The Bible repeatedly affirms that there is no neutrality when it comes to God and his kingdom. In Luke 11:23 we read: “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters” (see also Matt. 6:24; Rom. 6:16; James 4:4). In the healing of the mute man and the […]
The feeding of the five thousand is the only miracle recorded in all four gospels. This sign not only shows us Jesus’ compassion towards the crowds and his divine power to multiply the food, but—like every other miracle Jesus performed—points us to why he was sent into the world. In John’s gospel, speaking to the crowds […]
What are we to do when faced with trials, suffering, hardship, sickness, or death? How are we to respond when God’s timing and purposes seem to be the complete opposite of what we expect from him? The interweaving stories of Jairus and the woman with the issue of blood both point us to our compassionate Savior and what it […]
“Who then is this, that he commands even winds and water, and they obey him?” (Luke 8:25). Having just witnessed Jesus rebuke the wind and the waves, the disciples posed this question among themselves. They knew that controlling the forces of nature and calming the raging seas are activities that only God himself could do (see Psalm 107:28-29). But […]
All throughout Scripture, we are given glimpses the promise that one day sin and death will be no more. In the Old Testament, we see hints of this future hope through different characters, prophets, and events, all of which point to God’s final answer to the sting of death and the power of sin: Jesus Christ, the […]
In the Old Testament we read of how God graciously called Israel to his be his chosen people. They were to teach all the surrounding nations about their holy and loving God by their covenant faithfulness to his word (Ex. 19:4-6). However in the New Testament, Jesus appears as the true and better Israel who came to redeem a […]
In this passage, we not only see Jesus compassionately healing a leper and a paralytic, but claiming and proving himself to be the forgiver of sins. Though lepers were alienated from the life of the community, as a result of their uncleanness, Jesus willingly stretches out his hand to touch him. Why? To beautifully illustrate that God’s grace is greater than […]
The miracles of Jesus, often the topic of much discussion and admiration, served a greater purpose than merely being examples to be sought after and replicated today; they were signs that pointed to greater spiritual realities and especially his identity and mission as the Son of God sent into the world to be the great […]
After Jesus boldly declares that he is the fulfillment of Isaiah 61:1-2, he is met with a variety of responses. Those in the synagogue were “filled with wrath” and attempted to hurl him off of a cliff (Luke 4:28-29) because of their unbelief. Others were astonished, filled with amazement at Jesus and the authority he […]
