In the Old Testament, the Messiah (or Christ) was understood to be the anointed king through whom God would establish his kingdom on earth. Israel was anxiously awaiting this coming king who would conquer his enemies and rule the nations in righteousness. Moreover, one of the distinguishing marks of this long-expected Messiah was that he […]
Having silenced the Pharisees and the Herodians, Jesus was then faced with another question from the Sadducees. This time, however, it wasn’t a political question to entrap him, but a theological one to humiliate him; it was a question about resurrection. And Jesus’ response (just days before his own bodily resurrection) not only silences his […]
When asked by the Pharisees and Herodians whether or not it was lawful for Jews to pay tribute to Caesar, Jesus replied by asking whose image was engraved upon one of their coins. They answered him: “Caesar’s.” This set the stage for one of Jesus’ most famous teachings: “Render to Caesar the things that are […]
A parable is a story or saying designed to teach a deeper truth through a comparison with every-day realities. Greg Lanier explains why Jesus told parables: “Like the prophets of old, Jesus used parables to reveal the mystery of the kingdom, to stimulate reflection on sin, to call people to repentance—and to produce the opposite […]
After the triumphal entry, our Lord’s first order of business was not with the Roman occupation but with the Jews and their temple. Rather than fulfilling its role as a “house of prayer for all nations” (Isa. 56:6-7), the temple had become a “den of robbers” (Jer. 7:9-11)—a sanctuary for the wicked and hypocritical, the […]
Jesus told the parable of the ten minas to the crowds, Luke explains, “because he was near to Jerusalem, and because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately” (Luke 19:11). As we have seen throughout the Gospel of Luke, the person and work of Jesus himself was the sign that the […]
After Jesus’ encounter with the Rich Young Ruler—a man who couldn’t bear to consider the cost of discipleship—he made a profound exclamation: “How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” This prompted his disciples to ask who then could be saved, to which Jesus responded: “What is impossible with […]
The story of the blind beggar in Luke 18:31-43 is most often considered as being just another miracle story: Jesus gives a blind man physical sight. However, in our sermon series through Luke’s gospel we have seen over and over again how there’s more to Jesus’ miracle-working ministry than just physical healing. What we see […]
“And a ruler asked him, ‘Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?'” (Luke 18:18). This rich, young man could not have asked Jesus a more important question. However, he was unprepared to hear the answer, for when he heard it, “he became very sad” (Luke 18:23), and ” went away sorrowful” (Mark […]
