Read the Passage: Isaiah 6
Holiness of God (6:1–4)
Isaiah received his prophetic call to ministry in the year that King Uzziah died, which was ~739 BC. Uzziah had been a good king, and his 52-year reign was marked by peace and economic prosperity. Continue reading The Call of Isaiah – Isaiah 6
Read the Passage: Matthew 28:1-15
The Empty Tomb (28:1–4)
After Jesus died on the cross on Friday evening, His body was placed in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea (cf. Matt. 27:57–60). At Dawn on Sunday Mary Magdalene and “the other Mary” (Matt. 28:1) went to the tomb to anoint Jesus’ body with burial spices (cf. Luke 24:1). Salome was present (cf. Mark 16:1), as was Joanna (cf. Luke 24:10). Continue reading The Resurrection of Jesus – Matthew 28:1–15
Read the Passage: Matthew 1-2
Authorship and Date – Although the Gospel of Matthew, like all of the four Gospels, is technically anonymous, Matthew’s name has been associated with it from ancient times. This is the same Matthew, also known as Levi, who was, by his own admission, a tax-collector prior to his conversion (cf. Matt. 10:3). Matthew falls into what could be called a second subgroup of apostles, along with Philip, Bartholomew, and Thomas (cf. Matt. 10:2–4; Mark 3:16–19; Luke 6:13–16; Acts 1:13). Continue reading The Birth of Jesus – Matthew 1–2
Read the Passage: 1 Peter 1:1-12
Peter’s Greeting (1:1–2)
Peter begins his epistle by disclosing the identity of his intended readers, whom he writes were “pilgrims of the Dispersion” (1 Pet. 1:1). These are Christians who were cast out from Rome and were scattered across five of the Roman provinces in modern day Turkey. Peter describes these believers as “elect according to the foreknowledge of God” (1 Peter 1:2). Some people object to the idea of election, as they believe it makes God unjust. Yet, election is not about God’s justice, but about His grace. Continue reading Peter’s Greeting – 1 Peter 1:1-12
The Redeemed Mind 