What’s Love Got to Do with It?

In 1984, Tina Turner released the second biggest hit of the year, “What’s Love Got to Do with It.” The world in which we live has lost the meaning of love, especially concerning the relationship between a man and a woman. The physical act of union is called “making love,” but from what I see portrayed in entertainment, love does not have anything to do with it. The world in which we live is lost, hopelessly lost, in its understanding of the marriage relationship. Much of this confusion has worked its way into the Church. Disagreements on a broad range of subjects from sex before marriage, cohabitation, divorce, and abortion should not surprise us since everybody is their own authority. I find the pooh-poohing of what God says to be disturbing.

Everybody has their opinion, especially on this subject. However, I ask that you consider what the Bible has to say. My opinion is not better than yours, but both my opinion and your opinion need to be subject to the Bible. Examine the Bible, and see what it has to say. If the Bible is the Word of God, and it is, then we can trust it on any subject. 

Over the weeks leading up to Valentine’s Day, I intend to look at what the Bible says about marriage. By doing this, I hope to improve our marriages and answer the confusion that the world is continually pushing on our children and us. First, I will look at how marriage came to be, and in doing this, I am going to give a part of the answer to the question, “What’s Love Got to Do with It.” 

Marriage is God’s idea. He established it. As we look at this fact, we will understand the sacredness of the relationship between a husband and wife. Our starting place is in the first chapter of the Bible. In Genesis 1:27, it says that in the beginning, God created male and female. Look with me at Genesis 1:27.

Genesis 1:27 (NKJV) So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

When God made the world and all that is in it, He also created people. Humanity started with two people - a man and a woman. This man and woman were created in God’s image. No other creature was made in the image of God. Horses, dogs, monkeys, and all other animals are not made in God’s likeness. These creatures are splendid examples of what God can do, and as God’s creations, they have His fingerprints all over them, and they show how great God is. However, they do not bear His image. 

After saying that man was created in God’s image, Genesis 1:27 says, “...male and female He created them.” In this context, the word “man” is used in its inclusive historical sense and refers to both biological genders. The passage clarifies this by the statement “...male and female He created them.” The clear message of the passage is that both man and woman bear the image of God. Biological differences do not mean one is more like God. The Bible makes this clear when it says:

Galatians 3:27–29 (NKJV) ²⁷For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. ²⁸There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. ²⁹And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

The creation of men and women in the image of God is the starting place for understanding marriage, the sacredness of marriage, and what love has to do with it.

In contrast to what the Bible tells us about God creating the world and all that is in it, schools worldwide teach that all living things came into being through evolution. According to this theory, humans are nothing more than intelligent animals. Starting with this premise, God’s image, or likeness, is not part of the equation. There is no image of God. God is irrelevant if He is acknowledged at all. Some say God does not exist. However, influenced by the philosophy of this world, many live as if God does not exist.

Not acknowledging God and the image of God in man and woman is the source of the confusion concerning the relationship between men and women. If people are no more than animals, then the relationship between men and women is purely physical and meant for reproduction and the survival of the species. According to this way of thinking, marriage is a social construct that may or may not benefit the species by ensuring its offspring's safety, and “making love” is a euphemism that sounds nicer than the vulgar slang words that are used to describe it. Love has nothing to do with it.

As long as we do not acknowledge God, confusion will reign. We must remember what Provers 1:7 says.

Proverbs 1:7 (NKJV) The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction.

The starting place for understanding love and marriage is knowledge of God, His purpose in creating marriage, and His standard of love. Let’s consider what God says about His design for “making love.”

What we call “making love,” the Bible calls “knowing.” Genesis 3:1 says:

Genesis 4:1 (NKJV) Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain...

The text uses the word “know” to indicate the nature of what happened between Adam and Eve. The Bible is not avoiding calling it what it is. It is defining what it is. For example, we use the word bathroom to indicate a natural process instead of using more explicit language. The process can be disgusting, and we do not want to create a picture of the process in our minds. So, we use a more pleasant idea to redirect our imaginations and yet communicate our meaning. This is not what the Scriptures are doing. The author is not avoiding a picture. The Bible is directing our minds to the truth of what happens between a husband and wife. 

Just before telling us that Adam knew his wife, the Bible says: 

Genesis 2:23–24 (NKJV) ²³And Adam said:

“This is now bone of my bones

And flesh of my flesh;

She shall be called Woman,

Because she was taken out of Man.”

²⁴Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

Adam said:

This is now bone of my bones

And flesh of my flesh;

She shall be called Woman,

Because she was taken out of Man.

In English, Adam’s acknowledgment does not display poetic rhythm, but this text was originally written in Hebrew, and in Hebrew, Adam’s words are a poem. 

Following Adam’s poem, the Bible says:

Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

The speaker changes with this sentence and the voice of the narrator takes over. When He says, “Therefore,” He means “for this reason.” The word “therefore” tells us the author wants us to draw a particular conclusion, or meaning, from Adam’s statement. Man and woman are made out of the same stuff. They are the same flesh. Therefore, they can be united in a way that no other creature can. Animals relate on a purely biological basis. They do not “know” each other. But, it is different in the man-woman relationship — a “one flesh” connection is formed. 

Biological functions are not necessarily good or evil. Eating is a biological function that can be pleasant or unpleasant depending on what is being eaten, and it can be good or bad depending on how it is used. Some biological functions, such as going to the bathroom, are repulsive by nature even though they are not morally wrong.

However, the joining of a man and woman is much more than a biological function. The Bible calls it “knowing,” and between a husband and wife, it is good, very good. God said so when He created it. But, conversely, outside of marriage, it is bad, very bad. The Bible tells us:

Hebrews 13:4 (NKJV) Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge.

According to this passage, God blesses the marriage relationship but condemns those who put their biological urges before God’s design. Sex outside of marriage violates the sacredness of marriage. The marriage relationship is sacred because of the image of God in man and the uniting of two into one. Ignoring the purpose of marriage in this way does great damage both to individuals and society.

The Lord tells us:

1 Corinthians 6:16–18 (NKJV) ¹⁶Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For “the two,” He says, “shall become one flesh.” ¹⁷But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.

¹⁸Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.

What God creates functions as it was designed to function. Thus, if Adam and Eve had eaten fruit from the Tree of Life, they would have lived forever. So, God blocked their access to the tree to prevent this. According to 1 Corinthians 6, even a joining as casual as a business transaction has the effect it was designed for. For this reason, every other sin is considered external, but immorality is in a class all by itself.

I know that most of us know this stuff. But, I also know that most of us are not careful enough in what we allow our eyes and minds to do in the presence of the opposite sex. And, we know that these things are not innocent or harmless. Still, others who are listening may be living together. If this is you, God says that if we confess our sins, He will forgive us. So, recognize the seriousness of your situation and make it right. Either break it off or marry each other, but do not act as if it doesn’t matter. God says it matters.

The Bible is clear about how we are to treat each other. We are commanded to love our neighbor as ourselves. We are told to treat others as more important than ourselves. Using each other to satisfy our desires sexually violates both of these commands. Sex is not love. Giving one’s life for the other is love. Love protects and provides. Love sacrifices self. In marriage, love provides the protection and environment for a man and woman to be united. Outside of marriage, there is no safety or protection, but we only hurt each other.

I know this is an old-fashioned way of thinking, but what is love?

Instead of defining love, I will quote for you what the Lord tells us love does.

1 Corinthians 13:4–7 (NKJV) ⁴Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; ⁵does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; ⁶does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; ⁷bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

If we love each other, we will do these things for each other. That is what love has to do with it. Most of our marriages have problems because we do not do these things for each other. The uniting into one flesh has not failed. It always works according to design. Our failures in marriage can be condensed down to one cause - a failure to love. Love has everything to do with it.

What Manner of Spirit

 

Luke 9:46-56

In Luke chapter nine, Jesus reveals who He is to His Apostles. He demonstrated to them that He is God. Along with this revelation, Jesus says something that confused and troubled the Apostles. He said:

Luke 9:22 (NKJV) The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.

Jesus told them repeatedly that He was going to Jerusalem to die. However, they did not understand. Luke tells us:

Luke 9:45 (NKJV) But they did not understand this saying, and it was hidden from them so that they did not perceive it; and they were afraid to ask Him about this saying.

The Apostles could not understand what Jesus was telling them. Matthew tells us that when Jesus started telling them He was going to die at the hands of the chief priest and scribes, Peter rebuked Jesus. Matthew 16:22 says:

Matthew 16:22 (NKJV) Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!”

To make sense of the Apostle's inability to get what Jesus was saying, we need to look deeper into their understanding of who Jesus is. Both Luke and Matthew report that Peter had just made an extraordinary confession. Luke tells us:

Luke 9:20 (NKJV) He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”

 Peter answered and said, “The Christ of God.”

Peter and the other Apostles knew that Jesus is God. Still, another element of their understanding was the meaning of “Christ.” Their knowledge of what “Christ” means is where their problem began. The word “Christ” is the Greek word for the Hebrew word “Messiah.” Both words mean “anointed.” In the 21st century, the name “anointed” is not generally understood the same way the people of Jesus’ day understood it.

As an example of how the people of Jesus’ day used the word “anointed” (i.e., Christ or Messiah), I want to take you to an incident in the Old Testament. Saul was the first king of Israel, but he rebelled against God. So, God told Saul that He would give the kingdom to someone else. Eventually, Saul figured out that the person God would give the kingdom to was David. For that reason, Saul tried to kill David. Naturally, David fled. About six hundred men followed David, so Saul chased David with an army. One night while Saul’s army was sleeping, David snuck in and was able to get to Saul. The man accompanying David urged David to kill Saul. 1 Samuel 26:9 tells us that David said:

1 Samuel 26:9 (NKJV) Do not destroy him; for who can stretch out his hand against the Lord’s anointed, and be guiltless?

The Hebrew speaking people of Jesus’ day, including the Apostles, would have heard this verse taught and read in the synagogues. And, the word they would have heard in Hebrew translated “anointed” here in English is “Messiah.” When we think of “Messiah” or “Christ,” we think of our Savior. But, in their thinking, “Messiah” meant “king.” The Lord’s anointed that David spoke of was king. 

Psalm 2 is understood to be a Psalm about the Messiah. Let’s read what it says.

Psalm 2:2–9 (NKJV) ²The kings of the earth set themselves,

And the rulers take counsel together,

Against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying,

³“Let us break Their bonds in pieces

And cast away Their cords from us.”

⁴He who sits in the heavens shall laugh;

The Lord shall hold them in derision.

⁵Then He shall speak to them in His wrath,

And distress them in His deep displeasure:

⁶“Yet I have set My King

 On My holy hill of Zion.”

⁷“I will declare the decree:

The Lord has said to Me,

 ‘You are My Son,

Today I have begotten You.

⁸Ask of Me, and I will give You

The nations for Your inheritance,

And the ends of the earth for Your possession.

⁹You shall break them with a rod of iron;

You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’”

You probably noticed that verse two says, “...Against the Lord and against His Anointed.” Do I even need to point out that the word in the Hebrew of the Old Testament used for “Anointed” in this phrase is the word “Messiah.” Then in verse six, it says, “I have set my King....”

The Apostles did not understand what Jesus was talking about when He said He would die and rise the third day because they understood that “Christ” meant king. They expected God to give Christ the nations as His inheritance.

We see their understanding reflected in the argument they had. Luke 9:46 tells us:

Luke 9:46 (NKJV) Then a dispute arose among them as to which of them would be greatest.

From this, we understand that they expected Jesus to set up His kingdom and rule the nations. They were arguing about who would be the greatest in His kingdom. This understanding is why Peter rebuked Jesus when Jesus started talking about His death in Jerusalem. But, consider Jesus’ response to Peter. Matthew tells us that Jesus said:

Matthew 16:23 (NKJV) Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.

In this passage, Jesus points out that Peter was not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men. In Luke 9, Jesus points out this problem in different terms. He says:

Luke 9:55 (NKJV) You do not know what manner of spirit you are of.

Leading up to this statement, Luke recounts three incidents reflecting the spirit Jesus was talking about. 

The first incident is a dispute that arose among the Apostles about who would be the greatest. Their dispute is found in verses 46 through 48.

The second incident is the Apostles stopping someone that was casting out demons in Jesus’ name. This incident is found in verses 49 through 50.

The third incident is the Apostles wanting to call down fire from heaven to punish those who refused to receive Jesus.

In all three cases, Jesus rebukes the Apostles. Let’s consider these incidents.

The first incident is the dispute about who would be the greatest. The Apostles were assuming they would have roles in His kingdom. Their position in the coming kingdom was on their minds, and this was not a passing concern. It was part of their purpose. In Matthew’s account, he tells us:

Matthew 20:20–21 (NKJV) ²⁰Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Him with her sons, kneeling down and asking something from Him.

²¹And He said to her, “What do you wish?”

She said to Him, “Grant that these two sons of mine may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on the left, in Your kingdom.”

The Apostles sought greatness, which means they also sought glory for themselves. We all tend to do this, so understanding Jesus’ response is crucial for us. Luke tells us:

Luke 9:47–48 (NKJV) ⁴⁷And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a little child and set him by Him, ⁴⁸and said to them, “Whoever receives this little child in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me. For he who is least among you all will be great.”

The kings of this world do not grant access to children or make friends of children. But, granting access and giving friendship is what receiving means. To receive is also to extend a hand and help.

Jesus taught the opposite of human thinking when He said, “...he who is least among you all will be great.” In these verses, least and great are opposites, like black and white are opposites. Another translation of the words used would be “big” and “small.” Jesus told us to seek God’s kingdom first. Paul told us to consider others as more important than ourselves (Philippians 2:3). The first thing I must learn when Jesus is Lord and Master is that it is not about me. I do not have to worry about anything because Jesus has promised to take care of me. This promise allows me to focus on serving God by serving others without worry or fear.

The Apostles quickly changed the subject. They say:

Luke 9:49 (NKJV) Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow with us.

John said this in answer to Jesus’ statement that the least would be great. It’s as if John were saying, “See how I have forgotten about self and am focusing on the kingdom!” But, what authority did the twelve have to forbid anyone from doing anything? If arguing who would be greatest was about glory, this incident was about control. 

The original temptation in the Garden was to be like God, and we all desire to be the god of our own lives. We also try to extend our god-like control to the world around us. We require that those around us think like us and accept our judgments. James deals with our judging, and he says our judging amounts to taking the place of God. James 4:11-12 says:

James 4:11–12 (NKJV) ¹¹Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. ¹²There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you to judge another?

The implication here is that we take the Lawgiver's place, and we have no standing to do so. Romans 14 speaks of the same problem when it says:

Romans 14:4 (NKJV) Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand.

The only answer to this very human problem is to die to self. Romans 12:1-2 says we are to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice. Galatians approaches it from a different angle when it says, “I am crucified with Christ” (Galatians 2:20). In the verses just preceding this incident in Luke, Jesus said that if we are to be His disciples, we must take up our cross daily, implying that we must die to self.

Self raises its ugly head again in the third incident. In the third incident that Luke reports, Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem along with the Apostles. As they traveled through Samaria, Jesus sent messengers ahead to prepare for them. The text does not say, but I imagine they were making advance arrangements for lodging and meals since they were traveling as a group. However, there was historical, hereditary hatred between the Samaritans and Jews. If we want to look for examples of racism in the Bible, the conflict between the Samaritans and Jews would undoubtedly qualify. Jesus did not deserve to be refused service and accommodations just because He was traveling to Jerusalem. This was an injustice.

The Apostles wanted to punish the offenders. Not everyone in the village would have known about what took place. Also, there were innocent children in the town. But, the Apostles suggested destroying the whole village. They wanted to give vengeance and right a wrong. Instead of judging individuals, this was judging a group.

The Old Testament account of Jonah and his desire to see Nineveh destroyed is another example of this kind of thinking. Listen to what God said to Jonah when Jonah insisted that God should have destroyed Nineveh.

Jonah 4:11 (NKJV) And should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot discern between their right hand and their left—and much livestock? 

Jonah valued himself and his need for justice more than he loved people. Valuing ourselves over others is a human tendency. Our tendency to love ourselves and seek what we think is justice is why God tells us:

Romans 12:19 (NKJV) Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.

God’s concern in Nineveh and Jesus’ concern in Samaria was the people. The human concern was their wounded sense of justice.

All three of the incidents recounted by Luke share a common theme. In each case, self was put first and in the place that only God should occupy. Jesus told the Apostles:

Luke 9:55 (NKJV) You do not know what manner of spirit you are of.

It is so easy to operate in the flesh, and when we do this, we do the devil’s work without realizing it. Remember what Jesus said to Peter?

Matthew 16:23 (NKJV) Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.

Peter was doing the devil’s work because he was operating in the flesh, thinking of the things of men. Our propensity to operate in the flesh is why Romans 6:11 says:

Romans 6:11 (NKJV) Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Self must die, and this only happens by the power of the Holy Spirit. We must heed the words of Galatians 5:16.

Galatians 5:16 (NKJV) I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

The spirit we are to be of is the Holy Spirit, not the flesh.

Let These Words Sink In

Luke 9:23-45

Who is Jesus?

When we say that He is the Son of God, what do we mean?

Jesus said of Himself:

John 14:6 (NKJV) I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

If this is true, and it is, then nothing is more important than knowing who Jesus is.

Jesus spent three years with twelve men teaching them the truth about who He is. He did this so the world can know who He is. Jesus gives anyone who comes to Him free access without cost or charge. And yet in what seems like a contradiction, knowing Him cost everything. Jesus put it to His disciples as follows. He said:

Luke 9:23–24 (NKJV) ²³If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. ²⁴For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.

Who is Jesus that He should demand such devotion? How can He promise that losing one’s life for His sake means saving that life? Indeed, as the officers sent to arrest Him said, “No man ever spoke like this Man!” (John 7:46)

It is crucial that we understand just who Jesus is, so He took the time to give His closest disciples a visual of who He is. Luke 9:28-36 tells us that Jesus took Peter, John, and James with Him up on the mountain to pray. As always, we find Jesus communing with the Father. But, this time was different. Luke 9:29 tells us:

Luke 9:29 (NKJV) As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and glistening. 

We must understand that the word translated “white and glistening” could and should be translated as “flash or gleam like lightning.” This was not like a little glitter and light. Jesus became so brilliant that it was overwhelming. Listen to how Matthew describes what took place.

Matthew 17:2 (NKJV) His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light.

Peter, James, and John knew that they were in the presence of someone much greater than themselves. As if seeing Jesus shining was not enough, Moses and Elijah appeared and were talking with Jesus. Moses and Elijah represent the Law and the prophets - the Old Testament. And just to be clear about the connection, Luke tells us what they were discussing.

Luke 9:30–31 (NKJV) ³⁰And behold, two men talked with Him, who were Moses and Elijah, ³¹who appeared in glory and spoke of His decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.

Do not miss that they appeared in glory, but what they were discussing was “His decease.” The Greek word Luke used was “Exodus,” which you will recognize as the title of the second book of the Old Testament and from which we get our English word “Exit.” Quite literally, they were talking about Jesus’ departure.

In other words, what Jesus was preparing to accomplish in Jerusalem was the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets.

Another significant detail, not to be missed, is that Moses and Elijah were two men who talked with God. God said of Moses:

Numbers 12:8 (NKJV) I speak with him face to face,

Even plainly, and not in dark sayings;

And he sees the form of the Lord.

In seeming contradiction to this, the Lord says to Moses:

Exodus 33:20 (NKJV) You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live.

The point is that the only way we look at God is through the Son. Look at what Colossians says about Jesus:

Colossians 1:15–17 (NKJV) ¹⁵He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. ¹⁶For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. ¹⁷And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.

When Moses spoke with God face to face, it was with the pre-incarnate Christ. When God hid Moses in the cleft of the rock and passed before Him, He gave Moses a glimpse of His glory but did not show His face. The only way anyone speaks face to face with God is through Jesus Christ, His one and only Son. When Peter, James, and John saw the glory of Jesus unveiled, they got a glimpse of who Jesus was and is. They received a visual of the person from who they were learning.

By this point, they had already witnessed Jesus feeding a vast crowd with five loaves and two fishes. They had seen Him walk on water and drank water that had been made into wine. They had seen numerous demons cast out, and many sick healed.

However, the momentary unveiling of Jesus’ glory was so overwhelming Luke tells us that Peter did not even know what He was saying when He suggested they build tabernacles. But, God Himself tied up the essential meaning of the revelation when He said:

Luke 9:35 (NKJV) This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!

When they came down off the mountain, a vast multitude met them. Because of all the things Jesus was doing, enormous crowds gathered wherever Jesus went. Now, the only ones who had seen His glory unveiled were Peter, James, and John, but the multitude had seen all the miracles and had seen the power of God at work. Peter, James, and John were Jesus’ closest companions and were entrusted with His greatest revelations. The crowds were entrusted with enough revelation that they could understand the truth. However, the disciples were given more revelation according to their faith and their willingness to believe.

As the crowd received glimpses of who Jesus is, they were drawn to Him and fascinated by Him. However, they showed that they did not comprehend the truth of who Jesus is. As Jesus continued to demonstrate who He is, He expressed frustration over their unbelief. He said:

Luke 9:41 (NKJV) O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and bear with you?

Witnessing the miracles and the power of God was not enough to bring the crowds to faith, hence the word “faithless,” but I would like to focus on the word “perverse” for just a moment. Please bear with me as I give you the dictionary definition of the word that Luke used. He used the word “diastréphō” which is a compound word made up of “diá,” which means “through or thoroughly,” and which in this case intensifies “stréphō,” a word meaning “to turn.” So, putting “diá” and “stréphō” together, we get a word that means to “thoroughly turn into a new shape which is distorted, twisted, or perverted,” i.e., “opposite” from the shape it should be.

Jesus was not saying this to be harsh. He was pointing to the truth. Luke 9:43 tells us, “And they were all amazed at the majesty of God.” But Jesus perceived that they did not believe who He is. This is seen most clearly in the discussion Jesus had with the crowd after He fed the five thousand in John chapter six. We see there the turning or distorting of the truth. The crowd was about bread. They did not grasp the significance of what Jesus was trying to show them. They saw bread. They saw healing. They saw deliverance from psychological, demon based problems. And, of course, they wanted these things.

But, Jesus was pointing to a different problem. Earlier, in Luke 9:25, He asked the question:

Luke 9:25 (NKJV) For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost?

As we come to verse 44 of Luke chapter 9, we come to a turning point. The turning point focuses on who Jesus is. As the transition takes place, we see, starting from Luke 9:51, that Jesus sets His face to go to Jerusalem to accomplish the work the Father gave Him to do. So, even though the bulk of the book of Luke remains, the rest of the book focuses on the end of Jesus’ ministry. Up to this point, Luke 9:44 tells us, “Everyone was marveling at the great things He was doing.”

Even though they were marveling, remember, they were perverting, making Jesus’ meaning into something opposite of what He was pointing to. Therefore, Jesus turned to His disciples, those whose job it would be to tell the world the truth, and said:  

Luke 9:44 (NKJV) Let these words sink down into your ears, for the Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men.

 

In the strongest words possible, Jesus tells the disciples, “listen, listen, listen.” “Get this message!” How important is the statement that follows, “Let these words sink down into your ears?”

It is crucial. This crucial truth was:

Luke 9:44 (NKJV) The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men.

 

Men were marveling at the power of God, so why was it a betrayal to be in their hands? John tells us they wanted to make Him king!

If you will look back with me at where Luke chapter 9 starts, you will see that the question on Jesus’ mind was:

Luke 9:18 (NKJV) Who do the crowds say that I am?

A betrayal assumes that someone close to Jesus is going to hand Him over. The twelve were those with the most privileged position. They, of all people, saw who Jesus is. They, of all people, were given the truth. And yet, one of the twelve gave Him over into the hands of men.

Think with me. What did Judas get for His betrayal? Judas sold Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. I understand this was the going price for a slave.

Judas was on the same wavelength as the crowd. Giving Jesus into the hands of the crowd was the natural result. The crowd wanted bread, healing, and deliverance. Judas wanted money. They saw Jesus as a great teacher, a prophet, even a man of God, but not as God come in human flesh.

That is why Jesus said of them:

Luke 9:41 (NKJV) O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and bear with you?

They were faithless because, despite the evidence, they refused to believe that Jesus is God in human flesh, God incarnate. 

The world and all it contains is His. If He wants us to have bread, He can give it to us without limit. If He wants us to have health, He can make us live forever. He is God, and He does whatever He pleases. He is not our genie. We are His creatures. His kingdom and purposes are so much greater than ours that we can not truly grasp how great and glorious they are. However, Jesus told us how we should live. He said:

Matthew 6:33 (NKJV) But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

We must seek the kingdom of God above all else. If we tell people to come to Jesus so they can have bread, we betray Jesus and them. I am not saying that Jesus will not give us bread if we need it. I am saying that Jesus, as God, has told us not to worry about bread. Leave that to Him, but we are to take up our cross daily and follow Him. We are to seek first God’s kingdom and righteousness. And trust that all these things shall be added to you.

If we have a problem, it is that we are faithless and do not know who Jesus is. He is the way, the truth, and the life. Nothing, absolutely nothing, is more important in life than knowing Jesus. He is life. Eternal life is to know Him. He is true riches. He is true bread. 

The gospel is the power of God to salvation. This is what matters. We are to go and make disciples of all nations, teaching them to observe all that He commanded us.

Our world is in turmoil. The Coronavirus is coming out in new strains. Politically we are facing unprecedented times. At such a time, we need to be reminded where our hope lies.

Hebrews 12:2 (NKJV) looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.