Week 52

Hebrews 10-11

The writer continues by now demonstrating in chapter 10 the purpose of the law, which is to show us the need of a savior (since no one can actually keep the whole law), and how Jesus became the perfect sacrifice for sin.  Thus it is only because of God’s grace that anyone can be saved, and that salvation must come through faith, as he quotes from Habakkuk 2:4 (“the just shall live by faith”).

Chapter 11 is called by many the “hall of faith”, providing many examples from Old Testament history of men and women who were treated as righteous by God as a consequence of their faith.  That faith was demonstrated by each of them in different ways, but the vital common thread was that each of them believed what God had promised, and they looked forward to that fulfillment, even though they may not have seen it in their lifetime.  All of these give us examples to copy, so that we might likewise demonstrate our faith in what God has said and done in Jesus Christ, so that we may appear before Him in the righteousness of Christ, rather than our own unrighteousness.

Hebrews 12-13, 2 John, 3 John

Chapter 12 concludes by pointing to all of those great examples, with an encouragement for each of us to lay aside the sin and things that spiritually drag us down, and run our own race for Christ with perseverance.  We have become sons and daughters of the most high God, and He loves us (and disciplines us) as His own dear children.  We should each live our lives for Christ with a heart of gratitude and devotion for what He did for us, and how great His love is towards the whole world, that anyone who comes to Him can be accepted by God forever.

In all of this we are encouraged to build up godly character within each of us, loving and serving each other with integrity and faithfulness, and putting aside those sins and behaviors that used to be normal for us.

The 2nd and 3rd epistles of John are both short personal letters to individuals.  The first to an unnamed Christian lady, and the second to a disciple and friend of John’s named Gaius.  In both of these letters John provides encouragement and instruction, echoing the things written in his gospel and 1st epistle - love.  Hate what is evil and love each other as servants of Jesus Christ.  Do not accept evil doers, or those who would cause division within the body of believers.

1 John

Much of this 1st epistle of John echos things that were written in his gospel, including the first verse, which speaks of Jesus as being the Word of Life from the beginning (see John 1:1).  This is a general epistle, which was meant to be circulated around to the various churches, and it is clearly a companion to the gospel of John.  The gospel of John was written to prove that Jesus is the Christ, Who was God sent from God the Father, so that people might believe and be saved.  This epistle expands on that theme, emphasizing that The Christ is Jesus, and providing practical instruction for Christian living.

We are instructed not to sin against God, but that when we do sin, He will forgive and cleanse us when we repent and seek His forgiveness in Christ.  Those who are saved are living in the light of God, Who is Jesus Christ, and those who hate their brothers or sisters in this world demonstrate that they remain in darkness.  Love is the key to life in Christ, as we cannot claim to belong to God if we do not love others, just like Jesus first loved us.

Revelation 1-3

This book was written very near the end of the 1st Century AD, when John was an old man, and it appeared to him in a vision when he was in exile on the island of Patmos.  It is titled The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which literally means the “unveiling” or “revealing” of Jesus, so even though people think this book is about the end of history and end times, it’s really about Jesus.  The first chapter opens with the appearance of the glorified Jesus Christ, Who gives John instruction to write down the things that he is going to see and hear.  In chapters 2-3 Jesus dictates letters to seven churches in Asia Minor, where He provides an appraisal and instructions regarding the condition of each church.  These 7 letters are seen as both literal (for those physical churches), as well as prophetic of the entire church age throughout history.

In chapter 1 Jesus appears to John in all His heavenly glory, and with His instructions to write, He also provides a key for us to help in understanding the whole book.  In verse 19 Jesus tells John to write about “what you have seen”, “those things that are (now)”, and “the things that will take place afterwards”.  Chapter 1 includes the first part (“what you have seen”), chapters 2-3 the second part (“those things that are”), and the remainder of the book is the third part (“the things that will take place afterwards”).

Ephesians - Jesus commends them for the things they’ve done, but is not pleased that they have “lost their first love”.

Smyrna - The persecuted church that Jesus encourages to remain faithful even unto death.

Pergamum - The city where satan’s throne was, and the church that embraced idol worship and sexual immorality.

Thyatira - A church that is commended for their good works and perseverance, but who also tolerated a false prophetess among them, who led people into all sorts of evil.

Sardis - A church with a good reputation in the world, but not with God, as Jesus describes them as already dead.  Even so, there were a few in Sardis who were faithful.

Philadelphia - A faithful church of love that Jesus promises to keep safe from the day of tribulation.

Laodicea - The church that was neither hot or cold, but only lukewarm, which was repulsive to Jesus.  They thought they were rich and healthy, but Jesus declared them to be sick and impoverished.

Revelation 4-9

Chapter 4 represents a shift into the 3rd and largest section of the book, which focuses on “those things that will take place afterwards”.  John is caught up into heaven, and he sees a vision of the throne room of God (compare Isaiah’s vision of this in Isaiah 6).  Jesus appears as a lamb that had just been killed, and He alone is worthy to open the book, and all of heaven bows down and worships Him.

The book was sealed with 7 seals, and the Lamb of God started opening those seals.  The four horses and their riders went out into the four corners of the earth, heralding war, and famine, and economic disasters.  The 5th seal revealed many martyrs who had been slain for Jesus, and the 6th brought great natural disasters upon the earth.  Then 144,000 Jews are sealed for protection, and a huge multitude of people were gathered around the throne of God, who had come out of great tribulation.

The Lamb broke the seventh seal of the book, revealing another 7 angels with trumpets, who all prepared to blow their horns in their given order.  The first four trumpet blasts brought succeeding forms of destruction and judgement upon the earth, with much life on the earth dying.  The 5th trumpet heralded the opening of the bottomless pit, where demonic hoards came out to torture (but not kill) unbelievers on the earth.  The 6th trumpet released an army of 200 million warriors from the east of the Euphrates river, and another 3rd of mankind died.

Revelation 10-14

In an interlude prior to the 7th trumpet sounding, another angel appears in heaven and gives John a small book to eat, and his commission to prophesy all that he saw was reiterated to him.  John is given a measuring stick, and told to measure the temple area (but not the outer court), and he’s told about God’s two witnesses that will prophesy and perform wonders on the earth for 3 1/2 years during the great tribulation.  Those two witnesses will be killed at the end of that time, but God will raise them to life after 3 days, and all the world will see them come alive, and taken up into heaven.

The 7th trumpet blows and the arrival of Christ’s kingdom on the earth is announced in a loud voice, and the elders in heaven worshipped God.  God’s temple in heaven is opened up to reveal the Ark of the Covenant, and there was great thunder and earthquakes and hail on the earth.

John sees a vision of a woman in heaven, who represented Israel, and delivered a Son that satan attempted to kill, but failed.  That woman (Israel) is provided a place of protection for 3 and 1/2 years of great tribulation.  During that time satan will attempt to set up his kingdom on the earth, with his messiah (the anti-christ) and his prophet, who causes great trouble on the earth for those years.  At the end of that time the Lamb of God will descend upon the Mount of Olives, and He will judge satan, his angels, and the many who follow the devil on the earth.

Revelation 15-18

Seven angels are given the seven bowls of God’s wrath, and when the first bowl was poured out on the earth it produced horrible sores on all who had the mark of the beast, and worshipped his image.  The second bowl caused the sea to turn to blood, and the third bowl likewise ruined the rivers and springs on the earth.  The fourth caused the sun to burn men, and the fifth caused the beast’s kingdom to be in darkness, with great pain upon his followers.  The sixth caused the Euphrates river to dry up, so that the army of the east could cross.  The final bowl brought an end to God’s wrath, with earthquakes and large hail upon the earth.  Babylon the great harlot of the world is finally judged, and the whole world will mourn her passing.  Babylon was responsible for the blood of prophets and saints who had been killed on the earth.

Revelation 19-22

Jesus appears in heaven to execute His wrath upon the kings of the earth, and they all gather for the battle of Armageddon, where a battle with God’s enemies occurs, and Jesus is victorious over all!  Satan is thrown into the abyss for 1,000 years, and the kingdom of Jesus is established on the earth.  After 1,000 years satan is released, and he will organize another attempt to destroy Jesus and Jerusalem, but they will be destroyed, and satan will be judged and cast into the lake of fire to be tormented forever, along with his anti-christ and false prophet.  Then will God judge the living and the dead, and all whose names are not written in the book of life will also be thrown into the lake of fire, as will death and hades.

Then God will make a new heaven and earth, and the new Jerusalem will descend upon the new earth, which is described as being like a bride that is adorned for her husband.  From that point forward God will dwell with men, and Jesus will be the light of the city, so that there will be no sun or night.  Flowing from the throne of God and the Lamb will be the river of life, and on its banks the tree of life.

Jesus promises that all of the things written in this book will happen, and they will occur quickly.

Week 51

Philemon, 1 Timothy 1-3

The small book of Philemon was written by Paul from prison, and it was addressed to one of his friends who lived in the city of Colossae, who was also a convert to Christ because of Paul.  Philemon was apparently well to do, and Paul had run into a man named Onesimus in Rome, who was a run-away slave of Philemon’s.  Onesimus became a Christian and helper to Paul, however when Paul found out his whole story, he decided to send him back to Philemon with this letter.  Paul asks Philemon to accept Onesimus back as a Christian brother, and to charge whatever might be owed him to Paul’s account, even though he could have legally put Onesimus to death for running away.  This is a beautiful short letter, where Paul encourages Philemon to do the right thing.

In addition to Paul’s letter to Philemon, he also wrote personal letters to Timothy and Titus, who had been sent out by Paul to minister in cities where he had previously founded new churches.  These letters are referred to as the pastoral epistles, as Paul is providing these two men with spiritual advice for leading the churches he had sent them to.  Timothy was acting as the pastor in the Ephesus.

Timothy is charged with the responsibility for the Ephesian church, and Paul warns him to be on the constant lookout for divisive people who would try to bring all kinds of false beliefs into the church.  The opposition in Ephesus was strong, as it was a center of pagan worship, which had destroyed many, and Paul warned Timothy to be on guard against such who would try to come in and destroy the church.  Paul also gives Timothy various instructions regarding proper administration of the church, and maintaining godly behavior of the people.  He also gives Timothy a set of guidelines for choosing elders and deacons within the church.  Paul reminds Timothy that the Word of God is all written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, as if God were pushing the pens of the men who wrote.

1 Timothy 4-6, Titus

He continues with various instructions for leading the church, and dealing with various issues that crop up with the people.  He said that there will be horrible times in the last days, with evil multiplying in every direction, which we see getting worse and worse in our own time.  He instructs Timothy on leading with widows in the church, and which of them should be financially helped, versus which should remarry or go to work.  He also talks about believing slaves and servants, and how those who serve must do so as working directly for Jesus.  Those who strive to be rich suffer many things, as the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.  The wealthy need to learn humility and service, doing good things in service to Christ Jesus.

Titus was another of Paul’s disciples and trusted representative, who ministered much to the Corinthian church, and who carried letters between them and Paul, as well as to other cities where Paul had established churches.  Paul’s short letter to Titus is similar in tone to what he wrote in his first letter to Timothy, and provides instructions on pastoring Christ’s church.  He also gives Titus instruction on choosing elders and pastors, and how the older believers (who are mature in Christ) should contribute to the instruction of younger Christians.  He also warns Titus to guard against those who would bring divisions into the church, and people who insist on arguing about their own interpretation of spiritual things, who should be rejected from having access or influence in the church.

2 Timothy

It is generally believed that Paul wrote this 2nd letter to Timothy fairly close to the time of his second trail before Caesar, and that this was probably the last epistle that he wrote before his execution in Rome.  He encourages Timothy to keep the faith and work of the gospel until the end, and to guard against those who would come in to divide or hurt the church.  Chapter 3 provides a vivid picture of the conditions that will exist on the earth in the last days, which we can see as a very good description of the way things are in our own times.

Paul tells him that he is nearing the end of his life, and that he had been faithful in his service to Christ, so as to finish his race well.  This should be the goal of every disciple of Jesus, to serve Him well until we each stand before Him at the Judgement Seat of Christ.  He had been abandoned by almost everyone, as Luke was the only one with him in Rome, and he asked Timothy to bring his coat and books before winter set in.

1 Peter

While Paul was considered the apostle to the Gentiles, Peter has been called the apostle of the circumcision, with his evangelical focus primarily on Jews.  This epistle is not specifically written to either Jews or Gentiles, but to the many believers who had been dispersed throughout the Roman empire.  It is a general epistle, in that it provides instruction and doctrine to all believers, and was not written to address specific issues or questions in any given church.  It is generally believed to have been written in the mid-60s AD, maybe 5-6 years before the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple.

He tells his readers to be patient in their persecutions, which was the cause of so many having to flee from Jerusalem, and other Roman cities, and which will prove to their benefit when they stand before Jesus.

Peter urges all of us to live as strangers in this world, since we belong to the kingdom of Christ in heaven, where we will be welcomed and honored in that day.  This means that we do not become attached to the things and ways of this world, seeking to serve the Lord Jesus Christ in what we say and do.  Always be ready to tell others about the good things God has done for you.  Maintain an attitude of likemindedness with Christ, being willing to suffer in this life for His Name, since He did so for us without reservation.

Leaders (Pastors, Teachers, and Elders) are instructed to lead just like the Good Shepherd, Who gave Himself for the flock, and loved us all.

Everyone is admonished to resist the devil, and he will run away - this is most effectively done with scripture, just as Jesus quoted the word of God to satan in the wilderness trial.

Jude, 2 Peter

The very short book of Jude was written by one of (at least) two men - Judas the apostle (Thaddeus), or Judas the half-brother of Jesus, however which is not known, and each are argued by various scholars.  The subject of this letter is focused on evil persons who creep into churches to bring destruction and division, and there is much of this book that is extremely similar to things that Peter wrote in his second epistle.  It is in this book that Jude gives various historical examples of such evil doers, and he also reveals that Enoch was preaching about the 2nd Coming of Jesus (not the first coming) in the days before the flood of Noah.  We are warned to keep guard against carnal teachings, and people who would bring divisions.

It is believed that Peter wrote his second epistle within a year or so of his death in the late 60s AD.  He wrote it to the same audience as the first, so it is also considered a “general epistle”.

In chapter 1 Peter gives us a great key to being victorious in our Christian walk, where he tells us that the Divine power of Jesus is sufficient for everything we need in life and godliness.  In verses 5-10 he tells us to add the following things to our faith - moral excellence, knowledge (of God), self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and (God’s) love.  He says that if we do these things, we will never stumble!

Like the other apostles, he warns of false prophets and wolves who will come into the church to try and destroy it, teaching many carnal things that neither Christ or His apostles ever taught.  He uses some of the same examples that Jude used, and it’s possible that Jude was quoting from Peter.

He also warns against unbelievers and mockers who will come in the last days, laughing at the idea that Christ will return for His church, or that He will execute judgement on the earth.  They will point to the amount of time that we’ve been waiting, and argue that God does not intervene in the affairs of men, even though He did exactly that when He flooded the whole world and only saved 8 people in Noah’s ark.  The Day of the Lord will come suddenly, and Jesus will execute judgement upon the earth exactly as He has promised.

Hebrews 1-5:10

In many ways this book was written as a witness of Jesus Christ to the Jews, which proves from the Old Testament scriptures the superiority of Christ over all - greater than the prophets, than angels, than Moses, Abraham, and Joshua, Who’s priesthood is superior to Aaron’s, Who serves in a better Sanctuary, Who administers a better covenant, and Who’s sacrifice was infinitely superior to the blood of bulls and goats.

The authorship of this book is not known, and heavily debated.  Many scholars believe it was written anonymously by the apostle Paul, and other scholars are divided on different alternatives, such as Luke, Barnabas, Apollos, etc…. In spite of this debate, there is no question that the book is Divinely inspired.

In chapter 1 Jesus is described as the radiance of God’s glory, Who holds all things together by the word of His power, and who made sacrifice for sins once and for all before sitting down at the right hand of the Father in heaven.  He is shown to be superior to the angels through chapter 2.

In chapters 3-4 Christ is shown to be superior to both Moses and Joshua, and that God’s rest can be found in Jesus, even though Israel never successfully entered into the rest that was designed for them.

Jesus was also designated by His Father as a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek, who was king of Salem and priest of God in the days of Abraham, who Abraham bowed down to, and gave tithes.

Hebrews 5:11-9:28

There is an expectation that believers grow into spiritual maturity, and remain faithful in their Christian walk throughout the remainder of their lives.  The writer continues in chapter 7 with his commentary on how Jesus fulfilled the prophecy of David (Psalm 110:4), in being the priest of God after the order of Melchizedek, making Him God’s priest and king for all men.  It is shown how Melchizedek’s priesthood was superior to the first Jewish High Priest Aaron, in that Aaron (effectively) tithed to Melchizedek when he was still in the loins of Abraham.  The writer of Hebrews also points out the fact that there were no men in Israel’s history who were both priest and king, as those positions descended from different patriarchs (Levi for the priests, and Judah for the kings), but they are brought together in the One Christ.

In chapter 8 the writer quotes from Jeremiah 31:31, where God had promised to institute a new covenant, where the laws of God would be written upon the hearts of men.  This new covenant was initiated by Jesus on the night He was betrayed, when He told His disciples that in His blood the new covenant (contract with God) was established.  This new covenant made the rules and regulations of the old law obsolete, however in no way did it eliminate any of God’s law.  It showed that man was not able to keep his part of the old law, and only through the work of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice could forgiveness be achieved, and men could be reconciled with God.

In chapter 9 it is shown that men have been given direct access to God, through the shed blood and broken body of Jesus Christ, which was demonstrated when the temple veil was ripped in two by God at the moment Jesus died on the cross.  That veil had separated men from having access to the presence of God, but now it is gone, and anyone can freely go to Him in the righteousness of Jesus Christ.

Week 50

Acts 21:17-23:35

Paul and his team finally return to Jerusalem and meet with the Christian elders and apostles in the city.  They rejoice over all the things that Paul reported from his journeys, but warn him that there are many Jews in the city who are on the look out to kill him.  Paul goes to the temple and performs the rites of purification and sacrifice, but when he leaves the temple, the Jews attack him, and would have killed him except that the Roman commander intervened and arrested him.  Paul is given an opportunity to tell his story to the crowd, but they kind of lose their mind when he tells them that God had sent him to preach to the Gentiles.  A gang of 40 Jews devise a plan to kill Paul, but their scheme is discovered, and the Roman Commander sends him under guard to Felix, the Roman Governor at Caesarea, who agrees to hear Paul’s case after his accusers from Jerusalem come to provide their testimony against him.

Acts 24-26

Paul’s accusers come before Felix in Caesarea, however nothing comes of it, and he is kept there under house arrest for another 2 years.  Felix talks with him a lot, but he is primarily hoping to get a bribe from Paul, but that never happens.  After 2 years a Felix is replaced by Festus as Roman Governor, and the Jews attempt to gain his help in condemning Paul, but that doesn’t work out for them.  Eventually Paul appeals for a hearing before Caesar, which is his right as a Roman citizen, so Festus makes plans for him to be sent to Rome.  Meanwhile, King Agrippa and his wife make a visit to Festus, and he gives the king an opportunity to hear Paul’s case.  Agrippa was the grandson of King Herod the Great, and he was knowledgable about the Jews and the scriptures, since he was an Idumean (a descendant of Esau), and his grandfather (Herod) had funded the expansion of the Jewish temple in Jerusalem.  Paul attempts to win Agrippa over to Christ, but it doesn’t seem to be successful, and so Paul ends up with the final decision to be sent to Rome, so that he can appeal to Caesar.

Acts 27-28

Paul is handed over to a Centurion (a commander of 100) to be taken to Rome.  They sail from the coast of Israel north, following the Asiatic coastline, however winter is approaching, and the weather is bad.  Against Paul’s advice they continue, and end up spending 2 weeks in a violent storm at sea, and the ship is eventually destroyed near the island of Malta.  God saves all of the men on the ship, which numbered close to 300, and they spent the next 3 month on Malta, waiting for winter to end.  During that time Paul preached the gospel, and many people were healed.

When Spring came, they finished their journey to Rome, and Paul was kept under house arrest for the next two years, chained to a Roman soldier in his own rented quarters.  Paul attempted to preach to the Jews in Rome, and although some were saved, the majority did not believe, so he then focused his preaching on the gentiles.

Tradition has it that after 2 years Paul was released, possibly going to Spain and Britain preaching the gospel, but was eventually sent back to Rome in chains, where he was martyred by being taken outside the city and beheaded. 

Ephesians 1-3

There were a handful of churches that were especially dear to the apostle Paul, and Ephesus was certainly one of them.  Paul had been a huge influence in the beginning of this church, and he eventually even sent Timothy to be the pastor there.  This epistle was written while Paul was a prisoner in Rome, and it is thought to have been sent to them some 4-5 years after he had last visited them.

This epistle is divided into two main sections - doctrine and application.  Chapters 1-3 focus primarily on what Jesus has accomplished, and 4-6 on Christian application.

There is a significant focus in these chapters on all that was accomplished by Jesus Christ, and how we played no role in His work of redemption, which was planned and initiated by God alone as a consequence of His infinite grace.  Key verses include…

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

- Ephesians 2:8-10 NKJV

Through the finished work of Jesus Christ every person has been given access to God, but only those who believe in that work of Christ, and accept Him unto salvation will be accepted by God.

Ephesians 4-6

These chapters focus on spiritual application, and are really broken into two sections, where Ephesians 4:1-6:9 speak of various applications that lead us to spiritual maturity in Christ, and then the rest of chapter 6 highlights the spiritual warfare that we are engaged in, and the weapons we’ve been given for that conflict with the enemy of our souls.

Jesus gave gifts to His church in the form of leaders, who minister in bringing each of us to spiritual maturity, and help in the process of our sanctification, which is forming us into the same image as Christ, through the power of His Spirit in us.  We are encouraged to live in this life with all humility and gentleness, encouraging each other in love, and ministering the grace of God towards all who need it.  We are instructed to make every effort to imitate Christ, and to walk in this life with His love, which was completely “others” focused - first on God, and then towards other people.

Our battle in this life is not against unbelieving people, but rather against the devil, who is working all manner of deception and hatred to take people with him in fighting against God.  The warfare is spiritual, and the tools we’ve been given are also spiritual - the truth of the gospel, the righteousness of Christ, the gospel of peace, the shield of faith in Him, the salvation of Jesus that guards our minds and hearts, and the sword of the spirit, which is God’s Word.  These weapons are largely defensive, which protect us from the enemy who seeks to make us ineffective as servants of Christ, and against his plans to try and destroy us.  Do not stop in praying, even when it seems that God is not listening!

Colossians

Paul’s letter to the church in Colossae was likely written at the same time as he wrote to the Ephesians and Philippians from jail in Rome, and also his letter to Philemon, who lived in this same city.  However, like the church in Rome, he was writing to the Colossians as a church that he did not found, as it was likely founded by Epaphroditus.  This city was closely associated with the city of Laodicea in Asia Minor, and Paul also wrote a letter to the Laodiceans, which has been lost, and not included in the canon of scripture.

Paul writes that he is thankful to God for the faith of the Colossians, and reinforces for them the basis of salvation for all believers, who have been called an justified by God through faith in Christ Jesus, so long as each person remains in that place of faith.  He then writes the remainder of this epistle in describing the character and conduct of those who have been saved.  We are instructed to reject false philosophies, and avoid false behaviors that are practiced by carnal christians.  All who have been raised to eternal life in Jesus should be focused on things above, rather than on things here below, since even though life is short, eternity is forever.  Reject and avoid immoral behavior, as well as impure conversation and lies, but rather adopt (“put on”) the new self that we’ve been given in Christ.  Whatever we do should be done with a heart to please our Lord Jesus Christ, and we should become students of His Word, with a heart towards doing what it says, knowing that He will judge our deeds as Christians at the Judgement Seat of Christ.

Philippians

The story of the beginnings of the church in Philippi can be found in Acts chapter 16, where Paul and Silas and Timothy were trying to minister in Asia Minor (modern day Turkey), but after Paul received a vision, they headed over to Macedonia (Greece).  The first city they stopped in was Philippi, and then followed by Thessalonica, Berea, Athens, and then Corinth.  Paul wrote this letter to them from prison in Rome, but it was written more as a message of love and gratitude to them, as opposed to a letter of correction, as they had sent Ephaphroditus to him for encouragement, with an offering to help meet his expenses in Rome.

Paul expresses his great love for them, and gives them an update on his situation in Rome.  He provides them with some instruction in Christian behavior, encouraging them to do nothing from selfish ambition, and to recognize that disagreements between believers only serves the plans of the devil, since divisions in the church make the preaching of the gospel ineffective to unbelievers.  He also encourages some in the church to try harder in getting along with each other in Christ, and warns the church elders to be on the constant lookout for men who would like to introduce legalism and spiritual bondage within the church.  He thanks them for their financial gift to him, but also tells them that he had learned to make do with whatever the Lord chose to give him, and to be content in all situations, whether they are pleasant or difficult.  This gives us a great example to follow, as they same is true for us, where godliness with contentment is very beneficial to us, just like he told Timothy in 1 Timothy 6:6.

Week 49

2 Corinthians 10-13

Paul defends his ministry against the accusations of the many who were against him, and speaks briefly of the authority he had from Christ as an apostle to punish such enemies of God.  He warns the Corinthians to beware of false apostles and prophets, who are continually attempting to deceive any who will listen to them.  Even so, there were none of those false teachers who could point to the things they suffered for Christ, which Paul lists as evidence of his own selfless service for Jesus, and for his readers.  He also relates the time that he was taken up to see the third heaven, which probably occurred when he was stoned in Lystra (Acts 14:19), and left for dead, although he was not allowed to speak about what he saw and heard in heaven.  He also makes mention of his own infirmity in the flesh, which the Lord would not heal, even after much prayers.

Paul commended himself in many ways to the Corinthians, but he was not seeking to promote or puff himself up in their eyes, but rather to show them the lengths that he had gone to, so that they might believe, and grow into Christian maturity.  He’s telling them that he has earned the right to speak to them as a father, which none of the false teachers could likewise prove.

Romans 1-3

The book of Romans is considered the greatest of Paul’s epistles, which provides a systematic commentary on the gospel of salvation by faith alone.  It is believed to have been written by Paul from Corinth, as he was preparing to head back to Troas, and then back to Judea.  Paul did not found the church in Rome, and this epistle does not address any problems with the church there (as he did with the Corinthians and other churches he wrote to).  The central theme of this book is stated in chapter 1…

Romans 1:16-17 NKJV - For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH."

God will judge the whole world with righteous judgement, and even those who have not heard the name of Jesus, or been told the things of God, will be judged rightly, and no one will be able to say “not fair” to Him on that day.

There is no partiality or unfairness with God, and we should therefore keep ourselves from judging others, since only God is qualified to do so.

Not even the Jews can claim to be righteous because of their heritage (sons of Abraham), or because of keeping the laws of Moses, as it is only those who approach God in faith (like Abraham did), who will be justified.  Every person ever born proves they are sons of Adam because they all sin, and they all die (which is the curse of sin), and there are none who are good enough to be accepted by God in their own righteousness.  As stated in Romans 3:23, every person has sinned, and failed to live up to God’s standard of righteousness.  So, acceptance by God must come another way - through faith in the righteousness of Jesus Christ, Who came to the world in God’s grace to take upon himself the punishment for sin that every person deserves.

Romans 4-6

There are no works sufficient for reconciliation with God, as that is only available through faith.  Paul points out that Abraham believed, and was counted as righteous (Genesis 15:6) before he was circumcised, proving that faith alone is important, and not works of the flesh, or being a circumcised descendant of Abraham.

God demonstrated His love for us, in that while we were still sinners Christ came and died for all.  Sin is forgiven in the blood of His sacrifice, and we are raised to eternal life with Him.  The disobedience of one man, Adam, introduced sin and death into the whole world.  The obedience of one Man, Jesus, annulled original sin, making it possible for every person to escape the curse of death in Him.

We are expected to sin less after being saved.  We have been baptized (or buried) into His death, and we have likewise been raised from the dead with Him to eternal life, so we shouldn’t let sin have control of us any longer.

Everyone is given a choice - receive eternal condemnation for sin in our own unrighteousness, or accept the free gift of eternal life in the righteousness of Jesus Christ.

Romans 7-8

God’s laws in the Old Testament are perfect, however they were never intended to save anyone from sin.  They only proved the impossibility of obeying God’s laws because every person is born with an inherent tendency to do the wrong thing, and were designed to show us the need for a solution of rescue from God, Who came in the form of man to do that very thing.  Even we prove the impossibility of perfectly obeying God’s law when we try to do so in our own strength, however Jesus has sent His Spirit to us, so that we might be successful in living for God as He leads us.

God does not condemn anyone who is in Jesus Christ, but quickly forgives us when we ask, and His Spirit leads us moment by moment, and gradually forms our character into the image of Jesus, Who is the perfect model for us to follow.  When we follow the leading of God’s Spirit, we prove that we have become His children, and He will take control of the circumstances in our lives, working all things for our good, and for His glory.  Nothing in this world, or from the devil can separate us from the love of God, and His care for us as His adopted children.

Romans 9-11

Paul takes a 3 chapter departure to talk about the condition of Israel before God, as it was a burning question among Christian Jews at that time - “if the Jews rejected the Messiah, God’s Son, has God rejected the Jews?”  Paul provides a resounding “NO” to this question in these 3 chapters, and confidently tells us that God will be faithful to save a remnant of Jews before He comes to judge the world.  The Jews are not saved because of a different covenant, as Jesus Christ is the only way to God, but a remnant of them will turn and accept Jesus as their Messiah during the great tribulation at the end of the age.

There is no scriptural basis for anti-semitism, yet it has been a cancer within some of the Christian church for more than 1,500 years.  Some of the Christian church fathers taught that God had rejected the Jews for killing Jesus, and they deserved to be wiped out as God’s judgement upon them.  There were many christian churches who cooperated with the Nazi’s during world war 2, even though there were many other Christians who gave their lives trying to protect the Jews.  Anti-semitism is from the devil, who tries to thwart the plan of God by eliminating the Jews, however God will protect a remnant throughout remaining human history, and they will turn to Him in faith at the end.

Romans 12-15

In light of all that God has done, Paul says it is a reasonable thing for us to serve God with our entire being, with a willingness to die for Him, and a commitment to living for Him as separate from the world.  He will transform us into the image of Jesus Christ if we allow His Spirit’s work in us to succeed.  Love God and each other like Jesus first loved us, and work to be a peace with everyone.  Be in subjection to our governing authorities, let love be the measure we apply to all people, and do not behave like those in this world.

Do not judge one another over the things they believe or do, but provide them with a godly example.  It is foolish to think that righteousness is bound up in rules of behavior, like what we eat or drink, or the day we worship God on, since righteousness can only be found in Jesus, and in following His simple examples of serving others in God’s love.  We are to bear one another’s burdens, and build each other up in Christ.

Romans 16, Acts 20:2-21:16

Even though Paul did not found the church in Rome, there were many there that he knew, and had ministered together with in previous times, including Priscilla and Aquilla, in whose home the church was meeting at that time.  Paul warns them, just like he did with many other churches, to guard against divisions within the church, and to be on the lookout for wolves (men) who would come in to create disagreements and arguments within the body of Christ.

Prior to sailing back to Syria, Paul makes another quick trip through Greece (Macedonia and Achaia).  After sailing from Troas, they stop in Miletus, on the coast of Asia Minor, and Paul sends for the elders in Ephesus to come and meet with them there.  Paul didn’t want to go to Ephesus because he would end up staying there too long, and he wanted to be in Jerusalem for the Feast of Pentecost.  He meets with the Ephesian elders, and gives them parting instructions, knowing that it was very unlikely that he would ever see them again.  He tells them to shepherd the people in their church like Jesus, and warns them that wolves will rise up even within their own group, so they must be on guard.  He told them that chains awaited him in the near future, and he left them after many tears, since they would never see him again.  They then set sail for Tyre, in Syria, where they stayed a week before traveling south to Judea, and they stayed with Philip (the deacon) in Caesarea.  In every place they went Paul kept getting warnings of his future arrest, and people tried to talk him out of going to Jerusalem, but he knew that all of that was going to happen according to the Lord’s will.

Week 48

1 Corinthians 1-4

It was during Paul’s 2nd missionary journey that he went to Greece (Macedonia and Achaia) after receiving a vision of a man who begged him to come to that region.  After founding fellowships in Philippi and Thesallonica, he lived and taught for almost 2 years in Corinth.  However, after his departure, false teachers came in and corrupted the believers there, and when Paul heard of these things, he wrote this first epistle while he was in Asia Minor (Ephesus).  The first 6 chapters deals with correction and discipline from Paul, and the rest of the book deals with doctrinal questions he had received from them.

The first issue Paul addressed was the problem of division that had cropped up in Corinth, where people in the church were arguing about which of the apostles was the most important.  Groups within the church had formed, where some claimed Paul as their highest authority, others claimed to follow Apollos, others followed Peter, and even some said “I only follow Jesus”.  Paul explains to them that none of the apostles are in competition, as they are all just servants of Jesus Christ, who is the head of the church.  However, he also tells them that he was writing to bring correction, and he had earned that right to do so because he had been the instrument of their salvation - only he could be called their spiritual father.

Paul tells them to stop their arguments and disagreements of such foolish things, as spiritual divisions like these are just a tool of the devil to disrupt the work of the gospel to unbelievers.

1 Corinthians 5-8

Paul then addresses outright sin within the church, where a man was living with his step-mother as if they were married, and the church was proud of their tolerance of this couple.  Paul told the church leaders to bring discipline to them, and to put them out of the church, so that their sin did not corrupt the whole church.  The purpose of this excommunication was to bring them to repentance, and eventual restoration to God and the church, which we discover was successful in Paul’s second epistle to the Corinthians.

He then chastises them for the situation where fellow believers in the church were suing each other in civil court, bring the Name of Jesus to shame among unbelievers.  He tells them that it would be far better that they accept the loss, and be willing to be cheated, rather than taking such issues before unbelieving pagans.  Such things should be judged and resolved within the family of believers, and not in the courts of pagans.

Paul then gives advice on marriage, indicating that it is best for people to stay in the condition they are in, and not seek something different.  Marriage is better for most people, who are not given the gift of celibacy, as Paul was.

He then gives advice about eating food that has been previously offered to idols.  There is nothing inherently bad or evil with eating such things, however believers should not do so if they end up causing a weaker Christian to stumble by their example.  This is the same with other things, like drinking alcohol in moderation - some Christians are free to do this with a clean conscience, but they should not do so if it causes another person to stumble.

1 Corinthians 9-11

Paul tells the Corinthians that even though he could expect them to provide monetary support for his ministry, as it was ordained by God that priests and ministers be supported from the gifts given, he refused to do so.  He served Christ without personal agendas, and did whatever was necessary to win some to the Faith, and avoided every possibility of being accused of serving for selfish gain.

He directs the Corinthians to look at the things recorded in the Old Testament, and what happened to Israel in the wilderness.  All that was placed there was written for our benefit, and for our learning, with everything pointing in various ways towards Christ in the future.  The Corinthians were surrounded by pagans and idol worship, and that same problem had brought down countless numbers of Israelites in their history.  Paul instructed them to stay away from all forms of idolatry, as there is no value in mixing with worldly pagan practices.

Paul teaches that there are different roles, and different ways that men and women worship God, and it is not appropriate for us to destroy the distinctions that God has created between the sexes.  He also admonished the Corinthians for treating the Lord’s Table (Communion) with no respect, as they were treating it like a meal, rather than eating at home.  The Corinthians were not only failing to obey the words of Jesus regarding the remembrance of His sacrifice, but they were completely disrespecting the practice, and in the process the Lord Himself.

1 Corinthians 12-14

In these chapters Paul shifts his focus to the gifts of the Holy Spirit, what is most important, and some of the abuses that the Corinthians were guilty of in their church meetings.  Chapter 12 provides a list of many Spiritual Gifts that are available to believers through the baptism of the Holy Spirit, but such gifts are given for the benefit of the church as a whole, and not for the individual.  Each believer is a small part of the whole body of Christ, with each one having unique roles that they are best suited for.  The whole body suffers when individuals do not use their gifts for the benefit of each other.

Yet, Paul tells us in chapter 13 that there is no benefit to all of the Spiritual gifts when the person wielding them does not do so in the love of Jesus Christ.  Without love for God and each other, all the Spiritual gifts we might have accomplish nothing.

Lastly, the Corinthians were allowing chaos to reign in their church services, with some people suddenly speaking in tongues (with no interpretation), and men and women talking at all times.  Paul tells them that God is a God of decency and order, and such things are not pleasing to Him.  There should be no more than a few messages in tongues, and then only when interpretations are given.  It is not a sign of spiritual maturity for such things to be going on in our church services.

1 Corinthians 15-16

The first four verses of chapter 15 provide a simple declaration of the gospel - namely, the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Christ’s resurrection from the dead is an essential component of our faith, as Paul tells us that we have no hope if He wasn’t raised from the dead, since our eternal future is in Him alone.  All people exist as eternal spirits, and what happens in the next life pivots on every person’s belief in Jesus (or not).

In the final chapter Paul writes about his upcoming travel plans, with the possibility that he will visit the Corinthians before winter sets in, and potentially stay with them, or go on to Ephesus.  He tells them that any money they collect for the saints in Jerusalem will be taken when he returns there, or by someone they mutually agree on as faithful to take it.

Acts 19:23-20:1, 2 Corinthians 1-4

Paul spends some time in Ephesus, but he eventually has to leave for Macedonia, as a great uproar had arisen in Ephesus when the silversmiths there became angry at the number of people who were becoming Christians, and therefore no longer worshipping the goddess Diana (Artemis).  He spent several months in Philippi, and wrote again to the Corinthians, about a year after his first letter to them.

Paul explains to the Corinthians in his second letter that even though it had been his desire to pass through their city, he had not done so because of two things - He was equally pulled towards Ephesus, and the needs of the gospel in Asia Minor, and he was reluctant to go to Corinth when there were so many spiritual problems going on, which he had previously written to correct.  However, he is also very joyous over the news he had heard from Corinth, where the man who was expelled because of sexual sin had repented, and the couple had separated.  Paul tells the Corinthians to rejoice in the man’s repentance, and to forgive him, and welcome him back into the fellowship of believers.

He then goes on to tell them about the persecutions and trials that they had been experiencing for Christ, knowing that the Lord is always faithful to take care of them, even though it seemed that they were going to be killed many times.

2 Corinthians 5-9

However, he also tells them that there was a personal struggle that was going on in himself, since he knew that it would be far more pleasant if he were to die, and then be in the presence of Christ thereafter.  He knew that all things would be perfect when he was with Jesus in eternity, but he also acknowledged that the timing was not yet right for him to die, as he still had more unbelievers to preach to before God had destined for him to die.

As he often wrote about the critical importance of faith towards God in Christ, he reminds the Corinthians that “we walk by faith, and not by sight”, knowing that our primary aim is to please the One Who has called us into His service.  Like he did in 1 Corinthians 3, Paul reminds them again that every person must stand before Jesus at the Judgement Seat of Christ, to receive the Lord’s recognition and rewards for service to Him in this life.

Paul warns the Corinthians against partnerships with unbelievers, indicating the need to remain unentangled with people of this world.

Titus had visited Corinth on Paul’s behalf, and he brought back much good news for his rejoicing and comfort.  He tells them how happy he is that they had made changes following his first letter, which he had worried was too strong.  He also reminds them of the ongoing collection of money that will go to the needy believers in Jerusalem, as the time was approaching for it to be taken to Judea, and he was going to send someone through Corinth to pick it up.

Week 47

Acts 14-15

In the city of Lystra the Lord heals a man who was lame from birth, and the people think that Paul and Barnabas are some of the Greek gods, and they attempt to sacrifice to them.  However, Paul explains that they are just witnesses for the one true God, who created all things in heaven, and on the earth.  Some of the Jews from the surrounding area convinced the people to hate Paul, and then he was stoned and left for dead.  Paul revives, and they travel on the next day, establishing churches in many of the cities they preached in, and appointed elders in each of those churches for the teaching and care of the people.  Paul and Barnabas return to Antioch, from where they had been commissioned.

Around that time there were believing Jews (many of them had been Pharisees), who were arguing that these newly converted Gentiles needed to be circumcised, as commanded in the law of Moses.  Paul and Barnabas disputed against this notion, and they were sent from Antioch to the elders in Jerusalem, to get the matter straightened out.  In Jerusalem, Peter, and the other apostles agreed with Paul and Barnabas, and they issued a letter to the Gentile churches, telling them to keep themselves from idols and sexual immorality, but to not think it necessary to be physically circumcised in order to be a Christian.  Paul and Barnabas took this letter back to Antioch, where it was received with gladness by the people.

Paul eventually wants to go back and visit the churches that he and Barnabas had planted, however they get into a huge argument over whether to bring John Mark (who had left them in the middle of their first journey).  Ultimately, Paul takes Silas with him, and Barnabas takes John Mark and goes to Cypress.

Galatians 1-3

It is not known for sure when Paul wrote this epistle to the churches in Asia Minor that were collectively located in the Galatian region, which today is in modern Turkey.  However, the nature of Paul’s letter is to bring correction to those churches, where Jewish Christians were convincing Gentile Christians of the need to obey the Jewish laws of Moses.  Paul explains to them the foolishness of such a thing, since there was nothing in the observation of Old Testament laws that had saved them in the first place, and nothing in the law that would commend them to God beyond what had already been accomplished in Jesus Christ.

Paul explains all of this in the context of his own Christian journey, where he had been the strictest of Pharisees in following the law, and in persecuting the church of Christ, but was eventually embraced by the apostles in Jerusalem.  He tells them that all of the apostles came to agree that there was no benefit in having new Gentile believers submit to circumcision.  He also points out to them the timeline of God’s dealings with Abraham and his descendants, where he was declared righteous because of his faith in what the Lord had said, and the promises of God were given more than 400 years before the law was ever laid out to Moses.

Galatians 4-6

Paul continues in admonishing the Galatians to stop thinking that they will somehow be judged more holy or righteous because they are embracing legalistic practices in the law of Moses.  He tells them that the people who are convincing them of such nonsense are hypocrites themselves, who do not fully obey the law of Moses, and who only seek to gain power and influence over the Galatians for selfish ends.

The works of the flesh are clearly called out among those people who will not gain the kingdom of heaven, but it is the fruits of the God’s Spirit that become evident in those who belong to Him - Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, kindness, and self-control.  It is these things that are produced in the lives of believers, in whom lives the Spirit of God.  The works of the flesh lead only to destruction and judgement, but eternal life an righteousness await those who have embraced Jesus Christ by faith.

James

The book of James is called a general epistle, as it was written for circulation among many churches, and not to address a specific church issue.  It was probably written by the James the son of Alpheus, who was one of the 12, and not the brother of John, who was killed by Herod.

The behavior of a child of God is to be upright before the world, which is something that can be seen in action, and not just heard.  We must learn to put away anger, as it does not accomplish the righteousness of God.  Our faith in Christ is demonstrated through our actions towards each other, without partiality or discrimination, showing the love of God to all.  Our tongues are so small, yet cause so much trouble, and it is a rare thing for us to control it as God desires.  Do not speak against one another, but humble yourself in the sight of the Lord - draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.  Let the Lord have control of your plans.  Pray for one another, because the effective and persistent prayer of a righteous person will accomplish much in His Name.

Acts 16:1-18:11

After Paul and Barnabas had returned to Antioch with the letter from the elders in Jerusalem, Paul takes Silas with the intention of visiting the people they had let to Christ in Asia Minor, first going to Derbe and Lystra, which marks the beginning of Paul’s second missionary journey.  It was there that they met Timothy, who was a young man of good report, and who began traveling with Paul from that point.  They traveled to various places in Asia Minor, but nothing was happening, until Paul received a vision of a man in Macedonia (Greece), who was asking them to come there.  So Paul and his party immediately traveled there, stopping first in the city of Philippi.  Paul and Silas were imprisoned, but God saved his jailer, and all of his household through that experience.  The Philippian magistrates ultimately let Paul and Silas go, but only after (essentially) apologizing for having them beaten, since it was not lawful for them to do that to Roman citizens without a court ruling.  Thus, the church of Philippi was started.

They then traveled to Thessalonica, where many believed as Paul preached for 2-3 weeks before being thrown out of the city by an angry mob of Jews.  Still in Macedonia, they traveled to Berea, where others also believed, and the Bereans proved to be solid believers, testing the things Paul said against the scriptures.  However, it wasn’t long before he left Berea (ahead of Timothy and Silas) and went to Athens, as the angry Jews were beginning to follow him around.

While Paul was waiting in Athens for Timothy and Silas to catch up to him, he started reasoning with any who would listen, as the city was full of temples to false gods.  They even had a monument to the “unknown god”, which gave Paul a great opportunity to explain to the Greek philosophers that He knew who that God was, and that He was the One Who made all things.  The Greeks were intrigued by the things he said, but they were mostly just interested in hearing new things to discuss.

1 Thessalonians

After leaving Athens, Paul went to the city of Corinth, where he stayed for almost 2 years.  However, since he had only been in Thessalonica for about 3 weeks, he was concerned about them, and he sent Timothy back to check on how they were doing.  He writes this letter to encourage them in the faith, and to also remind them of the things that he had taught them in the limited time he was there.  He tells them to take comfort in the fact that those who have died are with the Lord forever, and then reminds them that Jesus will return soon to take those who belong to Him.  He encourages them to remain faithful in all that the Spirit leads, and to live quiet and faithful lives for Jesus in this world.

2 Thessalonians, Acts 18:12-19:22

It is presumed that Timothy went back to deliver Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians, and while he was there it became evident that they were in a great deal of turmoil over the events that were overtaking them.  They were under a great deal of persecution, and some false teachers had told them that Jesus had already returned, and they had missed it.  Consequently, when Paul heard about this, he penned this second letter to clear things up for them regarding the last days, and there errors they were being told.

Paul tells them that the Day of the Lord had not yet come, and that it would not come in the future until the “lawless one” (the anti-christ) is revealed in the world.  Until that time comes in the future, Paul said that God is restraining, or holding back all of the evil that satan would like to do in this world, which we understand to be an active work of the Holy Spirit.  When the time is right, the Spirit of God’s restraint will be removed, the man of lawlessness will be revealed in the world, and he will bring about great destruction and evil until Jesus returns to execute final judgement upon him, and upon the Lord’s enemies in this world.  He concludes by encouraging them, and telling them to stand firm in their faith until the Lord accomplishes what will be done.

Meanwhile, Paul was preaching and teaching in Corinth, and after experiencing little fruit while preaching to the Jews, he determined to just focus his ministry on the Gentiles in that city.  At the end of his time in Corinth, Paul and his group return to Ephesus, where he spends some time before heading back to Caesarea and Antioch, but he leaves Priscilla and Aquilla to minister in Ephesus.  It is there there they meet Apollos, who is a skilled preacher, but who has an incomplete understanding of the gospel.  They help him understand the full gospel of Jesus Christ, and he then travels to Achaia and preaches in Corinth.  After this Paul returns to Asia Minor, and spends another 2 years in and around Ephesus.

Week 46

Matthew 28:9-20, Mark 16:9-20, Luke 24:13-53, John 20:11-21:25

In each of these final chapters of the gospels we see snippets of the Lord’s appearing to His disciples, which occurred over the course of some 40 days.  He appeared to two of them on the road to Emmaus, where He gave them an intense Bible study as they walked about 7 miles, explaining all that the scriptures said about Him, and why He came to die, and then be raised from the dead.  Jesus appeared to the apostles several times in Jerusalem, and also met with them in Galilee during this period of time.  At the Sea of Galilee the Lord re-confirms His commission upon Peter, and commanding that he lead like a shepherd of Christ’s sheep.

In these weeks following the Lord’s resurrection, we’re told later that He appeared to many believers (more than 500 - 1 Corinthians 15:6), so even though Jesus did not appear to the Jews, or to unbelievers, His resurrection was witnessed by hundreds of disciples before He was taken up into heaven.

Acts 1-2

Immediately before Jesus was taken up into heaven, He told His disciples to stay in Jerusalem until they were baptized of the Holy Spirit, which took place about 10 days later.  Jesus told them that the purpose of that baptism was to give them power, so that they might be effect witnesses for Him throughout the whole world.  The Apostles watched Jesus being taken up into the clouds, and the angel told them that it would be in a like manner that He will return, where people will see Him coming from the sky.  While they were waiting for the Holy Spirit’s baptism in Jerusalem, the apostles chose Matthias to be the 12th apostle, in place of Judas, who had given up his office in betraying Jesus.

On the day of Pentecost, which was a feast of the Jews which takes place 50 days following the Feast of First Fruits (when Jesus was raised from the dead), the Holy Spirit fell in power upon the disciples who were gathered together in Jerusalem, just as the Lord has promised.  Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, they began to speak in languages they didn’t otherwise know, and foreigners in Jerusalem for Pentecost heard their own native languages being spoken, and many believed after Peter stood up and preached about Jesus, and all that they were witnessing.  On that day some 3,000 people were saved, and it really marked the birth date of Christ’s church.

Acts 3-5

After these things Peter and John are going to the temple to pray, and they encounter a man begging at the gate, who had been lame for 40 years.  Peter tells him to get up and walk in the Name of Jesus, and he is made whole in that moment.  This causes an uproar among the people, and the temple rulers have Peter and John arrested, but they later let them go because of the crowd.  Many believed, and the church swelled to around 5,000.  There was great unity among the believers, and many who had property and money gave to help those who were in need.

However, there was a man and his wife, Ananias and Sapphira, who saw that Barnabas had sold a piece of property, and gave the proceeds to the church, and they wanted to be recognized for doing the same thing.  Unfortunately, they lied about the proceeds, and they kept back some of what they had received in selling the property.  They ended up dying because they lied about what they had done before God.  They were under no obligation to give anything, and they had the freedom to keep whatever they wanted from the sale of the property, but they suffered the judgement of God because they lied about what they had given.

A revival was going on, with many people being saved and healed, and the temple rulers were jealous and angry over what was going on, and again arrested the apostles, but at the night they were released from prison by an angel, and they went back and continued preaching to the people.  When they were taken again before the Jewish Council, Rabbi Gamaliel gave wise counsel to let them go, and not (essentially) go to war with God.

Acts 6-8:1

The apostles were being pulled in many different directions, because of how large the church was growing, and they called upon the church to select some men to be servants in the church, which we typically refer to as deacons today (table servant is the meaning of this word, like a waiter).  Among the seven men chosen was Stephen, who ended up also being a great witness for Christ, and many miracles were performed through him.  The Jews were jealous of all that was happening, and men came forward and lied about the things Stephen was teaching, indicating that he was denying the law of Moses.

Stephen was called before the Counsel, and given the opportunity to testify in his own defense.  In that he proceeds to give a lengthy history of the nation of Israel, indicating how much he knew about the law and their history.  He tells them time after time how often the leaders in Israel had failed to obey God, and then at the end how they had conspired to crucify the Son of God, Who was sent to them from God.  This was the last straw for the Counsel, and they rose up and proceeded to have Stephan stoned to death, and he became the first martyr for the Name of Jesus.  Saul of Tarsus, who would later become the apostle Paul, was present at Stephen’s stoning.

Acts 8:2-9:43

Following the stoning of Stephen, Saul becomes a crazy man in persecuting Christians, with many being hauled from their homes and taken to prison.

Much of Acts 8 focuses on some of the things that Philip did.  This is Philip the Deacon, not one of the 12 apostles.  He first preached Christ in Samaria, where many were saved, but they did not receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit until Peter and John went there from Jerusalem, and laid hands on them in prayer.  Philip is then led by the Spirit to go to the far southwest corner of Israel, which is closest to Egypt, in Gaza.  He encounters an Ethiopian court officer, who is reading from Isaiah 53, but who doesn’t understand what he is reading.  Philip explains the scriptures, leads him to salvation, and then baptizes him in water alongside the road.  After this baptism, Philip is translated to a city 20-30 miles north, and then preaches in every city on his way to Galilee, where he will stop in Caesarea.  It is likely that he planted the churches in Joppa and Lydda, which we will see already in existence in Act 9, as he traveled from Azotus (Ashdod) to Caesarea.

In Acts 9 Saul had been given a commission by the Sanhedrin to go and arrest Christians, and he is heading north towards the city of Damascus (in Syria) when He meets up with Jesus, and is struck blind.  He is told to go to Damascus, and stay until he is given further instructions from God.  The Lord appears to another disciple named Ananias, and tells him to go and pray for Saul in Damascus, and his sight is restored, and he immediately begins preaching to all that will hear, that Jesus is the Son of God.  As will be the case for the rest of his life, he makes the Jews there angry, and they plot to kill him, but he escapes to Jerusalem, and Barnabas introduces him to the rest of the disciples.

Meanwhile, Peter goes down to Lydda and Joppa, where his prayer heals a paralyzed man, and Tabitha (Dorcus) is raised from the dead, and many more people believed in Jesus, and were saved.

Acts 10-11

A godly Roman Centurion in the city of Caesarea is told by an angel to send for Peter, in Joppa, so that he might hear the gospel preached.  While this is going on, Peter has a vision of many unclean animals, where God tells him to kill and eat, indicating that nothing is unclean that He has declared as clean.  Peter doesn’t understand the vision until he goes to Caesarea, and enters the house of the Centurion, who is a Gentile.  Peter comes to realize that the message of the gospel is being equally made available to both Jews and Gentiles, and God confirms this by saving those Peter preached to in the Centurion’s house, and then baptizing the people there in the Holy Spirit, even before they were baptized in water.  When Peter returns to Jerusalem, he is confronted by Christian Jews, who had heard that he had been preaching among the Gentiles.  Peter explains to them all that God had shown him, and the disciples and apostles in Jerusalem came to the same realization, that salvation by faith in Jesus Christ was now available to both Jews and Gentiles alike.

Some disciples went out from Jerusalem because of the persecution towards Christians (following the stoning of Stephen), and started preaching to Gentiles in the city of Antioch.  When the apostles heard about this in Jerusalem, Barnabas was sent to help out, and there were many saved in that city, and it was there the believers were first called “Christians”.  Barnabas traveled to the nearby city of Tarsus, and found Saul, and brought him back to Antioch, where they preached Jesus for an entire year before traveling together back to Jerusalem.

Acts 12-13

In Acts 12 there are many who are arrested and persecuted by Herod, who found that this was pleasing to the Jewish rulers, and it was at this time that he had James the Apostle, the brother of John put to death.  Peter is also arrested, however an angel of the Lord frees him from his chains, and leads him out the prison, without any of the guards seeing them.  Following his escape, Peter leaves that region in Galilee, and it is a short time later that Herod is struck down by God, and he dies.

Chapter 13 marks a transition in the story of this book, when Paul and Barnabas are commissioned by the elders in Antioch to go out and preach the gospel.  This is the beginning of what we call Paul’s first missionary journey, and after he and Barnabas are rejected by the Jewish rulers of the synagogue in Pisidian Antioch (a different Antioch), Paul tells them that they are going to preach the gospel of Jesus to the Gentiles.  There will be many times that Paul first tries to preach to the Jews in various cities, but he ends up going to the Gentiles when his own people reject him, and thus he is known as the Apostle to the Gentiles, just as Jesus had predicted when He called Saul on the road to Damascus.

Week 45

Matthew 26:17-29, Mark 14:12-25, Luke 22:7-38, and John 13

On the day that Jesus will later be arrested, arrangements are made for them to celebrate the Passover meal, which is where the Lord initiates the new covenant, based on His blood that will be shed, and His body that will be broken.  He again tells them that He will be taken and crucified, and that the one who will betray Him is among them.  He identifies Judas as His betrayer, but no one seems to notice, just like they persist in ignoring that He is preparing to die the very next day.  He also tells Peter that he will deny Him three times that very night, which he does not believe.

There had been many times in Christ’s ministry when the disciples would argue about which of them would be the greatest in His kingdom, and this happens again, just hours before Jesus is going to be betrayed and arrested later that night.  Jesus again tells them that anyone who wants to be great in His kingdom must humble himself to be the least of all servants, and then He demonstrates that very thing by humbling Himself to wash each of their feet.  It was the duty of the lowest household slave to wash the feet of guests who came into the house, and Jesus does what none of His disciples had done when they first arrived, serving each of them in the role of the lowest slave.  We never see another time when any of these disciples will see each other as competition in the Lord’s kingdom.

John 14-16

In these three chapters the Lord gives direct instruction to His disciples as He is preparing to be arrested that same night.  In them He said clearly that He was going to leave them, but He was not going to leave them alone, because He was going to ask the Father to send His Holy Spirit to abide with them forever.  It will be the Lord’s Holy Spirit in them that will enable them to do even more for the Father than Jesus did Himself, speaking about the work they will do as witnesses for Him for the rest of their lives.  He said that the Holy Spirit will be given to lead believers into all truth, and for unbelievers He will convict their hearts of sin, and of God’s judgement, so that some might repent and turn to Him.

As they were walking with Jesus from the place they had celebrated His last supper, Jesus instructs them about the critical importance of abiding only in Him.  This truth was demonstrated throughout the ministry of Jesus, Who never did anything, except what His Father told Him, and His disciples (including us) must also rely 100% on Him for direction and power to say and do those things He has prepared for us.  There is also an expectation for each of us to bear fruit that is pleasing to the Father, which is why we are here, and consistent with Ephesians 2:10, which says that He has prepared in advance many good works for us to do for Him.

John 17:1-18:1, Matthew 26:30-46, Mark 14:26-42, and Luke 22:39-46

John chapter 17 is one of the few prayers of Jesus that have been recorded for us, and in it He is praying to the Father for His disciples, as well as for all of those who will believer in Him as a consequence of their testimony (which includes us!).  One of the key wishes of Jesus in this prayer is for His disciples to be “one”, or in unity, just like the Father and the Son are in perfect accord.  This is a charge for us to fulfill also, where we need to unite on all we hold in common, and refuse to let non-essential differences of opinion drive wedges between believers.  It’s unfortunate that the church of Jesus is better known for the things we disagree on, rather than what and Who we hold in common!

After these things the Lord and His disciples go to the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus prays.  He prays three times to the Father, asking that the trial He was about to face be removed, if there was any other way to accomplish His plan.  This episode demonstrates vividly that there was no other way for men to be saved, except that Jesus be sacrificed to pay for the sin of the world, and that is how His prayer ends, when He says “nevertheless, not my will, but Yours be done”.  Many people today say that there are many ways to get to God, but if that were true, then it would have never been necessary for Jesus to be crucified that night.

Matthew 26:47-75, Mark 14:43-72, Luke 22:47-65, and John 18:2-27

Immediately following the prayer of Jesus in the garden, Judas led hundreds of soldiers there to arrest Him.  It’s been noted that Judas had to identify Jesus with a kiss, and that he was probably very ordinary in the way he looked.  They first take Jesus to the house of Annas, the father-in-law of the High Priest, Caiaphas, and it is in the courtyard of his house that Peter denies Jesus three times before the rooster crows.

Jesus is questioned, with the intent that He would say something they could kill Him for, but He only says what He had been saying before.  None of the witnesses against Him were consistent in saying the same thing.  In all of these things the trail and conviction of Jesus was illegal in Israel, yet they were already determined to kill Him.  Finally, they ask Him plainly if He is the Christ, and Jesus confirms that He is, which they interpret to be blaspheme - of course, it’s not blaspheme if it’s true!

Matthew 27:1-26, Mark 15:1-15, Luke 22:66-23:25, John 18:28-19:16

After being questioned by the High Priest and the rulers of the temple, Jesus is taken by them to Pilate, where they petitioned him to crucify Jesus for blasphemy.  Pilate makes many attempts to avoid doing that, saying that he could find no fault in Jesus, and even trying to pass Him off to Herod, but that didn’t work either.  He also tried releasing Him outright, but the Jews would have none of that, and demanded that he release Barabbas instead, who was a convicted insurrectionist, robber, and murderer.

Jesus confirmed to Pilate that He was a king, but that His kingdom was not of this world, and therefore not a threat to him, or to Rome.  Jesus tells Pilate that all of this is happening because it has been approved by His Father in heaven, and that he would have no ability to kill Him if that wasn’t the case.

Pilate finally turns Jesus over to the Roman soldiers to be crucified after having Him scourged.

Matthew 27:27-56, Mark 15:16-41, Luke 23:26-49, and John 19:17-30

Here is the account of our Lord’s crucifixion, to which He submitted willingly, and which had been planned in heaven from before the time of creation.  Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5:21 that He Who knew no sin became sin, so that we might become the righteousness of God.  Jesus was slain as the Passover Lamb, and took away the sin of the world, so that God might extend His grace and mercy towards all who will come to Him in repentance.

As Jesus was dying, the massively thick veil inside the temple was Divinely torn in half, opening the way for all to go into the presence of God inside the holy of holies.

Matthew 27:57-28:8, Mark 15:42-16:8, Luke 23:50-24:12, and John 19:31-20:10

The very creation God had made conspired to kill His only Son, and He was dead and buried for three days and nights, just as He had predicted.  However, just as He had promised, He did not stay dead, and God raised Him to life on that following Sunday morning.  The tomb where He was buried was empty when the women and disciples went to examine it that Sunday morning, and that tomb is still empty today, signifying the victory of Jesus Christ over death and the grave, which was the curse of sin that had been introduced into the world by Adam.  Jesus took upon Himself the punishment of God in order to atone for the sin of mankind, but then He demonstrated victory over death and the grave, so that all who come to God in Him might also live forever with Him.

It is His death, His burial, and His resurrection on the third day that signifies the gospel (good news) of Jesus Christ, and the hope of eternal life that every person can have with God, who place their faith in Him!  No other religion can point to an empty grave, and a risen Lord!

Week 44

Matthew 20:29-34, 26:6-13, Mark 10:46-52, 14:3-9, Luke 18:35-19:28, and John 11:55-12:11

In these passages Jesus is making His final journey from Galilee up to Jerusalem, and He goes through the city of Jericho before taking the road to Jerusalem from there.  While in Jericho He heals numerous blind men, and also meets up with Zacchaeus, who was a tax collector of short stature.  Zacchaeus becomes a believer, as does blind Bartamaus.

Upon arriving in Jerusalem, Jesus goes to Bethany, which is a nearby town where Mary and Martha and Lazarus live.  Jesus has dinner with a man named Simon, where an unnamed woman anoints the Lord’s feet with costly perfume, and this happens again in the house of Martha and Mary, where Mary also does the same thing - both of these were done in preparation for the Lord’s dead.

Matthew 21:1-22, Mark 11:1-26, Luke 19:29-48, and John 12:12-50

About a week before the Lord’s crucifixion, He rides into Jerusalem on a donkey, fulfilling Old Testament prophecies (Psalm 118:26 and Zechariah 9:9).  Many Bible scholars also believe that it was on that day that Jesus fulfilled the prophecy of Daniel (9:25-26), who predicted 483 years between the decree to rebuild Jerusalem and the appearing of the Messiah.

For the second time in the Lord’s ministry, He cleanses the temple of the money changers and vendors, which He had also done at the beginning of His ministry (John 2:13-17).

Jesus begins preaching in the temple area, allowing Himself to be questioned by the Jews and the people, declaring Himself to be the Light sent into a world of darkness.  In spite of His teaching, and His miracles, many remained deaf and blind to God among them, and plotted to kill Him.

Matthew 21:23-22:14, Mark 11:27-12:12, and Luke 20:1-19

In the Lord’s final week before the crucifixion, He teaches in the temple, and confronts the Pharisees regarding their guilt in rejecting Him.  He tells a story about a highly prized vineyard, but the vineyard workers showed contempt for the owner.  This story was a direct quote, and reference to what God said through the prophet in Isaiah 5:1-7, where God says that Judah is His vineyard, and Jesus is telling the Pharisees that they have made themselves enemies of God.

Jesus goes on to tell another story about a great king who scheduled a wedding feast for His Son, but the invited guests showed the king contempt, and refused to attend.  The king sends an army to destroy them, and then freely invites any others who will come.  This story again told of the unfaithfulness of the Jewish leaders, and how God was going to use their rejection of Him as an opportunity to throw open the doors of welcome to the whole gentile world, which is exactly what happened.

Matthew 22:15-46, Mark 12:13-37, and Luke 20:20-44

In these passages Jesus is being tested by the Pharisees and Sadducees in Jerusalem, trying in many ways to trap Him with various tests.  In one they try to get Him to condemn Roman taxes, but He simply said “give to Caesar what belongs to him, and to God what belongs to Him”.  The Sadducees tried to trap Jesus with a story about a woman who sequentially marries 7 brothers, but Jesus explains to them that they don’t understand the scriptures, or the power of God, as there is no marriage in heaven, and everyone who has died is still alive in heaven.  By others He is asked about the greatest commandment, which He tells them to Love God with all of their being, and to love their neighbor as they love themself.

In the story of the first passover in Exodus 12, God tells Moses to take a perfect lamb on the 10th day of the month, to examine it and verify it is unblemished, and then kill it on the 14th day of the month.  It is this same thing we are seeing in the days leading up to the Lord’s crucifixion, where He is being tested and examined, but found to be perfect, and without sin.

Matthew 23, Mark 12:38-44, and Luke 20:45-21:4

Jesus had been examined and tested by the scribes and Pharisees in the temple, who could find no fault in Him.  He then turns and starts talking to the general people who have been listening to all that had been said.  Jesus speaks harsh judgements against the scribes and the Pharisees, telling the people the extent of their hypocrisy, warning the people not to follow their horrible examples.  He declares that they will suffer the judgement of God in their time because of the corruption of their hearts.

About this same time Jesus sits down and watches as people came to the temple to put money in the box.  Some of the scribes and Pharisees and rich people made a big production out of giving money to the temple, but Jesus was blown away by the gift of the poorest of widows.  All of the disciples around Him missed what had happened, but Jesus describes to them what a huge gift she had given, even though it was just 2 pennies, it was literally all that she had.  God doesn’t expect us to give everything we have, but He is watching, just like Jesus did, and He will not fail to bless every gift in proportion to the heart of the giver.

Matthew 24:1-31, Mark 13:1-27, and Luke 21:5-27

These passages mark a portion of (what has been called) the Lord’s Olivet discourse, when He tells His disciples of many things that will happen in the last days.  He first tells them the massive temple in front of them will cease to exist, with not even one stone left upon another, which was literally fulfilled almost 40 years from that time, when Titus Vespasian sacked Jerusalem and burned the temple to the ground, but then dismantled the temple stone by stone in order to recover all of the gold that melted in the fire (this gold ended up funding the construction of the Coliseum in Rome).

Jesus goes on to describe a time of the worst persecution in the history of the world, which will occur during the great tribulation at the end of the age.  Many will suffer and die during this time, but before all life is extinguished, Jesus will appear with great glory in the sky, and will execute judgement upon satan, and the enemies of God.

Matthew 24:32-26:5, Mark 13:28-14:2, and Luke 21:28-22:6

The Lord finishes His Olivet discourse, telling His disciples in many different ways about things that will happen in the last days, and about the importance of maintaining a very watchful eye out for His return.  He told the story of the 10 virgins, where only half of them were prepared to enter in to the celebration with the bride and Bridegroom.  He also told a story about the Master giving His servants money to use while He is away, but He returns to get an accounting of what each servant did with what He gave them.  The Lord has given each of His servants resources, and we will all be called to account for what we did for Him, with what He gave us, whether that be money, abilities, or responsibilities.

The days of this age are quickly drawing to a close, and it is important for each of us to also hear the words of Jesus, so that we are each watching for His return, and prepared to stand before Him at the Judgement Seat of Christ, where He will judge each person’s works for Him, as Christians.

Week 43

Luke 10:1-11:36

Among the followers of Jesus, He appointed 70 to go out and preach in the cities of Israel, telling of the coming of God’s kingdom, and He gave them power to heal the sick, and cast out demons.  They came back amazed at what was done, but Jesus told them to be amazed that God accepted them.

Jesus tells an expert in the law the story of the good Samaritan, who seemed to understand the requirements of God’s laws (love God and love others), but wanted to know who qualifies as his brother (others).  The hated Samaritan was the one who showed mercy, and Jesus told the lawyer to go and do the same.

Jesus gives the disciples an outline for prayer, which echoed what He taught in Matthew 6:9-15, but then emphasizes the importance of persistence in praying.  Pray without giving up, and the Lord will answer in a way that is consistent with His love for us.

Jesus then teaches about the domain of demons, and how it is only by the authority of God that they are exercised.  But, someone who has been cleansed of demons must fill their life with God’s love and Word, or they are in danger of being repossessed even worse.

Luke 11:37-13:21

Jesus spoke harsh words to the Pharisees and lawyers (experts in the law of Moses), condemning them for their hypocrisy, and for the excessive burdens they placed on common people.

He tells His disciples to beware the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, and that none of them should fear the wicked rulers in the land, but they should rather fear God, Who loves and cares for those who are His.

Jesus warns the people against having hearts of greed, and he tells the story of the rich man who saved up much, without realizing that his death was coming that very night.  It is far better to store up spiritual riches in heaven, rather than trusting in temporary things on earth.  It is far better to rely on the Providence of God, Who will take care of everyone who trusts in Him.  Live life in anticipation of the Lord’s return, like strangers in a foreign country, rather than worrying about position or power or wealth in this world.

Jesus told His disciples that the service of His servants will be recognized and rewarded after He returns, which will be based upon what each one did for Him as His servants on the earth.

Jesus then tells some people that there is a great need for repentance in Israel, and likens them to a fig tree that refuses to bear fruit for 3 years, and has only a short time remaining before it will be cut off.  He heals a women that was bent over like a folded taco shell on the Sabbath, but the self-righteous Jews were mad that it was done on the Sabbath.  Jesus was in turn angry over their hypocrisy, and their lack of compassion for the woman.

John 9-10

Jesus heals a man who had been blind from birth, which was one of the miracles that He did, which had never been done by anyone throughout history.  This man would have had no education, and would have been among the least qualified to become a messenger of the gospel, yet he confounded the experts of the law with nothing more than his testimony, and the logical conclusions that came from what Jesus did.  Like this man, we may not be trained in theology, and we may not know how to find verses in the Bible, yet we each have a testimony of what God did for us, which no one can take away, or dispute.

Jesus then declares Himself to be the Door (to the sheepfold), and also that He is The Good Shepherd.  In old times the shepherd would sleep across the opening of the sheepfold, so that nothing could go in or out without going through him, which is the picture we get from this statement of Jesus.  He was the promised descendant of king David, who was the first shepherd king, and who famously wrote psalm 23 (The Lord is my Shepherd…), and that is who Jesus says He is - The Good Shepherd.  Unlike someone who was hired to watch the sheep, the Good Shepherd is the owner, Who will give His life to protect the sheep.

The Jews again try to stone Jesus for calling Himself the Son of God, but that didn’t work out.

Luke 13:22-15:32

After three years of ministering in the northern region of Galilee, Jesus begins an extended journey towards Jerusalem, where He has an appointment with the cross.  This is reported in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, where Jesus gradually makes His way towards Jerusalem, preaching in many cities has they go, but He again tells people that it is there that He will be killed.

In one such town Jesus is invited to dinner at the house of a prominent Pharisee on the Sabbath, and He heals a man who was severely afflicted.  He proves to them that it is right to do good things on the Sabbath, and the Pharisees there were unable to answer Him.  Jesus also observed how people were jockeying for the better seats at the dinner, and He said that it is better for us to not self-promote, but to let others promote us from a lower place.  He also told everyone to do good, and invite people who cannot repay the kindness, unlike most of the people He was observing at the dinner.  Jesus then told a parable of a great man who threw a huge dinner party, and invited many people, but all of those people disrespected him by being too busy to attend.  That man, or king, then invited anyone from the streets who would come, and this story represented the invitation of God to His people, who uniformly rejected Him.

Jesus tells many different stories, which all relate to the Kingdom of God, and then tells the familiar story of the Prodigal Son.  This story provides a great picture of the Father’s love for all of His sons, and how He is quick to forgive and restore any who return to Him in repentance.  God is the same, Who is always willing to forgive, and give many chances for repentance to those who walked away from Him.

Luke 16:1-17:10 and John 11:1-54

Jesus tells the story of the unrighteous steward, or business manager, who is going to get fired for wasting his master’s resources.  Before he is fired, he goes to those who owe his master rents, and negotiates better terms for them, so as to set himself up favorably with them after he is out of a job.  Jesus uses this story to make a point, which is for us to use the resources of this world to prepare for our future in eternity, which echoes what He said elsewhere - “store up for yourselves riches in heaven”.  The Pharisees ridiculed Jesus for this story, because they loved money, but Jesus told them anything they regard as important is an abomination before God.  He tells them the story of Lazarus and the rich man, who regrets his poor decisions in life, but Abraham tells him that even if someone came back from the dead to warn the man’s family, they still wouldn’t believe.  This was demonstrated when another Lazarus was raised from the dead, and when Jesus was raised - unbelievers persisted in not believing.

In response to a request from the disciples to increase their faith, Jesus tells them a story about the proper role of servants, and how servants should have no personal expectations, other than to serve the master.  With this attitude, servants also have no concerns, as the master will be responsible for everything they need.

Jesus raises their friend Lazarus from the dead after being in the grave for 4 days.  He could have healed Lazarus before he died, but God received far greater glory in the way He chose to respond in that situation.  Of course, the Pharisees hated seeing him alive, and plotted to kill him because he was a living demonstration of the power of Jesus Christ.

Luke 17:11-18:17, Matthew 19:1-15, and Mark 10:1-16

Jesus continues his slow walk towards Jerusalem, teaching and healing in every city that He goes through.  In one village He heals 10 lepers, but only one of them returns to thank Him, and give Him praise, and he was a Samaritan.  It’s amazing how many people Jesus healed, who did not turn and follow Him.  Prior to Jesus, leprosy in Israel was incurable, but He healed many lepers, and each one was required to show themselves to the priests (according to the law in Leviticus), which would have been an amazing thing for all of the priests to suddenly see happening, yet it changed few hearts.

Jesus talks about the last days, and how His coming judgement in the end will be sudden, just like it was in the days of Noah and Lot.

He also answered questions about divorce and remarriage, saying that it was never God’s intent in the beginning for married couples to divorce, but the law of Moses allowed for it only in cases of infidelity.  Even today, God hates divorce, but it is not the unpardonable sin, and He will forgive every one who comes to Him in repentance.

Matthew 19:16-20:28, Mark 10:17-45, and Luke 18:18-34

Jesus tells a rich young man that he can gain much if he sells all and follows Him, with rewards to be had in heaven, but this was a hard thing, and he went away sad.  Jesus comments on how hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God, but also that nothing is impossible with God.

Jesus continues in talking about the kingdom of God, and how the economy of God is different, and how the first will be last, and the last will be first when He rewards those who have worded for Him.

Jesus tells His disciples about his imminent death and resurrection, but they do not really hear what He is saying, and they are focused on which of them will be greater in the His kingdom.  The mother of James and John tries to get them promoted to the Lord’s right and left hand, but they don’t understand what that will cost, and Jesus tells them it is only the the Province of the Father to determine who will be in those places in the kingdom.  It is he who is servant of all that will be greatest in God’s kingdom, and that description fits first with Jesus Himself!

Week 42

Mark 6:1-30, Matthew 13:54-58, 9:35-11:1, 14:1-12, and Luke 9:1-10

Jesus calls together His 12 disciples, and gives them instructions for going out in pairs to preach about the coming of God’s kingdom, and He gives them power over demons, and power to do miracles.

While this is going on we read a side story of the death of John the Baptist, who Herod has beheaded, and who is afraid that Jesus might be John raised from the dead.

The Lord’s disciples return with reports of all they had done, and Jesus gets word that John the Baptist had been killed.

Matthew 14:13-36, Mark 6:31-56, Luke 9:11-17, and John 6:1-21

When Jesus heard that John the Baptist had been killed, He took His disciples to a deserted place to be alone, but the crowds knew where they were going and went ahead.  When Jesus saw the multitude, He had compassion on them, and began teaching and healing the sick.  At evening time the Disciples told Jesus to send them away, but He said “you feed them”.  They brought Jesus the sack dinner of a child, with 5 rolls and two small fish, and from that the Lord fed some 5,000 men, plus women and children, with 12 baskets of leftovers gathered up.

After everyone had eaten, Jesus sent the crowds away, and forced His disciples to get in a boat without Him, to go over to Capernaum while He went upon the mountain to pray.  Jesus prayed all night, but the disciples worked all night and couldn’t get to land because of wind and waves they were rowing against.  However, Jesus was watching them from afar, and then came walking on the water to them before sunrise.  Jesus knew this storm would hit, but He sent them out without Himself with them, and He was watching them throughout the time He was praying.  This is the same with us, as He leads us into difficult circumstances, and even when it seems like He is far away, He is watching and protecting us.

John 6:22-7:1, Matthew 15:1-20, and Mark 7:1-23

After Jesus had fed the multitude, there were many in the crowd who wanted to make Him king, but He dispersed them and sent them away.  The next day they found Him with His disciples at Capernaum, and they challenge Jesus to give them more food, just like Moses gave their forefathers in the wilderness.  Jesus corrects them, telling them that it was God Who gave them bread in the wilderness, and it was God Who sent Jesus down as the bread of life.  Jesus almost goes out of His way to offend them, saying that He is the Bread of Life from the Father, and that it is necessary for those who seek God to eat His Body and drink His Blood.  Many in the crowd were offended, and went away, and many of the Lord’s disciples also stopped follow Him at that time.  Only the 12 were left, and they told Him they would remain faithful to Him.

In like manner, we see other ways in which Jesus offended the Jews, with examples in these passages from Matthew and Mark.  Pharisees from Jerusalem came to Galilee and criticized Jesus and His disciples for breaking the law, even though they didn’t break God’s law, but only their interpretation.  Jesus points out their own hypocrisy, and quotes from Isaiah 29:13, telling them that they were guilty of teaching the people the doctrines of men, but claiming them to be the doctrines of God.  Jesus tells them, and then He tells His disciples that it is what comes out of a person’s mouth (which is a reflection of what is in their heart) that defiles a man, and not what a person eats, or if they eat with unwashed hands.

Matthew 15:21-16:20, Mark 7:24-8:30, and Luke 9:18–21

For a short period of time Jesus and His disciples go north of Galilee to the Syrian coast, where the region of Tyre and Sidon was, and they encounter a gentile woman who keeps asking Jesus to free her demon possessed daughter.  Jesus pushes back, because she is not a Jew, but she persists and Jesus commends her for her faith, and heals her daughter.  Many times the faith of gentiles was far greater than of those in Israel.

Upon returning to Galilee, Jesus teaches and heals people for 3 days, but before sending them home, he feeds some 4,000 men, plus women and children, with 7 small loaves of bread and a few fish, and afterwards they gather up 7 large baskets of food scraps.  Jesus has to remind the disciples of this miracle, and the feeding of the 5,000, when they (again) misunderstand His instruction to beware of the leaven (teaching) of the Pharisees.

He then asks His disciples the crucial question that every person must answer for themselves - “who do you say I am?”.  It is critical that people believe He was sent from God, and that He was crucified for the sin of the world, but rose again on the 3rd day to life everlasting.

Matthew 16:21-17:27, Mark 8:31-9:32, and Luke 9:22-45

Peter had just answered Christ’s question correctly (“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God”), but then He rebukes Jesus for telling them that He was going to be killed in Jerusalem and raised from the dead on the 3rd day.  Jesus responds by saying “get behind me satan”, so Peter goes from hero to goat in just a few verses.  As seen in these passages, there were many times when Jesus told His disciples in advance that He would be killed, and raised from the dead on the 3rd day.

Jesus took Peter, James, and John up on a high mountain, and He was transformed before them, as if His heavenly glory was leaking out of Him, being brighter than the sun.  Jesus is speaking with Moses and Elijah, and then God speaks from heaven to the disciples, saying “hear Him, Who I have chosen”.  Jesus tells them later to not speak of the incident until after He was raised from the dead.  This event remains vivid in Peter’s memory, and he speaks of it again in his epistle (2 Peter 1:17-18).

When they come down from the mountain, they encounter a man who’s son has been afflicted by a demon since childhood, and the Lord’s disciples had been unable to cast it out.  Jesus rebukes the demon, and the son is restored to his right mind, after He tells the man that all things are possible to him who believes (the man responded “Lord, I believe, help my unbelief”).  Jesus later tells His disciples that their faith was weak, and that such do not come out except following fasting and prayer.

Matthew 18, 8:19-22, Mark 9:33-50, Luke 9:46-62, and John 7:2-10

In many ways and times Jesus impressed upon His disciples the importance of being servants, and not striving to be great in the kingdom of God.  This is a lesson that they would not really learn until the night that Jesus would be arrested, when He would humble Himself to wash their dirty feet.

Jesus also taught them many times about forgiveness, and emphasizes this in Matthew 18, with the story of the two servants, and how God will likewise treat us in the same way we treat others.  If we refuse to have mercy, and to forgive, then Jesus says that God will likewise refuse to have mercy and forgive us.  Jesus told Peter that we should be willing to forgive the same offense hundreds of times without growing weary.

He also taught on the correct way to resolve conflict between individuals, where they should first try to clear things up one-on-one.  If that doesn’t work, then they should enlist the help of a disinterested third party as an arbiter.  Then, if that doesn’t work, the issue can be brought before the larger body of believers in the church, who will make a judgement between them.  If the guilty party then refuses to listen, they should be treated as a stranger.  Many people want to short circuit this process, and go straight to corporate discipline, but that is not how Jesus ordained it to happen.

Jesus also taught on the importance of living holy in this life, and said that we should take drastic steps to separate ourselves from whatever causes us to stumble.  We should not interpret this literally, in cutting off body parts, or gouging out an eye, but see these as examples of how serious and drastic we need to cut off what causes us to sin.

John 7:11-8:59

The timeline of Christ’s ministry has jumped forward about 3 years, and it is about 6 months before His crucifixion that He goes up to Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles (or feast of booths), which occurs in the Fall of the year. 

Until this time Jesus had been primarily teaching and healing people in the northern region of Galilee, but now He has gone up to Jerusalem to present Himself before the people, and to openly declare Who He Is.  He makes very clear that He was sent from God, His Father, and that everything He said and did came from the Father.

The Pharisees devise a scheme to try and trap Jesus, Who they hate because He is constantly helping people, and drawing people away from being under their control.  They bring a woman who was caught in the act of adultery (but they didn’t bring the man), and they demanded that Jesus judge her appropriate punishment, which is clear in the law of Moses.  In the law there is no provision for sacrifice or forgiveness for intentional sins, like adultery and murder, so she was clearly guilty, and clearly deserving of the death penalty.  They know that Jesus doesn’t want to condemn anyone, so they want Him to be trapped between the law and His desire to show mercy.  This grieves the heart of Jesus, and He finally tells them that the one among them who is without sin can throw the first stone.  Each of her accusers become aware of their own guilt, and disappear, and then Jesus tells her that He also does not condemn her (“go and sin no more”).  It’s impossible to trap God, no matter how sly and cunning the enemy might be.

Jesus ends a heated debate with the Pharisees in John 8, by again telling them clearly that He is from God, and that God is His Father.  He likewise tells them that they are of their father, the devil, who was a murderer and liar from the beginning.  At the end of this, Jesus tells them clearly that He is the “I AM” of the burning bush, and they tried to kill Him, but without success.

Week 41

John 5, Matthew 12:1-21, Mark 2:23-3:12, and Luke 6:1-11

On many occasions Jesus healed people and cast out demons on the Sabbath, which drove the Pharisees crazy with anger, yet the Lord was grieved on account of their hard hearts, and lack of compassion for the needy.  Jesus told them that they did not understand that the Sabbath was ordained by God as a gift to men, and not as a means of fulfilling religious obligation.  In John 5 Jesus tells the Pharisees that they also misunderstand the scriptures and the law, since they would love Him if they followed the law of Moses as it was intended from God.  He also told them that all of the Old Testament scriptures were actually written about Himself, and everything there was included by God to point forward to the coming of Jesus.

Matthew 5, Mark 3:13-19, and Luke 6:12-36

The 12 apostles are called by Jesus, and then He begins to teach them.  In Matthew 5-7 we find the Lord’s sermon on the mount, which begins with Him calling His disciples together, and then teaching them the principles of the kingdom of God.  Matthew 5 includes the so-called Beatitudes, where Jesus lays out the behavior and attitudes of those who belong to God’s kingdom.  The rules that Jesus describes in these chapters are even more difficult than the laws of Moses, since they speak to the attitudes of the heart, and they demonstrate the righteousness required of anyone who seeks to be saved through his own actions.  These are impossible for men and women to obey in every aspect, and at all times, demonstrating the need for Christ’s righteousness in all who will be accepted by God, since He is the only one who actually kept all of God’s laws (both the OT law, as well as the intent of God’s laws, as cited by Jesus).  We can look ahead to these being the laws of the kingdom when Jesus rules on the earth.

Matthew 6-7, and Luke 6:37-49

In Matthew 6 the Lord tells His disciples how to pray, and the critical necessity for us to forgive others if we hope to be forgiven by God.  In like manner, Jesus tells us to treat others in the way that we want to be treated, which speaks of how God will treat us (in light of how we treat others).

Jesus stresses the importance that we do the things He said, and that there will be some in the judgement who are not His, because they failed to do what He commanded.  Of course, we are not saved by the things we do, since we know that salvation comes by God’s grace, and our faith in Jesus Christ.  However, Jesus is saying that those who belong to Him also experience a change of heart, and each person wants to do what He has commanded, even though such practice may be far from perfect.

Luke 7, Matthew 8:1, 5-13, and 11:2-30

It is notable to consider the faith of the Centurion, who’s servant was sick, and who asked Jesus to heal the servant.  The passage tells us that Jesus was blown away by the faith of this (Gentile) Centurion, who not only understood that Jesus had the authority to heal, but he understood that the Lord only needed to say the word, and it would happen.  Jesus told the crowd that He had not seen the like of this man’s faith in all of Israel.  The faith of this man was not something that was built up within him, but it was just a reflection of his confidence in the power and authority of the Lord’s Word.

Jesus did many other great miracles in these passages, including raising a young man from the dead, and also demonstrating that He had the power to forgive sin, with the woman he encountered at Simon’s house. 

When John the Baptist was in prison he sent some of his disciples to ask Jesus if He was The Christ, which represented a low point in his life, just before Herod was going to have him killed.  Jesus responds with grace and love, telling them to go back to John and describe the many miracles that Jesus was doing.  After they leave, Jesus admonishes the crowd regarding John, saying that he was the greatest man who had lived until that time, and that he was the fulfillment of Malachi’s prophesy about Elijah coming in advance of The Christ.

Matthew 12:22-50, Mark 3:20-35, and Luke 8:1-21

Jesus is becoming very popular in His ministry, with multitudes following Him wherever He goes.  Jewish leaders out of Jerusalem come and claim that Jesus is casting out demons by the power of the devil, yet the Lord points out the insanity of their logic, and tells them that their generation will be judged more harshly than even Nineveh and the Queen of Sheba (gentile nations and people who didn’t have the benefit of God’s law).  Jesus tells them that the words of their mouth demonstrate what is actually in their hearts, and states that the judgement of God will accurately reflect the condition of each person’s heart.  The hearts of men are like fruit trees, which demonstrate what they are by what comes from within.

Mark 4:1-34, and Matthew 13:1-53

Jesus begins to teach in parables, which is a fulfillment of Psalm 78:2, and He gives the story of the sower and soils as a primary parable that helps in interpreting all of His parables.  He told His disciples in Mark 4:13 that they couldn’t understand the parables if they didn’t understand this one in particular.  Consequently, we understand that the metaphors given in the parables are consistent, which means that birds are always servants of the enemy, leaven (or yeast) always represents sin, the seeds represent both the word of God, as well as the saints, etc… This is called the principle of expositional constancy, where metaphors and allusions always refer to the same thing.

In these passages Jesus also tells His disciples that it was ordained by God that they understand these things, and that the parables were taught so that some would understand, and others would not.  Jesus quotes from Isaiah 6:9-11, which predicted that Israel would be deaf and blind to the works of God for a very long time, until the end of the age, after there has been great destruction on the earth, and only a remnant in Israel remained.

In Matthew 13 Jesus tells many parables, with all of them providing simple comparisons to the kingdom of God and of satan, and how the disciples of each kingdom will be judged separately at the end of the age.

Mark 4:35-5:43, Matthew 8:18, 23-34, 9:18-34, and Luke 8:22-56

Jesus and His disciples get into a boat on the Sea of Galilee, and He tells them “let us go over to the other side”.  On the way to the other side, Jesus goes to sleep in the back of the boat, and a hurricane force wind comes up, to where those seasoned fishermen in the boat were convinced they were going to die.  After being woken up, Jesus rebuked the wind and waves, and then His disciples, for not believing what He had previously said (“let’s go over to the other side”).  This was a lesson in faith for His disciples, and for us, as Jesus is also faithful to take each of us to the other side.

On the other side of the lake, Jesus casts thousands of demons out of a man, but the people in that region were afraid, and ask Him to leave their country.  The man who had been freed wanted to go with Jesus and His disciples, but the Lord told him to stay in his own country, to tell the people there about the good things God had done for him.  Jesus was not welcome there, and he left this totally unqualified man behind as His witness, yet people ended up believing as a result of hearing his testimony.  This is a strong lesson for us, to realize that our own testimony has great ability to change hearts, as the Spirit uses us as witnesses for Jesus, even though we might be totally unqualified.

After returning to Galilee, Jesus is asked to go and heal the 12 year old daughter of a synagogue leader, and on the way a woman was also healed after touching the hem of his garment.  Jesus commended her for her faith.  The 12 year old girl ended up dying before Jesus got there, but He put out all of the unbelievers, and she was raised from the dead after He commanded her to get up.

Week 40

Luke 1:5-80

The gospel of Luke was penned by the only Gentile to contribute to the New Testament scriptures, who was a Greek, and a disciple of Paul.   Luke writes like a journalist, who goes and interviews all of the eyewitnesses of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection.  Some scholars have speculated that Luke wrote this gospel, and the book of Acts as written statements to be presented at Paul’s defense before Caesar.  Luke is very detailed, and was also a trained physician, so he was the best educated of all the gospel writers.

Luke tells the story of John the Baptist’s birth to Zechariah and Elizabeth in their old age.  Elizabeth was a cousin of Mary, and John was born 6 months before Jesus.  Mary went and visited Elizabeth for the final 3 months of her pregnancy, and John was filled with the Holy Spirit when he was 6 months in the womb.  Elizabeth understands that Mary will be the mother of the Messiah, and Zechariah prophesies concerning the ministry of their son John.  After John is raised from infancy, he lived in the desert until he was called by God to preach about the coming of Christ to Israel.

Matthew 1:18-2:23 and Luke 2

Here are the stories of the Lord’s birth in Bethlehem.  When it was learned that Mary was pregnant, an angel appeared to Joseph, telling him that the baby was conceived of the Holy Spirit, and gave him instructions to not put Mary away, and to name the child Jesus.  The name Jesus is the same as Joshua in Hebrew, and it means “Jahweh is Salvation”.  Joseph and Mary lived in Nazareth (in Galilee), but were forced to travel to Bethlehem as she was preparing to deliver Jesus, because of a census that required everyone to register in their ancestral cities.  The announcement of Jesus’ birth was made by shepherds and angels, and wisemen from the east (Persia) came and worshipped Him in Bethlehem.  King Herod attempted to kill Jesus, but the Lord told Joseph to take Him to Egypt until the king died.  After Herod’s death, they returned from Egypt, and then went to live again in Nazareth, where Jesus was raised.  At 12 years of age Jesus went with Joseph and Mary to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover, and even then His wisdom astounded the temple priests, and He knew His mission to serve His heavenly father in life and death.

Matthew 3:1-4:11, Mark 1:2-13, Luke 3:1-23 and 4:1-13, and John 1:19-34

John the Baptist appeared out of no where, coming from the desert, preaching repentance to the people in Israel, and of the imminent coming of the Christ.  He was not the Christ, or the prophet that Moses promised (Deuteronomy 18:15).  He said he wasn’t the promised appearing of Elijah, as Malachi predicted 400+ years earlier, however Jesus testified later that he was indeed Elijah.  As John predicted, Jesus appeared at that time, and He was baptized by John, and God testified that He was His Son, and the Spirit of God came and stayed upon Him.

Jesus was led into the desert to be tempted by the devil, and after fasting for 40 days, satan came to Him.  Satan tempted Him three times, trying to get Jesus to disobey His Father, however each time He only responded with scripture, quoting from Deuteronomy 6 and 8 all three times.  He is our example of how to battle satan and temptation, by relying on God’s Word, and not on our own intellect or strength.

John 1:35-3:36

According to John 20:31, this gospel was specifically written so that people might believe that Jesus is the Christ, and that He is the Son of God, so all of the accounts included in this gospel were placed there to accomplish this end.  Much of what was recorded in the other 3 gospels was not included in John, as he was not trying to just repeat what the others had written decades earlier.

In this passage we see the beginning of the Lord’s ministry, where He starts gathering disciples, He cleanses the temple of vendors and money changers, and He performs His first miracle in Cana, turning water into wine.  This first miracle is a picture of what He can do with plain earthen vessels (like us), where He miraculously transforms the common into the extraordinary.

In chapter 3 Jesus meets with Nicodemus, a leading Pharisee among the rulers in Israel, telling him of the need for every person to be born again, if they are going to be a part of God’s kingdom.  Then Jesus tells Nicodemus that He must be lifted up (on the cross), just like Moses lifted up the bronze serpent in the wilderness, so that whoever looks up Him might be saved from the curse of satan’s bite (just like the people were saved from the serpent bites when they looked upon the bronze serpent lifted up on a pole).  He tells Nicodemus that it is for this purpose He came, because it was never God’s desire to judge the world for sin, so He sent Jesus into the world to save all who will believe on Him.

John 4, Matthew 4:12-17, Mark 1:14-15, and Luke 4:14-30

After Jesus met with Nicodemus, He took His disciples into the area of the Jordan River for a while, but then determined to go into Galilee, some 70 miles north of Jerusalem, where He had grown up.  Most of the Lord’s 3 and 1/2 years of ministry occurs in Galilee, and it was most of the final 6 months that Jesus spent most of his time in and around Jerusalem.

On the way towards Galilee they stop in a small Samaritan town named Sychar, where Jesus meets a Samaritan women at the well.  Samaritans were descendants of marriages between Gentiles and Jews, where a small number of Jews were sent back to the northern kingdom of Israel following the Assyrian captivity, and they were expressly hated by pure-bred Jews.  However, Jesus stops and ministers to them as descendants of Abraham, and always treats Samaritans with compassion during His ministry.  Jesus declares to her that He is the source of everlasting water (which God had demonstrated to Moses and Israel for 40 years in the desert wanderings, with the river of water that came from the Rock).  He tells her plainly that He is the Messiah, and Jesus stays in that town another 2 days, with many becoming believers.

From Sychar Jesus goes into Galilee, and when they are in the town of Cana (again), Jesus performs His second miracle by healing the son of a Gentile ruler from Capernaum.  Most of the miracles reported in John’s gospel were done without many people even noticing, as was the case with His first 2 miracles reported in John.

Jesus initiates His Galilean ministry, and in Luke 4 He goes to the synagogue in Nazareth and reads from Isaiah 61:1-2, telling them that the prophecy of Isaiah was fulfilled in their presence on that day, but He was immediately rejected by the people of His own town.

Mark 1:16-45, Matthew 4:18-25, 8:2-4 and 14-17, and Luke 4:31-5:16

Even though some of the men had started following Jesus when He was first baptized, and in Judea, now the Lord places His call on Peter, James, John, and Andrew, saying that they will become fishers of men.  Jesus is ministering and teaching in Galilee, performing many miracles and casting out demons.

Matthew 9:1-17, Mark 2:1-22, and Luke 5:17-39

The city of Capernaum was located at the north end of the Sea of Galilee, and very near to the city of Bethsaida.  Capernaum became the headquarters city for Jesus and His disciples, where they went out from during His three years of ministry in Galilee.

Jesus heals a paralytic, and places His call upon Matthew/Levi.  Pharisees complain that Jesus is associating with tax collectors and sinners, but He tells them that it was for the sick and helpless that He came to minister, and not those who considered themselves to be healthy and sin free.  He then makes an analogy about putting new wine in old wineskins, or patching an old garment with new material, saying that both examples will fail, and that He was instituting a new work in the world with all that He was doing.

Week 39

Malachi

Nothing is known about who Malachi was, or even when this book was written, however tradition has him as the last of the Old Testament prophets, and that he wrote this book following the days of Nehemiah and Zechariah.  His name means “my messenger”.

The Lord tells the priests, through Malachi, that He is displeased with their treatment of Him, and how they profane His Name by offering sacrifices that are lame and blind.  They treat the Lord as a pain, but God promises in chapter 1 that He will be treated with great honor among the Gentiles.  In chapter 2 the Lord indicts them for their unfaithfulness to Him, and to their wives, who they have treacherously put away without mercy, saying that He hates divorce.

In chapter 3 the Lord tells of the future appearance of His messenger, and God will bring about a purification in Israel, with judgement upon those who hate Him, who lie, who take advantage of the helpless, and who rob God in failing to bring their tithes into His temple.

The finals words of Malachi foretell of the coming of Elijah, which was fulfilled in the appearing of John the Baptist, and will be fulfilled again in the days of the great Tribulation, just before the Day of The Lord, when Jesus will return and execute judgement upon all who hate Him.

With these final words of Malachi, the Lord goes silent for more than 400 years, and speaks no word through any prophets until John the Baptist comes, and announces the imminent appearance of The Christ.

1 Chronicles 1-2

The first nine chapters of 1 Chronicles gives the genealogies of key families from Adam to Abraham, and then the descendants of Abraham through the return of Judah following the Babylonian captivity.

Chapter 1 lists the descendants of Adam through Abraham, the descendants Ishmael, and the descendants of Isaac’s oldest son Esau.

Chapters 2-4 primarily focuses on the descendants of Judah, who was the fourth son of Jacob, through whom came king David, and the promise of the Lord’s Messiah (Who would be a descendant of David, and eventually sit on David’s throne).

1 Chronicles 3-5

Reuben was the oldest son of Jacob, and by tradition the birthright belonged to him, which speaks of the position of leadership, or paterfamilias.  However, because he slept with one of his father’s concubine, that honor was stripped from him.  Likewise, Simeon and Levi (2nd and 3rd in birth order) lost that right of succession because of the murders they committed against Shechem.  Judah was 4th, and took the leadership role of the family, even though Jacob gave the birthright to Joseph, and the double portion of his inheritance was included for Joseph’s sons (Ephraim and Manasseh).

Chapter 5 gives the genealogy of Reuben, and also describes the inheritance of Reuben, Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh.  These three tribes were allotted land on the east side of the Jordan River, whereas all of the rest of the tribes (plus the other half of Manasseh) received their inheritance in the land of Canaan, to the west of the Jordan.

1 Chronicles 6

Chapter 6 gives the genealogies of Levi (3rd son of Jacob), who had three sons - Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.  The Levites were the only tribe in Israel that was not given a territory of land, but they rather received cities within each of the territories inherited by the other tribes.  This was not only the case because they were the priests of God, but Jacob had prophesied in Genesis 49:7 that Levi (and Simeon) would be divided in all of Israel.  This was fulfilled in how the Levites were spread throughout the tribes, and also because the tribe of Simeon ended up receiving land within the territory of Judah.

1 Chronicles 7-8:27

Chapter 7 gives the genealogies of the tribes of Issachar, Benjamin, Naphtali, Manasseh, and Ephraim.  Chapter 8 provides a more detailed treatment of the tribe of Benjamin, with focus on the line that went down to Kish, and then Saul, the first king of Israel.

1 Chronicles 8:28-9:44

After listing the genealogies of Israel, it is stated that Judah, Benjamin, some Levites, and some of the children of Ephraim and Manasseh went into captivity in Babylon.  Chapter 9 lists the names of the prominent men who returned to Judah and Jerusalem following the Babylonian captivity.

This ends the Old Testament

John 1:1-18, Mark 1:1, Luke 1:1-4, 3:23-38, and Matthew 1:1-17

These passages mark the beginnings of the gospel of Jesus Christ, which includes three genealogies of Jesus.  John 1:1 provides the first, and earliest genealogy of Jesus, stating that He was in the beginning with God, and He was God, so that all that was created was made through Him.

Matthew 1:1-17 gives us the genealogy of Jesus through His (step) father Joseph, which proves that he was descended from the line of king David, and eligible to be king in Israel.  The genealogy of Luke 3:23-38 is through mother Mary, who was also a blood descendant of David, thereby proving that Jesus fulfilled OT prophecies stating that He would be a son of David.

Mark 1:1 and Luke 1:1-4 also declare the writer’s intentions of telling the history and story of Jesus Christ.

As background, the 1st four books of the New Testament are called The Gospels, which relate the story of Jesus Christ’s birth, life, ministry, death, and resurrection from the dead.  The first 3 gospels are called “synoptic”, which means that they cover much of the same history and stories of Jesus, and focus the majority of their witness on the Lord’s ministry in Galilee.  John’s gospel was written several decades after the synoptic gospels, and tells the story of Jesus to specifically prove that He is the Son of God, so that the reader might be saved.  Much of John’s gospel includes stories and details not included in the synoptic gospels, and focuses much of the narrative in Jerusalem, and during the final week before He is crucified.

Week 38

Esther 5-10

Queen Esther devised a plan, and invited the king and Haman to a great dinner.  At that dinner she asked that the king and Haman come again to a banquet the following evening, which was then planned.  That very night the king couldn’t sleep, so he had some history of the kingdom read to him, and discovered that Mordecai had saved his life, so the next morning he had Haman give honor to Mordecai throughout the streets of the Capitol city of Susa (this galled Haman to no end).  Haman had a gallows built, and planned to hang Mordecai on it the next day.

When the king and Haman went again to the banquet set by Esther, she revealed to the king the plan of genocide that Haman had made against the Jews, which included herself, and she begged the king to stop it.  Haman was exposed as the villain that he was, and the king had him hung on the same gallows intended for Mordecai, and then promoted Mordecai to the place Haman vacated.

On the appointed day in the 12th month, the king allowed the Jews to defend themselves, and they were rescued from the genocide that was intended on them by the enemies of Israel.  Because of this rescue, the 14th day of Adar, which generally corresponds to March on our calendar, was set aside as a day of celebration, which is called Purim, and celebrated annually to this day.

Ezra 7-8

We now see Ezra enter the narrative, many years after the first return of Jews from Babylon, in the days of Artaxerxes Longimanus, who issued the decree to rebuild Jerusalem.  This decree also triggered the beginning of the prophetic countdown that was written by Daniel (9:25-26), which predicts 483 years until the appearing of the Messiah, when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey in April of 32 AD.  Ezra was a priest, and a descendant of the High Priest in Israel, but not the High Priest.

The king gave Ezra a letter of authorization, as well as a great deal of money and valuables to take to Jerusalem, along with all Jews who were willing to return to Israel under his leadership.  The money and valuables were distributed into the hands of 12 priests, who swore responsibility for their part until it was delivered to the temple priests in Jerusalem.  The trip took 5 months, and the Lord provided them all the protection they needed along the way.

Ezra 9-10

When Ezra and his company arrive in Jerusalem, he is told that there were many in Israel who had taken wives from among the pagans in the land, and Ezra responds with mourning and prayers to God.  They ultimately do a census of all in the land who had taken foreign wives, and it was decreed that they each put away such foreign wives, or they would be excommunicated from the congregation of Israel.  It was a prohibition from God that the children of Israel never intermarry with the pagan gentiles in the land, as such marriages always resulted in adopting the idol worship that the women had practiced before marriage.

Nehemiah 1-5

The book of Nehemiah is considered to be the last of the historical books, and treated by many as the 2nd book of Ezra, even though it was clearly written by Nehemiah.  It relates the history of the rebuilding of Jerusalem, and the walls of the city, being led by Nehemiah with position and authority from the king in Persia.  Nehemiah had been the cupbearer to the king, but when he found out that the inhabitants in Jerusalem were floundering, and the city walls remained in ruins, he went into a state of mourning.  But the king noticed this, and gave him a letter of permission and authority to go and oversee the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem, with a promise that he return to the king’s service in the future.

Chapter 3 relates how the various families in Jerusalem each took responsibility to rebuild the portion of the wall that they lived closest to, so that each section of the wall, and all of the gates were gradually built up.  The enemies of Israel were led by Sanballat, and other gentiles in the land, and they continually attempted to opposed Nehemiah and the people in their work, but all the people pulled together to both work, and to also provide protection against attacks by their enemies.

Nehemiah 6-7

The efforts of Sanballat and Tobiah continued in trying to thwart the work, and in various ways they attempted to foment fear among the Jews in Jerusalem, and even with Nehemiah, but all of their efforts failed.  The walls were completed successfully, and the gates hung, and then Nehemiah ordered a census of the people, with more than 42,000 in total.

Nehemiah 8-10

On the first day of the 7th month the people gathered in Jerusalem and had Ezra the priest bring out the law of Moses, for it to be read to them.  He read the law, and the priests interpreted and explained its meaning to the people, so that they understood it.  Upon reading God’s law, the people went out and gathered materials to make temporary shelters, so that they could celebrate the Feast of Booths (Tabernacles) in remembrance of the 40 years that Israel lived in tents, which was the first time that Israel had celebrated this feast throughout its history.

After celebrating the Feast of Booths, the people came back together and entered into a contract with God, to serve Him, and to obey His commandments going forward, with the priests and the leaders of the people affixing each of their names to a document that declared their intentions before God.

Nehemiah 11-13

Nehemiah oversaw all of this revival in Judah and Israel as the king’s Governor over the land, and made sure that everything was in proper order.  There were people chosen by lot to live in Jerusalem, while 90% of the people lived in their own cities in Judah and Benjamin.  The people were chosen by lot to bring provisions to Jerusalem for the priests and Levites, and to give their tithes to the temple for their upkeep, and the care of the temple.  He also oversaw the dedication of the fully constructed walls of Jerusalem, and then after 12 years in Israel he returned to Persia to serve the king, as he had promised before he left.

However, after further time in Persia Nehemiah hears bad things from Israel, so he goes back to investigate, and discovers that the people are already going back on the things they had promised in writing.  They were not bringing tithes and provisions to the temple.  They were intermarrying with the pagan gentiles around them.  They were allowing ungodly gentiles into the temple.  They were working and doing business on the Sabbath, etc…. Nehemiah strongly reprimanded the people for their disobedience to God, and again worked to put things back in order.

Week 37

Ezra 4:6-6:13 and Haggai

The people who had returned to Jerusalem from Babylon had laid the foundations of the temple, but they encountered opposition from the inhabitants of Samaria.  Their enemies wrote a letter to the king of Persia, accusing Jerusalem of being at the center of much rebellion, and the king wrote back commanding that they stop working.  This stop lasted until the reign of king Darius of Persia (not the Babylonian king of the same name).

In the 2nd year of king Darius’ reign, the Lord stirred up the leaders and people in Israel through the prophet Haggai and Zechariah, rebuking them for not finishing the rebuilding of His temple in Jerusalem.  In response to the words of Haggai, work on the temple was restarted, and this caused a letter to be sent from the regional governor to the king, asking him for a response to this activity.  Darius had the archives searched, and they found the decree of Cyrus the Great, declaring freedom for the Jews, permission to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem, and that the work to do so would be funded out of the king’s treasury (from taxes on the people).  So this work in rebuilding the temple was not only approved by Darius, but he instructed the regional governor to provide the Jews with tax money for the costs of doing so.

Zechariah 1-6

In the Old Testament, the books of Ezra and Nehemiah provide the historical record of Israel in the years following the Babylonian captivity of Israel, and the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the temple over the course of around 100 years.  During that time the prophets Haggai and Zechariah prophesied the words of the Lord.

Even though Zechariah prophesied in these times, much of what God said through Him spoke of things that would happen far in the future, with Joshua the High Priest being an explicit foreshadowing of Jesus Christ.  He is called The Branch, which is the same title used by God in Isaiah 4:2, Jeremiah 23:5, and Jeremiah 33:15.  In chapter 4 we see the 2 anointed ones, who represent the 2 witnesses of Revelation 11:4.  In chapter 6, Joshua the High Priest (called The Branch) is crowned, prophetically speaking of Jesus, Who will be both King and Priest to God.

Zechariah 7-8, Ezra 6:14-22, and Psalm 78

In Zechariah 7-8 a group of men inquired of the Lord regarding some days of fasting that they had observed in Babylon, but God tells them that He never commanded such fasts, and He preferred to see them exhibit hearts of kindness and compassion towards each other.  God is telling them that empty religious practices are worthless before Him.  He promises to rebuild His temple, and make Zion a place that many people desire, but He expects His people to rightly represent Him in treating others with righteousness and honesty in all interactions.

The exiles completed the building of the temple in the 6th year of king Darius of Persia, and it was re-dedicated to the Lord with sacrifices and offerings, and again celebrated the Passover in the first month on their calendar.

Psalm 78 recounts the history of God’s faithfulness to Israel, even though they continually failed to remain faithful to Him.  In spite of their persistent unfaithfulness, God did not destroy them, and He was quick to forgive them when they turned to Him in repentance.  Just like He promised, the Lord brought back the peoples to Israel, and all of His promises will likewise be fulfilled exactly as He has said in the future.

Psalm 107, 116, and 118

The Lord will never stop dealing with those He loves, and is faithful to both discipline and bless them as He sees fit.  We are to render thanks and praise to Him at all times, whether we are being blessed or humbled by the Lord, because everything He does is good, even though not always pleasant.  The Lord hears our prayers and petitions, and we love Him for Who He is, and all He has done.  He rescues us time after time, and preserves us until the day of His choosing.

The lovingkindness and mercy of the Lord is forever.  As the psalmist says in 118:8-9, it is always better to take refuge in the Lord, rather than trusting in ourselves, in other men, or even in governments, or power kings.

Psalm 125, 126, 128, 129, 132, 147, and 149

The psalms between 120-134 are called songs of ascent, and tradition has it that they were sung walking up to the temple from the eastern entrance of Jerusalem, which is an uphill walk from the Kidron valley.

125 - The Lord does good for those who are His, but He allows the wicked to be led away in deceit with their evil companions.

126 - Psalm 126 is a song of praise to God, Who restores His children, and is believed to have been written by Ezra.

128 - Blessed are those who fear the Lord, and walks in His ways

129 - The Lord will put to shame all those who hate Zion and His people

132 - The Lord has chosen Zion as His forever, and His promises to David will not falter.

147 - Give praise to the Lord for His faithfulness and countless acts of mercy.  He restores His people, and builds up Jerusalem.

149 - The Syriac version of this psalms is titled “concerning the new temple”, and it commands praises to the Lord for His goodness and justice

Zechariah 9-14

9 - The Lord will triumph over all the nations around Israel, and in this prophecy of Zechariah we also see the prediction of Christ riding into Jerusalem on a donkey.

10 - In the last days the Lord will bring back all of His people to the land, and strengthen them to greatness in His Name.

11 - Before the last days there will be judgement upon Israel, which we’ve seen severely happen in the past 1900 years.  This chapter also includes a prophecy concerning Judas, and the 30 pieces of silver he took, and how it was later used to buy the potter’s field.  The worthless shepherd described at the end of this chapter speaks of the anti-christ in the last days

12 - In the last days many nations of the world will come together to fight against Jerusalem, but the Lord will defend His own

13 - There will be times of great trouble for Israel in the last days, but the Lord will save a remnant for Himself

14 - In the end, the Lord will return to the earth and do battle with the enemies of His people.  He will establish His throne in Jerusalem, and all the nations of the world will come to worship Him there.

Esther 1-4

It is generally considered that the events of the book of Esther occurs between the periods recorded by Ezra and Nehemiah, between the first and second returns of Jews to Israel following the Babylonian captivity.  It is not clear which king of Persia is referenced in this story, since there were many named Ahaseurus, or Artaxerxes, but some scholars believe he was the same as Artaxerxes Longimanus, who issued the decree for the rebuilding of Jerusalem.

The king of Persia was disrespected by his queen, and so she was set aside from being queen, and a search was initiated throughout the land to find a new queen.  Esther, who was an orphan, and under the care of her uncle Mordecai, was included among the many young women to be considered for the king’s choice, and she was chosen and made queen.  However, the king also promoted an evil man named Haman, but he grew incensed that Mordecai refused to bow to him, and eventually convinced the king to allow him to have all the Jews in the land killed.  A proclamation is made in the first month of the year that the Jews will be vulnerable to slaughter and plunder on the 13th day of the 12th month.  Mordecai and all of the Jews go into mourning over this news, and after some time he is able to communicate to Esther all that is going on, and the plan that Haman has to wipe out all the Jews in the land.  Esther asked that all the Jews fast and pray for her for three days, and then she would go in to see the king.

Week 36

Ezekiel 29:17-21, Daniel 4, Jeremiah 52:31-34, 2 Kings 25:27-30, and Psalm 44

In the 27 th year of the captivity Ezekiel speaks his final prophecy from God,

telling that Nebuchadnezzar will despoil Egypt.

Daniel 4 is an interesting chapter because it is the only chapter in the Bible

that is written by a pagan Gentile, which is also written in the Aramaic language.

It is the testimony of Nebuchadnezzar, who God humbled in his pride. He was

given a dream that Daniel interpreted, where God foretold that he would lose his

mind for a period of 7 years, and then be restored to his majesty as king of

Babylon. This happened as God said, and tradition has it that Daniel cared for

him during those years. We may well see Nebuchadnezzar in heaven.

King Jehoiachin had been in prison in Babylon for more than 30 years when

he was released by the king Evil Merodach, and given a place of some

prominence in the kingdom. This king is believed by some scholars to have been

the same as Belshazzar, descendant of Nebuchadnezzar.

It is not certain when Psalm 44 was written, or by who it was written, but we

get the sense of the Babylonian captives in its narrative. It is a prayer to God for

mercy and action.

Psalm 74, 79, 80, and 89

74 - A prayer to God for Zion, and the destruction that had occurred to the

Lord’s temple. A prayer for God to remember His people, and deliver them from

their adversaries.

79 - Like chapter 74, a prayer for God to remember His people and be

merciful, who have experienced His wrath at the hand of their enemies,

destroyed the temple, and left Jerusalem in ruins.

80 - A prayer for God to extend His mercy to Israel, who has suffered His

discipline, asking Him as their Shepherd to hear and act on their condition.

89 - This is a prophetic psalm penned by someone named Ethan, although

nothing is known about him. This psalm is written as a dialogue, with the

psalmist speaking praises to God, and then God responding. The Lord promises

to remain faithful to His promises to David, even though He brings discipline

against his descendants for a time. His promise to David will be ultimately

fulfilled when his descendant and Lord, Jesus Christ, sits on His throne forever.

Psalm 85, 102, 106, 123, and 137

85 - The timing of the psalm may have been in the early years following the

release of Israel from Persia, where some had returned to Israel, and many had

stayed in the land of Cyrus. It’s a psalm of prayer and praise to God, Who is

faithful, but Who also exercises justice. The final verses describe Jesus, Who is

the marriage between mercy and truth, between righteousness and peace.

102 - A prayer of the afflicted who wait upon God for their relief and

deliverance

106 - This is a recitation of Israel’s history in continuously being saved by

God, and then turning around and rejecting Him, yet the mercy of God continues

to respond when His people turn to Him in submission. He saves for His Name’s

sake, and not for the sake of anyone’s righteousness or goodness.

123 - A cry for mercy from the Lord

137 - A song of mourning among those who were slaves in Babylon, who

suddenly had fond memories of Zion and Jerusalem.

Daniel 7, 8, and 5

The book of Daniel is divided equally between the history of Daniel (chapters

1-6), and the prophetic visions of Daniel (chapter 7-12). Chapters 7-8 relates

visions of Daniel during the reign of the Babylonian king Belshazzar (the son, or

grandson of Nebuchadnezzar), and chapter 5 relates the last night of his reign,

when the city is overrun and conquered by the Medes and Persians.

The vision of chapter 7 is (in many ways) parallel to the interpretation of

Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in Daniel 2, which provides a broad view of human

history, and the kingdoms of the world from that time until the end. Babylon is

the first beast, the Medes and Persians are the second beast, and the Greeks

are the third. The fourth beast is the Roman empire, and it will be a remnant of

that empire in the last days, when the antichrist will appear on the scene and

make himself great for a short time, but he will be judged, and Christ will be

victorious on behalf of the saints forever.

The vision of chapter 8 is parallel to that of chapter 7, again focusing on the

evil one who will appear in the last days, but who will be judged and destroyed by

the Lord.

In chapter 5 we have the story preceding overthrow of Babylon by the Medes

and Persians, where God delivers a message to Belshazzar, saying that he had

been weighed in the balance and found wanting. The general of Darius, the

Mede, engineered a diversion of the Euphrates river, and his army walked into

the city under the walls (where the river had previously flowed through), and took

the city that very night without a fight, just as Daniel told Belshazzar.

Daniel 9 and 6

Under king Darius the Medes conquered Babylon, and Daniel was given

honor and authority under this new rule, which is quite extraordinary, since he

had already been a counselor, administrator, and friend of king Nebuchadnezzar.

Daniel’s rival leaders under Darius conceived a plan to kill him, but God was

faithful to protect him, and Daniel never compromised his integrity or service

before God in the process.

About this same time Daniel recalled the prophecy of Jeremiah, which said

that Israel would be slaves in that land for 70 years, so he begins to pray to God

for Him to act on that promise, and bring about the release of Israel. That prayer

in Daniel 9 is incredible, and worthy of much study and emulation. At the end of

that prayer the angel Gabriel comes and tells Daniel about the future, giving him

another very wide scope of prophetic insight, covering God’s calendar between

that time and the end of the age.

The last verses of Daniel 9 have been much studied by students of prophecy,

which has been called the 70 weeks of Daniel. Those 70 weeks represent 70

weeks of years, or 490 years, with the first 69 of them being fulfilled on the day

that Jesus rode into Jerusalem to the shouts of Hosanna, and was then killed

(cut off). The final week of this prophecy has yet to be fulfilled, which will occur in

the future during the 7 years we refer to as the great tribulation. During that time

the devil will set up the abomination of desolation in the temple in Jerusalem,

which Jesus directly refers to in Matthew 24.

2 Chronicles 36:22-23 and Ezra 1-4:5

When Cyrus, king of Persia became the ruler of the Medes and Persians,

tradition has it that Daniel met with him, and showed him the prophecy of Isaiah,

where God called Cyrus by name more than 150 years earlier. Cyrus was so

impressed that he not only issued the decree that allowed the Israelites to return

to Jerusalem, but he gave back all the temple treasures, funded the costs of the

trip, and gave his protection over all who went back to Israel.

The book of Ezra covers a period of around 70 years of Israel’s history,

starting with the declaration of Cyrus to free the exiles, and to provide support for

those who desired to go back to Israel and rebuild the temple. Ezra wrote this

book, but was probably not alive when the decree of Cyrus was made, so the first

6 chapters were written as history, but then he participates in the story beginning

in chapter 7. Some 50,000 exiles responded to the invitation of Cyrus to return to

Jerusalem, where they rebuilt the alter of God, and laid the foundation for the

temple. However, work on the temple would stall at that point because of

opposition to their efforts from the locals in that region.

Daniel 10-12

In chapter 10 Daniel is fasting for 3 weeks, and then the messenger of God

appears to him by the Tigris River. The messenger was sent from God to Daniel

when he started praying, but there was spiritual war going on with satan’s ruler

over Persia, and after 3 weeks the Archangel Michael came to his aid. This story

gives us a picture of the spiritual warfare that goes on around us, which we

cannot rightly see with human eyes, which Paul makes reference to in Ephesians

6:12.

Daniel 11 provides a very detailed description of historical events in the

middle east following the reign of Alexander the Great. The details of these

chapters are so specific that historians have contended that they were written

hundreds of years after Daniel, describing events that had already happened.

However, the Septuagint translation of the Hebrew Bible was created by 70

Rabbis some 60-100 years before some of the events described in Daniel 11,

and that version was included in the books found among the Dead Sea scrolls,

dated to before these events. The latter half of chapter 11 describes the

activities of one Antiochus Epiphanes, who lived in the 2 nd century BC, and who

caused the uprising of the Maccabees. This same man is prophetic of the anti-

christ, and there is a shift in the scope of this prophecy to the last days beginning

around verse 36.

The messengers finishes up in chapter 12, briefly describing the time of great

tribulation that will come upon the earth in the last days.

Week 35

Jeremiah 40:7-44:30 and 2 Kings 25:23-26

After the destruction of Jerusalem, and the enslavement of the vast majority of

Jews, Nebuchadnezzar appointed a good man as governor in Judah, to rule over

the small remnant of poor Israelites who were not taken captive to Babylon.

However, an Ammonite murdered the new governor, and the remainder of the

Jews in the land went to Jeremiah, asking for guidance from the Lord. God told

them to stay in the land and submit to Nebuchadnezzar, and all would go well

with them. However, God also told them NOT to go down to Egypt, as they

would all die by sword or famine if they did. Naturally, what did they do? They

decided to go to Egypt, and God told them through Jeremiah that they had all

sealed their own doom.

Ezekiel 33:21-36:38

Ezekiel prophesies against the shepherds of Israel, who had used and

abused the people to their own gain. The Lord says He will remove them as

shepherds of His people, and in their place He will take over the responsibility of

leading His sheep. This prophecy in Ezekiel 34 is fulfilled in Jesus Christ, Who

said “I am the good shepherd” (John 10:11-15).

In chapter 35 the Lord again speaks judgement against Mount Seir, which is

speaking of Edom, and the nation of Esau’s descendants.

In chapter 36 God says that (at that time) the nation of Israel was suffering His

judgement for all of their unfaithful worship of false gods, and running after

ungodly nations around them. But, the Lord says that there will come a day

when His judgement upon them is complete, and the those who remain will be

restored to the land, and He will bless them in the land from that time forward.

His people will also be given new hearts to love and serve Him. All of this has

yet to be fulfilled, but the Lord says He will do all of this for the sake of His own

Name, and not because of anything Israel has done, or because they are

somehow unique or special in themselves. God will do these things because of

His promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and to bring honor to His own

Name.

Ezekiel 37–39

Ezekiel is given a vision of a vast number of dry bones, and commanded to

prophesy over them to be brought back to life, and that new life be breathed into

them from God. This vision, and the subsequent prophecy in chapter 37 all

speak of what God will do in Israel in the last days, when He will establish His

sanctuary in Jerusalem, where Jesus will rule on David’s throne, and the people

will live in peace forever more.

In chapters 38-39 the Lord speaks of a day in the future when many nations of

the world will descend on Israel to destroy it, which will be led by Gog and Magog

(Russia), and include many of the nations of the Middle East. This may be a

description of the battle of Armageddon, when the Lord will take up the battle in

defense of His people, and all who came against them will be killed. The

descriptions in chapter 39 following that battle is very much like the aftermath of

a nuclear explosion, or of biological warfare, where the land will need to be

cleansed, and it will take the better part of a year for all of the dead to be

identified and buried.

Ezekiel 32:1–33:20, and Daniel 3

The Lord speaks through Ezekiel against the king of Egypt in the year

following the capture of Zedekiah, and during the time when the last ones in

Israel had fled to Egypt (against God’s commands). Nebuchadnezzar will come

against Pharaoh, and not only Egypt will fall, but many other nations will also be

destroyed, as the Lord prophesied through Ezekiel. God also speaks to Ezekiel,

reiterating His responsibility to speak the word of God, as He did in chapter 3.

In Daniel chapter 2, God had given Nebuchadnezzar a dream, which Daniel

interpreted, where the king of Babylon was represented as the golden head of a

statue, with arms and chest of silver, torso of bronze, legs of iron, and feet of iron

mixed with clay. However, here in chapter 3 Nebuchadnezzar sees himself as

much grander that what he saw in the previous chapter, and he sets up a huge

statue of himself, made of gold, and standing some 90 feet tall. Shadrach,

Meshach, and Abednego refuse to bow down to this statue, and are thrown into

the burning furnace, but Jesus appears with them in the fire, and they are not

harmed. Nebuchadnezzar is greatly impressed by God’s protection of them, and

they continue to prosper as his administrators following this event. They

demonstrate great faith in God, and are willing to accept the consequences of

their decision (not to bow), regardless of whether God will save them or not.

Ezekiel 40–42

The final nine chapters in the book of Ezekiel describe a vision given to the

prophet, where God transports him to Jerusalem in Israel, and he is given a

measuring stick to measure all kinds of different aspects of the temple and the

city. This was clearly the measurements of the temple in the future, since the city

and the temple had been destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar. All of this is generally

thought to showed things in the Jerusalem and Temple of the Millennial reign of

Jesus Christ, however most bible commentators consider these chapters to be

among the most difficult to interpret in all of the Bible, and in some cases they do

not even try.

In these three chapters Ezekiel measures the confines of the temple, which

was divided into three major sections, with the Holy place centermost,

surrounded by an inner court that measured around 150 feet square on each

side, and an outer court and wall that measured around 750 feet square on each

side.

Ezekiel 43–45

In chapter 43 the glory of the Lord enters into His temple through the eastern

gate, and highlights the alter of sacrifice in the holy place. He describes the

cleansing of the alter and temple, where He will dwell among His people forever

more. It is a difficulty for commentators to explain the purpose of the sin

offerings, given that this occurs in the kingdom age, however some teach that

these are not for atonement or forgiveness, but rather for remembrance of

Christ’s sacrifice, someone like the we remember His body and blood when we

celebrate the Lord’s table.

In chapter 44 the Lord describes the ministry of the priests in the future

temple, and their requirements for remaining sanctified for His service.

In chapter 45 the Lord ordains that a district of land within Israel will be set

aside specifically for the temple, and for the Levites and priests who will serve

the Lord there. Later in Ezekiel, in the last chapter we will see the remainder of

this new division of the land, where each tribe will receive equal portions of land

in strips that run east to west, and are stacked from north to south. This

distribution is substantially different than the allotments made to the tribes by

Joshua.

Ezekiel 46–48

In chapter 46 the description of the service to the Lord continues.

In chapter 47 we see the living water than flows from the temple towards the

east, which starts out very shallow, but gets deeper and deeper as the distance

from the temple increases. It will be a river of pure water that brings healing,

even to the Dead Sea, where it flows to from Jerusalem. This river will be home

to multitudes of fish that will be caught. On each side of the river will be trees,

which bear good fruit year-round, and the leaves of those trees will be used for a

healing medicine. This river and the tree of life is similarly described in

Revelation 22:1-21.

In chapter 48 the land of Israel is reapportioned to the tribes in equal slices

from north to south, with Dan, Asher, Naphtali, Manasseh, Ephraim, and Judah

being allotted lands to the north of the temple district. The temple district will be

the possession of the Levites and priests. South of the temple district will be the

slices of land allotted to Benjamin, Simeon, Issachar, Zebulun, and Gad. There

will be twelve gates to the New Jerusalem, with each of the gates being named

for the tribes of Isael, which is also seen in Revelation 21:12. The name of that

city from that time forward will be “JAHWEH THERE”

Week 34

2 Kings 25:1, 2 Chronicles 36:13-16, Jeremiah 39:1, 52:4, 21:1-22:9, 32:1-44, and Ezekiel 24

It was in the ninth year of king Zedekiah’s reign that he rebelled against

Nebuchadnezzar, even though he had taken an oath before God to remain a

faithful servant. So, in the winter of that year (around December)

Nebuchadnezzar came up from Babylon and laid siege to Jerusalem, which

would last for almost 2 years before the city would fall, many people would have

died of disease and famine, and even more under the sword of

Nebuchadnezzar’s army. God speaks through both Jeremiah and Ezekiel in

advance of this destruction, telling everyone that the time of His judgement upon

Judah had come, because of all the abominations and sins of both Zedekiah, and

all the people.

In the midst of all this, the Lord gives Jeremiah instruction to buy a plot of

land, to record the deed, and to have that deed stored away in a waterproof jar,

so that in the future years, when his descendants return from Babylon, they will

have title to that land, and it will be a testimonial proof to the word of God when

they see everything happen exactly as God had spoken.

Jeremiah 30, 31, and 33

In chapter 30 the Lord speaks of the end times when Israel will experience

great tribulation, which is referred to in this section of scripture as the “Times of

Jacob’s Trouble”. Even though Israel will experience great trouble, the Lord will

protect a remnant, and utterly judge the enemies of Israel and God.

Chapter 31 speaks of a future new covenant, which the writer of Hebrews tells

us was fulfilled with the New Covenant of Christ’s blood, when the Lord writes

His laws upon the hearts of His people, and they will know Him.

In chapter 33 the Lord promises to restore from captivity the exiles, even

though He also ordained their captivity and slavery as punishment for their

infidelities against Him. Not only will they be restored in the near term (70 years),

but this message also speaks of a future restoration of Israel from the nations,

and a day when Jesus will reign as king on David’s throne in Jerusalem.

Ezekiel 25, 29:1-16, 30, and 31

The Lord prophesies judgement upon the peoples of Ammon, Moab, Edom,

and Philistia. The Lord also declares His judgement upon the nation of Egypt,

which was spoken through Ezekiel in the same timeframe that Nebuchadnezzar

was laying siege against Jerusalem. Egypt will be humbled, but not completely

destroyed, and the Egyptian captives will also be restored to their land, but they

will never again be a world power. Egypt, as well as their allied nations of north

Africa will all come under the punishing hand of Nebuchadnezzar, and Pharaoh

will be conquered and taken captive.

Ezekiel 26-28

In these three chapters the Lord speaks through the prophet against the city

of Tyre, and in this there are multiple fulfillments of God’s plans to judge them.

The city of Tyre was located on the Mediterranean coast north of Israel, in the

region now within Lebanon. The city of Tyre was the economic hub of the

Phoenician empire, which was sea-based, and the center of international trade

on the Mediterranean sea for the better part of 1,000 years.

As predicted in chapter 26, Nebuchadnezzar came and completely destroyed

the city of Tyre on the coast, after more than a decade of siege. However,

history tells us that before he destroyed the city, the vast majority of the

population had moved to an island about 1/2 mile off the coast, which was largely

considered to be impregnable.

In chapter 27 the focus shifts to Tyre in the “midst of the sea”, and it’s future

destruction, which was ultimately accomplished by Alexander the Great some

250 years after Nebuchadnezzar. Using the rock remains of the original city of

Tyre, Alexander built a causeway all the way out to the island, and then laid

siege and destroyed it.

In chapter 28 there is a prophetic shift from the “prince” of Tyre, to the “king”

of Tyre, which is clearly speaking of Lucifer as it’s true king, and providing a brief

view of his career in heaven before the fall (Ezekiel 28:12-15). Compare this

passage with Isaiah 14:12-15.

Jeremiah 37:3-39:10, 52:5-30, 2 Kings 25:2-21, and 2 Chronicles 36:17-21

These passages describe the final years of Zedekiah’s reign as king of Judah.

During this time Jeremiah continued to speak the word of the Lord, advising

Zedekiah to surrender to the Chaldeans and Nebuchadnezzar, saying that the

city would be saved, and things would go well if he did. Zedekiah refuses to do

so, and Jeremiah is imprisoned until Jerusalem is overrun and defeated. As

predicted by both Jeremiah and Isaiah, Zedekiah is captured, his sons are killed

before his eyes, he is then blinded, and carried away to Babylon in chains, where

he will die in prison. The chief priest, and all of his evil priests are gathered up

and executed, and all of the furnishings and treasures of the temple are taken

away to Babylon. Almost all of the survivors in Judah are taken as slaves to

Babylon, with only a few of the poorest people left as caretakers of the vineyards

and lands.

2 Kings 25:22, Jeremiah 39:11-40:6, and Lamentations 1-3

Just as the Lord had prophesied, Nebuchadnezzar came again and took

Zedekiah back to Babylon in chains, along with most of the people in the land.

They tore down the walls of Jerusalem and pillaged the temple of the Lord.

Jeremiah was treated very kindly by the commander of Nebuchadnezzar’s army,

and according to the king’s instruction was set free and given his own choice of

whether to go to Babylon as an honored guest, or remain in Israel. He chose to

remain in Israel. Besides Jeremiah, the Lord also sends word to an Ethiopian

eunich, who had been instrumental in saving Jeremiah’s life (Jeremiah 38:6-12),

telling him that he would be protected from the harsh treatment of the

Babylonians.

The book of Lamentations was written by Jeremiah in a sense of anguish

following the desolation of Jerusalem, where destruction abounded in every

direction, and the streets were empty of people. This book is why he is called the

weeping prophet.

Lamentations 4-5 and Obadiah

The book of Lamentations was largely written in the form of a Hebrew poem,

with the first four chapters written an an acrostic, with each stanza (or verse)

beginning with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. This is seen in

chapters 1, 2, and 4, with twenty-two verses each, and the practice is repeated 3

times in chapter 3, with the first three verses starting with Aleph, etc…

We don’t know much about Obadiah, and there are different theories as to

when he wrote this small book. The main thrust of the book is a warning against

the Edomites (descendants of Esau), telling them not to rejoice over the

desolation of Judah and Jerusalem. God is telling them through the prophet that

Judah and Jerusalem will be restored in the future, and they will ultimately

possess the land of Esau. Because of this warning, this book is placed alongside

of Lamentations, where it seems to fit with the recent destruction of Jerusalem.

Week 33

Jeremiah 49:34-39, 34:1-22, and Ezekiel 1-3

These prophecies of Jeremiah and Ezekiel occur during the years of the 2nd captivity, when Jehoiachin (Jeconiah) was in exile in Babylon, but before the final siege in the days of Zedekiah, the last king of Judah.  Jeremiah remained in Jerusalem, but Ezekiel was called by God to prophesy to the children of Israel in Babylon.  He was a contemporary of Daniel, who also lived in Babylon and Persia his entire life.  Ezekial begins his prophetic ministry after being deported to Babylon, but before Jerusalem is destroyed in the final siege of Nebuchadnezzar.

These first three chapters of Ezekiel mark a very elaborate series of visions, however they are associated with his being called by God to prophesy on His command to the exiles in Babylon.  In chapter 3 God tells him that he will be held accountable for the consequences that fall upon the guilty if he fails to tell them the Word of God beforehand.

In chapter 3 Ezekiel is shown a vision of heaven, and the throne room of God, which can be compared to what Isaiah saw in chapter 6 of his book, and what the apostle John saw in Revelation 4.  The same living beings described by Ezekiel also appear in these other visions.

Ezekiel 4-7

The Lord tells Ezekiel to prophesy against Jerusalem, providing visual representations of God’s judgement to come against the city, and the people in Judah.  Famine, plague, and destruction in battle are all prophesied against Israel and Judah, and the Lord’s judgement will be upon the nation for the predetermined years of God’s wrath.  All of these will happen exactly as the Lord foretells through Ezekiel, with the promise that there will be a remnant of His people who are dispersed in other lands, that the Lord will preserve and eventually return to the land of Israel.

Ezekiel 8-11

Ezekiel was living in Babylon during the first captivity, and the Spirit of the Lord takes him in a vision to Jerusalem, and gives him a tour of the temple, and shows him the many ways that the rulers and people there are defiling that place, and following after false gods.  The Lord prophesies judgement upon all who had rejected Him, and sends an angel of judgement to kill many, but all who mourn over the wickedness in Jerusalem were marked and protected.

In Ezekiel 10:18 we’re told that the glory of the Lord departed from the temple, where He had placed His Name.

After all these things the Spirit returned Ezekiel to Babylon, and he told the exiles there all that he had seen and done.

Ezekiel 12-14

In chapter 12 the Lord has Ezekiel perform a visual scene for the exiles in Babylon, showing how the king and those left in Jerusalem were going to be taken captive.  He then prophesies against the king in Jerusalem (Zedekiah), saying that he will be caught while trying to escape, and he will be brought to Babylon to die, but he won’t see it.  In Jeremiah 34:3 Zedekiah was told by Jeremiah that he would see the king of Babylon face to face, and he would be taken to Babylon.  Zedekiah believed that these two prophecies were contradictory, yet both of them proved to be true.  In Jeremiah 39 Zedekiah is captured (attempting to escape), and brought before Nebuchadnezzar (who was in Syria at that time).  Zedekiah met him face to face, and saw his sons killed in front of him, and then Nebuchadnezzar had him blinded and then taken as a prisoner to Babylon.  Both prophecies proved to be true.

In 13 Ezekiel prophesies the Lord’s judgement against women who had set themselves up as false prophets, and who gave false signs of peace and prosperity to the people.

The Lord speaks against those (ch 14) who harbor false idols in their hearts.  Even today this is a problem, where anything (or anyone) that is more important than God in our hearts becomes an idol.  Through Ezekiel the Lord declares judgement upon all such people, and said that He would not withhold His judgement, even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were among them, although those 3 alone would be spared.  In spite of this, God said He will preserve a remnant of survivors.

Ezekiel 15-17

The Lord spoke multiple parables through Ezekiel.  He likens Jerusalem to a worthless and dried up vine in chapter 15.  How she was like a helpless baby in chapter 16 that was abandoned in the fields, but nurtured by the Lord  into adulthood, and then embraced and married to the Lord when she was grown.  Yet, in spite of all that the Lord lavished upon her, she persisted in turning her back to God, and running after false gods, and prostituting herself with foreign idols.  The Lord said that He will judge and punish Judah for all that she has done, but in the end He will remember His covenant with them, and restore them in His own righteousness.

God then likens Israel to cedar sprigs taken by an eagle (Nebuchadnezzar) to a far land, and again calls out the rebellion of Zedekiah, who will rebel against Nebuchadnezzar and seek the help of Egypt, but it will not work, and he will be taken in chains to Babylon.

Yet, the Lord promises that in the last days He will re-plant the sprig of Israel in the land of Israel, and it will become great, so that all the nations of the world acknowledge what He has done.

Ezekiel 18-20

The Lord clears up a myth in Israel, where there was a belief that He judged the son guilty for the sins of the father, and even blessed the wicked son of a righteous father.  The Lord says that He judges the actions of each person, and holds them accountable.  He says that He does not take pleasure in seeing anyone die in sin, and continually looks for the wicked to repent and turn to Him for forgiveness and life.

In chapter 19 Ezekiel is commanded to take up a lament for the king of Israel who sought the protection of Egypt, but who would ultimately be taken to Babylon in chains.

In chapter 20 some elders of Israel go to Ezekiel to inquire of the Lord, however the Lord tells Ezekiel that He will not listen to them, and He will not answer them on account of their pervasive wickedness and rebellion against Him.  The Lord recounts the history of Israel, and how there were so many different times when they rejected Him, and they deserved to be completely wiped out, yet each time He withheld His total judgement on account of the Holiness of His own Name.  He says that Israel will remain obstinate towards Him until the last days, when God will completely purge their sin, and they will then realize all that they have done and be ashamed.

Ezekiel 21-23

In chapter 21 the Lord instructs Ezekiel to groan and mourn for the coming devastation that will be coming against those who are still in Judah and Jerusalem, as the king (Nebuchadnezzar) will not stand for the rebellion of Zedekiah, and there will be great numbers killed in the siege.

In chapter 22 the Lord recounts the multitude of sins that were being committed in Jerusalem, with much blood shed, immorality, worship of false gods, and injustice against the poor and helpless.  The Lord searched for even one man who would stand in the gap and intercede before Him on behalf of the people, but He found no one, and His wrath will be poured out.

In chapter 23 the Lord tells a parable of two sisters who became harlots, and who lusted after foreign lovers.  The older sister represented the northern kingdom of Israel and Samaria, who lusted after the Assyrians, and the Lord brought the Assyrians against Israel and took them all away.  The younger sister represented Judah and Jerusalem, who lusted after the Chaldeans in Babylon, and thus the Lord was giving her over to the Babylonians, who would treat her like Assyria treated Israel.