PT-3“The Answer of Divine Revelation” (Luke 9:20-22)

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 10/19/2026 4:52 PM

My Worship Time                                              Focus:  PT-3“The Answer of Divine Revelation”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                 Reference:  Luke 9:20-22

            Message of the verses:  “And He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”  And Peter answered and said, “The Christ of God.”  But He warned them and instructed them not to tell this to anyone, saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed and be raised up on the third day.”

            John MacArthur writes “Instead, Jesus told the apostles, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed and be raised up on the third day.”  If His prohibiting theme to spread the truth that He was the Messiah had puzzled the Twelve, this statement must have floored them.  There was no mistaking the significance of Christ’s words; the word must reveals that the Savior’s death was part of God’s unalterable plan.  Jesus was, as Peter would later proclaim, ‘delivered over [to death] by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God’ (Acts 2:23; cf. 3:18; 4:27-28; 13:27-28; Luke 9:31; 22:22, 37).”

(Acts 2:23; cf. 3:18; 4:27-28; 13:27-28; Luke 9:31; 22:22, 37)

“23  this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.”

“18  But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled.”

“27  for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, 28  to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place.”

“27  For those who live in Jerusalem and their rulers, because they did not recognize him nor understand the utterances of the prophets, which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled them by condemning him. 28  And though they found in him no guilt worthy of death, they asked Pilate to have him executed.”

“31  who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.”

“22  For the Son of Man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed!"

“37  For I tell you that this Scripture must be fulfilled in me: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors.’ For what is written about me has its fulfillment."

“What Isaiah predicted would infallibly come to pass:

4 ¶  Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 5  But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. 6  All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned— every one— to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7  He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. 8  By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? 9  And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. 10 ¶  Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.”

            “The many things the Son of Man would suffer included the hatred of the Jewish leaders, the agony in Gethsemane, the betrayal by Judas, mockery, a brutal whipping, the crown of thorns, being rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and being forsaken by the Father and killed.  All of that must have dealt the apostles’ messianic hopes a staggering blow.  The plan was not that Jesus usher in the kingdom, but that He suffer death and the instigation of the rulers of the nation.  Jesus came to be ‘made…sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God  in Him’ (2 Cor. 5:21).  Having accomplished redemption, Jesus would be raised up in triumph on the third day.”

10/19/2026 5:31 PM

 

 

PT-2“The Answer of Divine Revelation” (Luke 9:20-23)

 

MORNING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 10/19/2026 8:58 AM

My Worship Time                                              Focus:  PT-2“The Answer of Divine Revelation”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                 Reference:  Luke 9:20-22

            Message of the verses:  “And He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”  And Peter answered and said, “The Christ of God.”  But He warned them and instructed them not to tell this to anyone, saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed and be raised up on the third day.”

            This section is a long section that also has many verse references in this section which I will quote when they come up.

            I will begin this SD by quoting from John MacArthur’s commentary: “Matthew’s account records that Jesus also told Peter, and by extension the rest of the Twelve (except for the traitor, Judas Iscariot), ‘Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven’ (Matt. 16:17).  Spiritually dead people (Eph. 2:1-3) cannot be convinced that Jesus is God, Messiah, Savior, and King unless God awakens the mind, and gives understanding to the heart (1 Cor. 1:21; 2:10-14; 12:3).”

(Eph. 2:1-3)

“1 ¶  And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2  in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3  among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.”

(1 Cor. 1:21; 2:10-14; 12:3)

“21  For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.”

“10  these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. 11  For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12  Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. 13  And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. 14  The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.”

“3  Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says accursed “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit.”

“For that reason Jesus declared, ‘No one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him’ (Matt. 11:27) and, ‘No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent me draws him’ (John 6:44).

            “Since they had just confessed their belief in Him this would seem to have been an appropriate time for the apostles to spread the word about Christ’s true identity.  They must have been puzzled when He warned them and instructed them not to tell this to anyone.  The forceful terms epitimao (warned) and paragello (instructed) indicate that Jesus strongly, sternly commanded them not to spread the news that He was the Messiah.  In John 12, this was a judicial act on the part of Jesus, hiding the truth from those who were already confirmed in their rejection of it, and the people who had recently been thwarted in their rejection of it, and the people, who had recently been thwarted in their attempt to make Jesus king (John 6:14-15), did not need to be incited try again.”

(John 6:14-15)

“14  When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world! 15 ¶  then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.”

“But the reason for this prohibition was to instruct His followers that the message they were going to preach was not that Jesus was a healer or provider—but the Savior.  They would never be sent out to preach permanently until after His death and resurrection.  Those consummate achievements by the Lord Jesus would be the essential heart of the gospel they and all who followed them would preach.  To show that this was His reason, He immediately spoke of it (cf. Matt. 16:20-23; Mark 8:30-33).”

(cf. Matt. 16:20-23; Mark 8:30-33)

“20  but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 22  "The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, 23  but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!”

“30  And he strictly charged them to tell no one about him. 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. 32  And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33  But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”

“On many occasions He restricted the proclamation of His power (Mark 1:25, 34; 3:12; 5:43; 7:36; 8:26, 30; 9:9).  The Lord had no intention of starting a revolt against Rome—a revolt based on false expectations of Messiah’s mission.”

(Mark 1:25, 34; 3:12; 5:43; 7:36; 8:26, 30; 9:9)

“25  But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!”

“34  And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. And he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.”

“12  And he strictly ordered them not to make him known.”

“43  And he strictly charged them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.”

“36  And Jesus charged them to tell no one. But the more he charged them, the more zealously they proclaimed it.”

“26  And he sent him to his home, saying, “Do not even enter the village.”

“30  And he strictly charged them to tell no one about him.”

“9  And as they were coming down the mountain, he charged them to tell no one what they had seen, until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.”

Spiritual Meaning for my life today:  Trusting the Lord to be ready to tell the gospel story to those that the Spirit leads me to tell it to.

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Continue to trust the Lord to help Vivian get over her tiredness so that she can be more effective in doing what the Lord has called her to do for the cause of Christ.

10/19/2026 9:41 AM

 

 

 

 

PT-1“The Answer of Divine Revelation” (Luke 9:20-22)

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 10/18/2026 7:52 PM

My Worship Time                                              Focus:  PT-1“The Answer of Divine Revelation”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                 Reference:  Luke 9:20-22

            Message of the verses:  “And He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”  And Peter answered and said, “The Christ of God.”  But He warned them and instructed them not to tell this to anyone, saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed and be raised up on the third day.”

            This section is a fairly long section that also has many verse references in this section which I will quote when they come up.

            Now in light of the confusion and unbelief that His first question revealed, the Lord asked the Twelve, “But who do you say that I am? Now the word you is emphatic in all three gospel accounts of this incident (cf. Matt. 16:15; Mark 8:29).  Who did they, in contrast to prevailing public opinion, believe Jesus to be.

(cf. Matt. 16:15; Mark 8:29)

“15  He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”

“29  And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.”

            The apostles’ answer, voiced by their spokesman Peter, was the absolute antithesis of the crowd’s suggestions.  When the Twelve confessed Jesus to be the Christ of God, they did so with full knowledge of the alternative views of Him being proposes.  To make their view of Him unmistakably clear, they added their affirmation that He is ‘the Son of the living God” (Matt. 16:16).  Christos (Christ) is the Greek translation of the Hebrew word mashiach.  Both words refer to the anointed one (cf. 4:18; Acts 10:38; Heb. 1:9), the one whom God Himself chose to be prophet priest, and king, as the possessive phrase of God indicates (cf. 2:26; 23:35; Acts 3:18; 4:26; Rev. 11:15; 12:10).

(cf. 4:18; Acts 10:38; Heb. 1:9)

“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,”

“38  how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.”

“9  You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions."

(cf. 2:26; 23:35; Acts 3:18; 4:26; Rev. 11:15; 12:10)

“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.”

“35  And the people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!”

“18  But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled.”

“26  The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers were gathered together, against the Lord and against his Anointed’—”

“15  Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.”

“10  And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, "Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God.”

Anyone who rejects Jesus, God’s Messiah, is cursed (1 Cor. 16:22) and deserving of the most severe punishment (Heb. 10:29).

(1 Cor. 16:22)

22  If anyone has no love for the Lord, let him be accursed. Our Lord, come!”

(Heb. 10:29)

“29  How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace?”

            John MacArthur writes “The apostles knew Jesus was not merely another prophet, nor was He the political and military ruler that fit the expectation of the people. He was God’s chosen, anointed Messiah and His beloved Son (Matt. 3:17; 17:5; Col. 1:13; 2 Peter 1:17), the king of Israel (John 1:49).”

(Matt. 3:17; 17:5; Col. 1:13; 2 Peter 1:17)

“17  and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

“5  He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”

“13  He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,’

“17  For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,”

(John 1:49)

“49  Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”

“The faith of the apostles would continue to waver at times between this confession and the Lord’s death and resurrection.  But despite the fluctuations of their trust, they would hold fast to their identification of Him.  They would question His plan, especially when He spoke of His death.  But never did they doubt His person.”

10/18/2026 8:28 PM

 

 

 

 

 

PT-3 “The Answer of Human Opinion” (Luke 9:18b-19)

 

MORNING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 10/18/2026 8:18 AM

My Worship Time                                                Focus:  PT-3 “The Answer of Human Opinion”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                               Reference:  Luke 9:18b-19

            Message of the verses:  “and He questioned them, saying, “Who do the people say that I am?”  They answered and said, “John the Baptist, and others say Elijay; but others, that one of the prophets of old has risen again.”

            I will pick up where I left off in last nights SD:  “John 12 reveals two significant reasons for the crowd’s perplexing inability to correctly identify Jesus.  Even during Passion Week, just days from His death, the crowd was still asking Him, ‘Who is this Son of Man?’ (v. 34).  Jesus replied that they were not lacking information; they already had the light, and needed to believe the truth that had been revealed to them (vv. 35-36).”

(vv. 35-36)

35  So Jesus said to them, "The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. 36  While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light." When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them.”

“Having said that, Jesus ‘went away and hid Himself from them (v. 36).  The people knew the truth and rejected it, and as a result God judicially abandoned them:

37 ¶  Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him, 38  so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: “Lord, who has believed what he heard from us, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” 39  Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said, 40  “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and turn, and I would heal them.” (John 12:37-40)

“Tragically, their persistent rejection of the truth eventually brought God’s judicial hardening so that they could not believe.

            “Another statement in John 12 reveals the second major reason that people fail to affirm Christ’s true identity:  Nevertheless many even of the rulers believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they were not confessing Him, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the approval of men rather than the approval of God’ (vv. 42-43).  Here is a sobering illustration of the power of false religion—they knew the truth, but refused to act on it.  Maintaining their façade of self-righteousness, being accepted by the Jewish religious authorities, and avoiding the trauma of being put out of the synagogue was more important to them than the truth.  Like the fickle crowd, because they would not believe they eventually could not believe.”

10/18/2026 8:32 AM

 

PT-2 “The Answer of Human Opinion” (Luke 9:18b-19)

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 10/17/2026 8:423 PM

My Worship Time                                                Focus:  PT-2 “The Answer of Human Opinion”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                               Reference:  Luke 9:18b-19

            Message of the verses:  “and He questioned them, saying, “Who do the people say that I am?”  They answered and said, “John the Baptist, and others say Elijay; but others, that one of the prophets of old has risen again.”

            I will pick up from where I left off this morning:  John MacArthur writes “The correct answer to the Lord’s question is clear in Scripture.  He is the Son of Man (cf. 6:5; 9:26; 12:8, 10; 17:24, 26, 30; 18:8, 31; 19:10; 21:27, 36), a messianic title derived from Daniel 7:13-14.”

(cf. 6:5; 9:26; 12:8, 10; 17:24, 26, 30; 18:8, 31; 19:10; 21:27, 36)

“5  And he said to them, “The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”

“26  For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.”

“8  "And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God,”

“10  And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.”

“24  For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day.”

“26  Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man.”

“30  so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed.”

“8  I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?"

“31 ¶  And taking the twelve, he said to them, "See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished.”

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

“27  And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.”

“36  But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man."

(Daniel 7:13-14)

13  And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.” 14  Then he came up and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.”

“The angel Gabriel told Mary that He would be ‘the Son of the Most High’ (1:32) and ‘the Son of God’ (v. 35; cf. 22:70); another angel told the shepherds that He would be the Savior (2:11); even the demons were forced to acknowledge Him as ‘the Holy One of God’ (4:34) and ‘the Son of God’ (v. 41). See also the discussion of Christ identity earlier in this chapter). 

(1:32)

“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,”

 (v. 35; cf. 22:70)

35  And the angel answered her, "The

Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.”

“70  So they all said, “Are you the Son of God, then?” And he said to them, “You say that I am.”

(2:11)

11  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”

(4:34)

“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.”

(v. 41)

“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.”

            “It seems incredible that the crowd, knowing what they knew, could come to any wrong conclusion about Jesus.  At this point, though uncertain about His identity, the crowds had not yet turned against Jesus.  They still hoped He would be the conquering messianic king, who would drive out the Romans, usher in His earthly kingdom and bring blessing and prominence to Israel (cf. John 6:14-15).”

(cf. John 6:14-15)

“14  When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!” 15 ¶  then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.”

“Israel’s ultimate rejection would not come until Passion Week under strong influence from the religious elite.  Many of the Galileans would follow Jesus to Jerusalem and join the mammoth crowd hailing Him as the Messiah as He entered the city.  Shockingly, by the end of the week, the crowds of pilgrims and residents would reject Him and scream for His blood.  But for the time being, Jesus still maintained some popularity with the people.”

10/17/2026 8:56 PM

PT-1 “The Answer of Human Opinion” (Luke 9:18b-19)

 

MORNING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 10/17/2026 9:46 AM

My Worship Time                                                         Focus:  “The Answer of Human Opinion”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                               Reference:  Luke 9:18b-19

            Message of the verses:  “and He questioned them, saying, “Who do the people say that I am?”  They answered and said, “John the Baptist, and others say Elijay; but others, that one of the prophets of old has risen again.”

            Now Jesus was addressing the Twelve as seen in the following Jesus questioned them, saying, “Who do the people say that I am?”  Ochlos (people) is a word Luke used frequently to speak of the uncommitted mas of people who followed Jesus everywhere (cf. v. 37; 4:42; 5:1, 15; 7:1, 24; 8:4; 11:14, 29; 12:1, 54; 13:14, 17; 14:25).  Now we will look at these verses.

(cf. v. 37; 4:42; 5:1, 15; 7:1, 24; 8:4; 11:14, 29; 12:1, 54; 13:14, 17; 14:25).

“37 ¶  On the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, a great crowd met him.”

“42  And when it was day, he departed and went into a desolate place. And the people sought him and came to him, and would have kept him from leaving them,”

“1 ¶  On one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret,”

“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.”

“1 ¶  After he had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum.”

“24  When John’s messengers had gone, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?”

“4 ¶  And when a great crowd was gathering and people from town after town came to him, he said in a parable,”

“14 ¶  Now he was casting out a demon that was mute. When the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke, and the people marveled.”

“29 ¶  When the crowds were increasing, he began to say, "This generation is an evil generation. It seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.”

“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.”

“54 ¶  He also said to the crowds, "When you see a cloud rising in the west, you say at once, ‘A shower is coming.’ And so it happens.”

“14  But the ruler of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the people, “There are six days in which work ought to be done. Come on those days and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day.”

“17  As he said these things, all his adversaries were put to shame, and all the people rejoiced at all the glorious things that were done by him.”

“25 ¶  Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them,”

“They never questioned the legitimacy of His miracles, having witnessed them first hand (John 7:31; cf. 3:2; 9:16).”

(John 7:31; cf. 3:2; 9:16)

“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?”

“2  This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.”

“16  Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.” But others said, “How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?” And there was a division among them.”

“Indeed, it was largely because of those miraculous signs that they followed Him (John 6:2).”

(John 6:2)

“2  And a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick.”

“They also recognized that no mere human could exercise such supernatural power.  Such unparalleled might and creative acts were beyond the realm of human capability, and thus Jesus had to be wielding the forces of heaven.  But their ideas as to His specific identity were off target.  Some, like Herod Antipas (Matt. 14:1-2), thought He was John the Baptist risen from the dead (cf. 9:7).  Others opted for Elijah (Mal. 4:5; Matt. 17:10); still others argued that another one of the prophets of old had risen again.”  Now I am going to quote the verse reference beginning with (Matt. 14:1-2).

(Matt. 14:1-2)

“1 ¶  that time Herod the tetrarch heard about the fame of Jesus, 2  and he said to his servants, “This is John the Baptist. He has been raised from the dead; that is why these miraculous powers are at work in him.”

(Luke cf. 9:7) 

“7  Now Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening, and he was perplexed, because it was said by some that John had been raised from the dead,”

(Mal. 4:5; Matt. 17:10)

“5  "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes.”

“10  And the disciples asked him, “Then why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?”

            Looks like this is a good place to stop and I will have to continue working on this in the evening SD.

Spiritual meaning for my life today:  The Bible has no errors in it and one of the ways that this can be seen is to look at the prophecies in it and then look how many of them have already been fulfilled, which makes me believer that they all will be fulfilled.

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Trust that the Lord will continue to give me the grace that I need each day to continue doing what I believe He called me to do.

10/17/2026 10:34 AM

 

 

 

 

PT-3 Intro to “Life’s Most Important Question” (Luke 9:18)

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 10/16/2026 7:25 PM

My Worship Time                                      Focus PT-3 Intro to “Life’s Most Important Question”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                 Reference:  Luke 9:18-22

Bible Reading & Meditation   “And it happened that while He was praying alone, the disciples were with Him, and He questioned them, saying, “Who do the people say that I am?”  They answered and said, “John the Baptist, and others say Elijah; but others, that one of the prophets of old has risen again.”  And He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” And Peter answered and said, “The Christ of God.”  But He warned them and instructed them not to tell this to anyone, since, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed and be raised up on the third day.”

            I should have done this section this morning but there was a lot of trouble with my internet and I was running all around trying to get it fixed.  It is fixed for now and so I want to take this opportunity to finish this introduction to these verses above.

            “As the scene opened, Jesus was praying (cf. vv. 28-29; 3:21; 5:16; 6:12; 11:1; 22:41-45).”

(cf. vv. 28-29; 3:21; 5:16; 6:12; 11:1; 22:41-45)

“28 ¶  Now about eight days after these sayings he took with him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray. 29  And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white.”

“21 ¶  Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened,”

“16  But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.”

“12 ¶  In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God.”

“1 ¶  Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.”

“41  And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, 42  saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” 43  And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. 44  And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. 45  And when he rose from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow,”

“It is instructive and challenging to note that the God-man always made communion with the Father a priority in the face of the constant difficulties and demands people made on Him.

            “Though the Lord was praying alone, the disciples were nearby.  By this time they had been with Him nearly two and a half years, observing His life and ministry, and being taught and discipled by Him.  They had witnessed His power over demons, disease, nature, and death.  They had seen overwhelming evidence that He is God, possessing divine power, knowledge, insight, and giving divine revelation.  After all that they had seen and heard, the Lord’s question to them in this passage amounted to their final exam.

            “The setting for this incident was Caesarea Philippi (Matt. 16:13; Mark 8:27), located north of the Sea of Galilee on the slopes of Mt. Hermon, about forty to fifty miles southwest of Damascus.  It was near the extreme northern boundary of Old Testament Israel, not far from the city of Dan.”

(Matt. 16:13; Mark 8:27)

“13 ¶  Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”

“27 ¶  And Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?”

“It was originally named Panion, after the god Pan, whom Greek settlers, who entered the region after the death of Alexander the Great, worshiped in a nearby cave.  Herod the Great built a temple there, and dedicated it to Rome and Augustus Caesar.  Herod’s son Philip the Tetrarch renamed the city Caesarea and appended his own name to it to distinguish it from the other Caesarea on the Mediterranean coast.  At more than one thousand feet in elevation, this scenic region offered Jesus and the apostles some relief from the crowds in the lowlands.  It was also farther from Jerusalem and the hostility of the Jewish leaders, and the threat of Herod Antipas.

            “The apostles’ ‘final exam’ consisted of two questions.  The answer to the second one expressed divine revelation of His true identity.

10/16/2026 7:46 PM