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 3701 to 3725 of 4942 results

3701. John the Baptist Beheaded

Matthew 14:1-12

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

Feeding of the Five Thousand: Jesus was not the only prophet who was rejected by his own (cf. 13:53–58). John the Baptist had been treated the same way by Herod, ruler of Galilee and Perea. Matthew tells of Herod’s concern that Jesus might be John the Baptist returned from the dead (v. 2). This in turn caused Jesus to withdraw from a public to a secluded area (v. 13). Verses 3–12 record the death of John the Baptist, which had taken place earlier but is brought into the narrative at this point by Matthew. ...

3702. Judas Hangs Himself

Matthew 27:1-10

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

27:1–2 At daybreak the chief priests and elders met in full council to plan the death of Jesus. The morning session also served to legalize the clandestine meeting that had taken place the previous night. Since their concerns about Jesus’ religious claims would carry little weight with Roman authorities, it was necessary to develop a charge that would appear revolutionary from a political standpoint. Luke cites a threefold charge of seditious teaching, opposition to taxation, and claim of kingship (23:2). ...

3703. John the Baptist Prepares the Way

Mark 1:1-8

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

1:1–8 In this brief but fully packed introductory section, Mark first describes Jesus by titles that summarize for the author the proper significance of Jesus and then links him with Old Testament prophetic themes and with the historical figure John the Baptist. It is interesting that, although Mark presents the human characters in his story, even the disciples, as largely unable to perceive properly who Jesus really is until his resurrection, the reader is given in the opening line the titles that prove ...

3704. Jesus Sends Out the Twelve

Mark 6:7-13

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

6:6b–13 Just as the first rejection in the synagogue (3:1–6) is followed by ministry to a wide assortment of people (3:7–12) and by the empowering of the Twelve (3:13–19), so here, after the second rejection, Mark gives us an account of the empowering of the Twelve, who conduct an itinerant ministry in extension of Jesus’ own work. Here again (6:7) as before (3:15), the disciples are given authority over evil spirits; and by this term, so important in Mark’s description of Jesus (1:22, 27; 2:10; 11:27–33 ...

3705. Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand

Mark 6:30-44

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

6:30–44 From early times the feeding accounts have understandably attracted great attention, and continuing scholarly effort is made to try to understand them more fully. There are two feeding accounts in Mark—here, and at 8:1–10, where four thousand are fed—and also two accounts in Matthew (14:13–21; 15:32–39). Luke (9:10–17) and John (6:1–15) each report only the feeding of the five thousand. Much modern scholarly study has been devoted to the sources of the feeding accounts and other complex historical ...

3706. The Transfiguration

Mark 9:2-13

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

9:2–13 The open and forthright nature of Jesus’ teaching about his coming death in 8:31–32 is matched here by a powerful disclosure of his true significance as the Son of God. The description of the event is studded with allusions to OT passages and themes, and it is necessary to see these to appreciate what Mark wanted this story to convey to his readers. The placement of this account right after Jesus’ promise of his future, glorious vindication (8:38–9:1) shows the reader a glimpse of that glory. The ...

3707. The Crucifixion

Mark 15:21-32

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

15:21–32 It is striking that the central event in the story of Jesus’ obedience to the will of God is narrated with such stark simplicity and economy of words (compare the Lucan version, 23:26–43). The mention of Simon, the Cyrenian Jew (v. 21), a person included in all the Synoptic accounts of the crucifixion (cf. Matt. 27:32; Luke 23:26), looks like an echo of early tradition. In Mark, there is the distinctive reference to two sons of the man (Alexander and Rufus, v. 21), perhaps indicating that the men ...

3708. The Calling of Levi

Luke 5:27-32

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

Jesus’ Fellowship with Tax Collectors: The unifying theme that runs throughout the story of Levi’s call (vv. 27–31) and the discussion about eating and fasting (vv. 32–39) concerns fellowship and lifestyle. In the minds of the Pharisees, Jesus’ chief critics thus far in Luke’s Gospel, Jesus has chosen to have fellowship with the wrong kind of people. Since they were the party of “separatists” (see note on 5:17 above) who believed that redemption would come about by separating themselves from every impurity ...

3709. Lord of the Sabbath

Luke 6:1-11

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

More Controversy with the Pharisees: Jesus implied in the previous section (5:27–39) that his authority superseded the rules of ritual purity. Jesus demonstrates in this section that he has authority over the Sabbath. This is seen in the first episode where Jesus’ disciples picked and ate grain on the Sabbath (6:1–2), an action that Jesus defended against the charge that such activity amounted to “work” on the Sabbath (6:3–5). It reappears in the second episode when Jesus heals the man wit the withered (or ...

3710. Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand

Luke 9:10-17

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

Luke’s account of the feeding of the 5,000 is based on the Marcan account (Mark 6:30–44) and is the only miracle found in all four Gospels (Matt. 14:13–21; John 6:1–15). Luke omits, however, Mark’s feeding of the 4,000 (Mark 8:1–10 and see Matt. 15:32–39). Such an omission is due to (1) Luke’s avoidance of repetition and to (2) the fact that the evangelist has omitted a large section of Mark (6:45–8:26, sometimes called Luke’s “Big Omission”) in which the second feeding story occurs (see note below). Verse ...

3711. A Crippled Woman Healed on the Sabbath

Luke 13:10-17

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

The healing of the woman with a crooked spine occurs only in Luke. Like earlier episodes in Luke (6:1–5, 6–11), the controversy centers around Jesus, who allegedly violates the law by healing someone on the Sabbath. The episode exposes yet another example of Pharisaic hypocrisy, while it also furthers the general theme of the growing hostility that eventually will result in Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion. To this point in his Gospel account Luke has frequently presented Jesus as teaching in one of the ...

3712. Jesus' Sorrow for Jerusalem

Luke 13:31-35

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

We come now to the first of four laments for Jerusalem (see note below) in Luke’s Gospel (13:31–35; 19:41–44; 21:20–24; 23:27–31). The first, second, and fourth laments are found only in Luke, while the third one, although somewhat parallel to and dependent upon Mark 13:14–23 (=Matt. 24:15–28), affords many distinctive features. It is clear from these passages that the fate of the city of Jerusalem is of major interest to the evangelist Luke (see Charles Homer Giblin, The Destruction of Jerusalem according ...

3713. Jesus at a Pharisee's House

Luke 14:1-14

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

Doing Good on the Sabbath This episode is part of a section unique to Luke (14:1–24); the section is loosely tied together by the setting of Jesus being invited to the house of a Pharisee. The episode is the fourth and final episode in which controversy over Sabbath laws emerges. Previously Jesus has been accused of breaking the Sabbath by doing what the Pharisees regarded as work, such as picking grain to eat (6:1–5) or healing someone (6:6–11; 13:10–17). This time the controversy revolves around the ...

3714. The Cost of Being a Disciple

Luke 14:25-35

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

This section consists of two parts: (1) a brief discourse on the cost of following Jesus (vv. 25–33) and (2) the saying on worthless salt (vv. 34–35). Part of the section on counting the cost has to do with the king who plans for war (vv. 31–32), which may provide a link with the preceding Parable of the Great Banquet (vv. 15–24), since Deuteronomy 20 apparently has conceptual and verbal parallels to these Lucan passages (so Evans, pp. 47–48; see commentary on 14:15–24 above). The main point of the section ...

3715. The Parable of the Persistent Widow

Luke 18:1-8

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

Unlike much of the preceding material (17:20–37), the two parables that make up this section are found only in Luke: the Parable of the Widow and the Judge (vv. 1–8), and the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector (vv. 9–14). The two parables are linked by the theme of prayer (see vv. 1, 7, 10) and so make up a unit. The Parable of the Widow and the Judge, however, also relates closely to the preceding section (cf. 18:8b with 17:22, 26, 30), so much so that some commentators take 17:20–18:8 as a ...

3716. The Widow's Offering

Luke 21:1-4

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

In the previous chapter we saw Jesus teaching in the temple precincts. There Jesus was asked hostile questions with the view to trap him into saying something for which he could be arrested. In the present chapter we shall see Jesus still teaching in the temple (from v. 1 to v. 38), only this time the teaching is about the temple itself. Most of the teaching concerns the coming destruction of the temple and the appearance of the Son of Man. The chapter may be divided as follows: (1) the Widow’s Offering ( ...

3717. Slaves to Righteousness

Romans 6:15-23

Understanding Series

James R. Edwards

In chapters 6–7 Paul discusses the Christian life using four metaphors: baptism (6:1–14), slavery (6:15–23), marriage (7:1–6), and psychology (7:7–25). The present section on slavery continues the interplay between indicative and imperative: what God has done leads to what we ought to do. Paul presents his ideas in a series of antithetical statements: “under law / under grace” (v. 15), “sin which leads to death / obedience which leads to righteousness” (v. 16), “free from sin / slaves to righteousness” (v ...

3718. The Remnant of Israel

Romans 11:1-10

Understanding Series

James R. Edwards

Israel’s rejection of Jesus Christ was a denial of its own calling and redemption. It was as though an infant in the womb could somehow decide not to be born, and thus frustrate the rightful goal of its life. But contrary to expectation, Israel’s denial of its destiny does not frustrate God’s purpose. We saw in Romans 9 that God was prepared to make sovereign choices in history, even wrathful choices, in order to extend his mercy. The present section is closely tied to that argument. Verses 1–6 are a ...

3719. The Fellowship Offering

Leviticus 3:1-17

Understanding Series

W. H. Bellinger, Jr.

This chapter, like chapters 1 and 2, contains three sections, each of which follows a similar pattern. The first section relates to an offering from the herd (cattle), the second and third concern offerings from the flock (sheep and then goats). Each section begins with a reference to the animal and distinguishes the tasks of worshiper and priest. The worshiper deals with the animal, and the priest again performs any tasks directly associated with the altar. Each section ends with a reference to the ...

3720. The Sin Offering

Leviticus 4:1--5:13

Understanding Series

W. H. Bellinger, Jr.

The Purification Offering: We come now to a different kind of sacrifice. We are still in the Manual of Sacrifice, but the concluding verse of chapter 3 prepares the reader for a section on the breaking of prohibitions. Those sacrifices portrayed in chapters 1–3 are voluntary. Chapters 4 and 5 consider sin, or purification, offerings and guilt, or compensation, offerings. While chapters 1–3 place the sacrificial animal at the fore, chapters 4–5 focus on the type of sin that necessitates the sacrifice and on ...

3721. The Burnt Offering (II)

Leviticus 6:8-13

Understanding Series

W. H. Bellinger, Jr.

Verse 8 initiates a new section of the Manual of Sacrifice that deals with the priestly administration of the sacrifices and so proceeds from that perspective. The material, which may seem repetitious to the contemporary reader, complements what has come before. The text moves from practical instruction for the worshipers to practical instruction for the people who administer the offerings. This final part of the Manual standardizes sacrificial practice and answers the important question: Which parts of ...

3722. The Death of Nadab and Abihu

Leviticus 10:1-20

Understanding Series

W. H. Bellinger, Jr.

The Unfortunate Incident of Nadab and Abihu: The historical narrative continues through chapter 10, a narrative of joy interrupted by trouble. Such a pattern is not unusual in the Hebrew Scriptures and in this case raises important issues about obedience in the life of the people. In a sense this incident mars the climax to the inauguration of tabernacle worship in Leviticus 9:22–24, but it also punctuates the story with a startling reassertion of Yahweh’s holiness. The unfortunate incident of Nadab and ...

3723. Purification After Childbirth

Leviticus 12:1-8

Understanding Series

W. H. Bellinger, Jr.

Uncleanness at Childbirth: The instructions on purity move from food to the beginning of life and childbirth. The purpose, again, is to help the community avoid uncleanness in tabernacle worship. Mothers birthing children was crucial for the ancient Israelite community, so it is natural to include childbirth in this Manual of Purity. This chapter also moves beyond defining the uncleanness associated with childbirth to describing means of purification. 12:1–5 These verses describe the periods of uncleanness ...

3724. Cleansing from Infectious Skin Diseases

Leviticus 14:1-32

Understanding Series

W. H. Bellinger, Jr.

Purification from Contamination: Chapter 14 proceeds to the issue of how one can move from the condition of “unclean” into the condition of “clean.” The procedure is a rite of passage embodying a new beginning for the person and the surrounding community. The passage marks the occasion, making it palpable for those involved and contributing to social stability. The first part of the chapter describes cleansing from impurity, and the latter alternative offerings for the poor. 14:1–9 The instructions are ...

3725. Discharges Causing Uncleanness

Leviticus 15:1-33

Understanding Series

W. H. Bellinger, Jr.

Bodily Discharges: This chapter is the final one to offer explicit instructions on hygiene, specifically concerning bodily emissions or discharges. It leads to the description of the ritual of the Day of Atonement, which offers a way to remove impurity. These discharges cause impurity, but impurity that does not last very long. Wenham has raised the possibility that chapters 11–15 are organized according to the duration of the impurity, from longest to shortest (Leviticus, p. 216). Chapter 15 itself seems ...

Showing results