Posts by Josh Moody

1 Chronicles 5-6, Psalm 126, Luke 7:36-50, Colossians 2:1-7  Luke 7:36-50: In many ways one of the most important stories in the Bible for clarifying the nature of the gospel today is in front of us this morning. A “woman of the city” who is a “sinner”—almost certainly together intended as euphemisms for a prostitute—comes to Jesus while…

1 Chronicles 3-4, Psalm 125, Luke 7:18-35, Colossians 1:15-29 Luke 7:18-35: John asks his disciples to ask Jesus the question of the hour: are you “the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” Whether John at this moment is facing some extra doubt, or whether instead he is looking for this issue to be…

1 Chronicles 1-2, Psalm 123-124, Luke 7:11-17, Colossians 1:1-14 Luke 7:11-17: Jesus’ astonishing miracles continue, this time raising a young man from the dead. Here in human flesh is the Lord of all glory, who is the resurrection and the life. Note that the “Lord saw” the widow (7:13). Jesus is not ignorant of our difficulties, does not…

2 Kings 24-25, Psalm 122, Luke 7:1-10, Philippians 4:14-23 Luke 7:1-10: This well-known story of the centurion’s faith is remarkable for several noteworthy reasons that those wishing to center their lives upon Christ may pay careful attention to. First of all, the centurion, a powerful military man, with the power of life and death at his command, and…

2 Kings 22-23, Psalm 121, Luke 6:43-49, Philippians 4:8-13  Luke 6:43-49: As Jesus comes to the end of his famous sermon, he uses two illustrations to make two practical and profound concluding exhortations. First, he explains how it is that we are to obey Jesus without obedience itself being the defining characteristic, in a legalistic sense, of what…

2 Kings 20-21, Psalm 120, Luke 6:37-42, Philippians 4:1-7 Luke 6:37-42: Jesus now comes to address the thorny question of human relationships—our tendency, in particular, to judge one another, to feel superior to each other, and to cast aspersions about each other’s moral performance and spirituality. In some ways, verse 37 these days is the most famous verse…

2 Kings 18-19, Psalm 119:169-176, Luke 6:27-36, Philippians 3:15-21 Luke 6:27-36: This famous teaching is as controversial now as it was then. Should it be taken literally? Are we truly intended to “love our enemies”? If someone takes our cloak, are we meant to also give them our tunic? Are we meant to give to everyone who begs…

2 Kings 16-17, Psalm 119:161-168, Luke 6:17-26, Philippians 3:10-14 Luke 6:17-26: The so-called “sermon on the plain” or “on a level place” is in all likelihood an abridgment of the same “Sermon on the Mount” that Matthew’s Gospel records (which itself is likely to be an abridgment of the original discourse). In this sermon, as people come from…