Tag Archive | faith

Reading the Gospels in 2026: (2/9) Mark 10:17-31

Feb9

A 5-day per week study.

February 9– Reading Mark 10:17-31

Read and believe in Jesus.

“What must I do to inherit eternal life?”  Mark 10:17b

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The Gospel according to Mark 10:17-31

Last time, Jesus taught about divorce, man’s hardness of heart, and adultery. Then He gathered up children into His arms and taught that His Kingdom was made up of such tender souls as these, who openly desired and received Him.  His disciples were confused.  They will be even more confused after the encounter they watched in today’s reading.

(NOTE: Having a list of the ten commandments before you today might be helpful. Exodus 20.)

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Vss. 17-18

The man who met Jesus today is the kind of person that society admires and envies.  He is generally referred to as “the rich young ruler.”  Think about that.  He had mega wealth.  He had youth.  He had power. He had it ALL.  Most of us would be happy to have just one of these.  And yet, this man had a discontentment in his heart.  He knew he lacked something.  Something that he couldn’t buy, achieve through his strength, or demand to be given to him.

“Good Teacher, what must I DO to inherit eternal life?”

Jesus answered him with a question, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.”  

Jesus was not saying that HE, Himself, was not good. In this statement, Jesus was pointing the young, rich, and powerful man to the first commandments.  #1 Thou shalt have NO OTHER gods before the LORD, and #2 Worship only God, never any idols you make.  God alone is good and due our worship.  We’ll find out later just what this man “worshipped.”

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Vs. 19 with Romans  13:7-10

Then, Jesus points this young man to the other commandments. #6 Do not murder, #7 Do not commit adultery, #8 Do not steal, #9 Do not bear false witness, and skips to #5, Honor your parents.

In both Matthew’s and Luke’s accounts, #10 is omitted altogether, but Mark says, for #10, Do not defraud.  Defrauding someone is causing shame or dishonor to be brought upon them, their reputation (name), or their integrity.  (Basically, this is commandment #3. Do not take the NAME of the Lord in vain. 

Jesus probably didn’t say, “Do not covet,” because that was actually the young man’s basic sin.  He coveted wealth and the power it brought.

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Take a minute to read the verses in Romans, where Paul says, Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes, revenue, respect, and honor. “Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments (he names some) are summed up in this word: ‘Love does no wrong to (doesn’t DEFRAUD) a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.'”

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Vss. 20-22.

Okay, back to Mark.  The rich, young ruler looked at Jesus sincerely and said, “Teacher, all these I  have kept from my youth.”  He saw no fault, no sin in himself.

Jesus looked at this man, so blessed in life, and “trying” to be a good person, and He loved him.  But it’s clear that the young man missed what Jesus said at the beginning, “Only God is good.”

“You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, AND YOU SHALL HAVE TREASURE IN HEAVEN, and come follow me.”

Now, selling all our possessions and giving the proceeds to the poor does not make us eligible for Heaven.  Jesus knew the man’s weakness.  His wealth, greediness, covetousness… and of course, the power all that wealth brought was VERY IMPORTANT to him.   TOO important for him to give up… EVEN to have eternal life.  Wow.

Disheartened, the young man walked away with his head down and shoulders slumped.  He was sorrowful … because of his “great possessions.”

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(What about us?  The “thing” we lack before coming to Jesus is the acknowledgment, confession, and forsaking of our sin. HE must be the most important thing to us.  After we confess and forsake sins, we can joyfully “follow Him.”

I John 1:9: “If we confess our sin, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sin, and to cleanse us from ALL unrighteousness.”

Romans 10:9-10: “For if you confess with your mouth that JESUS IS LORD (in your life, not possessions, etc.) and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.  For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.”

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Vss. 23-31.

The disciples had watched this scene silently (perhaps enviously), but I’m sure their thoughts were now all over the place.  They viewed that young man as a blessed and law-keeping, righteous person.  His walking away confused them.

“How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God,” Jesus said, shocking those twelve men around Him. The belief of that day was that wealth was a BLESSING of God to show He was pleased with you.  Now, Jesus was saying it was a “hindrance.” They just couldn’t take it in!

So, Jesus repeated for them, “Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God!  It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”

Astonished at this concept, they cried out, “Then WHO can be saved???”

Jesus must have just looked at them until they quieted down.  Then, “With man it is impossible.  But not with God.  For all things are possible with God.”

Peter blurted out the mixed feelings of his heart, “Well, WE have left everything and followed You….”

Jesus smiled at his chief disciple, then looked around to the others.  “Truly, I tell you, there ia no one who has left house, brothers or sisters, mother or father, children, or lands for MY SAKE and for the Gospel’s …. who will not receive a hundredfold NOW in this time, houses, bothers, sisters, mothers, children, and lands (WITH persecutions,) and in the age to come… eternal life.

Did the disciples feel better?  Understand more?  Feel assured?   A hundredfold, NOW??   Their minds buzzed.  Did they think of their homes and families back in Galilee?

Unknown to them, these disciples (except Judas) would travel a whole lot farther for the Lord and for the Gospel before they died. They would feel the sting and cut of persecution, but God would supply all their needs in the houses and provisions of other believers on their travels.  And then… ETERNAL LIFE with Him!

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Did the rich young ruler ever forsake all and believe in Jesus?   I hope so.  

 

 

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: (1/7) Mark 2:13-17

Jan7

A 5-day per week study.

January 7 – Reading Mark 2:13-17.

Read and believe in Jesus.

“I came not to call the righteous, but sinners”  Mark 2:17b

 

The Gospel According to Mark 2:13-17

Vss. 13-14.

Jesus is again beside the Sea of Galilee (it was near Peter’s home).  The crowd was coming to him, and He was teaching them. (Standing by the water and speaking up the sloping land made for great acoustics. Many people were able to hear Jesus’ voice clearly.) 

Then, Jesus continued along a certain path, but this time He wasn’t looking at the boats.  He knew where He was going and who He would find there. And as he’d specifically called the two sets of fishing brothers to Himself, Jesus now spoke to a Tax Collector sitting at his tax booth.  

“Follow me,” Jesus said, looking into the man’s eyes.  (I almost expected Him to say, “…and I will make you a ‘Collector of Men’,” but of course He didn’t say that.)  The tax collector, Levi, got up, left his coveted Roman franchise booth, where he’d become a rich man at the expense of his fellow Jews, and followed Jesus.  

Don’t you wonder what Peter, Andrew, James, and John were thinking?  Levi had probably extorted money from their family’s fishing businesses many times. And Jesus was calling… him?  How did the richly ornate robe of the Publican blend with the simple attire of local fishermen?  

(I’m so glad that Jesus calls all types of people to follow Him.)

Like with the fishermen, I believe Levi had heard Jesus speak before as He made his way along the shore of Galilee.  Perhaps he’d witnessed miraculous healings too, as he watched from inside his booth.  Whatever he’d seen and heard, Levi’s heart was now toward Jesus.  The instant the Master called, Levi was out of the booth – leaving the quills, ledgers, and piles of coins behind – and walking with Jesus.

(By the way, this man’s other name was Matthew.  And this careful calculator wrote the wonderful Gospel by his name, specifically to the Jews about their Messiah.)

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Vss. 15-17.

Peter had invited Jesus to headquarter in his home. Now, Levi asked Jesus (and disciples) to a feast at his house. He also invited a bunch of other tax collectors (and “sinners”) that he knew. 

(Another tax collector – Zacchaeus – did the same thing in Luke 19.  This is SO like what happens to a person who has truly been converted. They want to share “the good news” with others. They want friends and family to know Jesus, too.)

Jesus, of course, accepted the invitation. He is comfortable with anyone who truly seeks Him.  Did other “sinners” there believe in Him and follow His way too?  

Outside, the Scribes (probably the same ones who’d observed the paralytic man being healed) had sour faces.  “Why does He eat with tax collectors and sinners?”  (THEY would never do that!)

Jesus heard what they said as He left Levi’s house.  He looked these self-righteous men in the eyes and said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick do. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” 

Did they understand what Jesus meant?  What DID Jesus mean? 

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Did He truly see these Jewish rulers as “righteous,” not needing forgiveness and salvation?  Absolutely not.  Psalm 14:2-3 says, “None is righteous (good), no, not one.”  Jesus was speaking about the “self-righteous” who “think” they don’t need a savior.

Later, in Luke 18, we will see that Jesus tells a parable about a Pharisee and a Tax Collector. Was He thinking of Levi and these men?   He told this story “to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and treated others with contempt.”

In the story, the Pharisee stood and bragged of all his good works and accomplishments, and how he had never done such sinful things as the extortioners, adulterers, the unjust, or even… the tax collector…

The Tax Collector, on the other hand, could say nothing but, “God, be merciful to me a sinner.”  (Were those Levi’s words that Jesus quoted?)   Jesus told his audience that the Tax Collector went to his house JUSTIFIED, while the braggadocio Pharisee did not.

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Here, in Capernaum, the Jewish leaders were just beginning to spar with Jesus.  It would get worse. Would any of them recognize their lack of true righteousness before it was too late?

 

 

 

 

Reading the Gospels in 2026: (1/5) Mark 1:29-45

Jan5

A 5-day per week study.

January 5 – Reading Mark 1:29-45.

Read and believe in Jesus.

“Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” Mark 1:38

 

The Gospel According to Mark 

Vss. 29-31. 

In the last reading/study I wondered if Peter & Andrew and James & John had gone into the synagogue with Jesus, heard his teaching and witnessed the casting out of demons from the man.  Well, here, it seems that the four new “fishers of men” disciples had indeed been there, for after the service, they “left the synagogue and entered the house of Simon and Andrew.”

(Hmmm, brother Andrew lives there too?)

Peter’s mother-in-law (probably a widow) lived with them, and when they came in from the Sabbath Day’s service, they found her in bed and sicker than they left her. (Luke’s gospel [4:38] said it was a “high” fever, maybe life-threatening, and Luke WAS a doctor after all). 

Peter and/or his wife immediately told Jesus about her, and Jesus went to her bedside.  He took her by the hand and lifted her up. At the sight and touch of Jesus, the fever fled, and she was restored to health…so much so that she began to serve them. (A cold Sabbath meal, perhaps?)

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Vss. 32-34. 

Later, after sundown when the Sabbath was over and the people were released from the prohibition of “carrying” anything, they began to bring to the door of Peter’s house, ALL who were sick of various deseases and conditions or were demon-possessed.

Jesus went outside and began healing them (as He had Peter’s mother-in-law).  He met the needs of the people of Capernaum long into the night.

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Vs. 35. 

Very early in the morning, Jesus got up, dressed and left Peter’s home.  In the cool, quiet morning, he walked to a desolate place. There he prayed to His heavenly father. 

In this time of communion with God, Jesus was strengthened, assured, and directed to His next tasks.  He felt joy, and again yielded himself to all God’s plans for Him.

(I imagined that part, but isn’t it what WE feel when we take time, early in the morning, to pray, worship, read the Bible, and commit ourselves anew to the Lord?)

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Vss. 36-38. 

When everyone in the house got up, they found Jesus missing. (Was there a bit of fear in their heart? Where was He? Had he deserted them?)   The four “fishers of men” searched everywhere for Him, and evenually found him in that lonely place.

“Everyone is looking for you!” said Simon.  (Did that mean only those in Peter’s home, or were the needy again lining up at his door, looking for the great Healer?)

Jesus had compassion on the sick and demon possessed.  But sin was at the core of this suffering.  He had come to deal with sin, and He wanted to get to preaching and teaching about his mission, and turning HEARTS to Himself. 

“Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out,” He said. 

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Vss. 39.   

So that is what He did.  And the four men followed Him.  (Did they go back to pack a lunch and get a cloak?  Did Jesus first heal those who had come in the morning?  We don’t know.

But we DO know that from there and at that time, “Jesus went throughout all Galilee, PREACHING in their synagogues and casting out demos.”  (This is but a short verse, but the time frame was probably weeks or even months.) 

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Vss. 40-45.  

Mark records one incident that happened during this time of travel.   It was an astounding healing showing Jesus’s heart and pity for the lost and sick.  It also shows the problem they faced when Jesus did such miraculous healings. 

A leperous man aprroached Jesus.

(Since leprosy was contageous, lepers were required by the Law to stay 50 paces away from other people and constantly call out “unclean, unclean” to warn them.)

But this man, came close to Jesus, kneeling right infront of Him and begging.  “If You will, you can make me clean.”  The man did not doubt Jesus ability, only His willingness to do it.  

Jesus was “moved with pity.”  He reached out and ….. touched the Leper.  He TOUCHED the diseased man!!  And instead of the vile disease passing to Jesus, clean wholeness passed to the leper.  “I will,“ Jesus said. “Be clean.“

And immediately the leprosy left him.

“Now listen,” Jesus warned him sternly. “See that you say nothing to anyone. Go show yourself to the priest, then give the offerings Moses commanded as “proof” of your cleansing.” (See Leviticus 14:1-32)

But, and who can actually fault him, the joyous man began proclaiming far and wide the miracle of cleansing Jesus had done for him.  “I’m clean!  Look at me!  Jesus cleansed me!  Clean!  No more leprosy!  I’m cleannnnnn…..”

And the lepers massed to Jesus, their desperate eyes full of hope. 

No more could He teach or preach in the towns for the lepers and sick crowded and called for healing and pleaded for mercy and tried to touch Him.  (Sigh.)  And so Jesus was forced to go out into desolate places until the excitement died down.  

But some good came of it. It was “alone” time with those few disciples.  And there were sweet times of prayer to His Father. (See Luke 5:16)

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(NOTE: This section reminded me of the stress – body and spirit – that our own ministers and pastors experience in serving and teaching us. There are lots of expectations, needy people, “things to do.”   They can get rung out, desperate for that alone time with God.  Do we allow and foster that for them?  And do we pray for them?  Let’s do that his week.)

 

 

Reading the Gospels in 2026: (1/1) Mark 1:1-15

Jan1

A 5-day per week study.

January 1 – Reading Mark 1:1-15.

Read and believe in Jesus.

“…Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”  Mark 1:14b-15

 

The Gospel According to Mark (and probably Peter)

“John Mark” was a close companion of the apostle Peter. It was to Mark’s mother’s home that Peter went when the angel miraculously released him from prison.  Like Paul with Timothy, Peter called Mark, “my son.” (1 Peter 5:13)

We all remember how the youthful Mark accompanied his cousin Barnabus and Saul on their first missionary journey, and how when the trip had only just begun, Mark quit and went home.  This was a black mark on Mark for Paul, and he said “No,” when Barnabus suggested taking him on the second Missions trip.  Paul ended up taking Silas, and Barnabas took Mark with him to his home on Cyprus.  With a name like “encourager,” Barnabas probably patiently trained and taught the young man to be useful in ministry. 

Mark later became a valuable help to both Paul (Colossians 4:10, Philemon 24, 2 Timothy 4:11) and Peter, who, himself, knew what it was like to fail. It was probably from this close assocation and listening to Peter’s account, that Mark got the details about the life and ministry of Jesus. Peter might even have dictated some of it to John Mark.  Mark is sometimes called “the memoirs of Peter.”  

The Gospel was probably written while both Peter and Mark were in Rome. His gospel was for Roman believers, probably mostly Gentiles.  Since Christians were under intense persecution in Rome, Mark presents Jesus as “the Suffering Servant,” emphasizing Jesus’ deeds and service more than His teaching. 

 

Mark 1:1-15.

Vs. 1. The “gospel” means “good news.” Mark’s book is the good news about the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ (Yeshua Messiah),

 

Vss 2-3. Right off the bat, Mark quotes Isaiah (40:3) and Malachi (3:1) about the coming of John the Baptist. There is no mention of John’s birth, or the geneaology and birth of Jesus. Mark gets right to the topic.

(You’ll notice that this story moves rapidly. It’s a book of action. Mark often uses the word, “immediately.”)

 

Vss. 4-8. Mark moves quickly from “a voice crying in the wilderness to prepare the way for the Lord” to John the Baptist, in the wilderness, proclaiming repentence and baptism as a way to prepare hearts for the coming Messiah. He also portrays John the Baptist as a prophet, looking a lot like Elijah. And, amazingly, “all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem went out to him to confess their sins and be baptised.”

 

Vss 9-11.  And suddenly Jesus shows up.  He walked all the way from Nazareth to the Jordan River in Judea to be baptised.

Now in Mark, we see no objection by John to baptising Jesus.  It’s like Mark is saying, “You can read about that in the other gospels. The main point is that He was and John did it.” 

Oh, and that beaufiful sign of approval from God – the Spirit decending like a dove on Jesus (from a ripped open sky – did you get that?).  It was affirmation that Jesus’ most important, world-changing, 3-year ministry had truly begun.

(And from the other Gospels, we know that the dove also affirmed to J the B that Jesus truly was the “Lamb of God” who would take away the sin of the world.)

 

Vss 12-13.  Mark says that “IMMEDIATELY the Spirit drove Jesus out into the wilderness. (You wonder if he was still dripping wet from the baptism!!)  He was out there 40 days. Satan tempted Him. There were wild animals there too.  Oh, and angels ministered to him.

(There is no mention of Jesus’ powerful, reflecting answers taken right from the Old Testament (See Matthew 4:1-11 and Luke 4:1-13.)  I missed that, for it teaches me how to respond when I’m tempted by “the world, the flesh, and the devil.”)

 

Vss 14-15.  With John’s main job done (preparing the way for Jesus, identifying Him, and baptising Him), the prophet is now arrested by Herod, who hated his “yakking about my marriage to my niece!”  (We’ll see more about John and Herod in chapter 6.)

With this, Jesus moves north to Galilee. 

(Jesus did minister some in Judea/Jerusalem before this, including cleansing the Temple, and His midnight meeting with Nicodemus. He also encountered “the Samaritan woman at the well” on His way to Galilee.) 

But Galilee will see the majority of ministry by Jesus, interspersed by trips to Jerusalem for the Jewish Feasts/Festivals, some of which Jewish men were required to attend.  

Here Jesus began proclaiming “the gospel of God,” saying, “The time is fulfilled and the Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe in the gospel.”

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WHAT time was fuliflled? 

Take a peak at Daniel 9:25.   “Know therefore and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of the Annointed One, a Prince, there shall be seven weeks.“

Seven weeks? That is seven weeks of years = 490 years.   Counting from when God stirred Cyrus, King of Persia, to allow the exiled Jews to return to the Holy Land to rebuild the temple (2 Chronicles 36:22-23), until the coming of the Messiah (Jesus), would be 490 years.  And it was.  John the Baptist had been the first prophet of God to speak to Israel in over 400 years. And he had announced the coming of the Messiah, the Annointed One.

Jesus’ message?  Repent and BELIEVE.

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Journaling through the Bible Chronologically in 2025, Day 359

Dec25

MERRY CHRISTMAS!  For unto you a Son is given!

…He (God) gave his ONLY begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not die but have eternal life!

Day 359 – Reading – 2 Peter  1 – 3,  and  Jude  1.
Read and believe in Jesus!

2 Peter 

Simon Peter’s second letter to the exiled believers in Asia Minor (modern Turkey) was written shortly before his death.  As in Paul’s second letter to Timothy, where Paul describes his impending martyrdom, Peter also knows he is facing execution.  (“… since I know that the putting off of my body will be soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me.” 1 Peter 1:14)  

As in the letters of Paul, James, John, and Jude, the primary purpose of Peter’s letter was to expose, thwart, and defeat the waves of false teachers invading the churches.  It seems that wherever God is working salvation by grace through faith, the devil comes in to disrupt and cast doubt on His “so great a salvation.”  Wicked, immoral men were somehow turning the heads and hearts of the suffering believers.

  • They denied Christ.
  • They twisted the scriptures.
  • They scoffed at faith.
  • They mocked the second coming of Christ. 

And Peter, knowing this was his last chance, came down hard on these heretics, while at the same time motivating the believers toward godly Christian character.

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2 Peter 1.

Peter’s readers are mostly Gentile believers who “obtained a faith of equal standing with ours” by the righteousness of Jesus Christ.

Peter tells them that the Lord’s divine power has assured them of “all things that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of Him,” “the privilege of partaking in His divine nature,” and “an escape from the corruption that is in the world.” (Praise Him!)  

He then lists the godly qualities that should be increasing in their lives: faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, godliness, brotherly affection, and love.  He keeps reminding them of these qualities, so that “after his death,” they will be able to recall them. 

Peter tells them HIS teaching was NOT “cleverly devised myths.”  He taught them about Jesus Christ from personal knowledge and experience. He (along with James and John) was on the holy mountain when Jesus was transfigured, and when God spoke from heaven, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” He SAW Jesus’ glory!

And there is even a more SURE way, the words of the prophets in the Scriptures.  Why?  Because “No prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation.” None was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke (or wrote) from GOD as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”

Eyewitness and Holy Spirit spoken Scriptures.  THIS is what they should believe, and NOT the sensual heresies and blasphemies of the false prophets!

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2 Peter 2.

Peter reminds the believers that the condemnation of those false prophets who are exploiting them is sure.  After all…

  • God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them into hell.
  • He did not spare the ancient world, but preserved only righteous Noah.
  • He turned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes as an example, rescuing only righteous Lot.

God KNOWS HOW to rescue the godly from trials (Peter’s readers), and how to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment… especially those who indulge in the lust of defiling passion and who despise authority. 

(Peter goes on to describe their willfulness and blasphemies, their deceptions, adulteries, and greed. Even the false prophet Balaam was restrained by a “speechless donkey who spoke with a human voice and restrained his madness.” Not so, these “accursed children” who troubled the “exiles.”

Peter gets very descriptive of these evil false teachers. (Read 2:10-22), and calls them dogs returning to eat their own vomit!

(How frustrating to be stuck incarcerated in Rome, when this was happening to his beloved believers so far away!)

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2 Peter 3.

Then he reminds them of something else he wrote about in his first letter:  the sure Second Coming of Jesus Christ.  “Remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through the apostles.”   

Remember how they predicted that FIRST scoffers would come in the last days, saying, “Oh, where is the promise of His coming? Ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.  Ho-hum!”

Peter tells them that they have deliberately forgotten how the world WAS judged once already – by the FLOOD.  The next time, it will be judged by FIRE!   He tells them not to overlook the fact that ONE day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day, with God.  He doesn’t count “slowness” as mankind does.  He is BEING PATIENT with mankind, not willing that any perish but that all come to repentance. 

  • But the Day of the Lord WILL COME. 
  • The heavens WILL PASS AWAY with a roar. 
  • The heavenly bodies WILL BE burned up and dissolved. 
  • And the works done on the earth WILL BE exposed. 
  • What sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness!!

And… since you are waiting for the promise of the new heavens and the new earth….

  • Be diligent to be found by Him without spot or blemish, and at peace.  
  • And count the patience of the Lord as SALVATION!
  • Take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people.
  • Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

“To Him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity.  Amen.”

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Tradition says that Peter had to watch his wife be crucified.  And then, under the command of Nero, he was also crucified, only upside down, for he said he was “not worthy” to die as his Lord had died. 

Shortly afterward, seeing that Rome had turned against him, Nero committed suicide.

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Jude 

Jude (or Judah) was one of the four half-brothers of Jesus. (Matthew 13:55, Mark 6:3)  He and the Jerusalem church leader, James, did not believe in Jesus before his death, but were converted after His resurrection. 

Jude does not quote the O.T. directly but alludes to it nine times, illustrating his points with the exodus, Satan’s rebellion, Sodom and Gomorrah, Moses’ death, Cain, Balaam, Korah, Enoch, and Adam.  WOW!

Jude quotes from two non-canonical, but familiar to locals, books: 1 Enoch (verse 14) and the Assumption of Moses (verse 9).  But Paul also quoted from local poets and writers (Acts 17:28b, 1 Corinthians 15:33, Titus 1:12), so Jude’s cool.

Jude’s message is very similar to that of 2 Peter – morally evil false teachers invading and threatening the church.  He even quotes from 2 Peter 3:3, about scoffers and the second coming of Jesus. The Church was very vulnerable at this point.  Rome was fierce in its persecution, and only John among the apostles was still alive.

Jude’s readers were probably believing Jews, and he writes from Jerusalem (which hadn’t yet been destroyed. (70 A.D.)

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Jude 1.

Jude identifies himself as a servant (or slave) of Jesus, the Messiah, and brother to James.  He really wanted to write a letter about salvation, but he felt compelled to write about the growing problem of Apostasy, which is “defection from true, biblical faith.” 

“Contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints!”

Why? 

Because “certain people have crept in unnoticed.”  They are ungodly people who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our ONLY Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

Jude then gives illustrations of people who did not believe, even though they were around believers, and were destroyed.

  • People of the exodus who did not believe.
  • Angels who did not stay in their positions.
  • Cities like Sodom and Gomorrah, which indulged in sexual immorality.
  • Cain’s greed.
  • Balaam error.
  • Korah’s rebellion.

And he gives six examples from nature that describe aspects of the false teachers.

He quotes from the book, 1 Enoch, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His holy ones, to execute judgment on all and to convict all the UNGODLY of all their deeds of UNGODLINESS that they have committed in such an UNGODLY way, and of all the harsh things that UNGODLY sinners have spoken against him.”

Then he lists some of their sins.

Jude then warns his readers as Peter did, that “In the last time there will be scoffers…. It is these who cause divisions…”

But YOU, beloved…

  • Build yourselves up in the most holy faith,
  • Pray in the Holy Spirit,
  • Keep yourselves in the love of God,
  • Wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life,
  • Have mercy on those who doubt,
  • Save others by snatching them out of the fire,
  • Show mercy with fear to others, hating even the garments stained by the flesh.

And then encouragement in the form of his doxology.

“Now to Him, who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of His glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever.  Amen.”

 

 

 

Journaling through the Bible Chronologically in 2025, Day 329

Nov25

Day 329 – Reading – Galatians 4 – 6

Read and believe in Jesus!

Galatians 4.

Paul continues his letter, urging the new believers in those four churches in Galatia to hold fast to their faith. He first scolds them, calling them foolish,  and then pleads with them not to go back into the “slavery” of justification by good works.

  • “STAND FAST in the liberty in which Christ has set you free. BE NOT ENTANGLED with the yoke of bondage.  For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for ANYTHING.”  Only FAITH in Christ’s atoning work on the Cross.”

Paul gives an example from the Old Testament of believing in God totally VS depending on our own strength for righteousness.”  Abraham’s son, Ishmael, was conceived by Hagar from Abraham (and Sarah’s) own self-will.  But Isaac was the son whom God planned and promised. He was conceived and born way after the time Sarah could naturally become pregnant.  Hagar represents receiving the promises of God by the “flesh” (Paul says, Mount Sinai and the Law), while Sarah represents “faith” and the Heavenly Jerusalem.

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Galatians 5

Don’t go back to a system that put a heavy yoke on you, and it didn’t work to make you righteous! 

  • Walk by the Spirit of God. 
  • If you are led by the Spirit, you are NOT under the law. 
  • The WORKS of the flesh are impure, sinful, evil, mean, argumentative, divisive, and selfish. If you do those things, you will not inherit the Kingdom of God. 
  • Live by the Spirit. 
  • The Spirit’s fruit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, and against all of these there is no law.
  • Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 
  • If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.  

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Galatians 6.

Paul writes further, illustrating how a person lives by the Spirit in all goodness.

Restore a brother who is caught in a transgression … in a spirit of gentleness. 

Bear one another’s burdens and so fulfill the “law” of Christ (which is love).

Do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.

  • “Be not deceived.  God is not mocked.  Whatever you sow, that is what you will reap. The one who sows to his own flesh, will from the flesh reap corruption.  But the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.”

And remember, those who want YOU to be circumcised want it so THEY can boast in you.  THEY don’t keep the law; they just want YOU to so they can boast. 

As for me, I “boast” only in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.   Circumcision doesn’t matter!! Only being a new creation in Christ matters. 

And to all of you who think this way, “Peace and Mercy” be upon you, and upon the Israel of God. 

The GRACE of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers. 

Amen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Journaling through the Bible Chronologically in 2025, Days 327 & 328

Nov24

SUNDAY and MONDAY studies are posted together on Mondays

Day 327 – Reading – Acts 15 – 16.

Day 328 – Reading – Galatians 1 – 3

Read and believe in Jesus!

SUNDAY – Day 327 – Acts 15 – 16.

The trouble begins. Some Pharisee-believers were appalled that “Gentiles” were believing in the Jewish Messiah and were welcomed into the synagogue services.  They still looked “unclean” to these ultra strict believers.  Shouldn’t they have to “become Jews” before being accepted?  Be circumcised?  Eat kosher? Keep the Levitical laws?

A group of these men traveled to the source of the problem – Antioch, where these Messiah-believers were called “Christians” (Christ ones).  These men began teaching the laws of Moses that they were so familiar with.  Circumcision equaled Salvation. 

Whoa, whoa, whoa! Paul and Barnabas disputed hotly.  “Salvation is by faith, not keeping the Jewish laws. WE couldn’t keep them, why put them on the Gentile believers?”

And so Paul and Barnabas, along with these men, were sent to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders to “settle” the question.  A huge debate ensued.

Peter stood up and repeated his experience with the family of the Roman Centurion, how, when they believed in the redemptive work of Jesus, the Messiah, they were given the gift of the Holy Spirit (just as the apostles were) and spoke in other tongues.  The only other requirement from Jesus was baptism, and these Gentile believers had been baptized. 

Paul and Barnabas also joined in with the many Gentiles in their ministry in Galatia, who had believed and received the Holy Spirit. Their hearts, too, had been cleansed by their faith.  How could this Council put  God to the test by adding Jewish rites to their faith?

When they finished speaking, James briefly reviewed the testimonies of Peter, Paul, and Barnabas, then he quoted God in Amos 9:11, 12, “”I will rebuild the tent of David that has fallen; I will rebuild its ruins, and I will restore it, that the remnant of mankind may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles, who are called by My Name…”

James:  “Therefore, my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God, but should WRITE TO THEM to 1.) abstain from the things polluted by idols, and 2.) from sexual immorality, and 3.) from meat that has been strangled, and blood.”   

(These requirements were not to assure salvation, but to make worship between Jews and Gentiles more compatible, since they were mainly meeting in synagogues.)

This seemed good to the apostles, elders, and the whole church.  They appointed two men to take the letter to Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia, with Paul and Barnabas.  The sent Silas, and Judas Barsabbas (one of the two qualified, but not chosen, disciples considered to replace Judas Iscariot in the twelve. See Acts 1:23)

At Antioch, they gathered the congregation together and read the letter.  Everyone rejoiced because of its encouragement.  Judas and Silas, also prophets, stayed and encouraged and strengthened the brothers with many words.  

Judas returned to Jerusalem, but it seemed good to Silas to remain there.

After a while, Paul decided that he and Barnabas should “visit the brothers in the cities where they proclaimed the word of the Lord and see how they were doing.”

Barnabas was cool with that and sent for his cousin John Mark, meaning to take him along again.  However, Paul strongly disagreed, fearing that Barnabas’s young cousin would disrupt the team again and fly off home at the first struggle.

Paul and Barnabas had a sharp disagreement, and they even separated.  But God used it for good.  Paul asked Silas to accompany him, while Barnabas took the young John Mark.  Now, two teams were going out with the Good News! 

Barnabas headed again to his homeland, Cyprus, to strengthen the new believers, and even the Roman Proconsul.   

Paul took Silas and headed back to the cities of Galatia, going overland this time through Syria and Cilicia, instead of sailing to Perga. They met and strengthened the believers in the cities of Derbe, Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch of Pisidia.

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Acts 16.

When Paul and Silas came to Derbe, they met a young believer named Timothy. His mother was Jewish, but his father was Greek. (This meant he was NOT circumcised.)  He had a godly mom and grandma who taught him well in the Scriptures, and was well spoken of by the believers there and in Lystra and Iconium.

Paul wanted Timothy to join the team on this second missionary journey.  Because Paul’s practice was to go FIRST to the Jews, he didn’t want Timothy to be a hindrance.  So he circumcised the young man.  NOT to make sure he was saved, but so there would be less hassle among the Jews.  Paul’s outlook was to be all things to all people, so he could win some.

As Paul and Silas, and now Timothy went through the cities, they shared the letter from the Council, stating  the three things of agreement, that would help Jews and Gentile believers to worship together in love.

Paul’s aim was to head north-west into Asia, but the Holy Spirit hindered him. Paul then headed for Bithynia and south to Mysia, but got the same caution word from Jesus.  No, not here, now.  So he led the team to Troas, a coastal city on the Aegean Sea. Where was God leading them?  Were they to hop a boat and return home?  Were they to go to Greece?

That night, Paul had a vision of a desperate man in Macedonia, standing there, urging Paul to “Come over to Macedonia and help us.”  So, in the morning, the team caught a boat and sailed across the Aegean to Macedonia to preach the Good News to them.

In Troas, Paul also picked up Dr. Luke, who joined his mission team. (We don’t know when Luke was saved, perhaps in Troas when Paul was waiting for direction, or maybe from on of the other cities in Galatia.

The newly expanded team sailed to Samothrace, then Neapolis, and finally to Philippi, the leading city in the district and a Roman colony. 

After a few days, on the Sabbath, they went outside the city to the seaside, where they “supposed” there was a place of prayer (???).  There, they spoke to some godly women who had come together. One was a wealthy woman named Lydia.  She was a “seller” of rare purple cloth and a worshipper of God.

As Paul preached about Jesus, she listened carefully. The Lord opened her heart, and she believed.  After she and “her house” were baptized, she invited Paul and company to stay in her house.  So they made their headquarters there.

One day, when they were going back to that place of prayer to preach, they came upon a slave girl who had a spirit of divination.  She brought her owners much income through fortune-telling.  She followed Paul and the group crying out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation. 

While this was absolutely true, she followed them for days, hindering Paul’s ministry.  Finally, he turned to her and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” It did, and she was free.

But her owners were furious.  There went their means of income. They seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the magistrates. 

The rulers stripped Paul and Silas, gave orders to beat them with many rods, and put them into prison, their feet fastened in stocks.

Wow.  

Did the missionaries pout and moan about their wounds and predicament?  Nope. They sang songs of praise to God and prayed.  And all their “captive” audience listened.  

Suddenly, there was an earthquake.  What next???  The foundations of the prison shook, and all the cell doors were opened.  All chains fell off, and their stocks broke open.  Whoa, a “good” earthquake. Everyone sat perfectly still. None tried to escape.

The jailor rushed into the jailhouse, carrying his dagger, ready to kill himself, for if any prisoner escaped, that would be his punishment..

“WAIT!!” cried Paul.  “We are all here!”

The jailor got torches and looked around. Sure enough, while the cell doors were open, all inmates were still inside.  With fear and trembling, the jailor came to Paul, and fell to his knees.

“Sir, what must tI do to be saved?”

“Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household.”  And Paul preached the Gospel to him and to all the prisoners.

The believing jailor took Paul and Silas into his own house, bathed their wounds, and fed them.  And he rejoiced with his household.   And somewhere inside, these new believers were baptized.

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The next day, the magistrates thought the men had learned their lesson and sent the police to let them go.  But Paul and Silas refused!!

 Yes, refused to go.  Paul said, “They have beaten us publicly, uncondemned men, who are ROMAN CITIZENS, and have thrown us into prison; and do they now throw us out secretly?  NO! Let them come themselves and take us out.

When the police reported these words to the magistrates, that they were Roman Citizens, the magistrates came quickly and apologized to them.  They they escorted them out, and asked them (politely) to leave the city,

So they visited Lydia one last time, and encouraged them.  Then they departed for…. 

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MONDAY – Day 328 – Galatians

Galatians was written by Paul to the four churches he established in Southern Galatia during his and Barnabas’ first missionary journey: Antioch (Pisidian), Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe.

After returning from that trip, some Judaizers (ultra orthodox believing Pharisees) came to the home church and began teaching that the “Christians” there had to become Jews before they were saved. (Circumcision. Kosher laws, etc.)  Paul was furious, saying that Faith in Jesus alone for salvation is all that is needed. Doing “works of the law” did not save a person. 

On Paul’s second missionary trip with Silas, he shared the official letter written by James at the Jerusalem Council, stating only 3 things that the Gentile believers were to do, and these could not save them but were asked so both peoples could worship together without offense.

But the unbelieving Jews in these towns, as well as the Judaizers from Jerusalem, put strong pressure on these new Gentile Christians to “conform” to the Jewish image.  Some were caving in.  We see that even Peter (!!!) did when he visited there, and Paul had to publicly reprimand him.

It’s believed that this book was written by Paul from Ephesus. 

Galatians 1,

After introducing himself and giving a quickie Gospel portion, Paul tells the reason for the letter in “heated” words.

  • “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel (not that there is one), but there are some there who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.”
  • “If we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached, LET HIM BE ACCURSED!”  (Then Paul repeats that statement for emphasis.)

Then Paul gives some of his credentials, elevating his authority OVER the believing Pharisees.  HE received the Gospel, not from men, but by revelation of Jesus Christ.

Paul admits that he “advanced in Judaism beyond any his age, so extremely zealous for the traditions of his fathers, that he murdered any who opposed them.”

 

But God, who called Paul by His grace and revealed His Son to him so he could preach to the Gentiles. For three years in the Arabian desert, Jesus was revealed to him from the Scriptures.  Then he briefly saw Peter and James in Jerusalem, before going back home to Cilicia to “practice” preaching what he know. 

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Galatians 2.

Three years later (14 in all) he went to Jerusalem again and was taken into full apostleship, to spread the Gospel to the Gentiles. A Greek “brother”, Titus, was with him, and they did not require him to be circumcised. 

The Jerusalem Church Council okayed Paul to go to the Gentiles with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the same as Peter was entrusted with the Gospel to the Jews. James, John, and Peter gave Paul the “right hand of fellowship.”  

Paul then mentions a time when Peter came to the original Antioch.  He was gladly fellowshipping and eating with Gentiles.  But when some Judaizers came, Peter excused himself and went to eat only with the Jewish believers.  Even Barnabas, did the same, copying Peter’s example. Paul had to call them out. 

  • “If YOU, Peter, though a jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew…. how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews.”
  • Then Paul again states the Gospel message of Faith Alone.  “We know that a person is not justified by works of the law but though faith in Jesus Christ, so… we have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ, AND NOT BY WORKS OF THE LAW, because by works of the law NO ONE WILL BE JUSTIFIED!”
  • And his personal testimony.  “I have been crucified with Christ.  It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.  And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

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Galatians 3.

You can hear Paul’s frustrations with the Galatians leaning toward works for salvation.

  • “O foolish Galatians!  WHO has bewitched you?  Let me ask you this question. ‘Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law… or the hearing of faith?’  FOOLISH GALATIANS!  Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh (works)?  Does He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, do so by works of the law… or by hearing with faith?”
  • “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us… so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.”
  • “For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith,  For as many as you who were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.  You are all ONE in Christ Jesus.”

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You can hear that Paul is just getting wound up.  In the next chapters he will go into even more of the difference between their position in Christ by faith, and  works.  He will plead with them.  They are FREE. don’t go back into the “yoke of slavery.”   Walk by the Spirit, Be filled with the Sprit’s fruit, and live by the Spirit.  (TOMRROW)

 

 

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Journaling through the Bible Chronologically in 2025, Day 282

Oct9

THE NEW TESTAMENT!

Day 282 – Reading – Matthew 12, Mark 3, and Luke 6

Read and believe in Jesus!

Matthew 12, Mark 3, Luke 6

SABBATH ARGUMENTS AND TRICKS

As in John 5 (yesterday’s study), the Sabbath Laws and healing on the Sabbath are addressed again in these chapters. Jesus never broke the commands God gave Israel about the Sabbath.  He did, however, seem to flaunt disobedience to the “traditions of man,” those extra laws that the Pharisees added to “protect” God’s Word. (As if He needed help!)

Jesus’ disciples were caught eating grain from a field they were passing.

(Did the Religious Leaders follow them everywhere??  Were they always looking for opportunities to “catch” Jesus in some “sin?”  Yes, they were!) 

But, this practice of picking a few heads of grain, rolling it in your hands to remove the husks, then crunching on the grain inside, WAS LEGAL.  In fact, it was a law that helped provide for the poor. Farmers were instructed not to harvest the edges and corners of their fields, leaving those for the needy to glean. 

THAT wasn’t the problem. The day of the week was.  Sabbath. The simple act of plucking and eating a few kernels was considered WORK.  Say what?  Well, plucking was “harvesting.”  Rolling the grain in your hands and blowing the chaff away was “winnowing.”

“YOU ARE WORKING ON THE SABBATH!” They accused.

Jesus, who knew the Scriptures FAR BETTER than the teachers of the Law, reminded them of a time when David and a few of his men were desperately hungry. They asked the priest to give them the previous day’s bread that had been in the Tabernacle on the Table of Showbread.  The priest gave it to them as an act of mercy and kindness. (This bread was usually eaten by the priests.)

Then Jesus quotes Hosea 6:6 for them. “If you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless.” Then Jesus added, “The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.” HE had the right to rule over, not only THEIR rules, but also the Sabbath itself, for it was designed to worship God.  (This was another claim to deity by Jesus.)

Right after that, Jesus went to the nearby synagogue.  OF COURSE, there was a man who desperately needed healing.  (Did those rulers put the man there on purpose???)

Jesus immediately SAW the man and KNEW what they were thinking. They asked Him, “the” question, “Is it lawful TO HEAL on the Sabbath?”  They needed something to accuse him.

And again Jesus speaks of MERCY above sacrifice.  “Would you save one of your sheep who’d fallen into a pit on the Sabbath? (yes, of course)  How much more valuable is a man than a sheep?”

Then Jesus re-asks their question, slightly different, “Is it lawful to DO GOOD on the Sabbath?”

And just like that, Jesus healed the man.

And the Pharisees fumed. They went outside and conspired on how to DESTROY Jesus.

And Jesus, aware of this, went out from them. Many followed, and HE HEALED THEM ALL!”  Ha!

  • (Matthew then quotes from Isaiah about Jesus. “A bruised reed He will not break, and a smoldering wick He will not quench…”  Mercy, kindness, and justice for the needy, Jesus was an example to all.)

 

.THE TWELVE APPOINTED

Jesus slipped away for some quiet time with his followers.  He called twelve of them to be His appointed apostles (messengers). He would later send them out to preach on their own (as practice for later).

He called Simon Peter; James, and John (the sons of Zebedee, which Jesus named “Sons of Thunder”);  He called Peter’s brother, Andrew; and Philip; Bartholomew (Nathaniel); and Matthew (Levi); and Thomas (the melancholy one; another James who was the son of Alphaeus; and Thaddaeus (another Judas, the son of James); Simon the Zealot; and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Him.

A motley crew, indeed. I wonder how the Zealot and the ex-tax collector got along. How did Judas “Iscariot” (meaning “a man of the city”) get along with all those fishermen? Was his “city” background why they appointed him group treasurer?  Jesus knew all their hearts and their potential.

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DEMONS AND DEVILS VS THE HOLY SPIRIT

Some in the crowds of people Jesus healed were filled with unclean spirits (demons).  When Jesus forced them out by His command, those devils often cried out, “You are the Son of God!”  Jesus silenced them. He did NOT want the testimony of the agents of Satan.

But some of the people who saw and heard picked up on this and asked, “CAN this be the Son of David (Messiah)?

When the Scribes and Pharisees heard what they were saying, they rushed to refute it. 

“It is only by Beelzebub, the prince of demons, that this Man casts out demons.” 

(Gasp!  Clutch your heart!!)

Jesus responded. “Now that is downright foolish.  If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against HIMSELF. How will his kingdom stand?  But I cast out demons by THE SPIRIT OF GOD, so the Kingdom of God has come upon you. WHOEVER is not with Me and does not gather with Me… scatters. 

And then Jesus defends the precious Spirit of God, the third person of the Holy Trinity.

  • “Every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but not the blasphemy against the Spirit. Whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will NOT be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.”

“Either make the tree good so the fruit is good, or make the tree bad, so it produces bad fruit. THE TREE IS KNOWN BY ITS FRUIT.   You brood of vipers!  How can you speak good, when you are evil???

And then the portion that we often recite.

  • Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.
  • The good person, out of his good treasure, brings forth good.
  • The evil person, out of his evil treasure, speaks forth evil.
  • On Judgment Day, people will give account for EVERY CARELESS WORD they speak.
  • By your WORDS you will be justified, and by your WORDS you will be condemned.

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A SIGN FROM JONAH

Not afraid of Jesus’ fiery answer, the Scribes and Pharisees come back at Jesus, asking Him to do some “wondrous” sign.”  They want to see a sign, a miracle, a wonder.

“No sign will be given to YOU, but the sign of the prophet Jonah.”

  • Three days and nights Jonah was in the belly of the great fish.
  • So the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights.

“Those men of Nineveh (who repented at Jonah’s words) will rise up on Judgment Day and CONDEMN this generation ….. for someone greater than Jonah is here.”

“The queen of Sheba will ALSO rise up in judgment with this generation and CONDEMN it.  She came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon ….. and something greater than Solomon is here.”

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A MOM IS WORRIED

When Jesus’ family saw and heard Jesus speaking, and saw the crowds pressing in on Him, and watched the angry religious leaders threatening Him, they tried to rescue Jesus.  They may have tried to excuse His exuberance by saying, “He’s out of his mind.”

The crowds around Him noticed the distraught mom with her other sons, and, while He was still speaking, said to Jesus, “Your mother and your brothers are outside seeking You.”

Looking around Him at the crowd who was sitting around him, Jesus said with outspread arms, “HERE are my mother and my brothers! For whosoever does the will of God, he is my brother, sister, and mother.”

Jesus was not “dissing” his earthly family. He was emphasizing the importance of SPIRITUAL relationships.  After all, his own family needed Him as Savior. (See John 7:5)  And besides that, even in His intense physical pain on the cross a few years later, Jesus carefully put His mother into the hands of His beloved disciple, John. (See John 19:26-27)

 

 

 

 

Journaling through the Bible Chronologically in 2025, Day 280

Oct7

THE NEW TESTAMENT!

Day 280 – Reading – Matthew 8 and Mark 2

Read and believe in Jesus!

Matthew and Mark

In these two chapters, we see a flurry of miracles by Jesus – healings and deliverances – and some thorny questions answered. 

Matthew 8.

Again, Jesus meets a leper, a man filled with faith. He responds by touching and healing him. Our sinless Savior does NOT become unclean, but instead extends His own “cleanness” to the man. He then tells him to go to the Priest, as the law requires, to prove healing.

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Before it was a city official, but now it is a Roman Centurion who comes to Jesus asking for healing for someone at home.  He tells Jesus that there is no need for Jesus to come in person, because he, a centurion, is a man of command. He recognizes that Jesus is, too.  “Say the word and my servant will be healed.”

Jesus is amazed at this Gentile’s faith, and says, “Go, let it be done for you according to your faith.”

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Crowds begin to press against Jesus and his disciples, so He calls for a boat to go to the other side of Galilee. Before it’s ready, a scribe comes up to Him and vows, “I will follow you wherever you go!” (Did he mean to the other side of the lake??)

Another man tells Jesus he will follow Him anywhere, but first let him go bury his father. (This doesn’t mean his father is dead!  He simply wanted to remain at home and collect his inheritance before following Jesus.)

Jesus answered them curiously. “Foxes have holes and birds have nests. I have nowhere (permanently) to lay my head.” And, “Follow me and let the dead bury their dead.”

What in the world did Jesus mean?  He was saying to count the cost.  They must be willing to leave EVERYTHING to follow Him.

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The boat comes and they climb aboard.  The disciples (at least the fishermen) begin rowing towards the other side.  Jesus goes to the bench at the back of the boat – and without a pillow – lies down and immediately falls asleep.

A great storm arises.

The boat is flooding.

The disciples panic.

“Save us, Lord; we are perishing.”  (Whoa, how appropriate! For in reality, this is what Jesus came to the world to do. But alas, they meant from the storm.)

Jesus speaks and there is now a great calm. They whisper and ask each other, “What sort of man is this, that even wind and sea obey him?”

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On the east side of the lake, a demoniac or two greet them with wild screams and threats. THE DEMONS inside him recognized Jesus, even if the crowds did not.  “What have You to do with us, O Son of God?  Have You come here to torment us before the time?”

Jesus sends the devilish horde into the nearby herd of swine, which promptly runs to a cliff, and like lemmings, leap off to their death.  The man was FREE!  But the city wasn’t grateful.  “Please go away,” they tell Jesus.

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Mark 2.

In this story, Jesus has returned to Capernaum.  He was in the home where he stayed and hordes of people now pressed against him inside and out.  A paralytic is carried to the edge of the crowd, but there is NO WAY that stretcher will go through the crowd.  The friends look up and get an idea.  Around back they carry the man up to the roof and begin dismantling the roof.  Everyone inside watched (and ducked the dust) as the sick man is lowered down by Jesus.

He is pleased with their ingenuity and faith.  “Son, your sins are forgiven.”

“What???” think some scribes who were inside checking up on Jesus. “He is blaspheming! No man can forgive sins. Only God.“

(Well, duh!)

Jesus then asks a curious question. Think about it before answering. “Which is easier to SAY to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven’ or ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk?'”

Actually, it’s easier to SAY ‘your sins are forgiven,’ because you don’t have to prove it outwardly.  It’s much harder to SAY ‘get up and walk’ because either the man can or cannot do it.

Either way, Jesus tells the man to get up, take his stretcher-bed, and walk. (He’s already forgiven his sins.}  Jesus, our all-powerful God in the flesh, can and does both forgive and heal.  PRAISE HIM!

The crowds were amazed and glorified God.  The scribes were silent.

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Next, the people ask a question. “Why do John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but YOUR disciples don’t?

Simple.  Can you fast while the Bridegroom is here?  No. It’s time to rejoice.  When He is taken away, then there will be fasting.  Huh? Not sure if the people understood that. Or the disciples.  Jesus further causes their brains to work. “No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. Or the patch tears away in the first wash. No one puts NEW WINE into old wineskins. Or the expanding, fermenting wine will split the old stiff wineskin.” 

 What in the world is Jesus saying? He is telling them that a NEW DAY has come. The Messiah is here. Rejoice for His coming and accept the prophesied Good News!

Not sure they totally understood.  But the disciples will.  Later.