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The First Disciples
This passage covers the transition between the ministry of John the Baptist and the ministry of Christ. We find John the Baptist with two of his disciples, Andrew and John (v. 35). After he pointed to the Lamb of God (Jesus) they left and followed Jesus (vv. 36-37). It appears that they …
The Empty Tomb
On Sunday about dawn, a group of women, including Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, Salome, Joanna, and others went to the tomb to anoint Jesus’ body (v. 1). As they approached, an earthquake occurred, and an angel rolled away the stone from the door of the tomb (v. 2). The …
Heads of Families Return With Ezra
This chapter contains a list of those who returned with Ezra to Jerusalem (vv. 1-14). This was a much smaller group than the one that had returned with Zerubbabel earlier. Those returning with Ezra totaled 1496 males plus 18 heads of families. It is interesting to see how the nam …
The Renewal of Israel
Before dwelling on Israel’s future cleansing, Ezekiel reminded the exiles of their past sin which caused their judgment. When they were … in the land, they defiled it by their conduct and actions (v. 19). This profaning was like a menstrual discharge that rendered a wom …
A Lion Kills The Man of God
The old prophet announced the fate of the younger prophet (vv. 20-22). He had disobeyed the Lord’s command and God’s judgement would be severe. The severity of this judgement was due to the importance of this young man’s mission. Even though the old prophet had sinned, the w …
A Child Is Known By His Deeds
A person’s behavior reflects his character. Even a child’s actions and conduct reveal what they are like We all must do the things that please God (v. 11). That is why it is important to not only listen to what people say but also to observe with our eyes what people do (v. 12). Sleeping when …
Qualities of the Greatest Gift
This is one of the most noted and best-loved chapters in the entire Bible. At the same time, few chapters have suffered more misinterpretation and misapplication than I Corinthians 13. Divorced from its context, it often becomes a sentimental sermon on Christian brotherhood. It is easy to …
The Cost of Being a Disciple
At this point large crowds are following Jesus and He wants to make it clear that they need to examine why they are following Him (v. 25). When it comes to personal discipleship He is more interested in quality than quantity. He is looking for followers who will be willing …
The Humiliation of Babylon
Isaiah described Babylon’s fall to the Persians more than 150 years before the event took place. The prophet saw a time when the imposing conqueror, Babylon, would be defeated and he pictured her as one who could do no more than sit in the dust (v. 1) This is an interesting statement as …
The Demonstration of Faith
Noah obeyed even when he experienced rejection from others around him (v. 7). Although it seemed foolish to the people, God commanded Noah to build a huge boat in the middle of dry land. Since no one at that time had ever seen a flood, Noah’s actions must have generated a …