As Jesus encounters the blind beggar he highlights Bartimaeus’ response as the correct response for a disciple of Jesus, rightly seeing Jesus for who he really is and responding by abandoning all else to follow him.

The new life in Christ is marked by radical Christ-worshiping servanthood of others which only flourishes where idols are repented-of and guarded-against.

To every soul on the planet, Christ holds out the offer of new life. It is a life unending, full of abundance now on earth with present suffering, and full of joy, glory and his love after death. But this offer of life is contingent upon yielding the whole of this natural life at the Cross of Jesus.

Jesus scolds his disciples for their failure to properly value children. As he teaches, he reminds us of the value of all human life and points to the helplessness and trusting hearts of children as examples for all of us to follow in order to receive the Kingdom.

God made marriage to be the single occasion in creation where two people permanently become one as a man marries a woman. This oneness pictures and gives foretaste to the union all believers will have with Christ in eternity. God loves the gift of marriage and calls us to invest in it.

In Christlikeness, absolute rejection of sin is essential for us. If we loose that rejection/ repentance…. Soften up and find sin in us to be acceptable, then we have lost our essence… we have lost our way… we are living and worshipping worthlessly because we are pro-sin. So, rather than hold pride in your hearts which causes you to fight over who will be the greatest, hold fast to your sin-hating and be at peace with each other.

Christ has joyfully and intensely bound himself to his trusting followers. How we treat them is a direct treatment of Him.

Jesus continues to labor with his disciples, teaching them his heart and his ways, and though they are slow to understand, he is patient to remind that the heart of his message and mission is the cross and resurrection.

In a unique account we are able to see the displeasure of Christ in not being believed upon by his followers and the surrounding world and his relentless call to be listened to and fully believed.

On the Mount of Transfiguration we encounter numerous things:

The centrality of prayer in every aspect of Jesus’ life and ministry

The true physical glories of Christ underlying his human

Christ’s prominence in having Moses and Elijah to come meet up with him and affirm his coming work in dying and rising

The Father’s overwhelming affirmation of the identity Christ and message of Christ as being the greater and final revelation of God