Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 726 to 750 of 793 results

Isaiah 55:1-9

Sermon

Charley Reeb

I don’t know about you, but I love receiving invitations. They make me feel special because they are deliberate and have me specifically in mind when sent. Now, sometimes invitations can be disappointing, especially when they have a hidden catch like, “Come to the wedding, but don’t forget a gift,” or “Come on vacation with us and maybe you will want to buy a time share.” Invitations quickly lose their appeal when there is an agenda hidden behind them. But generally speaking, receiving an invitation means ...

727. As You Go, Remember…

Matthew 28:16-20

Sermon

Tom Garrison

What intrigues us the most is that mysterious boundary where the human and the divine intersect. This was the place I said I wanted to plant my life and to do my central work. This was, in fact, living out the charge that was given to me the night I was ordained to the Christian ministry. I still remember the way an old pastor stated it. He said, "Tom, I admonish you to stay close to God, stay close to humankind, and to make it the goal of your ministry to bring God and humankind closer together." This ...

728. 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 ...

729. Jesus Heals a Paralytic

Mark 2:1-12

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

2:1–12 Up to this point Mark has introduced us to Jesus and given us samples of his ministry, showing us the effect of his teaching (1:21–22, 27) and his powerful works of exorcism (1:23–28, 34) and healing (1:29–34, 40–45). In chapter 2 we have further glimpses of Jesus’ ministry of miracles and teaching, but we should really think of Mark 2:1–3:6 as a single unit of the narrative, for each of the incidents described here involves some controversy between Jesus and various critics. The incidents in Mark 1 ...

730. Jesus Questioned About Fasting

Mark 2:18-22

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

2:18–22 Another issue surfaces between Jesus and his critics; in this case the question concerns why his disciples do not observe fasts like those of the other religious groups named. The fasting in question was a weekly exercise (for the Pharisees, on Mondays and Thursdays) and seems to have been intended as an expression of mourning over the sins of Israel and over the fact that the longed-for salvation of prophetic hope had not appeared (on fasting in Mark, see note). The fact that the question emerged ...

731. Crowds Follow Jesus

Mark 3:7-12

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

3:7–12 This portion of the narrative gives an account of Jesus’ ministry to a crowd at Lake Galilee (see note) and offers one of several summaries of Jesus’ Galilean ministry (3:11–12; cf. 1:39; 4:33–34; 6:6, 56). The passage functions as a transition from the preceding collection of conflict stories (2:1–3:6) to a new section that may be thought of as extending to 6:6 (where Jesus is rejected in Nazareth) or even to 8:30 (the confession at Caesarea Philippi). The section 3:7–6:6 shows Jesus teaching (e.g ...

732. The Parable of the Sower

Mark 4:1-20

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

4:1–9 This passage begins a longer section dealing with the parables that runs through 4:34. Careful reading shows, however, that the passage is not only about parables but also about the necessity for the Twelve to understand the parables and their difficulty in doing so. Note that this parable is given an explanation in 4:13–20, something not done for most of the parables in the Gospels. Though Mark says (4:34) that Jesus explained other parables to the disciples, this one is the only parable for which ...

733. The Greatest Commandment

Mark 12:28-34

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

12:28–34 As the final words of verse 34 indicate, this is the last of a series of questions directed to Jesus by representatives of various major groups in ancient Judaism. This question comes from a member of the “scribes,” a class of people trained to interpret the OT law for the life of the people. The question asked is discussed in ancient Jewish sources. Since it was commonly understood that the OT law included 613 commandments, it is understandable that there was a desire to try to organize this body ...

734. Jesus Anointed at Bethany

Mark 14:1-11

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

14:1–2 These verses introduce the events of the arrest, trial, and execution of Jesus and resemble previous indications of hostile intentions against Jesus (cf. 3:6; 12:12). Although previously the Pharisees are frequently mentioned as criticizing and opposing Jesus (e.g., 2:16–3:6; 7:1–5; 8:11; 10:1–2; 12:13), they are not linked by name with the actual arrest and execution in Mark (cf. Matt. 27:62; John 18:3). Instead, it is the priests and scribes who are mentioned here. The material in 14:1–15:47 is ...

735. Jesus Before Pilate

Mark 15:1-15

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

15:1–5 In this passage the Jewish leaders meet to make a formal decision about Jesus (v. 1) and they hand him over to Pilate, the Roman governor, whose interrogation of Jesus is then briefly described (vv. 2–5). All three Synoptic Gospels record a morning meeting of the Jewish Council to deal with Jesus (cf. Matt. 27:1; Luke 22:66), which is further evidence that any hearing held during the night must have been either an interrogation or some sort of pretrial hearing, not a formal trial. Otherwise no ...

736. A Blind Beggar Receives His Sight

Luke 18:35-43

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

This section includes the healing of the blind man at Jericho (18:35–43) and Jesus’ encounter with Zacchaeus (19:1–10). In both passages we see individual men responding to Jesus in faith. 18:35–43 Luke’s account of the healing of the blind man at Jericho is taken from Mark 10:46–52. In the Marcan account the blind man is named “Bartimaeus” (10:46; Bartimaeus=son of Timaeus). In the Matthean version of the story, however, reference is made to two blind men (Matt. 20:29–34; cf. also Matt. 9:27–31). (Matthew ...

737. The Crucifixion

Luke 23:26-43

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

The crucifixion account consists of three parts: (1) the journey to the place of crucifixion (vv. 26–31), (2) the crucifixion (vv. 32–38), and (3) the story of the two crucified criminals (vv. 39–43). Although most of this material comes from Mark 15:21–32, much of it appears only in Luke (vv. 27–32, 33b, 39b–43); consequently, many commentators think that the evangelist had access to another account of the crucifixion story. 23:26–31 Verse 26 describes how Simon from Cyrene is made to carry Jesus’ cross. ...

738. The Day of Atonement

Leviticus 16:1-34

Understanding Series

W. H. Bellinger, Jr.

Chapter 16 brings the reader to the Day of Atonement. We include this chapter in the Manual of Purity, since the Day of Atonement provides a way of removing the effects of uncleanness. However, this chapter was probably not originally composed along with chapters 11–15. Verse 1 indicates that chapter 16 has strong connections with Leviticus 10. This chapter was perhaps part of the Priestly narrative continuing from chapters 8–10. The ritual described here may be quite old and no doubt has a complex history ...

739. Fire from the Lord

Numbers 11:1-3

Understanding Series

W.H. Bellinger, Jr.

The Beginnings of Rebellion: The journey has begun after the long and careful preparations. Now suddenly the reader is thrown into the rebellions that punctuate this journey. We have seen that the first ten chapters of the book prefigure this turn of events, but the overall positive tone and constant obedience of the people in those chapters are shattered by a sudden dominance of disobedience beginning immediately with chapter 11. From the theme of the right ordering of life as God’s people, we move to ...

740. Introducing Job

Job 1:1-5

Understanding Series

Gerald H. Wilson

1:1 The first chapter serves as a prose prologue to the dialogue sections that form the core of the book. The focus from the very first word is on the main character. Hebrew word order (lit., “a man there was in the land of Uz”) intentionally emphasizes the man, Job. This word order signals that the reader should pay particularly close attention here to the introduction of this man and his circumstances, for he will play an important role in what follows. Because the OT elsewhere associates Uz with Edom, ...

741. Entering the Lord’s House

Psalm 5:1-12

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

Most commentators have read this psalm as a lament of an individual. But in verses 4–6, 9–12 attention is devoted to general classes of people, the wicked and the righteous. Strictly speaking, this is not a psalm of the individual merely. The speaking “I” may, in fact, be a liturgist representing “the righteous.” Some commentators who regard this psalm as an individual lament have specified it further as a psalm of the falsely accused, where the speaker seeks acquittal at Yahweh’s sacral court. This ...

742. Delivering the Helpless from Social Oppression: Part I

Psalm 9:1-20

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

Originally Psalms 9 and 10 were one psalm. Psalm 10 has no superscription, which is unusual in Book I of the Psalter. Together these psalms form an acrostic, that is, an alphabetical psalm, and Psalm 10 picks up right where Psalm 9 leaves off (Ps. 9 closes with Hb. k, and Ps. 10 opens with Hb. l, the Hebrew letters kāp and lāmed respectively). As noted below, the psalms contain numerous linguistic and thematic links. The LXX, in fact, preserves them as one psalm. But what a contrast these psalms form! ...

743. The Trustworthy Lord Over Nature, Nations, and Armies

Psalm 33:1-22

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

Psalm 33 is a hymn wherein a liturgist summons the congregation (v. 1) and the musicians (vv. 2–3) to perform their praise of God. The congregation is designated as the “righteous” and “upright,” that is, those admitted through the temple entry liturgy (see on Pss. 15 and 24). The chief quality sought in this liturgy is not moral blamelessness but loyalty to Yahweh (in 24:3–6 “righteousness” is received, not presupposed). The promise of deliverance from death and famine (v. 19), along with the mention of ...

744. Defeat in Battle with Edom

Psalm 60:1-12

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

This psalm concerns an impending attack against Edom (v. 9) and comes out of the background of a recent, devastating battle defeat (vv. 1–4, 10). The divine oracle (vv. 6–8), which is either a citation of an earlier prophecy or a newly delivered one, presupposes a united monarchy, where Ephraim and Judah are part of the same kingdom. Though not apparent initially, the historical superscription can be fitted with the OT’s historical narratives. David did defeat Philistia (v. 8; cf. 2 Sam. 8:1), Moab (v. 8; ...

745. The Pilgrim’s Thirst for God in a Dry and Weary Land

Psalm 63:1-11

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

Psalm 63 promotes a special intimacy with God. It consists primarily of confessions of trust and vows of praise (vv. 3–4, 11) and so is most akin to the prayer psalms, but it has no formal petition (though conceivably some of the Hb. imperfects could be rendered as wishes). Its primary function apparently is confessing to God the worshiper’s intentions of “seeking” and “staying close to” God, and affirming that God will in turn sustain and protect him. The psalm confesses what has drawn the worshiper to ...

746. Intercession for the King to Bring Prosperity to the Land and Justice to the Needy

Psalm 72:1-20

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

72:1–20 Psalm 72 is a royal psalm, used on behalf of the preexilic Davidic kings of Israel/Judah. The opening parallelism of the king and the royal son particularly fits the official coronation of the crown-prince designate, but this may be pushing poetic parallelism too far. The elevated court language is consistent with what we see in other ancient Near Eastern texts. This should not surprise us. By its own admission, the OT is clear that kingship was a foreign import (1 Sam. 8:5). It was an expedient ...

747. No One Is Righteous before God

Psalm 143:1-12

Understanding Series

Craig C. Broyles

This individual prayer psalm is highly formulaic, that is, it consists of stock phrases repeated elsewhere in the Psalms (v. 3 // 7:5; Lam. 3:6; v. 4 // 77:3; 142:3; vv. 5–6 // 77:2, 5, 12; v. 6 // 63:1; v. 7 // 69:17; 88:4, 14; 102:2; v. 8 // 90:14; in general cf. Pss. 25; 86; further parallels listed in Culley, Oral Formulaic Language, p. 107). Yet it reflects an intimacy with God that is strikingly singular among the psalms. 143:1–2 The opening and closing verses draw attention to your righteousness (vv ...

748. The Baptism and Temptation of Jesus

Mark 1:9-13

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

1:9–13 In this passage Jesus appears for the first time in the narrative, and the direct relevance of the introduction of John the Baptist earlier in the story becomes clear, for here Jesus is baptized by John. This of course means that Mark’s narrative not only associates John with Jesus as an endorser of Jesus but also associates Jesus with John as one who accepted John’s message and obeyed his call to be baptized. A relationship between Jesus and the Baptist is attested in all four Gospels, but in the ...

749. Jesus Predicts His Death

Mark 8:31--9:1

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

8:31–9:1 This passage completes the scene begun in 8:27–30, gives us the first of three predictions by Jesus of his impending suffering and death (cf. 9:30–32; 10:32–34), and sets the terms for discipleship as a following of him even to death. We must understand that in ancient Judaism there was no concept that the Messiah would suffer the sort of horrible fate that Jesus describes in 8:31. Thus Peter’s response in 8:32 is in one sense fully understandable. All definitions of the nature and function of ...

750. Jesus Clears the Temple

Mark 11:12-19

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

11:12–14 With this passage we have the beginning of another example of Mark’s sandwiching of two stories together in order to relate them to each other. In this case, Mark begins the story of the barren fig tree in 11:12–14, interrupting it to relate Jesus’ cleansing of the temple in 11:15–19, and completing the fig tree story in 11:20–26. This means that the incident of the fig tree both interprets the cleansing of the temple and is interpreted by the latter incident. Jesus’ disappointment with the fig ...

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