Commuter Bible NT

Jesus continues to teach his disciples after they have celebrated the Passover, and at this point they are on their way to the Mount of Olives. During this discourse, Jesus emphasize relationships within the Trinity and today he’ll expand to include the relationship between the Triune Godhead and Christ’s disciples. Jesus begins by saying that his disciples are the branches and that he is the vine...

Jesus and his disciples are in the upper room celebrating the Passover, and up until this point, Jesus has washed the disciples’ feet, predicted the betrayal of Judas and the denial of Peter, and has commanded them to love one another. Jesus is preparing to leave his earthly ministry and return to the Father, and as such is the case, he gives his disciples further insight into his relationship wit...

The time of the Passover has come, and Jesus has gathered with his disciples in the upper room where he will institute the ordinance of the Lord’s Supper. Before that happens, Jesus humbles himself before his disciples, takes the job of a servant upon himself, and begins to wash their feet. This act of service is confusing to Peter, who refuses to receive it at first, then asks to be washed entire...

Our chapter begins in a home in Bethany of Judea just before the Passover celebration takes place in Jerusalem. Jesus is there with Lazarus, Martha, and Mary, the latter of which washes the feet of Jesus with expensive perfume and with her hair, a decidedly lavish and humble act. Meanwhile, behind the scenes, the chief priests plot to kill Lazarus because he is evidence of Christ’s power and autho...

In today’s episode, we’ll consider the seventh of seven signs in John’s gospel: the raising of Lazarus from the dead. When Jesus hears the news that his friend is sick, he doesn’t leave immediately, but instead, he waits to days before travelling to Judea to see him. Remember, they recently left Judea because the Jews tried to stone Jesus when he was in Jerusalem. Upon entering Bethany of Judea, C...

Jesus has rebuked the Pharisees for being spiritually blind, though they claim to be the spiritual leaders of God’s people. Jesus is not like these men: he is the good shepherd who knows his sheep, calls them by name, and lays down his life for them. During the Festival of Dedication, which we know as Hanukkah, Jesus is cornered by Jews who demand that he plainly say whether or not he is the Messi...

Jesus performs the sixth of seven signs recorded in John’s gospel by healing a man who was born blind. The disciples assumed that his blindness must have been attributed to sinfulness; in other words, someone must have acted sinfully, or else God would not have punished him so. Jesus dispels this assumption, simply saying that he is blind so that God’s works might be displayed in him. Once he is h...

In today’s episode, Jesus continues conversing with the self-righteous Pharisees about his identity. He has told that them that he is the light of the world and has claimed that the Father has sent him. Some of those present believe in him, and today, he tells them that if they trust in him the truth will set them free. Confused, they press Jesus for answers, saying that their father is Abraham an...

The earliest manuscripts do not include the account in verses 1-11 about the adulteress who was forgiven by Jesus, and for several reasons (which you can look up later) it is probably not original to John. It’s likely that a well-meaning scribe added the account at a later time, and while it interrupts the flow of John’s work, it’s not a big deal because it doesn’t really change anything about our...

Jesus travels to Galilee where his brothers encourage him to go to Judea, but Jesus tells them that his time has not yet come. The festivals of shelters is near, which was a celebration where the Jewish people lived in tents as a way of remembering God’s faithfulness to Israel during their time in the wilderness. Jesus shows up unexpectedly and the crowds become even more divided. Some are taken a...

The crowds follow Jesus to the other side of the sea, and there, they ask him to perform a sign to prove that he has been sent by God. When they mention manna, Jesus reminds them that the manna came heaven, not from Moses. He thereby makes the case that he, himself is the bread of heaven. Then things get weird, for Jesus tells them that his followers must eat his flesh and drink his blood in order...

John chapter 6 is the third longest chapter in the New Testament, and as such is the case, we’re going to break it down into two episodes. As mentioned in the introduction of our last episode, John includes seven significant signs in his gospel leading up to the Last Supper. The signs show the crowds that he isn’t just a man with interesting things to say, he is, by nature, the Son of God. Today w...

There are four gospel accounts written by four different writers, and each of these writers has compiled the events of Jesus’ life in ways that emphasize particular aspects of his and ministry. John includes seven significant signs in his gospel leading up to the Last Supper. We’ve covered two of the seven signs already: turning water into wine at a wedding feast and healing the official’s son. We...

While traveling and teaching, Jesus visits Samaria, a region that the Jews intentionally avoided at all costs. Remember, in the history of Israel, there was a time when Israel split from Judah and tried to establish a center of rule and worship outside of Jerusalem; that location is Samaria. Though it would have been taboo in Jewish culture to do so, Jesus speaks to a woman there and asks her for...

Jesus performs his first miracle at a wedding, where the party is about to stop short because there is no more wine. Jesus miraculously turns water from purification jars into wine that tasted better than all the other wines that came before it. In so doing, Jesus proclaims through the miracle that the promised Messiah has come. He is the better bridegroom and the better wine that has come at the...

Today, we’re beginning the gospel of John. Of the four gospel accounts in the New Testament, John is the outlier, as it is not “synoptic” with the other accounts. In other words, John doesn’t record the life of Jesus using parallel accounts used by the other gospel writers. This gospel is rich in theology, revealing the nature of Christ to a deeper degree, including his own teaching about his rela...

We have reached the final chapter of the book of Romans, and it is here that Paul includes a significant amount of text greeting those whom he knows and loves in the Lord at Rome. Take note that Paul is not writing as some emotionally distant patriarch or as an apathetic advisor abroad, but as one who has deep connections with those to whom he is writing. In contrast, Paul warns the church against...

If you are a mature and well-developed Christian, Paul charges you to be humble and patient with those who are weaker. It can be tempting to use your knowledge of Scripture or your insight into counseling or your experiences in the faith in such a way that talk down to those who have not become strong in those areas. As we remain humble in our maturity, we mirror Christ, for lived to serve, pleasi...

If you’ve been a Christian for even small window of time, you know that there will be issues over which you and another Christian disagree. Some disagreements may be very sharp and worth making distinctions about, including the deity of Christ, the exclusivity of salvation by Christ, and the inerrancy of Scripture. There are plenty of other issues, however, over which it’s OK to disagree about. Su...

Paul reminds the church that faith in Christ includes humble and God-honoring submission to those who are governing authorities. This is not to say that we should do everything we are told to do especially where it concerns honoring the Lord above all else; Paul’s life was often marked by gracious-yet-firm civil disobedience when he was asked not to preach the gospel. We should, however, respect t...

Since God has been so incredibly merciful to us, our lives and our bodies should be used to give glory to God. We are not to conform to the world, but instead, we should strive to be transformed by the Word of God that we may do his will. Knowing that we have received mercy when we should have received judgment should humble us, and serve as an encouragement to work together with the Lord’s church...

Paul loves Israel dearly, and wants them to know that Jesus is, in fact, their promised Messiah. In preaching about putting the law to death, he doesn’t want to communicate that Israel has somehow been forgotten or rejected in the process. While not all of Israel will be saved, there will be a remnant chosen by grace. Paul turns to address the Gentiles of Rome directly to show them how important I...

While our last chapter broadly brought up questions and concerns about God’s sovereignty, we needn’t forget that Paul was talking specifically about how God’s sovereignty relates to the history of Israel. He continues to speak of Israel today, saying that his heart’s desire and prayer is that they might be saved. How will they be saved? If they confess with their mouth that Jesus is Lord and belie...

Chapter 9 of the book of Romans is arguably one of the chapters that is most challenging for believers to fully grasp, sometimes because it falls out of our immediate comprehension, but sometimes simply because we don’t understand how it could be fair. Here, Paul explains that God shows mercy on whom he will show mercy, and he hardens the hearts of those through whom he wishes to display his power...

Romans 8 is full of life-giving truths about the believer’s relationship to God in the Holy Spirit. Paul begins by assuring the believer that there is now no condemnations for those in Christ Jesus, explaining that the Spirit gives life to those who have put the flesh to death. It is by the Spirit that we are able to cry out to God as our Father, for we have been adopted into his family through th...