Commuter Bible NT

The disciples of Jesus have been praying in the wake of their Lord’s ascension and departure, waiting for the promised Holy Spirit. In a magnificent display, the Holy Spirit arrives and the disciples begin to clearly speak different languages. Native-born peoples from various lands hear their own tongues being spoken by these Galileans and are simultaneously amazed and confused. Peter stands to ad...

The book of Acts is an account of the beginnings of God’s church written down by Luke; yes, the same Luke who wrote the gospel of Luke. In the first chapter, Jesus promises his disciples that they will be baptized in the Holy Spirit and then he ascends into the heavens where he can no longer be seen. The apostles and other disciples including the women who had followed Jesus spend the following da...

We have reached the final chapter of the book of Luke, and in our last episode Christ was crucified and buried. In an effort to prepare the body of Jesus for a proper burial, some of the women among Jesus’s disciples approach the tomb with spices in hand. Much to their surprise, they meet an angel who announces that he is no longer there. Jesus has risen from the dead just as He had prophesied way...

Among the many things that Luke illustrates in his record of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection, is that all of it was in fulfillment of Scripture, including a number of references to Psalm 22. That psalm begins with “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” and when Jesus says this, he is knowingly quoting the psalm, pointing us to it as he endures the torture of the cross. Men mock him, s...

In our last episode, Judas Iscariot agreed to betray his teacher so that he might be handed over to the chief priests and scribes who were afraid of the people. When we last left Jesus and the apostles, they were celebrating the Passover, and it’s a historically significant celebration, for Jesus has come to be the greater fulfillment of the Passover. He is the perfect lamb who is slaughtered so t...

In his final days of teaching, Jesus takes time to teach his disciples the signs that point to the end of the age. Natural disasters will grow in frequency and the church will face persecution and prosecution. Jesus tells his followers that this will be an occasion to bear witness. The powers of the heavens will be shaken and the Son of Man will come in a cloud with power and great glory. He tells...

Jesus is now in Jerusalem, having been welcomed with honor and cries of Hosanna, befitting for the entry of a king. This welcome has not gone unnoticed by the chief priests scribes, and elders who live and work in Jerusalem and in the Scriptures. They are jealous of the attention Jesus gets and doubt that he is the Messiah. In their interactions, Jesus doesn’t cut them any slack, but instead, puts...

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...