Paul introduces himself, his message, and his purpose to the Roman Christians. We see in his introduction, what a servant of Christ looks like.

Paul tells the Colossians that they need no secret knowledge or higher spirituality to have perfect relationship with God. They need only Walk in the salvation that Christ has purchased.

God announces the good news to shepherds watching over their flocks. The good news of the gospel is that because of the birth of Christ, man can now have peace with God. This message changes the shepherds in the same way that the gospel changes hearts today

The prologue of John gives us a clear description of who Jesus is. Only the real biblical Jesus is the savior. He alone brings the perfect righteousness that the Father requires

God gave the first promise of the coming savior in the garden after the fall. The promise is that a "seed" will come to destroy the serpent's work and that God would put enmity between His people and the serpent's. The birth of Jesus inaugurated the fulfillment of that promise and it will be consummated in the new creation.

Jesus shows us the way that we examine ourselves so that we might remove the log from our eye and be able to help our brother remove his speck. The fruit we produce is the indicator of the status of our hearts. The gospel is the only solution to our problem.

Jesus continues to explain what it means to love one's enemies. He has shown us what this love does. It blesses those who curse us and prays for those who abuse us. Here Jesus shows us the kind of heart that loves enemies. It is a heart that is merciful, not condemning or hypocritical.

Jesus teaches believers how we are to respond to those who hate us. The context is personal persecution and mistreatment for Christ's sake. He commands that we do good, bless, and pray for those who hate and curse us. He gives examples and tells us the reason why we are to live this way as believers. It is because our God is merciful and we show the world who He is when we are merciful.

Jesus preaches the sermon on the level describing what a life in right relationship with God looks like. The "blessed" life is not what most people expect. Jesus is giving a description of what this life looks like - it is those who are poor, hungry, mournful, and hated. That is not what a "blessed" life looks like to the world.

Jesus, facing increasing opposition, chooses the 12 Apostles from among His disciples. He secludes Himself on a mountain and prays all night before making the choice. The choosing of the 12 is born from increasing opposition, communion with the Father, and a dependence upon His power. These are the same things that characterize the church and the Christian life.