The disciples and Jesus are walking through a barley or wheat field. Some Pharisees, a group of legalistic Jews, are standing by, ready to ambush them. For Jesus chafed them the wrong way, going against their grain. In the other Gospel accounts, we learn they are hungry. So what are they to do? Tired and […]
Holy Trinity: John 3:1-17
July 11, 2018 by
So naive is Nicodemus. In the concealed obscurity of night, he visits Jesus. Though seeking to remain undetected, he offers Him the highest praise, “Rabbi, you must be a teacher come from God. For no one can perform the signs you do unless God is with him” (John 3:2). Swept away by His miracles, such […]
John: Lesson 8: Jesus Feeds a Crowd to … (John 6:1 – 24)
July 11, 2018 by
In John 2, Jesus went to Jerusalem for Passover (John 2:24, 4:43-44). Now we find almost a year has elapsed and Jesus is back in Galilee with another Passover soon approaching. This shows us John leaves out a lot, including the more important points we need (John 20:31). Jesus Feeds a Crowd Read John […]
Unnoticed Connections in Scripture, Lesson 5: Numbers Continued
May 24, 2018 by
In this lesson, we continue exploring the significance of numbers in the Bible. For we find specific numbers coming up over and again throughout Scripture. For example, God commanded His people to celebrate seven festivals in the Old Covenant—four during spring and three in the autumn. These three fall festivals all took place in the […]
Acts 2:1-21: The Real Power of Pentecost
May 24, 2018 by
At last, power! A fitting display of vigor and vitality for the saving Word to sally forth into the world! No more modesty of the Christ-child sleeping among the animals in a manure-filled stable. Absent is the shame and humiliation of Christ’s execution by Roman overlords. The hidden splendor of Easter Sunday morning when God […]
John: Lesson 7: Jesus Goes to “Court” (John 5:30-47)
May 24, 2018 by
After Jesus heals a paralyzed man on the Sabbath, others begin to oppose Him publicly. Jesus refutes the charges of violating the Sabbath based on His identity as the faithful Son who only does what He receives from the Father. “The Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the […]
John: Lesson 6: Opposition to Jesus becomes Public (John 5:1-29)
May 14, 2018 by
Up until now, Jesus has mostly been working with individuals, but in this section of the Gospel, His ministry begins to engage with larger groups, both followers and dissenters. In John 5, Jesus begins by healing a paralyzed man on the Sabbath (5:1-9). This event becomes a spark to ignite the public opposition against Him […]
Acts 1:12-26: The Office is Greater than the Man
May 14, 2018 by
Most of us don’t realize how much North Africans influenced our Christian thinking. For instance, they became the first to worship in Latin. So, much of western Christian thought came from them, as we in the West later adopted the Latin language. In the first three centuries, a higher percentage of Christians lived in the […]
Unnoticed Connections in Scripture: Lesson 4: Numbers
May 10, 2018 by
Counting in Hebrew The Hebrew language didn’t use numbers. Instead, letters took on the task of denoting numerical values. Like Roman numerals, each letter denotes a value (“I” = one; “V” = five; “X” = 10, and so on). To write a number, one combined different letters. A development, which took place within the languages […]
Acts 1:6-11: Christ’s Ascension Doesn’t Mean He’s Now Trapped in Heaven
May 10, 2018 by
This was our pastor’s sermon for the pastoral circuit meeting (winkel) on Tuesday, May 9, 2018. The book of Acts tells us of the first Christians as they brought Jesus to others in their words and deeds. The Scripture pictures for us the earliest Church, unfolding who the Church is and what she does, […]
