Until I reach the EXIT door of this world, I earnestly hope and long that I may live for Jesus and the gospel, with the inseparable love of God, and when the Lord calls me to that other world—heaven—I may enter through the “ENTER” gate of the new heaven and the new earth, offering songs of hallelujah and thanksgiving to Him.
“When Jesus began His teaching, He was about thirty years old …” [(Korean Modern Bible) “Jesus was about thirty years old when He began to spread the Good News …”] (Luke 3:23a).
As I meditate on this verse, I want to receive the lessons the Lord gives through it.
(1) When we looked yesterday at Luke 3:21–22, where Jesus was baptized by John in the Jordan River, we learned that this marked a significant turning point—Jesus was ending His private life of about thirty years in Nazareth of Galilee and beginning His public ministry (Ref.: Hokmah).
(a) I recall reading in a Christian newspaper that the late Rev. Billy Graham once said that if he were to be born again, he would want to spend thirty years preparing for ministry and then serve for three years, just as Jesus did. From this, I learned that preparation for ministry is even more important than the ministry itself.
(i) According to Hokmah, Luke 3:23 is the only verse that records Jesus’ age. Hokmah explains: “Luke’s mention that Jesus was about thirty years old when He began His ministry likely reflects the fact that priests began their full duties at age thirty (Num. 4:3). In other words, Jesus had reached the time to fulfill His role as the eternal High Priest, mediating between God and humanity (Heb. 5:10). As the sinless One, He was ready to offer His body as a sacrifice to remove the barrier of sin and open a new and living way to God (Heb. 10:20). Likewise, Joseph became governor of Egypt at age thirty (Gen. 41:46), David became king at thirty (2 Sam. 5:4), and members of the Sanhedrin could serve only from age thirty. Considering these backgrounds, Luke likely mentioned Jesus’ age to show that He had reached full maturity—physically, mentally, and spiritually—for His mission. Jesus always knew His ‘appointed time’ (Jn. 7:6)” (Hokmah).
· As I meditated on this, I compared the fact that Joseph became governor of Egypt at thirty (Gen. 41:46) with the verse stating that Jesus was about thirty when He began proclaiming the Good News (Lk. 3:23).
- I realized that while Joseph suffered for thirteen years—from age seventeen until he became governor at thirty—Jesus lived a private life for about thirty years, began His ministry at thirty, and by age thirty-three faced suffering and death on the cross. In other words, Joseph’s life took an upward path after age thirty, whereas Jesus’ path led downward—to the cross and even into the depths of the earth (Matt. 12:40).
n As Romans 8:18 says, Joseph’s thirteen years of suffering (“the present sufferings”) were followed by incomparable glory (“the glory that will be revealed to us”). But Jesus gave up His eternal heavenly glory (Jn. 17:5) — “Though He was in very nature God, He did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing…” (Phil. 2:6–7) —and “became obedient to death, even death on a cross” (v. 8), enduring hell-like pain and agony for us [Note: The phrase “He descended to hell” in the Apostles’ Creed does not mean that Christ literally went to hell, but—as Calvin and Berkhof explain—refers to the spiritual agony Jesus endured in Gethsemane and on the cross (Internet)].
(2) By God’s grace, I heard the Good News of Jesus Christ and accepted Him as my Savior in May 1987, when I was nineteen years old. With tears of dedication, I committed to becoming a pastor like my father.
(a) From that time, I prepared for seminary, and after five years of college (graduating at twenty-three), I entered Westminster Theological Seminary for my first theological studies (M.Div.) at age twenty-seven. I later pursued a Th.M. at Fuller Theological Seminary (age thirty-one), focusing on Pauline theology, and afterward entered Chongshin Theological Seminary in Korea for doctoral studies in Pauline theology (completed coursework, age thirty-three). During these years, I served as evangelist, licentiate, and education pastor at Victory Presbyterian Church (USA) and Seohyun Church (Korea).
(i) At age thirty-six, the Lord called me again with His promise, “… I will build My church …” (Mt. 16:18), and led me back to Victory Presbyterian Church, where on Sunday, December 21, 2003, I was installed as the senior pastor.
· Now, as I meditate on Luke 3:23 —“Jesus was about thirty years old when He began His teaching …” —I am fifty-eight years old. By God’s grace, it has been about thirty-nine years since I was saved and began serving for the gospel of Jesus Christ.
- When I reflect on the number “39,” I am reminded of Joseph in Genesis. Joseph came to understand God’s plan when he was thirty-nine—thirteen years of suffering (from age seventeen to thirty) plus seven years of abundance and two years of famine. Only then did he see why God allowed his suffering, betrayal, imprisonment, and eventual exaltation as governor of Egypt: “God sent me ahead of you to preserve life … to save your lives by a great deliverance” (Gen. 45:5–7) [Ref.: “God’s Plan and Purpose for Joseph (4)” – https://blog.naver.com/kdicaprio74/224059584668].
n This morning, I was also reminded of the YouTube video I made titled “I Want to Love My Wife and Children with the Inseparable Love of God”(https://youtu.be/ifGA5DpQjK8?si=kLsbI-I5cNT9ipw8) (in Korean). The video was filmed in the church sanctuary, with the “EXIT” sign in the background, symbolizing leaving this world. Holding firmly to God’s Word—“Nothing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:39)—and with the conviction of verse 38 (“For I am convinced …”), I desire to live for Jesus and the gospel with the unbreakable love of God until I reach the EXIT door of this world, and when the Lord calls me to the heavenly home, to enter the “ENTER” gate of the new heaven and new earth with hallelujah, thanksgiving, and praise.