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In our studies in Luke, as we have watched Jesus Christ set His face to go to Calvary, various other important issues have arisen. We have become aware of how false prophets mislead the gullible and how they can upset the faithful.

There is a strong warning from Jesus that when it come nearer the time for His Coming Again, we should be careful we are not deceived pr confused or afraid or overexcited.

One relevant issue has arisen which needs addressing and attention. At this time of the year, in the month of December, there comes that gentle reminder to write on ‘Debt’…  ( Click for more )

Having warned the disciples about being deceived, one of the next things Jesus says in Luke Chapter 21 is, "Do not be frightened." Verse 9. There is a lot of fear around today as well as deception and greed and corruption and warfare and immorality and almost an explosion of sin. We need this word from Jesus.

When we see and hear of certain things going on in the world, do not be deceived or confused or afraid - and not over-excited either. This is such a relevant and apposite word for these present times.

Verse 9 teaches us that there will be many disturbing events,…  ( Click for more )

In Luke 21:5, Jesus takes His disciples across the Kidron Valley, and they sit down on the Mount of Olives, overlooking the Temple. Jesus has just spoken of the destruction of the Temple, and what the disciples are saying is, "Do you really mean that, and if so then, when?" We would have asked something very similar.

How many people over these last thirty to forty years have become almost over interested in exactly when Jesus Christ will return!

Jesus speaks about two things, and these are, the Destruction of the Temple, and His Coming Again.

It is like two…  ( Click for more )

We are in the thick of things in Luke Chapter 21. Jesus has just commended that dear widow for the offering she has given in the Temple. God saw her offering, even though everything around her appeared to be so corrupt and full of sin. No matter what is going on around you and no matter how you may become upset or angry by what you see and hear, remain faithful to Jesus Christ. He sees. He knows. He understands. Always remember that.

At this point even the disciples of Jesus are taken up with the splendour of the Temple, and Jesus has to redirect their thinking. Yes, He has to…  ( Click for more )

We have been reading these opening verses of Luke Chapter 21 and we have taken time to consider the significance of this dear woman giving everything she had, and Jesus Christ noticed it and commented.

We are not told her name, but we are reading about her. Perhaps she never knew what Jesus Christ saw in her as she gave so liberally. Jesus uses her devotion, and remarks upon her giving.

Sometimes we might never know how Jesus uses what we do, nor how He might use the words we speak.

O, it can be nice to know now and again, and encouraging, to realise that people have been…  ( Click for more )

Having been considering one of the most demanding passages of Luke with its questioning and challenging, we now move on into Chapter 21.

These words are like a breeze of fresh air, after all the questioning and criticising. Amidst all the darkness it is just like a light being switched on.

People had been giving their offerings of money, while this conversation or interrogations had been going on. Religious life had been going on as usual.

Money was thrown into a great trumpet like receptacle, noisily. Hence we call people who make a show of what they do or what they give,…  ( Click for more )

Near the end of Luke Chapter 20, having been repeatedly challenged, Jesus begins to challenge, and He challenges darkness and hypocrisy. Beware of the legalists. Beware of being in religion because of what you might get out of it. What was being covered up as the teachers of the law went around in flowing robes?

The greetings and the apparent prestige was all very subtle, but it certainly did not impress Jesus. Jesus teaches. Avoid that. They liked sitting in the best seats and being regarded as important and enjoying it. Jesus words of warning are "BEWARE"!

What…  ( Click for more )

As we complete Luke Chapter 20 and prepare to move into Chapter 21, a question arises is my mind. Why is there all this challenging? Why is Jesus Christ being challenged by so many people, and when you read it, it is more than a challenge. It is attack.

Well, the Son of God, the Saviour, the Lord of Lords and King of Kings has finally arrived in Jerusalem to do His Saving Rescuing Work, and where there is life there is challenge, and where there is light, darkness will not appreciate that.

Do you not find that as you serve Jesus Christ and as you seek to serve Jesus Christ…  ( Click for more )

Oh no! Not another group coming to challenge Jesus. Jesus has had nothing but opposition from the various religious leaders since he entered Jerusalem during His final week on earth prior to Calvary and all the suffering and sacrifice which He went through there. We need to learn from this so that when we face ridicule, hardship and persecution, we will have a degree of understanding what is happening. The Psalmist has much to teach us in this area too.

We are reading in Luke Chapter 20 and from verse 27. We have been reading of various groups of people coming to Jesus Christ…  ( Click for more )

In Luke Chapter 20 verse 25, Jesus Christ calls us to give things to God - these things we have mentioned in previous studies but let me repeat them. There are times when we too have to ask ourselves. Are we giving to God what is God's? Truly? Wholly? Totally? Are we giving to Him all that He wants from us? Our lives? Our voices? Our hands? Our talents? Our gifts? Our minds? To surrender our minds to God and to begin to think the way He thinks can be one of the very difficult areas. Jesus can be very challenging, when we realise what we have to surrender to God, but that is always…  ( Click for more )

My intention to work through Luke Chapter 20 slowly is quite deliberate because these are among the final words of Jesus Christ before He meets with His chosen men and then makes His way to the Cross where He sacrifices His life that we might be forgiven, rescued and saved from sin, so that we might be trained and prepared for service in the Kingdom of God. It would be wrong to hurry through such profound teaching.

When the spies try to entrap Jesus with their fancy trick question - almost unanswerable in the natural - Jesus replies so masterly and so challengingly – verse…  ( Click for more )

We are studying in Luke Chapter 20, where the tension in Jerusalem is undoubtedly increasing. When we come to verse 20, we move into the area of spies. Here we see various groups of people coming to Jesus - but most of them with wrong motives - with suspect motives - with impure motives - yes, it is possible to do that. The New Testament reveals human nature in a way no other book in the world does, but it also reveals how human nature can be rescued, healed and helped.

The religious leaders in Jerusalem sent out spies, who pretended to be honest, and these spies would listen…  ( Click for more )

We have been reading, and I hope studying, in Luke Chapter 20, because these are among the final words of Jesus Christ, just days before He goes to the Cross to shed His Blood to wash away our sin. Jesus has been asked questions - awkward questions - and those asking the questions were not really seeking the answers.

They wanted to know something about the authority which they could see Jesus had - Tell us, and Who gave you this authority? Jesus did not answer immediately, nor directly. And Jesus presented these men with highly challenging questions. They couldn't answer, without…  ( Click for more )

In our studies in Luke Chapter 20, we have reached that horrendous stage in the lives of these religious leaders when Jesus Christ has nothing more to say to them. They have been questioning Jesus authority, and to begin with, Jesus did not answer their questions directly, but now He goes on to give a fuller answer. But notice that Jesus has turned to speak to the people. He will speak to ordinary people, who are open to hear, but will not persist with religious leaders who are closed to Almighty God and what Jesus, the Son of God, is saying and doing. All this is taking place in…  ( Click for more )

In Luke Chapter 20 we read of religious leaders coming to Jesus Christ, the Son of God with a question regarding His authority, and Jesus challenged them with a question about His cousin John. If we had called him ‘John the plunger’ instead of the religious sounding title of John the Baptist we could have saved ourselves from wrong thinking and erroneous theology. Jesus would not answer their question and they wondered what to do.

In verses 5,6, they got together in a huddle, and look what emerges from that hurried unexpected discussion. How will it affect us?

They…  ( Click for more )

We have been reading in Luke chapter 19 of Jesus Christ riding into Jerusalem, and what that signified - the King of Kings riding on a donkey. It is the Messiah - the One anointed of God - the One for whom people have been waiting for 1,000 years - and they do not recognise what this means. They have no idea as to the significance.

Jesus was not going to give them what they wanted - what they were looking for - and within the week – ‘Hosanna’ which means 'Save us now' - turns to 'Crucify Him'.

So often Jesus draws near, rides into our lives, and sometimes…  ( Click for more )

This passage in Luke Chapter 19 verses 28 to 48 is so packed with significant incidents and lessons. Take time to study this section.

Jesus fulfils what He set out to do. He had set His face to go to Jerusalem, and now He arrives in the city, at a significant time – The Jewish Passover.

There are times when we too have to make crucial decisions and set our face to fulfil what Almighty God has called us to do, without compromise, and without allowing ourselves to be diverted or sidetracked.

There are the commands given in verses 30,31, and Jesus rides on this donkey…  ( Click for more )

We have seen how there came that point in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, when Jesus set His Face to go to Jerusalem. Nothing could put Him off. Nothing could divert Him. No-one could side-track Him. No-one could prevent Him from fulfilling the Will of the Father. What an example to follow.

In Luke Chapter 19 verse 28, we read of Jesus Christ, The Son of God, riding into Jerusalem. Within the week, Jesus would be betrayed, arrested, falsely accused, illegally tried, crucified, dead and buried. And three days later, Jesus would be raised from the dead – that astounding…  ( Click for more )

We were reading in Luke Chapter 19 and at verse 10, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost”. We were reading of how Jesus came and found that little lost man. He was up a tree. He had a big balance but an empty heart. He had lots of money, but little love. He was financially wealthy, but had few friends. He was lost, and we saw how Jesus found him.

While they were listening to this - listening to what? - what Jesus said in verses 9,10. No other system of belief in the whole world has words which say anything like that - none comes near it –…  ( Click for more )

We move on into Luke Chapter 19, in our present study of Luke’s Gospel. Allow me to remind any new readers that this is not simply a reading through of the Gospel, but a study. At the end of Luke Chapter 18, we read of that poor blind tramp, Bartimaeus, crying out to Jesus Christ for mercy and sight, and Jesus is so gracious and tender and powerful. Just along the road, we read of a man who was a rogue and a rascal, and very rich. Such a contrast! But he too desperately wants to see Jesus.

It is Zacchaeus, and he is a chief tax collector. Jericho had what we would call…  ( Click for more )

We come to these closing sentences in Luke Chapter 18. Immediately following this conversation with His disciples where Jesus Christ made it very clear that He was now focussed upon going up to Jerusalem, they approached Jericho, and a blind man is sitting begging. Mark tells us his name is Bartimaeus. There arose a noise and Bartimaeus asked what was happening, and some said, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by”.

He called out, “Jesus Son of David, have mercy on me”. Those who were leading this procession gave the blind man a row. “Be quiet. Sh! Sh!…  ( Click for more )

In Luke Chapter 18 and at verse 31, Jesus Christ takes the 12 disciples aside, and tells them, “We are going up to Jerusalem”. This is a serious turning point in the Gospel record.

Over these weeks we have listened to Jesus speaking to the crowds, and teaching the disciples. We have watched Jesus healing the sick and receiving young children with open arms. We have been listening to the words of these two men who went up to the Temple and listening to the words of the rich young ruler, who was so easily put off, and who gave up at the first hurdle. That man who had…  ( Click for more )

We have been reading in Luke Chapter 18 of the Rich Young Ruler meeting Jesus Christ, and how he was unwilling and unprepared to do what Jesus asked. He had a highly relevant question, and he came to the right person with the right question, but he found the answers were not to his liking and he walked away and he was exceedingly sad.

What was it that really made this young man sad? Was it the thought of losing his wealth and position and property and possessions? Or was it the thought of following Jesus, and just being a disciple, with no greater authority, position, possessions…  ( Click for more )

What must I do to inherit eternal life? What a question! There are many people today who have no idea that there is such a thing as eternal life.

In Luke Chapter 18 and at verse 18, we read of a certain young man coming up to Jesus Christ. It is the rich young ruler, and he has a question to ask Jesus.

"Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

This young man was a most attractive person. He was a ruler. He was religious. He was interested enough to come this close and ask this question, and he is asking a highly relevant question.

He is rich,…  ( Click for more )