Sermon and Worship Resources

Synonyms: Levi, disciple, evangelist, tax collector, the 12, the twelve, apostle, sermon on the mount, jewish audience, beatitudes, lord's prayer, great commission, parables, olivet discourse, mount of olives, olivet, synoptic

Showing 3351 to 3375 of 4967 results

3351. Jesus Calms the Storm

Luke 8:22-25

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

... , Mark 4:41; Luke 8:25), in Luke the main point seems to be that Jesus’ word is so authoritative that even the natural elements heed it. Also, in Mark the disciples are portrayed as not yet having faith (see 4:40), but in Luke the disciples apparently have only suffered a momentary lapse (see 8:25a: “Where is your faith [i.e., at the moment]?”). Luke sees in this episode a dramatic illustration of obedience to the spoken word of Jesus. In 8:4–21 the emphasis falls on the need to hear and obey ...

3352. The Healing of a Demon-possessed Man

Luke 8:26-39

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

... cast into the Abyss (for a similar suggestion see Ellis, p. 129). The man, now dressed and in his right mind, was sitting at Jesus’ feet (a phrase not found in Mark’s account) as an indication of his faith and discipleship (so Fitzmyer, p. 739). As a disciple he wishes to go with Jesus, but Jesus sent him away to tell how much God has done for him. The conclusion of this episode foreshadows the church’s missionary outreach to Gentiles in the Book of Acts. Additional Notes 8:26–39 This story of the ...

3353. Jesus Sends Out the Twelve

Luke 9:1-9

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

... abandonment to judgment” (see Luke 10:11–12). In Acts 13:51 Paul and Barnabas shake the dust from their feet in protest against the Jews who persecuted them and drove them out of town. Tiede (p. 178) suggests that the gesture means no more than that the disciples have taken nothing from those whom they had visited. 9:7 On Herod Antipas see note on 3:1 above. Luke correctly refers to him as tetrarch, whereas in Mark 6:14 he is called “king.” It was Herod’s ambition to be recognized as king that led ...

3354. The Seventh Trumpet

Revelation 11:15-19

Understanding Series

Robert W. Wall

... kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ. Even though human existence has been corrupted by the world’s rebellious rulers, the sovereignty of God the creator can be reasserted because of Christ. Through the devotion of his faithful disciples, the kingdom of the world is challenged by a counter-kingdom of priests, made by Christ (5:10), to end the rule of those pretenders to God’s throne. It is John’s expectation that a life and faith that is an alternative to the world ...

3355. The Calling of Matthew

Matthew 9:9-13

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

... (2:14) and Luke (5:27) Matthew is named Levi, although this latter name occurs in none of the listings of the twelve apostles (Matt. 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:15; Acts 1:13). Either Matthew is the name given to Levi when he became a disciple or both names belonged to the same person from the beginning. When Jesus says to the tax gatherer, Follow me, Matthew immediately leaves his place of business and follows the Lord. 9:10–13 We next see Jesus as host to a number of tax collectors and “sinners.” These ...

3356. Jesus Questioned about Fasting

Matthew 9:14-17

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

... to the Jewish wedding feast. In that setting it would be inappropriate for the guests to mourn while [the bridegroom] is with them (v. 15). Later, when the bridegroom was taken from them, there would be time for fasting. In this figure Jesus is the bridegroom, and his disciples are the guests. The Old Testament often pictures the relationship of God and his people as a marriage (Hos. 2:16–20; Isa. 54:5–6; cf. 2 Cor. 11:2; Rev. 21:9f.). The messianic wedding feast is under way: now is the season for joy ...

3357. Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand

Matthew 14:13-21

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

... and fish and looked up to heaven from whence all good gifts come. He gave thanks (eulogēsen in v. 19 does not mean that he “blessed” the bread in the sense of infusing into it some spiritual quality), broke the bread, and had the disciples distribute the pieces. Everyone had enough to eat, and when they picked up what was left over, there were twelve basketfuls of broken pieces. Matthew adds that there were about five thousand men (Gk. andres) who ate, not counting the women and children. There is ...

3358. Jesus Predicts His Death

Matthew 16:21-28

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

... of Satan. Although Peter had just confessed Jesus as Messiah, he had yet much to learn about what that messiahship would entail. 16:24–26 Then (that is, after Jesus had rebuked Peter so emphatically for playing into the hands of Satan) Jesus tells his disciples that if they wish to go his way (cf. opisō mou in vv. 23 and 24) they will have to renounce self, openly declare allegiance to a crucified Messiah, and accept the consequences. At this point Jesus is speaking to men who, though acknowledging the ...

3359. A Mother's Request

Matthew 20:20-28

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

... .31; 4.14; 5.8). They will indeed drink from the cup of suffering, but positions of honor are for those to whom they have already been assigned by the Father. A strong element of predestination runs through Jewish thought. 20:24–28 When the other disciples heard what James and John had done, they were indignant. It would appear that they were prompted more by jealousy than by any sense of inappropriateness on the part of the two. Jesus speaks to all of them in pointing out that, although pagan rulers lord ...

3360. Jesus Anointed at Bethany

Matthew 26:6-13

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

... It may be that Simon was the father of Lazarus and his sisters. A woman came to Jesus with an alabaster jar of very expensive ointment (myron was a fragrant oil or perfume) and poured it on Jesus’ head while he was at table. The disciples were indignant and questioned the act as unnecessarily wasteful. Rather self-righteously, they noted that the ointment could have been sold at a good price and the money given to the poor. Jesus, who was aware of what they had said (probably among themselves), declared ...

3361. The Guard at the Tomb

Matthew 27:62-66

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

... as a group to Pilate to ask that a guard be set up at the tomb. They remembered that while he was still alive Jesus had claimed that after three days he would come back to life. Therefore it was necessary to set a guard in order to prevent the disciples from stealing the body and claiming that he had been raised from the dead. This last deception (a false rumor that he had risen) would be even worse than the first (his false claim that he was the Messiah and the Son of God). Some have wondered why the ...

3362. Jesus Heals Many

Mark 1:29-34

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

... Jesus’ power and authority—this time in the face of illness. Her response is probably intended by Mark as illustrative of the proper response of his readers, who also have been “touched” by Jesus. Elsewhere Mark shows Jesus as commanding service to one’s fellow disciples as the proper response to the Gospel (9:33–35; 10:42–45). In verses 32–34, then, Mark gives one of several “transitional summaries” in the early chapters of his account (other examples are 1:39; 3:11–12; 4:33–34; 6:6 ...

3363. The Parable of the Growing Seed

Mark 4:26-29

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

... is that the kingdom of God begins with the apparently insignificant action of “sowing” the message, but will finish as a great harvest. God, who gives the grain harvest, will also give a great result to the present ministry of Jesus and his disciples. Mark’s Christian readers, who did not yet see the great harvest themselves, were to apply Jesus’ assurance in their own lives and mission of proclaiming God’s message. The reference to the stages of growth (the stalk … the head … the full kernel ...

3364. John the Baptist Beheaded

Mark 6:14-29

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

... prefigured it in his death, indicating that the Messiah’s work too is to suffer death, and this to accomplish God’s will. This account, with its description of the opulent and morally bankrupt court life of Herod, contrasts powerfully with the demands placed upon the disciples in 6:7–13 and with the next episode, in which Jesus and the Twelve are in the open country (6:31, 35). This contrast shows that the rightful “king” was not Herod (6:14), and that the places of earthly power and wealth with ...

3365. The Rich Young Man

Mark 10:17-31

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

... verses 29–31 contains both the assurance of God’s favor for those who make such a sacrifice and warnings that there is more testing ahead to be faced before a final judgment is given by God. In addition to the provisions God will supply for the needs of disciples in the present age (v. 30), there will be persecutions as well. In the age to come there will be eternal life, but there will be a great reversal of earthly status in the coming judgment of God (v. 31). The story of the rich man leads into the ...

3366. Blind Bartimaeus Receives His Sight

Mark 10:46-52

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

... since Jesus does not rebuke the man, but welcomes him for healing and commendation (v. 52), it is clinching evidence that the man’s cry is proper. He represents a positive response to Jesus’ ministry. Moreover, Mark says that the man began to follow Jesus like a disciple. Others try to silence the man (v. 48), but Jesus calls the man to blessing. With a touch peculiar to the Markan version of the story, the man is cheered (v. 49) by the people and dramatically throws off his old cloak (v. 50) to answer ...

3367. The Widow's Offering

Mark 12:41-44

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

... 12:44). It is connected with the preceding paragraph (12:38–40) by the mention of widows. In addition, the simple piety of the widow is a powerful contrast to the self-seeking ambition for which scribes are condemned in the former passage. As previously the disciples are given the example of the child (9:35–36; 10:13–16) as a figure of humble circumstances, so here we have another type of person who has no social standing offered as an example. Further, the contrast between the poor widow and the rich ...

3368. The Day and Hour Unknown

Mark 13:32-37

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

... day of God’s victory is pictured, as in the fashion of apocalyptic thought, as an appointed time kept in the secrets of God. When the disciples are told to keep watch (vv. 35–37), what is meant is that they are to be on duty, doing their jobs, not that they are ... final exhortation, the long discourse on the future (chapter 13) ends. The doom of Jerusalem has been announced, and the disciples (and readers) forewarned about what lies before them after Jesus has been taken away. This done, Mark next returns ...

3369. Gethsemane

Mark 14:32-42

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

... to them to stay awake and pray reflect a concern that they be prepared for the physical and spiritual dangers that lie ahead for them. Repeated references to the dullness of the Twelve have prepared Mark’s readers to understand that the disciples were incapable of giving Jesus anything. Their late-night drowsiness is another example of their insensitivity to what Jesus has been telling them about his coming violent death. The threefold reference to their failure to pray (vv. 37–41) is striking. The ...

3370. The Death of Jesus

Mark 15:33-41

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

... ,” IDB, vol. 1, pp. 547–48. The officer’s comment is offered after he saw how he died, meaning that he admired the strength and courage exhibited by Jesus. 15:40 Some women is Mark’s first mention of these women, but there are references to women disciples in other Gospel accounts, e.g., Luke 8:1–3; Matt. 27:56. Mary Magdalene was from the town of Magdala and in Luke 8:2 is described as having been delivered by Jesus from demonic possession. We know nothing more about the second Mary than the ...

3371. Judging Others

Luke 6:37-42

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

... seems to be derived primarily from the sayings source utilized by Luke and Matthew. Thus, we may say that Luke 6:12–49 is based on material taken from Mark and from the sayings source. 6:37-42 In vv. 37–42 Jesus warns his disciples to take care in the way that they evaluate other people. The command not to judge others refers to fault-finding and criticism, but it should not be understood as prohibiting constructive criticism and assistance, as is verified by the humorous exaggeration concerning the ...

3372. Who Will Be the Greatest?

Luke 9:46-50

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

... Galilee in v. 43; cf. Mark 9:30; to Capernaum in v. 46; cf. Mark 9:33), the question about greatness and the question about rival disciples (vv. 49–50) are more closely linked to the transfiguration and the larger questions of who is Jesus and what does it mean to be his disciple? It may be that their concern with greatness prevented the disciples from comprehending Jesus’ statement about his fate. Jesus summarizes the essence of Christian fellowship in v. 48. Everyone, even the weak and lowly, is to be ...

3373. To the Church in Smyrna

Revelation 2:8-11

Understanding Series

Robert W. Wall

... congregation which lives in poverty, has encountered intense religious opposition, and even faces imprisonment and martyrdom. 2:9–10 The subsequent consolation, then, to Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life promises faithful disciples a future with the Risen Christ. Their reward, the crown of life, probably refers to the laurel wreath or garland given the athlete who wins at the games. As an eschatological symbol, it refers to the reward of eternal life for those ...

3374. Be Holy

1 Peter 1:13-2:3

Understanding Series

Norman Hillyer

... . 19:10; Num. 31:23) and in the NT for moral purification (James 4:8; 1 John 3:3). The word yourselves here translates psychē, usually rendered “soul,” inward spiritual nature. The truth: When Jesus, who is the truth (John 14:6), prays for his disciples to be sanctified, he equates truth with God’s word (John 17:17, 19). Peter makes a similar association in the next two verses. The Qumran community also taught the purifying nature of truth (1QS 3.6; 4.20). Sincere (anypokriton) love for your brothers ...

3375. Suffering for Doing Good

1 Peter 3:8-22

Understanding Series

Norman Hillyer

... is no doubt thinking now of outsiders. Then the demand of Christ’s ethic for his followers is still to maintain a positive attitude, despite any adverse reaction. It would be a betrayal of the high moral standard expected by Jesus of those claiming to be his disciples if they repay evil with evil or insult with insult. Certainly evil and insults will come the believers’ way, for such will be part and parcel of the lot Christians are called upon to bear. It was not a new or unexpected turn of events for ...

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