You Can Read the Bible Guided Podcast

“Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us…”  Luke uses his introduction to inform the reader of his purpose and method in writing this gospel.  Luke seeks to write an orderly account of the things that have been taught, based on the testimony of eyewitnesses.  His motive: so that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.  In other words, there are a lot of stories out there about Jesus, and Luke has set out to establish their credibility, and bring order to the narrative.

The “you” in the above sentence is Theophilus.  The name means “Friend of God” or “One who loves God,” and its owner is impossible to pin down.  Some ancient traditions assign it to a prominent Jew in Alexandria; others to a Roman official; still others to a priest or a group of priests.  Perhaps Theophilus is a metaphor for a group of believers to whom Luke provides a definitive record of Jesus’ life. 

The opening chapters go further than other gospels into the life of Mary’s family and into the birth and childhood of Jesus.   The story begins not with Mary or Joseph, but with Elizabeth, a cousin of Mary and wife of a priest, who were both righteous before God…but they had no child.  The miraculous surrounds the birth stories of both Elizabeth and Mary, causing observers to witness that the hand of the Lord was with them.

Pay close attention, in chapter 2, to the visits to the Temple.  Whereas Matthew rooted Jesus’ advent in the prophecies of the past, Luke introduces Simeon, who peers into the future when he holds the infant Jesus: “My eyes have seen your salvation, that you prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light of revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel… Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed… so that the thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.” 

Our verse for this week is Micah 6:8: He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you, but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

Luke chapters 1 and 2.  Now let’s read it!

The LORD’s great victory yesterday came against Baal on Baal’s own presumed turf.  Baal was the Canaanite god of the storms and rain: where else would the LORD exert His power than in the arena of Baal’s supposed strength?  The LORD even joins Elijah in mocking King Ahab and his god: “Go up, say to Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot and go down, lest the rain stop you…’” 

So it might be surprising to find Elijah run for his life at the beginning of chapter 19.  But let’s avoid the temptation to spiritualize this and imagine the very human emotions of the moment.  Elijah is tired; he prepared physically, emotional, and spiritually for the encounter on Mount Carmel.  He felt the tension of each minute on that mountain; he stood just aside as fire fell from on high; he avenged the LORD’s prophets at the Kishon brook.

And remember, his purpose wasn’t to achieve a great victory: it was to turn back the hearts of Israel and her king.  Then moments after watching his countrymen worship “The LORD, [for] He is God,” he receives a death sentence from the palace.  What hope was there?  Ahab and Jezebel’s apostasy was not an educational issue.  Their hearts were beyond response. 

And therefore, if Elijah’s mission was to turn the hearts of Ahab and Jezebel to the LORD, he has failed miserably.  But that might not have been his mission at all, or at least not entirely.  The rest of chapter 19 plays with this question, and I’ll let you discover the LORD’s inquisitive response to Elijah’s anguish: “It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.”

In chapter 20 we return to a less taxing subject: war with Syria.  Syria (or Aram), was Northeast of Israel and headquartered at Damascus.  They had paid tribute to David and Solomon but were now independent and returning the favor to Israel. 

The threats are external and internal.  Syria has superior numbers.  Ahab is weak and cowardly.  In three successive campaigns the LORD again fights for Israel, so that Ahab “will know that I am the LORD…” 

Yet even in victory, Ahab will prove a failure.  Pay attention to the increasing boldness of the LORD’s prophets as they confront this Troubler of Israel. 

Our verse for this week is 2 Corinthians 5:17: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.  The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

1 Kings 19 and 20.  Now let’s read it!

On the mount where Jesus was transfigured, after the voice out of heaven had knocked Peter, James, and John to the ground, Jesus commissioned them as the LORD had commanded Joshua: "Rise, and have no fear." 

The concluding chapters of Matthew are both harrowing and inevitable.  Jesus is taken from the house of the Chief Priest to the Governor’s mansion.  The chief priests and elders hurl accusations that don’t stick.  Pilate knew that it was out of envy that they had delivered him up and was amazed that Jesus would not answer in His own defense.  He even gives the crowd a chance to let both himself and the elders off the hook. 

But Matthew knows what’s going on: “… when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, "I am innocent of this man's blood; see to it yourselves."   The rest of the chapter is a blur of props and images: a scourge; a scarlet robe, a crown of thorns, and a reed; a cross, a written charge, and cast lots; Golgotha, earthquakes, opened tombs, and one tomb, sealed with a stone.

There is also a procession of characters: Judas, whose return to the chief priests is just as cryptic as his initial visit; the aforementioned Pilate, a spectacle of political calculation; a man of Cyrene, Simon by name, who finds himself thrust into the passing whirlwind; a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who also was a disciple of Jesus; the soldiers, robbers, and bystanders; and many women, among them Mary Magdalene, and the mother of James and John – present until the very end. 

As chapter 28 opens, on the morning after the Sabbath, two women approach the tomb.  And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it.  His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow.  And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. 

But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid…”

Our verse for this week is Micah 6:8: He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you, but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

Matthew 27 and 28.  Now let’s read it!

Our story takes place today in the Northern Kingdom of Israel, beginning about 45 years after the kingdom fractured.  Jeroboam’s dynasty lasted barely two generations, and Baasha’s will last barely two years.  As you’ll read today, chaos has a stronger reign in Israel than any of her kings do, with conspiracy and treachery accompanying almost every generation. 

But this is not just another record of ancient political intrigue.  Though the children of Israel are governed by separate kingdoms, the LORD’s covenant is with Abraham’s descendants, not their political entities.  And when they provoke the LORD to anger with their idols, the LORD responds, often by sending prophets to speak His warnings. 

While we’ve seen prophets such as Nathan, Gad, and Ahijah confront kings on the LORD’s behalf, none rises to the stature of Elijah, who rises to prominence in chapter 17.  Elijah is sent to Israel’s king Ahab who, with his wife Jezebel, did more to provoke the LORD…than all the kings of Israel who were before him. 

Today’s intrigue is set against the backdrop of a drought, which the LORD has orchestrated to show His power to Ahab.  After pronouncing the LORD’s vow, Elijah runs, to be cared for by the LORD first east of the Jordan and then in the land of Sidon, where the LORD exerts His power to provide for Elijah and his foreign hosts. 

In the third year, the LORD sends Elijah back to Israel, where a showdown is arranged between Elijah and the prophets of Baal.  The dialogue in this episode is rich, humorous, biting.  Elijah’s sarcasm is unlike anything we’ve seen.  He’s fearless before the king, audacious in the face of Baal, and utterly convinced that the LORD will win.  “Answer me, O LORD answer me,” he calls out on Mount Carmel, “that this people may know that you, O LORD, are God…”

Our verse for this week is 2 Corinthians 5:17: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.  The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

1 Kings 16 through 18.  Now let’s read it!