Jesus and Laws
How did Jesus fulfill the law? (Matthew 5:17-19) In Matthew’s account of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said: Do…
Jesus and the New Covenant
1. Did Old Testament prophets predict that God would make a new covenant with his people? Jeremiah 31:31-34. Would this be…
Jesus and the Old Covenant Laws
1. Did Jesus ever break God’s law? Hebrews 4:15. Did his parents obey the law regarding circumcision? Luke 2:21. Did they…
Jesus and the Sabbath
This article is chapter 12 of Sabbath, Circumcision and Tithing. For many people, the most persuasive argument in support of the…
Jesus and the Sabbath (study paper)
Question: Scripture tells us that Jesus kept the Sabbath (for example, Luke 4:16). Was he teaching us how to observe the…
Jesus and the Samaritan Woman (John 4)
Dan: Good morning. It’s good to see all of you here today. We’ve had a nice time singing and worshipping…
Jesus and Women
In the first-century world, the way Jesus treated women was considered revolutionary. Mary, mother of Jesus When she became a…
Jesus Came to Do Away With Sin (Hebrews 9:24-28)
“Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands that was only a copy of the true one; he…
Jesus Christ of ‘One Substance with the Father’
The Council of Nicea, May-August, A.D. 325 May 20, 325 was a watershed date in the history of the Christian…
Jesus Christ’s Last Sermon
Jesus Christ spent his final hours of human life nailed to a cross. Despised and rejected by the world he…
Jesus Encounters a Despised Sinner
Matthew 9:9-17 Key text: “On hearing this, Jesus said, ‘It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the…
Jesus Encounters a Disabled Man
John 9:1-41 Illustration by Henry Hofmann, copyright 1898 Key text: “As long as it is day, we must do the…
Jesus Encounters a Foreign Woman
Matthew 15:21-28 Key text: “A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, ‘Lord, Son of David, have…
Jesus Encounters a Religious Leader
John 3:1-18 Illustration by the Wandsbecker Art Institute, some time before 1910 Key text: “Jesus answered, ‘I tell you the…
Jesus Encounters a Rich Man
Mark 10:17-31 Key text: “As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his…
Jesus Encounters a Samaritan Woman
John 4:1-42 Illustration by Henry Hofmann. Key text: “Jesus answered her, ‘If you knew the gift of God and who…
Jesus Encounters a Sinful Woman
Luke 7:36-50 Key text: “When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, ‘If this man…
Jesus Helps Us in Everyday Trials
From birth to death, Jesus had a difficult life. He had moments of joy, and hours of pain — and…
Jesus kept the Sabbath. Shouldn’t we follow his example?
Jesus was a Jew, born under the law (Galatians 4:4), and he did many Jewish things: Attended synagogues (Luke 4:16)….
Jesus Knows What You’re Going Through
Jesus knows what you’re going through. He’s been there. He knows how you feel. He knows you. Isn’t it time…
Jesus Loves Them, This I Know
People were also bringing babies to Jesus to have him touch them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them….
Jesus Qualified as a High Priest (Hebrews 5:1-10 )
At the end of Hebrews 4, the author gives this exhortation: since we have a high priest who can sympathize…
Jesus Reveals God
Chapter 4 of God Is… The Bible teaches that God is one. There are not two Gods, or three, or…
Jesus the Messiah
Now we come to the New Testament. The title page of this section of your Bible probably includes the words of…
Jesus Walks on the Water (Matthew 14)
Dan Rogers: Good morning, everyone. We’ve had a nice service so far, and it’s now time for the section where…
Jesus Was Not Alone
On a small hill just outside of Jerusalem, a troublemaking teacher was killed on a cross. He was not alone….
Jesus Went With Him
“The world is so empty if one thinks only of mountains, rivers and cities; but to know someone who thinks…
Jesus—The Complete Salvation Package
Near the end of his Gospel, the apostle John made these intriguing comments: “Jesus performed many other signs in the…
Jesus, the Sabbath and Old Testament Festivals
Should Christians follow Jesus’ example and keep the weekly Sabbath and the Old Testament annual festivals as holy time? We…
Jesus’ Acceptance
Christians often joyfully proclaim that “Jesus accepts everyone” and “does not judge anyone.” Though there is gospel truth in these…
Jesus’ Benediction
Often when travelling, I’m asked to speak to churches, conferences and board meetings. Sometimes I’m asked to give the closing…
Jesus’ Resurrection Pictured in the Old Testament
In the spring months of each year, our thoughts are directed toward the death and resurrection of our Savior, Jesus…
Jews and Gentiles Together (Romans 15:4-13)
Some people might wonder why Paul uses the Old Testament so much. He has already used it dozens of times,…
John 1: The Word Made Flesh
John does not start “the story of Jesus” in the usual way. He says nothing about the way Jesus was…
John 10: Which Voice Do You Hear?
Jesus told a parable and, as usual, the people did not understand him. So he explained it: “I am the…
John 10:10 – The Abundant Life
Many preachers quote John 10:10 as support for the idea that Christianity leads to physical prosperity and “every good thing.”…
John 11: Lazarus, Come Out
Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. It was a tremendous miracle, showing that Jesus has the power to raise us…
John 12:12-19 – Right Words, But the Wrong Reason
Each year, one week before Easter, Christian churches observe Palm Sunday, commemorating the day Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a…
John 13: Footwashing: An Example of Service
On the evening he was betrayed, Jesus “poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them…
John 14: In His Name
“Whatever you ask in my name,” Jesus said, “I will do it” (John 14:13). Some people seem to think that…
John 19: Crowned With Thorns
When Jesus was on trial for his life, the soldiers twisted thorns into a makeshift crown and jammed it on…
John 2: Turning Water Into Wine
The Gospel of John tells an interesting story near the beginning of Jesus’ ministry: He went to a wedding and…
John 20:18-29 – Can You Believe It?
Jesus died on a cross. So have many other people. But only one came back to life—Jesus. The early church…
John 3: An Odyssey of Faith
The Christian life is more than a simple path. It involves crises, transitions and surprises as well as victories and…
John 4: True Worship
Jews and Samaritans simply didn’t get along. The trouble went way back, five centuries or so, to the days of…
John 6: ‘Let Nothing Be Wasted’
Jesus saw a large crowd coming toward him, and he asked Philip, “Where will we buy enough bread for all…
John 9: A Blinding Light
“I am the light of the world,” said Jesus. “I have come into this world so that the blind will…
John the Baptist Prepares the Way for Jesus
John was preaching a baptism of repentance. And this was his message: “After me will come one more powerful than I,…
Joseph: The Hand of God
For an overview of what will be covered in this chapter, read Genesis 37-50. The Egyptian officer prodded his horses…
Joshua: Conflict and Conquest
Joshua as leader: chapter 1 Joshua is one of the Bible’s great books of courage and faith. God told Joshua:…
Journey to the Middle of the World
I have wanted to go to Ecuador ever since I heard Danny Oertli perform his song “God Will Repay” at…
Joy — Despite Pain and Suffering
The apostle Paul had many pains and persecutions, but he also had much joy. In Romans 8, we see that…
Joy in Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:3-11)
Paul’s letter to the church in Philippi says more about joy than any other New Testament book. Even though Paul…
Joy, Hope and Love: Paul’s Letter from Prison
Paul has been called the greatest Christian who ever lived. He also suffered greatly for the name of Jesus Christ….
Judges: Gideon and His Son
Episode four: Gideon: Judges 6-8 Unfortunately, the Israelites again reverted to their sinful ways and “did evil in the eyes…
Judges: Jephthah and Samson
Episode five: Jephthah: Judges 10:1-12:7 Tola and Jair (Judges 10:1-5) were among the so-called “minor” judges. They performed judicial functions…
Judges: The Danites and Civil War
The Danites move north: Judges 17-18 The last five chapters of Judges relate two episodes that occurred early in the…
Judges: The Misery of Sin
Partial conquest: Judges 1 After Joshua’s death, the Israelites asked God, “Who will be the first to go up and…
Jumping to Conclusions
When my husband was a guest speaker at a church in Illinois many years ago, I sat in the congregation…