Tag Archives: Jesus Christ

Sep 6 2012

John 13 – Jesus Washes the Disciples’ Feet

Chapter 13 begins the second half of the Gospel of John, and the first chapter of what is known as Jesus’ farewell discourse.  As the Feast of the Passover approaches, Jesus knows that His time with the twelve is short.  This was a time and a land where people would walk very long distances on sandy, dusty, and often considerably unsanitary roads wearing sandals.  It was the custom then for people to arrange ahead of time to have water available for the washing of the feet of their guests.   Washing the feet of another person was the work of servants.  So when Jesus began washing their feet, Peter at first objected.  But Jesus told him “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.”  They do understand His humbleness because He has been teaching them for a long time, but they will not fully understand this act until after His crucifixion.  But He does want them to think about it – so they will recall that it was important to Jesus.

In verse 12, when He had finished, He said ““Do you understand what I have done to you?”  There would be no point to that question unless there was a deeper meaning to what was done.  That meaning is in verse 16 (“a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.”).  He is their teacher and He is the one who is “sending” them into the world.  He did this to serve them.  They should serve each other according to their needs.  The words from verse 16 will be repeated to them in John 15:20, and they have already heard them in Matthew 10:24.  On both of those occasions, it was to tell them to expect to be treated as He was by others.  Here, it is to teach them to serve others.

Then Jesus told them that one of them would betray Him.  In verse 27, when He tells Judas to do it quickly, the others still do not realize what is taking place. He then gives them their “new commandment” in verses 34-35 to love each other as He has loved them, as He takes this opportunity to say goodbye for now.  Peter, still not understanding, declares that he will lay down his life for him.  But Jesus breaks the terrible news to him that he will deny Jesus three times.

Read or listen to audio of ESV version of this selection from this link.

/Bob’s boy
___________________
some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Please note: I did not design the reading plan that I am following in my blog.  All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility.  When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules, as well as a link to the site where you can get the reading plan that I’m currently following for yourself can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com.  For questions and help, please see the “FAQ” and “Summaries” pages there.

Sep 5 2012

Matthew 25 – The Final Judgment

Chapter 25 continues the theme of being prepared that Jesus began in the latter part of chapter 24.  No matter how many times Jesus says in scripture that no one knows what day or hour He will come, still people try to predict it even to this day.   The first parable especially emphasizes the importance of always being prepared.

The parable of the talents, a story about faithful stewardship — Matthew 25: 14-30.

The parable of the talents stresses that we have the responsibility for our own spiritual  growth, and for sharing it with others.  The “talent” in New Testament times was a fairly large amount of money.  The parallel for us is not so much any “talent” we might have as it is just using our abilities productively.  The Lord does not want us to be idle in His Kingdom.  Verse 32 (“Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats”) continues the theme from Matthew 24:40-41.

Read or listen to audio of ESV version of this selection from this link.

/Bob’s boy
___________________
some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Please note: I did not design the reading plan that I am following in my blog.  All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility.  When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules, as well as a link to the site where you can get the reading plan that I’m currently following for yourself can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com.  For questions and help, please see the “FAQ” and “Summaries” pages there.

Sep 4 2012

Matthew 24 – Jesus Foretells Destruction of the Temple

Chapters 24 and 25 are known as the Olivet discourse (Verse 3 – “As he sat on the Mount of Olives…”); and chapter 24 is the source of much discussion and confusion.  The disciples were impressed with the buildings of the temple, and pointed them out to Jesus.  But He tells them in verse 2 that “there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”  Now the total destruction of this temple was such a dramatic thing to envision, that the only thing they could think of to associate it with was the end of the world.  So their question to Jesus was when all of these things would happen.

Old city of Jerusalem, the Temple, and Dome of the Rock, as seen from the Mount of Olives.

The key to understanding this chapter (as is the case with all scripture) is to first examine the context, and then apply what follows using your God-given logic.  In chapter 23, Jesus had just delivered a very vocal rebuke of the scribes and Pharisees in the temple, calling them the “sons of those who murdered the prophets,” and saying “you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell?”  He finishes up in verses 37-38 with His broken-hear-ted lament for the coming fate of Jerusalem:

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! See, your house is left to you desolate.”

In verses 4-35 of chapter 24, Jesus tells them privately of the fate that awaits Jerusalem, as well as what will become of them (they will be persecuted and put to death).  he even tells them of things that will happen before that Roman army does its work in AD 70 – many examples of which Josephus and other historians confirm.  If these verses were speaking of the end of the world rather than the destruction of Jerusalem, it would not matter if it was in the winter (verse 20) – much less, what day it was!  In verse 34, He tells them that all of these things will happen during their generation.  It is not until verse 36 that Jesus begins speaking of  the final judgment – “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.”  The apocalyptic language throughout the chapter is what makes it difficult to separate.  But such imagery when the scripture prophesies destruction is common (see Isaiah 13:10-13 and Ezekiel 32:7-8, for example).  It is helpful to relate the chapter to Luke’s account in chapter 21, particularly as Matthew 24:15-16 relate to Luke 21:20-21.

For an excellent in-depth analysis, please refer to the article in this link.

Read or listen to audio of ESV version of this selection from this link.

/Bob’s boy
___________________
some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Please note: I did not design the reading plan that I am following in my blog.  All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility.  When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules, as well as a link to the site where you can get the reading plan that I’m currently following for yourself can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com.  For questions and help, please see the “FAQ” and “Summaries” pages there.

Sep 3 2012

John 12 – The Unbelief of the People

Spikenard

In John’s account of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem during the final days, we get some more details, including the account of Mary anointing Jesus (verse 3).  Some commentators get this confused with a similar event in Luke 7:35-39, but that is a different woman and occasion.  Verse 7 seems to mean that Mary had kept the ointment to use to prepare Jesus for burial – but this was the time to use it.   In verses 4-6, we learn from John that Judas had been stealing money from the money bag he was charged with carrying. 3oo denarii would be almost a year of a laborer’s wages.  The expensive nard (from spikenard) was imported from northern India.

In verses 9-11, Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead had achieved two very different results.  First, a large number of Jews had been attracted to come and see for themselves that he was now indeed alive.  But incredibly, the chief priests were plotting the death of Lazarus because it was causing many to believe in Jesus.  They simply did not want it to be so; and their frustration grows, as in verse 19 they say to one another “Look, the world has gone after him.”  This was at John’s account of the triumphal entry on Sunday of Jesus’ last week.

In verses 2-26, Gentiles come to worship and request to see Jesus; and Jesus acknowledges both that it is time for Him to be glorified, and removes all doubt that anyone – Jew or Gentile – that sacrifices himself to follow Jesus will be saved.    In verse 27, we again see that Jesus had come to earth as flesh and with human emotion, as he was troubled that the time of His death was approaching.  But he acknowledges that this was the reason He had come.  As God speaks to Him, some thought it was thunder, but Jesus made it clear that the voice had been intended for those who would believe (verse 30).  People do not understand why the Christ must be “lifted up,”  and was going to die.  Their understanding of the Christ remaining forever was one they had always related to an earthly reign.  They still did not understand His kingdom.

John quotes Isaiah 53:1 in verse 38, and Isaiah 6:10  in verse 40, as he notes the continued unbelief of many despite the signs Jesus had given them.  In verses 44-50, Jesus tells them that He has come to save the world – those who are not blinded by the hardness of their hearts.  Those who reject Him are rejecting God and the light that He has sent into the world.   Even miracles will not convince those who are bent on self-deception.

Read or listen to audio of ESV version of this selection from this link.

/Bob’s boy
___________________
some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Please note: I did not design the reading plan that I am following in my blog.  All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility.  When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules, as well as a link to the site where you can get the reading plan that I’m currently following for yourself can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com.  For questions and help, please see the “FAQ” and “Summaries” pages there.

Sep 2 2012

A Busy Week For Jesus \ Week 34 summary posted

Sunset over Jerusalem from a distance

This week and for the next couple of weeks, we will continue to examine the last week of Jesus’ life on earth from the perspective of each of the gospels beginning with John, as we prepare for the greatest sacrifice of all time on a hill far away by Jerusalem.  Then, by month end, we will be in the book of Acts, as we continue in this year to get the big picture of the Bible from beginning to end.

Summing Up

Each weekend, I am now posting a small PDF of one week of chapter summaries (on the website’s “Summaries” page), current to the beginning of the previous week.  I have posted the summary for Week 34 (August Week 3) of the schedule I am following.  This short PDF document contains condensed comments about Mark 6, Matthew 16, Luke 9, 10, and 15, with hyperlinks to the ESV version of each chapter for listening or reading, and joins the summaries for other weeks already posted there.

/Bob’s boy
___________________
image © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Please note: I did not design the reading plan that I am following in my blog.  All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility.  When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules, as well as a link to the site where you can get the reading plan that I’m currently following for yourself can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com.  For questions and help, please see the “FAQ” and “Summaries” pages there.

Aug 30 2012

Mark 11 – The Triumphal Entry

As Jesus approached Jerusalem by way of Bethphage and Bethany, He sent two disciples to get a colt for Him to ride on – fulfilling Zechariah 9:9.  Jesus tells them where it will be and what to say when someone asks why they are untying it (including that it will be returned immediately).  On the way, He is hailed as the Messiah (verses 9-10).  “Hosanna” in verses 9 and 10 comes from an expression found in Psalm 118:25 (“Save us, we pray, O Lord”), which when translated into Greek becomes “Hosanna.”  In verse 11, He entered the Temple in Jerusalem, just to look around, then they left for the day.  When He returned the next day, He would again cleanse the Temple, driving out the money-changers and those who sold animals.  Verse 17 quotes both Isaiah 56:7 and Jeremiah 7:11.

The following day, He saw a fig tree in leaf, even though it was not the season for figs.  But the leaves were an outward sign that promised fruit.  Yet there was none.  The analogy of this to God’s people is hard to dispute.  So Jesus declared that no one would eat fruit from it again; and in verses 20-21, His disciples saw that it withered  to its roots.  Verses 23-25 do not mean that everything we want will be given to us if we pray with enough faith.  We must remember what the scripture says about motives in prayer (James 4:3), and about praying according to God’s will (1 John 5:14).

Bethphage area, on the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives, near Bethany. This was on the way from Jerusalem to Jericho.

The chief priests, scribes and the elders all come to challenge Jesus, demanding to know what gives him the authority to do the things he is doing.  He cleansed the Temple of what was going on right under their noses.  But more than that, the question also seems to be of a general nature, in order to strengthen their case against Him.  His refusal to answer unless they told Him by what authority John the Baptist had baptized was calculated, as He knew they would not answer (verses 29-33).  By saying that the baptism was of man, they would anger the crowds who believed John to be a prophet.  But if they said it was of God, they would be admitting that John spoke the truth when he said that he was the one preparing the way for the Messiah (John 1:23 and Mark 1:7-8).

Read or listen to audio of ESV version of this selection from this link.

/Bob’s boy
___________________
some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Please note: I did not design the reading plan that I am following in my blog.  All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility.  When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules, as well as a link to the site where you can get the reading plan that I’m currently following for yourself can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com.  For questions and help, please see the “FAQ” and “Summaries” pages there.

Aug 27 2012

John 9 – Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind

Upon passing a man who was born blind, some of Jesus’ disciples ask a question in verse 2 that seems strange to most of us now – “who sinned, this man or his parents…?”  But this mistaken belief about sin and suffering was not uncommon; and we see in verse 34 that the religious leaders that opposed Jesus held the view that the man was born in sin.  We know differently, and Ezekiel 18:20 specifically says otherwise, so they should have known as well.  Jesus corrects them, letting them know in verses 3-4 that his disability will be used for the glory of God.

The Blind Man Washes in the Pool of Siloam

The Blind Man Washes in the Pool of Siloam (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

We know (and have already read of specific examples) that Jesus could have given the man his sight without even touching him.  Some writers have postulated several theories as to why He used the mud that He made from His spittle, before sending the man to the pool of Siloam to wash.  Some see a symbolic connection between the scripture’s use of the Verb for the word “anoint” to describe how Jesus applied it to his eyes (“Christ” and “Messiah” mean “anointed one”). Others see Jesus purposely making mud (or clay) using his spittle as an analogy to kneading dough, in order to challenge the Pharisees. But we really do not know.  There was purpose in everything that Jesus did; and as this was once again on the Sabbath, the point He was making no doubt had its desired effect at that time on those around Him – and the religious leaders that it angered.

At any rate, there is division among these religious leaders at one point (verse 16); and his parents are sent for, and questioned.  They confirmed that the man was their son and that he had been born blind.  But despite the previously mentioned division, the leaders had made it known that anyone who said that Jesus was the Christ (Messiah), they would be put out of the synagogue.  So the man’s parents in verses 21-23 seem to be disingenuous as to knowing how he gained his vision; and they pass the buck back to their son. The blind man is interviewed by the Pharisees and other religious leaders for the second time, and was “cast out” of the synagogue for his comments in verses 30-33.  He found it amazing that they did not know where Jesus came from.  So do we…

Side note: Details and pictures of discoveries at the excavations at the Pool of Siloam are in this article at BiblePlaces.com.  That one is a well-written, but older article.  A more recent article can be found at this link to BiblicalArchaeology.org.

Read or listen to audio of ESV version of this selection from this link.

/Bob’s boy
___________________
some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Please note: I did not design the reading plan that I am following in my blog.  All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility.  When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules, as well as a link to the site where you can get the reading plan that I’m currently following for yourself can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com.  For questions and help, please see the “FAQ” and “Summaries” pages there.

Aug 16 2012

Matthew 13 – Parabolic Discourse

The Book of Matthew is considered by many to have five major discourses by Jesus.  The first obviously was the Sermon on the Mount of chapters 5-7.  The second was chapter 10 – the Messiah’s preparation of His disciples for their mission.  Chapter 13 is made up almost entirely of His parables.  In fact, verse 34 says that He said nothing to the crowds on this occasion without a parable.

Landscape with the Parable of the Sower

Landscape with the Parable of the Sower (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

As Jesus sat beside the sea, crowds gathered and he got into a boat and sat to address them.  Jesus  first tells the parable of the sower in verses 3-9.  We are not told about the chronology in the text, but most surmise that Jesus spoke all of the parables from the boat, and the explanation came later, after he went into the house in verse 36 (verse 34 seems to bear that out). When  the disciples came to ask Him why He spoke to the people in parables, He quoted from Isaiah 6:9-10 in verses 14-15, explaining that the difference between them (the disciples that want to learn) and the crowds (those that do not really want to understand, much less accept, the truth) is in their hearts. Those who do not understand and accept what He speaks of to them in plain speech, will never accept what He teaches in parables.  This may be the point He made to Nicodemus in John 3:12.

This is followed up by the explanation of the parable of the sower in verses 18-23, which is the key to understanding all of the parables.  In this case, Jesus is the sower, but it applies to us as sowers as we teach others about the kingdom.  It is up to the individual receiving the seeds to prepare their ground for their proper growth – to plow up the hard ground of their hearts (Jeremiah 4:3-4).

The parable of the weeds, or tares (verses 24-30), is like that of the net (verses 47-50), and refers to the fate of those who will not accept the truth.  It is not our job to gather up the weeds, lest we uproot the righteous as well. The parables of the mustard seed (verses 31-32) and leaven (verse 33) show that the kingdom may be starting very small, but will grow into something very large.  The parables of the hidden treasure (verse 44) and the pearl of great value (verses 45-46) demonstrate that those who truly understand the value of our place in His kingdom will be willing to give up anything in this ordinary world in order to attain it.  The prophecy He cites in verse 35 is Psalm 78:2.  Verse 52 means that true disciples who study God’s word will use their training for the kingdom to teach others, using knowledge of the old law with the new.

English: An etching by Jan Luyken illustrating...

English: An etching by Jan Luyken illustrating Matthew 13:47-48 in the Bowyer Bible, Bolton, England. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

One might wonder why verses 53-58 are in this chapter, but all of God’s word teaches something.  The rejection of Jesus in His own hometown resulted in Him not wasting much time there (verse 58).  It illustrates very well the points that He made in the earlier parts of the chapter.  The hearts of the people there were hardened to the truth and they could not see.  The ground of their hearts needed plowing as well.

Side note: Though the scriptures do not tell us the location at the Sea of Galilee that Jesus gave the Parable of the Sower, there is a cove that has been suggested as that location.  Interesting studies have been conducted on the acoustics at that cove; and a great article with photos and a sound file made in a test is in this article at BilbePlaces.com.

Read or listen to audio of ESV version of this selection from this link.

/Bob’s boy
___________________
some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Please note: I did not design the reading plan that I am following in my blog.  All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility.  When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules, as well as a link to the site where you can get the reading plan that I’m currently following for yourself can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com.  For questions and help, please see the “FAQ” and “Summaries” pages there.

Aug 13 2012

John 4 – Jesus and the Woman of Samaria

In order to get to Galilee from Judea, one had to either go through Samaria or cross over the Jordan to go around it on the east side.  A strict Jew would do the latter to avoid being defiled by setting foot on Samaritan soil.  After the Assyrians captured Samaria, the Assyrian king brought foreigners from various places in to settle in 722 BC (2 Kings 17:24).  Some Jews remained and intermarried with these foreigners, and the animosity between this mixed race of people and the Jews grew strong over time.

Jesus, however, had come to seek and save the lost and would naturally not avoid these people.  As He approaches Jacob’s well, verse 6 indicates His humanity by saying that He was weary from the journey. Jesus intentionally turns the subject of the conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well to her “husband” in verses 17-19. His thorough knowledge of her history is enough to convince her that He may be who He says He is in verse 26, when Jesus makes a rare admission that He is the Messiah.  After she told others, many came from the town and believed by their own encounters with Jesus that He was the “Savior of the world” (verse 42).

When His disciples return in verse 31, Jesus gives them a lesson about sowing and reaping in the kingdom in verses 34-38.  He points out that the sowers and reapers can rejoice together now, as new believers are brought into His kingdom.

Arriving at Cana in Galilee, he heals the son of an official from Capernaum that was dying, but does so from without going with him because the official believed.  When the man returned, he asked the hour at which his son had started improving, and knew it was the same hour that Jesus had told him “your son will live.”  Note that verse 54 says that this was “the second sign that Jesus did when he had come from Judea to Galilee”  – not that it was the second sign He had done.

Side note: There is an interesting story about the area at Shechem and a picture of what is believed to be Jacob’s well in this article at Ferrell’s Travel Blog.

Read or listen to audio of ESV version of this selection from this link.

/Bob’s boy
___________________
some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Please note: I did not design the reading plan that I am following in my blog.  All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility.  When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules, as well as a link to the site where you can get the reading plan that I’m currently following for yourself can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com.  For questions and help, please see the “FAQ” and “Summaries” pages there.

Aug 9 2012

John 2 – The Wedding at Cana

 

John 2:11 confirms that the event of the wedding at Cana is where Jesus performed His first miracle.  Some make reference to this as an argument for social drinking, but it would be safe to say that the Lord would not be providing a means for people to become drunk with wine.  For Jesus to have done so would have been a sin (Habakkuk 2:15); and the point of this scripture is found in examining the miracle (or sign, as John refers to it) itself.  There were six stone jars, each holding 20-30 gallons.  Note that verse 7 says that He had the servants fill the jars to the brim with water – nothing could have been poured into them afterward, and Jesus never touched them.  Running out of wine at a wedding feast would be particularly awkward.

Addressing His mother as “Woman” in verse 4 would seem disrespectful to people today, but such was not the case in the language of the day.  It was a term of respectful distance.  Note that the anger is righteous anger, as Jesus drives out the merchants and money changers.  The temple area spoken of here would be the surrounding area of the temple itself that would be used for worship as well by worshiping Gentiles.  So these traders would be disrupting that worship.  In verse 18, the Jews present questioned Jesus as to what His authority for doing this was.  He answered “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”  Of course, they did not understand that He was talking about His own body – not the temple He had just cleansed.  But verse 22 confirms that His disciples would remember after the crucifixion.

Read or listen to audio of ESV version of this selection from this link.

/Bob’s boy
___________________
some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Please note: I did not design the reading plan that I am following in my blog.  All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility.  When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules, as well as a link to the site where you can get the reading plan that I’m currently following for yourself can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com.  For questions and help, please see the “FAQ” and “Summaries” pages there.