Jesus is Greater

Luke 11:29-41

Jesus is greater and therefore He deserves all of our obedience both from the outside but even more importantly from this inside. That is the main point of this triplet of paragraphs that we are looking today. Much could be said but I'm going to keep this brief in the hope that someone might actually read it and find it helpful…and…just maybe I'll make more frequent posts. I'd like to post everyday about our Quite Time for the day but we'll see how that goes. Anyway, today is off to a good start.

Luke 11:29-32

Jesus is greater than both Jonah the prophet and Solomon the wisest king of all time. People listened to what they said, even repented without anything close to the kinds of signs and wonders that Jesus has been doing. Yet, the generation Jesus is speaking to still will not listen to and obey Jesus. "The sign of Jonah" here alludes to his fast approaching death and resurrection three days later which will be His ultimate sign. So, will you listen and obey? Do you keep needing more evidence or are you going to follow now?

Luke 11:33-36

If you are filled with the light Christ then it will affect your whole being. This certainly includes the inside but also includes your outward actions and attitudes. If you claim to be a follower of Jesus but don't live like it, then you need to reexamine yourself and see what kind of "light" you really are. This doesn't mean that followers of Jesus are perfect but what are you characterized by? What would people in your various circles say about you? Would they characterize you as a follower of Jesus?

Luke 11:37-41

Again Jesus is illustrating that He wants all of our lives, not just the outside or the inside, all of it. The Pharisees were good at their ritualistic law keeping but it so often did nothing to actually make them humble or repentant on the inside. Instead it made them feel proud and justified when they really were not. Jesus tells them to first take care of the inside and then the outside stuff will take care of itself. So how much are you giving Jesus? Do you do and say the right things when you're around your Christian friends but are really something else at other times? Jesus wants the whole you. We all need to follow Jesus all the way, because Jesus never gets lost.