Category Archives: Biblical Characters

The Head and Feet of Jesus

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But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing for Me … She has done what she could; she has anointed My Body beforehand for burial. And truly, I say to you, wherever the Gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.”  Mark 14:6-9 ESV1

Read Matthew 26:6-13, Mark 14:3-9 & John 12:1-8

“Six days before the Passover, Jesus, therefore, came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. So, they gave a dinner for Him there” (John 12:1-2a) “in the house of Simon the leper” (Matthew 26:6b). “Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with Him at the table. Mary, therefore” (John 12:3a) “came up to Him with an alabaster flask” (Matthew 26:7a) containing “a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard” (John 12:3b), “and she broke the flask and poured it over [Jesus’] head” (Mark 14:3b) “and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume” (John 12:3c). What a touching scene—Jesus spending time with His dearest friends, celebrating a miracle, being emotionally encouraged as He prepared for the future, soaking up the personalized way each of those in attendance shared his/her adoration of Him, all while a beautiful fragrance filled the air. But not everyone was feeling the love.

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Seeker Friendly

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 “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the Lost.” Luke 19:10 ESV1

Read Luke 19:1-10

Only heartless Christians don’t care about lost souls. Only narcissistic Christ-followers want to keep the Good News to themselves. Only selfish Believers don’t want to create welcoming opportunities for those desiring to get closer to Jesus. But gearing church services and activities to reach those who don’t yet know Christ is easier said than done. Contemporary music can initiate intimate times of worship, but it can also become pure performance. Casual attire can promote humility as easily as it can unholiness. Sermons intended to be relevant can meet people where they are but often don’t lift up them to where they should be. Limiting religious decor can remove distraction or it can take the focus entirely off of Christ. Seeker-friendly services can become fabulous shows of what man can do instead of what God can do–if they are missing one crucial ingredient. Looking more closely at a familiar Scriptural account can help us discover what that often-lacking element is.

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What to Do with This?

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And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.” John 8:11b ESV1

Read John 7:53-8:11

There is an account in our translations of The Holy Bible which most of the earliest manuscripts do not include. And those that do contain it, don’t always have it placed where we find it in our Bibles. Those who study language, word usage, and writing styles don’t know for sure who recorded this event or why it was placed where it now appears when the Canon of Scripture was compiled. It seems as if some really religious and learned individuals don’t know what to do with this passage. But I assure you, the most common sinner who understands the meaning of this portion of Scripture will know exactly what to do with it.

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Truly Amazing

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Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in Heaven; and come, follow Me.”  Matthew 19:21 ESV1

Read Matthew 19:16-26, Mark 10:17-27 & Luke 18:18-27

Most of us want to be amazing at something. We want to stand out above the crowd in some area. We want to be noticed for some significant accomplishment. As a society, we venerate the surprisingly talented. We revere the exceedingly intelligent. We are mesmerized by the astonishingly beautiful. We worship the incredibly athletic. We esteem the exceptionally wealthy. And we honor tremendously influential. Because we are constantly trying to earn accolades and be more amazing than the next guy, we completely miss a great secret: it is actually a blessing to be extraordinarily average, because those who do have a great deal of talent, intelligence, beauty, athletic ability, wealth, or influence are often at a disadvantage.

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A Little Change and Much Change

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Jesus said to [Peter], … “Go to the sea and cast a hook and take the first fish that comes up, and when you open its mouth, you will find a shekel. Take that and give it to [the collectors of the two-drachma tax] for Me and for yourself.” Matthew 17:26b & 27b ESV1

Read Matthew 17:24-27

My favorite motion pictures are those which are based on true events. Because they deal with real people overcoming genuinely insurmountable challenges, these movies inspire me. They give me the confidence to believe that if these ordinary people with extraordinary character can prevail in such difficult circumstances, maybe I, too, can make a difference in the situations which I face.

Often these films conclude with photos of the actual people on whose lives these stories are based. Some directors are better than others at choosing actors who authentically represent the physical characteristics of those they are portraying. But what about films depicting the events surrounding Jesus’ earthly ministry? Almost every such movie I have ever seen characterizes Jesus’ twelve closest disciples as older men—some balding, others with salt and pepper hair and beards, and still others with ample waistlines. We don’t have any photographs to make comparisons, but I don’t believe The Twelve looked like that at all!

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A Little Encouragement Here, Please

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“This is My beloved Son, with Whom I am well pleased; listen to Him.” Matthew 17:5b ESV1

Read Matthew 17:1-8, Mark 9:2-8 & Luke 9:28-36

When we talk about mountain top experiences, we speak of times in which we were inspired, times when we had revelations, or times that were unusually enjoyable. Like the strenuousness required to climb a mountain, such experiences are extra satisfying, because they usually come after times of difficulty. Mountain top experiences are not everyday occurrences; they are something special, something out of the ordinary, and something to be remembered. Today, we will consider a mountain top experience which solidified the faith of some of the disciples, but, more importantly, one which empowered Jesus to continue on the path set before Him. Continue reading →

No Time to Yourself

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Now when Jesus heard [that John the Baptist had been killed], He withdrew from there in a boat to a desolate place by Himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed Him on foot from the towns. Matthew 14:13 ESV1

Read Matthew 14:12-36

Jesus had just received some heartbreaking news. One of His best friends, one of His close relatives, the person whom He probably respected most out of everyone on Earth, John the Baptist, had just been brutally murdered. John had been in prison for standing up for what was right. Now, there was no hope that this innocent man would be released; he was dead.

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The Power of a Woman

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And Herodias had a grudge against [John the Baptist] and wanted to put him to death. But she could not, for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. Mark 6:19-20a ESV1

Read Matthew 14:1-12 & Mark 6:14-29

I am a woman who is more than fifty years old. I am a daughter, a sister, a mother, a grandmother, and a friend to other females. I have spent decades of my life ministering to women. In all these years of being a woman and interacting with women, I have discovered that we are powerful creatures.

God has given the woman a marked capability that has the potential of being used for good or for evil. This endowment can be used to tear down or build up. It can be used to give life or bring death. The women we will consider in today’s text used their God-given female power to destroy.

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Are You Out of Your Mind?

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When His family heard it, they went out to seize Him, for they were saying, “He is out of his mind.” Mark 3:21 ESV1

Read Mark 3:20-21, 31-35 & 6:1-6; Matthew 12:46-50 & 13:53-58 & Luke 8:18-21

Close your eyes and imagine yourself walking along the dusty streets of an ancient village called Nazareth.

“Picture Nazareth with a population of around 400 in the first century. The roads [are] unpaved and public buildings [are] few. The houses [are] all one story, made of mud and stones and topped with thatched roofs. The windows of the small dwellings [are] usually high ‘allowing for light and ventilation but keeping passersby from peering in on [occupants] asleep on … straw mat[s] …

[Watch as women] … grind [their] flour, cook, and eat [with their families] in … courtyard[s].’ [See as] neighbors [come] together in … adjoining courtyards … ‘Everyone [is using] limestone or chalk cups, mugs, bowls, and storage vessels.’ … [They are consuming mostly] bread [which makes] … up about 70 percent of their daily calories…

Welcome to life in the first century. They [live] en masse, [eat] with the neighbors, and [travel] in caravans. While no home is perfect, there was one in Nazareth that [houses] a boy who [is] … [This Boy’s name is,] Jesus. [He is] exceptional. Yes, utterly perfect and morally flawless.”2

But so many in Nazareth are unaware of just how special Jesus is.

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When Doubt Creeps In

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Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples and said to Him, “Are You the One who is to come, or shall we look for another?” Matthew 11:2-3 ESV1

Read Luke 1:13-17, 39-45; Matthew 11:2-11; Mark 1:4-8 & John 1:6-7, 23-34

Through the power of the Holy Spirit, John knew Jesus was the Messiah from his very beginning. The angel Gabriel told John’s father, Zachariah, that John “would be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb” (Luke 1:15b). Shortly after Mary became pregnant with Jesus, she went to visit her relative, Elizabeth, Zachariah’s wife, who was pregnant with John. “And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, [John] leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, ‘Blessed are you among women and blessed is the Fruit of your womb! And why is it granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy’” (Luke 1:39-44). When John first “met” Jesus, he knew Jesus was special.

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