John 7:2-10 (autumn, AD 29) Jesus’ brothers didn’t get it. Simon, Jude, Joseph and James must have known he was an exceptionally good person, but he also seemed like an attention-seeker with a bad agent. There they were in the under-populated, under-recognised north, with a trip to the big city begging, and Jesus didn’t seem … More Day 62: Did Jesus need an agent?
Matthew 18 (AD 29) We’d like to think that we wouldn’t ask boneheaded self-serving questions like the disciples did. But let’s be honest – we absolutely would. “Who…is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” is a classic of its type: a cross between mindless trivia and self-absorbed ambition. Jesus’ illustration of needing to go … More Day 61: Soft love, tough love
Matthew 17:22-27 (AD 29) At this point in the story, Jesus was less than a year from being crucified, and this was the second prediction of his own death in a matter of (most likely) days or weeks (see Matthew 16:21-28). That first time, Peter had gotten angry with Jesus for talking of his own … More Day 60: Let Jesus finish his sentence
Matthew 17:1-21 (AD 29) In our previous passage (Mark 8:27-9:1) Jesus had predicted great suffering for himself. He followed that up with a memorable affirmation from the Father about who Jesus was. The ‘appearance’ of Moses and Elijah may not be as theologically bewildering as it seems, as it’s likely that this event was a … More Day 59: He is who he says he is
Paul T Reynolds 