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Peter’s Confession and Christ’s Mission (Luke 9:18-22)

Once when Jesus was praying in solitude, and the disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” 19 They said in reply, “John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, ‘One of the ancient prophets has arisen.’” 20 Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter said in reply, “The Messiah of God.” 21 He rebuked them and directed them not to tell this to anyone. 22 He said, “The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised.” The daily blog from now until Advent (November 30, 2025) will move semi-continuously through Luke’s “journey” and Jerusalem teaching—from Peter’s Confession and Christ’s Mission in Lk. 9:18-22 to the apocalyptic discourse in Lk. 21:5-36. Jesus is praying, and the disciples are near Him (v. 18). In Luke, prayer prepares decisive moments. After this time of prayer, Jesus asks who the crowds think He is. Their answers—John the Baptis...

Herod’s Curiosity About the Mystery of Jesus (Luke 9:7-9)

Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening, and he was greatly perplexed because some were saying, “John has been raised from the dead”; 8 others were saying, “Elijah has appeared”; still others, “One of the ancient prophets has arisen.” 9 But Herod said, “John I beheaded. Who then is this about whom I hear such things?” And he kept trying to see him. In this passage, rumors about Jesus reached Herod the tetrarch. Some say that John the Baptist, whom Herod had executed, has been raised from the dead. Others suggest that Elijah has returned, or that one of the ancient prophets has come again. Herod is perplexed and troubled. He understands the implications of the stories, yet he cannot grasp the full meaning of what is happening. Herod observes from a distance, trying to make sense of what he hears. He knows John, and he remembers the fear that John once inspired. Yet the reports about Jesus surpass anything he has seen or imagined. He seeks to see for himself, measuring this...

Sent on a Mission Carrying God’s Power and Peace (Luke 9:1-6)

He summoned the Twelve and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, 2 and he sent them to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal [the sick]. 3 He said to them, “Take nothing for the journey, neither walking stick, nor sack, nor food, nor money, and let no one take a second tunic. 4 Whatever house you enter, stay there and leave from there. 5 And as for those who do not welcome you, when you leave that town, shake the dust from your feet in testimony against them.” 6 Then they set out and went from village to village proclaiming the good news and curing diseases everywhere. In this passage, Jesus commissions the twelve apostles, giving them authority over sickness and evil. This moment shows that the mission of spreading God’s kingdom is not just about words, but about the power of God working through those sent. By sending them without extra provisions, Jesus emphasizes trust in God and reliance on the hospitality of others. Disciples are to focus on the mis...

Christ’s True Family: Those Who Hear and Do God’s Word (Luke 8:19-21)

Then his mother and his brothers came to him but were unable to join him because of the crowd. 20 He was told, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside and they wish to see you.” 21 He said to them in reply, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it.” Luke places this scene after teachings on how to hear God’s word (vv. 4-15) and how to live it so it is not hidden (vv. 16-18). Today’s scene crowns the theme by showing who truly belongs to Jesus: those who hear the word of God and act on it (vv. 19-21). This framing helps us read the scene clearly. Jesus is not rejecting His mother; He is teaching what real belonging in God’s family looks like. The mark of true kinship is not blood alone, but listening to God and living what He says. In first-century speech, the term “ brothers ” could refer to close relatives or kinsmen, not only to children of the same mother. The Greek word adelphoi was used in a wide sense. Scripture uses family terms th...

Live and Share God’s Truth Openly (Luke 8:16-18)

No one who lights a lamp conceals it with a vessel or sets it under a bed; rather, he places it on a lampstand so that those who enter may see the light. 17 For there is nothing hidden that will not become visible, and nothing secret that will not be known and come to light. 18 Take care, then, how you hear. To anyone who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he seems to have will be taken away. Jesus teaches about the lamp and the light, using an image familiar in his time. Houses were often one or two rooms, so a single small oil lamp, elevated so that it gave light to the room and could not be easily knocked over or hidden, could provide enough light for practical tasks at night. When Jesus says a lamp should not be “ hidden under a bed ,” his listeners would immediately understand: a lamp covered or put out of sight does not fulfill its purpose. Just as a lamp is placed on a stand to give light, God’s truth is meant to be lived and shared openly. The ligh...

Serve God and Find True Wealth (Luke 16:1-13)

Then he also said to his disciples, “A rich man had a steward who was reported to him for squandering his property. 2 He summoned him and said, ‘What is this I hear about you? Prepare a full account of your stewardship, because you can no longer be my steward.’ 3 The steward said to himself, ‘What shall I do, now that my master is taking the position of steward away from me? I am not strong enough to dig and I am ashamed to beg. 4 I know what I shall do so that, when I am removed from the stewardship, they may welcome me into their homes.’ 5 He called in his master’s debtors one by one. To the first he said, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ 6 He replied, ‘One hundred measures of olive oil.’ He said to him, ‘Here is your promissory note. Sit down and quickly write one for fifty.’ 7 Then to another he said, ‘And you, how much do you owe?’ He replied, ‘One hundred kors of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Here is your promissory note; write one for eighty.’ 8 And the master commended that dishones...

Sowing the Word: Soil That Bears Fruit (Luke 8:4-15)

When a large crowd gathered, with people from one town after another journeying to him, he spoke in a parable. 5 “A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path and was trampled, and the birds of the sky ate it up. 6 Some seed fell on rocky ground, and when it grew, it withered for lack of moisture. 7 Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew with it and choked it. 8 And some seed fell on good soil, and when it grew, it produced fruit a hundredfold.” After saying this, he called out, “Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear.” 9 Then his disciples asked him what the meaning of this parable might be. 10 He answered, “Knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of God has been granted to you; but to the rest, they are made known through parables so that ‘they may look but not see, and hear but not understand.’ 11 “This is the meaning of the parable. The seed is the word of God. 12 Those on the path are the ones who have heard, but the devil comes and tak...

Women Who Followed and Served Jesus (Luke 8:1-3)

Afterward he journeyed from one town and village to another, preaching and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. Accompanying him were the Twelve 2 and some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, 3 Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza, Susanna, and many others who provided for them out of their resources. Jesus is not stationary. He moves from town to town announcing “ the good news of the kingdom of God .” The word “ proclaiming ” means making a public announcement with authority. The “ kingdom of God ” means God’s saving rule now present in Jesus, which brings forgiveness, healing, and a new way of life. Luke shows that this mission is not a private message. It is carried to villages and cities so that all Israel can hear. With Jesus are the Twelve and “ some women .” This detail matters. In the ancient world, public religious movements were usually centered on men. Luke highlights that wo...

Loved Deeply and Forgiven Much (Luke 7:36-50)

A Pharisee invited him to dine with him, and he entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at table. 37 Now there was a sinful woman in the city who learned that he was at table in the house of the Pharisee. Bringing an alabaster flask of ointment, 38 she stood behind him at his feet weeping and began to bathe his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and anointed them with the ointment. 39 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, that she is a sinner.” 40 Jesus said to him in reply, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” “Tell me, teacher,” he said. 41 “Two people were in debt to a certain creditor; one owed five hundred days’ wages and the other owed fifty. 42 Since they were unable to repay the debt, he forgave it for both. Which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon said in reply, “The one, I suppose, whose larger debt was forg...

Two Voices, One Call: Refusing Repentance and Mercy (Luke 7:31-35)

31 “Then to what shall I compare the people of this generation? What are they like? 32 They are like children who sit in the marketplace and call to one another, ‘We played the flute for you, but you did not dance. We sang a dirge, but you did not weep.’ 33 For John the Baptist came neither eating food nor drinking wine, and you said, ‘He is possessed by a demon.’ 34 The Son of Man came eating and drinking and you said, ‘Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ 35 But wisdom is vindicated by all her children.” Luke 7:31-35 presents a short parable that reveals why many in Jesus’ time would not accept God’s call. Jesus says that people of “ this generation ” are like children sitting in a public square (the marketplace), complaining that others will not join their games (vv. 31-32). In the ancient world, children copied adult events. A “ flute ” signaled a wedding dance, a joyful tune. A “ dirge ” was a funeral lament, a sorrowful chant. The childre...

Life Restored: Christ Shows His Power Over Death (Luke 7:11-17)

Soon afterward he journeyed to a city called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd accompanied him. 12 As he drew near to the gate of the city, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. A large crowd from the city was with her. 13 When the Lord saw her, he was moved with pity for her and said to her, “Do not weep.” 14 He stepped forward and touched the coffin; at this the bearers halted, and he said, “Young man, I tell you, arise!” 15 The dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. 16 Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, exclaiming, “A great prophet has arisen in our midst,” and “God has visited his people.” 17 This report about him spread through the whole of Judea and in all the surrounding region. In this passage, we encounter one of the most striking demonstrations of Jesus’ compassion and divine power. He arrives at Nain to find a scene of deep grief: a young man is being carried out for burial...

Behold Your Mother: Jesus’ Last Gift from the Cross (John 19:25-27)

Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. 26 When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.” 27 Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home. In the Gospel of John, at the foot of the cross, we encounter a powerful moment of love, sorrow, and trust. In this intimate scene, Jesus speaks to his mother, Mary, and to the beloved disciple, traditionally understood to be John. In this brief passage, we are given insight into the depth of Jesus' love for his mother and the new family he forms on the cross. Standing at the foot of the cross, Mary and several women are present. Among them is " the disciple whom Jesus loved " (v. 26), a phrase that points to John, who is not only a witness to the Passion but also to the tender exchange between Jesus, his mother, and himself. As Je...

Eternal Life through the Son Lifted Up on the Cross (John 3:13-17)

No one has gone up to heaven except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man. 14 And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. God’s love gives eternal life through the Son who came down from heaven, became flesh (truly human), and was lifted up on the Cross for our salvation (cf. Jn. 1:14). Jesus speaks these words to Nicodemus at night. He explains who He is, what He will do, and why He has come. The words are simple and direct. Their meaning is deep and life-giving. Nicodemus was a Pharisee and a “ ruler of the Jews ,” that is, a member of the Sanhedrin (Jn. 3:1). The Pharisees sought to keep God’s Law and the ...

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