Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 626 to 650 of 5000 results

Revelation 14:1-5

Teach the Text

J. Scott Duvall

... 23). The 144,000 have both the Lamb and the Father’s name written on their foreheads, in direct contrast to those whose foreheads bear the mark of the beast (13:16; 14:9; 20:4). The name on the forehead (7:3; 9:4; 14:1; 22:4; cf. 2:17; 3 ... 14; 19:14). Second, the redeemed are identified as those who “follow the Lamb wherever he goes,” a fundamental definition of biblical discipleship (Mark 8:34).2Third, these redeemed or “purchased” people (Rev. 5:9; 14:3; cf. 1 Cor. 6:20; 7:23) have been offered to ...

627. A Lifestyle of Holiness and Love

Leviticus 19:1-37

Teach the Text

Joe M. Sprinkle

... with Israel, not the occult practices of Mesopotamia and Canaan based on the alleged whims of the gods (cf. Deut. 18:10–14, 18–19).7 19:27–28 Do not cut the hair . . . your beard . . . Do not cut your bodies . . . or put tattoo marks on yourselves. Avoiding these practices sets Israel apart from the nations (Deut. 14:1–2). This distinction is especially important for priests (cf. Lev. 21:5–6). Ultraorthodox Jews use verse 27 to justify side curls, but here cutting hair, perhaps to produce bald ...

628. Job Hears the Whispers of God’s Works

Job 26:1--31:40

Teach the Text

Daniel J. Estes

... is right for us. Job longs for justice from God. He is well aware of the many ways in which humans sin both publicly and privately in their actions and attitudes. As Job examines his own life for sin, he cannot discern how he may have missed God’s mark. Like Job, we need to examine our lives carefully, so that we may honor the Lord in our actions, attitudes, thoughts, and motives. In the words of Psalm 19:14, our desire should be that the words of our mouth and the meditation of our heart are pleasing in ...

629. God Subjugates Judah under Babylon

Daniel 1:1-21

Teach the Text

Ronald W. Pierce

... (i.e., “only until . . . ”). The Judean sage last appears in the palace during Cyrus’s first year (5:31) and receives his last vision in the king’s third year (10:1–4)—probably while Daniel is in his mid-eighties. Cyrus’s first year (539 BC) marks the release of the Jews and the return of the temple vessels (cf. Dan. 1:1–2; 2 Chron. 36:17–23; Ezra 1:1–4). Surprisingly, the historic event of the return of the Jews to their homeland is not mentioned anywhere in Daniel. Instead, this verse ...

630. Jesus and Beelzebub

Mark 3:20-30, Mark 3:31-35

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... who can call the ministry of Jesus evil can no longer judge between good and evil, light and darkness. Such a sin is eternal because loss of ability to differentiate between good and evil entails also the loss of ability to repent of evil. Mark concludes the “sandwich” in verses 31–35 by completing the episode of Jesus and his followers that he introduced in verses 20–21. The whole sandwich is devoted to the theme of insiders and outsiders. Jesus’s mother and brothers stand outside seeking him ...

631. John the Baptist Beheaded

Mark 6:14-29

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... at Antipas’s birthday banquet. Desiring to impress his glittering guests, Antipas promises the girl “up to half my kingdom” (6:23) for her performance—a promise that Rome would not possibly allow. At the order of Herodias, the girl requests the head of John. Mark does not record whether John is executed at Antipas’s palace at Machaerus, east of the Dead Sea (as reported by Josephus), or in Sepphoris, the capital of Galilee. John—who is not granted a word in the story—meets his end by a cold ...

632. Before the Sanhedrin

Mark 14:53-65

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... Jesus” (14:55), the Sanhedrin produces “many” (14:56) false witnesses, though their testimonies disagree. The only specific accusation Mark records is that Jesus would “destroy this temple made with human hands and in three days . . . build another, not ... humanity meets God. The silence of Jesus throughout the trial—in this respect too John the Baptist was a forerunner of Jesus (Mark 6:14–29)—again reflects the Suffering Servant of Isaiah: “as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did ...

633. The Triumphal Entry

John 12:1-11, John 12:12-19

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... celebrated in Galilee (6:4). Jesus returns to Bethany, where Lazarus, Mary, and Martha live, and from here he will make his final visit to Jerusalem (12:12). If the Markan account is a true parallel, then this residence is also the home of Simon the leper (Mark 14:3). Again Mary and Martha take up their usual roles (cf. Luke 10:38–42; John 11:20): Martha busies herself with the duties of a hostess, and Mary makes an unusual gesture of devotion to Jesus. Imported from North India, this perfume was precious ...

634. Jesus Predicts His Death

John 12:20-36

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

... glory. It too will be a sign, but how will it be received? Can the average person accept that the world’s judgment will be inaugurated when one man is crucified (12:31–32)? This crowd cannot (12:34)—but neither could the disciples at this point (Mark 8:31–33; 9:30–32; 10:32–34). But fortunately the crowd stays with Jesus; they keep inquiring. The last question posed to Jesus is in John 12:34: “Who is this ‘Son of Man’?” In the previous chapter Martha could not comprehend all that Jesus ...

635. Clean and Unclean

Matthew 15:1-20

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

... things to God and thus making them unavailable to others who might have a legitimate claim on them (the word is used in Mark’s narrative, 7:11). It was a solemn oath that strict scribes said could not be broken under any circumstances. Gundry writes, “Behind ... a way of concealing their truth from outsiders but yielding it to those who will press for an explanation (cf. Mark 4:34). Jesus responds, “Are you, like them, still without understanding?” (the pronoun hymeis is emphatic, and the adverbial ...

636. Jesus Questioned About Fasting

Mark 2:18-22

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

... ferment. The two things common in this imagery are the contrast between new and old, and the fact that both new cloth and new wine possess “life,” that is, dynamism or power. They are fitting symbols, not only of the newness of the present moment, which marks the approach of the kingdom of God, but also of the dynamic effect of the kingdom of God upon the structure of established religious practice. It is difficult to tell whether the comment in 2:20 is to be understood as one attributed to Jesus or as ...

637. Crowds Follow Jesus

Mark 3:7-12

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

... by the people of Nazareth (6:1–6). This section seems designed to give further samples of Jesus’ ministry and more indication of the polarizing effects it had upon the people who witnessed it. Earlier (1:45), we have been told of Jesus’ increasing fame, but now Mark paints a scene of people from various areas (see notes) to show the results of his fame. His deeds, no doubt primarily his miracles (3:8, all he was doing), caused many to come to see him, including many sick (3:10). The scene would have ...

638. The Baptism and Genealogy of Jesus

Luke 3:21-38

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

... the hardships and challenges of his ministry (see Luke 4:1–13, 29–30 for examples of such challenges right at the outset of his ministry). Luke’s reference to the descent of the Spirit in bodily form like a dove (only Luke has “bodily form,” see Mark 1:10; Matt. 3:16) may emphasize that the descent of the Holy Spirit was real, not visionary. Although the words spoken by the voice from heaven (v. 22b) may allude to a royal enthronement psalm (i.e., Ps. 2:7; some mss. read “today I have begotten ...

639. The Little Children and Jesus

Luke 18:15-17

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

... of the Day of Atonement.” The disciples, however, rebuked the parents, no doubt because they viewed it as trivial and as a waste of Jesus’ time. But Jesus called the children to him. (Here Luke omits Jesus’ indignation directed at the disciples found in Mark 10:14.) Jesus’ saying in v. 16 would indicate that the sincerity and eagerness characteristic of children are what make children a fitting example of what (as implied in v. 17) one who hopes to enter the kingdom of God should be like. Adults ...

640. Jesus' Death

Luke 23:44-49

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

... terrible deed has been done, the perpetrators are having second thoughts. This clearly anticipates the sorrow and repentance displayed following Peter’s Pentecost sermon in Acts 2:14–39 (esp. v. 37). Jesus’ followers (v. 49), rather than running away as they do in Mark 14:50, stood at a distance, watching these things. The evangelist keeps the disciples on hand, as witnesses, ready to resume the ministry as soon as the Good News of Easter is learned. Additional Notes 23:44 At the brightest time of day ...

641. The Lord's Supper

1 Corinthians 11:17-34

Understanding Series

Marion L. Soards

... avoided here. Many scholars contend that the words do this in remembrance of me are a later addition by the church to specify Jesus’ intention in speaking about the bread and the cup. “The main argument for this view is that the words are absent from Mark’s account” (Watson, First Epistle, p. 122). Even so, some of the same scholars argue that “the words, ‘Do this in memory of me,’ can be accepted as a guide to Jesus’s intentions at the Last Supper, even if they do not represent his actual ...

642. Job’s Reply to Zophar

Job 12:1--14:22

Understanding Series

Gerald H. Wilson

... Job’s death remains a matter outside his control, suggests that Job’s vow here is to remain silent “until the day of his death (whenever that may be)” (Job 1–20, p. 315). This verse constitutes Job’s call to God to respond, and it marks the shift to Job’s direct address of God. Additional Notes 13:14 Hartley, Job, p. 221, takes the initial Heb. phrase here (ʿal mah, “for what reason, why?”) as concluding v. 13, “for whatever reason.” Clines, Job 1–20, p. 282, deletes the same phrase ...

643. The Healing of a Boy With a Demon

Matthew 17:14-23

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

... instance, was the result of demon control. Under the influence of an evil spirit, the boy would often “throw himself into the fire” (Knox) or into the water. The father had brought his son to the disciples, but they were unable to heal him (exorcize the demon, Mark 9:18; Luke 9:40). 17:17–21 Jesus responds, O unbelieving and perverse generation. This phrase comes from the Song of Moses (Deut. 32:5) and is used by Paul in Philippians 2:15. It refers both to the disciples and to the crowd in general ...

644. The Rich Young Man

Matthew 19:16-30

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

... low gateway in the wall of Jerusalem. What Jesus is saying is that the lure of possessions is so strong that a rich person is unable with his or her own strength to break its grip. Because wealth in the Old Testament was generally regarded as a mark of God’s favor (cf. Ps. 1:3), the disciples respond to Jesus’ words about the difficulty of the rich entering heaven by asking, Who then can be saved? The answer is that although it is impossible from a human standpoint (to overcome the powerful attraction ...

645. The Parable of the Tenants

Matthew 21:33-46

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

... : Winepresses normally consisted of two rock-hewn troughs, one higher than the other, with a connecting channel. Grapes were thoroughly trodden with bare feet in the upper trough and the juice filtered through the channel into the lower trough. 21:38–39 The heir … him: In Mark 12:8 the tenants kill him and then throw him out of the vineyard. It has been suggested that this adds to the crime of murder the offense of refusing to bury the corpse (Beare, p. 429). 21:44 V. 44 is considered by many scholars ...

646. The Calling of the First Disciples

Mark 1:14-20

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

... to the Baptist’s sense of urgency and his belief that he was called to prepare Israel for the day of God’s salvation (1:4–8), but Jesus’ words reflect the conviction that the day of God’s rule has come even nearer than John knew. In Mark, Jesus’ message is called the good news of God, but this is not said of John’s words; this seems intended to give Jesus’ message a special significance above the message of John. The urgent conviction reflected in Jesus’ words sets the tone for the rest of ...

647. Jesus Prays in a Solitary Place

Mark 1:35-39

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

... 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 ...

648. The Day and Hour Unknown

Mark 13:32-37

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

... of the temple is predicted (13:1–2, 14–23). This event is set within the context of a new religious activity, the preaching of the gospel (13:9–13, 32–37), which replaces the temple ritual as the center of God’s activity. In the following chapters, Mark gives those events that are the final basis for the preaching of the gospel, the death and resurrection of Jesus. Additional Notes 13:32 That day or hour: On the background to the term “day of the Lord,” see IDB, vol. 1, pp. 784–85. In the NT ...

649. Jesus Heals a Paralytic

Luke 5:17-26

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

... with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man” to whom the “Ancient of Days” (i.e., God) gave “dominion and glory and kingdom” (RSV). That Jesus alludes to this passage at his trial when asked if he was the Messiah (see Matt. 26:64; Mark 14:62; Luke 21:27; cf. Rev. 1:13) suggests that “son of man” carried with it a messianic connotation. Moreover, scholars have pointed to passages in the pseudepigraphal work 1 Enoch (see 46:2–4; 48:2; 62:5–7, 13–14; 69:27–29) as examples ...

650. The Beast out of the Earth

Revelation 13:11-18

Understanding Series

Robert W. Wall

... influence was to extend the authority of the first beast, the parody of Christ. Our point in making this observation is this: the “false prophet” may be not an outsider to Christian faith but an insider, a “false apostle” (cf. 2 Pet. 2:1–3; Mark 13:22; 2 Thess. 2:9). The most subtle secularism is the one promoted by those charged with the spiritual care of a congregation of believers, when the proclamation of the Christian gospel takes its primary cues from the surrounding social order rather than ...

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