The sermon on the mount—Matthew tells us that Jesus spoke to the people on a mount, a big, high hill. Maybe that would remind Jewish listeners of Moses on the…
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It’s no accident, no coincidence, that temptation follows baptism. John offered a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Jews were familiar with the forgiveness of sins: they gloried…
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There’s just enough distance between Jesus and his followers as they walk along that, though their words aren’t distinct to him, Jesus can tell they’re arguing. The church continues to…
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Jesus is mean. We don’t like mean Jesus. Mean Jesus is too much for us. Can you imagine Jesus insulting someone or treating anyone like a second-class person? You don’t…
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The most inconvenient part of our faith isn’t having to gather here on Sundays or listen to me preach, tedious though that can be. The most inconvenient part of our…
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The Sabbath was God’s gift, God’s blessing for His people. The one thing you do not do, then, is fail to honor and respect the gift. That would dishonor the…
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No one gets to Jesus in just the same way. Am I going to tell Jesus, “Lord, that’s not how I’d do it”? If people bring someone to Jesus in…
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Not purification but preparation. Jesus didn’t need any purification. His baptism wasn’t for his purification; rather, it was a sign of his dedication, his official consecration, if you will. His…
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John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed…
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Without food, we won’t last long. If we understand that, how much more people in the days of Jesus, when crop failures and famines were real things? Though the Roman…
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