Although we don’t know a lot about the prophet Nahum, it is known that his name means “comfort” and that he prophesied about one hundred years after Jonah. Like Jonah, Nahum preaches to the city of Nineveh, except this time the city does not repent like they did in Jonah’s day. This is so interes...

The rich gain the advantage. What does that mean? When we hear rich, most of us will automatically think of physical wealth. There are more things of value in this life though, and many who have earned large amounts of money have discovered their lack of them. Habakkuk was a prophet frustrated wi...

Zephaniah’s name means “Yahweh has hidden”, and his genealogy is traced back four generations for us showing that he was the great-great-grandson of King Hezekiah. This sets Zephaniah apart from the prophet Jeremiah, who was also speaking to Judah at the same time. Both of these men prophesied du...

There is a reordering of priorities that happens in the lives of the people of God. Everyone has priority structures even if they don’t realize it, and Christians have a distinct and different one. When we choose to follow Christ, we put God first in all that we think and do. This is sometimes di...

In Zechariah 9, we see a stunning turn from the destruction of nations and cities to the sure hope of a future King from the line of David. There is and will be judgment from God, but there is also salvation in the one previously called the Branch, the Messiah. Prophecies like this explain why pe...

For many years, the old city of Jerusalem has been divided up into four parts that correspond with four large religious groups. Meant to promote peaceful living, this arrangement reflects the historic state of Israel itself: fought over, vied for. History records battles, wars, and invasions for ...

Malachi’s ministry began around 420 BC. His name means “God’s messenger” and so some have suggested that this isn’t his proper name but, rather, a title that he used in his prophetic ministry. Malachi’s message is refreshingly uplifting; he offered God’s love to a disheartened people. Israel,
at ...

The Gospel of Matthew is known for his extensive and unique use of the Old Testament. Matthew likely wrote his Gospel around 60 AD, when the book of Mark was already circulating among the church. There are thirty-three quotes from the Old Testament in Matthew and as some have noted, several comme...

As we study the ministry of Jesus Christ today, we will focus in on three specific lessons. The first seventeen verses of Matthew 9 show us the power of God through Christ. Jesus heals a paralytic, He calls Matthew the tax collector to be His disciple and by extension the future writer of this ve...

There is no way to truly understand wisdom or discover your meaning in this life, unless you have a relationship with God. Proverbs 1:7 says, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” It is only the beginning when we come into relationship
wit...

"esus Christ said some harsh things to the Pharisees of His time. Remember that the Pharisees seem to have been birthed during the time of the exile of the Jews. They distinguished themselves by focusing on learning the Law of God and oral tradition, the passed-on teachings about the Law of God; ...

A lot of Jesus’ teaching was culturally shocking to the people of His time. One of those teachings was about who was greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. The question was asked by His disciples, and Jesus had them call a child to demonstrate His answer: The greatest in the Kingdom of God was someon...

The word parable is defined as a short allegorical story designed to illustrate or teach a truth, religious principle, or moral lesson. When Jesus spoke in parables, we get to see this in action, and we have the benefit of hindsight, being able to read through them again, and of course Jesus’ exp...

Many of the prophets before Jesus had experienced difficult trials and bitter rejection, but what we see with Jesus has a special sharpness to it. The One who created humanity, the One who chose the nation of Israel itself, being rejected by them, has a different depth to it. In Matthew, we are t...

The Gospel of Mark is action-packed and vividly records the miracles and works of Jesus Christ. It is relatively short, is believed to be the first and earliest gospel written, and it records the acts and achievements of Jesus as the Christ, our Lord and Saviour. Though the work itself does not n...

The parables that Jesus chose to tell are so interesting. They teach us about the Kingdom of God, about ourselves, our relationship with the world and with God. One of the parables in our reading today is about a farmer scattering seeds. This story crosses time and cultures easily because we all ...

The wilderness is not an easy place to be. Think about it! There are no restaurants, shops or markets to get food from, no bathrooms or places that provide human conveniences. Jesus knew the circumstances well, and He knew that the people who were following Him were doing so at the sacrifice of t...

The transfiguration of Jesus would have assured the watching disciples that the future glory of God through His Son was coming: The Kingdom of Heaven was indeed upon them. Not only was Jesus transfigured, but He was also joined by historic representatives of the Law of God and the Prophets in the...

It is difficult to grasp and easy to forget the spiritual pain that Jesus Christ endured at the crucifixion. Remember that Christ is the King of the Jews. The chief priests wanted Him dead, while the Roman military wanted to make an example of any Jewish leader who emerged in society and did not ...

Luke’s Gospel is written to a man named Theophilus, whose name means “lover of God”. His Gospel is part one of a two-part series. Part two is the book of Acts, which refers to the acts of the apostles after Pentecost––Christ’s ascension and the Spirit’s descension and indwelling. Unlike
the other...

Sin has made us susceptible to temptation. Our passions, appetites, and desires that lead us into sin stem out of human frailty. In contrast, Jesus Christ’s perseverance against Satan in the wilderness—overcoming temptation and our human proclivities to live by our base desires—is just amazing! T...