october

Synopsis

10/1/2026     Esther 8-10; Ezra 7

10/2/2026     Ezra 8-9

10/3/2026     Ezra 10; Nehemiah 1-3

10/4/2026    Nehemiah 4-6

10/5/2026     Nehemiah 7-8

10/6/2026    Nehemiah 9-10

10/7/2026     Nehemiah 11-13

10/8/2026    Psalm 126; Malachi 1-4

10/9/2026     Luke 1;  John 1

10/10/2026    Matthew 1;  Luke 2

10/11/2026     Matthew 2-3;  Mark 1

10/12/2026     Luke 3-4;  Matthew 4

10/13/2026     Luke 5;  John 2-3

10/14/2026     John 4;  Matthew 8;  Mark 2

10/15/2026      John 5;  Matthew 12 

10/16/2026     Mark 3;  Luke 6 

10/17/2026    Matthew 5-6

10/18/2026     Matthew 7, 9;  Luke 7

10/19/2026     Matthew 11;  Luke 11

10/20/2026     Matthew 13;  Luke 8

10/21/2026     Mark 4-5

10/22/2026     Matthew 10, 14 

10/23/2026     Mark 6;  Luke 9

10/24/2026    John 6

10/25/2026     Matthew 15-16;  Mark 7

10/26/2026     Mark 8-9;  Matthew 17  

10/27/2026     Matthew 18;  John 7

10/28/2026     John 8-9

10/29/2026      John 10;  Luke 10

10/30/2026     Luke 12-13

10/31/2026      Luke 14-16

Day 274:  Thursday, October 1, 2026

Esther 9:       The day of execution was approaching and the Jews prepared to defend themselves. They successfully defended themselves and many of the leaders of the provinces helped them! Mordecai became greater and the sons of Haman were executed on gallows. As a result of the victory, the Jews began celebrating what is called the Feast of Purim. It is still celebrated to this day. A day that was supposed to be a day of genocide became of day of deliverance! Haman and his house came to nothing and the Jews were thriving. The line of the Messiah continued.

Esther 10:        Mordecai’s legacy was recorded. He became second in the kingdom. The LORD worked to preserve His people and the Messianic line! He used Mordecai to preserve the line.

Ezra 7:         The storyline jumped from 516 BC. to 458 BC. There was a gap of fifty-eight years in the writing. The events of the book of Esther occurred during that gap. Ezra, a descendant of Moses’ brother, Aaron, was a priest and a scribe. According to the decree of King Artaxerxes, Ezra led the second of three groups of exiles back to Judah. That took about four months in the year 458 BC. Artaxerxes showed great favor to Ezra and the Jews. He funded the return and subsequent work that would be needed to be done on the rebuilt temple in Jerusalem. Its rebuild was completed in 516 BC. Ezra recognized that it had been the favor of the LORD on his and the peoples’ behalf that had brought those things to pass.

Day 275:  Friday, October 2, 2026

Ezra 8: Ezra detailed certain things regarding the return to Jerusalem. He led the group and sought the favor of the LORD by fasting and praying. The LORD protected the people as they traveled. They did arrive in Jerusalem and offered sacrifices unto the LORD.

Ezra 9:        Ezra was told about some of the exiles who had returned to their old ways. Some had married pagans who lived in the land. Ezra was broken over that. He offered a prayer (verses 6-15) confessing that sin, especially in view of how gracious the LORD had been to them in returning them to the land.

Day 276:  Saturday, October 3, 2026

Ezra 10:        The leading priests, some of their sons, and other leaders had married pagans in the land. They were to divorce those unbelieving wives. The people mourned over that sin and they did as they were commanded to do. They divorced their unbelieving wives, even ones who had children together. 

Nehemiah 1:         Nehemiah began his records in 445 BC., the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes reign. It is probable that Nehemiah’s people are from Judah. That isn’t absolutely known, but in Nehemiah 2:3 he wrote about his fathers’ tombs being in Jerusalem. That would have him being from either Judah or Benjamin. Nehemiah received word about the city of Jerusalem and how it’s wall was broken down and the gates had been burned with fire. The first exiles had returned almost a century earlier. Nehemiah was distressed over the city lying in ruins and he mourned for many days. He prayed to the LORD and asked the LORD for favor before King Artaxerxes, the man whom he was the cupbearer to. This same Artaxerxes, in Ezra 4, had written a decree halting the rebuilding of Jerusalem. Keep this in mind as you read about God’s Providence (His governing and sustaining of all His creation) in chapter 2.

Nehemiah 2:       Three months after Nehemiah had prayed, the LORD gave him favor before the king.  Artaxerxes granted Nehemiah to go to Jerusalem and rebuild the wall.  Letters were given to him to help him with the project. Nehemiah scouted out the wall by cover of night. The situation was bad, but the work began. No sooner than they began the work, Sanballat and Tobiah opposed Nehemiah and the workers. Sanballat was governing Samaria (the Northern Kingdom’s former capital). Tobiah governed over Ammon, another enemy of Israel.

Nehemiah 3:        Nehemiah detailed the work and the workers as the city wall was being rebuilt. Many of the people worked on the repairs. Social status did not stop them from working together on this. The wall around the entire city would be rebuilt.

Day 277:  Sunday, October 4, 2026

Nehemiah 4:       Opposition continued and became more threatening to the Jews who were rebuilding the city wall. Nehemiah prayed and asked the LORD to deal with those enemies. The workers strategically continued the work while bearing weapons at the same time. The LORD was with them, but that did not mean that the opposition wouldn’t be there too. Nehemiah was confident that the LORD would fight for His people!

Nehemiah 5:        Some of the wealthy Jews had extorted their fellow Jews who were impoverished due to the famine. Nehemiah heard about that and publicly rebuked the guilty ones. He called them to restore what they had taken sinfully and they agreed to do so. Nehemiah was made governor over Judah and he served in that role for twelve years. He chose not to add to the burdens of the people. He did not take the usual allowance for food. He worked for it instead.

Nehemiah 6:        The enemies of God continued trying to thwart the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s wall. Nehemiah remained focused and steady in and on the work. He did not yield to the enemies for a moment. Various tactics were used, but Nehemiah stayed the course. He continued to pray, sometimes in an imprecatory way, and he recognized the favor of God on their behalf.

Day 278:  Monday, October 5, 2026

Nehemiah 7:        After the completion of the wall around Jerusalem, Nehemiah established order in the city. Nehemiah referred to the genealogical list of the first exiles who returned under Zerubbabel’s leadership about a century earlier.

Nehemiah 8:       Ezra stood before the people and read the Word of God for several hours behind a wooden pulpit. They people heard the word of the LORD and wept. Afterwards, they rejoiced. The LORD was bringing revival and renewal to His people. Later in this chapter, the people heard that it was time for the Feast of Booths.  That was instituted during the wilderness wanderings of the sons of Israel after they left Egypt under Moses’ leadership.  The people responded by honoring the LORD in observing that celebration. The LORD was remembered and the people were rejoicing in Him!

Day 279:  Tuesday, October 6, 2026

Nehemiah 9:          The people fasted and confessed their sins. They recalled the unfaithfulness of their forefathers and the faithfulness and compassion of the LORD. They traced their history as a people and revered the LORD.  At the end of the chapter, there was a sealed document mentioned that contained the names of the leaders, Levites, and priests. That will be spelled out in chapter 10.

Nehemiah 10:         The names contained in the sealed document were listed. They were of the leaders, Levites, and priests. The people renewed their covenant vows before the LORD. There was a sense of celebration because the LORD had brought the people low, but then raised them up. They were repentant at that time.

Day 280:  Wednesday, October 7, 2026

Nehemiah 11:        A system was devised to repopulate the city of Jerusalem. The religious order was reestablished. One out of ten people of Judah and Benjamin would live inside the city while nine out of ten would live in other parts of the Southern Kingdom.

Nehemiah 12:       This chapter focused on the time of dedicating the rebuilt wall in the days of Nehemiah.   It also emphasized the joy and worship from the people unto the LORD after their purification and having their hearts renewed. A day of celebration was merited especially in view of how much opposition they went through to rebuild the city wall.

Nehemiah 13:        Nehemiah had returned to his service unto King Artaxerxes in 432 BC. While away, the people of Judah began openly sinning again. Some of the spiritual leaders were allowing defilement in the temple. The priests were not being provided for as God had commanded. The sabbath was again being violated. Some of the men had married unbelieving wives. Nehemiah returned and he dealt with each sin issue accordingly. Take notice his prayers in this chapter and that the book ends with a prayer.

Day 281:  Thursday, October 8, 2026

Psalm 126:       The seventh Song of Ascent (Psalm 120-134) is one of celebration as the exile and the return from exile are remembered. The exiles went away in sorrow, but returned in the hope that was from the LORD!

Malachi 1:         The prophet Malachi ministered to the people of the Southern Kingdom (Judah) after the Babylonian exile. He likely would have served after the time of Haggai and Zechariah, but during the time of Ezra and Nehemiah. The word for governor that he used in this chapter was one of a Persian origin which likely indicated their continued servitude to the king of Persia. That dated the prophecy sometime past the mid 400’s BC. Malachi rebuked the unfaithful priests of Judah because they were profaning God in their inadequate worship unto Him. They were allowing the people to offer unacceptable sacrifices. The LORD would rather they shut the gates to the city and refrain from such so-called worship than to continue in vain worship unto Him. The people treated the Persian king better than they treated the LORD!

Malachi 2:       The LORD’s indictments against the people of Judah continued. The priests were again called out and rebuked. They had not been keeping the terms of the covenant established by the LORD. They had turned away from the LORD and led the people to turn away from Him. They prayed, but had not been heard by the LORD because of their immorality and failure to love their believing wives. Their words had proven to be empty and the LORD had held back blessing them. They were sad, not because of their sins and failure to repent, but because they were not receiving what they wanted. The spiritual condition of the priests and the people was concerning to say the least.

Malachi 3:        The LORD promised to send His messenger before Him. The messenger, according to Matthew 11:10 and Mark 1:2 would be John the Baptist, a man from the priestly line. Notice how the LORD said that John would prepare the way before Him! Consider that John the Baptist cleared the way before Jesus! Jesus is God! The LORD spoke of how He would cleanse the people, but judge those who would not repent. He promised to return to them if they would return to Him. More indictments came and they pertained to the people withholding their full tithes and offerings. They had been guilty of speaking against the LORD and saying that it was vain to serve Him. Thankfully, a remnant of the people took that to heart and honored the LORD.  He took notice and recorded it. The LORD spoke of a time when the differences between the righteous and the wicked would be evident again.

Malachi 4:       The LORD told of a time of judgment that was coming, but He reminded them of the coming of John the Baptist just before the coming of the Messiah. In Matthew 11:14 and Matthew 17:10-13 as well as Mark 9:11-13, we find that Jesus indicated that John the Baptist was the fulfillment of Elijah being sent by the LORD.

Day 282:  Friday, October 9, 2026

Luke 1:         According to Colossians 4:11 and 4:14, Luke was not of the circumcision, likely meaning that he was a Gentile. He wrote his account, not as an eyewitness of Jesus, but as one who carefully investigated the things eyewitnesses of Jesus had shared. He wanted Theophilus, the recipient of the letter, to know the exact truth about what he had been taught concerning Jesus. Luke spent this chapter detailing some of the time under Herod the Great’s reign in Judea (37-4 BC.).  He would tell the reader about Zacharias and Elizabeth, who were of the priestly line of Aaron, and about their son, John the Baptist (see Luke 1:5 and I Chronicles 24:10).  Take note of how the Lord would use John the Baptist to turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord.  Luke would also tell the reader about Joseph and Mary, descendants of David, and about the Son whom Mary would bear by the conceiving of God the Holy Spirit. Her Son’s name would be Jesus. In both instances, Elizabeth and Mary were enabled by God to bear their sons; Elizabeth, after being barren and Mary, regarding the fact that she had been a virgin. The angel Gabriel was somewhat prominent in this chapter regarding some of God’s Messianic promises being fulfilled. The Davidic Covenant mentioned in II Samuel 7:13 & 16came into greater focus. Mary’s Magnificat (hymn of praise) was listed in verses 46-55.  In it (verse 47) see recognized her need for a Savior. Mary was a fellow ruined sinner in need of God saving her. God is the Redeemer of sinners. Mary needed to be redeemed and she was redeemed.  John the Baptist’s birth was recorded in this chapter. Elizabeth and Zacharias were filled with the Holy Spirit.

John 1:        The Apostle John (not the same as John the Baptist) began his writings. He wrote about Jesus taking on flesh. This is referred to as the Incarnation. He also wrote about John the Baptist, the man who was the fulfilment of Isaiah 40:3 and Malachi 3:1.  Interestingly, in verses 15 and 30, John the Baptist said of Jesus that “He existed before me.” When you compare that to Luke 1:36 you find that John the Baptist was six months older than Jesus. John could say that Jesus existed before him because Jesus is eternal. Keep in mind that only God is eternal. John the Baptist made it clear to those who asked him that he was not the Messiah, but that he was the one pointing them to the Messiah. Those who asked John about his identity were sent by the Pharisees. For a brief insight into who the Pharisees were, see the notes on Matthew 3. Near the end of the chapter, we find out about four of the twelve Apostles. Nathanael was listed and it is likely that this was the man known as Bartholomew in the Synoptic accounts (Matthew, Mark, and Luke).

Day 283:  Saturday, October 10, 2026

Matthew 1:        The genealogical record of Jesus was given beginning with Abraham. It included that He was in the line of David, which was significant in view of II Samuel 7 because of the Davidic Covenant made by the LORD. Matthew traced this lineage in three sets of fourteen generations. He included the mention of the Babylonian exile which began around 605 BC. Mary and Joseph were mentioned and Isaiah’s prophecy in Isaiah 7:14 was seen as fulfilled in Jesus. Mary was a virgin and she remained that way until Jesus was born. The Roman Catholic Church argues for what is known as The Perpetual Virginity of Mary and they state that Jesus’ siblings were actually cousins or close friends.  Some, but not all early Church Fathers supported this.  This argument is refuted by Protestants and, more importantly, the Bible.  The better understanding is that Mary did not remain a virgin, but would have had a sexual relationship with her husband, Joseph. They had several children together, the half-siblings of Jesus.

Luke 2:         This chapter included the days leading up to Jesus’ birth and to when he was twelve years old. Luke, a respected historian, gave time indicators by mentioning Caesar Augustus (aka Octavian) and Quirinius. There is debate on the census mentioned in verse 1 because it was seen as being too late to describe the days leading up to Jesus’ birth. There is a strong argument that Quirinius served as a governor at two different times. Luke would not have been reckless with his writing. Otherwise, he would have been discounted from the start. Jesus was most likely born between 6-4 BC. Joseph took Mary from Galilee and made the long and difficult journey toward Jerusalem. Luke didn’t give the same details that Matthew 2:6 gave, but he did write about Mary giving birth to Jesus while they were near Jerusalem. Shepherds were told and later, a man named Simeon was able to see and hold Jesus. Luke tells the reader that Jesus grew in wisdom and stature and by the end of the chapter, Jesus was in Jerusalem amazing people in the temple. 

Day 284:  Sunday, October 11, 2026

Matthew 2:       Herod the Great, who ruled in Judea from about 37-4 BC., became troubled when he heard from magi (wise men and astrologers) about the Christ being born who was being called the King of the Jews. Herod saw the Child as a threat to his own reign. He inquired about the birthplace of this child and the chief priests and scribes told him that according to Micah 5:2 the child was born in Bethlehem of Judea. This is significant because there were two Bethlehem’s, but the prophet Micah had specifically indicated that the Messiah would be born in the one close to Jerusalem, not the one over sixty miles to the north. Jesus was born in the Bethlehem that Micah indicated. The time that had elapsed from Jesus’ birth to Herod hearing from the magi was about two years. The magi did not arrive at the place where Jesus was born. Joseph was told by an angel to take Mary and Jesus and flee to Egypt because Herod sought to kill Jesus. That fulfilled what Hosea 11:1 indicated. Sadly, Herod detected that the magi tricked him by not reporting to him about Jesus. In response, he had all of the male children executed and that fulfilled what Jeremiah 31:15 indicated. After Herod the Great’s death, Joseph, Mary, and Jesus returned to the area, but then settled in Galilee because Herod’s son, Archelaeus, was then ruling over Judea. 

Matthew 3:         Matthew wrote about John the Baptist for the first time. John the Baptist, not to be confused with John the Apostle, was of the priestly line and he preached boldly. He was the fulfillment of Isaiah 40:3 and Malachi 3:1. He called the people to repentance and sternly rebuked the Pharisees and Sadducees. The Pharisees and Sadducees were Jews who came about during the Hasmonean Dynasty (142-37 B.C). The Pharisees were more religious minded. The Sadducees were more politically minded.  John the Baptist spoke of Jesus being mightier than him and that He would baptize converts with the Holy Spirit and fire. Jesus arrived to the place where John was baptizing and He was baptized by John. At Jesus’ baptism the manifestation of God the Holy Spirit was visible and God the Father’s voice was heard.

Mark 1:          John Mark, the human author of this account, began with Jesus’ Gospel ministry. Mark was most likely his Roman name. The first nine chapters are about Jesus’ ministry in Galilee. Mark doesn’t deal with any of Jesus’ ministry in Jerusalem until chapter 11. He briefly wrote about John the Baptist in relation to his ministry. Jesus’ baptism was detailed. Mark quickly shifted to Jesus’ public ministry after His forty days in the wilderness. Jesus called Simon, Andrew, James, and John as disciples. He began teaching and preaching in the synagogues on sabbath days. He healed demon-possessed people, Simon’s mother-in-law, people with various sicknesses, and a leper. Jesus, however, reminded His disciples that His primary task was to preach the Gospel. Sinners needed salvation more than they needed physical healing.

Day 285:  Monday, October 12, 2026

Luke 3:         The ministry of John the Baptist began around 28 A.D. He was the fulfillment of Isaiah and Malachi’s prophecies concerning the forerunner to the Messiah. He preached repentance and boldly confronted people about their sin. John pointed his listeners to the One coming after him. Herod the tetrarch, son of Herod the Great, and also known as Herod Antipas, had John the Baptist imprisoned because of John’s preaching against him regarding his wife. Jesus’ baptism by John the Baptist was mentioned just before the genealogical list showing Jesus’ lineage back to Adam was given. Most significantly, Jesus was from the line of Judah, the Messianic line according to Genesis 49:8-10.

Matthew 4:         Matthew detailed the forty days in the wilderness wherein Jesus was tempted by the devil.  After being tempted, Jesus continued traveling and preaching. He called the first four disciples who would become known as apostles. They were Simon Peter, Andrew, James, and John. All four of those young men were fishermen. According to Luke 5:10, James and John were fishing partners with Simon Peter. Jesus’ preaching and healings continued.

Luke 4:         Jesus’ forty days of temptations in the wilderness were recorded. Luke has the order of the temptations in a slightly different order than was recorded in Matthew 4. Afterwards, Jesus traveled to Nazareth wherein He claimed to be the fulfillment of Isaiah 61:1-2. That Text in Isaiah 61 was about the Messiah. Jesus was rejected when He explained in His teaching that the Gospel was for Gentiles as well as Jews. He backed that up with examples from the Old Testament back to the days of the prophets Elijah and Elisha. Later, Jesus casted out demons and healed Simon’s mother-in-law. He healed many others as well. He told His followers that He had come to preach the Kingdom of God and needed to continued traveling to other places.

Day 286:  Tuesday, October 13, 2026

Luke 5:        Jesus’ public ministry was going forth. When Luke mentioned the lake of Gennesaret, know that this is the Sea of Galilee. Simon Peter, James, and John began following Jesus. Even though Simon Peter’s brother, Andrew, was not mentioned here, he also followed Jesus. Jesus cleansed a leper and healed a paralytic. To the paralytic Jesus also told him that his sins were forgiven. The scribes and Pharisees rightly understood that only God could forgive sins. They missed, however, that Jesus could forgive sins because He is God the Son.  For a brief insight into who the Pharisees were, see the notes on Matthew 3.  The tax collector, Levi was called and he followed Jesus. He was also known as Matthew (Matthew 9:9). The Pharisees and scribes continued to be troublesome toward Jesus. 

John 2:        Jesus began performing signs at a wedding in Cana. He turned water into wine. Later, at the Passover in Jerusalem, He cleansed the temple and drove out sinful people who were not honoring God the Father. This temple cleansing was the first of two mentioned in the New Testament. The other temple cleansing that was written about was near the end of Jesus’ life and it was mentioned in Matthew 21, Mark 11, and Luke 19. Jesus also alluded to His death and resurrection when confronted by the unbelieving Jews regarding His authority.

John 3:       It seemed to still be the time of Passover. That was mentioned in the previous chapter. A Pharisee named Nicodemus went to Jesus secretly at night. Jesus explained to Nicodemus, the teacher of Israel, about entrance into the kingdom of God. Here, Jesus was speaking of the new birth into Christ. Nicodemus did not understand Jesus at that time. Jesus came into the world to save ruined sinners, but He would also deal justly with those who did not repent and believe Him. Later in the chapter, the Apostle John wrote more about John the Baptist and his ministry. John the Baptist clearly explained to his disciples that Jesus must increase in prominence while he must decrease. John the Baptist’s testimony regarding Jesus showed the he believed Jesus to be God. 

Day 287:  Wednesday, October 14, 2026

John 4:        Jesus began His journey back to Galilee, but instead of bypassing Samaria, He went through it. In the Samaritan city of Sychar, Jesus encountered a woman at Jacob’s well. It would have been seen as scandalous for Jesus to speak with a woman here, but He stepped over those societal norms and engaged in dialogue with her. She was taken aback at Jesus speaking to her. Notice the progression in the narrative. She first saw Him as a Jew, then a prophet, and then the Messiah. Jesus exposed her sin and then pointed her to Himself for salvation. She dodged His inferences, but was intrigued. She left Jesus at the well and went into the city to get the men of the city to investigate whether or not Jesus was the Messiah. As the Samaritan men approached the well, the disciples had returned to Jesus from going to get food.  Jesus told His disciples that the fields were white for harvest, but He was speaking of the Samaritan men as they approached, not wheat in a field. The men would have worn white caps on their heads. The time for wheat harvest was four months away. Jesus wasn’t speaking of a harvest of wheat, but a harvest of souls. He was bringing the disciples into His evangelism with a most unlikely group of people, the hated Samaritans. Many of the Samaritans believed Jesus unto salvation. Later, when Jesus went back to Cana in Galilee, Jesus healed an official’s son by just saying the word. The man and his household then believed in Jesus. 

Matthew 8:        After what became known as the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus healed a leper and then went to Capernaum. He healed a centurion’s servant with just a word. This corresponded to the same event mentioned in Luke 7:1-10. In modern times, there have been some who have used the story here in Matthew 8 to claim that the servant was the centurion’s lover because the word servant came from the Greek word pais. A major issue with this argument is that the word pais can, but does not always refer to a lover. Another issue is that this would imply pedophilia as the word pais does refer to a child. The Jewish elders, who were mentioned in the Luke 7 account, would not ever have spoken favorably of the centurion if that were the case.  Luke noted that they spoke very favorably of the centurion.  Afterwards, Jesus also healed Peter’s mother-in-law. Matthew tells us in verse 17 that this fulfilled Isaiah 53:4 in that Jesus carried away the sicknesses of the people.  Isaiah 53 was especially seen by the Jews as being Messianic in nature. Some who were noted as being disciples said that they wanted to follow Jesus. Jesus warned them about some of the costs in following Him. He had to be their first priority. Jesus later calmed a storm on the Sea of Galilee and then casted out demons from two men in the country of the Gadarenes. In Mark 5 and Luke 8 we read of this instance, but in those two accounts the Gospel writers only spoke of one demon-possessed man. Instead of the people of the Gadarenes being thankful for Jesus’ healing of the men, they asked Him to leave their region.

Mark 2:        Jesus traveled to Capernaum, a city by the Sea of Galilee, and also the city that came to be Jesus’ homebase of sorts (see Matthew 4:13). While there, Jesus forgave the sins of a paralytic and was challenged by the scribes of the Pharisees regarding the forgiveness of sins. For a brief insight into who the Pharisees were, see the notes on Matthew 3. Jesus proved His authority to be able to forgive sins by healing the paralytic. Jesus has the authority to forgive sins because He is God! After that, we read about the calling of Levi who was also known as Matthew (see Matthew 9:9). Jesus continued to be opposed and challenged by the Pharisees and their disciples. They incorrectly accused Jesus’ disciples of breaking the Sabbath. Jesus exposed their biblical illiteracy by showing them how David and his men did not violate the Law when they were given and ate the bread that was designated for the priests. Jesus used this to show that the Sabbath was made for man and not the other way around. This exposed the Pharisees and their adherence to man-made Sabbath laws. NOTE: Jesus mentioned the high priest, Abiathar, when he referred to I Samuel 21:1-6. In that text, however, the priest who was mentioned was Ahimelech. According to II Samuel 8:17 Ahimelech was a son of Abiathar. It is possible and even likely that the father and son served as priests at the same time. Jesus did not make an error when He spoke of Abiathar instead of Ahimelech.

Day 288:  Thursday, October 15, 2026

John 5:          At a Jewish feast in Jerusalem, Jesus healed a man who had been sick for thirty-eight years. That took place on the Sabbath. The unbelieving Jews were furious and interrogated the man as to who had healed him. Notice that they recognized that the man had been healed. Instead of rejoicing for him, they were angry. It became known to the man and then the Jews that Jesus was He who had healed him. For the reason of performing miracles on the Sabbath, the unbelieving Jews were trying to kill Jesus! We find in verse 18 that Jesus’ opponents felt justified in their pursuits against Him because they concluded that Jesus had claimed to be God. This goes against the argument that some people make when they say that Jesus never claimed to be God. His audience was so convinced that He made that claim that they felt justified in accusing Him of blasphemy and sought to execute Him for it! The remainder of the chapter dealt with Jesus confronting the Jews over their unbelief and failure to recognize Him as God the Son. Jesus backed up His claim to be God by the very works that He performed. Remember, the unbelieving Jews did not question the legitimacy of the miracles. They questioned Jesus for performing the miracles on the Sabbath! Jesus explained how they would be judged by Moses, the very one they thought they were obeying. This was in reference to the Law of God given through Moses. Jesus said in Luke 24:27 that Moses and the prophets of the Old Testament were all pointing to Him in their writings. 

Matthew 12:        Jesus’ disciples picked heads of grain to eat and it was on the Sabbath. This event was also written about in Mark 2:23-28 and Luke 6:1-5. More extensive notes will be given in the section on Mark 2. The Pharisees challenged Jesus, but Jesus showed them from I Samuel 21 that David and the priests did not sin when they “broke” the Sabbath. Jesus explained that something greater than the temple was in their midst and that they need to understand what Hosea 6:6 was about. Jesus spoke of Himself as the “something greater” two more times in this chapter.  One was in verse 41 and another was in verse 42. Jesus claimed to be the Lord of the Sabbath, which He is, because He is God. On that Sabbath day, Jesus went into a synagogue. A man with a withered hand was there and the Pharisees asked Jesus if it was lawful to heal on the Sabbath. We find that they did not ask this question to find out, but to be able to accuse Jesus. Jesus exposed their iniquity and then healed the man with the withered hand. Instead of rejoicing over the miracle, the Pharisees went out and conspired to destroy Jesus. Jesus went out and healed more people. Matthew quoted from Isaiah 42:1-3 to point to Jesus as the Messiah and He who would proclaim His message to the nations (Gentiles). A ridiculous charge was made against Jesus by the Pharisees in that they claimed that Jesus casted out demons by the power of Satan. Jesus exposed their foolishness and unbelief again. He also dealt with the fruit of people. Our mouths speak that which is from our hearts. Consider what the fruit of your heart is by what you say, what you do, and why you say and do it. Notice how Jesus spoke of Jonah as a real person and him being in the belly of a great fish for three days and three nights. Jesus spoke of that as a real event, not a metaphor. Jesus often spoke of people and events in the Old Testament and He did so in view of those being true, not metaphors. Jesus also explained who His true mother, brothers and sisters were. They were those who did the will of Jesus’ Father. God is Jesus’ Father!

Day 289:  Friday, October 16, 2026

Mark 3:        This chapter was similar to Matthew 12. Jesus healed a man who had a withered hand. He did that on a Sabbath day. In response to the healing and Jesus exposing them as unbelievers, the Pharisees teamed up with their enemies, the Herodians, to look into destroying Jesus. Jesus healed others in Galilee after that and then went up on a mountain.  He had called specific men to go with Him. We find the names of the Twelve Apostles listed in verses 16-19. You can also find the names of the Twelve in Matthew 10:2-4 and Luke 6:13-16. One note, in Luke 6:16 the man listed as Judas the son of James, was Thaddaeus. He was distinct from Judas Iscariot. After the calling of the Twelve, Jesus was accused by some scribes of the Pharisees of being possessed by Beelzebul, the prince of the demons. Jesus rebuked them and explained the foolishness of such speaking and the severe consequence of blaspheming against God the Holy Spirit. The chapter concluded with Jesus’ mother and brothers going to Him, but He explained that His true mother, brothers, and sisters were those who did the will of God.

Luke 6:        This chapter corresponds to Matthew 12 and Mark 2-3. Jesus’ disciples were accused by the Pharisees of breaking the Sabbath by picking heads of grain to eat. Jesus pointed them to I Samuel 21 regarding King David and his men eating the bread that only the priests were supposed to eat. Jesus told them that He was the Lord of the Sabbath. On another Sabbath day, Jesus healed a man who had a withered hand. Luke wrote that it was the man’s right hand that was withered. After Jesus healed the man, the Pharisees were outraged and further discussed how they might act against Jesus. Jesus then went to a mountain to pray and afterward He chose the twelve men who would be the Apostles. One thing to note about the list of the Twelve is that Thaddaeus was also known as Judas, the son of James. This was distinct from Judas Iscariot who was mentioned last on all three of the lists in the Gospel accounts. The remainder of the chapter was a sermon of Jesus known as the Sermon on the Plain. There were similarities, but also differences to Jesus’ sermon in Matthew 5-7 known as the Sermon on the Mount. In this sermon, Jesus contrasted the blessings for His followers with the woes for those who were not His followers. The recording of this sermon was significantly shorter than the Sermon on the Mount.

Day 290:  Saturday, October 17, 2026

Matthew 5:         Jesus preached what was known as the Sermon on the Mount. It covered chapters 5-7.  He began with what are known as the Beatitudes. Those describe the work of God the Holy Spirit in those whom the Lord saves. As the sermon continued, Jesus used the Mosaic Law, which He came to fulfill, not to abolish, and He gave full explanation as to how to understand the Law and its applications for those whom the Lord has saved.  Notice that no one could keep the Law perfectly for salvation. We need a perfect One to keep the Law for us. Jesus is that One.  That was a main point in the sermon. 

Matthew 6:        Jesus took the next portion of the sermon and taught on giving to the poor, which was separate from contributing to the congregation. He also taught concerning praying and fasting. In each of those, Believers were to do them without seeking attention for themselves. Jesus gave several warnings in this chapter. He dealt with anxiety and what is at the heart of the problem. 

Day 291:  Sunday, October 18, 2026

Day 292:  Monday, October 19, 2026

Day 293:  Tuesday, October 20, 2026

Day 294:  Wednesday, October 21, 2026

Day 295:  Thursday, October 22, 2026

Day 296:  Friday, October 23, 2026

Day 297:  Saturday, October 24, 2026

Day 298:  Sunday, October 25, 2026

Day 299:  Monday, October 26, 2026

Day 300:  Tuesday, October 27, 2026

Day 301:  Wednesday, October 28, 2026

Day 302:  Thursday, October 29, 2026

Day 303:  Friday, October 30, 2026

Day 304:  Saturday, October 31, 2026