Who Is This?

The reason God directed Luke to write Lk 9:1-22 was to answer the question that Herod raised in Lk 9:9, “Who is this”?  By the time we get to verse 22, you’ll know who this is.  How would they have known the answer to “Who is this”?

By the power and authority Jesus gave the disciples, Lk 9:1-6

Jesus gave his disciples power and authority over devils and to cure diseases.  Jesus would have to be God for them to get this power from him.  See Matt 12:27-28.  The Pharisees accused him of casting out devils by Beelzebub.  But when the disciples could do it, this was evidence that the Spirit of God had given them the power and that the Kingdom of God had come to them.  Indeed, the disciples had been “training” with Jesus and now it was time for them to do what they had seen him do.  After all, they were going to be doing this after his ascension, so they needed to do it while he was still with them.

He sent them to preach the kingdom of God, v.2.  There’s much to say about this kingdom and to compare it to and contrast it with the kingdom of heaven.  However, here the disciples were evidently preaching so that the people would know that God had come to visit them, Lk 1:68, 7:16.  Except for John the Baptist, they hadn’t heard from God in over 400 years (Malachi).  Healing the sick and casting out devils was from God.

Jesus told them to take nothing for their journey and to stay with folks who would receive them where they went, v.3-4. He did this to prove to them the truth of Matt 6:31-32.  Jesus didn’t have a house and he only had five pieces of clothing when he was crucified.  See 1 Cor 9:14.  They that preach the gospel live of the gospel.

Jesus also told them to shake the dust off their feet wherever they were not received, v. 5.  This was a testimony against them because they should have been able to tell from what these men were preaching and doing that God was with them.

And they went and did what Jesus told them to do, v.6

By his reputation, Lk 9:7-9

When Herod heard of all that Jesus had done, he was perplexed.  The news on the street was that Jesus was either John the Baptist, Elias (because he was prophesied to return, Mal 4), or one of the old prophets risen.  Herod wanted to see for himself.

They could have verified the rumors.  If he were John the Baptist, they could have checked the tomb, Mk 6:29.  If he were Elias, they should have been getting right with God, Mal 4:5-6.  If he were one of the old prophets, like Jeremiah (Matt 16:11), he would have looked older than he was (1 Sam 28:14).

They were inclined to believe anything but that he was their Messiah, Is 9:6, Immanuel, Is 7:14.

By Christ’s preaching, Lk 9:10-11

Jesus was healing people and preaching the kingdom of God.  The disciples had already seen his miracles that only God could do in Lk 8:22-56.  And the people were seeing God’s miracles of healing while Jesus was preaching the kingdom of God.  They should have known the answer to “Who is this”.

By his miracle of feeding the 5,000, Lk 9:12-17

Blessing 5 loaves and 2 fish to feed 5,000 men plus women and children was like feeding Israel in the wilderness with manna.  That’s the point.  God sent that bread.  And God gave this bread, Jn 6:32-36.  Notice that the disciples were the ones who gave out what Jesus had blessed and multiplied.  That was to further train and utilize them.  Just imagine what they were seeing as the bread and fish multiplied while they were distributing it.  This is the miracle of multiplication as we freely give of that which has been given to us, 2 Cor 9:8-10.

By the revelation of God, Lk 9:18-22

The disciples knew what everyone was saying about Jesus.  But when Jesus asked them who they thought he was, Peter said, “The Christ of God”.  Matt 16:17, God revealed this to him.

But Jesus told them not to tell this to the people.  He explained that he must suffer, be rejected, be slain, and be raised.  Paul explains in 1 Cor 2:8 that had the princes of this world known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

However, following Jesus’s ascension, these men boldly proclaimed who he was, and we continue to do so even to this day.

Thankfully, some of the common people knew how to answer the question, Who it this.  They could tell by these means that we have studied today.