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90 DAYS THROUGH THE NEW TESTAMENT
IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER
Copyright © Ron Rhodes
Published by Harvest House Publishers
Eugene, Oregon
www.harvesthousepublishers.com
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Rhodes, Ron.
days through the New Testament in chronological order / Ron Rhodes.
pages cm
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN ---- (pbk.)
ISBN ---- (eBook)
. Bible. New Testament—Criticism, interpretation, etc. I. Title. II. Title: Ninety days through
the New Testament in chronological order.
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All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or
transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, digital, photocopy, recording,
or any other—except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the
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To Kerri, David, and Kylie
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A
Kerri, David, and Kylie—
e sun seems to shine brighter with you in my world!
What an awesome family the Lord has given us.
All my friends at Harvest House Publishers—
Your collective efforts have spiritually enriched multitudes
around the globe.
I feel privileged to work with you!
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C
Introduction .................................
. Jesus’s Incarnation and Early Ministry ..............
. Jesus’s Ministry in Galilee, Perea, and Judea ..........
. Passion Week .................................
. e Church Is Born and the Gospel Spreads .........
. Paul’s Second and ird Missionary Tours ...........
. Paul in Prison .................................
. e Final Letters and Future Hope. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Postscript: Jesus—the Heart of the New Testament ....
Bibliography .................................
Notes .......................................
Daily Reading Index ...........................
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7
Introduction
ank you for joining me on this exciting journey through the New
Testament. You are in for a spiritually uplifting time! My hope and
prayer is that as you read 90 Days rough the New Testament in Chron-
ological Order
, you will…
• experience a growing love for the Word of God,
• grow in your knowledge of and appreciation for the wondrous
salvation you have in Jesus Christ,
• experience more daily intimacy with Jesus than ever before,
• understand and experience God’s incredible grace in your
daily walk with Him,
• grow in your knowledge of the Holy Spirit and dependence
on Him as He empowers you to live the Christian life,
• grow in your faith and trust in God in the midst of life’s trou-
bles, and
• gain an eternal perspective so that you see life’s problems and
difficulties from heaven’s vantage point.
As we begin our journey together, I want to address a few things
that will lay a foundation for better understanding the New Testament.
Let’s look at the big picture first and consider some preliminary matters
about how this book is arranged. en we will zero in on our chrono-
logical study of the New Testament.
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90 Days Through the New Testament in Chronological Order8
e Significance of the New Testament
e New Testament is a collection of writings composed over a
-year period by nine different authors from various walks of life. e
primary personality of the New Testament is Jesus Christ. e primary
theme is salvation in Jesus Christ, based on the new covenant.
e word “testament” refers to a covenant or agreement. e Old
Testament focuses on an old covenant between God and the Israelites.
According to that covenant (the Sinai covenant), the Jews were to be
God’s people and render obedience to Him, and in return God would
bless them (Exodus :-). Israel failed repeatedly and continually
violated this covenant. So even in Old Testament times, the proph-
ets began to speak of a new covenant that would focus not on keeping
external laws but on an inner reality and change in the human heart
( Jeremiah :). Unlike the Sinai covenant, the new covenant was to
make full provision for the forgiveness of sins.
When Jesus ate the Passover meal with the disciples in the upper
room, He spoke of the cup as “the new covenant in my blood” (Luke
:; see also Corinthians :). Hebrews demonstrates that
Christ’s priesthood is superior to the old priesthood, and it logically
follows that such a superior priesthood would have a superior ministry.
Such a ministry is provided for in the new covenant. Jesus has done all
that is necessary for the forgiveness of sins by His once-for-all sacrifice
on the cross. is new covenant is the basis for our relationship with
God in the New Testament.
e Books of the New Testament
e first four books of the New Testament are the Gospels: Mat-
thew, Mark, Luke, and John. Each of these contains an account of
the life of Christ. None portrays all the details of His life, but taken
together, they provide a full composite account.
Each Gospel author included different details, depending on his
purpose for writing. For example, the Gospel of Matthew has more
citations from the Old Testament than any other Gospel because Mat-
thew sought to prove to the Jews that Jesus is the Messiah prophesied in
the Old Testament. Mark, by contrast, had no such Jewish motivation,
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Introduction 9
but instead sought to portray Jesus in action rather than as a teacher.
Luke’s Gospel stresses the wonderful blessings of salvation for all people.
John’s Gospel focuses heavily on the identity of Jesus and thoroughly
demonstrates His deity.
Following the Gospels is the book of Acts, which traces the spread
of Christianity following the death and resurrection of Christ. ough
the book is traditionally understood as the acts of the apostles, it is
probably more appropriately understood as the acts of the Holy Spirit,
for truly it is the Holy Spirit who seems to be active in just about every
chapter of the book.
Following the book of Acts are the epistles, or letters. e apostle
Paul wrote of these, and the rest were written by other followers of
Jesus. Many of the New Testament epistles were written to brand-new
churches that had certain issues that needed to be addressed ( and
essalonians are examples). e apostle Paul often wrote letters to
follow up his missionary visits to churches. (For example, Paul wrote
Ephesians following his visit to the church at Ephesus.) erefore,
Paul’s letters are often personal. In some cases, Paul gave advice to
the leader of a particular church. (Such was the case when Paul wrote
Timothy.) Other times he addressed the church as a whole. (Philip-
pians is a good example.)
Other New Testament epistles—the “general epistles”—were
not directed at specific churches, but were circulated to a number of
churches and dealt with general concerns. ese are primarily the non-
Pauline epistles, such as James; and Peter; and , , and John.
ough the epistles were originally written for first-century Chris-
tians, they have tremendous relevance for Christians today. Indeed,
the issues dealt with in the epistles are relevant to every generation. We
need spiritual instruction just as the ancients did.
e final book of the New Testament is the book of Revelation,
which is an apocalyptic book full of prophecy. is book was written
to persecuted believers to give them hope, inspiration, and comfort so
they could patiently endure the struggles they were facing. e book
demonstrates that God wins in the end and that we will all live face-
to-face with Him forever in new heavens and a new earth. e book
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90 Days Through the New Testament in Chronological Order10
also gives strong hope to current-day Christians who live in an increas-
ingly troubled world.
e Inspiration of the New Testament Books
e biblical Greek word translated “inspired” literally means “God-
breathed.” Biblical inspiration may be defined as God’s superintending
of the human authors so that, using their own individual personalities
and writing styles, they composed and recorded without error His rev-
elation to humankind in the words of the original autographs (hand-
written manuscripts). In other words, the original documents of the
Bible were written by men who, though permitted to exercise their own
personalities and literary talents, wrote under the control and guidance
of the Holy Spirit, the result being a perfect and errorless recording of
the exact message God desired to give to man.
e writers of Scripture were thus not mere writing machines. God
did not use them like keys on a typewriter to mechanically reproduce
His message. Nor did He dictate the words, page by page. e biblical
evidence shows that each writer had a style of his own. Matthew’s writ-
ing had Jewish overtones, Mark’s writing was action-oriented, Luke’s
style had medical overtones, John was very simple in his approach, and
Paul had a theological style. e Holy Spirit infallibly worked through
each of these writers, through their individual styles, to communicate
His message without error to humankind. is means that you can
trust your New Testament (and, of course, the Old Testament as well).
e New Testament Canon
e word “canon” comes from a Greek word that means “measur-
ing stick.” Over time, the word eventually came to be used metaphor-
ically of books that were “measured” and thereby recognized as being
God’s Word. When we talk about the canon of Scripture today, we
are referring to all the biblical books that collectively constitute God’s
Word.
Many books written during New Testament times were recog-
nized as being the Word of God at that time. In Timothy :, for
example, the apostle Paul joined an Old Testament reference and a
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Introduction 11
New Testament reference and called them both (collectively) Scripture
(Deuteronomy : and Luke :). It would not have been unusual
in the context of first-century Judaism for an Old Testament passage
to be called Scripture. But for a New Testament book to be referred to
as Scripture so soon after it was written says volumes about Paul’s view
of the authority of contemporary New Testament books.
Only three years elapsed between the writing of the Gospel of Luke
and the writing of Timothy. (Luke was written around AD , and
Timothy was written around AD .) Despite this, Paul—himself a
Jew, a “Hebrew of Hebrews”—does not hesitate to place Luke on the
same level of authority as the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy.
Further, the writings of the apostle Paul were recognized as Scrip-
ture by the apostle Peter (see Peter :). Paul, too, understood that
his own writings were inspired by God and therefore authoritative
( Corinthians :; essalonians :). Paul, of course, wrote
about half the New Testament books.
When the church formally recognized which books belonged in
the canon at the Council of Carthage in AD , five primary tests
were applied.
Was the book written or backed by a prophet or apostle of God? e rea-
soning here is that the Word of God which is inspired by the Spirit of
God for the people of God must be communicated through a man of
God. Second Peter :- assures us that Scripture is written only by
men of God. In Galatians :- the apostle Paul argued for support of
the letter he was writing by appealing to the fact that he was an autho-
rized messenger of God, an apostle.
Is the book authoritative? In other words, can it be said of this book
as it was said of Jesus, “e people were amazed at his teaching, because
he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the
law” (Mark :)? Put another way, does this book ring with a sense of
“us saith the Lord”?
Does the book tell the truth about God as it has already been revealed?
e Bereans searched the Old Testament Scriptures to see whether
Paul’s teaching was true (Acts :). ey knew that if Paul’s teaching
did not accord with the Old Testament canon, it could not be of God.
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90 Days Through the New Testament in Chronological Order12
Agreement with all earlier revelation is essential. Paul certainly recog-
nized this, for he said to the Galatians, “Even if we or an angel from
heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached
to you, let him be accursed” (Galatians :).
Does the book give evidence of having the power of God? e reasoning
here is that any writing that does not exhibit the transforming power of
God in the lives of its readers could not have come from God. Scripture
says that the Word of God is living and active (Hebrews :). Second
Timothy :- indicates that God’s Word has a transforming effect.
If the book in question did not have the power to change lives, then
the book could not have come from God.
Was the book accepted by the people of God? In the New Testament,
Paul thanked the essalonians for receiving his message as the Word
of God ( essalonians :). Paul’s letters were circulated among the
churches (Colossians :; essalonians :). It is the norm that
God’s people—that is, the majority of them and not simply a faction—
will initially receive God’s Word as such.
Interestingly, in AD —some years prior to the Council
of Carthage—Athanasius (a bishop of Alexandria and a great cham
-
pion of orthodoxy) wrote his Paschal Letter, in which he listed all the
books of our present New Testament canon. So even before this defin-
itive council met, the books that belonged in the New Testament were
already known.
e bottom line is this: You can trust that the New Testament books
are truly the Word of God.
e Reliability of the New Testament
e New Testament is not based on myth or hearsay. Rather, it is
based on eyewitness testimony. John, who wrote the Gospel of John,
said in his first epistle, “at which was from the beginning, which we
have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon
and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life
…
we
proclaim also to you” ( John :-). Peter likewise wrote, “We did not
follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power
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Introduction 13
and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his
majesty” ( Peter :).
e Bible writers gave up their lives defending what they wrote.
No one gives up his or her life in defense of a lie! Further, manuscript
evidence and archeological discoveries give a convincing stamp of
approval to the reliability of the New Testament.
e Authority of the New Testament
Scripture alone is the supreme and infallible authority for the
church and the individual believer ( Corinthians :; essalonians
:; Timothy :-; Peter :). Certainly Jesus and the apos-
tles often gave testimony to the absolute authority of the Bible as the
Word of God. Jesus affirmed the Bible’s divine inspiration (Matthew
:), its indestructibility (Matthew :-), its infallibility ( John
:), its final authority (Matthew :,,), its historicity (Matthew
:; :), and its factual inerrancy (Matthew :; John :).
Scripture has final authority because it is a direct revelation from
God and carries the very authority of God Himself (Galatians :).
What the Bible says, God says. e Scriptures are the final court of
appeal on all doctrinal and moral matters. We need no other source,
and indeed no other source is authoritative and binding upon the
Christian.
Jesus said, “Scripture cannot be broken” ( John :). He also said,
“Until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from
the Law until all is accomplished” (Matthew :). He said, “It is easier
for heaven and earth to pass away than for one dot of the Law to become
void” (Luke :). Jesus appealed to Scripture in every disputed mat-
ter. To the Sadducees He said, “You are wrong, because you know nei-
ther the Scriptures nor the power of God” (Matthew :). He told
some Pharisees that they invalidated the Word of God by their tradition
that had been handed down (Mark :). To the devil, Jesus consistently
responded, “It is written
…
” (Matthew :-). Following Jesus’s lead, we
must conclude that Scripture alone is our supreme and final authority.
is means that as we read the New Testament, we are not to
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90 Days Through the New Testament in Chronological Order14
consider it as merely the words of men. Let’s recognize it for what it
is—the very Word of God, which has authority over our lives.
e Challenges of a Chronological Approach
ere are some definite challenges to taking a chronological
approach to studying the New Testament. e foremost is that bibli-
cal scholars differ on the exact chronological order of events. is point
has been recognized by all the chronological study Bibles in print. e
Chronological Life Application Study Bible states, “Organizing the Bible
into chronological order is sometimes tricky, and excellent Christian
scholars do not always agree on the order of certain books or passages.”
e Chronological Study Bible: NIV likewise affirms, “Rearranging the
Bible is
…
a fallible human effort. Even those who have earned advanced
degrees in the various fields of biblical studies would disagree on any
particular rearrangement.”
e Chronological Study Bible: New King
James Version adds, “Rearranging the biblical books chronologically is
by no means easily accomplished, since Bible scholars differ on almost
every important point of chronology.”
at means no biblical chro-
nology—including the one suggested in this book—should be consid-
ered inspired or inerrant, as is the Word of God.
As I wrestled through the New Testament chronology, I discovered
that chronological problems surface most in the four Gospels. To be
fair, none of the Gospel writers set out to write a precise chronology of
the teachings and events in the life of Christ. ey could have done this,
but that wasn’t their purpose. Each of the writers had a unique purpose
in writing his Gospel, and the varied purposes account for many of the
differences in chronology.
ere has also been significant debate over the varying details con-
tained in the Gospel accounts. But I believe there are viable reasons for
these differences. Foundationally, we know from human experience
that different people will notice different things about the same event.
Simply because there are different details reported does not mean any
of the reports are wrong. Each report can be unique but nevertheless
correct.
One must also keep in mind that Jesus’s ministry spanned some
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Introduction 15
three years—more than days. Many scholars believe it is extremely
likely that He repeated the same teachings on many occasions. I am
quite sure this is the case. is may account for some of the differences
in the Gospel accounts on similar teachings of Christ. at is, Christ
may have communicated the same truth on a number of different occa-
sions, and on each occasion He may have communicated that truth in
a slightly unique way. is has led some scholars to surmise that seem-
ingly parallel accounts of a teaching may actually refer to two different
teaching events. We can’t be certain about such things, but I am con-
vinced this is what happened. Of course, the important point is that
Christ gave us these teachings, not the precise order in which He deliv-
ered them.
It is possible that some of the differences in the Gospel accounts are
partly due to the reality that Jesus may have spoken three languages—
Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. e New Testament, of course, was writ-
ten in Greek. If Jesus gave a teaching to a Jewish audience in Hebrew
or Aramaic, each Gospel writer’s rendering of that teaching in Greek
may have been slightly different from the others’.
Further, we must note that unlike modern writers, the ancients
were not overly fixated on verbal exactitude. ey didn’t use quotation
marks in those days. Nor did they use ellipsis dots to note that words
were deleted, or brackets to indicate clarifying insertions by the Gos-
pel writers. ese are all modern inventions, and we would be wrong
to impose such writing protocols on the ancients. But the biblical writ-
ers were nevertheless trustworthy in all that they wrote.
Perhaps an illustration might help. Imagine three bystanders wit-
nessing a car accident at a street intersection.
e first witness says, “e truck hit the car.”
e second witness says, “e girl in that red truck hit the blue car.”
e third witness says, “e blond girl in that red Ford F- hit
the blue sedan, driven by a redheaded guy with freckles.”
ese are not contradictory accounts. ey are partial, complemen-
tary descriptions of what happened. Taken together, we can reconstruct
a trustworthy composite report.
Consider the death of Judas. In Matthew :, we are told that
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90 Days Through the New Testament in Chronological Order16
Judas died by hanging himself. In Acts : we are told that Judas burst
open in the middle and all his entrails gushed out. ese are both
partial accounts. Neither account gives us the full picture. But taken
together we can easily reconstruct how Judas died. He hanged himself
first, and sometime later, the rope loosened and Judas fell to the rocks
below, thereby causing his intestines to gush out.
Of course, the difference between the accident reports (in my illus-
tration above) and the biblical writings is that the biblical writings were
inspired by the Holy Spirit and therefore are inerrant. You can trust the
biblical accounts despite their differences because God superintended
each of the biblical authors as he wrote.
is means that apparent contradictions in the Gospels are not
really contradictions. ere are differences, yes, but not actual contra-
dictions. Certainly if all four Gospels were the same, with no differ-
ences, critics would be accusing the writers of collusion. e differences
in the Gospels show that there was no collusion and that the Gospels
represent four unique (but inspired) accounts of the same events.
As we probe into alleged contradictions in the Gospel accounts, we
consistently see that they are all explainable in a reasonable way. ose
who wish to study the issue of alleged contradictions in more detail
may wish to consult my book e Big Book of Bible Answers (Harvest
House Publishers, ).
How to Use is Book
As you begin each chapter, consider using this prayer.
Lord, I ask You to open my eyes and enhance my understanding
so that I can grasp what You want me to learn today [Psalm
:]. I also ask You to enable me, by Your Spirit, to apply
the truths I learn to my daily life and to be guided moment by
moment by Your Word
[Psalm :; Timothy :-].
I thank You in Jesus’s name. Amen.
Because this book goes through the New Testament in chronological
order, each day’s reading includes a number of Bible passages to read. In
some cases, they are parallel passages covering the same event (as in the
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Introduction 17
Gospels). In other cases, each passage covers a different New Testament
event in a suggested chronological order. Reading the New Testament in
chronological order will help you to see how all the New Testament books
relate to each other in the unfolding drama of human redemption.
Because we are covering the entire New Testament in just days,
some of the reading assignments may seem a little long. But trust
me—you’ll be able to read through each day’s assignment just fine.
Just remember that there are rich spiritual dividends in spending time
in God’s Word!
I must also tell you that I’ll give your thumb a good workout, espe-
cially on the chapters dealing with the Gospels’ parallel accounts of the
same events. Again, however, it will be worth your time and effort—
and you might even burn a few extra calories!
Here is what you will find in each chapter.
Introduction. Each chapter that contains the first Scripture reading
from a particular New Testament book will contain a brief introduc-
tion to that book, including information on the author, readers, and
purpose for writing. In the case of the four Gospels, the first four chap-
ters of the book contain one Gospel introduction each.
Overview of Today’s Scripture Reading. For each passage, I provide a
brief contextual overview that will help you grasp exactly what’s going
on. is is not a verse-by-verse commentary, but it will help you to see
the big picture of the biblical text.
Today’s Big Ideas. is section contains a short list of big ideas in the
assigned reading, along with Scripture references. is, too, will help
you quickly see the big picture.
Insights on Difficult Verses. Hard-to-understand verses are briefly
explained.
Major emes. ese are topical summaries of important themes in
the text of Scripture.
Digging Deeper with Cross-References. ese cross-references will
help you discover relevant insights from other Bible verses.
Life Lessons. ese are personal, life-changing applications based on
what you’ve read.
Verses to Remember. Here you will find a selection of a few verses
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90 Days Through the New Testament in Chronological Order18
from the assigned reading that are particularly relevant for your spir-
itual life.
Questions for Reflection and Discussion. e questions here are ideal
for either personal reflection or group studies.
Prayer. Each chapter closes with a brief devotional prayer based on
the daily reading assignment.
Each of these sections will necessarily be brief. After all, the book has
succinct chapters. But the short chapters are strategically designed
to give you maximum benefit as you read Scripture and allow it to
transform your life. So grab your favorite Bible, and let’s begin our
journey!
Lord, by the power of Your Spirit, please enable all who read this book to
understand and apply important spiritual truths from each New Testament
book. Please excite them with Your Word. Please instill in them a sense of
awe for the person of our Lord Jesus Christ and the salvation He has pro-
vided for each of us. I thank You in Jesus’s name. Amen.
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19
Chapter 1
Jesus’s Incarnation and Early Ministry
D
Introducing Jesus Christ
We begin our journey through the New Testament with a focus on the
Incarnation—that glorious event in which the eternal and divine Son
of God became a human being. Begin by reading Matthew ; Luke
; :-; and John :-. Read with the anticipation that the Holy
Spirit has something important to teach you today (see Psalm :).
Chronological marker.
Jesus was likely born in BC, so Mary’s preg-
nancy must have been in BC. (e traditional birth date was a mis-
calculation by scholars about years after Christ’s death.)
Introduction to Matthew
Author : Matthew, one of the apostles
Date: written between AD and
Fast facts:
• Matthew, himself a Jew, wrote this Gospel to convince Jewish
readers that Jesus is the promised Messiah. It contains about
Old Testament citations or allusions (for example, see
:-; :-; :; :-; :-).
• ough Matthew was writing to convince Jews that Jesus was
the divine Messiah, he does not confine the good news to his
own people, the Jews. Rather, he emphasizes that the gospel is
for all people.
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90 Days Through the New Testament in Chronological Order20
Key words in Matthew (and the number of times they occur):
Father ()
kingdom of heaven ()
kingdom ()
which was spoken ()
righteous ()
might be fulfilled ()
worship ()
son of David ()
(I will provide introductions to the Gospels of Mark, Luke, and
John in the next three chapters.)
Overview of Today’s Scripture Reading
John 1:1-5. Like Genesis , John begins with an emphasis on life
and light. Both are rooted in Jesus Christ. Jesus’s light shines eternally.
Matthew 1:1-17; Luke 3:23-38. Jesus’s arrival to earth in the Incar-
nation was not a quickly arranged event that God suddenly brought
about. It involved God’s sovereign and providential oversight over the
messianic line for ages and ages.
Luke 1:1-4. Luke’s Gospel is thoroughly researched and reliable.
Luke 1:5-25. God’s children often tend to focus more on their own
deficiencies and weaknesses than on the awesome power of our sover-
eign God. at was Zechariah’s problem (see verse ).
Luke 1:26-38. Mary was a God-honoring woman. She humbly sub-
mitted to the Lord’s will despite the fact that it would bring her sor-
row and suffering.
Luke 1:39-56. Notice that there are distinct quotations from the
Old Testament in Mary’s poem. is shows that the Messiah was born
into a home where God’s Word was honored.
Matthew 1:18-25. Mary’s was not a normal human pregnancy. e
Holy Spirit overshadowed Mary to produce a human nature within her
womb for Jesus, the eternal Son of God. Jesus was born as a human
without a sin nature. He was “God with us.”
Luke 1:57-80. John’s name means “God is gracious”—appropriate
because God graciously sent John the Baptist to prepare the way for
the coming of the divine Messiah.
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Jesus’s Incarnation and Early Ministry 21
Today’s Big Ideas
• Jesus is eternal deity ( John :-).
• Jesus in the Incarnation had a human genealogy (Matthew
:-; Luke :-).
• e angel Gabriel announced the upcoming birth of Jesus
(Luke :-).
Insights on Difficult Verses
John 1:1-5. Contrary to what some cults claim, these verses prove
Jesus is God! e same Greek words used to describe Jesus’s deity here
are used elsewhere to describe the Father’s deity (Luke :; see also
John :; :; :).
Matthew 1:1-17; Luke 3:23-38. Matthew’s genealogy traces Joseph’s
line of descendants and deals with the passing of the legal title to the
throne of David. Luke’s genealogy traces Mary’s lineage and goes all the
way back to Adam and the commencement of the human race.
Major emes
Jesus is the Word ( John 1:1). e Word is portrayed as a living, divine
being who is eternal, the Creator, and the source of life. John used the
term because it was familiar to both Greeks and Jews.
Jesus saves His people (Matthew 1:21). “Jesus” means “the Lord saves”
or “the Lord is salvation.” It is a perfect name for our Savior.
Digging Deeper with Cross-References
Life is in Jesus ( John 1:4)—John :-; :-; :-,-;
:-,-,; :-; :; :,-; :-;
:-; :; :-; :
Jesus is God ( John 1:1)—Isaiah :; Matthew :; Mark :-;
John :; :; Philippians :; Colossians :; Titus
:; Hebrews :; Revelation :; :,
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90 Days Through the New Testament in Chronological Order22
Life Lessons
We are responsible to the Creator ( John 1:3). John says Jesus is the Cre-
ator of all that exists (see Colossians :; Hebrews :). Because we are
creatures, we are responsible to submit ourselves to the Creator. Consider
making Psalm :- and Psalm : part of the daily fabric of your life.
God uses less-than-perfect people (Matthew 1:3,5-6). Notice that in
Jesus’s genealogies, less-than-perfect people are in the messianic line.
For example, Tamar, Rahab, and Bathsheba were all involved in sex-
ual sin (Genesis ; Joshua ; Samuel :–:). Yet all three were
included in God’s unfolding plan of salvation. God often does amaz-
ing things through people whom the world considers less than desir-
able (see Corinthians :-).
Verses to Remember
• “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God” ( John :).
• “e angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have
found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in
your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus’ ”
(Luke :-).
Questions for Reflection and Discussion
1. Why do you think John established the absolute deity of
Christ at the very beginning of his Gospel ( John :)?
2. Does the fact that Jesus’s name means “the Lord saves” cause
you to look at Him any differently?
3. Have you ever thought about what might have happened had
the Incarnation of Jesus never occurred?
My Father, how thankful I am that You sent Jesus into the world. As I pon-
der the meaning of His name—“the Lord saves”—I am filled with grat-
itude at the salvation I have in Him. May You ever be praised. In Jesus’s
name, amen.
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D
Jesus’s Boyhood
Yesterday we focused on the Incarnation—that glorious event in which
the eternal and divine Son of God became a human being (Matthew
; Luke ; :-; John :-). Today we turn our attention to the cir-
cumstances surrounding the boyhood of Jesus.
Begin by reading Matthew and Luke . As you read, remember
that the Word of God is alive and working in you (Hebrews :).
Chronological marker.
Jesus was born in BC, so His growth as a
boy would have taken up till around AD . Two decades then passed.
He grew into adulthood and began His ministry around AD .
Introduction to Luke
Author : Luke was a frequent companion of the apostle Paul.
Date: written in AD
Fast facts:
• Luke was a well-educated and cultured man.
• He wrote his Gospel based on reliable, firsthand sources (Luke
:-).
• Luke, a medical doctor, expressed unflinching belief in Jesus’s
virgin birth (Luke :) and many miracles (:-; :-;
:-; :-).
Key words in Luke (and the number of times they occur):
save ()
sin/sinner ()
preach glad tidings/good
news ()
grace ()
salvation ()
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90 Days Through the New Testament in Chronological Order24
Overview of Today’s Scripture Reading
Luke 2:1-20. In stark contrast to Jesus’s intrinsic glory and majesty,
He was born in lowly conditions in a stable. Angels then appeared to
shepherds in a field, announcing that “Christ the Lord” was born, not
“Christ your Lord.” Christ is sovereign over angels as well as humans.
Luke 2:21-38. When Jesus was presented in the temple by His par-
ents, Simeon—a God-fearing man—recognized the babe as the One
who would bring salvation to the world. ough Jesus wouldn’t begin
His public ministry for years, Simeon knew this was the Christ, the
Messiah. Now that he had witnessed the Savior, Simeon said he was
ready to die peacefully.
Mary, Joseph, Jesus, and Simeon were then approached by the
prophetess Anna. She had apparently been long awaiting the coming
of the Messiah. When she heard Simeon speak, her spirit rejoiced, and
she gave thanks to God.
Matthew 2; Luke 2:39-40. Back in Nazareth, Jesus was soon vis-
ited by Magi from the east. ey followed a “star” to His house. When
they beheld Jesus, they worshipped Him, presenting Him with gifts
of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. ese gifts were typically given to a
king in biblical times.
Herod, meanwhile, was threatened with the possible prospect of a
challenging king. He engaged in a failed plot to murder Jesus. ere
were many collateral casualties in this satanically driven plot (Revela-
tion :).
Luke 2:41-52. When Jesus was years old, He accompanied His
parents to Jerusalem to observe the Passover. While returning to Jerusa-
lem, Joseph and Mary discovered that Jesus was missing. Families often
traveled with other families in a caravan for safety purposes. Joseph
and Mary apparently assumed Jesus was with other kids in the cara-
van. In reality, Jesus was still in Jerusalem, amazing learned interpret-
ers of Scripture.
Today’s Big Ideas
• Angels announced Christ’s birth to some shepherds (Luke
:-).
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Jesus’s Incarnation and Early Ministry 25
• Jesus was presented at the Jewish temple, where He was recog-
nized as the Savior (Luke :-).
• Jesus was worshipped by wise men but hunted by Herod
(Matthew ; Luke :-).
Insights on Difficult Verses
Matthew 2:1-12. e fact that the Magi observed the unique star
does not condone astrology, as some have claimed. is star existed
to announce Christ’s birth, not to foretell an event. Stars in the Bible
point to God’s glory (Psalm :-; Romans :-).
Matthew 2:23. No Old Testament verse calls Jesus a Nazarene. Naz-
areth was viewed as a city of vice, so being called a Nazarene was con-
sidered scornful. Matthew’s point was that the prophets collectively
foretold that Jesus would be a despised character (Psalm :,-;
Isaiah :; :; :-).
Major emes
e kingship of Jesus (Matthew 2:2). Scripture reveals that the Mes-
siah would reign as King (Genesis :), have a dynasty ( Samuel
:), and have everlasting dominion (Daniel :-).
e star of Bethlehem (Matthew 2:2). A normal star in interstellar
space would be incapable of leading the wise men to an individual
dwelling in Bethlehem. e “star” was likely a manifestation of God’s
Shekinah glory hovering in the atmosphere.
Digging Deeper with Cross-References
e necessity of Christ’s birth as a human (Luke 2:7)—Luke :-;
John :; Peter :; Hebrews :-; :-; John :
Jesus, the divine shepherd (Matthew 2:6)—John :; Hebrews
:; Peter :; see also Psalms ; :; Isaiah :;
Mark :; Revelation :
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Life Lessons
Beware of selfishness, pride, and insecurity (Matthew 2:16-18). Herod
was driven to horrific sin by these vices, and Christians must be on
guard against them. It is much better to be self-giving and humble
( Corinthians :; Corinthians :; Galatians :; Philippians
:).
Worship (Matthew 2:11). When the Magi saw Jesus, they “fell down
and worshiped him.” Falling down and worshipping Jesus will still be
a common activity in heaven (Revelation :,; :). Why not get
into the habit now?
Verses to Remember
• “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the peo-
ple. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior,
who is Christ the Lord” (Luke :-).
• “Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with
God and man” (Luke :).
Questions for Reflection and Discussion
1. Why do you think God allowed Jesus to be born in humble
circumstances instead of an environment fit for royalty?
2. Why do you think angels announced Christ’s birth to
shepherds and not to royalty or governmental officials?
3. What do you learn in Luke about the nature of the good
news announced by the angels?
My Father, truly the gospel of Jesus Christ is “good news of great joy.” Like
the wise men, I rejoice “exceedingly with great joy.” I worship my Savior,
“who is Christ the Lord.” Praise be to Him. In His glorious name, amen.
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