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 3776 to 3800 of 4942 results

3776. The Lord Compassionate and Slow to Anger

Psalm 103:1-22

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

Because this psalm combines individual thanksgiving (vv. 2–5) and corporate hymnody (vv. 6–18), commentators have debated which is indicative of its function (see Allen, Psalms 101–150, [WBC 21; Waco: Word, 1983], pp. 19–20). As I have argued, this separation between individual and corporate settings has been overstressed. Whether the concerns were individual or corporate, Israel’s worship was primarily public. In this public setting, a liturgist would lead the singing of psalms and speak on behalf of both ...

3777. The Creator and His Providential Ordering of Creation

Psalm 104:1-35

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

The Creator and His Providential Ordering of Creation Psalm 104 hymns Yahweh as Creator. Every four or five verses (or lines of Hb. poetry) appear to be marked off by repeated terms and to treat a distinct realm of creation (vv. 1–4, 5–9, 10–13, 14–18, 19–23, 24–26, 27–30, 31–35; see further Allen, Psalms 101–150, pp. 31–32). The psalm is very cosmopolitan, echoing motifs from Israelite creation traditions (e.g., Gen. 1, showing both parallels and contrasts), wisdom traditions, Canaanite Baal imagery, and ...

3778. In Praise of the Lord of History: From Abraham to the Settlement in the Land

Psalm 105:1-45

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

In Praise of the Lord of History: From Abraham to the Settlement in the Land 105:1–45 The opening calls for congregational praise (vv. 1–6; v. 7 being an introductory summary) clearly signal that this is a hymnic praise psalm. It recites God’s praise not in general terms (e.g., referring simply to his “mercy” and “mighty acts”) but in the specific terms of historical acts, namely those of Israel’s early history also narrated in Genesis–Joshua. Verses 1–15 are contained in 1 Chronicles 16:8–22, where they ...

3779. The Lord of Reversals: Thanksgiving of Desert Wanderers, Prisoners, the Sick, and Sailors

Psalm 107:1-43

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

The Lord of Reversals: Thanksgiving of Desert Wanderers, Prisoners, the Sick, and Sailors Psalm 107 is unique in the Psalter. It opens with an imperative call to praise, familiar to the corporate hymnic praise psalms (note esp. the two preceding psalms), but it does not celebrate Israel’s corporate experience as a people or refer to any particular historical events or traditions. Rather, it rehearses the deliverances of various unspecified groups of individuals. In this respect, it shares similarities to ...

3780. Prayer for God’s Exaltation and for His Victory over “Edom”

Psalm 108:1-13

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

108:1–13 Verses 1–5 were drawn from Psalm 57:7–11, an individual prayer. They consist of a vow to praise God internationally and an invocation for the universal manifestation of his glory. By excluding 57:1–6 our psalm omits all references to individual distress. Verses 6–13 of our psalm were drawn from Psalm 60:5–12, a corporate prayer lamenting a battle defeat. These verses consist primarily of an oracle promising military victory and of petitions for victory, both of which concern Edom. By excluding 60: ...

3781. The Davidic King Promised Dominion over Enemies

Psalm 110:1-7

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

Psalm 110 is a royal psalm composed originally for the preexilic Davidic kings and was later applied to the Messiah, as the many NT citations make evident (the NT cites this psalm more than any other OT passage). Like Psalm 2, it refers to Yahweh’s installation of the king on Zion and to his promise of military dominion over enemies. Both of these psalms may have been sung at the king’s enthronement (implied by “sit at my right hand”) or annually “in the spring, at the time when kings go off to war” (2 Sam ...

3782. Pondering the Lord’s Great Works of the Exodus and Conquest

Psalm 111:1-10

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

Pondering the Lord’s Great Works of the Exodus and Conquest Psalm 111 forms a unique blend of Israel’s historical traditions (vv. 4–7a, 9a), legal traditions (vv. 7–8, 9b), and wisdom traditions (v. 10). Throughout this psalm God and his people are referred to in the third person. In verse 1, and in this verse alone, a speaking “I” addresses the council of the upright and the assembly. But is this a liturgist addressing a congregation or a teacher addressing the school of the wise? The parallel phrase, “ ...

3783. The Yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees

Matthew 16:5-12

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

16:5–12 Leaving behind the Pharisees and Sadducees, Jesus and his disciples go across the lake. Jews traveling in predominantly gentile territory would take their own bread in order to avoid eating food that was not ceremonially clean. On this occasion the disciples had forgotten to take bread. Jesus warns them to be on their guard against the yeast (leaven) of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Discussing this remark among themselves, they conclude that Jesus must be talking about their failure to bring an ...

3784. Jesus Predicts His Death

Matthew 16:21-28

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

16:21–23 From that time on marks a new stage in Jesus’ revelation of himself to his disciples. They had acknowledged his messiahship, but now they must be prepared to follow a Messiah who would go to Jerusalem and suffer at the hands of the orthodox religious establishment. There he would be put to death, but after three days he would rise again. In verse 21 we have the first definite prediction of the passion (cf. 17:22–23 and 20:18–19 for the two other predictions in Matthew). When Jesus says that he ...

3785. Peace for Jerusalem, the City of Pilgrims

Psalm 122:1-9

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

Like other psalms of ascent, this one contains hints of pilgrimage. The call, “Let us go to the house of the LORD,” signals their journey’s departure, and the declaration, “our feet are standing in your gates, O Jerusalem,” signals their arrival in the holy city. The description of the tribes “going up” (Hb. ʿlh, v. 4) uses a key term for the worshipers’ ascent to Yahweh’s mountain (cf. 24:3). The voice of a representative liturgist is evident. The speaking “I” in verse 1 shifts to “our” in verse 2. In ...

3786. A Tale of Two Oaths: David’s for the Lord’s Dwelling and the Lord’s for David’s Dynasty in Zion

Psalm 132:1-18

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

A Tale of Two Oaths: David’s for the Lord’s Dwelling and the Lord’s for David’s Dynasty in Zion 132:1–18 Most commentators believe this psalm was a liturgical composition used at the preexilic Jerusalem temple. It appears to presuppose the existence of the Davidic dynasty (esp. v. 17), the Solomonic temple (vv. 13–14), and the ark of the covenant (vv. 7–9). On the other hand, the psalm’s presence in the Psalms of Ascent, an otherwise postexilic collection, may imply that at least the final form of the ...

3787. The Divine King and His Universal Kingdom

Psalm 145:1-21

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

The praise of this psalm is hymnic in that it praises God’s attributes and deeds in general, but the speaker is “I” throughout (“we/us” does not appear), and the opening verses are characteristic of individual thanksgiving. It begins, not with an imperative summons addressed to a congregation, but with a proclamation of praise: “I will exalt you.” The verses form an acrostic (i.e., each verse begins with a successive letter of the Hb. alphabet), but this feature need not imply the psalm is a literary ...

3788. The Parable of the Tenants

Matthew 21:33-46

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

21:33–39 The second parable directed against those who refused to accept the messianic implications of Jesus’ ministry had to do with a landowner who leased his vineyard to tenants and left home. Preparations included putting a wall around the property to keep wild beasts out, hewing out a wine vat, and building a watchtower from which the entire operation could be overseen. When the harvest time approached, the owner sent his servants to receive his share of the produce. Gospel accounts differ in the ...

3789. The Sheep and the Goats

Matthew 25:31-46

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

Parables of Judgment: Chapter 24 closed with a parable warning what will happen to servants who are unfaithful while the master is away. The same general theme continues throughout chapter 25. Like the foolish young women of verses 1–13, they will be excluded from the marriage feast; like the worthless servant who buries his talent, they will be thrown outside into the darkness (vv. 14–30); and like the “goats” who do not respond to the needy, they will suffer the fate of the devil and his angels (vv. 31– ...

3790. Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus

Matthew 26:14-16

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

The Final Evening: The Passion narrative is the account of the suffering and death of Jesus. It normally includes all the events beginning with the garden scene in Gethsemane and finishing with the burial. The centrality of the cross in early Christian preaching is reflected in the major emphasis given to it in each of the four Gospels. Matthew 26 records the events of Wednesday and Thursday of the final week of Jesus’ life. 26:14–16 Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, went to the chief priests ...

3791. The Lord's Supper

Matthew 26:17-30

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

The Final Evening: The Passion narrative is the account of the suffering and death of Jesus. It normally includes all the events beginning with the garden scene in Gethsemane and finishing with the burial. The centrality of the cross in early Christian preaching is reflected in the major emphasis given to it in each of the four Gospels. Matthew 26 records the events of Wednesday and Thursday of the final week of Jesus’ life. 26:17–25 On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread Jesus’ disciples asked ...

3792. The Death of Jesus

Matthew 27:45-56

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

27:45–53 Mark (15:25, 34–37) indicates that Jesus was placed on the cross about the third hour (nine a.m.) and died shortly after the ninth hour (three p.m.). His period of physical suffering was shorter than most: some hung for days before death claimed them. From the sixth hour until the ninth hour a supernatural darkness covered the entire land. It could not have been an eclipse of the sun, because Passover took place during the full moon. The prophet Amos spoke of a day in which God would “make the sun ...

3793. The Great Commission

Matthew 28:16-20

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

The Resurrection: The resurrection stands as the cornerstone of the Christian faith. The crucial importance of this historic event is clearly set forth by Paul in the fifteenth chapter of First Corinthians. If there is no resurrection, then Christ has not been raised (v. 13), faith is useless (v. 14), the apostolic witness is false (v. 15), believers are still in their sins (v. 17) and are to be pitied (v. 19). The account of the events surrounding the resurrection is given in each of the four Gospels. ...

3794. Jesus Prays in a Solitary Place

Mark 1:35-39

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

1:35–39 Here, the one who in previous episodes is shown exercising such great power and authority is described as seeking a quiet place of prayer. Since we are not told what Jesus’ prayer was, it must be the mere fact that Jesus prayed that fits Mark’s narrative purpose here. Mark mentions Jesus praying only two other times, in 6:46, after the feeding of the five thousand, and in 14:32–39, in Gethsemane just before his arrest. By contrast, Luke mentions Jesus praying on eight occasions (3:21; 5:16; 6:12; 9 ...

3795. A Lamp On a Stand

Mark 4:21-25

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

4:21–25 In these verses there is a collection of sayings that all seem to be governed by exhortations to perceive properly God’s presence in Jesus’ ministry (4:23, 24). These same sayings appear in the other Gospels at various points, indicating that Mark has probably constructed chapter 4 from various sayings of Jesus (see note). The sense of 4:21–23 has to do with the note of secrecy sounded in 4:11, where the kingdom of God is described as a secret that is not perceived by some in its present appearance ...

3796. The Parable of the Mustard Seed

Mark 4:30-34

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

4:30–34 This parable concludes the list, and it has the most elaborate introduction (4:30). In addition, there is the concluding statement (4:33–34) about the parables. But let us look at the parable itself before we turn to this statement. The point of the parable is the contrast between the insignificant mustard seed and the fully grown plant that it produces, not the process involved. So, the lesson is not that the kingdom of God comes by quiet, prolonged growth, but rather that, though many might think ...

3797. John the Baptist Beheaded

Mark 6:14-29

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

6:14–29 It is striking that so much space is devoted to the death of John the Baptist in Mark, more space than in any of the other Gospels (cf. Matt. 14:1–12; Luke 3:19–20; 9:7–9). This suggests that this episode had a special significance for Mark, as we shall see, prefiguring the death of Jesus. We must remember that at several points in Mark, Jesus and John are closely connected. Jesus begins his ministry after John’s arrest (1:14), and Jesus links the message of John with his own ministry in 11:27–33. ...

3798. Jesus Arrested

Mark 14:43-52

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

14:43–52 The act of betrayal begun in 14:10–11 is carried through. Led by Judas, a group from the chief priests comes to seize Jesus by force, and from this point on the ordeal of Jesus’ sufferings begins in earnest. Although Mark describes the arresting group as a crowd (v. 43), we should probably think in terms of a small force of perhaps a dozen or a little more, for the object was to make the arrest without creating a great commotion, in a place where Jesus would be alone with only his closest ...

3799. The Birth of Jesus Foretold

Luke 1:26-38

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

The Births of John the Baptist and Jesus Foretold: One of the problems in comparing the Synoptic Gospels is accounting for the distinctive features of the birth narratives in Matthew and Luke. On the one hand, Matthew mentions an angelic announcement to Joseph (1:20), the Magi (2:1), a star (2:2), the flight to Egypt (2:13–14), and the slaughter of the infants (2:16). Luke’s account contains none of these items. Moreover, only Matthew cites Isa. 7:14 (see 1:23), Mic. 5:2 (see 2:6), Hos. 11:1 (see 2:15), ...

3800. Zechariah's Song

Luke 1:67-80

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

1:67–79 In singing the Benedictus (vv. 68–79) Zechariah utters at last a blessing which he had been expected to pronounce some nine months earlier (see commentary on vv. 21–22). Virtually every line of this song is derived from the OT (see notes below). The main thrust of the song is summarized in v. 68: “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people” (RSV). The key word in this verse is the verb “to visit” (NIV: has come). In the LXX this word often occurs in reference to “ ...

Showing results

Showing 3776 to 3800 of 4942 results

3776. The Lord Compassionate and Slow to Anger

Psalm 103:1-22

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

3777. The Creator and His Providential Ordering of Creation

Psalm 104:1-35

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

3778. In Praise of the Lord of History: From Abraham to the Settlement in the Land

Psalm 105:1-45

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

3779. The Lord of Reversals: Thanksgiving of Desert Wanderers, Prisoners, the Sick, and Sailors

Psalm 107:1-43

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

3780. Prayer for God’s Exaltation and for His Victory over “Edom”

Psalm 108:1-13

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

3781. The Davidic King Promised Dominion over Enemies

Psalm 110:1-7

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

3782. Pondering the Lord’s Great Works of the Exodus and Conquest

Psalm 111:1-10

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

3783. The Yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees

Matthew 16:5-12

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

3784. Jesus Predicts His Death

Matthew 16:21-28

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

3785. Peace for Jerusalem, the City of Pilgrims

Psalm 122:1-9

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

3786. A Tale of Two Oaths: David’s for the Lord’s Dwelling and the Lord’s for David’s Dynasty in Zion

Psalm 132:1-18

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

3787. The Divine King and His Universal Kingdom

Psalm 145:1-21

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

3788. The Parable of the Tenants

Matthew 21:33-46

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

3789. The Sheep and the Goats

Matthew 25:31-46

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

3790. Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus

Matthew 26:14-16

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

3791. The Lord's Supper

Matthew 26:17-30

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

The Final Evening: The Passion narrative is the account of the suffering and death of Jesus. It normally includes all the events beginning with the garden scene in Gethsemane and finishing with the burial. The centrality of the cross in early Christian preaching is reflected in the major emphasis given to it in each of the four Gospels. Matthew 26 records the events of Wednesday and Thursday of the final week of Jesus’ life. 26:17–25 On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread Jesus’ disciples asked ...

3792. The Death of Jesus

Matthew 27:45-56

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

3793. The Great Commission

Matthew 28:16-20

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

3794. Jesus Prays in a Solitary Place

Mark 1:35-39

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado