Category: Life of Jesus as a Boy

Gospel of Luke, Life of Jesus as a Boy

Lover of God

KONICA MINOLTA DIGITAL CAMERALuke 1:1-4

Who was Luke?

Luke wrote what we call “the gospel of Luke” to someone named Theophilus. Here’s what we know about Luke:

  • He was a Gentile (non-Jew);
  • He was a medical doctor;
  • He traveled with the apostle Paul;
  • He also wrote the book of Acts in which we read about Paul.

Who was Theophilus?

  • He was probably also a Gentile;
  • He wanted to know more about Jesus;
  • He may have been a new believer;
  • His name means “lover of God.”

Are you a “lover of God”? To be just that how would we act? I think we’d be eager to be in his presence as much as possible.

When I was younger, I was made to go to church by my parents. I’m glad they did. Even as a young adult, I could take or leave church. If I felt too tired, I wouldn’t go. Some of my friends encouraged me to start going to church with them, and now I am at the point where I can’t wait to worship God during that special time when I gather with other believers.

It’s not that I only go to socialize, because, yes, that is part of it. It’s not to get on an emotional high. “I love Jesus!” I am thankful I am at the point in my life where I find spiritual renewal when I attend worship at my church. I need that after a week of temptations and disappointments.

But being a “lover of God” also means I want to see him every day. That is why I try to include prayer and scripture as habits –healthy habits– every day I possible can until it’s time for gathering with other believers.

When you love someone, you want to be with them. That is how I try to maintain my relationship with Jesus. Spending time with him every day.

Find my latest book on Amazon: Christ Simply, A Chronological Self-Guided Study through the Life of Christ.

Gospel of John, Life of Jesus as a Boy

Both Man and God

John 1:1-18

This prologue of John’s Gospel contains so much, it would be impossible to cover everything about it in this entry, so, in keeping with the principle of Christ Simply, I will cover just the basics.

Who was John?

Many guys named John are mentioned in the Bible, but the guy named John who wrote this gospel is the disciple who went by the name John. He was one of the original twelve apostles. This means he sat at the feet of Jesus and considered him not only a teacher (rabbi) but the Son of God. John claims to be an actual witness to the events of the ministry of God’s Son. Once I realized this, it made the words of this gospel more valuable to me.

Was Jesus really human?

John talks about Jesus being The Word in this passage. According to what John says in his prologue,  Jesus was the following things:

  • The Word
  • Has been with God from the beginning
  • He is life
  • He is light
  • Rejected by some
  • Received by some
  • Flesh, an actual human
  • The Son of God
  • Full of grace and truth
  • Not only was he the Son, but he was also God the Father

That’s a lot. Pages and pages have been written on all of these things, but the important thing to know is Jesus came as a human to go through what we went through.

How can Jesus be both things?

I know it seems strange Jesus was both the Son and the Father, both human and divine. Because that is beyond our understanding, some people just reject Jesus and God outright. What I choose to do is realize some things are only understood by God and our human minds are too limited. I hope one day, as a child of God, I will be able to comprehend how Jesus can be both a man and a spirit, but for now, I must have faith that it is true.

Some side notes:

  • The John mentioned in verses 6-7 and 15 is John the Baptist, not to be confused with John the disciple and author of this gospel.
  • The Bible translation I use is the NIV. I use the NIV Quest Bible because it is excellent for personal Bible study, especially for the average person who isn’t a theologian or preacher.

Find my latest book on Amazon: Christ Simply, A Chronological Self-Guided Study through the Life of Christ.