“ True Believers Like Wheat ” and “ The Wicked Like Chaff ” “John answered them all, ‘I baptize you with water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire’” (Luke 3:16–17). Let us meditate on this passage and receive its spiritual lessons: (1) When the people, who had long awaited the coming of the Messiah, began to wonder in their hearts whether John the Baptist might be the Messiah (Luke 3:15, Modern Translation ), John testified clearly that he was not the Messiah, but that the One coming after him was. (a) John 1:8 says: “He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light” ( Modern Translation : “He was not the light himself but came only to bear witness to the light”). (i) The purp...
Gethsemane Prayer (6) [Luke 22:39-46] What was the content of Jesus' prayer in Gethsemane? (Content of prayer) Look at Mark 14:35-36: “And He went a little beyond them, and fell to the ground and began to pray that if it were possible, the hour might pass Him by. And He was saying, ‘Abba! Father! All things are possible for You; remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what You will’” (Note: Lk.22:42; Mt.26:39). (1) First prayer: “… that if it were possible, the hour might pass Him by . And He was saying, "Abba! Father! All things are possible for You; remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what You will” (Mk. 14:35-36). Here, “the hour” and “this cup” have the same meaning, and the meaning of Jesus’ request to God, “Abba, Father!...