testament. “then watch yourself, lest you forget the LORD who brought you from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall fear only the LORD your God; and you shall worship Him and swear by His name.” Deuteronomy 6:13.  In this verse, Moses was telling the people that when they enter into the promised and they into great cities they did not build, where they have all good things,   where they have vineyards and olive trees they did not plant, but God provided for them.  When all these things happen, they must remember this is a gift from God, and they must remember and worship Him only in all things.   

What Jesus was telling Satan was that no matter what He was offered, He would not agree to this horrible proposal.  Only the Lord God, His Father was to be worshipped, no matter what anyone or anything offers.  And no other thing or person is to be worshipped because He is God Almighty. Theologian Peter Lange put it this way. “The Lord does not only publicly express the monotheistic principle, but shows at the same time that He will rather dispense with all the kingdoms of the world, however by right they belong to Him, than obtain them in an unlawful way.”

And this should be our way as well. Satan can and does offer us things if we, not necessarily worship him, but turn our worship and devotion away from the true God of the Heavens.  If we see anything in our life as more important or desirable than God, have we not done the same thing?  In today’s world, people and organizations are enticing us to turn to them and away from God to meet our wants and needs.  They promise much but we must not give in.  God has promised us eternal life with Him in a new heaven and earth.  All they can offer is something in this life, but in the end may deny us the eternal life promised by God.  I want to encourage us all to look to God for our needs and good desires, for He is the source of life, both now and in eternity to come.  “Do not be anxious then, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘With what shall we clothe ourselves’ For all these things the Gentiles eagerly seek; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious for tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:31-34.

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

Luke 4:4

Verse of the Day Devotion Luke 4:4 

“And Jesus answered him, it is written, MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE.” – Luke 4:4  

I am starting 2022 by looking at verses that are specific quotes of our Lord Jesus Christ. Today we will look at the first mentioned temptation of Jesus. 

Chapter starts with Jesus returning from the Jordan. “And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led about by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And He ate nothing during those days; and when they had ended, He became hungry.” Luke 4:1-2.  This verse shows us what Jesus went through during these temptations.  It starts out with a positive note, being that He was led about by the Holy Spirit.  He was not alone in this, just as we who are Christians are never alone during difficult times.  Also, He was tempted for forty days.  It was not just the three temptations that are recorded here along with Matthew and Mark, which were the culmination of this testing period.  And finally, it alludes to these forty days as a long period of fasting.  “And He ate nothing during those days” Luke 4:2b. 

Now, it says at the end of verse two that He became hungry after these forty days of fasting.  Satan then takes the opportunity to tempt Him.  “And the devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” Luke 4:3. In this first temptation of the final three, Satan is speaking to Jesus at this point of obvious need; He was no doubt very hungry.  He starts by saying, if You are the Son of God.  There is no doubt that he is God’s Son. The devil thus affirms Jesus’ divine sonship but tempts him to deploy it for purposes other than God’s will.  God had a purpose for this fasting, and it was not up to Satan to decide when this time should be over.  This temptation in and of itself was not sin, therefore the sin goes beyond simply turning stones into bread to eat it.  It has everything to do with who does He follow.

Now, as we come to our focus verse, we see His response. It is interesting to note that the restraint and focus of Jesus in response to the temptation is instructive. He does not exert his superior power or expose the devil’s deception. He invokes the Word of God, thus obliging the devil to face his ultimate adversary.  Jesus quotes God’s words as found in Deuteronomy. “And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.” Deuteronomy 8:3.  This answer is a somewhat technical phrase that implies the full authority of God Himself.  In the quote from Deuteronomy, Moses reminded the Israelites who were in the wilderness that they should trust God’s word rather than the manna He gave them. That man, even without the use of food, may see his life lengthened and sustained by any means whatsoever which God may choose to strengthen the body. In other words: God does not need His miraculous power in order to address painful hunger, for He possesses innumerable means, and Jesus will await the way which the Father may please to use.

And this is an important understanding we need to have.  When we, as Christians, are led by the Holy Spirit, we may find ourselves in a difficult place, however we have nothing to fear for as long as we follow the Spirit all will be OK.  “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28.  There is nothing too difficult for God, and there is nothing He does not know or understand.  And He will take care of us in times of need. “And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19.  However, it is important that we understand two things.  First, we must be able to see the difference between needs and wants.  Jesus knew that food was important, but not the highest need.  God’s word and ways should always take precedence over food or any need we have.  And second, we must follow the ways of God to receive what we truly need. And if man’s ways contradict His ways, then we must ignore those solutions just as Jesus ignored Satan’s solution. God’s ways should always come first. For He knows what is best.  Trusting God in all things is the life we are called to.  Let us all focus on making this our reality.

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

Luke 4:43

Verse of the Day Devotion Luke 4:43 

“But He said to them, I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, for I was sent for this purpose.” –  Luke 4:43 

I am going to start 2022 by looking at verses that are specific quotes of our Lord Jesus Christ. Today we will look at Jesus teaching in Capernaum, a city in Galilee, on the Sabbath.  “And there was a man in the synagogue possessed by the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice, Ha! What do we have to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!” Luke 4:33-34. These demons feared Jesus, who then dealt with them. “And Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet and come out of him!” And when the demon had thrown him down in their midst, he came out of him without doing him any harm.” Luke 4:35. As you read on from verses 38-41 We see Him in the home of Simon Peter teaching and healing the people, including Peter’s mother-in-law, while also casting out demons from many who were there.  The demons knew who He was, for they would cry out “You are the Son of God! And rebuking them, He would not allow them to speak, because they knew Him to be the Christ.” Luke 4:41.

Now, when the next morning came, Jesus went to a place to be alone.  In Mark’s gospel, we see He specifically went out to pray. “And in the early morning, while it was still dark, He arose and went out and departed to a lonely place and was praying there.” Mark 1:35. Now when the people saw He was not there, they went out to look for Him.  When they found Him, they did all they could to keep Him there. “and the multitudes were searching for Him, and came to Him, and tried to keep Him from going away from them.” Luke 4:42b.  The word ‘keep’ in verse 42 is the Greek word ‘katecho’ which has the idea to hold down; to detain or retain something, keeping it from going away. They, in essence wanted to keep Him with them rather than letting Him go to different places to teach.  However, even Capernaum’s desire to “be fed by” Jesus, as we say today, is self-serving and thus an overture of self-will over God’s will.

However, Jesus responds in our focus verse by clarifying the reason for His coming. “I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, for I was sent for this purpose.” Luke 4:43.  He was saying to them He was not sent just to the people in Capernaum but to other cities as well. He was sent to bring this message to the Jews. The message was regarding the kingdom of God.  We see this message given earlier while He was in Nazareth. He quotes here from Isaiah, from the scroll of the Prophet.  This was given to Him to read, and it declares his purpose for being here. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Luke 4:18-19. 

This is the message He was given to present to Israel, and then for the disciples to present, and ultimately for us to share.  The central message of John the Baptist was a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.  “In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” Luke 3:1-3.  But Jesus’ central message is the good news of the kingdom of God. And this kingdom will be an eternal one.  “You will bring them in and plant them on your own mountain, the place, O LORD, which you have made for your abode, the sanctuary, O Lord, which your hands have established. The LORD will reign forever and ever.” Exodus 15:17-18.

In closing, Jesus came in order to proclaim the Kingdom of God.  He Himself made this clear when the people tried to keep Him with them, however, He declared in our focus verse, “But He said to them, I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, for I was sent for this purpose.” Luke 4:43. He was sent to declare a new kingdom was coming, one that will be far superior to any kingdom we have today, one that will replace all kingdoms we have today, a kingdom which will last forever.  And all those who accept the message as truth and live by it, will be residents of this kingdom for all eternity.  What an incredible message he came to proclaim.

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

Luke 2:49

Verse of the Day Devotion Luke 2:49 

“And He said to them, why is it that you were looking for Me? Did you not know that I had to be in My Father’s house?” – Luke 2:49 

I am going to start 2022 by looking at verses that are specific quotes of our Lord Jesus Christ. Our first one will be the first words of Jesus as recorded by any of the gospels. This being our focus verse, “Why is it that you were looking for Me? Did you not know that I had to be in My Father’s house?” Luke 2:49.  They were in Jerusalem to obey the Law regarding the feasts. “Three times a year all your males shall appear before the Lord GOD.” Exodus 23:17.  And now that Jesus was twelve, He was now permitted to go as well, as a son of the law, to take part in the celebration of the sacred festival.

Now after this was complete they headed back home. “and as they were returning, after spending the full number of days, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. And His parents were unaware of it, but supposed Him to be in the caravan, and went a day’s journey; and they began looking for Him among their relatives and acquaintances. And when they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem, looking for Him.” Luke 2:43-45.  They supposed that He was with them in the caravan, but after having looked for Him, they returned back to Jerusalem.  And after three days they found Him.  “And it came about that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them, and asking them questions. And all who heard Him were amazed at His understanding and His answers.” Luke 2:46-47. Because it seems improbable that they would not have gone to the temple three days after arriving back, according to theologian John Peter Lange, “It seems more probable that we must allow one day for their departure, vs. 44; one for their return, vs. 45; and the third, vs. 46, for their search; and that they found Him in the sanctuary at the close of the latter.”

They probably found Him in one of the porches of the Court of the Women, where the schools of the Rabbis were held and the law regularly taught. They were surprised to see Him there, and therefore Mary asked Him, “Son, why have You treated us this way? Behold, Your father and I have been anxiously looking for You.”  Luke 2:48b.  What happened here is definitely different than the norm in this culture.  In the male-dominated temple one would expect Joseph rather than Mary to address Jesus. It could be that the unique spiritual bond she had with Jesus prompted her making this statement.  And she addresses Him not as boy, or young man, but as son, or child. She says here they have been diligently looking for Him.

We then see His response in our focus verse. “Why is it that you were looking for Me? Did you not know that I had to be in My Father’s house?” Luke 2:49. The first thing I want to discuss is the last word in this verse.  In the Greek, the use of the word ‘house’ can also be translated as business. Greek scholar Bill Mounce says the following, “But the plural τοῖς nags me, and suggests it is the ”things” of the father that was motivating Jesus to stay behind.” Thus, I believe what was meant here is ‘My Father’s things or affairs’, not ‘My Father’s house’.  And this makes additional sense, in that because Mary brought up the idea of Joseph as father, that He was referring to God’s business or affairs over Joseph’s, not the Temple over Joseph’s house. In other words, what God wanted Jesus to do was far more important that anyone else’ desires.

 The one thing that stands out to me regarding this verse is that Jesus saw His work for God as more important than anyone else’s, including Joseph and Mary.  And I want us all to be challenged to think the same way.  God’s calling on our lives is far more important than anything else.  We should never look at the desires of another to take priority over the desires of God.  We must always look at God’s ways as greater than ours.  “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Neither are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9.  Jesus here is laying out what should be our most important priorities.  Let us follow them as He did.

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

Luke 1:1-2:21

Verse of the Day Devotion: Luke 1:1-2:21  

” The Christmas Story from the book of Luke” – Luke 1:1-2:21          

Merry Christmas to all who are reading this.  I will be back on December 27th with the next Verse of the Day. Every year, just prior to the opening of our gifts, I read the Christmas Story to all who are celebrating Christmas with us.  I pray you find this  encouraging and possibly choose to read it on Christmas every year as well, to tell the story of the coming of the promised Messiah. God Bless you all and I pray this day will be a trues blessing to you and your family and friends.

Luke 1:1-4 – Dedication to Theophilus

Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile an account of the things accomplished among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, it seemed fitting for me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in consecutive order, most excellent Theophilus; so that you may know the exact truth about the things you have been taught. 

Luke 1:5-25 – Birth of John the Baptist Foretold

In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah; and he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And they were both righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord. And they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both advanced in years. Now it came about, while he was performing his priestly service before God in the appointed order of his division, according to the custom of the priestly office, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And the whole multitude of the people were in prayer outside at the hour of the incense offering. And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense. And Zacharias was troubled when he saw him, and fear gripped him. But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your petition has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will give him the name John. “And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. “For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he will drink no wine or liquor; and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, while yet in his mother’s womb. “And he will turn back many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God. “And it is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, TO TURN THE HEARTS OF THE FATHERS BACK TO THE CHILDREN, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous; so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” And Zacharias said to the angel, “How shall I know this for certain? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” And the angel answered and said to him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God; and I have been sent to speak to you, and to bring you this good news. “And behold, you shall be silent and unable to speak until the day when these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which shall be fulfilled in their proper time.” And the people were waiting for Zacharias, and were wondering at his delay in the temple. But when he came out, he was unable to speak to them; and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple; and he kept making signs to them, and remained mute. And it came about, when the days of his priestly service were ended, that he went back home. And after these days Elizabeth his wife became pregnant; and she kept herself in seclusion for five months, saying, “This is the way the Lord has dealt with me in the days when He looked with favor upon me, to take away my disgrace among men.” 

Luke 1:26-38 – Birth of Jesus Foretold

Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was very perplexed at this statement and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.” Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God. “And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month. “For nothing will be impossible with God.”  And Mary said, “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. 

Luke 1:39-45 – Mary Visits Elizabeth

Now at this time Mary arose and went in a hurry to the hill country, to a city of Judah, and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. And she cried out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! “And how has it happened to me, that the mother of my Lord would come to me? “For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy. “And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord.” 

Luke 1:46-56 – Mary’s Song of Praise: The Magnificat

And Mary said: “My soul exalts the Lord, And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. “For He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave; For behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed. “For the Mighty One has done great things for me; And holy is His name. “AND HIS MERCY IS UPON GENERATION AFTER GENERATION TOWARD THOSE WHO FEAR HIM. “He has done mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart. “He has brought down rulers from their thrones And has exalted those who were humble. “HE HAS FILLED THE HUNGRY WITH GOOD THINGS; And sent away the rich empty-handed. “He has given help to Israel His servant, In remembrance of His mercy, As He spoke to our fathers, To Abraham and his descendants forever.” And Mary stayed with her about three months, and then returned to her home. 

Luke 1:57-66 – The Birth of John the Baptist

Now the time had come for Elizabeth to give birth, and she gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and her relatives heard that the Lord had displayed His great mercy toward her; and they were rejoicing with her. And it happened that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to call him Zacharias, after his father. But his mother answered and said, “No indeed; but he shall be called John.” And they said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who is called by that name.” And they made signs to his father, as to what he wanted him called. And he asked for a tablet and wrote as follows, “His name is John.” And they were all astonished. And at once his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he began to speak in praise of God. Fear came on all those living around them; and all these matters were being talked about in all the hill country of Judea. All who heard them kept them in mind, saying, “What then will this child turn out to be?” For the hand of the Lord was certainly with him. 

Luke 1:67-80 – Zechariah’s Prophecy

And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying: “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people, And has raised up a horn of salvation for us In the house of David His servant, As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from of old, Salvation FROM OUR ENEMIES, And FROM THE HAND OF ALL WHO HATE US; To show mercy toward our fathers, And to remember His holy covenant, The oath which He swore to Abraham our father, To grant us that we, being rescued from the hand of our enemies, Might serve Him without fear, In holiness and righteousness before Him all our days. “And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; For you will go on BEFORE THE LORD TO PREPARE HIS WAYS; To give to His people the knowledge of salvation By the forgiveness of their sins, Because of the tender mercy of our God, With which the Sunrise from on high will visit us, TO SHINE UPON THOSE WHO SIT IN DARKNESS AND THE SHADOW OF DEATH, To guide our feet into the way of peace.” And the child continued to grow and to become strong in spirit, and he lived in the deserts until the day of his public appearance to Israel.

Luke 2:1-7 – The Birth of Jesus Christ

Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth. This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. And everyone was on his way to register for the census, each to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David,  in order to register along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child. While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. 

Luke 2:8-21 – The Shepherds and the Angels

In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. “This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.” When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, “Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.” So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger. When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart. The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them. And when eight days had passed, before His circumcision, His name was then called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb. 

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

Luke 19:10

Verse of the Day Devotion Luke 19:10 

“For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” – Luke 19:10  

As of today, we are three days away from Christmas.  We have looked at some of the prophecies that foresaw the coming of the Messiah.  In todays verse of the day, I want to look at the reasons God the Father sent His Son.  And these reasons speak highly of His glory and love for us in providing the opportunity for us to live eternally with Him.

The first reason is to reveal the Father to us.  In the Old Testament, we see God as the creator of all things; we see His eternal power and majesty.  Paul said it this way.  “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.” Romans 1:20. However, when Jesus came, we are now able to see and interact with Him at a personal level.  “No man has seen God at any time; the only begotten God, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.” John 1:18.  Jesus showed us the Father through His teachings and His ways, which was also the way of the Father.  The writer of Hebrews said, “And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high;” Hebrews 1:3. And Jesus also alluded to this. “Jesus said to him, Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how do you say, Show us the Father?” John 14:9.

He also came to do away with Sin, not by way of the High Priest and animal sacrifice, but in a way that it is done forever. “Otherwise, He would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.” Hebrews 9:26.  The sacrifices of the old Levitical system were insufficient to take away sin permanently. But Jesus offered the perfect sacrifice, once for all time. God sent Jesus not to deny the fact of sin or help us forget about our sin. Denials and cover-ups were not His purpose. God wanted to do away with sin once and for all. In Christ, God forgave sin and released us from its penalty. “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Romans 8:1.

A third reason He came was to destroy the work of Satan.  I found this writing while doing research and I like the way this was put.  “It was a divine mission, executed with the precision of a well-planned military strike. Two thousand years ago, the Son of God landed on foreign soil, behind enemy lines, with a mission to demolish something, and He succeeded in His objective. He wrecked all that the devil had been doing.” Starting in the Garden of Eden, Satan had been doing all he could to cause mankind to sin and draw them away from God.  Jesus came to destroy this work and turn mankind’s heart back toward the Father. 

And finally, He came to save us that we may have everlasting life with Him.  “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through Him.” John 3:16-17.  And He did this through the death of Christ.  “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.” Romans 5:8-9. He did what we could not do, He paid the penalty we could not pay so that our debt would be gone and we can live forever in His presence.

This is why He came into the world, and this is why we celebrate Christmas.  And this needs to be remembered in our times of celebration.  There is nothing wrong with exchanging gifts or anything else  that is a family tradition.  But let us never forget the glorious work Jesus did and the cost He paid for our redemption.  There is a song named ‘He Paid a Debt’. Here is a section of lyrics to this song that clearly lays out this idea. “He paid the debt he did not owe I owe the debt I could not pay I needed someone to wash my sins away.  And now I sing a brand-new song, Amazing Grace All day long, Christ Jesus paid the debt that I could never pay.” This is why He came, and this is why we celebrate the coming of the blessed Messiah.

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