PT-2 “The Scope of Jesus’ Ministry Was Limited Theologically” (Luke 8:1c)

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 9/5/2026 8:15 PM

My Worship Time         Focus: PT-2 “The Scope of Jesus’ Ministry Was Limited Theologically”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                       Reference:  Luke 8:1c

            Message of the verse:  “proclaiming and preaching the kingdom of God”

            I will usually just quote from MacArthur’s commentary when he has a lot of verses he references, and even though he does not quote many of those references, I will go ahead and quote them as I think that will help my readers better understand what is being taught.

            “Those who enter the kingdom of God through repentance and faith will manifest love for God.  Jesus declared that the greatest commandment is to love God with all one’s heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:28-30).

(Mark 12:28-30)

“28 ¶  And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” 29  Jesus answered, "The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30  And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’’

“They are also marked by a complete and final commitment to obeying God.  When one would-be follower said to Him ‘I will follow You, Lord; but first permit me to say good-bye to those at home’ (Luke 9:61) Jesus replied, ‘No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God’ (v-62).  The Lord illustrated that total commitment in the parables  He told in Matthey 13:44-46:

“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.  Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.”

“Reflecting the absolute commitment that marks those in the kingdom of God Paul wrote,

“Whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ.  More than that, I could all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ. (Phil. 3:7-8)

“The Lord also taught that those in the kingdom must live in obedience to the King; the Sermon on the Mount in particular describes in detail the characteristics of those who have entered the kingdom of God.  Even after our Lord’s resurrection this was the theme of His teaching  for the forty days before His return to heaven, expanding His apostles’ knowledge of the features of the kingdom (Acts 1:3).

(Acts 1:3)

“3  He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.”

9/5/2026 8:36 PM