Luke 7:24-30 A Reed Shaken by the Wind
Format for Your Devotions
Instructions: Do not read my example devotion until you have completed your own devotional time in the scriptures. Reading my thoughts first may limit your own understanding. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you alone before looking to see what anyone else has to say, whether it is me, a Bible commentary, or a friend. Let God speak to you before you let another person speak to you. I have provided a format, but modify it to fit your needs. For example, I usually combine my application and prayer together talking to God about the application to my own life. You can go through this devotion process mentally, speaking out loud, or in writing as you wish. Don’t worry if you are not following this process exactly. Sometimes, I add extra information and sometimes I emphasize one part more than others. However, you should always think about what you learn about God from this passage.
Step 1: Pray–Ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance first of all and that God may reveal the lessons that He wants you to have that day. Request that God protect you from Satan’s distractions (and the devil will try to distract you whether it is pinching the baby or putting you to sleep). Ask to see God more clearly as you read and think about the passage.
Step 2: Read the passage–Read to get an overview of the information first. Then start looking at specific parts after the first reading. You may read a larger or smaller section than I have here because you do not have to follow my organization at all.
Step 3: Understand the passage–You can summarize, ask and answer your own questions about the passage, visualize the story, analyze the characters, and relate this passage to other scriptures and personal experiences.
Step 4: What does this reveal about God?–What do you learn about the Father, Son, and/or Holy Spirit from this passage?
Step 5: Apply this to your own life.
Step 6: Prayer
My Example Devotion: July 26, 2018 Luke 7:24-30
Note: In the devotion examples, I leave my questions and thought processes in the text because I am trying to demonstrate that a devotional time is a dialogue with God about what you are reading from His word. As such, any questions or ideas that you have should be explored by talking it out with God. These example devotions are not my attempts to teach you what the meaning of a particular scripture is. They are an attempt to teach you the process of devotions, which is a combination of prayer and Bible study where you explore ideas with God as you read His word.
When John’s messengers had gone, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who are dressed in splendid clothing and live in luxury are in kings’ courts. What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is he of whom it is written, “‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.’ I tell you, among those born of women none is greater than John. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.” (When all the people heard this, and the tax collectors too, they declared God just, having been baptized with the baptism of John, but the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected the purpose of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him.)
(Understanding the Text) Jesus waited until He had sent off the messengers before speaking to the crowd about John. Why did He feel the need to speak of John at this time? Well, the messengers had been there during the day observing and speaking with others. I’m sure many people had heard that they were from John and had approached them to get the latest news of him. The two emissaries that John had sent were probably well known among the people. They had probably assisted John in the same way that the twelve disciples assisted Jesus, so people would have had to interact with them. Maybe John even had them baptizing people just as the disciples baptized for Jesus. Anyway, the presence of John’s disciples in the crowd would have provoked questions in the mind of the people about why the Messiah did not free John. Jesus needed to focus the people’s minds on who and what John really was, not some romanticized version of him. Jesus needed to remind them that John had testified that Jesus was the Messiah, and John had never recanted that testimony even from jail.
Question: Those baptized by John had to be rebaptized in the baptism of Jesus (Paul’s did this at Ephesus, I think). Did those who were baptized before Jesus’ death still receive the Spirit if they were not in the upper room at Pentecost? I think so. I don’t think that they had to be rebaptized because in their baptism they were proclaiming that Jesus was the Messiah.
These verses confirm that most of Jesus’ followers had been baptized by John. Jesus reminds them of who John was. He was strength who was not shaken by troubles. He was not someone who lived in a palace. He was used to hardship and making do. I think that Jesus was telling them that John was not to be pitied in prison, but that John could handle himself there without breaking. Then, Jesus spoke of John’s importance. Jesus confirmed that John was a prophet. Then Jesus said that John was more than a prophet. In fact, John was the greatest man ever born.
Jesus starts by making the people remember the reality of John that they had seen. Then he builds on that reality making John greater and greater with higher and higher compliments. Then suddenly, Jesus makes the strange statement that great as John was, “the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he” I never understood that statement. It was always confusing to me. Who is the one who is least in the kingdom of God. Does it refer to Jesus Himself? Is it saying that in God’s eyes we are all important? But that does not fit into being more important than John. Is this referring to the fact that John is one of the safe sheep who are not in danger, so he is low priority for rescue while the lost sheep who is in danger is more important? I just don’t know. Guzik’s commentary says that John is least because he would die before Jesus, and thus, he was not born again under the New Covenant. I don’t think that’s what Jesus meant. However, there may be something in the idea that John only knew the message of the Old Testament, which was repentance and reformation while the people in the crowd were going to learn of a greater message of salvation. Maybe the greatness has to do with the message and not the person. Yes, I understand now. When Jesus speaks of John as a great prophet, He is not speaking of personal attributes, but of the message that John bore from God. John was a great prophet because he had a great message. He was foretold because of his message, not because of who he was. John’s message that the Messiah was here now was the greatest message ever told up to that time, but now Jesus was establishing a new kingdom on earth and the least of us have a greater message to tell the world than John. We have the message of God loving the world so much that Jesus died for our sins and rose from the dead to become our high priest in heaven. This message dwarfs John’s message in importance and greatness. It’s not about the man; it’s about the message. A prophet is only as great as his message, and we Christians are all called to be priests and prophets giving Jesus’ message to the world.
(Revelation of God) Listening to Ty Gibson’s sermon yesterday impressed on me that when Jesus became a man, He was establishing the kingdom of heaven on earth to replace the kingdom of Satan. Here when Jesus speaks of the least in the kingdom of heaven, I think He was speaking of people in this new kingdom that He was establishing which would be finalized in the victory of the cross.
(Understanding the Text) The people might have understood what Jesus was saying because after they had heard Him out, they agreed that neither He nor the Father should be blamed for John’s situation. They may have dimly understood that Jesus was saying that those who bore His message were greater than John, but maybe they just overlooked this statement. The people agreed that John was a great prophet whose testimony about Jesus being the Messiah was sure. However, the Pharisees and lawyers had never agreed with John’s message that they were part of the problem. They did not believe that John was a prophet. Thus, they refused to accept John’s testimony that Jesus was the Messiah.
(Application / Prayer) My application for myself is that Jesus has entrusted me with a precious message that I must not hide. I have a position in the kingdom of heaven as priest and prophet and teacher. I need to not be a reed shaken by the wind. I need to not covet princely raiment and comfort. I need to treasure the message and the Man it tells of. To be great in the kingdom of heaven is to have a message that is great and to give that message to others for God. I am not capable of carrying Your message and communicating it. Take more poor efforts and selfish motives and wash them clean. Let others hear Your message in purity even when I fumble in my efforts to communicate it.