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 3626 to 3650 of 4942 results

3626. The Crucifixion

Mark 15:21-32

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

With restrained objectivity, and without sentimentality, sensationalism, or appealing to readers’ emotions, Mark recounts the crucifixion in order to show what Jesus’s death accomplished. Cicero described the hideous brutality of crucifixion as the “most cruel and horrifying punishment.” Reserved for non-Roman citizens, crucifixion unleashed excessive and prolonged cruelty on the classes for which it was intended: slaves, violent criminals, and prisoners of war. As a rule, victims were crucified naked and ...

3627. Zechariah’s Hymn

Luke 1:67-80

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

Structurally, Zechariah’s hymn (1:67–80) can be divided into two parts. In the first part of the hymn Zechariah praises God for the redemption he has accomplished through the house of David (1:68–75). In the second part of the hymn he focuses on the role of John (1:76–79). Like the Magnificat, this hymn is full of Old Testament allusions, and the marginal references to the Old Testament should be consulted. Luke makes an editorial comment before the opening of the hymn (1:67), explaining that Zechariah’s ...

3628. The Temptation of Jesus

Luke 4:1-13

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

The last event before Jesus’s public ministry begins is his temptation in the wilderness (4:1–13). Two themes tie this section together: (1) Jesus by the power of the Spirit overcomes the devil by citing the Word of God; and (2) the devil is challenging Jesus’s filial obedience as God’s Son (4:3, 9). Jesus shows before his ministry begins that his trust and obedience are in his Father. Matthew and Luke have a different order in recording the temptations; the second and third temptations are reversed in ...

3629. Conflict with the Pharisees

Luke 5:17-26

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

The next five stories belong together since in each of them the Pharisees question Jesus (hence “conflict stories”), and he responds by defending the legitimacy of his behavior. The climax comes in 6:11, where Jesus’s opponents fulminate against him. The drama of the episode is apparent from Luke’s introduction. Pharisees from every area of Palestine were present to investigate Jesus’s teaching (5:17). The Pharisees were a popular religious party that emphasized obedience to both the written and unwritten ...

3630. Choosing the Twelve

Luke 6:12-16

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

This section directly contrasts with the previous one. The religious leaders are rejecting Jesus, and he responds by choosing a faithful remnant (6:12–16) who will be responsible for communicating his message to others. The significance of the selection is indicated by verse 12: Jesus spends an entire night in prayer before choosing the Twelve. Simon Peter (6:14) heads up every list of the apostles in the New Testament. Bartholomew is sometimes equated with Nathanael (John 1:44–51). Matthew and Levi (Luke ...

3631. Jesus at a Pharisee’s House

Luke 14:1-14

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

All of the episodes in chapter 14 through verse 24 take place at a banquet in a prominent Pharisee’s home (14:1). The precise nature of the Pharisee’s position is uncertain. The first episode is another controversy story on the Sabbath (14:1–6; cf. 6:1–11; 13:10–17). Hostility continues to build against Jesus because of his healings on the Sabbath, and he is being watched suspiciously on this occasion (14:1). “Dropsy” (14:2 KJV, RSV) involves swelling due to excess fluids building up in tissues and ...

3632. The Parable of the Shrewd Manager

Luke 16:1-15

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

The focus on the salvation available for the humble ends at 15:32, marking a shift in the text. But the textual divisions in this unit remain a bit arbitrary. The parable of the dishonest steward is one of the most difficult to interpret in Luke. Where does the parable end? Does it end with verse 7, 8a, 8b, or 9? Is the master in verse 8 Jesus or the master of the steward in the parable? Why does the master praise the dishonest manager (16:8)? And what is the message of the parable for the church? Before ...

3633. Jesus Before Pilate and Herod

Luke 22:66--23:25

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

Jesus’s trial begins with an interrogation before the Sanhedrin (22:66–71). This council, which functioned as the official court of the Jews, meets to examine Jesus. They immediately address him with their central concern (22:67): does he claim to be the Christ? Jesus, however, refuses to answer the question, maintaining that it would be useless to give an answer to such an audience, presumably because they understand the messiah in a way different from Jesus. Nevertheless, Jesus proceeds to conflate ...

3634. Resurrection: Scripture Fulfilled

Luke 24:1-12

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

On Sunday, “the first day of the week,” an unspecified number of women return to the tomb to anoint Jesus’s body (23:56b–24:12). Luke does not tell us that they worried about removing the stone (cf. Mark 16:3), yet when they arrive, the stone has been rolled away and Jesus’s body is no longer in the tomb. Instead, they see two angels dressed in dazzling apparel, who announce to them that Jesus has risen from the dead. Luke calls the angels “men” (24:5), not because he did not know they were angels (see 24: ...

3635. Jesus Goes to the Feast of Tabernacles

John 7:1-13

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

7:1–9:41 Review · The third feast of Judaism to inspire Johannine interest is the autumn harvest of Tabernacles. It joined Passover and Pentecost as a pilgrimage feast and was celebrated on 15 Tishri (September-October), commemorating the end of the harvest field labor (Lev. 23:39). It also recalled Israel’s wandering and life in booths (Lev. 23:42–43). Every Jewish male was obligated to attend sometime during the course of seven days of worship and sacrifice (Exod. 23:14–17; Deut. 16:16).John’s interest ...

3636. Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind

John 9:1-12

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

In chapter 9 Jesus brings light to a blind man. Cast in the form of so many Synoptic conflict stories, this narrative is closely connected with the previous chapter. We are still at the Feast of Tabernacles setting, and Jesus is still affirming that he is “the light of the world” (9:5; cf. 8:12). Here the light of Jesus is parabolically viewed in the service of a blind man who gains his vision. But those who live in darkness without this light (the Jewish opponents) cannot see. In the end, the Pharisees ...

3637. The Unbelief of the Jews

John 10:22-42

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

The temple courtyard was surrounded by colonnaded porches that gave shelter from the weather. Solomon’s Porch was on the east. Since it is winter (the season of Dedication) Jesus is found there sheltered from the cold Jerusalem wind (10:22–23). If the judicial emphases that we are following are correct, here the christological inquiries take on new significance. The evidence has been displayed (10:25–26), and now Judaism aims its two charges that will reappear later at the formal trial: (1) Are you ...

3638. Jesus Raises Lazarus From the Dead

John 11:38-44

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

Lazarus was buried in a typical first-century stone tomb (cf. Jesus’s tomb, 20:1; Mark 15:46). Since these were designed for multiple burials, there would be no difficulty reopening it (11:39) if sufficient help was available. Again we are given a second confirmation that Lazarus is dead (11:39), this time in graphic terms. But this does not deter Jesus. As his feeding miracle demonstrated that he was the bread of life (6:35), and as his healing of the blind illustrated that he was the light of the world ( ...

3639. Jesus the Way to the Father

John 14:5-14

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

For Thomas (14:5–7) the chief concern is whether they will accompany Jesus. Note that it is not a moral or ethical way; it is salvific. The way to be found is the way of salvation leading to the Father (14:4–17). Two surprises come about: Jesus is both the means (14:6) and the end (14:7). There is no suspended hope, because the object of their faith (the Father) is now present in Christ. In him the Father is already present (cf. 8:19; 10:30, 38). Philip now inquires about this Father-Son relationship (14:8 ...

3640. Jesus Prays for His Disciples

John 17:6-19

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

The glory of God has been visible in Christ in yet one more way. Jesus has revealed God’s name (Greek onoma, “name”; NIV “you”; 17:6). Paul says the same: this Christ who emptied himself is the bearer of “the name that is above every name” (Phil. 2:9). The name of God is a vital Old Testament concept beginning with Moses’s experience on Sinai (Exod. 3:13–15; Deut. 12:5; Isa. 52:6), and Jesus has given this throughout his public ministry in the great “I am” sayings (e.g., 8:28, 58). In the Old Testament, ...

3641. Jesus' Death and Burial

John 19:28-37, John 19:38-42

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

The remaining activity on the cross (19:28–37) now emphasizes two dominant theological themes. First, Jesus is a Passover victim dying a sacrificial death. This motif already appeared in 19:14 (also 1:29) and again comes to mind here. Jesus’s thirst (19:28) echoes Psalm 22:15, while the hyssop that satisfies his thirst reflects Exodus 12:22 and Passover symbolism. Hyssop was used with blood on Israel’s doorposts in Egypt. This is a uniquely Johannine note (cf. Mark 15:36). John is also the only one of the ...

3642. Jesus and the Miraculous Catch of Fish

John 21:1-14

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

21:1-25 Review · The origin and placement of this final chapter has perplexed many. John 20:30–31 seems to be a natural ending to the Gospel, whereas chapter 21 seems to be an appendage. In 20:29 a blessing is given on those “who have not seen” and yet believe, and here we hardly expect another visit from the resurrected Christ. It is even possible that the editors who included this chapter identify themselves in 21:24 (see below). That John’s Gospel has experienced some editorial attention need not ...

3643. In Lystra and Derbe

Acts 14:8-20

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

After leaving Iconium, Paul and Barnabas travel to Lystra (14:8–20). Their ministry in Lystra begins with the healing of a crippled man (14:8–10). In numerous ways, this account recalls the earlier miracle performed by Peter in 3:1–10: both men are crippled “from birth” (14:8; cf. 3:2), and in both accounts the apostle looks directly at the man (14:9; 3:4). After being commanded to stand, both men “jumped” up and “began to walk” (14:10; 3:8). Through this account, the connection between Paul and the ...

3644. Paul’s Vision of the Man of Macedonia

Acts 16:6-10

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

When Paul and his companions move beyond “the region of Phrygia and Galatia” (16:6), an area that may refer to the places Paul visited in his first journey (Acts 13:15–14:20), they are prohibited by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in both the province of Asia to the west and the province of Bithynia to the north (16:6–10). They then travel to Troas, where Paul has a vision in which a man of Macedonia begs them to come to Macedonia (16:9). In this account, which introduces a new direction of the ...

3645. Paul in Ephesus

Acts 19:1-22

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

When Paul himself arrives at Ephesus, he confronts a group of disciples who have not received the Holy Spirit (19:1–7). Paul then places his hands on them, and they receive the Holy Spirit, which is confirmed by their ability to speak in tongues and to prophesy (19:6). In this brief account, Luke provides a significant discussion of the role of Paul, the identity of these Gentile believers, and the message Paul preaches. First, the significance of Paul is revealed when this account is read in light of the ...

3646. Through Macedonia and Greece

Acts 20:1-6

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

After the unrest in Ephesus, Paul travels through Macedonia and Greece and decides to travel back through Macedonia because of a plot against him (20:1–6). In this brief account, a considerable amount of space is spent on introducing those who accompany Paul on his journey back. These include Sopater from Berea, Aristarchus (Acts 19:29; 27:2; cf. Col. 4:10; Philem. 24) and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy from Lystra (Acts 16:1–3), Tychicus (cf. Eph. 6:21; Col. 4:7; 2 Tim. 4:12; Titus ...

3647. The Plot to Kill Paul

Acts 23:12-22

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

The conspiracy by the Jews to have Paul killed moves him one step closer on his way to Rome (23:12–22). In light of verse 11, the act of the Jews shows that they are indeed “fighting against God” (Acts 5:39). As Paul did earlier (9:1–2), these Jews also go “to the chief priests and the elders” and conspire with them to oppose those belonging to the Way (23:14). Luke mentions the oath they take three times (23:12–14, 21), presumably to show their determination to kill Paul. Their assumed failure to fulfill ...

3648. The Trial Before Felix

Acts 24:1-27

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

Paul’s imprisonment in Caesarea:The trial before Felix (24:1–27) provides one of the most detailed accounts of the formal interaction between the plaintiff, the defendant, and the judge in Acts. The charges against Paul are presented by Tertullus, a legal advocate who represents Ananias and other elders of the council (24:2–9). Tertullus begins by praising Felix for his accomplishments and his care for the Jewish people. While such flattery is not unexpected in a speech of this nature, to credit Felix for ...

3649. The Trial Before Festus

Acts 25:1-12

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

With Festus succeeding Felix (24:27), Paul finds himself being tried by yet another Roman procurator (25:1–22). Porcius Festus was the procurator in Judea for only two years (ca. AD 60–62) before his death. Josephus credits him with maintaining peace in Judea by controlling the activities of revolutionaries (Jewish Antiquities 20.185–88). The political situation quickly deteriorated after Festus was replaced with others far less sensitive to Jewish law and custom. His ability to control his subjects is ...

3650. No One Is Righteous

Romans 3:9-20

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

Paul summarizes his conclusion from chapter 2: Jews are not at all better off than the Gentiles, since both Jews (2:1–29) and Gentiles (1:18–32) are guilty of sin. They are “all under the power of sin”; that is, both Gentiles and Jews are controlled by the power of sin evident in their present behavior as well as in their destiny in God’s judgment, in which nobody has any excuse. In 3:10–18 Paul provides biblical evidence for his assertion that Jews have no advantage over Gentiles because they are sinners ...

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