The most important part of Jesus’ call to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow him, is that he is the one who is calling. Disciples come to see who Jesus is, and they follow him as he is. Jesus Christ, the Son of...
In this encounter with religious leaders, Jesus teaches us that discipleship is not a matter of keeping traditions established by man for the purpose of establishing and maintaining a relationship with God. Discipleship is obedience to God’s word that comes from a heart of love...
By calming the storm Jesus gave his disciples the reason for their faith. Their faith, and ours, is based on the authority of Jesus over all things. Faith in the authority of Jesus is the source of our comfort in this life. May we see...
Jesus put before his disciples the foundational principle of spiritual receptivity to the word of God. All of discipleship is dependent on hearing and accepting the word, and the word bearing fruit in our lives. Our responsiveness to the word depends on the condition of...
Discipleship is the term we use to speak of our lives as followers of Jesus Christ. The Gospel of Mark is a manual for discipleship. The first chapter of Mark reveals Jesus as the Son of God who brought the kingdom of God to us....
The final chapter of Isaiah once again gives us a vision of the greatness of God. The stunning reality is that this great God takes notice and shows grace to the humble and contrite person who trembles at his word. We hear a final exhortation...
God stands before us in Jesus Christ and says, “Here I am.” Now we must respond to him. In this chapter, we see two responses to God from two kinds of people that lead to two different outcomes. The rebellious turn from him and go...
As we approach the end of Isaiah, it is as if an intercessor looks back on all that has been prophesied previously and offers up a loud cry to God, “Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down!” This is a prayer for...
Isaiah 61 prophesies the coming of an Anointed One who will preach good news. As history unfolds, we see this One is Jesus Christ. We also see that Jesus accomplished what he proclaimed. He ushered in the age of grace with its open door to...
Isaiah 60 gives us a vision of the future for God’s people. It is a future of glory as he shines upon us and dwells with us. Isaiah tells us to hold that vision firm in our minds because it provides the strength we need...
