Read 309.) Luke chapters 4 thru 6. Chapter 4 is of 4 parts and speaks of Jesus' temptation in the wilderness by Satan. This was at the very beginning of Jesus' ministry, and right after He'd been anointed of God with His Spirit to be Messiah. Now, right from His Spirit baptism He is going to go forth, as 4:1 states, full of the Holy Spirit. This relates powerfully to what every believer should be able to know in their own lives, as Ephesians 5:18 commands us to be filled as well. Galatians 5:16 thru 26 best describes what that looks like in our lives, while Ephesians 5:19 thru 33 and Colossians 3:12 thru 4:1 perhaps best tells us how we will live out Holy Spirit fullness among other passages as well. It might be said that the chief characteristic will be good and right relationships! Jesus then, in that same 'power of the Spirit,' went home to Nazareth, and without equivocation told His own that He was their Messiah with verses 18 and 21. And they tried to kill Him for it! Please note that it was His custom or habit to attend worship regularly, as should our own custom be! Those filled with God's Spirit will certainly want to be there! Next, Jesus delivered a demoniac in Capernaum right in the synagogue there. Not all who attend services are Holy Spirit filled! And His fame grew greatly. The chapter ends at Peter's home in Capernaum, which is believed to have been found and is a tourist attraction in Israel today. As much success, and as much ministry as Jesus could have continued to have there, His orders come to Him thru prayer to His Father and He was to go to the other towns. Think about that! Who would have thought to do the same?
Chapter 5 is of 5 parts and starts with Jesus calling His first disciples, four fishermen. I love picturing Peter as being on his knees before the Lord, waist-deep in fish; his boat being so full. Next, a leper approaches Jesus. They were to remain apart from everyone! But, and this is God; Jesus touched him, legally rendering Himself ceremonially unclean, something no man was to do! Note the irony here: Rather than Jesus becoming UNclean, His touch rendered the unclean leper to become clean! This is powerful stuff right here! We then read the wonderful story of the 4 men who brought their paralyzed companion to Jesus and let him down through the roof! The Pharisees rightly perceived that only God can forgive sins, as sin is against God. But, what they missed, was that in forgiving sins, Jesus demonstrated to them that He was God come in the flesh to them! Levi had no doubt heard about Jesus and longed to be a different man, so when Jesus called him, he leapt at his incredible good fortune to be finally delivered from himself and to become a new man! Meditate on this beautiful picture of true repentance. The chapter closes on this note that Jesus came to bring something new, very distinct from the old. This is told us outright in Ephesians 2:14+15, Colossians 2:14, Hebrews 8:13 and others. The Old Testament possesses much value for us, but not in a manner many believe. It's what the Book is all about!
ForeverKingdom,
Harold F Crowell
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