Friday, October 23, 2020

2020.10.23 Hopewell @Home ▫ Luke 9:18–26

Read Luke 9:18–26

Questions from the Scripture text: Who was with Jesus at first in Luke 9:18? What was He doing? Who joined Him? What did He ask them? What three responses do they give in Luke 9:19? What does He now ask them in Luke 9:20? Who answers? What does he say? How does Jesus respond to this in Luke 9:21? What four things does He say must happen to Whom in Luke 9:22? To Whom does Jesus speak in Luke 9:23? What will those about whom He speaks desire in verse 23? What three things that does He say they must do? Who will lose his life (Luke 9:24)? Who will save it? What can a man gain without profit (Luke 9:25)? When will it not profit him? How does Jesus describe the destroyed or lost man in Luke 9:26—of Whom is that man ashamed? Of what is that man ashamed? Who will be ashamed of him? When? What three glories does Jesus mention in connection with that day?

“Just think of all that you can have in this life, if you come to Jesus!” I heard many such presentations of Christ when I was younger. But here comes Jesus in this passage and says, “Take up your cross for My sake… lose your life for My sake…”

Yes, we gain more than we could ever lose, but only if we view Christ as worth infinitely more than anything else.

And that’s just the point of Luke 9:26. Are we ashamed of Christ? Let us remember the day when He is coming in His glory. Let us remember the glory of His Father. Let us remember the holy angels. 

Let us remember that the ones whose opinions we should least care about in all existence are the very ones before whom we are tempted to be ashamed. Jesus equates those who are ashamed of Him before them to those who lose their lives by trying to save it (Luke 9:24), those who are destroyed or lost (Luke 9:25), and those of whom the Son of Man will be ashamed in the last day (Luke 9:26).

Finally, note that little phrase in verse 26, “and My words.” Quite often, believers allow themselves to be intimidated in conversation about right and wrong, about the exclusivity of Christianity, about anything in the Scriptures. But we must remember that these are Christ’s personal words, and He takes it personally if we are ashamed of plain Bible teaching.

So, let us make sure that not only our lips on the Lord’s Day, but our lives and lips when we are out among unbelievers would answer the question of “Who do you say Jesus is?” by “the Christ of God”!

What circumstances in your life most test your allegiance to Jesus and His words?

Suggested songs: ARP45A “My Heart Is Greatly Stirred” or TPH375 “All Hail the Power of Jesus’s Name”


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