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Reading the Gospels in 2026: (4/20) Luke 11:14-32

Apr20

A 5-day per week study.

April 20 – Reading Luke 11:14-32

Read and believe in Jesus.

“Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it.”  Luke

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The Gospel according to Luke

REVIEW – Last time, Jesus taught on prayer. How to do it, and how to be humbly persistent. We can be confident of answers when we ask, seek, and knock because God, our Heavenly Father, wants to give good gifts to His children.

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Vss. 11:14-23.

What a curious thing that someone would accuse Jesus of doing a merciful act by conspiring with the devil!  It’s so wrong in many ways!

  1. First, Jesus is exercising power AGAINST the bondage of Satan.
  2. He is freeing a helpless man whom Satan maliciously bound.
  3. The righteous Son of God cannot be in league with the blasphemous son of perdition.
  4. Jesus is sinless, merciful, kind, good, self-sacrificing, and loving. Satan is greedy, a murderer, a deceiver, a liar, and an accuser of Christians.
  5. Good vs evil. White vs black. Beauty vs the stench of decay.

Seriously, people!

Knowing their thoughts, Jesus stated it plainly.

  • “A kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a divided house falls.”
  • “If Beelzebul (the devil) is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand?”
  • “But, if it is by the ‘finger of God’ that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.”

The King was in their midst, showing His sovereign power. He demonstrated that by binding Satan and his demons.

Jesus then illustrates this with a little story.

A strong man will fully arm himself to guard his palace and his “stuff.”  BUT, if a STRONGER one attacks and overcomes him, that one will not only take away the spoil, but … his armor as well.

Jesus not only freed the mute man from his suffering, but He also bound the demon. He took away his “armor.”   Jesus is all-powerful; He does NOT need Beelzebul’s help.

(These people – and perhaps many today – were spiritually blind.)

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Vss. 11:24-26.

Jesus then warns these “blind” spectators about their own false exorcists, who DO pair up with the devil for power. Jesus uses this story.

An unclean spirit is “cast out” by one of these so-called exorcists. The person cleans up his life, but there is no lasting power involved, so the demon gathers more of his evil fellows to dwell in the now “swept and orderly” person’s being, making the second state worse than the first.

THIS is not how JESUS works.  “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”  (John 8:36)

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Vss. 11:27-28.

Then, seemingly out of nowhere, a woman yells out, “Blessed is the womb that bore You and the breasts at which You nursed!”

Umm…

Jesus doesn’t deny His mother’s blessings, but assures the woman and the crowd that it is WAY more blessed to HEAR the Word of God and to OBEY it.

Awkward moment averted.

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Vss. 11:29-32.

Earlier, some in the crowd, in order to test Jesus, asked Him to show them a sign from heaven, to prove Himself.

Now Jesus tells them that it’s an evil generation that seeks a sign for proof. (Jesus wants them to have faith.)  He says that they won’t get any sign except for the sign of Jonah.

Huh?

Disobedient Jonah? Swallowed by a fish, Jonah?  Disgruntled but obeying anyway, Jonah? Whining at the bad guys repenting, Jonah?

No.

Jonah was three days in the belly of the fish, as good as dead. Jesus was three days in the grave, truly dead.  Both emerge: Jonah to preach judgment to Nineveh, and Jesus as a judgment to come. Nineveh and the people of today both experience(d) mercy and grace. But judgment did (and will) come.

“Someone ‘greater than Jonah’ is here,” Jesus warned.

Jesus’ resurrection would be the “sign.” Would they then believe?

Reading the Gospels in 2026: (4/10) Luke 9:21-45

Apr10

A 5-day per week study.

April 10 – Reading Luke 9:21-45

Read and believe in Jesus.

“There are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.”  Luke 9:27b

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The Gospel according to Luke 9:21-45

Review – In the last study, we saw the Twelve sent out on a short-term mission trip and returned “pumped.”  Meanwhile, Herod is fearful of all that Jesus is doing and wants to see Him.  Jesus feeds the 5000, then asks His disciples who they say that He is.  “The Christ of God!”

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Vss. 20-22.

When Peter answers Jesus’ question about who THEY think He is, Jesus charges them to give NO ONE ELSE this information … at least not right then.  Many important things must happen to Him first, before they will understand, and the world can receive it.

The disciples have now confessed their “faith” in Him as the Messiah.  Jesus begins to prepare them for His death, the whole reason He has come.   This is the first of three times He tells them….

“The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, be killed, and on the third day be raised.”

It goes right over their heads.

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Vss. 23-27.

Then Jesus tells these men something even more cryptic.

  • “If ANYONE would come after me, let him DENY himself, TAKE UP HIS CROSS daily, and FOLLOW Me.
  • “Whoever would SAVE his life, will LOSE it, but whoever LOSES his life for My sake will SAVE it.
  • “What does it PROFIT a man if he gains the whole world and FORFEITS himself?
  • “Whoever is ASHAMED of Me and My words, of him will the Son of Man BE ASHAMED when He comes in glory.”

“The cross” was a horrific, shameful instrument of execution for the vilest of criminals.  It meant guilt, condemnation, judgment, and excruciating suffering. WHY would Jesus tell His followers that they must submit to this self-denial … daily … in order to be His disciples?

Loss = salvation; forfeit and shame = profit.

This also goes right over the disciples’ heads.

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..And then Jesus says, “I tell you truly, there are some standing here who will not TASTE DEATH until they SEE the kingdom of God.”

  • Some standing there (Peter, John, and James)
  • Not taste death (it will happen soon, and they will not die when it happens).
  • See the kingdom of God (the transfiguration of Jesus, a glimpse of His former and ultimate glory).

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Vss. 28-36.

This is another experience that the disciples kept silent about until after Jesus was resurrected. (See 2 Peter 1:16-18)

As Jesus was praying, He was endued with glistening, brilliant white light (think a constant strobe spreading out from Him) – His face, form, and clothing.

It was as though He pulled aside the veil of His humanity so these three could glimpse “the glory that He had with the Father before the world existed.” (See John 17:5)

With Him, they saw Moses and Elijah, representing “the Law” and “the Prophets,” which Jesus totally fulfilled.  Curiously, they were discussing His upcoming death (departure or exodus).

The three disciples fell into a deep (coma) of sleep. When they were awakened, Peter burst forth with “the greatest idea he’d ever had!”   “Let’s make three tents here; one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah!!!” 

Have you ever done something like that?  Blurted out something entirely stupid and inappropriate?  He probably would have babbled on if not the cloud of God’s glory hadn’t overshadowed the scene, and the voice of God hadn’t interrupted him.

“This is my Chosen One; LISTEN TO HIM!”

And then it was over, and they were walking silently down from Mt. Tabor’s peak.

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Vss. 37-43.

In the crowd that met Jesus was a desperate man with a totally demon-possessed little boy.

(NOTE: this was his ONLY child.  Alone in the Gospels, Dr. Luke mentions that, and previously that the Nain widow’s dead son was her only child, and that Jairus had only his one daughter.  Doesn’t it remind you of the sacrifice of God, who gave His ONLY Son, Jesus, to be sin for us?)

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For some reason, the disciples were unable to cast out this vicious demon  (though they had done exorcisms many times on their evangelistic tours).

Jesus, “O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you and bear with you?

Who was Jesus talking to/about?

His own disciples, who vacillated between great faith and “O, ye of little faith.”

The desperate man describes the horrible things that the demon does to his little son. “It seizes him so that he cries out. It convulses him so that he foams at the mouth. It shatters him and will hardly leave him alone.”

(NOTE: Although this may seem like a bad case of epilepsy to modern ears, Dr. Luke clearly identifies it as demon possession.)

As Jesus approached the boy, the demon made one last attempt to kill this only son.  But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit and healed the boy, and, like the resurrected son Jesus “gave back” to the widow of Nain, Jesus gave this little boy back to his father.

And all were astonished at the MAJESTY of GOD.

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Vss. 43b-45.

As the crowd was all marveling at everything Jesus was doing, He took his disciples aside and said, “Let these words sink into your ears: The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men.”

(Were the disciples thinking – with the crowds – that Jesus was about to come into his glory, and be crowned the King and save the nation?? Jesus had to bring reality to their thinking.)

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The sad thing is, “they did not understand. It was concealed from them, so they might not perceive it. And they were afraid to ask about it.”

WHY?

Because it was God’s sovereign design that they would NOT UNDERSTAND until after Jesus’ resurrection. His death for sinful mankind would then be understandable to them.

 Luke 24:45-48 – “Then He opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and said to them, ‘Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His name to all nations beginning from Jerusalem.  You are witnesses to these things.’” 

 

 

Reading the Gospels in 2026: (BONUS) Mark 16:9-20

Mar4

A 5-day per week study.

February 16– Reading Mark 16:9-20 (a bonus lesson).

Read and believe in Jesus.

“Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel…”  Mark 16:15

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The Gospel according to Mark 16:9-20 (bonus verses).

Some of the earliest manuscripts do not include this ending of Mark, and it does feel like it was tacked on at a later date, perhaps by someone other than Mark, as a kind of summary of events after Jesus’ resurrection.

But the King James Version (that I grew up with), as well as the English Standard Version (which I use now), includes it, so I’ll highlight it as a “bonus” lesson before we begin the GOSPEL OF LUKE tomorrow.

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Vss. 9-13.

It seems that after the women ran away from the tomb where Jesus had been, Mary Magdalene returned.  Jesus appeared to her.  Then she went and told the disciples that He had risen from the dead, and she’d seen Him.  They were weeping and mourning, and when they heard her testimony, THEY WOULD NOT BELIEVE IT.

Jesus later appeared to two of them, as they were walking in the country (See Luke 24:13-32).  When they returned and told the disciples, THEY DID NOT BELIEVE THEM.

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Vss. 14-18.

After that, Jesus appeared to the eleven themselves as they were eating. He rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart because they hadn’t BELIEVED those eyewitnesses.

Then Jesus told them to do the same.  Be eyewitnesses of His resurrection to others.  “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.  Whoever BELIEVES and is baptized will be saved, but whoever DOES NOT BELIEVE will be condemned.”  Jesus also told them that miraculous signs would accompany them, as proof of their message.

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Vss. 19-20.

Then, after Jesus finished speaking to them, he was taken up to heaven.  (Where He sat down at the right hand of God.)

So they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying signs.

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Yes, this does sound like a footnote from later on, but it’s all true. 

  1. Jesus DID commission them to go preach to all the world.
  2. He did tell them about the Holy Spirit’s coming and how He would empower them.
  3. Jesus did ascend into Heaven before their eyes.
  4. And, according to Stephen’s testimony when he was being stoned to death in Acts 7:55-56, Jesus had “sat down at the right hand of God,” because Stephen saw Him rise and receive him into glory.

 

Reading the Gospels in 2026: 3/4) Mark 16:1-8

Mar4

A 5-day per week study.

March 4 – Reading Mark 16:1-8

Read and believe in Jesus.

“He is risen.  He is not here.”  Mark 16:6b

The Gospel according to Mark 16:1-8

Jesus has been crucified and buried (not by His close disciples, but by two members of the elite Sanhedrin). What irony!

It was a cruel death for our Savior and a devastating shock for the disciples.

But it was a victory for the religious leaders.  They had finally (they thought) stopped an imposter and a blasphemer, a real thorn in their side, and a deep prick to the conscience.   For a few days, they did all they could to keep Jesus in the tomb, including setting a Roman guard, bribery, and circulating a slew of false rumors. But….

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Vss. 1-4.

Remember the women who watched the crucifixion from afar, saw the two men take down Jesus’s body and carry Him away.  They had followed them to Joseph’s tomb, watched them lay Jesus inside, then rolled the great stone over the opening.

NOW, early on Sunday (the first day of the week), as they walked to the tomb, carrying the necessary burial spices, Mary Magdalene, Mary, James’ mother, and Salome wondered who would roll the stone back for them.  Would there be a gardener there, other mourners?

But, miracle of miracles, when they arrived, they saw that the stone had already been rolled back!

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Vss 5-8.

Maybe they thought Joseph had returned to further anoint Jesus’ body. Anyway, they were not afraid to walk right into the tomb.  Once inside, they were totally alarmed, for sitting there on the right side of the slab where Jesus had been laid, was a young man dressed in a white robe.  WHO???

Seeing their alarm, he quickly spoke. “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; He is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell His disciples – AND PETER – that He is going before you to Galilee.  There you will see Him, just as He told you.”

And the women went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing (NOTHING??) to anyone, for they were afraid.

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And that’s where Mark left off his narrative.

Since the Gospel of Mark was later referred to as “the memoirs of Peter,” and Mark was known as “the disciple and interpreter of Peter,”  perhaps it was Peter who ended the narration of his story there. Citcumstances… Time constraints…  We don’t know.

But it seems that either Mark or someone else picked up the pen and “finished” the story, or, at least, made some notes about what happened later.  Verses 9-20 are not included in many Bibles, but they do appear in my English Standard Bible with that caveat.  So… I decided to write one more post in The Gospel of Mark, as a “bonus” study.  I’ll publish it shortly after this one goes live.

Reading the Gospels in 2026: (2/10) Mark 10:32-52

Feb10

A 5-day per week study.

February 10– Reading Mark 10:32-52

Read and believe in Jesus.

“What do you want me to do for you?”  Mark 10:50b

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The Gospel according to Mark 10:32-52

We left Jesus and the disciples on the eastern side of the Jordan River.  They’d just watched the rich young ruler turn away from Jesus.  Jesus told them that riches did not buy their way into the kingdom of God, but following Him and giving up material things was the way to blessing.

Now they were heading west towards Jerusalem.  They would pause for a short time in Jericho, then walk through the wilderness up to the holy city for Passover.

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Vss. 32-34.

Right on the heels of that conversation about leaving all to follow Jesus, He – for the third time – told the disciples that He would “be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they would condemn Him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles. And they will mock Him and spit on Him, and flog Him and kill Him. And after three days He will rise.”

Again, we see no response.  Surely they heard the words. Pain. Death. Resurrection….

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Vss. 35-45.

But it seems it was the turn of the “Sons of Thunder” to ask about the Kingdom of God.  Not about leaving everything behind or about suffering and dying, but about honor and privilege when the kingdom came.

  • “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you,” said James and John.
  • “What do you want me to do for you?” asked Jesus, although He knew exactly what they were going to ask.
  • “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in Your glory.”
  • I imagine Jesus just shook His head at their naivety. “You do not know what you are asking.  Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptised with the baptism with which I am baptised?” 

Jesus, of course, was speaking of the suffering and the horrible substitutional death He would experience for all who would be saved from their sins.

  • Proudly, the two answered, “We are able.”

Jesus probably looked at them with love, these two fiery young men who willingly followed Him. He knew that James would be the first martyr of the Twelve in just a few years, and that although John would live to an old age, he would be tortured and spend years in exile.

  • “The cup I drink, you WILL drink, and my baptism, you WILL experience.  But to sit at my right and left hands … is not mine to grant, but for those for whom it’s been prepared.”

Of course, the other ten disciples were indignant with James and John.  How dare they!  Why did they think THEY were better?

  • Jesus had to calm them all down. “Actually…”He said, “Ruling and authority over others shall NOT be so among YOU.” 
  • He looked around at them closely. “Whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all.”
  • “Even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”  

(I bet that quieted them for a while.)

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Vss 46-52.

They spent a short time in Jericho, then, amid a huge crowd of people, they went out from the city. By the side of the road was a blind beggar, whose name was Bartimaeus (Son of Timaeus).  He heard the crowd passing -possibly coughed at the dust that rose.  He learned that it was Jesus of Nazareth.  He’d heard of the great teacher/healer, and who He was.  Hope rose in him.  And panic that Jesus would pass him by.

  • “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” cried Bartimaeus.
  • The crowd looked at him, not in pity but in annoyance.  “Be quiet!”
  • “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” he cried even louder.

Jesus heard him and stopped. He called for someone to bring the blind man to Him.

  • Now the voice of the crowd changed. “Take heart. Get up; He is calling for you.”

Bartimaeus threw off his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus … following the sound of that kind voice.

  • “What do you want me to do for you?”
  • “Rabbi, let me recover my sight.”
  • “Go your way; your faith has made you well.

And immediately he recovered his sight … AND FOLLOWED JESUS ON THE WAY.

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What a good story of simple faith. And determination.

Since the blind man was named (and was wearing a cloak), it’s possible that he was a known merchant of some standing in the city, who had, for some reason, lost his sight and was left to beg for a living.  Perhaps an accident or a disease had caused him to be blind. Notice he asked that his sight be recovered, as in, found after being lost.

He’d heard of Jesus.  And he believed in Him.  Notice what Bartimaeus called Jesus.  “Son of David” was Jesus’ Messianic title.  Bartimaeus knew Jesus was “the One to come,” and knew if he could get close to Him, he would be healed.

And afterward… Bartimaeus followed Jesus.   No question. So unlike the rich young ruler.

 

 

 

 

 

Reading the Gospels in 2026: (2/5) Mark 9:30-50

Feb5

A 5-day per week study.

February 5– Reading Mark 9:30-50

Read and believe in Jesus.

And He said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.”  Mark 9:35

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The Gospel according to Mark 9:30-50.

Jesus and all his disciples are together again when Jesus heals the boy with the unclean spirit. This demon had been tormenting him with violent and murderous assaults, and the nine disciples alone could do nothing to help.  But Jesus released him and encouraged the father’s small belief.  Afterwards, Jesus told the disciples that this kind of spirit would come out only through totally concentrated, selfless prayer.

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Vss. 30-32.

Jesus leads His disciples (a few elated by the incident on the Mount, and the rest subdued by their inability to help the boy) back through Galilee.  He didn’t want anyone to know He was there, because He had more to teach them. His time with them was growing short. He is heading more and more towards Jerusalem and His death.

For the second time, as they walked along, Jesus said, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him.  And when He is killed, after three days He will rise.”

This is very understandable to us, 2000 years AFTER the fact, but to the Twelve who believed Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah, this was nonsense.  Die?  No, their Messiah was to establish the Kingdom, defeat the Romans, and rule from Jerusalem!  They did not understand! And it seems they especially did not grasp what Jesus said about resurrection.

But after Jesus’ rebuke of Peter the last time He told them about His death, they were afraid to ask about it now.

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Vss. 33-37.

As they walked, some of the disciples were arguing about another topic.  Again, it was related to the soon and hoped-for setting up of the Kingdom by their Messiah. When they were once again in Capernaum and safely ensconced in Peter’s home, Jesus quizzed them about it.

“What were you discussing on the way?”  (Wow, is there nothing that Jesus did not know about them??)

Again, they were silent, which was foolish because He already knew.  They had been arguing over who was the greatest.  Surely Peter was a contender, but the brothers, James and John, were also in the inner circle.  Did any of the other nine think they should be on top, too?

Jesus must have been so discouraged with them.  Hadn’t they learned anything about Him? Had they ever seen Him elevating Himself above everyone else?  Hadn’t they observed the Messiah as meek and lowly?  Sure, He taught the scriptures with authority! Sure, he commanded sickness and legions of demons, and they instantly obeyed Him. But had He asked any followers to bow to Him?

“If ANYONE would be first, he must be LAST of all … servant of all.

Then Jesus picked up a child (Peter’s niece or nephew?) and held him in His arms, smiling and perhaps tickling him.  And looking up to His men, He said, “Whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me, and whoever receives Me, receives not Me (only) but Him who sent Me.”

Jesus would say more on this, but John interrupted Him.

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Vss. 38-41.

“Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.”  (Oh man, was John ever looking for a pat on the head and an “atta boy!”  He thought they had done well.  NOPE.  Also, was this a “dig” on the nine disciples who were UNABLE to cast out that demon?)

Jesus said, “Do NOT stop him, for no one who does a mighty work in My name will be able soon afterwards to speak evil of Me.  For the one who is not AGAINST us is FOR us.  For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will by no means lose his reward.”

Huh?  John (or any of them) said nothing to this rebuke.  Truly, Jesus had a lot more to teach them!)

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Vss. 42-50.

Again looking to the little one on His lap, Jesus said, “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.”

 

Okay, they understood that. But then, Jesus said,

“If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire.”

What??

“And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off.  It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell.”

The disciples must have been stunned!

“AND, if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.  (See Isaiah 66:24)

What were they to make of this?  Surely self-mutilation was NOT what Jesus was teaching.  But sin is serious, whether it involves doing, going, or seeing.  They were to be brutal in eliminating it from their lives.  (Paul would later write, “Present our bodies as a living SACRIFICE, holy and acceptable to God. Do NOT be conformed to this world, but be transformed…  (See Romans 12:1-2)

 

Jesus continued, also thinking of sacrifice, “For everyone will be salted with fire.”

They all would be purified with suffering and persecution – not just Him – like the OT sacrifices that were often accompanied with salt.  Suffering?  Self-denial?  Sacrifice?  What kind of Kingdom was Jesus bringing?

“Salt is GOOD.  Have salt in YOURSELVES. And be at peace with one another.”   

Salt is a good preservative. Let the words of Christ enter and dwell in them (and us), cleansing, cauterising.  Then they will make a difference in the world … for Christ.

And, for goodness sake, STOP ARGUING among yourselves!

 

 

 

 

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Reading the Gospels in 2026: (2/3) Mark 9:2-13

Feb3

A 5-day per week study.

February 3– Reading Mark 9:2-13

Read and believe in Jesus.

“And He was transfigured before them, and His clothes became radiant, intensely white as no one on earth could bleach them.  And there appeared … Elijah with Moses … talking with Jesus.”  Mark 9:2-4

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The Gospel according to Mark 9:2-13.

Jesus and the disciples have been north of Israel, in the area of Caesarea Philippi, where Jesus gives them the hard teaching about His suffering, death, and resurrection (though they seem not to have heard the last word).

And he taught them (and the crowd) that they too would suffer and possibly lose their lives if they desired to follow Him.  Sobering words!

Then Jesus said that some of them WOULD NOT see death until they saw “the kingdom of God come with power.”  What did that mean?   (Pentecost?  Or what was about to happen to His inner three disciples on the mountain?)

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Vss. 2-3.

Six days after that amazing statement, Jesus and his men climbed Mount Hermon. Jesus left nine disciples waiting in a lower place and took Peter, James, and John higher up the mountain. Then, to their utter amazement, terror, and fascination …. Jesus was “transfigured” before them.

What does that mean?

He was “transformed” (partially) from the Jewish man in a homespun robe, into the true Eternal One clothed with the heavenly glory He shared with His Father from Eternity past.  This was “the true Light that had come into the world.” It was radiant. Intensely white. No human could have bleached His clothes to shine so brilliantly.

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(I’ve always pictured this scene like some modern-day superhero, pulling his human shirt open to allow his true character to be seen.  But THIS glory, which emanated from the Lord Jesus, was shining through His robes.  HE WAS the Light.)

(The promise to true believers is that we will one day be “transformed” into the “likeness of Jesus.” 2 Corinthians 3:18.)

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Vss. 4-8.

This vision of Jesus would have been enough, but the disciples also saw the living Elijah and Moses talking with Him.  (Luke 9:31 says they were talking to Jesus about His upcoming death.) 

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(How did the disciples recognize Elijah and Moses? God revealed it to them, just as we will recognize the souls of Bible characters, family members, and even the babies we’ve lost, when we get to heaven.)

(It’s interesting that Moses and Elijah represent the whole Old Testament: The Law and The Prophets, both of which pointed to Jesus and His work of redemption, from Genesis 3:15 onwards. These two will be seen again during the final days of earth, according to Revelation 11:5-6.)

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Peter, ever with an open mouth and an opinion, spoke to Jesus, even though he didn’t know what he was saying.

“Rabbi, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

(I’m sure we’ve all said similar nonsense in our nervousness!)

But God Almighty, the Father of Eternity, interruped Peter’s feeble words by surrounding the three holy ones in the Shekinah Cloud of His Presence.  And speaking aloud,

“This is my beloved Son, LISTEN to HIM.”

(Matthew tells us that when the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces (which is the typical response of a mere human in the presence of God. (See Isaiah 6:5, Rev. 1:17)

The next thing they knew, Jesus, in his everyday clothes, was touching them, helping them up. It was once again a mountain place, and not the halls of Heaven.

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Vss. 9-13.

As they returned down to the other disciples, Jesus commanded them TO TELL NO ONE what they had seen (and that included the other nine) UNTIL He had risen from the dead.

Peter, James, and John kept this amazing incident to themselves (who would even believe them anyway?) but still questioned Jesus’s words about the resurrection.

(Hadn’t they heard his prediction that he would DIE… and be resurrected?  They, like we, sometimes only hear what we WANT to hear, and they wanted to hear about Jesus setting up His Kingdom here and now.)

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Also on the climb down, the disciples asked Jesus about Elijah. “Why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?”

This had been a conversation before, and indeed, the Jews from Jerusalem had even asked John the Baptist if HE was Elijah.  Jesus told the three that “Elijah HAS come, and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it was written of him.”  ***

(NOTE: *** John’s murder “typically” fulfilled the fate that was intended for the OT Elijah, although it had not been “actually” prophesied. The vile, murderous Queen Jezebel vowed to kill Elijah (1 Kings 19:1-2), but God had other things for Elijah to do.  However, when the vile, murderous Queen Herodias vowed to kill John the Baptist, her equally evil husband, Herod, killed the prophet.)

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Luke 1:17 does say that John the Baptist came, “in the Spirit and Power of Elijah,” if they would accept that.  

 

 

 

 

 

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Reading the Gospels in 2026: (2/2) Mark 8:22 – 9:1

Feb2

A 5-day per week study.

February 2– Reading Mark 8:22- 9:1.

Read and believe in Jesus.

And He asked them, “Who do YOU say that I am?”  Peter answered Him, “You are the Christ.”  Mark 8:29

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The Gospel according to Mark 8:22-39, 9:1

Jesus has been leading His disciples outside Israel proper to give Himself time away from the crowds to teach them.  They’ve spent a bit of time to the north and to the east in Decapolis, with a brief boat trip into Galilee to the area of Magdala, where some Pharisees from Jerusalem demanded that He show them a sign to prove His claims.

Then the disciples endured a strong questioning from Jesus about baskets of bread vs the evil of leaven. They were confused.

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Vss. 22-26.

Now they are back in Bethsaida in upper Galilee. Immediately, some people brought a blind man to Him and begged that He heal him. Jesus took the man to a private place. He spat, then touched the man’s eyes.

“Do you see anything?” Jesus asked him.

“I see men, but they look like trees walking around.”

Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again, and when the man opened his eyes, his sight was restored clearly.

“Do not even enter the village,” Jesus commanded the former blind man.

And he apparently obeyed!

NOTE: So why did it take two touches of Jesus’ hands to completely heal the man’s sight?  Lack of faith?  A way to avoid the shock of instant sight?  Two kinds of diseases?  To spend more time with the man? 

Mark just reports this incident; he says nothing about how it happened.  

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Vss. 27-30.

Jesus again leads the disciples out of Israel, way north into the foothills of Mount Hermon, to the villages of Caesarea Phillippi. (This is not the coastal city of Caesarea.)  On the way, Jesus asked them a question.

“Who do people say that I am?”

They told Him about the speculations they’d heard.

“Some say, John the Baptist.”

“Others say, Elijah.”

‘Others, one of the prophets.”

(It’s interesting that all these people were dead and would have to be reincarnated to be Jesus now.)

“But who do YOU say that I am?” Jesus asked.

And Peter answered, “You are the Christ.” (Messiah)

Perhaps Jesus nodded and looked around at the others.  Then He told them, in no uncertain terms, not to tell this to anyone.

NOTE: This was not the time or place to “announce” Him. The people might rush Him and demand that He set up the kingdom right now, as they had wanted to do after He fed the 5,000.  Later, after Jesus’ death and resurrection, He would THEN charge them to tell this to the whole world.

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Vss. 31-33

Now comes the hard part: the truths about Jesus that the disciples would not want to hear, and had not expected to hear from the long-awaited Messiah of Israel.

Jesus began to teach them clearly: “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again.”

What a shocker!  Had they heard correctly?  Suffer and die?  Wasn’t the Christ, the Messiah, supposed to set up His kingdom and throw out the Romans?  This couldn’t be!  Was Jesus testing them in some way?

Peter took Jesus aside and, expressing the thoughts of all of them, rebuked Him.

(Matthew records Peter saying to Jesus, “God forbid it, Lord! That must never happen to you!”)

Jesus, seeing the other disciples watching and agreeing, said harshly, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man!”

Whoa!

Did Peter’s mouth drop open?  Did he step back a pace?

(NOTE: Jesus did not believe that Peter WAS Satan, but he was being used by Satan to once again tempt Jesus away from the cross.  Jesus’s sacrificial death on the cross was God’s plan, and whoever opposed it was doing Satan’s work, even if they didn’t realize it.)

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Vss. 34-39, 9:1.

It must have been quiet for a while as they walked.  As they neared the villages, the crowds once again flocked to Jesus.  Jesus’ mind must still have been on His future horrific work on Golgotha, for He spoke to (taught) both His disciples AND the crowds these hard things….

“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.  For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.

“For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?  For what can a man give in return for his soul?

“For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of HIM will the Son of Man also be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”

“Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death, until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power.” 

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Did Jesus’ words confuse the disciples and the crowd?

Were His followers required then to also suffer and die with Him?

And then, had He stated the opposite?  He WOULD set up His kingdom in their lifetime.

This crowd, including the disciples, was definitely quiet and thoughtful after these words.

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Jesus would be in the villages for six days, perhaps teaching and healing, but then he would take His disciples, especially the three closest to Him, up Mount Hermon for a mountain-top experience they would never forget.

Next time.

Reading the Gospels in 2026: (1/21) Mark 5:35-43

Jan21

A 5-day per week study.

January 21 – Reading Mark 5:35-43.

Read and believe in Jesus.

“Do not fear, only believe.” Mark 5:36b

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The Gospel according to Mark 5:35-43.

Synagogue ruler, Jairus, had come to Jesus for help. He was in desperate need.  His 12-year-old daughter was deathly ill, at death’s door. “Please come and lay hands on her that she may live,” he had begged Jesus.  And Jesus went with him.

But there was a delay.

Another amazing healing.

A woman released from a daily “death.”

And while Jairus waited, anxious and fearful… his daughter faded.

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Vs. 35.

While Jesus was still speaking (to the woman), there came from the ruler’s house someone who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?”

Imagine the pain in his heart. The grief that almost caused him to collapse. The wistful questions, “If only I’d come sooner. If only that woman hadn’t interrupted.”

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Vs. 36.

Jesus overheard the message, although it was probably spoken in a low voice for Jairus’s ears only.  He looked right at Jairus and said, “Do not fear, only believe.”

Jairus had a choice at that moment.  He was to believe.  But whom?  The servant from his own house, or the Teacher-healer, Jesus?

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Vss 37-40a.

When Jesus and His inner three disciples (Peter, James, and John) began walking quickly towards Jairus’ house, the synagogue ruler followed, hope rising in his heart. 

But at his house, the mourners they’d hired (in case) had already begun their loud dirge, weeping and wailing, fists to the sky.  Perhaps Jairus’ hope plunged.  It was true. His little girl was dead. It was too late…

Then Jesus spoke, “Why are you making a commotion and weeping?  The child is not dead but sleeping.”  Jairus’s heart beat wildly. Sleeping?  Not dead? 

But the mourners laughed at Jesus. They were professionals. They had seen death many times. They knew the girl was dead. 

Jesus put them all outside.  Then, taking His three disciples and Jairus and his wife, He entered the room where their daughter lay.  Taking her by the hand He said to her, “Talitha cumi.” (Little girl, I say, arise.)  And immediately the girl got up and began walking!   Everyone (except Jesus) was overcome with amazement!

I can imagine her parents hugging her, running their hands through her hair and down her arms. Yes. YES! She was alive. O praise, God, she is alive!  Our daughter, who was dead, is now ALIVE!” Such joy and celebration. They wanted to tell the world.  

But Jesus strictly charged them not to let anyone know this.  Then, to keep her parents busy and also to help their daughter, He told them to get her something to eat.  (She’d probably gone days or more without food when she was sick.)  

Mark doesn’t tell us, but it’s likely that Jesus quickly dispersed the mourners. They were wrong. She is okay and eating a meal. 

Mark’s next chapter has Jesus leaving Capernaum and going to his hometown of Nazareth.  It seems the miracle of resurrection WAS kept a secret.  Or maybe that’s why Jesus and his disciples left Capernaum for a while. We’ll see what’s next tomorrow.

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( Ponderings:  It’s interesting that this little girl was twelve years old, and the woman with the discharge had suffered her affliction for twelve years. Her illness had begun the year the girl was born, and now it was near the time for the girl to begin her monthly issue.  In a society that honored boys and men, Jesus lovingly took time to touch and heal an “unclean” woman and the “unclean” body of a dead little girl. Another picture of why Jesus came … to ultimately heal our fatal sin problem and give us new spiritual life in Him.  Thank You, Jesus!)

 Now, if I were a historical fiction writer, I would write this story as a book and connect these two “women” in some way.

Journaling through the Bible Chronologically in 2025, Day 347

Dec13

Day 347 – Reading – Acts  24  – 26
Read and believe in Jesus!

Acts 24.

Back to Paul’s story.  So far, he has tried to preach/testify twice in Jerusalem before being taken to Caesarea because of a plot to kill him. In Jerusalem, Paul confessed to being a ROMAN CITIZEN to the tribune in charge.

Now, in Caesarea. Governor Felix called the Jewish leaders to come present their case against Paul. They brought a fancy lawyer, who “kissed up” to the governor before accusing Paul of profaning the Temple, among other offences.

Finally, Paul gets to speak. He clearly shows that he has done nothing to profane the Temple; he was simply trying to fulfill a vow in the correct Jewish manner.  But…. then, like the missionary preacher he was, Paul starts in on his testimony.

  • “I confess to you, that according to “the Way” (Christianity), which they call a sect, I worship the God of our fathers, believing everything laid down by the law and written in the Prophets, having a hope in God, which these men themselves accept, that there will be A RESSURECTION of both the just and the unjust. 
  • So I always take pains to have a clear conscience toward both God and man.”

Then he explained how, while he was completing his vow in the Temple, doing nothing to excite a riot, they arrested him. And again he repeats the offence by which the Sadducees REALLY want to do away with him.

  • “It is about the RESURRECTION of the dead that I am on trial before you this day.”

Well, Felix knew all about “the Way,” having ruled between Jews and Gentiles for many years.  So he puts off a confrontation, saying,

  • “When Lysias the tribune comes down (to Caesarea), I will decide your case.”

A few days later, his wife, Drusilla (a Jew), came to Caesarea.  For his wife’s entertainment or curiosity, Felix called Paul again to “hear him speak about faith in Christ Jesus.”  As Paul reasoned with them about righteousness and self-control and the coming judgment, Felix became alarmed (convicted?) 

  • “When I get an opportunity, I will summon you!”  

Of course, also, Felix was hoping for some “bribe” money.  For two years, he sent for Paul often and conversed with him.  (Oh, what a stubborn heart!)  

And then the opportunity passed. He had heard the Gospel many times; now it was too late. (Oh, seize your chance to be saved now, when you hear the Gospel!)

Felix was recalled to Rome – probably on his mishandling of the Jew/Gentile situations – and Porcius Festus, a member of Roman nobility, was assigned to Caesarea in his place.

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Acts 25.

A few days after arriving, Festus went up to check out the scene in Jerusalem.  The chief priests and principal men of the jews approached him about Paul.  They asked a favor of this new guy – that he would summon Paul to Jerusalem for trial.  They did this because they STILL plotted to kill Paul. (Mind you, it’s been at least TWO YEARS from the original arrest!)

Festus said he was going back to Caesarea in a few days, and for the Jewish leaders to come with him and bring charges against Paul there.  He did, and they did.

Festus took his seat on the tribunal and ordered Paul to be brought.  The Jews brought many, and serious charges against Paul, that they could not prove. 

Paul answered by truthfully saying,

  • “Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar, have I committed any offence.” (This was his ‘not guilty’ plea)

Festus asked Paul if he wished to go up to Jerusalem and be tried there by him. (He did this as a favor to the Jews.)   Then Paul makes a statement that secures his future calling, as God promised.

  • “I am standing before Caesar’s tribunal, where I ought to be tried. To the Jews, I have done no wrong, as you yourself know very well.  If then I am a wrongdoer and have committed anything worthy of death, I do not seek to escape. But if there is nothing to their charges against me, no one can give me up to them.
  • “I APPEAL TO CAESAR!”

Well then.  That’s that.

“To Caesar you have appealed; to Caesar you shall go.”

(End of problem with the Jews.)

Not long after, King Agrippa II and Bernice, his wife, arrived at Caesarea.  And as they stayed there many days, Festus laid out Paul’s case before the king. How the Jews came down to accuse Paul.

  • “They had specific points of dispute with him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus, who was dead, but whom Paul asserted to be alive. 
  • Being at a loss how to investigate these questions, I asked whether he wanted to go to Jerusalem and be tried there. But when Paul appealed for the decision of the emperor, I ordered him to be held until I could send him to Caesar.”

This story caught Agrippa’s interest.

  • “I would like to hear the man myself.”
  • “Tomorrow you will hear him.”

And so, Paul is once again called on to present his story. Festus, King Agrippa, and Bernice (with much pomp), with the military tribunes and the prominent men of the city, all came into the audience hall to hear Paul. 

Festus, almost acting like his attorney, said,

  • “You see this man about whom the whole Jewish people petitioned me, shouting that he ought not to live any longer. But I found that he had done nothing deserving death. (Boy, this sounds like Jesus’ trial before Pilate!). 
  • “And as he himself appealed to the emperor, I decided to go ahead and send him.  But I have nothing definite to write to my lord about him.  King Agrippa, after we have examined him, perhaps you can tell me what to write…”

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Acts 26.

After the king gave Paul a nod, he began his defense.  He acknowledged that Agrippa was “familiar with the customs and controversies of the Jews,” and Paul was glad. 

And so, he began with his own story of being a Jew of the Jews, a Pharisee.  And as all the Pharisees believed, Paul states his HOPE in the promise made to their fathers, of the resurrection of the dead.  THAT is what he was being accused for, by the Sadducee chief priests. (They are Sad-you-see, because they believe in no life after death.)

  • “Why is it thought incredible by any of you that God raises the dead??”

Paul continues his story about being a persecutor of the early church and specifically going to Damascus to put Christians to death (much as the chief priests wanted of HIM now). Paul tells of his meeting Jesus on the way, becoming blind, and being given the command to take the gospel to the Gentiles.went

  • “to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith.”

He tells how he obeyed the vision and how he has gone to the Gentiles that they should repent and turn to God.  “AND FOR THIS REASON, THE JEWS SEIZED ME IN THE TEMPLE AND HAVE TRIED TO KILL ME.”

And as Paul continues, Festus shouts out,

  • “Paul, you are out of your mind; your great learning is driving you out of your mind.”  (Is he now offering a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity?)

Paul counters that he is NOT out of his mind.  The king knows about these things, and to HIM he speaks. None of these things has escaped the king’s notice, for this has not been done in a corner. 

  • “King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets?  I KNOW you do!”

Agrippa answered,

  • “Paul, in a short time, would you persuade me to be a Christian?”

Paul said,

  • “Whether short or long, I would to God that not only YOU but ALL who hear me this day might become such as I am ….. except for these chains.”

Then the king and all the regalia rose and exited the audience hall.  Later, Agrippa confessed to Festus, 

  • “This man has done nothing deserving death or prison.  He could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.“

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But this was God’s way. Paul would go to Rome via a prison ship. He would witness to them aboard the doomed boat, as well as to an island of pagans, before getting to the Roman capital.  God’s ways and thoughts are far above ours, but they are perfect.