Luke 22:15

Verse of the Day Devotion.  Luke 22:15 

“And He said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.” –  Luke 22:15  

Our focus verse today along with the verses that follow up to 23, speak of the institution of the Lord’s Supper.  They are now in the upper room of a house at around twilight which the Spirit led them to, and Jesus is telling them what will follow. “And when the hour had come He reclined at the table, and the apostles with Him. And He said to them, I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I say to you, I shall never again eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” Luke 22:14-16. To recline at the table was tradition at this time.  They would be around a table on the floor, in a reclining position with a pillow under their arms. The last supper, as all celebrations of the Lord’s Supper, was meant for those who professed to be Jesus’ followers, hence only His disciples were invited at this time. Paul lays this out in his first letter to the Church of Corinth.

“For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes. Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks, eats, and drinks judgment to himself, if he does not judge the body rightly. For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep. But if we judged ourselves rightly, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord in order that we may not be condemned along with the world. So then, my brethren when you come together to eat, wait for one another. If anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, so that you may not come together for judgment. And the remaining matters I shall arrange when I come.” 1 Corinthians 11:26-34.

Paul declares the importance of this by saying we must examine ourselves before partaking of the wine and/or bread, to ensure we are worthy to take both the bread and the wine.

Next, He passes out the wine and the bread.  “And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He said, Take this and share it among yourselves; for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine from now on until the kingdom of God comes. And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” Luke 22:17-19. He will not drink of the fruit of the vine again until the Kingdom of God comes. What is meant here is more clearly laid out in Matthew. “But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.” Matthew 26:29. Jesus looked forward to a future celebration of the Passover in heaven, one that He has not yet celebrated with His people. He is waiting for all His people to be gathered to Him, and then there will be a great supper, the marriage supper of the Lamb. “And he said to me, write, Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he said to me, these are true words of God.” Revelation 19:9. This is the fulfillment Jesus was looking forward to.

In closing, The Last Supper was a significant event and proclaimed a turning point in God’s plan for the world. In comparing the crucifixion of Jesus to the feast of Passover, we can readily see the redemptive nature of Christ’s death. As symbolized by the original Passover sacrifice in the Old Testament, Christ’s death atones for the sins of His people; His blood rescues us from death and saves us from slavery. Today, the Lord’s Supper is when believers reflect upon Christ’s perfect sacrifice and know that, through our faith in receiving Him, we will be with Him forever. And because of the importance of this, it is imperative that we examine ourselves prior to taking communion.  We are to reflect on the meaning of the ordinance and confess personal sin. Do we know what communion means, and are we taking it for that purpose? Are we actually walking out our faith and living in active relationship with God, allowing Him to do His sanctifying work in our lives? If so, communion is a sobering celebration of Christ and His church. If not, we make a mockery of the ordinance.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries.

Luke 9:50

Verse of the Day Devotion Luke 9:50 

“But Jesus said to him, Do not hinder him; for he who is not against you is for you.” – Luke 9:50

Our focus verse, and the one before it is a follow up of the prior three verses where the disciples asked Jesus who among them was the greatest.  “And an argument arose among them as to which of them might be the greatest.” Luke 9:46. And then Jesus adds, “Whoever receives this child in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me; for he who is least among you, this is the one who is great.” Luke 9:48. This last part of verse 48 obviously was not understood by His disciples. What Jesus said in this last verse, John responded to with the following. “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name; and we tried to hinder him because he does not follow along with us.” Luke 9:49.  The depth of John’s, and probably some of the other disciples as well, of his incomprehension  of what Jesus had just told them is unconceivable. 

Think about this.  John had witnessed the transfiguration of Jesus where His glory was manifest to them, and where  a voice from heaven, God the Father, said, “This is My Son, My Chosen One; listen to Him!” Luke 9:35b.  Nevertheless, John’s words of concern not only contradict Jesus’ message, but are actually seen as a response to Jesus.  Jesus had basically negated conventional ways by declaring that “for he who is least among you, this is the one who is great.” Luke 9:48. Then, just after this, John contradicts Jesus by declaring “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name; and we tried to hinder him because he does not follow along with us.” Luke 9:49.

What John did here was to place himself and the others as greater than this one who was casting our demons.  The fact that this one was able to cast demons out in Jesus’ name is evidence that God approved of what he was doing.  Remember, it is through the power of God that anyone has the ability to cast out these evil spirits.  It is God working through this man that he succeeded in this work.  We see this in the story of the sons of Sceva, showing it is the power of God and not our own. “And God was performing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, so that handkerchiefs or aprons were even carried from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out. But also some of the Jewish exorcists, who went from place to place, attempted to name over those who had the evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, “I adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preaches.” And seven sons of one Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. And the evil spirit answered and said to them, “I recognize Jesus, and I know about Paul, but who are you?” And the man, in whom was the evil spirit, leaped on them and subdued all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.” Acts 19:11-16.  

Now to our focus verse.  God has called all who are Christians to do His work. John and the others wanted to forbid this other person from casting out demons, in Jesus name, because He was not one of them, the twelve. And they believed this even though he had shown himself to be successful in his work for Christ.  Mark shows this by including these words of Jesus. “No one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me.” Mark 9:39.  If God worked through him to cast out demons, then he was on their side, and more importantly, on God’s side.  Therefore, Jesus said the following in a mild corrective way to tell them they are not the only ones who will do these things.  “But Jesus said to him, Do not hinder him; for he who is not against you is for you.” Luke 9:50.  It is important that we do not hinder anyone who is doing the work of God simply because we are not in the same group as they are.  Jesus works through all who are followers of Him.  Let us not look down on anyone whom God is working through in this world.  We may not know them, but He does, and that is what matters.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries. 

Luke 7:9

Verse of the Day Devotion Luke 7:9 

“Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled at him, and turned and said to the crowd that was following Him, I say to you, not even in Israel have I found such great faith.” – Luke 7:9   

After Jesus finished His discourse with the Pharisees, He left and went to Capernaum.  And when He arrived, he is informed of the critical illness of a valuable servant of a centurion, one who was close to death.  As a note, a centurion in the Roman army was an officer in charge of one hundred men. And six centurions and their men served under a tribune. In this instance the centurion was not serving in a direct Roman military capacity because Roman soldiers were not stationed in Capernaum. As a result he may have been in the service of Herod Antipas, who used non-Jewish soldiers. Also, Roman centurions were typically persons of economic means, and the use of their means for civic projects played an important role in their appointment and promotion to the upper ranks of Roman military and political life.

Now, we next read, “And when he heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders asking Him to come and save the life of his slave. And when they had come to Jesus, they earnestly entreated Him, saying, “He is worthy for You to grant this to him; for he loves our nation, and it was he who built us our synagogue.” Luke 7:3-5. Now we see that when this centurion heard about Jesus, he sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant. And when they asked Jesus, they said he was worthy of having his servant healed because he loved the Jews and had built a synagogue for them.  So because of this, it was not improper to show him kindness.

So, Jesus agreed to go to him.  “Now Jesus started on His way with them; and when He was already not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to Him, Lord, do not trouble Yourself further, for I am not worthy for You to come under my roof; for this reason I did not even consider myself worthy to come to You, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed.” Luke 7:6-7. In these verses, we see humility in the centurion. Where the elders said he was worthy of him coming and granting this request, the centurion said he was not worthy of Him coming to his place, therefore do not take the time to come. Also, notice how he addresses Jesus.  He calls Him Lord.

Now, this is where it gets interesting.  Note verse eight. “For I, too, am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes; and to my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.” Luke 7:8.  At the very  end of verse seven we read, “You, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed.” Luke 7:7b.  Then he explains what he means in the next verse.    What is interesting is that He compares Jesus’ authority to his own.  He stated those under himself obey him in all ways. And just as his soldiers do what he says, the sickness will obey Jesus and leave his slave.  And all He has to do is declare it, and it will happen.  He does not need to be there, just to declare the healing.

Now, Jesus totally understood what he was saying.  “Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled at him, and turned and said to the multitude that was following Him, “I say to you, not even in Israel have I found such great faith. And when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave in good health.” Luke 7:9-10. The centurion’s understanding of Jesus’ spiritual authority made Jesus marvel. His simple confidence in the ability of Jesus’ mere words to heal showed a faith that was free of superstitious reliance on merely external things.   True faith realizes that God can heal apart from rituals, special ointments, touch, or monetary gifts to the healer. The centurion recognized that all Jesus needed to say was a single word. His faith in Jesus was absolute and unlimited. Even a single word from the Lord spoken at a distance could heal his servant, for the Spirit of the Lord was present with Jesus to heal.

This is true faith.  The centurion had come to understand that Jesus was not limited at all by distance and could do anything.  I now ask the question; do we have this type of faith?  God has shown us through His word, and with some, experiences of His miraculous abilities.  Jesus marveled at the faith this man had. He expressed here that He had not seen Faith like this in all of Israel, God’s people.  This is sad because they claimed faith in God.  But was their faith real, or simply tradition.  It is important that we look at our faith to see if ours is real or simply tradition.  And then go to God as we see where we fall short.  This is essential and will help us have the faith we ought to have in such a wonderful and powerful God who loves us.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries. 

Luke 6:9

Verse of the Day Devotion Luke 6:9 

“And Jesus said to them, I ask you, is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good, or to do harm, to save a life, or to destroy it?” – Luke 6:9 

Under Jewish tradition, sabbath regulations could be overridden only in times where a life is endangered. Otherwise, the sabbath must be upheld completely.  And this is the issue Jesus is dealing with in our focus verse.  “And it came about on another Sabbath, that He entered the synagogue and was teaching; and there was a man there whose right hand was withered.” Luke 6:6. A withered hand was not life threatening and thus did not qualify as an exception to Sabbath rules. In fact, Rabbinic tradition strictly forbade straightening a deformed body or setting a broken limb on the Sabbath.  Note the word here, tradition.

Now obviously, the leadership was watching carefully for a breach of their traditions. “And the scribes and the Pharisees were watching Him closely, to see if He healed on the Sabbath, in order that they might find reason to accuse Him.” Luke 6:7.  They did not care about this man; they were simply looking for some wrongdoing to accuse Jesus of doing. However, Jesus was aware of all this. “But He knew what they were thinking, and He said to the man with the withered hand, Rise and come forward! And he rose and came forward.” Luke 6:8. Jesus was telling this man to come and stand before everyone, wanting to teach something to these Scribes and Pharisees. 

Then Jesus continues with our focus verse, “I ask you, is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good, or to do harm, to save a life, or to destroy it?” Luke 6:9. Jesus then looks around at all the leaders, waiting for an answer.  He received none, for they had no good answer to give that would not make them look bad.  Where good needs to be done, there can be no neutrality; and failure to do the good is to contribute to evil. It is thus not simply permissible to heal on Sabbath, it is right to do so, whether lawful or not. The scribes and Pharisees looked at the keeping of the Jewish laws as primary, no matter the impact it could have on others. A litmus test of true versus false religion is its response to injustice. Thus, according to Luke, the religious authorities have nothing to say to Jesus’ question. Their silence is self-incriminating, and Jesus returned their searching looks. And then Jesus tells the man with the withered hand, “Stretch out your hand! And he did so; and his hand was restored.” Luke 6:10. A decision of faith now confronted the man. Most people with physical deformities seek to conceal them. What Jesus commands is the last thing the man wants to do if he is to hide his deformity, but the first thing he must do if he is to be healed of it. He did so, and his hand was completely restored. The man’s infirmity could be healed only by exposing it to Jesus. Faith is a risk that Jesus is worthy of trust when no other hope can be trusted.

Now after this the Pharisees were enraged at Jesus. “But they themselves were filled with rage and discussed together what they might do to Jesus.”  Luke 6:11. Mark puts it in a much stronger way. “And the Pharisees went out and immediately began taking counsel with the Herodians against Him, as to how they might destroy Him.” Mark 3:6.  This early in the life and ministry of Jesus, they were ready to kill Him because of His view of traditions.

Now, there is another way to look at our focus verse that is essential if we are to do the work of God.  “And Jesus said to them, “I ask you, is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good, or to do harm, to save a life, or to destroy it?” Luke 6:9. There are two basic questions being asked here.  First, is it acceptable to God to do good to someone, or to harm them?  And second, is it acceptable to God to save a life or destroy it?  We can look at this in regard to our physical life, but I believe this goes way beyond this.  Should we let our traditions or desires cause us to do harm to others, or to always do good?  There is nothing in the scriptures that say it is ok to do harm to anyone, either physical, mental, or psychological.  Absolutely no one should feel harmed or attacked by someone who claims to be a follower of Christ.  And no one should ever destroy a person’s life, neither their physical life, their spiritual life, or their integrity.  To do any of these is an abomination to God. For in doing these things, are we falsely exhibiting love we claim to have for God and others. If we act in this way, how can we say we love them?  In all things and all times, we must truly love everyone and do good to them, so that with the unsaved we can possibly plant a seed that leads them to salvation through Christ.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries.

Luke 5:34

Verse of the Day Devotion Luke 5:34 

“And Jesus said to them, you cannot make the attendants of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them, can you?” – Luke 5:34   

Now, continuing with the words of Jesus as recorded by Luke, Jesus here is again contending with the Pharisees regarding the law, this time focusing on fasting.  This controversy involves a contrast between Jesus’ disciples who were not fasting and the practice of fasting of both the disciples of John the Baptist and of the Pharisees.  “And they said to Him, The disciples of John often fast and offer prayers; the disciples of the Pharisees also do the same; but Yours eat and drink.” Luke 5:33. It is interesting that in Mark’s telling of this, it was made clear it was not just the Pharisees asking this question. “And John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting; and they came and said to Him, Why do John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?” Mark 2:18. According to this version, both groups, John’s disciples, and the Pharisees were fasting.  The twice-weekly fast spoken of here was a tradition adopted by the legalistic Pharisees at the time, even though the Mosaic Law prescribed only one fast, that on the Day of Atonement. And it could be that John’s disciples were fasting because John had been arrested and was currently in prison.

Jesus then answers in our focus, “You cannot make the attendants of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them, can you?”  Luks 5:34.  Now, there is no Old Testament or rabbinic example in which the term, bridegroom, is used as a messianic title. However, it was used by John the Baptist in describing the Messiah. “You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but, I have been sent before Him. He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. And so this joy of mine has been made full. He must increase, but I must decrease.” John 3:28-30.  John refers to the Church, the true believers, as the Bride.  And the Christ being the Bridegroom.  And this is reinforced by our focus verse.  What Jesus is saying is that there is no reason for the bride, the Church, to be sad and fast.  He is the Bridegroom, the chief person of the Messianic feast: the time of His walk upon earth is, so long as it endures, a festival for His faithful disciples; yet this time hastens soon to an end. However, “But the days will come; and when the bridegroom is taken away from them, then they will fast in those days.” Luke 5:35.  As their master, John, was taken away from them and was now in prison, it was no wonder they mourned and fasted. And this signifies that in a short time Jesus, the bridegroom of his church, should be taken away by death, causing the bride, who is the church, to fast and mourn at that time.

This story illustrates the fact that you can’t mix old religious rituals with new faith in Jesus. Jesus’ disciples were not fasting along with the Pharisees and John’s disciples because they were now under the new covenant of grace and faith in Christ. As mentioned earlier, Jesus fulfilled the law; therefore, there is no longer any need to continue with the old rituals. Jesus cannot be added to a works-based religion. In the case of the Pharisees, they were consumed with their own self-righteousness, and faith in Jesus cannot be combined with self-righteous rituals.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries.

Luke 5:31

Verse of the Day Devotion Luke 5:31 

“And Jesus answered and said to them, it is not those who are well who need a physician, but those who are sick.” –  Luke 5:31

Now, continuing with the words of Jesus as recorded by Luke, we come to the calling of Levi, also known as Matthew, the son of Alphaeus.  After completing His work where He healed the lame man,  Jesus sees a tax collector. “And after that He went out, and noticed a tax-gatherer named Levi, sitting in the tax office, and He said to him, Follow Me. And he left everything behind and rose and began to follow Him.” Luke 5:27-28. He obviously had heard the teachings of Jesus and was convinced He was legit.  He left everything behind, which included his current life and job. 

“And Levi gave a big reception for Him in his house; and there was a great crowd of tax-gatherers and other people who were reclining at the table with them.” Luke 5:29.  The act of  hosting a great banquet for Jesus at his own house further shows the sincerity of his choice to be a disciple of Christ.  The idea behind the words ‘big reception’ was the number of people who attended, not necessarily the pomp that was active during the feast.  Now the Pharisees and the scribes saw what was happening and complained to Jesus.  “And the Pharisees and their scribes began grumbling at His disciples, saying, Why do you eat and drink with the tax-gatherers and sinners?” Luke 5:30. J. P. Lange in his commentary on Luke wrote the following. “Luke does not by any means say that these men were among the company at table, for they would then undoubtedly, according to their own opinion, have defiled themselves. We must, on the other hand, conceive the matter thus: that, where Jesus abode, access was forbidden to no one, and that this feast so far bore in some measure a public character. The desire of His enemies to observe the Savior was doubtless stronger than their disinclination to enter the house of a publican, with whom, moreover, in daily life, they necessarily came from time to time in contact. Matthew, on the other hand, was so little disposed to forbid them that, on the contrary, he now with so much the greater joy admitted those as witnesses of the honor unexpectedly fallen to his lot, who once so deeply despised his station.” They just murmured and complained about the fact Levi, along with Jesus, would allow all these ‘sinners’ to associate with them.

Then Jesus answers them as follows, which we see in our focus verse.  “It is not those who are well who need a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.” Luke 5:31-32. Jesus’ reply is given on behalf of the disciples, for I believe He was aware this was a slap at His claim that He is the Messiah.  Jesus was saying the Scribes and Pharisees, who, in their own eyes were free from the disease of sin, original and actual, and who claimed they were blameless regarding the Law, were not in any need of him. Jesus came as the physician to cure the maladies of the souls, as well as of the bodies of men. Such persons who not only are sick with sin, but sick of it, who are sensible of it, and desire healing were the ones He came to heal,  therefore this was the reason of his conduct, why he conversed with sinners, and not with the Scribes and Pharisees. 

We read in Romans the following, “As it is written: None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” Romans 3:10-12.  In light of the biblical teaching here that there is none righteous, and that the call to repentance is universal, the idea of righteous here should be understood as those who falsely think themselves righteous.  Luke did not raise the question here about whether the Pharisees were truly righteous, but later in Luke he lays out what He meant. “You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts; for that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God.” Luke 16:15.

Luke explains in this series of verses, including our focus verse, that He came for those who know their fallenness, who understand the predicament they are in, and desire to make things right with God.  And also for those who thought themselves in good shape, but then came to the knowledge they are not.  Only those who truly understand they are sick know they need a doctor.  And those are the ones He came for, whether they have known for a while, or have finally come to the knowledge they cannot heal themselves. Jesus died to heal everyone, but unless we admit we need Him, repent, and give our lives to Him, we cannot be healed. And unfortunately, this was the condition of many of the Scribes and Pharisees in that day.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries.

Luke 4:12

Verse of the Day Devotion Luke 4:12 

“And Jesus answered and said to him, it is said, YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST.” – Luke 4:12  

Now we move on to the final temptation Satan inflicted upon Jesus.  After Jesus told Satan “You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve”, Satan led Jesus to Jerusalem. “And he led Him to Jerusalem and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here; for it is written, HE WILL GIVE HIS ANGELS CHARGE CONCERNING YOU TO GUARD YOU, and, ‘ON their HANDS THEY WILL BEAR YOU UP, LEST YOU STRIKE YOUR FOOT AGAINST A STONE.” Luke 4:9-11.  Satan starts this temptation as he did the first of the three here in Luke with, “If you are the Son of God”. He was again trying to get Jesus to fall for this idea of showing who He actually was.  However, it is a bit different from the other two because in this one, Satan quotes scripture to Jesus.  “For He will give His angels charge concerning you, To guard you in all your ways. They will bear you up in their hands, Lest you strike your foot against a stone.” Psalm 91:11-12. 

Theologian Robert H. Stein says this about Satan using these verses.  “Even the devil can quote Scripture, and here he sought to support his challenge to Jesus from the Scripture itself. Defeated by Jesus’ use of the Word of God in the previous two temptations, the devil sought to use the Scriptures for his own purposes. There is no evidence that which the devil quoted was interpreted messianically in Judaism; but if the psalm states a truth concerning any believer, how much more is this true of the Messiah. Yet knowing Scripture is not enough; one must interpret it correctly.”

Now Jesus’ response is strong with this reference of Himself as The Lord your God. “And Jesus answered and said to him, It is said, YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST.” Luke 4:12.  Jesus here is quoting from Deuteronomy, “You shall not put the LORD your God to the test, as you tested Him at Massah.” Deuteronomy 6:16. And what happened in Massah? 

“Then all the congregation of the sons of Israel journeyed by stages from the wilderness of Sin, according to the command of the LORD, and camped at Rephidim, and there was no water for the people to drink. therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said, give us water that we may drink. And Moses said to them, why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the LORD?” Exodus 17:1-2. They were thirsty, and they wondered why no water was provided to them.  In fact, in verse 7 we read, “And he named the place Massah and Meribah because of the quarrel of the sons of Israel, and because they tested the LORD, saying, Is the LORD among us, or not?” Exodus 17:7.  Jesus uses the example of when Israel was camping at Rephidim and was thirsty for there was no water to drink.  So, they tested the Lord by asking if He was with them or not.  The test was that if He was there among them, why is He not providing for their needs.  And because they put God to the test, the name of this place became Massah, meaning ‘temptation’ because it was there Israel tempted God.

I have heard people do this on many occasions, saying ‘If God truly loves me He will do this”, or “If He exists He will keep me from all trials”.  He never promised we would not have trials, but He did promise great things if we persevere. “Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.” James 1:12. Therefore, I call on everyone reading this not to test Him, but to trust Him.  He said He would always be with us who are believers. “Teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:20. And He always keeps His promises.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries.

Luke 4:8

Verse of the Day Devotion Luke 4:8 

“And Jesus answered and said to him, it is written, ‘YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD AND SERVE HIM ONLY.'” – Luke 4:8

I am starting 2022 by looking at verses that are specific quotes of our Lord Jesus Christ. Today we will look at another mentioned temptation of Jesus. 

Now we move on to the second of the final three temptations Satan inflicted upon Jesus.  After Jesus told Satan that man does not live on bread alone, he proceeded to the next temptation. “And he led Him up and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, I will give You all this domain and its glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. Therefore if You worship before me, it shall all be Yours.” Luke 4:5-7. In this temptation, Satan seduces Jesus to worship him, and if He does He will give Him all the kingdoms of the world to reign over.  He essentially promised Him authority and power over all this world.  He claims he has the authority to give it to Jesus for it was given to him thus giving him the right to give it to anyone he wants to. 

Now there are various references to Satan having authority over this world.  Jesus declares him at one point to be the ruler.  “Now judgment is upon this world; now the ruler of this world shall be cast out.” John 12:31. However, there is something interesting about this verse.  Satan is the ruler, but only because man has rejected the true ruler, and God has been patient in this matter.  But a time will come when he is ‘cast out’.  His kingdom will be destroyed and his reign will cease. And the one who will reign will be Jesus.  And this leads us to another interesting thought.  What Satan was offering Jesus was something Jesus would attain anyway, but with one caveat. He must die for the sins of the people.  Therefore, what Satan was offering was what Jesus would attain anyway, but He would receive it then, without the need to die.  All He would need to do was worship him. “Therefore if You worship before me, it shall all be Yours.” Luke 4:7.

However, Jesus replied with the following in our focus verse.  “And Jesus answered and said to him, It is written, YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD AND SERVE HIM ONLY.“ Luke 4:8.  We see this verse also in the Old Testament. “then watch yourself, lest you forget the LORD who brought you from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall fear only the LORD your God; and you shall worship Him and swear by His name.” Deuteronomy 6:13.  In this verse, Moses was telling the people that when they enter into the promised and they into great cities they did not build, where they have all good things,   where they have vineyards and olive trees they did not plant, but God provided for them.  When all these things happen, they must remember this is a gift from God, and they must remember and worship Him only in all things.   

What Jesus was telling Satan was that no matter what He was offered, He would not agree to this horrible proposal.  Only the Lord God, His Father was to be worshipped, no matter what anyone or anything offers.  And no other thing or person is to be worshipped because He is God Almighty. Theologian Peter Lange put it this way. “The Lord does not only publicly express the monotheistic principle, but shows at the same time that He will rather dispense with all the kingdoms of the world, however by right they belong to Him, than obtain them in an unlawful way.”

And this should be our way as well. Satan can and does offer us things if we, not necessarily worship him, but turn our worship and devotion away from the true God of the Heavens.  If we see anything in our life as more important or desirable than God, have we not done the same thing?  In today’s world, people and organizations are enticing us to turn to them and away from God to meet our wants and needs.  They promise much but we must not give in.  God has promised us eternal life with Him in a new heaven and earth.  All they can offer is something in this life, but in the end may deny us the eternal life promised by God.  I want to encourage us all to look to God for our needs and good desires, for He is the source of life, both now and in eternity to come.  “Do not be anxious then, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘With what shall we clothe ourselves’ For all these things the Gentiles eagerly seek; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious for tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:31-34.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries.

Luke 4:4

Verse of the Day Devotion Luke 4:4 

“And Jesus answered him, it is written, MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE.” – Luke 4:4  

I am starting 2022 by looking at verses that are specific quotes of our Lord Jesus Christ. Today we will look at the first mentioned temptation of Jesus. 

Chapter starts with Jesus returning from the Jordan. “And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led about by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And He ate nothing during those days; and when they had ended, He became hungry.” Luke 4:1-2.  This verse shows us what Jesus went through during these temptations.  It starts out with a positive note, being that He was led about by the Holy Spirit.  He was not alone in this, just as we who are Christians are never alone during difficult times.  Also, He was tempted for forty days.  It was not just the three temptations that are recorded here along with Matthew and Mark, which were the culmination of this testing period.  And finally, it alludes to these forty days as a long period of fasting.  “And He ate nothing during those days” Luke 4:2b. 

Now, it says at the end of verse two that He became hungry after these forty days of fasting.  Satan then takes the opportunity to tempt Him.  “And the devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” Luke 4:3. In this first temptation of the final three, Satan is speaking to Jesus at this point of obvious need; He was no doubt very hungry.  He starts by saying, if You are the Son of God.  There is no doubt that he is God’s Son. The devil thus affirms Jesus’ divine sonship but tempts him to deploy it for purposes other than God’s will.  God had a purpose for this fasting, and it was not up to Satan to decide when this time should be over.  This temptation in and of itself was not sin, therefore the sin goes beyond simply turning stones into bread to eat it.  It has everything to do with who does He follow.

Now, as we come to our focus verse, we see His response. It is interesting to note that the restraint and focus of Jesus in response to the temptation is instructive. He does not exert his superior power or expose the devil’s deception. He invokes the Word of God, thus obliging the devil to face his ultimate adversary.  Jesus quotes God’s words as found in Deuteronomy. “And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.” Deuteronomy 8:3.  This answer is a somewhat technical phrase that implies the full authority of God Himself.  In the quote from Deuteronomy, Moses reminded the Israelites who were in the wilderness that they should trust God’s word rather than the manna He gave them. That man, even without the use of food, may see his life lengthened and sustained by any means whatsoever which God may choose to strengthen the body. In other words: God does not need His miraculous power in order to address painful hunger, for He possesses innumerable means, and Jesus will await the way which the Father may please to use.

And this is an important understanding we need to have.  When we, as Christians, are led by the Holy Spirit, we may find ourselves in a difficult place, however we have nothing to fear for as long as we follow the Spirit all will be OK.  “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28.  There is nothing too difficult for God, and there is nothing He does not know or understand.  And He will take care of us in times of need. “And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19.  However, it is important that we understand two things.  First, we must be able to see the difference between needs and wants.  Jesus knew that food was important, but not the highest need.  God’s word and ways should always take precedence over food or any need we have.  And second, we must follow the ways of God to receive what we truly need. And if man’s ways contradict His ways, then we must ignore those solutions just as Jesus ignored Satan’s solution. God’s ways should always come first. For He knows what is best.  Trusting God in all things is the life we are called to.  Let us all focus on making this our reality.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries.

1 Corinthians 15:57

Verse of the Day Devotion 1 Corinthians 15:57 

“But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” –  1 Corinthians 15:57

Through this week we will be looking at verses in the scriptures that speak of thankfulness to our God that is due to Him.  And our focus verse today is, “but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 

Paul here in this chapter describes the greatest thing we have to be thankful for.  Paul starts here with the truth regarding the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus the Christ.  “but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,” 1 Corinthians 15:3-4.  He died for us because we could not save ourselves. “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.” Romans 5:8-10.

Now this resurrection has proof through the many who saw Christ after His death on the cross and His ultimate burial.  Paul states He first appeared to Peter, then to the other disciples.  Afterwards, He appeared to five hundred other brethren.  And finally, after His ascension He appeared to Paul and his companions on the road to Damascus. And at this time, only to Paul for those with Paul only heard Him. Then Paul asks a very important question, for there were many who did not believe in a resurrection. “Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain.” 1Corinthians 15:12-14.  Paul is saying here that if there is no resurrection, as some preach, then Jesus Himself has not been raised.  Thus, our faith along with the words we preach, would be worthless.  But he adds to this, “Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we witnessed against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised.” 1 Corinthians 15:15.  He tells them anyone who preaches the resurrection would be considered false witnesses of the truth of the Christ.  And what is the ultimate ending if there is no resurrection? “Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.” 1 Corinthians 15:18-19.

But there is a resurrection. “But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive.” 1 Corinthians 15:20-22.  And what is incredible is, eventually all of us who believe Christ and are true Christians and have died, will experience a resurrection as well. What God has for us will be amazing and bring us unimaginable joy. “Behold, I tell you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory. “O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.” 1 Corinthians 15:51-56. 

What he is saying here is that not all of us, true Christians, will die and experience the resurrection, but we all will be changed from perishable to an imperishable people. And when this happens, we will see the saying that is found in Isaiah “And the LORD of hosts will prepare a lavish banquet for all peoples on this mountain; A banquet of aged wine, choice pieces with marrow, And refined, aged wine. And on this mountain He will swallow up the covering, which is over all peoples, Even the veil which is stretched over all nations. He will swallow up death for all time, And the Lord GOD will wipe tears away from all faces, And He will remove the reproach of His people from all the earth; For the LORD has spoken. And it will be said in that day, “Behold, this is our God for whom we have waited that He might save us. This is the LORD for whom we have waited; Let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation.” Isaiah 25:6-9.  The basic idea written here in Isaiah is that when He comes back, He will have a time of celebration with His people by way of a lavish banquet.  He will remove the coverings which is expressive of, as said by Theologian Albert Barnes and others, “the ignorance, superstition, crime, and wretchedness that covered the earth.”    He will swallow up death eternally and will wipe tears away from all the faces of His people, as well as the reproach of His people from all the earth. And note what the people say. “Behold, this is our God for whom we have waited that He might save us. This is the LORD for whom we have waited; Let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation.” Isaiah 25:9.

This is what is denoted as the victory of the saints in our focus verse. “but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 15:57.  All true Christians will rejoice when this day comes. The victory is over sin, death, and the grave. God alone is the author of this victory. He formed the plan; he executed it in the gift of his Son; and he gives it to us personally when we come to die. We should now give thanks to God for this victory which we did not earn but is a free gift from God who provided it to us who believe in Jesus and what His death, burial, and resurrection provided. Christ died for us, to pay the penalty for ‘our’ sins, and thus be as one who did not sin.  This is definitely a reason to give Him all our thanks and adoration we can.  So, let us give Him, during this time of Thanksgiving, all the thanks and glory for His love for us. “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:8-10.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries.