We have finally reached the book of Luke in our word study. The Greek word apollymi is found nearly 30 times in this book. More than any other book of the Bible.
The scene is a familiar scene as this story was also recorded in Mark 1. Jesus is accused of coming to destroy, by a spirit of an unclean devil. The question that stands out to me is this, “Did Jesus come to destroy?”
Years ago I listened to the testimony of an older woman who had been paralyzed in a diving accident when she was young. She had lived her whole life since as a paraplegic. Before her accident, she said she was a nominal Christian at best and was actually spending the weekends doing things she KNEW a Christian should not do. She had cried out to God to deliver her from her sinfulness and lackadaisical Christian life.
In this particular testimonial she said she was going to share something she had never before spoken publicly. (My ears perked up!) It had taken her many years to comprehend but she said she had realized that God had heard her prayer and had delivered her from a sinful life and had used the diving accident to do it. She went on to say she would not trade the life she found in Christ as a paraplegic with the nominal Christian life she had been living before. If you know of Joni Eareckson Tada, you know she is anything but a nominal or lackadaisical Christian. Since getting right with God she has lived many years “all in” for the Lord Jesus Christ.
Within a week of hearing this powerful testimony, I sat in a prison visitation room and listened as a young relative relayed that getting caught was the best thing that could have happened to him. If he had not been arrested, he would have continued on a downward slope into sin and depravity. That would have been far worse and he knew it.
Getting caught, going to jail, being chastened or having your life drastically altered is not the worst thing ever. Living in sin is.
“And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Matthew 10:28
I have had my own “got caught” and “come to Jesus” moments throughout my life. These have been hard and even embarrassing at the time. As I look back, I am humbled that the God of the Universe would take knowledge of me, rebuke me and lead me in the way everlasting. He is amazingly good that way!! 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻
“What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?”
Psalm 8:4
Jesus came with power, and yes, the power to silence AND destroy evil while preserving our precious soul.
And it is Jesus who graciously grants to us the strength and power to lose our life so that He might save it!
Theme Verse:
“For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it.” Mark 8:35
“Lose” from the Greek word “Apollymi” means “to destroy fully.” It is translated “destroy” in Luke 4:34, our verse for today.
“Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art; the Holy One of God.”
Luke 4:34