Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 1926 to 1950 of 2157 results

1926. Two Blind Men Receive Sight

Matthew 20:29-34

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

... men, in answer to his query, pleaded with him to open their eyes. Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes; their sight was immediately restored, and they followed him. Tasker calls attention to an interesting textual variant in the Curetonian MS of the Old Syriac version, which adds et videamus te (“and that we may see thee”) after “that our eyes may be opened” in verse 33 (p. 196). It calls attention to the central concern of the blind men: not simply to see but to see Jesus the Messiah ...

1927. The Parable of the Tenants

Matthew 21:33-46

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

... chief priests and the Pharisees realized that the parable was directed against them, they looked for a way to arrest Jesus. They were afraid, however, of the crowd because the people held that he was a prophet. Additional Notes 21:33 A simpler version of the parable is found in the Gospel of Thomas (65), but K. R. Snodgrass argues effectively against taking it as original (NTS 20, pp. 142–44). Winepress: Winepresses normally consisted of two rock-hewn troughs, one higher than the other, with a connecting ...

1928. Paying Taxes to Caesar

Matthew 22:15-22

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

... 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) present the same parable (p. 301), and Gundry ...

1929. Marriage at the Resurrection

Matthew 22:23-33

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

1930. The Greatest Commandment

Matthew 22:34-40

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

1931. Whose Son Is the Christ?

Matthew 22:41-46

Understanding Series

Robert H. Mounce

1932. Daniel in the Den of Lions

Daniel 6:1-28

Understanding Series

William Nelson

... 120 satraps, all of whom apparently went as a group with the two administrators to the king (6:1–2, 4, 6 [6:2–3, 5, 7 MT]). However, the LXX at vv. 3, 4, and 24 indicates that only the two other administrators were accusers. In the MT version, after adding in the family members the number would be quite large, making the story seem fantastic. How could the pit be large enough? How could there be enough lions to harm so many people? It is possible that the LXX is original and that the MT exaggerated the ...

1933. Daniel’s Vision of a Ram and a Goat

Daniel 8:1-14

Understanding Series

William Nelson

... the vision or whether he was actually there. Ezekiel was transported to places in his visions (Ezek. 8:3; 11:24; 40:2); maybe it was the same with Daniel. Alternatively, Daniel could have been in Susa bodily when he saw the vision. The Syriac version supports the former interpretation; Josephus supports the latter (Ant. 10.269). The NIV seems to be following the Syriac, interpreting the text to mean that the trip to Susa was only going on in Daniel’s head. It removes the ambiguity by adding “my” and ...

1934. The Healing of a Boy With an Evil Spirit

Mark 9:14-32

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

... power of evil was truly present. But the point of giving these details is to say that in just such a difficult situation Jesus’ followers are expected to trust in Christ and to deal with the need as he did. One final detail, unique to Mark’s version of the story, is worth mentioning. In 9:27, Mark says that the boy’s convulsions left him in a condition looking like death but that Jesus lifted him to his feet. Jesus’ action foreshadows of his own victory over death in his resurrection and symbolizes ...

1935. The Request of James and John

Mark 10:35-45

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

... on behalf of others, and it gives a powerful contrast to the misguided request of the two disciples that opens this passage. Additional Notes 10:35 James and John: The Matt. 20:20 parallel says that the inquiry came from their mother, perhaps a version of the story intended to spare the disciples full responsibility for the request. 10:37 Your glory: Jesus spoke of the kingdom of God, but ancient Jewish expectations often involved the idea that the Messiah, who is characteristically pictured as a king like ...

1936. The Withered Fig Tree

Mark 11:20-25 (26)

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

... for its barren condition, and in verses 20–21 we have the result, the withering of the tree, which becomes the occasion for Jesus’ comments on the power of faith. The first saying in verse 23 speaks of faith that could move a mountain and seems to be a version of a saying found elsewhere, in Matthew 17:20 (cf. also Luke 17:6). It seems to speak simply of great faith, but some scholars suggest that the saying may be an allusion to Zechariah 14:4, which mentions a removal of the Mount of Olives on the day ...

1937. The Soldiers Mock Jesus

Mark 15:16-20

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

... branches mock this type of crown, using materials ready at hand from the acanthus shrub or from palms. (See “Crown,” IDB, vol. 1, pp. 745–46; “Thistle, Thorn,” IDB, vol. 4, pp. 630–31.) 15:18 Hail, king of the Jews: This probably represents the Greek version of the Roman salute of the emperor, here offered to Jesus in derision. 15:20 Put his own clothes on him: Jesus would have been stripped for the flogging mentioned in v. 15, and then the naked prisoner was wrapped in the purple robe as part ...

1938. The Death of Jesus

Mark 15:33-41

Understanding Series

Larry W. Hurtado

... strong cry, not the sort of faint gasp expected from a man who had endured such torture as Jesus; and the reader is probably intended to see the cry as a hint of the victory of the cross. Cf. Luke 23:46 and John 19:30, which give varying versions of this last cry. 15:38 The curtain of the temple could mean the curtain hanging between the court, where the altar for burnt offerings was, and the actual sanctuary, or the curtain hanging between the two areas of the sanctuary, one called the holy place, and the ...

1939. Jesus Heals a Paralytic

Luke 5:17-26

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

... of how the “son of man” of Daniel 7 came to designate the Messiah. See further Fitzmyer, pp. 208–10. An interesting question concerning v. 24 is whether Jesus is actually the speaker in the first part of the verse (as it is understood in most versions) or whether Luke is making his own editorial comment (as in Mark 13:14b). The primary reason for suspecting that the latter may indeed be the case is the abrupt grammatical break between to forgive sins and he said to the paralyzed man. The way it ...

1940. Jesus Raises a Widow's Son

Luke 7:11-17

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

... 7:15; 1 Kings 17:23); and (7) the recognition that “a great prophet has appeared among us” (Luke 7:16; 1 Kings 17:24). Although the widow in 1 Kings says, “Now I know that you are a man of God” (RSV), the Aramaic version (i.e., the Targum) inserts the word “prophet,” thus bringing the Lucan and Kings passages into closer agreement. (For further details see Brodie, pp. 147–52.) Despite the parallels there is a major difference, however. Whereas Elijah must pray to God and stretch himself upon ...

1941. A Lamp On a Stand

Luke 8:16-18

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

... the tradition before him. In Mark 4:21–22 the idea seems to be that what remains secret during Jesus’ ministry (i.e., who Jesus really is, what his ministry is really all about; see Luke 4:35, 41) will eventually become public. But in the Lucan version (vv. 16–17) the sayings have more to do with the reason why someone should heed Jesus’ words. When one is enlightened by the message of Jesus (or lights a lamp) one does everything one can to receive more illumination. Therefore, the lamp is placed on ...

1942. A Dead Girl and a Sick Woman

Luke 8:40-56

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

8:40–56 The stories of the resuscitation of Jairus’ daughter and the healing of the woman with the hemorrhage are also derived from Mark (5:21–43). As often is the case, Luke has abbreviated his Marcan material. (Matthew’s version is the briefest; 9:18–25.) The emphasis of both of these episodes is the need to have faith in Jesus. In view of what Jesus has just accomplished on the lake (vv. 22–25) and among the Gerasene people (vv. 26–39), the need to have faith in him ...

1943. Six Woes

Luke 11:37-54

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

... 20.21). 11:44 unmarked graves: Lit. “unseen tombs.” Matt. 23:27 has “whitewashed tombs,” which advances the idea of looking impressive on the outside, but of being corrupt on the inside (see Gundry, pp. 466–67). It is not easily decided if Luke represents a variant version of the same saying or if he has given us a distinct saying. 11:45 experts in the law: See note on 5:21 above. 11:46 you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them: Contrast Jesus’ offer in Matt. 11:28–30: “Come to me ...

1944. The Parable of the Rich Fool

Luke 12:13-21

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

... so that I may sow, reap, plant, and fill my storehouse with produce, with the result that I shall lack nothing.” Such were his intentions, but that same night he died. Let him who has ears hear.’ ” Fitzmyer (p. 971) concludes that the Thomas version is secondary and “has lost the cutting edge of the Lucan parable, viz. God’s verdict.” Since most Gnostics were ascetic, and so opposed to wealth, it is not surprising that they found much of the material unique to Luke (who also was concerned with ...

1945. Not Peace but Division

Luke 12:49-53

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

... later came to be associated with the turbulence that was believed would precede the appearance of the Messiah (as seen, for example, in m. Sotah 9.15; and Jubilees 23:16, 19). Whereas the Micah passage describes only the hostility of the young against the old, the Gospel version (see also Matt. 10:36) sets the old against the young as well. Additional Note 12:49 The Gospel of Thomas (see note on 11:27–28 above) 10 reads: “Jesus said, ‘I have cast fire upon the world, and see, I am guarding it until it ...

1946. The Narrow Door

Luke 13:22-30

Understanding Series

Craig A. Evans

... of the house (=Jesus) in order to be permitted entry. 13:27 “Away from me, all you evildoers”: Part of this expression has been borrowed from the Greek translation of Ps. 6:8. 13:28 Whereas Matt. 8:11 also mentions Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Luke’s version includes all the prophets. Gundry (p. 145) thinks that Matthew has omitted the phrase. However, because of Luke’s interest in the OT prophets (see Luke 6:23, 26; 13:31–35), who provide a major witness to Jesus as the Messiah (Luke 24:25, 27, 44 ...

1947. Personal Requests

1 Corinthians 16:5-18

Understanding Series

Marion L. Soards

... is naming the definite content of belief and practice; other commentators insist that this reference does not intend to focus on the content of belief. Frequently, this phrase which is translated quite literally in the NIV is rendered “in your faith” in other versions. The use of the definite article “the” as if it were a personal pronoun is common or normal in Greek, and that understanding or translation is acceptable in this verse. Exactly what Paul means by this phrase is unclear. Perhaps he does ...

1948. The Beast out of the Earth

Revelation 13:11-18

Understanding Series

Robert W. Wall

... champions and their “signs and wonders” to provide them with the appropriate credentials. They have their buildings and programs, perpetuated by those who value their self-centered enterprises most of all. Yet, insofar as these disciples place their version of institutional truth over God’s gospel and their institutionalized values over God’s reign, they promote idolatry. When the interests of any cultural institution seek to corrupt the single-minded devotion of the church to God’s incarnate ...

1949. The River of Life

Revelation 22:1-6

Understanding Series

Robert W. Wall

... matters is charted in the intertestamental pseudepigrapha; and much of this literature includes midrash on the biblical description of the Garden of Eden (e.g., 1 Enoch 32; 2 Enoch 8; Life of Adam and Eve 37). John’s own version of paradise clearly belongs to this Jewish tradition, although he stresses its earthly and “real” (rather than the heavenly and thus “spiritual”) environs. In this way, he extends the Johannine response to the christological speculations of nascent gnosticism or docetism ...

1950. The People Rebel

Numbers 14:1-45

Understanding Series

W.H. Bellinger, Jr.

... literally “whoredoms,” a striking image of disloyalty. 14:45 The location of Hormah is uncertain but may be in the vicinity of Beersheba. The name is associated with the root word for “complete destruction.” Budd has suggested that the earlier version (J) of this story was central to the tradents’ composition “of the stories of disaffection from Sinai to the Jordan” (Numbers, pp. 162–63). His reconstruction is hypothetical, but it again indicates how pivotal this narrative is for this part ...

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