Tag Archive | faith

Reading the Gospels in 2026 (10/6): Matthew 7:1-6.

Oct6

Read and Believe in Jesus.

“Judge not, that you be not judged.” Matthew 7:1

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REVIEW – Jesus told his followers not to be anxious, worried, or scared about their future supply. Why? Because their heavenly Father knows they need food, clothing, shelter, etc. Aren’t the birds fed every day? Aren’t the flowers of the field wonderfully clothed? And these are tiny, transitory things compared to us humans made in His image. No, keep your eyes and desires on the kingdom of God and His righteousness. Seek to honor God first, and “all these things will be added to you.”

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Matthew 7:5.

“Judge not, that you be not judged.”

Doesn’t this speak to all of our hearts? (It does to mine.) In this passage, judging means criticizing or condemning someone, looking down on them with a superior attitude, and, in the process, usually puffing ourselves up.

“I” wouldn’t ever do THAT!” we say. “I’m not a gossip like THAT woman,” we whisper to one friend and then another.

Oh, my!

Jesus cautions His followers that with the same “measure” we give out judgment, WE will be judged.

(I am sometimes so critical of others that this statement makes me tremble! Thank You, God, for confession and forgiveness through Jesus!)

“Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?”

Jesus goes beyond our inner thoughts, and even beyond voicing our opinion of others. What if we try to help them “get over” their gossiping, or gluttony, or lustful imagining, or snobbishness? We might go to them with “welf-help” books or even point out specific Scripture verses. We may tell them that God will bless them if they stop doing such-and-such…to no avail.

“How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is a log in your own? Hypocrite! First take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye,”

Jesus says we must first humble ourselves and remove those glaring sins from our own lives by true confession and repentance. After that, on an equal level, we can gently lead the person to the way of the cross and to overcoming sin.

Like Jesus, Paul, in Galatians 6:1, tells us how to approach a brother (or sister) in sin. “If anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.”

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BUT! Not ALL judging is wrong for a believer.

In John 7:24, Jesus tells us, “Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.” This is discerning moral and Scriptural truth. (Jesus was speaking to the people and religious leaders who tended to believe “man’s” teaching over God’s Law.

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Matthew 7:6.

“Do not give to ‘dogs’ what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before ‘pigs,’ lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.”

Now, what in the world does Jesus mean by these cautions? Who are ‘dogs’ and ‘pigs,’ and what are your ‘pearls?’

“Pearls” here refer to the truths of the Gospel, the precious message of Jesus our Savior. The wonder of our sin, God’s love, and Jesus’ sacrifice, and the sweet hope of resurrection and heaven. These are the “pearls of great price” that believers hold in their hearts and want to share with others.

But… Jesus says NOT to give this message of hope to “dogs” and “swine.”

If you remember Jesus’ healing of the Syrophoenician woman’s daughter (Mark 7:24-30), you will remember Him saying that it was not right to “throw the children’s food to the dogs.” This gentile woman agreed, but countered that “even the dogs under the Master’s table eat the crumbs that fall.” Jesus was pleased with her faith and healed her daughter.

From this story, we see that “dogs” are what Jews called Gentiles. “Pigs” also represent Gentiles to the Jews, but here speak of all the people who are completely hostile, disrespectful, or closed off to spiritual truth.

Jesus warned His listeners against forcing precious truths onto people who will not appreciate them and may even attack the messenger. (This is a wise caution for us today as we witness the Gospel to our friends and others. But we can PRAY for them.)

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When Jesus taught on earth, before His death and resurrection and the birth of the church at Pentecost, the gospel message was to go to the Jews first. When Jesus later sent out His own disciples, He told them to go to the “lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

BUT, before Jesus ascended, He told his disciples to wait for the Holy Spirit to come in power to witness; THEN they were to go to all the world and preach the Gospel.

Paul’s well-known verse repeats this. Romans 1:16: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”

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Reading the Gospels in 2026 (10/5): Matthew 6:25-34.

Oct5

Read and Believe in Jesus.

“Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness…” Matthew 6:33.

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REVIEW – What is at the CENTER of our thinking, our vision, and our emotions? Jesus said they should be on things “above,” towards the light, and on God.

“Where your treasure is, there will your HEART be.”

“If your EYE is healthy, your whole body will be full of Light.”

“LOVE and serve only one Master: the Lord God.”

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Matthew 6:25.

“Therefore… Jesus connects those “heavenly” ideas above to the down-to-earth worries we all have. He says that if our hearts are devoted to things above, our vision is centered on the light of truth, and we love God with all our hearts, souls, minds, and bodies… then we should not be anxious about anything.

Jesus instructed us to pray simply, “Give us this day our daily bread.” If we pray sincerely and with faith, why should we worry about food or anything else?

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Matthew 6:26.

Jesus tells his followers (sitting on the hillside and us too) to Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are YOU not of more value than the birds?”

As His listeners looked up and spotted some sparrows or gulls, they might have nodded slightly in agreement. “Huh, I never thought about that.”

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Matthew 6:27.

“And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his lifespan?” We today would probably agree totally, and in fact know that anxiety and stress can actually subtract hours, days and years from your life.

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Matthew 5:28-30

“Consider the lilies of the field how they grow…” Surely this crowd glanced around at the flower covered hills, and perhaps even picked a small daisy or scarlet poppy growing by their knee to look at it closely.

“…they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.” More nods as they really look closely at the intracacies of the flowers around them.

“But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?”

Perhaps foreheads are wrinkled in consternation as they consider the velvety petals of the flowers compared to the roughspun material of their own tunics and robes. There’s a bit of doubt there as they doubt they’d ever have robes like Solomons. Perhaps their faith WAS small.

Then Jesus brings them back to His Kingdom.

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Matthew 6:31-33.

Since God takes such good care of His world – from the tiny birds that flit in the air to the fields of flowers covering the hills around Capernaum – “Therefore, DO NOT BE ANXIOUS! ”

“Don’t say, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink? or ‘What shall we wear?’ for your heavenly Father KNOWS that you need them all.”

God knows all of that. Trust Him.

“But seek FIRST the kingdom of God and HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS, and all these things will be added to you.”

Take care of the things God has called you to do… first. And He will take care of the things you need. No problem.

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.“Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness, Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD, trust in Him, and He will act. He will bring forth YOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS as the light and your justice as the noon day.” Psalm 37:3-6

“Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” Luke 12:31.

Again, Jesus is pressing them to look up to the things of God.

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Matthew 6:34.

“Therefore (the third time He uses the word in this section, Jesus is building on each truth, taking them deeper into the heart of God), “…do not be ANXIOUS about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

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But also, we are not to be PRESUMPTUOUS.

James 4:13-14 – “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit.’ Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead your OUGHT to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.'”

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Reading the Gospels in 2026 (9/7): Matthew 1:1-17.

Sep7

Read and Believe in Jesus.

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INTRO – (It’s long, I know. Sorry!)

Matthew’s gospel was the first of the four gospels to be written … at about 27 years after Jesus’ death and resurrection. It is only one of two gospels to be written by an apostle, although many believe that Mark is simply Peter’s gospel as he dictated it to the young man.

Matthew’s account is the longest of the four.

Matthew’s gospel is not written chronologically, so don’t be confused to see some events placed out of order. Instead, he writes the life of Jesus in a series of FIVE themes, each begun with a major speech (or discourse) and followed by narration of Jesus actions or other teachings.

There is also a short prologue and epiloge.

Matthew’s other name is Levi, a name that the other gospel writers use for him “before” Jesus called him. We don’t read of Jesus changing his name, like with Simon/Peter, so perhaps he changed it himself, or he used a second name. Matthew means “gift of the Lord.”

Matthew/Levi was a Publican, or tax collector. He was very wealthy and powerful. People feared and hated him as he sat in his booth at the crossroads and demanded the money owed to Rome. He was considered a traitor to the Jews, working for the enemy.

Perhaps it was a thirst for wealth and defference that made Levi volunteer to serve Rome. After he collected the listed tax for the Empire, he could add however much else he wanted for himself. And he did. His own people got poorer as he got richer.

But Matthew must have had an ache or vacant spot in his heart that the money did not completely satisfy, because when Jesus passed by and called him, Luke 5:27-28, reports that Levi ” left everything, rose, and followed Him.”

Perhaps Levi/Matthew had been hearing reports of Jesus, but it seens that it was the event where a paralytic’s friends let him down through a roof into a crowed house so he could see Jesus that softened Matthew’s heart. For the report was that Jesus not only healed the paralysis, but “forgave the man’s sins.” Mabe that was the deep, deep longing that Levi had too.

Right after this incident, Jesus passed by Levi’s tax booth and said, “Follow me.”

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Matthew presents Jesus as Messiah, and the King of the Jews. He writes his gospel mostly for a Jewish audience. He quotes O.T. scriptures 60 times, does not explain Jewish customs or holidays (because the Jews would know them), he refers to Jesus as “the son of David,” and he guards against Jewish sensibilities regarding the Name of God, rererring to the “kingdom of heaven” instead of the “kingdom of God” as in the other gospels.

His purpose in writing the gospel: to show that Jesus is the Jewish nation’s long-awaited MESSIAH.

Matthew’s opening geneology of Jesus documents Jesus’ credentials as Israel’s KING.

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Matthew 1:1-17

Matthew first refers to Jesus Christ as the son of David.

To David the Lord God had promised a descendant who would reign as king forever. (See 2 Samuel 8:16-17, the familiar Isaiah 9:6-7, and Psalm 89:35-36)

Matthew’s genealogy is divided into three 14-name sections, each either beginning or ending with David. They are not complete lists, but rather show three times/eras. Abraham to King David; King David to the deportation to Babylon; and after the deportation to the birth of Christ.

(If you’ve studied the history of the kings, you will know that because of their horrible evil, the last kings of Israel were removed from David’s line of promise. However, if you check Haggai 2:23, you will see that God basically put the promise (His signat ring) back onto Zerubbabel, the grandson of the exiled to Babylon king to whom God showed favor. Jesus’s Kingly line to David’s throne is then passed along through Zerubbabel’s descendents to Joseph, the “legal” father of Jesus.)

Matthew also begins with Abraham, the founder of the Jewish people.

God also promised Abraham a descendant “in whom all families/nations of the earth would be blessed.” Genesis 12:3. The Messiah.

So Matthew lays out his two purposes, to show JESUS as the promised Jewish MESSIAH, and the promised KING who will sit on David’s eternal throne.

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One other thing to notice: the inclusion of FOUR women in this genealogy before he even gets to Mary. (This is very unusual in genealogies of the time.)

  • Verse 3 – Tamar. She was Judah’s daughter-in-law whom he got pregnant, believing she was a prostitute. (Genesis 38:13-30)
  • Verse 5 – Rahab. She was a prostitute living in Jericho who saved the two Israeli spies, who then brought her into the “family.” ((Joshua 2:1-22)
  • Verse 5 – Ruth, a Moabite woman, daughter-in-law of Naomi who returned to Israel with her and married the rich landowner, who became her “redeemer.” (Book of Ruth)
  • Verse 6 – The wife of Uriah, whom David (yes, our David) raped, took into his house when he found she was pregnant, then had her husband killed to “cover up” his dirty deed. Matthew honors her innocent husband by naming Uriah. She was, of course, Bathsheba. (2 Samuel 11:1-27).

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And now, whew, we are ready for “the Birth Jesus Christ.” 1:18 (tomorrow)

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Reading the Gospels in 2026 (8/11) John 15:18-27

Aug11

Read and believe in Jesus

“If the world hates you, know that it has hated Me before it hated you.” And, “Whoever hates Me hates my Father also.” John 15:19 & 23.

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The Gospel according to John

REVIEW – In the first half of chapter 15, Jesus uses the metaphor of a grapevine to show the close connection He has with His disciples and all true believers. Without Him, they can do nothing. But by remaining “in” Him and submitting to the vinedresser’s wise pruning, they can become abundant fruit-bearers.

Other blessings of abiding in Christ are guidance in prayer and promised answers, as well as assurance of both His and the Father’s love.

Jesus urges the disciples (and us) to obey the Father’s commandments, just as He has always done. And the result of this abiding and obeying and loving others, as Jesus did? His friendship and fullness of joy!

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John 15:18-25. 

Abiding in Jesus and obeying His commands, loving others sacrificially, being fruitful, and being loved and called Jesus’ friends are the bright, JOYFUL side of being a true believer. But there is a dark, hate-filled side as well that Jesus now prepares His disciples for.

“If the world hates you, know that it has hated ME before it hated you.“

“You are not OF the world. I chose you OUT of the world; therefore, the world hates you.”

“If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.”

And note the hatred of the world goes both ways (up and down from Jesus). Because of Jesus’ teaching of God’s words, doing the miracles God ordained, and obeying His Father in everything, the world hates HIM, though they may not realize it!

“Whoever hates Me hates my Father also.

Why the hatred? Because of their sin. They refuse to accept the free offer of Jesus to come to God in faith and repentance, turning from their sin and being forgiven. And so, they remain in their guilt, and hate all that reminds them of it.

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(NOTE: As I (we) well know, feeling guilty and carrying unforgiven sin around makes me very unhappy, resentful, and hateful to everyone around me! Praise God, He has provided a way to be forgiven: confession and belief. 1 John 1:9)

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But it’s worse for the world when they reject Jesus, for God sent Him that they might be forgiven and experience eternal life (John 3:16), and they REFUSED His offer!! (That’s like punching God in the face!)

Because of their sin, the unbelieving world unwittingly fulfilled scripture. “They hated Me without a cause.” (Psalm 35:19, 69:4)

But… Jesus offers consolation to His own.

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John 15:25-26.

Jesus again reminds the disciples that He will send the Holy Spirit to them. He is their helper, the Spirit of Truth, directly from the Father.

The Spirit will bear TRUE witness about Jesus, His coming, His words and works, and His obedience in everything the Father asked of Him. With this precious promise of Help from above, THEY will be able to witness boldly about Jesus.

Yes, there will be persecution and even martyrdom for them, but they will KNOW the truth from the Spirit, who speaks like Jesus and causes them to remember everything that Jesus has said.

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Reading the Gospels in 2026 (8/4) John 13:18-30

Aug4

Read and believe in Jesus

“But the Scripture (Psalm 41:9) will be fulfilled, ‘He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.‘” John 13:18b

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The Gospel according to John

REVIEW – Jesus and the twelve were cloistered in the upper room for the Passover meal with all its rituals. Alone with His men (no servants around), Jesus took off his outer clothes and knelt to wash their feet. The disciples were shocked that their Lord and Teacher would do such a lowly thing, and Peter downright refused to let Jesus do it … until Jesus explained what it symbolized and what principle He was teaching them. Then Peter was “all in.” This lowly act, so similar to Mary’s anointing of Jesus’ feet earlier in the week, must have disgusted Judas Iscariot. And yet, Jesus stooped to do it for him too.

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John 13:18-20.

Jesus tells His men that they will be blessed as they serve others in His name. He glances at Judas and perhaps says quietly, “but not ALL of you.” And then he quotes Psalm 41:9, perhaps looking Judas straight in the eyes now. “He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.“

He goes on to tell the group, as they perhaps settle in reclining positions around the low table, that He is revealing these things, so when they happen … they will believe in Him.

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John 13:21-26.

Perhaps because of Judas’ proximity to Jesus (he reclined at Jesus’ left side), or maybe because of the darkness of evil that was coming, Jesus became troubled. And again in a low voice He claimed, “Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.”

John heard it. John was reclining at Jesus’ right side, and could have leaned back on Jesus’ chest if he wanted to. Peter, directly across the table from John, heard it too.

The two disciples looked wide-eyed at each other, then Peter gestured to John to ask Jesus WHO it was. John leaned back against Jesus so he could speak softly and said, “Lord, who is it?”

Jesus answered just as softly, “It is he to whom I will give this morsel of bread when I have dipped it in the herbs.” Perhaps John gestured to Peter with his eyes toward the piece of bread in Jesus’ hand. And then, maybe they both watched silently as Jesus dipped the morsel into the bowl … and then handed it to Judas Iscariot to eat.

When Judas took the bread from Jesus’ hand, Satan entered into him.

“What you are going to do, do quickly,” Jesus said softly to Judas, and the man rose and left the room.

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John 13:27-30

Most of the other disciples thought maybe Jesus was sending Judas on a last-minute errand, for indeed, he did carry the moneybag. Maybe he was to buy something else for the feast… Or give some money to the poor… Peter and John knew Judas was the betrayer, but maybe even they thought he was on a simple errand. I mean… betray the Master on Passover??? No way!

But, alas…that was indeed just what Judas was intending to do. And when he went out, “it was night.”

Reading the Gospels in 2026 (7/29) John 12:12-19

Jul29

Read and believe in Jesus

“Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” John 12:13 (Psalm 118:26a)

The Gospel according to John

REVIEW – At Sabbath, in the home of Martha, while they reclined at the meal, young, sweet Mary showed her love for her Master by anointing His feet with expensive oil and wiping them with her hair. Jesus accepted her worship, but sternly rebuked Judas, who claimed the oil was wasted on Him and the money much better spent on “the poor.” Jesus knew his heart, and that he had often stolen money from those very offerings for himself, and told him to “Leave her alone.” — Judas, disgusted, soon left to meet with the Jewish authorities to make his deadly deal of betrayal. Worship or betrayal, there is no middle ground.

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John 12:12-19.

Sunday, the day after Sabbath, Jesus sent two of His disciples to procure a young donkey. He told them where it would be and what to say. (Mark 11:1-9)

Jesus deliberately planned to present Himself to the nation in the manner prophesied in Zechariah 9:9. “Fear not, daughter of Zion, behold, your King is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt.”

Whether from hype or the natural celebration of Passover, which often involved the waving of palm branches, the crowds following Jesus and those coming out from the city to meet him cut and waved the branches as they sang Hosannas (O Save us!), and “Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord!”

John comments that the crowds were those who had been with him when He called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead, and those from the city who’d heard about it and came out to meet Him for themselves.

They met around Jesus in a cacophony of celebration! What shouts of praise! What excitement! The title of “King” was picked up and shouted. “Hosanna – Save us!” was repeated over and over.

Meanwhile the Pharisees groaned and said to each other, “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look! The world has gone after Him.”

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It was just as they feared. Did they look around, expecting at any moment that the Roman guard would appear to quell the mob, to end their rule and take over Jerusalem?

“Shhhh!” “Shut up!” “Be quiet!” they cried among the manic crowds.

They even appealed to Jesus. “Teacher, rebuke them.”

But Jesus answered that if THE PEOPLE were quiet, the STONES would cry out. (Luke 19)

Reading the Gospels in 2026 (7/28) John 12:1-11

Jul28

Read and believe in Jesus

“The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.” John

The Gospel according to John

REVIEW – Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. A joyous, praise-worthy thing, right? And yet the Jewish authorities seethed at Jesus’ growing popularity. They called a meeting of the Council to decide what to do with Him. “If He keeps growing in popularity, promoting Himself as King, the Romans will come and take away our place (Temple & priesthood) and destroy our nation. WE MUST DO SOMETHING!” And so they put out a warrant for Jesus’ arrest, planning to seize Him and kill Him. Jesus lay low. But now Passover was approaching. The BIG Question was whether He would show up in the Holy City or not.

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John 12:1-3.

Jesus had traveled back to Jerusalem with His disciples on the Friday before Passover, arriving in time for sundown and the beginning of the Sabbath. They are again staying with His friends in Bethany and eating the Sabbath meal with them. Martha is serving (but not complaining this time). Lazarus is reclining with Jesus and his men at the table.

And Mary, who in times past sat at Jesus’ feet listening to Him teach, is again in this position. However, her heart is overflowing with gratitude and love for the Master. As she kneels there, she breaks open a small, very expensive alabaster jar of pure nard. (Nard is an oil extracted from a plant grown in India and imported, so perhaps you can imagine its fragrance…and its cost.)

(Actually, my fave perfume is from India as well and called Shalimar. It’s sugary sweet in fragrance.)

Mary anoints Jesus’ feet with the oil, and wipes it with her long hair, which she has let down. It is an act of pure love flowing from a tender heart.

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John 12:4-8.

A harsh, brittle accusation splits the air as Judas Iscariot gets to his feet. “Why was this ointment not sold for 300 denarii and given to the poor?”

He perhaps points to Mary at Jesus’ feet, her hair tangled and oily, and looks away in disgust. 300 denarii was, after all, the equivalent of a year’s wages for a common laborer.

(John again adds a bit of explanation to his gospel narrative, telling us that, “Judas said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief! And having charge of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.” )

Jesus knew this, of course, and I can imagine Him looking deep into Judas’s eyes and saying, “Leave her alone.”

Then He explained to the others, “She may keep it for the day of my burial. For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have Me.”

As soon as he could, Judas left the meal and went to the chief priests in order to betray Jesus to them. And when they heard it, they were glad and promised to give him money. (Mark 14:10-11)

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John 12:9-11.

Somehow = perhaps Judas spread the word = a large crowd of Jews learned that Jesus was there, and they came, not only on account of Him, but also to see the risen Lazarus. So … the official Jews made plans to kill Lazarus again. Even now, many of them were believing in Jesus when they saw Lazarus!

Jesus remained the rest of the Sabbath day (Saturday, until sundown) with Martha, Mary, and Lazarus.

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The next day was Sunday … Palm Sunday.

Reading the Gospels in 2026 (7/27) John 11:45-57

Jul27

Read and believe in Jesus

“You know nothing at all. Nor do you understand that one Man should die for the people…” John11:50

The Gospel according to John

REVIEW – Jesus had finally arrived in Bethany. Lazarus was dead and in the tomb for four days. The sisters led Jesus to the burial cave that had a large stone covering the entrance. Martha protested for only a moment when Jesus said to take away the stone, thinking of decomposition. A simple reminder of seeing the glory of God moved her to obey. After Jesus prayed that the Jews observing would finally believe in Him, Jesus ordered Lazarus to come out of the tomb. And he did, amazing (shocking?) everyone. “Unbind him and let him go,” were Jesus’ words, and also His desire for all those enslaved in sin.

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John 11:45-46

“Many of the Jews who had come to mourn with Mary and Martha saw what happened and believed in Jesus.” (How could they not??) But, as we discovered before, the Jews in Judea/Jerusalem had a ‘divided opinion’ about Him.

“Some of the Jews (who also witnessed the dead Lazarus emerge from the tomb) “went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done.”

Sheesh! Did they get any “brownie points?”

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John 11:47-53

It seems very casual at first that the Jewish leaders (chief priests/Saducees and Pharisees) called together the 70-member Sanhedrin, but this may be like calling the Supreme Court of the United States together during the summer recess. (Remember it is almost Passover.)

“What are we going to do?” Someone brings up, “This Man is performing many miracles.” (Yes, like raising the dead!)

“If we let Him go on like this … everyone will believe in Him … and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation!”

(Feel their panic and self-centeredness?)

Then the august high priest, Caiaphas, stands. “You know nothing at all. Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one Man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.”

(John inserts here in his Gospel that Caiaphas ‘did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad.’)

This was the last prophecy from God for Israel.

So from that day on they made plans to put Jesus to death.

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John 11:54

After raising Lazarus, Jesus stayed the Sabbath with His friends, then on Sunday, He went eastward to the region near the wilderness, to a town called Ephraim, and there He stayed with His disciples.

(NOTE: This town is probably Ephron, located 4 miles northeast of Bethel and about 12 miles from Jerusalem.)

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John 11:55-57.

And so Passover approached. Many people were flooding Jerusalem the week before to be “purified” for the sacred holiday.

They were looking for Jesus and asking one another, “What do you think? Will He come to the feast or not at all?” What if He does? What if He doesn’t?

The chief priests and Pharisees had given strict orders that if anyone knew where Jesus was, he should let them know, that they might arrest Him.

The mood was tense; people were watchful and jittery, guards were extra observant, and the religious leaders sat on pins and needles. Would Jesus try something spectacular? Would Roman soldiers flood their streets and take control?

(They were definitely NOT thinking of the meaning of Passover, and how God saved their ancestors from the death angel with a sacrificial lamb, whose blood stained their doors, allowing them to escape bitter slavery to an evil tyrant. )

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2 Corinthians 5:21

"For our sake 
He made Him to be sin 
who knew no sin, 
so that in Him, we might become 
the righteiousness of God."

Reading the Gospels in 2026 (7/23) John 11:17-37

Jul23

Read and believe in Jesus

“I AM the resurrection and the life.” John 11:25a

The Gospel according to John

REVIEW – Jesus and His disciples are away from Judea and Jerusalem and those who wish to arrest or kill Him. They’ve been there for a couple of months. His disciples are feeling safe. Now a message comes from Mary & Martha, who live less than 2 miles from Jerusalem, telling Jesus about their brother’s serious illness. It’s obvious they want Him to come ASAP to heal him. But Jesus waits two days, until Lazarus dies. (Whoa!) His disciples are shocked when He tells them He’s heading back to Bethany now that Lazarus is dead. What happens there will be for “the glory of God,” “so that the Son of God will be glorified,” and “so His disciples may ‘believe‘.” “Okay,” says Thomas with a sigh. “Let’s go die with Him.”

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John 11:17-20

The setting:

As Jesus nears Bethany, He finds that Lazarus had already been in the tomb FOUR DAYS.

He learns that MANY of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to “console” them concerning their brother (but also to spy on them…would Jesus come?). Jesus pauses outside the town. Martha hears He is near, and goes out to meet Him.

(Remember Martha is the older, practical sister; she takes care of the statistics of running the house, she’s planned the funeral, including all the food for the visitors, hired the official wailers, and saw to it that Lazarus was properly buried.)

She is brave and seems in control, and yet she is grieving inside.

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John 11:21-27

“Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” It seems like she might have been thinking that, whispering that under her breath, since the moment of Lazarus’s last breath.

(If only. If only. If only. How many times have you and I said that in regret?)

But… something comes to mind. Jesus HAD healed at least two people – from a distance – while in Galilee. (John 4:49-53, the official’s son, and Luke 7:7-10, the centurion’s servant) He “could have” healed Lazarus from across the Jordan. But… Jesus always obeyed the Father, and THIS ultimate healing would bring glory to both Jesus and the Father.

Martha continued her anguish in a more hopeful, respectful way. “BUT even now, I know that whatever You ask from God, God will give you.”

“Your brother will rise again.” (Jesus told her right then He would raise her brother. She didn’t dare to hope for that to happen NOW, but asked about that “future” Day.)

“I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on that day.“ (Yes, Martha had been listening to Jesus’ preaching. He had said many times that He would give eternal life to all who believed, AND would raise them ‘on the last day.’)

“I AM the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me … though he were dead … yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me, shall never die.”

(WOW, the DEAD shall live, and the LIVING shall never die!! What an amazing promise!)

“Do you believe this?” (Do WE believe this?)

“Yes, Lord. I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into this world.”

(You know, her bold statement was every bit as magnificent as Peter’s “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” Matthew 16:16)

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John 11:28-33.

Meanwhile, Martha’s younger, more sensitive sister, Mary, remained in the house, overcome by her grief. Martha ran to her and whispered, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.”

Jesus remained cautious and outside the town, knowing the hearts of some of the Jews at their home. When Mary heard her sister’s message, she immediately got up and went outside to the place where Jesus was waiting.

(The Jews, sitting with Mary, supposed she was going to the tomb and went out with her, following her. So they observed this next scene.)

Mary fell at Jesus’ feet.

(A comforting place for her – remember she had sat at His feet listening to His teaching while Martha worked and complained, in Luke 10:38-42), and when (later) she would anoint Jesus’ feet and wipe them with her hair, in John12:1-8)

At His feet, Mary cried out the very same thing as Martha. (Had they been repeating this to each other since Lazarus’ death?) “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.”

Jesus saw her anguish. He couldn’t reason with her as with Martha. Mary cried, clinging to His feet in abject sorrow. (He also saw the group of Jews standing off, weeping too.)

And Jesus was DEEPLY MOVED (angry, outraged, indignant) in His Spirit and GREATLY TROUBLED. He saw the unbelief that “said” death was final, that “disbelieved” in the resurrection that He promised to those who believed. He saw the awful evidence, the pain and sorrow of death that SIN had brought to humans at the fall. And it angered Him.

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John 11:34-37.

“Where have you laid him?” Jesus asked.

“Lord, come and see.”

And seeing the stone cold tomb afar off, JESUS WEPT, a silent weeping. He cried, not from Lazarus’s death for He knew He was about to raise him, but out of grief for a fallen world in which sin had caused such sorrow and grief. (His own creation, so mangled by Satan and sin.)

The group of Jews nearby said, “See how He loved him.”

But SOME of them said, “Could not He who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying? (These were remembering that unheard-of-before miracle of Jesus healing a man BORN blind, back in September at the Feast of Tabernacles. (Had that former blind man, saved by grace, become a fiery testimony for Jesus?)

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And YES, Jesus could have kept Lazarus from dying. But, again, He always did the Father’s will, and THAT was, at this time, that Jesus would be glorified by raising a dead and buried man back to life.

This would “picture” sinners even today who were “dead in their trespasses and sin” being “made alive together with Christ (by God’s grace) and raised up with Him to sit us with Him in heavenly places.” This would show “to the coming ages, the immeasurable riches of God’s grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 2:1-9)

Reading the Gospels in 2026 (7/2) John 6:41-71

Jul2

Read and believe in Jesus

“Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life…” John

The Gospel according to John

REVIEW – Jesus tells the crowd seeking a miracle sign from Him before they “believe” in Him … that He is the true “bread from heaven,” who gives life to the world. “I AM the bread of life,” Jesus said. “Whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst,” But it all seems to go over their heads (or rather their stomachs). (This was the first of seven “I AM” statements that John presents about Jesus in his gospel.)

John 6:41-51.

At some point, this conversation/teaching moved into the synagogue at Capernaum. Jesus continued as teacher, but these Jews, who moments before were wanting to make Jesus their king so He could give them free bread every day, now grumble about His claims to be “spiritual bread” sent down from heaven. “Isn’t this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does He say now that He has come down from heaven?”

Jesus clarifies one thing. It’s not their wisdom and understanding that will draw them to faith in Him. “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.” Jesus then paraphrases Isaiah 54:13 and tells them that they must be “taught the truth by God” and, with that learning, they can be drawn by God. By themselves (and ourselves), they could never come to and believe in Jesus on their own. “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever BELIEVES (the word that God has given about Jesus) has eternal life.

“I AM the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. THIS is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and NOT die. I am the LIVING bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of THIS bread, he will LIVE FOREVER.”

And then that statement that began their distancing from Him. “The bread that I will give for the life of the world is … my flesh.”

(Of course we know the rest of the story. Jesus DID give His life, His “flesh,” for the world, so that “whosoever believed in Him might not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) His life for theirs.

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John 6:52-59.

But the selfish, glory-seeking Jews in the audience took the wrong meaning. “How can this man give us his FLESH to eat?” (Among other obvious reasons, this would have been super UN-kosher.)

Jesus doesn’t coddle them. He trusts His Father to give understanding and belief to those He wants to draw toward faith. “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man … and drink His blood, you have no life in you.” (Imagine their faces, aghast and cringing, as He continues.) “Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood HAS eternal life, and I will raise Him up on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood ABIDES in me, and I in him.”

The crowd, as one, has leaned or retreated back from Jesus, imagining the gruesome “physical” picture He was painting. (Yes, there were a few who were getting the Spiritual” meaning, as we’ll see in a minute.)

Jesus concludes his Sabbath sermon with this summary. “THIS is the bread that came down from heaven, NOT like the ‘bread’ the fathers ate and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.”

To us, this is a message of hope, but to these Jews, understanding evaded them, and they did not receive His teaching.

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John 6:60-65.

Many of the crowds of Jesus’ followers now had second thoughts. This was not the great and grand Messiah who would lead Israel to victory against the Romans. This man spoke almost like a crazy man. His teaching was “hard,” and they took offense. MANY turned back and no longer followed Him.

“Do you take offense at this? Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where He was before?

And then this truth for all who are ever drawn to Jesus and saved: “It is the SPIRIT who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are Spirit and LIFE.”

And again, “This is why I told you that NO ONE can come to Me unless it is granted him by the Father.”

John 6:66-71.

Jesus looked deeply at His twelve chosen disciples and said, “Do YOU want to go away as well?”

“LORD, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed and have come to KNOW that You are the Holy One of God,” said Simon Peter.

And yes, there was even one of the twelve who did not KNOW Jesus as the “Bread of LIFE.”