Beholding Christ’s Glory John 1:14–18 We have seen his glory. John 1:14 When Jesus Christ pitched his tent among us, he did so in order that men and women might see him and thus come to know God. John indicates this when he observes: “We have seen his glory.” This happened in a very literal…

Jesus Christ Is God John 1:1–13 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1 To say that Jesus Christ is God is to say that we can now know the truth about God. We can know what he is like. The counterpart to this…

Three Openings Luke 24:13–35 Did not our hearts burn within us . . . while he opened to us the Scriptures? Luke 24:32 Jesus opened the Scriptures; he also opened eyes and understanding. Each of those three openings had an important consequence. When Jesus opened the Scriptures to Cleopas and his companion, we are told that their…

Christ’s Threefold Office Luke 24:19; Hebrews 2:17; Revelation 19:16 Jesus of Nazareth . . . a prophet mighty in deed and word. Luke 24:19 It has been common to speak of the work of Christ under three general heads: prophet, priest, and king. These refer to his teaching office, his role as Savior, and his function as…

Dying Well Luke 23:44–49 Father, into your hands I commit my spirit! Luke 23:46 As Jesus died, commending his spirit to God, so may we die in like faith. We can echo Jesus’s words, knowing that as we pass from this life trusting Jesus’s death on our behalf, we pass into the loving hands of…

The Believing Thief Luke 23:39–43 Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. Luke 23:42 The story of the believing thief is our story too if we have truly believed on the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior. The believing thief did three things. First, he recognized his own need, and by that I…

Forgiveness at a Great Cost Luke 23:32–38 Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. Luke 23:34 This was a prayer for forgiveness and a great forgiveness at that. It was also a forgiveness prayed for at an enormous cost. This is because forgiveness does not come cheap. And the reason it does…

Herod’s Downfall Luke 23:6–12 [Herod] questioned [Jesus] at some length, but he made no answer. Luke 23:9 These were the steps in Herod’s fall, beginning with his encounter with John the Baptist: First, there was conviction of sin (see Matt. 14:1–5). But Herod did not welcome this conviction, being unwilling to part from his sin….

Weeping for the Lost Luke 19:41–44 And when he drew near and saw [Jerusalem], he wept over it. Luke 19:41 Is this not an insight into the very heart of God? God wants the wicked to repent. He wants you to repent. Jesus would have been pleased by the conversion of Jerusalem. Can you not…

Mercy-Seated Luke 18:9–14 God, be merciful to me, a sinner! Luke 18:13 The word translated “be merciful” is the verb form of the word for the “mercy seat” on the ark of the covenant in the Jewish temple. Therefore, it could literally (but awkwardly) be translated “be mercy-seated toward” or “treat me as one who…