Luke 10:25-28

Loving God above all and loving others as much as you do yourself  is the outward expression of the changed inner man because God is all about love!

Jesus countered the lawyer’s test by having him answer his own question. The lawyer responded to Jesus’ questions by quoting Deut. 6:5, a text that was recited twice a day by every faithful Jew. This text summarized the central ethical standard of the Law. Jesus develops the theme of love for one’s neighbor. Jesus was not saying that righteousness is the result of works. Rather He was saying that love for and obedience to God will be a natural result of placing one’s faith in the Lord. Those who believe in Jesus and follow Him will receive eternal rewards.

Luke 10:25-28

²⁵ And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 

²⁶ He said to him,  “What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?” 

²⁷ So he answered and said, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’” 

²⁸ And He said to him,  “You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.” 

Acts 9:1

People change... when their eyes are opened to the truth of Jesus Christ. He is the way, the truth and gives light to all who follow Him!

Saul was still restless in his zeal to defend his Jewish faith from the new, supposedly dangerous Jewish messianic sect. Christians were originally referred to as “disciples” and “belonging to the Way.” Disciple means a follower, an imitator, one who has a master.

Acts 9:1

9 Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest ² and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 

The Book of Matthew

Matthew the Tax Collector set out to prove to the Jews that Jesus Christ fulfilled the prophesies of the Old Testament and that He truly was the awaited Messiah that Israel longed for.

The Prophecies of Jesus’ Birth
Jesus fulfilled hundreds of Old Testament prophecies. Many of these prophecies involved the circumstances surrounding His birth. Below is a list of several such prophecies. Note the irrefutable similarities between the Old Testament predictions and their New Testament fulfillment.
Prophecy	Old Testament Prediction	New Testament Fulfillment
The Messiah would be the seed of a woman.	Gen. 3:15	Gal. 4:4
The Messiah would be a descendant of Abraham.	Gen. 12:3	Matt. 1:1
The Messiah would be a descendant of Isaac.	Gen. 17:19	Luke 3:34
The Messiah would be a descendant of Jacob.	Num. 24:17	Matt. 1:2; 2:2
The Messiah would be from the tribe of Judah.	Gen. 49:10	Luke 3:33
The Messiah would be an heir to the throne of David.	Is. 9:7	Luke 1:32, 33
The Messiah would be anointed and eternal.	Ps. 45:6, 7; 102:25–27	Heb. 1:8–12
The Messiah would be born in Bethlehem.	Mic. 5:2	Luke 2:4, 5, 7
The Messiah would be born of a virgin.	Is. 7:14	Luke 1:26, 27, 30, 31
The Messiah’s birth would trigger a slaughter of children.	Jer. 31:15	Matt. 2:16–18
The Messiah would also come from Egypt.	Hos. 11:1	Matt. 2:14, 15

Jeremiah 22:3-5

Be fair to all people, those you know and those you don’t, provide a safety net of love for those who have none and live in peace! If we do these things then we will be living epistles that praise God; Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

The ideal Davidic king would execute judgment, or justice, and righteousness, or uprightness, fairness, and conformity to standard. The wisdom and prophetic writers echoed the same sentiment concerning the righteousness of kingdoms—that they must be measured according to their protection of the three segments of society who were unable to defend themselves: the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow.

If justice and righteousness characterized the leadership of the land, the continued prosperity of the Davidic dynasty would be assured. However, if the Lord’s words were not heeded, the house of David would be made a desolation—that is, a ruin or waste.

Jeremiah 22:3-5

³ Thus says the Lord: “Execute judgment and righteousness, and deliver the plundered out of the hand of the oppressor. Do no wrong and do no violence to the stranger, the fatherless, or the widow, nor shed innocent blood in this place. ⁴ For if you indeed do this thing, then shall enter the gates of this house, riding on horses and in chariots, accompanied by servants and people, kings who sit on the throne of David. ⁵ But if you will not hear these words, I swear by Myself,” says the Lord, “that this house shall become a desolation.” 

Luke 1:1-4

The servant through whom God works, the Son of God, the promised Messiah and the only way to the Father, Jesus’s birth, suffering, death and the promise of salvation that He would give to man was written about in the Old Testament, was fulfilled in the New Testament and will reach its conclusion when He returns. 

These verses suggest that Luke was not an eyewitness to the events of Jesus’ ministry, but that he had access to statements of those who were. Luke investigated his topic and he did it with care. He did not claim to know everything about Jesus, but what he described was studied and treated accurately.

The purpose of this term was to give assurance to Theophilus, a young believer. It is likely that Theophilus was a Gentile, since so much of Luke and Acts is concerned with Jewish-Gentile relationships. He not only needed to know the truth and accuracy of what the church taught, but also needed to be reassured. He might well have been wondering what he as a Gentile was doing in a movement which was originally Jewish, especially when so many Israelites were rejecting the message. Luke assured Theophilus and his other readers that Jesus is the Messiah. He is worthy of everyone’s worship because He is the Son of the living God.

Luke 1:1-4

1 Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us, ² just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us, ³ it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, ⁴ that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed. 

Ezekiel 35:10-13

God takes it personally when we malign His children, those who put their trust in Him. We are safe in Him and He fights our battles. God takes care of His own!

Edom expected to take over Judah and Israel after their destruction by the Babylonians. These two nations refers to Israel and Judah. God had other plans.

Ezekiel 35:10-13

¹⁰ “Because you have said, ‘These two nations and these two countries shall be mine, and we will possess them,’ although the Lord was there, ¹¹ therefore, as I live,” says the Lord God, “I will do according to your anger and according to the envy which you showed in your hatred against them; and I will make Myself known among them when I judge you. ¹² Then you shall know that I am the Lord. I have heard all your blasphemies which you have spoken against the mountains of Israel, saying, ‘They are desolate; they are given to us to consume.’ ¹³ Thus with your mouth you have boasted against Me and multiplied your words against Me; I have heard them.” 

Isaiah 12:1-2

We need to rest in our salvation to renew our strength. We need to change our perspective and look at life in its’ entirety as the means that God gave us to show our love for Him and the salvation that He provided in Christ Jesus by helping others and sharing the truth of the Gospel. In His peace, mercy, love and in good works we praise Him,  and what we do for the least of his creation we do for Him.

The anger of God had caused the people to be dispersed among the nations; His grace would lead to their regathering. Israel’s covenant-keeping God—and not the nations—brings salvation. My strength and song may be rephrased as “my strong song” or “my song of strength”.

Isaiah 12:1-2

“O Lord, I will praise You; 

Though You were angry with me, 

Your anger is turned away, and You comfort me. 

² Behold, God is my salvation, 

I will trust and not be afraid; 

‘For Yah, the Lord, is my strength and song; 

He also has become my salvation.’ ” 

Acts 8:18-23

Freely given, freely give! Faith is a gift and through faith in Christ Jesus we are offered salvation and given the Holy Spirit to guide and educate us. The Father expects us to extend the knowledge of His grace and mercy and the power of the Holy Spirit to others that we encounter so that they too can be saved. 

The text does not indicate what exactly Simon saw. The gift of tongues was a sign to the nation of Israel, so it is likely that the same sign was present at each step of the opening of the gospel—at Jerusalem, at Samaria, and at the home of Cornelius. 

Verse 13 indicates that Simon was a believer. However, he confused the work of God with his previous magical practices. Because others had paid him for the secrets of his magic, he may have simply thought that this was the best way to approach Peter. He soon learned the error of his ways.

Acts 8:18-23

¹⁸ And when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money, ¹⁹ saying, “Give me this power also, that anyone on whom I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” 

²⁰ But Peter said to him, “Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money! ²¹ You have neither part nor portion in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight of God. ²² Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you. ²³ For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity.” 

Matthew 2:13-25, 19-22

God sent messages and Joseph listened and did as he was instructed. We need to tune our spiritual ears to hear the still voice of the Holy Spirit who is given to us to instruct and guide our life here on earth.

This is the second fulfillment of prophecy recorded in ch. 2. The first, in v. 6, is a direct fulfillment of Micah’s prophecy about the birthplace of Jesus; this is a typological fulfillment. The prophecy quoted here, from Hos. 11:1, refers to the nation of Israel as God’s son coming out of Egypt in the Exodus. Jesus is the genuine Son of God, and, as Israel’s Messiah, is the true Israel (see John 15:1); therefore, He gives fuller meaning to the prophecy of Hos. 11:1.

Matthew 2:13-15

¹³ Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.” 

¹⁴ When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, ¹⁵ and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, “Out of Egypt I called My Son.” 

Matthew 2:19-22

¹⁹ Now when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, ²⁰ saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the young Child’s life are dead.” ²¹ Then he arose, took the young Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel. 

²² But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned by God in a dream, he turned aside into the region of Galilee. ²³ And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, “He shall be called a Nazarene.” 

Obadiah 2-4

God rules all of humanity and is sovereign over all nations. We like to believe that we have control but He alone is the ultimate equalizer and justice is His alone. The Edomites mistreated their relatives, the Judeans, and they paid for their decision. God desires that we show mercy and favor our neighbors in their time of distress. We need to follow Christ’s admonition to love our neighbors as much as we do ourselves and prove it by our actions! 

God would bring about a reversal of Edom’s inflated self-importance. Some of the mountain peaks of Edom reach over six thousand feet; Jerusalem is about 2,300 feet above sea level.  Edom’s physical location became a metaphor for the proud and haughty spirit that the nation had displayed at the time of Judah’s distress. Trusting in its high places and mountainous strongholds, Edom reckoned that no one could bring it to account for its actions.

Obadiah 2-4

² “Behold, I will make you small among the nations; 

You shall be greatly despised. 

³ The pride of your heart has deceived you, 

You who dwell in the clefts of the rock, 

Whose habitation is high; 

You who say in your heart, ‘Who will bring me down to the ground?’ 

⁴ Though you ascend as high as the eagle, 

And though you set your nest among the stars, 

From there I will bring you down,” says the Lord. 

Luke 5:4-8

When we listen to God, putting aside our intellect, miracles happen. We only need to listen and follow His word. We will never be worthy but He is.

This is Peter’s statement of faith. The fisherman noted that he and his companions had just failed to make a catch at the best time for fishing, the evening. The circumstances were not good for a catch at the time of Jesus’ command, but Peter chose to obey His word and let down his nets anyway.

Luke 5:4-8

⁴ When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” 

⁵ But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.” ⁶ And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. ⁷ So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. ⁸ When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!” 

Ezekiel 34:31

What a peaceful, secure position to be in....the loving arms of our Father through the New Covenant in Christ Jesus.

The exiles were encouraged through this promise of a covenant of peace, characterized by these promises: (1) security from foreign aggressor nations, the wild beasts; (2) showers of blessing, meaning productivity and prosperity; and (3) the certainty that the Lord is Israel’s God and desires reunion with His people and a lasting relationship built on a new covenant.

Ezekiel 34:31

³¹ “You are My flock, the flock of My pasture; you are men, and I am your God,” says the Lord God. 

Lamentations 3:25-26

Praise Him in word and in deed peacefully seeking the still voice of instruction that only He can provide.

The idea here is the acceptance of God’s will and His timing. The Hebrew word for hope here translates another verb meaning “to hope” or “to wait.”  God is good to those who wait and hope on Him. A quiet confidence in the salvation of the Lord is always in order focusing on the renewal of hope in the midst of terrible distress.

Lamentations 3:25-26

²⁵ The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, 

To the soul who seeks Him. 

²⁶ It is good that one should hope and wait quietly 

For the salvation of the Lord. 

John 14:6

In the beginning through Him life was given and without Him nothing was made. Our life blood came from Him and it is through His blood that we are saved and given the truth of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Without Him we cannot be saved.

Through His death and resurrection, Jesus is the way to the Father. He is also the truth and the life. As truth, He is the revelation of God. As life, He is the communication of God to us.

John 14:6

⁶ Jesus said to him,  “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. 

Zephaniah 1:2-3

One day evil and all the sin that it produces will be gone from the face of the earth....a clean slate ready for the Christ to reign!

The message of Zephaniah begins with a pronouncement of universal judgment. These words not only introduce the particular judgment that would be pronounced upon Judah (v. 4), but they also speak of the final judgment that will usher in the kingdom of God on earth (see Rev. 19). Stumbling blocks here refers to idolatry, or substitutes for God in the life and affections of a person. Because there is nothing in the universe that really may be compared to the Creator, God abhors all forms of idolatry.

Zephaniah 1:2-3

The Great Day of the Lord

² “I will utterly consume everything 

From the face of the land,” 

Says the Lord; 

³ “I will consume man and beast; 

I will consume the birds of the heavens, 

The fish of the sea, 

And the stumbling blocks along with the wicked. 

I will cut off man from the face of the land,” 

Says the Lord. 

Micah 2:1-2

Ill gotten gain causes nothing but spiritual death to those acquiring it and heartache to those whose lives are torn apart from their actions. Greed is at the center of every evil. Sounds similar to our housing foreclosures borne by the greed of our banking industry preying on the lack of understanding of the regular person.

The ethical teaching of the prophets regularly included oracles of judgment against greed, theft, and oppression, actions of the powerful in attacking the weak. To covet is not just to have a passing thought; it is a determination to seize what is not one’s own.

Micah 2:1-2

2 Woe to those who devise iniquity, 

And work out evil on their beds! 

At morning light they practice it, 

Because it is in the power of their hand. 

² They covet fields and take them by violence, 

Also houses, and seize them. 

So they oppress a man and his house, 

A man and his inheritance. 

Matthew 25:41-46

We are all so guilty of neglecting those less fortunate, if only by omission.....Father please forgive us for we know not what we do. If we want Christ in our nation then let’s act and vote like Christians when we make our laws and elect our leaders.

 At the very least, these on the “right and left” are believers in Jesus Christ. Everlasting and eternal are used to describe both torment and life, indicating that one will last as long as the other.

Matthew 25:41-46

⁴¹ “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: ⁴² for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; ⁴³ I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’ 

⁴⁴ “Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ ⁴⁵ Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ ⁴⁶ And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”