Posts in New Testament
Story 153: The Priorities of God

One of the best things about reading about Jesus is how surprising He often was. He never seemed to do quite what His disciples, the religious leader, or even His family, expected.

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Story 154: On Joining or Resenting the Generosities of God

Jesus had a way of turning everything upside down. When the disciples tried to block the crowds from troubling Him with their children, Jesus not only told them to let the children come to Him…He told them that they needed to become more like the children!

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Story 155: Heading Towards Jerusalem

Jesus was headed for Jerusalem. As they walked along the road, He strode with determination to move towards His task ahead. The disciples were amazed and full of fear. Everyone knew the rumors about the plans of the Sanhedrin.

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Story 156: Blind Bartemeaus

The eyes of the whole nation were on Jesus, wondering what the unpredictable young preacher would do next. Everyone knew that the most powerful religious leaders in the land had turned against Him. They were looking for any excuse to get rid of Him.

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Story 157: Zaccheaus and the Glorious Indignity of Tree Climbing

It was the time of the Passover Feast for the nation of Israel. Over two thousand years before, God had brought the Hebrew people out of their slavery to the Egyptian Pharaoh. The Pharaoh had been given chance after chance to set God’s people free, but he had refused.

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Story 158: On Becoming A Many-Mina'ed Servant of God

As the Lord Jesus moved from Jericho on the path to Jerusalem, the people wondered what would happen when He got there. Would He reveal Himself as the conquering Messiah? Would He usher in the Kingdom of God?

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Story 159: Anointing and Honor: On Loving the Savior

Everyone in Jerusalem was preparing for the Passover Feast. Pilgrims from all over Israel would begin to stream into the city. Jews and converts to Judaism from distant lands would travel to the City of David for the annual celebration.

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Story 160: The Triumphal Entry of a Weeping King

The Lord Jesus and His disciples began their one mile trek from Bethany to Jerusalem for the Passover Feast. Jesus had raised His friend, Lazarus from the dead only a few days before. Multitudes of people who had come to Jerusalem for the Passover Feast had gone out to Bethany to see Lazarus and Christ.

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Story 161: Passion Week: The Scourging at the Temple

Jesus had entered Jerusalem for the Passover Feast with an invasion of praise and worship. The people danced alongside Him as He rode a colt into the City of David, fulfilling the prophecies of Zechariah for all to see. The long-awaited King had come. Healings poured out as Jesus came to the Temple.

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Story 162: Passion Week: The Coming of the Son of Man

It was the second day of the week. The exaltations of Christ’s triumphal entry the day before and the havoc He had created in the morning as He threw out the businesses that clogged the worship in the Temple courts were still ringing in the atmosphere of the Feast.

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Story 164: Passion Week: Judgment...God's Job and Ours

The coming of Christ to Jerusalem was like a rush of wind, blowing through the hustle and bustle of the Passover Feast, disrupting everything and turning it upside down. As He walked in upright, steadfast obedience to His Father, He shook the settled pretenses of false worship and the malice of the corrupt leaders.

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Story 165: Passion Week: Raging Against Truth and Ramping Up Sin: The Legacy of the Opinion Makers in the Time of Christ

It was morning, and Jesus and His disciples were walking from the town of Bethany on the Mount of Olives across the valley into Jerusalem. As they went, the Lord explained that because of their faith in Him, His disciples could feel confident that God would answer their prayers in breathtaking ways…they could cast a mountain into the sea if they only believed.

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Story 166: Passion Week: Turning Up the Heat

The religious leaders were mad. And they were scared. Nobody, not even the most brilliant minds in the nation, had the courage to stand up to Jesus any more. He was too quick. He spoke with a power and an authority that they had no answer to.

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Story 167: Passion Week: Dirty on the Inside

As Jesus stood in a courtyard of the Temple, He had already begun to declare His indictment against the religious leaders of Israel. It was a mighty confrontation. Here was the Son of the living God, pronouncing God's rebuke against the leaders of His holy nation…His treasured possession.

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Story 168: Passion Week: The Seventh Woe

Jesus was standing in the court of God's holy Temple making powerful declarations against the Pharisees and religious leaders. Now it was time for the seventh and final woe (see Story 167 for the first six woes).

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Story 169: Passion Week: The Widow's Mite

For most of the Bible stories on this site, the only things added to the stories are things like geographical facts, theological insights or reminders of where we are in the context of the broader biblical narrative. The goal is to keep as close to the story as possible while providing helpful information to understand it better.

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Story 170: Passion Week: Wars and Rumors of War

How Jesus longed to show the love of the Father to His treasured nation. They would not have it…it went unrequited. He left the courts of the Temple and walked away with His disciples. As they went He looked up at all the massive stone walls and buildings that made up the vast Temple complex.

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Story 171: Passion Week: The Abomination of Desolation

Jesus was sitting with His disciples on the Mount of Olives. It was evening. As they looked out on the City of Jerusalem, the Lord Jesus described to what the last stages of human life on Earth would be like, and it was a devastating picture.

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Story 172: Passion Week: The Unknown Hour

Jesus had given His disciples the lesson that all of Israel had longed to hear. As they sat together on the Mount of Olives, He laid out God’s plan for the end of human history. Times would continue to be hard in the world of sin, and the hardships would grow worse until the time of the Great Tribulation.

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