After the shaky boat ride from Capernaum across the Sea of Galilee, they arrive in a small town where Jesus meets a man who is demon-possessed and living like a wild beast among tombs. Jesus asks for the demon’s name. “And he said, ’Legion,’ because many demons had entered him.” So all the demons begged Him saying, “Send us to the swine, that we may enter them.”

We see that the evil spirits are many and they are united and organized in their attempts to steal, kill, and destroy but Jesus comes to give abundant life (John 10:10). Jesus does not allow the demons to destroy this man who is made in God’s image but He does send them into the pigs. 🐷 “Then the unclean spirits went out and entered the swine (there were about two thousand); and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and drowned in the sea.” Thus the evil spirits carried out their intended goal to steal, kill, and destroy.

But the man who was saved now has an amazing testimony!! 🙌 So when he asks to go with Jesus, Jesus commissions him by saying, “’Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has compassion on you.’ And he went his way and proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.”

Jesus then travels back across the sea to the Galilean side. There He meets one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus, who begs Jesus to come and heal his dying 12 year old daughter. While Jesus is working His way through the crowds to get to Jairus’s house, a woman who has been suffering for a long time with terrible bleeding, touches Jesus’s garment in a desperate attempt to be healed. Jesus asks who touched Him and Peter pipes up saying the multitudes press on You and You ask who touched You?! Like what’s up with that Jesus? 😬🤷‍♀️

But Jesus knew this was a different kind of touch. This wasn’t just people carelessly pushing on Him. This was an intentional and deliberate act of faith on the part of the woman and Jesus desires to heal way more than just her bleeding condition. He desires to heal her spiritually and publicly so she can walk in freedom! So when the desperate, faithful woman comes forward, Jesus lovingly says to her, “Daughter, be of good cheer, your faith has made you well. Go in peace.” 💜

Then Jesus goes on to do what Jesus does…He gives new life to Jairus’s 12 year old girl! “And her parents were astonished but He charged them to tell no one what had happened” bc His popularity, as well as animosity toward Him, was growing there and His time has not yet come.

Tomorrow Jesus sends out His disciples…keep reading.

(Mark 5:1-20, Matthew 8:28-34, Luke 8:26-39, Mark 5:21-43, Matthew 9:18-26, Luke 8:40-56)

#bibleliteracymovement #chronologicalbibleteaching

Today Jesus gives 7 illustrations to explain the kingdom of God.

1) The Lamp – Everyone puts a lamp out for others to see the light. At the final judgment, all things will be brought into the light and be known. Jesus says more will be given to the one who hears God’s Word, understands it, obeys it, and spreads it to others. For those who don’t, what has been given will be taken away.

2) The Growing Seed – We scatter the seed by sharing God’s Word. God is responsible for tilling the hearts of those who receive it and growing His kingdom which will reach it’s full culmination when Jesus returns.

3) The Mustard Seed – The kingdom of God begins small, like the smallest seed, but results in enormous growth with an abundance of blessings.

4) The Leaven – God’s activity is not fully visible to the world but it begins in the heart and grows to feed others.

5) The Hidden Treasure – The Kingdom of God is more valuable than any earthly treasure.

6) The Pearl Merchant – The man that finds the kingdom of God will give up everything to be a part of it.

7) The Fishing Net – Evil will coexist with the righteous in this world but there will be a day when evil is cast out and the righteous prevail.

Jesus says one day, “The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” 🙏

We end the reading with Jesus and the disciples on a boat crossing the Sea of Galilee when a terrible storm arises. Jesus rebukes the wind and the water, exposing His power over the earth. He also rebukes the scared disciples for their lack of faith. This time the disciples are the ones who marvel saying, “Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?” Jesus is still patiently growing these men into great men of God like that 4th seed we read about yesterday. These guys are going to be 100% reproducers for the kingdom of God, which is going to cost them their lives but they will gain so much more (Matthew 16:24-26).

Tomorrow Jesus continues to show His power, which increases the faith of the people, by performing several more miraculous healings. So keep reading!

(Matthew 13:10-23, Luke 8:9-18, Mark 4:21-29, Matthew 13:24-30, Mark 4:30-34, Matthew 13:31-52, Mark 4:35-41, Matthew 8:23-27, Luke 8:22-25)

#bibleliteracymovement #chronologicalbibleteaching

Today we see that Jesus values having women as part of His ministry plans along with the 12 disciples. Mary called Magdalene, out of whom had come seven demons, is with Jesus as He travels and preaches as are many other women “who provided for Him from their substance.” We will soon learn that Jesus will first appear to women after His resurrection and give them an important job!

When Jesus was preaching to the crowds, He cast a demon out of a man resulting in some scribes and Pharisees assuming that Jesus is doing the work of Satan. Jesus explains that it would make zero sense for Satan to cast out his own demons. He says, “But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.” Jesus tells them that they are either with Him or against Him. Then He says the only sin that will not be forgiven is the rejection of God, who through the power of the Holy Spirit calls people to salvation.

But the scribes and Pharisees, still trying to catch Jesus in an unlawful act, ask Him to perform a sign, although He has already performed many. Instead of giving them a sign, Jesus gives them a story about Jonah being in the belly of a fish for 3 days which led to the salvation of Nineveh. Like Jonah, Jesus will be in the belly of the earth 3 days and 3 nights and then rise again, an act only God can do, so that salvation will be available for the world. Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection provides a way for us to be a part of God’s eternal family. “For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.”

We end the reading with Jesus telling His first parable which is about a sower and his seed. The parable teaches that not all who hear the gospel (the Good News of Jesus Christ) will understand and believe.

1) Some seed will fall by the wayside meaning that as soon as someone hears, Satan will snatch away what was sown on their hearts.

2) The seed that falls on stony ground means that some will immediately receive the word but it will have no roots so they will not endure the tribulations of the world.

3) The seed sown among the thorns are ones that hear the word but are drawn away by the desires of the world.

4) “But there are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.” This one has eternal salvation which is evident by the fruit (Matthew 7:15-20).

Tomorrow Jesus will give us several illustrations to help us understand the kingdom of God. Keep reading.

(Luke 8:1-3, Mark 3:20-30, Matthew 12:22-45, Mark 3:31-35, Matthew 12:46-50, Luke 8:19-21, Mark 4:1-9, Matthew 13:1-9, Luke 8:4-8, Mark 4:10-20)

#bibleliteracymovement #chronologicalbibleteaching

Jesus performs 2 miracles today. First He heals a centurion’s servant after the centurion says, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed.” Jesus responds, “I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel.” Wow! This Gentile Roman officer has so much faith that it makes Jesus marvel! Jesus is going to marvel again in a few days but it will be at the lack of faith of the people in His own hometown, Nazareth. It’s just another reminder that faith is what pleases God (Hebrews 11:6).

Next Jesus shows compassion for a widow who is burying her son. Jesus touches the coffin of the young man and brings him back to life, resulting in the people glorifying God.

Now John the Baptist, still in prison, starts to wonder if this is really the Christ so he sends his disciples to inquire of Jesus. Jesus responds, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them.” All these things were prophesied through the prophet Isaiah which gives John the Baptist assurance that Jesus is the Son of God sent for our salvation.

Jesus says about John the Baptist, “Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist.” But the people miss it with John the Baptist who is currently sitting in prison, just like they are missing it with Jesus Christ. ”For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’” The people find fault in both and do not have faith that they were sent by the Lord; one as the messenger and the other as the Messiah. So Jesus gives a warning to the unbelievers. “But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you.” But he also gives an invitation to all. “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” 🙌

We end the reading with a sinful woman washing Jesus’s feet with her tears and her hair and anointing them in oil. A religious Pharisee, Simon, believes if Jesus was truly a prophet, He would not let a sinful woman touch Him. Jesus rebukes the Pharisee and says this sinful woman did more for Him than the Pharisee. See, the well established Simon did not give Jesus water for His feet or kiss Him or anoint Him in oil. However, this desperate sinful woman hit her knees at the feet of Jesus. “Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.” Then Jesus turns to the woman and says, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.” 💜

Keep reading.

(Matthew 8:5-13, Luke 7:1-17, Matthew 11:1-19, Luke 7:18-35, Matthew 11:20-30, Luke 7:36-50)

#bibleliteracymovement #chronologicalbiblemovement

Today Jesus teaches us not to be all about the public show in 3 areas of life: prayer, fasting, and money.

Prayer – “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.” “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”

Fasting – “Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.”

Money – ”Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”

Jesus says that “wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” Jesus teaches that you will know who belongs to Him by their fruits, for a good man brings forth good and an evil man evil.

Since the way is difficult and not many find it, Jesus warns that “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” Only the person who is drawn by God to Jesus (John 6:44), hears His sayings, and does them will enter the kingdom. Although works don’t save us (Ephesians 2:8-9), they are evidence of our salvation (James 2:24) which is available for anyone who accepts Jesus Christ as their Savior!

Jesus performs more miracles tomorrow. Plus we meet another sinful woman…keep reading.

(Matthew 6:5-7:6, Luke 6:37-42, Matthew 7:7-20, Luke 6:43-45, Matthew 7:21-29, Luke 6:46-49)

#bibleliteracymovement #chronologicalbibleteaching

Then Jesus “went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. Then He opened His mouth and taught them.” Jesus’s teaching is unlike worldly teaching. For example, Jesus tells His disciples that blessed are the poor, hungry, and weeping but woe to the rich, full, and laughing.

He goes on to say ”Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Jesus wants His disciples to be set apart from the pleasures and empty pursuits of this world. He desires for them to keep their gaze on Him no matter what it costs in this world bc the “reward is great in heaven.” Nothing we receive on this earth (riches, fame, security, etc.) can come close to touching what is waiting for us in our permanent home in heaven.

Jesus raises the standards for His followers. “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” We are to do good toward all bc we are “a light of the world…Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”

It is impossible through our own natural abilities for us to be this light that Jesus, who is the light, is describing. Therefore, Jesus came to live a perfect life and to sacrifice Himself so that anyone who believes in Him will be declared righteous and shine brightly by the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus explains that He came not to do away with the Law that no one but Him can perfectly keep, but to fulfill the Law (the first five books of the Bible) and the Prophets (the remaining books of the OT written by the Prophets) in obedience to His Father and on our behalf. ”For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.”

“For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.” The scribes and the Pharisees have an outward appearance of righteousness but Jesus calls His followers to an inward righteousness of the heart which is only possible through surrendering your life to Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

More teaching from Jesus tomorrow so keep reading.

(Mark 3:7-19, Luke 6:12-16, Matthew 5:1-12, Luke 6:17-26, Matthew 5:13-48, Luke 6:27-36, Matthew 6:1-4)

#bibleliteracymovement #chronologicalbibleteaching

Today Jesus upsets some Jews by working on the Sabbath. See, over time the Jews had added hundreds of man-made laws about what people could not do on the Sabbath. The Pharisees are most concerned with holding everyone to those laws verses showing love and compassion for the people.

First Jesus heals a lame man lying by the pool of Bethesda on the Sabbath. When the Jews find out, they seek to kill Him. Jesus tells them that it’s all good bc He is just working like His Father works on the Sabbath. Well, this really infuriates the Jews bc now He is not only working but He is also claiming to be God. “Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him.”

But Jesus does not back down.💪 “Then Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner…For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him…he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.’”

Jesus tells them that He has a greater witness than John the Baptist, the burning and shining lamp they were willing to listen to for a time. Jesus’s Father, the Lord, is His witness!

But the Jews are still looking to trap Jesus by catching Him breaking their laws. So later, when Jesus’s disciples are walking through the fields and grab some grain to eat, the Pharisees call them out for working on the Sabbath. Jesus rebukes the Pharisees with a story about King David and the time he unlawfully ate the showbread from the house of God (1 Samuel 2:16). “And He said to them, ‘The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.’” God gave the Sabbath, a day of rest and worship, for our good bc God is good and His intent toward mankind is for mankind to flourish.

We end the reading with Jesus doing… guess what?! Healing a man on the Sabbath in the synagogue. 🙌 Don’t you just LOVE Jesus!! Well the hard-hearted Pharisees don’t. “Then the Pharisees went out and immediately plotted with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him.”

Tomorrow Jesus preaches the Sermon on the Mount. Keep reading.

(John 5:1-47, Mark 2:23-28, Matthew 12:1-8, Luke 6:1-5, Mark 3:1-6, Matthew 12:9-14, Luke 6:6-11, Matthew 12:15-21)

#bibleliteracymovement #chronologicalbibleteaching

Today Jesus is teaching the multitudes from Peter’s boat. When He finishes teaching, Jesus tells Peter to cast the fishing nets and He performs a miracle by filling the nets. Peter is so overwhelmed by the power of Christ that he falls at His knees and says, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!”

This is a common response when man encounters God bc God’s holiness and our sinfulness are both magnified. But Jesus came to give His life for us so that we can be declared righteous and commissioned for the work of the Lord. So Jesus tells Peter, “Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men.” He means that God is going to use this fisherman in a mighty way to draw others to Him. We will see the Lord develop Peter over time into a great disciple maker bc the God of Peter is the God of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob. He is also the same God of anyone who puts their faith in Jesus Christ. Therefore, the Lord will constantly be at work in our lives; growing us to be more like Him and equipping us for the work of the Kingdom.

Jesus further reveals His power when a paralyzed man is lowered from a roof into the home where He is teaching. Jesus tells the paralytic, “Son, be of good cheer, your sins are forgiven you.” 🤔 The people were probably thinking that telling him he could now walk would have made him happier. Jesus does later tell the man that he can walk and the man gets up and walks out of that home. However, Jesus knows we have a need far greater than physical healing. We need to be restored to Jesus’s Father, the Lord, and that is why He is here!

The scribes question Jesus in their thoughts. They think, “Who can forgive sins but God alone?” Jesus, knowing all thoughts and intentions of everyone, responds to them. Jesus explains that He said the paralytic’s sins were forgiven out loud instead of just saying he was healed so “that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins.”

Jesus goes on to eat with Matthew, a despised tax collector, and other sinners, which the uptight scribes and Pharisees frown upon. Jesus tells them, “I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

So the sinners eat and drink with Jesus (the bride-groom) while He is here on earth “But the days will come when the bride-groom will be taken away from them; then they will fast in those days.”

Keep reading.

(Luke 5:1-11, Mark 1:40-45, Matthew 8:1-4, Luke 5:12-16, Mark 2:1-12, Matthew 9:1-8, Luke 5:17-26, Mark 2:13-17, Matthew 9:9-13, Luke 5:27-32, Mark 2:18-22, Matthew 9:14-17, Luke 5:33-39)

#bibleliteracymovement #chronologicalbibleteaching

“Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, ’The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.’”

Then Jesus performs His second miracle when He heals a nobleman’s dying son, “And he himself believed, and his whole household.” 🙌

Afterwards, Jesus travels to Nazareth where He was raised. There He reads in the synagogue from the Book of Isaiah where Isaiah prophesied of His arrival as the One to preach to the poor, heal the broken-hearted, free the captives and oppressed, and give sight to the blind (Isaiah 61:1-2).

The people in His own home church do not believe that Jesus, the son of Joseph, is God. Therefore Jesus says, “Assuredly, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own country.” Jesus then gives them examples from the past of God’s chosen people ignoring His prophets so the prophets went to minister to Gentiles; Elijah and the widow (1 Kings 17) & Elisha and Naaman (2 Kings 5). “So all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, and rose up and thrust Him out of the city; and they led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down over the cliff. Then passing through the midst of them, He went His way.” So after being rejected by His own home church, Jesus goes and teaches elsewhere to those who will accept Him. And anyone who encounters Jesus and believes He is the Son of God is welcome into the Kingdom of God.

As Jesus walks by the Sea of Galilee, He calls 4 fisherman, the brothers Peter (Simon) and Andrew & the brothers James and John, to follow Him. They go to Capernaum where Jesus immediately begins preaching in the synagogue. “And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.” Jesus not only teaches but He also cast an evil spirit from a man and the people are amazed by His power and authority. “And immediately His fame spread throughout all the region around Galilee.”

After Jesus heals Peter’s sick mother-n-law and all the other sick or demon possessed in the town, He finds a quiet spot to pray. When the crowds find Him, they try to get Him to stay but Jesus says, “I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities, also, because for this purpose I have been sent.”

Jesus’s ministry expands further tomorrow so keep reading.

(Mark 1:14-15, Matthew 4:12-17, John 4:46-54, Luke 4:16-30, Mark 1:16-20, Matthew 4:18-22, Mark 1:21-28, Luke 4:31-37, Mark 1:29-34, Matthew 8:14-17, Luke 4:38-31, Mark 1:35-39, Luke 4:42-44, Matthew 4:23-25)

#bibleliteracymovement #chronologicalbibleteaching

Today Jesus has 2 important salvific conversations with 2 very different types of people…bc we are all equal in God’s economy!

First we meet Nicodemus, a Pharisee and ruler of the Jews. Nicodemus sneaks away at night to seek answers from Jesus bc he knows that Jesus is a Teacher from God. Jesus tells Nicodemus that he must be born again to see the kingdom of God. This statement confuses Nicodemus so Jesus explains that a person has to become a new creation through the belief in Him as Savior and by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus says that He came to die but He will rise 3 days later so “that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” “For God did not send His son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”

Jesus has a major impact on Nicodemus. This impact is so great that Nicodemus will show up again soon in the Story; once when he tries to defend Jesus to the Pharisees (John 7:50-51) and again at Jesus’s burial (John 19:39).

Next Jesus meets a Samaritan woman. The Samaritans date back to when Northern Israel was invaded by the Assyrians. The Jews that intermarried with the Assyrians became known as the Samaritans. The Jews despise the Samaritans as half breeds.

Jesus, weary from His journey, is sitting at Jacob’s well in Samaria when a shameful woman comes to the well in the middle of a hot day (unlike the time the other ladies would get water). The woman is surprised that Jesus, being a Jewish male, would speak to a “disgusting” Samaritan woman. She is even more surprised that Jesus knows she had been married 5 times and is currently living with a man out of wedlock.

Jesus tells her about the living water that He offers which is different from the water at the well. The water that Jesus offers will result in everlasting life. The Samaritan woman says she knows the Messiah is coming and Jesus responds, “I who speak to you am He.” So she drops her water pot and runs to town saying, “Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?” “And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified.” That’s the power of a testimony of Christ!! 🙌

Well, we end on a sad note today with John the Baptist being thrown into prison bc he rebuked Herod for marrying his brother’s wife.

Tomorrow Jesus’s ministry goes into full swing. Keep reading.

(John 3:1-4:45, Luke 3:19-20)

#bibleliteracymovement #chronologicalbibleteaching