Wounded Healer: A great victory looks at first like defeat Isaiah 53 Isaiah 53:3 He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. In at least ten places, New Testament writers identify Jesus as the suffering servant. In one instance, Philip corrects an EthiopianRead More …

A Sense of God’s Timing 1 Samuel 24 Two leaders locked in a death struggle—with one refusing to fight 1 Samuel 24:11–12 “I have not wronged you, but you are hunting me down to take my life. May the LORD judge between you and me.” In the winter of 1777,Read More …

Mixed Results: Paul stirs up acclaim, scorn or riots Acts 17 Acts 17:18 Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Jesus told a parable about a farmer sowing seed (Matthew 13:3–9)). Some seed falls on rocky places, some among thorns and some on fertile ground. ThisRead More …

Immediate Impact: Unsolicited fame finds Jesus Mark 1 Mark 1:28 News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee. Although the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John all cover basically the same ground, each one looks at Jesus’ life from a unique angle. For example, Matthew andRead More …

The Suffering Servant: Who is this mysterious figure? Isaiah 52 Isaiah 52:13 See, my servant will act wisely; he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted. Isaiah’s four songs about a “suffering servant” are among the richest and most closely studied passages in the Old Testament (see IsaiahRead More …

Is a War Ever Holy? Joshua 11 Why did God order a ruthless military campaign? Joshua 11:6 The LORD said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them, because by this time tomorrow I will hand all of them, slain, over to Israel.” Holy war. Ironically, the term applies toRead More …

Detour: An unplanned visit and a conversation spawn a new church Acts 16 Acts 16:9 During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” In his travels, Paul concentrates on the chief trade towns and capitalRead More …

No Fear: Ordinary people can now hold a conversation with God Luke 2 Luke 2:52 And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man. Nearly every time an angel appears in the Bible, his first words are, “Don’t be afraid!” Little wonder. When the supernaturalRead More …

The Crash: Rebellion, nakedness, hiding and shame Genesis 3 Genesis 3:3 But God did say, “You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.” “The Fall” theologians call it, but the event thisRead More …

What Not to Say to a Hurting Person Job 6 Job’s friends only made it worse Job 6:21 “Now you too have proved to be of no help.” You are sitting in a hospital room, where the faint smell of antiseptic lingers and the sound of lowered voices rustles allRead More …