In today’s text, we find an interesting mixture of events that highlight the limitations and failings of Jesus’ disciples. This segment begins with the disciples being unable to cast a demon out of a young boy; then they are unable to grasp Jesus’ teaching about His impending betrayal and crucifixion. Just after that, the disciples argue over which one of them is the greatest; and then John is rebuked for His elitist attitude toward others. As we consider these events and the dysfunction of the disciples at that time, I hope that we can ultimately see Jesus’ purpose in everything that was happening and use that as a warning sign to us as we walk through our lives.

Throughout this section of our study through the Gospel of Luke, Jesus’ power and authority has been on display. In our study last week, Jesus confirmed the testimony of Peter proclaiming Him as the Christ, the chosen one of God. In today’s passage, we will witness additional confirmation that Jesus is the Christ, but we’ll also be given a glimpse into some of the struggles that we have when we attempt to worship Him and what we need to do differently when we come before Him in worship.

We are continuing in our study through the Gospel of Luke today and the passage that we will be studying is the heart of all we’ve been looking at these past few months. Week after week, we have considered the question, “Who is Jesus?” In today’s passage, we receive a definitive answer to this question and several more. So, let’s get right to it today and look at these four questions regarding the “Cost of Following Christ.”

In our message today, we’ll consider four things that Jesus did to (or did for) the apostles to be able to carry out the work of the ministry. It is important to consider this question first: What is the work of the ministry? In his commentary on this passage, Darrell Bock suggests, “The two fundamental [aspects] of ministry evident in this passage cross the temporal boundaries between our era and that of the text. Preaching God’s Word and performing deeds of compassionate service complement each other. To teach that God loves sinners means evidencing that compassion in the ability to meet human needs.” So, as we look at this passage in Luke 9 today, I want us to keep in mind not only what Jesus is calling them to do, but why He is calling them to do it.

There is a passage toward the end of the Gospel of Luke that I believe gives us great insight into the character and disposition of our Lord Jesus. It is a passage that always challenges me. It challenges the motivation of my heart and it challenges the way I look at people and situations on a daily basis. The passage in Luke 19 gives us a glimpse into the love that Jesus had for His people. Luke 19:41-42 says, “And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.” This people that had rejected Him and His teaching… this people who would one day soon unjustly punish Him with death on a cross… this people caused Him to weep as He considered their eternal destiny. Paul summed it up beautifully in his letter to the Romans when he said, “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (NASB). In spite of their hatred of Him, Jesus loved them! That love is continually demonstrated throughout these gospel accounts of His life and ministry. We see it in the events that we’ll be considering today in Luke 8.

When we are thinking about God—the Father, Son or Holy Spirit—and the spiritual conflict that rages in the spiritual dimension beyond our five senses, we must not think of Him as a superhero trying to defeat a supervillain whose power rivals or maybe exceeds His own. He is God Almighty! There is nothing and no one whose power and authority rivals that of Jehovah God. We see this to be true in the next passage we will be studying today in Luke 8. This is the second section of a group of miracles that Jesus performs in this chapter. Last week, we studied the text where Jesus calmed the winds and the waves while in a boat crossing the Sea of Galilee. The next three miracles (Luke 8:26-56) include the casting out of demons, the healing of the sick and raising the dead back to life—each one representing “a different sphere of activity (nature to demons to disease to death).”