You'll notice that Luke's genealogy in chapter 3 today is different from the genealogy in Matthew chapter 1 in a couple of ways: 1. Matthew starts with Abraham and goes to Jesus & Luke starts with Jesus and goes all the way back to Adam. This was done by Luke to show Jesus' relationship to the entire human race. Matthew focused more on Jesus' relationship with the Jews by going back to Abraham. 2. Matthew traces Jesus legal genealogy through his father Joseph back to Solomon son of David, while Luke traces Jesus bloodline through his mother Mary back to Nathan son of David. This is an interesting slight distinction. Line up Luke & Matthew's genealogies and you'll see the differences in the names between David & Jesus. Below is an image of Luke's genealogy of Jesus, from the Book of Kells transcribed by Celtic monks circa 800:
Bible.org's commentary on the genealogy of Jesus is at this link.
Worship Video: Today's readings remind me of Casting Crowns song "If We are the Body." Here's a great live version of that song:
Comments from You: What verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!
God bless, Mike
p.s. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!
I always love reading about John the Baptizer! John is sometimes referred to as the "last Old Testament prophet." Jesus said this about John in Luke 16:16 - "The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John." Jesus is the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophets, priests and kings. I find it very helpful to know Jesus is my Prophet, Priest and King. Prophets in the Old Testament typically preached repentance from sins, and John was no exception to this rule in our readings in Luke chapter 3 today. John preached repentance! Have you repented from your sins? Is your life showing the fruits of your repentance?
Commentary from Bible.org on Luke chapter 3's readings today titled "John the Baptizer" is at this link.
Worship Video: Today's readings reminded me of Steven Curtis Chapman's song "Dive:"
Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture today:"And the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased." Luke 3:22 NIV
Prayer Point: Pray for more of the Holy Spirit in your life. Pray that you life will be pleasing to God.
Comments from You: What verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!
Love, Trust and Obey Jesus, Mike
p.s. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!
New Testament - In Luke chapter 2 today we read about Jesus' wisdom at the young age of 12. How's this for a profound statement from Jesus to Mary & Joseph when they found him in the Temple in verse 49 - "But why did you need to search?" he asked. "You should have known that I would be in my Father's house." I like that! And I like that Jesus was paying such respect for the Temple as well - essentially calling it the house of God. I do believe this can be carried forward today to Jesus' love for his body, the church. I often think to myself, when I'm on my way to church, that "I'm going to the house of God." Do you believe that we can find Jesus today in his Father's house? Or are you searching elsewhere? I do believe of course Jesus can be found outside of church... but I also know that I oftentimes experience his presence so profoundly at church - and Communion in church clearly being one such a time & place where I cannot help but find Jesus in a profound way. Below is "Jesus in the Temple at Twelve" by Duccio di Buoninsegna from the early 14th century:
Bible.org's commentary on today's readings in Luke titled "The Day Jesus went AWOL" :) is at this link..
Worship Video: Today's readings remind me of Zach Williams song "Old Church Choir:"
Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture today:"Why were you searching for me?" he asked. "Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?" Luke 2:49 NIV
Prayer Point: Pray that you will look for Jesus today in his Father's house, heaven, seated at His Father's right hand side in glory. Pray that you won't ever need to search for Jesus, but know that He is with you always, even to the very end of the age.
Comments from You: What verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!
God bless, Mike
p.s. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!
New Testament - Okay, any fans out there of Charlie Brown's Christmas Special recognize anything here from Luke chapter 2?? :) Yes, indeed, Linus' speech to Charlie Brown about the meaning of Christmas comes straight from the KJV of this chapter, Luke 2:8-14.
One thing that seems to be standing out to me quite a bit in reading Luke this year is how much Luke writes about Mary. I like how Luke gives us a little bit more of a glimpse of the mother of Jesus in his Gospel. We saw this obviously in our readings 2 days ago about the Magnificat. And then today we read about Mary listening to the shepherds' words in verse 19: "Mary quietly treasured these things in her heart and thought about them often." And then in verses 34 & 35 today we read: "Then Simeon blessed them, and he said to Mary, "This child will be rejected by many in Israel, and it will be their undoing. But he will be the greatest joy to many others. Thus, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your very soul."" This last sentence of Simeon's seems to be the first glimpse of Jesus' suffering and death that will come later in his life.... Here's a nice image of Simeon holding Jesus:
Bible.org commentary on Luke chapter 2 titled "The Birth of the Messiah" is at this link, and "Acclamations of the Birth of Christ" is at this link.
YouTube: Based on my reference above to Linus telling Charlie Brown about the true meaning of Christmas in Luke Chapter 2, here's the clip:
Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture today:"But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart." Luke 2:19 NIV
Prayer Point: Pray that you will treasure all of the Words of Scripture that you are reading this year and that you will often ponder the Word in your heart.
Comments from You: What verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!
God bless, Mike
p.s. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!
I love Zechariah's prophecy in today's readings in Luke chapter 1! In particular verses 76-79 when speaking about his son John the Baptist: "And you, my little son, will be called the prophet of the Most High, because you will prepare the way for the Lord. You will tell his people how to find salvation through forgiveness of their sins. Because of God's tender mercy, the light from heaven is about to break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace."" Amen! Below is Leonardo Da Vinci's portrait of John the Baptist from the year 1516:
Bible.org's commentary on our readings in Luke today titled "Why John Was Not Named 'Little Zach'" is at this link.
Worship Video: Today's readings remind me of the Matthew West song "Only Grace:"
Comments from You: What verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!
God bless, Mike
p.s. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!
In Luke chapter 1 verses 46 through 55 we read an amazing hymn known as Mary’s Song or the Magnificat, which means “glorifies” in the Latin Vulgate translation. This is indeed a song from the mother of Jesus that glorifies God in a beautiful way. As you read through this song, below, please meditate upon its words. And maybe ask yourself this – are there ways in your life that you “sing songs” like this to God? Maybe it’s not through literal song – but maybe you praise God through loving others, through serving others, through art, through prayer, through your church, and this list could go on… What is your unique way of glorifying God? Do you want to glorify God with all you do in your life? Please take a few moments to mediate upon the glorious words of Mary’s Song:
“My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me– holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, even as he said to our fathers.”
Bible.org's commentary on Luke chapter 1 titled "The Worship of Two Women" is at this link.
Worship Video: Today’s readings remind me of fantastic Bluetree song "God of this City:"
Comments from You: What verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!
Love, Trust and Obey Jesus, Mike
p.s. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!
Author: Luke Place: Perhaps Caesarea Date: A.D. 60-65 Content: Luke was a physician and a traveling companion of the Apostle Paul. He wrote his Gospel for a cultured Greek named Theophilus in order to show the true humanity of Jesus and his place in history. For this reason Luke was careful to examine all the evidence very carefully and give precise dates for the events that took place. He begins with an account of Jesus' virgin birth, giving many details not found elsewhere. Jesus' Galilean ministry is described, followed by a lengthy account of Jesus' trip to Jerusalem. After Jesus' death and resurrection, the disciples are left rejoicing, waiting for the promised power of God from heaven to fill them. Theme: Whereas Matthew shows Jesus to be the Jewish Messiah and Mark shows Jesus as the servant of God, Luke depicts Jesus as the perfect God-man whose genealogy may be traced back to Adam. Jesus is the greatest man in history and is placed within the flow of world events by Luke. He is the greatest man because of what he taught, what he did, why he died – and because he rose again from the dead. For this reason we ought to accept him as our Lord. (Above commentary is from Tyndale Publishers "The One Year Bible Companion" p. 22)More commentary on the Gospel of Luke is at this link. Below is "Saint Luke" from an illuminated manuscript, circa 1130:
In today's readings in Luke chapter 1 we read about the birth of John the Baptist being foretold by the angel Gabriel. Gabriel shares with Zechariah this powerful message about John in verses 16 & 17 - "He will persuade many Israelites to turn to the Lord their God. He will be a man with the spirit and power of Elijah, the prophet of old. He will precede the coming of the Lord, preparing the people for his arrival. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and he will change disobedient minds to accept godly wisdom."" This is a message for us to consider today - do we need to be persuaded to turn to God? Do we need our disobedient minds changed to accept godly wisdom? Can we open our ears to the message of John the Baptist some 2,000 years later? Will we prepare our hearts for the coming of the Lord? One interesting side note - only two angels are mentioned by name in the Bible - Michael and Gabriel. And here is Gabriel delivering the message from today's readings to Zechariah:
Worship Video: Today's readings eminded me of Nicole Nordeman's song "Holy:"
Please join us in memorizing and meditating on two verses of Scripture today:"Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." Luke 1:16-17 NIV
Prayer Point: Pray that you, like John the Baptist, will live a life that brings many people back to the Lord. Pray that you will be as zealous for God as John the Baptist was zealous for God.
Comments from You: What verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!
Love, Trust and Obey Jesus, Mike
p.s. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!
Today we finish up the Gospel of Mark! The Gospel of Luke starts tomorrow. In Mark chapter 16 verse 6 is the key to our Christian faith: "The angel said, "Do not be so surprised. You are looking for Jesus, the Nazarene, who was crucified. He isn't here! He has been raised from the dead!" Do you believe this angel's proclamation? Do you truly believe that Jesus rose from the dead? Below is "The Resurrection" by the northern German Renaissance painter Matthias Grünewald from the year 1515:
Jesus' resurrection is the key to the Christian faith. The resurrection is the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy and of Jesus' own statements. The Christian faith stands or falls on the bodily resurrection of Jesus. We can read more about this important point from Paul in 1 Corinthians 15. The One Year Bible Companion outlines these 5 points in their commentary that the resurrection guarantees: 1. Jesus was truly the Son of God. (Romans 1:4) 2. God the Father accepted what Jesus did at Calvary on the basis of the resurrection. (Romans 4:25) 3. Jesus as our Risen Lord pleads for his people before the Father. (Romans 8:34) 4. Believers have the hope of eternal life. (1 Peter 1:3-5) 5. Believers will also rise and have resurrected bodies like that of Jesus. (1 Corinthians 15:49, Philippians 3:21, 1 John 3:2)
Worship Video: Today's readings about Jesus’ resurrection reminded me of the terrific song "Christ Is Risen" by Matt Maher:
Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture this week:""Don't be alarmed," he said. "You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him." Mark 16:6 NIV
Prayer Point: Pray that you will know truly in your heart that Jesus is risen and that He sits at the right hand of the Father until he comes again in Glory.
Comments from You: What verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!
Love, Trust and Obey Jesus, Mike
p.s. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!
It is interesting in the One Year Bible how we go through the 4 Gospels one after another in the beginning portion of the year. In some ways it may seem repetitive - but I think repetitive is good when we're talking about the story of Jesus... we really cannot hear and meditate upon this story enough. Also, what I like is the nuances of each Gospel - or maybe things that are indeed in a few of the Gospels that somehow just stand out to me in some new way in one of the Gospels. Today is one of those days where something jumped out at me that I have not really noticed before - and that is Pilate in verses 9 & 10 - ""Should I give you the King of the Jews?" Pilate asked. (For he realized by now that the leading priests had arrested Jesus out of envy.)" It's interesting that Pilate used the term King of the Jews here - and again later in the narrative - and that he also had this term nailed to the cross. And the question I have is this - did Pilate do this simply to try and irritate the leading priests? I think this is probably the case. But, I'm looking forward to some further study on this.
Worship Video: Our readings today about the crucifixion of Jesus reminds me of the song "Jesus Paid It All" sung here by Celtic Worship (with bagpipes!):
Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture today: "Are you the king of the Jews?" asked Pilate. "Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied." Mark 15:2 NIV
Prayer Point: Pray that Jesus is your King today and forevermore. Pray that you will always submit to your King, Jesus.
Comments from You: What verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!
Love, Trust and Obey Jesus, Mike
p.s. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!
Today in Mark chapter 14 we read an amazingly powerful statement from Jesus in verses 61 & 62 - "Then the high priest asked him, "Are you the Messiah, the Son of the blessed God?" Jesus said, "I am, and you will see me, the Son of Man, sitting at God's right hand in the place of power and coming back on the clouds of heaven." Wow. This is it. This is a statement that changes everything. The question for us is this - is this more than just a statement from Jesus? Do you believe this is Truth?
Worship Video: Today's readings remind me of the song "Wake Up Sleeper" by Austin French:
Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture today:"The high priest asked him, "Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?" "I am," said Jesus. "And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven." Mark 14:61-62 NIV
Prayer Point: Pray in your heart that you know Jesus as your Christ, the lamb of God who died for your sins and was resurrected, sitting now at the right hand of the Father. Pray for Jesus' return in glory. Pray, "Come Lord Jesus, quickly Come!"
Comments from You: What verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!
Love, Trust and Obey Jesus, Mike
p.s. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!
