Cover-to-Cover

Acts 4:1-22 In chapter 3, it was no small gathering over the miracle given to the lame man and Peter’s sermon It took BOLDNESS for Peter and John to attract attention and speak of JESUS in a climate where many religious Jews thought they were done with Jesus’ influence after putting Him through such torture and death on a cross. In verse 2, it says those religious leaders were “greatly...

Acts 3 A lame man is miraculously healed, not by Jesus, but through Peter and John. It’s not new for these men to minister healing to the sick – the disciples were sent out to heal and cast out devils while Jesus was still walking the earth. Jesus mentored them, so they knew what to do when He was gone. Let’s look at a few highlights: Peter and John went...

Acts 2:14-47 Peter speaks up and over three thousand are saved and water baptized. It was not a small gathering that came together over the sound from heaven. Peter gives a message to Jews, and inasmuch, he speaks of the history of the Jews and the fulfillment of prophecy. In verse 38, Peter gives an altar call, so to speak. He invites them to receive salvation and to be water...

Acts 2:1-13 On the Feast of Pentecost, Jesus sent the Holy Spirit. The plan to fill each believer with His Spirit was in the mind of God back with the Feast was instituted, knowing that one day, this Feast of Pentecost will be fulfilled on this day in Jerusalem. The people who first received this infilling were the 120 who were gathered together in the upper room. They were believers,...

Acts 1 Acts records some of the happenings of the early church in the first century. This book is also known as “The Acts of the Apostles,” and some of the apostles are mentioned, such as Peter, Phillip, and Paul. Others are not mentioned, but according to history, they had impactful ministries as well. According to church tradition, Luke, the author of the Gospel of Luke, is also the author...

John 21 This last chapter of John’s Gospel tells us about Jesus by the sea, Peter’s restoration and a note on not comparing one life’s purpose to another’s. In verse 7, we read that Peter saw Jesus on the shore of the sea. Peter, who had denied Jesus three times, loved the Lord. Instead of waiting for the boat to pull in their nets and catch of fish with to...

John 20 Chapter 20 starts off with the empty tomb. In this account, Mary Magdalene runs to get Peter and John to tell them Jesus’ body wasn’t in the tomb, thinking someone had taken the body. The two ran toward the tomb, and John looked inside, seeing the linen burial clothes. The cloth used to wrap His head was lying by the burial clothes, but it was folded. My thoughts...

John 19:23-42 Psalm 22:18 is fulfilled in John 19 where it says, “They divided My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots.” This is another specific prophecy that is fulfilled by Christ – another confirmation Jesus was the promised Messiah. It was not unusual for soldiers to divide up the possessions of a person condemned to die. From John 19:23, we see that some of Jesus’ items...

John 19:1-22 Jesus not only died for the sin of humanity; but He also took the punishment for sin. He was mocked as a king with a purple robe and a crown of twisted thorns that were beaten into His scalp. Jesus was sent before Pilate with the crown, robe, and blood flowing down His face and body. When the chief priests and officers saw Jesus, they shouted out, “Crucify...

John 18:25-40 Jesus was like a celebrity by the time He was arrested. Can you imagine the reporters, the news, the magazines, and the social media posts if He was on the earth today? Peter was associated with Jesus, a man now being tormented and killed. What was Peter doing near the courtyard? We know Peter was not a coward – he recently try to start a fight with a...

John 18:1-23 In these verses, we see Jesus is betrayed and arrested, then stands before the High Priest. Our faith is our dependency on God, a reliance that leads us to obey God. Instead of dependency, the Jews reject Jesus, continuing to stand in their own sufficiency of religious performance. They reject their Messiah. Not only does Jesus experience a personal rejection; but He also experiences it from one of...

John 17 This prayer of Christ to the Father is a prayer for His followers, knowing He Himself will soon be ascended. He prays for peace in the union of knowing God. Whenever we face trouble in this world, our comfort and rest is found in our relationship with God. We can know His peace and His power in time of need. We can be confident in His grip when...

John 16:16-33 In verse 19, it says Jesus knew the disciples wanted to ask Him a question about His being on earth for a “little while.” He may have known by the Spirit of God, a word of knowledge. He told them they would be sorrowful, but then their sorrow would be turned into joy. Jesus cared about how they would react to His departure. He didn’t want them to...

John 16:1-15 This chapter is a continuation of a message. In chapter 14, Jesus speaks of a union with God, and in chapter 15, Jesus continues to speak about this union and a deep love between God and mankind. In chapter 16, Jesus refers to what He’s already said for the purpose of keeping the listeners from stumbling. Why would they stumble? Because Jesus said there would be those who...

John 15 As we look into chapter 15, let’s remember John 14 had much to do with a deep love and union with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Chapter 15 is just a continuation of 14. Jesus continues to talk about union, being part of one another. His illustration is a vine with branches, branches finding life in the union with the vine. God is the vinedresser. Jesus uses...