Why did Judas betray Jesus?  This has always been a question in my mind.  We could speculate.  It seems he loved money.  He was the treasurer of the small band of disciples.  He actually pilfered from the purse (John 12:6). 

 

I would like to think he was just trying to swindle a little money out of these Jews.  I'd like to think he didn't actually hate Jesus.  After all, he had seen Jesus walk right through crowds of people who were ready to stone Him.  Jesus could take care of Himself, he knew.  So even if Judas turned Jesus over to the Jews, Jesus had the power to escape.  I'd like to think all of that went through Judas's head.

 

But we aren't explicitly told his motivation.  We are left only with the concrete knowledge that Judas ... Read More »

In Matthew 25, Jesus offered three pictures of judgment: the 10 virgins, the 3 men entrusted with talents, and the sheep and goats.  In every case there was a group who prepared and a group who didn't.  There was a group who felt like they were ready; or, at least, decided they could just "coast" through life and everything would be fine.

 

1.  We must prepare!  We must think ahead.  I'm not talking about those people who have bomb shelters and stockpiles of food and medical equipment in their basement.  But perhaps we must be just as radical on the spiritual side of life.  Why push ourselves to know more and more about God?  Don't we know enough?  Don't we know the story of Jesus already?  Why do we need to continue to study?

&a ... Read More »

There's a possibility verse 23 was not in the original text (it was not in the earliest manuscripts).  If it was not "in the original" then Matthew records seven Woes to directed at the Pharisees.  This being a book directed at first-century Jews to get them to understand Jesus was the King and Prophet of Old Testament prophecy, it would make sense to me for there to be seven woes.  After all, seven is a perfect number in the Jewish faith.  But, then, there could be eight woes...

 

In any case, Jesus sure let loose on these guys!  Their problems centered around their hypocrisy. 

 

They claimed to know God's rules, but they actually shut people out of the kingdom of heaven. 

 

They tried hard to convert the Gentiles to the Jewish way of life.. ... Read More »

Some Greeks in John 12:20-21 came to Philip and said, "Sir, we would see Jesus."  I am impressed by this expression.  Perhaps they were just curious, having heard of all the signs and wonders Jesus performed.  Perhaps they just wanted to see a celebrity, as do so many today.  But I get the impression they were interested in His teaching (they were at the feast worshiping, after all).  These were not Jews, but they seem to be proselytes (Gentiles converted to be worshipers of Jehovah under the Jewish system).  Jesus made the point that He was sent only to the lost sheep of the tribe of Judah (Matt. 15:24), but here we see Gentiles sought Him.  Understanding there were Greeks in the audience makes several of Jesus' statements more full to me.

 

Hi guys,

 

This week we are beginning to read about Jesus' last week.  Of course, the Waldrons make the good point Jesus' life didn't really have a beginning or an end, but in our view of His earthly life, this was the last week before His death on the cross.

 

I wonder why John mentions the names of Mary (who washed Jesus' feet) and Judas (who specifically was upset with the "waste" of the costly perfume).  It may be that John wrote his gospel much later than the other three.  Perhaps the other three were more general to "protect the innocent."  Or not.  I don't know.

 

We have seen how blind the Pharisees could be.  When faced with EVIDENCE of Jesus' godhood (such as the power to heal a blind man), they simply rejected Him as a sinner and a ... Read More »

One of my favorite chapters in the gospel of John is chapter 9.  It's the story of Jesus healing the man who had been blind from his birth.  It builds faith as we see Jesus wielding His amazing power over the physical universe.  But it's also an enlightening (pun intended) physical representation of a spiritual reality, namely, that Jesus gives sight to the blind and blinds those who think they see.  Jesus states, "I am the light of the world."  A simple statement like this might have been taken as corny and poetic, but Jesus meant it quite literally.  He proved it through the miracle.

 

To those who were open to the truth, it was obvious Jesus was special.  To the close-minded "leaders," however, a miracle was inconceivable.  We have several characters in this story:

  ... Read More »

Matthew 19 closes with verse 30: "But many who are first will be last; and the last, first."  In chapter 20, Jesus launches into an illustration of this principle with the parable of the laborers in the vineyard.  The landowner hired 5 waves of workers early in the morning, at the 3rd hour, the 6th hour, the 9th hour, and the 11th hour.  Each worker was paid the same, a full day's wages.  We might have lawsuits, if this happened today.  As it was, those hired early in the morning were upset because these other men had only worked one stinkin' hour and they had worked the entire day!  They should get more.  They deserved more.  Or so they thought.

 

The landowner simply reminded them of their agreement.  ... Read More »

The Pharisees were upset.  It is so easy to become upset with someone we don't like.  If we like someone, they could do the exact same thing and we would think nothing of it.  But the Pharisees didn't like Jesus, so they actively sought out confrontations. 

 

Mark 7:1-13 is one such confrontation.  The disciples ate without first washing their hands, and the Pharisees and scribes demanded an answer of Jesus.  "Why don't they wash according to the tradition of the elders?"  In their statement they admitted they believed the traditions of the elders were an authority in their lives.  They could not fathom NOT following the elders' traditions.

 

Jesus verbally slapped them with Isaiah 29:13: "This people honors Me wi ... Read More »

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Jesus' miracle of feeding the 5000+ was significant enough to be recorded in all four gospels.  Why is it important?

 

1.  It shows Jesus' power to PROVIDE.  What man cannot do for himself, God can do for him.  We see an impossible situation, but Jesus said, "With God all things are possible" (Matt. 19:26).

 

2.  It shows Jesus' COMPASSION for people.  He was intending to spend some alone time with His disciples, but when they got to Bethsaida the multitudes were waiting for them.  Instead of sending them all away, He taught them and fed them because He felt compassion for them (Mark 6:34).  He saw them as sheep without a shepherd.  Throughout the Old Testament we see God always championed the cause of ... Read More »

Upon reading John 4:46-54 about the nobleman's deathly-ill son, I got to thinking about anxiety.  I think this nobleman gives a pretty neat outline of dealing with trouble in our lives.

 

1.  He went to Jesus.  This is the the first thing we ought to do (Phil. 4:6).

2.  He did not let pride or disbelief get in the way.  He was a nobleman, after all.  Why should he talk to the son of a carpenter?

3.  He laid out his problem to Jesus and asked for help.

4.  When Jesus said, "Go; your son lives," he went.  He didn't challenge Jesus or ask questions, he simply obeyed.

 

When will I learn to ask for help?  It would make life so much more bearable! Read More »