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. …
Christ the Healer: The Man with a Withered Hand. Please read Mark 3:1-5. 1. A Heavenly Rule. In Mark 2:27, just before this incident, Jesus said this to the Pharisees: “The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord, even …
Christ the Healer: The Deaf and Mute Man. Please read Mark 7:31-37. A Healing Tour. After touring the region around Tyre and Sidon, Jesus returned to his adopted ministry headquarters around the Sea of Galilee. In the parallel passage in Matthew 15:29-31, Jesus sits on a hill and gathers many people in dire physical need… the deaf, …
Christ the Healer: The Paralytic in Capernaum. Please Read Mark 2:1-12. Capernaum. This flourishing city on the Sea of Galilee was Jesus’ adopted hometown. Because of its thriving businesses, especially in fishing and many different trades, it was densely populated and wealthy. Several major highways intersected in Capernaum, which brought people from as far away as Egypt …