PT-2 Intro to “The Character of a True Christian” (Luke 6:20-26)

 

MORNING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 7/14/2026 9:14 AM

My Worship Time                                Focus:  PT-2 Intro to “The Character of a True Christian”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                  Reference: Luke 6:20-26

            Message of the verses:  “²⁰ And turning His gaze toward His disciples, He began to say, “Blessed are ^[a]you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. ²¹ Blessed are ^[b]you who hunger now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh. ²² Blessed are you when men hate you, and ostracize you, and insult you, and scorn your name as evil, for the sake of the Son of Man. ²³ Be glad in that day and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven. For in the same way their fathers used to ^[c]treat the prophets. ²⁴ But woe to you who are rich, for you are receiving your comfort in full. ²⁵ Woe to you who ^[d]are well-fed now, for you shall be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep. ²⁶ Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for their fathers used to ^[e]treat the false prophets in the same way.”

            I continue in what may be a very long section in John MacArthur’s introduction to the verses above.

            “In His teaching concerning Himself, Jesus clearly, unequivocally, and emphatically declared His deity and absolute equality with the Father.  The apostle John wrote that ‘the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God’ (John 5:18).  Jesus declared to the hostile Jewish leaders, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you before Abraham was born, I am’ (John 8:58), taking for Himself the name “I AM’ by which God revealed Himself in the Old Testament (Ex. 3:14).”  “14  God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM." And he said, "Say this to the people of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’" 14  God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM." And he said, "Say this to the people of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’"  “He again affirmed His deity in John 10:30 when He said to the Jews ‘I and the Father are one.’  Unlike modern cultists, the unbelieving Jews understood clearly that Jesus was claiming to be God; that was why they sought to kill Him (John 5:18; 8:59; 10:31-33).”

(John 5:18; 8:59; 10:31-33)

“18  This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.”

“59  So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.”

“31  The Jews picked up stones again to stone him. 32  Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?” 33  The Jews answered him, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God.’’

“If, as some skeptics say, they had misunderstood Him, Jesus’ failure to clarify what He really meant is inexplicable—particularly when failing to do so cost Him His life (John 19:7).”

(John 19:7)

“7  The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die because he has made himself the Son of God.’’

            “Reinforcing His claim to deity, Jesus taught that He had come from heaven (John 3:13; 6:38, 51, 62; 13:3; 16:28), sent by the Father (John 5:36-37) to do His will (John 6:38).”

He had come from heaven (John 3:13; 6:38, 51, 62; 13:3; 16:28)

“13  No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.”

“38  For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.”

“51  I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.’’

“62  Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?”

“3  Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God,”

“28 ¶  I came from the Father and have come into the world, and now I am leaving the world and going to the Father.’’

sent by the Father (John 5:36-37)

“36  But the testimony that I have is greater than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to accomplish, the very works that I am doing, bear witness about me that the Father has sent me. 37  And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen,”

to do His will (John 6:38)

“38  and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent.”

“He also claimed authority to forgive sins, a prerogative that belongs to God alone (Luke 5:20-24), and that He in fact Possessed ‘all authority…in heaven and on earth’ (Matt. 28:18).”

(Luke 5:20-24)

“20  And when he saw their faith, he said, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.” 21  And the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 22  When Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answered them, "Why do you question in your hearts? 23  Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? 24  But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins"—he said to the man who was paralyzed—" I say to you, rise, pick up your bed and go home.’’

            “Jesus predicted his death and resurrection (Matt. 17:22-23; 20:18-19; Mark 8:31; John 2:19-21), and taught that His death would be the atoning sacrifice for sin (Matt. 26:28; John 10:11, 15), that would provide salvation (Luke 19:10; cf. 5:31-32; Matt. 20:28) for all who believe in Him (John 3:14-18).

Jesus predicted his death and resurrection (Matt. 17:22-23; 20:18-19; Mark 8:31; John 2:19-21)

“22 ¶  As they were gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them, "The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men, 23  and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day." And they were greatly distressed.”

“18  "See, we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death 19  and deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day."

“31  And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again.”

“19  Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” 20  The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?” 21  But he was speaking about the temple of his body. 22  When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.”

taught that His death would be the atoning sacrifice for sin (Matt. 26:28; John 10:11, 15),

“28  for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”

“11  I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”

“15  just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.”

that would provide salvation (Luke 19:10; cf. 5:31-32; Matt. 20:28)

“10  For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.’”

31  And Jesus answered them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 32  I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.’”

28  even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.’”

for all who believe in Him (John 3:14-18)

“14  And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15  that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. 16  "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18  Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.”

“Jesus also taught that He will one day return in glory (Matt. 24:27) to judge the wicked and establish His kingdom (Matt. 16:27; 25:31-46).”

He will one day return in glory (Matt. 24:27)

“27  For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.”

to judge the wicked and establish His kingdom (Matt. 16:27; 25:31-46)

“27  For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done.”

“  31 ¶  "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32  Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33  And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. 34  Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35  For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36  I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37  Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38  And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39  And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40  And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ 41  "Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42  For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43  I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44  Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ 45  Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ 46  And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.’”

Spiritual Meaning for my Life Today:  Given the circumstances that my wife is going through at this time, as without a miracle from the Lord, she will soon be with the Lord in glory, I am thankful for all of the promises that I have seen in these verses that I have quoted today.

My Steps of Faith for Today:  “Continue to trust the Lord to give my wife and myself strength to go through the great circumstances we are going through at this time, and that it will bring glory to the Lord.

7/14/2026 10:01 AM

 

 

 

 

 

 

PT-1 Intro to “The Character of a True Christian” (Luke 6:20-26)

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 7/13/2026 8:01 PM

My Worship Time                                Focus:  PT-1 Intro to “The Character of a True Christian”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                  Reference: Luke 6:20-26

            Message of the verses:  “²⁰ And turning His gaze toward His disciples, He began to say, “Blessed are ^[a]you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. ²¹ Blessed are ^[b]you who hunger now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh. ²² Blessed are you when men hate you, and ostracize you, and insult you, and scorn your name as evil, for the sake of the Son of Man. ²³ Be glad in that day and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven. For in the same way their fathers used to ^[c]treat the prophets. ²⁴ But woe to you who are rich, for you are receiving your comfort in full. ²⁵ Woe to you who ^[d]are well-fed now, for you shall be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep. ²⁶ Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for their fathers used to ^[e]treat the false prophets in the same way.”

            John MacArthur writes:  “In his recounting of the magnificent story of the life and ministry of  the Lord Jesus Christ, Luke amasses irrefutable evidence that He is the Messiah, God in human flesh, the Savior of the world.  Of the many proofs Luke has presented so far (see the list in the previous chapter of this volume), none is more compelling than Christ’s teaching.  He was the most truthful, wise, and powerful preacher ever and His teaching consequently drew massive crowds who were amazed and astonished by what they heard (cf. Matt. 7:28; John 7:31-32, 45-46).”

(cf. Matt. 7:28; John 7:31-32, 45-46)

“28  And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching,”

“31  Yet many of the people believed in him. They said, “When the Christ appears, will he do more signs than this man has done?” 32  The Pharisees heard the crowd muttering these things about him, and the chief priests and Pharisees sent officers to arrest him.”

“45 ¶  The officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, “Why did you not bring him?” 46  The officers answered, “No one ever spoke like this man!’”

            “Jesus spoke the truth with absolute divine authority on a wide spectrum of doctrinal and practical topics.  He that God is creator (Matt. 19:4; Mark 10:6; 13:9), king (Matt. 5:35), father (Matt. 5:16; 23:9), and sovereign ruler of heaven and earth “Matt. 11:25; cf. 6:9-10).  He is holy (John 17:11), merciful (Luke 6:36), gracious Ps. 103:8, even to unbelievers [Matt. 5:45]), perfectly righteous (Matt. 5:48; John 17:25), omniscient (Matt. 6:8), and loving (John  14:21, 23; 16:27).”  Now I want to quote all of these verses in the order that they are seen in this paragraph.

God is creator (Matt. 19:4; Mark 10:6; 13:9)

“4  He answered, "Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female,”

“6  But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’’

“9  "But be on your guard. For they will deliver you over to councils, and you will be beaten in synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them.”

king (Matt. 5:35)

“35  or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.”

father (Matt. 5:16; 23:9)

“16  In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.’

“9  And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven.”

sovereign ruler of heaven and earth “Matt. 11:25; cf. 6:9-10)

“  25 ¶  At that time Jesus declared, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children;”

“9 ¶  Pray then like this: "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. 10  Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.’

He is holy (John 17:11)

“11 ¶  And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.”

merciful (Luke 6:36)

“36  Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.”

gracious Ps. 103:8, even to unbelievers [Matt. 5:45])

“8  The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.”

“45  so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”

perfectly righteous (Matt. 5:48; John 17:25)

“48  You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

“25  O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me.”

and loving (John  14:21, 23; 16:27)

“21  Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.’’

“23  Jesus answered him, "If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.”

“27  for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.”

            It looks like this is going to be another long introduction, as I really want to quote the verses so it brings deeper meaning to what MacArthur is writing.

7/13/2026 8:47 PM 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PT-3 “The Power of Jesus” (Luke 6:18-19)

 

MORNING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 7/13/2026 9:39 AM

My Worship Time                                                                    Focus:  PT-3 “The Power of Jesus”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                 Reference:  Luke 6:18-19

            Message of the verses:  “who had come to hear Him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were being cured.  And all the people were trying to touch Him, for power was coming from Him and healing them all.”

            John MacArthur begins his comments on these verses by stating “The popularity of Jesus was largely the result of His power, displayed in three dimensions.”  I continue looking at these verses in this morning’s SD by quoting the last paragraph from last nights SD.

            “Several significant truths emerge from this brief, but important passage.  First and foremost, Jesus’ unparalleled teaching, miraculous power to heal, and absolute control of the realm of Satan and his demon hosts prove conclusively that He is God.”

            MacArthur then goes on by writing “Second, The Lord of heaven’s earthly ministry provides a preview of heaven.  In that place of supreme joy and bliss, the redeemed will see God face-to-face and know Him to the fullest extent to which finite beings are capable (1 Cor. 13:12).”  “12  For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.”  “All disease, disabilities, death, suffering, sorrow, and pain will be forever banished (Isa. 25:8; Rev. 21:4).”

(Isa. 25:8; Rev. 21:4)

“8  He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the LORD has spoken.”

“4  He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.’’

“Satan and the demons will be permanently incarcerated in hell (Matt. 25:41; Rev. 20:10), and no longer able to afflict or tempt God’s people.”

(Matt. 25:41; Rev. 20:10)

“41  "Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.”

“10  and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”

            “Third, the way Jesus manifested His power revealed His compassion.  He could have demonstrated His divine power by performing any kind of miraculous act.  But Jesus chose to do things beneficial to suffering, oppressed sinners.  His compassion was a constant theme of His ministry.  Matthew 9:36 notes that Jesus ‘felt compassion for [the people], because they were distressed and dispirited  like sheep without a shepherd.’  On another occasion, ‘He saw a large crowd, and felt compassion for them and healed their sick’ (Matt. 14:14).  When He encountered two blind men, Jesus was ‘moved with compassion [and] touched their eyes; and immediately they regained their sight and followed Him’ (Matt. 20:34).  Jesus once again was ‘moved with compassion [and] stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, ‘I am willing; be cleansed’ (v. 41).  Jesus halted a funeral procession for a widow’s only son and raised him from the dead because ‘He felt compassion for hir’ (Luke 7:13).

            “This passage presents the Lord Jesus Christ as the compassionate and  triumphant teacher, healer, and deliverer.  Clearly divine, He deserves honor, worship, and obedience.  And it is the responsibility of all who are His to go beyond mere curiosity, or even discipleship, and be messengers, taking the truth about Him to the lost world that so desperately needs to hear it (Matt. 28:18-20; Acts 1:8).”

(Matt. 28:18-20; Acts 1:8)

“18  And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19  Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20  teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’’

“8  But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.’’

7/13/2026 10:04 AM

 

 

 

PT-2 “The Power of Jesus” (Luke 6:18-19)

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 7/12/2026 7:43 PM

My Worship Time                                                                    Focus:  PT-2 “The Power of Jesus”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                 Reference:  Luke 6:18-19

            Message of the verses:  “who had come to hear Him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were being cured.  And all the people were trying to touch Him, for power was coming from Him and healing them all.”

            In this morning’s SD we looked at the first of three sections that have to do with these verses from above.  MacArthur wrote “The popularity of Jesus was largely the result of His power, displayed in three dimensions.”  This evening I desire to look at the second dimension, and then Lord willing look at the third in my morning SD for tomorrow.

            Now Jesus also demonstrated power over the physical realm; as He did not only have power over the mind, but also over the body.  Now to verify that He spoke the truth, and to show His compassion, the Lord healed those who were sick of their diseases (cf. 4:38-39; 5:17-25; 6:6-10. Something that we will do now.

(cf. 4:38-39; 5:17-25; 6:6-10.

“38  And he arose and left the synagogue and entered Simon’s house. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was ill with a high fever, and they appealed to him on her behalf. 39  And he stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her, and immediately she rose and began to serve them.”

“17 ¶  On one of those days, as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with him to heal. 18  And behold, some men were bringing on a bed a man who was paralyzed, and they were seeking to bring him in and lay him before Jesus, 19  but finding no way to bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the midst before Jesus. 20  And when he saw their faith, he said, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.” 21  And the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 22  When Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answered them, "Why do you question in your hearts? 23  Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? 24  But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins"—he said to the man who was paralyzed—" I say to you, rise, pick up your bed and go home." 25  And immediately he rose up before them and picked up what he had been lying on and went home, glorifying God.”

“6  On another Sabbath, he entered the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was withered. 7  And the scribes and the Pharisees watched him, to see whether he would heal on the Sabbath, so that they might find a reason to accuse him. 8  But he knew their thoughts, and he said to the man with the withered hand, “Come and stand here.” And he rose and stood there. 9  And Jesus said to them, “I ask you, is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to destroy it?” 10  And after looking around at them all he said to him, “Stretch out your hand.” And he did so, and his hand was restored.”

MacArthur then writes “Unlike modern perverse and selective phony faith healers, He cured all the people who were trying to touch Him, for power was coming from Him and healing them all.  Further, His healings were miracles that required creative power; He created functioning eyes and ears in giving sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, and the ability to speak to the mute, full function to crippled limbs, healing to incurable illnesses, such as leprosy, and raising the dead required creative power (Luke 7:22).”

(Luke 7:22)

“22  And he answered them, "Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them.”

            MacArthur goes on to write “Finally Luke is saying that those who were troubled with unclean spirits were being cured, shows Jesus’ power over the world of spiritual beings.  By casting out demons, Jesus demonstrated His absolute authority over the domain of Satan (cf. 4:33-35, 41).  The Lord answered those who strangely and blasphemously accused Him of casting out demons by the power of Satan by pointing out His obvious supremacy over him:

“If I cast out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.  When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are undisturbed.  But when someone stronger than he attacks him and overpowers him, he takes away from him all his armor on which he had relied and distributes his plunder.” (11:20-22)

“Jesus’ power was comprehensive.  He was able to minister to the mind by teaching the truth, the body by healing diseases, and the soul by casting out demons.

            “Several significant truths emerge from this brief, but important passage.  First and foremost, Jesus’ unparalleled teaching, miraculous power to heal, and absolute control of the realm of Satan and his demon hosts prove conclusively that He is God.”

            This is where I will end my evening SD.

7/12/2026 9:08 PM

 

PT-1 “The Power of Jesus” (Luke 6:18-19)

 

MORNING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 7/12/2026 11:57 AM

My Worship Time                                                                    Focus:  PT-1 “The Power of Jesus”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                 Reference:  Luke 6:18-19

            Message of the verses:  “who had come to hear Him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were being cured.  And all the people were trying to touch Him, for power was coming from Him and healing them all.”

            John MacArthur begins his comments on these verses by stating “The popularity of Jesus was largely the result of His power, displayed in three dimensions.”  Now that we have looked at this sentence we will know where we will be going as we look at these two verses.

            MacArthur then states that “In the mental realm, Jesus’ power found expression in His unprecedented teaching, which the people had come to hear.  At the end of the sermon He was about to preach, ‘the crowds were amazed at His teaching; for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes’ (Matt. 7:28-29).  When the chief priests and Pharisees demanded to know why the officers they had sent to arrest Jesus (John 7:32) had returned empty-handed, they replied, ‘Never has a man spoken the way this man speaks’ (v. 46).”  There are many times when I wish that I could have heard the Lord Jesus Christ preach while He was on  planet earth, and yet there are many parts of His sermons found in the gospels of what He was preaching, and then because I am a believer in Him, that means that the Holy Spirit is within me to aid me to understand what Jesus was preaching about, and of course what the Bible has to say.  Yes it would have been wonderful to hear Jesus preach, but it is wonderful to have His Word to read and think about so that I can serve Him in a way that will bring glory to the Lord.

            Now I want to return to what I am writing about in this morning’s SD.  MacArthur then writes something that to me, is very important in his next sentence:  “Unparalleled teaching, bringing the good news of salvation, eternal life, hope, peace, and joy to the minds of His hearers, was the preeminent aspect of the Lord’s ministry.”  Now because this sentence helps me to better understand what I am to do as a child of God, as I am to give the Word out so that people can be saved, having eternal life, which brings hope, peace, and joy to those who actually read the Spiritual Diaries that I write, and pray that they are done in the power of the Holy Spirit so that He can use them to first of all give an effectual call to people so that they can become born-again believers in Jesus Christ, which results in eternal life, and also it gives hope, peace, and joy to those who read them.  I believe that what I am doing in writing these Spiritual Diaries is what the Lord has called me to do, and it is my desire that they will bring honor and glory to the Lord Jesus Christ.  MacArthur then goes on to write “Miracles corroborated His claim to be the Son of God and verified that He taught the truth, but they could not save anyone (cf. John 12:37).” “37 ¶  Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him,”  “Everywhere He went the Lord preached the good news that God would forgive those who are spiritually destitute, blind, oppressed, and held captive in sin’s grip (Luke 4:18) if they repent (Matt. 4:17).”

(Luke 4:18)

“18  "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed,”

(Matt. 4:17)

“17  From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’”

“His mental agility, clarity, force, and depth were without parallel, and salvation came to those who heard His message and embraced the truth.”

            Here is the good news, and that is that Jesus’ words remain equally authoritative today, and my thoughts that they will always be equally authoritative for all eternity.  Perhaps once we are raptured into the presence of the Lord, and then after the seven earth years of the tribulation period and then go and serve Him in the Millennial Kingdom that we will continue to grow in our knowledge of what we read in the Scriptures.  I am not positive of that but we will never know as much as God knows, so perhaps we will continue to grow even when we have a glorified body.  I guess I will just have to wait and see.

            MacArthur writes “As Paul wrote to Timothy, ‘If anyone advocates a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jeus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness, he is conceited and understands nothing’ (1 Tim. 6:3-4).  Pastors and teachers merely pass on the truths that He taught.”  That is the difference between real pastors and those who do not know the Lord as their Savior and Lord, and there are plenty of them that fall into that category in today’s world.”

Spiritual Meaning for My Life Today:  It is my desire that what I do will bring glory to the Lord Jesus Christ, and certainly not to me, for He is the One who deserves all glory, and He is the One through the Holy Spirit to do what He desires me to do for the cause of Christ.

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Make sure that what I do in my life will bring honor and glory to my Lord and my Savior, Jesus Christ.  I can do nothing good on my own accord, only through what Christ does through me will last.

7/12/2026 12:34 PM

 

“The Popularity of Jesus” (Luke 6:17)

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 7/11/2026 6:27 PM

My Worship Time                                                                      Focus: “The Popularity of Jesus”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                      Reference:  Luke 6:17

            Message of the verses: “Jesus came down with them and stood on a level place; and there was a large crowd of His disciples, and a great throng of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the costal region of Tyer and Sidon.”

            This evening we will look at what MacArthur’s calls “The Popularity of Jesus,” as this is the first sub-point after what  became a very large introduction to the verses that he will go over in this chapter of his Commentary on the gospel of Luke which he entitled “The Popularity and Power of Jesus.”

            Jesus is in the early stages of His ministry on planet earth and this was the time when his popularity was enormously popular, much more than anyone else in Israel had ever been.  As we look back at people like Abraham, Isaac, and then Moses and eventually Daivd we know that they had popular ministries, but Jesus is the God-man who came to earth and came to preach and teach, and also to teach His apostles in order for them to take up after His time on earth was ended.  Jesus had many, many people following him to whom He taught and He taught to many crowds, up to 5000 men along with women and children, so it could be as many as twenty thousand or more.  Let us look for example to Luke 12:1 “1 ¶  In the meantime, when so many thousands of the people had gathered together that they were trampling one another, he began to say to his disciples first, "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.”

            “Now Luke sorts the people present on this occasion into three groups.  The first were the newly appointed twelve apostles.  Then after spending the nigh in prayer and choosing them as seen in Luke 6:12-16, something we spent many days looking over each of them, Jesus came down with the Twelve and stood on a level place.  As will be discussed later on in Luke 6:20-26, the sermon Jesus was about to preach in verses 20-49 is Luke’s condensed version of what is known as “The Sermon on the Mount” seen in Matthew’s gospel chapters 5-7.  The level place was therefore not a plain, but rather a plateau on the side of a mountain that is mentioned in Matthew 5:1.  Some identify the location with a plateau near Capernaum.  Jesus like the rabbis, customarily sat down when He taught as seen in Luke 4:20; 5:3; Matt. 5:1; 13:2; John 8:2).  Jesus stood at this time because He was not yet teaching, but was at this time healing those who were sick and casting out demons, “18  who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. And those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured.” (Luke 6:18). 

            The second group consisted of a large crowd of His disciples.  Now the apostles were the messengers chosen by the Lord to preach the gospel.  They were just beginning their formal training as the first generation of gospel heralds.  The disciples, on the other hand, were an assortment of people who were just regular followers of Jesus.  They were at various levels of understanding and commitment, but all considered Jesus to be their teacher.  Some, at time would prove, were genuine followers; most it seems, were not and would eventually desert Him as seen in a wonderful section of John’s gospel, John 6:66, “66  After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.”  A consistent pattern of obedience to Christ’s word (John 8:31) distinguishes the wheat who are true disciples from the tares which are false disciples, as the Lord’s parable indicates (Matt. 13:24-30).  Jesus in His divine omniscience knew who were the real disciples, and who were not as seen in John 2:23-25; 6:64).

            “Now the final group were the ever-present curious whom Luke described as a great throng of people.  Sometimes Luke used laos (people) to refer to God’s people (e.g., 1:68, 77; 2:32).  But more often the term refers to those who were inquisitive, but uncommitted (e.g., 7:1, 29; 8:47; 9:13; 18:43; 19:48; 20:1; 21:38; 23:35).  Luke distinguished them from Jesus’ disciples, who had at least a normal commitment to following Him.  The large crowd was from all Judea, and this is used in a non-technical sense to refer to all of Israel, not just the southern region, which included Jerusalem, the religious and cultural center of the nation.  Some of those from Jerusalem were members of the religious establishment spying on Jesus.  17 ¶  On one of those days, as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with him to heal.” (Luke 5:17).

            MacArthur concludes “In addition to those from Israel, this last group also included people from the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon.  Those two cities were the most important ones in Phoenicia (cf. Jere. 47:4; Joel 3:4; Matt. 11:21-22; Acts 12:20), the region north and west of Galilee on the Mediterranean Sea, in modern day Lebanon.  Phoenicia was a predominantly Gentile area, but some Jews also lived there. Tyre and Sidon had been significant seaports in Old Testament times, until they were destroyed by the devastating judgment prophesied in Ezekiel 26-28.  Their sordid immorality made the two cities emblematic of pagan religion.  Jesus’ appeal knew no bounds; pagans, common people, and the religiously literate were all drawn to Him.  And later He made a visit to the region of Tyre and Sidon (Mar, 7:24-31).”

7/11/2026 7:09 PM

PT-6 “The Popularity and Power of Jesus” (Luke 6:17-19)

 

MORNING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 7/11/2026 11:37 AM

My Worship Time                               Focus: Intro to PT-6 “The Popularity and Power of Jesus”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                 Reference:  Luke 6:17-19

            Message of the verses: “Jesus came down with them and stood on a level place; and there was a large crowd of His disciples, and a great throng of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the costal region of Tyer and Sidon, who had come to hear Him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were begin cured.  And all the people were trying to touch Him, for power was coming from Him and healing them all.”

            I want to begin where I left off in last evenings SD as I continue to quote from John MacArthur’s commentary as he introduces these verses in his introduction.

            “In keeping with the centrality of the Lord Jesus Christ in Scripture, Luke carefully, systematically presents the story of His life and ministry, providing irrefutable proof that He is God the Son, the Lord Messiah, and Savior.  So far he has given the testimonies of angels (1:11-17, 26-33; 2:9-14), Zacharias (1:76-79), Elizabeth (1:41-45), Mary (1:46-55), the shepherds (2:15-20), Simeon (2:25-35), Anna (2:36-38), Jesus Himself at the age of twelve(2:49), the Father and the Spirit at His baptism (3:21-22), John the Baptist—the last and greatest of the Old Testament prophets (3:15-17), Jesus genealogy (3:23-38), the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy concerning Him (4:16-21), the singular and divine character of His authoritative preaching (4:32), His power over Satan (4:1-13), demons (4:33-36, 41), disease (4:38-40; 5:12-15, 17-25; 6:10), and the natural world (5:4-9), His authority to forgive sin (5:20-25), and His divine sovereignty over the Sabbath, the core of Israel’s works system (6:1-11).  Luke’s inspired account has built a masterful case that Jesus was indeed God in human flesh, the Messiah and Lord.”  Now comes the task to look all of these many verses in order, which I will do beginning with Luke’s “testimonies of angels:”

(1:11-17, 26-33; 2:9-14)

11  And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12  And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. 13  But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. 14  And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, 15  for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. 16  And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, 17  and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.’”

“26 ¶  In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27  to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. 28  And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” 29  But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30  And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31  And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32  He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33  and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.’”

“9  And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10  And the angel said to them, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12  And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger." 13  And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14  “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

Zacharias (1:76-79) From Luke’s Gospel

76  And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, 77  to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins, 78  because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high 79  to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.’

Elizabeth (1:41-45”

41  And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, 42  and she exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43  And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44  For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45  And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.’

Mary (1:46-55)

“46  And Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord, 47  and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48  for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; 49  for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. 50  And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. 51  He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; 52  he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; 53  he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. 54  He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, 55  as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.’’

the shepherds (2:15-20)

“15  When the

angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16  And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17  And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18  And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19  But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20  And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.’

Simeon (2:25-35)

“25 ¶  Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26  And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27  And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, 28  he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, 29  "Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; 30  for my eyes have seen your salvation 31  that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, 32  a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel." 33  And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. 34  And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, "Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed 35  (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.’’

Anna (2:36-38)

“36  And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, 37  and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. 38  And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.”

Jesus Himself at the age of twelve(2:49)

49  And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”

the Father and the Spirit at His baptism (3:21-22)

“21 ¶  Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, 22  and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.’’

John the Baptist—the last and greatest of the Old Testament prophets (3:15-17)

“15 ¶  As the people were in expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Christ, 16  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. 17  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.’”

Jesus genealogy (3:23-38)

23  Jesus, when he began his ministry, was about thirty years of age, being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, the son of Heli, 24  the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph, 25  the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai, 26  the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda, 27  the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri, 28  the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er, 29  the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, 30  the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim, 31  the son of, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David, 32  the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Sala, the son of Nahshon, 33  the son of Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Arni, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah, 34  the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor, 35  the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah, 36  the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech, 37  the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel, the son of Cainan, 38  the son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.”

the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy concerning Him (4:16-21)

“16  And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. 17  And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, 18  "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, 19  to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor." 20  And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21  And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.’’

the singular and divine character of His authoritative preaching (4:32)

“32  and they were astonished at his teaching, for his word possessed authority.’

His power over Satan (4:1-13)

“1 ¶  And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness 2  for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry. 3  The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” 4  And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone.’” 5  And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, 6  and said to him, "To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. 7  If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours." 8  And Jesus answered him, "It is written, "’You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.’" 9  And he took him to Jerusalem and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, 10  for it is written, "’He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you,’ 11  and “‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’” 12  And Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” 13  And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time.”

demons (4:33-36, 41)

“33  And in the synagogue there was a man who had the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice, 34  “Ha! What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.” 35  But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent and come out of him!” And when the demon had thrown him down in their midst, he came out of him, having done him no harm. 36  And they were all amazed and said to one another, “What is this word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out!’’

“41  And demons also came out of many, crying,, “You are the Son of God!” But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ.”

disease (4:38-40; 5:12-15, 17-25; 6:10)

“38  And he arose and left the synagogue and entered Simon’s house. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was ill with a high fever, and they appealed to him on her behalf. 39  And he stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her, and immediately she rose and began to serve them. 40  Now when the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to him, and he laid his hands on every one of them and healed them.”

12 ¶  While he was in one of the cities, there came a man full of leprosy. And when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged him, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” 13  And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately the leprosy left him. 14  And he charged him to tell no one, but “go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing, as Moses commanded, for a proof to them.” 15  But now even more the report about him went abroad, and great crowds gathered to hear him and to be healed of their infirmities.”

“17 ¶  On one of those days, as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with him to heal. 18  And behold, some men were bringing on a bed a man who was paralyzed, and they were seeking to bring him in and lay him before Jesus, 19  but finding no way to bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the midst before Jesus. 20  And when he saw their faith, he said, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.” 21  And the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 22  When Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answered them, "Why do you question in your hearts? 23  Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? 24  But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins"—he said to the man who was paralyzed—" I say to you, rise, pick up your bed and go home." 25  And immediately he rose up before them and picked up what he had been lying on and went home, glorifying God. 26  And amazement seized them all, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, “We have seen extraordinary things today.’’

“10  And after looking around at them all he said to him, “Stretch out your hand.” And he did so, and his hand was restored.”

and the natural world (5:4-9)

“4  And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” 5  And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” 6  And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. 7  They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. 8  But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” 9  For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken,”

His authority to forgive sin (5:20-25)

“20  And when he saw their faith, he said, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.” 21  And the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 22  When Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answered them, "Why do you question in your hearts? 23  Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? 24  But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins"—he said to the man who was paralyzed—" I say to you, rise, pick up your bed and go home." 25  And immediately he rose up before them and picked up what he had been lying on and went home, glorifying God.”

and His divine sovereignty over the Sabbath, the core of Israel’s works system (6:1-11)

“11  But they were filled with fury and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus.”

“Occasionally in his careful account of the Lord’s life and ministry, Luke freezes the action into a still photo.  This passage is the fourth such summary so far in his gospel (along with 4:14-15, 31-32, 40-41), and provides a rich recap of the Lord’s ministry up to this point.  As the video temporarily pauses, the ensuing snapshot reveals two important aspects of Christ’s ministry: His popularity, and His power.”

Spiritual Meaning for my life today: As I was writing and copying all of these verses it caused me to think that as one reads over all of these verses that they must come to the conclusion that Jesus is exactly who He claimed to be, the very Son of God, and so the obvious thing that one can do is believe it and then to ask the Son of God to save you from your sins, and He will do that and also send His Holy Spirit to live in your life to guide you and to bring you closer to the Savior.

My Steps of Faith for Today:  To trust the Spirit of God to get this SD out to those who need to understand the Gospel and to then act upon the truth of the gospel by confessing that you are a sinner, and to invite the Lord into your heart to save you.

7/11/2026 12:41 PM