The Invitation - Day 5
Luke 18:31-34
31 Taking the twelve disciples aside, Jesus said, “Listen, we’re going up to Jerusalem, where all the predictions of the prophets concerning the Son of Man will come true. 32 He will be handed over to the Romans, and he will be mocked, treated shamefully, and spit upon. 33 They will flog him with a whip and kill him, but on the third day, he will rise again.”
34 But they didn’t understand any of this. The significance of his words was hidden from them, and they failed to grasp what he was talking about.
Why was this even included in the text? It was an exercise in the disciples needing help understanding what he was saying. While he gives them an affirmation of everything that is displayed in scripture about the Messiah, if his words were trying to be comforting, it seems that those words did just the opposite. They seemed to fail to grasp any of it.
Does that ever happen to you? You read scripture and then have difficulty applying it to your life, or you can’t understand it.
We have all felt this way at times. We don’t always know what God is talking about in scripture, and we have to study a little deeper, with a little more intention, to get to the core of what is being talked about.
Jesus is reminding them, and ultimately us, that what he is about to go through has long been discussed in the Old Testament scriptures. His being taken, mocked, and ultimately killed was not news to Jesus, but it was pretty challenging to understand for the disciples. Why? Did they not know the scriptures?
They did, but it is hard to realize that history is talking about the person in front of you. This is what the disciples had to wrestle with over and over again. Jesus took them to Caesarea Philippi to ask who they thought he was. When they finally figured it out, everything changed for them, and honestly, everything changed for all of us. But it takes a long time to understand who Jesus is.
If you were to teach this passage, what essential points would you help someone understand?
If it were me, I think I would emphasize two points in particular:
Some questions for today:
34 But they didn’t understand any of this. The significance of his words was hidden from them, and they failed to grasp what he was talking about.
Why was this even included in the text? It was an exercise in the disciples needing help understanding what he was saying. While he gives them an affirmation of everything that is displayed in scripture about the Messiah, if his words were trying to be comforting, it seems that those words did just the opposite. They seemed to fail to grasp any of it.
Does that ever happen to you? You read scripture and then have difficulty applying it to your life, or you can’t understand it.
We have all felt this way at times. We don’t always know what God is talking about in scripture, and we have to study a little deeper, with a little more intention, to get to the core of what is being talked about.
Jesus is reminding them, and ultimately us, that what he is about to go through has long been discussed in the Old Testament scriptures. His being taken, mocked, and ultimately killed was not news to Jesus, but it was pretty challenging to understand for the disciples. Why? Did they not know the scriptures?
They did, but it is hard to realize that history is talking about the person in front of you. This is what the disciples had to wrestle with over and over again. Jesus took them to Caesarea Philippi to ask who they thought he was. When they finally figured it out, everything changed for them, and honestly, everything changed for all of us. But it takes a long time to understand who Jesus is.
If you were to teach this passage, what essential points would you help someone understand?
If it were me, I think I would emphasize two points in particular:
- Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament Prophecy. He didn’t show up and do random things. He fulfilled all those things said about him. Things in Daniel, things in Isaiah, and things found other places about the Messiah. Jesus moved in a manner that made you see his fulfillment of prophecy with what seemed like every step.
- I would tell them how hard it was for the disciples to discern who Jesus was. They traveled with him exclusively for years, and they still struggled to securely understand who he was and what he was trying to do. If their journey is full of doubts, they are not alone, but they are in a great company of faithful heroes who took a long time to recognize Jesus as God, as one who fulfills prophecy and law, and as the only one they need for salvation!
Some questions for today:
- When did you finally really recognize who Jesus was?
- What made the difference for you?
- How can you help someone along that journey?
By Pastor Timothy Gillespie
Daily Study Podcast
Download a PDF Version of our Series Guide
The Abide Daily Podcast
Thank You for Supporting the Ministry of Crosswalk
Posted in The Invitation
RECENT
ARCHIVE
2024
January
New Wine - Day 2New Wine - Day 3New Wine - Day 4New Wine - Day 5New Wine - Day 6New Wine - End of Week 1New Wine - Day 8New Wine - Day 9New Wine - Day 10New Wine - Day 11New Wine - Day 12New Wine - Day 13New Wine - End of Week 2New Wine - Day 15New Wine - Day 16New Wine - Day 17New Wine - Day 18New Wine - Day 19New Wine - Day 20New Wine - End of Week 3New Wine - Day 22New Wine - Day 23New Wine - Day 24New Wine - Day 25New Wine - Day 26New Wine - Day 27New Wine - Day 29New Wine - End of Week 4New Wine - Day 30New Wine - Day 31New Wine - Day 32
February
New Wine - Day 33New Wine - Day 34New Wine - End of Week 5The Invitation - IntroductionThe Invitation - Day 1The Invitation - Day 2The Invitation - Day 3The Invitation - Day 4The Invitation - Day 5The Invitation - Day 6The Invitation - End of Week 1The Invitation - Day 8The Invitation - Day 9The Invitation - Day 10The Invitation - Day 11The Invitation - Day 12The Invitation - Day 13The Invitation - End of Week 2The Invitation - Day 15The Invitation - Day 16The Invitation - Day 17The Invitation - Day 18The Invitation - Day 19
March
The Invitation - Day 20The Invitation - End of Week 3The Invitation - Day 22The Invitation - Day 23The Invitation - Day 24The Invitation - Day 25The Invitation - Day 26The Invitation - Day 27The Invitation - End of Week 4The Invitation - Day 29The Invitation - Day 30The Invitation - Day 31The Invitation - Day 32The Invitation - Day 33The Invitation - Day 34The Invitation - End of Week 5The Invitation - Day 36The Invitation - Day 37The Invitation - Day 38The Invitation - Day 39The Invitation - Day 40The Invitation - Day 41The Invitation - End of Week 6The Invitation - Day 43The Invitation - Day 44The Invitation - Day 45The Invitation - Day 46The Invitation - Day 47The Invitation - Day 48Experience - IntroductionThe Invitation - End of Week 7Experience - Day 1
No Comments