Luke 3:1-22 If you are driving on a family vacation to a major city, you are most likely watching the signs that tell you how many miles are left until your destination. John the Baptist’s role in salvation history is like the destination signs on the side of the road. He pointed beyond himself to the coming of Jesus. The way he did this was calling for repentance. To repent is to acknowledge the ...

Luke 2:36-52 What do you treasure in your heart? What are the memories, quotes, or events you cherish? Multiple times at the beginning of Luke, we are told Mary “treasured all these things in her heart.” These events are signposts to the significance of Jesus. Mary treasuring something in her heart was first used when the shepherds came to visit at Jesus’ birth. This phrase speaks to the fact that...

Luke 2:1-35 Every parent has hopes and dreams for their child. They wonder who they will grow up to be, who they might marry, where they will go to college, and where they might live. Unlike most parents Mary and Joseph immediately knew Jesus’ purpose. When angels broke into the seen realm, they proclaimed Jesus’ identity to a group of surprised shepherds. They shared he would bring joy and peace ...

Luke 1:57-80 If you are asked about your children or grandchildren, what are the facts you share about them? Do you tell about their academic exploits, how big they are, or how beautiful their eye color is? No matter how special your kids might be, you assuredly do not share the reasons which Zechariah gave. When Zechariah’s mouth is finally opened and he has a chance to speak of his special child...

Luke 1:26-56 How would you respond to an angel’s appearance proclaiming that a child would be born to you despite being a virgin? Mary is often neglected in Protestantism and overly elevated by other traditions. What she is, is a powerful example of a faithful, humble servant of God. She does not understand how the message of the angel is possible, but she is willing to go ahead with what God has ...

Luke 1:1-25 What evidence would you need to believe in Jesus? This is an important question to ask non-Christians. It is important for them to acknowledge what would move them from an unwilling belief, to faith in Christ. Luke begins his Gospel by describing first how his writing was compiled. Like a modern journalist he interviewed eyewitnesses to the accounts to understand what happened. He did ...

Mark 16:1-20 Many people claim we cannot trust the Bible—that it is false, historically inaccurate, and that it has changed over time. How would you respond to these types of statements? About halfway through Mark 16 it says, "The earliest manuscripts and some other ancient witnesses do not have verses 9-20." On the surface this may cause you to doubt the truth of Scripture, but it should actually...

Mark 15:1-47 Consider what Jesus was willing to undergo for us on his last day on Earth. Despite being a king and deserving submission, obedience, and reverence, Jesus received none of this. He was dressed up in a Halloween-like king costume and was flogged, mocked, struck, spit on, and then crucified. Rather than the crowds bowing down, they jeered him. They, along with Pilate, missed who Jesus w...

Mark 14:53-72 Who is Jesus? We have seen this question come up throughout Jesus’ ministry and hopefully that question comes up in our conversations with people who are far from Christ. This question is essential, because the answer leads someone to an eternity with Christ or an eternity apart from him. As Jesus’ faux trial before the Sanhedrin occurred, they were looking for any evidence that migh...

Mark 14:22-52 There are many stories which are reiterated multiple times throughout the Bible. The story of the exodus is actually told more than any other. As Jesus experienced his last night on Earth, he did it while celebrating the exodus meal of the Passover. Jesus shockingly took a meal which had been repeated for well over a thousand years and transformed it. His first change was to make the...

Mark 14:1-21 What are the things which you value above everything else? If there was a fire in your house and you could only grab one thing, what would you take with you? The things we value will very much determine the way we live. As Jesus heads towards his death the disciples reveal something they value more than him. They value money over Jesus in being indignant toward the woman who poured th...

Mark 13:14-37 Christ is returning! We need to embrace this truth and live in light of it. Jesus instructs his disciples about his return to, "Be on guard! Be alert!...Watch!" The urgency of these commands comes from the reality Jesus is coming back. Nearly every generation has thought Jesus would return during their time, and though every previous generation has been wrong, one will be right. So, ...

Mark 12:38-13:13 Looks can be deceiving. Jesus’ teachings in Mark 12-13 point out this truth. Jesus first looks at the religious leaders. They look so impressive with their robes and their societal positions, but Jesus says they are headed to punishment. What looks impressive from the outside, ends up not being so. Second, Jesus points out people who are placing their offerings in the temple treas...

Mark 12:18-37 You have been reading about twenty verses a day and hopefully taking your time to meditate on those verses. One of the values of slowing down while you read is noticing the details of Scripture. As Jesus asked and responded to a series of questions in Mark 12, he revealed the importance of even the minutiae of Scripture. In his response to the question of the Sadducees, Jesus quotes ...

Mark 11:27-12:17 How much do you value truth? How much are you willing to change your life to conform to the demands of truth? The religious leaders reveal multiple times they are more concerned about keeping the status quo than they are about knowing and walking in the truth. They ask Jesus questions but do not really care about the answers and other times only do it to “catch him in his words” o...

Mark 11:1-26 C.S. Lewis wrote that Jesus is either a liar, lord, or lunatic. Often people want to think that Jesus was simply a good man and a great moral teacher, but the words of Jesus do not leave us with those options. We have to take seriously the claims Jesus made about himself. As Jesus entered Jerusalem on the back of a donkey, it was clear to the crowds that he was proclaiming himself kin...

Mark 10:32-52 So often we miss what God is doing. We are so busy and consumed by our own agendas that we miss the larger, more beautiful work that God is performing. In Mark 10:32-52, Jesus heads toward Jerusalem and announces that he is walking into his arrest, condemnation, abuse, and death. The disciples seem to completely miss the meaning of his words. They, like us, are so consumed by their t...

Mark 10:13-31 Who are the most important people in our society? Younger people might think of social media influencers while older people might think of business moguls or politicians. Yet Jesus wants us to understand the value of every person. Jesus is confronted by two extremes of the ancient social significance scale in Mark 10. First, he is brought a series of little children. Kids can be elev...

Mark 9:30-10:12 Who is the greatest person you have ever met? Is it a celebrity, a financial guru, a powerful CEO? The way we conceive of greatness, especially as a culture, is profoundly different from Jesus’ view. This is why Jesus came to earth not only as Lord, savior, and king, but also as a teacher. He came as a teacher because we are prone to embrace lies rather than truth.Mark 9 describes ...

Mark 9:1-29 Jesus came to Earth with power. Despite looking physically like any other Jewish man, he continually demonstrated his unparalleled power. He performed miracles, he revealed supreme knowledge and wisdom, and he asserted his control over creation. In Mark 9, his power was revealed in the transfiguration as he became "dazzling white." Then his power was again shown when he cast a demon ou...