Upside Down
Luke 1-4
Luke lays out what you should expect to find in this gospel through these first few chapters. He lines up the signs and testimonies that reveal who Jesus is. First there is an old barren woman who gives birth in old age. She has a husband who goes into the temple for his once in a lifetime chance to burn incense and he sees an angel. The angel says his yet-to-be-conceived son, John, will prepare the people for God. Then there is the virgin who sees an angel and will give birth to the holy, Son of God. There's confirmation of this when the old barren woman, Elizabeth, meets the virgin, her cousin Mary.
When the Son of God is born there is an angel choir. At the circumcision he is named Jesus, just like the angel said he should be. Mary follows all of the laws prescribed. They are devout and raise Jesus right. Then when he is at Passover at 12 years old he goes to the temple and teaches the religious leaders. His lineage is laid out to show his connection to the Davidic line and back to Adam. It is obvious that this Jesus is truly the Son of God and has a special work to do in this world.
But then, after being tested in the desert, there is a problem. The people hear that Jesus does miracles. They hear his teaching for themselves and are surprised at how knowledgeable he is. They want a miracle, though. They want a show. Jesus responds by saying that in the time of Elijah he did a miracle in Sidon, not Israel, and Elisha did a miracle for Naaman, not an Israelite. The people seethe with anger and try and murder Jesus. This is a difficult message to hear. Jesus is God's son, but that reality requires us to change who we are, not God to change who He is. I have a feeling the kingdom is about to get turned upside down.
Luke lays out what you should expect to find in this gospel through these first few chapters. He lines up the signs and testimonies that reveal who Jesus is. First there is an old barren woman who gives birth in old age. She has a husband who goes into the temple for his once in a lifetime chance to burn incense and he sees an angel. The angel says his yet-to-be-conceived son, John, will prepare the people for God. Then there is the virgin who sees an angel and will give birth to the holy, Son of God. There's confirmation of this when the old barren woman, Elizabeth, meets the virgin, her cousin Mary.
But then, after being tested in the desert, there is a problem. The people hear that Jesus does miracles. They hear his teaching for themselves and are surprised at how knowledgeable he is. They want a miracle, though. They want a show. Jesus responds by saying that in the time of Elijah he did a miracle in Sidon, not Israel, and Elisha did a miracle for Naaman, not an Israelite. The people seethe with anger and try and murder Jesus. This is a difficult message to hear. Jesus is God's son, but that reality requires us to change who we are, not God to change who He is. I have a feeling the kingdom is about to get turned upside down.