Today is Ash Wednesday, 2023. We begin the Christian period of Lent ahead of Easter, forty-six days from now. For this brief time, tune out the world around you. Tune out the problems, the noise, the things that clamor for attention, and focus on God's Word.
I'm going to break a few writing rules over the course of this Lenten period. I'm going to use "I, Me, and My" from time to time. I'm also going to refer to "you," the reader. This is a conversation. Yes, it's a little one-sided, but it doesn't have to be, given Substack has a comments section. Feel free to post rebuttals or questions. I'll do my best to answer them. I'm doing this not to be accusatory in any way. I'm doing it this way because it is more conversational and because the Spirit directed it. If you feel convicted by anything I write, remember I don't know you as God does. I'm not writing this at anyone. I'm merely putting down what I was given. What you do with it is up to you.
My Bible. Picture by Mark Malcolm. Feel free to use it under the Creative Commons License 4.0
Yesterday, I called on everyone to read scripture each day and pray to the Lord for guidance. I suggested that reading needed to be done with a physical Bible. The image accompanying this post is the physical Bible I am using on my desk where I'm typing this right now. Yes, I know it's a mess. Why am I insistent on a physical Bible for this? Things like the introduction to Luke mine is open to in the picture.
In my case, I have one of my favorite Bibles open. It is a Hebrew-Greek Study Bible in the King James Version. It is loaded with tools, comments, links, and other helpful information. I get so much more out of my scripture reading using this tool than I do from a standard pew Bible. My online system is just as informative but not typical of the average person. I'll go into my other tools later during Lent. For now, the physical Bible is the important part.
The summary's key point for today is that there is almost no question who wrote the Gospel of Luke. A real person named Luke, a doctor and Jesus' disciple, wrote it. The summary in the opening provides much greater detail into who Luke was thinking about when he wrote it, meaning who he expected his audience to be. It also includes background on why Luke is considered authoritative, having traveled with Paul for some time in his second missionary trip. For today's dive into the Holy Word, let's start with this passage from Luke Chapter 4.
1Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led around by the Spirit in the wilderness
2for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And He ate nothing during those days, and when they had ended, He became hungry.
Luke 4:1–2 (NASB95)
This marks the beginning of Jesus' public ministry. But I don't want to focus on this passage just yet. I want to use an old parenting tool when two small children run up, one crying and the other looking very concerned. The crying child usually has an accusation toward the concerned child, something like, "Bobby hit me!"
As parents, we didn't witness the event and don't know what happened. If only one of the children is ours, we face a tough choice about being fair and even-handed. However, our immediate reaction might be a defensive one depending on whichever child is ours. If they are both ours, the reaction can be different and somewhat dismissive depending on the known history of the children. Regardless, asking a simple question gets to revealing information.
"Bobby hit me!" the child accuses, pointing her finger.
The parent looks at the young girl and asks, "What happened before that?"
The reaction is often very interesting. What happened before that? The implication is, did you do something to Bobby that caused him to strike you? Sometimes the answer reveals instigating behavior. Other times it devolves into an argument between the children. Regardless, it reveals more than is known to begin with. Let's ask that question about today's scripture; what happened before that?
For the answer, we go to Luke Chapter 3.
1Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip was tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene,
2in the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness.
3And he came into all the district around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins;
4as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, "The voice of one crying in the wilderness, 'Make ready the way of the Lord,Make His paths straight.
5'Every ravine will be filled,And every mountain and hill will be brought low;The crooked will become straight,And the rough roads smooth;
6And all flesh will see the salvation of God.'Â "
Luke 3:1–6 (NASB95)
John the Baptist preaching repentance in the wilderness. The church doesn't use the word "repent" very often. Let's look that up for a moment. This isn't about accusations, though; just learning.
Dictionary.com has this entry, which you can read for yourself HERE.
Repent
ri-pent
verb (used without object)
to feel sorry, self-reproachful, or contrite for past conduct; regret or be conscience-stricken about a past action, attitude, etc. (often followed by of): He repented after his thoughtless act.
to feel such sorrow for sin or fault as to be disposed to change one's life for the better; be penitent.
verb (used with object)
to remember or regard with self-reproach or contrition: to repent one's injustice to another.
to feel sorry for; regret: to repent an imprudent act.
"To feel such sorrow for sin or fault as to be disposed to change…." John calls people to change what they do, considered sinful by God. It's a tough message; still, people flocked to him to hear it. Why? Let's read on.
7So he began saying to the crowds who were going out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
8 "Therefore bear fruits in keeping with repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham for our father,' for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham.
9 "Indeed the axe is already laid at the root of the trees; so every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."
Luke 3:7–9 (NASB95)
"The wrath to come." Wrath for what? The sin they are repenting from, assuming they do repent. Who told them? The scripture did where it details the sins they felt convicted of. But it also gave them hope in the coming Messiah, who would be the salvation of all mankind, Jesus. These people also knew the message of salvation would arrive and wanted that salvation. They felt convicted as we often do, and the natural reaction was to ask the following questions, which John answered.
10And the crowds were questioning him, saying, "Then what shall we do?"
11And he would answer and say to them, "The man who has two tunics is to share with him who has none; and he who has food is to do likewise."
Luke 3:10–11 (NASB95)
The crowds asked the question, but Luke felt compelled to add another questioner.
12And some tax collectors also came to be baptized, and they said to him, "Teacher, what shall we do?"
13And he said to them, "Collect no more than what you have been ordered to."
Luke 3:12–13 (NASB95)
Luke singled out tax collectors as universally hated people. They brought nothing but a burden when people encountered them. No one liked them. But here, John answers their question. Why is that important? Because even people universally hated have a path to salvation. Luke tells us of one more category of people questioning John.
14Some soldiers were questioning him, saying, "And what about us, what shall we do?" And he said to them, "Do not take money from anyone by force, or accuse anyone falsely, and be content with your wages."
Luke 3:14 (NASB95)
Soldiers. Why would Luke feel the need to include soldiers here? They were seen as oppressive occupiers. Even when they were good people, they enforced worldly laws, sometimes with brutal force. Once again, John provides even these people who use oppressive force with a path to salvation.
John spoke with authority. What does that mean? It means people listened to him. Even when they disagreed with him, they felt convicted by his words because they knew what the scripture said and that he wasn't making things up. He was reminding them about things God said in His Holy Word. This made them wonder who he was.
15Now while the people were in a state of expectation and all were wondering in their hearts about John, as to whether he was the Christ,
16John answered and said to them all, "As for me, I baptize you with water; but One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to untie the thong of His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
17 "His winnowing fork is in His hand to thoroughly clear His threshing floor, and to gather the wheat into His barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."
Luke 3:15–17 (NASB95)
John didn't worry about who believed him and who didn't. John knew what he knew. He knew Jesus was coming. He didn't know Jesus yet, but he knew He was coming. This gave John unparalleled confidence to say and do what he knew he had to do because he knew it was right. Finally, at long last, Jesus came to be baptized Himself. When that happened, the Messiah was revealed to the whole world, but not everyone believed.
21Now when all the people were baptized, Jesus was also baptized, and while He was praying, heaven was opened,
22and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came out of heaven, "You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased."
Luke 3:21–22 (NASB95)
What follows in this chapter of Luke is a litany of genealogy from Jesus all the way back to God. Through David, through Adam, directly to the Creator of the universe. God. Luke wants us to understand what came before the public ministry, and takes three chapters to do it. When he is done, Luke leaves us with no alternative but to accept or reject the deity of Christ.
Jesus' public ministry began long ago, but it continues today. His Holy Spirit is present, moving in the world with us, sometimes overtly as with Asbury in Kentucky, but other times almost hidden like the small still voice. Jesus spent forty days in the wilderness fasting before He began His works. This Lenten period is also a time of preparation for us.
In the coming days, along with reading the scripture in physical form, take on a habit of prayer. Pray the Lord's Prayer, if nothing else. That way, whatever message God has for you, your heart is open to receive it.