What Jesus Did

Once a religious leader asked Jesus this question: "Good Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?"

—Luke 18:18 NLT

Key Thought


Can you think of a more important question than this? I can think of several that are equally important, but they all ultimately come down to the same basic issue: Am I living for God with all that I am, have, and do? Jesus' description of the final judgment (Matthew 25:31-46) reminds each of us of the importance of using who we are...

 

Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else: "Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer: 'I thank you, God, that I am not like other people — cheaters, sinners, adulterers. I'm certainly not like that tax collector! I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.' But the tax collector stood at a distance...

 

Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else: ...

—Luke 18:9 NLT

Key Thought


Jesus' most scathing rebukes were reserved for those who were outwardly very religious, but who were arrogant and self-righteous and felt superior to everyone else. Once again, Jesus illustrated his point with a story so his disciples would not only know the truth of his message but so they also could visualize what this...

 

Then the Lord said, "Learn a lesson from this unjust judge. Even he rendered a just decision in the end. So don't you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly! But when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?"

—Luke 18:6-8 NLT

Key Thought


One of the hardest things we face as human beings is injustice...

 

One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up. "There was a judge in a certain city," he said, "who neither feared God nor cared about people. A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, saying, 'Give me justice in this dispute with my enemy.' The judge ignored her for a while, but finally he said to himself, 'I don't fear God or care about people, but this woman is driving me crazy. I'm going to see that she gets justice, because she is...

 

One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up.

—Luke 18:1 NLT

Key Thought


Jesus had two points he wanted to impress on the hearts of his disciples. First, he wanted them to be dedicated to prayer and have it as a consistent part of their lives. Second, he wanted them to know that they must never give up, no matter what the circumstances might be. While Jesus made his points clear, why did he feel the need to tell a...

 

[Talking about his return, Jesus said,] "That night two people will be asleep in one bed; one will be taken, the other left. Two women will be grinding flour together at the mill; one will be taken, the other left."

—Luke 17:34-36 NLT

Key Thought


Being taken with Jesus is often called the rapture, although that term is never used in the New Testament in this regard. I prefer to call it "caught up in the clouds!" This phrase comes from Paul's explanation of these...

 

"Where will this happen, Lord?" the disciples asked. Jesus replied, "Just as the gathering of vultures shows there is a carcass nearby, so these signs indicate that the end is near."

—Luke 17:37 NLT

Key Thought


There will be signs that these things (mentioned in the previous verses discussing Jesus' return) are about to happen. The sign of vultures in the sky alerts the onlooker that something has died nearby. Well, what are these signs about Jesus' return? Luke 17...

 

[Talking about the day of his return, Jesus said,] "On that day a person out on the deck of a roof must not go down into the house to pack. A person out in the field must not return home. Remember what happened to Lot's wife! If you cling to your life, you will lose it, and if you let your life go, you will save it."

—Luke 17:31-33 NLT

Key Thought


Jesus' coming will be sudden and surprising. We must be ready for that coming at all times. There won't be time to...

 

[Concerning conditions at his return, Jesus continued,] "And the world will be as it was in the days of Lot. People went about their daily business — eating and drinking, buying and selling, farming and building — until the morning Lot left Sodom. Then fire and burning sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. Yes, it will be 'business as usual' right up to the day when the Son of Man is revealed."

—Luke 17:28-30 NLT

Key Thought


Just as in the...