S – “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” 

 Acts 1:8–9 CSB

O – The disciples are not told when Jesus was returning but how, what and where they should share the Gospel.  The key is waiting for the Holy Spirit.  Jesus gives specific areas to share and open-ended opportunities as well.

A – A couple of principles to apply today:

• Don’t do this in your own strength.  Wait for and rely on God’s Spirit.
• With God’s Spirit, comes power that will lead and guide you.
• You are a “witness” who testifies (shares) about Christ.
• Be authentic, genuine and truthful in my “witness” of Christ.
• Be prepared to go to my daily circle, familiar circles, people I don’t like and people I have never met before.

R – Lord, I surrender today to you and invite your Holy Spirit to lead me today.  I don’t want to do this in my own strength or get ahead of you.  I want to be a witness to your love and life-changing power.  Help me to discern h0w and when to do this today to share your love in any circumstance you lead.

S – Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself! Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you can see I have.

Luke 24:39 CSB

O – Standing in front of the disciples after the crucifixion, he still had to prove himself.  The word “touch” means psēlaphaō, to manipulate,  verify by contact; fig. to search for:— feel after, handle, touch. The disciples still needed to verify by their most basic tools – their senses…what they saw and felt.

A – We don’t have Jesus standing in front of us.  The challenge is we cannot “see” or “feel” God in our presence.  Or can we?  I just climbed a mountain this month and saw all of his creation unfold in front of me.  I hugged some of my grandchildren and felt the love of a father this week.  Was God in it?  The big question is that am I doing things to verify God’s presence or affirm it?

R – Lord, help me to walk in affirmation of who you are and all that you possess.  Let the light of our relationship help others take a step closer to you

S – So Pilate decided to grant their demand ²⁵ and released the one they were asking for, who had been thrown into prison for rebellion and murder. But he handed Jesus over to their will.

Luke 23:24–25 CSB

O – “But he handed Jesus over to their will.”  Not the people, not the Romans, not the leaders – to their will.  A couple of observations on this:

• The battle between God’s will and our will goes back to God with Adam and Eve. (They had a choice.)
• Our human nature strives for our own will to be accomplished.
• Our human nature (will) is sinful.
• Satan played the “wills” of the people, just like he did Adam and Eve to choose themselves over God.

A – I must continue to evaluate my will so that it aligns and honors God’s will first.

R – Lord, the enemy desires to manipulate me to follow my will over God’s will.  Help me to walk with wisdom and humility to discern your will and align with it.  Give me strength and courage to do this each day.

 S – And he took bread, gave thanks, broke it, gave it to them, and said, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 

²⁰ In the same way he also took the cup after supper and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you

Luke 22:19–20 CSB

O – Lots of commentary on these two scriptures.  One simple principle – Jesus establishes his determination to go to the cross.  “Is given” and “Is poured out” both are present tense verbs.  He is going to give up his body as a sacrifice and he is willingly going to allow his blood to be shed.  He made his choice.

A – Communion is something that I hold with esteem.  When Jesus tells us to remember, I am humbled and grateful for the cross.  Jesus did it for me and you.  I know all the things God redeemed me from in my life.  I have much to be grateful for in his crucifixion and resurrection.

R – Lord, thank you for giving your body as my sacrifice so that I may be in a relationship with you.  Thank you for shedding your blood as my sacrifice so I may be forgiven for my sins.  You are my savior and my Lord. Thank you.

S – You will even be betrayed by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends. They will kill some of you. ¹⁷ You will be hated by everyone because of my name, ¹⁸ but not a hair of your head will be lost. ¹⁹ By your endurance, gain your lives

Luke 21:16–19 CSB

O – Jesus is preparing his disciples for what is to come.  Difficult things will happen in the world.  Then, he brings it closer to them by talking about their circle of relationships.  Finally, he brings it to physical and relational death.  He ends it on two spiritual statements.  You will have eternal life.  Your consistency in holding true to his teachings will gain your eternity with Him.

A – I was in a conversation this week where it was asserted that every generation since Jesus has felt like the end times were coming.  Looking at this list of challenges, they could be correct.  Every generation has leaders seeking power and wealth.  Each has broken people. There are natural and cultural catastrophes.  The one thing Jesus tells us to do is to endure all of this in our relationship with Him.

R – Lord, you hold today.  Please give me the strength, courage and humility to hold fast to my relationship with you.  I pray for consistency in my walk with you and that others will be drawn closer to you because of it.

S – Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” ²³ But detecting their craftiness, he said to them, ²⁴ “Show me a denarius. Whose image and inscription does it have?” “Caesar’s,” they said. 

²⁵ “Well then,” he told them, “give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” 

 Luke 20:22–25 CSB

O – Commentary:  Jesus, pointing to the portrait and inscription of Caesar on a denarius coin (cf. 7:41; 10:35), answered in the affirmative: Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s. But He also used the occasion to teach that one should give to God the thing that bears His image—oneself (and to God what is God’s).

 “Luke,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures

A – This answer is the perfect answer – Jesus, full of and led by the Holy Spirit, gives an answer that affirms both Romans and Jews.  I find as I get older, I face more “right and right” questions – both answers are correct, but which is the better of the two?  I am asking the Holy Spirit to lead me to do what is best, not just what is right.

R – Lord, there are challenging situations each day.  Give me the ability to see all perspectives and follow the answer you provide.  It is not just being right.  It is seeing and doing it in a way that it resembles You.

S – So running ahead, he climbed up a sycamore tree to see Jesus, since he was about to pass that way. ⁵ When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down because today it is necessary for me to stay at your house

 Luke 19:4–5 CSB

O – Though loathed by the Jewish people, a tax collector is a Jewish citizen who held a place of high authority in Biblical times.  Considering Jericho was a customs station for Rome and one of the most fertile lands in the area, it became a place where wealthy people lived.  Zacchaeus would be prominent and powerful.

* Yet, he climbed a tree just to see Jesus.

A – Jesus taught that unless you become like a child, you won’t see the kingdom of heaven.  Zacchaeus exemplifies this.  He wants to see Jesus but he can’t because he is too little.  He runs ahead.  He climbs a tree. He responds to Jesus with joy.  He doesn’t just make it right…he goes above and beyond.  He is like a boy excited and wanting to please his papa.

* I want that child-like enthusiasm and faith today.

* I want to be willing to “climb a tree.”

* I want to give the Lord more than He is asking of me today.

* I want to do all of this joyfully.

R – Lord, help me to have that child-like faith and enthusiasm for being in your presence.  Help me to joyfully do what you ask, even if it means looking “silly” to others.  Help me to do all this so I continue to align my actions with your heart and will. 

S – As he approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the road begging. ³⁶ Hearing a crowd passing by, he inquired what was happening. ³⁷ “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by,” they told him. 

³⁸ So he called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” ³⁹ Then those in front told him to keep quiet, but he kept crying out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 

⁴⁰ Jesus stopped and commanded that he be brought to him. When he came closer, he asked him, ⁴¹ “What do you want me to do for you?” 

“Lord,” he said, “I want to see.” 

⁴² “Receive your sight,” Jesus told him. “Your faith has saved you.”

Luke 18:35–42 CSB

O – It is obvious the man is blind.  It is obvious that he was tenacious and desperate for his healing.   It is obvious that he got Jesus’ attention.  So why did Jesus ask him what he want him to do for him?

A –

*In asking for his healing, he is stopping his way of life and income – begging.

*In asking for his healing, he is stopping his interaction with society – where he belonged.

*In asking for his healing, he is stopping his identity – that blind guy.

*In calling Jesus, Son of David – he is “seeing” that Jesus is the Messiah, while physically blind.

*Could it be that when Jesus asked him the question, he saw so much faith and readiness to lose himself, that he was ready to do more than just heal him?

R – Lord, I don’t want to become stagnate in my faith.  I want to believe beyond my own life and what is comfortable.  I want to see in areas I am “blind.”  I want to continue to shed the things I identify with and make my identity in you.

S –  ^“As he entered a village, ten men with leprosy^, met him. They stood at a distance ¹³ and raised their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” 

Luke 17:12–13 CSB

O – “Distance” – pŏrrhō:   forwards, i.e. at a distance:— far, a great way off.

 The New Strong’s Dictionary of Hebrew and Greek Words 

* This was customary and expected that anyone with leprosy would keep a distance from others.  Being that nine of the ten were Jewish, they would follow this custom.  They had to raise their voices to cover the span between them and Jesus.

A – This story usually gets a lot of traction on gratitude or the lack of gratitude after the healing. Today, I want to dive into the distance.  Whether a Christian or not, sin brings distance.  It brings shame, guilt and condemnation and we distance ourselves from God in this area of our lives.  What spans the chasm between us and God’s love?  Jesus.  He is our bridge.  The key is daily relationship and conversation with God, through Jesus and empowered by the Holy Spirit.

R – Lord, I am grateful for Jesus and the love He showed me on the cross.  I invite the Holy Spirit to lead and guide me throughout my day.  Show me areas of my life where my sin brings distance so I can interact with you to close the gap between us.  I do not want distance between us.

S – But he told him, ‘If they don’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be persuaded if someone rises from the dead

Luke 16:31 CSB

O – Commentary:  

Jesus was obviously suggesting that the rich man symbolized the Pharisees. They wanted signs—signs so clear that they would compel people to believe. But since they refused to believe the Scriptures, they would not believe any sign no matter how great. Just a short time later Jesus did raise a man from the dead, another man named Lazarus (John 11:38–44). The result was that the religious leaders began to plot more earnestly to kill both Jesus and Lazarus.

 “Luke,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures

A – It is easy to get into the “If this, then that” game.  God isn’t a formula or Santa Claus.  Our interaction is characterized by a relationship where it is His will intersecting with my will.  Just like every other relationship.  Keep working on the relationship and I will have less times of little faith and trust.

R – Lord, you know me and all that I am facing today.  Help me to look to you first and not a sign or answer I want.  I desire to be more in unity with you.  In doing so, I will understand your will and purpose better.