As Little Children

~~ a devotional ~~

by tkbrown

“Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.”

Leo Tolstoy

Jesus said, ” . . . except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven,” (Matthew 18:3). Children accept the world around them. They adapt to whatever conditions they must, and–without even knowing it–they try to help others adapt to those same surroundings if they see someone struggling with this task. They accept others as they are. They may not always accept what others try to put upon them, but they accept the right of others to be different from them. We typically think of children being the ones who need to learn how to live, but we adults could learn a thing or two about life from children.

1 — “At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, ‘Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?'”

2 — “And Jesus called a little child unto Him, and set him in the midst of them,”

3 — “and said, ‘Verily I say unto you, except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter the kingdom of heaven.'”

4 — “‘Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.'”

5 — “‘And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.'”

6 — “‘but whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.'”

Matthew 18:1-6“Holy Bible: New Testament, King James Version (KJV)”

Referring back to the Tolstoy quote above, which is easier: to change oneself or to change the world? It stands to reason, it is easier to change self and to accept the world as it is. Each of us has control of ourselves, but none has control over anyone else — much less of the world. Why then, does everyone think first of changing the world to suit self? How many people can I summons in an effort to change the world? Would it not be easier for me to just act as a little child might–accepting the things and people around me–since I do not have the right to change them?

In Matthew 18:1 (above) Jesus’ disciples asked Him which of them would be greatest in heaven, and He told them, “. . . to be greatest in the kingdom of heaven, one must humble himself as a little child. . . .” In Matthew chapter 23, verses 9-12 (below) Jesus is speaking to His disciples and to the multitude. He tells them to, “. . . call no man ‘father’ or ‘master,’ for God in heaven is the only One worthy of being called ‘Father,’ and He–Jesus Christ only–is to be called Master.” He went on to say, once again, “. . . he who is greatest among us shall be servant for he who exalts himself shall be brought down, and he who humbles himself shall be exalted.'” Thus, those who try to lord it over others will be of little stature in heaven. It will be those who meekly and humbly go about their order of business with others who will be greatest in heaven.

9 — “‘And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.'”

10 — “‘Neither be ye called masters: for One is your Master, even Christ.'”

11 — “‘But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.'”

12 — “‘And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.'”

Matthew 23:9-12“Holy Bible: New Testament, King James Version (KJV)”

Do you make a habit of ordering others around, or do you prefer to follow and serve? It seems Jesus was telling His disciples it would be those who tend to hover in the background–doing the menial tasks no one else wants to do, serving others, who will be exalted in heaven. Most children seem to automatically understand that cooperative interaction is far better than bossing others. If we–as Christians–would take a little time to sit back and observe children at play, we would see in most of them how we should be interacting with other Christian adults. Thus, “lest we become ‘as little children'” when working with others to further the cause of Christ, we may not be pleasing God in the manner Jesus taught.

“But Jesus said, ‘Suffer little children, and forbid them not to come unto Me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.'”

Matthew 19:14“Holy Bible: New Testament, King James Version (KJV)”

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Photo Above: by Aaron Burden on Unsplash.com.

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Sources:

Eds. King James Bible Online. (November 2007). Matthew 18:1-6. “Holy Bible: New Testament, King James Version (KJV).” U.S. Congress. (22 May 2022). https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Matthew-Chapter-18/.

Eds. King James Bible Online. (November 2007). Matthew 19:14. “Holy Bible: New Testament, King James Version (KJV).” U.S. Congress. (22 May 2022). https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Matthew-19-14/.

Eds. King James Bible Online. (November 2007). Matthew 23:9-12. “Holy Bible: New Testament, King James Version (KJV).” U.S. Congress. (22 May 2022). https://www.kingjamesbible.me/Matthew-Chapter-23/.

Schlottman, Andrea. (2022). books on the wall. “booksonthewall.com.” (22 May 2022). https://booksonthewall.com/blog/leo-tolstoy-quote/.

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The Law of Thy Mother

~~ a devotional ~~

by tkbrown

“My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother.”

Proverbs 1:8 — “Holy Bible: Old Testament, King James Version (KJV)”

Unless there is a conscious decision to not have children, most women become a mother at some point in their lives. There is no instruction book that comes with the role, and since each child is different any manual would fall far short. While there are all sorts of resources available on the subject, there are answers to questions that still remain elusive. For me, Christ’s life provides all the answers needed to address any situation one might encounter in life.

As a Christian, I am to live my life in such a way that God is placed first, my family second, then others. As a mother, I am to teach my children these principles and the importance of love in all relationships. I am to provide the care and nurturing that teaches, by example, the love Christ has for every person and the importance of emulating His love when interacting with others.

I am to comfort my children when they are in pain and to teach them respect for others when it is necessary to address that pain with another person. Christ told us to turn the other cheek when someone does us wrong, to do good to those who spitefully use us, and to love our enemies as well as those who treat us right. In His teachings, we find that it is easy to love those who love us, but it is difficult to love those who are not good to us. In doing this, we demonstrate Christ’s love to others as we do the will of the Father in heaven.

My child is a part of me, and I am a part of my child. My unconditional love for him or her teaches there is always a safe place to go when hurting. This is what Christ and God provide for us, and we who are God’s children can go to them with any need or concern without fearing the pain of rejection. This is the role of a mother’s love; our love and comfort will always be there when our children are hurting. We rejoice with them in their successes, and we hurt with them when they hurt.

Just as God expects us to put our best effort into living the way His Son has instructed, it is important for a child’s mother to impress upon her children their duty to do their best in all they do. Our responsibility does not end with providing a safe haven. It also includes teaching the skills necessary to living throughout life. We are to help them learn to make choices and decisions in such a manner that, when they are grown, it is not necessary for them to come running home when a new crisis occurs. Mother should have already helped them learn these skills.

Yes, father is to instruct them too, but father typically does not have as much time to interact with the children as mother does. So, by default, much of this responsibility falls to mother. This is the reason Proverbs 1:8 teaches a child to “hear the instruction of his/her father and to never forsake the law of their mother.” Thus, mother is not just a comfort zone. There must be instruction and discipline from her as well. This is reflected in the parental admonishment found in Proverbs chapter 22:

“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”

Proverbs 22:6“Holy Bible: Old Testament, King James Version (KJV)”

When Paul commented about Timothy’s unfeigned faith, he referenced the faith of Timothy’s grandmother Lois and of his mother Eunice. This suggests a mother’s faith has much influence on the level of faith found in the children.

“When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.”

2 Timothy 1:5 “Holy Bible: New Testament, King James Version (KJV)”

So, perhaps faith in God is the most important characteristic I can instill in my child while they are young in order to be assured of them searching out God’s will for them in any situation. As they grow to adulthood, children may stray from Christ’s teachings when tempted by Satan’s wiles, but a strong faith in childhood will most often bring them back again to the love, comfort, and protection of God the Father.

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Photo Above: @photosbybeks on Unsplash.com.

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Sources:

Eds. King James Bible Online. (November 2007). Proverbs 1:8. “Holy Bible: Old Testament, King James Version (KJV).” U.S. Congress. (8 May 2022). https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Proverbs-1-8/.

Eds. King James Bible Online. (November 2007). Proverbs 22:6. “Holy Bible: Old Testament, King James Version (KJV).” U.S. Congress. (8 May 2022). https://www.kingjamesbible.me/Proverbs-22-6/.

Eds. King James Bible Online. (November 2007). 2 Timothy 1:5. “Holy Bible: New Testament, King James Version (KJV).” U.S. Congress. (8 May 2022). https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/2-Timothy-1-5/.

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Out of Your Mouth

~~ a devotional ~~

by tkbrown

“Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.”

Ephesians 4:29 — Holy Bible: New Testament, King James Version (KJV)

Do we even think before we speak? Have we ever contemplated the perception others hold of our vulgar language? It seems in this day and time, every other word out of the mouths of some is a vulgarity of some sort: MF this, OMG that! Where did it all come from?

When I was young, I remember fearing retribution if I even thought a vulgarity. Such words were not typically uttered in the hearing of mixed company. As a general rule, men respected the presence of a woman and omitted such words from conversation. The impact of language on children was also considered. “Children Learn What They Live” (Nolte, 1954). Today, many women have language as atrocious as that of most men. This is sad. Even before birth, children hear these words as a part of everyday communication.

In verse 29 of Ephesians chapter 4, the apostle Paul exhorts the Christians at Ephesus to keep corrupt communication out of their mouths altogether. He told them every spoken word should be considered carefully and have a purpose. It should instruct, lift-up, praise, and exhort. Idle vulgarities were not to be voiced because of the negative influence and effect they have on others.

Do you think before your speak? Do you stop, think, and rephrase before you say words that impact others negatively? This is one area of living to which Christians are to pay special heed. Your spoken word reveals more to others than you might think. Do the words you speak reveal Christ in your life?

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Photo Above: by bekky bekks @Unsplash.com.

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Sources:

Eds. King James Bible Online. (November 2007). Ephesians 4:29. “Holy Bible: New Testament, King James Version (KJV).” U.S. Congress. (31 January 2022). https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Ephesians-4-29/.

Nolte, Dorothy Law. (1954). “Children Learn What They Live.” childrenlearnwhattheylive.com. (31 January 2022). https://childrenlearnwhattheylive.com/.

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I — The Way He Should Go . . .

~~ a multiple stanza quindecim

by tkbrown
I
A parent gives name to a newborn child
hoping for temperament low-key and mild.
Impossible to foresee the path trod,
they--two--prayerfully implore most high God:
Watch over and keep him on the right track;
when in smelting fire, please hold to his back.
Help him to learn the pathway he should choose
with plenty of room and nothing to lose
so long as he looks for the Lighted Path
and seeks to help others avoid God's wrath.
When he grows weary give lift to his wings,
replenish his strength,  give voice as he sings.
Help him tune in to your heavenly voice;
as he ponders  the way, then makes his choice
give mom and dad a vision to rejoice.
(Written: 10 February 2021 by tkbrown.)

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(Continued at: II — The Way He Should Go. . . .)

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Picture Above: by Bessi @pixabay.com.

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Charity

~~ a devotional

by tkbrown

I Corinthians 13:13: “And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

The word “charity,” in the New King James Version (NKJV), is translated “love.” Thus, in this passage written by Paul to the Corinthians, the two words might be used interchangeably. Apparently, there were many issues concerning the Christians at Corinth. In chapter 13, Paul addresses the need for love to abound. He notes a number of achievements to be worked toward as Christians in Christ’s church; then he cautions that without “charity” or “love” none of these is worth anything in Christ’s church. Though one may attain a high level of honor, without love, that person is nothing in God’s eyes.

How often do we, today, teach the importance of “charity” or “love?” Love, or charity, should be a frequent topic of our Bible lessons. It takes extensive study on the topic to exhibit the love Christ had, and has, for His church.

Love is one character trait deserving of frequent address. Too often we “go through the motions” but they mean nothing to us. Verse 2 says:

And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing”–I Corinthians 13:2–NKJV.

Though it is possible to have faith enough to accomplish any feat—with God’s help–if I have not ”charity” or “love,” faith profits me nothing.

Faith, hope, and love are the three most essential characteristics of a Christian. “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17–NKJV). “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1—NKJV) Faith is instilled by hearing, reading, and learning the word of God. It is important to follow hearing with study in order to learn the true meaning of the scripture presented. Paul told Timothy, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15–KJV). When we hear the Word, that hearing must be followed by our own private study to ensure we understand what is being said, when it was said, to whom, and about what. Thus, we learn the true meaning of the scripture uttered in our hearing.

The more we study God’s Word, the more it impresses upon us the need for love in our own character. Jesus said:

Matthew 5:43-47

43 — “Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy,”

44 – “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you;”

45 – “That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.”

46 – “For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? Do not even the publicans the same?”

47 – “And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? Do not even the publicans so?”

 The more we try to emulate Christ, the more love we will extend love to others. It is a tall order to “love our enemies and do good to them.” This tells us, if we have not love we are not emulating Christ—we are but pretenders. This pretense means nothing to God and will not ensure entry into heaven. We must grow as Christians if we are to hold the love for others that Jesus requires.

A new Christian has learned to love him-/herself enough to want to spend eternity with God and Christ. A mature Christian has grown in the emulation of Christ so that love is evident. Christ laid down His life to save us. How many of us would do the same?

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Photo Above: by reenablack @pixabay.com.

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Sources:

Eds. biblegateway.com. (2021). Holy Bible – New King James Version (NKJV). 1975 by Thomas Nelson Publishers. www.biblegateway.com. (26 January 2021). www.biblegateway.com.

Eds. Biblegateway.com (2021). Holy Bible – King James Version (KJV). 1987 by Thomas Nelson Publishers. www.biblegateway.com. (26 January 2021). www.biblegateway.com.

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Put Another Star in Their Crown

~~ the quindecim ~~

by tkbrown
As I traveled, learned, and grew
through each passage of my life,
I moved a little closer to You
and gave over to You the strife.
I learned early to study in depth
as each Scripture written for You
covered my troubles--a soothing broth
and proved each word to be true.
Each teacher embraced such love
for the gift of life eternal;
with the same my heart did move
from the impact of each kernel.
For the lessons each presented
planting each person in your stead,
another star in the crown upon their head.

There must be many another soul
who could say the same to you
of the lessons creating a whole
your cleansing blood did ensue.
Each deserves recognition
for the effort long put forth
in your service with such passion,
embracing each soul with warmth.
The ministers in the pulpit
to each recipient in each pew
ensuring all understood it
implanting each heartfelt cue.
So, put another star in their crown
and a bit more shine in their gown.
Yes, put another star in each crown.

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Photo Above: by Davide Cantelli @Unsplash.com.

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My Morning Do . . . Milk of the Word

~~ by tkbrown

1 Corinthians 3:1, 2 (NKJV)

  • 1 — “And I , brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal , as to babes in Christ.”
  • 2 — “I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able;”

23 September 2020 — While working on posts for the “Greek Words for ‘love’ in the New Testament” series, I have thought much on my Biblical studies through the years. During my younger years, I studied mostly by verse and by topic. When I needed spiritual strengthening, I would search out scriptures on a particular topic and study it. The scripture was indeed food for my soul.

I grew up in a rural area, so our church family was small. When I was fourteen, I began teaching the Sunday night Children’s Class. There were five children in the class, ages five to twelve. We could not afford the purchase cost of lesson materials, so I started with the four Gospels, and we would take a few verses each week. I would write out the lesson sheets for each child.

The lessons consisted of scripture, copied word for word, with blanks to be filled in. During class, we would read the lesson scripture and fill in the blanks. The youngest could not write, but his siblings helped him fill in the blanks on his sheets. I knew from when I was younger, he could remember what we talked about, especially with two siblings who probably talked with mom and dad about what had been studied. During the two years I taught the class, we digested many morsels as they began being introduced to solid spiritual food.

As I have pondered the purpose for my reminiscing, I realized, the study of Greek words for “love” began in my teen years. The minister taught the teen / adult class. We did much the same as I did with the children, except we did not have fill-in-the-blank sheets. We studied directly from the scripture–a few verses a night. It was during my teen years, in these classes where I learned to study more in depth. The minister spoke of the Greek words for “love” occasionally during these classes, as he did for other words when he thought we could benefit from the learning.

I awoke this morning with understanding of why I had been pondering my younger days. I was being shown, during my teen years, how to study as a mature Christian. In order to do this, we begin as babes in Christ needing the “sincere milk of the word,” referenced by Peter in 1 Peter 2:2:

  • “as newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby.” (King James Version — KJV).
  • “as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby.” (New King James Version — NKJV).

The King James Version (KJV) of the New Testament uses the wording, “sincere milk . . .,” whereas, the New King James Version (NKJV) has changed “sincere” to “pure.” Personally, I prefer the “sincere milk . . .” for this thought process. Just as I fed my babies “milk” in their early days in order to aid their healthy growth — especially bone and teeth growth needing much calcium, we as new Christians need the “milk” of the scriptures to form a firm foundation for our Spiritual growth. As we grow, we are introduced to the more mature instruction so we can develop strength in other areas as we also continue consuming the “milk” to aid continued strengthening of the foundation.

As I pondered this, I realized my attention was being brought to the “solid food” aspect of scriptural study. When I prepare an especially savory meal for physical nutrition, I savor every morsel. This savoring is part of the spiritual growth process too. It is necessary, at times, to take a scripture word by word to learn the true meaning behind the original Greek text in the New Testament. It is necessary to chew it slowly, try to discern which spices were added during preparation. What were the other solid foods added to the dish? Our spiritual study must be taken just as slowly at times.

I said all of the above to say this: The series on Greek words used for “love” in the New Testament is a word by word type of study. We are taking each word as a single morsel of solid food and savoring each flavor (meaning) in order to absorb the most nutrition (understanding) from the food. By learning the various words used in the original Greek text, we are sorting through the flavors of Greek nutrition in order to truly understand what the English version says when it only uses one word, “love,” in its translation.

It was necessary for me to step back and explain this before progressing any further with the Greek words for “love” study in order for you, the readers, to understand the importance of knowing the original Greek term. Just as a chef must know exactly which flavors are needed to achieve a certain flavor, it is necessary for us to know what words added to the flavor of the original text. This is what is meant by the apostle Paul’s reference to “solid food” in 1 Corinthians.

I hope this little aside helps you to understand the “why” behind the “what” of what we are doing with this study. This is my prayer! Blessings to all!

My Morning Do . . . “Acceptance of Others”

~~ by tkbrown

10 September 2020 — Acceptance seems to be shunned in this day and time. The “going thing” seems to be disagreement, protests, and persecution. There seems to be a tendency to equate acceptance with agreement. This perception is not reality based. Acceptance does not necessarily mean agreement.

The news today is filled with disagreement. From domestic disputes to world organizations, disagreement seems to be the norm. While some disagreement is a part of everyday life, and while harmful values are never to be condoned, we–as Christians–are to accept the right of others to be different from us and to believe differently from us. During His life here on earth, Jesus encountered many who were different from Him, but He never ridiculed, persecuted, or punished anyone for being on a different path. He did express rage toward the moneychangers and the merchants in the temple because they were defiling His Father’s house. He did not disagree with “what” they were doing. He disagreed with “where” they were engaging that activity (John 2:13-16 — NKJV).

When He met the Samaritan woman at the well, He discussed aspects of her life–apparently in depth–but He never once ridiculed or persecuted her because of who she was. If He had gone off on a tangent, ranting, raving, and destroying her property, would He have made a positive impression upon her? Would He have made a positive impression upon any of her acquaintances whom she brought back to the well to meet Him? Through the entire event, no one fought anyone to get a point across. Jesus impressed the Samaritan woman and her acquaintances with His acceptance of who they were, not with anger and malice toward them. John 4:39 says, “And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, ‘He told me all that I ever did.'” (NKJV) Jesus impressed upon her that He did not agree with or condone her way of life, but He never harmed her in any way.

My mother frequently referenced the old saying, “You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.” — Anonymous. She was right! That is what Jesus was impressing upon the multitudes as He delivered the Sermon on the Mount. He said, “‘Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets,'” (Matthew 7:12 — NKJV). During His time here on earth, Jesus had many differences of opinion and fact with others, but He never once addressed the issue in a harmful, ridiculing, or disrespectful manner. His responses were always short, kind, and to the point.

In today’s world, there are many different cultures–much the same as the world was in Jesus’ time. As Christians, what is the best way to lead someone to Christ: By lashing out, ranting, and raving at the difference with which we do not agree, or by quietly discussing the difference in what we believe and what the other person(s) believe? Christianity is a program of attraction, not of repulsion. Violence, ranting, and raving does not attract those who love God. We, as Christians, are instructed never to treat someone differently than we would want to be treated if the situation was reversed (John 2:13-16 — NKJV). We are also instructed to love our enemies. Again, in His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “‘But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,'” (Matthew 5:44 — NKJV). The news today is filled with difference being addressed in many ways. The question we, as Christians, hold in our heart is: How would I want someone else to deal with me in this same situation? Food for thought in today’s world.

Have a Blessed Day!

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Scripture References are from the Holy Bible — New King James Version (NKJV).

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Jesus Heals the Sick, Casts out Demons

Matthew 8:17 — “that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: ‘He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses.'”

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Scripture is from the Holy Bible — New King James Version (NKJV)

Notes on Scripture (below) by tkbrown

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Lesson Scripture — Matthew 8:1-34

  • 1 — “When He had come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him.”
  • 2 — “And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him saying, ‘Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.'”
  • 3 — “Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, ‘I am willing; be cleansed.'”
  • 4 — “And Jesus said to him, ‘See that you tell no one, but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.'”
  • 5 — “Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him,”
  • 6 — “saying, ‘Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented.'”
  • 7 — “And Jesus said to him, ‘I will come and heal him.'”
  • 8 — “The centurion answered and said, ‘Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word and my servant will be healed.'”
  • 9 — “For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,” and he goes and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it,'”
  • 10 — “When Jesus heard it, He marveled and said to those who followed, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!'”
  • 11 — “‘And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.'”
  • 12 — “‘But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'”
  • 13 — “‘Then Jesus said to the centurion, ‘Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.’ And his servant was healed that same hour.”
  • 14 — “Now when Jesus had come into Peter’s house, He saw his wife’s mother lying sick with a fever.”
  • 15 — “So, He touched her hand and the fever left her. And she arose and served them.”
  • 16 — “When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick,”
  • 17 — “that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: ‘He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses.'”
  • 18 — “And when Jesus saw great multitudes about Him, He gave a command to depart to the other side.”
  • 19 — “Then a certain scribe came and said to Him, ‘Teacher, I will follow you wherever You go.'”
  • 20 — “And Jesus said to him, ‘Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.'”
  • 21 — “Then another of His disciples said to Him, ‘Lord, let me first go and bury my father.'”
  • 22 — “But Jesus said to him, ‘Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead.'”
  • 23 — “Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him.”
  • 24 — “And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep.”
  • 25 — “Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him saying, ‘Lord, save us! We are perishing!'”
  • 26 — “But He said to them, ‘Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?’ Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.”
  • 27 — “So the men marveled, saying, ‘Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?'”
  • 28 — “When He had come to the other side, to the country of the Gergesenes, there met Him two demon-possessed men, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that way.”
  • 29 — “And suddenly they cried out, saying, ‘What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?'”
  • 30 — “Now a good way off from them there was a herd of many swine feeding.”
  • 31 — “So the demons begged Him saying, ‘If You cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of swine.'”
  • 32 — “And He said to them, ‘Go.’ So, when they had come out, they went into the herd of swine. And suddenly the whole herd of swine ran violently down the steep place into the sea and perished in the water.”
  • 33 — “Then those who kept them fled; and they went away into the city and told everything, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men.”
  • 34 — “And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus. And when they saw Him, they begged Him to depart from their region.”

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Lesson Scripture — Mark 1:21-49

  • 21 — “Then they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught.”
  • 22 — “And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.”
  • 23 — “Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit. And he cried out,”
  • 24 — “saying, ‘Let us alone? What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are–the Holy One of God!'”
  • 25 — “But Jesus rebuked Him, saying, ‘Be quiet, and come out of him!'”
  • 26 — “And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him.”
  • 27 — “Then they were amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, ‘What is this? What new doctrine is this? For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him.'”
  • 28 — “And immediately His fame spread throughout all the nation around Galilee.”
  • 29 — “Now as soon as they had come out of the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.”
  • 30 — “But Simon’s wife’s mother lay with a fever, and they told Him about her at once.”
  • 31 — “So He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and immediately the fever left her. And she served them.”
  • 32 — “At evening when the sun had set, they brought to Him all who were sick and those who were demon possessed.”
  • 33 — “And the whole city was gathered together at the door.”
  • 34 — “Then He healed many who were sick with various diseases and cast out many demons, and He did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him.”
  • 35 — “Now in the morning having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place, and there He prayed.”
  • 36 — “And Simon and those who were with Him searched for Him.”
  • 37 — “When they found Him, they said to Him, ‘Everyone is looking for You.'”
  • 38 — “But He said to them. ‘Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth.'”
  • 39 — “And He was preaching in their synagogues throughout all Galilee and casting out demons.”
  • 40 — “Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, ‘If You are willing, You can make me clean.'”
  • 41 — “Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, ‘I am willing; be cleansed.'”
  • 42 — “As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed.”
  • 43 — “And He strictly warned him and sent him away at once,”
  • 44 — “and said to him, ‘See that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.'”
  • 45 — “However, he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the matter, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to Him from every direction.”

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Lesson Scripture — Luke 4:14-44

  • 14 — “Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region.”
  • 15 — “And He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.”
  • 16 — “So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath Day, and stood up to read.”
  • 17 — “And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:”
  • 18 — “‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed,'”
  • 19 — “‘to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.'”
  • 20 — “Then He closed the book and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him,”
  • 21 — “And He began to say to them, ‘Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.'”
  • 22 — “So all bore witness to Him and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth. And they said, ‘Is this not Joseph’s son?'”
  • 23 — “He said to them, ‘You will surely say this proverb to Me, ‘Physician, heal yourself! Whatever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in Your country.'”
  • 24 — “Then He said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own country.'”
  • 25 — “‘But I tell you truly, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a great famine throughout all the land.'”
  • 26 — “‘but to none of them was Elijah sent except to Zarephath, in the region of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow.'”
  • 27 — “‘And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.'”
  • 28 — “So all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath,”
  • 29 — “and rose up and thrust Him out of the city; and they led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built that they might throw Him down over the cliff.”
  • 30 — “Then passing through the midst of them, He went His way.”
  • 31 — “Then He went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and was teaching them on the Sabbaths.”
  • 32 — “And they were astonished at His teaching; for the word was with authority.”
  • 33 — “Now in the synagogue there was a man who had a spirit of an unclean demon. And he cried out with a loud voice,”
  • 34 — “saying, ‘Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are–the Holy One of God!'”
  • 35 — “But Jesus rebuked him, saying, ‘Be quiet, and come out of him!'”
  • 36 — “Then they were all amazed and spoke among themselves, saying, ‘What a word this is! For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out.'”
  • 37 — “And the report about Him went out into every place in the surrounding region.”
  • 38 — “Now He arose from the synagogue and entered Simon’s house. But Simon’s wife’s mother was sick with a high fever, and they made request of Him concerning her.”
  • 39 — “So He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. And immediately she arose and served them.”
  • 40 — “When the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to Him, and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them.”
  • 41 — “And demons also came out of many — crying out and saying, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of God!’ And He, rebuking them, did not allow them to speak, for they knew that He was the Christ.”
  • 42 — “Now when it was day, He departed and went into a deserted place. And the crowd sought Him, and came to Him, and tried to keep Him from leaving them,”
  • 43 — “but He said to them, ‘I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent.'”
  • 44 — “And He was preaching in the synagogues of Galilee.”

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Lesson Scripture — Luke 5:1-26

  • 1 — “So it was, as the multitude pressed about Him to hear the word of God, that He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret,”
  • 2 — “and saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets.”
  • 3 — “Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little from the land. And He sat down and taught the multitude from the boat.”
  • 4 — When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, ‘Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.'”
  • 5 — “But Simon answered and said to Him, ‘Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing, nevertheless, at Your word I will let down the net.'”
  • 6 — “And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish and their net was breaking.”
  • 7 — “So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.”
  • 8 — “When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, ‘Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!'”
  • 9 — “For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken.”
  • 10 — “and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, ‘Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men.'”
  • 11 — “So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him.”
  • 12 — “And it happened when He was in a certain city that behold, a man who was full of leprosy saw Jesus, and he fell on his face and implored Him, saying, ‘Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.'”
  • 13 — “Then He put out His hand and touched him, saying, ‘I am willing; be cleansed.’ Immediately the leprosy left him.”
  • 14 — “And He charged him to tell no one, ‘But go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing, as a testimony to them, just as Moses commanded.'”
  • 15 — “However, the report went around concerning Him all the more; and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by Him of their infirmities.”
  • 16 — “So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed.”
  • 17 — “Now it happened on a certain day, as He was teaching, that there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come out of every town of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was present to heal them.”
  • 18 — “Then behold, men brought on a bed a man who was paralyzed, whom they sought to bring in and lay before Him.”
  • 19 — “And when they could not find how they might bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the housetop and let him down with his bed through the tiling into the midst before Jesus.”
  • 20 — “When He saw their faith, He said to him, ‘Man, your sins are forgiven you.'”
  • 21 — “And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, ‘Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?'”
  • 22 — “But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, He answered and said to them, ‘Why are you reasoning in your hearts?'”
  • 23 — “Which is easier to say, Your sins are forgiven you, or to say, Rise up and walk?'”
  • 24 — “But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins‘–He said to the man who was paralyzed, ‘I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house!'”
  • 25 — “Immediately he rose up before them, took up what he had been lying on, and departed to his own house, glorifying God.”
  • 26 — “And they were all amazed, and they glorified God and were filled with fear, saying, ‘We have seen strange things today!'”

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Old Testament Prophecy Related to Matthew 8:1-34

v 4Deuteronomy 24:8 — “Take heed in an outbreak of leprosy, that you carefully observe and do according to all that the priests, the Levites, shall teach you; just as I commanded them, so you shall be careful to do.”

v 8Psalms 107:20 — “He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.”

v11Isaiah 2:2, 3

  • 2 — “Now it shall come to pass in the later days that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills, and all nations shall flow to it.”
  • 3 — “Many people shall come and say, ‘Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths.’ For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.”

v11Malachi 1:11 — “For from the rising of the sun, even to its going down; My name shall be great among the Gentiles; in every place incense shall be offered to My name, and a pure offering for My name shall be great among the nations,’ says the Lord of hosts.”

v17Isaiah 53:4 — “Surely He has born our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.”

v211 Kings 19:20 — “And he left the oxen and ran after Elijah and said, ‘Please let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.’ And he said to him, ‘Go back again for what have I done to you?'”

v26Psalms 65:6, 7

  • 6 — “Who established the mountains by His strength, being clothed with power,”
  • 7 — “You who still the noise of the seas, the noise of their waves, and the tumult of the peoples.”

v26Psalms 89:9 — “You rule the raging of the sea; when its waves rise, You still them.”

v26Psalms 107:29 — “He calms the storm, so that its waves are still.”

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New Testament Scriptures Related to Matthew 8:1-34

v 2Mark 1:40-45

  • 40 — “Now a leper came to Him imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him. ‘If You are willing, You can make me clean.'”
  • 41 — “Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, ‘I am willing; be cleansed.'”
  • 42 — “As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed.”
  • 43 — “And He strictly warned him and sent him away at once,”
  • 44 — “and said to him, ‘See that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.'”
  • 45 — “However, he went out and begun to proclaim it freely, and to spread the matter, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to Him from every direction.”

v 3Luke 4:27 — “‘And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.'”

v 4Mark 5:43 — “But He commanded them strictly that no one should know it, and said that something should be given her to eat.”

v 4Luke 5:14 — “And He charged him to tell no one, ‘But go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing, as a testimony to them, just as Moses commanded.'”

v 5Luke 7:1-3

  • 1 — “Now when He concluded all His sayings in the hearing of the people, He entered Capernaum.”
  • 2 — “And a certain centurion’s servant, who was dear to him, was sick, and ready to die.”
  • 3 — “So when he heard about Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to Him pleading with Him to come and heal his servant.”

v 5Matthew 27:54 — “So when the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly, saying, ‘Truly this was the Son of God!'”

v 8Luke 15:18-21

  • 18 — “I will arise and go to my father and will say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you,'”
  • 19 — “and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.'”
  • 20 — “‘And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him, fell on his neck and kissed him.'”
  • 21 — “‘And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.'”

v 12Matthew 21:43 — “‘Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.'”

v 12Luke 13:28 — “‘There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves thrust out.'”

v 14Mark 1:29-31

  • 29 — “Now as soon as they had come out of the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.”
  • 30 — “But Simon’s wife’s mother lay sick with a fever, and they told Him about her at once.”
  • 31 — “So He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and immediately the fever left her. And she served them.”

v 141 Corinthians 9:5 — “Do we have no right to take along a believing wife, as do also the other apostles, the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas?'”

v 16Luke 4:40, 41

  • 40 — “When the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them.”
  • 41 — “And demons also came out of many, crying out and saying, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of God!’ And He, rebuking them, did not allow them to speak, for they knew that He was the Christ.”

v 19Luke 9:57, 58

  • 57 — “Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, ‘Lord, I will follow You wherever You go.'”
  • 58 — “And Jesus said to him, ‘Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.'”

v 21Luke 9:59, 60

  • 59 — “Then He said to another, ‘Follow Me.’ But he said, ‘Lord let me first go and bury my father.'”
  • 60 — “Jesus said to him, ‘Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God.'”

v 24Mark 4:37 — “And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat so that it was already filling.”

v 28Mark 5:1-4

  • 1 — “Then they came to the other side of the sea in the country of the Gadarenes.”
  • 2 — “And when He had come out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit,”
  • 3 — “who had his dwelling among the tombs, and no one could bind him, not even with chains,”
  • 4 — “because he had often been bound with shackles and chains. And the chains had been pulled apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces, neither could anyone tame him.”

v 34Luke 5:8 — “When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, ‘Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!'”

v 34Acts 16:39 — “Then they came and pleaded with them and brought them out and asked them to depart from the city.”

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Old Testament Prophecy Related to Mark 1:21-49

v24Psalms 16:9, 10

  • 9 — “Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; my flesh also will rest in hope.”
  • 10 — “For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.”

v38Isaiah 61:1-3

  • 1 — “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound,”
  • 2 — “To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God;’ to comfort all who mourn,”
  • 3 — “to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”

v44Leviticus 14:1-32

  • 1 — “Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,”
  • 2 — “‘This shall be the law of the leper for the day of his cleansing; he shall be brought to the priest.'”
  • 3 — “‘and the priest shall go out of the camp, and the priest shall examine him; and indeed, if the leprosy is healed in the leper,'”
  • 4 — “‘then the priest shall command to take for him who is to be cleansed two living and clean birds, cedar wood, scarlet, and hyssop.'”
  • 5 — “‘And the priest shall command that one of the birds be killed in an earthen vessel over running water.'”
  • 6 — “‘As for the living bird, he shall take it, the cedar wood and the scarlet and the hyssop, and dip them and the living bird in the blood of the bird that was killed over the running water.'”
  • 7 — “‘And he shall sprinkle it seven times on him who is to be cleansed from leprosy, and shall pronounce him clean, and shall let the living bird loose in the open field.'”
  • 8 — “‘He who is to be cleansed shall wash his clothes, shave off all his hair, and wash himself in water, that he may be clean. After that he shall come into the camp and shall stay outside his tent seven days.'”
  • 9 — “‘But on the seventh day he shall shave all the hair off his head and his beard and his eyebrows–all his hair he shall shave off. He shall wash his clothes and wash his body in water, and he shall be clean.'”
  • 10 — “‘And on the eighth day he shall take two male lambs without blemish, one ewe lamb of the first year without blemish, three-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering, and one log of oil.'”
  • 11 — “‘Then the priest who makes him clean shall present the man who is to be made clean, and those things, before the Lord, at the door of the tabernacle of meeting.'”
  • 12 — “‘And the priest shall take one male lamb and offer it as a trespass offering, and the log of oil, and wave them as a wave offering before the Lord.'”
  • 13 — “‘Then he shall kill the lamb in the place where he kills the sin offering and the burnt offering, in a holy place; for as the sin offering is the priest’s, so is the trespass offering. It is most holy.'”
  • 14 — “‘The priest shall take some of the blood of the trespass offering, and the priest shall put it on the tip of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed, on the thumb of the right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot.'”
  • 15 — “‘And the priest shall take some of the log of oil and pour it into the palm of his own left hand.'”
  • 16 — “‘Then the priest shall dip his right finger in the oil that is in his left hand and shall sprinkle some of the oil with his finger seven times before the Lord.'”
  • 17 — “‘And of the rest of the oil in his hand, the priest shall put some on the tip of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot on the blood of the trespass offering.'”
  • 18 — “‘The rest of the oil that is in the priest’s hand he shall put on the head of him who is to be cleansed. So, the priest shall make atonement for him before the Lord.'”
  • 19 — “‘Then the priest shall offer the sin offering and make atonement for him who is to be cleansed from his uncleanness. Afterward he shall kill the burnt offering.'”
  • 20 — “‘And the priest shall offer the burnt offering and the grain offering on the altar. So, the priest shall make atonement for him, and he shall be clean.'”
  • 21 — “‘But if he is poor and cannot afford it, then he shall take one male lamb as a trespass offering to be waved, to make atonement for him, one-tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering, a log of oil.'”
  • 22 — “‘and two turtledoves or two young pigeons, such as he is able to afford; one shall be a sin offering and the other a burnt offering.'”
  • 23 — “‘He shall bring them to the priest on the eighth day for his cleansing, to the door of the tabernacle of meeting, before the Lord.'”
  • 24 — “‘And the priest shall take the lamb of the trespass offering and the log of oil, and the priest shall wave them as a wave offering before the Lord.'”
  • 25 — “‘Then he shall kill the lamb of the trespass offering, and the priest shall take some of the blood of the trespass offering and put it on the tip of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed, on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot.'”
  • 26 — “‘And the priest shall pour some of the oil into the palm of his own left hand.'”
  • 27 — “‘Then the priest shall sprinkle with his right finger some of the oil that is in his left hand seven times before the Lord.'”
  • 28 — “‘And the priest shall put some of the oil that is in his hand on the tip of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed, on the thumb of the right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot on the place of the blood of the trespass offering..'”
  • 29 — “‘The rest of the oil that is in the priest’s hand he shall put on the head of him who is to be cleansed, to make atonement for him before the Lord.'”
  • 30 — “‘And he shall offer one of the turtledoves or young pigeons, such as he can afford–‘”
  • 31 — “‘such as he is able to afford, the one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering, with the grain offering. So, the priest shall make atonement for him who is to be cleansed before the Lord.'”
  • 32 — “‘This is the law for one who had a leprous sore, who cannot afford the usual cleansing.'”

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New Testament Scripture Related to Mark 1:21-49

v21Luke 4:31-37 (See “Lesson Scripture”, above).

v21Matthew 4:23 — “And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.”

v22Matthew 7:28, 29

  • 28 — “And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching,”
  • 29 — “for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.”

v22Matthew 13:54-58

  • 54 — “When He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue so that they were astonished and said, ‘Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works?'”
  • 55 — “‘Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas?'”
  • 56 — “‘And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man get all these things?'”
  • 57 — “‘So they were offended at Him. But Jesus said to them, ‘A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house.'”
  • 58 — “Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.”

v23Matthew 12:43 — “‘When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none.'”

v24Matthew 8:28, 29

  • 28 — “When He had come to the other side, to the country of the Gergesenes, there met Him two demon-possessed men, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that way.”
  • 29 — “And suddenly they cried out, saying, ‘What have we to do with You Jesus, You Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?”

v24James 2:19 — “‘You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe–and tremble!'”

v25 Luke 4:39 — “So, He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. And immediately she arose and served them.”

v26Mark 9:20 — “Then they brought him to Him. And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth.”

v28Matthew 4:24 — “Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them.'”

v28Matthew 9:31 — “But when they had departed, they spread the news about Him in all that country.”

v29Luke 4:38, 39

  • 38 — “Now He arose from the synagogue and entered Simon’s house. But Simon’s wife’s mother was sick with a high fever, and they made request of Him concerning her.”
  • 39 — “So He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. And immediately she arose and served them.”

v32 Matthew 8:16, 17

  • 16 — “When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick.”
  • 17 — “that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet; ‘He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses.'”

v34Luke 13:32 — “And He said to them, “Go, tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.'”

v34Acts 16:16-18

  • 16 — “Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortunetelling.”
  • 17 — “This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, ‘These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaims to us the way of salvation.'”
  • 18 — “And this she did for many days. But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, ‘I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.’ And he came out that very hour.”

v35Luke 4:42, 43

  • 42 — “Now when it was day, He departed and went into a deserted place. And the crowd sought Him and came to Him, and tried to keep Him from leaving them;”
  • 43 — “but He said to them, ‘I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent.'”

v35 Luke 5:16 — “So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed.”

v35Luke 6:12 — “Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray and continued all night in prayer to God.”

v35Luke 9:28, 29

  • 28 — “Now it came to pass, about eight days after these sayings, that He took Peter, John, and James and went up on the mountain to pray,”
  • 29 — “As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and glistening.”

v37John 3:26 — “And they came to John and said to him, ‘Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you testified–behold, He is baptizing, and all are coming to Him!'”

v37John 12:19 — “The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, ‘You see that you are accomplishing nothing. Look, the world has gone after Him!'”

v37Hebrews 11:6 — “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”

v38 Luke 4:43 — “but He said to them, ‘I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent.'”

v39Matthew 4:23 — “And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sicknesses and all kinds of disease among the people.”

v39Matthew 9:35 — “Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.”

v39Mark 5:8 — “For He said to him, ‘Come out of the man, unclean spirit!'”

v39 Mark 5:13 — “And at once Jesus gave them permission. Then the unclean spirits went out and entered the swine (there were about two thousand); and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the sea and drowned in the sea.”

v39Mark 7:29, 30

  • 29 — “Then He said to her, ‘For this saying go your way, the demon has gone out of your daughter.'”
  • 30 — And when she had come to her house, she found the demon gone out, and her daughter lying on the bed.”

v40Luke 5:12-14

  • 12 — “And it happened when He was in a certain city, that behold, a man who was full of leprosy saw Jesus; and he fell on his face and implored Him, saying, ‘Lord if You are willing, You can make me clean.'”
  • 13 — “Then He put out His hand and touched him saying, ‘I am willing, be cleansed.’ Immediately the leprosy left him.”
  • 14 — “And He charged him to tell no one. ‘But go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing, as a testimony to them, just as Moses commanded.'”

v41Luke 7:13 — “When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, ‘Do not weep.'”

v42Matthew 15:28 — “Then Jesus answered and said to her, ‘O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.’ And her daughter was healed from that very hour.”

v45Luke 5:15 — “However, the report went around concerning Him all the more; and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by Him of their infirmities.”

v45Mark 2:2 — “Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door. And He preached the word to them.”

v45Mark 2:13 — “Then He went out again by the sea; and all the multitude came to Him, and He taught them.”

v 45Mark 13:3-7

  • 3 — “Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked Him privately,”
  • 4 — “‘Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign when all these things will be fulfilled?'”
  • 5 — “And Jesus, answering them, began to say; ‘Take heed that no one deceives you.'”
  • 6 — “For many will come in My name, saying, I am He, and will deceive many.'”
  • 7 — “‘But when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled, for such things must happen, but the end is not yet.'”

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Old Testament Prophecy Related to Luke 4:14-44

v15 — Isaiah 52:13 — “Behold, My Servant shall deal prudently; He shall be exalted and extolled and be very high.”

v18Isaiah 49:8, 9

  • 8 — “Thus says the Lord: ‘In an acceptable time I have heard You as a covenant to the people to restore the earth, to cause them to inherit the desolate heritages;'”
  • 9 — “‘that You may say to the prisoners, ‘Go forth,’ to those who are in darkness, ‘Show yourselves.’ They shall feed along the roads and their pastures shall be on all desolate heights.”

v18Isaiah 61:1, 2

  • 1 — “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound,”
  • 2 — “to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all those who mourn.”

v18Daniel 9:24 — “Seventy weeks are determined for your people and for your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy.”

v22Psalms 45:2 — “You are fairer than the sons of men; grace is poured upon Your lips; therefore, God has blessed You forever.”

v251 Kings 17:8, 9

  • 8 — “Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying.”
  • 9 — “‘Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.'”
  • v272 Kings 5:1-14
  • 1 — “Now Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great and honorable man in the eyes of his master, because by him the Lord had given victory to Syria. He was also a mighty man of valor, but a leper.”
  • 2 — “And the Syrians had gone out on raids and had brought back captive a young girl from the land of Israel. She waited on Naaman’s wife.”
  • 3 — “Then she said to her mistress, ‘If only my master were with the prophet who is in Samaria! For he would heal him of his leprosy.'”
  • 4 — “And Naaman went in and told his master, saying, ‘Thus and thus said the girl who is from the land of Israel.'”
  • 5 — “Then the king of Syria said, ‘Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.’ So he departed and took with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten changes of clothing.”
  • 6 — “Then he brought the letter to the king of Israel, which said,
    • ‘Now be advised, when this letter comes to you, that I have sent Naaman My servant to you, that you may heal him of his leprosy.'”
  • 7 — “And it happened, when the king of Israel read the letter, that he tore his clothes and said, ‘Am I god, to kill and make alive, that this man sends a man to me to heal him of his leprosy? Therefore, please consider, and see how he seeks a quarrel with me.'”
  • 8 — “So it was, when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, ‘Why have you torn your clothes? Please let him come to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.'”
  • 9 — “Then Naaman went with his horses and chariot, and he stood at the door of Elisha’s house.”
  • 10 — “And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, ‘Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you, and you shall be clean.'”
  • 11 — “But Naaman became furious, and went away and said, ‘Indeed I said to myself, ‘He will surely come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place and heal the leprosy.'”
  • 12 — “Are not the Abanah and the Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage.”
  • 13 — “And his servants came near and spoke to him and said, ‘My father, if the prophet had told you to do something great, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, ‘Wash, and be clean?'”
  • 14 — “So he went down and dipped seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God, and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.”

v34Psalms 16:10 — “For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.”

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New Testament Scripture Related to Luke 4:14-44

v14John 4:43 — “Now after the two days He departed from there and went to Galilee.”

v14Acts 10:36-38

  • 36 — “The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ — He is Lord of all — “
  • 37 — “that word you know, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached;”
  • 38 — “how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.”

v14 Matthew 4:24 — “Then His fame went throughout all Syria, and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them.”

v15Matthew 4:23 — “And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.”

v16Mark 6:1 — “Then He went out from there and came to His own country, and His disciples followed Him.”

v16Acts 13:14-17

  • 14 — “But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and sat down.”
  • 15 — “And after the reading of the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying, ‘Men and brethren, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say on.”
  • 16 — “Then Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said, ‘Men of Israel, and you who fear God, listen:'”
  • 17 — “‘The God of this people Israel chose our fathers and exalted the people when they dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt, and with an uplifted arm He brought them out of it.'”

v16Acts 17:2, 3

  • 2 — “Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures,”
  • 3 — “explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, ‘This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ.'”

v21Acts 13:29 — “Now when they had fulfilled all that was written concerning Him, they took Him down from the tree and laid Him in a tomb.”

v22John 6:42 — “And they said, ‘Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How is it then that He said, ‘I have come down from heaven?'”

v23Matthew 4:13-16

  • 13 — “And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali,”
  • 14 — “that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:”
  • 15 — “‘The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles;'”
  • 16 — “‘the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned.'”

v23 Matthew 11:23 — “‘And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades, for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.'”

v23Matthew 13:54 — “When He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, ‘Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works?'”

v24John 4:44 — “For Jesus Himself testified that a prophet has no honor in His own country.”

v28Luke 6:11 — “But they were filled with rage and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus.”

v29John 8:37 — “‘I know that you are Abraham’s descendants, but you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you.'”

v29John 10:31 — “Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him.”

v30John 8:59 — “Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.”

v30John 10:39 — “Therefore they sought again to seize Him, but He escaped out of their hand.”

v31Matthew 4:13-16

  • 13 — “And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali,”
  • 14 — “That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying”
  • 15 — “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles;'”
  • 16 — “‘the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned.'”

v32Matthew 7:28, 29

  • 28 — “And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching.”
  • 29 — “for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.”

v32John 6:63 — “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.'”

v32John 7:46 — “The officers answered, ‘No man ever spoke like this Man!'”

v32John 8:26 — “I have many things to say and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I heard from Him.'”

v32John 8:28 — “Then Jesus said to them, ‘When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself, but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things.'”

v32John 8:38 — “‘I speak what I have seen with My Father, and you do what you have seen with your father.'”

v32John 8:47 — “‘He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore, you do not hear, because you are not of God.'”

v32John 12:49, 50

  • 49 — “‘For I have not spoken on My own authority, but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak.'”
  • 50 — “‘And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak.'”

v33Mark 1:23, 24

  • 23 — Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit. And he cried out,”
  • 24 — “saying, ‘Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are–the Holy One of God!'”

v34 — Luke 4:41 — “And demons also came out of many, crying out and saying, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of God!’ And He, rebuking them, did not allow them to speak, for they knew that He was the Christ.”

v38Mark 1:29-31

  • 29 — “Now as soon as they had come out of the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.”
  • 30 — “But Simon’s wife’s mother lay sick with a fever, and they told Him about her at once.”
  • 31 — “So He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and immediately the fever left her. And she served them.”

v38Mark 5:22, 23

  • 22 — “And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name, and when he saw Him, he fell at His feet”
  • 23 — “and begged Him earnestly, saying, ‘My little daughter lies at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live.'”

v39Luke 8:24 — “And they came to Him and awoke Him, saying, ‘Master, Master, we are perishing!’ Then He arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water. And they ceased, and there was a calm.”

v40Matthew 8:16, 17

  • 16 — “When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick.”
  • 17 — “that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: “He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses.'”

v41Mark 8:29 — “He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Peter answered and said to Him, ‘You are the Christ.'”

v41Mark 1:25 — “But Jesus rebuked him, saying, ‘Be quiet, and come out of him!'”

v41Mark 1:34 — “Then He healed many who were sick with various diseases and cast out many demons; and He did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him.”

v41Mark 3:11 — “And the unclean spirits, whenever they saw Him, fell down before Him and cried out, saying, ‘You are the Son of God.'”

v42Mark 1:35-38

  • 35 — “Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place, and there He prayed.”
  • 36 — “And Simon and those who were with Him searched for Him.”
  • 37 — “When they found Him, they said to Him, ‘Everyone is looking for You.'”
  • 38 — “But He said to them, ‘Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth.'”

v43John 9:4 — “I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work.'”

v44Matthew 4:23 — “And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.”

v44Matthew 9:35 — “Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.”

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Old Testament Prophecy Related to Luke 5:1-26

v 5Psalms 33:8, 9

  • 8 — “Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.”
  • 9 — “For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast.”

v 81 Kings 17:18 — “So she said to Elijah, ‘What have I to do with you, O man of God? Have you come to me to bring my sin to remembrance, and to kill my son?”

v12Leviticus 13:14 — “‘But when raw flesh appears on him, he shall be unclean.'”

v14Leviticus 13:1-3

  • 1 — “And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying,'”
  • 2 — “‘When a man has on the skin of his body a swelling, a scab, or a bright spot, and it becomes on the skin of his body like a leprous sore, then he shall be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons the priests.'”
  • 3 — “‘The priest shall examine the sore on the skin of the body; and if the hair on the sore has turned white, and the sore appears to be deeper than the skin of his body, it is a leprous sore. Then the priest shall examine him and pronounce him unclean.'”

v14 Leviticus 14:1-32

  • 1 — “Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,”
  • 2 — “‘This shall be the law of the leper for the day of his cleansing; he shall be brought to the priest,'”
  • 3 — “‘and the priest shall go out of the camp, and the priest shall examine him; and indeed, if the leprosy is healed in the leper.'”
  • 4 — “‘then the priest shall command to take for him who is to be cleansed two living and clean birds, cedar wood, scarlet, and hyssop.'”
  • 5 — “‘And the priest shall command that one of the birds be killed in an earthen vessel over running water.'”
  • 6 — “‘As for the living bird, he shall take it, the cedar wood and the scarlet and the hyssop, and dip them and the living bird in the blood of the bird that was killed over the running water.'”
  • 7 — “‘And he shall sprinkle it seven times on him who is to be cleansed from leprosy, and shall pronounce him clean, and shall let the living bird loose in the open field.'”
  • 8 — “‘He who is to be cleansed shall wash his clothes, shave off all his hair, and wash himself in water, that he may be clean. After that he shall come into the camp and shall stay outside his tent seven days.'”
  • 9 — “‘But on the seventh day he shall shave all the hair off his head and his beard and his eyebrows–all his hair he shall shave off. He shall wash his clothes and wash his body in water, and he shall be clean.'”
  • 10 — “‘And on the eighth day he shall take two male lambs without blemish, one ewe lamb of the first year without blemish, three tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering, and one log of oil.'”
  • 11 — “‘Then the priest who makes him clean shall present the man who is to be made clean, and those things, before the Lord, at the door of the tabernacle of meeting.'”
  • 12 — “‘And the priest shall take one male lamb and offer it as a trespass offering, and the log of oil, and wave them as a wave offering before the Lord.'”
  • 13 — “‘Then he shall kill the lamb in the place where he kills the sin offering and the burnt offering, in a holy place; for as the sin offering is the priest’s, so is the trespass offering. It is most holy.'”
  • 14 — “‘The priest shall take some of the blood of the trespass offering, and the priest shall put it on the tip of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed, on the thumb of the right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot.'”
  • 15 — “‘And the priest shall take some of the log of oil and pour it into the palm of his own left hand.'”
  • 16 — “‘Then the priest shall dip his right finger in the oil that is in his left hand and shall sprinkle some of the oil with his finger seven times before the Lord.'”
  • 17 — “‘And of the rest of the oil in his hand, the priest shall put some on the tip of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot on the blood of the trespass offering.'”
  • 18 — “‘The rest of the oil that is in the priest’s hand he shall put on the head of him who is to be cleansed. So, the priest shall make atonement for him before the Lord.'”
  • 19 — “‘Then the priest shall offer the sin offering and make atonement for him who is to be cleansed from his uncleanness. Afterward he shall kill the burnt offering.'”
  • 20 — “‘And the priest shall offer the burnt offering and the grain offering on the altar. So, the priest shall make atonement for him, and he shall be clean.'”
  • 21 — “‘But if he is poor and cannot afford it, then he shall take one male lamb as a trespass offering to be waved, to make atonement for him, one tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering, a log of oil,'”
  • 22 — “‘and the two turtledoves or two young pigeons, such as he is able to afford; one shall be a sin offering and the other a burnt offering.'”
  • 23 — “‘He shall bring them to the priest on the eighth day for his cleansing, to the door of the tabernacle of meeting, before the Lord.'”
  • 24 — “‘And the priest shall take the lamb of the trespass offering and the log of oil, and the priest shall wave them as a wave offering before the Lord.'”
  • 25 — “‘Then he shall kill the lamb of the trespass offering, and the priest shall take some of the blood of the trespass offering and put it on the tip of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed, on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot.'”
  • 26 — “‘And the priest shall pour some of the oil into the palm of his own left hand.'”
  • 27 — “‘Then the priest shall sprinkle with his right finger some of the oil that is in his left hand seven times before the Lord.'”
  • 28 — “‘And the priest shall put some of the oil that is in his left hand on the tip of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed, on the thumb of the right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot on the place of the blood of the trespass offering.'”
  • 29 — “‘The rest of the oil that is in the priest’s hand he shall put on the head of him who is to be cleansed, to make atonement for him before the Lord.'”
  • 30 — “‘And he shall offer one of the turtledoves or young pigeons, such as he can afford–‘”
  • 31 — “‘such as he is able to afford, the one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering, with the grain offering. So, the priest shall make atonement for him who is to be cleansed before the Lord.'”
  • 32 — “‘This is the law for one who had a leprous sore, who can afford the usual cleansing.'”

v21Isaiah 42:25 — “Therefore He has poured on him the fury of His anger and the strength of battle; it has set him on fire all around, yet he did not know; and it burned him, yet he did not take it to heart.”

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New Testament Scripture Related to Luke 5:1-26

v 1Mark 1:16-20

  • 16 — “And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.”
  • 17 — “Then Jesus said to them, ‘Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.'”
  • 18 — “They immediately left their nets and followed Him.”
  • 19 — “When He had gone a little farther from there, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the boat mending their nets.”
  • 20 — “And immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and went after Him.”

v 1Acts 13:44 — “On the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God.”

v 3John 8:2 — “Now early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them.”

v 4John 21:6 — “And He said to them, ‘Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.’ So, they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish.”

v 5John 21:3 — “Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together.”

v 9Mark 5:42 — “Immediately the girl arose and walked, for she was twelve years of age. And they were overcome with great amazement.”

v 9Mark 10:24 — “And the disciples were astonished at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, ‘Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God!'”

v 9Mark 10:26 — “And they were greatly astonished, saying among themselves, ‘Who then can be saved?'”

v10Matthew 4:19 — “Then He said to them, ‘Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.'”

v11Matthew 4:20 — “They immediately left their nets and followed Him.”

v11Matthew 19:27 — “Then Peter answered and said to Him, ‘See, we have left all and followed You. Therefore, what shall we have?'”

v12Mark 1:40-44

  • 40 — “Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, ‘If You are willing, You can make me clean'”
  • 41 — “Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, ‘I am willing, be cleansed.'”
  • 42 — “As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed.”
  • 43 — “And He strictly warned him and sent him away at once,”
  • 44 — “and said to him, ‘See that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.'”

v13John 5:9 — “And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked. And that day was the Sabbath.”

v14Matthew 8:4 — “And Jesus said to him, ‘See that you tell no one; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.'”

v15Mark 1:45 — “However, he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the matter, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to Him from every direction.”

v15John 6:2 — “Then a great multitude followed Him, because they saw His signs which He performed on those who were diseased.”

v16Luke 9:10 — “And the apostles, when they had returned, told Him all that they had done. Then He took them and went aside privately into a deserted place belonging to the city called Bethsaida.”

v16Matthew 14:23 — “And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there.”

v18Mark 2:3-12

  • 3 — “Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men.”
  • 4 — “And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So, when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying.”
  • 5 — “When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven you.'”
  • 6 — “And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts,”
  • 7 — “Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?'”
  • 8 — “But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, ‘Why do you reason about these things in your hearts?'”
  • 9 — “‘Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise, take up your bed and walk?'”
  • 10 — “‘But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins‘–He said to the paralytic,”
  • 11 — “‘I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.'”
  • 12 — “Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, ‘We never saw anything like this!'”

v19Matthew 15:30 — “Then great multitudes came to Him, having with them the lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others; and they laid them down at Jesus’ feet, and He healed them.”

v21Mark 2:6, 7

  • 6 — “And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts,”
  • 7 — “‘Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?'”

v22John 2:24, 25

  • 24 — “But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men,”
  • 25 — “and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man.”

v24Luke 7:14 — “Then He came and touched the open coffin, and those who carried him stood still. And He said, ‘Young man, I say to you, arise.'”

v25Acts 3:8 — “So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them–walking, leaping, and praising God.”

v26Luke 1:65 — “Then fear came on all who dwelt around them; and all these sayings were discussed throughout all the hill country of Judea.”

v26Luke 7:16 — “Then fear came upon all, and they glorified God, saying, ‘A great prophet has risen up among us’, and ‘God has visited His people.'”

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Notes on Scripture: by tkbrown

Note on Lesson: This lesson is quite lengthy. I considered splitting it, but it needed the continuity of the entire lesson which is based on Matthew Chapter 8. All of the scripture presented in this lesson is supporting Matthew Chapter 8. So, I decided to leave it all in rather than split it up.

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Jesus came to Nazareth where he had been brought up and went to the synagogue where he had been reared. He read from the book of Isaiah:

  • 1 — “‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed.'”
  • 2 — “‘to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.'” (Isaiah 61:1, 2).

After sitting back down, He told them this scripture had just been fulfilled in their hearing. In other words, he announced to them He was the Messiah come to earth to preach God’s plan to man. Thus, the people were astonished at His knowledge and the words which He spoke. They were saying among themselves, ‘Is this not Joseph’s son?’ ‘Where did He obtain this knowledge?'”

Jesus then told them, “a prophet can never return to His own country and be accepted. You will be saying to me, “Physician heal thyself.” and “Whatever you did in Capernaum, do that here too!”

Continuing to teach, He told them in the days of Elijah when the famine came to the land there were many widows in Israel, but Elijah was sent only to one–Zarephath. Further, He said, in the days of Elisha there were many lepers in the land, but only one was cleansed–Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria. Then they were all upset with Him, took Him to the top of a hill overlooking the sea with the intent of throwing Him over, but–since His time had not yet come–He slipped through the crowds and away. Leaving the region, He went down to Capernaum in Galilee where He began teaching in the synagogue. Again, all were astonished at His teaching for He taught as one having knowledge.”

Then a man with an unclean spirit came into the synagogue. The demon began calling out asking Jesus if He had come to destroy him. He said, “Why are You here?” “What have we to do with You?” “I know who You are–You are the Son of God.” Jesus, rebuking the demon, commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man and be quiet. The spirit convulsed the man then came out, amazing all who saw. They began to question as to whom He was that even the spirits obeyed Him. Then, word of Him, his teachings, and His good deeds spread throughout the region.

When Jesus left the synagogue, He and His disciples went to Peter’s house. Peter’s wife’s mother was sick with a high fever. Jesus took her by the hand and healed her. Then she served them. Then, word went out that Jesus was in town, and the multitudes came to Him bringing their sick and demon-possessed to be healed. He healed all of them.

The next morning, He went out to a place to be alone for a while and to pray to God, His Father, but the multitudes followed wanting him to teach them and heal them. A certain scribe came to Him and vowed to follow Him wherever He went. Jesus told the man He was not like others–both man and animals have places to call home, but He did not. Another man vowed to follow Him as soon as he had buried his father. Jesus basically told the man to follow Him and let the dead care for their own.

Seeing no respite here, Jesus asked His disciples to put out to sea because He must go to other cities preaching the kingdom of God because for this purpose He had come to earth. So, they left. After the boat set sail a storm came up creating great waves lapping over the sides. When the disciples found Jesus, He was fast asleep. The disciples woke Him expressing fear of perishing because of the storm. Jesus expressed disappointment in their lack of faith; then He quieted the seas. The disciples–now in awe–asked each other, “Who is this, that even the winds and the seas obey His command?” (Matthew 8:27).

Their fear really did not make sense. They knew He was God’s Son, yet they feared the boat would be destroyed and they would die in the storm. After all, is God going to let the boat be destroyed while transporting His Son–not likely.

When the boat docked in the land of Gergesenes, Jesus and the disciples disembarked. Meeting two men who lived in the tombs and greatly feared because being demon-possessed, they were quite violent in nature. The demons recognized Jesus and began calling to Him. After acknowledging Him as the Son of God, the demons asked, rather than killing them, would He cast them into a nearby heard of about 2000 swine. Jesus complied, and the swine ran down the steep him into the sea and died. When the herds’ keepers saw this, they ran into town and told what had happened. Then the whole town came out to meet Jesus and asked Him to leave.

Now, even though the disciples had followed Jesu, they still worked for a living. As Jesus stood by the Lake of Genesaret, He saw two boats by the sea. When close enough, He saw that the fishermen were away from the boats washing their nets. He sat in one and asked Simon to put out a little and He taught the multitudes who were following Him. from the boat. When finished, He told Simon to cast out to sea and let down their nets for a catch. Simon explained they had toiled all night with no catch, but (thinking better of what he had just said) at Jesus’ word, they would try again. When they had cast the nets, immediately they had so many they could not pull them in because the nets were breaking. Signaling to their partners for help, all of them managed to get the fish into the boats which then began to sink. Simon fell to his knees and told Jesus to leave him because his faith was not sufficient to be Jesus’ helper. He and all of the partners were amazed at the catch after a full night of nothing being caught. Jesus told them to not be afraid for from that day forth, He would make them, “fishers of men.” When they had brought their boats safely back to land, they forsook all and went with Jesus.

So it was that one day as Jesus was teaching, the power of the Lord was present for all to be healed, and there were Pharisees and teachers of the law from every town of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. Certain ones brought a paralytic to be healed. This man was confined to his bed. Finding the crowd to be so huge they could not even get close to the door they removed a section of the roof and ceiling to let the man down right where Jesus stood. When Jesus saw what they had done, He was amazed at their faith, and told the man his sins were forgiven. Then the scribes and Pharisees began to reason in their hearts that “no one but God had the authority to forgive sins. So, they began thinking, “Who is this who utters such blasphemies?” (Luke 5:21). Jesus seeing them reasoning these things among themselves mentioned it to them. He asked them which would be easier, to tell a man his sins were forgiven or to tell him to pick up his bed and walk. Then He said to them:

“‘But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins’–He said to the man who was paralyzed, “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house!'” (Luke 5:4).

When the man immediately arose, picked up his bed, and went home glorifying God, all present were amazed. They glorified God and were filled with fear at the strange and amazing things they had seen.

In an earlier lesson, I mentioned the veil which was rent into two pieces at the instant Jesus died on the cross. I noted this instant is when the New Covenant began. Prior to this time, the Old Covenant was still in effect. I would like to note that today’s lesson refers to the ‘kingdom of God’ several times. Each time it is referenced, it notes Jesus came to earth to preach the ‘kingdom of God.’ Jesus is still doing much of His teaching in the synagogues on the Sabbath. He is still preaching and teaching under the Old Covenant of the Jewish dispensation. He is preaching about ‘the kingdom of God’ , but it has not yet become a reality. That will happen when the veil is rent into two pieces. After that time, ‘the kingdom of God’ will be referenced in the present tense.

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  • Lesson One: Zacharias to Have Son
  • Lesson Two: Jesus Birth Foretold
  • Lesson Three: Zacharias’ Son, John, is Born
  • Lesson Four: Jesus is Born
  • Lesson Five: And Jesus Grew . . .
  • Lesson Six: John Begins His Ministry
  • Lesson Seven: Jesus is Introduced to the World
  • Lesson Eight: Jesus’ Ancestral Lineage
  • Lesson Nine: Jesus is Tempted by Satan
  • Lesson Ten: Jesus Begins His Ministry (Part 1)
  • Lesson Eleven: Jesus Begins His Ministry (Part 2) — Sermon on the Mount (Part 1)
  • Lesson Twelve: Jesus Begins His Ministry (Part 3) — Sermon on the Mount (Part 2)
  • Lesson Thirteen: Jesus Begins His Ministry (Part 4) — Sermon on the Mount (Part 3)
  • Lesson Fourteen: Jesus Begins His Ministry (Part 5) — Sermon on the Mount (Part 4 — Conclusion)
  • Lesson Fifteen: Jesus Turns Water to Wine — The Wedding at Cana
  • Lesson Sixteen: Jesus Heals the Sick, Casts Out Demons

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Picture Above: @ freebibleimages.org

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Jesus Begins His Ministry (Part 2)

Scripture is from the Holy Bible — New King James Version (NKJV)

Notes on Scripture (below) by tkbrown

Sermon on the Mount

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Lesson Scripture — Matthew 5:1-20

1 — “And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him.”

2 — “Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:”

3 — “‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.'”

4 — “‘Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.'”

5 — “‘Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.'”

6 — “‘Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.'”

7 — “‘Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.'”

8 — “‘Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.'”

9 — “‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.'”

10 — “‘Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.'”

11 — “‘Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.'”

12 — “‘Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.'”

13 — “‘You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.'”

14 — “‘You are the light of the world, A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.'”

15 — “‘Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.'”

16 — “‘Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.'”

17 — “‘Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.'”

18 — “‘For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot of one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.'”

19 — “‘Whosoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.'”

20 — “‘For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.'”

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Apostle Selection Completed

Lesson Scripture — Luke 6:12-15

12 — “Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray and continued all night in prayer to God.”

13 — “And when it was day, He called His disciples to Himself; and from them He chose twelve whom He also named apostles:”

14 — “Simon, whom He also named Peter, and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew,”

15 — “Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called the Zealot, Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot who also became a traitor.”

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Luke’s Description of the Sermon on the Mount

Lesson Scripture — Luke 6:17-23

17 — “And He came down with them and stood on the level place with a crowd of His disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear Him and be healed of their diseases,”

18 — “as well as those who were tormented with unclean spirits. And they were healed.”

19 — “And the whole multitude sought to touch Him, for power went out from Him and healed them all.”

20 — “Then He lifted up His eyes toward His disciples, and said: ‘Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.'”

21 — “‘Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.'”

22 — “‘Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you, and revile you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of Man’s sake.'”

23 — “‘Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your reward is great in heaven, for in like manner their fathers did to the prophets.'”

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Prophecy Related to Matthew 5:1-20

v5 — Psalm 37:11 — “But the meek shall inherit the earth, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.”

v6 — Isaiah 55:1 — “Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat. Yes come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.”

v6 — Isaiah 65:13, 14

13 —Therefore thus says the Lord God: ‘Behold, My servants shall eat, but you shall be hungry; behold, My servants shall drink, but you shall be thirsty; behold, My servants shall rejoice, but you shall be ashamed;'”

14 — “‘behold, My servants shall sing for joy of heart, but you shall cry for sorrow of heart, and wail for grief of spirit.'”

v7 — Psalm 41:1 — “Blessed is he who considers the poor; the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble.”

v8 — Psalm 15:1-5

1 —Lord, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill?”

2 —He who walks uprightly, and works righteousness, and speaks the truth in his heart;”

3 —He who does not backbite with his tongue, nor does evil to his neighbor, nor does he take up a reproach against his friend.”

4 —In whose eyes a vile person is despised, but he honors those who fear the Lord; He who swears to his own hurt and does not change;”

5 —He who does not put out his money at usury, nor does he take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved.”

v8 — Psalm 24:3-5

3 —Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or, who may stand in His holy place?”

4 —He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, nor sworn deceitfully.”

5 —He shall receive blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.”

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Prophecy Related to Luke 6:17-23

v21 — Isaiah 55:1 — “Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the wters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat. Yes come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.”

v21 — Isaiah 65:13

13 — Therefore thus says the Lord God: ‘Behold, My servants shall eat, but you shall be hungry; behold, My servants shall drink, but you shall be thirsty; behold, My servants shall rejoice, but you shall be ashamed;'”

14 — “‘behold, My servants shall sing for joy of heart, but you shall cry for sorrow of heart, and wail for grief of spirit.'”

v21 — Isaiah 61:2, 3

2 —To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn,”

3 — to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”

v21 — Psalm 126:5, 6

5 —Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy.”

6 —He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.”

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New Testament Scriptures Related to Matthew 5:1-20

v1 — Mark 3:13 — “And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted. And they came to Him.”

v2 — Matthew 7:28, 29

28 — “And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching,”

29 — “for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.”

v3 — Luke 6:20-23 — (See above.)

v4 — Revelation 21:4 — “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

v5 — Romans 4:13 — “For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.”

v6 — Luke 1:53 — “He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty.”

v8 — I Corinthians 13:12 — “For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.”

v10 — I Peter 3:14-16

14 — “But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. ‘And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled (Isaiah 8:12).'”

15 — “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who askes you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;

16 — “having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed.”

v11 — Luke 6:22 (See above.)

v12 — I Peter 4:12-14

12 — “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you;”

13 — “but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed you may also be glad–with exceeding joy.”

14 — “If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified.”

v12 — Acts 7:52

52 — “Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One, of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers,”

53 —who have received the law by the direction of angels and have not kept it (Exodus 20:1).'”

v13 — Luke 14:34 — “Salt is good, but if the salt lost its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?'”

v14 — John 8:12 — “Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness but have the light of life.'”

v15 — Luke 8:16 — “No one, when he has lit a lamp, covers it with a vessel or puts it under a bed, but sets it on a lampstand, that those who enter may see the light.'”

v16 — I Peter 2:11, 12

11 — “Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul.”

12 — “having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.”

v16 — John 15:8 — “By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so, you will be my disciples.'”

v17, 20 — Romans 10:3, 4

3 — “For they, being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God.”

4 — “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.”

v18 — Luke 16:17 — “‘And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle of the law to fail.'”

v19 — James 2:10 — “For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.”

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New Testament Scriptures Related to Luke 6:17-23

v17 — Mark 3:7, 8

7 — “But Jesus withdrew with His disciples to the sea. And a great multitude from Galilee followed Him, and from Judea”

8 — “and Jerusalem and Idumea and beyond the Jordan, and those from Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they hard how many things He was doing, came to Him.”

v19 — Matthew 9:21 — “For she said to herself, ‘If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well.'”

v19, 20 — Matthew 11:4-6

4 — “Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Go and tell John the things which you hear and see.'”

5 — “‘The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them,'”

6 — “‘and blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.'”

v20 — Matthew 5:3-12 — (See above.)

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Notes on Scripture: by tkbrown

I apologize for the absence of a post last week. Sometimes things happen and prevent me from completing a post. I do hope you will forgive me when that happens. Thank You!

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As we begin studying the Sermon on the Mount, I would like to note, I have included Jesus’ selection of His additional six apostles as depicted in Luke Chapter 6. Luke’s presentation shows this was immediately followed by the Sermon on the Mount.

The Sermon on the Mount covers much territory and lays the foundation for Christ’s ministry here on earth. For this reason, I will divide it into several parts in order to not overwhelm you, the reader, with too much information to be digested at one time. It is important to understand how Christ’s words tie-in to other Scripture in both the Old and the New Testament.

Christ’s ministry took place under the Old Covenant until His death, we will see the vail protecting the Ark of the Covenant rent into two pieces–top-to-bottom. On the day of Pentecost, Christ’s church was established with form. Prior to this time, His kingdom is always referenced as being ‘at hand.’ After the day of Pentecost, His kingdom is always noted ‘in the present form.’ This means His kingdom was publicly established on the Day of Pentecost — when His church was established with the baptizing of three thousand souls.

Hopefully, this information will help you to ‘rightly divide the word of truth’ as we study the course of Christ’s ministry. However, do your own studying to verify whatever I mention in my notes. Do not ever take another person’s word for what the Bible says. Your salvation depends upon this one factor. The scriptures I present above are directly from the Holy Bible (NKJV). When I make a comment in my notes, verify it in the scriptures. Events noted regarding the vail and Christ’s death will be reviewed as we come to them. Study for yourself and prove all that I put forth in my writing.

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In Matthew Chapter 5, Jesus’ teachings show the underdog as more likely to go to heaven than the upper crust. The underdog’s tendency is to present as more meek and merciful and to have faith that studying God’s Word and applying it to daily life leads to purer hearts and righteousness.

Jesus alerts those in his hearing of other people’s tendency to persecute and revile those who follow God–just as they persecuted the prophets. Christ suffered during His life here on earth, and many persecute Him now and deride His teachings and life as untrue. Jesus assures you, when someone persecutes you because you are patterning your life after Him and His teachings, they have their reward already.

These trials are God’s method of refining our Christian hearts and skimming off the impurities each time suffering occurs and is met with a Christ-like attitude. Just as gold must be molten, allowing impurities to rise to the top to be skimmed off, we as Christians must also be refined. We must grow in Christ, increasing in our ability to forgive and move on. This is how maturity in Christ is attained–one trial at a time. This is also how our lives become a living example amidst a sea of worldly souls. Our lives become the light–beacon, if you will–leading others to Christ. This is why we are the salt of the earth.

Never be ashamed to stand up for what is right and be different. This is what Christianity promotes. This, and our faith, is what makes us Christlike–awaiting a home with Him in heaven.

There are those who, even today, say Jesus came to destroy the Old Covenant. He assured the crowd and His apostles this was not so. He came to fulfill the Old Covenant, and until all is fulfilled and heaven and earth pass away, not one iota of the law is destroyed. Anyone who breaks the commandments set forth by the law and by Jesus will never be great in heaven. In order to see heaven, Jesus said our righteousness must be greater than that of the scribes and the Pharisees.

Moving on to Luke’s presentation of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, we see that just prior to this sermon, Jesus chose six more disciples to be a part of His twelve apostles. All followers of Christ were, and still are, known as His disciples. However, only thirteen have been called apostles of Christ. When Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus, he revealed his enslavement to Satan, with whom he will spend eternity. Saul of Tarsus was subsequently appointed as the replacement apostle. We know Saul as Paul. He was one of the most grateful, for his sins prior to conversion had been great, and he was the first to admit this. Thus, he worked hard to teach others about Christ and His salvation.

Luke words his portrayal of the Sermon on the Mount a bit different, as we have seen in previous lessons, but it means much the same. He shows that those who have little are more likely to seek God through Christ and to be blessed. Those who have much are not interested in God’s blessings.

In the next lesson, we will continue reviewing the Sermon on the Mount. This is where the parables begin. Each teaches a valuable lesson for living the Christian life. Come back and join us in the feast God’s Word and Christ’s teachings provide, leading to the ultimate reward of a home with Them in heaven. Have a Blessed Week in Christ’s love!

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Lesson One -- Scripture: Zacharias to Have Son . . . 
Lesson Two -- Scripture: Jesus Birth Foretold . . . 
Lesson Three -- Scripture: Zacharias' Son, John, is Born . . . 
Lesson Four -- Scripture: Jesus is Born . . . 
Lesson Five -- Scripture: And Jesus Grew . . . 
Lesson Six -- Scripture: John Begins His Ministry . . . 
Lesson Seven -- Scripture: Jesus is Introduced to the World . . . 
Lesson Eight -- Scripture: Jesus' Ancestral Lineage
Lesson Nine -- Scripture: Jesus is Tempted By Satan
Lesson Ten -- Scripture: Jesus Begins His Ministry (Part 1)
Lesson Eleven -- Scripture: Jesus Begins His Ministry (Part 2)

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Photo above by: kieutruongphoto @pixabay.com.

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