Luke

Love is the greatest motivator.  Even when it seems that nothing can be changed, love still wants to do whatever can be done.  The women who had followed Jesus from Galilee were helpless and hopeless after His death.  Nevertheless, they did what they could.  They had stayed by the cross, had seen all that happened to Him and heard His words (Luke 23:48-49).  They knew that He was dead.  They saw the soldiers' final act of physical abuse and waited until His corpse was taken down from the cross.  Then they followed Joseph of Arimathea, not letting the body

Fear is a powerful emotion.  Of course, appropriate fear is healthy: such as fear of God's wrath over sin (Romans 2:5), and fear of any obvious danger (Luke 21:20-24).  However, non-specific fear often grips us when we face anything unfamiliar and feel that a situation is out of our control (Genesis 3:8-10).  If only we knew the truth, or trusted that God is in control, we would understand and have no need to be afraid (Matthew 14:25-27).  That was the problem for the women as they reached the tomb of Jesus on that first Easter Day.  They were not expecting the ston

The choice between belief and disbelief is a personal conviction that what somebody has told you is true, because you trust them.  Even seeing the evidence is sometimes insufficient.  The women had been convinced of the resurrection because the angels explained the empty tomb by reminding them of what Jesus had said, "The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again." (Luke 24:7).  It was the reminder of Jesus’ words which took them from confusion to faith, because they came back to trusting Jesus and wh

It had been a long Passover for Jesus’ followers.  From the first Sabbath in Bethany (John 12:1-3) just before the Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem (John 12:12-16), followed by the overturning of traders’ stalls in the temple (Mark 11:15-18) to a week of teaching in the temple (Luke 21:37-38), all seemed reasonably well.  The Last Supper marked a significant change in mood as Jesus taught that the shared bread was His body; and the wine, His blood (Luke 22:19-23).  Then, Jesus’ anguish in Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36-46), the mock trials, the whipping and beating and humiliation o

One of the characteristics of God's people is that they talk about Him honourably. Malachi 3:16 says, "Then those who feared the Lord talked with each other, and the Lord listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the Lord and honoured his name."  The Lord loves to hear us talking about Him because it means He is precious to us.
 

Foolishness is common.  The word for 'fool' in English is derived from the Latin for 'windbag' (contemporary English might use 'airhead'!), and the Greek word used here simply means 'without understanding'.  Although many people like to invent and share their own ideas, if they do not understand the truth then whatever they think and say is empty, useless and confusing to others.  Whatever religion is followed, unless it is focussed on Jesus Christ as the sin-bearing Saviour and King to be obeyed – it will be powerless to change lives and offensive to God (2 Timothy 3:1-5).&n

Many cultures consider hospitality to be essential; in other places, people only invite those they know and like.  Jesus lived in a 'hospitality culture', but did people really want Him?  There is a big difference between inviting somebody to stay, and wanting them to be a part of your home.  The first comes from duty and the second from desire.
 

When you invite someone to your home, the expectation is that you are the host, and your friend is the guest.  These are two different roles, one to give with generosity and one to receive with thanks.
 

The first Easter Sunday started with sadness for those who loved Jesus.  The empty tomb brought anxiety, and reports of Jesus being alive were disbelieved (John 20:1-10).  But by that evening it was all different.  The two disciples who lived in Emmaus rushed back through the darkness to tell the Eleven (Judas Iscariot, one of the original twelve Apostles was dead) that they had seen Jesus (Luke 24:30-32).  By that time Simon Peter had encountered the Lord, and so had Mary Magdalene and Mary the wife of Clopas (Matthew 28:1-10).  At least five people had met the ris

Doubt and anxiety are opposed to peace.  Doubt is uncertainty about the present and anxiety has no confidence about the future. Both are human responses to uncertainty and insecurity. Peace resolves both and comes with the confidence that all is well and will be well.  Such was the peace which Jesus had previously promised the disciples, but they had not allowed themselves to receive it (John 16:33).