Also known as: The “beloved physician” (Col. 4:14).
Home: Possibly Antioch of Syria; later Philippi and other cities where Christian communities grew.
Background: Born into an educated and cultured Gentile family.
Occupation: Physician; later, historian, author, and evangelist.
Best known for: Writing the books of Luke and Acts (about one-fourth of the New Testament), with an emphasis on prayer, the work of the Holy Spirit, and the gospel’s impact on outliers of Jewish culture, including Gentiles, women, and the poor.
More: Luke is one of several health care workers in the Bible. To learn about some others, see “Worthy Physicians” at Job 13:4. See here for an article on Luke’s life.
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Luke addressed both his Gospel and the Book of Acts to “Theophilus” (“Beloved of God”). Little is known about Theophilus, leading to considerable speculation over the centuries. The name could refer to either an individual or a group. It may have been a given name or a name adopted after conversion, a common practice among early Christians. The title “most excellent” indicates high rank in Roman society, but Acts 1:1 omits the phrase.
The content and scope of Luke’s writings imply that Luke wrote for Gentile readers, emphasizing that Jesus is for everyone, not just Israel. Forgiveness and salvation are freely available to every person, regardless of ethnicity, gender, or social status. Luke showed that the Good News is for …
• Samaritans (Luke 9:52–56; 10:30–37; 17:11–19);
• Gentiles (2:32; 3:6, 8; 4:25–27; 7:9; 10:1; 24:47);
• women (1:26–56; 7:36–50; 8:1–3; 10:38–42);
• outcasts such as tax collectors, widows, lepers, and the disabled (3:12; 4:27; 5:27–32; 7:11–15, 22, 23, 37–50; 14:1–6; 15:1; 17:12; 19:2–10);
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The Herod mentioned in Luke 1:5 was a charming, brilliant, and intelligent politician. Yet this man, known as “Herod the Great,” was a part of a dynasty that has lived in infamy for its violence, incest, and intrigue. Learn more in “The Herods” at Acts 12:1, 2.
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Name means: “The Lord Has Remembered.”
Often confused with: Zechariah, the name of dozens of other men in the Bible, or a priest named Zacharias who was murdered in the temple, and who was also known as Zechariah (Matt. 23:35; Luke 11:51).
Home: The Judean hill country.
Family: Descendant of Abijah, a priest in David’s day and a descendant of Aaron; husband of Elizabeth, also from a family of priestly descent; father of John the Baptist.
Occupation: Priest.
Best known for: Faltering in his faith at the moment when God was answering his prayer.
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When Zacharias doubted the news that he and his wife would have a son, his disbelief was based in part on their advanced age. But his scoffing also implied a lack of trust in the messenger. The angel offered a simple response: “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God.”
Gabriel did not argue with Zacharias. He did not give evidence of his honesty. He simply declared his position before God. If Gabriel were a liar, God would have banished him long ago. His continued presence before the Lord was a sign of his absolute trustworthiness. No one who speaks falsehood can stand before God (Hab. 1:13). If we know God, we are to be like Him (2 Pet. 1:3, 4; 1 John 3:2). Because He is faithful and true (Rev. 3:14; 19:11; 22:6), we too must be faithful and true.
It would be impressive if the claim “I am a Christian” were enough to establish our integrity. But too often that claim implies low levels of trustworthiness. Self-proclaimed Christian businesspeople sometimes fail to pay their bills, abuse contracts, do sloppy work, or make excuses for broken promises. Churches and ministries sometimes cheat vendors, shortchange employees, alienate people from different backgrounds, or misrepresent the gospel through teaching non-biblical principles.
If Gabriel’s confident statement could confirm his integrity beyond question, our own profession of faith should erase all doubt about our honesty. Of all people, Christ’s followers should be known for their unimpeachable integrity.
More: For more on the importance of integrity, see “Integrity Incites Jealousy” at Dan. 6:1–5.
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Name means: “God Is My Oath.”
Home: Hill country of Judea.
Family: Descended from a priestly family; wife of Zacharias, a priest; mother of John the Baptist; a relative of Mary the mother of Jesus.
Occupation: Homemaker.
Best known as: The mother of John the Baptist.
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Also known as: Mary of Nazareth; the Virgin Mary.
Sometimes confused with: Mary of Bethany, the sister of Martha and Lazarus (John 11:1; 12:1–8); Mary the mother of James and Joses (Matt. 27:55–61); or Mary the mother of John Mark (Acts 12:12).
Home: Nazareth.
Family: Married to Joseph; their family included their firstborn son Jesus as well as an unspecified number of daughters and four other sons—James, Joses, Judas, and Simon; relative of Elizabeth, John the Baptist’s mother.
Occupation: Homemaker.
Best known as: The mother of Jesus.
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Betrothal was a mutual promise of a future marriage (Deut. 20:7; Jer. 2:2). It followed a prospective husband’s selection of a bride, with a contract negotiated between a friend or agent of the bridegroom and the parents of the bride. It was confirmed by oaths and accompanied by gifts to the bride and often to the bride’s parents.
Betrothal was celebrated with a feast. The bridegroom might place a ring on his bride’s finger as a token of love and fidelity. In Hebrew culture, betrothal was a legal part of the marriage process. A change of intention by either partner after betrothal was serious, and in some cases it was subject to a fine.
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Mary of Nazareth might have been no more than fifteen years old when the angel Gabriel appeared to her (Luke 1:26, 27), and his startling announcement that she would soon bear the Son of God signaled the end of her normal life. Mary would be the subject of rumors and gossip from that moment on. Her husband-to-be had every right to publicly end their betrothal, exposing her to public humiliation. Even if Joseph “put her away secretly” (Matt. 1:19), circumstances would force her to return in shame to her father’s house or to survive on her own by whatever means she could.
Faced with a bleak future through no fault of her own, Mary had plenty of reason to balk at Gabriel’s message. Yet she instead accepted her assignment without reservation. “Behold the maidservant of the Lord!” Mary replied. “Let it be to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38). She no doubt found a safe haven in Joseph, who committed to walking beside her on the strange and difficult path ahead.
Mary also found relief in visiting her relative Elizabeth. Mary arrived during the third trimester of Elizabeth’s pregnancy (1:39–56) and likely helped Elizabeth prepare for her baby at the same time that she acquired what she needed to set up a home with Joseph. Mary must have soaked up wisdom by listening to this older, righteous woman and observing her marriage to Zacharias.
Once Jesus was born and the family had established themselves in Nazareth (2:39, 40), Mary probably settled into a routine as a homemaker. With her baby strapped to her back or slung over her shoulder, she drew water, baked bread, spun wool, and more (see “Jewish Homemaking” at Mark 1:29–31).
Luke recorded the family’s obedience to Jewish law—having Jesus circumcised (Luke 2:21), observing Mary’s ritual purification (2:22), and presenting their son along with an appropriate sacrifice at the temple (2:22–24). Mary likely provided Jesus’ earliest instruction in the Scriptures.
The New Testament reveals little of Mary after Jesus was born. She is not listed among Jesus’ earliest followers, and when she does appear in the narrative, her son seemed to treat her with detachment (8:19–21; 11:27, 28). Nevertheless, she stood at the cross (John 19:25–27) and was among those who gathered together to await the Holy Spirit’s arrival (Acts 1:14).
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Mary’s journey into the Judean hill country was no leisurely stroll. She traversed mountainous terrain with rugged beauty: desert yellows, a glimpse of the Dead Sea, violet-red mountains, and a few terraced fruit groves. One main north-south road linked the region’s major cities—Jerusalem to the north, Bethlehem, Beth-zur, and Hebron to the south.
Beyond those features, the hill country was bleak. The eastern slopes were mostly impassable desert. They stretched ten to fifteen miles from their highest elevation of 3,000 feet (near Hebron) down to the Dead Sea, 1,300 feet below sea level and the lowest point on earth (see the Dead Sea’s profile at Josh. 15:2). The vast wasteland was broken only by imposing cliffs and canyons and scattered forts and oases (see En Gedi’s profile at 1 Sam. 23:29).
This was an area fit for runaways and rebels. One fugitive who had found safety in Judah’s southern hills was David, who hid in caves and wilderness areas when he fled from Saul. David later succeeded Saul as king, and he became an ancestor of Jesus Christ. But his days in the wilderness were long and wearisome.
More: For a sample of David’s wilderness experience, read 1 Sam. 22 and Ps. 52, 54, and 142. Learn about the renegades who gathered to David’s side in “David’s Mighty Men” at 1 Chr. 11:10.
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Mary’s much-loved song contains more than a mother’s private praise. Her words celebrate God’s care for struggling people in any society and situation. Known as the Magnificat (from magnificare, the first word in the Latin version), the song voices Mary’s awe regarding the great things the Lord has accomplished (Luke 1:49). Notice who receives God’s help: the “lowly,” including Mary (1:48, 49, 52); those who fear Him (1:50); the hungry (1:53); and the oppressed people of Israel (1:54). In contrast, the Lord scatters the proud (1:51); puts down the mighty (1:52); and sends away the rich empty-handed (1:53).
Jesus’ birth is good news for the lowly. He was born into poverty, so the humble can identify with the Savior right from His birth. They can count on His mercy, which comes to “those who fear Him from generation to generation” (1:50).
More: For more on the poverty that Jesus and his family felt firsthand, see “The Gifts of the Magi” at Matt. 2:11. Throughout His ministry, wealth remained an important topic for Jesus. See “Don’t Worry” at Matt. 6:19–34.
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Name means: “Consecrated,” “Holy,” or “Sacred.”
Also known as: Gaius Octavius, his given name (born 63 B.C.); renamed Octavian; given the title Augustus in 27 B.C. when he became emperor of Rome.
Home: A small town in Italy; later, the city of Rome, the seat of Roman imperial power.
Family: Grand-nephew of Julius Caesar by marriage. When Caesar was murdered in 44 B.C., Octavius was named his adopted son and heir, and was lauded as the “son of a god.” He hated his first wife Scribonia whom he married for political reasons; loved but cheated on his second wife Livia Drusilla; exiled his daughter Julia for moral offenses; and appointed his adopted son Tiberius as his aide and heir.
Occupation: Emperor of Rome.
Best known for: Ending decades of civil war and establishing Rome as a united world power. Patient, shrewd, and a master of propaganda, he was an administrative genius and overhauled every aspect of Roman life, including the empire’s roads. During his 44-year reign, he established the Pax Romana (“Roman Peace”), allowing Roman culture to flourish across the empire.
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Scripture mentions several major government censuses (see “A Second Census” at Num. 26:2), including this one conducted when Quirinius was imperial legate in the Roman province of Syria.
Censuses were crucial for the purposes of taxation, administration, military planning and conscription, recruitment of volunteer and forced labor for public works projects, and for tithes and offerings to maintain religious institutions. Caesar Augustus used censuses to inventory his empire’s resources and needs, to raise money, and to allocate troops. The Romans are believed to have held an empire-wide census every fourteen years, and such a census may be the count that Luke records.
Although censuses served legitimate needs, registration was seen by many as a means of exploitation, especially when the government ruled without the consent of the governed and with little concern for their welfare. This was the situation in Israel under the Romans, but God nevertheless used a census to move Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem, where Jesus was born in keeping with His plan.
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• The name of two towns mentioned in Scripture; the more famous was the birthplace of Jesus, five miles south of Jerusalem.
• Name means “House of Bread.” The district was known for agriculture.
• Called the City of David because of its association with Israel’s second king (1 Sam. 17:12). David was anointed there and never lost his affection for the city.
• Predicted as the birthplace of the Messiah (Mic. 5:2).
• The site of Jesus’ birth was likely a stable built into a cave near the town. Helena, mother of Constantine (see here for an article on the life of Constantine), erected the Church of the Nativity at the reputed birthplace in A.D. 330. A later church built by Emperor Justinian (A.D. 527–565) still stands there.
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A Lowly Sacrifice for the Highest
The sacrifice offered by Jesus’ family proves that He was born into poverty. The Law required a woman to offer a lamb on the occasion of a birth, but the poor were allowed to instead bring two turtledoves or pigeons (Lev. 12:6–8).
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Nothing stood out about Simeon that qualified him to take the Christ child in his arms and bless Him. The Bible does not portray him as a recognized religious leader, and he had no special authority. His only credential was that he was a “just and devout” man who walked closely with the Holy Spirit.
Simeon (“Heard”) shows how God honors those who give themselves to Him in humility and worship. Despite Simeon’s “lowly” position when it came to formal religious training, Simeon somehow knew that the Redeemer would arrive not as a ruler wrapped in Jewish nationalism, nor as a zealot with a violent political agenda, but as a Baby swaddled in His parents’ loving arms. His kingdom would be a stumbling block to some and the Rock of salvation to others, both Jew and Gentile. Simeon also foresaw that this newborn Son’s destiny would cause severe pain to the young couple who stood before him, but that the painful events of His life would reveal “the thoughts of many hearts” (Luke 2:34, 35).
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Anna lingered daily in the temple, serving God with fasting and prayer. As a prophet she was known for spiritual wisdom and for proclaiming God’s words, and when Joseph and Mary presented Jesus at the temple, Anna recognized Him as Israel’s rescuer. Her prayers had no doubt expressed a longing for God’s Anointed. Her years in the temple hearing the Scriptures read aloud had given her a thorough knowledge of messianic prophecies.
Along with Simeon, Anna testified to Jesus’ identity as God’s Redeemer. As a woman her word would have counted for little in Jewish courts, but Luke was inspired to include her in his Gospel. She highlights a change that Jesus the Redeemer would bring about. Among His followers, women would no longer be regarded as untrustworthy witnesses. They were full members of a new community of faith.
More: Another woman became a key witness after Jesus’ resurrection. See “Mary the Reliable Witness” at Luke 8:2. Just as many women were important to the early church, they have continued to play essential roles in spreading God’s message over the centuries and across the world. To learn more about the fascinating lives of these women, see the Life Studies index.
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Feast of Passover
Month on the Jewish Calendar: Nisan
Day: 14
Corresponding Month: March/April
References: Ex. 12:1–14; Matt. 26:17–20
Feast of Unleavened Bread*
Month on the Jewish Calendar: Nisan
Days: 15–21
Corresponding Month: March/April
References: Ex. 12:15–20
Feast of Firstfruits
Month on the Jewish Calendar: Nisan or Sivan
Day: 16 or 6
Corresponding Month: March/April or May/June
References: Lev. 23:9–14; Num. 28:26
Feast of Pentecost* (or Harvest, or Weeks)
Month on the Jewish Calendar: Sivan
Day: 6 (50 days after barley harvest)
Corresponding Month: May/June
References: Deut. 16:9–12; Acts 2:1
Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah)
Month on the Jewish Calendar: Tishri
Days: 1–2
Corresponding Month: September/October
References: Num. 29:1–6
Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur)
Month on the Jewish Calendar: Tishri
Day: 10
Corresponding Month: September/October
References: Lev. 23:26–32; Heb. 9:7
Feast of Tabernacles* (or Booths, or Tents)
Month on the Jewish Calendar: Tishri
Days: 15–22
Corresponding Month: September/October
References: Neh. 8:13–18; John 7:2
Feast of Dedication (or Lights; Hanukkah)
Month on the Jewish Calendar: Chislev
Day: 25 (8 days)
Corresponding Month: November/December
References: John 10:22
Feast of Lots (Purim)
Month on the Jewish Calendar: Adar
Days: 14–15
Corresponding Month: February/March
References: Esth. 9:18–32
*All males of Israel were required to travel to the temple in Jerusalem for these three major feasts (Ex. 23:14–19).
More: To see a diagram of the Hebrew calendar and how it relates to the calendar used by most of the world today, see “The Hebrew Calendar” at Num. 1:18.
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The scene of Jesus learning in the temple suggests that He was not born into the world already possessing all the knowledge He would need. Although the young boy’s abilities impressed His elders, He apparently needed to engage in the same process of lifelong learning as every other human being.
The rabbis whom Jesus encountered in the temple courtyard were Judaism’s preeminent experts. They researched Old Testament law, developed rabbinical traditions, and applied both to contemporary issues. Some sat on the Jewish Council. They regularly discussed religious and legal topics in the temple for anyone to hear (Matt. 6:5; 7:28, 29; 23:1–7).
Twelve-year-old Jesus was considered a man, and Luke portrays Him as an exemplary student. He went to the temple to learn about God’s law, listening carefully and asking about His “Father’s business” (Luke 2:49). He humbly subjected Himself to the discipline of learning (2:51). His turn to teach would come later; for now, He accepted the role of student.
Jesus is an obvious model for all of us who attend school or who need to learn on the job or elsewhere. We need to gain all we can from the best teachers we can find, bringing with us our most humble and teachable attitudes.
More: Daniel shows how to make the most of educational opportunities. See “A Secular Education” at Dan. 1:4. History features countless stories of educators who changed their students’ lives as result of their faith. To learn more about two of these exemplary teachers, see here for an article on the life of Esther John and here for an article on the life of Mary McLeod Bethune.
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The Roman empire was far less centralized than most wide-ranging domains. A surprisingly small bureaucracy and army managed a system that functioned for nearly a thousand years. But the empire’s success depended on the goodwill of its subjects. Peoples that complied with Rome enjoyed relative leniency. By granting a degree of autonomy to these nations, Rome could concentrate its limited armed forces on more troubled areas. Rome’s brutal response to rebellion deterred revolt and created an incentive to remain loyal to Caesar and his empire.
Thanks to Luke’s list of Roman officials, we can almost name the day when Jesus began His public ministry. The accompanying timeline shows major political leaders of the Roman empire and Palestine in the first century.
*The name Palestine was not applied to the territory of the Israelites until after the Romans had destroyed Jerusalem in A.D. 70.
For more on the power of Roman government over Jesus and His fellow citizens, see “First-Century Roman Politics” at Luke 22:25.
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The temptation for abuse always lurks in the shadow of power. As John responded to the Roman soldiers who policed Jerusalem, he struck at three potential concerns:
1. Intimidation. If we use power to control people too weak or too afraid to push back, we will find ourselves surrounded by resentful people.
2. False accusations. If we use power to blame others when things go wrong, people will learn not to point out our mistakes—and sooner or later it will come back to bite us.
3. Discontent. If we use power for our own benefit, our appetite for control and selfish gain will never be satisfied.
More: The gospel’s power is the complete opposite of the selfish power that leads to intimidation, blame, and discontent. See “You Shall Receive Power” at Acts 1:8.
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Passages like this genealogy and its counterpart in Matthew 1:1–16 are important parts of Jesus’ story. By showing Jesus’ descent from King David, they establish His credentials as the Messiah. They also show that Jesus was fully human in addition to being fully God. While modern skeptics question Christ’s divinity, some in the first century doubted His full humanity. They wondered if He was an immaterial spirit, a “heavenly Jesus” who merely appeared to be human.
To answer that charge, Luke and others emphasized Jesus’ real-world roots. Luke and Matthew describe His infancy, for example, to prove that despite His miraculous conception, He was born just like any other flesh-and-blood human being. Luke highlights Jesus’ mother Mary and His earthly father Joseph. He also grounds the story in a precise moment of Roman and Jewish history (Luke 3:1, 2). Luke demonstrates that Jesus was not only the Son of God but also the Son of Man.
More: Compare Luke’s list of Jesus’ forebears with “Jesus’ Family Tree” at Matt. 1:1–16. See also “The Purpose of Genealogies” at Gen. 5:1 and “Genealogies: Records of God’s Grace” at 1 Chr. 1:29.
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The list of Jesus’ ancestors shows His direct connection to broken people, a reality that offers hope to all of us who are haunted by inherited pain. Early in the biblical record we find family members with profound problems:
• Adam (Luke 3:38) disobeyed God and lost his place in the perfect setting of the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3:23, 24).
• Seth (Luke 3:38) was conceived out of grief over the murder of one son and the alienation of another. His heartbroken mother saw him as a gift from God to ease the pain of her loss (Gen. 4:25).
• Noah (Luke 3:36) embarrassed his sons with his alcohol abuse, exposing himself during a drunken stupor (Gen. 9:20–23).
The people in Luke’s genealogy are more than names on a list. Each one was a real person with real problems, just like us.
More: Like Luke, Matthew begins his account of Jesus’ life with a family tree marked by scandal. See “The Women in Jesus’ Genealogy” at Matt. 1:3–6.
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For each of the temptations that Jesus faced there is an intriguing environmental backdrop. Satan enticed Him to sin in three distinct settings:
• In a desert (or wilderness) (Luke 4:1–4). The ancients believed that deserts were inhabited by spirits engaged in constant warfare. Some early church fathers even secluded themselves in desert caves to battle evil spirits and develop spiritual disciplines. Unfortunately, like some modern believers who go overboard in secluding themselves from “secular” culture, some of these early Christians fell out of touch with the everyday problems of the world outside. Centuries earlier, Israel had faced major difficulties in the desert. They rebelled against God and wandered the wastelands for forty years before entering the Promised Land, all because they failed to trust the Lord to protect them and provide for their needs (Num. 14:1–35). When we commit the same error today, we may find ourselves in an emotional or spiritual wasteland, wandering and weary until we turn our hearts back to God.
• On a mountain (Luke 4:5–8). In ancient times, mountains were riddled with idolatrous religious shrines. Since its earliest days, Israel had battled the dark lure of these places, sometimes unsuccessfully (see “The High Places” at Deut. 12:2). Christians today face similar temptations when we buy into the idea that we aren’t truly living if we aren’t continually seeking life’s peak experiences. As we chase thrill after thrill, each more exciting and extreme than the last, we run the risk of setting up idols in God’s place. By putting our desire for pleasure above our desire for God, we are worshiping whatever satisfies our craving.
• In a city (Luke 4:9–13). As they stood on the pinnacle of the temple, Satan bid Jesus to take command of the holy city of Jerusalem. Jerusalem and its temple were at the center of Israel’s spiritual life. Gaining power over the hearts and minds of those around us, especially in a place we love and revere, can tempt us to abuse that power by forcing others to bend to our will. But like Jesus, we should uphold people’s rights to make their own decisions. Jesus came to set people free, not to enslave them. They were already in bondage of sin. The world didn’t need a dictator. It needed a Savior.
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Satan promised Jesus authority over all the world’s kingdoms. The father of lies (John 8:44) spoke truthfully when he bragged, “This [authority] has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish” (Luke 4:6). Yet Satan neglected to mention who had given him that power. It was from God the Son Himself, who possesses authority over the entire universe (Col. 1:15–17).
Yet Jesus did not respond by claiming His rightful authority. And instead of focusing on the benefits of Satan’s offer, He responded to its cost: Satan demanded that Jesus reject His Father as the God who alone deserves worship.
Jesus felt real temptation, the same powerful lure toward evil that we struggle against. His response compels us to ask: When someone entices us with an offer that promises everything we might hope for, can we see past the upside to analyze the downside? The benefits may be attractive, but at what cost? If we are required in any way to compromise our Lord’s commands, values, or honor, then the price is simply too high. We need to respond as Jesus did: “Get behind Me, Satan!” (Luke 4:8).
More: Jesus’ temptation was a major event in His life and in His preparation for ministry. Matt. 4:1–11 and Mark 1:12, 13 also record the scene. Moses also confronted the “passing pleasures of sin,” but, like Jesus, he resisted (Heb. 11:24–26).
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1. Jesus is born at Bethlehem (Luke 2:1–7).
2. Joseph, Mary, and Jesus flee to Egypt to escape King Herod (Matt. 2:13–15).
3. Jesus grows up in Nazareth of Galilee, where His father is a carpenter (Matt. 2:19–23).
4. At age 12, Jesus makes a pilgrimage with His parents to the temple at Jerusalem, where He converses with teachers of the Law (Luke 2:41–50).
5. Jesus is baptized in the Jordan River by John the Baptist (Matt. 3:13–17; John 1:29–34).
6. Jesus goes into the wilderness for 40 days, where He is tested by Satan (Matt. 4:1–11).
7. Launching His ministry in Galilee, Jesus turns water into wine at Cana (John 2:1–11), preaches in His hometown synagogue at Nazareth (Luke 4:16–30), and performs healing miracles in and around Capernaum; His fame spreads as far north as Syria (Matt. 4:23–25).
8. Jesus calls twelve men to follow Him as His disciples (Luke 6:12–16) and delivers the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5–7; Luke 6:20–49).
9. Jesus brings His message to the Samaritan city of Sychar (John 4:1–42) and heals ten lepers from Samaria (Luke 17:11–19).
10. Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead at Bethany (John 11).
11. Jesus teaches in Jerusalem, where He is eventually arrested, tried, and crucified, but rises from the dead (Mark 14–16).
12. The Lord Jesus ascends to heaven from the Mount of Olives east of Jerusalem (Acts 1:9).
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Jesus launched His public ministry with a dramatic first sermon in the synagogue of His hometown, where He announced that God had chosen and anointed Him to preach the Good News (Luke 4:18; compare Is. 61:1, 2).
When Jesus said that the “acceptable year of the Lord” had arrived (Luke 4:19), He was referring to the Old Testament concept of the Year of Jubilee (Lev. 25:8–19). Every fifty years, the Israelites were to free slaves, cancel debts, and restore land to its original owners. Jesus communicated His intention to radically change people’s lives not only spiritually but also sociologically and economically.
Jesus’ claims startled His listeners for at least two reasons. First, He began by reminding His listeners of God’s target audience for the Good News: the poor, brokenhearted, imprisoned, blind, and oppressed. At first the people welcomed His message (Luke 4:22). They may have assumed that Jesus was speaking figuratively about them. But they soon began to question His right to make these claims. “We know this guy, don’t we?” they more or less said (4:22). “Isn’t He Joseph’s boy? Isn’t He one of us? How can He be the one to fulfill Isaiah’s prophecy?”
Jesus also shocked His neighbors when He praised a poor foreigner, a widow of Sidon (4:25, 26), demonstrating that God works outside of Israel and cares about women. Jesus was likewise impressed by God’s work in the Syrian general Naaman (4:27). Both cases indicated that prophets frequently had to bypass Israel in order to find people who were ready to respond to God.
This radical message disturbed the small-town community of Nazareth. As the synagogue’s delegate (see “The Synagogue” at Mark 1:21), the people must have loved the way young Jesus read the Scriptures. But they must also have been concerned about preserving orthodoxy and reversing the region’s reputation as the home of rebels and sinners who were either ignorant or disrespectful of the Law. Once Jesus’ neighbors caught His real meaning—that His heroes reached beyond the usual Jewish models—they rejected Him. In fact, in their rage they almost killed Him (Luke 4:28, 29).
How would we respond to similar situations today? Do we live for the status quo, or are we willing to rethink and even reinvent our ideas about who is welcome in God’s kingdom? As we ponder these questions, we should ask ourselves another: Is there anything more tragic than seeing Jesus pass through our midst and go on His way (4:30)?
More: Jesus had plenty to say about responding to the needy and broken around us. See “Evidence of God” at Matt. 11:2–6. There have been many great believers who went outside of their comfort zone to spread the gospel in foreign lands. To learn more about some of these missionaries and their stories, see the articles at the following pages: here for Ida Scudder; here for Mother Teresa; here for Lilias Trotter; here for Hudson Taylor; and here for Amy Carmichael.
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King Uzziah reigned over Judah for a span of fifty-two years, longer than any previous king of Judah or Israel. Wise and powerful, Uzziah extended the nation’s territory and ushered in a season of widespread prosperity. But his most significant achievement was that he sought to honor and obey God (2 Chr. 26:5).
Upon Uzziah’s death, the Lord appeared to Isaiah in a vision and warned that the nation would soon face His judgment. The Lord asked, “Whom shall I send [to give this message to the people]? And who will go for Us?” Isaiah replied, “Here am I! Send me” (Is. 6:8).
God sent Isaiah to Judah knowing that almost everyone would reject his message (6:10). Jesus found in the story of Isaiah’s call a foreshadowing of His own rejection by His peers (Matt. 13:14, 15). Yet the Lord must also have blessed Isaiah’s predictions: no other Old Testament prophet made as many references to the coming Messiah.
Many modern Christians often scoff at the idea that the Israelites were so unresponsive to their prophets’ messages. But it’s easy to judge other people’s mistakes, especially when we assume that the age of the prophets has long been over. But is it possible that we are as guilty as the Israelites in ignoring the voices of our generation? Prophecy is often more about speaking the truth than foretelling the future (see “The Purpose of Prophecy” at Is. 48:5). How do we respond when someone confronts us with a truth that is hard to swallow? Do we thank them kindly and mend our ways? Or do we stubbornly push them away?
More: Isaiah often portrayed the Messiah as a suffering servant, a role that Jesus fulfilled. See “The Suffering Christ” at Luke 24:27. Esther John, who was born a Muslim, converted to Christianity after reading God’s promise of a suffering servant in Is. 53. See here for an article on her life.
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The Spirit of the Lord Is Upon Us
When Jesus spoke to the hometown crowd of Nazareth, He declared “The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me,” applying an Old Testament prophecy to Himself (Is. 61:1, 2).
The promise said that the Messiah would arrive and do everything foretold in the ancient text. But the passage went on to describe another astonishing fact about the days after the Messiah’s initial work: “You shall be named the priests of the LORD, they shall call you the servants of our God” (61:6).
This would be a radical change. Ministry would no longer belong only to priests, rabbis, and other professional clergy. It would belong to all of God’s people. Just as the Spirit of the Lord enabled Jesus to accomplish God’s work, so the Spirit would empower His followers to act as God’s emissaries to the world.
God’s work is never accomplished entirely by people who draw a paycheck from a church or ministry. God has empowered all of us with His Spirit. But are we carrying out His assignments—or are we waiting for someone else to do the work?
More: Paul affirmed the idea of everyday believers carrying out the work of God in Eph. 4:12, 13. Likewise, Peter calls us “a royal priesthood” in 1 Pet. 2:9. Martin Luther set the Protestant Reformation in motion by promoting the idea in 1 Pet. 2:9, 10 of the priesthood of every believer—the right and responsibility of every Christian to read the Scriptures and teach others about the gospel. See here for an article on the life of Martin Luther.
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• The most important and prosperous city on the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee.
• Name means “Village of Nahum” (not the Old Testament prophet).
• Economic and political hub of the Galilee region in the first century A.D. Situated on a road from Jerusalem to Damascus near the border between the tetrarchies of Philip and Herod Antipas, it was a crossroads of international trade and commerce.
• Blessed with fertile land and a mild climate. The area grew date palms, walnut trees, olives, figs, wheat, and wildflowers. Bananas grow there today.
• Offered diverse options for employment: agriculture, trade, fishing, even tax collection, a lucrative but despised enterprise (Matt. 9:9–17).
• Center of Jesus’ Galilean ministry; called Jesus’ “own city” by Matthew (9:1, 2).
• Simon Peter and Andrew had a home there (Mark 1:29–31; Luke 4:38).
• Archaeological excavations have uncovered ruins of two synagogues built one over the other. The original synagogue was the one that existed in Jesus’ day. One block away is the foundation of an early church that excavators believe was built on the site of Peter’s house (Mark 1:9; 8:14; Luke 4:38), where Jesus often stayed while in Capernaum.
More: The densely populated Galilee region was prominent in the lives of Jesus and His closest followers. See Galilee’s profile at Mark 1:14.
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Jesus backed up His messianic claim by healing the sick, and His followers later used similar miracles to authenticate their message. Healing demonstrated Christ’s divine power over disease and infirmity. It also revealed God’s compassionate heart. The Great Physician and the apostles treated people coping with a wide variety of conditions:
Congenital Conditions or Disabilities
• paralytics (Matt. 9:1–8; Acts 9:32–35)
• the blind (Matt. 9:27–31; Mark 8:22–25; 10:46–52; Luke 7:21; 18:35–43; John 9:1–12)
• the mute (Matt. 9:32–34)
• an epileptic (17:14–21)
• a deaf and mute man (Mark 7:31–37)
• the lame (John 5:1–15; Acts 3:1–11; 14:8–10)
• a man with a deformed hand (Matt. 12:9–13)
• crowds of the lame, blind, mute, and maimed (15:30)
Chronic Diseases
• a woman suffering from chronic bleeding (Matt. 9:20–22)
• a leper (8:1–4; Luke 5:12–14; 17:11–17)
• a woman bent over with an eighteen-year infirmity (13:11–16)
• a man with dropsy (14:1–6)
Spiritual and Psychological Conditions
• the demon-possessed (Matt. 8:28–34; Mark 5:1–20; 9:14–29; Luke 4:33–37; 7:21; Acts 5:12–16; 16:16–18; 19:11, 12)
• a demon-possessed, blind, and mute man (Matt. 12:22)
Sickness
• some with unspecified sicknesses (14:34–36; Mark 1:32–34; Luke 4:40; 7:21; Acts 5:12–16; 19:11, 12)
• people afflicted with fever (Mark 1:29–31; John 4:46–54)
Death
• Jairus’s daughter (Mark 5:22–24, 35–43)
• the son of the widow of Nain (Luke 7:11–17)
• Lazarus (John 11:38–44)
• Tabitha of Joppa (Acts 9:36–43)
• Eutychus (20:9–12)
More: The Bible mentions more than 40 specific diseases and disabilities and frequently alludes to sickness and health issues. It accepts that health issues are universal, inescapable, and problematic. See “Medical Miracles” at John 9:1–41.
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On the Sea of Galilee, fishing was big business. This famous body of water eight miles wide and thirteen miles long lay beside a fertile plain. Nine cities crowded its shorelines in Jesus’ day, each with no fewer than fifteen thousand citizens. The region’s total population may have surpassed that of Jerusalem.
The names of the Galilean towns reflect the fishing industry’s importance to the life and economy of the area. For example, at Tarichaea, another name for Magdala that means “The Place of Salt Fish,” workers packed their catches for shipment to Jerusalem and export to Rome. Bethsaida—a place where at least four fishermen left their nets to follow Jesus (Matt. 4:18–22; John 1:44)—means “House of Fishing.” Most of the town was employed in the fishing industry.
Shoals just offshore were a fisherman’s dream. Hundreds of fishing boats trawled the lake, and Galileans ate little meat besides fish. It came highly salted, since there was no other way of preserving a catch.
Two kinds of nets were used—the sagēnē and the amphiblēstron. The sagēnē (Matt. 13:47) was larger. Fitted with both weighted and buoyant material, it stood almost upright in water and bagged fish as it was dragged behind a boat. The smaller amphiblēstron was shaped like an umbrella and cast off the side of a boat (compare Mark 1:16).
The fisherman’s day did not end when he returned to shore. Washing and mending nets, preserving fish, maintaining boats and supplies, training and supervising crews, and negotiating with merchants and others in the shipping industry made for long, tiring hours.
More: Even though several of Jesus’ disciples came from Bethsaida, He denounced the community for its lack of faith. See Bethsaida’s profile at Mark 6:45.
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Throughout the era of both the Old and New Testaments, leprosy was thought to be highly contagious and hereditary. It was regarded as divine punishment for sin, although specific biblical examples were rare (two exceptions include Miriam, Num. 12:9, 10; and Uzziah, 2 Chr. 26:16–23). The Law described leprosy’s diagnosis and treatment (Lev. 13). If a priest detected suspicious symptoms—pimples, scabs, sores, nodules, or white spots on the skin—he ordered a seven-day quarantine of the infected person to protect the rest of the society. If the symptoms did not fade away within a week, another week of quarantine was prescribed.
Weeks could drag into months and months into years. The quarantined became social outcasts who lived outside the Israelite camp. They fended for themselves as best they could. Some may have received occasional supplies from relatives, but most were reduced to begging.
Those who actually had the dreaded disease slowly wasted away. As the disease deadened sensation, lepers easily injured themselves without feeling pain, leading to deformity and “flesh … half-consumed” (Num. 12:12) and eventually, death.
Quarantines never cured a leper. Without modern preventive medicine and treatments, the people had to rely on God’s intervention. He healed Moses (Ex. 4:6, 7), Miriam (Num. 12:11–15), and Naaman (2 Kin. 5:1–15) to reveal His power and call people to follow Him. When Jesus healed lepers, He likewise demonstrated His character and power and caused people to turn to Him.
Sulfone drugs and better hygiene make leprosy relatively rare today. Now known as Hansen’s Disease, the once-dreaded malady has been virtually eliminated in developed nations. Elsewhere, however, some people do continue to contract the disease and are even forced to live in “leper colonies,” sometimes for life, even after they have been cured.
Every modern society, developed or not, still maintains an unwritten code against people it pushes to the margins. The disease of leprosy may be a minor issue compared to the past, but we still find plenty of reasons to create outcasts. The term social leper says it all. But there is no room for the high and mighty in God’s kingdom. If we want to show Jesus that we are serious about our faith, we must show unfettered compassion to “the least of these” (Matt. 25:31–46).
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Lord of the Sacred and the Secular
The Sabbath was so sacred to the Pharisees that they criticized Jesus and His friends grabbing a handful of grain, an act that violated their uncompromising view of separation between rest and work. Jesus countered by reminding them that King David and his warriors once entered the temple and ate the ceremonial showbread (compare 1 Sam. 21:1–6).
Jesus challenged the Pharisees’ view of holiness. More significantly, He also established Himself as the Lord of the Sabbath and of all creation (Luke 6:5; Col. 1:15–18). As Lord, He was free to determine what was permitted on the Sabbath day of rest. He could not be boxed in by subjective categories of the sacred and the secular. He is Lord of all.
Jesus is Lord of every part of life we consciously dedicate to Him—and every part of life that we don’t. He is Master of everyone and everything in all times and places. It is not possible for one particular day or person or thing to be more sacred than any another, because all belongs to Him. We might try to limit His authority, but His sovereignty is boundless and absolute.
More: Johannes Kepler recognized Christ’s lordship when he studied astronomy—what some might consider a “secular” field. See here for an article on the life of Johannes Kepler.
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A hike through a grain field turned unpleasant when Jesus and His disciples came across some Pharisees. Always scrutinizing others for infractions of their rules, they objected to the disciples “harvesting” grain in violation of the Sabbath. They did not care that the men were hungry, or that a handful of grain amounted to nothing more than a snack.
The Pharisees had lost sight of the Law’s intent and took upon themselves the impossible task of earning God’s favor through moral perfectionism. The more they labored to keep the Law, the more they became wrapped up in an ever-expanding list of man-made rules. They ripped Scripture out of context or added their own interpretations in order to judge others by their unattainable standards. Because the Pharisees lacked any understanding of God’s compassion and grace, they had no room for even normal behavior like satisfying hunger.
Jesus challenged the Pharisees with the same Scriptures they claimed to honor (Luke 6:3, 4). Matthew records that He confronted their most basic attitudes, pointing out that they loved tradition more than the mercy that God values (Matt. 12:7). But the critics only seemed to harden in their legalism, continuing to stalk Jesus on another Sabbath as He visited one of their synagogues (Luke 6:6, 7).
Intolerant legalists might be the hardest people of all to reach with the message of God’s love. Jesus never won the Pharisees over as a group. But neither did He allow their abuse of Scripture to go unchallenged. He calls us to demonstrate love above all—even to people who value rules and being right more than they value mercy. There is a chance we may win some of them over to God’s grace and freedom in Christ.
More: No one knows for sure why God favored Abel’s sacrifice over Cain’s, but one possibility is that Cain’s offering was motivated by a spiritually empty preoccupation with ritual whereas Abel’s heartfelt offering embraced the meaning behind it—our need for atonement for our sins. Read the story of Cain and Abel at Gen. 4:1–15. One Pharisee who did respond to the gospel was Saul of Tarsus, who went on to become Paul, one of Christianity’s most important evangelists and theologians, and author of numerous letters of the New Testament. Read about his dramatic conversion at Acts 9:1–22. See also “Saul Becomes Paul” at Acts 13:9.
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• Major sister cities and seaports about 20 miles apart on the Mediterranean coast in Phoenicia (modern-day Lebanon), north of Galilee.
• Tyre (“Rock”) encompassed both a rocky coastal city on the mainland and a small island city just offshore; Sidon (“Fishery”) was built on a hill and stretched across several small islands connected by bridges.
• Resisted conquest and introduced pagan practices to Israel.
• Frequently denounced by Hebrew prophets.
• Famous for shipping and shipbuilding (see “The Phoenicians” at 2 Chr. 9:21), fishing, purple (an expensive dye; see “The Trade in Purple” at Acts 16:14), masonry, carpentry, pottery, and glassware.
• Mentioned by Jesus as a warning to His Jewish listeners: had Tyre and Sidon received the attention that Jesus paid to cities like Chorazin and Capernaum, their pagan citizens would have turned to God (Luke 10:13–16).
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Old Testament law commanded Hebrews to love their neighbors (Lev. 19:18), but Jesus challenged His followers to love even their enemies. Later, a lawyer would ask Him, “Who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:29). Here we might wonder, “Who are our enemies?”
Christians might picture enemies as people we find unpleasant or simply dislike. But Jesus meant something far stronger. He was talking about people we truly despise or who despise us. People who have harmed us or stolen from us or actively pursued our destruction. People we consider repulsive, frightening, or even inhuman.
Jesus’ listeners knew exactly what, even who, He was talking about. A huge crowd had gathered (6:17) that included Gentiles from the seacoast cities of Tyre and Sidon. For generations these centers of Baal-worship had tempted God’s people with idolatrous ideas and practices. Also present were troops of the Roman occupation, men who exploited the Jews through political manipulation and oppressive taxation.
So it was immediately clear to the crowd that their enemies were those likely to curse and shame them (6:28), strike and rob them (6:29), or exploit them and never look back (6:30). “Love your enemies,” Jesus told them. Love those you hate and those who hate you.
More: Jesus addressed the issue of loving one’s neighbor on another occasion. See “Love Every Neighbor” at Luke 10:27–37. Corrie ten Boom embraced Jesus’ command to love her enemies, even forgiving a former prison guard from the concentration camp where she had been imprisoned during WWII, after recognizing him at a church service. See here for an article on the life of Corrie ten Boom.
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Because Jesus often made strong statements with stark contrasts, it is tempting for us to dig for exceptions and qualifications to soften what He said. But we may end up distorting His message or missing His point altogether.
Jesus never told us to enable abusive people. He was not setting a political agenda or social policy. He was not mandating a model for business and finance. He instead posed a straightforward yet tough challenge to His followers, those “who hear” (Luke 6:27): He wants to know if our relationship with Him makes a difference in how we react to people in need. Our response reveals our hearts. Do we meet needy people with mercy, as God Himself does? (6:36).
It is easy to love those who love us (6:32). It is simple to give when we know we will get back (6:34). But God loves people who do not love Him, and He gives to those who will never bother to thank Him (6:35).
God mercifully sees the needs of His enemies, and meets them. But do we? When faced with people in genuine need, do we pause to judge their character? Do we calibrate our response based on whether we approve or disapprove of their lifestyle, their appearance, or their apparent moral choices? Or do we simply see their needs and then do what we can to meet them?
We may question how far Jesus expects us to go in carrying out His commands in Luke 6:29, 30. But we can be sure that God never stops showing mercy. That is a truth we need to take literally, finding practical ways to pass His mercy along to those in need.
More: Jesus’ words sometimes sound extreme to our ears. For help making sense of them, see “The Morality of Christ” at Matt. 5:17–48.
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• Town in southwest Galilee overlooking the Plain of Esdraelon.
• Name means “Delightful.” A spring and groves of olive and fig trees were part of the pleasant view.
• A small village today that was likely much larger at the time of Christ’s visit.
• Located near numerous caves and tombs.
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Almost every society in biblical times had a large underclass, people struggling just to survive. Often congregating in the cities, they were the poor, sick, disabled, blind, insane, or demon-possessed. They were widows, orphans, lepers, runaways, outcasts, and refugees. Few cultures provided for the destitute, and they remained largely powerless to improve their condition. Many resorted to begging, stealing, slavery, and prostitution to meet their basic needs.
Jesus intentionally directed much of His life and ministry to people like these. In His inaugural sermon at Nazareth, He declared that He had come to bring them the gospel (Luke 4:17, 18). In the opening of His Sermon on the Mount, He counted them among the “blessed” (Matt. 5:3–10). So it was no surprise that when John’s disciples came to ask whether He was indeed the Messiah, they found Him ministering among the underclass (Luke 7:20, 21).
The early church continued this pattern. They used their resources to meet material needs among their members (Acts 2:44, 45; 4:32, 34, 35). They attracted the sick and afflicted (5:12–16). They appointed leaders to create and manage food distribution programs for widows (6:1–6). They donated famine relief (11:27–30). They urged new leaders to remember the poor (Gal. 2:10). They even evaluated their success in part by how much they were able to collect for the purpose of making charitable contributions (Rom. 15:26, 27).
Our world’s population is swelling with an underclass of people on the edge of survival. God wants us to imitate Jesus and the early Christians in offering them good news. We can bring healing to their bodies and minds and souls, but only if we take their plight as seriously as our Savior did.
More: Evangeline Booth and Mother Teresa and were two believers who devoted their lives to serving the underclass. See here for an article on the life of Evangeline Booth, and here for an article on the life of Mother Teresa.
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Jesus said that people could recognize Him as the Messiah in part because “the poor have the gospel preached to them.” So what exactly is the gospel? Why did it matter that Jesus preached it? And what did it have to do with the poor?
The Greek word translated gospel means “good news.” From a New Testament point of view, the ultimate good news is that Jesus Christ has come as the Messiah, the Savior of the world. He has lived, died, and risen from the dead to rescue people from sin and bring them back to God.
The Good News
The Good News is God’s answer to some truly bad news. Apart from His intervention, the world would be without hope. As Paul declared in Romans, his monumental explanation of the gospel, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). The price of our sin is death, not just the death of our physical bodies but the spiritual death of unending separation from God (Rom. 6:23). But God does not leave us to suffer in our sins. Paul writes, “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (5:8). And Christ rose from the dead so that we can live anew (6:4).
The facts of Christ’s death and resurrection are the core of the gospel message. They ground the message in real-world events (1 Cor. 15:1–4). Of course, when John the Baptist’s followers asked whether Jesus was the Christ, He had not yet gone to the cross. But His message of the kingdom was nevertheless good news. It proved that God was finally bringing the salvation He had promised in the Old Testament. Jesus’ coming was like an emergency team arriving at the scene of an accident. The situation was not yet resolved, but the remedy was near.
The Gospel for the Poor
Jesus said that His message was especially good news for the poor (Luke 7:22). In Nazareth, He had told the congregation of His hometown synagogue that He had come “to preach the gospel to the poor” (4:18). In the Sermon on the Mount, He told the poor they were blessed, “for yours is the kingdom of God” (6:20).
Jesus heralded an upside-down kingdom. While the world is constructed to benefit the privileged and powerful, His kingdom was meant for the destitute, wretched, broken, and hopeless, to anyone stripped of dignity and self-respect. The “poor in spirit” (Matt. 5:3) were not merely the humble. They were the humiliated, people whose spirits had been crushed by their circumstances.
For Jesus, the poor were easy to spot. They were widows and orphans, slaves and prisoners, the sick and demon-possessed, the homeless and the hungry. Today we could add those who grieve the loss of a loved one or the end of a marriage, those who cannot find work, or those who have been victimized by crime or injustice.
To all of these Jesus preached the Good News. He invited them to become a part of a new family, a new community, the church. The rich are invited as well, but as in the parable of the wedding feast (22:2–14), many reject the offer, feeling they are able to care for their own needs.
People accept Christ’s invitation by believing in His work on the cross on their behalf. He requires more than mere intellectual assent to a theoretical truth. They must admit their sinful condition and trust in His death as atonement for their sin. They choose to enter into an ongoing relationship with the living Christ Himself.
The Purpose of the Gospel
When people believe, Christ begins to mold them together into a community of faith, the body of Christ (Eph. 2:1—3:11; 1 Pet. 2:9, 10). The ultimate purpose of the gospel is to create a people who live out the message, relationships, and values of His kingdom—a kingdom where justice wins out over injustice, community supersedes egoism, and compassion reigns over competition.
The gospel is therefore more than a private relationship with God. It is also a public expression of godliness. The good news about Jesus affects our personal lives by transforming our attitudes and habits. It challenges us to look beyond our self-interests to the needs of others within our existing network and beyond (Rom. 12:3–8; Eph. 4:1–16; Phil. 2:1–11). Embracing the gospel means living no longer for self but for Christ.
Spreading the Gospel
Jesus never intended for His people to keep the Good News to themselves. He commissioned His followers to spread the news about Him throughout the world. This happens both through the proclamation of the gospel with words and through the proof of the gospel in actions. The Good News spreads through preaching and teaching, through Christian worship and spiritual disciplines, through acts of mercy, and through living out a higher and healthier standard of morality (see “Faith Impacts the World” at Mark 16:15, 16).
The Four Gospels
During the second century, the term “gospel” came to mean the authoritative message about Jesus left by the apostles, especially the four written accounts of His life and teaching: the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Mark was probably the first to be written. All are far more than biographies of a historical figure; each portrays the Lord in a unique light, revealing His offer of salvation to all people and His call to respond in faith to His good news.
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A No-Holds-Barred Kind of Love
The incident in Luke 7:36–50 pitted a respectable Pharisee, Simon, against a disreputable, unnamed woman. Luke describes her as a “sinner” (Luke 7:37), a term applied to people who failed to keep ritual law as well as those who flaunted moral law.
How the woman made her way into Simon’s feast is unclear. But the religious leader was probably forbidden to even talk to her due to extensive Jewish laws codified in the first century to ensure moral purity. Many men saw women as sexual aggressors eager to snare unsuspecting men. Jewish men in general and teachers in particular—men such as Simon and Jesus—were to have nothing to do with women.
Jesus knew how the woman had lived. He accepted her anyway, violating taboos against speaking with her or allowing her to touch Him. In return, she did for Jesus what Simon the host should have done. She gave a kiss of welcome, washed His feet, and anointed His skin. These comforts were more than symbolic. They were practical expressions of love.
Jesus sends us every day into a world full of individuals that some religious people consider off-limits for conversation, friendship, or partnership in common causes. We should look for ways to break past these needless taboos so we can go wherever Jesus’ love is needed.
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The Bible’s frequently overlooked revelation that many women were among Jesus’ followers shakes up conventional ideas about our Lord and His disciples. Several of these female followers appear by name:
• Mary Magdalene (Matt. 27:56; Mark 15:40; Luke 8:2; 24:10). Invariably mentioned first, she had been dramatically healed by Jesus and may have been His most prominent female follower.
• Joanna the wife of Chuza (8:3; 24:10). Chuza managed the king’s household, giving Joanna access to Herod’s court (see “The Herods” at Acts 12:1, 2).
• Susanna (Luke 8:3).
• Mary the mother of James and Joses (Matt. 27:56; Mark 15:40; 24:10).
• Salome (15:40).
• The mother of James and John (Matt. 27:56). She is remembered for pressing Jesus to let her sons sit in favored positions in His kingdom (20:20–24).
The Gospels clearly state that “many” other women followed Jesus (27:55; Mark 15:41; Luke 8:3; 24:1). They provided financial support for Jesus and the Twelve, an intriguing detail, given that Jewish women usually had little control over family resources. Strict codes kept male leaders at a distance from women, so that women rarely traveled with teachers (see “Welcoming Women into the Kingdom” at Luke 23:49). Rabbis were forbidden to speak even to their wives in public.
Jesus apparently thought little of these restrictions, and nothing indicates that He discouraged women from following Him. They listened to His teaching, accompanied Him in His travels, stood by Him at His crucifixion, testified to His resurrection, and helped spread His message throughout the Roman world.
More: Two sisters named Mary and Martha also played major roles in Jesus’ life. Read Luke 10:38–42 and John 11:1—12:7. For more on the importance of women in Jesus’ life, see “The Women Around Jesus” at John 19:25. Women played a major role in the early church. See “Women and the Growth of Christianity” at Phil. 4:3. See also the articles under “Women” in the Themes to Study index. To learn about some important but lesser known female followers of Christ in history, see the articles on the lives of Jane Edna Hunter (here), Josephine Bakhita (here), Ida Scudder (here), A. Wetherell Johnson (here), Lilias Trotter (here), and Mary McLeod Bethune (here).
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The Gospels mention Mary of Magdala more than any other female disciple, possibly because of the extraordinary transformation the Lord worked in her life by casting out seven demons. She responded by supporting His ministry and joining several other women who traveled with Him (Luke 8:1–3).
Mary’s loyalty proved unwavering to the end. While the Twelve fled after Jesus’ arrest, Mary stood by at His crucifixion (Matt. 27:56; Mark 15:40; John 19:25), and she helped prepare His body for burial (Matt. 27:61; Mark 15:47; Luke 23:55). Perhaps it was as a reward for her undying devotion that the Lord chose her as the first person to meet Him after His resurrection (Mark 16:9–10; John 20:14–18).
Curiously, however, the disciples refused to believe Mary’s report of the risen Lord, dismissing it as an “idle tale” (Luke 24:11; Mark 16:11). Their skepticism may have betrayed lingering doubts about the credibility of a woman who had been possessed by seven demons. Jewish culture also raised its men to regard a woman’s testimony as little better than worthless.
Nevertheless, Jesus chose Mary to report the good news of His resurrection to His other followers. Later, He rebuked them for their unwillingness to believe her (16:14). Because of Jesus, Mary was a changed person. She was also a reliable witness, having proven her trustworthiness by persevering even as others doubted.
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Also known as: Mary Magdalene.
Home: Raised in Magdala, a large city on the Sea of Galilee.
Best known for: Being freed from seven demons by Jesus and becoming one of His most devoted followers.
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Healing Through Heartache
Like the women who followed Jesus (Luke 8:1–3) and the female leaders of the early church (Acts 16:13–15; 40; 18:26; 21:8, 9), Anne Bradstreet (1612–1672) was a passionate disciple of Jesus who found herself pressed into new challenges that tested her commitment and determination.
Bradstreet was born in a castle in Northhampton, England, to Thomas and Dorothy Dudley. Most women of her era received little or no education, but her father and others enthusiastically tutored her in history, literature, and languages. Her father’s position as steward for the earl of Lincoln also gave her entrée to the estate’s well-equipped library, exposing her to the works of many great authors.
At age sixteen, Anne married Simon Bradstreet, then twenty-five. Her cultured upbringing did not prepare her for the hardships she would encounter on her voyage to the New World with her parents and husband two years later, part of a large Puritan migration. The three-month journey took many lives. More perished after arrival, and many survivors chose to return to England. Bradstreet’s father became deputy governor of Boston, and her husband became the settlement’s chief administrator and later its governor.
Life in the New World was dangerous and primitive, but Bradstreet adjusted. She later confessed in a letter to her children, “I changed my condition and was married, and came into this country, where I found a new world and new manners, at which my heart rose [in anger]. But after I was convinced it was the way of God, I submitted to it and joined to the church at Boston.”
Bradstreet fulfilled all the duties expected of her as a Puritan wife and mother—she bore eight children after a period of great personal anxiety that she might never have any—but she also found time to write poetry. She intended for her verse to be read only by a close circle of family and friends; it was considered unseemly—even ungodly—for a woman to study or share her thoughts. But Bradstreet’s brother-in-law John Woodbridge took a copy of her work to England and had it published in 1650 under the title The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung Up in America, making Bradstreet the first female poet published in both England and the New World.
Despite frequent poor health, Bradstreet’s poetry is characterized by the delights of daily life, including the joy she experienced in her relationships with her husband and children. In “To My Dear and Loving Husband,” Bradstreet expresses both romantic love and spiritual longing:
If ever two were one, then surely we,
If ever man were loved by wife, then thee.
If ever wife was happy in a man,
Compare with me, ye women, if you can.
I prize thy love more than whole mines of gold,
Of all the riches that the East doth hold.
My love is such that rivers cannot quench,
Nor ought but love from thee give recompense.
Thy love is such I can no way repay;
The heavens reward thee manifold I pray.
Then, while we live, in love let’s so persevere,
That when we live no more we may live ever.
Tragedy struck the Bradstreets when their home burned to the ground in 1666, destroying all of their personal belongings. But it was due to times of hardship that Anne Bradstreet found her heart “enlarged in thankfulness.” Toward the end of her life she reflected, “I have been with God like an untoward child, that no longer than the rod has been on my back (or at least in sight) but I have been apt to forget him and myself too. Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep thy statutes” (compare Ps. 119:67).
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Parable: A Lamp Under a Basket
Matthew: 5:14–16
Parable: A Wise Man Builds on Rock and a Foolish Man Builds on Sand
Matthew: 7:24–27
Luke: 6:47–49
Parable: Unshrunk (New) Cloth on an Old Garment
Matthew: 9:16
Mark: 2:21
Luke: 5:36
Parable: New Wine in Old Wineskins
Matthew: 9:17
Mark: 2:22
Parable: The Sower
Matthew: 13:3–23
Mark: 4:2–20
Luke: 8:4–15
Parable: The Tares (Weeds)
Matthew: 13:24–30
Parable: The Mustard Seed
Mark: 4:30–32
Parable: The Leaven
Matthew: 13:33
Parable: The Hidden Treasure
Matthew: 13:44
Parable: The Pearl of Great Price
Parable: The Dragnet
Matthew: 13:47–50
Parable: The Lost Sheep
Matthew: 18:12–14
Luke: 15:3–7
Parable: The Unforgiving Servant
Matthew: 18:23–35
Parable: The Laborers in the Vineyard
Matthew: 20:1–16
Parable: The Two Sons
Matthew: 21:28–32
Parable: The Wicked Vinedressers
Matthew: 21:33–45
Mark: 12:1–12
Luke: 20:9–19
Parable: The Wedding Feast
Matthew: 22:2–14
Parable: The Fig Tree
Matthew: 24:32–44
Mark: 13:28–32
Luke: 21:29–33
The Wise and Foolish Virgins
Matthew: 25:1–13
Parable: The Talents
Matthew: 25:14–30
Parable: The Growing Seed
Mark: 4:26–29
Parable: The Absent Householder
Mark: 13:33–37
Parable: The Creditor and Two Debtors
Luke: 7:41–43
Parable: The Good Samaritan
Luke: 10:30–37
Parable: A Friend in Need
Luke: 11:5–13
Parable: The Rich Fool
Luke: 12:16–21
Parable: The Watchful Servants
Luke: 12:35–40
Parable: The Faithful Servant and the Evil Servant
Luke: 12:42–48
Parable: The Barren Fig Tree
Luke: 13:6–9
Parable: The Great Supper
Luke: 14:16–24
Parable: Building a Tower and a King Making War
Luke: 14:25–35
Parable: The Lost Coin
Luke: 15:8–10
Parable: The Lost Son
Luke: 15:11–32
Parable: The Unjust Steward
Luke: 16:1–13
Parable: The Rich Man and Lazarus
Luke: 16:19–31
Parable: Unprofitable Servants
Luke: 17:7–10
Parable: The Persistent Widow
Luke: 18:1–8
Parable: The Pharisee and the Tax Collector
Luke: 18:9–14
Parable: The Minas
Luke: 19:11–27
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Several of Jesus’ disciples were professional fishermen well-acquainted with the sometimes brutal storms on the Sea of Galilee. But they must have never seen a storm the likes of that recorded in Luke 8, for these experienced sailors turned in terror to the Lord, sure that they were about to die. When Jesus calmed the sea, fear gave way to awe.
Dangerous storms still occur on the Sea of Galilee due to the gale-force winds churned up by the surrounding landscape. Seven hundred feet below sea level, the lake is fed by rivers that have cut deep ravines into plains that are in turn hedged in by mountains. The ravines act like wind tunnels, gathering cooler air from the mountains as it crosses the plains. When the air mass collides with the hot lakeshore, violent storms whip up without warning.
More: The Sea of Galilee’s violent storms were generally caused by the west wind, which brought rain from the Mediterranean. But ancient Palestine’s strongest winds came from the desert that lay to the east. See “The Four Winds” at Ps. 48:7. Jesus carried out most of His ministry near the Sea of Galilee. See the maps at “Jesus’ Galilean Ministry” at Matt 4:25 and at “The Sermon on the Mount” at Matt. 5:1, 2.
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The man that Jesus set free from demons was most likely a Gentile from the city of Gadara. Jesus sent him home to tell family and friends about God’s power and grace, possibly making him the first known Gentile evangelist. Learn more about Gadara in “The City of the Dead” at Mark 5:1–20.
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Jesus recruited the Twelve and invested them with power and authority. After they returned from their first assignment, He pulled them aside to debrief. As the story continued to unfold, the Twelve made eight mistakes that we might be tempted to assume would disqualify them from leadership:
1. They were short-sighted. When a crowd eager to meet Jesus interrupted their retreat, they had trouble seeing past their limited resources (Luke 9:12, 13).
2. They fell asleep—literally—at a crucial moment of opportunity. When Jesus met with Moses and Elijah, two of the greatest leaders in Israel’s history, Peter, James, and John were caught napping (9:28–32).
3. They overvalued the status quo. Peter tried to cling to a spiritual experience rather than move on to the next thing Jesus had in store (9:33–36).
4. They capitulated to fear. They witnessed the healing of an epileptic boy but were too afraid to ask questions to clear up their confusion (9:43–45).
5. They fought for position and privilege instead of practicing servanthood. Their agenda directly conflicted with Jesus’ treatment of children and “the least” (9:46–48).
6. They were consumed with feuding. Faced with a rival teacher, the disciples claimed an exclusive connection to God. But Jesus instead welcomed anyone who served God in His name (9:49, 50).
7. They wanted to kill off the opposition. When their ethnic enemies became inhospitable, the Twelve turned vicious. Jesus responded with one of His strongest rebukes (9:51–56).
8. They bit off more than they could chew. His followers overstated their commitment and failed to deliver on their promises (9:57–62).
Despite these shortcomings, Jesus continued to prepare the Twelve. Even though they were weak, competitive, self-centered, unrealistic about themselves, and insensitive to others, Jesus kept training them as servant-leaders. His hopes were not brought to fruition until after His death and resurrection. The proof of His efforts shines in Acts, where Luke shows how God empowers ordinary people—like the Twelve, and like us—to do His work. Jesus went to enormous lengths to raise up leaders, and Luke 9 was just the beginning of the story.
More: For more on the twelve men that Jesus chose to spread His message, see “The Twelve” at Matt. 10:2. For more on how Jesus stuck with His struggling disciples and what that means for us, see “Unlikely Leaders” at Matt. 26:35–74.
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Jesus challenges us to look hard at the bottom line of our lives. Each of us will give a final accounting for how we have spent our lives, and He makes it clear that we can be highly successful from a human point of view and yet end up spiritually impoverished. We might think we are turning a clean profit by achieving wealth and status. But our success may have come at the expense of our families, or by lying to customers, cheating on deals, or running over others to advance ourselves. In these things and others, we may have drifted away from God by leaving Him out of our lives. We might deceive ourselves into thinking we have gained it all, when we will ultimately lose everything.
More: Jesus had more to say about what matters to God in the parable of the talents. See “Quality, Not Quantity” at Matt. 25:14–30.
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Fueled by their prejudice against the Samaritans (John 4:9), Jews commonly bypassed their land by journeying along the east bank of the Jordan River. But traveling south from Galilee to Jerusalem, Jesus and His disciples headed straight through Samaria (Luke 9:52). Jesus deliberately chose the more direct route, as if He welcomed a fight.
Confrontation erupted at the first village. The Samaritans did not want Jesus or His followers there, and the disciples surely did not want to be there. Insulted by the Samaritans’ rejection of Jesus, the disciples offered to call down fire from heaven. They argued that Elijah had done as much.
Centuries of ethnic hatred and bitterness nearly lit the flame of violence. No wonder Jesus emphatically rebuked His followers. He saw that they were blinded by their presumed religious and ethnic superiority. So He reminded them of His mission. He had come not to destroy people but to save them—including the Samaritans.
Christians today may react with condemnation rather than compassion toward people of another ethnicity or ideology. Our differences sometimes arise from legitimate concerns. But if we want to push people out of view or somehow eliminate them from a situation in order to reinforce our ethnic, moral, theological, or spiritual superiority, then we deserve the rebuke that Jesus gave the Twelve: “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of” (9:55). As we read in John 3:17, “God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”
More: Jesus would soon utter a memorable lesson relating to Samaritans. See “Love Every Neighbor” at Luke 10:27–37. For more on the ethnic tension between Samaritans and the Jews, see “Jews and Samaritans” at John 4:9.
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Jesus had good reason not to delegate His work to others. When it came to spreading news of His kingdom, He had every right to lack confidence in His followers. He had witnessed their failings firsthand (Luke 9:10–50; see also “Discipleship Is a Process” at Luke 9:1–62). Yet He still sent out seventy workers to preach and heal on His behalf (10:1, 16).
Jesus affirmed that investing in other people is the most important task of any manager. He gave the seventy detailed instructions before sending them off (10:2–12). But He was just as concerned about their growth as He was that the job got done in a specific way.
Jesus accomplished everything He came to do. He hardly needed seventy raw recruits to help Him. But His movement would grow only if His followers held real responsibility. The seventy returned “with joy,” energized by their experiences (10:17). They would never be the same again.
Delegation is hard. But as often as we have the chance to let others lend a hand, we have an opportunity to create something much bigger than we could accomplish on our own. Our job is not just to give an assignment but to give authority to get the job done—even if it means seeing it done their way instead of ours.
More: Moses learned to value delegation after receiving some wise advice from his father-in-law Jethro. See “Practical Principles for Leadership” at Ex. 18:13–23.
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Jesus visited Capernaum after performing His first miracle at nearby Cana (John 2:1–12), and His ministry in Capernaum fulfilled Old Testament prophecy concerning the Messiah (Is. 9:1; Matt. 4:13–15). Jesus wanted the people of Capernaum to embrace His message with wholehearted faith. They were in bondage to the Romans, to their economic systems, to petty political factions, and to their religious traditions. They were also in bondage to sin. Jesus longed for them to turn to Him for salvation and use their strategic location to reflect His light to the surrounding peoples.
Despite the many miracles He performed in the area, the majority of Galileans were unresponsive to His warnings to repent (4:17). In the end, Jesus denounced Capernaum, along with its neighbors Chorazin and Bethsaida (11:23, 24), prophesying that they would all come to ruin (Luke 10:13–15). His words were fulfilled when the prosperous city was destroyed during the Jewish-Roman war of A.D. 66–70. Rebuilt later as a center of Judaism, Capernaum was destroyed forever by the Arabs in the seventh century.
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We might be quick to excuse ourselves from helping others in need by thinking …
“There’s no reason I should get involved.”
“I have no idea how to help someone with that problem.”
“I don’t speak their language.”
“I don’t feel safe around them.”
“Those people are strangers, and I have no obligation to them.”
But the truth is that Scripture doesn’t let us off that easily. Even if we can’t help every needy person we stumble upon, the lawyer’s restatement of Leviticus 19:18 (Luke 10:27) and Jesus’ response (10:28) make it clear that we do, in fact, have an obligation to anyone in need, including those who seem strange to us.
Jericho, the city named by Jesus in His parable of the Good Samaritan (10:30), is one of the world’s oldest cities, believed to have been inhabited for thousands of years. In Jesus’ day it was notorious as the stomping ground of robbers and thieves, who would set up camp nearby and plunder travelers along the narrow, winding mountain road up to Jerusalem.
Descending through rugged terrain, the route was ideal for ambushes, with plenty of hiding places for bandits and little likelihood of help for their unfortunate victims. When the man in Jesus’ story found himself beaten, bleeding, and naked on the side of the road, no one stopped to assist him, not even a priest who was passing by. Finally, a despised Samaritan came to his aid. He bandaged his wounds, set him on his animal (perhaps a donkey or a camel, though also possibly a horse), took him to an inn, and took care of him, covering all of the expenses and promising to cover any future ones.
The story speaks to violent crime, ethnic hostility, and the propensity of religious people to hurry through life doing spiritual things but failing to engage in others’ urgent, practical needs.
The Jewish priest and the Levite excused themselves from assisting the half-dead stranger. But the Samaritan—the good neighbor—went out of his way not only to meet the victim’s immediate physical needs but also to restore his dignity, make him feel valued, and ensure his continued care by committing to follow up with the innkeeper. His example invites us to begin seeing the countless victims all around us as opportunities to become agents of God’s mercy and love in a hands-on kind of way. How can we follow Jesus’ command to “go and do likewise” (10:37)?
The parable of the Good Samaritan began with the lawyer’s self-justifying question, “Who is my neighbor?” (10:29). But Jesus turned the question around: “Which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?” (10:36). Thus the question is not “Who is my neighbor?” but rather “How am I a neighbor to others?”
More: Jesus commands us to love our neighbors and also to love our enemies. See “Loving Our Enemies” at Luke 6:27–31. For more on the deep-seated animosity that existed between Jews and Samaritans, see “Jews and Samaritans” at John 4:9. The social activist Toyohiko Kagawa often pointed to the parable of the Good Samaritan as a picture of real-life faith. See here for an article on the life of this man, who truly took up his cross to follow Jesus.
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A Good Samaritan Faith
Toyohiko Kagawa (1888–1960) was locked away in prison for organizing a successful shipping strike when the Great Kantō earthquake of 1923 devastated Japan. Tokyo and Yokohama were flattened, leaving millions homeless and starving. Hated by his government and by the businesspeople he had bested, Kagawa was revered by everyday people. As the one man who could calm the growing anarchy and rebuild the nation, he was released from prison and offered an enormous wage to work as Chief of Social Welfare. He took the job but refused the salary, declaring, “To work with the poor I must be poor.”
Kagawa was born in Kobe, Japan, the illegitimate child of a wealthy politician and a geisha. Orphaned at age five when both of his biological parents died, he was taken in by his father’s widow and her mother. Neither could overcome her resentment of the boy, and after years of enduring their hatred he was sent to a boarding school where a Presbyterian missionary taught him English and told him about Christ.
Kagawa became a Christian as a teenager, provoking his remaining family to disown him. He soon received his call to ministry. As a seminary student he was upset by his classmates’ intense debates over theological details. He challenged them to live out the teachings of Jesus and often pointed to the parable of the Good Samaritan as a picture of real-life faith. Kagawa lived out his own words by taking up residence in a six-foot by six-foot shack in the Shinkawa district of Kobe, one of Japan’s worst slums. His stay over the next two decades was broken only by two years at Princeton Seminary in the United States, where he studied strategies of poverty relief.
After the Great Kantō earthquake, Kagawa worked to rebuild ruined cities. He helped to secure universal voting rights for men and advocated for women’s suffrage. He organized workers’ unions. He was imprisoned for a second time in 1940 for apologizing for Japan’s invasion of China. After his nation’s defeat in World War II, Kagawa advised a new transitional government. He was nominated twice for the Nobel Prize in Literature and twice for the Nobel Peace Prize. Japan eventually awarded him its second-highest honor, inducting him into the Order of the Sacred Treasure.
As Kagawa lived and worked among the poor, he gave away so much food that he often went hungry. He contracted an eye disease that left him nearly blind. He was often robbed and beaten. More than once he answered others’ demands that he prove his faith by giving them his clothes. Throughout all these trials he never stopped preaching the gospel.
Late in life, Kagawa returned to Princeton Seminary, where two students were unimpressed by his speech. After one remarked, “He didn’t have much to say, did he?” an elderly woman interrupted, “You don’t need to say much when you’re hanging on a cross.”
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The “certain village” that Jesus visited was Bethany, a suburb of Jerusalem and a favorite stopover for Jesus on His trips to and from the city. See Bethany’s profile at John 11:18.
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Home: Bethany, near Jerusalem.
Family: Sister of Mary and Lazarus.
Occupation: Homemaker.
Best known for: Being upset that she was doing all the work of hosting Jesus and His disciples while her sister chose instead to sit and listen to Jesus’ teaching.
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Jesus’ visit to Martha’s home lends itself to a caricature of Martha as obsessively “practical,” as opposed to Mary, her “spiritual” sister. Some readers use this scene as a basis for ranking spiritual concerns over practical ones, saying that it is more important to sit at Jesus’ feet—to engage in activities like prayer or attending church—than to be distracted by everyday chores.
But it is unfair to read Jesus’ words to Martha as a rebuke of her preparations. After all, He had come with His disciples as a guest to her home. Someone was obligated to prepare the meal. There were at least sixteen hungry people in attendance—Jesus and the Twelve, and Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. No wonder Martha was “distracted with much serving.” She could not sit and chat with her guests if she was to prepare the food.
Jesus had just one point. In addition to her marvelous preparations, Martha needed to add spiritual sensitivity. He in no way pitted the “spiritual” and the “unspiritual” against each other. He was merely saying that in the midst of all her busyness, Martha should not forget who He was and why He had come. Furthermore, Mary had not forgotten that knowledge, and Jesus did not want it taken from her.
Jesus calls us to faithful service that includes day-to-day work. We shouldn’t neglect our responsibilities, but we should impart every activity with an attitude of dependence on Him.
More: Like Mary, the poet Anne Bradstreet sought education during a time when women were not typically considered suited for it. See here for an article on the life of Anne Bradstreet.
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God’s seeming unwillingness to answer our prayers according to our expectations and timing can leave us feeling bewildered and impatient. But Jesus tells us how to pray and how long to pray and what kind of turnaround we can expect from God.
Jesus’ disciples asked Him to teach them to pray (Luke 11:1). In reply, He told a story about a man who pestered a neighbor for help, with an unexpected twist (11:5–8). In the end, it was the man’s persistent requests, and not the neighbors’ mutual friendship, that led to the man’s success in getting his neighbor’s help—a turn of events that still baffles readers today. Does this mean that we can bug God into giving us what we want? Does it mean that He is more motivated by getting us off His back than He is by His love for us when He answers our prayers?
The answer to both questions is no. What the story makes clear is that our freedom to ask does not dictate God’s response. He is not a servant waiting for a list of tasks we want accomplished. Nor does He rely on us to define our needs, outline solutions, or say when or how He should act. Our all-knowing and all-wise God does those things for us.
However, God is eager for His children to develop a habit of asking Him for help (11:9, 10), even though that doesn’t mean He will be guided by our limited understanding of a situation and its possible solutions (11:11–13). Sooner or later He will answer our prayers, but in His own time and in His own way. He asks us to trust Him to know what is needed and when.
Our calling is to ask—even persistently—and to grow in the process. One of the most surprising benefits of prayer is how much we change when we make it a regular commitment. Sometimes that in itself is the answer to our prayers.
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Many in our culture lump biblical tales of demons into the same category as imaginative fantasies like the daemons of Greek mythology, which were described as supernatural beings that mediated between gods and humans. But although many doubt the objective reality of evil and the devil, instead believing that Satan is no more than a projection of our deepest, darkest emotions, Scripture presents demons (and Satan) as real beings involved in real-world events.
Demons in Scripture
Demons are fallen angels who joined Satan’s rebellion against God. Scripture does not explicitly discuss their origin, but the New Testament mentions the fall and later imprisonment of a group of angels (2 Pet. 2:4; Jude 6). Their revolt apparently occurred before God’s creation of the world. Satan and his followers roamed the new creation, spreading their wickedness to the human race (Gen. 3; Matt. 25:41; Rev. 12:9). These evil powers have played a major role in events including the Fall, the Flood, and Jesus’ crucifixion. They will be part of tribulations that will someday wrack the earth and they will be part of the final Day of Judgment. The New Testament uses several names or terms for demons:
• unclean spirits (Matt. 10:1; Mark 6:7),
• wicked or evil spirits (Luke 7:21; Acts 19:12, 13),
• a spirit of divination (16:16),
• deceiving spirits (1 Tim. 4:1),
• the spirit of error (1 John 4:6),
• spirits of demons (Rev. 16:14), and
• Legion, probably a collective name for a group of demons rather than the name of a single demon (Mark 5:9; Luke 8:30).
The Gospels record several dozen encounters between Jesus and evil forces. Jesus came to earth in part to defeat these powerful beings, leading Him to regularly confront the demonic realm (Matt. 12:25–29; Luke 11:17–22; John 12:31; 1 John 3:8). Freeing individuals possessed by demons was one of His most frequent acts of compassion. By casting out demons and restoring people both physically and spiritually, Jesus showed that the kingdom of God is as real as the forces of Satan—and infinitely more powerful (Matt. 10:7, 8; 12:28). Today that same work has been delegated to the church (Luke 10:17; Acts 16:18), and with the “whole armor of God” (Eph. 6:10–18) we can prevail.
Demonic Impact
Demon possession should not be dismissed as an archaic explanation of psychological and physical conditions. Scripture reveals that demons can cause emotional problems (Matt. 8:28; Acts 19:13–16). The demon-possessed might rant and rave (Mark 1:23, 24; John 10:20), have uncontrolled convulsions (Luke 9:37–42; Mark 1:26), and engage in antisocial behavior (Luke 8:27, 35).
The Bible never suggests that all physical ailments are the result of demonic activity. But it shows that demons can afflict people with symptoms such as muteness (Matt. 12:22; 9:17, 25), deafness (9:25), blindness (Matt. 12:22), and deformities (Luke 13:10–17). The Gospels distinguish between sickness and demon possession (Matt. 4:24; Mark 1:32; Luke 6:17, 18).
Defeating Dark Forces
The method used by Jesus and His disciples to cast out demons was radically different from the mystical rites employed by other cultures of the time. Jesus expelled evil spirits by His simple command (Mark 1:25; 5:8; 9:25). His disciples added to that command the authority of Jesus’ name (Luke 10:17; Acts 16:18). Even some who were not the Lord’s followers invoked His power (Luke 9:49; Acts 19:13).
Jesus’ enemies accused Him of being in alliance with Satan’s kingdom (Mark 3:22; Luke 11:15; John 8:48), the same accusation made against Jesus’ forerunner, John the Baptist (Matt. 11:18; Luke 7:33). But Jesus’ righteousness showed the falseness of these claims (Matt. 12:25–29; Luke 11:17–22).
Following Jesus’ resurrection and return to heaven, demons have continued to wage war against Him and His followers (Rom. 8:38, 39; Eph. 6:12). Yet God will ultimately overthrow Satan and his allies. Christ will return to defeat the devil and his angels, who will be thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone (Matt. 8:29, 25:41; Rev. 20:10). In this conflict that has been going on since the beginning of time, God will achieve the final victory.
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Jesus did not deny that His mother was blessed. But He focused attention on the real source of blessing—hearing and doing what God says. From the time of Jesus’ conception, Mary was an outstanding model of both listening and responding to God’s expressed will for her life (see “The Lord’s Maidservant” at Luke 1:38).
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The queen of the South—known in the Old Testament as the queen of Sheba—visited Solomon to test his wisdom (see “The Queen of Sheba” at 1 Kin. 10:1). She ruled a country most likely in southwest Arabia. Wherever it was located, it was famed as a mighty commercial power specializing in trading perfume and incense. During her visit the queen probably negotiated a trade agreement with Israel and secured provisions for safe passage of her merchant caravans through Israel’s territory.
Having heard astonishing reports of Solomon’s wisdom and splendor, the queen found that he exceeded his reputation. She worshiped the God of Israel (see “Searching for God” at 1 Kin. 10:6–9) and presented Solomon with an abundance of gold, jewels, and spices. In exchange, Solomon was equally generous, giving her “all she desired, whatever she asked, besides what [he] had given her according to the royal generosity” (10:13).
Jesus warned His listeners that this queen would rise up to judge their generation. When she came to Solomon and saw his greatness, her response was not jealousy or denial but awe and thanksgiving. She acknowledged Solomon’s greatness and honored his God. But Jesus’ generation had met someone far greater than Solomon—the Messiah Himself—and responded with unbelief (Luke 11:29; compare Matt. 12:38). He predicted that a woman who ruled a powerful country would someday put them to shame because she, like Solomon, was wise.
More: Two queens who led their nations in the Christian faith include Queen Victoria of England and Queen Ranavalona II of Madagascar. See here for an article on the life of Queen Victoria and here for an article on the life of Queen Ranavalona II.
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Jesus redefined fear by explaining it from God’s perspective, drawing on the Old Testament concept of the “fear of the LORD” (Prov. 1:7). This is not a fawning, cringing dread that locks us up in a lifetime of anxiety. Rather, it is a liberating respect for who God is. When our view of God encompasses His compassion, His righteousness, and His power, we see how His love is displayed in His holiness, His commandments, and even His judgments. With this in mind, we can see who is worthy of our respect. This life is a temporary thing, but we dare not ignore the One who holds sway over our eternal destiny.
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Jesus unambiguously commanded us to guard against covetousness—a longing for things we do not have, especially things that belong to others. And coveting is about more than money. We might covet status, power, intelligence, beauty, even spiritual blessings—anything that can be acquired.
Covetousness is based on the foolish ideas that life is about how much we possess and having things is what will make us content. But as Jesus pointed out, only God can satisfy our real needs (Luke 12:22–31). Greed is discontentment with what He brings our way. Our consumer-oriented culture encourages our dissatisfaction, telling us that whatever we have is not enough, and we’re missing out if we don’t have the next new thing. Now more than ever, we need to pay attention to Jesus’ warning to guard against greed.
More: For more on the nature of coveting, see “You Shall Not Covet” at Ex. 20:17. Some people try to enlist God in their selfish pursuit of material things. See “Giving to Get” at 1 Tim. 6:3–6. For help being happy with what you already have, see “Finding Contentment” at Phil. 4:10–13.
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Jesus rebuked the synagogue ruler and his fellow rabbis for showing more concern for their animals than for a disabled woman. They grumbled about His defying the Sabbath, but Jesus said that any time is appropriate for meeting a genuine need; any day—even the Sabbath—is a right day for mercy. Of all the days that the woman could have been given relief from her affliction, the day of rest was perhaps the most appropriate. So Jesus called out the legalists’ hypocritical attitude and behavior. He wants everyone to see that an outward show of righteousness often masks inner sin.
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The Letter and Spirit of the Law
The controversy between Jesus and the Pharisees over the Sabbath exposed a tension between the letter and the spirit of the Law. The Old Testament was clear about keeping the Sabbath holy by resting from work (Ex. 20:8–11). But Jesus was known for doing the “work” of healing on the Sabbath (Luke 13:10–17). The lawyers and Pharisees were caught off guard, unable to say if He was breaking the Law (14:6).
Jesus let them stew over the issue, but He needed no convincing that He was acting well within the Law. If He appeared to break God’s rules, it was only because His enemies paid more attention to superficial ways of obeying the Law than to its underlying moral spirit. And over the centuries their predecessors had piled even more traditions on top of the Law, creating so many expectations that no one could fulfill them all.
Some Christians today try to live by a rigid code of dos and don’ts that go beyond Scripture’s clear teaching. Like the Pharisees, we may be tempted to care more about the externals of faith than the larger principles of “justice and the love of God” (11:42). Jesus always stood up to the self-righteous Pharisees, and He might have some strong words for us too.
More: To learn more about Jesus’ interactions with the Pharisees, see “Jesus Confronts the Legalists” at Luke 6:1–11. Learn what it means to keep the Sabbath holy in “The Lord’s Day” at Rom. 14:5–13 and “The Sabbath” at Heb. 4:1–13.
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Following Jesus has its privileges—and its costs, as this text reveals:
• The cost of service (Luke 14:26). Jesus’ followers must serve Him above anything else.
• The cost of sacrifice (14:27). Jesus’ followers must subordinate their own interests to His interests.
• The cost of self-assessment (14:28–30). Jesus’ followers must know fully who they are and how Christ has equipped them to do His work.
• The cost of strategy (14:31–33). Jesus’ followers must think strategically and act courageously in the face of uncertainty.
More: Dietrich Bonhoeffer explored what it means to make sacrifices for one’s beliefs in The Cost of Discipleship. See here for an article on the life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer.
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Jesus told three memorable parables in Luke 15. Each concerned something that had been lost—a lost sheep (Luke 15:4–7), a lost coin (15:8–10), and a lost son (15:11–32). Each parable reflects God’s concern for people who have gone missing from His kingdom, illustrating the infinite value He places on every soul and the tremendous joy He feels “over one sinner who repents” (15:10).
The first two stories reflect the value that people naturally place on their possessions. A shepherd loses one sheep out of a hundred, yet he scours the countryside until he finds it and brings it back to the fold. Likewise, a woman loses one coin out of ten, yet she searches frantically until she finds it.
But in the third story, the loss concerns something that is infinitely more valuable to God, yet would be deemed practically worthless by some people. The lost son is much like the tax collectors and sinners who listened to Jesus (15:1). These unrighteous people were often written off by the Pharisees as hopelessly lost in sin and shame. But Jesus reveals that God sees every sinner with compassion. Sinners are His loved sons and daughters. He longs for everyone who has gone missing to come back to Him.
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The prodigal son’s older brother shows what can happen when people are around religion for a long time. Unlike the father, who had nothing but mercy for the lost son who had finally come home, the older brother was horrified at the celebration held in honor of his sinful brother. He was more than jealous. He was furious. The father killed the fatted calf just because his wayward boy was back, but he seemed to neglect the unwavering loyalty of his other son.
That was the attitude of the Pharisees who first heard Jesus tell this story (Luke 15:2, 3). It became the view of Jews in general as the Good News spread to the Gentiles (Acts 11:1–3). How could Jesus be so friendly toward sinners yet so distant from people who carefully practiced the finer points of the Law? How could God show compassion toward the Gentiles while bypassing the Jews, who had been His people for generations?
It might feel as if everyone overlooks people who make a lifelong habit of obeying God. It may seem like new followers of Jesus with gruesome pasts get all the attention. To everyone who feels underappreciated, Jesus’ parable supplies both a comfort and a challenge. The comfort is that God never forgets who His children are. He has great treasures stored up for them (Luke 15:31). The challenge is that they need to maintain the right perspective. We will never stop needing the Father’s compassion and mercy. And when we comprehend that, we will never tire of watching others connect or reconnect with the Father’s heart (15:32).
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In this parable Jesus may sound as if He was commending a steward, or manager, for cheating his boss (Luke 16:8). But He was merely observing that people go to great lengths to gain favorable treatment when they face legal or financial trouble. They might cheat others or corrupt the law to get it, but their conduct reveals a warped wisdom combined with a prudent concern for self-preservation. If people only gave their eternal destiny as much thought (16:9–12).
When Jesus spoke of “unrighteous mammon” (16:9), He did not mean that money is inherently evil, only that material wealth will not survive past the grave. Because wealth will fail, we should use it wisely while we can. We can even “make friends” with it, using it to bring others into Christ’s kingdom (16:8, 9). Jesus implies that our level of responsibility in His coming kingdom depends on how we manage the resources that God gives us now, a fact that should prompt us to manage our material resources wisely.
This passage drives us to an overarching conclusion: Everything we possess comes from God and belongs to Him. What we own is not really ours; we only manage it on the Lord’s behalf. And as long as we think that our money and property belong to us, we inevitably end up serving something other than God.
More: We cannot serve both God and money. See “Don’t Worry” at Matt. 6:19–34. Jesus met a young ruler more committed to money than to Him—and it cost the man everything. See “The Man Who Almost Had It All” at Mark 10:17–27.
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The key to understanding the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus is to note Jesus’ target audience. He spoke to the Pharisees, described by Luke as “lovers of money” (Luke 16:14). Like the rich man, they were set for life but unprepared for eternity. They looked good on the outside, but inside they were full of sin (16:15). Careful to keep the letter of Law along with their own man-made traditions, they violated the spirit of the Law. Worst of all, they rejected Jesus as the Messiah (16:31).
Jesus told this parable to rebuke these hypocrites. He did not say that all poor people go to heaven or that all rich people go to hell. He simply warned those who live as though this life is all that matters.
It can be dangerous to do well in this life. The insensitive rich man enjoyed his “good things” while he was alive (16:25). He was like people who “have their portion in this life” (Ps. 17:14) but set nothing aside for the life to come. Similarly, Psalm 73 laments the success of the wicked. They live above everyday problems. They wear their pride like jewelry. They possess more wealth than they could ever use. Yet they mock those who struggle to survive. Their status and power lets them strut through life giving no thought to the God they think they do not need.
As the rich man discovered to his horror, the situation flips in eternity (Luke 16:23). The parable concludes with Jesus ominously describing the fate of people determined to reject God. Like the Pharisees, they refuse to repent despite ample warning that they are headed for ruin.
This grim parable moves us to ask what matters most to us. Would we rather be set for life—or for eternity? The writer of Psalm 73 made his choice clear:
Whom have I in heaven but You?
And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You.
My flesh and my heart fail;
But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
More: For more biblical insights into wealth, see “Christians and Money” at 1 Tim. 6:6–19.
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Jesus had just challenged His followers to forgive freely and repeatedly (Luke 17:1–4). They replied, “Give us more faith,” as if it took enormous faith to forgive. But it does not. Forgiveness is not an exceptional ability that only God can give. It is the result of simple obedience. It is precisely what the servant in the parable must do—obey his master. It does not require huge trust on behalf of the servant to prepare a meal. It just takes doing.
In the same way, forgiveness is expected of us as Christ’s followers. After all, Christ has forgiven us. Because we are obligated to forgive others, there is no reward attached to the act of forgiving. The disciples expected a payoff for following Jesus (9:46–48; Matt. 20:20–28), but Jesus wanted them to see that staying close to Him was reward enough.
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Once again Jesus picked a route that made it likely that He would encounter Samaritans (see the map at “Bypassing Samaria” at Luke 9:51–56). And once again Luke’s account exposes tensions between Jews and Samaritans.
Jesus was dismayed that nine former lepers failed to return to give thanks for their healing. The fact that the one man who returned was a Samaritan meant that he and Jesus stood on two sides of a nearly impenetrable cultural wall. It was unlawful for a Jew to associate with a foreigner (Acts 10:28). As Jesus marveled at the Samaritan’s thankful heart, He openly snubbed that ban.
It’s possible that the nine ungrateful men were Samaritans as well, since this incident took place in or near Samaria. But it’s just as possible that the nine were Jews driven from their own community because of their leprous condition.
If that was the case, that would have made their ingratitude especially inexcusable. No ethnic wall stood between them and Jesus. He had removed the leprosy that had once stood in their way. These men would have had every reason to come in faith to Jesus instead of turning away. Yet certainly one man who had every reason to flee from Jesus instead returned and praised God. As a result, he received a spiritual healing that the other nine and most of Israel would never enjoy.
More: See why Jesus chose to take His disciples through Samaria in “Bypassing Samaria” at Luke 9:51–56. For more on the dreaded disease we now call Hansen’s Disease, see “Leprosy” at Lev. 13:12.
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The Pharisee in Jesus’ parable was so happy with himself that he started his prayer with a comparison: “God, I thank You that I am not like other men.” But the tax collector in the story did not consider himself worthy enough even to stand near to the temple or raise his eyes heavenward. His prayer could not have been more different: “God, be merciful to me a sinner!”
The man who understood that he was a sinner, as all human beings are, shows us the path to accurate self-knowledge, based on honesty, humility, and a yearning to become like Christ. But whenever we build our identity and self-worth by looking down on others, we set up our own demise. Sooner or later someone will come along who outshines us. Feeling better about ourselves by finding fault with others also puts us in a lonely place, because no one gathers many friends by putting them down.
More: Paul found a solution to making endless comparisons to others that are deadly to our self-esteem. See “Seeing Ourselves Through God’s Eyes” at Rom. 12:3.
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A blind beggar on a roadside near Jericho called out to Jesus as He traveled with His ministry team. On that road, such inconveniences were unsurprising. But while others ignored the beggar or tried to keep him quiet, Jesus stopped and asked the man what He could do for him.
The Lord’s very next encounter was with a known government crook, yet another imposition on His time (Luke 19:1–10). Jesus altered His plans and stayed at his home, talking with the despised tax collector and meeting his family and friends.
Jesus didn’t treat interruptions like intrusions. He let needy people elbow into His life, even when His closest friends tried to block their way. In fact, one could argue that Jesus did much of His work during moments of interruption. We often grow annoyed at disruptions, feeling as if life has been put on hold. Are we missing out on some of life’s holiest moments?
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Luke describes Zacchaeus as a tax collector (Luke 19:2). First-century readers knew that meant he was a cheat and a lackey of the Roman government. In fact, he was a chief tax collector, making him public enemy number one to the Jews in Jericho, worse even than the highwaymen who ambushed travelers on their way into and out of the city.
Nevertheless, Jesus reached out to the curious Zacchaeus, prompting him to change his ways. Zacchaeus came up with his own formula for making restitution for his years of fraudulent taxation: a 400 percent rebate to those he had knowingly cheated, plus half of his net worth in donations to the poor (19:8).
The act of paying restitution showed respect for Old Testament law (Ex. 22:1). Giving away his possessions went beyond the Law’s requirements and revealed a dramatic change of heart.
Imagine a corrupt politician following that formula today. Picture modern businesspeople repaying four times what they profited from unethical deals. Zacchaeus was that repentant. He was like the tax collector in a parable Jesus had recently told. He cried out, “God, be merciful to me a sinner!” (Luke 18:13).
More: Zacchaeus may have been a higher-ranking publican rather than an ordinary tax collector. Either role made him a target of hatred. See “Tax Collectors” at Matt. 9:10 and “Taxes” at Mark 12:14.
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The parable of the ten minas describes a case of absentee ownership and management by proxy, reflecting government practices in Palestine, where Rome “owned” the region but left its administration to local governors such as the infamous Herods (see “The Herods” at Acts 12:1, 2).
Jesus’ disciples believed the coming of His kingdom to be imminent (Luke 19:11). They needed to understand that its arrival would be delayed for an unknown amount of time. In the time until Christ returned, they had a job to accomplish. The Lord has given each one of His followers resources to manage and put to good use (19:13). These resources include our skills, jobs, time, wealth, networks, bodies, intellectual abilities, and more. Eventually we will give Him a full accounting of how we used these gifts (19:15).
Jesus put this lesson in the form of a parable and was obviously talking about more than the wise management of money. He made it clear that He expects His followers to live out their days with an eye toward His return. He will ask us what we have done with our lives and will reward us accordingly.
More: This story is similar to the parable of the Talents and was probably a story that Jesus told frequently (see “Quality, Not Quantity” at Matt. 25:14–30). Read Rom. 14:12 and 1 Pet. 4:5 for more on the accounting we will each give to God.
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Jesus’ mention of a bank in His parable of the minas referred to a relatively recent development in Jewish history. Institutional banking was unknown in Israel until the time of the Babylonian captivity (587 B.C.; see “Banking in the Old Testament” at Deut. 15:2). In fact, Mosaic law forbid lending at interest (Ex. 22:25; Deut. 23:19, 20), a fundamental function of formal banking.
Before banks, people protected their valuables by burying them or depositing them at temples or palaces. After the Israelites encountered Babylonian banking practices, some Jews joined the industry and became prominent bank officers. By New Testament times, banking had become an established institution. However, while Jesus’ parable shows that bankers received money for safekeeping and also paid interest, the most common New Testament reference to banking is to money changing (Matt. 21:12).
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We think we own our possessions. Our culture even tells us that our significance comes down to how much we own and how much our possessions are worth. But the parable about the vineyard owner upends that view.
In this parable Jesus tells of tenants, or renters, who plotted to steal a vineyard from its owner rather than surrender its produce to him. They valued land, trees, fruit, and money more than people. They first beat the owner’s representatives (Luke 20:10–12) and then killed the owner’s son (20:14, 15).
The religious leaders among Jesus’ listeners had the same desire to kill Him (20:19). For the moment, His popularity among the masses prevented them from acting. But they would eventually have their way. Just as their ancestors had rejected the prophets sent by God, so they now turned on God’s Son in a futile effort to keep the nation under their sway.
We are accountable to God for what He has entrusted to our care. No matter what He has given us, we are renters. The true Owner of all things is the Creator. He has loaned us our families, skills, resources—even our very lives are on loan. And He calls us to manage these gifts in ways that honor Him. That means we must resist getting so enmeshed in possessions that we resort to evil to hold on to them or take them from others. We must keep in mind who actually owns what we think is ours—the God who commands us to live for serving others.
More: God sought to teach Israel that everything they possessed was a gift from Him. See “Real Ownership” at Josh. 24:13.
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Jesus affirmed in His reply to the scheming Sadducees that marriages and families are basic institutions of life. The Gospels support that view through their portraits of a wide range of families. Many faced severe hardships and dysfunctions. The New Testament openly addresses their situations and offers honest hope.
Family Members:
• Zacharias
• Elizabeth
• John the Baptist
Description:
The father is a priest who serves in the temple on a rotating basis. He and his wife face a surprise pregnancy late in life that brings unique problems, especially for him. Their son John later announces the arrival of the long-awaited Messiah.
Gospel:
Luke
Family Members:
• Joseph
• Mary
• Jesus
• Other sons and daughters
Description:
The father is a carpenter in the Galilean village of Nazareth. He and his fiancée face a supernatural pregnancy during their engagement. Their child is born in a stable and they become refugees because an evil king wants to harm Him. They struggle to understand their growing son.
Gospels:
Matthew, Mark, Luke, John
Family Members:
• Peter
• His brother Andrew
• Peter’s mother-in-law
Description:
The family runs a fishing business on the Sea of Galilee. The sons leave the business to follow Jesus. Peter’s mother-in-law later is sick when Jesus visits Peter’s home, so He heals her.
Gospels:
Matthew, Mark, Luke, John
Family Members:
• Zebedee
• His wife, the mother of James and John
• James
• John
Description:
The family has a fishing business along with Peter’s family on the Sea of Galilee. The mother asks Jesus to appoint her sons to positions of power in His kingdom. Both sons eventually exercise significant leadership in the early church.
Gospels:
Matthew, Mark
Family Members:
The Herods
Description:
This powerful family of rulers of Roman Palestine is remembered for violence, incest, and political intrigue. Herod the Great responds violently to rumors of a new King born in the realm. Herod Antipas becomes a lover of his niece Herodias, who had been married to his brother Philip before leaving him for Antipas. The couple murders John the Baptist for criticizing their relationship.
Gospels:
Matthew, Mark, Luke, John
Family Members:
• A Canaanite woman
• Her demon-possessed daughter
Description:
A despised minority woman displays relentless faith, winning Jesus’ praise and help for her daughter.
Gospels:
Matthew, Mark
Family Members:
• A man
• His epileptic son
Description:
Jesus heals the afflicted boy after His disciples could not.
Gospel:
Matthew
Family Members:
• Jairus
• His wife
• His 12-year-old daughter
Description:
The father is a synagogue ruler who turns to Jesus when his daughter is on the verge of death. When Jesus arrives, the child has already died, but Jesus restores her to life.
Gospels:
Matthew, Mark, Luke
Family Member:
Anna, a widow
Description:
An 84-year-old prophetess who serves in the temple rejoices to see the Christ child.
Gospel:
Luke
Family Members:
• A Roman centurion of Capernaum
• His highly valued servant
Description:
Jesus heals the Roman centurion’s beloved servant.
Gospels:
Matthew, Luke
Family Members:
• A widow of Nain
• Her only son
Description:
Jesus shows compassion to the widow by restoring her dead son to life.
Gospel:
Luke
Family Members:
• Joanna
• Chuza, her husband
Description:
The wife of Herod’s steward provides money for Jesus and joins several other women as His followers.
Gospel:
Luke
Family Members:
• Mary
• Martha
• Lazarus
Description:
Mary treats Jesus as a treasured spiritual teacher. Her sister Martha serves Him as a diligent worker. Their brother Lazarus becomes His close friend. When he dies, Jesus restores him to life.
Gospels:
Luke, John
Family Members:
• A woman of Samaria
• Her five previous husbands
• Her lover
Description:
She meets Jesus at a well in Samaria and discovers that He is the Living Water.
Gospel:
John
Family Members:
• A royal official of Cana
• His son
Description:
After Jesus restores the boy to health, the entire household believes in Him.
Gospel:
John
Family Member:
A woman caught in adultery
Description:
Jesus protects her from vindictive religious leaders.
Gospel:
John
Family Members:
• A man born blind
• His parents
Description:
After Jesus restores his sight, the man is ostracized by religious leaders for remaining loyal to Jesus. When His disciples ask whether the man is blind because he or his parents sinned, Jesus replies that no one’s sin caused his blindness, which occurred so that the work of God may be shown in him.
Gospel:
John
More: The earliest families in the Bible reveal that family life has always been difficult. See “Family Expectations” at Gen. 42:36. The Book of Acts and the New Testament letters show that turning to Jesus was often the decision of an entire family or clan. See “Families of the Early Church” at Acts 16:31–34.
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The scribes who repeatedly challenged Jesus were part of an educated class who studied Scripture and worked as copyists, editors, and teachers.
The era of the scribes began after the Jews returned from captivity in Babylon. Ezra the scribe ordered the Law to be read as the entire nation listened, signaling a return to careful observance of all God’s laws and rites (Neh. 8–10). At first, priests were responsible for studying and communicating this legal code. But that job eventually passed to scribes. Unfortunately, their interpretation of the Law soon became more important than the Law itself.
Scribes began to enforce their rules with binding authority. By the time of Jesus, they had emerged as a new upper class. Large numbers of priests joined the profession, including the Jewish historian Josephus. Others included merchants, carpenters, tentmakers, and even day laborers like Hillel, who became a famous Jewish teacher. Most kept their day jobs since scribes were not paid for their services
Prospective scribes progressed through several years of studies centered at Jerusalem. Students were in continual contact with their teacher. They soaked up his instruction as they worked to master a body of traditional material and a unique method of interpretation. The goal was to give the students competence in making decisions on questions of religious legislation and justice.
Within this course of study, according to tradition, there were secret interpretations to learn, forbidden knowledge not to be explained to more than two students at a time. Some Bible chapters were expounded only to sages, and some teachings were hidden from the masses, who were not trusted to understand and apply the Law.
Ordination required constant study, often beginning at age fourteen and continuing to the age of forty. Once qualified, scribes could serve as a judges, be called rabbi, and take positions in law, government, and education. They joined the chief priests and aristocratic families who made up the Jewish Council. The people held them in high esteem, since only ordained teachers could transmit and create religious tradition.
The Gospels at times refer to scribes as lawyers, a title identifying them as experts in Mosaic law (Matt. 22:35; Luke 7:30). In Jesus’ day, scribes usually associated with the Pharisees (Matt. 12:38; Mark 7:5; Luke 6:7). The two groups shared a pride based on their professional privileges. Jesus warned against their attitude and unflinchingly attacked their hypocrisy (Matt. 23).
More: Luke reports that the teachers at Jerusalem were astonished at a boy’s grasp of spiritual issues. See “Jesus the Student” at Luke 2:46, 47.
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People living in Jerusalem at the time of Christ probably saw no reason to disbelieve His prediction that the city would fall to an invading army (compare Luke 19:41–44). Political tensions were at a breaking point.
The Jews bitterly resented Rome’s occupation of their homeland, which brought cruel government, crushing taxes, and the corrupting influence of Greek culture. Some, such as the Zealots, advocated for revolution through tax revolts and terrorist acts against Roman troops and officials (see “Political Parties of Jesus’ Day” at Matt. 16:1).
The city’s march to destruction quickened in A.D. 66 when a skirmish broke out between Jews and Gentiles over the desecration of the Caesarea synagogue. Unable to prevail politically, the Jews retaliated by banning all sacrifices on behalf of foreigners, even for the emperor himself. Access to the temple grounds at Jerusalem would be strictly limited to Jews.
At the same time, the Roman procurator ordered an enormous payment from the temple treasury. The Jews balked and assumed that the ruler would back down. He instead unleashed troops on the city. They raped and pillaged at will. They flogged and crucified rebels and innocents. The slaughter claimed about 3,600 Jewish lives, including children.
The city broke into riots. Arsonists torched official buildings as well as the home of the high priest, long suspected of collusion with the empire. Jews overran Roman fortresses and ambushed a legion of reinforcements, capturing arms for their revolt at Jerusalem. The Romans retreated, temporarily leaving the holy city in the hands of the rebels.
But the bravery and fury of the Jewish revolutionaries was no match for Rome’s professional armies. Emperor Nero dispatched his top general to the region. Beginning in Galilee and working his way south, Vespasian systematically cut off Jerusalem’s supply lines from Babylonia, the Mediterranean, and Egypt. He also sealed off any means of escape.
By A.D. 70 Vespasian was poised to launch a final assault on Jerusalem. He returned to Rome to succeed Nero as emperor, however, leaving his son Titus to complete the campaign. Advancing on the city from the north, east, and west, his legions erected siege walls and eventually took the city, fulfilling Jesus’ prophecy. Herod’s temple was destroyed only three years after its completion (Luke 21:5, 6). The priesthood and ruling council were abolished. All Jews were expelled from the city’s remains.
Jesus wept at the thought of such carnage (Matt. 23:37–39). It was a price His generation paid for rejecting its Messiah.
More: Six centuries before the Romans overran Jerusalem, the Babylonians captured and burned the city (587 B.C.), devastation that also resulted from God’s judgment. Read 2 Kin. 25; 2 Chr. 36; and Jer. 52 for descriptions of this tragic event.
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The Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread was the first of Israel’s three major festivals. Its name recalls the nation’s deliverance from slavery in Egypt (Ex. 12:1—13:16). The Lord sent His angel to kill the Egyptians’ firstborn sons in a final attempt to persuade Pharaoh to let His people leave. He instructed Hebrew families to sacrifice a lamb and smear its blood on the doorpost of their homes as a sign of trust and a signal to God that His angel should “pass over” them during the plague (12:13).
Passover was observed on the fourteenth day of the first month, Nisan (March/April). The service began in the evening (Lev. 23:6), because it was on the evening of this day that the people finally left Egypt. A centerpiece of the celebration was unleavened bread, a reminder that the people had no time to let their bread rise before they ate their final meal as slaves in Egypt.
Passover became a pilgrim festival in New Testament times. Large numbers gathered in Jerusalem to observe the annual celebration. An unusually large crowd was therefore on hand to participate in the events surrounding Jesus’ entry into the city (Luke 19:37–39) and His arrest, trial, and crucifixion (23:18, 27, 35, 48). Many apparently stayed on until the Feast of Pentecost, when they heard Peter’s persuasive sermon (Acts 2:1–41).
Like the blood of the lambs that saved the Hebrews from destruction in Egypt, the blood of Jesus, the ultimate Passover Lamb, saves us from the power of sin and death.
More: Learn more about the Jews’ national celebrations in “Jewish Feasts” at Luke 2:42. It was William Tyndale, in his early English translation of the Bible, who gave us the word Passover. See here for an article on the life of William Tyndale.
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Jesus and His followers were well acquainted with the “kings of the Gentiles” and their authority. Rome exercised a small but effective government over Judea and the other territories in its empire. The hierarchy included officials ranking from Caesar to sergeant.
Roman Leadership Positions in the First Century
Position or Title:
Emperor or Caesar
Name or New Testament Example:
• Augustus Caesar, 31 B.C.–A.D. 14 (Luke 2:1)
• Tiberius, A.D. 14–37 (3:1)
• Gaius Caligula, A.D. 37–41
• Claudius, A.D. 41–54 (Acts 18:2)
• Nero, A.D. 54–68
• Galba, A.D. 68–69
• Otho, A.D. 69
• Vitellius, A.D. 69
• Vespasian, A.D. 69–79
• Titus, A.D. 79–81
• Domitian, A.D. 81–96
• Nerva, A.D. 96–98
• Trajan, A.D. 98–117
Description of Position:
• Sovereign ruler of the Roman Empire.
• Augustus (Octavian) ruled with as much practicality and goodwill as possible.
• A standing army was needed to preserve law and order only in outlying provinces still struggling with conflict. Wherever possible, provincial rule was delegated to local authorities or to Roman senators, called proconsuls.
Historical Significance:
The title Caesar was taken from the family name of Julius Caesar, father of the Roman empire.
Position or Title:
Proconsul or Senator
Name or New Testament Example:
• Junius Gallio in Achaia (Acts 18:12)
• Sergius Paulus in Cyprus (Acts 13:7–12)
Description of Position:
• Rulers of the senatorial provinces.
• The Senate met twice each month for legislative, administrative, and judicial purposes.
• Senators were chosen by lot to rule in the provinces.
• In the time of Augustus, the Senate comprised 600 members of the Roman aristocracy.
• Proconsuls were appointed for one-year terms and tended to act expediently, enriching themselves before returning to Rome, where they remained politically active.
Historical Significance:
• Senatorial provinces were usually older, more stable, and nearer to Rome. Those named in the New Testament include Achaea, Asia, Bithynia, Crete, Cyrene, Cyprus, Macedonia, and Pontus.
• Roman law was approved by the Senate and implemented locally by procurators, proconsuls, and, when necessary, the Roman army.
• When the silversmiths of Ephesus complained against Paul (Acts 19:38), proconsuls were mentioned as the appropriate officials to settle the dispute.
Position or Title:
Procurator
Name or New Testament Example:
• Pontius Pilate (Luke 3:1)
• Felix (Acts 23:24)
• Festus (24:27)
Description of Position:
• Relatively low-ranking rulers of imperial provinces.
• A procurator could gain political freedoms for the region he governed by demonstrating the area’s loyalty to Rome and reverence for the emperor.
• Privileges might include self-government, freedom from taxation, and freedom of religion.
• The procurator was responsible for maintaining law and order in his jurisdiction, putting down any threat to the social order, and, if necessary, calling in the Roman army.
Historical Significance:
• Imperial provinces such as Judea tended to lie on the frontiers of the empire in areas of conflict. Other imperial provinces mentioned in the New Testament include Judea, Syria, Galatia, Cappadocia and Egypt.
• They required large standing armies to maintain order under the command of appointed governors.
Position or Title:
Legate (also called governor)
Name or New Testament Example:
Quirinius, in Syria (Luke 2:2)
Description of Position:
A subordinate ruler under a proconsul who commanded troops, handled administrative tasks, and, in the larger provinces, collected revenue.
Historical Significance:
At the time of Augustus, there were 11 senatorial provinces (under senatorial supervision) and 21 imperial provinces (directly under the emperor or his agents).
Position or Title:
Prefect (also called governor)
Description of Position:
Commanded non-Roman auxiliary troops and governed smaller provinces, mostly as chief financial officers.
Historical Significance:
Senators, procurators, legates, and prefects all preferred that local leaders handle most legal problems; theirs was the court of last resort.
Position or Title:
King
Name or New Testament Example:
• Herod the Great (Matt. 2:1)
• Herod Agrippa (Acts 25:24)
Description of Position:
Under Rome, little more than puppet governors appointed by the emperor.
Historical Significance:
Even Egypt was ruled by a viceroy representing Rome as a successor to the pharaohs and the Ptolemaic dynasty (323–30 B.C.). They ruled in the wake of Alexander the Great.
Position or Title:
Tetrarch
Name or New Testament Example:
• Herod Antipas (Matt. 14:1; Acts 13:1)
• Lysanias
• Herod Philip (Luke 3:1)
Description of Position:
• Literally “ruler of a fourth part.”
• The sons of Herod the Great disputed their father’s will in 4 B.C. Archelaus received half of his father’s territory, making him an ethnarch; Antipas and Philip both received one-fourth and became tetrarchs.
Historical Significance:
The term tetrarch came to designate any petty prince or local magistrate in the Middle East.
Position or Title:
Praetorian Guard
Name or New Testament Example:
Paul was “kept in Herod’s Praetorium” (Acts 23:35)
Description of Position:
• Official guard of the Roman emperor and the elite corps of the empire.
• Their salaries and privileges exceeded those of other Roman soldiers.
Historical Significance:
• Originally stationed in Rome, the Praetorian Guard was later dispersed throughout the provinces.
• The Guard was disbanded in the third century A.D. when they became a threat to the emperor himself.
Position or Title:
Centurion
Name or New Testament Example:
The man who showed greater faith than any in Israel (Luke 7:2–10); the man who believed Jesus to be the Son of God after His death on the cross (Matt. 27:54; Mark 15:39; Luke 23:47)
Description of Position:
• A non-commissioned officer in command of a century (100 soldiers).
• Most served for life, much longer than the required 20 years.
• Sixty centuries made up a legion, a force of 6,000 troops.
Position or Title:
Sergeant
Description of Position:
A local law enforcement officer.
In addition to the officials listed, each region differed in local leadership, which might include priests, landlords, and merchant guilds. Rival factions in Judea attempted to gain influence with Rome, creating a dangerous instability. The conflicts came to a head after Jesus’ departure, and Rome finally sent troops that laid siege to Jerusalem and destroyed it in A.D. 70.
More: Luke names officials of the empire and Palestine in the first century. See “New Testament Rulers” at Luke 3:1. In addition to the Roman authorities listed here, there were at least five major political parties among the Jews in the first century A.D. See “Political Parties of Jesus’ Day” at Matt. 16:1.
Go to the Insight Index.
God always regards giving in to temptation as sin. Scripture warns us that repeatedly capitulating to temptation can result in falling so far away from God that we totally lose interest in returning. Some argue that habitual sin can even make coming back to God impossible (Heb. 6:6–8). Clearly, we need God’s strength and wisdom to flee from evil and never look back (1 Cor. 6:18; 1 Tim. 6:11).
With Jesus’ enemies closing in, He and His closest companions faced mortal danger. The disciples became exhausted with sorrow (Luke 22:45). Jesus knew that His vulnerable and confused followers needed to join Him in prayer so that they would not fall into temptation (22:40, 46). Without fresh strength from God, they could not face the trials to come.
There is no sin in being tempted. In fact, temptation signals that our hearts are robust enough to spot values that go against godliness. But it is crucial to devote time to talking to God about our weaknesses, fatigue, and need for help in the midst of testing. Jesus taught His followers to specifically ask the Father to keep them from temptation (Matt. 6:13).
Go to the Focus Index.