Archives

Reading the Gospels in 2026: (3/23) Luke 4:31-44

Mar23

A 5-day per week study.

March 23 – Reading Luke 4:31-44

Read and believe in Jesus.

“I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well, for I was sent for this purpose.” Luke 4:43

.

The Gospel according to Luke 4:31-44

Review – In the last lesson, Jesus announced His ministry and Messiahship by reading and claiming Isaiah 61 in His hometown synagogue.  At first, the men of Nazareth were amazed, but then they remembered that Jesus was “just Joseph’s son” and did not believe Him.  They even tried to kill Jesus, but He escaped.

Jesus traveled about 50 miles to Capernaum and established His headquarters there.

.

Vss. 31-37.

On the next Sabbath, Jesus taught in the synagogue in Capernaum. The men were astonished at His teaching, “for His WORD possessed authority.”

While they were there, a man who had the spirit of an unclean demon yelled out, “Ha! What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?  Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are – the Holy One of God.”

But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent and come out of him!”  The demon twisted the man and came out of him.

All who were there were amazed and said to one another, “What is this WORD? For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out!”

And reports about Jesus went out into every place in the surrounding region.

(The Words of Jesus were powerful and came with His authority.  Just as the Word of God, our Bible, also has power and authority.  It was “breathed out” by God Himself. (2 Timothy 3:16-17) and can teach, correct, scold, train, and equip us for every good work.  It’s true. We can believe it, trust it, teach it, and share it with confidence.  THANK YOU, Lord, for Your Word!  Oh, let us not neglect so great a gift.)

.

Vss. 38-39.

After attending synagogue, Jesus and a few early followers went to Peter’s home. Peter’s mother-in-law was sick with a “high” fever, and he and his wife appealed to Jesus to heal her.  Jesus stood over her and “rebuked” the fever.  And it left her. (Just like the demon in the man that Jesus rebuked. There is authority in Jesus’ words.)   It was such a complete healing that Peter’s mother-in-law immediately got up and served them a simple Shabbat meal.

(As we study through the Gospel of Luke, watch how Luke describes illnesses and healings.  Matthew and Mark both tell of Peter’s mother-in-law, but only Luke says it was a HIGH (dangerous) fever.  And only Luke tells how Jesus healed her.  Remember, Luke is a doctor.)

.

Vss. 40-41.

When the Sabbath was over (at sundown), “all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to Jesus.  He laid his hands on every one of them and healed them. And demons also came out of many, crying, “You are the Son of God.”  But Jesus would not allow them to speak.”

(Yes, Jesus is the Son of God.  Yes, He is the Christ.  But who needs demons to testify for him?  Let those who are healed, and we, who are saved, be the ones to testify.)

.

Vss. 42.

“When it was day, Jesus departed and went into a desolate place.”

Mark tells us that it was “very early in the morning,” and that Jesus went there “to pray.”

(If the Son of God desired a quiet time with His Father, shouldn’t we, His children, yearn for this too?  Healing power went out from Jesus over and over that last evening.  He spiritually battled demonic spirits many times.  Jesus needed the refreshing, restoring communication with His God. Don’t we?  Jesus wanted to thank and praise God, and pray for direction, all things we can do in prayer, too. 

Lord, wake me “early in the morning” to meet with you. What a privilege.

.

Vss. 43-44.

Peter and some others looked for Jesus and finally found Him. They wanted Jesus to stay in Capernaum to teach, minister, heal, and cast out demons. His audience was growing.  The sick and oppressed needed Him.

But Jesus told them, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the OTHER towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose.” 

Yep, He had surely received direction from His Father while He prayed.  He was to go to other places too.  And, so He did, preaching in the synagogues.

 

 

Reading the Gospels in 2026: (3/19) Luke 4:1-13

Mar19

A 5-day per week study.

March 19 – Reading Luke 4:1-13

Read and believe in Jesus.

“Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit … was led by the Spirit into the wilderness…and Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee…”  Luke 4:1 and 14

.

The Gospel according to Luke 4:1-13

Review:  Jesus – the Son of God – testified to by the descent of the Holy Spirit on Him, and God’s voice, and by His own genealogy.  Totally God and totally man with that genealogy leading clear back to Adam, who was formed of the dust by God’s own hands and received the breath of life from He Who IS life.  No wonder Paul calls Jesus “the Last Adam.” (Check out 1 Corinthians 15:45-49)

Today we will see Jesus tested by the same”Snake” that tempted the first of mankind.  But Jesus succeeds in resisting that old serpent again & again by using the two-edged sword, which are the words that God spoke.

.

Vss. 1-4.

In a desert wilderness with wild animals and reptiles.  No food.  Hungry.  Tempted constantly by Satan in all the ways WE are.  (1 John 2:15-17)

#1 – the lust of the flesh

Satan: “IF you ARE the Son of God, command this stone to become bread…”   (‘You ARE hungry, Jesus. I know it. Maybe even starving.  You don’t want to die … now … do you?  You deserve some food.  You have the power.  USE it to satisfy your hunger.  God will understand…’)

JESUS: “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone.”

.

Vss. 5-8.

#2 – the lust of the eyes

The devil took Jesus up and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time (Persia, Greece, Rome, Great Britain, America), and said to Him,

Satan: “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. If YOU, then, will worship ME, it will ALL BE … YOURS.”   (You are God’s SON.  You deserve to have authority and glory… NOW.  You don’t have to go through all that ridiculous suffering.  Merely bow a knee – just one – to ME, and it will be yours NOW.  God WANTS this for You…’)

JESUS: “It is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your GOD, and HIM ONLY shall you serve.”

.

Vss. 9-12.

#3 – the pride of life

And the devil took Him to Jerusalem and set Him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to Him,

Satan: “IF you ARE the Son of God, throw yourself down from here!  FOR IT IS WRITTEN,  ‘He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you,’  and  ‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike  your foot against a stone.'”  (See, Jesus, I know the scriptures too. Here’s a couple you can claim.  Just think, how amazed the people will be to see you walking on angels’ wings!  This is the sign they need!  They will see you as … THE MESSIAH!  Do it!  God is waiting to send His angels…)

JESUS: “It is said, ‘You shall NOT put the Lord your God to the test!'”

.

And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him … until an opportune time.

.

.

1 John 2:17 – “The world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.”

1 Peter 2:9 and 11 – “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”  “Beloved, I URGE you … abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.”

James 4:7-8a – “Submit yourselves therefore to God. RESIST THE DEVIL, AND HE WILL FLEE FROM YOU. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.”

 

 

 

 

 

Reading the Gospels in 2026: (3/17) Luke 3:1-20

Mar17

A 5-day per week study.

March 17 – Reading Luke 3:1-20

Read and believe in Jesus.

“…the word of God came to John, the son of Zechariah, in the wilderness.”  Luke 3:2b

.

The Gospel according to Luke 3:1-20

The last we heard of John the Baptist was in Luke 1:80: “And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.”   Well, that day has come. The Word of God came to him, and John was ready. He immediately obeyed.

.

Vss. 1-6.

Luke sets up the scene in detail for the brief ministries of both John and Jesus, naming the current Caesar (Tiberias), the governor of Judea (Pontius Pilate), the tetrarch of Galilee (Herod), as well as three other rulers in areas around Judea and Galilee. He also tells us that there were two high priests, both of whom would sentence the Savior to death (Annas [the powerful one] and his son-in-law, Caiaphas).

The scene is set. History awaits.

God’s word stirs John, the prophet-like-Elijah, from his recluse (possibly with the Essenes, who might have hidden the complete book of Isaiah in pottery in a cave, known as the Dead Sea Scrolls).

Luke inserts John’s marching orders from Isaiah 40:3-5.  “A voice crying in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way of the Lord’.”  “…and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”

And so, John went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

.

Vss 7-9.

Crowds came out to him to be baptized, and John was not gentle with them.

“You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” (This he said to the religious leaders, according to Matthew 3:7.)

“Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not BEGIN to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham!”

“The axe is laid to the root of the trees.  Every tree, therefore, that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

.

Vss. 10-14.

His fiery words put “the fear of God” into his listeners, and they asked him for help.

“What then shall we do?” they begged him. John answered by telling them to love others. “Whoever has two tuics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.”

“Teacher, what shall WE do?”  begged the tax collectors when he’d baptised them.  “Collect no more than you are authorized to do. (Tax collectors could collect any amount over the required amount for Rome and keep it for themselves.)

Even Roman soldiers came to John with repentant hearts.  “And we, what shall we do?” John told them not to extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and to be content with their wages.

And so, John’s preaching began to soften the hearts of all kinds of people for the coming of Jesus.  He was indeed preparing the way.

.

Vss. 15-18.

His message was so different from what the people heard in the synagogues that they began to wonder if John wasn’t the Messiah himself.  But he set them right quickly.

“I baptize you with water, but He who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. HE will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire.  HE will gather the WHEAT into the barn, but the CHAFF He will burn with unquenchable fire.”

So with these and many other exhortations,  John preached “good news” to the people.

.

Vss. 19-20.

But…..  Herod the tetrarch, who had been reproved by John for marrying Herodias, his brother’s wife, and other wicked things (John wasn’t afraid to hurl scathing reproofs even at a petty king!), locked John in prison. (And later had him killed.)

What a short-lived ministry John had.  But he was a flame for God, a messenger to prepare the way for the coming of the Son of God.  Jesus had great words about him, which we’ll see later.  (Matthew 11:9-15, if you want to take an early peek.)

,

 

 

 

 

Reading the Gospels in 2026: (3/16) Luke 2:41-52

Mar16

A 5-day per week study.

March 16 – Reading Luke 2:41-52

Read and believe in Jesus.

“Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” Luke 2:49

.

The Gospel according to Luke 2:41-52

We ended last week’s study after the dedication of the baby Jesus in the temple, Simeon’s prophecy, and Anna’s testimony. The family then returned to Nazareth, where Jesus grew and matured.  (Luke does not cover the Magi or the family’s flight to Egypt.) We pick up this time with Jesus as a twelve-year-old.

.

Vss. 41-45.

It’s the time of the Passover celebration.  This is one of the Feasts that the Lord required all Jewish men to attend in Jerusalem.  Joseph took his family, including Jesus, who was “about to be a man” when he turned thirteen.  They spent the days of the Festival in Jerusalem, including sacrificing a lamb and eating the “Passover meal” together as Moses commanded Israel when they were freed from Pharaoh’s slavery in Egypt.

The family had traveled to Jerusalem in a larger group of friends/family for both safety and fellowship. After the Festival ended, they all headed back to Nazareth, with fathers and older teens at the front and women and kids behind. In this case, both Joseph and Mary “assumed” that Jesus was with the other.  But He was neither.  The boy Jesus had stayed behind in Jerusalem.

After a full day of travel, when the family began looking for lodging, they realized that Jesus was not with the other parent.  He was not with any of the group’s members.

Can’t you imagine a panic taking hold?  Have you ever lost a child in a big crowd?  Then you know.

Early the next morning, Joseph and Mary set out on a daylong trek back to Jerusalem.  And the following day, they searched the city from top to bottom, asking one and all if they’d seen Jesus.

.

Vss. 45-50.

Finally, they found Him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking questions.  All the learned men who heard Him were amazed at His understanding of the law and his answers.

You wonder what Jesus did during the two nights He was absent from Mary and Joseph.  Did the scholars take Him in?

Of course, Mary and Joseph were astonished.  (But Jesus had done what any child should do when separated from his parents.  He remained in a public place in the presence of trusted adults, where his parents might be expected to find him.)

Do you know that feeling after finding a lost child?  Relief at finding him and anger at his being separated. This was Mary.

“Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress,” Mary fired at Him.

Then came the gentle rebuke by the child to His mother, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”   (It seemed such a natural thing for a child to be separated from his parents in Jerusalem to go to the temple!  And … there was that gentle acknowledgement that Jesus, “the Son of God,” which Mary knew, would be with His true “Father,” in His Father’s house.)

.

Vss. 51-52.

They all left Jerusalem and again headed back to Nazareth.  Jesus was submissive to them, as He should.  And “Mary treasured up all these things in her heart.”  (THE Son of God…  the SON of GOD.  ‘Immanuel,’ Gabriel had said.)

And all that covers Jesus’ teenage years and His twenties is … “And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

.

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.

.

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!

.

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.

.

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: (3/9) Luke 1:39-56

Mar9

A 5-day per week study.

March 9 – Reading Luke 1:39-56

Read and believe in Jesus.

“My soul magnifies the Lord,” Luke 1:46

.

The Gospel according to Luke 1:39-56

The last scripture we looked at told us how Gabriel’s message to the young betrothed Mary about becoming the mother of the Messiah was accepted with humble grace.   “Let it be to me according to Your word,” although Mary had to know the problems that would arise in explaining her pregnancy to her family, and especially Joseph. (As an unwed mother, she could have been deemed an adulteress and stoned to death!)  The news of Elizabeth’s miracle pregnancy cheered her and assured her that “NOTHING will be impossible with God.”

.

Vss. 39-45.

As soon as it could be arranged – probably as a big help for Elizabeth – Mary travelled in a group south into the hill country of Judea, where Zechariah and Elizabeth lived.

As she entered the house and called out a greeting to Elizabeth, something wonderful happened.  Elizabeth’s unborn baby – John – “leaped in her womb!”  And Elizabeth herself was filled with the Holy Spirit.

Her loud words revealed a knowledge that no one had told her.

“Blessed are you (Mary) among women, and blessed is the fruit of YOUR womb!  Why is it granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?  For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.  Blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”

How wonderful for the Lord to encourage Mary in this way.  If she’d had any doubts (and I don’t think she did), they were gone after Elizabeth’s prophecy.  How comforting to be able to talk it over with this “grandma-type” woman.  Mary had probably not told anyone of the angel Gabriel’s visit.

.

Vss. 46-55.

In response to Elizabeth’s praise, Mary’s own heart soars.  The verses that follow are almost a song.  Can you imagine that?  Her words are full of praise to the Lord, and many Old Testament allusions and quotations.   Even as a woman in Jewish society where only the men studied, she knew the Word of God.  There are allusions to the Law, the Psalms, and the Prophets.  What sweet words to the “ears” of God.

  • “My soul magnifies the Lord,
  • and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour,
  • for He has looked on the humble
  • estate of his servant.
  • For behold, from now on all generations,
  • will call me blessed;
  • for He who is mighty has done
  • great things for me,
  • and Holy is His Name.
  • And His mercy is for those
  • who fear him.
  • From generation to generation,
  • He has shown strength with His arm.
  • He has scattered the proud 
  • in the thoughts of their hearts;
  • He has brought down the mighty from their thrones
  • and exalted those of humble estate.
  • He has filled the hungry 
  • with good things,
  • and the rich,
  • He has sent away empty.
  • He has helped His servant Israel
  • in remembrance of His mercy,
  • as He spoke to our fathers,
  • to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”

 

(Perhaps Mary sang songs like this as lullabies to her baby Jesus, too.)

.

Vs. 56.

I wish I knew more about the three months Mary spent with Elizabeth. They must have encouraged each other in the Lord.  Perhaps Elizabeth gave her advice or counsel about her family and Joseph, for when she returned home, “showing” her pregnancy.  Was she there when John was born? Did she hear (when Zecharia could finally speak again) how John would open the way for ministry for her own son, Jesus?

Regardless of our speculation, Mary finally returned to Nazareth “to face the situation.”  WHO would believe her?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reading the Gospels in 2026: (3/5) Luke 1:1-25

Mar5

A 5-day per week study.

March 5 – Reading Luke 1:1-25.

Read and believe in Jesus.

“You shall call his name John… ”  Luke 1:13

.

The Gospel according to Luke 1:1-25

And so we begin again with the “Good News” of Jesus the Messiah … according to Luke.  Luke is the only Gentile to write a book in the Bible (he also wrote Acts).  He writes to Theophilus (“lover of God”), who could have been a real person or a nickname for a well-known (“most excellent”) dignitary.

Luke admits his story of Jesus comes from interviews with “eyewitnesses,” and that his aim is to write an orderly and accurate account of the life of Jesus.  It’s very obvious that Luke’s research and writing were “moved by the Spirit of God” (See 1 Peter 1:21), and are the infallible “Word of God.”

Paul, who knew him well, says Luke was a doctor.  So, as we read through this Gospel, note his interest, more detailed descriptions of diseases and illnesses, and his concern for women.

And although this is the Gospel of Jesus Christ, Dr. Luke begins with the story of John the Baptist, the forerunner of the Messiah.

.

Vss. 1-4.

Luke tells his friend that, although many “eyewitnesses” and “ministers of the Word” have compiled narratives about Jesus, it seemed good for HIM also to write an “orderly” account.  And why?  So that his friend would have certainty concerning the things he’d been taught.”

This Theophilus had been taught the bare basics of Jesus, and maybe he wondered aloud to Luke if it all was true.  Good friend that he was, Luke set down in writing the Gospel story for him … and for us Gentiles who read it as well.

.

Vss. 5-10.

Luke sets out the details to set the scene:

  1. During the days of Herod, the king of Judea.
  2. A priest named Zechariah, of the Abijah division.
  3. (There were 24 priestly divisions, each serving the Temple for a week, twice a year. Individual priests were chosen by lot to actually minister inside the Temple. This was Zechariah’s BIG MOMENT.  See 1 Chronicles 24:4-19)
  4. His wife, Elizabeth, was also from the tribe of Aaron.
  5. Both priest and wife were righteous before God, walking in the commandments & statutes of the LORD.
  6. They had no children.
  7. They were old.
  8. Outside the Temple, a crowd waited and prayed.

.

Vss, 11-17.

And then the action:

Zechariah carefully burned incense on the Altar of Incense right in front of the veil that hid the Holy of Holies. (Yes, he was nervous!)

Suddenly, in front of him, to the right of the Incense Altar, an “angel of the Lord” appeared.  Zechariah was terrified.

(Imagine … in the dark Holy Place, lit only by the Lampstand with its small oil flames off to his left, and some coals in his sensor … Zechariah’s eyes adjusted to the dimness.  THEN a bright being appears.  Yikes.

The being spoke,  “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.”

Surely his and Elizabeth’s prayer for countless years had been a son, but … had he also been praying that prayer as he stood mere feet from the “Presence of God” behind that veil?

The angel continued, “You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great before the Lord.”

Did Zechariah imagine a son who would become a great priest after him… maybe even… High Priest???

He listened to the angel saying that this boy must have the Nazarite Vow on him his entire life.  That meant he wouldn’t cut his hair – except for a holy vow to the Lord – and he would NOT eat grapes in ANY form: fresh, dried as raisins, juice, or wine, and he would not touch a dead body.  “A prophet, then,” thought Zechariah.

There was more.

“He will be filled with the  Holy Spirit… from the womb. 

He will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord.

He will go before Him in the spirit and power of … Elijah.

.

Vss 18-21.

But then, doubt flooded into Zechariah’s heart and mind.  A son at OUR old age?  A great PROPHET of the Lord?  Maybe I’m dreaming.  This incense is boggling my mind…

“How shall I KNOW this?  For I am an old man and my wife is advanced in years…”

Okay, that really angered the angel of the Lord.  How dare he question the very word of God??

“I am Gabriel. 

I stand in the presence of God. 

I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this great news.”

I’m sure Zechariah was cowering a bit by now, perhaps with an arm raised to deflect the angelic ire.

“And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, BECAUSE you did not believe my words, which WILL be fulfilled in their time.”

Gabriel left, and Zecharia stood, shaking and stunned, for minutes. Did he try to speak?  Did he clear his throat and try again?  And again? Did it finally sink in that what the angel had said might be true?  Could it be?

Meanwhile, the praying people outside were getting concerned.  What was taking Zechariah so long to put new incense on the Altar and light it?  Had … he died?  Had the Lord struck him dead for some mistake?

.

Vss. 22-25.

At last, Zechariah came out, and the people breathed a collective sigh of relief. But something had happened to him.  He looked shocked.  And… and, he couldn’t speak!  WHAT HAD HAPPENED?  Zechariah made signs and motions, and finally, they realized that he had seen a vision in the Temple.  But what WAS it?  He couldn’t tell them, because he was MUTE!

Zechariah finished out his week of service and went home.  He wrote out on some parchment what happened (could Elizabeth read?)  He explained what the angel said with gestures and signs, mouthing the words.  Did he tell her that their son would be called John, writing it out clearly?

Then, miracle of miracles, Elizabeth got pregnant!  She didn’t tell anyone else, and she kept to herself in the house.  For five months.  And she gave glory to the Lord.

 

 

 

 

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

.

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.

.

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)

.

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)

.

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.

.

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.

.

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.

,

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

.

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.)

.

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”).

.

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.

.

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.

.

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!

.

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: (2/23) Mark 14:1-26

Feb23

A 5-day per week study.

February 23– Reading Mark 14:1-26.

Read and believe in Jesus.

“I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the Kingdom of God.”  Mark 14:25

.

The Gospel according to Mark 14:1-26

Chapter 13 on the destruction of Jerusalem and the “End Times” was sparked by one of the disciples’ comments about the Temple’s magnificent stones.  Jesus told them that not one stone would be left on another, and in 70 A.D., that’s exactly what happened.  This would be proof that Jesus’s other prophecies about the Antichrist, the Great Tribulation, and His glorious second coming in the clouds would also come to pass.

It was a lot to think about, but the disciples probably promptly forgot it for the time (like they had of Jesus’ 3 times predicting his death and resurrection).  They were still thinking that Jesus would soon declare himself KING, and that they would help Him rule the Kingdom.   Alas…

.

Vss. 1-2.

A quick note that even though Jesus had left the city, the religious leaders were still very angry with Him. They were mulling over ways they could arrest Him by stealth, and KILL Him.  But, they thought, not during Passover, because the people would cause a great uproar.  (Ha!  The best laid plans of mice and men!  Little did they know that Jesus would indeed be arrested and then killed on Passover.  And that the crowds would be the ones shouting, “Crucify Him!”)

.

Vs.3.

This is the only time that “Simon the Leper” is named in the Bible.  Although he still carried the title of “the Leper” to distinguish him from other Simons in town, he had been totally cured, probably by Jesus. (No person suffering from leprosy could come near, let alone host a meal for other people.)

Some have thought that Simon was the father of Lazarus, Martha, and Mary, and that this was HIS house, but that he’d been absent on other occasions when Jesus visited because of his disease.  Regardless of this, we do know from John’s account in chapter 12 that the woman there was Mary.

While Jesus and the disciples were reclining at dinner, this young woman (Mary) came in, broke an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, and anointed Jesus’ head. (John’s account says she also anointed His feet and dried them with her hair.)

This was a total act of love on Mary’s part. She thought nothing of the expense.  Consider:  she had often sat at Jesus’ feet, hearing His teaching;  Jesus had healed her father of leprosy;  and Jesus had raised her brother back to life from the grave.  She had long ago given her heart, soul, and spirit to Him.  What was an heirloom jar of perfume?

.

Vss. 4-9.

What was an heirloom jar of perfume?  Well, it was a year’s wages!! (Think of that amount today for an hourly worker!)  Some of the disciples were indignant.  “Why was this not sold and the money given to the poor?”

Seriously?  The poor?  You KNOW who brought this up.  It was Judas.  He was the group’s treasurer.  He carried the money pouch and paid for expenses (and yes, donated some to the poor).    John 12:6 says of him, “He said this, not because he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybags, used to help himself to what was put into it.”  Tsk, tsk, tsk.  

Jesus, of course, knew this.  And He swung back hard in defense of Mary.

“Leave her alone!  Why do you trouble her? 

She has done a beautiful thing for me.  You will always have the poor, and whenever you want, you can do good for them. But you will not always have Me.  She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burial. 

And truly, I say to you, whenever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.”

Of course, what Judas is about to do will also be told of him whenever the gospel is proclaimed throughout the world.

Did you catch Jesus’ statement?  “She has anointed my body beforehand for burial.”  Again, the disciples didn’t seem to notice.  I mean, if Jesus was going to be buried, it meant He was going TO DIE!   But, Mary, sitting and learning at Jesus’ feet all those times, HEARD him.  And she believed.  And she offered her expensive perfume to pre-anoint Jesus’ body for that burial.  It not only proved her love but also her faith.

.

Vss. 10-11.

“Then Judas Iscariot went to the chief priests in order to betray Jesus to them.”

He just could not take it.  Not only the sight of all that money “wasted” on Jesus, but also the fact that Jesus honored the woman and the act… and at his expense.   He could have HAD that money.  Well…..  he knew where he could get some ready cash.  “Just you wait, Jesus!” he might have thought, as he headed back into the darkened city.

.

Vss. 12-15.

It was the first day of Unleavened Bread-Passover, and Jesus sent two of his disciples into the city to prepare the room where they would eat the Passover meal.  How would they know where to go?  Jesus gave them a sign, like finding the donkey and its mother tied up a few days earlier.

This time, they would see a man carrying a jug of water.   You might think that this would be happening all around the city.  But no.  It was a woman’s job to fetch and carry water.  To see a man doing it would be highly irregular.  So HE would be the one they should ask.  That man would show the two where the room was, and they would set about preparing it for that evening’s meal.

.

Vss. 17-21.

(We will learn much more about what happened in that upper room when we study the other Gospels. Mark is very brief.  “Just the facts,” he seems to say. They are: the betrayal announced and the bread and wine.  And that’s that. (Remember, Mark, is probably getting all those facts from Peter’s point of view.)

And so, the disciples reclined around a spread of Passover food and ate.  At one point, Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me.”

Talk about dropping a bombshell!

They all began to be sorrowful and, one by one, asked him, “Is it I?”   (Isn’t it heartbreaking, that they all believed their hearts could have betrayed Jesus!  We all could, and have.)

Jesus answered, “It is one of the twelve, one who is dipping bread into the dish with me.  The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed. It would have been better if he had not been born….”

The other Gospels make it clear in several ways that it was Judas Iscariot. (We’ll study them one by one this year.)  And Judas leaves the room.

.

Vss 22-26.

Then Jesus institutes “The Lord’s Supper.”  This is what is celebrated in churches today, “in remembrance of Jesus” and what He did for us on the cross.

First, Jesus took up the bread and blessed it. He gave it to them and said, “This is my body.”

Next, He took a cup, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them for all the drink of it.  “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.  Truly, I say to you, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the Kingdom of God.”

(Cups of wine and the Matso bread are common in the traditional Passover meal, even today.  The Jews remember their escape from Egypt, when, with the blood of the Passover Lamb painted on the sides and tops of their doors, they stood dressed and ready to travel, eating the lamb for sustenance.  There hadn’t been time for the bread to rise, so they were eating it unleavened.   Soon, they would be delivered from slavery and become a Nation to God!

This is what the Lord Jesus was purchasing for them with his own blood – deliverance from slavery to sin and Satan, and transformation into the true children of God.

.

“And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.