Luke 9 Devotional Bible Study

Authority, Mission, Needs

Luke 9:1-3 - One day Jesus called together his twelve disciples and gave them power and authority to cast out all demons and to heal all diseases. Then he sent them out to tell everyone about the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick. “Take nothing for your journey,” he instructed them. “Don’t take a walking stick, a traveler’s bag, food, money, or even a change of clothes.”

Jesus gave the disciples authority and told them to cast out demons and heal and preach. Do we have the same authority and mission today?

Yes! As the Church, we are to tell others about Christ and heal them both physically and spiritually. We’re told in Scripture that some people in the Body of Christ have specific spiritual gifts to do these things, while others have different spiritual gifts, and everyone is to support the others in using our gifts.

But why did Jesus tell the disciples not to take anything with them in preparation or to help take care of themselves while they were doing this work? Isn’t it because He wanted them to have faith that God would provide for them?

So the question is, Do we believe God will provide for our needs as we minister to others? Do you believe God will meet the needs of your church? He won’t give you all you want, and you won’t – and shouldn’t live in luxury – but He will give you all you need.

If you’re thinking you have a need that He’s not meeting, you probably need to scale down what you think of as a need. For instance, if you think God isn’t meeting your need to do a big ministry at church, maybe He’s actually calling you to do a smaller ministry. If He’s not meeting your need to save up enough to send your kids to college, maybe it’s not God’s plan for your kids to go to college. Ask Him what His plan is, and then trust Him to meet the needs to make that plan work.

 

Raised from the Dead?

Luke 9:7-8 - When Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee, heard about everything Jesus was doing, he was puzzled. Some were saying that John the Baptist had been raised from the dead. Others thought Jesus was Elijah or one of the other prophets risen from the dead.

It’s interesting that Herod and the Jews thought it was possible that John or another prophet had come back from the dead. They already considered resurrection to be within the realm of possibility. Yet when Jesus did rise, did they believe it?

We might be in the same position. We read Scripture and believe God did amazing things in the past. But do we believe and expect God to do big things in our lives?

 

Jesus Welcomes!

Luke 9:10-11 - When the apostles returned, they told Jesus everything they had done. Then he slipped quietly away with them toward the town of Bethsaida. But the crowds found out where he was going, and they followed him. He welcomed them and taught them about the Kingdom of God, and he healed those who were sick.

Have you ever felt tired and worn out and needed to get away by yourself? Or maybe you wanted some time just with your spouse, or a few close friends? But then an emergency happens in someone’s life that you have to go take care of. How do you react? What’s your attitude toward that person you have to go help?

In this passage, Jesus wanted to spend time with His disciples, but the crowds came and interrupted that time. And how did Jesus react? It says He welcomed them. And He taught them and healed them. He met their needs and was happy to do so.

I know we need time to rest, and God knows that too. But I also know that when God gives us an opportunity to serve someone, we should thank Him for that opportunity, and we should welcome the person who needs our help. We can trust God to give us that rest time, even if it’s delayed a little.

 

Ask Jesus for His Solution!

Luke 9:12 - Late in the afternoon the twelve disciples came to him and said, “Send the crowds away to the nearby villages and farms, so they can find food and lodging for the night. There is nothing to eat here in this remote place.”

The disciples saw a problem in this story – people needed food – and then told Jesus what to do about it. Do you ever try to tell Jesus what to do to solve a problem?

What should the disciples have done instead? I think a better response would have been, “Jesus, we see that these people are going to need food. Do You have a plan to meet that need?”

Rather than telling Jesus how to solve a problem, we should take our problem to Jesus and ask, “Lord, how do You want to solve this problem? Is there anything You want me to do to help make Your plan happen?”

Luke 9:13 - But Jesus said, “You feed them.” “But we have only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered. “Or are you expecting us to go and buy enough food for this whole crowd?”

When Jesus told the disciples to feed the people, they didn’t see how they could accomplish the task. Their resources were limited. The disciples did well to recognize they couldn’t solve the problem on their own. But Jesus could. He can handle any problem we face, and He is the King with unlimited power and resources. Do you believe that? Are you taking your problems to Jesus and asking how He wants to solve them? Are you willing to go along with His solution?

 

God’s Abundance!

Luke 9:17 - They all ate as much as they wanted, and afterward, the disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftovers!

The disciples started with not enough, and ended up with a lot leftover. Have you ever had an experience where God not only met your need but gave you an abundance?

I think about the times when we need to feel love, and He fills our hearts with His Presence. Or we need friends, and He gives us a church full of people to do life with us. Or we need help with our finances, and He not only provides the work or the income we need to pay our bills but also prospers us enough that we can be generous toward others.

Of course, to get that abundance of leftovers, the disciples had to be obedient to Jesus’ instructions.

Malachi 3:10, God says, “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.”

 

5,000+ Divided by 50

Luke 9:14 - there were about 5,000 men there. Jesus replied, “Tell them to sit down in groups of about fifty each.”

Why did Jesus tell people to sit down in groups of fifty? I wonder if this is Jesus’ way to show us what a manageable group is. If I’m thinking about church sizes, 50 people seems like a large enough group to have a range of spiritual gifts and resources to accomplish ministry, but not so large as to be overwhelming for one leader to care for and lead. When a church gets to be more than 50 people, it’s time to think about splitting and planting a new church, or adding more pastoral staff to the growing congregation.

 

Who Do People Say Jesus Is?

Luke 1:18 - Only his disciples were with him, and he asked them, “Who do people say I am?”

The people of Jesus’ day thought He was one of the Old Testament prophets, or John the Baptist come back from the dead. Today, most people outside the church think Jesus was just a good moral teacher, with a lot of myth built up about His identity and miracles.

But then Jesus asked His disciples, “Who do you say I am?” And I’m thinking that it doesn’t matter what other people say about Jesus. The only thing that matters is what I believe about Jesus. Am I acknowledging who He is? Are you? Are you studying Him and getting to know Him for yourself? Or are you relying on the rumors of what others tell you about Him?

Jesus said in John 14:21 – “Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.”

The point I want to focus on here is He said He would reveal Himself to each of us. He will make Himself know to each one of us, if we are seeking Him.

Seek Jesus today and ask Him to show you who He is.

 

Jesus Predicts His Death

Luke 9:21-27 - Jesus warned his disciples not to tell anyone who he was. “The Son of Man must suffer many terrible things,” he said. “He will be rejected by the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He will be killed, but on the third day he will be raised from the dead.”

Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but are yourself lost or destroyed? If anyone is ashamed of me and my message, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in his glory and in the glory of the Father and the holy angels. I tell you the truth, some standing here right now will not die before they see the Kingdom of God.”

Jesus knew what was going to happen to Him. And He knew what would happen to His followers for believing in Him. Jesus died for us, and many Christians have died for spreading His Good News. We must be willing to give up everything, even our lives, everyday in loyalty to Jesus.

Because if we do, we will take part in His Kingdom. Just like Jesus suffered and was raised, we will suffer and then be raised to live with Him. Nothing in this life, not even life itself, is worth losing our chance to take part in the blessedness of the next life. And I can tell you that when Jesus returns, I don’t want to feel like He’s ashamed of me. I don’t ever want to make Jesus feel ashamed that I claimed to be one of His followers, and then didn’t live up to that calling.

 

Why the Transfiguration?

Luke 9:28-31 – About eight days later Jesus took Peter, John, and James up on a mountain to pray. And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was transformed, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly, two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared and began talking with Jesus. They were glorious to see. And they were speaking about his exodus from this world, which was about to be fulfilled in Jerusalem.

Why did this happen? And why were Peter, John, and James allowed to witness it? Having Jesus appear in glory like this, even before He dies and is resurrected, shows us that Jesus had that glory from the beginning. It’s part of who He is, from the beginning, not something He earned or ascended into through some kind of spiritual enlightenment. He could have appeared like this anytime He wanted to. But as Philippians 2 tells us, He humbled Himself. He did not cling to His equality with God the Father. He appeared as a mere man, and showed us how to live as a human in right relationship with God.

 

Why Moses and Elijah?

Luke 9:32-36 – Peter and the others had fallen asleep. When they woke up, they saw Jesus’ glory and the two men standing with him. As Moses and Elijah were starting to leave, Peter, not even knowing what he was saying, blurted out, “Master, it’s wonderful for us to be here! Let’s make three shelters as memorials—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” But even as he was saying this, a cloud overshadowed them, and terror gripped them as the cloud covered them. Then a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, my Chosen One. Listen to him.” When the voice finished, Jesus was there alone. They didn’t tell anyone at that time what they had seen.

Moses appeared as the giver of the Law, Elijah as representative of the Prophets. These two may be the Two Witnesses that will appear at the end. But now they show us that Jesus’ work was in line with the writings and God’s plan as revealed in the Old Testament Scriptures. As Jesus said, He didn’t come to abolish the Law but the fulfill it. Belief in Jesus was the next step in God’s plan, following the Law, following the teachings of the prophets.

And as the next step in God’s revealed plan, God said to listen to Jesus. As God’s Son, Jesus is greater even than Moses or any of the prophets. The other men and women of God were chosen for certain tasks, but Jesus is the Chosen One.

 

Look at Him

Luke 9:38-41 - A man in the crowd called out to him, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, my only child. An evil spirit keeps seizing him, making him scream. It throws him into convulsions so that he foams at the mouth. It batters him and hardly ever leaves him alone. I begged your disciples to cast out the spirit, but they couldn’t do it.” Jesus said, “You faithless and corrupt people! How long must I be with you and put up with you?” Then he said to the man, “Bring your son here.”

This father approached Jesus and wanted Jesus first to "look at" his son. He didn't ask for healing as the first thing. He asked Jesus to look at him. Why do you think that is?

I bet it’s because most people didn’t want to see this son, this family, that was tormented by this demon. They didn’t know what to do to help with this problem and so it was easier to pretend not to notice it and ignore this family.

Before the healing, the man wanted Jesus to see them. He wanted Jesus to know their pain and have compassion on them.

Are we looking at people? Are we seeing them in their pain? Are we taking the time to notice them and have compassion on them the way Jesus did?

It’s only when we really see someone that God can then do something through us to help them. We want to help others, but the first step is seeing them and understanding their situation and having compassion.

Why couldn’t the disciples heal the boy? Jesus said it was because they were faithless and corrupt. Maybe they didn’t have faith that God could help this boy. Maybe their hearts weren’t in the right attitude to help.

The point is, if we want to see God work, we need to take the time to really see people and their situation, we have to look at them with a pure heart of compassion, and we need to believe that God can work through us to help them.

Who is your Father asking you to see more clearly today?

 

Confused and Afraid to Ask?

Luke 9:43-45 - Jesus said to his disciples, “Listen to me and remember what I say. The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of his enemies.” But they didn’t know what he meant. Its significance was hidden from them, so they couldn’t understand it, and they were afraid to ask him about it.

There are things about God and the Bible that you’re not going to understand at first. There are things I still don’t understand. So we have to ask questions, just like the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8, who knew he couldn’t understand the Scriptures unless someone explained them to him.

If we’re confused about something, we need to ask someone to explain it. Sometimes we’re afraid to ask because we think we’ll look ignorant. But Jesus said to approach the faith like a child. A child is willing to be vulnerable and ask questions because they’re curious. They know they don’t know things and are willing to ask. There’s no shame in a child’s ignorance because no one expects them to know anything yet.

When you come to the faith, no one expects you to already know everything, so there’s no shame in saying you don’t understand something. There’s no shame in ignorance. Ask so that then you will understand it.

 

What Do Kids Have to Do with It?

Luke 9:46-48 - Then his disciples began arguing about which of them was the greatest. But Jesus knew their thoughts, so he brought a little child to his side. Then he said to them, “Anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me also welcomes my Father who sent me. Whoever is the least among you is the greatest.”

Why does Jesus settle a dispute among His prideful disciples by saying to welcome children? Because if you’re taking the time to pay attention to children, you’re showing that you’re humble enough to serve and build relationships with people who can’t do anything for you. You might be prideful if you’re popular among your peers. But if the kids like you, that doesn’t puff you up. They can’t pay you. They can’t do any favors for you. They can’t promote you or vote you into office. You’re with them simply because you love them and want to serve Jesus by serving them.

 

Using the Name of Jesus

Luke 9:49-50 - John said to Jesus, “Master, we saw someone using your name to cast out demons, but we told him to stop because he isn’t in our group.” But Jesus said, “Don’t stop him! Anyone who is not against you is for you.”

This makes me think of different denominations, or church groups. Okay, that church isn’t in your exact group, but are they really against you? Ultimately, if we’re lifting the name of Jesus, we’re all on the same side. We may disagree on or emphasize different theological points, but the Gospel is still being proclaimed, right? Let’s have grace toward one another and not think that everyone who doesn’t see things exactly as we do is against us. If they’re for Jesus, they’re for us.

 

Burn ‘Em Up?

Luke 9:51-56 - As the time drew near for him to ascend to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. He sent messengers ahead to a Samaritan village to prepare for his arrival. But the people of the village did not welcome Jesus because he was on his way to Jerusalem. When James and John saw this, they said to Jesus, “Lord, should we call down fire from heaven to burn them up?” But Jesus turned and rebuked them. So they went on to another village.

Compare Jesus’ reaction to the James and John’s. When the people of this Samaritan village rejected Jesus, the two brothers wanted God’s wrath to fall on them. Jesus did not. In fact, Jesus got angry not with those who rejected them but with the ones who wanted vengeance against those who rejected Him.

Jesus doesn’t want anyone to burn up. He doesn’t want God’s wrath to fall on anyone. He doesn’t want vengeance against His enemies. He loves His enemies. Yes, there will be a time for Jesus to punish those who have rejected Him, but that’s not what He wants to have to do. He would much rather offer grace and forgiveness in patience. We need to do the same.

 

The Cost of Following Jesus

Luke 9:57-62 - As they were walking along, someone said to Jesus, “I will follow you wherever you go.” But Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head.”

He said to another person, “Come, follow me.” The man agreed, but he said, “Lord, first let me return home and bury my father.” But Jesus told him, “Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead! Your duty is to go and preach about the Kingdom of God.”

Another said, “Yes, Lord, I will follow you, but first let me say good-bye to my family.” But Jesus told him, “Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.”

The first man volunteered to follow Jesus, and Jesus responded by warning him what He would be getting into. Following Jesus isn’t easy. It requires sacrifice. It requires being willing to be uncomfortable for the sake of ministering to others.

Jesus invited the second man, but the man wanted to bury his father first. What does that mean? Had the father just died and Jesus was saying the man shouldn’t attend his father’s funeral? I think it’s more likely that the man was saying he wanted to wait to follow Jesus until he was in a more comfortable position. When his father died at some future point, the man would inherit a sum of money and be able to take care of himself as he followed Jesus around on His journeys. Or maybe the man felt that when his father died, he would be free of his obligation to serve his father and could then give his attention to Jesus.

Jesus says He is the obligation, now, not later, not when we finish with whatever else we want to do, not when we’re better prepared. Now.

Like the second man, Jesus also invited the third, but the third man was having second thoughts. If he went home to say goodbye to his family and to tell them where he was going, what would they think? Would they try to talk him out of gong with Jesus? Would they tell him not to risk it and not to put himself through that hardship?

Again, Jesus warns us that once we commit to Him, He is the priority, not what other people think.

Jesus wants us to take care of our families and those around us, but only as He leads us to, not as an excuse not to follow Him.