“No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62). Following Jesus is a full-time occupation, and the demands of the kingdom supersede all earthly loyalties. To be a disciple of Jesus involves being sent out as laborers into the harvest—proclaiming the good news of […]
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 […]
Luke’s Gospel was written so that we would know for certain all that was fulfilled by Jesus Christ in God’s great plan of redemption. He tells the story of the love and mercy of God in that “the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10). As we preach through […]
The Gospel of Luke invites everyone to place their faith in Jesus Christ, the King who defeated death with his love. Over and over again, Luke shows us that the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ, entrance into God’s kingdom, is an offer made to the entire world. But Luke doesn’t stop there. His […]
“Peace be to the brothers, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible” (Eph. 6:23-24). So Paul concludes his epistle to the Ephesians, yet even here we are once again presented with the overarching themes of this […]
“Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep” (Ps. 121:4). Traditionally sung by pilgrims traveling up to the temple in Jerusalem, this Song of Ascent declares the faithful, vigilant, keeping power of God over his chosen people. But can we Gentiles sing and apply this Psalm today? If we aren’t making pilgrimages to Jerusalem, celebrating Jewish feasts, or even […]
Having urged us to walk worthy of our calling, to put off the old man and put on the new, Paul now commands us to walk as children of light. For those who were once darkness but were now light and partakers of all the promises of Christ through the gospel, what fellowship can light have darkness? But not only has the […]
Of all the psalms in the Old Testament, it is Psalm 110 that is the most often quoted and alluded to by the authors of the New Testament. This enthronement psalm is centered on and fulfilled by Christ, who, having taken on the form of a servant and humbling himself to death on a cross, was […]
Continuing to emphasize the importance of the Church in God’s plan of redemption and the life of the believer, Paul explains the diverse gifts of grace given to the body of Christ for its continued spiritual growth and sanctification. Each member of the household of God has a unique role to play in the edification of the body […]
