Jesus’ baptism and temptation mark the beginning of his public ministry. Jesus returns from the Jordan river and begins preaching, visiting synagogues on the Sabbath and addressing the crowds which begin to be drawn to him as he starts to do miraculous signs and heal the sick.[1] Note that Matthew specifically links this with John’s… Continue reading The preacher
Tag: New Testament Studies
New Exodus
After his baptism, Jesus goes into the wilderness or desert region around the Jordan river. He spends forty days there, fasting and experiencing temptation from Satan. Mark sums this up in a few lines: 12 At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness, 13 and he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted[g] by Satan. He was with… Continue reading New Exodus
Heralded
The sudden appearance of John on the scene, proclaiming a message of repentance is captured by all of the Gospel writers.[1] John introduces his namesake as the first significant event in his Gospel. He portrays those coming to him as curious and trying to identify him. It seemed that an Old Testament figure had re-emerged… Continue reading Heralded
Arrival
Matthew and Luke both provide accounts of Jesus’ birth with Luke going on to provide further detail about his infancy up until the age of 12. Whilst Mark and John do not include such narratives, John does make this brief but theologically explosive statement. “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”[1] The imagery there… Continue reading Arrival
Predestination in Ephesians
One of the most controversial statements in the New Testament is found in Ephesians 1:5 where it says: “ he[b] predestined us” It’s controversial because if God has determined from eternity what will happen to us, then where does that leave free will. It seems that everything has already been decided. If, God “chose us …before the foundation… Continue reading Predestination in Ephesians
Precursors
Mark and John both launch straight into the adult ministry of Jesus whereas Matthew and Luke both commence with birth narratives, although picking up on different aspects of the nativity. There has been a tendency by some to over make much out of this difference between the Gospels with the implication being that because the… Continue reading Precursors
Orderly and verified accounts
Luke was a companion of the apostle Paul. He is the recognised author of both Luke and Acts and so at the point when he joins Paul on his missionary journeys, we can see a switch from the third person (he/they) to the first person, plural (we) as Luke describes the acts of the apostles.… Continue reading Orderly and verified accounts
Introducing Jesus
There are four Gospels or accounts focusing on the life of Jesus. John stands distinct from the other three with Matthew, Mark and Luke being referred to as The Synoptic Gosels meaning that they can be read together. This is due to the fact that there appears to be a significant overlap of source material… Continue reading Introducing Jesus
The Spirit in Ephesians
A central theme in Ephesians is the work of the Holy Spirit. If this is a letter about God’s purpose for his church, about how to be united in love as his alternative society and about standing firm in spiritual warfare, then the Holy Spirit is crucial to all of that. But before Ephesians is… Continue reading The Spirit in Ephesians
Precursors (Faithroots Podcast)
Here’s the next in our Jesus in the Gospels:
Faithroots 