Reflective Bible Study Gospel Adventure

The War in the Garden: Luke 22:39-46

Published December 1, 2023 in Written Journal Entries

Focus Passage: Luke 22:39-46 (GNT)

³⁹Jesus left the city and went, as he usually did, to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples went with him. ⁴⁰When he arrived at the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.”

⁴¹Then he went off from them about the distance of a stone’s throw and knelt down and prayed. ⁴²“Father,” he said, “if you will, take this cup of suffering away from me. Not my will, however, but your will be done.” ⁴³An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. ⁴⁴In great anguish he prayed even more fervently; his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.

⁴⁵Rising from his prayer, he went back to the disciples and found them asleep, worn out by their grief. ⁴⁶He said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you will not fall into temptation.”

Read Luke 22:39-46 in context and/or in other translations on BibleGateway.com!

During the night of Jesus’ arrest, before Judas the betrayer had arrived with the mob, Luke includes a detail about the time Jesus was praying that the gospel writers do not include. This prompts me to wonder if not all the disciples slept during the first part of that night.

Luke tells us that while Jesus was praying, “An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. In great anguish he prayed even more fervently; his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.” (v. 43-44)

Tradition says that Jesus experienced a condition in this event known as “hematidrosis” which is where blood mixes with one’s sweat when under extreme stress. This is very possibly what happened, but when I compared a number of translations, they all said that Jesus’ sweat was “like” drops of blood. Maybe this was because the sweat looked red from experiencing hematidrosis, or perhaps it was simply sweat that was pouring and dripping off of His face like blood running out of an open wound.

But Luke’s record of this medical condition is not the main reason why his description stands out to me. It is the presence of an angel.

There are only two times I can think of in Jesus’ ministry where an angel appears to strengthen Him. The first is following Jesus’ time in the wilderness when He was tempted, and the second time is this one recorded in Luke’s gospel. Both times Jesus has faced a pretty intense trial, and it is likely that both of these events faced some pretty intense moments of temptation.

I wonder if, like the angel came at the close of Jesus’ temptations in the wilderness, the angel came at the close of Jesus’ prayer before the last time He went to wake the disciples up. I wonder if the angel brought a last word of encouragement from God reminding Him of the reason He came. Perhaps many of those living in the first century wouldn’t be saved, but the angel may have reminded Him of the millions of people before and after the cross that Jesus would be giving His life for.

What if the angel reminded Jesus of your name while He was in the garden?

Jesus faced extreme anguish in the garden – probably even more stress and pain than the torture and the cross. The war in the garden was a war of the will, and once Jesus submitted to the plan of salvation they had put in place at the beginning of time, the angel came to remind, validate, and encourage Jesus of all those His life would be saving.

This thought was inspired by studying the Walking With Jesus “Reflective Bible Study” package. To discover insights like this in your own study time, click here and give Reflective Bible Study a try today!

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Two Trials; Two Responses: Luke 23:1-12

Published November 30, 2023 in Audio Journal Entries

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It is at about this point in our year moving through the gospels where I realize there are more events left in Luke’s gospel than we have adequate time for in the remaining time this year. This happened for the last two gospels, and I was pretty certain this would happen in Luke’s gospel as well, since Luke’s gospel is the longest of the four gospels.

However, while we only have three episodes left and two full chapters of Luke remaining, let’s not focus too hard on what I wasn’t able to include, and instead focus on what we do have time left to focus on from these last chapters in Luke.

With that said, our last podcast episode focused in on Jesus’ trial before the religious leaders. After the religious leaders condemned Jesus as guilty, they still had a problem. Because of Rome’s occupation of their territory, they did not have the right to execute someone, and especially the right to execute someone in a very public, humiliating way. This means that after Jesus was religiously condemned as guilty, He still needed to be condemned worthy of death by the government.

For this dilemma, we then come to another trial Jesus faces, and Luke includes an extra detail that no other gospel includes, which is fascinating in my mind. Let’s read what Luke describes.

Our passage for this episode is found in Luke’s gospel, chapter 23, and we will read from the God’s Word translation. Starting in verse 1, Luke tells us:

¹Then the entire assembly stood up and took him to Pilate.

²They began to accuse Jesus by saying, “We found that he stirs up trouble among our people: He keeps them from paying taxes to the emperor, and he says that he is Christ, a king.”

³Pilate asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”

“Yes, I am,” Jesus answered.

⁴Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowd, “I can’t find this man guilty of any crime.”

Pausing briefly, I am amazed at both Pilate’s response here, and at the way this translation simplified Jesus’ response. Technically Jesus did agree with Pilate, but a more literal reading of Jesus’ response would be that Jesus replied by saying, “It is as you say” or “Those are your words, not mine”.

As I compare various translations, since I don’t know the original Greek language to look back at the source, the translations seem divided along the lines of Jesus agreeing with Pilate verses Jesus telling Pilate that this is not the title He claims.

Either way, I am surprised at how Luke seems to summarize this conversation. According to Luke, after Jesus answered one single question, Pilate declares Him as innocent of any crime.

However, the religious leaders are very unsatisfied with this ruling. Continuing in verse 5, Luke tells us:

⁵The priests and the crowd became more forceful. They said, “He stirs up the people throughout Judea with his teachings. He started in Galilee and has come here.”

⁶When Pilate heard that, he asked if the man was from Galilee. ⁷When Pilate found out that he was, he sent Jesus to Herod. Herod ruled Galilee and was in Jerusalem at that time.

⁸Herod was very pleased to see Jesus. For a long time he had wanted to see him. He had heard about Jesus and hoped to see him perform some kind of miracle. ⁹Herod asked Jesus many questions, but Jesus wouldn’t answer him. ¹⁰Meanwhile, the chief priests and the experts in Moses’ Teachings stood there and shouted their accusations against Jesus.

¹¹Herod and his soldiers treated Jesus with contempt and made fun of him. They put a colorful robe on him and sent him back to Pilate. ¹²So Herod and Pilate became friends that day. They had been enemies before this.

In Luke’s version of Jesus’ public, civil trial, we discover that Pilate tries to hand Jesus off to Herod because Jesus is from Galilee. However, Herod, while being interested in meeting Jesus, is not all that impressed with Jesus. Herod wanted to see a miracle, but He wasn’t interested in Jesus for who He claimed to be.

As I look at these two very different rulers, and their respective impressions of Jesus when meeting Him, I am amazed at one detail that each event uncovers. With both these meetings, Jesus doesn’t visibly step into the role of king. Jesus doesn’t act like a king for either governor, and Jesus doesn’t really even overtly defend Himself against the accusations of the religious leaders.

This shared detail is powerful, because we discover something amazing about both governor’s in their response to Jesus being claimed as a king. Pilate is reserved and intrigued, because Jesus is not like any self-proclaimed messiah that he had dealt with before. In stark contrast, Herod laughs and mocks Jesus because Jesus doesn’t display any characteristics Herod believed a king would have. Pilate’s response to meeting Jesus is one of curiosity, while Herod’s response is one of mockery.

I suspect this is why only one gospel includes Herod’s brief encounter with Jesus. In the big picture of the cross, Jesus being taken to see Herod is an easy event to exclude, since Jesus stands before Pilate both before and after this very uneventful meeting.

Why then might Luke have included this unique detail?

I suspect that Luke included this, not just to be historically accurate, but to illustrate a powerful truth. When we ask questions of God with an open mind, don’t be surprised if or when God answers. However, if we demand things of God, I’m certain we will be answered with silence.

Herod’s encounter with Jesus was entirely self-serving. Herod didn’t care one bit about who Jesus was or what the religious leaders claimed Jesus to be. Herod simply wanted to see a miracle that Jesus had been rumored to do, but Jesus knew that any miracle given in this context would not bring God glory. A miracle in this context might have even derailed Jesus facing the cross, which was His ultimate mission.

Pilate’s encounter with Jesus, which each gospel shares unique details about, is one where Pilate is curious about Jesus and about the claim that the religious leaders make of Jesus. Pilate isn’t fully sold on the accusations of the religious leaders, but he also doesn’t know what to make of Jesus. It is Pilate’s reservation about this entire event and a partially open mind that let’s Jesus speak briefly.

Jesus’ brief conversation with Pilate prompts Pilate to see Jesus in a completely different frame of reference, and while Pilate ultimately bends to the crowd’s demands to crucify Jesus, he ended that morning with a different impression of Jesus than he began his morning with. Pilate also likely ended that morning with a slightly different impression of the religious leaders than he had before.

We can learn from these two encounters. If we want to hear God speak and if we want God to show up in our lives in powerful ways, we must be open to receiving the Holy Spirit into our lives. Demanding God will do something for us is an easy way to receive silence and disappointment. Instead, let’s honor God, give Him the glory, and praise Him for any and every blessing, challenge, and opportunity to grow that He brings into our lives.

As we come to the end of this podcast episode, here are the challenges I will leave you with:

As I always challenge you to do, intentionally seek God first in your life and choose to be open to receiving the Holy Spirit. When coming before God, intentionally be humble and repentant when bringing God your request and don’t demand that He helps you. A demanding, arrogant spirit will ultimately get the same response Herod received when he met Jesus, and that response was silence.

Also, continue to pray and study the Bible for yourself to learn what God wants to teach you and to grow closer to Him. When praying and studying, be sure to ask God for His help to understand what you are studying, and be open to what God wants to teach you through the pages, passages, and events included in the Bible. Don’t let anyone get between you and your relationship with God!

And as I end every set of challenges by saying in one way or another, never stop short of, back away from, chicken out of, or try to arrogantly rush into where God wants to lead you to in your life with Him! Remember that even if we don’t understand why, God’s timing is always best!

Year in Luke – Episode 48: When we read Luke’s gospel about Jesus’ trial before Pilate, we discover that Pilate sends Jesus to Herod. While these very different rulers both meet Jesus, discover how each meeting is unique while also containing something that remained the same!

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Trying to Manipulate God: Luke 10:38-42

Published November 29, 2023 in Written Journal Entries

Focus Passage: Luke 10:38-42 (GW)

³⁸As they were traveling along, Jesus went into a village. A woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. ³⁹She had a sister named Mary. Mary sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to him talk.

⁴⁰But Martha was upset about all the work she had to do. So she asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work all by myself? Tell her to help me.”

⁴¹The Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha! You worry and fuss about a lot of things. ⁴²There’s only one thing you need. Mary has made the right choice, and that one thing will not be taken away from her.”

Read Luke 10:38-42 in context and/or in other translations on BibleGateway.com!

Have you ever felt as though you were doing everything, while someone else does little to nothing?

Every time I hear or read about Mary and Martha in this passage, I see how Martha feels like this: Mary is sitting doing “nothing”, and she is left to manage all the “hostess” details.

And with every passing minute, Martha gets more frustrated with Mary, which finally results in Martha’s outburst in verse 40, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work all by myself? Tell her to help me.”

It is in this verse that we find our big idea for today’s journal entry.

Often times when we find ourselves in a situation we feel is unfair, rather than confront the person who is slacking off, we go above them and ask someone they respect or obey to tell them to pick up the slack. In this verse, Martha does not direct her frustration towards Mary for leaving the work. Instead, she directs her frustration at Jesus, and she tells Jesus to tell Mary to help her.

I’m sure this is something that we all have done at some point. However, at the root of this request is manipulation. Martha is being manipulative by trying to get Jesus to tell Mary what to do.

However, Jesus does not fall for manipulation. I don’t think He ever does, since I don’t see any examples of this as I read the Bible, nor have I ever been able to manipulate His working in my own life.

About the clearest example of trying to manipulate God’s leading can be found in the Old Testament book and story of Jonah: He tries to ditch God’s leading by sailing to the far end of the earth, and ends up in the belly of a whale, who brings him back to shore.

Which leads me to the big idea: We cannot fool or manipulate God, nor should we even try to. Instead, we should let God lead us, grow us, and teach us because He knows what is best for us.

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The Lie Surrounding Service: Luke 22:21-30

Published November 28, 2023 in Written Journal Entries

Focus Passage: Luke 22:21-30 (NCV)

²¹“But one of you will turn against me, and his hand is with mine on the table. ²²What God has planned for the Son of Man will happen, but how terrible it will be for that one who turns against the Son of Man.”

²³Then the apostles asked each other which one of them would do that.

²⁴The apostles also began to argue about which one of them was the most important. ²⁵But Jesus said to them, “The kings of the non-Jewish people rule over them, and those who have authority over others like to be called ‘friends of the people.’ ²⁶But you must not be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the leader should be like the servant. ²⁷Who is more important: the one sitting at the table or the one serving? You think the one at the table is more important, but I am like a servant among you.

²⁸“You have stayed with me through my struggles. ²⁹Just as my Father has given me a kingdom, I also give you a kingdom ³⁰so you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom. And you will sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

Read Luke 22:21-30 in context and/or in other translations on BibleGateway.com!

While reading Luke’s gospel account of Jesus’ last supper before His crucifixion, Luke includes a verse telling us that an argument breaks out among the disciples and he also includes Jesus’ response to this argument. Perhaps this argument was prompted by Jesus sharing that one of them would betray Him, but perhaps, this was just another flare-up of an argument that Jesus’ follower had debated many times before.

But here at the last supper, Jesus has a powerful response. After quieting the disciples and getting their attention, Luke tells us that Jesus said, “The kings of the non-Jewish people rule over them, and those who have authority over others like to be called ‘friends of the people.’ But you must not be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the leader should be like the servant. Who is more important: the one sitting at the table or the one serving? You think the one at the table is more important, but I am like a servant among you.” (v. 25-27)

Jesus draws our attention to something that we think today. This belief is as widespread today as it was in the first century. Jesus points us to this key idea when He asks, “Who is more important: the one sitting at the table or the one serving?” (v. 27a)

If we were to ask ten random people this question, almost all of them would say the person sitting at the table is more important. Those in the board room at the table must be more important than the factory-line worker. This is the widespread belief – and it is one that Jesus challenged with His life.

In Jesus’ follow-up statement, He shares the truth people think, and He contrasts it with how He has lived. “You think the one at the table is more important,” Jesus says, “but I am like a servant among you.” (v. 27b)

Jesus came and lived the life of a servant to illustrate how God sees greatness. While those at the table are important in God’s eyes, those serving are equally important. Without people serving, there would be no table for others to sit at. Because of this truth, the case could be made that service is more important than meetings. Jesus called each of us to be like Him, and this means that we are to take the servant role whenever possible.

Jesus focused on finding ways He could step down and serve. As His disciples, stepping down and serving whenever possible should be a priority for us as well.

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