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Luke 13-14
A WARNING: THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE There are several parables here that, if we imagine them as intended for OUR future, we can easily miss what they meant for the future of the original audience. The opening verse may give us a clue as to why Herod and Pilate are at odds with each…
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Luke 12
The Kingdom > This Present Life There are bits in this chapter that we have looked at before: The “leaven” of the Pharisees Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit Parts of the Sermon on the Mount There is a recurring theme through all these various teachings. Jesus repeatedly emphasizes the importance and superiority of the spiritual…
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John 10
THE DOOR & THE GOOD SHEPHERD Ancient shepherds would put up their sheep in stone-walled pens called sheep folds. It was also common for them to build these folds inside a cave or where there was a natural rock outcropping or overhang to provide protection from the elements. These pens didn’t necessarily have gates. The…
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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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