Jesus taught in the temple courts of Jerusalem, and everyone was amazed. He said his learning is from God. Those who seek the glory of God are men of truth. Jesus tells the Jewish leaders that not one of them keeps the law.
Jesus called the Jewish leaders hypocrites for condemning him for healing on the Sabbath but not condemning others who circumcise on the Sabbath.
5) They were amazed that he knew so much when he was not a priest.
6a) He was sent from God.
b) Those who do God’s will know his teaching is truth. Those who speak for their own glory and not God’s are false teachers.
7a) He said circumcision came from the patriarchs, not Moses. And he should be allowed to heal on the Sabbath because boys are circumcised on the Sabbath.
b) We are tempted to judge others by appearances and can be deceived. We need to look at the heart and people’s intentions, rather than outward appearances.
Good lesson on speaking for God’s glory and not your own.
Jesus’ authority is from God. When you question Jesus, you question God.
John’s Gospel frequently refers to Jesus as the “sent one.”
The Jewish leaders had the law but did not keep it like Jesus did.
Many who heard Jesus did not know he was being sought to be killed, so they thought he was crazy.
Circumcision was to be performed on the Sabbath (Leviticus 12:3). Since circumcision is a wound, why couldn’t Jesus heal?
Ever wonder why the figure of Justice is blindfolded? It’s because we judge by appearances, and determining justice needs to be blind to appearances.
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Jesus says that you can commit murder in your heart when you are angry with others and you will then be subject to judgment. Be reconciled with those who you are angry with. Settle matters before it goes to court because going to court could land you in jail. Jesus says you commit adultery if you look at someone with lust. Gouge out your eye and cut off your hand if it causes you to sin. Losing a part is better than losing yourself.
6) Jesus said you can kill someone with your mind and heart, and not just physically. Hate can be just as strong as murder. If you hate your brother, you are a murderer and John says that no murderer has eternal life in him. Jesus said you commit adultery in your heart if you look at someone else with lust. Thoughts are just as powerful as actions. Dear Lord, thank you for this clarity on murder and adultery. Help me when I think harmful thoughts towards others to always pray for your heart, God. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
7) Reconcile with others and do it soon before anything else and take your thoughts captive, so you don’t fall into sin. The world says bad behavior is okay if you do good things. The world says that sexual immorality is okay. The world prioritizes feelings rather than what is right and wrong.
8 ) It’s best to avoid anything that can cause you to fall into sin. Avoid those whom you are attracted to and be kind to those whom you have a disagreement with and talk it through to be reconciled. God does not tempt us beyond what we can bear and He always provides a way out (1 Corinthians 10:13). We can pray for God to protect us from sin and give us strength to overcome it (2 Corinthians 10:3-5). And, think of good, not bad (Philippians 4:8-9).
Fill your minds with God’s righteousness. There is always a way out, and we can use spiritual weapons. We must not indulge sin.
We must purify our hearts in addition to our actions.
We must be pure no matter the cost.
We must use the power of the Holy Spirit to be pure in mind, soul, spirit, and body.
When we see sin within ourselves, we must ask God for forgiveness. With Him, all things are possible.
Blessed are the meek who will inherit the earth. Those who search for righteousness will be blessed. The merciful will be shown mercy. Those pure in heart will see God.
6) I think of someone cowering in the corner, afraid and too timid to speak their minds. I think of someone trying to shrink themselves. The definition of meek is “quiet, gentle, and easily imposed on; submissive.” In the Bible, meekness is when someone is willing to accept and submit to the will of someone else, which is God. We put everything in God’s hands. The Bible’s meekness does not match my thoughts at all. In sum, you want to be meek!
7) To always be seeking to be right with God, to lead a life without sin, to be like Jesus. I need to always be seeking God and seeking to be right with Him. Currently, I don’t do this enough.
8 ) When we show mercy and forgiveness to others, God offers us mercy in return. We can more easily do this because we’ve been forgiven for our sins. When we are “pure” or walk in God’s ways, we will see God. The Holy Spirit helps us to grow spiritually, to be more like Jesus, to have a new attitude. We reject sin and receive blessings. The Beatitudes describe how to grow with God.
All humans hunger and thrist for God, whether they admit it or not. Only God can satisfy our longings.
We are always striving to be who God wants us to become. Don’t give up; for all things are possible with Christ.
“But this has all taken place that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled.”
Matthew 26:56
15) I look to myself for approval rather than God sometimes. I want to avoid all compromises when it comes to God and Jesus.
16) His undying devotion to saving us from our sins. His quiet demeanor when chaos is swirling around him. His endurance of pain for my sake. His love for me.
Loved this deeper look at just all the evil surrounding Jesus in his last days. Yet, he never wavers. As the world swirls around you and me, can we stand firm like Jesus did, trusting in God to accomplish His purposes for our lives?
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The tabernacle of the law was with the people in the wilderness. They brought the tabernacle with them when they got to the Promised Land. It remained with them until Solomon built a house for him. Therefore, God does not live in houses. They are just like their ancestors who rejected God.
9) God has always been with His people, from His physical presence in the Garden of Eden to the Holy Spirit that all believers carry inside of them today. Thank you, God, for your Holy Spirit so that you can always be with us. You are always near, and help me to remember that so I’ll cry out to you more in my time of need.
10) Both Stephen and Peter refer to God ast the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They tell the people how they rejected Jesus, but God’s prophecy was fulfilled. Choose Jesus to live. The choice is obvious, but very difficult to make.
11) Just how everything points to Jesus. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Without him, we are dead. Jesus is life.
The tabernacle was a portable tent that the people carried around with them. It was the place Israel met and worshipped God. (Crazy to think about — that you could carry God’s house around with you!)
The truth of Jesus may hurt, but it must be said and told. Where do you tell the Truth of Jesus where it hurts the most?
8 ) I did not have kids in the student program.
9) N/A
10) N/A
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Habakkuk trembled understanding God’s strength and His sovereignty. He will wait on the Lord and rejoice in the Lord no matter his circumstances. The Lord is his strength.
13a) Habakkuk shook under God’s power and righteousness. He realized he was nothing before God.
b) Unsure here. God’s presence.
14a) Habakkuk will rejoice in the Lord and be joyful in Him no matter his circumstances.
b) Though I do not understand my place here, I will wait on you to tell me to move and to tell me what to do, which direction to take, and who to turn to to help me no matter my circumstances.
15a) God is sovereign. He makes his feet like a dee’rs and enables him to climb to new heights.
b) It’s good that God is in control and He helps me. It encourages me when I’m down to ask for forgiveness and let Him pick me back up.
No matter what, God is there; He is sovereign; He is in control. We simply follow and obey.
Habakkuk can trust the Lord even in his troubles because of God’s strength.
God is greater than all our problems.
Our strength is only in and from God.
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This is a prayer to God to remember His people after the punishment. So many bad things have happened, including women being raped, princes hung, young men and boys forced to work slave labor, poverty for all, and more. Jeremiah prays for restoration.
12a) Us, we, our. The people of Jerusalem. You. Lord. Jeremiah is including himself with God’s people. He is suffering right alongside them. He is praying on their behalf.
b) That God’s people have suffered enough and paid the price for their sins. They are weary from it all and are asking God to restore them to their former days of glory.
13) It helps to understand and acknowledge the consequences of sin so that you and the people don’t sin again. It shows God you are learning the lessons He is trying to teach you and that you are ready to come back to Him by praying for His presence in your life once again.
14) Remember what has happeded to them and see their disgrace. They have lost children. They are poor. They are pursued by their enemies and tired. They are hungry. Women have been raped. Princes and elders murdered. Young men and boys do hard labor. They have no joy, and it’s hard to remember God.
15) He sought for God to restore the people back to their former glory. God reigns forever and is in control. He has the power to restore our lives.
16a) They were waiting in every way. They were waiting for God’s anger to abate and embrace His people again.
b) I do have goals and ambitions. I pray for them and wait on His timing. I also work on them every day and wait for God’s timing for doors to open up. I am learning patience and that hard work does pay off.
Despite the calamities that surround you, there is always hope. We can cry out to God, and He hears us.
This chapter has 22 verses, the number of letters in the Hebrew alphabet, but it is not an acrostic.
Jeremiah prayed that God would look and see the people’s misery because he felt like God had forgotten them.
We are responsible before God for our sins.
The people’s food was rationed, they were sick, and everyone suffered.
Jeremiah praises God’s eternal nature and asks for restoration. The people must turn back to God in repentenace. He asks God to turn the people back to Him.
With repentance comes renewal.
The weeping prophet ends on a sad note of unresolved anguish and not with hope (so does the books of Isaiah, Malachi, and Ecclesiastes). It is befitting Jeremiah. Yet, we know there is always hope.
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God offers his people comfort after their sin has been paid for. Prepare for the Lord. The Word of God endures forever. The Lord comes with power. He tends his flock. He gathers the lambs and carries them close to his heart. He gently leads them. The nations are nothing before the Lord. God is above everything. He created the stars one by one and knows their names.
The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.
29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.
Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
3a) “A state of physical ease and freedom from pain or constraint.” That the Israelites exile to Babylon won’t be forever, as the people have paid for their sins.
b) Because God comforts us in all of our troubles. We then can comfort others. Our comfort comes from Christ, too. We are comforted in our sufferings as Christ was comforted during his sufferings. Jesus will save us from our sins, which is comfort in itself.
c) I need God’s comfort in where we are supposed to settle down and God’s comfort for my kids to find their path, too.
4)
40:1-11: God is comfort. He is Almighty. He endures forever. He is all-powerful. He is caring.
40:12-26: God is Creator. God is omniscient. Everything is nothing when compared to God. He is incomparable.
40:27-31: God is everlasting. He never grows tired or weary. He gives us strength.
5) I find God’s strength in His Word, in knowing He is in control, and in knowing He is in charge of this world and everyone on it. I find his strength when I pray, believe, and have faith in what He will do for me.
Such a beautiful (and well-known) chapter of Isaiah. I never grow tired of reading it.
Isaiah now offers words of comfort and hope to the Israelites (the people of Judah). Their sin has been paid for.
A voice in the wilderness prepares the way for the Lord.
Man is frail, but God’s message stands forever.
See God who will return and be a loving shepherd to His people. He is Lord over all of creation and is the God of wisdom.
God’s greatness surpasses all nations and cannot be compared to others, including idols.
God’s greatness is all around us in all of Creation.
Have faith and believe in God’s power and wisdom over all.
God gives strength to the weak. We rely on His strength as He renews us. He gives us strength to keep moving forward.
If we are worn out, God will give us the strength we need to keep going.
Theme: We see God through Isaiah first warn of judgment then promise deliverance.
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