THE SEND: Luke & ActsSample

Luke 20 shows Jesus facing many questions and challenges, as various religious leaders try their best to find evidence to arrest him. And what I love about this chapter is that Jesus is consistent every time. He doesn’t argue, lash out, and he doesn’t let them change His mind. He responds in wisdom with questions (Luke 20:3), scripture (Luke 20:42), and points back to God (Luke 20:25).

When we are challenged in our faith, it can be easy to want to clap back, shrink back, or just freeze. But the responses of Jesus in Luke 20 challenge us to a better way, a better response. I haven’t always found it easy when people ask me questions about what I believe, but the more I get to know Jesus and the more I get to know what he says in the Bible, the easier it becomes.

We may not have the same kind of wisdom that Jesus has, but we can pursue wisdom by getting to know more of God’s way of thinking through the Bible. When we allow ourselves to be driven by the conviction of the Scriptures and let all we say be done in love (1 Corinthians 16:14), we are responding like Jesus would.

Jesus didn’t let the frustration or the anger of the religious leaders rub off on him. Instead, he stood firm in what he knew to be true: about Scripture, about himself, and about God. And you and I can do the same.

Is there a place in your life where your faith is being challenged—by friends, culture, questions, or even doubt?

1. Ask God for the kind of confidence that Jesus had. Not defensive or proud, but grounded in truth.
2. Ask God to root the truths of Scripture deep inside of you and live from that place. As you dig deeper into the Bible, you will discover more of who God is and who he’s made you to be.