Category: Bible Study

“Whoever welcomes this little child on My account welcomes Me, and whoever welcomes Me welcomes Him Who sent Me.” —Luke 9:48 In the world, we don’t welcome people because we don’t welcome competition. We see other people as a threat. If they take their cut, there’s less for us. We tend to be jealous, possessive, and contentious. We compare ourselves with others to see who is greatest (Lk 9:46). In Jesus’ kingdom, it should be the opposite. We welcome people with open arms. Other people are not “them”; they’re “us.” We’re all members of the same body. “If one member...

“I am tortured in these flames.” —Luke 16:24 Jesus told a parable about a rich man who was in the netherworld — an allusion to what we would call “hell.” The rich man was in hell not because he was rich or because he refused to help the poor man, Lazarus. The rich man went to hell because he was insensitive to Lazarus. He didn’t even notice the poor man at his door, although even dogs noticed Lazarus (see Lk 16:20-21). The rich man was not only insensitive to Lazarus but also to Moses and the prophets, that is, the...

“The word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai: Tell this to the governor of Judah, Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, and to the high priest Joshua, son of Jehozadak, and to the remnant of the people.” —Haggai 2:1-2 The Lord in His perfect plan of salvation put a prophet, a governor, and a priest together to rebuild the Temple, restore God’s people, and renew the world. Historically, prophets were often persecuted by government authorities and priests. Sometimes governors or kings tried to usurp the rights of the priesthood. Then prophets railed at the government for its sin, sacrilege, and...

“Now thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways! You have sown much, but have brought in little.” —Haggai 1:5-6 Like Herod, some people are “perplexed” (Lk 9:7) regarding some of the events in their lives. They rightly sense that their confusion would be cleared up if they met Jesus (see Lk 9:9). However, like Herod, when they do encounter Christ, they often retreat into selfishness and refuse to meet Christ on His terms. Other people are frustrated. They “have sown much, but have brought in little” and “have eaten, but have not been satisfied” (Hg 1:6). “He who...