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This post accompanies my video reading of Luke's Gospel Chapter 10 published on the Circular Grace YouTube channel. Video Reading Luke 10 This chapter begins with Jesus giving power to seventy of His disciples to take the Kingdom messages out to neighbouring cities and towns. A few things jumped out for me, firstly the numbers involved. I thought that seventy seemed a huge number but Jesus made the point that there were not enough labourers. 2 Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest. (Luke 10:2 (KJV)) I remembered that Jesus had very recently provided manner from heaven to an extraordinary number of men, 5000! This was one of a few similar almighty and miraculous feedings. It really is remarkable to consider that the great many of those blessed on those days, walked away unchanged and empty. Whilst 70 disciples sounds like a lot, it is unfortunately, just a few compared to the many. My second thought pondered what the consequences will be for those who reject Jesus's invitation to be part of God's Kingdom? This chapter certainly provides some food for thought. In the next verse Jesus warns the seventy that He is sending them out as lambs among wolves. (Luke 20:3) I'm wondering just how many of those who partook of that Holy meal were wolves or destined to become them? At church today we shared communion together and as is customary, our minister warned us that we should not partake unless we were truly part of the body of Christ. Very sadly, sometimes wolves have been known to hide amongst lambs, even in the church. We were warned at church that God judges. This chapter teaches us about great blessings but Jesus also offers up dire warnings of judgement. I noted how Jesus contrasted the great blessings bestowed upon Capernaum, Chorazin and Bethsaida (Luke 10:13-15) with the dire warning to them if they were to reject the merciful invitation to repent and enter the Kingdom of God. Jesus warned that they would face judgement. 14 But it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment, than for you. My final thought fell upon the unfortunate truth that all too often we are tempted to overlook a blessing from God. We often value the wrong things, like the excited disciples who were in awe of having power over Satan. Was it the power they were most excited about or the great blessing that their names were written in the Lambs book of life? I thought about this verse which talks of the day of judgment in the Book of Revelation (20:12 (ESV)) And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. Here in Luke chapter 10, Jesus makes reference to the Heavenly reward that citizenship of God's Kingdom brings. 20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven. It's quite a sobering revelation to understand the consequences that face all who reject Jesus. I'll leave my thoughts there and jump into the published commentaries to learn more. Enduring Word Commentary You'll find some interesting information that may explain why Jesus selected 70 disciples from His wider group of followers. The point that interested me however was a quote from Spurgeon, who I often enjoy. It talks of the great miraculous power involved in equipping men for ministry. It's an important point to ponder because true ministry is a given blessing rather than something someone decides to do unilaterally. i. We are to pray that the Lord would send out laborers: “Now the Greek is much more forcible, it is that he would push them forward, and thrust them out; it is the same word which is used for the expulsion of a devil from a man possessed. It takes great power to drive a devil out, it will need equal power from God to drive a minister out to his work.” (Spurgeon) Later on in the commentary, I picked up on something interesting that related to individual accountability. It seems there is some difference between those who are ignorant or who have not had the opportunity to witness the truth and those who have been given greater revelation and blessings. i. The more we hear God’s truth and the more we see Him move, the more we are accountable for. Since the people of Chorazin and Bethsaida and Capernaum had received such convincing signs, they were held to greater account for what they have seen. The commentator gives an example relating to the town Jesus used as the base for His earthly ministry. iii. Capernaum especially was exalted to heaven, because it was the adopted home of Jesus during the days of His Galilean ministry, hearing much of His teaching and seeing many of His miracles. There is a lot of fantastic information in this very full, verse by verse commentary. Here's the link https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/luke-10/ I'll leave it here for this week as time is unfortunately against me but I'd love to hear your thoughts.

This post accompanies my video reading of Luke Chapter 9 published on YouTube. You can view it here. Video Reading Luke Chapter 9 What is perfect rebuke? Picking up on the theme I mentioned in my post reading video reflection, I'm considering the nature of Jesus's righteous rebuke. It may be a little misleading to class this as a universally recognised theme for this chapter. It's merely the theme that sprung out and fascinated me personally. That's really what my reflection here on this blog is all about, I'm sharing my personal journey of understanding. I'm going to pick up on things that relate to where I am on my journey and the things I'm trying to get firm in my head. I guess the basis of my thought comes from considering the perfect nature of Christ and that thought was provoked by the testimony of the transfiguration. A foretaste of the majesty and glory of our resurrected Lord. This is the truth we share as faithful witnesses. 16 For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. 18 And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount. (2 Peter 1:16-18 (KJV)) Whilst narrating the chapter for the video I struggled to know what tone of voice was appropriate when relaying rebuke. How would Jesus have sounded when rebuking His disciples? It causes me to think about the nature of perfect rebuke as an example of the emotional perfection of Jesus. Jesus is an example to us all and I considered this a moment to consider not only the tone but when and on what occasions rebuke may be appropriate. Jesus provides an example of when failing to rebuke could cause a person to continue down the wrong path. When Jesus rebuked His disciples His intention is that they understand their errors and address them. 44 Let these sayings sink down into your ears: for the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men. (Luke 9:44 (KJV)) We know from verse 45 of this chapter that the disciple's did not fully understand what Jesus was saying at the time but they would indeed remember every word Jesus spoke to them and share them so that we too would hear the lesson. Who of us has not been the recipient of unrighteous rebuke? The kind that is foist upon us out of malice but more often simply as the result of a lack of empathy or compassion on the part of the rebuker. That sort of rebuke can have a paralysing effect, rather than motivating us to repent and do better it can cause us to retreat, shrink and simply stop trying. Jesus didn't want His disciples to retreat, shrink into themselves and stop trying. Jesus used his righteous rebuke to teach His disciples so that they would be better equipped for ministry after He was no longer with them in the flesh. The 12 were often tempted to be driven by their worldly characters but Jesus had a perfect empathy and compassion for their weaknesses. He didn't leave them at the mercy of their temptations, he used His perfectly directed rebuke to renew their spirit and redirect their characters. He would subsequently send the Holy Spirit to be their guide to all He taught and commanded. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:3 (ESV)) I'll draw a line under my personal reflection and jump into some respected and published commentary for more insight and clarity. Enduring Word Commentary This is a very full verse by verse commentary that is packed full of interesting clarity and context. I'll share just a few snippets that I found useful. The first helpfully reminds us that when God calls any of us to serve Him, He always equips us with what we need. b. And gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases : Jesus did not only call the twelve. He also gave them power to do what He had called them to do. The same principle holds true today: whom God calls, God equips. The equipping may not be completely evident before the ministry begins, but it will be evident along the way. One of the reasons I often go to this commentary is that I always learn something that adds a layer of clarity to the scripture I'm reading. Here, I learnt something that sheds light on Jesus's instruction that the disciples were not to take anything with them when He sent them out. These nuggets of information often help us to see the bigger picture more clearly. i. There was a rule among the rabbis of the day that you could not enter the temple area with a staff, shoes, or a moneybag, because you wanted to avoid even the appearance of being engaged in any other business than the service of the Lord. The disciples were engaged in such holy work (preaching the gospel and bringing God’s healing) that they could not give the impression that they have any other motive. Here's another golden nugget that gave me a better understanding of why Jesus told His disciples to shake the dust from their feet upon leaving a city that didn't receive them. The significance here is that the 12 disciples have been sent out to preach the Gospel in Jewish towns and cities. Jesus is shining a light on hypocrisy in the light of Jewish custom. i. If Jewish people of that time had to go in or through a Gentile city, as they left they often shook the dust off their feet as a gesture saying, “We don’t want to take anything from this Gentile city with us.” Essentially, Jesus told His disciples to regard a Jewish city that rejected their message as if it were a Gentile city. You'll find so much more from the commentary, here's the link: https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/luke-9/ Bible Hub Commentary Another very full, verse by verse commentary with bags of helpful context illuminating scripture. I'll start with a snippet that provides historical context about the Herod character mentioned. I found it useful to hear the connection to Damascus as mentioned by Paul in Corinthians. Verses 7-9. - Herod's terror. Verse 7. - Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done by him. This was Herod Antipas; he was a son of Herod the Great; his mother's name was Malthace. After his father's death he became tetrareh or prince-ruler of Galilee, Peraea, and of a fourth part of the Roman province of Syria. His first wife was daughter of Aretas, a famous Arabian sheik spoken of by St. Paul as "king of the Damascenes" ( 2 Corinthians 11:32 ). The feeding of the 5000 is a miracle recorded in each of the four gospels and this may help us to understand how important it is to understand. There was a lovely little section in this commentary that harmonised aspects of the four different testimonies. The snippet begins by describing the tone of the meal and goes on to describe what a glorious sight it would have been. I think it's a little sad that often this almighty miracle is not given enough thought. It would have been unforgettable and remarkable to witness and experience and no wonder that each Gospel recounts the story. Everything must be calm and solemn; it is a kind of Passover meal. By the help of the apostles, he seats his guests in rows of fifty each (St.. Matthew), or in double rows of fifty, by hundreds (Mark). This orderly arrangement allowed of the guests being easily counted. St. Mark describes in a dramatic manner the striking spectacle presented by these regularly formed companies, each consisting of two equal ranks, and all arranged upon the slope of the hill. The pastures at that time were in all their spring glory. SS. John and Mark both bring forward the beauty of this natural carpet. 'Much grass' (St. John); 'on the green grass' (St. Mark)" (Godet). St. Mark's vivid picturesque details show the observant eve-witness. This commentary has a useful section covering the Transfiguration and pulls in some thoughts on how we too are changed the closer we are to God. Very many have noticed at times this peculiar and lovely change pass over the faces of God's true saints as they prayed - faces perhaps old and withered, grey with years and wrinkled with care. A yet higher degree of transfiguration through communion with God is recorded in the case of Moses, whose face, after he had been with his God-Friend on the mount, shone with so bright a glory that mortal eye could not bear to gaze on it until the radiance began to fade away. A similar change is recorded to have taken place in the case of Stephen when he pleaded his Divine Master's cause in the Sanhedrin hall at Jerusalem with such rapt eloquence that to the by-standers his face then, we read, "was as the face of an angel." I'll leave you with the link to this commentary if you would like to read more. https://biblehub.com/commentaries/pulpit/luke/9.htm Bible Ref Commentary This commentary provides a very useful summary of Luke Chapter 9 and is quick to read. I'll give you an example snippet describing the feeding of the 5000. In the feeding of the thousands, Luke doesn't focus on Jesus' teachings or healing miracles. He emphasizes that even though the disciples have seen and personally used Jesus' power (Luke 8:22–56; 9:1–6), they are overwhelmed at the thought of feeding a crowd of people. The roots of their faith are still shallow (Luke 8:6, 13). Here's a link to the commentary to continue reading. https://www.bibleref.com/Luke/9/Luke-chapter-9.html I draw my reflection on this chapter to a close. What a chapter! So full it was difficult to know where to begin. If you have thoughts, comments or questions, post them below so that we can learn more together. Until next time, May God bless your walk with Jesus!

This post accompanies my video reading of Luke Chapter 8 published on the Circular Grace YouTube channel. You can access it here. Luke 8 Video Reading I'm hearing a call to share the Gospel ! Before delving into the respected commentary on Luke 8, I wanted to share what jumped out at me personally from this chapter of the Gospel. I heard such a strong and encouraging message from Jesus to share the light of the truth. Not to sit on it or be tempted to keep it to myself but share it so that others could hear and see it too. 16 No man, when he hath lighted a candle, covereth it with a vessel, or putteth it under a bed; but setteth it on a candlestick, that they which enter in may see the light. (Luke 8:16 (KJV)) The prompt to share the truth seemed to me to be a theme that ran through this chapter. Jesus when explaining the parable of the soils to his disciples pointed at an aspect of sharing the truth that goes beyond simply repeating words. I'll try to explain in my one words. To successfully grow fruit from a seed, we need to sow a seed in nutrient rich soil. A seed needs to be planted and carefully nourished to develop into a healthy plant that will go on to produce fruit in due season. Jesus provides concrete clarity as to what the seed in the parable represents. The seed is the Word of God and as we also know, Jesus is the Word of God (John 1:2). 11 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. (Luke 8:11 (KJV)) I believe Jesus is talking about the Word of God planted in our heart. In other words, knowledge of and faith in Jesus planted in our heart. That seed needing to be nourished so that it can grow into Christlike thoughts, words and deeds. This seems to describe a process of growing in faith. From a seed being planted, to a growing maturity that involves turning heart into observable and shared actions and experiences. It's basically what we do as followers of Jesus. We become His representatives, sharing his truth and light with others in both word and deed. 15 But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience. (Luke 8:15 (KJV)) My mind jumped forward to the man who had been named 'legion' before Christ banished the host of demons from him. He saw the Light of Christ and wanted to stay beside Jesus. Jesus asked him to go and share the truth and he did with an honest and good heart. He didn't hide the light he had received under a bed, he put it on a stand where others could see it! They went on to share with other people, some embracing the truth and others rejecting it. 39 Return to thine own house, and shew how great things God hath done unto thee. And he went his way, and published throughout the whole city how great things Jesus had done unto him. (Luke 8:39 (KJV)) After a host of examples encouraging the truth to be shared, the chapter concludes with Jesus asking the parents of the maiden not to share that he had brought their daughter from death to life. How curious, I thought! Upon reflection however I remembered that Jesus had said earlier in the chapter that truth is always revealed. I'm considering that this plea for silence was perhaps more to do with Jesus attempting to manage the circumstances of His ministry in relation to public reactions. People are already pressing in and thronging Him and at times making it so difficult for Him to preach that He must take a boat out a little way to preach from. We know that the truth was indeed revealed and subsequently shared to the four corners of the world because we are discussing it here and now. How remarkable! 17 For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither any thing hid, that shall not be known and come abroad. 18 Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have. (Luke 8:17-18 (KJV)) I'll leave my personal reflection there and jump into some respected published commentary for more clarity on this chapter. Enduring Word Commentary This commentary adds some useful information regarding the sequence of events. Apparently Jesus was revisiting towns he had previously ministered to a. He went through every city and village: This is often thought to be the second tour of Jesus through the region of Galilee (the first being described in Luke 4:42-44). Jesus probably went to the same cities and villages more than once in His itinerant preaching work. The next snippet I found interesting, related to the women who were part of Jesus' group alongside the 12 apostles. It's of note because women were not traditional taught by the rabbis. i. “The rabbis refused to teach women and generally assigned them a very inferior place.” (Morris) It’s interesting to note that in the four Gospels, all of Jesus’ enemies were men. The final interesting point of clarity I will share from this commentary is the detailed explanation of what a parable is and maybe more importantly, what a parable is not. iii. Parables generally teach one main point or principle. We can get into trouble by expecting that they be intricate systems of theology, with the smallest detail revealing hidden truths. “A parable is not an allegory; an allegory is a story in which every possible detail has an inner meaning; but an allegory has to be read and studied; a parable is heard. We must be very careful not to make allegories of the parables.” (Barclay) If you would like to read the full commentary, here is a link https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/luke-8/ Blue Letter Bible Commentary This is a full commentary that provides a lot of verse by verse context. There is a detailed section referencing the women who were ministering (looking after Jesus). I was curious to hear more about Joanne the wife of one of Herod's stewards. 3. Another of them was Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward. She had been his wife (so some), but was now a widow, and left in good circumstances. If she was now his wife, we have reason to think that her husband, though preferred in Herod's court, had received the gospel, and was very willing that his wife should be both a hearer of Christ and a contributor to him. This is a very wordy commentary, characteristic of its age but it often beautifully expresses with extreme clarity of meaning. I loved this explanation of why a parable is heard and understood by some and not others. Those who would receive instruction from Christ must know and consider what a privilege it is to be instructed by him, what a distinguishing privilege to be led into the light, such a light, when others are left in darkness, such a darkness. Happy are we, and for ever indebted to free grace, if the same thing that is a parable to others, with which they are only amused, is a plain truth to us, by which we are enlightened and governed, and into the mould of which we are delivered. This is a wonderful and long commentary to delve into for some deep thought and clarity on this chapter. I'll finish my tour through it with this lovely snippet relating salvation to the parable of the seeds and soil. [1.] That we cannot be saved unless we believe. The word of the gospel will not be a saving word to us, unless it be mixed with faith. For the full commentary, follow this link. https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/mhc/Luk/Luk_008.cfm Bible Ref Commentary If you prefer more of a summary, this commentary provides a quick read. You will find a wealth of bite size clarity, such as this little snippet: Luke 8:19–21 presents the first example of how people respond to the gospel. Jesus' mother and brothers want to see Him. They stand "outside" as a metaphor for rejection of His gospel. Those who are "inside" hear His message and accept it. Jesus' followers are His true family. Of course, according to the Bible, His mother and brothers eventually accept Him as their Savior. Jesus' initial rejection by family is also recorded in Matthew 12:46–50 and Mark 3:31–35 . For the full commentary, here is the link. https://www.bibleref.com/Luke/8/Luke-chapter-8.html Thank you as always for reading along! Until next time, God bless you and keep you!

This post accompanies my video reading of Luke Chapter 7 published on the Circular Grace YouTube channel. You can watch it here. Video Reading Luke Chapter 7 I have baffled over why John The Baptist asks Jesus for confirmation of who He is. On the face of it, it sounds preposterous, unbelievable. Has John lost his faith in Jesus? How could he when God Himself has revealed the truth to Him? I'm no theologian or scholar but after much thought I considered what I know about the nature of faith. I humbly suggest that our faith, a gift from God endures but our trust in our faith suffers from bouts of weakness. I'll sight one of my favourite apostles as an example, Peter! 40 Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. 41 “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:40-43 (NIV) Poor Peter, struggling again but Jesus gave him the answer. I hear Him telling Peter that he is faithful but weak. He encourages Peter that he must seek God so that he can receive strength to overcome temptation. The very willing, John the Baptist seems to be experiencing temptation based on the weakness of his mortal flesh. He is the greatest prophet that ever lived but John is still, merely a mortal man with all of the weakness that brings with it. John is the prophesied Messenger of God ( Isaiah 40:3-5 ) who has already: announced the arrival of the Messiah ( John 1:23 ), called Jesus the Lamb of God, baptised Jesus, heard God proclaim Jesus His beloved Son, witnessed the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove descend upon Jesus... ( Matthew 3:13 - 15 ). So why all of a sudden does he ask Jesus to confirm who He is? My thoughts so far have gathered around a theme that seems to run through this chapter and that theme is Jesus rebuking people who are being guided by their own worldly, flawed and weak expectations. John the Baptist knows who Jesus is but he clearly has a few personal expectations of what the Messiah should be doing in his opinion. I imagine him thinking, if you really are the Messiah, shouldn't you be setting up your Kingship and overthrowing the Romans by now? Remember that John doesn't have the benefit of the whole Gospel at this time. He dies before the cross and therefore doesn't see Jesus's resurrection. God has told John who Jesus is but not how exactly Jesus will fulfil His plan of redemption. I think Jesus makes a point by using John as an example. He seems to flip things around pointing out that most people wouldn't have expected the great prophesied messenger of God to have appeared or acted like John the Baptist. Jesus goes on to question what people's expectations were when they went out to see John preach. He confirms to them that despite whatever their expectations may or may not have been, John the Baptist was the greatest prophet ever born to a woman! ( Luke 7:24 - 29 ) People seem constantly tempted to mould Jesus into their own image based on their personal expectations of how He should act in this chapter. Jesus was not born to dance to the tune of mortals. Jesus is the Son of God and was born to do the will of God. Jesus was only interested in fulfilling the expectations of His Father in Heaven. Jesus will not dance to any other tune! 31 And the Lord said, Whereunto then shall I liken the men of this generation? and to what are they like? 32 They are like unto children sitting in the marketplace, and calling one to another, and saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned to you, and ye have not wept. (Luke 7:31-32 (KJV)) Later on in the chapter we see another example of Jesus not doing what was expected. Simon the Pharisee seems to be struggling to accept that Jesus is really a prophet because Jesus is allowing a sinner to wash and kiss His Holy feet. Jesus is not here to satisfy the consciences of the Pharisees or anybody else. Jesus is here to do the Will of His Father who sent Him. He's here to fulfil God's plan to save sinners! ( Luke 7:36) Having the theme of 'expectations' on my mind I was interested in what this commentary had to say about the Jewish leaders telling Jesus exactly who was worthy of His help. As we understand, none is worthy of salvation. Salvation is by God's Grace and Mercy and never based on a measure of personal merit or worthiness. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. ( Ephesians 2:8-9) Enduring Word Commentary I am eager to hear how this commentary can shine more light on my understanding. Here is a little clarity on the relationship between the Centurion and the Jewish leaders. d. The one for whom He should do this was deserving : The Jewish leaders did this for the centurion because he was a worthy man. In contrast, we can come to Jesus directly without a representative even when we are unworthy; He justifies the ungodly ( Romans 4:5 ). As the commentator points out, the Jewish leaders missed the point. Jesus is here to save the unworthy sinners and not cherry picking out the righteous and godly. The Roman Centurion demonstrates a deeper understanding than the Jewish leaders. He honours Jesus and recognises his own unworthiness. i. The centurion was a remarkable man. The elders said he was worthy; he said he was not worthy. They praised him for building a house of worship; he felt unworthy that Jesus would come to his house. They said he was deserving; he felt himself undeserving. Strong faith and great humility are entirely compatible. The commentator makes the point that there are only a few occasions when Jesus expressed His amazement. This is one of them and Jesus is amazed that a Roman Soldier has greater faith than the Israelites He is encountering. i. Jesus only marveled on a few occasions. He did so here, at the faith of the centurion, and also at the unbelief of His own people ( Mark 6:6 ). Jesus can be amazed at either our faith or our unbelief . We have the great blessing of being witnesses to Jesus defeating death in this chapter. I found it useful to hear clarity on the difference between resurrection and resuscitation. Those that Jesus brought back to life will face death again. i. This young man was not resurrected but resuscitated; he rose from the dead only to die again. God promises that we will be resurrected and rise from the dead never to die again. Now more about John The Baptist. The commentator shines a light on how in Johns eyes, Jesus is not doing what Jews expected the Messiah to do. b. Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another? John 1:29-36 and other passages indicate that before this, John clearly recognized Jesus as the Messiah. His doubt might be explained because perhaps he himself had misunderstood the ministry of the Messiah. Perhaps John thought that if Jesus were really the Messiah, He would perform works connected with a political deliverance of Israel – or at least the deliverance of John, who was in prison. We need to remember that John is in prison and so not able to witness what is going on personally. He has a limited view and is experiencing personal suffering during his incarceration. He will be relying on the testimony of his disciple's and they are very likely confused. They presumably love John and are wondering why Jesus isn't coming to his rescue. . “John was already in prison, and things began to appear incomprehensible to him. He had expected that Christ would speedily destroy the powers of darkness and judge the unrighteous. But instead of doing this, He leaves him, His forerunner, helpless in prison.” (Geldenhuys) Jesus seeks to reassure John and He does this by reminding John of the scripture he knows, understands and believes. The commentator helpfully provides a summary of the related scripture Jesus is pointing to. a. And that very hour He cured many of infirmities, afflictions, and evil spirits; and to many blind He gave sight: This was the real power of the Messiah in action; yet performed in personal, even humble ways. i. Most of these miracles fulfill some promise found in Isaiah. · The blind see (Isaiah 61:1, 35:5). · The lame walk (Isaiah 35:6). · The deaf hear (Isaiah 35:5). · The dead live (Isaiah 26:19). · The poor hear the good news (Isaiah 61:1). Alongside Jesus' compassion towards John The Baptist, there is a rebuke. There is a warning about being offended by the Son of God who is serving the Father in Heaven. ii. “It is remarkable that the same word is predicated of John the Baptist and Israel concerning their response to Jesus – scandalized (skandalisthe; cf. Luke 7:23 with Romans 11:9 [cf. 9:33]). Israel was scandalized by Jesus, and we must take Jesus seriously in Luke 7:23 that it was possible for His audience to be offended at His nontraditional role, including John the Baptist.” (Pate) Continue reading this very useful commentary for a deeper understanding. https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/luke-7/ Bible Ref Commentary I was hopeful for a clear summary from this commentary after being pulled into deep questions. I enjoyed the fresh perspective of looking at the structure of the chapter. The commentator describes a 'chiastic' structure and I had to look that up, I recommend Got Questions as they have a good explanation. I liked their example phrase, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going”. It's basically a mirror structure, a sequence of related ideas, presented in reverse order. Another example, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” (Mark 2:27) Here's how the Bible Ref commentator explains. "Chiasms" group related stories in a pyramid form and are common in the Bible and ancient literature. The form for this passage may be: A. The faith of the generous: the centurion (Luke 7:1–10). B. The blessed powerless woman: the widow of Nain (Luke 7:11–17). C. John the Baptist: doubt and encouragement for continued faith (Luke 7:18–23). C' John the Baptist: the two reactions to his and Jesus' message (Luke 7:24–35). B' The blessed powerless woman: the sinful woman (Luke 7:36–40). A' The faithlessness of the generous: Simon the Pharisee (Luke 7:41–50). Personally, I found this concept of structure very interesting. Rather than attempt to elaborate further here on it, I'll leave the link. If you're interested it's a good read. https://www.bibleref.com/Luke/7/Luke-chapter-7.html I hope I've provided some food for thought on this deep and meaningful chapter. Every time I encounter this particular group of stories I add a new layer of understanding and I'm fascinated at how there is depth upon depth in all scripture. I'm sure there is much I've missed and a lot I only partially understand but I am excited to encounter these same stories next time to learn even more. If you have found something I missed, please do share so that we can learn more together. In the meantime, God bless you for supporting my journey to know Jesus better!

This post accompanies my video reading of Luke Chapter 6 published on YouTube. You can watch here if you would like. Luke 6 Video Reading What should it mean when we call Jesus our Lord? I found this such a thought provoking chapter. It caused me to consider obedience on a personal level. I had to question how hard I try to live up to what I proclaim frequently with my mouth. I call Jesus Lord but do I truly obey what He tells me? It's another personal reminder of the importance to read my Bible. It's the only place to find details of what Jesus taught us. It seems to me that Jesus is very much setting a standard that we as faithful believers are to follow. To me that seems the essence of what it means to follow Jesus. I'm reading in this chapter that following Jesus does not begin and end with passively acknowledging Him as Lord. Jesus seems to be saying that He considers it necessary that we actively follow His teachings if we call Him Lord. Following involves acknowledging Jesus's authority as Lord of our lives in both word and deed. Honestly, reading this chapter caused me to cringe because I know there are frequently times that I could not look my Saviour in the eye and say, I always do what you told me to do. I guess we all perpetually fall short but I imagine Jesus is looking to see us repent of those shortfalls and pray for the strength to address them. Let's jump into the published commentaries to learn more! Enduring Word Commentary This commentary begins by clarifying how busy Jesus is by noting how much ministry has occured between the Sabbath days marked off. The first snippet I will share, shines a light on why the Scribed and Pharisees are rebuking the disciples for eating corn on the Sabbath. They had at this time come up with an exhausting list of do's and don'ts to comply with in relation to Sabbath conduct. These rules were in addition to the laws God had handed down. i. When the disciples did what they did, in the eyes of the religious leaders they were guilty of reaping , threshing , winnowing , and preparing food. There were therefore four violations of the Sabbath in one mouthful. I can imagine sitting down one day and concocting a list of personal rules. Spending a day proudly ticking them off and at the end of the day, patting myself on the head and declaring myself to have had a perfect day. What a contrast to the sermon on the Mount! Jesus was teaching a very different message relating to perfection and righteousness. I liked the note I found in the commentary about how easy it is to think we understand and completely miss the point. i. “It is possible to read scripture meticulously, to know the Bible inside out from cover to cover, to be able to quote it verbatim and to pass any examination on it – and yet completely miss its real meaning.” (Barclay) I'm always a little baffled at how certain people following false gospels will try hard to maintain that Jesus did not claim to be God. In my opinion it is evidence of the kind of blindness we often hear described in scripture. The New Testament is full of examples where Jesus declared that He is God. We have one of those examples in this chapter (verses 3-5) i. This was a direct claim to Deity. Jesus said that He had the authority to know if His disciples broke the Sabbath law, because He is the Lord of the Sabbath . I find it difficult sometimes to get my head around Jesus as both fully man and fully God. It's much easier in my humble opinion to grasp the fully God nature but sometimes puzzling trying to imagine how the fully man nature accommodates fully God. Here the commentary helps a little. Jesus whilst walking in the flesh as completely human, followed God perfectly as a man. I guess, He is always keen to be an example for us to follow. He shows us by example, how as humans, we can communicate with God the Father. The commentary uses an example of when Jesus is praying before choosing His Apostles. i. Jesus was God; yet He did not simply use His infinite knowledge to pick the apostles. Instead, He prayed all night. Like every other struggle Jesus faced, He faced this one as a man; a man who needed to seek the will of His Father and rely on the power of the Holy Spirit just as we do. You'll find some really useful context and clarity in this thorough verse by verse commentary. Follow the link for more. https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/luke-6/ Blue Letter Bible Commentary Picking up where the previous commentary left off, I liked the note here that points out that we would all maybe benefit from spending more time in prayer. I know that I do not have a strong prayer life. It's something I really should focus on more! 2. He was long alone with God: He continued all night in prayer. We think one half hour a great deal to spend in the duties of the closet; but Christ continued a whole night in meditation and secret prayer. We have a great deal of business at the throne of grace, and we should take a great delight in communion with God, and by both these we may be kept sometimes long at prayer. This is a very detailed commentary and it's great for really digging deep into the messages Christ is leaving for us. Here's an example relating to verses 20-26. (2.) "You will for this be abundantly recompensed in the kingdom of glory; not only your services for Christ, but your sufferings will come into the account: Your reward is great in heaven. Venture upon your sufferings, in a full belief that the glory of heaven will abundantly countervail all these hardships; so that, though you may be losers for Christ, you shall not be losers by him in the end." It's not easy to suffer pain and challenges through life but all of us will and Jesus often explained we can actually expect to suffer more because of our faith in Him. We only need to look at our Heavenly role model for example. Jesus suffered for us and we may be called to suffer for Him at the hands of those who reject Him. Any suffering we endure in this world is however temporary and we have the promise of an eternity without suffering. (1 Peter 5:10 NIV) And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. I know from personal experience that our suffering now is lessened because of our faith. Pain is pain but my experience of pain is lessened because I can seek relief from it through prayer. I can call on God for strength to endure and I have never known that prayer to go unanswered. I have been blessed to experience pain melt away after prayer and days that felt difficult become a pleasure because I prayed for help. Although, I know I should pray for longer and more often, my personal experience of prayer is that it is a constant stream of strength to my faith. God answers me and I know His love, mercy and grace through prayer. (Romans 8:26 ESV) Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. Here's a link to the full commentary: https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/mhc/Luk/Luk_006.cfm Bible Ref Commentary I'll finish with a snippet from Bible Ref who provide a nice summary of the chapter. I chose this snippet because it clarifies my post reading comments relating to whether this is an additional sermon or a retelling of the Sermon on the Mount. Here the commentator uses the title, 'Sermon on the Plain' but ads a little context relating to different opinions. The rest of the chapter is Jesus' "Sermon on the Plain." It covers much of the same information as the "Sermon on the Mount" in Matthew (Matthew 5—7) but in condensed form. Scholars debate as to whether these were the exact same speech. Since Jesus was a traveling teacher, it's possible He presented the same broad lessons numerous times during His earthly ministry. Notably, because Luke's readership is Gentile, he leaves out the parts that directly reference the Mosaic law. The event begins with Jesus ministering to "a great multitude of people" from everywhere from Jerusalem to Tyre. They have come to be healed from diseases and freed from demons but stay to listen to Jesus' words (Luke 6:17–19). To read this commentary: https://www.bibleref.com/Luke/6/Luke-chapter-6.html Thank you for reading along and engaging with me in considering the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 6. I look forward to diving into the next chapter with you. Unfortunately after sharing chapter 7, I will be having a little break. My next hip replacement surgery is scheduled and I'll need a little time to recover before I can sit comfortably to record a video. Until next time, God bless you a keep you!

This blog post accompanies my YouTube reading of Luke Chapter 5. You can watch it here if you like. Video Reading Luke Chapter 5 Occasionally, I get so caught up in the joy of the Gospel message that I am hasty in what I say. On this occasion a dear friend spotted my over exuberance and gently pulled me back a little. Thank you, Edna! In my post reading thought, I excitedly exclaimed that Simon Peter, James and John were all saved after forsaking the hugest catch of their fishing career to follow Jesus. My thoughts, hallelujah! Simon is saved because he believes that Jesus is Lord and Christ. I'm a huge Peter fan and I always cheer loudly when following his journey of faith. When he sinks into the water, I barely notice because I'm still cheering the fact that he walked at all! There's something about his personal struggles with his very human nature that I identify with. With the help of loving and faithful friends, more experienced than myself I'm reminded that salvation is a journey that starts when God plants a seed in us. I apologise for maybe being guilty of taking Simon Peter, James and John over the finishing line when they had only just gotten off the starting blocks. Scripture doesn't tell us that they were saved at that very moment but it does tell us that, three fishermen became committed disciples of Jesus Christ that day. Let's dive into the published and respected commentaries to find out more. Enduring Word Commentary I learnt something new in the first few paragraphs of this commentary. I had no idea that the Sea of Galilee was known by a few different names. I'm not sure that I had realised that it was not even a sea, in the strictest sense of the word. It's more officially, a lake fed by run off water from the mountains. The commentary, helpfully confirms that the Lake of Gennesaret is the Sea of Galilee. This was another name for the Sea of Galilee, as it is more familiarly known. It was also sometimes called the Sea of Tiberias. There is welcome clarity in this commentary relating to the miracle catch of fish on Simon's boat. The commentary provides some context on the word 'Master' as used by Simon to address Jesus in response to Jesus asking him to put the boat out. b. Master, we have toiled all night : The particular ancient Greek word Luke used for Master ( epistata ) is unique to Luke’s Gospel. The word has the ideas “commander,” “leader,” or perhaps even “boss.” With this title, Peter showed he was willing to take orders from Jesus. The commentary helps us to understand that there is power in every word spoken by Jesus. It is after all, the Word of God. Simon responds in faith. d. At Your word I will let down the net : This was Peter’s great statement of faith, and trust in Jesus’ word. God’s people throughout all ages have lived and gone forth with this confidence in the word of Jesus. ·  At Your word , there was light. ·  At Your word , the sun, moon, stars, and planets were created. ·  At Your word life came to this earth. ·  At Your word creation is held together and sustained. ·  At Your word empires rise and fall; history unfolds His great plan. It's a wonderful reminder of who Jesus is. This is THE JESUS, the second person of the Trinity. The eternal Jesus who is and was and will forever be one with God the Father, alongside the third person of the trinity, the Holy Spirit! The commentary reminds us that Jesus has already healed Simon's Mother-in-law. He's seen Jesus perform miracles but this miracle brings Simon to his knees. a. He fell down at Jesus’ knees: Jesus had already miraculously healed Peter’s mother-in-law (Luke 4:38-39). Yet there was something about this miracle of the blessed catch that made Peter worship Jesus and surrender himself to Him. I welcomed the following words that help to balance out my thoughts on the state of Simon Peter's faith at this point. His declaration, though faithful has room to grow. iii. We might say that Peter’s prayer was good, but there is even a better prayer to pray: “Come nearer to me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!” Moving on to Jesus's miraculous healing of the man with leprosy. I found some context around the severity of the leprosy experienced and the the condition would have been fatal, had Jesus not healed him. i. “In Palestine there were two kinds of leprosy. There was one which was rather like a very bad skin disease, and it was the less serious of the two. There was the one in which the disease, starting from a small spot, ate away the flesh until the wretched sufferer was left with only the stump of a hand or a leg. It was literally a living death.” (Barclay) This commentary provides some wonderful context on Jewish law relating to leprosy if you want to dive deeper. The point that I found useful to understand was the extent that lepers were shunned. Jesus was reaching out to someone who was abandoned by society to death. It's a glorious example of the grace, mercy and compassion of Christ. iii. For these reasons leprosy was considered a picture of sin and its effects. It is a contagious, debilitating disease that corrupts its victim and makes him essentially dead while alive. Therefore society and religious people scorned lepers. Rabbis especially despised them, and saw lepers as those under the special judgment of God, deserving no pity or mercy. This poor man was willing to come to Jesus as his last hope. It paints quite a picture! He's going to die and there is no-one but Jesus who can help him. I imagine his pitiful self image based on how others felt about him and treated him. Considered unclean, he could not go to the temple to offer a sacrifice to cleanse him of sin (Jewish custom and law). I imagine he may have felt completely unworthy and beyond any form of redemption until he heard about Jesus. b. Lord, if You are willing : The leper had no doubt about the ability of Jesus to heal; his only question was if Jesus was willing to heal. This was significant because leprosy was so hopeless in the ancient world that healing a leper was compared to raising the dead; yet this leper knew that all Jesus needed was to be willing . I really recommend this commentary if you want to understand every verse in this chapter. It's full of very rich context! https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/luke-5/ Bible Ref Commentary This is not a verse by verse commentary, it provides a nice summary. I was interested in the clarity provided around the chronology of events. It points out that whilst Luke sets out an orderly account, it is not always strictly chronological. Where appropriate, Luke groups the narrative around themes. Although Luke has carefully placed his Gospel within the context of history ( Luke 3:1–2 ), his record is not meant to be strictly chronological. His "orderly account" ( Luke 1:3 ) is largely thematic. Though biblical scholars have labeled Luke 4:14—9:50 Jesus' "Galilean Ministry," not all of the events occur within the borders of Galilee. The title differentiates this period from Jesus' Travelogue to Jerusalem ( Luke 9:50—19:27 ) and the events that occur in and near Jerusalem ( Luke 19:28—24:53 ). That may be useful to know if we find ourselves in conversation with the kind of people who like to question why timing sometimes appear to be different in the four gospel accounts. It's a brief, quick to read summary that's perfect for clarifying understanding before moving on to the next chapter. I'll finish with a snippet that reflects on repentance. Levi (Matthew) has hit the ground running as a disciple by calling sinners to Jesus. Levi's repentance echoes Peter's. Levi's invitation to other sinners to meet Jesus reflects Jesus' promise that Peter and the others would fish for people. The setting of the feast draws the attention of religious leaders and will later be the basis of Jesus' comparison of Himself to John the Baptist (Luke 5:27–32; 7:24–35). For the full commentary, follow the link and remember to click the appropriate link alongside the chapter text. https://www.bibleref.com/Luke/5/Luke-chapter-5.html Bible Hub Commentary I skipped to the end of this very full verse by verse commentary for some context on the old and new wine. The commentator makes an interesting observation that Luke includes a little extra information around what Jesus said about the old and new wine. The theory put forward, that maybe Paul had suggested the inclusion. That seems to be guessing but nevertheless, they provide some useful historical context following the thought through This new wine seems, in those days, generally to have been considered preferable, but to men who had been drinking the old, age-softened vintage, the new would seem fiery and even harsh. The Greek word rendered in the Authorized Version "better," in the older authorities is positive instead of comparative. The translation should therefore run," the old is good." The argument would be the same: Why change what we have been drinking for something new? surely the old wine is good? Such passages as Nehemiah 10:35 ; Proverbs 3:10 ; Hosea 4:11 ; Haggai 1:11 , bear out the above statement, that in those days, among the Jews of Syria, Palestine, and the adjacent countries, new sweet wine was a favourite beverage among wine-drinkers I'm confident you'll find a treasure trove of context and scholarly pondering in this commentary. Follow the link to read through. https://biblehub.com/commentaries/pulpit/luke/5.htm Thank you so much for reading my blog where I aim to provide links to helpful and respected Bible commentary. Any thoughts, comments or questions, I'd love to hear them. I'm always very happy to dive into a fact finding mission if I can help.

This post accompanies my video reading of Luke Chapter 4, published on the Circular Grace YouTube channel. You can watch it here. Video Reading Luke Chapter 4 Jesus is Lord ! Adam fell to the temptation of evil but Jesus triumphs over evil. It's a wonderful chapter that shows us that Satan has no power over Jesus. His evil temptations were too much for Adam but Jesus is incorruptible and triumphant. Jesus is our Lord and He defeats Satan for us! When Adam fell against Satan, we all fell with him. I noticed that after defeating Satan in the wilderness, Jesus goes on to remove him from people and to silence him. Satan has had his opportunity to speak and now is silenced upon the command of the triumphant Jesus. Let's jump into the published commentary to learn more. Enduring Word Commentary I've mentioned the comparisons between Adam and Jesus who were both tempted. This commentary points out that Adam was in Paradise when tempted but that Jesus was in the harshest of places. I was humbled to ponder that this is another example of Christ suffering on our behalf. I'm reminded that Jesus is fully human, He felt the pain of hunger. i. There are parallels with the way that Jesus was tested and the way that Adam was tested; but Adam faced his temptation in the most favorable circumstances imaginable, and Jesus faced His temptations in bad and severe circumstances. Jesus was in the wilderness having fasted for 40 days. He was hungry and tired. I know from personal experience how much more difficult it is to resist temptation when I am tired and hungry. I'm fairly level tempered under normal circumstances but if I'm hungry, cold or tired I can find myself regretting that I snap at people. The commentary points out that Jesus was not merely hungry but on the point of starvation. Medically speaking, Jesus would have been experiencing starvation. This would mean Jesus was incredibly weak physically. i. The fact that Luke the physician noted that afterward… He was hungry is important. After such a long fast, renewed hunger often points to a critical need for food. Jesus was beginning to starve to death. Further to these truths, the commentator reminds us that Jesus, though starving was full of the Spirit! I'm reminded that the first thing to do when I am faced with discomfort or suffering of any kind is pray. I have access to the Holy Spirit because of my Lord Jesus! ii. Jesus was hungry, but full of the Spirit. We are sometimes just the opposite – full stomachs and empty spirits. I think it's marvellous to remember how Jesus dealt with the temptations He faced. He was filled with the Holy Spirit of God. The same Spirit that is in us as faithful believers. Jesus answered every temptation with the Word of God. The commentator makes an important point about how vital it is that we equip ourselves with God's Word so that we have the armour to fight temptation. It's the truth that without scripture, we wouldn't have a clue about what is either right or wrong. God's Word instructs us. It explains what God considers good, bad, right or wrong. How would we recognise an evil temptation unless we were familiar with God's Word? We can't resist what we don't see. To lack understanding of God's Will is literally like wearing a blindfold through life. We are going to fall into all kinds of traps. We have the Holy Spirit on hand and ready to give us strength but it's so easy to miss an opportunity to call out for the help we need. ii. We effectively resist temptation in the same way Jesus did: filled with the Holy Spirit, we answer Satan’s seductive lies by shining the light of God’s truth upon them. If we are ignorant of God’s truth, we are poorly armed in the fight against temptation. This is a really informative verse by verse commentary. It certainly provoked a lot of thought for me personally. I think that's one nice reason to dive into commentary occasionally. Here's the link: https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/luke-4/ Bible Ref Commentary I like to include a link to this commentary site because it provides a good summary view. Whilst not the level of detail available from the verse by verse commentaries, it's helpful as a sounding board to clarify that we come away from a chapter with the basics. Here, is a snippet of clarity on why they rejected Jesus in Nazareth. At least one town does not approve His message: Nazareth, Jesus' childhood hometown. While visiting there, Jesus reads aloud from Isaiah. The prophecy indicates that Messiah will bring rescue, healing, and good news. When Jesus claims to be the fulfillment of this prophecy, His former neighbors react with skepticism. In their eyes, Jesus is nothing more than another Nazarene—He can't possibly be anything special (Luke 4:14–22). Alongside rejecting that the son of a local carpenter could be the Messiah, they are further angered when Jesus points out that God will look to the gentiles. Jesus is telling his neighbours that they will miss the opportunity to receive God's blessings. He notes that at times God would withhold miracles from Israel, and instead perform them for Gentiles: non-Jewish persons ( Luke 4:23–27 ). Whilst reading, I did wonder why people were bringing the sick to Jesus after sunset. I'd forgotten that it was the Sabbath and that the Jews had a different notion of the end of one day and the beginning of the next. Jewish custom is that a day ends when the sun sets. Since this happens on a Sabbath, people wait until sundown—which marks the start of the next day—to bring sick and afflicted people to Jesus. It's a nice summary of Luke Chapter 4. To read it, follow the link: https://www.bibleref.com/Luke/4/Luke-chapter-4.html Blue Letter Bible Commentary This is a very detailed verse by verse commentary for those who want to fully consider the chapter in depth. There's some good context around the temptation of Christ. I don't usually read all of this commentary, I confess that I skim through it. I like to include a link as a sign post to it as a potentially useful resource. You may have a questions and if so, there is a good chance you'll find an answer in this commentary. If you asked me a question, it would be one of a few places I would look for an answer. I did find something that touched me. I was touched by the reminder that Jesus still has power over our sickness today. There is a tender reminder that we should pray for our loved ones who are sick in the knowledge that Jesus can bestow His Grace and Mercy in answer to our prayers. Just as He did for Simon's Mother-In law when asked. Jesus can cure any sickness, regardless of how great that sickness is. Christ had, and still has, a sovereign power over bodily diseases: He rebuked the fever, and with a word's speaking commanded it away, and it left her. He saith to diseases, Go, and they go; Come, and they come; and can still rebuke fevers, even great fevers. Scrolling to the very end of this commentary, I found a lovely reminder that Jesus is always with us, anywhere in the World when one of two of us gather in His Holy name. It is well for us that our Lord Jesus has not tied himself to any one place or people, but, wherever two or three are gathered in his name, he will be in the midst of them: and even in Galilee of the Gentiles his special presence is in the Christian synagogues. If you would like to read this commentary, follow the link: https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/mhc/Luk/Luk_004.cfm Thank you for reading along! Until next time, I pray God's blessings upon you ❤️

This post accompanies my video reading of Luke Chapter 3 published on the Circular Grace YouTube channel. You can access it here. Luke 3 Video Reading How is Jesus both Son of Man and Son of God? Why was Jesus born?To be our Saviour but why do we need a Saviour? My thoughts after reading this chapter focused on God the Creator and the nature of His Son. I mentioned in the video, I think it's awe inspiring to be reminded of the truth that we are created beings. God created Adam and Eve and that was the beginning of humanity. I guess I've always been the type of person who likes to ask, why? I must have driven my parents nuts! So my mind runs to ask why was Jesus born? Why do we need a Saviour? Why couldn't God just save us? I'm not going to attempt to provide a walk through of those answers but I'll share with you that those were amongst many of the questions that were front and centre when I set out to read the Bible from cover to cover. The answers I found in the Old Testament have really propelled my understanding of the Gospel message. If you haven't searched the Bible for the answers to your questions, I highly recommend a study of the Old Testament. In the meantime, let's dive into the commentaries on Luke Chapter 3 and see what we can learn. Enduring Word Commentary You'll find a lot of historical context at the beginning of this commentary but my first snippet provides some clarity on the nature of repentance. i. John’s message was a call to repentance. Some people think that repentance is mostly about feelings, especially feeling sorry for your sin. It is wonderful to feel sorry about your sin, but repent isn’t a “feelings” word. It is an action word. John told his listeners to make a change of the mind, not merely to feel sorry for what they had done. Repentance speaks of a change of direction, not a sorrow in the heart. That's something to ponder! I recall my mother often saying, 'actions speak louder than words' when as a child I blurted out a half hearted apology. The next snippet joins together this notion of repentance and baptism. I found it useful to understand the difference between John's version of Baptism and our baptism. It underlines the truth that where there is guilt there is a need for cleansing. John is telling the Jews they are guilty of sin against God and they need to acknowledge and repent in an act of cleansing. i. “Baptism by water, whether understood by the Qumran community as applicable to itself or as preached by Jewish missionaries to Gentile converts symbolized spiritual cleansing from sin, the result of forgiveness.” (Pate) The Jews had become complacent and thought themselves on solid ground before God. They had faith in their own righteousness and relied on their relationship to Abraham for their salvation. John pulled the rug from under them, telling them that they were far from Gods grace and that their relationship to Abraham was not a ticket to salvation. They were sinners and needed to repent. The Messiah isn't coming to free them from Roman occupation. Addressing your audience as a family of snakes is not a customary way to begin a sermon. Asking them “ why are you here anyway? ” isn’t a smooth introduction. But John wasn’t interested in preaching a soft message or in tickling ears. I'll leave you to ponder further... Dive into this commentary for a thorough verse by verse understanding of Luke 3. https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/luke-3/ Bible Ref Commentary This commentary provides a great summary. Sometimes the fuller commentaries can be a little hard to digest and a simpler overview is helpful. I liked this simple clarity on John's ministry. "John the Baptist's ministry corresponds to Old Testament prophecy. Centuries before John, Malachi spoke of a herald who would prepare people for Messiah ( Malachi 3:1 ; 4:5–6 ). Centuries even before Malachi, Isaiah described someone who would point others towards the Promised One ( Isaiah 40:3–5 ). Luke cites Isaiah to indicate John's preaching is a fulfillment of God's promises ( Luke 3:4–6 )." There is also a clear and simple explanation of the message John is preaching. Repent or be judged! "Even as he baptizes, John condemns those who pursue shallow faith. He ominously implies that judgment is near—just as if an axe was resting by the roots of a tree about to be cut down ( Luke 3:7–9 )." For a very brief summary, without verse by verse context. https://www.bibleref.com/Luke/3/Luke-chapter-3.html Why did Luke's Genealogy of Jesus go back to Adam I have to confess that when I initially record my personal thoughts at the end of my video, they are not scripted. I simply share my thoughts in real time. I then consider what I say during editing and if I think I've said anything incorrect or misleading, I'll cut them out. On this occasion, I was genuinely in awe of Luke's genealogy. As I said, we are all descendants of Adam and Jesus being fully man and fully God does share that truth in common with us. I'm not attempting to be a theologian, I'm just stating a simplified truth without getting involved in theological debate. Mary is human, Jesus shares her ancestry on his fully human side. It was a miraculous conception and Jesus as we learned in this chapter is the Son of God. Jesus is fully man and fully God, God in the flesh. This isn't contested by faithful Christian theologians. Apparently however, the reason for Luke providing a genealogy back to Adam is. Sometimes, I scratch my head. Maybe I'm missing something but why wouldn't someone who set out to create an ordered and complete account provide a complete genealogy that went right back to Adam? We know that there are very many different ways of gathering a family tree. Just try doing your own from memory and see how many variations you can come up with following first your Dad and then either following his Mother or alternatively his Father back. Faced with the same choice, many multiple times. I simply can't fathom the tangle theologians and critics get into over the gospel accounts of Jesus's genealogy. I trust the Bible and I take Luke's genealogy as fact. I think the reality he was testifying to is that Jesus is the Son of God on both sides of His family tree. Even on the human side of His family tree. That seems to me, a reasonable and sound reason to include a geaneolgy for Jesus that goes right back to Adam. I do wonder if some scholars, overthink the obvious. I'm not a scholar though, just merely a reader. My mind runs to the question, what happened to Adam, the first created son of God? The answer is that, Adam represents the fall of man into sin. That at the simplest of levels, seems to me to be reason enough that humanity needs a Saviour. Why was it important that Jesus was fully man and also fully God? It's an important question that I wanted to flag and it leads nicely into the notion that Jesus is the New Adam. I'll share an article by RC Sproul from the Ligonier Organisation that I personally enjoyed on the subject of the genealogy. I didn't choose it for doctrinal reasons, merely that it was uncomplicated and to me reasonably logical in relation to the context of Luke's writing. It introduces the notion of Jesus being the New Adam. That's certainly something worth pondering 🤔 "Here is another a little pedantic point, but I don’t think it’s so insignificant: Why does Luke take the genealogy all the way to Adam? Of course, one reason is to show that the gospel is not just for the Jews, but for Gentiles as well. However, I’m going to suggest another reason, and this would get me a lot of debate in the theological world because nowhere in Luke’s gospel does Luke ever mention the role of Jesus as the new and second Adam, which is so important to the teaching of the Apostle Paul. However, Luke mentions Jesus’ descent from the first Adam, and it’s inconceivable to me that Paul wouldn’t have discussed with Luke on their missionary journeys the significance of Jesus as the new Adam to redeem us from the failure of the first Adam." For the full article: https://learn.ligonier.org/sermons/genealogy-jesus Maybe after considering Luke Chapter 3, you will find you have more questions than answers. If so, pick up your Bible and keep reading. Pray to the Father in Heaven for guidance and help wil be granted because God is merciful to those who look to Him.

This post accompanies my video readying of Luke 2 on the Circular Grace YouTube channel. You can watch it here. Video Reading Luke Chapter 2 My Thoughts and Links to Published Commentary The angel said, 'Fear not' because people seem always to respond in fear at the site of an angel in angelic form. I wondered about those words in the wider context of the great blessing the angel was announcing. For most of us the greatest fear we encounter is the knowledge that we or our loved ones will face death in the end. The birth of Jesus brings a message of salvation to all people. Those who accept the salvation Jesus offers need not fear. Jesus takes away all of our fear of we allow Him into our lives and place our trust in Him. Luke 2:10(kjv) 10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. Jesus was born at a point in history when there was a great deal to fear. The situation in Israel was that the Jews had been placed under bandage to the Romans who ruled them harshly. The Jews at the mercy of oppressors is a familiar theme of the Old Testament. God removes His blessings from the Jews when they walk away from His righteousness and no matter how many times God blessed them, they walked away. I recommend reading Malachi for a summary of the status of God's relationship with the Jews prior to the birth of Jesus. Malachi prophesied 400 years before Christ but they didn't listen and things only got worse. Malachi 1:6-8 (KJV) 6 A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the LORD of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name? 7 Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar; and ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of the LORD is contemptible. 8 And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? and if ye offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? offer it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? saith the LORD of hosts. That's from the beginning of Malachi, read on and you'll hear him proclaim a coming Saviour. The commentaries provide a lot of clarity and background information on the circumstances in Israel at the time a Saviour was Born. Enduring Word Commentary The first snippet from the Enduring Word commentary, reminds us of an important truth. a. It came to pass in those days: Luke clearly tells us that he recorded actual history and real events. This is not “once upon a time.” These are not fanciful stories of Zeus and Apollo on Mount Olympus. This is real. For believers, the story is real and we don't need to know background information to strengthen our faith. Knowing a little background information isn't about giving us more faith but can help us understand the story a little better. This commentary provides a lot of historical context and that helps explain a lot of the references made and also the general atmosphere of life for Jews and Gentiles at the time Jesus was born. Here's a little background information on who Caesar Augustus was. i. He was born with the name Octavian, named after his father. His grandmother was the sister of Julius Caesar, and being a talented young man, Octavian came to the attention of his great uncle. Julius Caesar eventually adopted Octavian as his son, and he was made his official heir in 45 B.C. This commentary provides quite a history lesson on the historical circumstances and political atmosphere Jesus was born into. Many details and facts I hadn't heard before. It certainly helps to explain the attitude to the Jews who were ruled by Caesar Augustus. Follow the link to dive in to this incredibly full verse by verse commentary. https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/luke-2/ Blue Letter Bible Commentary There's a wonderful opening to this commentary. Simple and to the point. The fulness of time was now come, when God would send forth his Son, made of a woman, and made under the law; and it was foretold that he should be born at Bethlehem. Now here we have an account of the time, place, and manner of it. Time, place and manner of it. What a succinct introduction to the theme of Luke's Gospel! This commentary, like the previous link provides a huge amount of historical context on the political landscape at the time of Jesus's birth. Alongside this there are some rich pointers to biblical prophecy. The first snippet I'm sharing reveals something that I didn't know about the name 'Bethlehem', and how it relates to Jesus as the 'bread of life'. The name of the place was significant. Bethlehem signifies the house of bread; a proper place for him to be born in who is the Bread of life, the Bread that came down from heaven. But that was not all; Bethlehem was the city of David, where he was born, and therefore there he must be born who was the Son of David. If you're looking for a full verse by verse commentary full of clarity, this is a long but good read. I loved the note at the very end. Young people, as they grow in stature, should grow in wisdom, and then, as they grow in wisdom, they will grow in favour with God and man. https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/mhc/Luk/Luk_002.cfm Bible Ref Commentary This is an easier read that the previous commentaries. More a a summary. You'll still find lot's of information though. Here's an example: That Mary is in Bethlehem when Jesus is born corresponds to Messianic prophecy (Micah 5:2). A common assumption about the night of Jesus' birth is that Mary and Joseph were coldly turned away from lodging by callous businessmen, so she was forced to give birth in a barn. What's more likely is that there was no room for childbirth in the main living area of the place where they had already arranged to stay. I enjoyed the way this commentary concluded with an idea of why Luke didn't provide further details of Jesus's childhood. He'd certainly would have had access to witnesses who had something to share. Most likely he interviewed Mary during his investigations and she would have had enough information to write a number of books. Here we see that Luke decides to jump to when Jesus is around 18 years old. Next, Luke's account will leap forward around eighteen years, to the public ministry of John the Baptist. This lack of details about Jesus' early life is both efficient and kind. It keeps Scripture from being packed with irrelevant detail ( John 21:25 ). It also prevents well-meaning parents from constantly comparing their child's growth milestones to those of the Messiah. For this commentary, use the link below and scroll for the expandable commentary alongside the chapter. https://www.bibleref.com/Luke/2/Luke-chapter-2.html I look forward to sharing Luke Chapter 3 with you! In the meantime God Bless you in your search for understanding of His Word.

I'm excited to begin sharing readings of the Gospel According to Luke. Before commencing I wanted to put together an introduction to this wonderful Gospel. This post accompanies my YouTube Bible Reading of Luke Chapter 1. You can watch it here. Luke the Evangelist I'm sure we all have a favourite Gospel and for many, it's Luke. Luke is a passionate evangelist who wears his love of Christ firmly on his sleeve. He seems more than any other Gospel writer to bring out Christ's compassion and relationship with everyday people. Alongside his inclusiveness he simultaneously writes a comprehensive and detailed account of the Gospel Story worthy to stand alongside any respected historical document from antiquity. Luke is an accomplished and disciplined scholar, a physician which identifies him as a learned man of his time. Scholars have analysed his form of writing to confirm it evidence of Luke's educational background. Despite his credentials, the bulk of his narrative is purposely written uin plain words so that ordinary and uneducated ears will understand. Luke shines a bright light on the grace, mercy, compassion and love that Jesus shared universally to all people. Luke writes so that all people of all nations would hear and know. Luke was not an Apostle of Jesus and so not an eye witness to the events that he shares in his Gospel. He is however a missionary companion to the Apostle Paul and so has access to all those who were eye witnesses. I like to imagine Luke as a roving reporter, notebook in hand and on the trail of the testimonies of faithful key witnesses and he knew how to find them. Alongside his human guides he has the Holy Spirit guiding him. Surely he is guided to just the right place at the right time to hear truthful testimony. He's been given a Holy mission to share with future generations of believers yet to be born. In the first two verses of his gospel, Luke begins by confirming that he is following in the footsteps of others who have shared the story of Christ. He tells us that we have testimony from eye witnesses who were ministers of the Word. They were with Jesus throughout His Holy ministry. He declares his intention to write an ordered account. Alongside the authentic Gospels we read in the Bible, there would also have been a number of false tales circulating at this time. Luke wants to set down the truth and to put these in order paying particular attention to the sequence of events from start to finish. (Luke 1:1-3) Orderly detail, is a key theme of Luke's Gospel, it's a sequential account written of scholarly quality. It contrasts to Matthew, who's primary aim was not precise sequence but to clarify how Jesus fulfilled Jewish prophecy. Matthew's Gospel is directed primarily towards Jewish ears. Marks gospel aims to provide a clear but brief summary. Something easily told and understood by a gentile audience. The theme of the Gospel of John is theological accuracy. You could say, Luke finds a gap in the market. He provides what the other Gospels lack, an eye for the accurate sequence of event of the life, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus. The same aim is true of his second volume (Acts) where he diligently provides an accurate account of the birth of the church and the early ministry of the Apostles of Jesus Christ. Luke writes in scholarly Greek, marking him out as an educated gentleman. He addresses his Gospel in the established style of the day to a recipient of note, the 'Most Excellent Theophilus'. We can therefore infer that Theophilus, a noble gentleman has commissioned Luke to provide him with a detailed and orderly account of the truth that he has heard. Luke seeks to provide Theophilus with an edifying, full and truthful account. Theophilus is undoubtedly a fellow believer in Christ, indicated by the inclusive use of the term 'among us', refering to believers in the opening verse. Maybe he has been recently baptised into the faith of Jesus. Maybe Luke personally witnessed to him. We don't know, so therefore we can assume it is not really relevant to our understanding. Luke merely gives us the gentleman's name. (Luke 1:1). Theophilus is unknown to history and some have considered may not even have been a particular person. He may have merely been an example of the type of person the narrative is aimed at. If we assume however, as most do, that Theophilus was a living person. We can infer that Theophilus is a man of some notable honour and in that, likely with influence in Rome. We can imagine that Luke may be seeking to influence him regarding the precarious predicament Paul find himself in being accused in Rome of blasphemy. Again, we are not told. What we do know is that Theophilus is an important individual because Luke addresses him, 'most excellent', a term of respect befitting a noble person. (Luke 1:1-3 (KJV) 1 Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us, 2 Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word; 3 It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus, Who was Luke? From New Testament scripture we know that Luke was a gentile, physician, a traveling co-worker and dear friend to the Apostle Paul whom he accompanied on his evangelical missions. We can look to the Book of Acts for clarity here. Luke likely joined Paul at Troas on his second mission (Acts 16:8, Acts Acts 16:10-15) Initially Luke was part of a large group of Paul's co-workers, including Jews and Gentiles. As Paul's mission continues however, support has dwindled probably owing to the growing persecution. We read that Luke becomes a lone companion shorty before Paul is martyred. Another hint that Luke may be writing his account as a defence for Paul but this is only guess work. We are not told. (Colossians 4:10-15, Philemon 23–25, 2 Timothy 4:11) What we can know with certainty, is what scripture confirms to us in 2 Timothy. In the end, Paul is left only with the faithful Luke and is requesting the company of Mark to help him (John Mark, the Gospel writer.) 11 Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry. (2 Timothy 4:11) Saint Luke, by James Tissot - Online Collection of the Brooklyn Museum. Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 00.159.207_PS2.jpg. Public Domain. Why doesn't Acts appear after Luke in the Bible Luke wrote both his Gospel and the Book of Acts. Each are dedicated to Theophilus and Acts continues on directly where Luke's Gospel finishes. They are two volumes of the same writing. You may therefore wonder why Acts doesn't sit alongside Luke in the Bible. The reason is simple, the Gospel's are ordered, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John in our Bible because that is the order the early church believed them to be written in. There's some scholarly debate, as seems inevitable with 2000 years to ponder but it is reasonable to trust the certainty of the earliest sources. I think it would be pleasant to read Acts after reading Luke however if it's a first time read of the New Testament, I think it may be a mistake to do so. Without reading the Gospel of John you could miss out on vitally important theological clarity that will help you to appreciate Acts. Whilst we each get to the end of either gospel and have the basic account, harmonising the accounts gives the fullest picture and understanding. Luke provides us with a comprehensive historical account, harmonising with John's richly theological account. You'd miss out on the significance of Jewish history, custom and prophecy if you left out Matthew and miss out Mark and you miss an opportunity to recap using a perfectly brief, easy to follow summary. Each Gospel adds something special to aid us in understanding the truth. God is pure perfection and so is it any wonder that the four gospels read together provide a perfect telling of the story? God understands us and provides for us when we seek to understand Him. Published Commentary I've given you a taster introduction to the Gospel of Luke but for a fuller introduction it's worth going to our familiar commentary pages. You'll get information about when he wrote this Gospel, more on who Luke is and on the circumstances surrounding him when he penned his testimony. You'll find endless insights alongside a walk through the verses in Luke's first chapter by following the links below. Enduring Word This commentary begins with a nod to the style of Luke's narrative. I loved the emphasis on the aim to glorify the Word or God rather than Luke's scholarly attributes. The first four verses of Luke’s gospel are one sentence in the original Greek. They are written in refined, academic, classical style. But then, for the rest of the gospel, Luke didn’t use the language of scholars but of the common man, the language of the village and the street. I mentioned the timing of the difference Gospels and scholarly debate. Here we see an indication that the written testimonies may have been written a lot earlier than previously thought. German papyrus expert Carsten Thiede (in December 1994) suggests that we actually possess copies of Matthew that date close to the very time of Jesus. Thiede’s findings are based on a careful analysis of the handwriting script used on the recently discovered fragments. Another snippet of information regarding Luke is that he wrote a significant proportion of the New Testament. Luke wrote more of the New Testament than any other human writer did (assuming that Paul did not author the letter to the Hebrews). Another useful insight is the possibility that Luke's Gospel may have been used to document a defence for Paul at his trial. i. By his title (most excellent), we gather that Theophilus was probably a Roman government official. It is entirely likely that the books of Luke and Acts make up Paul’s defense brief for his trial before Caesar, since Acts leaves Paul waiting for that trial. For a very good verse by verse commentary on this chapter follow the link below: https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/luke-1/ Blue Letter Bible Commentary This commentary suggests that Luke may have been written before Matthew or Mark but there isn't any context given for the statement. It goes on to suggest that Theophilus may not be an actual person. It is not certain who this Theophilus was; the name signifies a friend of God; some think that it does not mean any particular person, but every one that is a lover of God; Dr. Hammond quotes some of the ancients understanding it so: and then it teaches us, that those who are truly lovers of God, will heartily welcome the gospel of Christ, the design and tendency of which are, to bring us to God. As always Henry provides a very comprehensive verse by verse commentary. Here's the link. https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/mhc/Luk/Luk_001.cfm Bible Ref Commentary You'll find a nice summary level commentary on Chapter 1 of Luke here. At the beginning however we get a nice introduction to the purpose of Luke's writing. Our faith is a blessing from God but it is not blind faith, Jesus lived and still lives and we have a solid traceable history of his life, teachings, death and resurrection. Jesus is fully man and fully God and He walked amongst us in the flesh as a testimony to the Glory of God the Creator, Our Heavenly Father. Luke's gospel opens with a direct counter to claims that Christian belief is based in "blind faith." Before the Gospels were written, men like Paul ( 1 Corinthians 1:1–2 ), Peter ( 1 Peter 1:1–2 ), and James ( James 1:1 ) were circulating letters to fellow believers. Luke is adding his voice to an existing body of proof: the accounts of eyewitnesses and others who had first-hand knowledge of Jesus Christ. For the a good summary of the chapter, here's the link. https://www.bibleref.com/Luke/1/Luke-chapter-1.html Bible Hub Commentary This is a collection of commentaries from a number of commentators and provides a lot of context relating to the original Greek language this gospel was written in. There are a range of views debating which other works Luke is referencing his work to be a response to. Is he referring to Matthew and Mark? Is he referring to other spurious or false accounts in circulation? If you are curious jump in for a read but I was left non the wiser. It's very interesting but ultimately, speculative. https://biblehub.com/commentaries/luke/1-1.htm Further Reading I read through a lot of introductions to Luke's Gospels and there is enough information to write a book or two. If you're curious to find out more here is a sample of the links I gathered. Summary of the Gospel of Luke https://www.gotquestions.org/Gospel-of-Luke.html Biblical Archeological Research on Luke https://biblearchaeology.org/research/new-testament-era/3237-luke-the-physician-with-medicine-for-the-souls Beginner Guide to St . Luke https://overviewbible.com/saint-luke/ Bible Project : Book of Luke https://bibleproject.com/guides/book-of-luke/ Who Wrote the Book of Luke & Acts? https://crossexamined.org/wrote-gospel-luke-acts/

This post accompanies my video reading of Mark 16 on the Circular Grace YouTube channel . Mark 16: Video Reading The Tomb is Empty ! My personal reflection is going to focus on the testimony of the empty tomb. It should come as little surprise that this testimony comes under significant secular attack. To fully and truly believe in Jesus, we have to believe that His body was resurrected. To believe anything else is to believe that Jesus was merely a man and not God. Those who deny that Jesus is fully God and fully man do not possess a saving faith in Jesus Christ. For absolute clarity on this we can look to Romans 10:9 (NIV) 9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. It's fairly clear why the evil deceiver would spin a web of lies around the Gospel accounts to try and discredit them. From the very beginning his evil scheme was to temp God's creatures to question God's truth and we know that he succeeded and man fell into sin. Do you remember the words he used when tempting Eve not to believe God's command to not eat of the tree because she would die? (Genesis 3:4 (NIV) “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. I find it interesting that in the beginning it was a woman who was first tempted not to believe and she went on to tempt Adam to sin. Here in the Gospel we see the woman proclaiming Gods truth to the men and they do not initially trust the testimony of the women. The men only believe when God reveals the truth to them personally. Isn't that true for each of us? We don't believe because we are told or when something is explained to us in a convincing way. We believe when God reveals the truth to us personally. Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV) 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. On some level the confusion that exists in the heart of those who don't believe is understandable. God hasn't revealed the truth to them and so they are blinkered, in the dark and susceptible to evil deception. People who touched Jesus, walked with Him and witnessed His almighty miracles still chose not to believe. They turned away from the truth before their own eyes. They seeing only darkness and tempted by the lusts associated with their sinful lives. It's not surprising therefore that there are people who cling to imagined discrepancies in the Gospel accounts. This has been the case when some secular readers look at the four Gospel accounts. Each a different witness to the empty tomb and the encounters with angels who relay a message about the Risen Jesus. In keeping with the general clipped style of narrative, Mark provides us with a summary telling of the resurrection story in his Gospel. We get the key facts that deliver a full Gospel message but we don't always get rich description and context from John Mark. This is the case with what happens at the tomb. We are simply told about a young man who speaks to the women. 5 And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted. We know from scripture that we may encounter angels without realising because they appear in human forms. Hebrews 13:2 (NIV) 2  Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. There is clearly something remarkable however about this young man clothed in a white robe because he has evoked the fear of God in the women. On this occasion, the angel is not hiding his identity, his power and proximity to God is felt on an emotional level. The angel reassured the woman and delivers a tender message of hope and joy for all mankind. Mark 16:6 (KJV) 6 And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him. In this short clipped verse we are given the testimony of the empty tomb. All four Gospels share the same story. Jesus was crucified, Jesus died, He was placed in a tomb and the tomb was found empty. A messenger from God declares He has risen. All four Gospel's testify to the presence of angels communicating with the women at the tomb. Each Gospel tells the same story but with varying levels of detail and description. As believers the truth of scripture is revealed to us by God. In the same way as our faith is God given. We are called to have faith in the Word of God and our only access to His Word is Holy scripture. Therefore as tempting as it may be to question differing accounts of the same story it is more faithful to understand that each Gospel provides a truthful account from a different perspective. The fact is, the tomb was empty because Jesus was resurrected by God. It was understandably an incredibly emotional, chaotic and confusing time for all present. If you or I had been there and was subsequently asked to write down what we witnessed, I guarantee our accounts would differ. If a third party were to read our accounts alongside each other I'm confident they'd pick up on the fact we each gave different specific details leaving out things the other mentioned. I'm also sure that the basic story we each told would be the same. Let's take a look at what the published commentaries have to say. Enduring Word Commentary This verse by verse commentary will provide a deep understanding of this chapter and its well worth reading. I've chosen this snippet because it really highlights why we should have immense joy in the knowledge that Jesus was resurrected. i. The resurrection means that we have assurance of our own resurrection: For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus ( 1 Thessalonians 4:14 ). There is a good section on what understanding we should take away from our belief in the resurrection. Here's a link to read more https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/mark-16/ Blue Letter Bible I was interested in why the truth was revealed to the women first and this commentary provided some lovely observation that the women became apostles to the apostles in this beautiful and special circumstance when the angel gives them a message from God. He orders them to give speedy notice of this to his disciples. Thus they were made the apostles of the apostles, which was a recompence of their affection and fidelity to him, in attending him on the cross, to the grave, and in the grave. I also liked the explanation given as to why the men didn't believe the testimony of the women. 2. They could not give credit to the report she brought them. They heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her. The story was plausible enough, and yet they believed not. They would not say that she made the story herself, or designed to deceive them; but they fear that she is imposed upon, and that it was but a fancy that she saw him. Had they believed the frequent predictions of it from his own mouth, they would not have been now so incredulous of the report of it. I sometimes complain that these commentaries are a little hard going but on this occasion it seems to be a clear read. Jump in if you would like more context on any of the verses in this chapter. https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/mhc/Mar/Mar_016.cfm Bible Ref Commentary This is always an easy to read and understand commentary. I loved the straight to the point opening that confirms everything we should take away. Jesus has finished His three years of ministry and training for His disciples. He has faced the cross and taken the sins of the world. Now He has risen, just as He said He would. I really like this commentary generally but did I find a discrepancy? I'd be interested in your thoughts. This is from the concluding paragraph of the commentary. Mark 16:16–20 is not found in the other Gospels, but most the promises are fulfilled in the book of Acts. The disciples do cast out demons (Acts 19:11–12), speak new tongues (Acts 2:1–11), survive serpent bites (Acts 28:1–6), and heal the sick (Acts 3:1–10). The Scriptures have no record of a disciple surviving poison, although extra-biblical accounts do. The use of this passage to encourage handling snakes and drinking poison is tragic, and entirely contrary to orthodox Christian teachings. I recall that Paul was bitten by a viper and thought logically that would have counted as 'taking up serpent's' and surviving the snakes poisonous venom. Mark 26:18 . Here in Acts 28:3 (NIV) Paul takes a viper from the fire. Paul gathered a pile of brushwood and, as he put it on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand. Maybe I've misunderstood. I'll continue to think about it. In the meantime, here's the link to this commentary. https://www.bibleref.com/Mark/16/Mark-chapter-16.html Thank you for reading along. Until next time, have a blessed week with the Lord!

This post accompanies my reading of Mark 1 on the Circular Grace YouTube channel. The Word of God ! As is becoming customary, here you'll find a few links to respected commentary on Mark's Gospel, Chapter One. The stand out for me after spending so many months reading and re-reading Matthew was how concisely it reads. It reminded me of reading through bullet points that had been rendered into chapter and verse. That is a really logical way for John Mark to have tackled the task of writing his Gospel in my opinion. We know he's heard the story, over and over again. As someone who spends a lot of time reading verses and then transcribing those words, I appreciate they become part of you. John Mark, according to church history was responsible for translating what the Apostle Peter said in his sermons. When it was time for him to formally write the Gospel, there must have been a great necessity to get all of the wording down correctly. He would have felt the responsibility to be accurate and word perfect. I can imagine him having a list. That's just my imagination but that's how it felt reading Mark compared to Matthew to me personally. Here are the commentaries I've selected for you. If you have any questions or thoughts, please do share them so that we can learn together. Enduring Word Commentary I enjoyed the first segment of the Enduring Word commentary. Church tradition has attributed each of these faces to the four Gospels. I think this is a wonderful way of comparing the characters of each of the Gospels. Marks Gospel could be described more than the other Gospel's as portraying Jesus as the servant of God. In this sense, Marks Gospel could be characterised by the Ox, a beast of burden or service. Here's a snippet from the commentary: "1. Revelation 4:7 describes the cherubim around God’s throne as beings with four faces: a lion, a calf, a man, and an eagle. By long tradition, the church has attributed one of these “faces” to each of the Gospels, according to the character and message of the particular Gospel" After publishing this article, I spent a little more time pondering this commentary and thought this following snippet really important on how to interpret the word 'believe' when we encounter it in relation to Jesus. What does it mean to believe? i. The ancient Greek word Jesus used for believe (pisteuo) means much more than knowledge or agreement in the mind. It speaks of a relationship of trust and dependence. ii. “There are many people who believe the Gospel, but they do not believe in it. It was an appeal not only to accept it as an intellectually accurate statement; but to rest in it, to repose in it. It was a call to let the heart find ease in it.” (Morgan) What a profound truth and a reminder that belief comes with responsibility. Use the link below to access the commentary. https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/mark-1/ Blue Letter Commentary I always enjoy reading these commentaries because they often inspire thought that goes beyond the words and to the heart of the purpose of the words. I loved this explanation of why the Gospel is written: "3. This Jesus is the Son of God. That truth is the foundation on which the gospel is built, and which it is written to demonstrate; for is Jesus be not the Son of God, our faith is vain." I guarantee you'll find something to think about if you read this commentary? Follow the link below https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/mhc/Mar/Mar_001.cfm Bible Ref Commentary Another 'go to' commentary for me personally. I like that you can re-read the chapter and then click the link to the commentary. It's a really simple and precise summary for a quick understanding. Here's a snippet that jumped out for me because I covered the point in my introductory video to Mark's Gospel. It's helpful to imagine who John Mark was writing to. In doing so, we have a clearer idea of why he focuses on certain aspects of Christ's ministry over others. "Like us, Jesus' first audience focused on what He could do instead of Who He was and why He had come. Where Jesus wanted to use His authority to teach, people instead looked to the signs of His authority—His miracles." Follow the link for the full commentary https://www.bibleref.com/Mark/1/Mark-chapter-1.html Bible Hub Commentary Another favourite to share, these commentaries always provide a wealth of context that not only help illuminate the current chapter but our reading of the New Testament generally. I found their walk through of the word, 'Gospel' really useful and I hope you will too. Here's a snippet: "The various connections in which the word is employed are remarkable and instructive. We can but touch lightly on the more important lessons which they are fitted to teach." Follow the link https://biblehub.com/commentaries/mark/1-1.htm Let me know your thoughts 💬