Commuter Bible NT

Looking back from our position in history, we have the advantage of considering the kingdom of God through all of the teachings of Jesus and through the lens of Scripture as a whole. During his time of ministry on earth, however, things weren’t so clear for His original audience. When the crowds thought about the Son of David, they assumed that he would be a king in the traditional sense. The Jews...

In the parable of the unjust judge, Jesus teaches his disciples to be persistent in prayer, arguing that if an unjust judge will grant justice through one woman’s persistence, how much more so will a perfect and infallible judge grant justice to those who ask? He also tells a parable to those who thought they were righteous, concluding the story with what would have been seen as a twist: the sinne...

In the first half of this chapter, the teachings of Jesus in this chapter are numerous and short. Luke transitions from one teaching to another, sometimes without any indication as such. Jesus warns against causing children to stumble, then tells his disciples to be on guard when it comes to the sins of a brother in Christ. Next he teaches about faith, swiftly transitioning to a comparison about w...

The first parable in today’s reading is quite different from the majority of parables that Christ tells, because in it, Jesus points to a sinful man to highlight that which is good, which is confusing on the face of it, but let me explain. In the parable of the dishonest manager, Christ’s goal is to show his disciples how to think about wealth and earthly possessions: namely, that we are to use th...

Today’s reading is one of the shorter chapters in Luke’s gospel, but it contains some Christ’s most well-known parables. When the Pharisees and scribes complain about Jesus welcoming sinners, he tells the parable of the lost sheep, emphasizing the joy in heaven that follows repentance. Similarly, a woman who loses one valuable coin among ten will look for the coin diligently until she finds it. Fi...

Among today’s teachings, Jesus says that one shouldn’t prioritize those who can pay you back. Rather, do good to those in need who cannot pay you back. He goes on to tell a parable about one who gives a banquet and invites others to join him. Those who are on the guest list give excuses for why they are unable to attend, but in the end, they are all distracted by things they deem more necessary or...

Jesus continues healing and teaching, focusing on fruitful labor for the Lord and the nature of the Sabbath. When Jesus heals a woman on the Sabbath, the leader of the local synagogue scolds the crowd, but in the end his adversaries are humiliated by the teaching of Jesus. He tells His disciples to enter by the narrow way, because the door to God’s household will soon be shut and those outside wil...

In our last episode, Jesus encouraged his disciples to forget about storing up treasures in this life, but to store up treasures in heaven instead. With this in mind, he also teaches them to stop worrying about the future, for the future is in God’s hands. He is able to provide for all of creation, and if he is able to do that, he is also able to give the kingdom to his people. Later, he encourage...

In today’s reading, Jesus accepts an invitation to a dinner party from a Pharisee and while they are having dinner he rebukes the Pharisee and his friends. As he does so, he uses the word “woe” to direct them to a posture of repentance and humility, rather than simply condemning them. Even so, he doesn’t pull any punches as he skewers them for neglecting justice and love for God, for loving attent...

We are almost halfway through the book of Luke, and Jesus and His disciples are on their way to Jerusalem which also means that Christ is making his way to the cross. On the way he teaches His disciples how to pray to God the Father, encouraging them by way of a parable to be persistent in prayer, trusting that the Lord will give them good gifts. Jesus’ power cannot be denied, so if it can’t be de...

In our last episode, Jesus sent 72 disciples ahead of him to the neighboring towns so that they might heal the sick and declare the coming kingdom of God, and today they return. He urges them to be encouraged, not in their power over the spirits, but that their names are written in heaven. On the road to Jerusalem, when asked to define what it means to love your neighbor, Jesus tells a parable tha...

Our passage begins with Christ’s second prediction of his death as he tells his disciples that he will be killed by the religious authorities but will be raised from the dead on the third day. After the disciples argue about who is the greatest and complain about someone driving out demons in the name of Jesus, the Messiah’s journey turns toward Jerusalem where He will face the agony of the cross,...

Jesus grants his 12 apostles power and authority over demons and diseases and send them out with the good news of his coming kingdom. When the 12 return, he welcomes the crowds and tells the disciples to give them something to eat. They don’t know what to do, so Jesus feeds five thousand people with only five loaves of bread and two fish. Later, Jesus tells the disciples that he will be killed by...

Jesus continues to exhibit signs and wonders, casting out demons, healing the sick, and raising the dead. In all of these things, Jesus clearly shows himself to be God in the flesh. In today’s reading, a teacher from the synagogue named Jairus begs Jesus to come to his house and heal his 12 year old daughter. On the way there, a woman reaches out to touch the end of Christ’s robe and is instantly...

Today, Jesus tells the parable of the sower to a large crowd, but only reveals its meaning to his disciples. Take note that it isn't whether or not the seed grows, but whether that seed  endures and produces fruit. Later, Jesus takes a nap during a storm, and only wakes up when the disciples panic and ask Him to do something about it. He gets up and stops the wind and the waves with a word. It bri...

Jesus continues to exhibit his power over illness, demons, death, and over the created order. Those who witness his power, including the disciples who are with him daily, continue to be awestruck by what they see. Make no mistake: the people in Jesus’ day were not simpletons who would simply believe anything. Like you and I, they knew that what Jesus was doing seemed impossible, and they all had t...

Today’s reading is full of the teachings of Jesus, and Luke begins with accounts highlighting the manner in which Jesus approached the Sabbath. While the Pharisees viewed it as a means of performance and merit, Jesus views it as an opportunity to please God through restoration, whether that be through rest, replenishment or miraculous healing. We’ll also encounter the Beatitudes in today’s text, f...

As the crowds begin to gather in greater number, Jesus gets in a boat, pushes out a little, and preaches to his followers; this would have helped to amplify his voice and give him a little space from the those who were pushing in on him. As Jesus performs miracles and signs that highlight his divinity and his power over the created order, he gains more followers, for they begin to see that he is m...

After being baptized by John, Jesus enters the wilderness where he fasts for 40 days. At the end of the 40 days, Jesus is hungry, as you might expect, and it is then that the devil comes to tempt Jesus. These forty days and these temptations are a parallel to Israel’s 40 years in the wilderness. However, where Israel fails, Jesus succeeds, resisting those temptations to rebel against God the Fathe...

When we began the gospel of Luke, we learned about the conception of John the Baptist, the forerunner of Jesus who would prepare the way for his coming. John’s prophetic preaching in the wilderness drew a crowd. If you’re familiar with the old testament prophets, you’ll notice that John’s candor and style of speaking reflect that of prophets who have gone before them. Along with the exhortations a...

Today we’ll read the passage that so many of us have read and cherished year after year in celebration of Christ’s birth during the Christmas season. During a government-mandated census where the population of the Roman empire is required to present themselves to be counted, Joseph travels with his very pregnant fiancée to Bethlehem. The Christ is born to humble parents in a humble place under hum...

In our last reading the angel Gabriel appeared to Zechariah to announce the conception of his son, whom we know as John the Baptist. Gabriel also appeared to Mary to announce that she would conceive a son by the power of the Holy Spirit who would be the promised Son of David, Jesus the Christ. In today’s episode, when Mary goes to visit Elizabeth an unexpected interaction takes place, and both wom...

Luke, the physician, sets the stage for his gospel account by telling his friend that his goal in writing is to compile an orderly narrative of the accounts he has accumulating concerning Jesus. He begins by retelling what happened to Zechariah and to Mary when each was visited by the angel Gabriel. This messenger from the heavens announces the conception of two different babies: one born to Eliza...

::: Christian Standard Bible translation. All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross. Co-produced by the Christian Standard Bible facebook.com/commuterbible instagram.com/commuter_bible twitter.com/CommuterPod patreon.com/commuterbible admin@commuterbible.org

Friends, we’ve reached the final chapter of the final book of the New Testament, which means we have also reached the end of our reading plan for the year. Today, John sees the river of the water of life flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb. Whereas the first Adam fell into sin and death by eating from a tree, the second Adam from above provides a tree of life which heals the nations. Jo...