Daily Notes & Observations is a 365-part series that follows a chronological daily Bible reading schedule and contains a short article based on something found in the text for each day. This material is also available in paperback.
Thought from today’s Bible reading from Matthew 1:1-21; Mark 3; Luke 6.
There are many people today who would call Jesus their Lord. But are all of these people actually treating Him as Lord? Sadly, many are not. How are they failing to treat Jesus as Lord? Notice what Jesus said:
“Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” (Luke 6:46).
Jesus’ point is clear: if one will not obey Him, it is meaningless for him to call Jesus “Lord.”
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Thought from today’s Bible reading from John 5.
Despite the evidence that was being presented to prove that Jesus was the promised Messiah, many of the Jews rejected Him. So Jesus, rather than accusing them Himself of rejecting the Christ, used those things which had been written by Moses.
“Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father; the one who accuses you is Moses, in whom you have set your hope. For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?” (John 5:45-47).
Moses was held in high regard by the Jews because he was the one who delivered the law from God. So Jesus used their regard for Moses to try to make them think. They rejected Jesus but claimed to accept Moses. But Jesus said, “If you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me.”
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Thought from today’s Bible reading from Mark 2.
“When He had come back to Capernaum several days afterward, it was heard that He was at home. And many were gathered together, so that there was no longer room, not even near the door; and He was speaking the word to them. And they came, bringing to Him a paralytic, carried by four men. Being unable to get to Him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above Him; and when they had dug an opening, they let down the pallet on which the paralytic was lying” (Mark 2:1-4).
It became common for those with various ailments to be brought to Jesus to be healed of Him. At this time, four men brought a man who was a paralytic in hopes that Jesus would heal him. When the crowd prevented them from meeting the Lord, they did not allow that to deter them but went through the roof and lowered the man in his pallet down to Jesus. After seeing this, Jesus healed him.
“And Jesus, seeing their faith said to the paralytic, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven’” (Mark 2:5).
Thought from today’s Bible reading from John 2-4.
When Jesus stopped at a well in Samaria and spoke with the woman who came to draw water, it triggered a spiritual awakening in that city.
“From that city many of the Samaritans believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, ‘He told me all the things that I have done.’ So when the Samaritans came to Jesus, they were asking Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. Many more believed because of His word; and they were saying to the woman, ‘It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves and know that this One is indeed the Savior of the world’” (John 4:39-42).
At first, the woman who spoke with Jesus told the men of the city about the conversation she had with Him: “Come, see a man who told me all the things that I have done; this is not the Christ, is it?” (John 4:29). Many of the Samaritans believed in Christ because of her testimony.
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Thought from today’s Bible reading from Matthew 4; Luke 4-5; John 1:15-51.
After Jesus called Levi, a tax collector, to follow Him (Luke 5:27), Levi held a reception for Him, inviting his fellow tax collectors and others. This drew the scrutiny of the Pharisees and the scribes.
“And Levi gave a big reception for Him in his house; and there was a great crowd of tax collectors and other people who were reclining at the table with them. The Pharisees and their scribes began grumbling at His disciples, saying, ‘Why do you eat and drink with the tax collectors and sinners?’ And Jesus answered and said to them, ‘It is not those who are well who need a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance’” (Luke 5:29-32).
There was a simple reason why Jesus associated with “tax collectors and sinners.” He was not encouraging or condoning sin, but as “a physician” He was trying to heal them of their sin sickness.
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Thought from today’s Bible reading from Matthew 3; Mark 1; Luke 3.
“Now after John had been taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel’” (Mark 1:14-15).
When Jesus began preaching, He declared that the kingdom was at hand. It is important to take note of what He said. To say that the kingdom was at hand meant that it was close, or that it would be established in the near future. He would later tell His disciples that it would be established within the lifetime of some of those who were present (Mark 9:1).
Despite these plain statements, many in the denominational world believe that the kingdom is yet in our future. They believe that the kingdom will be established when the Lord returns. This concept, often called premillennialism, is false. It contradicts the plain teaching of Scripture.
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Thought from today’s Bible reading from Matthew 2; Luke 2:39-52.
When December comes, it is common to see nativity scenes displayed in front of houses, places of worship, and other locations. These typically include depictions of the baby Jesus lying in a manger with Mary and Joseph, the animals, the shepherds, and the magi (wise men) gathered around. There is at least one problem with this – the magi were not present at the manger.
“After hearing the king, they went their way; and the star, which they had seen in the east, went on before them until it came and stood over the place where the Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh” (Matthew 2:9-11).
The shepherds were certainly present while Jesus was lying in a manger (Luke 2:15-16). But the magi did not arrive until after the Child had been moved from the manger into a house.
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What does “propitiation” mean? How is “justification” connected to salvation? What does “sanctification” look like in our day-to-day lives? The Bible uses some powerful words to describe God’s plan to save mankind. However, these words are not always easy to understand, especially when they are not part of our everyday vocabulary. This book explores key Bible terms that unlock the message of the gospel.
Big Words in the Bible examines five important words – Propitiation, Reconciliation, Sanctification, Justification, and Resurrection – using plain language to see how the Scriptures describe these concepts and how the apostle Paul employs them in his letter to the Romans. This book also contains an appendix with eleven additional articles to explore these topics further.
Whether you are new to the Bible and want to grow in your understanding or want a simple way to explain these core gospel doctrines to others, this book will be helpful. With a focus on the Scriptures, Big Words in the Bible helps break down these fundamental topics to shed light on the life-changing message of the gospel and the salvation found in it.
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