Daily reading
Today’s reading is: Mt. 23:37-39; Lk. 13:22-15:10; Jn. 10:22-42
Video
Matthew Chapter Twenty-Three
(Outline continues from Day 308)
- The generation of the Lord’s rebuke will be judged for their evil work as the scions of every Old Testament murdering persecutor (Matt. 23:34-39).
- The Lord is going to meet the same martyrdom that many OT prophets met.
- The coming (Church Age) messengers will likewise be persecuted.
- Jerusalem’s hardness of heart will lead to her destruction (70AD) and the absence of her Messiah until their heart-repentance of the 2nd Advent (Mt. 23:39 cf. Ps. 118:26; Zech. 12:10; 13:9).
Luke Chapter Thirteen
(Outline continues from Day 288)
- The Parables of Mustard Seed & Leaven parallel the record in Matthew (Lk. 13:18-21 cf. Matt. 13:31-33).
- When some of the Lord’s followers grew discouraged at the lack of people responding to His ministry, the Lord taught an important Bible class concerning the narrow door of salvation (Lk. 13:22-30).
- The Lord saw through the Pharisees’ attempts to keep him out of Jerusalem, and urged them to report back to Herod that He was following a fixed schedule, intent to obey God the Father (Lk. 13:31-35).
Luke Chapter Fourteen
- 1. Jesus Christ graciously accepted a meal invitation from a Pharisee ruler (Lk. 14:1-24).
“I must confess that if a Pharisee had asked me to come to dinner for the purpose of spying on me, I would have refused.” J. Vernon McGee- The Pharisees’ intentions were to obtain evidence against Him (v.1).
- Just as in chapter 13, the Pharisees wanted to call Healing a violation of the Sabbath, but they couldn’t bring themselves to say the words aloud (vv.4,6).
- The dinner invitation proved a wonderful opportunity to deliver parables on being a gracious & humble guest (vv.7-11), and being a gracious and humble host (vv.12-14).
- The dinner invitation also proved an excellent opportunity for the Lord to teach on a coming “big dinner” to take place in the Kingdom (vv.15-24). In Matthew, this event was called a wedding feast, given by a King for His son (Matt. 22:1-14).
- Demands of discipleship (Lk. 14:25-35).
- Like in Matthew (Mt. 10:37-39), the “language of exaggerated contrast” is a rhetorical device used to communicate the relative priorities between two conflicting matters (Lk. 14:25-27).
- The parables of the tower, the king, and salt illustrate the principles of what cross-bearing is truly about (Lk. 14:28-35).
Luke Chapter Fifteen
- The Lord’s growing acceptance by tax collectors and other sinners was matched by a growing rejection by the Pharisees & the scribes (Lk. 15:1-2).
- The Pharisees’ grumbling prompted the Lord to deliver a three-form parable (Lk. 15:3): The Lost Sheep (Lk. 15:4-7), The Lost Coin (Lk. 15:8-10), The Lost Son (Lk. 15:11-32).
- Most believers would be satisfied with a 99% success rate. The Lord Jesus Christ does not accept anything less than 100% because that is the perfect standard of God the Father.
- The ten silver coins refers to a row of coins which formed a headpiece for a married woman. To have one missing would reflect a less-than-perfect Bride.
(Chapter Fifteen continues tomorrow)
John Chapter Ten
(Outline continues from yesterday)
- At the Feast of the Dedication (Hanukkah, December, 32AD) the Jews mobbed Jesus, and demanded a plain-language declaration of His Messiah-ship (Jn. 10:22-24).
- He replies that they do not have the spiritual capacity to hear His message (vv.25-26).
- He describes the blessing and security that His sheep enjoy because of the Father’s faithfulness (vv.27-29).
- Jesus’ statement of unity with God the Father prompted another attempted murder (Jn. 10:30-39).
- The results of these confrontational messages were a retreat to the Jordan river and an avoidance of Jerusalem until the Passion Week (Jn. 10:40-42).