Numbers 1:44

Numbers 1:44 says, These are those that were numbered, which Moses and Aaron numbered, and the princes of Israel, being twelve men: each one was for the house of his fathers.  Moses and Aaron counted the people of Israel with the help of the heads of the twelve tribes.  This was a big task, but it was made easier by sharing in the work.  God also expects all His people to share in His work today.  Verse forty-five adds, So were all those that were numbered of the children of Israel, by the house of their fathers, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war in Israel;  Verse forty-six continues, Even all they that were numbered were six hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty.   The number of men over twenty who were able to go to war totaled six hundred three thousand, five hundred and fifty.  This number did not include women and children, or men over twenty who were unable to go to war for some reason.  Yet, God had not only sustained them in Egypt, He had multiplied them.  God is not limited in the number of people that He can bring salvation to, but He can sustain all who come to Him, even when the number multiplies.  Verse forty-seven states, But the Levites after the tribe of their fathers were not numbered among them. This also did not include the Levites, who had been set aside for service as the priests of God.  We could make this a statement that says that priests should not go to war, but since we are all a part of the priesthood of believers today, I don't believe that this would be accurate.  Verse forty-eight adds, For the LORD had spoken unto Moses, saying,  Verse forty-nine continues, Only thou shalt not number the tribe of Levi, neither take the sum of them among the children of Israel:  God had told Moses to not count the Levites, and this was not just a decision that Moses made on his own.  We cannot decide to separate ourselves from other Christians unless we have proof that this is what God wants.  I personally don't believe God will ever lead us to do so.  Verse fifty says, But thou shalt appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of testimony, and over all the vessels thereof, and over all things that belong to it: they shall bear the tabernacle, and all the vessels thereof; and they shall minister unto it, and shall encamp round about the tabernacle.  The Levites were given the responsibility of taking care of the tabernacle and all the things that were associated with it.  This was a day by day responsibility, and as a part of the priesthood of believers today, we have a daily responsibility to take care of the things of God. Verse fifty-one adds, And when the tabernacle setteth forward, the Levites shall take it down: and when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.  The Levites alone were responsible for setting up, tearing down, and transporting everything associated with the tabernacle, and anyone else who tried to do so was to be put to death.  There was a strict division between the things of God and who could handle them then, but Jesus Christ removed all those barriers.  Verse fifty-two states, And the children of Israel shall pitch their tents, every man by his own camp, and every man by his own standard, throughout their hosts.  The rest of the people of Israel were to set up their tents by tribe and according to their own standard.  God did not give them a set way to set up camp, just as He does not give us a set way to worship and serve Him today, but it must be done in accordance with His word and by the leadership of the Holy Spirit.  Verse fifty-three adds, But the Levites shall pitch round about the tabernacle of testimony, that there be no wrath upon the congregation of the children of Israel: and the Levites shall keep the charge of the tabernacle of testimony.  The Levites were to set up camp around the tabernacle to keep it safe from the other tribes and also to keep people from the other tribes safe from inadvertently coming into contact with it.  As stated earlier  Jesus removed all these restrictions, and each follower of Christ can come freely into God's presence.  Verse fifty-four concludes, And the children of Israel did according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so did they.  Just as the children of Israel did in that day, we must do according to all that God commands of us today as Christians.  When we do, everything will work together for His glory. 

Numbers 1:32

Numbers 1:32 says, Of the children of Joseph, namely, of the children of Ephraim, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;   We now have the house of Joseph, starting with those of Ephraim.  Verse thirty-three adds, Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Ephraim, were forty thousand and five hundred.  There were forty-four thousand five hundred men over twenty who were able to go to war in the tribe of Ephraim.  Verse thirty-four states, Of the children of Manasseh, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;  Verse thirty-five adds,Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Manasseh, were thirty and two thousand and two hundred.  There were thirty-two thousand two hundred men of Manasseh who fit the criteria. Verse thirty-six says, Of the children of Benjamin, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;   Verse thirty-seven adds, Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Benjamin, were thirty and five thousand and four hundred.  Of the tribe of Benjamin there were thirty-five thousand four hundred men over the age of twenty who were able to go to war.  Verse thirty-eight states, Of the children of Dan, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;  Verse thirty-nine adds, Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Dan, were threescore and two thousand and seven hundred.  Of the tribe of Dan, there were sixty-two thousand, seven hundred men over twenty years of age who were able to go to war.  Verse forty says, Of the children of Asher, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;  Verse forty-one adds, Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Asher, were forty and one thousand and five hundred.  There were forty-one thousand five hundred men above the age of twenty in the tribe of Asher who were able to go to war.  Verse forty-two says, Of the children of Naphtali, throughout their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;  Verse forty-three adds, Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Naphtali, were fifty and three thousand and four hundred.  Of the tribe of Naphtali, there were fifty-three thousand four hundred men over the age of twenty who were able to go to war.  The nation of Israel had grown quite large while they were in Egypt, and God had delivered them to lead them to the Promised Land.  We as Christians need to likewise be growing into a large nation, which is not something that is defined by physical barriers, but by our relationship with God.  One day, God will lead us to the Promised Land, which is heaven, and He knows our number.  

Numbers 1:17

Numbers 1:17 says, Moses and Aaron took these men which are expressed by their names:   Moses and Aaron divided the people of Israel by tribes, or families.  Verse eighteen adds, And they assembled all the congregation together on the first day of the second month, and they declared their pedigrees after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, by their polls.  Once more, we are told that they were assembled tribes.  This was done on the first day ofthe second month, in the second year after they were delivered from Egypt.  God always works in orderly ways, I believe.  Verse nineteen continues, As the LORD commanded Moses, so he numbered them in the wilderness of Sinai.  The counting of the people of Israel was done as God had told Moses to do it.  Whatever we do for God today must be done in accordance with His instructions.  Verse twenty states, And the children of Reuben, Israel’s eldest son, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, by their polls, every male from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;  The next several verses break down the number of males of Israel over twenty years old and able to go to war and fight by tribe, beginning with Rueben, the eldest son of Israel, or Jacob.  Verse twenty-one adds, Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Reuben, were forty and six thousand and five hundred.  There were forty-six thousand five hundred men over twenty who could go to war in the tribe of Benjamin. Verse twenty-two says, Of the children of Simeon, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, those that were numbered of them, according to the number of the names, by their polls, every male from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;  Verse twenty-three adds, Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Simeon, were fifty and nine thousand and three hundred.  Simeon was the next to be numbered by family, and there were fifty-nine thousand, three hundred in his family who fell into this category.   Verse twenty-four states, Of the children of Gad, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;   Verse twenty-five adds, Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Gad, were forty and five thousand six hundred and fifty.  The tribe of Gad had forty-five thousand six hundred and fifty men over twenty who were able to go to war.  Verse twenty-six says, Of the children of Judah, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;  Verse twenty-seven adds, Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Judah, were threescore and fourteen thousand and six hundred.  The tribe of Judah numbered seventy-four thousand six hundred men over twenty who were able to go to war.  Verse twenty-eight states, Of the children of Issachar, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;  Verse twenty-nine adds, These that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Issachar, were fifty and four thousand and four hundred.  The number of men over twenty who could go to war in the tribe of Issachar was fifty-four thousand four hundred.  Verse thirty says, Of the children of Zebulun, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;   Verse thirty-one adds, Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Zebulun, were fifty and seven thousand and four hundred. The tribe of Zebulun numbered fifty-seven thousand men over twenty who were able to go to war.

Numbers 1:1

Numbers 1:1 says, And the LORD spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tabernacle of the congregation, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they were come out of the land of Egypt, saying,  We are given the date that the LORD spoke to Moses this time, which was two years and a month after God delivered the people of Israel out of Egypt.  Matthew Henty points out that of the first five Books of the Bible, this is the only one to be called by its English title and not its Greek.  Verse two adds, Take ye the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel, after their families, by the house of their fathers, with the number of their names, every male by their polls;  God told Moses to number, or count, the males of Israel, by family and the house of their fathers.  This was a census to show how God was fulfilling His promise to Abraham.  We may not live to see all of God's promises fulfilled, but they will always be fulfilled.  Verse three continues, From twenty years old and upward, all that are able to go forth to war in Israel: thou and Aaron shall number them by their armies.  The males were to be counted from the age of twenty, because they were the ones who would be able to make up the armies of Israel, and Aaron was to number them by armies.  We as men who are followers of Christ today should be on the front lines in the army of God.  Verse four concludes, And with you there shall be a man of every tribe; every one head of the house of his fathers.  They were to be counted by tribes and not just as a total number of men.  God always brings more order, not less, to those who follow Him.  Verse five states, And these are the names of the men that shall stand with you: of the tribe of Reuben; Elizur the son of Shedeur.  From here through verse sixteen we have the names and what tribe or family group the people were from.  Verse six adds, Of Simeon; Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai.  Verse seven continues, Of Judah; Nahshon the son of Amminadab. Verse eight says, Of Issachar; Nethaneel the son of Zuar.  Verse nine adds, Of Zebulun; Eliab the son of Helon.  Verse ten continues, Of the children of Joseph: of Ephraim; Elishama the son of Ammihud: of Manasseh; Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur.  Verse eleven states, Of Benjamin; Abidan the son of Gideoni.  Verse twelve adds, Of Dan; Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.  Verse thirteen says, Of Asher; Pagiel the son of Ocran.  Verse fourteen adds, Of Gad; Eliasaph the son of Deuel. Verse fifteen continues, Of Naphtali; Ahira the son of Enan.  Verse sixteen states, These were the renowned of the congregation, princes of the tribes of their fathers, heads of thousands in Israel.  These people represented the fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham at that time, and we as followers of Christ are still counted in that promise today.

Luke review concluded

We also have the account of Jesus making religious leaders angry, on many, many occasions.  These were not the religious leaders of other religions, but of the people of Israel, who were supposed to represent God to His people.  There are still religious leaders today who claim to be God's representatives who do not believe that Jesus is Who He says He is, which is the only way to salvation.  We have the account of Jesus's betrayal by one of His closest disciples, one of the twelve, and we need to make sure that as followers of Christ that we never betray Him in any of our thoughts or actions.  We certainly should never betray Him for material gain.  Also, we soon see all His disciples  disassociate themselves from Him.  We can never do this and truly be saved.  Then, we have the record of the crucifixion of Jesus, when He willingly laid down His life for the sins of everyone.  We only have to accept this by faith, as the one thief being crucified with Jesus did, in order to have everlasting life.  We also have the account of the women going to the tomb of Jesus on the third day and finding it empty.  They were the first ones to hear the good news from the angel that Jesus had risen from the dead.  This is our message to the world today.  We don't really need to take them to the tomb of Jesus, because it is empty.  We just need to point them to the resurrected Lord.  We then have the account of the disciples feeling defeated, until Jesus appears to them.  We will always be defeated by the sins of this world until we meet Jesus and accept the truth of His victory over sin and death if we will put our faith in Him.  Finally, we have the glorious news of Jesus ascending back to heaven, where He had come from and where He remains today, unti He returns in victory to claim His people.  Next, we are going to look at the book of Numbers.

Luke review continued

We have the facts about the life of John the Baptist, whose birth was also foretold by an angel to his parents, Zacharias and Elisabeth.  God is the source of all life, which begins at conception.  We have the account of John's lifestyle and preaching, in which he called for for people to repent and prepare for the coming Messiah, Who was already there, but he didn't know it.  As followers of Christ, we are to tell people today to be ready for His return, but when this happens, everyone will know it.  We also have the account of John the Baptist baptizing Jesus, and of the heavenly Father's approval of it.  Jesus set the example for us to be baptized, and even though it isn't a requirement for salvation, I believe that God expects us to follow the example that Jesus set as a sign of obedience.  Then, we learn of John the Baptist being beheaded because he made Herod’s wife angry by pointing out her sin.  We must always point out sin when we see it, even if it leads to our death.  Then we learn ofcthe birth of Jesus.  Once again, an angel told Mary and Joseph of His birth, and the nature of that birth.  Mary's Son was to be the only begotten Son of God and the Savior of mankind.  We either believe that today, or we never claim the salvation that Jesus made available to us.  We learn of the temptation of Jesus by Satan as Jesus was ready to begin His ministry.  We should always be ready to face the temptation of  Satan and the world as we begin to follow Jesus.  We have the account of Jesus calling the disciples, and of them leaving everything to follow Him, which we still must do today. We have many accounts of  Jesus teaching, performing miracles, and healing.  We as Christians are to be doing the same thing today, for God's glory and to spread His word to the world.  We may not always recognize a miracle or even a healing when it happens, but we must always have faith that God can provide both when it is in His will to do so.

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Luke Review

First, we see that Luke was told by eyewitnesses about the things that he was writing.  The facts about Jesus's life were not just stories someone had heard, but were reported by those who had witnessed them.  We must acknowledge them as truth and not just made up stories if they are to have meaning to us.  We then see that God not only spoke to Mary and Joseph, but to Zacharias and Elisabeth before them about the coming birth of a son.  No birth is accidental, but is from God.  Zacharias, being old doubted the angel and asked for a sign, and the sign was that he as made mute until the baby was born.  We should never doubt God and ask for signs.  Their son was to be called John, who became John the Baptist.  We have the facts of Mary becoming pregnant before Joseph and she were married, and the angel appearing to her to tell her to not be afraid, that she had been chosen to be the mother of the Messiah.  Still, we must acknowledge that she was but a woman, and was not some sort of god herself.  Joseph was also given assurance that Mary had done nothing wrong and that he was to marry her and become the earthly father of Jesus.  They both put their faith in what God had told them, and so must we.  After the birth of John, Elisabeth and Zacharias both said that he would be named John, as they had been instructed to do.   Zacharias had to write it on a tablet because he was still mute, but as soon as he did, he could speak again.  When we obey God, He will always fulfill His promises to us.  We learned that God could move a nation to fulfill His word, since He used Caesar to get Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem for the birth of Jesus.  We also have an account of the lowly shepherds being the ones who were told of Jesus's birth and them coming to find out for themselves about the truth of what they were told,and we must do the same if we are to become followers of Christ.  Then, we know of the purification of Jesus according to the law of Moses and the proclamation of Simon, a devout man of God, about what Jesus was to do, and that was to bring salvation to all who believed in Him, both Jew and Gentile.  God sent Jesus to redeem not just certain people, but all who put their faith in Him.  We only have one account of Jesus when He was growing up, and that was when He was about twelve and Mary and Joseph lost Him, only to find Him in the temple.  If we lose sight  of Jesus today because we are so busy, hopefully we can find Him in God's house if we go there.

Luke 24:40

Luke 24:40 says, And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet.  As the disciples continued to question if He were just a spirit, Jesus showed them His hands and feet.  I believe that we will always be given enough proof or understanding to know that Jesus is Who He says He is when we encounter Him if we come to Him by faith.  Verse forty-one adds, And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat?  Like the disciples then, even when we are offered proof instead of believing in joy, we may yet doubt the reality of Jesus Christ dying and rising from the dead so that we might have salvation.  Verse forty-two continues, And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb.  Jesus had asked the disciples for some meat, and they gave Him some broiled fish and honeycomb.  If we are ever to understand Who Jesus is, we must be willing to obey His commands, the first being to come to Him.  Verse forty-three concludes, And he took it, and did eat before them.  Jesus took the food and ate it, which a spirit couldn't do.  Verse forty-four states, And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.  Jesus told them that He had warned them that all the things that the scriptures said about Him must be fulfilled, and that included His death, burial, and resurrection.  We cannot believe in Jesus without believing in all of God's word about Who He is.  Verse forty-five adds, Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,  Jesus opened their understanding so that they might believe the scriptures.  He will also do this for anyone today who is willing to listen to His call to salvation.  Verse forty-six continues, And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:  Jesus said that it was written in the scripture that it was necessary for Christ to willingly suffer and die on the cross and be raised from the dead in order to bring salvation to those Who put their faith in Him.  Of course,  He really brought salvation to everyone, but only those who put their faith in Him will benefit from it.  Verse forty-seven says, And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.  Jesus said that the gospel must be preached in all nations, beginning in Jerusalem.  This is what the disciples were supposed to be doing then and what we as followers of Christ are supposed to be doing today.  Verse forty-eight adds, And ye are witnesses of these things.  Jesus reminded the disciples that they were witnesses to all these things, and by faith so are all Christians today.  If the world is to know about Jesus, it is our responsibility to tell them.  Verse forty-nine declares, And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.  Jesus told the disciples that He sent the promise of the Father upon them, but that they were to remain in Jerusalem until they received this power, which comes from the Holy Spirit.  As followers of Christ, we always need to wait until God sends us empowered by the Holy Spirit before we go anywhere and share the gospel.  Verse fifty adds, And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them.  Jesus led them to Bethany, then lifted up His hands and blessed them.  When we follow Christ today as He leads us, He will also bless us.  This does not mean that we will become rich materially though.  Verse fifty-one says, And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven.  As Jesus blessed the disciples, He departed from them and ascended into heaven.  Though Jesus remains in heaven, if we put our faith in Him, we will join Him there one day.  In the meantime, the power that Jesus said that the Heavenly Father would send, the Holy Spirit, dwells within us if we are Christians.  Verse fifty-two adds, And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy:  The disciples worshipped Jesus then,and returned to Jerusalem with great joy.  Once we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, we need to go wherever He sends us with great joy.  Verse fifty-three continues, And were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen.  The disciples were then continually in the temple praising and blessing God.  We need to be praising God today anywhere we go as followers of Christ. 

Luke 24:25

Luke 24;25 says, Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken:  Jesus called these disciples fools because they were slow to believe what the prophets had predicted about the Messiah.  Anyone who refuses to believe the truth about Jesus being that Messiah, or Christ, today, is still a fool. Verse twenty-four adds, Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?  Jesus asks them if according to scripture should not Christ have suffered these things.  They were still looking at Jesus as an earthly ruler, and because of that they believed that He had failed.  If we look at the plan of salvation in earthly terms, it will look like a failure still.  Verse twenty-seven states, And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.  Starting From Moses and going through all the prophets, Jesus expounded to them the teachings about Himself.  Jesus's sacrifice on the cross was not just some new plan plan that God came up with after everything else failed to bring salvation, but was the plan in place from the time Adam and Eve xinned.  It is still the only way to salvation today.  Verse twenty-eight adds, And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made as though he would have gone further.  When these disciples got near to where they were going, Jesus appeared to be ready to go on.  When we encounter Jesus, He will never force us to invite Him to stay.  Verse twenty-nine continues, But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them.  They urged Jesus to stay with them, since it was late, and He stayed.  They still hadn't recognized Jesus for Who He really was, but they were interested in what He was saying.  When we first encounter the resurrected Lord, Jesus Christ, we may not immediately understand Who He is, but hopefully we will invite Him to stay for awhile so we can learn more about Him.  Verse thirty says, And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them.  While Jesus sat to eat with these two disciples, He took the bread, blessed and broke it and gave it to them, as He had done with the twelve disciples at His last supper with them.  Verse thirty-one adds, And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.  After Jesus did this, their eyes were opened and they knew Who He was, and He vanished out of their sight.  Once we know Who Jesus is, we cannot expect Him to just stay with us alone, though when we do accept Him as our Savior and Lord the Holy Spirit is always with us.  Verse thirty-two states, And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?  Like these disciples, our heart needs to burn within us when we understand Who Jesus is and as we learn more about what the Bible has to say about Him.  Verse thirty-three adds, And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them,  They didn't wait, but rose up that same hour and returned to Jerusalem to tell the eleven disciples about what had happened.  Once we recognize Who Jesus is, we should feel the same urgency to share the gospel with others.  Verse thirty-four continues, Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon.  They said Jesus was risen indeed, and had already appeared to Peter.  Jesus has made Himself known to everyone at some point in their life, but often those who should find it easiest to understand this are the ones who are hardest to reach.  Verse thirty-five concludes, And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread.  They told the eleven what had occurred up through the breaking of the bread.  We need to tell others about what has occurred with us that led us to put our faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.   Verse thirty-six declares, And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.  While these two disciples were telling the eleven what had happened, Jesus appeared in the midst of them.  When we are telling others about Jesus, He will be workng to reveal Himself to them as well.  Verse thirty-seven adds, But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit.  Instead of being thrilled to see  Jesus, they were terrified, thinking they were seeing a ghost.  Verse thirty-eight continues, And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts?  Jesus asked the disciples why they were troubled and why they were having these thoughts about Who they were seeing.  When we encounter Jesus, we do not need to be afraid nor do we need to question if He is really the only Savior of mankind.  Verse thirty-nine concludes, Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.  Jesus invited them to touch His wonded hands and feet, and they would know that He was not just a spirit, since spirits have no flesh.  Though we will never be able to touch Jesus in the flesh in this lifetime as the disciples were invited to do, we must accept that what the Bible says happened to Him for our sakes is true.  Jesus really did live, die, and rise from the dead to bring everlasting life to those who put their faith in Him.

Luke 24:10

Luke 24:10 says, It was Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other women that were with them, which told these things unto the apostles.  We have three of the women who brought the news to the apostles identified here, but some are just called other women.  As we serve God, some of us will be known by name by people of the world, but others will not.  Yet, we equally important.  Verse eleven adds, And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not.  Though Jesus had told the disciples what was going to happen to Him, when the woman told them it had happened, it seemed foolish to them and they didn't believe them.  The gospel still sounds like foolishness to many, many people today, and they refuse to believe it.  Verse twelve states, Then arose Peter, and ran unto the sepulchre; and stooping down, he beheld the linen clothes laid by themselves, and departed, wondering in himself at that which was come to pass.  Here, we are told that Peter rose and ran to the tomb and looked down and saw the linen clothes laying by themselves, and he departed wondering what had happened.  He still had not accepted the reality of the resurrection of Jesus Christ as having occurred.  Until we accept the reality of this ourselves, we will always go away wondering.  Verse thirteen adds, And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs.  Two disciples were going to Emmaus that day, about a seven mile journey.  We are not told why they were going, but Matthew Henry says perhaps they were giving up on Jesus and going home.  No matter how hopeless things in life become, we as Christians should never give up in Jesus Christ.  Verse fourteen says, And they talked together of all these things which had happened.  They were talking about everything that had happened to Jesus, but they still did not truly understand it.  We can talk about what happened to Jesus all day long, but until we understand what really happened and accept His sacrifice on the cross for our sins and His resurrection to defeat the power of death, it will do us no good.  Verse fifteen adds, And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them.  While they were taking,  Jesus drew near and walked along with them.  We do not have Jesus walking with us, but we have the Holy Spirit.  Verse sixteen continues, But their eyes were holden that they should not know him.  Though Jesus was walking along with them, they did not know Him.  Too often today, even if Jesus were to be physically walking along with people, they would not recognize Him. Verse seventeen states, And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad?  Jesus asked them what they were talking about that made them so sad.  If they had really understood what Jesus had been telling them they would have been rejoicing.  We may at times be down and out because we fail to acknowledge God's work in the world.  Verse eighteen adds, And the one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days?  Cleopas, who we know was not one of the twelve disciples, but was still a disciple,  asked Jesus if He didn't know what had been happening in Jerusalem these past few days.  We should never become so focused on things around us that we question whether or not Jesus knows what is happening in the world.  Verse nineteen says, And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people:  Jesus asked them what things, and they said things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, Whom they called a mighty prophet in deed and the word of God.  They still didn't recognize Jesus, and until we do, we can never be saved.  Verse rwehty adds, And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him.  They told about Jesus's death, but not His resurrection, which is the message we needcto share with the world.   Verse twenty-one states, But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done.  They said they had thought Jesus was the One to redeem Israel, but today was the third day since He had been crucified, but were still not seeing the significance of that fact.  They should have been looking by faith, and so must we today as followers of Christ.  Verse twenty-two adds, Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre;   Cleopas said certain woman got them excited after going early to the tomb, but evidently not excited enough to go see if what thay said was true or not.  Being excited about Jesus is not enough unless we know the truth about Who He is.  Verse twenty-three says, And when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive.  Cleopas said the women failed to find Jesus's body, and they had seen a vision of angels who said Jesus was alive.  The implication seemed to be that they didn't believe them.  Until we acknowledge that Jesus died, was buried and rose again as the truth, the gospel will be just a story someone has told.  Verse twenty-four adds, And certain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre, and found it even so as the women had said: but him they saw not.  Cleopas said certain of them went to the tomb and found things to be as the women said, but they did not see Jesus.  They were looking in the wrong place and didn't even recognize Him as He walked with them.  We will never find Jesus in an empty tomb,and so many fail to recognize Him even when He walks beside them.

Luke 24:1

Luke 24:1 says, Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.  The women who had followed Jesus from Galilee and some other women came to the tomb early on Sunday morning to properly prepare the body of Jesus with spices they had prepared.  They not only got up early to do this, but they provided the spices.  Matthew Henry says they had prepared the spices before the Sabbath, and did not decide it was a waste to use them now after they had time think about it.  We should likewise always fulfill what we propose to do for God.  Verse two adds, And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre.  We know the names of three of these women to be Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James.  They had been concerned about how they would be able to remove the stone covering the tomb, but it was already rolled away.  I believe that God will always remove the obstacles that stand between Him and us, but we may never knowif we don't act by faith.  Verse three continues, And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.  The women went into the tomb,but they didn't find the body of Jesus there.  We too will never find the body of Jesus in a tomb.  Verse four states, And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments:  While the woman stood there perplexed, what appeared to be two men in shining garments stood by them.  Though they appeared to be men, they were angels, and there may be times when we encounter angels unaware that they are angels.  Verse five adds, And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead?  Though the women were afraid and bowed down before these angels, we should never bow to any of God's creation.  The angels asked the women why they sought the living among the dead.  We will never find Jesus if we do not look for Him as the living, resurrected Savior.  Verse six continues, He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee,  The angels told them that Jesus was not there, but He had risen, and asked them did they not remember what He had said to them in Galilee about this.  We should always look to God's word to know the truth.  Verse seven concludes, Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.  The angels reminded the women that Jesus had said that He must be delivered to evil men, crucified, which they had seen happen, and rise again the third day, which they must not have had faith in happening.  We must always hear and believe all of what God has to say to us.  Verse eight says, And they remembered his words,  After the angels reminded them, the women remembered the words of Jesus.  Even if at times we may need a little reminder from someone, we must always remember the words of Jesus as His followers.  Verse nine adds, And returned from the sepulchre, and told all these things unto the eleven, and to all the rest.  The women returned and told all that they had seen to the eleven disciples, since Judas was no longer there, and to all the others around them what they had seen.  Jesus was not in the tomb, but had risen from the dead.  This is the message that we as followers of Christ must share with the world today.  

Luke 23:50

Luke 23:50 says, And, behold, there was a man named Joseph, a counseller; and he was a good man, and a just:  There at Jesus's crucifixion was a good and just man named Simon.  Not everyone there was there to condemn Jesus.  At times, as followers of Christ, we may be in the midst of unbelievers, but we must not allow them to influence how we feel about Jesus.  Verse fifty-three adds, (The same had not consented to the counsel and deed of them;) he was of Arimathaea, a city of the Jews: who also himself waited for the kingdom of God.  This man Joseph was from Arimathaea, a Jewish city, and had not consented to the counsel and deed of those who had condemned Jesus, though he himself was waiting on the kingdom of God.  We should never have our opinion of Jesus swayed by the actions of others.  Verse fifty-two states, This man went unto Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus.  Jesus's closest followers, His disciples, had abandoned Him, but this religious leader went to Pilate and begged Pilate to allow him to take the body of Jesus and bury Him.  Joseph could have put himself in danger by identifying with Jesus, even after He was crucified.   We may place ourselves in danger by identifying with Jesus Christ today, but we need to be like Joseph and do so anyway.  Verse fifty-three adds, And he took it down, and wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a sepulchre that was hewn in stone, wherein never man before was laid.  Joseph took the body of Jesus down from the cross and buried it with respect in a new tomb that had been cut into a stone.  At this point, the body of Jesus was but an empty shell.  Though Joseph was a good man, we see no evidence that he expected Jesus to return from the dead to prove Himself to be the awaited Messiah.  It is not enough to simply view Jesus as  good Man Who didn't deserve to die,  but we must acknowledge Him as the only begotten Son of God, Who died to bring salvation all people.  Of course, even though Jesus died for everyone, unless we accept Him as our personal Savior and Lord, it does us no good.  Verse fifty-four continues, And that day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on.  Joseph had to hurry in his preparations for and burial of Jesus's body, because the sabbath was getting close.  As a Jew, Joseph would have wanted to follow the laws of the Sabbath, which we pretty much ignore today.  Verse fifty-five says, And the women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid.  The women who had followed Jesus followed Joseph to see where He would bury His body.  The disciples were no where to be found anywhere near the body of Jesus at this time.  In their minds, it was over.  If we only see Jesus on the cross or in the tomb, then our hope of salvation is over.  Verse fifty-six adds,  And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment.  These women who had followed Jesus from Galilee returned to where they had been staying and got spices and ointments ready to anoint Jesus's body with, but they first had to rest on the Sabbath according to Jewish law.  We should never allow religious traditions to keep us from serving Christ if we are a follower of His.

Luke 23:39

Luke 23:39 says, And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.  One of the malefactors, or thieves as we know from another gospel account, mocked Jesus, telling Him if He were the Christ, to save Himself and them.  He did not understand that the only way for Jesus to offer salvation to everyone who would accept it was for Him to sacrifice Himself.   We need to understand that we cannot manipulate Jesus into doing our will.  Verse forty adds, But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?  The other thief asked the one mocking Jesus did he not fear God, since he himself was also dying on a cross.  When we are faced with certain death, there will never be any other time to make things between God and us right.  Verse forty-one continues, And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.  He then said that the other thief and he were guilty so their death was justified, but that Jesus was guilty of nothing.  We likewise are all guilty of sin, and the penalty of sin is death.  This does not just apply to some sins, but to all sins.  Verse forty-two continues, And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.  This thief then quit talking to his fellow thief and started talking to Jesus.  He did not ask Jesus to physically save him, but to remember him in paradise.  This is what we come to Jesus for, and that is everlasting life through our faith in Him.  Verse forty-three declares, And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.  Jesus told this guilty man because of his faith in Jesus that today he would be with Him in paradise.  The grave was not the end for Jesus, nor will it be for anyone.  Our decision about Jesus Christ and whether or not we accept Him as our personal Savior and Lord determines where we will spend eternity.  Verse forty-four states, And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour.  For about three hours in the middle of the day there, there was darkness over all the earth.  There has never been a darker time than when Jesus Christ, God's only begotten Son, died on the cross for all the sins of all mankind.  The really sad thing about this is that many people, like the thief who mocked Jesus, will go away into everlasting punishment with the price of their sins already paid had they only accepted salvation by faith in Jesus Christ.  Verse forty-five adds, And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst.  The sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in half.  The veil of the temple separated God from the people, except for the priests at certain times, and it was no longer needed.  There would now be nothing standing between anyone and God.  We no longer have to go to the priest to seek God's guidance as followers of Christ, but we are a part of the priesthood of believers.  Verse forty-six says, And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.  Jesus cried out to His heavenly Father and said He commended His spirit to Him, and then He gave up the ghost.  Those who hung Jesus on the cross did not kill Him, but He willingly sacrificed Himself for the sins of all mankind.  Verse forty-seven adds, Now when the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, Certainly this was a righteous man.  One of the soldiers, when he saw what had happened, pronounced Jesus to be a righteous man.  We still have to individually decide Who Jesus is.  Verse forty-eight states, And all the people that came together to that sight, beholding the things which were done, smote their breasts, and returned.  Beating their breasts was a sign of ridicule for Jesus and a lack of caring about His death.  This is still the attitude of far too many people today.   Verse forty-nine adds, And all his acquaintance, and the women that followed him from Galilee, stood afar off, beholding these things.  The followers of Jesus, including the women, stood far away watching what was happening.  As followers of Christ, we cannot stand far away from Him when things seem hopeless, but must spiritually draw even closer to Him.

Luke 23:26

Luke 23:26 says, And as they led him away, they laid hold upon one Simon, a Cyrenian, coming out of the country, and on him they laid the cross, that he might bear it after Jesus.  A Cyrenian named Simon was commanded to bear the cross of Jesus part of the way.  We can never really bear the cross of Jesus completely, because we cannot die for the sins of others being guiltless ourself, but we are told to take up our own cross daily, dying to self will.  Verse twenty-seven adds, And there followed him a great company of people, and of women, which also bewailed and lamented him.  A great company of people, many the same ones who had praised Jesus on His entry into Jerusalem, now cried out in pity with and compassion for Him, because they had heard what a great Man He was.  Still, they did not see Him for Who He really is.  Many people today may see Jesus as a great man and prophet and feel bad about what happened to Him, but still not see Him as God's only begotten Son and the only Savior of mankind.  Verse twenty-eight states, But Jesus turning unto them said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children.  Jesus turned to the crowd and told the women not to weep for Him, but to weep for themselves and their children.  Jesus was doing what He came to do, and those around Him were the ones who needed salvation.  Until and unless we know Jesus as our Savior and Lord, then we should be weeping for ourselves.  Verse twenty-nine adds, For, behold, the days are coming, in the which they shall say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave suck.  Jesus spoke to the women because the day was coming when people would say that women without children were more blessed than those who were,because of the coming destruction and suffering for the people of Isreal.  Verse thirty says, Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us.  Jesus warned them that the days were coming when they would rather have the mountains fall on them than to continue to live with the suffering that was to come.  We have likewise been warned that one day this suffering at the hands of the world will come on Christians.  Verse thirty-one adds, For if they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry?  Jesus was the green tree, and the people of Israel were the dry tree according to Matthew Henry.  If Jesus, an innocent Man could be put to death, then what would happen to those who had no faith in Him.  God did not spare His only begotten Son, so we should not expect Him to save us if we do not put our faith in Jesus.  Verse thirty-two states, And there were also two other, malefactors, led with him to be put to death.  Jesus wasn't the only One going to be put to death on a cross that day.  Two other malefactors were going with Him, but Jesus was the only One Who was innocent.   We are all going to die one day, and some people may die for crimes they have committed, but our death will save no one.  Verse thirty-three adds, And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left.  Jesus was crucified between the two malefactors.   In a sense, He was given the place of honor in death, but in truth, His was the only death that mattered.  When we die, if we have not accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, then our death will cause a permanent separation from God.  Verse thirty-four declares, Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.  Even as Jesus hung on the cross, He asked the Heavenly Father to forgive those who put Him there, because they didn't know what they were doing.  They thought they were just killing another man, not truly realizing Who He was.  This does not mean that God is going to forgive us today if we do not accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, because we now know Who He is.  Verse thirty-five adds, And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them derided him, saying, He saved others; let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God.  Those standing around Jesus, including some of the rulers, began to deride Jesus and call on Him to save Himself.  They thought they were ending Jesus reign, but they were just ushering it in.  Jesus was on the cross because He chose to be, and not because He was helpless to save Himself.  We must likewise put our lives in His hands if we are to be saved.  Verse thirty-six continues, And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him, and offering him vinegar,  The soldiers also mocked Jesus,  offering Him vinegar to drink.  In effect, until we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, we mock Him.  Verse thirty-seven says, And saying, If thou be the king of the Jews, save thyself.  They still thought Jesus was coming to be the earthly king of the Jews and not the Heavenly One.  Many people today still have a misconception about Who Jesus was and is.  For many, even though they acknowledge that He lived, His life ended forever on that cross.  Verse thirty-eight states, And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.  Though they wrote it in derision, in the three predominant languages of those around Jesus that day, they proclaimed the truth.  Jesus Christ is the King of the Jews, and of anyone else who will put their faith in Him.

Luke 23:13

Luke 23:13 says, And Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people,  Verse fourteen adds, Said unto them, Ye have brought this man unto me, as one that perverteth the people: and, behold, I, having examined him before you, have found no fault in this man touching those things whereof ye accuse him:  After Herod sent Jesus back to Pilate to be judged, Pilate called the chief priests and religious leaders of the people of Israel to Him.  Pilate said they had already brought Jesus before him, and he did not find Jesus guilty of anything they were accusing Him of.  Still, Pilate really didn't say that Jesus wast totally innocent.  In order to be saved, we must acknowledge that Jesus Himself was innocent of any sin, but died for ours.  Verse fifteen continues, No, nor yet Herod: for I sent you to him; and, lo, nothing worthy of death is done unto him.  Pilate said that Herod likewise said Jesus was guilty of nothing deserving death.  No matter how many authorities examine the life of Jesus, they will never find any sin in His life.  Verse sixteen states, I will therefore chastise him, and release him.  Pilate did the say that he would chastise Jesus, though he had found no fault with Him, and then release Him.  There are still people today who attempt to discredit Jesus, even when they find no fault with Him.  Verse seventeen adds, (For of necessity he must release one unto them at the feast.)  Pilate was going to release Jesus as the person who was released for the Feast of the Passover, even if they were guilty.  Jesus should have been released simply because He was innocent, but Pilate was attempting to get around simply releasing Him because He was, because those who brought Him there wanted Him dead.  We cannot work around deciding Who Jesus is.  We either declare Him to be innocent, or we declare Him worthy of death.  Verse eighteen declares, And they cried out all at once, saying, Away with this man, and release unto us Barabbas:  The religious leaders and those there with them cried out for Jesus to be killed and for Barabbas, a very bad man who was offered as a choice to be released instead of Jesus, to be released.  People today still choose to put others, sometimes even bad people, ahead of choosing Jesus.  Verse nineteen adds, (Who for a certain sedition made in the city, and for murder, was cast into prison.)  Barabbas was actually guilty of sedition and murder as well, but the Jewish religious leaders still chose to have him set free instead of Jesus.  Verse twenty says, Pilate therefore, willing to release Jesus, spake again to them.  Pilate still wanted to release Jesus, so he spoke to the people who were demanding His death once again.  Pilate was the authority and did not need the permission of anyone to set Jesus free, in whom Pilate had said he found no fault in.  We can never sidestep the decision about Who Jesus is.  Verse twenty-one declares, But they cried, saying, Crucify him, crucify him.  The people still cried out for Jesus to be crucified.  Verse twenty-two adds, And he said unto them the third time, Why, what evil hath he done? I have found no cause of death in him: I will therefore chastise him, and let him go.  For the third time, Pilate said he could find no cause to put Jesus to death, so he would chastise Him and set Him free.  This was still not what he should have done.  Pilate was trying to please the religious leaders, but he should have taken responsibility and done what he knew was right.  By ignoring his responsibility, Pilate was just as guilty as those crying for Jesus to be crucified.  We can either accept Jesus or give in to the world, but everyone will make the decision one way or another.  Verse twenty-three states, And they were instant with loud voices, requiring that he might be crucified. And the voices of them and of the chief priests prevailed.  The people continued to cry out for Jesus to be crucified, and the people and the chief priests prevailed.  No matter how loudly people may cry out against Jesus, He will always be innocent, and we certainly don't need religious leaders who claim to be Christians attempting to discredit anything that Jesus teaches us.  Verse twenty-four adds, And Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they required.  Pilate gave in to the crowd and said it should be as they required.  He was willing to send an innocent Man, Jesus, to the cross simply to appease the religious leaders and the crowd.  Anytime someone rejects Jesus as their personal Savior and Lord, they are in effect wanting to send Him to the cross to stay.  Verse twenty-five continues, And he released unto them him that for sedition and murder was cast into prison, whom they had desired; but he delivered Jesus to their will.  Pilate released Barabbas, a guilty man, and turned Jesus over to the will of the people.  If anyone is to be saved, he or she must accept Jesus above any other person or any other thing in this world. 

Luke 23:6

Luke 23:6 says,When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked whether the man were a Galilaean.  Pilate's only response was to ask whether Jesus was a Galilaean.  They could answer this question without lying, but it had nothing to do with what they were accusing Jesus of.  We can mix truth in with lies today, but it still doesn't make the lie to be true.  Verse seven adds, And as soon as he knew that he belonged unto Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who himself also was at Jerusalem at that time.  When Pilate realized that Jesus fell under the jurisdiction of Herod, instead of setting Jesus free since he had found no fault with Him, Pilate passed the buck as we would say today.  Pilate sent Jesus to Herod to be judged.  There are still people today who pass the buck on deciding about Who Jesus is.  Verse eight states, And when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad: for he was desirous to see him of a long season, because he had heard many things of him; and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by him.  Herod was delighted to see Jesus, because he had heard a lot about Him and wanted to see Him perform a miracle.  This is also the reason many people desire to meet Jesus today, and that is to see what He can do for them materially or physically.  Verse nine adds, Then he questioned with him in many words; but he answered him nothing.  Herod asked Jesus many questions, but Jesus did not answer Him.  Jesus does not perform at our command to entertain us.  He calls us to salvation, but He does not perform miracles to amuse us or to convince us of Who He is.  Verse ten says, And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused him.  Jesus may not have answered Herod, but the chief priests and scribes angrily accused Him with false accusations.  People continue to attempt to discredit Jesus with false accusations about Who He is or what His word says, but hopefully it isn't those who call themselves Christians who do so.  Verse eleven adds, And Herod with his men of war set him at nought, and mocked him, and arrayed him in a gorgeous robe, and sent him again to Pilate.  Herod and his men of war mocked Jesus and arrayed Him in a gorgeous robe and sent Him back to Pilate, who had already said he found no fault with Him.  When Jesus does not perform as people expect Him to today, they often send Him away, mocking Him while they do so.  Verse twelve continues, And the same day Pilate and Herod were made friends together: for before they were at enmity between themselves.  Pilate and Herod, who had been enemies, became friends as they dealt with judging Jesus.  There are still many people today who would normally be or had been enemies who are united in trying to discredit Jesus. 

Luke 23:1

Luke 23:1 says, And the whole multitude of them arose, and led him unto Pilate.  Many of the same people who had welcomed Jesus as King now led Him to Pilate like a criminal.  They were most likely just followin g the crowd in both cases.  This still happens too often today.  Verse two adds, And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that he himself is Christ a King.  They then lied about what Jesus had been saying, making it seem like He was attempting to overthrow Pilate.  The only way anyone can discredit Jesus is through lies.  Verse three states, And Pilate asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answered him and said, Thou sayest it.  Pilate asked Jesus if He was the King of the Jews, and Jesus said that was what Pilate was saying.  Pilate had to make up his mind about Who Jesus was, and so does everyone at some point in life.  Jesus knew Who He was, so it was up to Pilate whether he would acknowledge it or not, and He still knows Who He is today, and it is up to us whether we acknowledge it or not.  Verse four adds, Then said Pilate to the chief priests and to the people, I find no fault in this man.  Pilate told the chief priests and the people that he could find no fault with this man Jesus, and no one ever will.  Verse  five says, And they were the more fierce, saying, He stirreth up the people, teaching throughout all Jewry, beginning from Galilee to this place.  The people were even more determined to find some fault with Jesus, saying He was teaching throughout all Jewry, beginning in Galilee.  This was true, but their implication was that Jesus was teaching something against Pilate without really saying so.  People often attempt to say that Jesus said things that He did not say.  

Luke 22:47

Luke 22:47 says, And while he yet spake, behold a multitude, and he that was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them, and drew near unto Jesus to kiss him.  While Jesus was asking the disciples why they were sleeping instead of praying, Judas was busy getting ready to betray Him.  Even if we are not praying and doing what God has called us to do, we certainly don't need to betray Him.  Yet, anytime we fail to follow Jesus by faith and do what He has called us to do, are we not in effect betraying Him?  Verse forty-eight adds, But Jesus said unto him, Judas, betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss?  Jesus asked Judas if he would betray the Son on man, Jesus Himself, with a kiss, a sign of devotion.  It is not enough for us to go through the motions of being intimately close to Jesus if we are just doing so while betraying Him by our thoughts.  Verse forty-nine states, When they which were about him saw what would follow, they said unto him, Lord, shall we smite with the sword?  When the other disciples saw what was happening, they asked Jesus if they should smite those there to arrest Him with the sword.  They were unable to stay awake while Jesus was praying, but now they were ready to physically defend Him.  If we are not spiritually in tune with God, we may take bold actions that we claim are for God, but they may not be what He wants us to do.  Verse fifty adds, And one of them smote the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear.  From another gospel account, we know that it was Peter who cut off the ear of the servant of the high priest.  Peter was always ready to take bold actions while he thought Jesus was setting up an earthly kingdom.  Some Christians today seem more ready to defend earthly institutions than they are to pray and share God's word.  Verse fifty-one declares, And Jesus answered and said, Suffer ye thus far. And he touched his ear, and healed him.  Jesus told the disciples to quit fighting, and He restored the ear to the servant who had lost it.  We can never advance God's kingdom by the use of force, but can only do so by obediently obeying God's will for our life, and we certainly don't need to stop others from doing what God wants them to do, as the disciples were attempting to do in this case.  Verse fifty-two adds, Then Jesus said unto the chief priests, and captains of the temple, and the elders, which were come to him, Be ye come out, as against a thief, with swords and staves?  Jesus asked the chief priests why they came as thieves in the night with swords to arrest Him.  Had Jesus not been willing to go with them, they would not have been able to force Him, no matter how many there were of them, nor how well they were armed.  Jesus was not forced to go to the cross, but He went because it was the only way to salvation.  Verse fifty-three continues,  When I was daily with you in the temple, ye stretched forth no hands against me: but this is your hour, and the power of darkness.  Jesus said that when He was in the temple that these religious leaders would have been able to arrest Him at any time, but they instead chose to come like a thief in the night to do so.  Jesus is not hidden away today, but can be found at anytime if we only seek Him.

Luke 22:63

Luke 22:63 says, And the men that held Jesus mocked him, and smote him.  The men who held Jesus thought they were in charge, so they mocked and beat Him.  Many people today believe they are in charge in their life, so they mock Jesus.  No matter how powerful we may feel, we will never be more powerful than Jesus.  Verse sixty-four adds, And when they had blindfolded him, they struck him on the face, and asked him, saying, Prophesy, who is it that smote thee?  After blindfolding Jesus, they hit Him in the face, then told Him to tell by prophesy who had struck Him.  What they didn't realize was that He could have told them, blindfold or no blindfold.  Jesus can always see into our heart.  Verse sixty-five continues, And many other things blasphemously spake they against him.  Blasphemously speaking against Jesus was all they could do, and it is still all anyone can do today if they refuse to accept Him as their Savior and Lord.  Verse sixty-six states,And as soon as it was day, the elders of the people and the chief priests and the scribes came together, and led him into their council, saying,  As soon as it was day, the chief priests and scribes got together and led Jesus into their council.  They acted early, and it definitely was by their council, and not God's.  We will never speak against Jesus Christ by God's counsel, but we often will if we put our council above God's. Verse sixty-seven adds, Art thou the Christ? tell us. And he said unto them, If I tell you, ye will not believe:  The chief priests and scribes asked Jesus if He was the Christ, and He said even if He answered them they would not believe Him.  This is ultimately the choice that everyone faces.  The fact that Jesus is the Christ is already established so the question is whether we believe Him or not.  Verse sixty-eight continues, And if I also ask you, ye will not answer me, nor let me go.  Jesus said that if He asked these religious leaders who He was, they would not answer Him, nor would they let Him go.  When people have already made up their mind about Who Jesus is, and that He is not the Savior of mankind, they will not listen to Him, no matter what He says.  Verse sixty-nine says, Hereafter shall the Son of man  sit on the right hand of the power of God.  Jesus said soon He would sit on the righthand of the power of God.  Then, they would know Who He truly is.  Verse seventy adds, Then said they all, Art thou then the Son of God? And he said unto them, Ye say that I am.  The chief priests and scribes then asked Jesus if He was the Son of God,  and He said that this was what they said.  Again, this is a question that every individual must answer for themself.  Verse seventy-one states, And they said, What need we any further witness? for we ourselves have heard of his own mouth.  Even though Jesus had not said that He was the Son of God, they said they needed no other witnesses, because they had heard Jesus say this Himself.  Don't be surprised if people attempt to claim that Jesus has said something that He never said.

Luke 22:54

 Luke 22:54 says, Then took they him, and led him, and brought him into the high priest’s house. And Peter followed afar off.  After Jesus was taken by the high priest and scribes, Peter followed Him from afar off.  He was no longer concerned with who was going to be first in Jesus's kingdom.  Some people today are willing to follow Jesus as long as they expect Him to make life physically better for them, but at the first sign of trouble, they move far away from Him.  Verse fifty-five adds, And when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the hall, and were set down together, Peter sat down among them.  When the people gathered around a fire away from where Jesus was, Peter joined them.  Sometimes today, we are more concerned about being physically comfortable than we are about following Jesus, even if that puts us in the midst of people who want to have nothing to do with Jesus.  Verse fifty-six states, But a certain maid beheld him as he sat by the fire, and earnestly looked upon him, and said, This man was also with him.  There was a certain maid there that looked at Peter as he sat by the fire and said that he had been with Jesus.  It would be wonderful if people could look at us today and know that we have been with Jesus.  Verse fifty-seven adds, And he denied him, saying, Woman, I know him not. Bold and courageous Peter who had declared his undying devotion to Jesus denied ever knowing Him.  Verse fifty-eight says, And after a little while another saw him, and said, Thou art also of them. And Peter said, Man, I am not.  A little later someone else said Peter was one of Jesus's disciples, and once again he denied it.  Hopefully, we will never be guilty of doing the same thing.  Verse fifty-nine adds, And about the space of one hour after another confidently affirmed, saying, Of a truth this fellow also was with him: for he is a Galilaean.  Less than an hour later, someone else said that Peter was with Jesus, because he was a Galilaean.  Where we are from will never determine whether we are followers of Christ or not.  Verse sixty continues, And Peter said, Man, I know not what thou sayest. And immediately, while he yet spake, the cock crew. For the third time,  For the third time, Peter denied knowing Jesus, and then the cock crowed.  This is what Jesus had said Peter would do, and Peter had said it would never happen.  We can be certain that whatever Jesus says is going to happen will happen, no matter how much we may deny that it will.  Verse sixty-one declares, And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.  Jesus turned and looked at Peter, and he remembered that Jesus had said that he would deny Him three times before the cock crowed.  We may sometimes look back and realize that exactly what God has warned us about in our life has come to pass.  Verse sixty-two adds, And Peter went out, and wept bitterly.  When Peter realized what he had done, he wept bitterly.  If we realize that we have failed in our relationship to God as followers of Christ, we should also weep bitterly. 

Luke 22:39

Luke 22:39 says, And he came out, and went, as he was wont, to the mount of Olives; and his disciples also followed him.  Jesus went on His way to the mount of Olives, which was what He normally did, and His disciples followed Him.  Even if we know that we are to face persecution, or even death, we must continue to follow Jesus as we always have as Christians.  Verse forty adds, And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation.  When Jesus arrived at the place that He was going, He told the disciples to pray, so that they would not fall into temptation.  This warning still applies to us as followers of Christ today.  Verse forty-one states, And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed,  Jesus went about a stone’s throw away from the disciples and knelt down and prayed.  Sometimes, we need to get alone by ourself, kneel down, and pray for God's continued guidance.  Verse forty-two adds, Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.  Jesus prayed that if there was any other way for people to have salvation that the Heavenly Father show Him before He went to the cross, but there was no other way.  There still is no other way to salvation than by faith in Jesus Christ as one's personal Savior and Lord.  Verse forty-three continues, And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.  While Jesus was praying that if there was another way to let it be shown, an angel appeared to strengthen Him.  If we are faithful to God, He will always give us the spiritual strength to accomplish anything He calls us to do.  Verse forty-four declares, And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.  Even though He was in agony, Jesus prayed even more earnestly, and it was as though He were sweating blood.  This was a real struggle for Jesus, and if there were any other way for people to have salvation, He wanted it to be revealed.  Faith in Jesus Christ is still the only way to salvation, and always has and always will be.  Verse forty-five adds, And when he rose up from prayer, and was come to his disciples, he found them sleeping for sorrow,  When Jesus returned to His disciples after His agonizing time of prayer, He found them sleeping.  As God agonizes over the fate of lost people today, He does not need to find us, as followers of Christ, spiritually sleeping.  Verse forty-six adds, And said unto them, Why sleep ye? rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation.  Jesus asked them why they were sleeping, then told them to rise and pray, lest they should fall into temptation.  We need to be doing the same thing today.  We certainly don't need Jesus to ask us why we are spiritually sleeping when there are so many people who need to hear His word. 

Luke 22:31

Luke 22:31 says, And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:  Jesus told Simon Peter than Satan was ready to sift him like wheat because he, Satan, desired to have him.  Satan still wants people today, especially those who are close to putting their faith in Jesus Christ.   Verse thirty-two adds, But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.  Jesus said that He had prayed for Peter, that his faith might be strengthened, and that after he was converted he would be a source of strength for the other disciples.  What we  may sometimes forget is that the disciples did not truly understand Who Jesus really was, but Jesus was praying for them.  Jesus will always be praying for people to be converted and to grow in faith after they are.  Verse thirty-three states, And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death.   Peter declared his unwavering faith to Jesus, saying he was ready to follow Him to prison or death, but he was speaking from faith in himself and not faith in Jesus.  We may make bold claims about our faith in Christ, but the question is whether or not we are making it based on self pride or true faith.  Verse thirty-four adds, And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me.  Jesus told Peter that in spite of his bold statement that he would deny Jesus three times before the cock crowed.  Our statements made based on self pride will not always keep us faithful to Christ.  Verse thirty-five says, And he said unto them, When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye any thing? And they said, Nothing.  Jesus reminded the disciples of when He had sent them out without money, and asked if they lacked anything, and they answered that they lacked nothing.  When God sends us out today to do whatever He has called us to do, He will provide for our needs and we will lack nothing that we need to accomplish whatever we are sent to do.  Verse thirty-six adds, Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one.  Jesus warned the disciples that once He was gone that they would not have it as easy.  Real persecution was coming, and this is something that we must be prepared to face today as Christians.  Still, if we remain faithful to Christ, we will always have everything that we need to remain victorious spiritually.  Verse thirty-seven declares, For I say unto you, that this that is written must yet be accomplished in me, And he was reckoned among the transgressors: for the things concerning me have an end.  Jesus warned them of His coming death on the cross where He would be counted among the transgressors.  Some people still see Him the same way today, because they have not put their faith in Him.  Verse thirty-eight adds, And they said, Lord, behold, here are two swords. And he said unto them, It is enough.  The disciples took inventory of their weapons, and said thay only had two swords.  Jesus said that was enough.  Whatever we have today when we put our faith in Jesus Christ will be enough to keep us spiritually safe forever.  The things of this world will never save us.

Luke 22:21

Luke 22:21 says. But, behold, the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on the table.  While celebrating passover with His disciples, also to become known as the Lord’s Supper or the Last Supper, Jesus said that the one who would betray Him was at the table.  One of Jesus's closest followers, at least in name, was the one who would betray Him.  There are still many people who profess to be close followers of Christ today whose actions betray Him.  Verse twenty-two adds, And truly the Son of man goeth, as it was determined: but woe unto that man by whom he is betrayed!  Jesus said He was going where it was determined that He had to go, but He still pronounced woe on the one who betrayed Him.  Those who profess to follow Christ but betray Him by their actions will still find themselves in a woeful situation.  Verse twenty-three states, And they began to inquire among themselves, which of them it was that should do this thing.  The disciples began to ask amongst themselves who would do this.  Eleven were unsure, only knowing that it wasn't them, but one, Judas, knew he was the one.  All we can ever be sure of is our own relationship with Jesus Christ, and if anyone is going to betray Him, we need to make certain that it isn't us.  Verse twenty-four adds, And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest.  While questioning who would betray Jesus, the disciples then got into an argument about which one of them was the greatest.  They quit thinking about the betrayal and let self pride take over, focusing on their own role in relationship to the other disciples instead of focusing on what was about to happen with Jesus.  We as Christians should never attempt to declare ourselves greater than any other Christian, but should always focus on Jesus Christ.  Verse twenty-five says, And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors.  Jesus used the example of earthly kings and the fact that those who exercised power on his subjects were called benefactors, even though he is in a position of power over his subjects.  Jesus is the benefactor of all who put their faith in Him, but He is also in authority over them.  Verse twenty-six adds, But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.  Jesus told the disciples that they were not to be as earthly kings, seeking to be in power and to be seen as benefactors to those that they witnessed to.  Jesus tells us if we want to be great in His kingdom that we must see ourselves as the least.  Jesus Himself is the benefactor, and we will always be simply sinners saved by grace, and there is no room for self pride or a feeling of superiority to others in our life.  Verse twenty-seven continues, For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth. Jesus then asked them who was greater, the one being served at the table or the one who served him.  He said that the one being served was greater, but even though He was greater than all, He came to serve.  We are never to feel superior to other Christians, but we are simply to remain servants of Jesus Christ.  Verse twenty-eight declares, Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations.  Jesus told the disciples they had been with Him during His temptations, and we must remain close to Him today when the world tempts people to ignore or deny Him. Verse twenty-nine adds, And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me;  Just as the disciples were appointed to be a part of God's kingdom and do His work in the world, so are we as followers of Christ.  Verse thirty continues, That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.  Like the disciples, if we are faithful to Jesus Christ, one day we will sit at His table. 

Luke 22:7

Luke 22:7 says, Then came the day of unleavened bread, when the passover must be killed.  The time for the passover lamb to be killed was at hand, and Jesus is the only Passover Lamb that will ever suffice.  Verse eight adds, And he sent Peter and John, saying, Go and prepare us the passover, that we may eat.  Jesus sent Peter and John to prepare a passover meal for Jesus and the twelve disciples.   As followers of Christ today, we are sent to prepare those who will listen to our testimony about Jesus Christ for the coming passover when Jesus returns or when we depart this old sinful world.  Verse nine asks, And they said unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare?  Peter and James asked Jesus where they should prepare the passover. As followers of Christ, we must look to God for guidance in all that we do.  Verse ten states, And he said unto them, Behold, when ye are entered into the city, there shall a man meet you, bearing a pitcher of water; follow him into the house where he entereth in.  Jesus told Peter and James that when they got into the city they would see a man carrying a picture of water, and they were to follow him to his house.  Since men didn't normally carry the water, the man would be easy to spot.  God is not going to send us to do anything where there could be confusion about what we are to do.  Verse eleven adds, And ye shall say unto the goodman of the house, The Master saith unto thee, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples?  Jesus told them to say to the goodman of the house that the Master, Jesus Himself, wanted to know where the guestchamber was so they could prepare the passover to eat with His disciples.  Jesus did not send them into the situation unprepared, and we will not be sent into any situation by God that He does not prepare us to be ready to handle.  Also, God had to prepare the man to be ready to receive them and grant their request.  Verse twelve continues, And he shall shew you a large upper room furnished: there make ready.  Jesus said the master of the house would show them a large furnished upper room, and they were to make ready the passover there.  God already had everything ready for them, and He will have things ready for us today if we go in obedience to Him. Verse thirteen concludes, And they went, and found as he had said unto them: and they made ready the passover. When they went, they found things to be as Jesus said they would be, and they did as He instructed them to do.  When we go where God sends us today, we must do what He sends us to do if we are truly followers Christ. Verse fourteen says, And when the hour was come, he sat down, and the twelve apostles with him.  When the time was right, Jesus sat down with His twelve disciples.  There is never a better place to be than where God wants us to be at the time He wants us to be there.  Verse fifteen adds, And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer:  Jesus said He very strongly desired to eat this passover meal with them.  It would be His last and their last with Jesus physically present with them,  and it was shortly before He would unjustly suffer for the sins of all mankind.  Verse sixteen continues, For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God.  Jesus said this was to be His last meal on earth, before everything was fulfilled in the kingdom of God.  One day, we too as followers of Christ will have our last meal here on earth, then we will go on to live forever in the kingdom of God.  Verse seventeen declares, And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves:   Jesus took the cup, Blessed it, and told the disciples to divide it amongst themselves.  There was no need for hogging it, because there was enough for them all, just as there is no need for attempting to hog salvation today, because there is enough for everyone.  Verse eighteen adds, For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come.  Jesus said He Himself would not be drinking of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God should come.  There was no need for Him to drink of the cup which He would say represented His shed blood, because He was the One Who shed His blood for the redemption of all mankind.  Verse nineteen continues, And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.  Jesus took the bread, broke it,and said that it represented His body, and that they were to eat it in remembrance of Him.  We are still to do this today.  Verse twenty concludes, Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.  After supper, Jesus took  the cup, Blessed it, and said that it represented His blood which was shed for them, and for everyone who has ever put their faith in Him.

Luke 22:1

Luke 22:1 says, Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, which is called the Passover.  The time of the feast of Passover was near.  This is a very important celebration for the Jewish people, since it commemorates the angel passing over their children when the Egyptian children were killed by God as a judgment of Pharoah.  Verse two adds, And the chief priests and scribes sought how they might kill him; for they feared the people.  The chief priests and scribes were still trying to figure out how they could kill Jesus without suffering the wrath of the people who were following Him.  These were the most powerful religions people of that day, and they were trying to figure out how to kill Jesus safely.  Though many people are attempting to deny that Jesus Christ lived, died and was rose from the dead to be the everlasting Passover for all who believe in Him, let's hope that religions leaders aren't doing so.  Verse three states, Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve.  Judas Iscariot was one of the twelve disciples, those closest to Jesus.  I am not sure if he started following Jesus in sincerity and then found that He was not Who Judas wanted Him to be or not, but whatever his reasons, Judas now gave in to the influence of Satan.  He had not put his faith in Jesus alone.  People may attempt to follow Jesus without totally putting their faith in Him, but they will always fail by giving in to the influence of Satan.  There can be no followers of Christ who only partially believe in Him.  Verse four adds, And he went his way, and communed with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray him unto them.  Judas went to the chief priests and captains, the religious leaders, to see how he could best betray Jesus.  Without a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, we cannot serve God, and some religious leaders may even try to lead us away from Jesus Christ.  If they pronounce that Jesus Christ is not the only way to salvation, and we believe them, they are leading us away from Him and into following Satan.  Verse five continues, And they were glad, and covenanted to give him money.  The chief priests and captains were glad to have one of Jesus's closest disciples to be willing to betray Him, so they paid Judas.  Too many professed Christians today are willing to sell out Jesus and what He teaches us if the price is right.  We cannot allow material gain to be more important than our relationship with Jesus Christ and faithfully follow Him.  Verse six adds, And he promised, and sought opportunity to betray him unto them in the absence of the multitude.  Judas promised these religious leaders that he would find a time to betray Jesus when the crowds weren't around.  He was in an ideal place to do this, and so are some today who claim to be followers of Christ in an ideal position to betray Him and even to lead others away from Him.