The Great I AM: At the Table. “I am not saying these things to all of you; I know the ones I have chosen. But this fulfills the Scripture that says, ‘The one who eats my food has turned against me.’ I tell you this beforehand, so that when it happens you will believe that …
The Great I AM: On the Water. “Jesus called out to them, ‘Don’t be afraid! The I AM is here!’” (John 6:20). CONTEXT a. Jesus and His disciples had just crossed the Sea of Galilee, or the Lake, and found themselves on a hill where they could sit down and relax. A huge throng of people …
The Great I AM: For the Father “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I AM He.” (John 8:28). Once again in the Gospel of John, Jesus appropriates the personal Name of Yahweh, the Great I AM. This is the Holy One’s Name revealed to Moses at the Burning Bush in …
The Great I AM: At the Temple. “I AM the light of the world!” (John 8:12). “You will all die in your sins if you fail to believe that I AM!” (John 8:24). “You will know me as I AM after you have lifted me up from the earth as the Son of Man.” (John 8:28). “Before Abraham …
The Great I AM: At the Well. “Then Jesus told her, ‘I AM who speaks to you.’” (John 4:26). Jesus and His disciples were walking in the Judean countryside to return to their home territory in Galilee. Jesus decided to go straight through the central district of Samaria, which was directly in their path between Judea …
Christ the Healer: The Woman with a Distressing Condition. Please read Mark 5:25-34. Parallel Passages. This healing story is told in three gospels: Matt. 9:20-22; Mark 5:25-34; Luke 8:43-48. Mark’s version has the most information and background, so it’s most helpful to start with Mark 5. Suffering Woman. There was a woman who had been suffering from the same ailment for …
Christ the Healer. “News about Jesus spread as far as Syria, and people soon began bringing to him all who were sick. And whatever their sickness or disease, or if they were demon possessed or epileptic or paralyzed – he healed them all.” (Matthew 4:24). We know that Jesus healed people, all the time, but here’s …
Christ the Healer: The Widow’s Son in Nain Please read Luke 7:11-17 Prior Healing. This healing in Nain, which is one of the three resurrection scenes of Jesus, apart from His own resurrection, is just on the heels of a dramatic long-distance healing of a Gentile’s slave. Because the Gentile was a Roman officer, this healing attracted …
Christ the Healer: The Crippled Woman. Please read Luke 13:10-17 The Synagogue. Jesus was an orthodox Jew in good standing, spreading the Word in the presence of other orthodox Jews, in the local meeting place for such things, the synagogue. He was teaching Scripture, reading from Torah, leading discussion, answering questions. Jesus did this virtually every Sabbath, it …
Christ the Healer: Ten Lepers. Please read Luke 17:11-19. On the Way to Jerusalem. Jesus knew very well what awaited Him in Jerusalem: torture, death, and eventual resurrection. He predicted this several times (Matthew 20, Mark 10, and a little later here in Luke 18). Yet He traveled toward Jerusalem, making steady progress southward as He walked from Galilee …
Christ the Healer: Bartimaeus. Please read Mark 10:46-52. Bartimaeus. He is a blind beggar pleading for food or money outside of Jericho. We don’t his real first name, because Bartimaeus simply means “son of Timaeus.” We do know his name ironically means “highly prized” or “esteemed.” He is outside the city gates, by the side of the …
Christ the Healer: The Lame Man at Bethesda. Please read John 5:1-15 Jewish to the Core. All Jewish men, usually accompanied by their families, were required to go to Jerusalem each year to celebrate 3 holy days: Passover, Pentecost, and Shelters. Jesus was merely being faithful to His Jewish faith by being in Jerusalem at this time. …