Rich toward God Luke 12:13–21 One’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions. Luke 12:15 To be “rich toward God” (Luke 12:21) means that one is to be rich in spiritual things, which will last, as opposed to being rich only in material things, which will not last. What must we do…

Seeing the Light Luke 11:33–36 Therefore be careful lest the light in you be darkness. Luke 11:35 Jesus had been talking to the crowds, among whom were some of his enemies. He had cast a demon out of a man, and they claimed that he had done it by the power of the devil—that is,…

Taking Up the Cross Luke 9:18–27 If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. Luke 9:23 Christ’s description of discipleship in Luke 9:23 includes the command “Follow me.” Having heard of self-denial and cross-bearing, we may find ourselves looking about for some motivation that…

Losing Jesus Luke 2:41–50 The boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it. Luke 2:43 If Mary and Joseph could lose Jesus in a place like Jerusalem, you and I can certainly lose the sense of the presence of Christ wherever we may be. We can find ourselves drifting spiritually, and…

Looking for Redemption Luke 2:21–40 She began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem. Luke 2:38 Anna understood more about the full significance of the coming of Jesus Christ than any of the others who appear in the nativity narratives, for she…

Our Bethlehem Luke 2:8–20 Let us go over to Bethlehem. Luke 2:15 On the way to the manger, the shepherds went through the city of Bethlehem, seeing it for what it was. When they came to the manger they saw a great contrast. When they left the manger to go back to their fields and…

Christmas Paradoxes Luke 2:1–7 She gave birth to her firstborn son. Luke 2:7 Why has the birth of this one man, Jesus Christ, so seized upon the minds and imaginations of men and women? Answers to that question are found in the paradoxes of the Christmas story. One obvious paradox is of purity in the…

It’s Absurd Luke 1:26–38 Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” Luke 1:34 The Christmas story seems absurd to many. It claims that the birth of Jesus is the birth of God, that is, the birth of one who was both man and God. How can that be?…

The Best News Ever Heard Mark 16:1–7 You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen. Mark 16:6 The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the best news the world has ever heard because it is true; it came after an apparent defeat; it proves many important things; and finally, it calls for a…

The Offered Pardon Mark 15:6–15 Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas. Mark 15:15 Suppose word had come to Barabbas that he was now free and that another prisoner, Jesus, would be dying. Suppose he replied this way: “What you are telling me cannot be true. It may apply to someone else,…