Year Two, April 1-30

 Year Two, April 1

Behold, the Lamb of God1

When Jesus left the area, John continued his ministry just as before.

  

John 1:19-42

19And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” 20He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” 21And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.”

He was not literally Elijah, nor any other departed prophet. The Jews did not understand the true meaning of the promises that told about the coming of the Messiah’s forerunner. They expected Elijah would return in person.

22So they said to him, “Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 23He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.” (Jesus is the Word, John is only the voice declaring the word.)

24(Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.) (The Sadducees did not believe in a coming Messiah and therefore, unlike the Pharisees, they had no interest in such things.) 25They asked him, “Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” 26John answered them, “I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, 27even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” (John held Jesus in such high honor that he felt unworthy of even the lowly service of untying his sandals and carrying them for him. To do anything for Jesus is a great honor.) 28These things took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

29The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”

This was a true gospel announcement. Jesus is the great victim sacrificed for human guilt. He is not a lamb, but the Lamb, the Lamb of God. He is “God-ordained, God-given, God-accepted.”2 The sin of the world is seen as one huge burden that he takes away as a sacrifice. This verse is the foundation of the gospel message and the heart of all true preaching.

30“This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’ 31I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.” 32And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. 33I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.” (Jesus and John had lived apart. John did not know Jesus until the Spirit had spoken to him. Therefore there was no secret planning between them and the witness of John becomes all the more valuable.)

35The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, 36and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” 37The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. (Preaching that leads people away from the preacher himself and to his Lord is good preaching.) 38Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?” And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?”

This meant, “We want to talk with you more in some quiet place and learn what John means.”

39He said to them, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. 40One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). 42aHe brought him to Jesus. (Blessed is the one who, having found the Lord for themselves, brings their sibling also. These first disciples were John and Andrew. John does not say anything about himself, but is careful to record the zealous act of Andrew. True humility is as glad to display the virtues of others as it is eager to conceal its own. Andrew brought a convert to Jesus who would become greater than he would. May those who are the least be likewise used in the conversion of the greatest.)

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¹ John 1:29

² Source of quote is uncertain.

Year Two, April 2

Follow Me1

John 1:43-51

43The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” (That simple word won the heart of the fourth disciple. Has Jesus ever said, “Follow Me” to us?) 44Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” (So the good work goes on by one telling another. If each Christian would try to bring another to Jesus, much would be accomplished!) 46Nathanael (who is also called Bartholomew) said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” 47Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” (Nathanael was a fair minded man who was also honest and direct.)

48Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” (He had probably been there seeking divine guidance through diligent secret prayer and the Lord Jesus knew this. Nathanael must have been surprised when his secret habit was spoken of in public.) 49Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” 50Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” 51And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” (Like a trusting Jacob, Nathanael believed and like him he will see the staircase that connects earth with heaven. Those who are willing to learn will be graciously taught.

Jesus went about his work very quietly and yet in two days he had gathered five choice men. They became his faithful disciples and laid the groundwork of his kingdom. Then he left the Judean valley and traveled two days to Cana.)

  

John 2:1-12

1On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. (Marriage was celebrated and honored by Jesus. He does not want his people to despise either the joy or obligation of social events.) 3When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” 4And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.”

The word for “Woman” in the Greek is far more respectful than it appears in the English. But still the sentence was a rebuke and was meant to prevent Mary from overstepping her position. No human relationship could give any man or woman the right to dictate or even suggest what Jesus should do.

5His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”

6Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. 7Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 8And he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it. 9When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom 10and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.”

By performing the miracle of turning water into wine our Lord showed the difference between his teaching and that of John. He also drew a line of distinction between his spiritual kingdom and the religious groups whose righteousness is measured by what they eat and drink and what they do not eat and drink. Whether we drink water or wine is not all that important in the kingdom of God. What is important is peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.2

11This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him. (The presence of Jesus uplifts our family joys and turns them from water into wine.)

12After this he went down to Capernaum, with his mother and his brothers and his disciples, and they stayed there for a few days.

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¹ John 1:43

² Romans 14:17, “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”

Year Two, April 3

Do Not Make My Father’s House a House of Trade1

John 2:13-25

13The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. (We have seen him there once before as a son in his own house when he was twelve years old. We see him now in his mature years as a son ruling over his own house, exercising authority in the father’s palace.) 14In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there. (These services were necessary so worshipers could exchange their Roman money for Jewish money, because only Jewish money could be accepted by the priests. But they had no right to transact this business inside the house of God.) 15And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. 16And he told those who sold the pigeons, “Take these things away; do not make my Father’s house a house of trade.” (This was the beginning of Malachi’s prophesy: “Behold, I send my messenger and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts. But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the LORD.”2 With the same zeal, the Lord will drive out of his church all those who use the church to advance their own business and turn the worship of God into a way of making money. This was the first time our Lord cleansed the temple. He had to repeat this work a second time near the end of his earthly ministry.3 Nothing is more difficult than to clean a place that has once been holy and then been violated. It does not appear that anyone tried to stop the Lord Jesus. The majesty of his appearance probably held them back.) 17His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.”

18So the Jews said to him, “What sign do you show us for doing these things?” 19Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” 20The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?” 21But he was speaking about the temple of his body. (The resurrection of the Lord Jesus is the most convincing proof of his mission. The fact that he rose by his own power gives clear evidence that he is God. Who but God could say of his own dead body, “I will raise it up”? Because Jesus has risen from the dead, we should believe in him.) 22When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken. (There is no doubt that his disciples already believed both their Master and the Scriptures. But after his resurrection, they understood his words better and it was like they believed all over again.)

23Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing. (The gospel wins many converts, but over time it becomes clear that not all of them understood and were sincere. This did not surprise Jesus and it should not surprise us. The next verse tells us that he did not trust those who were so eager to claim their loyalty to him. Jesus understood the fickleness of human hearts, the superficial nature of that which often passes for true religion, and the ease with which hasty conversions are turned into sudden and final apostasies. May the Lord cleanse our hearts and keep us to the end.) 24But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people 25and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.

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¹ John 2:16

² Malachi 3:1-3

³ This is found in Matthew 21:12-13.

Year Two, April 4

You Must Be Born Again1

John 3:1-21

1Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” (He may have come by night because he was busy during the day or it may have been because he wanted to ask his questions in private before making any commitment to the new teacher. Jesus did not refuse this midnight interview and Nicodemus came to him in a courteous and honest spirit.) 3Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

In this way, Jesus tested how much faith this curious ruler already had. 

 The doctrine2 of the new birth has been a test question and “a stone of stumbling”3 to many, and always will be. Jesus tested Nicodemus with this vital question right from the start. He never hides truth to win followers.

4Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” 5Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”

Flesh at its best can only produce flesh. Since we must become spiritual to enter the spiritual kingdom of Jesus, it is obvious that we must be born again or else remain strangers to the things of God. Every person must be born twice or die twice. Let us never forget this.

7“Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” (The born again person is a mystery. Where their new nature comes from and where it takes them are both spiritual questions that the unbelieving mind cannot answer.)

9Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” 10Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? 11Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. 12If I have told you earthly things (or things belonging to this world) and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things?”

The higher truths are not opened up to those who are puzzled by the more easily understood doctrines. It would be a waste of time to try to explain them.

13“No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. 14And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.”

It is remarkable that the chapter that so strongly teaches us the need of the new birth is the same one that most clearly has the gospel of faith in Christ Jesus. Both truths should be seen as friends that should be believed in. We “must be born again,” and yet “whoever believes in him is not condemned.”

16“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. (Let this be clearly understood. All in this family who have not believed are already condemned.) 19And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

With such simple teaching before us, it will be terrible if any one of us should live and die in unbelief. It is our responsibility to believe in Jesus at once. Life on this earth is short and before long we will be in a place where the promises of the gospel will no longer be available to us. Lord, we believe and by grace we are saved.

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¹ John 3:7

² doctrine - the belief or teaching of a church or group.

³ 1 Peter 2:8

Year Two, April 5

Whoever Believes in the Son Has Eternal Life1

John 3:22-36

22After this Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, and he remained there with them and was baptizing. 23John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because water was plentiful there, and people were coming and being baptized 24(for John had not yet been put in prison). (John had chosen a suitable spot for the sacred act of baptism. As Milton put it:

“Them who shall believe,

Baptizing in the profluent stream.”2

He would not have needed so much water if he was only sprinkling the people.)

25Now a discussion arose between some of John’s disciples and a Jew over purification. 26And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness—look, he is baptizing, and all are going to him.” 27John answered, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven. (Each one has their appointed place and John had no desire to take over the work of someone else, least of all that of his Lord. The truth stated in this verse should act as an effective cure for envy and wanting more fame than someone else.) 28You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.’ (John understood this point clearly. It will be good for all pastors and ministers if they also understand that all praise belongs only to their Master and never to them.) 29The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom (his best man or the person assisting him) who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. 30He must increase, but I must decrease.”

31He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way. He who comes from heaven is above all. 32He bears witness to what he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his testimony. (John’s disciples said that all everyone went after Jesus and they made a big deal about it. John, on the other hand, was not bothered because the crowds left to hear Jesus. He desired something more for these people and sighed because they did not receive the Son of God in their hearts.) 33Whoever receives his testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true. (John eagerly directs people’s minds to the Redeemer. He is willing to be nothing if only they will believe in the Savior. Indeed, all who love other people must desire the same, because only when Jesus is received in the heart can people be saved.)

34For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure. 35The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand. 36Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him. (This is the one great difference: Believer or unbeliever? How does it affect this family? Have we believed or are we now under divine wrath because of unbelief?)

  

Luke 3:18-20

18So with many other exhortations [John] preached good news to the people. 19But Herod the tetrarch, who had been reproved by him for Herodias, his brother’s wife, and for all the evil things that Herod had done, 20added this to them all, that he locked up John in prison. (Herod liked to hear John preach, until he touched his conscience. Then he wanted no more of his words. A person is in a sad condition when they hate the ministry that wants to lead them to repentance. May God keep us from having such a wicked spirit. It is a sure mark of condemnation.)

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¹ John 3:36

² John Milton, Paradise Lost (1667). profluent - Flowing copiously or abundantly

Year Two, April 6

God Is Spirit1

John 4:1-26

1Now when Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John 2(although Jesus himself did not baptize, but only his disciples), 3he left Judea and departed again for Galilee.

Jesus had no wish to provoke opposition unnecessarily or stir up controversy in this early phase of his ministry.

4And he had to pass through Samaria.

This was not only because it was the closest way to Galilee, but also because the Lord had a work of mercy to carry out. He sensed a need to seek out a poor guilty woman who lived in Samaria.

5So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6Jacob’s well was there; so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well. It was about the sixth hour.

7A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” 8(For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.) 9The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria? (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) 10Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” (Note how these words go together, “You would have asked, and he would have given.” It is always the case. Asking and giving are welded together. Who would not ask, when the answer is so certain and the blessing so precious?)

11The woman said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? 12Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock.” (She could not understand the Lord’s riddle. She could only think of water that she could carry in her water jar.) 13Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, 14but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty forever. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” 15The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.”

16Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.” (Until this point nothing had reached her heart, but this sentence gave her a shock. However his request was a very natural one, because the custom of that time was that a religious teacher was not allowed to instruct a married woman for any length of time unless her husband was present.) 17The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; 18for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true.” (He knew her life. She was a woman divorced many times and probably not for the best of reasons. Her unpleasant history was an open book to Jesus.)

19The woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. (She tries to change the subject and talk about religion in a superficial way. Like ourselves before conversion, she did not want her views of right and wrong examined very closely. She was curious to know whether the Jews or the Samaritans had the true temple. Even ungodly people debate nonessential religious questions.) 20Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.” 21Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. 22You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. 24God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” (This was new light to her. She had never thought about spiritual worship. It is good when we begin to understand that true religion deals with the heart rather than outward ceremonies.)

25The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.” 26Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.” (The Sun of Righteousness shined on her. In his grace, he provided his own light and she saw and believed.)

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¹ John 4:24

Year Two, April 7

Those Who Were Not My People I Will Call “My People”1

John 4:27-42

27Just then his disciples came back. They marveled that he was talking with a woman, but no one said, “What do you seek?” or, “Why are you talking with her?” (Their Jewish prejudices were triggered by his heartfelt concern for a Samaritan woman. They would never have lowered themselves to speak to her. They were amazed at what he was doing, but had too much respect for their Master to be too bold in the way they questioned him.) 28So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, 29“Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?”

The convert becomes a missionary. Her worldly cares are all forgotten. Now she cares only for the souls of others.

30They went out of the town and were coming to him. (God blessed the woman’s testimony so that their curiosity was excited. She had become a link in the chain of events that led to the conversion of many. We might all be useful if we would only try.)

31Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.” 32But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” (He was so happy in his work that he forgot the calls of appetite; the soul conquered the body.) 33So the disciples said to one another, “Has anyone brought him something to eat?” 34Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. (His work occupied all his thoughts. Success in gospel work was more refreshing to his heart than food is to the stomach.) 35Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest.”

The people were streaming out of Sychar, eager to hear Jesus. These Samaritans were as ready for the word as ripe grain for harvest. This was a good beginning, but it called for additional effort. When the people are willing to receive the word, their pastors must be ready to assume even more responsibility.

36“Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. 37For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ 38I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.” (And so it is with all of us, for we reap what others have sown in ages past. This is especially true of what Jesus has sown by his suffering and death.)

39Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me all that I ever did.”

Very imperfect instruments may be used by the Holy Spirit to lay the foundations of faith. John Foxe tells us that, in his day, some were brought to a knowledge of the truth by reading Chaucer’s works: “And in that time when books were rare and teachers were lacking, this one thing I greatly marvel at,” says he, “that the word of God did multiply so exceedingly, for I find that one neighbor conversing with others did soon win and turn their minds to the truth.”2

40So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days. 41And many more believed because of his word. 42They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.”

They outgrew their first instructor and rose to a much better and clearer understanding of the gospel. If they learned so much in two days, how much more should we have learned who have had the teaching of Jesus available to us these many years.

Let us learn from this deeply interesting Scripture to live to do good. Let us also learn that no service we can provide for others helps them more than telling them about Jesus and what he has done for us.

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¹ Romans 9:25

² Probably a quote from Foxe’s Book of Martyrs first published in 1563. Geoffrey Chaucer lived during the 14th century and is called by many the Father of English literature and the greatest English poet of the Middle Ages. He apparently held some orthodox religious views, but his writings give some reason to question them.

Year Two, April 8

I Will Have Mercy on Whom I Have Mercy1

Luke 4:14-30

14And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and a report about him went out through all the surrounding country. 15And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all. (This rural area was highly favored to have Christ himself going from town to town. It is a great privilege to have the gospel preached near where we live. Let us prize it if we have it.)

16And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. (Worship in the synagogue was not all that could be wished for, but it was better than nothing. Therefore, our Lord set the example by attending the services and showing that this was the proper way to honor the Sabbath and praise God. We should never neglect meeting together,2 even if only two or three can be present.3) 17And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

because he has anointed me
      to proclaim good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives

and recovering of sight to the blind,
      to set at   liberty those who are oppressed.

19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

He paused there and stopped reading. If he continued he would have read, “and the day of vengeance of our God.”4 That would have been inappropriate, because his mission at that time was only one of mercy.

20And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” 22And all spoke well of him and marveled at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth. (Their first thoughts were best. When they thought about what he said, the words appealed to them. But when they thought about who it was who said this to them, they changed their minds for the worse. Many foolish people have done the same.) And they said, “Is not this Joseph’s son?” 23And he said to them, “Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, ‘Physician, heal yourself.’ What we have heard you did at Capernaum, do here in your hometown as well.” 24And he said, “Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown. 25But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heavens were shut up three years and six months, and a great famine came over all the land, 26and Elijah was sent to none of them but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. 27And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.”

He declared to them the doctrines of divine sovereignty5 and electing grace. These are truths the carnal mind always kicks at. People will hear anything rather than a proclamation that the Lord distributes his mercy the way that seems good to him.6 By pointing out cases where God blessed Gentiles, our Lord’s speech was certain to anger his hearers. People are as angry about the freeness of grace as they are with the sovereignty of it. Jesus did not come there to flatter them. He told them the truth, whether they approved of it or not.

28When they heard these things, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath. 29And they rose up and drove him out of the town and brought him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they could throw him down the cliff. 30But passing through their midst, he went away.

They were admirers one hour and murderers at heart the next. Sincere servants of Christ must not be surprised if warm friends become bitter enemies because of the truth. People are fickle and those who are wise will not depend on them.

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¹ Romans 9:15

² Hebrews 10:25

³ Matthew 18:20

⁴ Isaiah 61:2

⁵ sovereignty - supreme power or authority

⁶ 1 Samuel 3:18, “[Eli] said, ‘It is the LORD. Let him do what seems good to him.”

Year Two, April 9

From Now on You Will Be Catching Men1

Jesus was driven from the city of Nazareth, so he went to another, continuing to display his healing power. Ungratefulness could not stop him from blessing mankind.
  

John 4:46-54

46So he came again to Cana in Galilee, where he had made the water wine. And at Capernaum there was an official whose son was ill. 47When this man heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went to him and asked him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. (It is a rare sight to see the great ones of the earth coming to Jesus. But if they want to receive Jesus’ blessing, the great as well as the poor must come to the Lord.) 48So Jesus said to him, “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.” 49The official said to him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.”

In his passionate desire for his son’s life, this official took Jesus’ rebuke in silence. Then he cried out again for mercy.

50Jesus said to him, “Go; your son will live.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way. 51As he was going down, his servants met him and told him that his son was recovering. (Faith and the cure happened at the same moment. From Cana to Capernaum, like a flash of lightning, the power to heal traveled the moment the father believed.) 52So he asked them the hour when he began to get better, and they said to him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.” 53The father knew that was the hour when Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” And he himself believed, and all his household. 54This was now the second sign that Jesus did when he had come from Judea to Galilee. (The first miracle was done during a marriage and the second for a father and child. Jesus is the true “Family Friend.” Parents, go to Jesus in full confidence for your children! He is waiting to answer you.)

We now turn to another event that happened about this time.
  

Luke 5:1-11

1On one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret, 2and he saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. 3Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. 4And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” 5And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” (Whatever may have happened in the past or how hopeless the future may seem, our job is to obey, and in obeying we will meet with a reward.) 6And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking.

7They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. 8But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” (He felt that he was not fit for such holy company and expressed his feeling without caring how his words may have sounded to others. He was always outspoken.) 9For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, 10and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” 11And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.

And wonderful catchers of men they became, taking whole nations in their gospel nets. May the Lord help all his spiritual fishermen to let down their nets on the right side of the boat.

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¹ Luke 5:10

Year Two, April 10

He Went About Doing Good1

Mark 1:21-39

21And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath [Jesus] entered the synagogue and was teaching. 22And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes. 23And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, 24“What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.” 25But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” (Christ would not have praise from the devil. It has a bad taste about it.) 26And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying out with a loud voice, came out of him. 27And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” 28And at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee.

29And immediately he left the synagogue and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30Now Simon’s mother-in-law lay ill with a fever, and immediately they told him about her.

Luke says it was “a high fever,”2 so that she was too sick to speak for herself. We must tell Jesus about those who do not plead for themselves.

31And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her, and she began to serve them.

Usually a person who is healed or recovers from a fever takes a long time to recover their strength. But our Lord’s cures are both perfect and immediate. The people who the Lord heals spiritually are certain to be grateful and will show it by ministering to both him and his people. If the Lord serves us, it is only right for us to serve him.

32That evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or oppressed by demons. 33And the whole city was gathered together at the door. 34And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. And he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.

35And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. (He had a great deal of work ahead of him and therefore desired much time alone with God. The demands of business are not an excuse to cut our prayers short. Rather, they should urge us to pray more.) 36And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, 37and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.” (Simon was always too direct. We will often meet with interruptions in prayer, even from those who mean well. Therefore, let us, like Jesus, get alone and choose early hours.) 38And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” 39And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.

He did not wait around to be honored for his wonderful miracles, but traveled on to other places to preach and heal. Let us push forward, because we have much to do and only one short life in which to do it.
  

Matthew 4:23-25

23And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people. (What a blessed combination, “Proclaiming the gospel and healing”! Nowadays we have them both spiritually in the gospel. Those who preach Jesus are healers, because that sacred name is medicine to the soul.) 24So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, those having seizures, and paralytics, and he healed them. (What a list of ailments, and how sweet the footnote that Matthew added, “And he healed them”!) 25And great crowds followed him from Galilee and the Decapolis, and from Jerusalem and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan. (And well they might follow him, since he scattered such priceless blessings. Let us follow him in a higher sense. No one who walks in fellowship with Jesus has sickness of the soul. Walk with the beloved Physician and you will have no more reason to say, “I am sick.”3)

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¹ Acts 10:38

² Luke 4:38

³ Isaiah 33:24

Year Two, April 11

Blessed Are the Poor in Spirit1

Matthew 5:1-12

1Seeing the crowds, [Jesus] went up on the mountain (Where he could find an appropriate place for an audience. How different was this hill of the gospel from the Mount Sinai of the law! Israel trembled before a mountain of curses, but we rejoice at the mount of beatitudes.2), and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.

2And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:

The Lord opened his mouth and the richest fountain of instruction for the good of humanity flowed over his disciples. He had opened the mouths of prophets before, but now he speaks to his followers directly. He spoke clearly and from strong conviction, as should anyone who has an important message to deliver. He pronounced seven blessings on seven kinds of people. These seven types of conditions describe the perfect character. The seven blessings attached to them combine to describe perfect happiness. All seven rise one above another like the steps of a ladder of light. Each blessing flows as a result of the character quality described. At the close of the seven beatitudes of character comes an eighth and double blessing. It is for those who are persecuted for living the holy life just described. The eight make up a holy octave3 of blessing.)

3“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (The first step of the ladder is low and most easily reached. It begins where the law ends. The law shows us our poverty in spirit and Jesus removes it. Those who know their spiritual poverty are the only ones who by faith can take hold of the true riches of grace.)

4“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. (To their sense of need is now added holy sorrow for sin. This leads them to Jesus, and he comforts them.)

5“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. (People cannot be proud and repentant at the same time. This blessing is for those who have a gentle spirit. They enjoy what they have and are content with whatever God supplies. They are heirs of both this world and worlds to come.)

6“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”

Their hearts long for more holiness and they push forward toward that goal. Those who are proud of themselves and think they have reached it, miss it. Their satisfaction with themselves is a dream. But if we truly long after holiness, the Lord will be sure to satisfy us.

7“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. (They do good and receive good. Because they are filled with righteousness, they are empty of all spitefulness. By showing love to others, they win their love in return. God will show no mercy to those who show no mercy to other people.)

8“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. (Sin blinds. When the heart is pure, the spiritual eye sees clearly and the pure and holy Lord reveals himself.)

9“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”

This is a high achievement and follows purity: “first pure, then peaceable.”4 The one who reaches it has clear evidence that they have been adopted into God’s family. May each one of us try to be a peacemaker in the family, in the church, and in the world.

10“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

The world cannot appreciate the character traits in which the Lord delights. That is why it opposes and hates them. As good soldiers of Jesus, our job is to endure the world’s disapproval. Never flinch, even for a moment, at taking up your cross for Jesus’ sake.5

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¹ Matthew 5:3

² beatitudes - blessings. The eight blessings that Jesus gives in The Sermon on the Mount are called The Beatitudes.

³ octave - eight steps on the musical scale

⁴ James 3:17, “The wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.”

⁵ Matthew 16:24, “Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.’”

Year Two, April 12

You Are the Salt of the Earth1

Matthew 5:13-30

13“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. (If it was possible for those who have grace to lose it completely, then they could never be brought back. When a church becomes a den of evil, it is a hopeless situation, just as the Church of Rome is at this present time.)

14“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. (Do not go about trying to shine by pretending to be something you are not. True holiness does not look to receive glory, but to give glory to God.)

17“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill then, 18For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. (The gospel honors and establishes the law. The life and death of Jesus display both the beauty of righteousness and the evil of sin. In eternity, truth and treating others right will prove to be the real winners.) 19Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Grace makes a person better than self-righteousness ever does. The day of judgment will show that the saints are holier people than the Pharisees ever were—even with all their bragging about their superior holiness.

21“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ 22But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment (or the sentence of the criminal courts in the various towns); whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council (or will stand trial before the Sanhedrin2); and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. 23So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. (An unforgiving spirit kills worship. Until every offense against us is pardoned, our approach to the altar is an insult to the God of love.) 25Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. 26Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny. (Those who refuse to treat others fairly will receive judgment to the full, both in this life and in eternity.)

27“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

The heart and eye can sin as well as the hand. The law is spiritual. Wishing to sin and lusting to sin are condemned along with actual acts of sin. We may be under great condemnation even though no obvious sin has stained our character!

29“If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. 30And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell. (Any loss, any self-denial, any pain is better than to lose our souls forever. We must control ourselves and turn our backs on that which is most pleasing to our corrupt nature, rather than be castaways forever. May the Lord help us to enter by the narrow gate.3)

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¹ Matthew 5:13

² Sanhedrin - the highest court of justice and the supreme council in ancient Jerusalem.

³ Matthew 7:13, “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction.”

Year Two, April 13

Love Your Enemies1

Matthew 5:33-48

33“Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ 34But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. 37Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil. (Does this not forbid every kind of oath, not only profane swearing, but even that which is normally required by civil governments? Christians should avoid all expressions like “on my honor,” “on my word.” That kind of language goes beyond the “yes and no” that Christians should use. People who swear profanely are only fooling themselves when they imagine that their oaths give them more credibility. Every sensible person knows that a person who is usually swearing profanely is quite able to both lie and steal. Clean language becomes those who have been washed in the blood of Jesus. The tongue is an indicator of the health of both soul and body. The person who is not pure in word is certainly not pure in heart and will not see the Lord.)

38“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.”

Retaliation is not a Christian word and revenge is only fit to be spoken of by the devil and his children. To endure, and endure still more, is the mark of a soul that has been renewed by grace.

40“And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. 41And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. 42Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.”

Generosity and willing sympathy are beauties of the sanctified character. It is far better to suffer a great wrong than to make someone mad enough to sue you or even to start an argument. Those who are always standing up for their rights, and will never put up with an injury, have not yet caught the spirit of the Lord Jesus.

43“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” 44But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”

Our only weapon against evil is good. Never stop using it, cost us what it may. The love of God falls on people who do not deserve it and so also must our kindness. It would be far better if a hundred evil people received our help by deceiving us than that one suffering fellow creature should be neglected because of the wickedness of others. Hardness of heart gradually grows on people through contact with a deceitful and harsh world, but we must not allow evil influences to control us and harden our hearts against others.

46“For if you love those who love, you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

This is a high ideal, but we must aim to reach it. Kindness to all and love that cannot be conquered are the crown and glory of a holy character. Without them we still come up short, no matter what other virtues we may have. The person of uncompromising fairness must rise even higher and become the meek peson who forgives injuries and is the generous friend of the needy. Oh God of love, instruct us to this level, for Jesus’ sake.

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¹ Matthew 5:44

Year Two, April 14

Our Father in Heaven, Hallowed Be Your Name1

We will continue reading from the Sermon on the Mount.
  

Matthew 6:1-15

1“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. (If an action is not done in the Lord’s service, but to our own honor, we cannot expect a reward from above.)

2“Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.”

Those who make certain everyone knows how much they give to charitable causes enjoy a sort of reward through the public applause they receive. Having received the reward they were looking for, they cannot reasonably expect any other honor.

3“But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,”

Do not let what you have done become so known that it goes to your head. Do not keep counting what you have given like a miser who keeps counting their money. Instead, go and give even more.

4“so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”

Those who are anxious about having their donations publicly acknowledged, will give nothing unless it is put down on a printed list for all to see. They should take warning from our Lord’s words. Believers should also learn to give to the cause of God and to the poor in the quietest manner possible.

5“And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

7“And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. (Unbelievers repeat the same words over and over again. So do Roman Catholics and others like them. This is nothing less than mocking God. God is not deaf or forgetful. He does not delight in hearing mere words repeated again and again. Prayer is the intelligent approach of our mind to the mind of God. When we come to God in prayer, we must not think that we are somehow adding to God’s knowledge, which is infinite, or that we can command the ruler of heaven and earth to do what we want.) 9Pray then like this: (This is the perfect example. Use it to guide your prayers.)

“Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name.

10 Your kingdom come,

your will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.”

Out of seven requests the first three concern the name, kingdom, and will of God. The Lord must occupy the highest place in our prayers and indeed in our whole lives.

The four requests for ourselves rise by degrees from “bread” up to “deliver us from evil.” This teaches us to rise in our prayers from physical needs to spiritual ones.

11 “Give us this day our daily bread,”

Father, give us necessary food, bread for this day. It is our bread and yet it is your gracious gift to us. Give it not only to me, but also to all of us, to all your children. 

12 “and forgive us our debts,

as we also have forgiven our debtors.”

We are willing to make this the measure of your forgiveness to us.

13 “And lead us not into temptation,”

In guiding us, do not allow us to be placed in situations where we will be severely tested.

“but deliver us from evil.”

Especially from the Evil One.

14“For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

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¹ Matthew 6:9

Year Two, April 15

Keep Your Heart With All Vigilance1

We continue further with our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount.
  

Matthew 6:19-24

19“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Whatever we choose to be our treasure will be sure to be what pulls at our heart. If our goal is to pile up earthly riches, our hearts will, step-by-step, make money the most important thing in our lives. On the other hand, if our most treasured possessions are heavenly things, our hearts will rise to a higher and more spiritual state. The condition of the heart is certain to be affected by what kind of treasure we store up. Will the children of God give their hearts away to passing joys, that will be destroyed or stolen?)

22“The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, 23but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! (A heart that professes to be interested in heaven, but is a slave to the things of this world, is like an eye that has gone blind and placed its owner in darkness. There is no such thing as seeing spiritual things while the windows of the soul are imprisoned by the darkness of worldliness.)

24“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”

Two main goals cannot rule in one heart. They cannot both be master. Either sin or grace will captivate the whole heart; neither will be willing to compromise.
  

Matthew 7:1-12

1“Judge not, that you be not judged. 2For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. 3Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is a log in your own eye? 5You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. (We are too ready to condemn others and go easy on ourselves. It will be wise to act just the opposite, making every excuse for the behavior of others while accepting no excuse for ourselves.)

6“Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.

7“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 9Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? 11If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!”

Our Lord strongly urges us to pray to our heavenly Father. We are asking a Father, not a tyrant. Our Father will not use all his wisdom and judgment to fight off our requests, but will do for us “far more abundantly than all that we ask or think.”2

12“So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

This last verse is the golden rule. Those who follow it will live truly praiseworthy lives.

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¹ Proverbs 4:23

² Ephesians 3:20

Year Two, April 16

Enter by the Narrow Gate1

Matthew 7:13-29

13“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. (Do not choose your religion because it is easy and popular with the multitude. The evil way is the way that charms the crowd. It is prepared by the Evil One to be pleasing to flesh and blood.) 14For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. (Compared to those who take the wide gate, the number who take the right road are few. If we desire to be saved, we must swim against the stream. We must take up the cross and deny ourselves.2 This is not the popular road and it never will be, but it is the chosen path of those who are touched by grace.)

15“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.”

Do not accept religious teachers because they claim to be apostles or because some respected church or university ordained them. Rather, judge them by their doctrines3 and actions. He who glorifies God by gracious preaching and holy living has the best certificate of ordination in the world.  He who spreads error or lives unrighteously is no servant of the Lord, no matter how loudly he claims to be.

21“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. (Our religion must be evident in our lives or it will prove worthless in the end.) 22On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

24“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25And the rain fell, and the floods came and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. (Trials will come even to doers of the word. Rains of affliction will fall from above, floods of persecution or trouble will arise from the earth, and mysterious winds of spiritual temptation will beat on them from all directions. Those who have a solid foundation of real, living, practical faith will survive every test. This is not the case for the mere hearer of the word.4 Their end will be quite different!) 26And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

His trials were no more severe than the righteous man’s, but he could not handle the blow. His great profession of faith only made his ruin all the more astonishing. Oh, to build on the rock. That is what really counts! Living, active godliness outlives all mere imitations of grace.

28And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, 29for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.

He was no doctor of doubts. He did not question God or argue about minor details of religion. He spoke boldly and he spoke the truth. In these days, we greatly need the same kind of ministry. Send it, good Lord, we plead of you.

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¹ Matthew 7:13

² Matthew 16:24; “Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.’” Also Luke 9:23.

³ doctrines - the beliefs or teachings of a church or group.

⁴ James 1:22, “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”

Year Two, April 17

He…Went Out to a Desolate Place, and There He Prayed1

Mark 1:35-45

35And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.

The Sun of Righteousness was up before the sun. How much must our Lord have loved prayer to give up his needed sleep to spend time talking with his heavenly Father. He was sinless and yet needed to pray. Therefore, far be it from us to dream that we can do without it. Like our Lord, we must spend time in private to prepare ourselves for the public battle of life.

36And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, 37and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.” 38And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” (He did not consider his time away from others as private vacation time. He also did not use it as an excuse for not fulfilling his public obligations. He was ready to preach or to pray, according to whatever was needed at the time. All of his followers should be just as ready to serve.) 39And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.

40And a leper came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, “If you will, you can make me clean.”

In his eagerness to be healed, this poor man dared to enter the house where Jesus was staying and probably broke the laws of leprosy that required him to keep distance between himself and others. His faith was willing to take an unusual course of action. It was no small faith that could believe the Lord Jesus is able to heal a disease that is so repulsive and incurable. We should be just as daring to trust the Lord concerning our sin.

41Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, “I will; be clean.” (That touch demonstrated the sympathy of Jesus. Anyone else would have been made unclean by contact with diseased flesh, but with Jesus it was different. His touch and word removed the source of the uncleanness.) 42And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. (Time is not needed for divine cures. One word is enough to blot out all sin and make the repulsiveness of lust depart. If we can only trust him, Jesus is able to heal.) 43And Jesus sternly charged him and sent him away at once, 44and said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, for a proof to them.” 45But he went out and began to talk freely about it, and to spread the news, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter a town, but was out in desolate places, and people were coming to him from every quarter.

The healed leper should have obeyed his Lord and not “spread the news,” because his freely talking about it created problems for the Lord’s works of mercy. Jesus was forced away from hundreds who needed him. However generous and natural the promptings of our grateful hearts may be, it is always wisest to do exactly as he tells us.

Lord, heal us, and make us your servants forever.

Now, Lord, to whom for help I call,

Your miracles repeat;

With pitying eye behold me fall

A leper at your feet.

Loathsome, and foul, and self-abhorred,

I sink beneath my sin;

But if you will, a gracious word,

Of yours, can make me clean.2

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¹ Mark 1:35

² Isaac Watts (1674-1748).

Year Two, April 18

The Son of Man Came to Seek and to Save the Lost1

Mark 2:1-22

1And when [Jesus] returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. 2And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them. 3And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men.

The person who has godly neighbors making every effort to see them saved is highly favored.

4And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. (They believed all they needed to do was bring their sick friend where Jesus would see him. They were determined to overcome any difficulties. If we loved people’s souls better, we would more often look for unusual ways to bring them to the Savior.) 5And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “My son, your sins are forgiven. (He struck at the root of his disease. When sin is forgiven, every other evil is small in comparison.) 6Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, 7“Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

8And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts? 9Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’? 10But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic— 11“I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” 12And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”

13He went out again beside the sea, and all the crowd was coming to him, and he was teaching them. 14And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him. (This was Matthew the tax collector. The Master’s voice said little, but its effect was great. Two words are enough to win someone to Jesus if they are accompanied by the power of the Spirit. As soon as he was converted, Matthew gave a banquet, so his former friends could meet Jesus.)

15And as he reclined at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. 16And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 17And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

18Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. And people came and said to him, “Why do John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” 19And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. 20The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day. 21No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the patch tears away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is made. 22And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins—and the wine is destroyed, and so are the skins. But new wine is for fresh wineskins.”

Everything should be in harmony. To force mere children in Christ to live the same way as mature Christians would be unnatural. Inflexible rules for behavior are no more acceptable to the free spirit of Christianity, than placing new, fermenting wine into an old wineskin.

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¹ Luke 19:10

Year Two, April 19

Only Believe1

John 5:1-14

1After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

By going to Jerusalem, Jesus was honoring his Father’s law and at the same time taking advantage of the crowds of people to spread the gospel.

2Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Aramaic, called Bethesda, which has five roofed colonnades. 3In these lay a multitude of invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed [waiting for the moving of the water; 4for an angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into the pool, and stirred the water: whoever stepped in first after the stirring of the water was healed of whatever disease he had].2 5One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. 6When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?”

His question was asked to excite the man’s hope that had grown listless after waiting for so long and having so many disappointments. The same question may well be asked of those who have been seeking salvation by the outward means of grace3 for years, but without success.

7The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me.”

As if to prove his desire to be healed, the man gives a heartrending story about not having friends to help him to the pool. Sinners should imitate this man and tell their story of helplessness to the Good Physician.

8Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” (Forget about watching and waiting. Believe my word, rise up and walk. This is the way that the gospel brings an end to all our natural efforts or our waiting around for something to happen. The command to be saved calls for an immediate response. “Believe in the Lord Jesus and wait no longer at the pool,” is what is needed.) 9And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked.

Faith in the almighty word of Jesus brings immediate healing to our souls. Why, then, do so many linger year after year, waiting for they know not what? Angels will not now come from heaven and even if they did, they could not save us. But there is eternal life in the message of mercy. Salvation is ours immediately if we will obey it.

Now that day was the Sabbath. 10So the Jews said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to take up your bed.” 11But he answered them, “The man who healed me, that man said to me, ‘Take up your bed, and walk.’” (This man, who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years, could not have given a more excellent reason for carrying his bed than the one he gave for the miracle that had just happened. “The man who healed me told me to do it.” Notice that where Jesus works a gracious cure he also gives the gift of obedience. From the moment we are saved, his commands become law to us.) 12They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Take up your bed and walk’?” 13Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, as there was a crowd in the place.

Salvation may come to those who have only a limited knowledge of the gospel. If we believe in the person and word of Jesus we will be taught more of both as time goes on.

14Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you.”

Those who are healed need to be instructed, to prevent them from sinning in the future. It is to the advantage of everyone who has received any amount of grace to watch against the returns of sin, because they may bring even greater trouble with them. Happy for us, that our Lord does not desert us after he has restored us. Instead, he visits us by the Holy Spirit with his divine teachings.

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¹ Mark 5:36

² The ESV does not include the words in brackets in the text. Rather, they are included in a footnote that reads: “Some manuscripts insert,” etc.

³ means of grace - The practice of valid religious duties such as attending church services, reading the Bible, praying, being baptized, treating others with kindness, and giving financial support.

Year Two, April 20

Jesus Christ Is Lord1

When the Jews found fault with our Lord for working a miracle on the Sabbath, he replied with overwhelming arguments.
  

John 5:17-42

17But Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.” (The laws of nature, which are the work of God, do not stop because it is the Sabbath. God and his Christ are completely above law. People could not keep the Sabbath if the power of God was not at work to keep them alive.)

18This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.

19So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. 20For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel. (He declared his own unity and equality with God, even though it caused the anger against him to grow even greater.) 21For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will. 22For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, 23that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. 24Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.

25“Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. 26For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. 27And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. 28Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice 29and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.

30“I can do nothing on my own. (He never acted independently from the Father. He was always the Word of God.) As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me. 31If I alone bear witness about myself, my testimony is not true. (He acknowledges that people usually object to a person testifying for their own interest and refers to other evidence.) 32There is another who bears witness about me, and I know that the testimony that he bears about me is true. 33You sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. 34Not that the testimony that I receive is from man, but I say these things so that you may be saved. 35He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. 36But the testimony that I have is greater than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to accomplish, the very works that I am doing, bear witness about me that the Father has sent me. 37And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen, 38and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent. 39You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, (He appeals to the Scripture because they held  it in high respect. Truly it is filled with proof concerning him.) 40yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. (Sadly, this is still true of mankind!) 41I do not receive glory from people. 42But I know that you do not have the love of God within you.

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¹ Philippians 2:11

Year Two, April 21

You Shall Keep My Sabbaths1

Matthew 12:1-21

1At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. (They did not do this to idly pass the time, but because they were hungry. Jewish law allowed them to take grain to eat as they walked through fields.2 The only reason the Pharisees used it as an excuse to renew their old quarrel was because the disciples happened to do it on the Sabbath.) 2But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, “Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.”

One would have thought that it was surely permissible to relieve hunger on the Sabbath; but the Pharisees claimed it was an act of harvesting when they picked it and even an act of threshing when they saw the disciples rub the ears of grain in their hands. Some people are great at letting their emotions get the best of them and overreacting about nothing.

3He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, and those who were with him: 4how he entered the house of God and ate the bread of the Presence, which it was not lawful for him to eat nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests. (Necessity has no law. God never intended that people should die of hunger just to keep a day holy.) 5Or have you not read in the law how on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are guiltless? 6I tell you, something greater than the temple is here. (Works done for God are praiseworthy even on the Sabbath. If the Lord himself was present and did not find fault with his disciples, then it was not the place for others to complain.) 7And if you had known what it means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. 8For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”

God did not intend for the fourth commandment to be used cruelly or to forbid the doing of that which is absolutely necessary. The law of the Sabbath is under the power of Jesus, who is the Lord of love. Keeping the Lord’s day is not a burden, but a delight.

9He went on from there and entered their synagogue. 10And a man was there with a withered hand. And they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”—so that they might accuse him. 11He said to them, “Which one of you who has a sheep, if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out? 12Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” 13Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And the man stretched it out, and it was restored, healthy like the other. (Jesus left no doubt about the true place of the Sabbath. He refused to be a prisoner of Jewish tradition.) 14But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him.

15Jesus, aware of this, withdrew from there. (He went to the coastline of the Sea of Galilee.) And many followed him, and he healed them all 16and ordered them not to make him known. 17This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah:

18 “Behold, my servant whom I have chosen,

my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased.

I will put my Spirit upon him,

and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles.

19 He will not quarrel or cry aloud,

nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets;”

He did not seek either popularity or controversy.

20 “a bruised reed he will not break,

and a smoldering wick he will not quench,

until he brings justice to victory;”

He left those fuming Pharisees and the weak reeds of scribes and doctors until a future time. He did not care to utterly extinguish or crush their broken power.

21 “and in his name the Gentiles will hope.”

Quiet as he was, he is our hope and joy. Our soul rests on him.

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¹ Leviticus 19:30

² See Leviticus 19:9-10

Year Two, April 22

Power Came Out From Him1

Luke 6:12-36

12In these days (while Jesus was by the sea, near Capernaum) he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God.

It was his practice to spend time in special prayer before any great event of his life. He was about to send out the first missionaries, but he would do nothing until he had prayed.

13And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles: 14Simon, whom he named Peter, and Andrew his brother, and James and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew, 15and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot, 16and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

17And he came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, 18who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. And those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. 19And all the crowd sought to touch him, for power came out from him and healed them all. (This created another great opportunity for preaching and our Lord took advantage of it. We now find him preaching the Sermon on the Plain.  It resembles the Sermon of the Mount in many ways. It has four beatitudes and four woes and uses almost the same words as the previous message.)

20And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said:

“Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. (They were poor and they were his disciples. They were poor in spirit as well as in finances and therefore blessed. We must understand all these beatitudes spiritually or we will make serious mistakes in understanding their meaning.)

21“Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied.

“Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.

22“Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! 23Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets.

24“But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. (For the most part those who are rich despise religion. “Gold and the gospel seldom do agree,” says Bunyan.2)

25“Woe to you who are full now, for you shall be hungry. (Those who need the things of this world to be satisfied will find they will soon be gone and an empty eternity will follow.)

“Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep. (To spend life in thoughtless amusements and chasing after happiness is to store up sorrow.)

26“Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets. (To be a favorite of the world is dangerous. If the ungodly crowd loves someone, then God does not love them.)

27“But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. 29To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. 30Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back.”

It is better to suffer any loss than argue the point and end up in a court of law. Lawsuits are more likely to increase the loss than to restore it.

31“And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.

32“If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. 35But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. 36Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. (This excellent godlike principle of doing good without hope of return should be on display in professing Christians more than it is. Let it be our prayer that we may live our life by this rule.)

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¹ Luke 6:19

² John Bunyan (1628-1688)

Year Two, April 23

The Poor Have Good News Preached to Them1

Matthew 11:2-19

2Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples 3and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?”

Had his sufferings depressed his spirit? We do not think so. He probably sent his disciples so their faith would be strengthened.

4And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: 5the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. 6And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.” (These are the clear proofs of the true Messiah’s mission. Among all of them, there is no greater wonder of grace than the preaching of the gospel to the poor. Other teachers had shut them out, but Jesus made them the special objects of his ministry.)

7As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? (Was John a man who was easily influenced and would adapt his message to please people? Was he a man who would give in just to keep the peace? Not at all! He had no doubts about his mission and he was not a coward.) 8What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. 9What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10This is he of whom it is written,

“‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face,

who will prepare your way before you.’

11Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

He was just the first faint light of a new dawn. We who live in the full blaze of day have greater privileges than he had. John’s heart never rejoiced at the words, “It is finished,” like ours have.

12From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force. (There is no such thing as winning this kingdom by halfhearted efforts. Endurance is needed for success in this life and much more for the life to come. Grace in the heart leads people to “strive to enter through the narrow door.”2 Oh, that we could see more holy violence in the church of God. Laziness and inactivity are robbing Jesus of his honor and the church of its success.) 13For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John, 14and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come. 15He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

16“But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their playmates,

17 “‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance;

we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’”

They could not agree what to play. Some of them said, “Let’s pretend we are at a wedding,” and began to play the flute, but the others would not dance. “Well, then,” they said, “let us pretend we are at a funeral,” and they began to mourn, but their stubborn companions would not join them in their mock sorrow. In much the same way, it is hard to find pastors who please people. One is accused of preaching on and on and saying nothing and another is charged with being too logical or dull. If one preacher is condemned for being too tasteless, another is criticized for his flowery style. There is no satisfying such finicky tastes. If our heart is right, then we will remember George Herbert’s words: “Judge not the preacher, he is your judge.”3

18“For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ 19The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.”

God knows best whom to send and we should be alert and profit from all of them.

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¹ Matthew 11:5

² Luke 13:24

³ From the George Herbert poem, “The Church-porch” (circa 1614).

Year Two, April 24

The Son Gives Life to Whom He Will1

Luke 7:1-17

1After [Jesus] had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. 2Now a centurion had a servant who was sick and at the point of death, who was highly valued by him.

He was a good master and had a good servant. Therefore they were on good terms. It is rare to see this kind of relationship these days.

3When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking him to come and heal his servant. 4And when they came to Jesus, they pleaded with him earnestly, saying, “He is worthy to have you do this for him, 5for he loves our nation, and he is the one who built us our synagogue.” 6And Jesus went with them. When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. (The Jews called him worthy, but he did not think he was. Those who enjoy the good opinion of others, and do not allow pride to get the better of them, are sensible people.) 7Therefore I did not presume to come to you. But say the word, and let my servant be healed. (Give the word, and the disease will fly away without your needing to come personally. This was grand faith.) 8For I too am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me: and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” (The centurion was a low ranking officer, but his word was still law. He correctly reasoned that the word of the Lord Jesus would be equally powerful over all the realms of nature. He had only to say to the disease “Go,” and it would be gone. Only grace could have taught him to come to such a good assumption.)

9When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” 10And when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the servant well. (The Jews had praised the centurion’s works, but the Lord fixed his eye on his faith. Faith is the jewel that Jesus prizes the most. Do each of us possess it?)

11Soon afterward he went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a great crowd went with him. 12As he drew near to the gate of the town, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow, and a considerable crowd from the town was with her.

Death quite often takes away the young. If the Lord had willed it, one of us might have died today and the rest of the family would have spent this day in mourning. The poor widowed mother who mourned her only son was immediately noticed by the tender Jesus. He spoke to her with a voice of deepest sympathy.

13And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.” 14Then he came up and touched the bier,2 and the bearers stood still. And he said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” 15And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother.

Oh, that he would give spiritual life to those of this family who are dead in sin! No matter how young and honest, excellent and friendly a young man or woman may be, they must be brought to new life by the Holy Spirit. Otherwise, they remain “dead in trespasses and sins.”3 Jesus can give that spiritual life and a mother’s tears will go far to touch his heart and win the blessing.

16Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has arisen among us!” and “God has visited his people!” 17And this report about him spread through the whole of Judea and all the surrounding country.

In this way, the name of Jesus became well known and talked about by many people, even as it is among his own saints today. Blessed, blessed forever, be the Friend of humanity!

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¹ John 5:21

² bier - a stand on which a casket containing a corpse is carried to the grave.

³ Ephesians 2:1

Year Two, April 25

All That the Father Gives Me Will Come to Me1

The remarkable portion of Scripture that we are about to read contains in a small space three great truths: Human responsibility, the sovereignty of electing love, and the free proclamation of the gospel. If we cannot understand how they all work together, we must, nevertheless, believe them and wait for clearer light.
  

Matthew 11:20-30

20Then [Jesus] began to denounce the cities where most of his mighty works had been done, because they did not repent.

Therefore it is clear that they should have repented. Jesus would not have found fault with them for not repenting if they were not expected to repent.

21“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. (This is a very mysterious statement. It says that his mighty works were not done among those who would have repented, but were done among those who refused to repent. The way of the Lord is far above our understanding.) 22But I tell you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. (The open sin of the Sidonians was shameful in the extreme and yet they were not as guilty as those who had deliberately refused the gospel. Therefore their punishment would be less.  The Lord goes on to make the same point with another illustration.) 23And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You will be brought down to Hades. For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. 24But I tell you that it will be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom than for you.”

Sodom’s doom is fearful beyond imagination. What will be the doom of those who openly despise the gospel? Our Lord then changed his subject and spoke about sovereign grace.2

25At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; 26yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. 27All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”

 The creator of election is God the Father. The Lord of heaven and earth has the right to choose to whom he will reveal himself. And to whom does he reveal himself? Little children. And what reason does he give for his choice? Only that it was his “gracious will.” Next, our Lord explains that he, himself, is the great means by which the blessings of electing love flow down to those whom he has chosen. The doctrines of grace are as true as the fact of our responsibility. The two truths agree as one, even though few can see where they meet. Salvation is God’s gift and the result of his grace alone.3 Damnation is each individual’s fault and their fault alone.

The third part of our reading contains a full, free, personal, invitation to sinners to come to Jesus now. No ministry is complete where this is kept in the background. As we read it may we feel the drawing influence of the Holy Spirit and find rest in Jesus right now.

28“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Is there one here, who has until now refused the invitation? Let them come now! Come, you will be received with gladness. Remember it is not to outward religious acts or to priests that you are to come, but to Jesus himself. He, and he alone can give perfect rest to all who are obedient to him.)

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¹ John 6:37

² sovereign grace - A term indicating that salvation is entirely the result of God’s mercy and grace. A person is incapable of contributing anything to thier own salvation.

³ Spurgeon is in his element here. “Sola gratia” (Latin for “Grace alone”). One of his most popular books, “All of Grace” continues to be available in many editions.

Year Two, April 26

She Loved Much1

Luke 7:36-50

36One of the Pharisees asked [Jesus] to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and took his place at the table. 37And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, 38and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment.

We are not informed how she came to know and love the Savior. It may be that some gracious word of his had stopped her from her life of sin and shame, a life of misery and despair that was rushing to its end. She was filled with deep repentance. Moved with holy reverence for the Lord, she brought the greatest treasure she owned and used it all for him. Not wanting to call attention to herself, she stood behind him, washing his feet in her humility, weeping in sorrow over her sins, kissing his feet for love, and using her hair as a towel. All of this was done out of supreme devotion to her Lord, to who she owed everything. Happy the woman who is able to show her dedicated devotion to her Lord.

39Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.”

This Pharisee had not shown our Lord the respect he should have and now his opinion of him drops even more. He could not believe that any good man would allow a woman like this to come so near to him. Simon did not understand Jesus, but Jesus understood Simon well enough, and therefore he spoke to him.

40And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he answered, “Say it, Teacher.”

41“A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more”? 43Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.” 44Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. 46You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. 47Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.”

Self-righteous people can never serve like those who serve out of love. They do their duty because they feel forced to, rather than with the zest and delight of those who serve out of true affection. The attempt to save ourselves by our own merits never brings out the heartfelt emotion and complete devotion that grows from a sense of grace received and sin pardoned. In our own case, do we not have reasons to love the Lord intensely? He who writes these words feels that above all people, he is obligated to love his forgiving Master. Do not others feel the same?

48And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” (Her act of love to Jesus was rewarded with a fresh expression of his love for her, another assurance of forgiveness. Gratitude for previous favors is the sure way to receive more.) 49Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” 50And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” (He did not bother to rebuke the disrespectful murmurers. But he did continue to comfort the loving repentant sinner. He honored her faith and assured her that his peace went with her on her way, because he did not wish her to be disturbed by the cruel words spoken by others.)

From this story we should learn how delighted Jesus is to forgive great sinners since they bring him great love in return. Also, see how free his mercy is, since he clearly forgives those who have nothing to pay.

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¹ Luke 7:47

Year Two, April 27

The Tree Is Known by Its Fruit1

Matthew 12:22-37

22Then a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to [Jesus] and he healed him, so that the man spoke and saw.

It would seem that the devil had special permission to do his worst among people during the days of our Lord’s time on earth. But the fierce battles fought between these two warriors only made the Son of God’s victories all the more glorious.

23And all the people were amazed, and said, “Can this be the Son of David?”

They spoke honestly, but their leaders were prejudiced, and refused to see what was clear enough to just about everyone else. It is a dreadful thing to be so led astray by education that a person refuses to acknowledge what is clear to all.

24But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.” 25Knowing their thoughts, he said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. 26And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? 27And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. (Jesus said this because some of the sons of the Pharisees pretended to be able to heal possessed people.) 28But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 29Or how can someone enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder his house. 30Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.”

Let this always be remembered and let each one ask himself, “Am I with Christ?” If not, remember you are against him. Can you live with this?

31“Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.”

This was the terrible doom that fell on these Pharisees and destroyed them. How careful we should be to give all reverence and obedience to the Holy Spirit. As long as the Spirit continues to convict our consciences, we have not committed this deadly sin. But grieving him to the point that he entirely leaves us will result in final damnation!

33“Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit.”

Nothing will be enough except a change of nature. The very root and sap of the soul must be renewed by grace.

34“You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. (What is inside is what comes out. What flows from the reservoir is the evidence of its quality.) 36I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, 37for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

This makes everyday talk a serious matter. Who among us can bear such a test? Let us flee to the blood of Jesus, for cleansing from sins of the tongue, and to the Spirit of God to bridle that unruly member.2

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¹ Matthew 12:33

² James 1:26, “If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless.”

Year Two, April 28

He Is Not Ashamed to Call Them Brothers1

Luke 8:1-3

1Soon afterward [Jesus] went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with him, 2and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, 3and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s household manager, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their means.

We see that our Lord was supported by the voluntary offerings of his followers. He did no more work at the carpenter’s bench. When he began to preach the gospel, his ministry required all of his time and strength. It is noble in men, like Paul, to work at their trade while preaching, but if believers were as generous as they should be, a second job would not be necessary for long.
  

Matthew 12:38-40; 43-50

38Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.” 39But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”

43“When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, but finds none. (The evil spirit cannot rest. He is so mean that unless he is doing mischief he cannot stand himself.) 44Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ (The demon is represented as going out of the person of his own will, and, therefore, when he wills he returns. He calls it “my house” because he had not been thrown out of it by divine grace and neither had Jesus moved in. People who change their evil ways and improve their way of living entirely through their own efforts and strength will eventually return to their old sins. When grace comes and throws the evil spirit out with the force of divine love, he never returns. But, unless it is renewed, the old nature will soon welcome back the tempter.) And when it comes, it finds the house empty, swept, and put in order. (Many people sweep the more disgusting sins out of their lives and decorate themselves with decency and good deeds; but the Spirit of God does not live within them, and therefore evil soon gets the upper hand, and the soul becomes worse than it was before.) 45Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there, and the last state of that person is worse than the first. So also will it be with this evil generation.”

After the captivity in Babylon, the Jewish nation appears to have no longer practiced idolatry. However, superstition, self-righteousness, and “having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power”2 became their new captors. They were more difficult to deal with than their idolatrous ancestors.

46While he was still speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him. [47Someone told him, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, asking to speak to you.”]3 (His long nights spent in prayer and his daily workload were wearing him out. His relatives, thinking that he must be out of his mind, planned to take control of him and get him away from the demands of his public ministry. The kindest people cannot understand the zeal of a truly passionate heart. They call it enthusiasm, and talk about the possibility of “overdoing it,” and being too committed. And so, the best of people are often the least understood. Our Lord’s mother seems to have had some hand in this mistaken project. Blessed as she was, she was not infallible.)

48But he replied to the man who told him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?’ 49And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 50For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”

Spiritual relationships outweigh the natural ones. Believers are the true “Holy Family.”

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¹ Hebrews 2:11

² 2 Timothy 3:5

³ Verse 47 is not in the ESV text, but rather appears as a footnote beginning with, “Some manuscripts insert verse 47,” etc.

Year Two, April 29

My Word…Shall Not Return to Me Empty1

Matthew 13:1-23

1That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. 2And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach.

This is a delightful example of outdoor preaching. The more of it the better, because without this kind of preaching great numbers of our fellow men and women will never hear the gospel.2 The natural objects around him no doubt supplied the Lord with his illustrations. They were familiar, and full of meaning, and arrested the attention of everyone.

3And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. 4And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. 5Other seeds fell on rocky ground, (or spots where the rocks were near the surface) where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, 6but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. 7Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9He who has ears, let him hear.”

10Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” 11And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. (Unspiritual minds foolishly insist on a literal interpretation of expressions that are obviously meant to be taken figuratively. For that reason, they fail to understand their meaning. To understand the gospel is a gift of divine grace.) 12For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 13This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says:

“‘“You will indeed hear but never understand,

and you will indeed see but never perceive.”

15 For this people’s heart has grown dull,

and with their ears they can barely hear,

and their eyes they have closed,

lest they should see with their eyes

and hear with their ears

and understand with their heart

and turn, and I would heal them.’”

Those who refuse to see may eventually come to the place where they cannot see.

16“But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. 17Truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you

hear, and did not hear it.

18“Hear then the parable of the sower: 19When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. 20As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, 21yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. 22As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 23As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.” (Three bad soils are mentioned and only one that is good. Here we have a warning to examine ourselves carefully and be certain our lives are producing spiritual fruit.)

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¹ Isaiah 55:11

² Preaching outside the confines of church buildings was frowned upon by many ministers in 19th century England. This view was held even after the success of the outdoor preaching of George Whitefield and John & Charles Wesley more than 150 years earlier.

Year Two, April 30

He Will Separate People One From Another1

Matthew 13:24-30; 36-43

24[Jesus] put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, 25but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. 26So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. 27And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ 28He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ 29But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them 30Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.’”

36Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples came to him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.” 37He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man.”

All the spiritual good in the world comes from the Son of Man. Whoever the servants may be, the Master who sent them to sow the good seed is Jesus, our Lord.

38“The field is the world, (The gospel is to be preached everywhere in the world. And the church that results from the preaching of the gospel is in the world, although it is “not of the world.”2 The whole world belongs to Jesus. Let Satan rage as he may, he is only a usurper who has no right to rule the world. Regardless of all opposition, the world is the great field where the Lord has sown the seed of his church and raises it “in newness of life.”3) and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, (Satan is a busy creature and is always doing his best to interfere with the good work of Jesus. The offspring of the serpent are the deadly enemy of the offspring of the woman.) 39and the enemy who sowed them is the devil.  (Our Savior was not referring to a weed that grows in our country, but one that looks very much like wheat that is common in the East. The evil one could not stop the good seed from springing up, so he tried to interfere with its growth and spoil the harvest by throwing harmful seeds in the field. The devil cannot destroy the church and therefore he labors to damage its beauty by the introduction of hypocrites. In many ways, these deceivers are so much like true Christians that it is not possible to remove them without including some true believers by mistake. We can easily expel open sinners from the church, but not those who give the outward appearance of being Christians. However wrong at heart they may be, we are unable to judge them, and must let them remain.) The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels.

40“Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. 41The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, 42and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

The true character of people will become evident in due season. It will be clearly seen at the last day. Angels will have no difficulty in discerning between sincere believers and those who merely go through the motions of religion. People may deceive the church today and do it much mischief by creeping into it while they are unconverted. However, they should tremble, because the hour is coming when the unquenchable fires of divine wrath will consume all pretenders.

43“Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.”

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¹ Matthew 25:32

² John 17:16

³ Romans 6:4