“For he was awestruck by the number of fish they had caught, as were the others with him. His partners, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were also amazed. Jesus replied to Simon, Don’t be afraid! From now on you’ll be fishing for people! And as soon as they landed, they left everything and followed Jesus” (Luke 5:9-11, NLT).
In this story that is the first call of disciples recorded in Luke’s gospel, Peter, James and John had just fished all night with no results.
“I must preach the Good News of the Kingdom of God in other towns, too, because that is why I was sent.”
Christ’s coming inaugurated His Kingdom on Earth.
Jesus taught that the Kingdom of God is a spiritual nation that is active in this world now to prepare its citizens for an eternal, heavenly Kingdom that is to come.
The gospel of Jesus is a message of an everlasting Kingdom that extends its reign from the creation of the universe to this present age and into the ages to come.
“Amazement came over them all, and they kept saying to one another, ‘What is this message? For He commands the unclean spirits with authority and power, and they come out!’ And news about Him began to go out to every place in the vicinity” (Luke 4:36-37, HCSB).
After Jesus was baptized by John and then tempted by the devil for forty days, He officially began His ministry. Jesus started out by teaching in synagogues in Galilee near His hometown of Nazareth..
“As the people were in expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Christ, John answered them all, saying, ‘I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire’” (Luke 3:15-17, ESV).
The good news about Jesus is always accompanied by what some might consider “bad news.”
“If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink, for you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you” (Proverbs 25:21-22, ESV).
This advice from Solomon goes way beyond the Golden Rule of doing unto others as you would have them do unto you.
It’s more like the Golden Rule on steroids!
“The wise are mightier than the strong, and those with knowledge grow stronger and stronger” (Proverbs 24:5, NLT).
The following verse (vs. 6) provides insight into the application of this verse (vs. 5). The next verse advises not to go to war without an effective strategy because a good battle plan can defeat even the strongest army.
The proverb is applicable to us in the same way in our personal lives: godly wisdom prevails over personal power or strength!
“God is not a man who lies, or a son of man who changes His mind. Does he speak and not act, or promise and not fulfill” (Numbers 23:19, HCSB).
This verse was proclaimed over Israel in his second oracle by the diviner Balaam after Balak, king of Moab, hired him to pronounce a curse on the Israelites.
After their forty-year wandering in the wilderness was complete, Moses lead the Israelites toward Canaan, the promised land, following a northward route to the plains of Moab. Israel encamped in Moab on the east side of the Jordan River and across from the Canaanite city of Jericho.
“Many people have set out to write accounts about the events that have been fulfilled among us. They used the eyewitness reports circulating among us from the early disciples. Having carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I also have decided to write a careful account for you, most honorable Theophilus, so you can be certain of the truth of everything you were taught” (Luke 1:1-4, NLT).
Luke was not the first to put the history of Jesus into written form. Scholars believe that Luke used Mark’s Gospel and other written and oral sources in his writing.
Like a private invesigator, Dr. Luke carefully examined everything about Jesus from the beginning in order to present a reliable case to his patron, Theophilus.
“Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it” (James 4:17, NLT).
This verse is probably a maxim that James expected his readers to recognize.
Its source is unknown, but it is consistent with the teachings of Jesus. For example, in a parable about a faithful servant Jesus said: “And a servant who knows what the master wants, but isn’t prepared and doesn’t carry out those instructions, will be severely punished” (Luke 12:47).
“The death of His faithful ones is valuable in the Lord’s sight” (Psalm 116:15, HCSB).
We don’t like to think about death and dying and so we really don’t give it much thought…until we have to!
Death is an uncomfortable subject to discuss, and when we talk about it, we commonly use terms like “tragic” or “untimely,” which gives death an undeserved negative connotation.
To us, death is the Grim Reaper!
