Reflective Bible Study Gospel Adventure

The Invitation: Luke 18:18-30

Published July 22, 2026 in Written Journal Entries

Focus Passage: Luke 18:18-30 (NCV)

¹⁸ A certain leader asked Jesus, “Good Teacher, what must I do to have life forever?”

¹⁹ Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? Only God is good. ²⁰ You know the commands: ‘You must not be guilty of adultery. You must not murder anyone. You must not steal. You must not tell lies about your neighbor. Honor your father and mother.’ ”

²¹ But the leader said, “I have obeyed all these commands since I was a boy.”

²² When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “There is still one more thing you need to do. Sell everything you have and give it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come and follow me.” ²³ But when the man heard this, he became very sad, because he was very rich.

²⁴ Jesus looked at him and said, “It is very hard for rich people to enter the kingdom of God. ²⁵ It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”

²⁶ When the people heard this, they asked, “Then who can be saved?”

²⁷ Jesus answered, “The things impossible for people are possible for God.”

²⁸ Peter said, “Look, we have left everything and followed you.”

²⁹ Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, all those who have left houses, wives, brothers, parents, or children for the kingdom of God ³⁰ will get much more in this life. And in the age that is coming, they will have life forever.”

Read Luke 18:18-30 in context and/or in other translations on BibleGateway.com!

In this passage, several things stood out to me. The one I want to focus on in this journal entry is the concluding remarks in verse 22:

“When Jesus heard this, he said to him, ‘There is still one more thing you need to do. Sell everything you have and give it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come and follow me.’” [emphasis/italics added by me]

The big idea that jumped out at me is that Jesus is inviting him to be a disciple, and since this invitation was later in Jesus’ ministry, this invitation could cause jealousy among some of the earlier disciples similar to the parable of the workers – since they all would receive the same reward. (Matthew 20:1-16)

The same could be said of us today. We are late in the world’s history, but we know that it isn’t too late for us to accept the invitation. We don’t know what ultimately happened after the leader returned home, but we can imply that he second-guessed following Jesus because of what Jesus asked him to do.

Today, Jesus is still inviting people to follow Him. The decision that matters most for us today is accepting the invitation and not focusing on when we are in history, the parable of the workers, or what others might think of our decision.

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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Wanting God’s Help: John 5:1-15

Published July 21, 2026 in Written Journal Entries

Focus Passage: John 5:1-15 (HCSB)

¹After this, a Jewish festival took place, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. ²By the Sheep Gate in Jerusalem there is a pool, called Bethesda in Hebrew, which has five colonnades. ³Within these lay a large number of the sick—blind, lame, and paralyzed [—waiting for the moving of the water, ⁴because an angel would go down into the pool from time to time and stir up the water. Then the first one who got in after the water was stirred up recovered from whatever ailment he had].

⁵One man was there who had been sick for 38 years. ⁶When Jesus saw him lying there and knew he had already been there a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to get well?”

⁷“Sir,” the sick man answered, “I don’t have a man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I’m coming, someone goes down ahead of me.”

⁸“Get up,” Jesus told him, “pick up your mat and walk!” ⁹Instantly the man got well, picked up his mat, and started to walk.

Now that day was the Sabbath, ¹⁰so the Jews said to the man who had been healed, “This is the Sabbath! It’s illegal for you to pick up your mat.”

¹¹He replied, “The man who made me well told me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.’”

¹²“Who is this man who told you, ‘Pick up your mat and walk’?” they asked. ¹³But the man who was cured did not know who it was, because Jesus had slipped away into the crowd that was there.

¹⁴After this, Jesus found him in the temple complex and said to him, “See, you are well. Do not sin anymore, so that something worse doesn’t happen to you.” ¹⁵The man went and reported to the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.

Read John 5:1-15 in context and/or in other translations on BibleGateway.com!

Of all the miracles and healings Jesus performed, one stands out in my mind as fascinating and perplexing. The gospel of John shares this miracle with us and he describes it taking place during one of the Jewish festivals (most likely a Passover).

The thing that makes me intrigued about this miracle is that it seems as though Jesus ignores many of the others. John opens this event by saying, “After this, a Jewish festival took place, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. By the Sheep Gate in Jerusalem there is a pool, called Bethesda in Hebrew, which has five colonnades. Within these lay a large number of the sick—blind, lame, and paralyzed”. (v. 1-3)

Perhaps John simply doesn’t include the detail that Jesus began healing all those who were present there, but what John does include is Jesus’ interaction with one individual. John tells us, “One man was there who had been sick for 38 years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew he had already been there a long time, He said to him, ‘Do you want to get well?’” (v. 5-6)

While the answer to Jesus’ question seems obvious, it has profound implications. This man had been sick for almost four decades of his life, and it might seem as though it was about time. However, perhaps the man had begun to accept his disability and had resigned himself to living the rest of his life next to that pool. Perhaps seeing others healed before him had cut deep wounds and made him lose hope. After 38 years of trying without success, Jesus’ question to this man takes on a new level of significance.

The disabled man may have given up hope and decided in his heart that he couldn’t get well. When Jesus came and asked him the question, we see an interesting angle of compassion that I don’t believe I have seen anywhere else in the gospels. As far as I can tell, this is the only miracle that Jesus prompts with a question – asking the sick individual if they want to be healed.

This event tells me that Jesus, while He wants to heal and help people, will not intervene in the life of someone who is unwilling to receive help. I believe that if the man had responded that he preferred the charity and the life he had become accustomed to by the pool, then Jesus would have moved on to the next person. Jesus honors our choice and free will above His power to heal.

The theme that I learn from this miracle is that the first step to letting Jesus heal/help me is by wanting His help. No matter how much help He sends my way, if I don’t want to receive it, the help does no good. When asking God for help, if we haven’t received the answer we are looking for, perhaps He is asking, “Do you really want my help?”

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Flashback Episode — The Weakest Display of Power: John 12:12-19

Published July 20, 2026 in Audio Journal Entries

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At the beginning of the week leading up to Jesus’ crucifixion, one of the most famous events is Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey. Tradition suggests that this happened on Palm Sunday, which was one week before Jesus would step victoriously out of the tomb.

However, as I read this event, I am amazed by something that isn’t said, that isn’t even hinted at, but something that only God and the Holy Spirit could be behind.

Let’s read this event and draw out what we can learn from what happened. Our passage is found in John, chapter 12, and we will read it using the New International Version of the Bible. Starting in verse 12, John tells us that:

¹²The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. ¹³They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting,

“Hosanna!”

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”

“Blessed is the king of Israel!”

¹⁴Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, as it is written:

¹⁵“Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion;
see, your king is coming,
seated on a donkey’s colt.”

¹⁶At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that these things had been done to him.

¹⁷Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word. ¹⁸Many people, because they had heard that he had performed this sign, went out to meet him. ¹⁹So the Pharisees said to one another, “See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!”

When we read this event from John’s gospel, I am amazed at the order of events. According to John, the people start shouting and proclaiming their praise for Jesus before Jesus has even sat down on the donkey. Part of me wonders if this celebrating began while two of Jesus’ disciples were away borrowing the donkey Jesus asked them to go and get. After the celebrating had begun, Jesus’ two disciples arrive with the young donkey and Jesus sits on it in order to fulfill the prophecy.

However, in this event, I am amazed because nowhere do I find Jesus requesting or asking anyone for praise or celebration. If it were not for Jesus’ words in a different gospel record when challenged to silence His followers and their praise, we might conclude that this was something that the crowd had prompted. Instead, when challenged to silence the crowd cheering for Jesus, Jesus told the religious leaders that if they were to be quiet, the rocks themselves would cry out. This celebration was entirely God inspired and God prompted.

However, while the celebrating was going on, John inserts an interesting detail into this event that seems out of place. In verse 16, John tells us that “At first his disciples did not understand all this [referring to the prophecy]. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that these things had been done to him.”

While on the surface, we might be tempted to think that this celebrating was the point in time when Jesus was glorified. However, looking at the details of this verse, I suspect that John really means after Jesus was crucified, buried, and resurrected. In our next few episodes, we will discover how John paints Jesus being glorified as a future event, and not as this single celebration.

Because of this detail, I wonder if the crowd understood or remembered this prophecy about Israel’s King riding into Jerusalem on a donkey. This prophecy, and its fulfillment, is incredibly counter-cultural. The typical grand entrance for a king during that era, would be riding into the home city victoriously riding a mighty warhorse, riding in a chariot, or entering in an equally strong fashion. I don’t know of the Bible talking about any animal that would be considered lower than a donkey that could be ridden.

Not only were donkey’s considered among the least symbolically strong animals, John points us to the detail that this was a young donkey, and I wonder if this donkey was barely old enough to support Jesus’ weight. These details draw us to the conclusion that Jesus rides into Jerusalem on the weakest animal that could be ridden.

If the crowd remembered this prophecy, while the disciples didn’t, I wouldn’t be too surprised to then hear them proclaiming Jesus to be a King, especially after seeing Him riding on the donkey. However, John frames this event as the people proclaiming Jesus to be a King before the donkey shows up. This is powerful. The people proclaim their praise and belief in Jesus as someone sent to them from God before they witness the fulfilled prophecy!

By riding into Jerusalem on the weakest available animal, we are reminded that Jesus is not interested in proving His strength, His power, or His influence to us. That is something sinful people do. Instead, we are called to recognize that Jesus’ kingdom is one that challenges us to continue stepping down in order to help. We are called to help the lowest and least in society, regardless of what others think, regardless of whether we will be thanked or repaid, and regardless of what being associated with these other people means for our reputation.

Jesus didn’t focus on what other people thought of Him. Instead, Jesus focused on who He could help at each moment in time, Jesus focused on how He could step down in each situation, and Jesus focused on pointing all glory and praise upwards to God while He stepped down.

Interestingly enough, other people hoisted Jesus up onto the cross. Other people lifted Jesus up in order to glorify Him. In the same way, we are called to intentionally step down, pointing all glory and praise upwards, and let God, perhaps through other people, lift us up.

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

As I always challenge you to do, continue seeking God first in your life and choose to intentionally step down when given the opportunity to. Choose to point all the praise and glory you might receive upwards to God and intentionally seek out places where you can step down and help those who need help. Choose to help those people who cannot pay you back for your kindness.

Also, as I always challenge you to do, continue praying and studying the Bible for yourself to learn and grow closer to Jesus each and every day. A personal relationship with Jesus is best formed and built on the foundation of prayer and study, and the closer we are to Jesus, the more we will recognize the opportunities He sends into our lives to help those in need.

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 abandon where God wants to lead you to in your life with Him!

Flashback Episode: Year in John – Episode 29: In one of the most famous events in the gospel record, Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a young donkey. While this event is very well known, you may be surprised to discover some things that are tucked within the details of this event, and some things that are very applicable to us living today!

Consciously Conforming: Mark 2:18-22

Published July 17, 2026 in Written Journal Entries

Focus Passage: Mark 2:18-22 (GW)

¹⁸John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. Some people came to Jesus and said to him, “Why do John’s disciples and the Pharisees’ disciples fast, but your disciples don’t?”

¹⁹Jesus replied, “Can wedding guests fast while the groom is still with them? As long as they have the groom with them, they cannot fast. ²⁰But the time will come when the groom will be taken away from them. Then they will fast.

²¹“No one patches an old coat with a new piece of cloth that will shrink. Otherwise, the new patch will shrink and rip away some of the old cloth, and the tear will become worse. ²²People don’t pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the wine will make the skins burst, and both the wine and the skins will be ruined. Rather, new wine is to be poured into fresh skins.”

Read Mark 2:18-22 in context and/or in other translations on BibleGateway.com!

Early in Jesus’ ministry, the gospel of Mark includes an event that touches on an issue we all face when interacting with others. In this event, which Matthew and Luke also include in their gospels, we learn about how to face peer pressure – even if this pressure is positive.

Mark opens this event by sharing a question. To set up this question, he begins by telling us, “John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. Some people came to Jesus and said to him, ‘Why do John’s disciples and the Pharisees’ disciples fast, but your disciples don’t?’” (v. 18)

The detail in this verse that catches my attention is that it is other people who were outside observers to these groups who bring the question up. They noticed that the Pharisees often fasted, and John’s disciples fasted as well, but they didn’t see Jesus’ followers doing this spiritual discipline.

While Jesus shares a great answer, it is the question, and the tension that this question creates that is powerful for us to pay attention to. In life, whenever we interact with a group of people, there is the pressure to conform and be like them. The conforming pressure we face might be aligning with the group’s opinion for or against an issue, it could be conforming to a certain style of clothing, it could be conforming to talking a certain way, or really any number of other things. Conforming can take many shapes, and not all conforming is bad.

However, where conforming really becomes an issue is when we stop thinking about how we are conforming to those around us. The people in this passage are objectively looking at the differences between these various group of people and asking a relevant question. These people who asked Jesus their question demonstrate wisdom because they are not simply going to join a group of people without first counting the cost and weighing their options.

The wisdom this group of people demonstrates with their question challenges me to live and think more objectively. These people challenge me to be more conscious of the ways I am conforming to others, and to be more intentional about choosing only positive, beneficial groups to conform to. In a subtle way, this group of people emphasizes the truth that our choice of friends is one of the most important decisions we can ever make in this life.

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