Luke 9
Read: Luke 9
So far in Luke, everyone has asked the question, “Who is this?” Jesus was doing things that no one had ever seen since the foundation of the world. He continued to do miracles by feeding five thousand men plus women and children with five loaves of bread and two fish. He also cast out demons and continued to do miraculous feats. But in this chapter we see the disciples really start to understand who Jesus is with the confession of Peter.
Jesus asked his disciples, “who do the crowds say that I am?” People had been wondering for weeks as Jesus became known everywhere. Many had thrown out ideas, but none of the ones mentioned here was the correct answer. Then Jesus asked, ”who do you say that I am?” Peter said, “God’s Messiah!” Luke had built his case and now Jesus confirmed to his disciples that Peter was correct. He then told them not to tell anyone until he has been killed and raised… Say what? Imagine hearing that… this wouldn’t have made any sense to them, so it’s no wonder they didn’t understand. Fast forward eight days and Jesus took Peter, John, and James up on a mountain to pray. While there, Jesus was transfigured and appeared to them in a way that displayed his glory. Here, he was yet again confirmed by God as his Son, “The Chosen One.”
If Jesus really is the Son of God, the Messiah and Savior of all people, this demands a response. At the end of the chapter someone told Jesus, “I will follow you wherever you go.” Then as Jesus talked to others, they made excuses. They said, “Let me go bury my father” and “Let me first go and say goodbye to those at my house.” It’s easy to think Jesus is being harsh in this passage, but ultimately the point seems to be that he has to come first. We should honor our parents, and love our families, but Jesus still has to come first.
There may be times when following Jesus will cause difficulty in your family or with your friends. Don’t let that stop you from being obedient. In 1 Kings 19:19-21, Elisha asked if he could first say goodbye to his father and mother before following Elijah, so Elijah allowed him to do that. Here, Jesus’ calling is far more radical! It is not a calling to follow a prophet or a rabbi. It is a calling to follow the Son of God. Sometimes God will call us to do things that our family and friends do not agree with. It may even cause difficulty in those relationships, but following Jesus is a worthy sacrifice as Jesus also talked about in 9:23-27. Following Jesus should be our number one priority. Is following Jesus yours?
