Read John 6, Mark 6:35-7:23
 
John 6:66-69 At this point many of his disciples turned away and deserted him. 67 Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, “Are you also going to leave?” 68 Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. 69 We believe, and we know you are the Holy One of God.”
 
JOHN 6 records Jesus using bread as an image of his eternal Word leading to Life Everlasting. But at the close of this account, many “disciples” left Jesus that day. They loved what he had done, but they rejected his very difficult words, “But anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise that person at the last day.” This is even hard for us to read and hear, knowing Jesus referred to his redemptive sacrifice.
   Still, there was much evidence of Jesus’ power to convince the Jews. In addition to the thousands fed, Matthew’s account of this teaching time includes these miracles: Matthew 14:35b Soon people were bringing all their sick to be healed. 36 They begged him to let the sick touch at least the fringe of his robe, and all who touched him were healed. All clearly saw the Father’s wondrous grace. Salvation was unto the Jews!
   So then, instead of many quickly saying, “This is very hard to understand. How can anyone accept it?” wouldn’t a good disciple want to say, “Help my unbelief.”  The Bread of Life had come down from heaven to be the way to heaven. How did they miss that amid all the life-changing evidence?
   It seems only the Twelve believed (although Jesus earlier referred to Judas as not believing). Was the disciples’ faith formed more securely because of  the many additional wonders they had witnessed? Remember they had seen Jesus walk on water the day before. And Matthew wrote of Peter also walking on water! And when (Jesus and Peter) climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped. Then the disciples worshiped him. “You really are the Son of God!” they exclaimed. (Matthew 14:32-33) The disciples worshiped Jesus as the LORD God – Absolute Creator.
   But the multitudes who deserted Jesus that day wanted more: “Show us a miraculous sign if you want us to believe in you. What can you do?” This is the “prosperity gospel” that demands from God as we desire.         
   Which way do you go with your questions and doubts? Do you go to Jesus just to get what you want and then go home? Or do you go to Jesus to learn what you can give to him? Are you a self-focused church member or a steadfast disciple? Do you prefer to understand in your own way, or do you work to gain understanding? Perhaps after reading and studying John 6, you have heard from Jesus, the Bread of Life, who has come down from heaven. Be hungry for him. Be filled with him. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” (Matthew 5:6)   

Read Matthew 9:35-11:1, Mark 6:14-33
 
Matthew 10:5-8 Jesus sent out the twelve apostles with these instructions: “Don’t go to the Gentiles or the Samaritans, 6 but only to the people of Israel – God’s lost sheep. 7 Go and announce to them that the Kingdom of Heaven is near. 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Give as freely as you have received!”
 
DO the LORD God’s instructions apply to your Christian life? It seems Jesus has limited the apostles’ outreach to Jews only. And he has extended their power far beyond what most of us have experienced. How are these instructions relevant for our lives?
   First, Jesus was sending his apostles to the Jews because they are God’s chosen people. They are the first to receive the gospel message. Each apostle was a Jew, and he would be going to people he knew. There would be no cultural barriers to reject the apostles. We, too, can begin evangelism by going to people who are as we are in lifestyle and general culture.
   Second, we note the several ways Jesus urges his apostles to utilize God’s power. Some of you reading this make it a practice to go to a street corner and begin preaching. Some of you walk door-to-door to proclaim the good news. Usually you go two-by-two to minister to both the lost and the saved who are without a shepherd.
   Some of you engage in conversations with people about their lives, so you can help direct them to Jesus. Other times you might be in a place to more directly call people to repentance.
   Third, you are probably wondering about Jesus’ instructions: Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Who can do that? Is this something we should expect to do today?
   Jesus empowered his disciples to this ministry. They would perform these miracles as he sent them on that day and later when they began the church. And, yes, amazingly God still uses people to heal the sick, resurrect the dead and restore the demon possessed. The point is to be a disciple of faith. Jesus authorized them to freely give as he had freely given to them.
   This Scripture is one of Jesus’ discipleship mandates. He has told us through the Holy Spirit and his anointed apostle Matthew that we are to be of faith to do this very same thing. It is certain we must go to people to preach – to deliver with knowledge – the good news of the Kingdom of God. As we preach, we must serve in the power of the Holy Spirit to care for people’s physical and moral brokenness. Pray for healing. Pray for repentance. Pray for resurrection. Pray for redemption. Going in faith, you will see how God is faithful to use you for his good work.
   Possibly you aren’t convinced. You may be saying to yourself, “I can’t do that.” It’s likely, though, Jesus' disciples thought the same thing. 

Read Matthew 8:18-23, Mark 4:35-6:6
 
Matthew 8:18-21 When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he instructed his disciples to cross to the other side of the lake. 19 Then one of the teachers of religious law said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” 20 But Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head.”
 
“I can’t wait to be a football player,” exclaimed the adolescent teen. “Catching a pass and running for a touchdown will make me a hero!”
   I wonder what this “football disciple” thought when he went to his first practice and had to run wind sprints for 20 minutes, do 20 minutes of hard calisthenics, including the grim “up-downs”. I wonder what he thought when he was tackled for the first time, and his ribs shifted to the right. I wonder if he was still excited when he put on his sweaty jersey from the day before and the smell nearly caused unconsciousness. Do you think he still wanted to play the game, to be a hero?
   If he was a real player, he did. Real players see the demanding work, the sweat, and the pain as the means to the goal - literally. A real player embraces the work because he knows it is the only way to be a player who can win.
   The teacher was excited to follow Jesus because of our Lord’s great healings. Maybe he would have those same victories over disease and become a hero, too. But Jesus warned him. To follow Jesus means soul-crunching, sweaty sacrifice. It meant hard, brutal work to battle those who want to destroy you. Are you still willing? If you’re a real disciple, you are.
 
Matthew 8:21-22 Another of his disciples said, “Lord, first let me return home and bury my father.” 22 But Jesus told him, “Follow me now. Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead.” 
 
ARE you likely to say, “A bit impatient, aren’t you, Jesus? Can’t the man have a few hours to bury his father?” Could it be Jesus’ urgent demand keeps us, too, from following Jesus?
   But the disciple may have been indefinitely delaying his commitment. The man’s father could have been alive, and he was telling Jesus he could follow him when his father died sometime in the future. “I’ll follow you when I’m ready.”
   Second, Jesus wants us to know we really don’t have time for ourselves when we are his disciple. This doesn’t mean we are active continually, always busy about some kingdom work. But it does mean following Jesus is to pursue him through the various means of grace all the moments of our lives. If we aren’t pursuing Jesus through a disciplined life, we are pursuing something that will distract and possibly stop our walk with Christ.
   The context of this Scripture passage is to affirm that we must always be disciplined about living the gospel. Remember, our natural lives point us away from Jesus. We are also falsely taught we can approach God in our own way and rely on our self for the truth. Too easily we put Jesus aside with our own reasons, to say, “Later, Jesus.”
   But Jesus doesn’t want you later. He calls you now. The truth is that, “Yes, I’m here, Lord. Send me.” is the only proper response to Jesus’s call. After all, he is Lord of all – even you.
 

Read Matthew 13, Mark 4:21-34
 
Matthew 13:43-46 “Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s Kingdom. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand! 44 The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field. 45 Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant on the lookout for choice pearls. 46 When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it!”
 
JESUS first described the kingdom of God as a treasure in a field. A story called "Acres of Diamonds" tells of a South Africa farmer who heard stories about other farmers who had become wealthy when they discovered diamonds on their farms. These tales so excited the farmer that he sold his farm and spent the rest of his life wandering the African continent searching unsuccessfully for the gleaming treasure. One day, despondent, he threw himself into a river and drowned.
   Meanwhile, the man who had bought his farm found a bright rock emitting a flash of blue and red light in the farm’s stream. Admiring it, he displayed it on a shelf in his home.
   Several weeks later a visitor picked up the stone, looked closely at it, felt it in his hand, and nearly fainted. The farmer had no idea of his treasure as the visitor told him he had found one of the largest diamonds known!
   The farm soon became one of the most productive diamond mines on the entire African continent. The first farmer had owned free and clear acres of treasure. But he had sold the treasure for practically nothing, so he could look for treasure elsewhere.
   Our lives are that way, aren't they? Too often, we might say, “I found Jesus!” But we then put Jesus on the shelf, glad to count him as “mine” but unable to recognize he is the greatest treasure ever. We sell him off for pleasurable moments and trade him for preferences. When seeking treasure, remember, the stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone. (Psalms 118:22) Build your life on the rock of Peter’s confession, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” (Matthew 16:16)
   Then Jesus compared the Kingdom to a merchant who sold everything to buy a precious pearl. Jesus is the merchant. The pearl is Israel and the church. A pearl is formed when an oyster secretes fluids to protect against an irritant. The pearl continues to grow until the oyster is harvested. Likewise, Israel and the church both began through the “irritant” of sacrifice. God anointed Abraham to a sacrificial life to establish a nation. It grew even through the “irritations” of disobedience and faithlessness. The Father then “paid it all” for your soul. He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. (Ephesians 1:7) Jesus’ blood removes sin’s irritations. Jesus’ church grows as it awaits the harvest.
   

Read Luke 11:37-13:17
 
Luke 11:37-41 As Jesus was speaking, one of the Pharisees invited him home for a meal. So he went in and took his place at the table. 38 His host was amazed to see that he sat down to eat without first performing the hand-washing ceremony required by Jewish custom. 39 Then the Lord said to him, “You Pharisees are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy – full of greed and wickedness! 40 Fools! Didn't God make the inside as well as the outside? 41 So clean the inside by giving gifts to the poor, and you will be clean all over.”
 
TWO things here challenge our views of cleanliness at mealtime. First, Jesus doesn’t wash his hands. Why not? The Pharisees are adamant he does so. This seems appropriate to us. But Jesus rebukes the Pharisees. Here’s how we understand the Pharisees’ challenge and Jesus’ rebuke.
   Washing one’s hands before a meal was not a common practice in this culture. Jesus was following normal mealtime habits. On the other hand, the Pharisees lived under certain rules they had developed in their tradition. Remember the Pharisees were well-intentioned men who desired to protect God’s laws from foreign desecration. But, as too many churches do today, they created rules that became restrictive threats against God’s gracious laws. One of those laws required the Pharisees to diligently wash their hands and the outside of their cups. That seems good. But then we see the second objection we might have to their cleanliness rules. The Pharisees’ law permitted the cup’s inside to remain unwashed! A cup, then, could be outside clean and inside dirty. That’s how Jesus saw the Pharisees - outside clean and inside dirty.
   The Pharisees were so chained down in their “do-this-do-that” traditions, they could not see Jesus was God’s active Word come from heaven to fulfill the law they claimed to defend.  Jesus’ angry rebuke called them to wake up to the truth. “Fools! Didn't God make the inside as well as the outside?” Self-righteously, they gazed onto the righteous Christ with their stained hearts. They are the people today who cling to church rituals and rules that lift up leaders while hiding Jesus.  
   Jesus urged these religious leaders to get clean. To do so they would need to rise from the table and put God’s law into action.
   Jesus wants you at the table of grace with him. There is a right, clean way to be his disciple. Being close to him, you will know what to do.

Read Matthew 8:5-13, 12:22-50, Luke 7-8:3
 
Matthew 8:5-10 When Jesus returned to Capernaum, a Roman officer came and pleaded with him, 6 “Lord, my young servant lies in bed, paralyzed and in terrible pain.” 7 Jesus said, “I will come and heal him.” 8 But the officer said, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come into my home. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed. 9 I know this because I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say, ‘Go,’ and they go, or ‘Come,’ and they come. And if I say to my slaves, ‘Do this,’  they do it.” 10 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Turning to those who were following him, he said, “I tell you the truth, I haven't seen faith like this in all Israel!”  
 
YOU know, don’t you, that the Kingdom of God depends on faithful people taking action? The Roman Centurion did not grow up in the teachings of God. Still, he knew how to get things done. His young servant was very sick. So he took action for his servant’s healing. Where do you go when you are in great need? You go to the Hope of the World. How did the Roman know?
   Perhaps while on duty to monitor crowds, the centurion may have heard Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount or witnessed Jesus healing the leper. He certainly had heard of Jesus’ power to heal. The stories would be everywhere!
   The centurion needed help for his sick servant, so he focused on what he had seen or heard. Apparently, he believed in Jesus’ power. So he put his faith into action. The pagan centurion effectively and humbly prayed directly to the Lord Jesus, “Say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed.” You may hear it as if the centurion is demanding Jesus, “Heal my servant.” This is, instead, a prayer of faith and expectation. “Say the word, Lord.” is  a good prayer.
   It is interesting Matthew described Jesus as amazed. Do you think Jesus did not expect such a response? Perhaps he thought the Roman was the same as the doubting, questioning Jewish authority. Maybe he was very grateful for a Gentile to demonstrate such deep, active faith. The Lord then makes the centurion his teaching illustration: “I tell you the truth, I haven’t seen faith like this in all Israel!” One teaching technique is hyperbole – exaggeration – to make a point. There were certainly Israelites who had great faith as we’ve witnessed, for example, with Mary and Joseph. But unlike the Jews, who continually demanded a sign from Jesus, the centurion only wanted a word from Jesus. This is the LORD God’s desire for his people – believe in and believe the Word of God.
   Thus, Jesus rebuked his people for their underlying doubt regarding his identity and purpose. Kingdom work is spoken. Kingdom work is done.
   Jesus’ church needs people who act with faith. The next time you are deciding whether to act on the LORD’s Word or not, consider this: What if the centurion had gone home and said, “I believe in Jesus.” but he had never prayed and acted into his faith?
 
 

Read Matthew 5-7, Luke 6
 
Matthew 5:1-2 Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them.
&
Matthew 7:28-8:1 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29 for he taught with real authority – quite unlike their teachers of religious law. 8:1 Large crowds followed Jesus as he came down the mountainside.
 
MATTHEW 5-7 and Luke 6 are two different reports of what is known as the “Sermon on the Mount”. As Jesus ministered salvation’s joy in Capernaum and Bethsaida along the Sea of Galilee, his life-changing words and miracles drew large crowds. For more room to preach and teach, Jesus went to a nearby mount – a hill – to make room for a large crowd. Don’t miss this. Here is the Word of God teaching. He is not suggesting. He does not leave the interpretation of Scripture open to, “What do you think it means for you?” The Lawgiver, Resurrection, Savior and Good Shepherd is telling his people – all of us -  what we need to know. The people there are called his disciples because they have come to learn and to live into Jesus’ words. These chapters mark a broad range of lessons. Immediately we learn the Creator’s view is much different than we his creation. With the blessing promises as the Beatitudes, the comfort of, “Do not worry.” the rebuke to cut away sin and the foundation of God’s Word, Jesus unveils the Kingdom of God.  
   Then look at the last verses of the sermon that really concludes in Matthew 8:1. What did the people do? They followed Jesus as he came down the mountainside. Do you think they followed him to see what he would personally do for their own lives? Perhaps. Or did they follow him to become more faithful kingdom citizens? Were lives changed to be less of the world and more of God? Did they understand how to pray, “Our Father in heaven.” Did they learn about confession and forgiveness? Were they ready to be salt and light into the world?
   How about you? When you depart from the Bible’s teachings, what do you do? With humble hearts, eager minds and determined will, we need to be ready to hear Bible teaching, to savor Bible reading, to fervently pray and to lovingly serve for God. These works of righteous living are the lessons Jesus taught on the mount, at the seashore and along Israel’s roads.
   The King has taught the truth. Are you eager to be a more faithful kingdom citizen?
 

Read Matthew 4:4-25, Luke 4:16-5:11, Mark 1:21-2:12
 
Matthew 4:12-16 When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he left Judea and returned to Galilee. 13 He went first to Nazareth, then left there and moved to Capernaum, beside the Sea of Galilee, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali. 14 This fulfilled what God said through the prophet Isaiah: 15 “In the land of Zebulun and of Naphtali, beside the sea, beyond the Jordan River, in Galilee where so many Gentiles live, 16 the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light. And for those who lived in the land where death casts its shadow, a light has shined.”  
 
YOU are confident, aren't you, that when night comes, God has appointed certain nights each month for the moon to shine as a smaller light to govern the night (Genesis 1:16b). In God’s creation, even the “smaller” light is a good light to guide us and mark the time of seasons and of the night. Then the smaller light wanes as the larger one to govern the day brings ample light to help us clearly see each day’s tasks. This is God’s light plan for your daily time on earth.
   God also has a light plan for your timeless eternity! He appointed the patriarchs and the prophets, including John the Baptist to be “smaller” lights. They were God’s creation to form and guide Israel out of spiritual darkness into the larger Light, who is God come to earth. The Light came into the darkness to disturb, deny and displace the darkness to deliver salvation’s glorious freedom. Matthew confirmed Isaiah 9:1 that time of darkness and despair will not go on forever…Galilee of the Gentiles…will be filled with glory. How true was the lesser light to point to the Great Light!
   The Light unto Galilee shone brightly and gloriously throughout Jesus’ wondrous ministry. For example: Galilee was our Lord’s home during at least 30 years of his life. Nineteen of 32 Kingdom parables were spoken in Galilee. In Cana of Galilee came the first of Jesus’ miracles. Galilee was the site of Jesus’ last miracle to restore Peter and establish him as the primary preacher of the early church. Twenty-five of 33 life-transforming miracles broke into the darkness in Galilee. Galileans heard the Sermon on the Mount, and Jesus called most of his disciples there. Galilee was the scene of the Transfiguration. Certainly there could be no larger light in the land of darkness than the full expression of God's glorious and holy light!
          Is Jesus your Lord? Then you can truly celebrate and rejoice that God’s Great Light has come into the darkness of your soul! As Jesus’ own, you are his church, transfigured into eternal glory. You daily walk in the land of salvation to know and display Jesus’ eternal light. Remember, Jesus said, “You are the light of the world.” (Matthew 5:14a) That means you carry his glory. Be purposeful to shine Jesus’ power and truth into the darkness.

Read John 1:34-4, Luke 3:19-20
 
John 1:43-46 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Come, follow me.” 44 Philip was from Bethsaida, Andrew and Peter’s hometown. 45 Philip went to look for Nathanael and told him, “We have found the very person Moses and the prophets wrote about! His name is Jesus, the son of Joseph from Nazareth.” 46 “Nazareth!” exclaimed Nathanael. “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” “Come and see for yourself,” Philip replied.
 
THE extraordinary Scriptures referred to in today’s reading could cause us to spend the remainder of the year considering Jesus’ early ministry. But in view of your commitment to read and study the Scriptures, we’ll focus on this passage that is perhaps less well-known and still very much life-changing.
   Five words here call for you to step into something new. “Follow me.” Jesus said. “Come and see.” invited Philip. Imagine! The LORD of Heaven and earth says, “Follow me.” You are amazed, honored, excited and perhaps uncertain. You’ve been seeking something new in your life. But is this what you want? You’ve had some desire to learn more of God, but do you have the time? Possibly, you might feel that following Jesus, the Son of God, will be too difficult. Maybe you won’t like being a follower of anyone, especially the LORD God, who requires your heart. What do you think before you take the first step?
   Sometimes the first step may be easy. “After all, following Jesus,” you are told, “is something you can do when you want in any way you want.” Yes, you can certainly go to that new Bible study at church once or twice. After all, no one asked you to commit. It’s easy. Or you can listen to a 5-minute message on the radio or internet. Maybe you will just read the Bible for 15 minutes a day – easy.
   Or wait. What happens when you do these things? Did you hear someone asking you to commit? If so, perhaps it was really Jesus, speaking through that person. Through the Holy Spirit, Jesus was inviting you to, “Follow me.” into his Word. As you begin to desire more of God, the Spirit is inviting you into a new life. He is your Helper to answer your questions, so you will discover who he is. He’s spoken to your mind, heart and soul, stirring you to know more of the Father, Son and Spirit.
   Think about it. The One, who was with God and who was God in the beginning (John 1:1-2) has come from heaven to seek you! He offers the way of grace, hope, forgiveness and love. Still most of all, he offers eternal life to all who commit to follow him. The Lord Jesus wants to lead you into the eternal joy of his salvation.  
   Do you wonder, “Can anything good come from God?” Then let’s use Philip’s words. “Come and see.”  See for yourself how the LORD is good. Read John 2 again. Read John 3 again. Read John 4 again. John’s testimonies proclaim Jesus is Savior, Living Water come to quench our thirst. Trust in Jesus’ words. Submit to his authority. Drink the cup of blessing at the wedding feast. Drink his Living Water at the well of life. Repent of your sins because he knows everything you’ve ever done. Commit to, “Come and see.” And you will discover why Jesus says, “Follow me.” 
 

Read Luke 1:5 - 2:38, Matthew 2:18-24
 
Matthew 1:18 This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit.
 
WHEN people consider the Bible’s truth claims as the true Word of God, this verse is often quoted by unbelievers and doubters. The phrase while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant is considered completely impossible. Many in the church, including “preachers” deny this truth as they pretend to teach God’s Word.
   Perhaps our understanding of this truth will increase as we go back two verses to see another way Matthew emphasized the “impossible pregnancy” and birth: Matthew 1:16 Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. In the genealogies, Scripture tells us each son’s father. This was the way of the Jews to know who would inherit the father’s land and have responsibilities to carry forward the family line.
   But Matthew refers only to Joseph as Mary’s husband, not Jesus’ father. Then we read Matthew 1:20 As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit.” We know by Joseph’s response his attitude toward Mary changed from a desire to divorce to, instead, become her betrothed husband and care for her.
   Still, such language to a Jew was blasphemy. First, the Jews objected to a triune God. The concept of a son of God was adding to God. Also, a son birthed by a woman on earth would strike the Jews as the same kind of myth that poisoned the Greek and Roman cultures. How could I AM sexually interact with a woman through a “Holy Spirit”? Yes, the Spirit was very active in the Old Testament. But to make the Spirit to be holy – equal to God – would also add another god to the One God. To the Jews’ understanding, the pregnant virgin was both a physical and a theological “impossible”. To teach this was punishable with death!
   Matthew, of course, as a Jew, understood the repulsion, the criticisms and the unbelief that would oppose his gospel. Others were being persecuted and stoned for this belief. Still, Matthew was disciplined in the truth to obey Jesus' command to make disciples. His life is under Jesus’ authority – especially to the unbelieving Jews, who could kill him. Matthew allowed the power of God’s word to speak through God’s Spirit, who is the ultimate Teacher to overcome the Jews’ faith barriers.
   As people doubt God’s Word now, we have the same truth to teach in the Spirit’s power. Are we disciplined in Jesus’ authority to do so?