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

Matthew 7:        The concluding portion of the sermon covered how to refrain from making incorrect judgments.  Jesus followed that by teaching them how to make right judgments. Jesus was not telling His audience not to ever make judgments. Matthew 7:1 has been incorrectly used by some so as to justify sins and sinners. The examples that He used pertaining to dogs and swine show the necessity of making right judgments. Jesus warned about false prophets and spoke of their certain doom. He gave insights into detecting false prophets by assessing the fruit that was revealed in them. The conclusion of the sermon revealed those who were wise in the eyes of God and those who were the fools in the eyes of God. 

Matthew 9:        Jesus sailed across the Sea of Galilee to Capernaum. He performed several miracles in this chapter. He forgave the sins of a paralytic and healed him physically as well. He was challenged by some of the scribes of the Pharisees regarding God alone being able to forgive sins. Jesus had the authority to forgive sins because He is God. Later, Jesus called Matthew to be a disciple. Mark and Luke, in Mark 2:14 and Luke 5:27, called Matthew by the name Levi, but Matthew used the name Matthew here for himself.  After an encounter with some of the disciples of John the Baptist, Jesus healed a woman who had a bleeding issue for twelve years. He also raised a synagogue official’s daughter from death. This account is also found in Mark 5:22-33 and Luke 8:41-56. Jesus healed two blind men and casted a demon out of a man. The Pharisees continued their attacks, but Jesus stayed the course.

Luke 7:        After the Sermon on the Plain, Jesus went to Capernaum. Jesus was approached by some Jewish elders who went to him on behalf of a Gentile centurion who had a very sick servant.  Jesus healed the servant with just a word. This corresponded to the same event mentioned in Matthew 8:5-13. I have made the argument there that in modern times there have been some who have used this story to claim that the servant was the centurion’s lover. This is largely because the word for servant came from the Greek word pais. The wording in Luke 7 does not use the word pais for servant, but it is the same event being described. A major issue with the argument is that the word pais can, but doesn’t always refer to a lover. Another issue is that this would imply pedophilia as the word pais did refer to a child. The Jewish elders, who were mentioned in this account of Luke 7, wouldn’t have spoken favorably of the centurion if his relationship with the servant was one describing a homosexual relationship. They would have viewed the man and any such relationship as abominable.  Luke, however, noted that the Jews spoke very favorably of the centurion.  His relationship to the servant was obviously not one of a sexual nature. After this, Jesus traveled to the city of Nain. This city was in Galilee. Jesus raised a widow’s only son from the dead in that city. After that, John the Baptist’s disciples were sent to Jesus by John so as to ask whether Jesus was the Expected One (Messiah) or if they needed to look for someone else. John was likely asking the question because he had been wrongly imprisoned and that would not have made sense to John. Jesus performed more miracles with John’s disciples there and He then sent them back to John with a definitive answer. Jesus told John’s disciples to tell John that the Texts of Isaiah 35:5 and 61:1 were being fulfilled by Him. The miracles verified that. Those sections in Isaiah foretold some of the things that would happen when the Messiah was present. Later, while still in Galilee, Jesus was invited to eat at a Pharisee’s house. The man’s name was Simon, a very common name. While there, an immoral woman approached Jesus and covered His feet with her tears and she anointed Jesus’ feet with expensive perfume. The Pharisee was perplexed that Jesus would allow such a thing to happen as it involved such a scandalous woman. Jesus made it clear to Simon that the woman understood her need for Him. Jesus forgave the sins of the woman. This was another indication that Jesus is God. NOTE: In John 12:1-8 there was a different anointing of Jesus’ feet by a woman. Whereas the anointing mentioned in Luke was in Galilee and during the middle of Jesus’ ministry, the anointing mentioned in John’s account was near Jerusalem and it was near the end of Jesus’ life. These were two separate events.

Day 292:  Monday, October 19, 2026

Matthew 11:       After Jesus sent out the Twelve Apostles on a mission, He went out to other cities to preach. John the Baptist, while imprisoned, sent some his disciples to Jesus to ask if He was the Expected One or if they should look for someone else. John was asking if Jesus was the Christ. Jesus told John’s disciples to tell John that what Isaiah wrote about in Isaiah 35:5-6 and 61:1 was coming to fruition. This was an affirmation of Jesus claiming to be the Christ! Jesus then spoke very favorably of John the Baptist to the crowds. Jesus turned to address kingdom realities. He spoke sternly against some cities where He had performed miracles. The people of those cities wanted the miracles, but they did not want to repent. There is a lesson here wherein we see evidence that receiving the benefits of a miracle did not always mean that the recipients believed the Gospel. How sad and dangerous it is for someone to see God’s providence and favor, but then not turn to Him in repentance and faith! 

Luke 11:        Jesus was asked by a disciple to teach them how to pray. Jesus gave the model prayer for His followers. This was not “The Lord’s Prayer” as many people reference it. The Lord’s Prayer, or Jesus’ high priestly prayer is in John 17. A key reason as to why this model prayer should not be considered as “The Lord’s Prayer” is that Jesus tells the disciples to ask for forgiveness of their sins in this model prayer. That could not refer to Jesus because He would not be Lord if He was a sinner. Jesus followed giving the model prayer with a teaching on persistence in prayer to God. He continued performing miracles in this chapter and spoke of the kingdom of God. He was opposed by the Pharisees and their scribes. Notice in this chapter how Jesus referred to Old Testament characters as real people. Later in the chapter, Jesus was invited to lunch by a Pharisee. Jesus didn’t perform as the Pharisee expected and Jesus exposed the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and scribes. That was not well received by them. One of the points that Jesus made was how the Pharisees and scribes were walking the same paths that their religious, but lost forefathers walked. He spoke of one of Adam and Eve’s sons, Abel, and then He referred to a man named Zechariah who was murdered in II Chronicles 24:20-21. In that account, the LORD sent prophets, but they and their messages were rejected. Zechariah, the son of Jehoida, was murdered by godless men. In Matthew 23:34, Jesus mentioned a Zechariah there, but that would have been the prophet who lived about three-hundred years after the event described in II Chronicles 24:20-21. It is possible, according to Luke 11:51, that Matthew’s writing, in Matthew 23:34,was referring to a descendant of the Zechariah who was killed in II Chronicles 24:20-21.

Day 293:  Tuesday, October 20, 2026

Matthew 13:          Jesus taught by the Sea of Galilee. This chapter contained several parables taught by Jesus concerning the kingdom of heaven. In the parable of the sower, it is important to understand that only one of the four soils mentioned referred to those who believed the Gospel unto salvation. Along with that parable, Jesus gave parables on wheat and tares, a mustard seed, leaven, treasure, a pearl, and a dragnet. Jesus’ disciples asked Him for an explanation on the parable of the wheat and the tares.  He explained to them how the parable referred to the end of time. Later, Jesus went to His hometown (Nazareth) and astonished the crowds, but they were not believing Him.  Nazareth was His hometown, but Capernaum had become His homebase of sorts.  Jesus’ mother was mentioned as well as His brothers and sisters. These were not mere relatives such as cousins. The Roman Catholic Church argues that Mary remained a perpetual virgin. To back up their claim that these siblings of Jesus were actually cousins, they argue that some early church fathers held to the belief that Mary remained a virgin for her entire life. It is true that some early church fathers held to that belief, but not all early church fathers 

held to that belief. The early church fathers should not be viewed as having equal authority as the Scriptures. The brothers and sisters of Jesus mentioned by Matthew are Jesus’ literal half-brothers and half-sisters. Mary and Joseph had children together. Mary did not remain a virgin for her entire life.  Mary bore Jesus and other children. She needed to be redeemed by Jesus just as all other sinners need redemption by Him. Jesus did not perform many miracles there. Remember that in Matthew 11 Jesus performed many miracles in various cities and then condemned the people of those cities because they did not repent and believe Him. The miracles met actual needs, but they were done primarily to reveal Jesus’ true nature as God.

Luke 8:         Jesus preached in the region of Galilee and surrounding parts. Luke mentioned some of the women who were following and supporting Jesus. They were Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Susanna. Jesus gave what is known as the parable of the sower and its explanation. On a journey across the Sea of Galilee, Jesus fell asleep and a dangerous storm occurred. Jesus had to be woken up and He calmed the storm! The remainder of the chapter involved Jesus performing three healings. He healed a man who was possessed by a demon. He healed a woman who had a bleeding issue for twelve years. And He raised a twelve-year-old girl from the dead. The account of the twelve-year-old girl, the only daughter of a synagogue official named Jairus, was also mentioned in Matthew 9 and Mark 5.

Day 294:  Wednesday, October 21, 2026

Mark 4:          Jesus was teaching around the area of the Sea of Galilee. He gave the parable of the sower and the seed. He gave several parables about the kingdom of God. After His teachings, He directed the Twelve to go with Him across the Sea of Galilee. Jesus was asleep on the boat and a fierce storm came up. The disciples, some trained fishermen who knew the storms on the Sea, became frightened. They woke Jesus from His slumber and He calmed the storm and the Sea. The disciples were more afraid as they realized to some degree the power of the One in the boat with them.

Mark 5:         Jesus and His disciples sailed across the Sea of Galilee to the country of the Gersasenes; aka Gadarenes. A demon-possessed man approached Jesus and was healed by Him. The man was grateful and wanted to go with Jesus, but the people of the land asked Jesus to leave. Afterwards, Jesus and the Twelve sailed back to the other side of the Sea and Jesus was asked by a synagogue official named Jairus to come and heal his dying daughter. This event is also covered in Matthew 9and Luke 5. On the way to Jairus’ home, a woman who had bled for twelve years touched Jesus’ garment because she believed He could heal her. She was healed and Jesus called her “daughter” and told her that her faith in Him made had her well. During the delay, Jairus’ daughter died, but Jesus told Jairus to believe Him and keep believing Him. Jesus raised Jairus’ daughter from death. She was twelve years old at the time. 

Day 295:  Thursday, October 22, 2026

Matthew 10:       Jesus summoned the Twelve and they were also known as His Apostles. The list of names was given. That list of names can also be found in Mark 3:16-19 and Luke 6:13-16. In Luke 6:16, Thaddaeus was referred to as Judas, the son of James. He was to be distinguished from Judas Iscariot. Jesus prepared the Twelve as He was about to send them out on a mission. He empowered them to do great things, but also warned them of the rejection they would face and the opposition that would certainly be strong against them. Jesus encouraged them on the basis of God the Father’s faithfulness. There were stark reminders in this chapter about the seriousness of the ongoing mission in serving Jesus.

Matthew 14:        Herod the Tetrarch, also known as Herod Antipas as well as King Herod, heard about Jesus. This Herod was a son of Herod the Great and a brother of Herod Archelaeus, who was mentioned in Matthew 2:22. Herod Antipas ruled from 4 BC. until 39 A.D. He was the man responsible for imprisoning and later executing John the Baptist. When he heard about Jesus, he was convinced that it was actually John the Baptist risen from the dead! Matthew then recounted why John the Baptist had been arrested and then later beheaded. After that recollection, Matthew told the reader about Jesus and His disciples again sailing across the Sea. He performed healings and then His disciples told Him to send the crowds away so that they people could go and get food. Jesus told His disciples to feed them, but they thought such a notion was impossible.  They found five small loaves and two small fish. Even though Jesus had recently sent them out on mission wherein they had performed miracles, the Twelve still had so many doubts. Jesus took the meager provisions and fed the people and they were all 

satisfied. About five-thousand men ate and there were women and children who ate as well. The food that was left over was collected in twelve baskets. The word for baskets, used here, described a smaller, handheld basket. Later, when Jesus would feed over four-thousand men, plus the women and children who ate, the word used for baskets would be one that described a much larger basket. Some estimates go so far as to say that those baskets could hold an entire man. After the feeding of over five-thousand men, Jesus sent the Twelve across the Sea of Galilee while He went away to pray. A storm came up and Jesus walked through that storm on the Sea of Galilee to the boat. The Twelve were frightened, but Jesus reassured them that it was Him. Peter wanted verification and asked Jesus to command him to walk on the water too. Jesus did and Peter started out on the water, but became frightened and began to sink. Jesus pulled him up and got into the boat and then the storm ceased. The Twelve then worshipped Jesus. The boat landed at Gennesaret and Jesus healed many people there.

Day 296:  Friday, October 23, 2026

Mark 6:        Jesus came to His hometown, which is commonly thought to be Nazareth. Capernaum had become His homebase during His public ministry, but Nazareth was His hometown. On a Sabbath day, Jesus taught in the synagogue at Nazareth. The people were astonished at Jesus’ teaching and questioned His identity. For more insights on Jesus’ mother and siblings, see the notes on Matthew 13. Jesus then sent out the Twelve on a mission where they would travel in pairs. They would preach and be given power to perform miracles. In verse 14, Mark recalled how King Herod, also known as Herod Antipas, feared that John the Baptist had risen from the dead because he heard about the miraculous powers demonstrated in Jesus. Mark reminded the reader of what King Herod did in regard to the imprisonment and execution of John the Baptist. After that, Mark came back to the storyline of Jesus and the Twelve. They returned from the mission and Jesus had them to sail across the Sea of Galilee to get some rest. When they arrived at their destination, the crowds were waiting for them and Jesus taught the people. The Twelve told Jesus to send the people away so that they could get something to eat, but Jesus told the Twelve to give the crowds something to eat. Even though they had just returned from a mission wherein they witnessed the miraculous power of God in them, they didn’t think that they could feed the crowds because they only found five small loaves and two fish. The number of men in the crowd was over five-thousand and that didn’t include the women and children who also ate what Jesus gave to them. When the thousands of people were fed, there were twelve small baskets full of food left over. Each of the Apostles passed out the food and each one then stood with a plate full of food as well. Jesus sent the Twelve back across the Sea of Galilee and He then went to pray alone. A storm came up on the Sea and Jesus saw the Twelve straining at the oars even though He was on land and it was dark and stormy. Jesus walked to them and got into the boat and the storm ceased. Mark did not mention the event with Peter walking briefly on the water at Jesus’ bidding. He did tell the reader, however, that the twelve men had not gained any insight as a result of Jesus feeding the crowd of thousands of people.   

Luke 9:         Luke gave his account of Jesus commissioning the Twelve for a mission wherein they would preach and perform miracles. He then gave the account about Herod the tetrarch (aka Herod Antipas) and John the Baptist. Luke was much more brief in this account than were Matthew and Mark. The feeding of the five-thousand was detailed, but Luke did not give the account of Jesus sending the Twelve by boat across the Sea of Galilee without Him. Instead, he wrote about Jesus questioning the Twelve regarding who people were saying that He was. Some of the people thought that Jesus was John the Baptist while others thought that He was Elijah or a prophet of old, risen again. Jesus asked the Twelve who they thought that He was and Peter answered that Jesus was the Christ (Messiah) of God. Jesus told them of what awaited Him in Jerusalem. He would be killed and then rise on the third day. Jesus also gave practical teachings regarding what it meant to be one of His followers. Shortly after that, what Luke denoted as eight days later, the event known as the Transfiguration of Christ occurred. The time in Matthew 17:1 and Mark 9:2 was listed as six days later. This was pointing to it being about one week later. Peter, James, and John were allowed to witness this event on the mountain wherein Moses and Elijah met with Jesus. The trio even heard the voice of God the Father, although it was a rebuke and a command. The next day, Jesus healed a boy who was demon-possessed. Jesus’ disciples had not been able to cast out the demon even though they had performed exorcisms on their earlier mission. This was due to their unbelief, not a failure of the power of God. Jesus told the Twelve again about what He would face in Jerusalem in the very near future. After hearing Jesus say those things, the Twelve began to argue with one another about which one of them would be greatest in the kingdom of God. Jesus corrected them by using a small child as an example in a brief teaching. Luke told the reader that at this point Jesus was determined to go up to Jerusalem. The remainder of the chapter had Jesus correcting the Apostles James and John. He also showed that some people would say that they wanted to follow Him, but they would prioritize other people or things instead of following Him. 

Day 297:  Saturday, October 24, 2026

John 6:        After the feast mentioned in chapter 5, Jesus would have returned to Galilee. Jesus then went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, also known as the Sea of Tiberias. It was also called the Sea of Tiberias because Herod Antipas named a city on the shore of the Sea in honor of Caesar Tiberias, the ruler over the Roman Empire at that time. The Passover was approaching and a crowd was making its way toward Jerusalem. Jesus saw the crowd and turned to Philip to ask him how they were going to feed the crowd of over five-thousand men. The women and children were not included in that number. The Apostle John wrote that Jesus already knew what He was going to do, but He asked the question to test Philip. Andrew told Jesus that they had the lunch of a small boy. It amounted to five barley loaves and two fish.  Jesus sufficiently fed the thousands and the leftover pieces filled twelve baskets. See the notes on Matthew 14 for insights on the word used for baskets here. Jesus sent the Twelve across the Sea of Galilee while He went to the mountain by Himself. When the Twelve were about three or four miles from shore and a storm had arisen, Jesus walked to them on the Sea and got them to the other side of the Sea. Notice that Jesus didn’t run to the Twelve. He walked to them. The next day, according to verse 59, Jesus taught in the synagogue at Capernaum. In this teaching Jesus explained how He was the true manna that had come down from heaven. He called Himself the Bread of life. Jesus also gave the difficult statement regarding how no one could come to Him unless the Father drew them. The crowd struggled with Jesus telling them that they had to eat His flesh and drink His blood. Obviously, this was not cannibalism. This was Jesus’ way of getting the audience to shift from thinking about physical bread and physical needs to spiritual bread and their greatest spiritual need. This statement, along with the one wherein Jesus said that no one could come to Him unless the Father granted it, brought many of those who were considered to be His disciples to leave Him and stop following Him. Those were not true converts. Being a disciple implied that they had been students under Him, but that ceased when they revealed that they did not believe Him, which also indicated that the Father had not drawn them. After many in the crowd abandoned Jesus, He turned to the Twelve and asked if they were going to leave Him too.  Simon Peter gave his answer in verses 68-69.  After this, John told the reader about Judas Iscariot being the one who would betray Jesus.

Day 298:  Sunday, October 25, 2026

Matthew 15:         Jesus was confronted by some Pharisees and scribes because His disciples were not observing the ceremonial expectations of the Pharisees. Jesus rebuked and exposed them over their keeping of their man-made traditions at the expense of obeying God. In Mark 7 there were some additional details given regarding this same event. Jesus explained that what went into a person is not what defiled them, but what comes out of the heart is what the defiled them. Jesus traveled to the district of Tyre and Sidon, a region along the Mediterranean Sea northwest of Galilee, and was met by a Gentile woman who had a daughter who was demon-possessed. Initially, Jesus did not heal the girl and He spoke of His mission to the Jews. The woman had great faith in Jesus and He did eventually heal the girl. Jesus healed more people by the Sea of Galilee. After that, Matthew described Jesus feeding over four-thousand men, not including the women and children He also fed there. In that event, Jesus had seven loaves and a few small fish. The leftovers filled seven baskets. Those baskets were considerably larger than the small, plate-like baskets that were used in the feeding of over five-thousand in Matthew 14, Mark 6, and Luke 9. Jesus traveled to the region of Magadan after this. In Mark 8:10, that place was called the district of Dalmanutha. It was along the western shore of the Sea of Galilee a few miles southwest of Capernaum.

Matthew 16:         While in the region of Magadan, the Pharisees and Sadducees tested Jesus. He again exposed them. Jesus and the disciples then left and go to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus warned the disciples about the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees, but He was referring to the teaching and influence of those groups. After Jesus and His disciples traveled to Caesarea Philippi (about twenty-five mile north of the Sea of Galilee), He asked them who people were saying that He was. He then asked who the Twelve said that He was. Simon Peter answered correctly and Jesus gave the statement on how He would build His church and that it would not be overpowered even by the gates of Hades. This referred to the power of the evil one. Shortly after that, Jesus told the disciples of what would happen to Him at Jerusalem. Peter rebuked Jesus after hearing about Jesus’ soon-coming suffering, death, and resurrection. Jesus then explained what it took to follow Him and He spoke of the value of what matters eternally.    

Mark 7:         The Pharisees and scribes continued opposing Jesus, but He exposed them and their hypocrisy.  Traditions were not necessarily good or bad, but those men used their traditions to violate God’s commands while honoring man-made traditions. Jesus left Gennesaret and went to the region of Tyre. A Gentile woman who had a demon-possessed daughter asked Jesus to heal her daughter. He told her that it wasn’t good to give bread designated for the children to the dogs. The children represented the Jews and the dogs represented the Gentiles. The woman agreed, but then said that even the dogs ate the crumbs that fell from the children’s table. Jesus then healed the girl. Later, Jesus healed a man who was deaf and mute. That was in the region of Decapolis.

Day 299:  Monday, October 26, 2026

Mark 8:        Part of this chapter corresponded to Matthew 15 and 16. The feeding of about four-thousand was detailed. Jesus warned His disciples of the leaven of the Pharisees and of Herod. That referred to an evil influence, not bread. Later, Jesus healed a blind man at Bethsaida. After traveling to Caesarea Philippi, some twenty-five miles north, Jesus asked the disciples who the people were saying He was. Jesus asked the disciples who they thought that He was and Peter said that Jesus was the Christ (Messiah). Jesus also told the disciples about His soon-coming suffering, death, and resurrection. Peter rebuked Jesus over that and then Jesus quickly corrected Peter in front of the disciples. Jesus gave some statements referring to what it would be like to be one of His followers.

Matthew 17:        The transfiguration of Jesus was mentioned. The account of this was also written about in Mark 9 and Luke 9. Peter, James, and John were invited by Jesus to witness that event. They saw Moses and Elijah with Jesus. Later, Jesus explained the order from the Old Testament concerning the coming of the Son of Man. First, Elijah would come. Jesus explained that John the Baptist fulfilled Elijah’s coming.  He didn’t mean that John was Elijah reincarnated. Rather, it meant that John the Baptist was the fulfillment of what Isaiah and Malachi wrote about concerning the one who would precede the Messiah and point people to Him. A demon-possessed boy was brought to Jesus by the boy’s father. The man told Jesus that His disciples couldn’t remove the demon. Jesus was able to cast out the demon and then showed His disciples that their lack of faith is what prevented them from being able to cast out the demon. Jesus continued preparing His followers with regard to His coming sufferings, crucifixion, and 

resurrection. An interesting moment was written about here. It is the only account of this particular story. It involved Jesus and the Apostle Peter.  There was a temple tax that Jewish males twenty years old and older were required to pay. Seeing that Peter was the only one of the Twelve who was mentioned as having to pay that tax, it is reasonable to conclude that Peter was over the age of twenty, as was Jesus, but that the other Apostles likely were not yet at the age of twenty or higher. Jesus told Peter to go and cast a hook in the Sea and that he would catch a fish that would have a coin in its mouth.  That coin would be worth the required amount for Jesus and for Peter.

Mark 9:           The chapter began with Jesus telling His disciples that some of them would not die until they saw the kingdom of God. About a week later, Jesus took Peter, James, and John up a mountain and He was transfigured there. This was also written about in Matthew 17 and Luke 9. Peter, James, and John saw Jesus with Moses and Elijah. They also heard God the Father’s voice. Jesus gave insights pertaining to what was coming upon Him soon. Jesus casted a demon out of a boy. Jesus again spoke of His coming sufferings, death, and resurrection. After Jesus had told His disciples of the soon-coming sufferings that He would endure, they were discussing amongst themselves which of them would be the greatest. Jesus taught them a lesson in humility regarding this. The chapter concluded with Jesus giving some warnings about taking drastic measures so as to rid themselves of evil influences. 

Day 300:  Tuesday, October 27, 2026

Matthew 18:        The disciples asked Jesus who was the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.  Jesus used a child to answer the question. Jesus followed that with some intense warnings. In the middle of the chapter, Jesus spoke about confronting a sinning brother and the protocol to use if the brother did not respond accordingly. The assumption was that this is talking about a brother who was guilty of a particular sin. Jesus spoke of the church for the first time here. Those who were sinning, but not repenting, were to be confronted. If necessary, they were to take another witness or two and if that didn’t work, then they were to take the guilty one before the entire church congregation for discipline.  Peter, in view of that, asked Jesus how many times he was obligated to forgive a brother. Jesus’ answer was shocking to Peter. Peter had a number in mind that would be thought insurmountable. Jesus took that number and multiplied it greatly. His point was not that there was an exact number of times to forgive a brother, but that Believers were to be forgiving in view of how much God had forgiven them.  The Apostle Paul would later write about that attitude in Ephesians 4:32.

John 7:        The Feast of Booths was near. That was one of the three Pilgrimage Feasts that the Jews observed. Leviticus 23gave some of the details about this particular feast. It commemorated the forty years of wilderness wanderings the Jews experience after leaving Egypt, and also the roaming in the wilderness before entering Canaan. This feast followed the Day of Atonement that was observed on the tenth day of the seventh month. Jesus’ brothers wanted Him to show His works in Judea. They were not yet believers in Him. Jesus stayed in Galilee a little longer while His brothers went to Jerusalem for the feast. In the middle of the week, Jesus went up to Jerusalem and was teaching in the temple. Some opposition arose on account of what Jesus was saying in regard to the prior healing He had done on a Sabbath day.  That particular healing was mentioned in John 5. In John 7:24 Jesus told the crowd to make 

judgments with righteous judgment. This was not in contradiction to His words in Matthew 7:1. Rather, it led to a better understanding of Matthew 7:1 wherein Jesus was not forbidding making judgements. The Pharisees attempted to have Jesus arrested, but the officers ended up listening to Jesus and being astonished at His teaching. They did not arrest Him. In verse 37, John wrote that it was the last day of the feast. This will help us to understand an issue in a section of Text (John 7:53-8:11).  Near the end of the chapter, Nicodemus challenged his fellow Pharisees about judging someone before hearing from him. NOTE: The textual issue in John 7:53-8:11 was not as much about the validity of the story as it was regarding where the section should be placed in the Text. One problem with inserting it in John 7:53-8:11 is that it breaks the logical flow of the Text and it adds an extra day in the narrative (see John 7:37 and John 8:12) . It would fit better between John 7: 36 and John 7:37.  Some Texts did have it placed there. Some even have it in Luke’s Gospel account

Day 301:  Wednesday, October 28, 2026

John 8:         Regarding the verses up to verse 11, Jesus exposed the hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees. He also spared an adulteress woman from execution, but He also judged her correctly and commanded her to leave her life of sexual immorality. In verse 12, Jesus claimed to be the Light of the world. That statement, especially during the Feast of Booths, was incredible. That is because on each night of the feast, four tall lamps were lit. They could be seen from miles away. That was to picture the LORD being seen as a Pillar of Fire by night.  Moses wrote about that during the wilderness wanderings. This was at least a subtle claim to Deity by Jesus. The response of the Pharisees lent to this conclusion. They immediately rebuked Jesus. There was a lengthy and public confrontation between Jesus and the Pharisees. As the confrontation continued, the Pharisees claimed to be the children of Abraham. Jesus told them that their father was the devil and that they were just like him! Finally, Jesus spoke of how Abraham was ultimately looking to Him. Jesus revealed that He was before Abraham and this too was a way that He was showing Himself to be God.

John 9:        Jesus healed a blind man on a Sabbath day. This was at the conclusion of the Feast of Booths. He revealed to His disciples that the man had been born blind so that the works of God could be displayed in the man. The Pharisees again were furious at Jesus because He had healed someone on a Sabbath day. They did not rejoice that a man who had been blind for his entire life was made to be able to see. They investigated the situation by questioning the man multiple times and they questioned his parents also. They could not deny that Jesus healed the man, but they refused to acknowledge Jesus for He truly was. The man gave credit to Jesus and the Pharisees put him out of the synagogue. To be cast out of the synagogue would have made life very difficult for a person. The man knew an entire life of difficulty, but he had come to know that there was One who could make the blind to see! Jesus found the man after he had been excommunicated.  Jesus revealed who He was to the man and the man worshipped Jesus. The chapter ended with another confrontation between Jesus and the Pharisees. 

Day 302:  Thursday, October 29, 2026

John 10:        Jesus taught a lesson about a good shepherd compared to those who are merely hirelings. A good shepherd would lay down his life for the sheep.  A hireling would flee at the first sight of wolves. Jesus is the Good Shepherd who would soon lay down His life for His sheep. In verse 22, the Apostle John wrote that it was the time for the Feast of Dedication. This feast is now known as Hanukkah. While in Jerusalem, Jesus was confronted by the Pharisees again regarding whether or not He was the Christ. Jesus plainly told them that they wouldn’t believe Him no matter what He said or did. He claimed to be one with God the Father and the unbelieving Jews felt justified in seeking to execute Him by stoning. Jesus asked what their justification was and they told Him that they were justified because He made Himself out to be God! Jesus’ original audience certainly thought that He claimed to be God. They did not execute Him that day, but they had every intention of doing so. It was not His time and stoning was not the way that He would die.

Luke 10:         Jesus sent out seventy of His disciples on a mission wherein they would be given power to preach and perform miracles. They went out and did what Jesus commanded.  They came back rejoicing over what they had witnessed. After they told Jesus that even the demons were subject to them in His name, Jesus spoke again of His Deity in the story of Him watching Satan fall from heaven. Jesus pushed His point by telling them to rejoice more over the fact that they had been saved by Him than that they were able to perform miracles. A lawyer, that was one who was a supposed expert in the Mosaic Law, tried to test Jesus by asking Him what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus, attempting to get the lawyer to see his inadequacy because of his sin, asked the man what was written in the Law. The man answered that one is to love God with all of their heart, soul, strength, and mind and to love his neighbor as himself. Jesus told the man to do those things, but the man tried to justify himself by asking who his neighbor was. Jesus then gave the example of a man beaten, robbed, and unable to help himself. In the story, Jesus said that a priest and a Levite saw the man, but did not help him. He then spoke of a Samaritan, those whom the Jews hated, and Jesus made the Samaritan the helper in the story. The lawyer had to admit that the Samaritan had proved to be the one who loved God and his neighbor rightly The priest and the Levite had failed in that.

Day 303:  Friday, October 30, 2026

Luke 12:         Jesus was teaching His disciples and He warned them about the evil influence of the Pharisees. Jesus encouraged His followers to fear God and not men. He also comforted them regarding things they would face in the future that would be very difficult to endure. Jesus used real life examples and a parable to get His point across to the crowds. He told them that there wasn’t any reason for them to worry even in consideration of some of the difficulties He had warned them about. Ultimately, Jesus was telling them to be ready for His return.

Luke 13:        On the same occasion as was mentioned in chapter 12, Jesus was told about some Galileans whom Pilate had murdered. Jesus’ response connected another event wherein eighteen people in Siloam were killed by a tower falling on them. The point was that whether one died as a result of the evil acts of evil men or as a result of an accident, be ready for the time when you would go before God. Jesus, in a synagogue, healed a woman on the Sabbath and a synagogue official was angry because Jesus healed on the Sabbath. Notice, the official didn’t dispute that Jesus healed the woman, but that He healed her on a Sabbath day. Jesus finished the chapter by explaining what the kingdom of God is like. 

Day 304:  Saturday, October 31, 2026

Luke 14:       Jesus, on a Sabbath day, went to a Pharisee’s house to eat. The experts in the Mosaic Law were there, as were other Pharisees. They were watching Jesus closely because there was a man suffering from dropsy in front of Him. Dropsy was the condition of severe swelling due to a significant build-up of fluid in the body. Jesus asked the Pharisees and their scribes if it was lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not. They wouldn’t answer. Jesus healed the man and turned again to the scribes and Pharisees and asked them which one of them would not rescue their son or their ox if either fell into a well on a Sabbath day. Again, they did not answer. Jesus taught in more parables and those covered humility contrasted against self-exaltation, generosity toward those who could not repay, the Gospel call to people regardless of social status, and the significant cost of following Him. 

Luke 15:        A crowd of tax collectors and irreligious Jews were coming to hear Jesus. The scribes and Pharisees were grumbling and accusing Jesus of error in that He was receiving them and eating with them. Jesus responded with three parables to show the joy of God when those who recognize their sin and the holiness of God are saved by Him. Jesus began with the parable of one lost sheep out of one-hundred.  The one lost sheep was found and there was a celebration. He then spoke of a lost coin that was one out of ten. It was found and there was a celebration. Finally, He spoke of a man who had two sons.  Both sons were lost, but only one came to acknowledge that. Jesus revealed in the parable that the one son who came to understand his need for his father’s forgiveness and mercy was rejoicing with his father.  The other son, who didn’t extort or flee from his father, showed anger toward his father and brother. In that parable, it seemed clear that the lost brother who stayed home represented the Pharisees and scribes. The brother who left, but then returned, represented the tax collectors and irreligious Jews.

Luke 16:         Jesus continued teaching His disciples, but the Pharisees were also listening. Jesus gave a parable about a rich man and his unfaithful manager. Later, He gave another parable about a rich man and a poor beggar named Lazarus. This does not appear to be the Lazarus from John 11. In the first story, the unfaithful steward acted quickly in view of his soon-coming termination and humiliation. His master praised him for taking action. The bigger point was that the man was acting immediately in view of what was coming. This had an eternal overtone to it. Heed the warning and act quickly! Luke told the reader in verse 14that the Pharisees were lovers of money and were scoffing at Jesus. Jesus exposed them as those who served money instead of God and He did that in two ways. First, He mentioned divorce, which the Pharisees would have practiced. This exposed the Pharisees as hypocrites. Next, He told the story about the rich man and Lazarus. This too was used by Jesus to expose the Pharisees in their hypocrisy, but also their lost condition. Whereas they would call Abraham their father, Abraham would not recognize them as his descendants.