ONE VOICE NOW

LUKE 9:28-36

A voice came from the cloud, saying, "This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him."

Here Jesus takes three of His closest students and goes up onto mountain to pray - As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning.

Peter, James and John don't see this at first. They are sleeping. Wonder how long they prayed before they lost focus and dozed off?

Imagine their surprise to awake to see the change in Jesus’ appearance! Even more shock when they see Moses and Elijah have appeared from the dead.

Luke tells us they were talking to Jesus about His coming death in Jerusalem!

Suddenly a cloud surrounds them and it is then they hear God’s voice. This is my Son... Listen to Him…

When the cloud lifts, Moses and Elijah are gone. How symbolic! Only Jesus remains - When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone.

How fitting! The time has come. The Law of Moses and the prophecies concerning the Christ are about to be fulfilled by Jesus.

Consequently, today Jesus stands alone as the voice of God.

One more reason students of Jesus choose to listen to this Teacher.

THE QUESTION

LUKE 9:18-27

But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?"

Here Jesus asks a question. The Question actually! Because if Jesus is who He claims to be, then all other inquiries pale in comparison!

Peter answered, "The Christ of God."

With this answer comes a realization that this Teacher isn’t just another moral philosopher. His message is God’s message.

Jesus asks the question about His identity because the answer matters. Those who find themselves on the wrong side of this question end up opposing God. At the very least, ignoring Him!

This is of ultimate importance because the Creator has a claim on His creation.

It isn’t simply a matter of God dictating the rules, although He could. It is more like a loving parent who gently teaches a child about what is true. The realities of life!

According to Jesus it is God’s love for mankind that prompted His coming into the world. That’s what He tells Peter and the other students who know who He is…

The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.

Jesus doesn’t come only to speak God’s Truth. He also calls His students to stand with Him and follow Him in the Way of Truth.

Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.”

WELCOMING

Luke 9:10-17

Not a word we usually associate with the Teacher but it is a most apt description of Him.

Here Jesus retreated with His students, but the crowds sought them out. They weren’t invited on this little retreat, but…

He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing.

It is almost impossible for the average person to meet important people. Powerful people are inaccessible! Except to their families and other important people of course!

Yet, amazingly the Creator of the Universe steps down to earth in the form of Jesus and is completely available to everyone. He’s easy to get to. Even for the poorest of the poor.

And when people crowd around Him – throng Him – He does not show the slightest annoyance. On the contrary, He’s welcoming!

It may have been a trying day. He may need rest. Nevertheless, Jesus always seems to find time to be warm and inviting.

Here He even provides the hospitality of a meal for more than 5,000 uninvited guests!

Students of Jesus take notice. Learn to see through the eyes of the Teacher. The importance of every person!

We learn from Him how to be welcoming too. Reachable. Approachable.

RIGHT IS RIGHT

Luke 9:1-9

If people do not welcome you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave their town, as a testimony against them.

Jesus sends the Twelve out to preach the gospel. He indicates that anyone who rejects them will be providing evidence against themselves. Actually judging themselves!

Does this seem harsh?

Only if truth doesn’t matter! Only if there is no moral responsibility to receive and believe Jesus’ message!

But this is precisely the point. When God’s Truth is revealed, there is a personal responsibility to accept it.

Unfortunately, we live in a time when many seem to think that what they choose to believe is simply a matter of personal preference. In such a world everything is relative. There is no absolute truth.

They seem to neglect one very important question. Does the God who created this world also have the right to reveal what is true?

Obviously! And that’s why Jesus says those who reject His gospel will have a testimony against them. He speaks for God.

This raises questions. When and where will this testimony against them be heard? Who will hear this testimony? What difference will it make?

The answer to these questions all point to a future day of accountability. A time when all will be judged by God! Then it will be clear why truth matters.

And if those who reject Jesus will have a testimony against them, it follows that those who accept Him will have a testimony in their favor.

This is true, because right is right.

IT’S OUR CHOICE

Luke 8:49-56

Don't be afraid; just believe!

This is what Jesus tells a man whose daughter is dead. What a choice this man had to make between fear for obvious reason and faith in an unseen improbability.

Here the improbable happens. Jesus raises his child from the dead.

He took her by the hand and said, "My child, get up!" Her spirit returned, and at once she stood up.

This father faced a difficult decision. Fear told him it was all over. Dead people don’t come back to life.

But His heart told him to listen to Jesus and trust Him. He wanted to believe.

This is the choice everyone faces. Sometimes in circumstances equally devastating, but more often in normal day-to-day situations!

Reality always takes us to this same point of decision. Beyond what we see, hear and know are the choices: fear or faith. Doubt or trust!

At this point, the Teacher always counsels to choose faith.

This is never easy. But neither is living in fear and doubt!

So it’s our choice.

Students of Jesus listen to the Teacher. In His presence they learn to choose faith.

FAITH’S FOCUS

Luke 8:40-48

Great faith doesn’t come by focusing on ourselves. It comes as a natural result when we center our attention on Jesus.

Here Jesus heals a woman as He is on the way to raise a young girl from the dead.

Of course, Jesus’ incredible power is what Luke wants us to see. But there is something more. The great faith of this woman!

We’ve seen this before. Someone who believes without a doubt and receives what they need from Jesus. How do they get to this level of trust?

This woman believes she can be healed by touching the hem of Jesus’ garment. Healed in a moment of a disease no doctor could relieve in twelve years!

Her estimation of Jesus and His power is very high indeed.

And she’s right. She is healed instantly when she merely touches the edge of Jesus’ cloak.

It looks like faith is not so much something within her, as much as it is something she knows about Jesus. Her estimation of Him!

Mmm…perhaps instead of focusing inward on our own faith or lack of it, we should do what this woman does. Focus on Jesus and ask ourselves what we think of Him. What He can do.

If our estimation of Jesus turns out to be as high as this woman’s, then we may find quite incidentally that we have come to a very strong faith.

Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. Then he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace."

What do you think of Jesus?

GO TESTIFY

Luke 8:26-39

“Return home and tell how much God has done for you." So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him.

Here the Teacher tells the man whom He healed to testify to others what God did for him. And He does! All over town he is talking about how Jesus changed his life.

In an actual court of law, hearsay evidence is usually not admitted as evidence. A witness can only testify about personal, firsthand knowledge. That’s exactly what this man does!

Today students of Jesus cannot be credible witnesses to the death of Jesus on the cross. Or His resurrection from the tomb! We weren’t there.

But those who saw these things can bear witness. And they did. We read some of their eyewitness accounts recorded in the New Testament.

Their evidence provides a strong basis for our faith. And we should give their testimony great weight. They had nothing to gain by giving false evidence.

On the contrary, many of them were killed rather than deny the truth of what they saw and knew to be true.

No, students of Jesus cannot provide credible evidence about what Jesus did nearly 2,000 years ago. But this has already been recorded by some of those who witnessed the events firsthand.

But today students of the Teacher can still testify as this man did. We can bear witness and give evidence about how Jesus has changed our lives too.

No doubt the positive changes in this man’s life provided incentive to many who knew him to find out more about Jesus.

This is still what happens today when students of Jesus testify by their life and by their words about what He has done for us.