All throughout the Old Testament, we read of the blessings for obedience and the curses for disobedience. We also repeatedly see the failures of God’s people to uphold the law, maintain covenant faithfulness, and walk in obedience to their God. To answer the Psalmist, no one could ever ascend or dwell upon the hill of […]
How does a disciple of Jesus Christ grow in his or her faith? How do Christians grow in genuine love for one another and delightful obedience to their Lord? Having just been told by Jesus to walk in love, to pay attention to one’s manner of life so that no one is caused to stumble, […]
One of the major themes of Jesus’ teaching, as well as the rest of Scripture, is the sharp distinction between the kingdom of this world and the kingdom of God. You either belong to the kingdom of light or the kingdom of darkness. Your values are informed either by the world or by the truths of […]
What does it look like to truly love the Master and to be among those “who will eat bread in the kingdom of God” (Luke 14:15)? Jesus’ parable in this passage shows us that those who were first invited made pathetic excuses and ultimately missed out—which is precisely what the elite of Israel who rejected […]
While the second coming of Jesus Christ is clearly taught in Scripture (Luke 12:40; 1 Thess. 5:2-4; 2 Pet. 3:10; Rev. 16:15), many in the church today are either consumed with making fanciful predictions about his return or simply neglect this doctrine out of frustration and confusion. For a disciple of Jesus, however, neither of […]
“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 […]
“A sower went out to sow his seed”—so begins one of the most familiar parables of Jesus, a profound teaching found in all three Synoptic gospels (Matt. 13:1-23; Mark 4:1-20; Luke 8:4-15). Jesus frequently would illustrate kingdom truths and spiritual realities with images, stories, and experiences from everyday life that would relate to his hearers. Yet the purpose […]
The story of the wise and foolish builders, found at the conclusion of Jesus’ Sermon on the Plain, is a familiar one to most. Having taught on living the life of the kingdom and what it means to be an authentic disciple, Jesus warns those who would presume to call him ‘Lord’ yet fail to do what […]
As Jesus continues preaching to the crowds about kingdom living, he now moves into one of the most difficult, yet most distinctly Christian, teachings in his sermon: love for enemies. Jesus here commands his disciples that they must not only love them, but do good to them, pray for them, and even lend to them expecting […]
