Luke 9:18-27

content/bible_journal/luke_9:18-27.md

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+title = "Luke 9:18–27"
+date = "2022-11-30"
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+
+### [Read the passage.](https://biblia.com/bible/esv/Lk9.18-27)
+
+After feeding the multitude of people, Jesus and His disciples somehow manage
+to get that retreat they had planned. Jesus spends much of His time in prayer,
+but He also takes the opportunity to reveal some of God's mysteries to the
+disciples. At this point, they probably don't understand fully, and it's not
+until later that they remember His words.
+
+Jesus contrasts popular opinion of Himself with who the disciples think that He
+is. Peter, acting as the spokesman for the disciples as usual, gives the right
+answer: "The Christ of God". (_v. 20_) "Christ" is Greek for "anointed", and is
+the same as the Hebrew "Messiah". It hearkens back to the priests and kings of
+Israel being anointed with oil to signify God choosing those men to fulfill
+those roles; they had been set apart from the rest of the people for a purpose.
+
+Because the people didn't understand what the Messiah's role was going to be
+this first time, Jesus keeps His disciples from revealing this new
+understanding to anyone else. He then explains that He is going to suffer and
+die at the hands of evil men, but after three days would rise again. This
+sounds very obvious to us in the Church Age, but at the time the disciples
+didn't get it, mostly because God kept them from understanding until the right
+time.
+
+Even still, Jesus continues to teach them the consequences of following in His
+footsteps. They too must be willing to suffer and die, but the rewards they get
+from God will more than make up for it. The disciples must have been completely
+shocked to hear Jesus talk like this. It'd be like someone saying today, "Tie a
+noose around your neck and follow me," or "Put a bullet with your name on it in
+your pocket and follow me." None of those sound like good ideas! But the point
+Jesus is making is that it is worth it. Don't be ashamed of the truth when
+people scoff and mock, or torture and kill you. For then God will not be
+ashamed of you when He comes in glory to set right everything on the earth
+again.
+
+Finally, I'm going to punt on explaining verse 27. There are lots of possible
+ways to interpret it, and they all sound reasonable. The meaning of "see the
+Kingdom of God" is less important than the encouragement that the disciples
+received from hearing Jesus say so.
+
+* * *
+
+Help us to live for Your kingdom and not our own lives and pleasures. They are
+not a lasting legacy when compared to Your glory.