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Reading the Gospels in 2026: (3/12) Luke 2:1-21

Mar12

A 5-day per week study.

March 12 – Reading Luke 2:1-21

Read and believe in Jesus.

“Behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people.”  Luke 2:10

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The Gospel according to Luke 2:1-21

In the last study, we saw the birth and naming of John (the Baptist) and Zechariah’s voice returning. Immediately after confirming his son’s name, the old priest was filled with the Holy Spirit.  He praised God for the salvation He was sending and His great mercy. Zechariah also prophesied his son’s future ministry as a prophet and the herald of the Messiah.

Then we saw John grow and become strong in spirit, and retreat into the wilderness until God would call him to appear in Israel and begin his ministry.

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Vss. 1-7.

And now we return to Mary and follow the details of Jesus’ birth.

          (This chapter is very familiar to believers. We’ve probably heard it read many, many times at Christmas.  Some can probably recite it by heart.  But let’s read it with “fresh eyes” if we can.)

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The Roman ruler of the “world” said everyone had to be registered.  This was so Augustus wouldn’t miss anyone when levying taxes.  And at least for the Jews, who kept records of their genealogies, their ancestors’ birthplaces were mostly known to them. For both Mary and Joseph, the place was the same because both were of the “house and lineage of King David.”  And David was born in Bethlehem.

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(NOTE:  Luke records Jesus’ lineage back from Mary’s line, through King David’s son Nathan (3:31), to Adam.  Matthew records the lineage from Abraham down through King David’s son Solomon (Matt. 1:6) to Joseph, the husband of Mary.  BOTH these lineages were important.

           The line that came through Solomon was eventually cursed because of the last despicable king who reigned until Jerusalem fell. (See Jeremiah 22:30.) Jesus had no genetic connection to this line (other than title) because of His virgin birth.   Jesus, born of Mary, came through the line of Nathan, which had no curse.  Jesus, called the Son of David, would inherit the kingdom from his earthly ancestor David, through the “uncursed” line.)

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Okay, back to the account of Jesus’ birth.

Even though Mary was due to give birth very soon, she and Joseph were forced to travel to Bethlehem (more than 70 miles).  Were Joseph and Mary remembering Micah 5:2, which says the Messiah would be born in that little town … or were they just concentrating on the grueling trip and Mary’s condition?

They finally made it, and while they were there, she gave birth to Jesus in a lowly stable. (All the inns were full by then.)  She wrapped baby Jesus in swaddling cloths and laid him in an animal’s feed trough.

I love this painting by Gari Melchers, which is probably closer to how it was than our traditional nativity scenes…

Vss. 8-20.

Meanwhile, in the hills outside Bethlehem, there was a group of shepherds watching their sheep.  The animals were probably all snuggled down together, sleeping, while the men sat around a campfire that was fast going out.

THEN AN ANGEL APPEARED!

THE GLORY OF THE LORD SHONE AROUND THE SHEPHERDS!

They were VERY afraid.

But the angel (could it have been the messenger, Gabriel?) told them,

  • “Fear not, for behold, I bring you Good News of great joy that will be for all people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior who is Christ the Lord. And THIS will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying … in a manger.”

And then, more wonderfully terrifying, a multitude of heavenly hosts appeared, praising God and saying,

  • “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased!”

And then they were gone, and again it was a dark, silent night.

“Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us!”

And so they did.  They didn’t search inns, but looked for a stable. (After all, the angel said the baby would be in a feed trough.)  And they FOUND Mary and Joseph and the baby … lying in the manger, just as the angel had said.  They told the couple what had happened out on that hillside.  And Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.

And then the shepherds returned to their duties, glorifying and praising God for all they’d seen and heard, as it was told to them.  And everybody who heard their story was in wonder about it.

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Vs. 21.

And at eight days, Jesus was circumcised and officially named JESUS, the name that Gabriel had given to Mary before He was conceived.

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“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believed on Him, would not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

 

Reading the Gospels in 2026: (3/11) Luke 1:67-80

Mar11

A 5-day per week study.

March 11 – Reading Luke 1:67-80

Read and believe in Jesus.

“And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High.”  Luke 1:76

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The Gospel according to Luke 1:67-80

In the last study, we saw Elizabeth giving birth to a baby boy. Since Zechariah was still mute (and possibly deaf), SHE announced his name at the circumcision ceremony.  He would be JOHN.  Of course, the family objected, saying he should be Zechariah Jr.  Nope!

The old priest took a notepad and clearly wrote out “His name will be called John.”  And immediately Zechariah’s speech returned.  Everyone was excited and eagerly listened to his account of all that had happened in the Temple with the angel, Gabriel.

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Vss. 67-75.

And now, the old priest is filled with the Holy Spirit and begins to speak forth God’s words and prophesy.  (Zech is really happy to be speaking again, I think.)

First, he praises the Lord God of Israel.  He recalls all the promises of God from Abraham onward and tells how God has now fulfilled them.  The LORD God has redeemed His people and raised up a “horn of salvation” in the house of His servant David… just as the prophets foretold.

Then Zecharia looks towards his son, perhaps laying his hand on the baby boy’s head, and by the Holy Spirit says, “And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare His ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins.”

And then, “The sunrise (Messiah) shall visit us from on high to give Light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,  and to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

What a benediction!  What a way to end ten months of inability to utter one word!

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Verse 80.

“And the child (John) grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.”

Out in the danger and loneliness of the desert, filled with the Holy Spirit from birth, John probably prayed long prayers and recalled the scriptures he’d learned as a youth in a priest’s house. Like Elijah, he was tough and lived on what the desert could supply.

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How did John know when he would begin his ministry and start baptizing and preparing the people for the Messiah?   

We will get into that in Chapter Three, but if you want to peek, see Luke 3;1-3.

 

 

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: (2/25) Mark 14:53-65

Feb25

A 5-day per week study.

February 25– Reading Mark 14:53-65

Read and believe in Jesus.

“And they all condemned Him as deserving death.”  Mark 14:64b

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The Gospel according to Mark 14:53-65

After the Passover meal, Jesus and his disciples went to the Mount of Olives.  Jesus took His inner three to go apart into Gethsemane to pray with Him. While they slept, He prayed earnestly three times that the “cup” would pass from Him.

What that “cup” involved, we really can’t understand. It was not just the physical pain, nor the degrading treatment and language hurled at Him, but for the perfect, sinless Son of God, it also meant bearing the despicable SIN of all who would ever believe in Him. It meant being judged by God, His Father, as guilty of death.  And finally, brutal execution.

But Jesus had settled it.  By the time Judas led His captors into the privacy of the garden, Jesus had “set his face” towards the cross. For me. For you.

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Vss. 53-59

Jesus was led to the High Priest’s house, and then to where the entire Council (the Sanhedrin, made up of 70 members) could interrogate Jesus in privacy.

(It’s interesting that when they were arresting Him in Gethsemane, Jesus made this statement, ‘Day after day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me.”   Consider now the differences.

  • THEN, it was in the bright daylight; NOW, it was the darness of night, with flickering candles and oil lamps.
  • THEN, Jesus was in the open.  Adoring crowds surrounded Him. NOW, He was surrounded only by enemies who hated Him.
  • THEN, He could walk away (or disappear in the crowd).  NOW, he was shackled between members of the temple guard.
  • THEN, Jesus confounded the religious leaders and made them look stupid. NOW, in their pomp and privacy, they would get their revenge.
  • And it was all HIS choice.

While Peter waited outside in the courtyard (we’ll look at him tomorrow), the mock trial of Jesus began.

The chief priests sought testimony against Him that would condemn Him to death.  But alas, they found none.  They did find two men who claimed Jesus said He would destroy the temple and build it again in three days. But even they couldn’t agree.  According to the letter of the law (Deuteronomy 17:6, 19:15), at least two witnesses had to exactly agree.

(NOTE:  If you want to read what Jesus REALLY said, see John 2:18-22)

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Vss. 60-65,

And now it was nearing dawn.  Frustrated at not being able to charge Jesus with a crime, the High Priest stood up and asked Jesus, “Have you no answer to make?  What is it that these men testify against you?” 

Silence.

Finally, the High Priest demanded, “ARE YOU THE CHRIST, THE SON OF THE BLESSED?”

“I am,” Jesus said. (Why did they not fall back in fear at the covenant Name of God?  I AM = Yahwey)

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Then Jesus continued, quoting from Daniel 7:13-14,

“You will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of Heaven.”

This was a direct claim to be the Messiah and the Son of God.

And the High Priest of Israel recognized it.

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He tore his garments.  (a ceremonial and here, a contrived display of grief and indignation at someone dishonoring God’s name.)

“What further witnesses do we need?  You have heard His blasphemy. What is your decision?” Caiaphus asked the court.

“Guilty!  Death!”  was the unanimous answer.

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And they began to spit on Him.

They covered His face, hit Him, and demanded that He “prophesy” who hit Him.

The guards struck Him with blows from their fists.

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And so it begins.  The horrendous work Jesus came to do for you and me.  To save us.

 

 

 

 

Reading the Gospels in 2026: (2/24) Mark 14:27-52

Feb24

A 5-day per week study.

February 24– Reading Mark 14:27-52.

Read and believe in Jesus.

“The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”  Mark 14:38

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The Gospel according to Mark 14:27-52

In the last reading, Jesus and the disciples have eaten the Passover meal, possibly in the home of John Mark’s family.  The disciples were shocked to learn that a traitor was among them, and Judas went out.

Jesus then instituted the Last Supper remembrance, stating that the bread represented His body, which He was giving for them, and that the wine represented His blood of the new Covenant, “poured out for many.”

Then they sang the closing song/psalm of the Passover order (Psalm 118) and went out of Jerusalem into the cool darkness of the Mount of Olives.

(A young man, aroused from his bed and with only a night sheet wrapped around him, followed them to watch and listen.  This is commonly thought to have been the teenage John Mark, this book’s author.)

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Vss. 27-31.

Out of the quiet, Jesus suddenly quotes Zechariah 13:7.  “You will all fall away, for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’  But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.”

Peter immediately challenges Jesus’ words.  “Even though they ALL fall away, I will not!”  (Ahhh, Peter…)

Jesus replied, with love and sadness, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me THREE times.”

“If I must DIE with You, I WILL NOT deny You,” Peter disagreed emphatically.

I think Jesus must have sighed hugely as he turned to walk towards the place called Gethsemane (“oil press”).

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Vss. 32-42.

These verses record Jesus’ agonized but submissive prayer to His Father on the eve of the horrendous ordeal he was about to face.  (We can’t even imagine.)

Jesus tells eight of the disciples to stay where they are while He goes a little way off to pray.  He signals for Peter, James, and John to follow Him.  It’s obvious that Jesus is “greatly distressed and troubled,” but they say nothing.

“My soul is very sorrowful, even to death,” Jesus says. (Do they even hear Him?)

“Remain here and watch,” He tells the three and goes a little farther into the darkness.  The three settle onto the ground, gradually reclining….

Jesus falls prone onto the ground and earnestly prays. “Abba…  Father,  all things are possible for You.  Remove this cup from me!”  And then, “Yet not what I will, but what You will.”

Jesus slowly gets to his feet and returns to where He left His three closest disciples.  They are not “watching” or praying.  They are sleeping. Yes, sure, it’s late, and their bellies are full of food and wine, but….  (Well, this is probably what you and I would be doing too.)

To Peter, who vowed he would not leave Jesus and would die with Him… but could not pray with Him… Jesus said, “Simon! (He uses the disciple’s “old” name). Are you asleep? Could YOU not watch one hour?  Watch and pray, that you may ot enter into temptation.  The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Then Jesus returned to his lonely place, fell to the ground, and prayed the same words. (Request and submission.)

When He returned to His special three… He again found them sleeping and embarrassed into silence when Jesus spoke to them.

Finally, for the third time, Jesus went and prayed in anguish, settling His determination to carry out the plan for sinful man’s salvation that He and the Father had made, even before creation.  THIS is why He had left Heaven’s glory. He would drink “the cup” to the bitter dregs.

Returning to the sleeping three and the others, Jesus announced, “It is enough.  The hour has come.  The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.  Get up, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”

And so it begins, the very thing Jesus had warned them about three times. Still, they are stunned at what is happening.

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Vss. 43-50.

And there they were … a crowd with swords and clubs from the chief priests, scribes, and elders … led by Judas.  The betraying disciple walked right up to Jesus and said, “Rabbi!”  taking Jesus by the shoulders and kissing Him.

It was the pre-set sign, so that, in the dark, the maddening crowd of armed men would know which one to seize.  They came and grabbed Jesus.

(Did Judas step back and smile with satisfaction?  Or, did he start to realize the horror he had begun?)

One of the disciples (John names him in his gospel. It was Peter.) drew his short sword and struck the servant of the high priest and … cut off his ear! (Surely, he meant to kabosh the man’s skull.)  Luke tells us in his gospel that Jesus scolded Peter and healed the servant’s ear. Jesus wanted no trouble for the disciples (the good Shepherd laying down His life for His sheep).  And, in fact, they all ran away after that.

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Vss. 51-52.

Three ran a little way, then came back to observe, hiding here and there among the olive trees.  John, with Peter behind, watched and followed at a distance to see where they were taking Jesus.

Another, “a young man” who was surely the curious teen, John Mark, followed a bit too closely.  One of the guards saw him and grabbed his sheet.  John Mark slipped out of it and ran away … naked.   Oops!

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And so it begins. The multiple trials of Jesus, with abuse, mockery, and torture, all culminating in the crucifixion. In the next chapter, we will be glad that Mark wrote so succinctly in his gospel.  We will get more details as we read Luke and Matthew.

Reading the Gospels in 2026: (2/11) Mark 11:1-11

Feb11

A 5-day per week study.

February 11– Reading Mark 11:1-11

Read and believe in Jesus.

“Hosanna!  Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!  Hosanna in the highest!”  Mark 11:9b-10

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The Gospel according to Mark 11:1-11

Last time, we saw Jesus and His disciples moving from east of the Jordan River, through Jericho, stopping to heal blind Bartimaeus, and then going “on the way.”  This means “towards Jerusalem” (and His death, which He’s been foretelling to His disciples for months).  The crowds are still with Him, and many others are heading towards the Holy City too for the upcoming Passover Celebration in less than a week.

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Vss. 1-3

Bethphage and Bethany (where Mary & Martha lived) were on the east slope of the Mount of Olives, which stands just before Mt Zion, on which Jerusalem is built.   Jesus tells two of his disciples to go into “the village in front of you,” (probably Bethphage).  (I wonder which two He sent…)

Anyway, they would immediately find a colt tied up. (Matthew mentions that its mother was also there.)  They were to untie it (them) and come back to Jesus.  If anyone asked what they were doing, they were to say simply, “The Lord needs it.”

And so it happened.

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Vss 4-10.

Many of the crowds witnessed this and wondered.  What was Jesus doing?  Some began thinking of, and maybe quoting, the scriptures, especially when a cloak was thrown over the back of the colt, and Jesus mounted it.

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  • Zechariah 9:9 – “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!  Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is He, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey!”
  • Isaiah 62:11 – “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your salvation comes; behold, His reward is with Him, and His is recompense before Him.'”
  • Psalm 118:25b-25a – “Save us (Hosanna), we pray, O LORD!  O LORD, we pray, give us success!  Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!”

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They began cutting palm and other branches, waving them and laying them down with their cloaks, on the road before Jesus: a colorful, leafy green path to the Holy City.  (Jesus, with the steady hands of its creator, calmed the young colt in this chaos.)

The whispered verses from before were said aloud, then shouted with joy.  He IS the king!  THEY KNEW IT from when He fed the multitude in Galilee! And here He was entering the city to be crowned… to free Israel from oppression!  Hallelujah!  “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!” Hosannah!  Hosanna in the Highest!”

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(Luke 19:39-40 tells of some Pharisees coming to Jesus as he approached the city and demanding that He stop the crowds from saying these things. Jesus answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”)

(Luke 19:41-44 also mentions Jesus weeping as He nears Jerusalem. He foresees the time when the Holy City is destroyed, it and its people… “because you did not know the time of your visitation.”)

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Vs. 11.

Inside the city, Jesus dismounted and sent the donkeys back to their owner.  The crowds watched or went their own way.  With kingly authority, He went to the temple, “and looked around at everything.”  

Jesus inspected the buildings and the grounds, missing nothing…. including the noisy moneychangers and merchants, the loud animals and birds, and their messes… in the Temple.

It was late, so He and the disciples went back to Bethany.  But He would be back the next day… and they had better watch out.

 

Reading the Gospels in 2026: (2/6) Mark 10:1-16

Feb6

A 5-day per week study.

February 6– Reading Mark 10:1-16

Read and believe in Jesus.

“Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter in.”  Mark 10:15

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The Gospel according to Mark 10:1-16.

Vulnerable people: unwanted wives, little children.  Who will love and care for them? Are adult men the only ones suitable for the Kingdom?   Jesus teaches otherwise.

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Vss. 1-2.

Jesus and the disciples now move south into the region of Judea, then east across the Jordan River. This area is the jurisdiction of Herod Antipas (who murdered John the Baptist). Crowds flocked to Him as usual, and He taught them.

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Vss. 3-12.

Some Pharisees came from Jerusalem to “test” or “trap” Jesus. The posed the question, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?”  

This is not a question THEY really wanted to know the answer to, for they had well made up their minds already.  There were two schools of thought among the famed rabbis about divorce.  1) Divorce was allowed for ANY reason. (The wife was a bad cook, or the man found another, more desirable woman, etc.)   Or, 2) Divorce was allowed ONLY in the case of her adultery.   The Pharisees thought Jesus would side with one group, angering the other.

Jesus would NOT be trapped by any of their trick questions.  He asked one in return. ‘What did Moses command you?”  Jesus did not abide by rabbinical interpretations, but by the Scripture alone.

They piously answered, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away.”  (See Deuteronomy 24:1-4).

Jesus agreed and told them why.  “Because of your HARDNESS OF HEART, he wrote you this commandment.”  (Because otherwise, men who were dissatisfied with their wives could simply (and cruelly) send them away with no home or financial protection. That “certificate” served as her formal release from the marriage, and allowed her to remarry, assuming she was not guilty of immorality.)

Jesus then quotes Genesis 1:27 and 2:24.  “But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.”  and  “Therefore, a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. So they are no longer two but one flesh.” 

Regarding His stand on divorce as the Creator, Jesus says, “What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”

Jesus had not answered the Pharisee’s trick question.  He had sided with neither of the extolled rabbis.  He, as the Son of God, spoke with divine authority.  The Jewish leaders had nothing to say in return. (Foiled again!)

But later, in the privacy of the house where they were staying, Jesus answered the disciples’ question.  He told them that whoever divorces his wife (or her husband) and marries another person commits adultery. (Because in God’s sight, they are still one with the first spouse.)

In the times when women were often considered merely as “chatel”, this was God’s hand of Fatherly care and protection on those who were also created in His image.  Praise God!

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Vss 13-16.

Later, when Jesus was again outside, teaching and healing, parents brought their little children (Luke calls them “infants”, 18:15) to Him so He could lay His hand on them and bless them. (A practice parents often did with prominent rabbis.)  The self-important disciples rebuked these parents and tried to send them away. (THIS, after Jesus had just recently told them, “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me…” See Mark 9:37.)

Jesus was indignant with their actions.  He told them, “LET the children come to me, do NOT hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God.  Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child, shall not inherit it.”

Then Jesus tenderly took them into His arms and blessed them.  (What a glorious sight for these parents, and us!)

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(When we feel insignificant in God’s kingdom, perhaps useless, impotent, and helpless, these words of Jesus should encourage us.  God cares for each one of us! )

 

 

 

Reading the Gospels in 2026: (1/29) Mark 7:24-37

Jan29

A 5-day per week study.

January 29 – Reading Mark 7:24-37.

Read and believe in Jesus.

“And He entered a house and did not want anyone to know, yet He could not be hidden.” Mark 7:24b

After the open confrontation with the Pharisees and scribes about the washing of hands, Jesus gave a simple explanation to the people and further details to His disciples in private about what actually defiled a person.

Then he left the city.  He even left Israel, walking far up the coast into what is today Lebanon.  Jesus probably wanted quiet time to rest and further prepare His disciples.  He did not plan any ministry there.

But our Lord always responds to faith.

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Vss. 24-30. (with verses from Matthew 15:22-25)

Jesus barely had time to take a breath when a Canaanite woman approached Him, crying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.“

(NOTE: “Son of David” was a Messianic title, so she definitely had heard about Jesus.) 

Jesus did not answer or pay any attention to her, but she kept up her crying. 

The disciples asked Jesus to “Send her away!“

Finally, Jesus spoke, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

But she came and knelt at His feet. “Lord, help me.“

“Let the children be fed first, for it is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs,” Jesus said, not unkindly.

“Yes, Lord,” she said. “Yet even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.”

This unusual conversation was Jesus testing the Gentile woman’s faith, seeing it grow with each statement she made. 

Yes, it was Jesus’ responsibility to offer God’s blessings of redemption and salvation to the Jews first.  Yes, the Gentiles would be offered salvation later as well. (Jesus commanded the disciples to go and preach to all the world after His Resurrection.)  

And Jesus did not use the word for “dogs” that the Jews used in a derisive way towards Gentiles. He used the word for children’s “pets” or “puppies.”

Jesus answered her persistence, “For this statement, you may go your way; the demon has left your daughter.”

‘”O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” (Matthew)

She went home and found the child lying in bed, the demon gone!

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Vss. 31-37.

“Then He returned from the region of Tyre and went through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis.”

If you have a Bible Map, you will see that Jesus did have some time alone with his disciples, though it might have been while walking, hiking, or camping out.  Jesus first went from Tyre to Sidon (about 20 miles north).  From there, He went east through the low mountains and crossed the Jordan River.  Then he went south along the eastern shore of Galilee down to the area of Decapolis (Ten Cities). 

It was in this “Greek/Gentile” area that the demoniac (remember the man with a legion of demons Jesus cast into the pigs?) went and told everyone about how Jesus delivered and saved him.

And the people brought to Jesus a man who was both deaf and a mute, begging Him to lay His hands on him and heal him.

Jesus took the man aside privately (hoping to avoid crowds?).  Using His own kind of sign language to show the man what He was going to do, Jesus put His fingers into the man’s ears, and after wetting his fingers with spit, touched his tongue. 

Jesus said, “Be opened!” (in Aramaic) and instantly the man could hear and speak. 

Jesus told them NOT to tell anyone about the healing. (yeah, right!)  This also was Gentile territory, and He’d healed another Gentile. But Jesus’ intention was not to have a public ministry among them. 

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(NOTE: Chapter 8 says Jesus once again has a great crowd gathered around him. It’s here that He again multiplies bread and fish to feed 4,000.  This may have been while they were still in Decapolis, after the deaf-mute man was healed.)

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I am so thankful that Jesus lovingly healed these two Gentiles, since it showed that His heart was for “us” too.  Our time would come, and it did.  Praise God.

 

Reading the Gospels in 2026: (1/22) Mark 6:1-12.

Jan22

 A five-day-per-week study

January 22 – Reading Mark 6:1-12

Read and believe in Jesus. 

“And Jesus marveled because of their unbelief.” Mark 6:6

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The Gospel according to Mark 6:1-12.

After raising Jairus’ daughter from the dead, to keep the crowds from growing even larger and pressing Him so He couldn’t teach or minister, Jesus took His disciples 50 miles SW to His hometown of Nazareth. It was small and of little importance, and most of the crowds would not follow Him there.

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Vss. 1-6.

On the Sabbath, they went into the local synagogue, and Jesus began to teach. Many who heard Him were “astonished.”

In the synagogue in Capernaum, the people who heard Jesus were also “astonished” at his teaching.  To them, “he taught as one who had authority, and not as the scribes.”  (See Mark 1:22)

Not so in Jesus’ hometown.  Notice the questions that came from the people of Nazareth after their astonishment at His teaching….

  • Where did this man get these things?
  • What is the wisdom given to Him?
  • How are such mighty works done by His hands?
  • Is not this the carpenter?
  • The son of Mary? *
  • The brother to James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? **
  • The brother to his sisters?
  • “And they took offense at Him.”

Unbelief, pure and simple.  

And Jesus acknowledged it.  He told them, “A prophet is not without honor … except in his hometown, and among his relatives, and in his own household.”

Jesus could do no miracles there except that He laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them.

How sad. This town missed out on the huge blessings of Kingdom teaching and miracles … just because they would not accept Jesus for His claims (and Mary’s) 

So, Jesus went about among other villages teaching.

 

*Note: Calling Jesus the ‘son of Mary’ was degrading. Usually, a man was named after his father. (Simon, son of Jonah, James & John, the sons of Zebedee). With this title, they were saying they knew Jesus was conceived by a woman who was not married.)

**Note: Of Jesus’ brothers, James and Judas (Jude) did finally believe in Him and were saved.  James became the leader of the Jerusalem church and wrote the book of James. Judas also wrote the book of Jude and ministered in Galilee.  But now?  Now these brothers teased Him about his “visions of grandeur.”

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Vss. 7-12.

Away from Nazareth with its unbelief and Capernaum with its massive crowds, Jesus began another teaching exercise for the ‘Twelve.” He would send them out in pairs into the towns and villages in the area. And He gave them authority over unclean spirits. (Jesus had all authority, to give to whom He would).

There were requirements for their experience that would prepare them for later missionary work, when they would take the Gospel throughout the known world.

  • They were to take nothing except a staff – used for walking and protection against criminals and wild animals.
  • They were to take no food, no normal traveling sack, and no money. (This would be a faith-builder.)
  • They were to wear sandals, but only one tunic, so they could identify with the common people. (Those with comparative wealth would wear two tunics.)
  • They were to remain in the first house they approached that welcomed them for the duration of their stay. (Even if the neighbor had better accommodations or yummier food!)
  • If any home or town would not receive them, they were to “shake off the dust from their feet” as they left. This would show that the people had rejected Jesus and the gospel, and that they were rejected by the Lord.

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It’s interesting that Jesus chose the pairs of men to send out to different communities.

Don’t you wonder who made up those six teams?   Did the two sets of brothers go together, or did Jesus choose a fisherman with a scholar?  Did He send the tax collector out with the Roman-hating Zealot?  Who was sent with Judas Iscariot?

Jesus knew their hearts.  They each would be learning from the other and adjusting to circumstances every day.

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And so these men went out and proclaimed that people should repent. 

Did Jesus do the same, or did He go to a quiet place and spend days fasting and praying to His father for them, and for His own gruesome mission?

 

 

 

 

Reading the Gospels in 2026: (1/19) Mark 5:1-20

Jan19

A 5-day per week study.

January 19 – Reading Mark 5:1-20.

Read and believe in Jesus.

“Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you.” Mark 5:19b

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The Gospel according to Mark 5:1-20

First, Jesus was “mobbed” by the crowds seeking healing. Then He taught the parable of the soils, and it seems the crowd disappeared. Next, Jesus spoke to His own followers, explaining the parables and why He would use them to teach.  And when He decided to go to the quiet of the other side of the lake, the disciples saw the creative power and majesty of Jesus as He calmed the fierce wind and sea with His word. 

“Who then is this, that even the wind and sea obey Him?” they asked each other.

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Vss. 1-6.

Arriving at the Eastern side of the Sea of Galilee, in the country of the Gerasenes, when Jesus had barely stepped off the boat, immediately a “crazy” man ran towards Him.  (It seems the disciples remained in the boat, taking it all in.)

First, a raging sea and now a raging man, for indeed the man was tormented and out of his mind. He was filled with so many demons you couldn’t even count them!

Facts:

  • He lived among the tombs.
  • No one could bind him, not even with chains.
  • He broke off shackles and chains like they were threads.
  • No one had the strength to subdue him.
  • Day and night, among the tombs and on the mountains, he was always screaming and cutting himself.

And yet he ran towards Jesus and fell down before Him. (Only in Jesus is there hope for this man.)

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Vss 7-13.

The voices of the many demons spoke through the man’s lips, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?”

Jesus: “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit.”

Demons (through the man’s mouth):  “I beg you by God, do not torment me!”

Jesus: “What is your name?”

Demons: “‘Legion,’ for we are many.”  (NOTE: A Roman legion is made up of 6,000 infantrymen.)  “We beg You, don’t send us out of the country. Send us… into those pigs!”

Jesus: “GO!”

All the demons were instantly transported into the large herd of pigs on the hillside.  The whole herd went instantly mad and plunged down the hill and over the cliff into the sea, where they all drowned.

(NOTE: Don’t, like me, question the sovereignty of the Son of God in this matter.  If nothing else, that huge herd of swine going mad was a picture to the man of what he had been ‘saved’ from.)

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Vss. 14-17.

The swineherds, the men, ran away. They told what happened in the city and all over the countryside. And people came out to see what had happened. 

What did they see?  (Not pigs, that’s for sure.)

They saw the formerly tormented man sitting there, clothed and in his right mind.  And the people were TERRIFIED! (NOT relieved. NOT happy. NOT praising God.)  No, they begged Jesus, “Go away, Jesus!  Leave our region!”

And Jesus complied. 

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Vss. 14-20.

As He was stepping back into the boat, the man came to Him and begged to go with them. But at this time, Jesus was discipling only Jewish men.  (Later Gentiles would join His sheep, but not now.) 

Instead, Jesus commissioned the man to be a “missionary” in his own hometown and to his family and former friends.  “Go, tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how He has had mercy on you.”

And the freed man obeyed.  “He went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis (Ten Greek-influenced Cities east of the Jordan River) how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone who heard him marveled.

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(Jesus knew when He got into the boat with His disciples at Capernaum, that this tormented man would be awaiting them. Perhaps that’s why that fierce storm came, and the disciples called out, “Don’t you care if we perish?”  YES, Jesus cared.  And He cared about this demon-possessed man who was also “pershing”. 

Perhaps the disciples needed to see Jesus’ command of the wind and sea so they wouldn’t completely ‘lose it’ when they saw the man screaming and running towards their boat.  Jesus’ control and calm words over a ‘legion of demons’ were the same as they’d witnessed during the storm. 

Who is this, then?  Truly, the Son of God.