Christ’s Threefold Office Luke 24:19; Hebrews 2:17; Revelation 19:16 Jesus of Nazareth . . . a prophet mighty in deed and word. Luke 24:19 It has been common to speak of the work of Christ under three general heads: prophet, priest, and king. These refer to his teaching office, his role as Savior, and his function as…

Dying Well Luke 23:44–49 Father, into your hands I commit my spirit! Luke 23:46 As Jesus died, commending his spirit to God, so may we die in like faith. We can echo Jesus’s words, knowing that as we pass from this life trusting Jesus’s death on our behalf, we pass into the loving hands of…

The Believing Thief Luke 23:39–43 Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. Luke 23:42 The story of the believing thief is our story too if we have truly believed on the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior. The believing thief did three things. First, he recognized his own need, and by that I…

Forgiveness at a Great Cost Luke 23:32–38 Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. Luke 23:34 This was a prayer for forgiveness and a great forgiveness at that. It was also a forgiveness prayed for at an enormous cost. This is because forgiveness does not come cheap. And the reason it does…

Herod’s Downfall Luke 23:6–12 [Herod] questioned [Jesus] at some length, but he made no answer. Luke 23:9 These were the steps in Herod’s fall, beginning with his encounter with John the Baptist: First, there was conviction of sin (see Matt. 14:1–5). But Herod did not welcome this conviction, being unwilling to part from his sin….

Weeping for the Lost Luke 19:41–44 And when he drew near and saw [Jerusalem], he wept over it. Luke 19:41 Is this not an insight into the very heart of God? God wants the wicked to repent. He wants you to repent. Jesus would have been pleased by the conversion of Jerusalem. Can you not…

Mercy-Seated Luke 18:9–14 God, be merciful to me, a sinner! Luke 18:13 The word translated “be merciful” is the verb form of the word for the “mercy seat” on the ark of the covenant in the Jewish temple. Therefore, it could literally (but awkwardly) be translated “be mercy-seated toward” or “treat me as one who…

Hopelessness or Hopefulness Luke 16:19–31 Between us and you a great chasm has been fixed. Luke 16:26 Consider this contrast between the hopelessness of the rich man’s condition after death and the hopefulness of his condition before. After death there is no possibility of change. But in this life there is, and therefore we can…

Like God or Like Satan? Luke 15:11–32 It was fitting to celebrate and be glad. Luke 15:32 In the parable of the lost son, many find it easy to sympathize with the older son. I know I do. But I also know that in sympathizing with him I am showing how little like the Father…

Counting the Cost Luke 14:28–33 Any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple. Luke 14:33 What must I pay to be a Christian? I must pay the price of my self righteousness, no longer counting myself a good person but rather one who has transgressed God’s righteous…