Jesus heals two blind men and “When they had departed, they spread the news, about Him in all that country.” Then He heals a mute and demon-possessed man. “And the multitudes marveled, saying, ‘It was never seen like this in Israel!’” However, things are quite different when Jesus goes to His home church in Nazareth. We read about Jesus being rejected in his hometown in the Book of Luke (Luke 4:16-30), and here we have Mark’s and Matthew’s accounts of what occurs when Jesus teaches in Nazareth.

Jesus begins teaching in His home synagogue, and the people question Him – “‘Where did this Man get these things? And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands! Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?’ So they were offended at Him.”

“But Jesus said to them, ‘A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house.’ Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. And He marveled because of their unbelief. Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching.”

Jesus has marveled two times in the story. First, at the faith of the Gentile Roman officer (Matthew 8:5-13) and now here, over the lack of faith of the people in His hometown, which limits the blessings they could receive. This is unfortunate for the people in his hometown, but it’s not going to stop Jesus from pouring blessings on those who will receive Him!

“Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, ‘The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.’”

Jesus sends out His twelve disciples, and “He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease.” Jesus sends His disciples first to the lost sheep of Israel, God’s chosen people. He tells them not to go to the Gentiles or enter the city of the Samaritans at this time. Later He will send his disciples to the Gentiles as well as the Jews, but the gospel message is first delivered to the lost of the house of Israel, the Jews, as Paul will later write – “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek” (Romans 1:16).

Jesus instructs His disciples to take nothing with them except His word and His healing powers. He says, “And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet. Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!”

Jesus warns His disciples –  “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues. You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.”

“Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell… Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.”

After seeing the resurrected Christ and receiving the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus’ disciples will become men who do not fear man. They will confess Jesus as Christ and preach His teachings even under heavy persecution, which will eventually cost them their earthly lives. However, they will receive far more — eternal life with their beloved Lord and Savior along with all those who confess Jesus as Lord — “because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9).

Tomorrow we will see how preaching the truth costs John the Baptist his earthly life. Keep reading. (Matthew 9:27-34, Mark 6:1-6, Matthew 13:53-58, Matthew 9:35-38, Mark 6:7-13, Matthew 10:1-42, Luke 9:1-6)

Today Jesus acts on behalf of three people: a demon possessed man, a woman with an incurable health condition, and a man with a dying child. All three have one thing in common; they are desperate. And they need healing that can only come from Christ. 

So after the shaky boat ride from Capernaum across the Sea of Galilee, Jesus and the disciples 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 beg Jesus saying, “Send us to the swine, that we may enter them.”

The evil spirits are many, and they are united and organized in their attempts to steal, kill, and destroy. However, Jesus comes to give abundant life (John 10:10). So Jesus does not allow the demons to destroy this man who is made in God’s image. Instead, He sends the evil spirits into the pigs as they requested— “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.

Now the man who was delivered from the evil spirits by Jesus 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.”

Then Jesus 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 twelve year old daughter. While Jesus is working His way through the crowds to get to Jairus’ house, a woman who has been suffering for twelve years with a terrible and incurable blood flow illness touches Jesus’ 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?!” 

However, 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 and faithful woman comes forward and fearfully falls at His feet, Jesus lovingly says to her, “Daughter, be of good cheer, your faith has made you well. Go in peace.”

Once again we see when a person who is deemed unclean by the Law touches Jesus, Jesus does not become unclean. The one who comes to Him in faith is made clean, healed by His power because Jesus came to restore those who are once on the fringes, without hope and without community, into the family of God.

Now, “While He was still speaking, someone came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house, saying to him, ‘Your daughter is dead. Do not trouble the Teacher.’ But when Jesus heard it, He answered him, saying, ‘Do not be afraid; only believe, and she will be made well.’” 

To the human eye and the natural man, Jairus’ situation appears hopeless. However there is always hope to be found in the word of God, and Jesus gave His word that she would be healed. And since Jesus never disappoints, He gives new life to Jairus’ twelve year old daughter just as he gave new life to the woman suffering from bleeding for twelve years. “And her parents were astonished but He charged them to tell no one what had happened” because His popularity, as well as animosity toward Him, was growing there and His time had not yet come.

Tomorrow Jesus sends out His disciples, so 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)

Today Jesus gives seven illustrations to explain the Kingdom of God:

1. The Lamp – “No one, when he has lit a lamp, covers it with a vessel or puts it under a bed, but sets it on a lampstand, that those who enter may see the light.” Jesus says that at the final judgment, all things secret will be revealed and more will be given to the one who hears God’s word, understands it and obeys it; but for those who don’t, what has been given will be taken away.
2. The Growing Seed – Christ followers 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 its 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 fourth seed that we read about yesterday – “But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred” (Mark 4:8). 

Jesus says about the fourth seed – “But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.” Jesus’ disciples are going to be 100% reproducers, bearing much fruit for the Kingdom of God. However, following hard after Christ is going to cost them their lives, but Jesus is promising that so much more awaits them in heaven than this world can offer. Soon Jesus will say to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16:24-26).

Tomorrow Jesus continues to show His power to the people by performing 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)

Today we see that Jesus values women as part of His ministry plans along with the twelve disciples – “Now it came to pass, afterward, that He went through every city and village, preaching and bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with Him, and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities—Mary called Magdalene, out of whom had come seven demons, and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others who provided for Him from their substance.” Not only did women accompany and support Jesus’ earthly ministry, we will soon discover that Jesus will first appear to women after His resurrection and entrust them with sharing the good news of His resurrection with others.

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 no 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… He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.” 

Then Jesus tells them that there is only one sin that is unforgivable – “Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.” The Holy Spirit testifies that Jesus Christ is the Son of God through whom salvation is provided. Jesus is saying that the only sin that will not be forgiven is rejecting the testimony of the Holy Spirit who calls people to salvation through belief in Jesus Christ. 

However, the scribes and Pharisees are ignoring the words of Jesus and are still trying to catch Jesus in an unlawful act. Therefore, they ask Him to perform a sign, although He has already performed many signs proving He is Lord. So instead of giving them a sign, Jesus gives them a story about Jonah being in the belly of a fish for three days which led to the salvation of Nineveh. Like Jonah, Jesus will be in the belly of the earth three days, and three nights and then rise again, an act only God can do, so that salvation will be available for the world. Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection provides a way for us to be a part of God’s eternal family.

Jesus speaks of His true family when His brothers and His mother, Mary, come looking for Him. Jesus says, “‘Who is My mother and who are My brothers?’ And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, ‘Here are My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.’”

We end the reading with Jesus speaking 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 seeds will fall by the wayside, meaning that as soon as someone hears, Satan will snatch away what was sown on their hearts.
2. Some seeds will fall on stony ground, meaning that some will immediately receive the word, but it will have no roots so they will not endure the tribulations of the world.
3. Some seeds are sown among the thorns, meaning that some 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.” These are the ones who have eternal salvation which is evident by their fruit (Matthew 7:15-20).

Tomorrow Jesus will give several illustrations to help us understand the kingdom of God, so 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)

Jesus performs two miracles today: 

1. 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.” This Gentile Roman officer has so much faith that it makes even 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, which is another reminder that we can not please the Lord without faith (Hebrews 11:6).
2. Jesus shows compassion for a widow who is burying her son by touching the coffin of the young man and bringing him back to life. “Then fear came upon all, and they glorified God, saying, ‘A great prophet has risen up among us’; and, ‘God has visited His people.’ And this report about Him went throughout all Judea and all the surrounding region.”

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.” Since all of these things were prophesied through the prophet Isaiah, John the Baptist is assured that Jesus is the Son of God sent for our salvation.

Jesus declares, “Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist.” As John is sitting in prison the people fail to recognize his greatness, just as they fail to recognize the deity of 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 to believe 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.” However, 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’ feet with her tears and her hair and anointing them in oil. A religious Pharisee, Simon, believes if Jesus were truly a prophet, He would not let a sinful woman touch Him. Jesus rebukes the Pharisee by saying that this sinful woman did more for Him than he did since Simon did not even 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.” 

In Dane Ortlund’s book Gentle and Lowly, he says, “In the one place in the Bible where the Son of God pulls back the veil and lets us peer way down into the core of who he is, we are not told that he is ‘austere and demanding in heart.’ We are not told that he is ‘exalted and dignified in heart.’ We are not even told that he is ‘joyful and generous in heart.’ Letting Jesus set the terms, his surprising claim is that he is ‘gentle and lowly in heart.’”

Dane Ortlund goes on to say, “And what did he do when he saw the unclean? What was his first impulse when he came across prostitutes and lepers? He moved toward them. Pity flooded his heart, the longing of true compassion. He spent time with them. He touched them… But there is something deeper in Christ’s touch of compassion. He was reversing the Jewish system. When Jesus, the Clean One, touched an unclean sinner, Christ did not become unclean. The sinner became clean… Jesus walked the earth rehumanizing the dehumanized and cleansing the unclean.”  

Tomorrow we will continue to see Jesus rehumanizing the dehumanized and cleansing the unclean, so 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)

Jesus says there will be no reward in heaven for the ones who live their lives with earthly motives and the applause of man, for they have already received all they will receive here on earth for their public performances. Today He teaches us not to be all about the show in three 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, “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, the ones entering through the narrow gate, by their fruits— “The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”

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  (Luke 11:28, James 1:22-25). 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. Once saved, it is by the power of the Holy Spirit that we desire to live lives in obedience with the Word of God. It is by the power of the Holy Spirit that we grieve our sin when we stumble, which leads us to repentance and a closeness with the Lord. And since the Lord knows the hearts and intents of all, He knows the ones who truly belong to Him versus the ones putting on a public show for approval and personal gain. 

Tomorrow, Jesus performs more miracles and He encounters another sinful woman, so 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)

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’ teaching is unlike worldly teaching. For example, Jesus tells His twelve disciples that blessed are the poor, hungry, and weeping but woe to the rich, full, and laughing.

He says, “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 because the “reward is great in heaven.” Nothing we receive on this earth (riches, fame, security, etc.) 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 because we are to be 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 only He can perfectly keep, but to fulfill the Law and 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.”

Jesus says 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; however, 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)

Over time the Jews added hundreds of man-made laws regarding what people could not do on the Sabbath. The Pharisees are more concerned with holding everyone to those laws than showing love and compassion for the people. However, Jesus, who is full of compassion, ignores those man-made laws by “working” on the Sabbath.

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 the religious leaders that He is simply working like His Father works on the Sabbath. Now the Jews are really infuriated because He is not only working, but He is also claiming to be God. “Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him.”

However, Jesus does not back down as He continues to claim to be the Son of God – “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 explains 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’ Father, the Lord, is His witness!

However, the Jews refuse to acknowledge Jesus as the Son of God. Instead they continue in their pursuit to catch Jesus breaking their laws. So later, when Jesus’ disciples are walking through the fields and grab some grain to eat, the Pharisees call them out for working on the Sabbath. Then 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 because God is good, and His intent toward mankind is for mankind to experience His goodness.

We end the reading with Jesus healing a man on the Sabbath in the synagogue in spite of the protest from the Pharisees. Jesus will not stop doing good works because of the threats of man. But the hard-hearted Pharisees aren’t going to stop their attempts to destroy Jesus, the Son of God — “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)

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 because 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 based on His righteousness and commissioned for the work of the Lord by the power of the Holy Spirit. So Jesus tells Peter, “Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men”, meaning 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 because the God of Peter is the God of Abraham, Isaac, 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 paralyzed man and the people were probably thinking that the man would be of good cheer if Jesus simply healed his physical condition and said “stand and walk”. And later Jesus tells the man to stand and walk, but not before saying what is most important — that his sins are forgiven. Jesus knows we have a need far greater than physical healing. We need to be restored to Jesus’ Father, the Lord, by a final atoning sacrifice, and that is why Jesus is here!

The scribes question Jesus in their thoughts by thinking, “Who can forgive sins but God alone?” Jesus, knowing the thoughts and intentions of all, responds to them explaining 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.”

Then Jesus eats with Matthew, a despised tax collector, and other sinners, which the uptight scribes and Pharisees frown upon. Jesus says to the religious leaders, “I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” So the sinners eat and drink with Jesus (the bridegroom) 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.” 

Jesus knows His time physically here on earth is short. So He explains with the illustrations of new and old garments and new and old wine skins, that He came to establish a new and better covenant and to form the church where Jews and Gentiles will come together as one (Ephesians 2).

Tomorrow Jesus continues to upset the religious leaders by living out His ministry in a way that pleases God and not man. 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)

“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.’”

Jesus performs His second miracle after a nobleman, who traveled about twenty miles from Capernaum, approaches Him and asks Him to heal his dying boy. Jesus responds to the nobleman, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe.” However, this desperate dad does not give up. When he asks a second time Jesus responds, “Go your way; your son lives.” And the man believes Jesus, proving that his faith is genuine. When the nobleman’s household saw that the boy was healed, they too believed in Jesus as the Messiah. 

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 carpenter and 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 two examples from the past: 1- Elijah and the widow (1 Kings 17) and 2- Elisha and Naaman (2 Kings 5), where God’s chosen people ignored His prophets. Therefore, the prophets ministered to Gentiles. When those in the synagogue heard all that Jesus said, they “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.” 

After being rejected by His own home church, Jesus 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 four fishermen, the brothers Peter (Simon) and Andrew and 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 casts 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 they leave the synagogue, they enter the house of Peter where his mother-in-law is lying sick with a fever. Jesus touches her hand and heals her. And that evening, many come to Jesus who are sick and demon possessed. “Then He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him.”

In the morning, Jesus finds a quiet spot to spend time with His Father in prayer. “And the crowd sought Him and came to Him, and tried to keep Him from leaving them; but He said to them, ‘I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent.’”

“And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people… Great multitudes followed Him—from Galilee, and from Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan.”

Jesus’ 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)