... well for Jesus to have engaged in teaching and debate. The author of the Gospel preserves precise historical information at this point. 10:24 Keep us in suspense: lit., “lift up our soul.” The phrase is used in the LXX (Pss. 24[25]:1; 85[86]:4. “To you ... John’s Gospel, cf. Josephus, Antiquities 3.48). The image is of lifting up, or holding, someone else’s breath (i.e., keeping someone in suspense). Walter Bauer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (2nd ed., rev. W. F. Arndt, F. W. Gingrich ...
... that the story in itself might easily have raised), but the presence or absence of Jesus (see note on 12:8). 12:7 Leave her alone … It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial: lit., “Leave her alone, that she may keep it for the day of my burial.” The purpose expressed in Jesus’ statement is a purpose realized in the present, not the future. Yet the present moment is itself an anticipation of the anointing of Jesus’ body for burial (cf. 19:38–42). Mark’s Gospel ...
... in turn they will receive the divine love. The sequence is as follows: (a) The disciple is to love Jesus and keep his commandments. (b) Consequently the Father (and Jesus) will love the disciple and grant the disciple a revelation. The only ... and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts.” Loving God and keeping his commandments became a common way of describing the duty of Israel (e.g., Exod. 20:6; Deut. 5:10; 7:9; 11:1). The emphasis ...
... Jesus had once said, “but a son belongs to it forever” (8:35). Though a servant might be loved by his master, Jesus selects another word, friend (Gr.: philos, vv. 13–15), to call particular attention to his love for the disciples (v. 12) and to keep that love ever before them (cf. 13:1; also 13:23, the disciple “whom Jesus loved”). But the distinction goes deeper. A master’s love for his servants does not involve telling them his business (except what they need to know to do their jobs), but ...
... the Lord. The writer wants to motivate Gaius to care for “the brothers” with devotion and sacrifice (cf. Heb. 13:1–2: “Keep on loving each other as brothers. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without ... things which the author wants to say to Gaius and to his friends about the conflict which has divided the community, about keeping to the truth of Jesus Christ, and about loving one another—the principal themes of the letters of John (cf. 1 John ...
... v. 7), is mentioned nineteen times: by name six times (vv. 2, 3, 6, 7 [twice], 9), as “the only one” three times (vv. 2, 12, 16), and as “son” ten times (vv. 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 16). The repeated references to Isaac keep before the reader the agonizing pain that the test caused Abraham. “Burnt offering” (’olah) is a central term, occurring six times (vv. 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 13). The nodal term “see” (r’h) marks turning points in the action. Abraham saw the place for the sacrifice (v ...
... grain back to their family members who were starving, as long as one of them stayed behind in prison. Then they were to return with their youngest brother. Only then would Joseph believe that they were not spies worthy of the death penalty. By keeping one of them in Egypt, Joseph assured their return. 42:21–25 The brothers discussed Joseph’s plan without seeking privacy, for they did not imagine that the Egyptian overseer could understand Hebrew. As they spoke it became apparent to Joseph that they were ...
... be acceptably praised only by those who do what Yahweh does in practical socio-ethical terms. And such ethical justice will be worked at only by those committed to fear, serve, and hold fast to Yahweh as their God. Other gods have other ways, but Israel must “keep the way of the LORD, by doing what is right and just, so that the LORD will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him” (Gen. 18:19). The reference to the growth of the people in fulfillment of God’s great missionary promise to Abraham ...
... as God’s priesthood in the midst of the nations and both are linked to covenant obedience. The chapter thus brings the whole legal section to a close with the reminder that obedience to the law was not an end in itself. Nor was it merely the means of keeping Israel secure in the land. Ultimately there was a missionary purpose to the law. Just as it had been founded upon the basis of God’s redeeming grace in the past, so it was motivated by the vision of God’s name being known and honored among the ...
... Passover celebration in 2 Chronicles 30:18–20. Jesus cleanses the temple, like both Hezekiah and Josiah (Matt. 21:12–13 and parallels; John 2:13–17), looking for a truly reformed religion. He himself is one who, like Josiah, keeps the whole law of Moses and actively promotes its keeping (e.g., Matt. 5:17–20; 8:4). There is to be no lasting reform, however, and no immediate deliverance for Jerusalem from her foreign oppressor (Rome). Jesus does not function as a Hezekiah in this respect, at least not ...
... verses 1–4 and 5–8 also points to a theological issue. Yahweh must be involved both in chastising the people of God and in defending them. Yahweh must “show himself holy by righteousness” (5:16). Yahweh must also demonstrate that holiness in its other aspect, by keeping a commitment to people once it has been made (cf. Hos. 11:9 where this point is explicit). So Yahweh may go to the very edge of annihilating the people but in the end will not do that. If Isaiah felt this double necessity, he himself ...
... , living a life of praise is the great privilege and distinguishing feature of existence in the house of Yahweh as opposed to the abode of the dead. Behind that is the fact that the dead have no opportunity to keep proving the faithfulness of Yahweh and therefore to keep being driven to praise, while the living (not least someone like Hezekiah) have ongoing opportunity to experience Yahweh’s deliverance and therefore to be so driven to praise. 38:21–22 Chapter 38 closes with two footnotes for the ...
... . How could God use a pagan emperor like Cyrus to bring blessing to Israel in fulfillment of the role that God had long ago given to the Davidic king? We have already read a number of the answers to this sort of question. This kind of action is in keeping with what prophets such as Isaiah have said. True, Yahweh’s agent ought to be one who acknowledges Yahweh, and the idea is that Cyrus has the chance to do so. The community may or may not find such answers satisfactory, but in the end, Yahweh claims the ...
... crossroads: “He will cast lots with arrows, he will consult his idols, he will examine the liver” (v. 21). All three actions represent means of divination in the ancient world. That the king should resort to divination in such a circumstance is in keeping with what we know of ancient Babylon. No Babylonian leader made a decision in war or diplomacy without consulting the omens to determine the will of the gods. Usually, divination served to answer a simple yes or no question (hence, the Urim and Thummim ...
... related to a Heb. verb meaning “beautify” (see Isa. 61:3, where the NIV translates peʾer as “crown of beauty”). This turban is a fine formal or festival garment, not everyday wear; the NRSV “Bind on your turban” is therefore preferable to the NIV “Keep your turban fastened.” 24:18 I did as I had been commanded. For more on the differences between Western and Hebrew literature see R. Alter, The Art of Biblical Narrative (New York: Basic Books, 1981), p. 126. 24:21 The stronghold in which you ...
... the multitude (Matt. 14:19). God empowers and enables people to act in the world, in obedience to God’s will. Once more, the captured dragon is hurled into the open field, and devoured by birds and beasts (see the discussion of 29:5). Here, however, in keeping with the cosmic symbolism of the sea monster, the destruction of the dragon has cosmic repercussions. Its blood and carrion fill the earth (vv. 5–6). The sun, moon, and stars are darkened (v. 7), showing that this is the Day of the Lord (see the ...
... (whom Screwtape calls “the Enemy”) through the fallacious idea of human ownership. The sense of ownership in general is always to be encouraged. The humans are always putting up claims to ownership which sound equally funny in Heaven and in Hell, and we must keep them doing so. . . . It is as if a royal child whom his father has placed, for love’s sake, in titular command of some great province, under the real rule of wise counsellors, should come to fancy he really owns the cities, the forest, and ...
... the divinity of the heavens, and see no difference between eating swine’s flesh . . . and that of [humans]” (Sat. 14, 96–99). In fact, in the time of Jewish persecution during the reign of Antiochus IV (175–164 BC), Jews were killed for keeping the Sabbath against royal edict (1 Macc. 1:41–64). So the debate that we hear in this Matthean passage is fundamental to Jewish identity and values. 12:3 Haven’t you read what David did . . . ? Jesus’ answer to the Pharisees’ accusation that his ...
... 30–31). Given that when Jesus does publicly display his messianic identity (21:1–11), he is crucified soon afterward, concern to keep his identity under wraps is understandable in historical context. Teaching the Text 1. To confess Jesus to be the Messiah, the ... as the race begins I wonder if I’ll finish this course I’ve begun; Looking in I see all my sin, And it drags me down, keeps me from moving ahead. But far, far in the distance I see him He is there holding out his hand; He’s the one who’s ...
... about who may worship at the temple. A type-scene parallel to 2 Samuel 5:6–8 seems likely. There King David (note Jesus in Matt. 21:15 as “Son of David”) fights to claim Jerusalem and is taunted that “even the blind and the lame” could keep him out (5:6 LXX: hoi typhloi kai hoi oi choloi). David, in turn, calls his enemies defending Jerusalem “those ‘lame and blind’” (5:8). The narrator of 2 Samuel then indicates that this is the origin of the saying “The ‘blind and lame’ will not ...
... in the midst of hopelessness.”4 5:37 He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John. Jesus keeps all his followers back except the inner circle of his disciples. There are four concentric circles of followers named: the ... starts to walk and is ready to eat. 5:43 strict orders not to let anyone know about this. This seems almost an absurd demand. Who can keep quiet when a little girl is raised from the dead? Yet the messianic secret has already been seen in 1:34, 44; 3:12 and will be ...
... a half century of unprecedented prosperity, the per-member giving as a percentage of income among Christians in America and Canada was only 2.6 percent. This lack of generosity reflects the condition and priorities of the heart. What is the state of your heart? Keeping our eyes on the God who is present Biography: Joni Eareckson Tada. In 1967, at the age of seventeen, Eareckson Tada was injured in a diving accident, an injury that left her a quadriplegic in a wheelchair. She has led an amazing life, giving ...
... 8:27–30. The clear vision is connected with Jesus’s transfiguration (9:1–9) as proleptic of his resurrection. In 9:1–9 they are given a clear vision of who Jesus really is. They do not understand it fully at that time, and Jesus tells them to keep the event to themselves until the resurrection (9:9). Full restoration would take place at that time.2 8:26 Don’t even go into the village. Jesus sends the man home but forbids him to return to Bethsaida, possibly another command for the one healed to ...
... that he comes to Jesus with a clear conscience. Still, Jesus unmasks his failure to look deeply enough into his heart, revealing the hold that his possessions have on his life. Jesus demands a radical reaction. The man must divest himself of what will keep him from God and everlasting life: earthly possessions. Only when he gives his material goods to help those who have nothing, the poor, can he find true life. “Come follow” is possible only when one renounces earthly ties. 10:22 He went away sad ...
... the point. The Jewish people (and all of us sinners) think that they can continue to get away with it. It is not logical, but that is the issue—sin is never logical. The purpose of Jesus here is to depict the deep mercy of God; he did keep sending prophets (and apostles) to call the nation back to himself. 12:6 a son, whom he loved . . . “They will respect my son.” The owner’s reasoning is valid on the surface: even if they rejected his servants, they must respect his “beloved” (agap?tos) son ...