The Big Picture

June 16, 2025 | Read and Think about:

• John 11:45-53

• Matthew 24:27-28

• Acts 2:22-24

Have you ever wondered why Jesus was murdered on a cross - how He came to be on that cross in the first place?

As we close this season 1 over the next few weeks, we will be looking at the religious context in which Jesus' ministry unfolded, particularly the opposition. This is an important foundation to understanding the crucifixion, that it was not some accident or random event. Jesus knew exactly what would happen. He knew the hearts of the men whose plotting would create a chain of events leading to His crucifixion at the hands of the Roman government.

The readings today start immediately after Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, and end with the passage from Acts which occurred 7 weeks after the Resurrection, where Peter gives the first sermon inspired by the Holy Spirit. Significantly, the order of the readings listed here is the order in which these events occurred.

There are three simple takeaways:

1. From John's passage, certain leaders of Jews including the high priest were plotting to take Jesus' life once they had the opportunity. We will look at this more closely later in the module, and it's worth noting that they seized the opportunity a few weeks later during Passover in Jerusalem.

   
   

2. From Matthew's passage, less than a week before the crucifixion, Jesus knew and stated in no uncertain terms how evil these leaders were. Corrupt on the inside, pristine on the outside, like a whitewashed tomb.

   
   

3. And the chapter from Acts tells us that the crucifixion was by God's set purpose and foreknowledge. The evil leaders were thus a vehicle by which God's predetermined plan happened.

By observing it this way, the goal is to see with greater clarity the love God has for us, and to increase our faith, hope, and love as we think about God's plan of salvation.

The Two Builders

June 14, 2025 | Read and think about Matthew 7:24-27

The Gospels contain several long talks by Jesus. The longest and most famous one is the Sermon on the Mount, covering chapters 5-7 of Matthew.

A speaker always wants to end their talk with something powerful. Jesus is no different. And he ended the Sermon on the Mount with an "Is Like" parable.

He uses the idea of a wise person building their house on the Rock, a solid foundation, to symbolize one who hears His words and does them. And He uses the idea of a foolish builder with a house on the sand to symbolize the opposite.

The two builders are representations. But the reality of rains and winds, the storms of life, is actual. We all have them.

The Good News is unlike an actual house, because it's never too late in this life to relocate our structure from the sand to the rock. No matter a person's past, Jesus invites everyone to come to Him, to His secure foundation.

Oil for the lamps

June 12, 2025 | Read and think about Matthew 25:1-13

This parable illustrates the kingdom of Heaven through a story of 10 women. Each carried an oil-burning lamp. Each needed to keep her lamp burning in order to go out and greet the bridegroom. They didn't know when the bridegroom would come, so they didn't how much oil would be needed. Half of them brought an extra flask of oil for their lamps, and half brought only the oil that was in the lamp.

Using the simple structure of the prior post, this was the situation.

Then a significant and unexpected event occurred: the bridegroom was late, very late! The women all fell asleep. Awakening some time later to a loud shout, "The bridegroom has arrived!" all the women roused themselves.

There was a response by the ones who did not bring extra oil. They pleaded with the others to share what they had.

And a reply by the 5 who were wise. We don't have it to give you. We cannot save you from this error.

In the parable of Workers in a Vineyard we read in the prior post, God was the provider. He gave freely and abundantly to those answering the call. In this parable, the 5 women who brought oil for the lamps, human beings, simply didn't have it to give.

We can find our salvation only in God. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life.