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Whole Bible in 2 Years – Intro
Our church is reading through the Bible together over the next 2 years. I’m going to journal my thoughts (for your reading enjoyment). If you’d like a schedule to read along you can download it for free here: This is not my first trip through the Bible. Far from it. But it is the first…
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Luke 10:25-42
THE GOOD SAMARITAN The first thing I notice in the setup to the parable is that the man who asks the initial question isn’t asking because he genuinely wants to know how to “inherit eternal life.” This question is purely to test Jesus. “One day an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus…
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John 8-9
AN ADULTEROUS WOMAN, A BLIND MAN, and ARGUMENTATIVE PHARISEES In the last post, we saw that the particular point of contention about whether or not Jesus was the Messiah, was not the miracles or even His teaching (though they complained about His teaching and healing on the Sabbath). The point of contention was this: “But…
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John 7
JESUS IN JERUSALEM FOR SUKKOT Way back in ye olden dayes when we read through Leviticus and Deuteronomy, we read about the fall festival of Sukkot (Booths, Tabernacles, Shelters). When Jesus’ family went to Jerusalem, they would’ve built a sukkah; a little shelter. They would’ve decorated it with leafy branches and fruit. They would’ve camped…
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Luke 10:1-24, Matthew 18
I’ll spare you my reasons for dipping into Luke 10. I have them. I assure you they are good. SENDING THE 70 – Lk. 10:1-24 After the Transfiguration and Jesus’ return to Galilee, (with the 12), He sends out 70. Some manuscripts have 72. Here’s why: Interestingly, this same 70/72 issue shows up in the…
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Mark 9, Mt. 17, Luke 9:28-62
THE TRANSFIGURATION So Jesus is at “The Gates of Hell” in Caesarea Philippi announcing that He is going to build His National Assembly on Death’s Doorstep. If that didn’t get the attention of the Underworld, this next event was sure to. We know from Mark 8:27 and Matthew 16:13 that Jesus and the disciples were…
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Matthew 16, Luke 9:18-27
UPON THIS ROCK “Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”Matthew 16:13 ESV Jesus took His disciples all the way to Caesarea Philippi for a reason. And knowing its history is a key to understanding the undercurrent of Matthew…
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Mark 8
FEEDING THE 4000, LOAVES & FISHES 2.0 (K, this turned out to be MUCH longer than I originally thought, so… might want to top off your coffee.) Matthew and Mark are the only Gospels that record this miracle. Jesus seems to be in Decapolis when this takes place as it’s the last location mentioned by…
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Matthew 15, Mark 7
THE HANDWASHING DEBATE We have already seen the Pharisees raise a fuss about neglecting ritual hand-washing, (Lk. 11:38). This time they open with a “gotcha” question. Notice that they do NOT ask, “Why don’t your disciples do the ritual hand-washing?” They ask, “Why do your disciples break the traditions of the elders?” There is an…
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John 6
Jesus’ lesson in this chapter might well be called: How To Live Forever 101. Jesus has fed more than 5000 people with 2 donated sardines and 5 barley rolls. John includes this very important detail of the response of the crowd to this miracle: “When the people saw the sign that he had done, they…
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Luke 9:1-17
There is a LOT going on in this lengthy chapter, but I want to look at only the first 17 verses – (ok, really just verses 1-6) – for reasons I will explain presently. ⬇️ I had said before that I wasn’t sure if Jesus had 12 + 58 to make 70, or if He…
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Mark 6
Just a short post today. JESUS REJECTED AT NAZARETH (AGAIN) The first time Jesus went back to teach in the synagogue at Nazareth after beginning His ministry was recorded in Luke 4:16-30. That’s when He read the passage from Isaiah about the Spirit of the LORD anointing Him to proclaim the Good News. And then…
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Matthew 14
John the Baptist has been executed. He was in jail for a while, probably as much for his own safety as because of his comments about Herod taking his brother’s wife. Herodias wanted him dead. In jail he was kind of like in “protective custody.” There is a great scene from the 1977 film Jesus…
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