Allen Jackson - Leading a Dimensional Life - Part 1
We're gonna continue a theme we began in some previous sessions. I've invited you to read with me through the Gospel of Luke. It's only 24 chapters. I know it's extracurricular activity, it's beyond the scope of your Bible reading. The nerve. But it's a short-term assignment. If your schedule permits it, I really... that the idea is to read it as frequently as your schedule will allow. Some of you have enough bandwidth. You've got an hour free in a day and you can read the Gospel of Luke every couple of days. Some of you say, "Well, I don't have that much time," but you might be able to read it over the course of a week.
At the very least, I would encourage you over these few weeks while we're doing this to read through it at once. There's a benefit to reading it repetitively in a shorter period of time. You become more familiar with the narrative, you become more familiar with the style, you're not surprised by what's coming in the next chapter, and unconsciously, you'll begin to assimilate the points of the book. Tragically, we've learned to read our Bibles with a sense of obligation, but often not with the objective of understanding. And what we wanna do is read it with enough frequency that we begin to try to understand what Luke is saying to us. There's four Gospels. They each give us an account of Jesus's life and ministry, but they do it from very different perspectives.
And I mean, you may have had some formal academic training around that, but I'm a big believer in simply reading and listening. And so if your schedule allows, join us as we walk through this. I'm gonna take a few sessions and try to pull some themes, some threads, out of the Gospel of Luke because I believe he's telling us the Jesus story in a unique way. Luke is the one non-Jewish writer in our New Testament, and certainly the one non-Jewish writer of the Gospels. He's a physician, traveled with Paul on a regular basis. Many scholars think that the Gospel was written while Paul was in prison in Caesarea, and the book of Acts, who Luke also authored, which Luke also authored while Paul was in prison in Rome.
I don't know, that's not written in the text. You can disagree with me on that. We can both go to heaven. But it seems plausible to me. What I can tell you is that Luke as a physician is constantly reminding his readers throughout this Gospel that there's a dimension to our lives beyond the physical world, and that seems to be an intriguing perspective for a physician to push in his account of Jesus. There's a power at work, Luke tells us over and over again, that is more than physical strength, more than emotional durability, more than intellectual prowess. Now, from my vantage point, again, my opinion, but the contemporary church has lost most of our awareness of spiritual things.
In fact, in truth, the discussion makes us a bit uncomfortable. It reminds us, you see, if you'll acknowledge that there's spiritual forces that impact our lives, what becomes the next logical conclusion is there's a power greater than us, we're not the ultimate authority. There's a kingdom beyond our journey through time which ultimately governs our existence. And those thinking points, those ideas, become transformational, and it's very difficult to justify a full engagement with our selfish, carnal, indulgent lives, even as church attenders or people of faith, once we begin to grapple with the reality of this dimensional life that Luke talks to us about. It's not the only thread we're gonna pull, but it's one we look at.
There's some themes from Luke's narrative. I gave you four there in your outlines. Oftentimes, the message that is delivered, whether it's by John the Baptist, we looked at that in some earlier sessions, or by Jesus, multiple times, and we get to the book of Acts, it's extended there, but the message is uncomfortable. That their teaching points from John or Jesus or Paul or Peter that if you happen to be in the setting, often leaves the listeners uncomfortable. Well, we haven't really been coached. We don't typically volunteer to do studies that leave us uncomfortable. There's a second theme that recurs through Luke, and that's the resistance and outright rejection of the message. Whether it's John the Baptist, they cut his head off. That's a pretty clear vote. "We don't like your contact. We will behead you".
I mean, I've had people walk out, I've had people send me emails. Fortunately, I've avoided that John thing. Jesus's message was often not accepted. We'll look at some of those instances. I mean, it lands him ultimately on the cross. And it's really escapist thinking to say, "Well, that was his assignment. That was his destiny". No, that was the response to the message he delivered. People say, you know, you've heard it said, I've heard it said many, many times, "Jesus was all about love. Group hug, everybody"! Well, if his message was all about love, he was a lousy messenger because they killed him. There was more to that message, and I think he was a very effective messenger. And then, one of the surprises in Luke, and then again in the book of Acts, is there's some very unlikely candidates who accept the message.
The people I would anticipate being fully embracive of it and going, "This is the way we ought to go," they're really highly resistant. And the people I think they're not gonna have anything to do with that, they're raising their hands, going, "What do I need to do next"? We'll look at it some together, but as you're reading, you look for these things. See if you see them. And then this dimensional of all these places where there's an authority, an influence, something that isn't physical or emotional. It's not the result of an activity. There's something, when Jesus stands in a boat and speaks to the wind and the waves, something is happening other than he's got a weather app on his phone.
When he approaches a young man who's dead in the midst of his funeral and he takes him by the hand and he sits up and begins to speak, something is happening other than universal health care. So Luke continues to introduce us to this idea, and when we're so familiar, we kinda read past it, but he's telling us something. That's the point of the book. So as you're reading Luke, you watch for those things. I wanna pick up with Luke chapter 4, we looked at some of the birthday stories last week in earlier sessions. I wanna get to Luke chapter 4 because Jesus is going to begin his ministry, his public ministry. We've stepped forward.
The last time Luke gave us a window of Jesus, he was 12 years old, he'd gone to Jerusalem. So we're stepping forward almost 18 years. A lot of living goes on in 18 years, and it's completely opaque to us. We don't have any windows into it, no insight. Last time we saw Jesus, he hung out in Jerusalem and let Mary and Joe get halfway home. What do you do when the Son of God plays hide and seek with the parents? That's just awkward. But in Luke chapter 4, Jesus is beginning his public ministry. He's just completed his baptism, water baptism. Came to be baptized by John, and there was this remarkable affirmation from God.
"This is my Son. I'm pleased with him". And with that launch, Luke walks us, now, into Jesus's public life. Luke chapter 4 and verse 1, "Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan," where he'd been baptized, "was led by the Spirit into the desert, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them, he was hungry". No kidding. I just think, in passing, it's worth noting that Luke tells us Jesus was full of the Holy Spirit, led by that Spirit into a circumstance where he's challenged by the devil.
He hasn't gotten into this place of temptation, into this place of perceived vulnerability, because he's been ungodly or slack or sloppy, but filled with the Spirit, affirmed by God, led by the Spirit, into a place where Satan will challenge him. Luke reveals to us that Jesus challenged by Satan from the very beginning of his ministry. He hasn't really begun his public ministry. Other than the baptism event where God spoke on his behalf, Jesus hasn't been speaking in the synagogues yet, the public miracles haven't started yet, and Satan is already confronting him in a very personal, individual way.
I like to read, I like to learn. So if I read a book, that's an explanation of something, they're trying to help me understand something that I didn't know without the opportunity of reading the book. And Luke is giving us insight and understanding into not only Jesus's life and ministry, but the spiritual formation of that. And as Jesus begins to go public, Satan steps into that breach. It's a very dimensional life. Oh, Jesus will be opposed by Sadducees and Pharisees and Roman governors. But long before he's opposed by Pilate, Satan stands before him and says, "Give me your authority".
Verse 5, "The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, 'I'll give you all their authority and splendor, for it's been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want. So if you worship me, it will all be yours.'" I didn't put the entire exchange in your notes, but it's worth noting that when Jesus responds to Satan, he doesn't argue with him about his statements. He responds to him by quoting scripture. And what's immediately apparent to me, and I think it's noteworthy, is that the devil understands spiritual authority. He says, "I have authority over all these realms. I'll give it to you".
See, I believe those temptations are very similar to ones he brings to us. He shows a shortcut, things to do that seems that like they'll satisfy or gratify or bring accomplishment or open doors of opportunity for us without being encumbered by obedience to God. Before Jesus is done, Philippians chapter 2, it's not in your notes. it's in the book, though, I promise, says that because of what Jesus did, because of his obedience, because of his willingness to die on a cross, because he was willing to be a servant, even to the point of death, that God exalted him and gave him a name that's above every name, that in the name of Jesus every knee would bow in heaven on earth and under the earth.
God gave him ultimate authority. But to receive that, you have to choose a life of obedience. Satan is offering him something else. He makes very similar bargains with us. Satan understands spiritual authority. But again, Luke is inviting us to this awareness. He's telling us something, folks. He said there's a devil. Jesus believed in the devil. The devil challenged him. He exists, he has authority, authority to challenge God purposes. He can give authority to persons. That is ultimately the story of the Antichrist. But you don't need to wait until the end of the age to see that happening. We're not done.
Verse 9, "The devil led Jesus to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 'If you were the Son of God,' he said, 'throw yourself down from here. For it's written: He'll command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; they'll lift you up in their hands, so that you'll not strike your foot against a stone.'" First of all, Satan said, "If you're the Son of God". He knew very well who Jesus was. When Jesus gets to the synagogue in Capernaum, the first time in that synagogue in that city a demonized man is there and the demon says, "I know who you are". Multiple times, demons say, "We know who you are. We know why you're here". Satan knows perfectly well who Jesus is. And he comes and says, "If you're the Son of God".
That's what he said when we met him in the opening chapters of the Bible in Genesis. "Did God really say"? Let's repurpose What God said, folks. The tactics aren't new. They don't have to be. They've been very effective. Now, I'm anxious. Luke takes us right into Jesus's public ministry, and I'm gonna take the balance of our time and look at it in two separate cities very familiar to Jesus. They're very significant in his life. And Luke steps right into it. We come out of the temptation, with Jesus returning to Galilee. It's where he's grown up. Galilee is the northern part of Israel. It's perceived almost in the opposite way that the United States would be. They tend to think that the southern part of the United States is less sophisticated, more rural. All the people that have moved here from New York are not saying a word.
"Don't know what you're talking about". I studied in Boston for a while. When I was there, I was the only student in the group that was from anywhere south of Philadelphia. By the third day, my nickname was Gomer. I'll spare you. I messed with them really good. It was the less godly season for me. But by the time we get to Jesus's public ministry, Luke's narrative is no longer limited to private angelic visits. Up to this point, up until this middle part of Luke, the supernatural elements that he's introduced us to have been private. Gabriel talks to Zechariah and Elizabeth, Gabriel comes to see Mary, Gabriel comes to see Joseph. Maybe Anna or Simeon at the temple. But you've gotta have the backstory to know what's going on.
Even when Jesus is lost or stays behind in Jerusalem at the temple, there's confusion about how he knows all of these things. But the commentary is Mary is treasuring these things in her heart. All the God activity is pretty private. You could put in a minivan all the people that are in on the story. But when we get to the middle part of Luke chapter 4, this thing's gonna go public. It's no longer private. What God is directing is intended for mass consumption I think it's very important to know there are times and places where God begins to deliver a message to much broader audiences. We are in desperate need of that today. In the midst of a community of faith, a nation of covenant people, a people with a temple and the right holidays and the right menu and the right books to read and they have got scripture and synagogues, they are a long way from obedience to God.
See, I'm happy to celebrate our heritage as a Christian nation. I'm grateful that we have churches, and choices of churches, and all sorts of flavors of worship. All of those things can be very good. But in the midst of all of that, I think we have to acknowledge that the momentum of our culture is away from obedience to God. And this is our watch, we're the watchman on the walls. But we're not the first generation in history, so I don't think we should just immediately say, "Well, it's the end of the age," because Israel is standing on the precipice of God's judgment. Tremendous destruction. It's as close to them as an approaching storm. But God's going to use Jesus to give a message to multiplied thousands of people, and Luke is gonna share that with us.
The responses vary widely. I think it's worth noting as you're reading through this Gospel, it's very easy to imagine, when I read a book, if it's nonfiction, or if it's a fiction book, especially, I have this habit of writing the story a different way as I'm reading along. "Well, that's not how I would have told it. I don't like this ending. I would have done this". Well, when you read Luke's Gospel, I would submit to you that you could imagine that, where Jesus could have maintained a much more private ministry. Still accomplished his assignment. He could have been far less controversial, far less divisive. He could have kept the circles much smaller. But that wasn't the nature of the assignment.
So Luke goes out of his way to talk to us about this widespread, I tell you that because in many theological circles, academic circles, they mock it. They say it's an embellishment, it's an attempt by the authors to suggest that there was influence that he really didn't have. Folks, that kind of an assault on scripture... don't give it place in your thoughts and your life. The devil already knows fully who Jesus is. Before Jesus goes the first time into a synagogue to stand and speak, Satan has already challenged him. Satan has begun a series of temptations in an attempt to disrupt God's purposes.
I would submit to you, I believe God provides every generation with choices and kingdom opportunities. And I believe just as we can follow Jesus through the Gospel of Luke, I believe Satan attempts to disrupt God's intent for people in every generation, to entice them into choices that will result in the forfeiture of their kingdom opportunities. We're not reading this as some distracted, disinterested party going, "Oh, how interesting". We're trying to understand what's happening in our hearts, in our family systems, in our communities. We don't wanna stand outside of this and go, "How intriguing". We're trying to figure out why it hurts when we do this, because we wanna find a resolution, and Luke is gonna help us.
Nazareth, chapter 4, verse 14, "Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit". It's a theme for Luke. The Holy Spirit and the power of God, Luke presents them to us multiple times as being almost synonymous. They certainly accompany one another. The presence of the Spirit of God and the power of God. So if we recognize the need for the power of God in our generation, then we need to understand a need to be more familiar with the Spirit of God. "Jesus returns to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread throughout the whole countryside. He taught in their synagogues, and everyone praised him". Circle those last three words, "everyone praised him". "He went to Nazareth, where he'd been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. They gave him the scroll of Isaiah".
The scripture portion for that day was from Isaiah. "And Jesus read: 'The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he's anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He's sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.' He finished the portion, he rolled up the scroll, and he gave it back to the attendant, he sat down". Synagogues were small places. Nazareth in Jesus's time was maybe 1500 people. It's not a big community. "The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, and he began by saying to them, 'Today the scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.'"
Now, Luke told us at the beginning of this little segment that everyone praised him throughout the whole countryside, but now we've narrowed this down to Nazareth. And in verse 22 it says, "All spoke well of him," they're happy with him. "they're amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips". And they looked at one another and said, "Isn't that Joe's boy? Didn't he play soccer with our kids? He wasn't too fast. We know him". "And then Jesus said to them, 'Surely you'll quote this problem to me: "Physician, heal yourself! Do here in your hometown what we've heard that you did in Capernaum".' And he continued, 'I tell you the truth,'" and you know by now, when you see that phrase, buckle up.
"'I tell you the truth, no prophet is accepted in his hometown. I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah's time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years, there was a severe famine throughout the land. Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in the region of Sidon," to widow in another country, "and there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed, only Naaman the Syrian.' And all the people in the synagogue," turn the page, "and all the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this".
Well, wait a minute. In verse 22 they're speaking well of him. That's Joe's boy. But in verse 28 they're furious. "So they got up and they drove him out of town, and took him to the brow of the hill in order to throw him off the cliff". They want to kill him. "And he walked right through the crowd". Jesus's ministry, Luke tells us, begins in the power of the Spirit, not in a carnal moment, not in a self-indulgent way. Luke goes out of his way to say, "Look, this happened in a Spirit-led, Spirit-directed, Spirit-filled manner".
We're gonna pray before we go, but just let me remind you, before the Lord comes back, things are gonna get a little tense. So don't be frightened by the tension. Let him fill your heart with anticipation. The King is coming. Jesus said, "When you see these things beginning to happen, lift up your head because your redemption is drawing near". Well, our redemption is closer than it was. That's good news. Let's pray:
Father, I thank you that just as certainly as you sent Jesus to Bethlehem, that you will send him back into time as our rescuer, our deliverer, as our King and the judge of all the earth. May we each be ready for that moment. In Jesus's name, amen.