Luke – Page 3 – Be Still…

Luke 19:45-48 – Jesus’ Anger

Read Luke 19:45-48

Yes, Jesus gets angry! Our intimate walk with Jesus to the cross continues as he enters Jerusalem. You’ll recall how he cried out to Jerusalem in our last reading, lamenting her future. Now he sees firsthand how the holy Temple has been abused! Jeremiah’s prophecy had predicted it, “Don’t you yourselves admit that this Temple, which bears my name, has become a den of thieves? Surely I see all the evil going on there. I, the Lord, have spoken!” (Jeremiah 7:11)

What did Jesus’ disciples do at his outburst? They were certainly surprised. Jesus was usually the calm, level-headed one who loved even the unlovable. This display of anger made sense, especially considering the pressure Jesus was under knowing his final hours were approaching.

Luke 19:28-44 – Jesus’ Triumphant Entry

Read Luke 19:28-44

Walking with Jesus would have been quite the adventure. Now Jesus is resolute as he begins his final journey toward Jerusalem. We begin that journey with him over the next few days known as “Holy Week,” or here in Mexico it’s a big deal called “Semana Santo.”

Since moving to Mexico, I have made a much bigger attempt to nurture my own personal walk through the season of Lent, which climaxes with Easter Sunday. That may sound a little odd coming from a pastor’s wife. My memories of those days serving a church are precious, but Lent was often stressful as church leaders. There was just so much emphasis on the programming and extra worship times to prepare for. I’m finally experiencing the beauty of connecting with my Savior without all of the “work” stuff distracting me.

Luke 2:1-20 – Our King is Born

Read Luke 2:1-20

The Savior - yes, the Messiah, the Lord--has been born today with a manger and straw

I hope you didn’t rush through this text today. Because it’s a familiar text, we can sometimes go into “auto pilot” mode when reading. It’s a story that never gets old, even when you hear it several times the same day. What spoke to you from this birth announcement as you read it this time?

There is so much packed into these few verses. God stripped himself of the majesty of heaven and came to earth as a helpless babe! There was no palace waiting for our king. Only a manger bed. That silent night was all orchestrated by God, which makes it even more precious.

Luke 24:13-35 – What Do We Do With Our Easter Faith?

Read Luke 24:13-35

Jesus emerging from the tomb surrounded in great light

Right before our reading today happens, we hear about the empty tomb for the first time. Hallelujah! Jesus Christ is risen! I hope you were able to find a way to get to an Easter celebration in a church near you. The songs of Easter are still ringing in my ears! The joy and marvel of Jesus’ resurrection – what do we do with it?

Our Easter faith simply means we put our trust in Jesus as our Messiah. We must never forget his great sacrifice for us. He did all the work, and now it’s our turn to believe. We might find ourselves blinded like those men on the road to Emmaus. We read that “God kept them from recognizing him.” Ask God to reveal himself to you.

Luke 23:47-56 – Day of Preparation

Read Luke 23:47-56

We pick up where we left off in our last reflection, only from Luke’s perspective this time. The fact that the Roman officer had come to faith in Luke is powerful since it’s the concludes thought of our last reading (in Mark). Think about that for a minute. Who converted and worshiped God? A Roman? Seriously! That’s terrific.

Time passes quickly, and nightfall will soon usher in the Sabbath. Had Jesus’ executioners thought about what to do with the body? Or were they just so intent on getting rid of him permanently, they hadn’t figured out the next step in their plan? Thankfully, Joseph stepped up.