The relationship between the OT and NT is that of promise and fulfilment. See Mt 1:22; 2:5, 17, 23, 3:3; 4:14.
Here is one of the most celebrated of the Messianic prophecies.
‘For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.’ The third of these is, perhaps, the most puzzling. …
J.I. Packer (Concise Theology) notes that one of Calvin’s great contributions to Christian theology was his recognition that in the New Testament the mediatorial work of Jesus is expounded in terms of the threefol office of prophet, priest, and king.
These three aspects are all found in the letter to the Hebrews. Jesus is the exalted King, Heb 1:3, 13; 4:16; 2:9. He is the great High Priest who offered himself to God as a sacrifice for our sins, Heb 2:17; 4:14–5:10; chs.…
Our Lord has just been drawing attention to the self-righteous Pharisees, v30, and announcing that he is the friend of tax-collectors and ‘sinners’, v34. Here is a story which illustrates both these points.
A Pharisee had invited Jesus to have dinner with him. Picture the scene. Now consider the actions and reactions of the three people involved.
Who this woman was, we do not know.
She was well known for her immorality. …
William Hendriksen (New Testament Commentary on Luke, p 456) comments on the number of times that Jesus is interrupted and the way in which he responds to such interruptions:-
1. When speaking to a crowd, Lk 5:17-19
2. When asleep, Lk 8:22-24
3. When on his way to perform a healing, Lk 8:43f
4. When conversing with his disciples, Lk 12:12ff
5. When praying, Mk 1:35ff
6. When travelling, Mk 10:46ff
Never is Jesus ‘thrown’. He uses each occasion as a golden opportunity for some priceless teaching or wonderful miracle.…
The early chapters of the Gospel of Mark present a number of aspects of Jesus as healer. They teach of his healing power, his healing touch, and his healing word. In this passage, it is healing faith that comes to the foreground. I would like to assume that you have been impressed by his great power, attracted by his compassionate touch, convinced by his authoritative word. I would like to encourage you to have faith in Jesus the healer. …
It’s been a long time since Christmas. 30 years, in fact. The angels have long since returned to heaven. The Wise Men have gone back to the East, from whence they came. The shepherds have retired to a cottage by the sea. Simeon and Anna, who greeted the baby Jesus in the Temple, have gone the way of all flesh. Joseph, too, seems to have died at a relatively early age. That flurry of Messianic fervour seems a long time ago now. …
The miracles are flowing so thick and fast at this stage in Jesus’ ministry that there now follows an account of two intertwined healing miracles. The contrast between the two people who asked Jesus for help is notable. One lesson arising from this is the essential equality of all before God: none are exempt from the ravages wrought by disease and death; and none are beyond the compassionate help of the Lord.
A man named Jairus – It must have been very hard for him to come to Jesus. …
The miracle which is about to be recounted was one of just three occasions that we know of when Jesus raised the dead. It is therefore one of the greatest of his miracles. It demonstrates to a remarkable degree his pity mixed with power. He had, on the previous day, healed one who was on the point of death. But now he shows himself to be conqueror of death itself.
1. The widow’s affliction
Picture the scene presented by that funeral procession, with the bereaved mother leading the way. …
Mark’s Gospel simply bursts with energy. Compared with the other three Gospels, this one focuses less on what Jesus taught, more on what he did. Mark rushes breathlessly from one event to another, brandishing his favourite word, ‘immediately’.
It would be a mistake, however, to regard Mark’s Gospel as a mishmash of frantic activity. The whole of the first half of the Gospel is dominated by a huge question mark. It’s a question mark about Jesus himself. …
John’s Gospel has been likened to ‘a pool in which a child may paddle and an elephant can swim.’ It can be appreciated at different levels, from the relatively simple to utterly profound. This is certainly the case with this passage. At one level, we have a fairly straightforward account of the healing of a man who had been disabled for 38 years. At another level, we have an issue about Jesus performing this miracle on the Sabbath, thus antagonising the Jewish authorities. …
