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 1851 to 1875 of 4942 results

1851. Addressing Rulers and Governments

Jeremiah 21:1-14, Jeremiah 22:1-30

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

21:1–29:32 Review · Challenging Kings and Prophets: The preceding chapters have introduced the message of doom (2–10) and the reason for that message (11–20). Beginning with this section we are more securely locked into datable historical, though chronologically disarranged, events. We hear of kings: Josiah, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, Zedekiah. We meet prophets: Hananiah, Ahab, Zedekiah, Shemaiah. The leaders bear major responsibility for Judah’s evil condition. Prose narrative dominates, which speaks of ...

1852. The Siege of Jerusalem Symbolized

Ezekiel 4:1-5:17

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

It is appropriate for Ezekiel to act out his message, as he does in chapters 4 and 5. For in the last paragraph of chapter 3 we are informed that Ezekiel was not able to talk. Conversation gives way to pantomiming. In the first act (4:1–3) the prophet is told to take a clay tablet and to draw a siege of Jerusalem on it, complete with siege weaponry. Then he is to place an iron pan between himself and the inscribed city. This pan acts as a wall of separation between the prophet and the brick and symbolizes ...

1853. God’s Judgment of His People

Amos 2:6-16

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

The final pair of oracles describes what God will do to Israel and Judah (2:4–6). The Israelites who were listening to Amos were probably a little surprised to hear that a prophet from Judah would condemn his own nation, but this adds to Amos’s credibility and the persuasiveness of his message, for a true prophet must speak everything God says and not show any favoritism. Israel and Judah had lived as separate nations for about two hundred years, and the two nations fought several wars against each other ( ...

1854. The Demand for a Sign

Matthew 16:1-4

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

In anticipation of the climactic scene of 11:2–16:20, Matthew returns to a number of motifs that he has developed. First, in Matthew 16:1–4, we see a challenge to Jesus by Pharisees and Sadducees that demonstrates their opposition to Jesus’s ministry (16:1; cf. 12:14) in a request for a sign. (The analogy to weather signs in 16:2–3 is missing in some early manuscripts, presumably omitted by scribes in locations outside of Palestine where such signs did not forecast the same weather.) In their refusal to ...

1855. Jesus on Trial

Matthew 26:57-68, Matthew 26:69-75, Matthew 27:1-10

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

26:57–27:10 · Upon arrest, Jesus is brought before the Sanhedrin, the Jewish ruling council that, according to Matthew, comprised chief priests, Jewish elders, and some teachers of the law (26:57–68)—in other words, the Jerusalem elite. The high priest Caiaphas (whose tenure spanned AD 18–36) leads the proceedings, which consist of a search for and examination of testimony against Jesus by others and by Jesus himself. Their intent is to bring charges against Jesus to Pilate, the Roman governor (the prefect ...

1856. The Parable of the Sower

Mark 4:1-20

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

Chapter 4, on parables, and chapter 13, on eschatology, are the only two chapters in Mark devoted entirely to Jesus’s teaching. The parable of the sower (4:1–20) is another A-B-A sandwich construction, in which Jesus’s teaching on the mystery of the kingdom of God (4:10–12) divides the parable of the sower (4:1–9) and its explanation (4:13–20). The parable discourse takes place in the now familiar context of Jesus’s teaching alongside the northwest quadrant of the Sea of Galilee. Jewish rabbis did not ...

1857. Marriage at the Resurrection

Mark 12:18-27

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

Following the test of the Pharisees comes Mark’s lone challenge to Jesus from the Sadducees (12:18–27). The Sadducees and Pharisees both arose during the Maccabean revolt (second century BC). Although they differed greatly in outlook, the Sadducees and Pharisees dominated Jewish life, and especially the Sanhedrin. Pharisees believed in divine sovereignty; Sadducees attributed events to human free will. Pharisees accepted the authority of the Torah, Writings, and Prophets (the three divisions of the Hebrew ...

1858. Jesus Presented in the Temple

Luke 2:21-40

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

The theme that ties together 2:21–40 is the fulfillment of the law—that is, the fulfillment of Scripture. Jesus is circumcised in accord with the Old Testament law (Lev. 12:3), Mary is purified (2:22–24; cf. Lev. 12:4–8), and both Simeon and Anna prophesy, indicating that God is fulfilling his covenant promises. In verse 39 Luke reiterates the major theme of this section by noting that “Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord.” The parallelism between John the Baptist and Jesus ...

1859. The Prologue

John 1:1-18

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

One reason why the Gospel of John was symbolized in the ancient church by the eagle is the lofty heights attained by its prologue. With skill and delicacy John handles issues of profound importance. It comes as no surprise, then, that this prologue has been foundational to the classic Christian formulation of the doctrine of Christ. Here divinity and humanity, preexistence and incarnation, revelation and sacrifice are each discussed with deceptive simplicity. This prologue may well have been an ancient ...

1860. The Validity of Jesus’ Testimony

John 8:12-30

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

John 8:12 returns to the festival setting of Tabernacles (cf. 7:2). The discourse of 7:14–39 focused on one symbolic element: the everlasting temple water of Zechariah. Now Jesus employs a second ritual theme: everlasting light (8:12–20). Zechariah also predicted that light would shine forth perpetually from the temple in the last days (Zech. 14:6–7). This too was associated with Moses and the wilderness tabernacles: was not Israel led by a pillar of light (Exod. 13:21)? The Feast of Tabernacles was ...

1861. Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial

John 13:31-38

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

13:31–17:26 Review · The Farewell Discourse: In the upper room, Jesus now turns to his faithful followers and instructs them at some length. The discourse runs from 13:31 to 16:33 without narrative interruption and then concludes with Jesus’s prayer (17:1–26), which precedes the arrest (18:1–11). The literary form of this section is called the “farewell speech” and was well known in Judaism at this time. For example, one can turn to the Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs, an intertestamental ...

1862. Jesus Before Pilate

John 18:28-40, John 19:1-16

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

This entire narrative section bears the marks of a carefully written unit. Its dramatic suspense is second to none. Pilate moves in and out of the praetorium five times (18:29, 33, 38; 19:9, 13), establishing the innocence of Jesus and exploring his title of “king.” In fact, kingship weaves continuously through the story, becoming the principal theme (18:33, 36–37, 39; 19:2–3, 12, 14–15, 19–22) until Pilate’s caution turns to fear (19:8). Even when Jesus is crucified, Pilate insists on Jesus’s title in ...

1863. Jerusalem Council and the Identity of Gentile Believers

Acts 15:1-21, Acts 15:22-35

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

With the conversion of the Gentiles during the first missionary journey of Paul and Barnabas, the church is confronted with the question concerning the ethnic identity of Gentiles who enter the people of God (15:1–6). This issue is sharply raised by those believers who are Pharisees, as they insist, “Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the law of Moses” (15:5). When Paul and Barnabas, among others, go to Jerusalem, they meet with the leaders of the Jerusalem church. The meeting, often called ...

1864. Paul Before Agrippa

Acts 25:23--26:32

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

25:23–26:23 · Paul’s trial before Agrippa begins with Festus’s presentation of Paul and the charges brought against him (25:23–27). This presentation makes three significant points. First, Paul is opposed by “the whole Jewish community” (25:24). This again is consistent with Luke’s portrayal of these Jews as being like their ancestors in their opposition to the work of God and his prophets (cf. Acts 7:51–52). Second, Festus again emphasizes that Paul “had done nothing deserving of death” (25:25). Third, ...

1865. Questions about Marriage, Divorce, and Celibacy

1 Corinthians 7:1-40

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

7:1–16:9 · Paul’s Response to Questions from the Corinthians: In the first verse of chapter 7, Paul moves from oral reports about the church and begins to address questions posed by the Corinthians themselves in a letter. The letter is now lost but originally was perhaps carried to Paul by the three Corinthians mentioned in 16:17. The recurring expression “now for” or “now about” introduces Corinthian questions throughout this section. 7:1–40 · The questions to which Paul responds in 7:1–16 probably had ...

1866. Correcting Cephas

Galatians 2:11-21

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

The incident related in this section (2:11–14) indicates that in spite of the basic agreement reached at the Jerusalem council, certain ambiguities continued to exist. The incident at Antioch is significant, for it moves us on to the next logical step in Paul’s argument regarding his authority on the matters troubling the Galatians. We need to take careful note of the situation as Paul has developed it. The authorities in Jerusalem had recognized Paul’s equal status relative to them, but in Paul’s view ...

1867. An Appeal to the Galatians

Galatians 4:8-20

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

4:8–11 · An appeal to maturity: Appealing specifically to the Galatian Gentiles, Paul reminds them of their former enslavement to polytheism. He confronts them also with the inappropriateness of turning toward any other religious expressions designed to add to the saving work of Christ. His purpose seems to be to point out that whether they embrace Gentile religious notions or the ancient and holy traditions of Judaism, all of them are “weak and miserable forces [stoicheia; NIV note: “principles”]” (4:9; ...

1868. Freedom in Christ

Galatians 5:1-15

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

5:1 · Thesis:Grammatically, verse 1 of chapter 5 is related to the previous paragraph, yet it also provides both a summary and a transition point to the letter. While the manuscript evidence varies on points of grammatical connectives, the sense of the statement is not endangered. In fact, this statement provides the thesis for Paul’s insistence on the Galatians’ rejection of the opponents. The NIV’s rendering of the verse into two sentences appears to be quite correct (against the KJV). The first sentence ...

1869. Thanksgiving and Prayer

Colossians 1:1-14

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

1:1–2 · Greetings from Paul and Timothy to the Colossians: Colossians begins with Paul’s standard address, identifying himself as an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God. First Corinthians 1:1 and Romans 1:1 stipulate that Paul was “called” to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and 1 Corinthians includes the cosender and brother, Sosthenes. He includes the name of his coauthor, Timothy. Philippians is addressed by both Paul and Timothy, though here they are described not as apostle and ...

1870. Leaders and Rebels

Titus 1:1-16

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

1:1–4 · Salutation: Titus is one of the most trusted—and most “Greek”—of Paul’s protégés. Paul charges him with establishing church life on an island that is home to some of Greek civilization’s most ancient memories. Moreover, Titus is a veteran of Paul’s battle over Jewish custom and teaching in Gentile churches (Gal. 2:3). Paul considers him the perfect emissary for dealing with a situation in which teachers “of the circumcision” (1:10) complicate these new converts’ situation. In this salutation, Paul ...

1871. The Son Superior to Angels

Hebrews 1:1-14

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

The Superiority of the Christian Faith (1:1–10:18) 1:1–4 · Jesus Christ superior to the prophets:The dramatic exordium is less an introduction than a thunderous opening salvo. This written sermon goes forth precisely to arrest a waning of conviction regarding the divine supremacy of Christ and the decisiveness of his work as the redeemer of sinners (1:1–2). The assertion of the Son’s preeminence among the prophets and the finality of his revelation is possibly intended to correct the expectation of an ...

1872. Warning against Unbelief

Hebrews 3:7-19

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

The warning of Hebrews 3:6 that membership in God’s household is suspended on a living and persevering faith introduces a long exhortatory section (3:7–4:13) in which the danger of apostasy and the necessity of an enduring faith are illustrated from the history of Israel. In 3:7–11, the author cites the warning of Psalm 95:7–11 as the living and active word of God (Heb. 4:12) demanding to be heard and obeyed now as then. It is introduced as the word of the Holy Spirit, though later it is ascribed to David ...

1873. A Sabbath-Rest for the People of God

Hebrews 4:1-13

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

That the alternatives Israel faced in the wilderness are the same ones believers face today is demonstrated by the use of the terms “promise” (4:1; cf. 6:12; 9:15; 10:36; 11:39–40) and “good news” (4:2; see also the verbal formin 4:6, euangelizō, “to evangelize”; cf. Rom. 10:16; Gal. 3:8) and by the striking inversion of order—not “they also,” but “we also” (Heb. 4:2). This serves as an impressive verification of the author’s consistent assumption that the gospel and its demands have remained unchanged ...

1874. The Blood of Christ

Hebrews 9:11-28

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

The next major subsection focuses on the sufficiency of the redemption obtained by Jesus Christ. The imagery continues to be that of the Day of Atonement, but Christ’s offering of himself is a transaction that transcends the earthly sphere and the potentialities of mere humans and their rituals. Though he died on a cross near Jerusalem (Heb. 13:12), his sacrifice is thought of as being offered in heaven (9:11). Text-critical considerations in 9:11 together with the author’s sustained emphasis on the ...

1875. Listening and Doing

James 1:19-27

One Volume

Gary M. Burge

1:19 – 2:26 Review · Putting the Word into Practice: The mention of the “word of truth” in verse 18 leads James to devote a lengthy section to a matter close to his heart—the appropriate Christian response to God’s word. James stresses that the word’s purpose is to be obeyed (1:21–27), gives an example of how that word should be obeyed in practice (2:1–13), and ties that doing of the word inextricably to genuine faith (2:14–26). 1:19–20 · Anger and the tongue:Before launching into this major topic, James ...

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