Walking with Messiah Jesus

Matthew 5:8-9 | If Jesus is giving us the Beatitudes to show us that path toward mature discipleship, then somewhere along the way we should have a sense of where he is taking us. What is the goal of this whole thing? We find it here in the 7th Beatitude, “Blessed are the peacemakers…” Trust me, it’s not for the faint of heart, only for the pure of heart. Follow along with the Lesson Worksheet . T...

Sermon on the Mount #4 | Matthew 5:7-8 | After all the preparatory work of the first four Beatitudes, we finally get busy making a difference in the lives of others. As we do our part to meet the needs of others, we blossom with the active compassion that Jesus has already sown in our hearts. Mercy is beautiful and stunningly effective. It’s so effective that we may confuse God’s success with our...

Sermon on the Mount #3 | Matthew 5:5-7 | Is your life so full of whatever you value that you don’t have space for those who need what God has given to you? Has your heart become numb to the suffering of so many people in our world? Do opportunities to show compassion pass you by without notice? In these Beatitudes, Jesus wakes us up to the cries of those ravaged by our broken world and shows us ho...

Sermon on the Mount #2 | Matthew 5:3-5 | Many of Jesus’ Beatitudes seem to be contradictory. Blessed are those who mourn? Blessed are the meek? Huh? Jesus is preparing his disciples to make a difference in this upside-down world. Jesus knows that he must work on our inner world before we can be effective in the outer world. The first four Beatitudes put our hearts and our priorities in the right p...

Sermon on the Mount #1 | Matthew 5:1-3 | Welcome to the first episode of our teaching on the Sermon on the Mount. In this episode we set the stage for the sermon by answering some very basic questions. What is the purpose of the sermon? Who is it for? What does it mean to be “blessed” and why does Jeus start his sermon with these “beatitudes?” What does it mean to be “poor in spirit?” Follow along...

Mark 3:14-19 | Jesus prayed to his Father about a very important decision. Who among his many disciples would he choose to be his apostles? In order for us to know the gravity of that prayer, we need to know the difference between a disciple and an apostle. When we do, we appreciate all the more who Jesus chose, the expectations that came with it, and the social dynamics of these 12 guys spending...

Matthew 12:9-21 | Injustice is a daily reality for us. That is just as true in Jesus’ time as it is today. So, how do we effect change? We could choose the path of the Zealots, gathering the warriors for violent revolution. Or, we could follow the Servant spoken of in Isaiah 42, the one who gathers the weak and the lowly, and even makes them apostles. Follow along with the Lesson Worksheet . This...

Matthew 12:1-14, Luke 6:1-11 | There’s just something about the Sabbath that gets the Pharisees all upset and gives Jesus a chance to set His teaching apart. This episode brings up a number of challenging questions. Is Jesus the lord of the Sabbath and doing away with it here? It certainly doesn’t seem that way. Or is it possible that Jesus is actually showing a high regard for the Sabbath and sho...

Matthew 12:1-7 | Jesus seems to have a real Sabbath problem. Is Jesus getting rid of the Sabbath? No. Is he rebelling against the Pharisees’ interpretation of the Sabbath? Not really. Jesus’ disciples clearly break the Sabbath and he defends them by demonstrating from the Old Testament how there is something greater than the Sabbath, love. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss thi...

Luke 5:33-39 | How do we develop our first impression of people? Are we first assessing if they meet our standards, or do we approach them with openness and compassion? Jesus would have us do the latter. In fact, that is how he chose his disciples. He was open to them, and they were open to him. That openness allowed them to take in Jesus’ teachings, like new wine fermenting in new wineskins. Foll...

Luke 5:27-32 | "Follow Me." Those are two words anyone working a tax booth would never expect to hear. To Matthew, it could have been the sweet sound of a seemingly impossible redemption. Jesus saw past the tax collector to the person. We would do well to be just like him. Follow along with the Lesson Worksheet . This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or...

Luke 5:15-26 | It’s one of the most dramatic, puzzling moments of all of Jesus’ miracles. While Jesus is teaching, a paralyzed man drops in on Jesus, literally. All in the room are waiting anxiously to see what Jesus will do. Certainly, he is going to heal this man. Jesus says, “Son, your sins are forgiven” before saying “rise and walk.” Didn’t see that coming. Little did anyone know, Jesus was al...

One of the most famous things about Jesus is that he heals people. So, when people with leprosy come to be healed, it seems like standard fare for Jesus. However, there is something more going on with leprosy that makes it a powerful symbol of everything Jesus has come to do for us. His touch changes everything. Follow along with the Lesson Worksheet . This is a public episode. If you would like t...

Luke 5:1-11 | It’s time for Rabbi Jesus to gather his disciples. Who should he choose? The highly educated who know how to handle Torah, or some guys who know how to handle the fishing nets? Jesus has come to seek and to save the lost and to call those who consider themselves unworthy into a kind of service that would otherwise be unfathomable to them. Follow me. From now on you will catch people....

Luke 4:38-44, Matthew 8:16-17, Mark 1:35-37 | Jesus may be from Nazareth, but his new home base is Capernaum, a small fishing village on the Sea of Galilee. Simon Peter’s house seems to be where Jesus stayed and served as the likely location for many important moments, including the healing of Simon’s mother-in-law. So many people want to see Jesus that he has to get away to a desolate place. Afte...

Matthew 4:12-17, Luke 4:31-37 | Jesus settles in Capernaum and has the opportunity to speak at the synagogue, much like he did in Nazareth. The people notice something different about the way Jesus teaches. He teaches with “authority.” What does that mean? The authority of Jesus is so evident, even the demons have to point it out. “We know who you are!” Follow along with the Lesson Worksheet . Thi...

John 5:25-39, Matthew 4:12 | Jesus isn’t mincing words when he speaks to the religious leaders after the healing at Bethesda. Not only is he making some astounding claims about himself, but he also casts their greatest hero, Moses, as their accuser. Add the fact that Jesus speaks of two resurrections and it’s a rip-roaring good time! Follow along with the Lesson Worksheet . This is a public episod...

John 5:8-24 | The Healing at Bethesda is a sign. That means it speaks to a bigger reality than just the event itself. What is Jesus telling us through this Sabbath healing? This one may hit close to home for many of us, and it’s important that we hear it loud and clear. Follow along with the Lesson Worksheet . This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or ge...

Luke 4:23-29, John 5:1-13 | Jesus seems to be great at making people upset on the Sabbath day! Not only do we see the people of his own hometown assault him over his claims, but we also see Jesus get the man he just healed in trouble over carrying his mat on the Sabbath. What exactly is going on with the Sabbath here? Follow along with the Lesson Worksheet . This is a public episode. If you would...

Luke 4:20-22, Mark 6:1-6 | Jesus sat down in his hometown synagogue to deliver the message based on Isaiah 61 and dropped a truth bomb bigger than anyone could have possibly expected. “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” The better we understand Isaiah 61, the better we can appreciate the size of that explosion. Brace yourself! Follow along with the Lesson Worksheet . This is...

Luke 4:14-16 | What was it like for Jesus to come home to Nazareth? In order for the events of Jesus’ return to make sense to us, it’s helpful for us to have a sense of the town and what Jesus’ history likely was there. Who lived in Nazareth? What did people think of Jesus there? What did it mean for Jesus to be asked to read from the prophet Isaiah? “…and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fix...

John 4:27-54 | Imagine being Jesus’ disciples, having left your exhausted Rabbi at a Samaritan well, only to return and find him talking with a Samaritan woman. He really shouldn’t be doing that. What do you say? What Jesus says in response is deep and powerful, not only for the disciples, but also for us. Follow along with the Lesson Worksheet . This is a public episode. If you would like to disc...

John 4:1-26 | It doesn’t get too much more socially awkward than a Jewish man meeting alone with a Samaritan woman at a public well. Despite the awkwardness and the woman’s many attempts to shoo him away, Jesus sends a message to her and all non-Jews that this Jewish Messiah had come to transform their lives too. Follow along with the Lesson Worksheet . This is a public episode. If you would like...

John 3:16-4:4 | It’s the most famous verse in the Bible. John 3:16. Who speaks these amazing words and what do they mean? What is “eternal life?” This episode explores these topics and more. We see John the Baptist referring to himself as the “friend of the bridegroom,” and we get our first look at the Samaritans, as Jesus takes the dramatic left turn toward Samaria. Follow along with the Lesson W...

John 3:4-15 | In the last episode, we learned that Nicodemus is no lightweight. He and Jesus are having a deep conversation about entrance into God’s Kingdom. Regardless, Jesus is still disappointed. He’s connecting the Old Testament dots that reveal his own work of salvation and Nicodemus doesn’t get it. Even more when Jesus says that the bronze serpent on the pole points to him! Look in faith an...