Reflective Bible Study Gospel Adventure

Remembering the Big Picture: Matthew 6:25-34

Published December 5, 2025 in Written Journal Entries

Focus Passage: Matthew 6:25-34 (NCV)

²⁵“So I tell you, don’t worry about the food or drink you need to live, or about the clothes you need for your body. Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothes. ²⁶Look at the birds in the air. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, but your heavenly Father feeds them. And you know that you are worth much more than the birds. ²⁷You cannot add any time to your life by worrying about it.

²⁸“And why do you worry about clothes? Look at how the lilies in the field grow. They don’t work or make clothes for themselves. ²⁹But I tell you that even Solomon with his riches was not dressed as beautifully as one of these flowers. ³⁰God clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today but tomorrow is thrown into the fire. So you can be even more sure that God will clothe you. Don’t have so little faith! ³¹Don’t worry and say, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ ³²The people who don’t know God keep trying to get these things, and your Father in heaven knows you need them. ³³Seek first God’s kingdom and what God wants. Then all your other needs will be met as well. ³⁴So don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will have its own worries. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Read Matthew 6:25-34 in context and/or in other translations on BibleGateway.com!

Right in the middle of Jesus talking to His followers about money, He shifts His focus onto talking about worry. Right at the beginning of this transition, we find something fascinating in Jesus’ words.

Jesus opens this discussion on worry by saying, “So I tell you, don’t worry about the food or drink you need to live, or about the clothes you need for your body. Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothes.” (v. 25)

What I find amazing in this verse is Jesus’ key point: “Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothes.” Intuitively, we know this, but if we were to look at culture today, too much of our lives are consumed by what we will eat and what we should wear. Intriguingly enough, these are probably the two biggest areas of life that cost money that we spend time thinking about. Things like our mortgage, car payments, other debt, and utility bills will easily cost more, but as a general rule, we spend much less time thinking about these big cost items then the smaller cost items of food and clothes.

Well, I guess I should put quotes around “smaller cost items”. With the way trends are going, food and clothing can get really expensive if you wanted it to. If one eats out (doesn’t matter where) for the majority of their meals each week, they will end up spending a lot more money than if they were to prepare all their meals at home. The same is true for clothing. There are some “designer” items that are outrageously priced, but I guess there are people who buy them because they carry a specific brand or a label.

But here at the heart of Jesus’ words is a big truth we should remember when facing the craziness of life: “Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothes.” What we eat and what we wear are minor issues when looking at our lives from the big picture. Who we will be, and how we will be remembered are pretty big issues we should answer during our respective lifetimes. Where we spend eternity – now that may be the biggest issue we each must decide over the course of our life.

This thought was inspired by studying the Walking With Jesus “Reflective Bible Study” package. To discover insights like this in your own study time, click here and give Reflective Bible Study a try today!

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Judgment and Resurrection: Job 19:23-29

Published December 4, 2025 in Audio Journal Entries

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In our journey through prophecies from the Old Testament and how they relate to Jesus’ life and ministry, we have covered a lot. However, tucked within the Old Testament book of Job, and reemphasized a number of times during Jesus’ ministry, we have a prophecy that is very connected with Jesus, but one that has yet to take place.

In other words, while some people might like to think of prophecy as being a thing of the past, one of the greatest prophecies in the entire Bible is still to come – and this prophecy is one we can look forward to taking part in.

To discover this prophecy, let’s first look at one of the oldest books from the Old Testament. While not much is known about the exact date the book of Job was written, some people believe this book was recorded prior to Genesis being written.

However, regardless of when Job was written, a set of verses tucked within this narrative are amazing to focus on. In Job, chapter 19, starting in verse 23, and reading from the New American Standard Bible translation, Job tells his friends:

²³“Oh that my words were written!
Oh that they were inscribed in a book!
²⁴“That with an iron stylus and lead
They were engraved in the rock forever!
²⁵“As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives,
And at the last He will take His stand on the earth.
²⁶“Even after my skin is destroyed,
Yet from my flesh I shall see God;
²⁷Whom I myself shall behold,
And whom my eyes will see and not another.
My heart faints within me!
²⁸“If you say, ‘How shall we persecute him?’
And ‘What pretext for a case against him can we find?’
²⁹“Then be afraid of the sword for yourselves,
For wrath brings the punishment of the sword,
So that you may know there is judgment.”

In these verses from Job’s speech to his friends, we find an amazing declaration about his belief and trust in God. Also in this speech, Job clearly states that he knows his Redeemer lives. While this could be used as evidence of Jesus’ resurrection and presence throughout eternity, the description Job gives following that line is even more powerful.

The last phrase of verse 25 includes Job saying, “at the last He [referring to the Redeemer] will take His stand on the earth.” This is powerful, because Job looks forward to the end of time and to the point when God, or Jesus, judges the earth.

This is amazing, and to top it off, Job continues in verse 26 by saying, “Even after my skin is destroyed, yet from my flesh I shall see God”. This statement speaks to Job looking forward to a physical resurrection. Job draws attention to after the point his skin is destroyed, which one could make the case as representing death. Job finishes the thought by saying “from my flesh I shall see God”. Job clearly states a belief in a physical resurrection that would be his for holding onto God even though God had appeared to turn His back on Job.

From this passage in Job, and specifically from these couple verses, we see foreshadowing of the judgment at the end of time, and of a physical resurrection that would take place.

Jumping forward to Jesus’ life and ministry in the first century, to a passage found in the gospel of John, we find Jesus push the religious leaders early on in His ministry with a powerful claim pointing forward to the end of time.

In John, chapter 5, starting in verse 24, Jesus tells the Pharisees and those present:

²⁴“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.

²⁵Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. ²⁶For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself; ²⁷and He gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man. ²⁸Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, ²⁹and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.

In this excerpt from Jesus’ challenge to the religious leaders, Jesus makes the case and claim that everyone has a resurrection to look forward to in their future. Whether the two resurrections Jesus describes are two perspectives of the same event, or if Jesus is describing two completely different events, from the way Jesus frames these two resurrections, it is advisable for everyone to seek to be included in the resurrection of life.

From the way Jesus and John frame this message, we are able to choose which resurrection we will be included in. Those who are included in the resurrection of judgment are described as those who committed evil deeds, while those who are included in the resurrection of life are described as having done good deeds.

Does this then mean that belief doesn’t matter?

No. Belief matters – especially belief in Jesus. A technical understanding of Jesus’ message would condemn all of us because we all have committed evil deeds. Belief in Jesus, and belief in the One who sent Him, as Jesus describes in verse 24, is the way to move from the resurrection of judgment to the resurrection of life. According to Jesus, the resurrection of judgment leads only to death. By believing in Jesus, and in God the Father who sent Him, our names, lives, and records are transferred over from death into life.

From Job’s declaration to his friends in the Old Testament moving forward to Jesus’ challenge to some religious leaders, we see the theme of resurrection for all of God’s people as a clear promise we can look forward to experiencing. While not all of God’s people will experience the death Jesus often described as a sleep, specifically the one that looks forward to resurrection, we can know and trust that if we do fall asleep believing in Jesus, the next voice we hear and the first face we see when we open our eyes will belong to Jesus.

While the resurrection Job looked forward to and the two resurrections Jesus describes are still to come in the future, let’s remember and trust the truth that God’s promises are trustworthy. We have spent almost an entire year’s worth of podcasts showing how prophecy and themes from the Old Testament were fulfilled and expanded by Jesus. Some of these prophecies Jesus willingly stepped into, and other prophecies Jesus would have had zero control over.

However, because Jesus came, lived, died, and was resurrected just like what was predicted and foreshadowed in the Old Testament, we can trust God has a grand conclusion to history planned. In God’s conclusion for history, while it may not be welcome news for some people, He will put an eternal end to sin, while stepping forward with all of His people into eternity.

As we come to the end of another podcast episode, here are the challenges I will leave you with:

As I always open by challenging you, intentionally seek God first in your life. Trust in God’s promises and in Jesus’ sacrifice to cover your sins and believe that God wants you with Him in heaven. Jesus paid the penalty for sin and He offers you the opportunity to move from judgment to life when we choose to place our faith, hope, trust, and belief in Him.

Also, continue to pray and study the Bible for yourself to grow your personal relationship with God. Through a personal relationship with God, discover just how much He loves each of us, and the lengths He was willing to go to redeem you and me from sin. Say thank you to Jesus by giving Him your heart, mind, and focus, and choose each day to live your life in a way that shows other people you are grateful for what Jesus did for you.

And as I end every set of challenges by saying in one way or another, never stop short of, back away from, chicken out of, or walk away from where God wants to lead you to in your life with Him!

Year of Prophecy – Episode 49: From one of the oldest Old Testament books, discover how resurrection and judgment are both foreshadowed, and how Jesus pulls these same themes out while talking with some religious leaders in the first century. You may be surprised by what both the passages we focus this episode on challenge us to conclude.

Join the discussion. Share your thoughts on this passage.

Tap into the Power: Luke 24:44-53

Published December 3, 2025 in Written Journal Entries

Focus Passage: Luke 24:44-53 (NCV)

⁴⁴He said to them, “Remember when I was with you before? I said that everything written about me must happen—everything in the law of Moses, the books of the prophets, and the Psalms.”

⁴⁵Then Jesus opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. ⁴⁶He said to them, “It is written that the Christ would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day ⁴⁷and that a change of hearts and lives and forgiveness of sins would be preached in his name to all nations, starting at Jerusalem. ⁴⁸You are witnesses of these things. ⁴⁹I will send you what my Father has promised, but you must stay in Jerusalem until you have received that power from heaven.”

⁵⁰Jesus led his followers as far as Bethany, and he raised his hands and blessed them. ⁵¹While he was blessing them, he was separated from them and carried into heaven. ⁵²They worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem very happy. ⁵³They stayed in the Temple all the time, praising God.

Read Luke 24:44-53 in context and/or in other translations on BibleGateway.com!

All too often, when more than one gospel includes an event, we tend to play favorites, and focus on only the gospel that we like the most. Unfortunately, it is this way with the grand conclusion to Jesus’ life on earth. All too often, we focus on Matthew’s gospel and the great commission as the big last event in Jesus life on earth before He returns to heaven. However, by focusing only on Matthew, we miss some interesting insights that we can find in how other gospels chose to finish their narratives.

While reading Luke’s conclusion, a verse stood out to me that I had never seen before. Perhaps this is because too often we stop reading Luke’s gospel following the road to Emmaus and Jesus appearing to the disciples in the upper room. But when we stop there, which is almost at the end, we will miss this amazing verse that Luke chooses to include.

Right in the middle of Luke’s conclusion we read: “Then Jesus opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.” (v. 45)

This verse is incredibly significant even though we may be tempted to gloss over it.

Up until this point, the disciples had a preconceived idea about who Jesus was, and about the Old Testament. Their point of view, aside from what Jesus had shared with them, was made up of a long chain of rabbis’ commentaries about what various scriptures meant. One rabbi would discover something in a passage, or look at a passage from a certain angle, and then the rabbis that followed afterwards would continue looking down that same path.

While this is not inherently bad, what becomes bad about it is when we stop being open to other insights or angles when looking at the scripture itself. If you only see a verse or passage one way every time you read it, then you will miss out on what God wants to help you discover.

But here is the great news: “Jesus opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.” (v. 45)

Each and every one of us, regardless of our past situations or opinion of the Bible, can learn, grow, and discover new things in the scripture when we let Jesus and the Holy Spirit into our minds while reading the Bible (a.k.a. the scriptures).

Whether you are one to accept this idea or not, we actually need Jesus and the Holy Spirit to help us understand the underlying themes in the Bible, because without Jesus and the Holy Spirit, the Bible becomes a history book full of stories and fables.

Jesus brings meaning to the Bible, and the Holy Spirit is the only way we can really, fully tap into the power that the Bible offers!

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The Mission: Luke 4:16-30

Published December 2, 2025 in Written Journal Entries

Focus Passage: Luke 4:16-30 (NIrV)

¹⁶Jesus went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. On the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue as he usually did. He stood up to read. ¹⁷And the scroll of Isaiah the prophet was handed to him. Jesus unrolled it and found the right place. There it is written,

¹⁸“The Spirit of the Lord is on me.
    He has anointed me
    to announce the good news to poor people.
He has sent me to announce freedom for prisoners.
    He has sent me so that the blind will see again.
He wants me to set free those who are treated badly.
¹⁹    And he has sent me to announce the year when he will set his people free.”

²⁰Then Jesus rolled up the scroll. He gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were staring at him. ²¹He began by saying to them, “Today this passage of Scripture is coming true as you listen.”

²²Everyone said good things about him. They were amazed at the gracious words they heard from his lips. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” they asked.

²³Jesus said, “Here is a saying you will certainly apply to me. ‘Doctor, heal yourself!’ And you will tell me this. ‘Do the things here in your hometown that we heard you did in Capernaum.’ ”

²⁴“What I’m about to tell you is true,” he continued. “A prophet is not accepted in his hometown. ²⁵I tell you for sure that there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah. And there had been no rain for three and a half years. There wasn’t enough food to eat anywhere in the land. ²⁶But Elijah was not sent to any of those widows. Instead, he was sent to a widow in Zarephath near Sidon. ²⁷And there were many in Israel who had skin diseases in the days of Elisha the prophet. But not one of them was healed except Naaman the Syrian.”

²⁸All the people in the synagogue were very angry when they heard that. ²⁹They got up and ran Jesus out of town. They took him to the edge of the hill on which the town was built. They planned to throw him off the cliff. ³⁰But Jesus walked right through the crowd and went on his way.

Read Luke 4:16-30 in context and/or in other translations on BibleGateway.com!

If Jesus ever shared a summary of His mission on earth, chances are that we would find it somewhere in His ministry, and perhaps we might even find it among the prophecies about Jesus from the Old Testament.

Well, one of the first things Jesus does when He steps onto the scene is draw our attention to this truth. In the gospel of Luke, we read Jesus quoting His mission from a prophecy that is found in the book of Isaiah:

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me.
He has anointed me
      to announce the good news to poor people.
He has sent me to announce freedom for prisoners.
      He has sent me so that the blind will see again.
He wants me to set free those who are treated badly.
      And he has sent me to announce the year when he will set his people free.” (v. 18-19)

In this quotation from the Old Testament, we learn the role of the Messiah that God sent. In this prophecy, we have a clear picture of who Jesus would be while spending time on earth. We can see in these words Jesus’ mission.

This is not a mission that Jesus gave Himself following the temptations in the wilderness, but instead it was given to Him by God, in the form of a 700+ year old prophecy. And Jesus chooses to share this prophecy first in His hometown synagogue. This isn’t because He knows He’ll be accepted or even understood, but probably out of respect for those He grew up with.

It is the same with our lives. We can make up a goal or mission for our lives, or we can lean on God to show us His goal and mission for each of us. God created you and I for a reason and purpose, and because of this, we should seek to find out what His mission for us is and then do it.

This Old Testament prophecy Jesus shared summarizes His earthly ministry, and it is the test we can use regarding whether Jesus was really the One God sent to be our representative and our sacrifice. Only by spending time with God will He help us discover the mission He created us to live!

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