Not to Destroy But to Save - Luke 9:56

The beloved physician Luke wrote about Jesus, “it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem, And sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him. And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem. And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, will you that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did? But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, You know not what manner of spirit you are of”, and in chapter nine and verse fifty-six of his book Luke shared how Jesus answered, “the Son of man is not come to destroy … but to save” where we read:

For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them.

And they went to another village.

The verse reads, “For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. ” Luke began with the words, “for the Son of man” or “because God's Son Jesus” “is not come to destroy” which means “did not arise and appear to render useless, kill, ruin or mar” “men's lives” or “people's seat of feelings, desires, affections and aversions”, “but to save them” which means “however to rescue from suffering and preserve from danger and perishing”. Luke shared how Jesus told “James and John” His purpose for coming was not to “destroy and ruin” people's lives, but to “rescue” them.

The verse continues, “And they went to another village.” Luke added the words, “and they went” which means “and Jesus and His disciples departed and left to go” “to another village ” or “to an other common sleeping place or town to which laborers lie”. Luke shared how Jesus and His disciples simply left the area of the “Samaritans” and traveled to another “town”.

When we meditate upon Luke's words in this verse, we see how Jesus stated His purpose for coming to the earth. He did not want to “ruin and destroy” people's lives. He wanted to “save” them. John the apostle wrote how Jesus said, “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved” (See John 3:17), and since God the Father desired to have a personal relationship with every person through His Son Jesus those who “believe and trust” in Him as their personal “Savior and Lord” will be forgiven of their sins and be granted everlasting life with Him.

Next time Luke shares how, “a certain man said unto” Jesus, “Lord, I will follow you wherever you go”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".