PT-2 “Intro to ‘The Mark of True Greatness’” (Luke 9:46-50)

 

MORNING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 11/6/2026 10:00 AM

My Worship Time                                      Focus:  PT-2 “Intro to ‘The Mark of True Greatness’”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                 Reference:  Luke 9:46-50

            Message of the verses: “⁴⁶ Now an argument started among them as to which of them might be the greatest. ⁴⁷ But Jesus, knowing what they were thinking in their hearts, took a child and had him stand by His side, ⁴⁸ and He said to them, “Whoever receives this child in My name receives Me, and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me; for the one who is least among all of you, this is the one who is great.” ⁴⁹ John answered and said, “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name; and we tried to prevent him, because he does not follow along with us.” ⁵⁰ But Jesus said to him, “Do not hinder him; for the one who is not against you is for you.”

            The following is a quotation from John MacArthur’s introduction to these verses, something that I have been doing for a while now.

            “Sanctification is the progressive triumph of humility over pride and power of the Holy Spirit (Rom 8:1-14).”

(Rom 8:1-14)

“Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3  For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4  in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5  For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6  For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7  For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. 8  Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 9  You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 10 ¶  But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11  If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. 12  So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13  For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14  For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.”

“That pride is not easily defeated is evident from the experience of the disciples.  Even after the Lord had made His dramatic announcement that one of them would betray Him, the apostles ‘began to discuss among themselves which one of them it might be who was going to do this thing’ (Luke 22:23).  Incredibly, the discussion degenerated into ‘a dispute among them as to which one of them was regarded to be the greatest (v. 24)—the same selfish argument that prompted the Lord’s teaching on this occasion.

            “It must be noted that sinners’ humbling themselves in repentance is not a pre-salvation work by which they prepare their hearts for God to save them; the unaided human will has no capacity to be humble.  Those who are spiritually dead (Eph. 2:1), blind (2 Cor. 4:4), and unable to understand spiritual truth (1 Cor. 2:14) are  not able to debase themselves, repent, and bring themselves to saving faith and spiritual life.  On the Spirit of God, using the Word of God, can  penetrate the stubborn, proud heart, humble it, and make it contrite and penitent.”

(Eph. 2:1)

“1 ¶  And you were dead in the trespasses and sins”

(2 Cor. 4:4)

“4  In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”

(1 Cor. 2:14)

“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.”

            “Throughout the Bible God promises to bless the humble.  He will strengthen them (Psalm 10:17), teach them (Psalm 35:9), save them (Psalm 76:9), give grace to them give them (Prov. 3:34; James 4:6) revive them, (Isiah 57:15), give them the blessings of His kingdom (Matt. 5:3-5), and exalt them (Luke 14:11; 1 Peter 5:6).”

(Psalm 10:17)

“17  O LORD, you hear the desire of the afflicted; you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear 18  to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, so that man who is of the earth may strike terror no more.”

(Psalm 35:9)

“9  Then my soul will rejoice in the LORD, exulting in his salvation.”

(Psalm 76:9)

“9  when God arose to establish judgment, to save all the humble of the earth. Selah”

(Prov. 3:34; James 4:6)

34  Toward the scorners he is scornful, but to the humble he gives favor.”

“6  But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

(Isiah 57:15)

15  For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: "I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.”

“3 ¶  "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4  "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. 5  "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”

(Luke 14:11; 1 Peter 5:6)

“11  For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

“6  Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7  casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.”

“Humility is the ground that receives the refreshing rain of God’s richest blessing; it is the soil in which all the other Christian virtues grow.  Believers must strive with all their strength against remaining pride in dependency of the Holy Spirit to gain the humility that honors God and brings His blessing.  The battle is relentless and through life, since pride is powerful and resistant in the heart.

            “There is no greater teacher of humility than the Lord Jesus Christ, who is ‘gentle and humble in heart’ (Matt. 11:29).  No one has ever been more exalted and no one has ever gone lower, Jesus,

Although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.  Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (Phil. 2:6-8)

“The Lord of glory’ (1 Cor. 2:8) went from the glory of heaven to the shame of the cross.  He is the example for believers to follow as they fight pride.  Paul exhorted believers to do ‘nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than [themselves and] not merely look out for [their] own personal will have thee same’ attitude [of humility] in [themselves] which was also in Christ Jesus’ (v. 5).

            “The disciples’ quarrel over which of them was the greatest reflected the prevailing prideful attitude in their religious culture.  That was particularly true of the leaders of Judaism, who exhibited their pride openly as a symbol of their spirituality by enlarging the tassels of their robes and their phylacteries (Matt. 23:5), and making a public spectacle of their fasting (Matt. 6:16), praying (Luke 20:47), and almsgiving (Matt. 6:2), as well as in their disdain for all common people beneath them (Matt. 23:4).  They knew nothing of humble servant leadership (Matt. 20:26-28).”

(Matt. 23:5)

“5  They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long,”

(Matt. 6:16)

“16 ¶  "And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.”

(Luke 20:47)

“47  who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation."

(Matt. 6:2)

“2  "Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.”

(Matt. 23:4)

“4  They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger.”

(Matt. 20:26-28)

“26  It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 27  and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, 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."

            “The geographical setting for this lesson on humility was Capernaum (Mark 9:33).”

(Mark 9:33)

“33  And they came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?”

“Located at the northern tip of the Sea of Galilee, Capernaum had been Jesus’ headquarters during His Galilean ministry (Matt. 4:13).”

(Matt. 4:13)

“13  And leaving Nazareth he went and lived in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali,”

“The incidents too place in a house (Mark 9:33), possibly Peter’s (cf. Matt. 8:5, 14).”

(cf. Matt. 8:5, 14)

“5 ¶  When he had entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him,”

“14 ¶  And when Jesus entered Peter’s house, he saw his mother-in-law lying sick with a fever.”

“Jesus used the apostles’ proud quarrel and John’s confession to clarify six characteristics of pride.  Pride ruins unity, rases relativity, reveals depravity, rejects deity, reverses reality, and reacts with exclusivity.”

11/6/2026 11:17 AM

 

 

 

PT-1 “Intro to ‘The Mark of True Greatness’” (Luke 9:46-50)

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 11/5/2026 10:14 PM

My Worship Time                                      Focus:  PT-1 “Intro to ‘The Mark of True Greatness’”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                 Reference:  Luke 9:46-50

            Message of the verses: “⁴⁶ Now an argument started among them as to which of them might be the greatest. ⁴⁷ But Jesus, knowing what they were thinking in their hearts, took a child and had him stand by His side, ⁴⁸ and He said to them, “Whoever receives this child in My name receives Me, and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me; for the one who is least among all of you, this is the one who is great.” ⁴⁹ John answered and said, “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name; and we tried to prevent him, because he does not follow along with us.” ⁵⁰ But Jesus said to him, “Do not hinder him; for the one who is not against you is for you.”

            The following is a quotation from John MacArthur’s introduction to these verses, something that I have been doing for a while now.

            “This section stands at a critical juncture in Luke’s gospel, as it records the close of the Lord’s Galilean ministry.  Beginning in 9:51 and continuing through 19:27 Luke records His final journey to Jerusalem.  While traversing the towns and villages of Judea for those months leading up to His death, Jesus focused on more intensive training of the Twelve.  This passage is also a crucial part of their preparation for future ministry.

            “The overarching theme of these two incidents is the importance of humility, set against the backdrop of the disciples’ blatant pride.  The first incident finds them arguing among themselves about which one was the greatest; in the second one John confessed that they had attempted to hinder the ministry of someone outside of their group.

            “Nothing comes more naturally to fallen human beings than pride, manifesting itself in self-centeredness, self-love, self-promotion, and self-fulfillment.  Pride is the defining sin of fallen human nature, the soil in which all other sins sprout, take root, and grow.  It is the damning sin that produced angelic rebellion against God and sought to topple Him from His throne as the sovereign ruler of the universe. It produced the sin of Eve and Adam, plunging the peace into corruption.  That pride has been reclassified as virtue throughout history and in contemporary society only reveals the depts of human depravity.  Isaiah wrote of such a wicked reversal of reality, ‘Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!’ (Isa. 5:20).

            “In contrast to the pride that marks fallen humanity, those who come to Chris for salvation are transformed and become characterized by self-hate, self-denial, and self-abasement (see the discussion of 9:23 in chapter 28 of this volume” I began looking at that chapter on 10-19-2026).  “Only when pride is divinely overpowered by the conviction of one’s sinfulness and wretchedness can a person truly repent and come to saving faith.”

            “The apostle Paul’s spiritual biography illustrates that truth.  His resume, from a human perspective, was impressive (Phil. 3:5-6).”

(Phil. 3:5-6)

“5  circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a of Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; 6  as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law,, blameless.”  “He had adhered to all the rites, rituals, and traditions of Judaism, starting with his being circumcised when he was eight days ole.  Paul was not only an Israelite, but also a member of the tribe of Benjamin, one of the most noble of the twelve tribes.  The zeal for the law that made him a Pharisee also made Paul a persecutor of the church.  In terms of the external righteousness of the law, he was a blameless ‘Hebrew of Hebrew; (v.5; cf. Gal. 1:14).”

(Gal. 1:14)

“14  And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers.”

            “But when he was confronted by Christ and convicted by the Holy Spirit, Paul’s view of himself was reverses.  Those things that had been in the plus column he now wrote off as losses.  So strongly did he repudiate the achievements of which he had once been proud that he described them as rubbish, or manure (Phil. 3:8).”

(Phil. 3:8)

“8  Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ.”

“When through the convicting work of the Spirit, Paul understood that he was actually condemned because he was living as a consistent violator of God’s law, he was brought face-to-face with the condition of consequences of his spiritual bankruptcy.  As he explained in Romans 7:9-11:

“I was once alive apart from the Law; but when the commandment came, sin because alive and I died; and this commandment, which was to result in life, proved to result in death for me; for sin, taking an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me.”

            “Although pride is broken at conversion, when the repentant sinner approaches God with what the Old Testament calls a ‘broken and contrite heart’ (Ps. 51:17 cf. Isa. 57:15; 66:2), it is by not means permanently defeated.”

(Ps. 51:17 cf. Isa. 57:15; 66:2)

“17  The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.”

“15  For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: "I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.”

“2  All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the LORD. But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.”

“Even after his salvation, Paul still struggled with the sins that flow from pride:

¹⁵ For I do not understand what I am doing; for I am not practicing what I want to do, but I do the very thing I hate. ¹⁶ However, if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law, that the Law is good. ¹⁷ But now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin that dwells in me. ¹⁸ For I know that good does not dwell in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. ¹⁹ For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. ²⁰ But if I do the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin that dwells in me. ²¹ I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. ²² For I joyfully agree with the law of God in the inner person, ²³ but I see a different law in the parts of my body waging war against the law of my mind, and making me a prisoner ^[d]of the law of sin, the law which is in ^[e]my body’s parts. ²⁴ Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?

11/5/2026 11:05 PM

 

 

 

 

“Jesus’ Amazing Sympathy” (Luke 9:45)

 

MORNING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 11/5/2026 8:52 AM

My Worship Time                                                                 Focus:  “Jesus’ Amazing Sympathy”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                       Reference:  Luke 9:45

            Message of the verse: “But they did not understand this statement, and it was concealed from them so that they would not perceive it; and they were afraid to ask Him about this statement.”

            The Lord’s prediction of His death was too much for His disciples to understand (cf. 18:31-34).”

(cf. 18:31-34)

“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. 32  For he will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. 33  And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise." 34  But they understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said.”

Now as noted above, the concept of Messiah as a political ruler and military deliver was deeply ingrained in their thinking. (That statement was seen in our last SD.) The disciples did not understand what Jesus was saying because it did not fit that concept.  In addition, the precise details of that disturbing and upsetting truth were concealed from them so that they would not perceive them.  Nor did the apostles push the issue, because they were afraid to ask Him about this statement.

            MacArthur concludes this section by writing “This passage emphasizes the centrality of faith in the Christian life, underscoring the importance of believing that God will do exactly what He said He will do. Those who have a twisted, perverted view of His person and promise as revealed in the Bible cannot expect  to receive anything from God; He will not bless and honor the doubt of double-minded, unstable people (James 1:5-8).”

(James 1:5-8)

“5  If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 6  But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7  For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8  he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”

“But He will honor the prayer of faith that cries out at the throne of grace to have its spiritual needs met (Heb. 4:16).”

(Heb. 4:16)

“16  Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

“Paul wrote that because of such believing prayer, ‘God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus’ (Phil. 4:19).

11/5/2026 9:07 AM

“Jesus’ Amazing Sacrifice” (Luke 9:43c-44)

 

MORNING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 11/4/2026 9:43 AM

My Worship Time                                                                   Focus:  “Jesus’ Amazing Sacrifice”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                 Reference: Luke 9:43c-44

            Message of the verses:  “He said to His disciples, “Let these words sink into your ears; for the Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men.”

            Now when Jesus demonstrated His power and His authority over even a very strong demon, it heightened the disciples’ fervent messianic exceptions. The disciples have been taught all of their lives that Messiah would be a political and military deliverer, they then found it difficult to let go of those deeply embedded hopes. However Jesus repeatedly made clear to them, in His first coming that He did not come as a conqueror and ruler, but as Savior and sacrifice for sin.

            Jesus wanted to make certain that they did not cultivate and nurture any false expectations, He once again  said to His disciples, “Let these words sink into your ears.” Jesus exhorted them to listen; to pay attention and understand what He was about to tell them.  The homage of the crowd was fickle; the praise being offered to Him in wonder and awe at the greatness of God was trivial and only temporary.  In about six months the people would turn on Him, and they would reject Him, and demand that He be crucified.  At that time the Son of Man  would be delivered into the hands of men.  Now the individual by whom He would be delivered was, of course, Judas.  John MacArthur writes “But the Jews also were culpable for delivering Jesus to death.  In Acts 3:13 Peter said, ‘The God of Abraham, Ksaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified Hi servant Jesus, the one whom you delivered and disowned in the presence of Pilate.’ Pilate also is to blame, because it was ultimately he who, in violation of the proud tradition of Roman justice, gave in to the threats and demands of the Jews and delivered Jesus to be crucified (Matt. 27:26).”

(Matt. 27:26)

“26 ¶  Then he released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, delivered him to be crucified.”

            “But ultimately, it was God Himself who delivered His Son to be killed:  ‘The Lord was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief’ (Isa. 53:10).  In Romans 8:32 Paul wrote that God ‘did not spare His won Son, but delivered Him over for us all.’  It is not true, as some skeptics claim, that Jesus intended to bring in the kingdom, but His plans went awry and He was killed.  The plan of God from the beginning was that Jesus would offer Himself as a sacrifice for sin.  He was, as Peter said, ‘delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God…[and] nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men’ (Acts 2:23).  Therefore it was absolutely necessary for the Lord to ‘go to Jerusalen, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day’ (Matt . 1k6:21).  Before the kingdom came the cross, Jesus had to die; the plan of God could not be set aside (cf. Matt. 26:24, 54; Luke 24:25-26, 46).

(cf. Matt. 26:24, 54; Luke 24:25-26, 46).

“24  The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born."

“54  But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?"

“25  And he said to them, "O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26  Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?"

“46  and said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead,”

            Lord willing I will finish this chapter in this evening’s SD as there is one more sub-section to look at, and it will also be short.

11/4/2026 10:14 AM

 

“Jesus’ Amazing Power” (Luke 9:43b)

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 11/3/2026 7:28 PM

My Worship Time                                                                       Focus:  “Jesus’ Amazing Power”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                     Reference:  Luke 9:43b

            Message of the verses:  “But while everyone was marveling at all that He was doing,”

            I mentioned in this morning’s SD that the SD that was written this morning and the one for this evenings SD will be very short.  This morning’s SD was just an introduction to Luke 9:43-45, the last section in MacArthur’s 30^th chapter which he entitles “The Significance of Faith” which we began on the 30^th of October.  I have to say that from this section I have found new insights to the disciples that Jesus left while He, James, John, and Peter were on the mountain of transfiguration.

            “The people were marveling not only at Christ’s deliverance of a young boy from a powerful and obstinate demon, but also at all that He was doing.  That phrase indicates that as was typical of His ministry, Jesus had been performing other miracles (cf. 6:17-19; 7:21; 9:11; Matt. 4:23; 8:16; Mark 1:32-34; 3:10).

(cf. 6:17-19; 7:21; 9:11; Matt. 4:23; 8:16; Mark 1:32-34; 3:10).

“ 17  And he came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, 18  who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. And those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. 19  And all the crowd sought to touch him, for power came out from him and healed them all.”

“21  In that hour he healed many people of diseases and plagues and evil spirits, and on many who were blind he bestowed sight.”

“11  When the crowds learned it, they followed him, and he welcomed them and spoke to them of the kingdom of God and cured those who had need of healing.”

“23 ¶  And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people.”

“16  That evening they brought to him many who were oppressed by demons, and he cast out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick.”

“32  That evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or oppressed by demons. 33  And the whole city was gathered together at the door. 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.”

“10  for he had healed many, so that all who had diseases pressed around him to touch him.”

“Thaumazo (marveling) means to be filled with wonder and astonishment at something outside the realm of human explanation.  The absolute sovereign authority Christ displayed over disease, death, demons, nature, and sin was inexplicable apart from it being the power of God at work.  All of that authority was demonstrated on a limited basis during His incarnation, confined to His presence in Israel.  But after the resurrection and ascension, His unlimited authority over all the created universe was restored (Matthew 28:18).”

(Matthew 28:18)

“18  And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”

11/3/2026 7:48 PM

 

 

“Dazzling Person” (Luke 9:43-45)

 

MORNING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 11/3/2026 10:18 AM

My Worship Time                                                                                    Focus “Dazzling Person”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                 Reference:  Luke 9:43-45

            Message of the verse:  “And they were all amazed at the greatness of God.  But while everyone was marveling at all that He was doing, He said to His disciples, “Let these words sink into your ears; for the Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men.”  But they did not understand this statement, and it was concealed from them so that they would not perceive it; and they were afraid to ask Him about this statement.”

            Luke’s not that they were all amazed at the greatness of God provides a very fitting climax to this story.  MacArthur explains Ekplesso (amazed) has the connotation of being driven out of one’s senses with amazement.  The crowd was astonished at the incomprehensible greatness, majesty (the noun translated greatness, here is translated ‘majesty’ in 2 Peter1:16), and power Jesus displayed.”

(2 Peter1:16)

“16 ¶  For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.”

“The majesty Peter, James, and John witnessed on the mountain during the transfiguration was displayed in the valley as Jesus vanquished the demon.  These verses reveal three reasons why Jesus was amazing: because of His power, sacrifice, and sympathy.”

            This section is just the introduction to the remaining sections found in John MacArthur’s commentary and so in this evening’s SD we will be looking at what I want to call “subpoints,) and the first subpoint which is also a very short section is called “Jesus’ Amazing Power” which covers Luke 9:43b.

            In the United States, today is voting day, and my prayers are that God will be glorified as we look this evening as to who has won and who has lost.

11/3/2026 10:35 AM

“Divine Power” (Luke 9:42b)

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 11/2/2026 7:48 PM

My Worship Time                                                                                      Focus:  “Divine Power”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                     Reference:  Luke 9:42b

            Message of the verse:  “But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the boy and gave him back to his father.”

            Now before I begin this very short evening Spiritual Diary I want to talk about some of the opportunities that the Lord has given me to witness to a number of people as I take my daily walks.  Last week in the evening I was walking around our neighborhood and ran into the neighbor who lives on the other side of our street.  They have been there for about four years and have a little boy who is over three years old.  His mom is pregnant with twins which is due around Christmas day, and so she was in no shape to carry her son when he got tired out near the end of their walk.  I was able to give her a short version of my story of my salvation and then was able to have her put the address of my blog on her phone.  My hope is that my daughter will be able to talk to her when we can get them together. 

            A week or so I was able to take to a lady over at a park where I usually walk at each day and was able to talk to her also about my blog.  Today I ran into her again as she was walking her granddaughter who was in a buggy.  I also gave her my blog address and she promised to look at it. 

            After than I ran into a man who walks his dog there most everyday and as we chatted he told me about all of the times when he was in situations where he could have been killed, and so I was able to talk to him about my blog and I put the address on his phone.  God is good all the time and it is a privilege to share things with people that the Lord brings into my life.  Now I will just quote this short section from MacArthur’s commentary.

            “Without fanfare, in simple, matter of fact language, Luke records the boy’s deliverance.  Noting that a curious crowd was gathering and seeking to spare father and son any further embarrassment, Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit.  Authoritatively the Lord said to him, ‘You deaf and mute spirit, I command you, come out of him and do not enter him again’ (Mark 9:25).  That triggered one final, violent paroxysm as the demon, ‘after crying out and throwing him into terrible convulsion,…said, ‘He is dead’’ (v. 26).  He was alive, however, and Jesus, having healed the boy…gave him back to his father.  Once again the Lord exhibited the love, compassion, mercy, and kindness in the heart of God for those who suffer.”

11/2/2026 8:06 PM