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 1101 to 1125 of 1225 results

1101. The Angel and the Little Scroll

Revelation 10:1-11

Understanding Series

Robert W. Wall

... scroll to include 10:1–15:4, and she asserts that its “theme of the eschatological community … constitutes the center of its composition” (Revelation, p. 55). 10:7 The NIV translates the verb euēngelisen, he announced, which does not reflect the evangelistic content and purpose of the seventh trumpet and its vision of celebration at the opening of the heavenly temple. 10:10 Ladd likens the sour taste of John’s “little scroll” to Jesus’ bitter tears shed over Jerusalem when he knew his ...

1102. The New Jerusalem

Revelation 21:1-27

Understanding Series

Robert W. Wall

... Song (52:13–53:12). Interestingly, in the larger contexts of both Isaianic passages, God’s glory and then the Servant’s glory are resisted or rejected by Israel (cf. Isa. 6:9–10; 52:15). In the central passage of his Gospel, the fourth evangelist picks up this tension between the revelation of God’s glory in Christ Jesus and Israel’s rejection of him (John 12:38–40): that is, Jewish rejection of God’s glory found in Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of biblical prophecy. Christ’s “hour ...

1103. Jesus Is Coming

Revelation 22:7-21

Understanding Series

Robert W. Wall

... an audience of Christian congregations. Further, the Johannine idea of the Spirit limits its realm to the believing community (cf. John 14:16–17); it is not clear, then, why John would have the Spirit invite Christ to return as part of an evangelistic program. The concluding invitation, whoever is thirsty … take the free gift of the water of life, is not to introduce the unbeliever to God’s justifying grace (contra Beasley-Murray, Revelation, p. 345), but rather is meant for those readers who are in ...

1104. Jesus Calms the Storm

Matthew 8:23-27

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

... sailors (cf. v. 25). Gundry holds that the storm posed no threat to the disciples, but, in correspondence with Matthew 28:2, it was a sign of Jesus’ majesty (p. 155). Interpretations of this sort have made the prior decision that the evangelist is a literary artist rather than a reliable narrator. The imperfect ekatheuden (was sleeping) and the emphatic pronoun autos contrast Jesus with the terrified disciples. They wake him up with the cry, Lord, save us! “We are going down” (Williams). Jesus first ...

1105. The Parable Of the Weeds Explained

Matthew 13:36-43

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

... church, but that in the application the authentic kernel is not lost (p. 235). Note, however, that linguistic characteristics of the Gospel writer are to be expected in his presentation of the parable and its interpretation. The style of each of the evangelists is clearly evident in all their work. Further, the very nature of parabolic teaching allows for application to related situations. An adaptation of Jesus’ words to a later situation should come as no surprise. What must be maintained is that in ...

1106. The Parable of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl

Matthew 13:44-46

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

... parable. 13:44 The next two parables (vv. 44–46) occur only in Matthew. Both stress the same basic point that the kingdom of heaven is of such supreme worth that everything must be sacrificed in order to attain it. The kingdom of heaven (the other evangelists use “kingdom of God”; the terms are synonymous) is like a man who happens onto a store of money (or valuables) hidden in a field. In ancient times people often hid money and articles of value in the ground (cf. the “one-talent man” in Matt ...

1107. The Faith of the Canaanite Woman

Matthew 15:21-28

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

... Galilee, they were clustered far more heavily on the eastern side. Those who were healed praised the God of Israel, a title most appropriate in the mouths of Gentiles. Reference to the lame, blind, and mute stems from Isaiah’s prophecy in 35:5–6. The evangelist adds the crippled and includes Isaiah’s “deaf” in his inclusive many others. 15:32–39 A great crowd had gathered, and as Jesus saw them he was moved with compassion. They had been with him for several days and no longer had food. Learning ...

1108. Jesus Feeds the Four Thousand

Matthew 15:29-39

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

1109. Paying Taxes to Caesar

Matthew 22:15-22

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

... and unnatural the killing of those who brought the invitation (v. 6), the destruction of the guests (v. 7), and the burning of a city while a meal is waiting to be served (v. 7). These are “no doubt additions, made by the Church or the Evangelist” (p. 347). Beare notes that there are three versions: Matthew’s, which is a “fullblown allegory,” Luke’s (“a genuine parable”), and one in The Gospel of Thomas (pp. 432–34). Hill states that there can be no doubt that Matthew and Luke (14:16–24 ...

1110. Marriage at the Resurrection

Matthew 22:23-33

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

1111. The Greatest Commandment

Matthew 22:34-40

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

1112. Whose Son Is the Christ?

Matthew 22:41-46

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

1113. A Man with Leprosy

Mark 1:40-45

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

... with a strong warning, ordering him not to generate a great deal of publicity. The parallels in Matthew 8:4 and Luke 5:14 include the command to silence, but Mark’s term is more severe in connotation than the language used by the other evangelists. This is probably a part of the larger Markan emphasis upon Jesus’ desire for secrecy, but it must be noted that Jesus’ desire is frustrated, according to Mark, and his account emphasizes the difficulties that resulted for Jesus (1:45). Although the man is ...

1114. Jesus Clears the Temple

Mark 11:12-19

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

... sacrilege, but also a particular hardship for those Gentiles who came to the temple to inquire after and to worship the God of Israel. Mark’s account of the incident seems to emphasize this in the way he quotes (v. 17) more fully than the other evangelists the statement from Isaiah 56:7, including the words for all nations, not included by the others. This, of course, would have been noticed by Mark’s readers, and they would have seen in Jesus’ action and statement a portent of their own welcome to ...

1115. The Day and Hour Unknown

Mark 13:32-37

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

... of their master at any time, so that he will find them “on the job.” The final word in verse 37 extends the exhortation beyond the Twelve (you) and includes Mark’s readers (everyone), again demonstrating how Jesus’ words were transmitted by the evangelists with the intent that they be applied to their own readers. Whether the fall of Jerusalem had occurred or not by the time Mark was written, the readers were supposed to learn from Jesus’ predictions that the distresses and persecutions that they ...

1116. Zechariah's Song

Luke 1:67-80

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

... his holy prophets of long ago): Fitzmyer (p. 384) notes that this expression is paralleled to some extent at Qumran: 1QS 1.3; 4QpHos 2.5. He suspects that it is a Lucanism. He may be right, for not only does it intrude in the canticle, it also reflects the evangelist’s interest in the general witness of the prophetic scriptures (cf. Luke 24:25, 44). 1:71 salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us: 2 Sam. 22:18; Pss. 18:17; 106:10. 1:72 to show mercy: LXX Gen. 24:12; cf. Judg ...

1117. Jesus Presented in the Temple

Luke 2:21-40

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

... Isa. 40:5 (see Luke 3:6); 52:10. Luke’s word for “salvation” (sōtērion) is relatively rare in the NT, with three of its four occurrences in Luke–Acts. Tannehill (pp. 40–42) notes that Luke borrowed it from the LXX (as seen in the evangelist’s citation of Isa. 40:5) and probably wanted the reader to understand that Simeon was one of the first to see God’s salvation, a salvation which, thanks to the apostolic mission, the whole Roman Empire would eventually see. 2:32 a light for revelation to ...

1118. Jesus Heals Many

Luke 4:38-44

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

... . Jesus states that he must preach in other towns also. The idea of Jesus traveling is an important theme in Luke’s Gospel and has been variously interpreted, but these options will not be discussed at length here. Suffice it to say that the Third Evangelist sees in Jesus’ constant traveling and preaching a foreshadowing of the later travels of the apostles and preachers of the gospel in the Book of Acts. Additional Notes 4:38 To Mark’s parallel account (1:30) Luke adds the word high (lit. “great ...

1119. Blessings and Woes

Luke 6:17-26

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

... as well. Efforts have also been made to harmonize Matthew’s statement that Jesus “went up into the mountain” (5:1) with Luke’s statement that Jesus “descended to a level place” (6:17). Probably the simplest solution is to recognize that each evangelist utilized the mountain setting for his own purpose. Whereas Matthew is content to leave the impression that Jesus taught the crowds on the mountain (though exactly where the people were supposed to be seated is not clear, nor does it really matter ...

1120. A Lamp On a Stand

Luke 8:16-18

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

... the theme of hearing and obeying the Word of God (see vv. 8, 15, 18, 21). Luke has obtained these materials from Mark. A comparison of the parallel passages in Matt. 13:3–50 and Mark 4:2–34 highlights the different emphases that the three Synoptic evangelists are able to bring out of what is essentially the same material. The Marcan collection begins with the Parable of the Sower and its interpretation (4:2–20), to which is added the Parable of the Lamp (vv. 21–25) and two kingdom parables (vv. 26 ...

1121. Jesus' Mother and Brothers

Luke 8:19-21

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

1122. Six Woes

Luke 11:37-54

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

... responded to the message of the prophets. Because of this sad history and tradition of rejecting, persecuting, and murdering the prophets, from Abel (Gen. 4:8) to Zechariah (2 Chron. 24:20–21), future prophets and messengers (i.e., Christian apostles and evangelists) will be mistreated as well. Although the warning of judgment and punishment that were to come probably originally had in view the Last Day, it is quite possible that Christians in Luke’s time believed the warning to be fulfilled, perhaps ...

1123. The Parable of the Rich Fool

Luke 12:13-21

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

12:13–21 The disciples also must learn not to be diverted from their commitment to Jesus by greed for wealth and material possessions, a theme that is important to the evangelist Luke. The transition to this topic, presented as the Parable of the Rich Fool (found only in Luke), is effected by someone in the crowd who wants Jesus to tell his brother to divide his inheritance. Jesus had no legal authority to arbitrate in such a matter (a matter often ...

1124. The Parable of the Great Banquet

Luke 14:15-24

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

... lies a word-play that contributes significantly to the meaning of the parable. The word translated “invited” may just as correctly be translated “chosen” or “elected.” Thus, Luke undoubtedly means more than merely that some people were invited to dinner. Rather, the evangelist is talking about those who are the (apparently) chosen or elect people of God. Seen in this way the irony of the parable is enhanced. The apparent elect, chosen to enter the kingdom, failed to heed the summons, and so the ...

1125. The Parable of the Lost Son

Luke 15:11-32

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

... by the older son. The attitude of the Pharisees in 15:2 is quite similar to the attitude of the older son. Rather than celebrating Jesus’ successful ministry among the outcasts of Jewish religious society, the Pharisees “mutter.” The Third Evangelist, however, may have regarded the parable as applying to the resentment expressed over the entry of Gentiles into the church. It is possible also that, whereas the younger son symbolized the Gentiles and the disenfranchised of Jewish society, the older son ...

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