God instituted the Sabbath when He gave Israel the Ten Commandments. The fourth commandment reads as follows: “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, […]
Jesus continues to defy convention, especially for the religious leaders. He shockingly chooses a tax collector as one of His followers and then uses that choice to make a statement about who He is and what He’s here to begin. Jesus is unlike anything the scribes and Pharisees have seen, and His approach and goals […]
Jesus has shown His supremacy over temptation, over sickness and suffering (healing multitudes), over the powers of evil (casting out demons), and over nature (bringing boatloads of fish to fishermen). In this text, He shows His supremacy over the most feared disease of His time (leprosy) and – most impressively – over sin itself. Jesus […]
After what was by any reckoning a failed return to His hometown, Jesus moves on to Capernaum and makes it His home base (at least while He ministers in Galilee – ultimately, He has no permanent home – Lk 9:58). While there He teaches, heals, and casts out demons. In so doing He shows His […]
“You can’t go home again” is an old saying that means if you try to return to a place you remember from the past it won’t be the same as you remember it. The expression comes from a book title, but it just as easily could’ve originated from the text we study today. Jesus comes […]
Jesus begins His public ministry. He is gloriously baptized, anointed with the Spirit, and then ruthlessly tempted. In all cases, He proves Himself worthy of His inheritance and mission. This story shows that spiritual highs are often followed by temptations to selfishness and pride. It also shows that there is nothing in our life experience […]
The ministry of John the Baptist begins. John – the most important prophet in the Bible (per Jesus) and one of the oddest – preaches repentance in no uncertain terms. He’s not beholden to tradition, power, prestige, precedent, wealth, or comfort. He’s here to tell the truth and pave the way for the Messiah. John […]
Luke continues his exclusive account of Jesus’ birth and early childhood. This part of the story shows ordinary humans in contact with supernatural events and also shows that young Jesus does not take long to understand His nature and mission. Ultimately Luke takes pains to make his readers understand that normal people are involved in […]
Luke 2 is really the quintessential Christmas passage. It’s the most complete account of the birth of the Messiah and the text most people associate with Christmas. It’s not, however, simply a story. In Luke’s telling he gives us a picture of how God sovereignly works; of how God is the God of power and […]
As the scene opens on Luke’s birth narratives, God has been silent for 400 years. His last words were to the prophet Malachi saying that Elijah would come again and proclaim the day of the Lord (Mal 4:5) and that God would send a messenger to clear the way before the coming Messiah (Mal 3:1). […]
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