Understanding Christ: A Look Through The Book Of Luke - Luke 7

GREAT FAITH, GREAT MIRACLES(Luke 7:1-18)

"When Jesus heard these things, he marvelled at him, and turned him about, and said unto the people that followed him, I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel." Luke 7:9 KJV

This scripture defines for me the theme of the book Luke 7. Here Jesus commended the faith of the centurion who has one of his servants healed. And the subject of faith is what rings through the book of Luke 7. Yes there are other stories here in the book of Luke 7, on the surface they look different but when we look more closely they all bothered on the acts of faith or lack of it.

There was the raising to life the son of the woman of Nain who was already pronounced dead, laid in coffin, carried through the streets and to be buried. It was Jesus who scattered as it were the funeral procession, for Jesus was going his way while the funeral procession was going its way. The woman in question didn't ask for her son to be raised back to life but Jesus out of compassion ask the funeral procession to stop. And here is where the faith of the woman was demonstrated, he didn't ask for Jesus' credentials or authority to stop a funeral procession! No! This brings to my mind what happened in John 11 when Lazarus was raised from the dead, the sisters were like telling Jesus not to bother as Lazarus was already dead. Here, with the woman of Nain, there were no questions, no protests, no asking who Jesus was, for if they knew who he was they won't have been amazed and make the following testimony concerning the master after the son was raised back to life.

"And there came a fear on all: and they glorified God, saying, That a great prophet is risen up among us; and, That God hath visited his people".
Luke 7:16 KJV

When the master touched the bier the pallbearer stood still, and the miraculous took place! This is the power of faith, it makes alive that which is dead. In the first case, the servant was about dying, while in the second case the boy was already pronounced dead. Jesus, however, said I am the resurrection and the life, and that resurrection power went into action and the dead boy came back to life! Hallelujah!

All of the great works in Luke 7 wrought by the demonstration of faith!

THE PROBLEM WITH JOHN(Luke 7:18-35)

And then we read on from Luke 7:18-23 how this news spread around the towns and cities and the disciples of John shew to him all that has happened with the ministry of Jesus. The response of John betrayed the response of the same who said in Luke 3:16 saying,

"John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire"

In some other accounts of the gospel, he went on to introduce Jesus as the Lamb of God who took away the sin of the world! Yet this same John began to question the authenticity and the credibility of the same person he said who could not tie his shoelace. The same person he proclaimed the messiah

Luke 7:19 tells us what John said

"And John calling unto him two of his disciples sent them to Jesus, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for another?"

Up until John, we have read the story of great faith, but as we get to John, we get to see the other side of what happens when people doubt their God. John openly questions the authenticity of the Messiah. Are you the one to come or not? What a great display of unbelief coming from a spiritual giant, a spiritual stalwart. For if you go down to read in verse 24-26, Jesus tells us that there is no prophet that came before John that was greater than John!

Luke 7:26-28

"But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? Yea, I say unto you, and much more than a prophet. This is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he"

John has greater spiritual status than the centurion and the woman of Nain, and yet John demonstrated lesser faith than these two that we were not told are children of the kingdom. This echoes the truths that we learned in the exposition we did in Luke 1 on Zechariah and Mary.

"Faith is available to all irrespective of our spiritual status in God, the one who believes is the one who becomes"

John did not believe and even though his destiny was loaded, yet he was beheaded! For no one realizes their great destiny without the demonstration of great faith! The one who believes is the one who becomes!

The good news is despite all of John's greatness we are destined to even become greater! Hallelujah! But only with great faith shall we accomplish great feats in God

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Peter Adeshina Babalola
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