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Jesus gives His disciples two examples of humility.  Why does He do this?  Because His disciples do not have humility.  Because they are not humble.  They have been arguing “with one another about who was the greatest” (v34).  They apparently care more about themselves than they do about each other.  Their actions show that they are self-centered and selfish.  Jesus teaches His disciples that they cannot enter the heavenly kingdom if they remain that way. The first example of humility that Jesus gives His disciples is a child (v36).  Why a child?  In New Testament Jewish society, children are towards...

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Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field.  But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away.  When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.  “The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field?  Where then did the weeds come from?’  “‘An enemy did this,’ he replied.  “The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’  “‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are...

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Jesus invites the world to follow Him.  He invites the world to “repent and believe the good news’ (verse 15).  In other words, He calls the world to discipleship.  What is discipleship?  What does it mean to be a disciple?  Can someone, anyone, follow Jesus and not “repent and believe the good news” (verse 15)?  The answer to this question depends on the meaning of the words “disciple” and “repentance”. The word disciple means “one who follows”.  A disciple follows someone else.  In the context of the New Testament, a disciple follows a teacher.  Jesus’ disciples call Him “teacher” on...

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It is Tuesday afternoon of Passion Week, the final week of Jesus’ life.  He prepares His disciples for His departure: His death by crucifixion on Good Friday.  He also prepares them for the Final Judgment, for His Second Coming, when He will judge all mankind and lead all of His followers to heaven.  Jesus tells His disciples many parables about this.  Among the many parables is the Parable of the Ten Virgins. The Parable of the Ten Virgins can be analyzed in this way.  The bridegroom is Jesus.  The virgins are Jesus’ followers.  The marriage feast is heaven.  The oil...

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Jesus left there and went to his hometown, accompanied by his disciples.  When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed.  “Where did this man get these things?” they asked.  “What’s this wisdom that has been given him?  What are these remarkable miracles he is performing?  Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon?  Aren’t his sisters here with us?”  And they took offense at him.  Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town, among...

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The church year has historically been divided into seasons.  The church year begins with the season of Advent, when we look forward in anticipation to Jesus’ coming.  The word “Advent” means “coming” and we anticipate Jesus’ first coming at Christmas and His second coming at the end of time.  The season of Advent is followed by the season of Christmas, when the true light of Christmas shines in a sinful world.  The true light of Christmas, however, appears to be seen only by those receiving spiritual guidance.  The shepherds, on Christmas Eve, only worship the Christ Child with the direction...

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Most of us are probably familiar with the Seventh Petition of the Lord’s Prayer, “But deliver us from evil.”  Just as many of us are probably familiar with Luther’s explanation for it, from the Small Catechism.  In the Seventh Petition of the Lord’s Prayer we are asking God to “deliver us from every evil of body and soul, possessions and reputation.”  That’s simple enough: we all know what it means.  One question is created by the Seventh Petition, however: ‘why do we need to be delivered from evil?’  A common presumption among Christians is that no evil should befall them. ...

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The word “disciple” means “one who follows.”  Jesus’ disciples follow Him.  He says “Follow Me” and they do.  Why?  And, why just them?  Jesus comes into contact with many others during His earthly ministry.  Why doesn’t everyone, whom He comes into contact with, also follow Him?  What are the reasons for this? Why doesn’t everyone follow Jesus?  The Bible records several instances, for example, when Jesus feeds thousands of people at one time (see Matthew 14:15-21, 15:32-38; Mark 6:35-44, 8:1-9; Luke 9:12-17; John 6:5-13).  Why don’t they all follow Him?  Why are they not all His disciples?  Because they only...

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God makes Himself known.  How?  Or, more precisely, where? - In the Bible.  God tells us about Himself in, what we now know as, the Bible.  He makes Himself known in both the Old Testament and the New Testament, or, as they were called in Biblical times, the Law and the Prophets.  Both the Law and the Prophets testify about God: who He is, what He does, where He is, why He does what He does, and how He does what He does.  And, in so doing, the Law and the Prophets tell us about Jesus. Who is Jesus?  Jesus...

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Jesus is the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Him, though he die, yet shall he live. These are Jesus’ words. They might be hard to believe. Why? ⎯ because people still die physically. They might still live spiritually and they might be resurrected physically (which are the points that Jesus is trying to make), but they still die physically. For us who still reside here, on good ole Planet Earth, the physical is more real than the spiritual. Jesus’ thoughts might be easier to understand (and believe) if certain concepts are explained. Jesus’ thoughts might be easier to...

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