Luke 6:17-26; Having established Christ’s character and nature of His ministry in Galilee, Luke begins to expand upon the preaching and teaching of Jesus. Similar to Matthew, Luke includesan extensive sermonon on a mountainside, which begins with Beatitudes. However, Luke also includes a corresponding list of woes that contrast the way of God as opposed […]
John 21:15-25; Following their fruitless night of fishing and breakfast prepared by Jesus, Simon Peter and the Lord go for a walk on the shore. The purpose of the conversation is focused on the full restoration of Peter, as well as commissioning him in a pastoral role for the development of the early church. Three […]
John 21:1-14; Both the angel at the tomb and Jesus instructed Mary to tell the disciples to meet Him in Galilee. While the week-long Feast of Unleavened Bread was going on, Jesus appeared twice to the Eleven in Jerusalem before they left for home. Upon arrival, Simon Peter decided to go fishing for the night, […]
Matthew 28:1-15; Following the crucifixion and burial of Jesus, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went early to the tomb. A sudden earthquake heralded the coming of a messeger angel from the Lord to roll back the stone sealing Jesus’ burial place. The angel’s message was direct, “He is not here’ he has risen, just […]
Matthew 21:1-11; Tensions between the Jewish relgious authories and Jesus reached fever pitch after the raising of Lazarus from the dead. The Sanhedrin convened to discuss how they might put Jesus to death and also Lazarus, as he was evidence of Christ’s greatest miracle. In the meantinme, Passover was looming and Jesus returned to Jerusalem […]
Psalm 73; Psalmist Asaph shares his heart about a false perceotion of the world. He began to envy those who appeared to be blessed beyone measure, with wealth and good health that brought pride and arrogance. Yet as a follower of Yahweh-God, he noted that his life was filled with difficulty and suffering. This bothered […]
Luke 6:12-16; As the oppositon and hostility of the Jewish religious authorities continues to grow, Jesus responds by spending a full night in prayer. Not only is commuion with the Father vital for Christ, but He is also seeking wisdom in making very important decisions. The next day Jesus calls His disciples and designates twelve […]
Luke 6:1-11; Following Luke’s sharing of the call of Levi and the growing tension among the Pharisees, another layer of Jesus’ authority and power is revealed. The issue in both narrrative accounts focus on the Sabbath; what is lawful in the eyes of the Jewish religious leaders compared to the freedom Christ excersises within the […]
Luke 5:27-39; Following the two healings, Luke next recounts Jesus’ calling of a tax collector. Jesus is focused on Levi in his tax booth and simply says, “Follow me”. Levi responds immediately be leaving his profession and hosting a banquet as Jesus as the honored guest. But the majority of the attenders are friends of […]
Luke 5:12-27; Luke continues building upon the theme of Christ’s authority and power. A leperous man humbly approaches Jesus for healing and is instantly cleaned by a gentle touch. He is warned not to spread the news, but instead to go present himself before the priests to be restorned into the community of Israel. That […]