Bible Commentaries

Matthew 21:18-46 — C. Israel’s rejection of her King 21:18-22:46 This section of Matthew’s Gospel presents Israel’s formal rejection of her Messiah. Jesus had made a formal presentation of Himself to the nation’s populace and leadership in the messianic capital with His triumphal entry (Matthew

Mark 11:7-8 — fulfilled the messianic prophecy in Zechariah 9:9. It also indicated that He entered as a servant ruler, not as a political conqueror. When Israel’s rulers wanted to present themselves as servants of the people, they rode donkeys (e.g., Judges 10:4; Judges 12:14). When they acted as military leaders, they rode horses. Normally pilgrims to Jerusalem entered the city on foot. [Note: Ibid., p. 393.] Placing one’s garment on the ground before someone was a sign of royal homage (cf. 2 Kings 9:12-13;

Mark 12:41-44 — Jesus’ commendation of reality 12:41-44 (cf. Luke 21:1-4) This incident contrasts the spiritual poverty and physical prosperity of the scribes with the physical poverty and spiritual prosperity of the widow. It also contrasts the greed of the scribes with the generosity of the widow.

Mark 15:11 — overthrow. Moreover it would have been very unusual for the crowd to side with Pilate and oppose their leaders. "In Judea it was customary to confront the Roman authorities with as large and boisterous a delegation as could be mustered (cf. Acts 24:1; Josephus, Antiquities XVIII. viii. 4)." [Note: Lane, p. 555.]

Mark 7:20-23 — the text is true to life. Sin proceeds from the heart (human nature) to the thoughts (human mind) to actions (human deeds). This controversy with the Pharisees and the scribes was a factor that led Jesus to withdraw from Galilee a third time (cf. Mark 4:35-36; Mark 6:31-32).

Mark 8:32 — Until now, Jesus had only hinted at His sufferings (cf. Mark 2:20; Mark 4:33-34; Mark 7:14-15; Mark 7:17-23). The disciples were unprepared for this clear revelation that Messiah would suffer, die, and rise again. Peter understood it but refused to accept it. He could not reconcile this view of Messiah with the popular one.

Luke 1:71-73 — God’s redeeming work would involve salvation, mercy, and covenant fulfillment. Messiah’s salvation would be political and spiritual (cf. Psalms 106:10). God would be merciful to the fathers by fulfilling His promises to them (cf. Malachi 4:6). The oath God swore to Abraham refers to Genesis 22:16-18 that included promises of victory over enemies and universal blessing (cf. Genesis 26:3; Psalms 106:45). The words "covenant" and "oath" are central in the chiasm, as mentioned

Luke 10:17-20 — 4. The joy of participation 10:17-20 Luke stressed the joy that the Seventy experienced because they participated in God’s program (cf. Philippians 1:3-5). As we have noted before, Luke often referred to the joy that Jesus brought to people (cf.

Luke 12:15 — bring fullness of life. The man had implied that his life would be better if he had more possessions. Jesus said that was not necessarily so. People should seek God rather than riches because God does bring fulfillment into life (cf. Colossians 3:1-4).

Luke 12:2-3 — Jesus undoubtedly had God who knows all secrets in mind. Luke 12:3 probably is a positive encouragement rather than an ominous threat. Jesus used it that way in the other contexts in which He made this statement (cf. Luke 8:17; Matthew 10:26-27; Mark 4:22). If so, He meant the good witness that the disciples might try to hide because of the threat of persecution would come out into the open eventually.

John 11:28 — Martha’s reaction is another good model. Having come to faith in Jesus herself she proceeded to bring others to Him knowing that He could help them too (cf. John 1:40-45; John 4:28-29). As Andrew had done (John 1:41-42), Martha brought her sibling to the Savior. She described Jesus to her sister as they both had known Him best. She did it secretly to enable Mary to meet with Jesus privately. Jesus had expressed

John 12:26 — For disciples of Jesus, self-sacrifice does not just mean putting others before themselves. It also means putting Jesus first (cf. John 10:4). The disciple who wants to serve Jesus must follow Him. He or she must go where Jesus goes and do what He does. True servants stay close to their masters. Jesus said these words on the way to the Cross and His glorification. Likewise His servants who

John 5:35 — ministry. Evidently John’s public ministry had ended by this time since Jesus spoke of his witness as past. John was not the true light (Gr. phos, John 1:8-9), but he was a lamp (Gr. lychnos) that bore witness (cf. Psalms 132:17; 2 Corinthians 4:6-7). John’s ministry had caused considerable messianic excitement. Unfortunately most of John’s hearers only chose to follow his teaching temporarily (John 2:23-25). When Jesus appeared, they did not follow Him. Thus John’s witness

John 8:57 — possibility of His deity. To them it seemed ludicrous that Abraham could have seen Jesus’ day in any sense since millennia separated the two men. Evidently they chose 50 years old as a round number symbolic of the end of an active life (cf. Numbers 4:3). Jesus was obviously not that old since He began His public ministry when He was about 30 (Luke 3:23), and it only lasted about three and a half years. According to Hoehner’s chronology, Jesus would have been in His mid-thirties at this time.

Acts 15:12 — Barnabas and Paul’s testimony 15:12 The old order of these two names recurs here. Barnabas, as a respected member of this church (Acts 4:36-37; Acts 11:22), took the lead in relating the experiences he and Paul had undergone in ministering to Gentiles. Barnabas emphasized the signs and wonders God had performed because these would have persuaded the Jews that God had been at work in

Acts 20:12 — too.’ Probably Paul was nothing more than a humble preacher of the gospel. We do know that Apollos was an eloquent man, but that is not said of Paul. These believers simply wanted to hear the Word of God. How wonderful that is!" [Note: McGee, 4:603.]

Acts 9:39 — had made clothes for the poor widows. This was her ministry. "She had the gift of sewing. Do you mean to tell me that sewing is a gift of the Holy Spirit? Yes, it was for this woman. May I suggest seeking a gift that is practical? [Note: McGee, 4:552.]

Romans 16:25 — Proclamation follows revelation. The gospel had been hidden in eternity past until God revealed it first in the Old Testament and then fully in the New (cf. Romans 11:25; Galatians 1:12; Galatians 1:15-16; Ephesians 3:9; Colossians 1:26; Colossians 4:3).

1 Corinthians 14:14 — Public prayer is in view here, as it is in this whole chapter (1 Corinthians 14:16), but some may have been praying in tongues privately as well. While praying in a tongue might give the person doing so a certain sense of exultation in his spirit, his mind would not benefit. He would not know what he was saying without interpretation.

1 Corinthians 15:12 — Christians were having second thoughts about this doctrine. "These deniers apparently believe that those who are truly ’spiritual’ (in the Corinthians’ sense) are already ’reigning with Christ’ in glory (see 1 Corinthians 4:8)." [Note: Furnish, p. 74.] "On the whole the Greek did believe in the immortality of the soul, but the Greek would never have dreamed of believing in the resurrection of the body." [Note: Barclay, The Letter . . ., p. 156.]