Sermon Resources on Four Gospels

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Author

Keywords

Scripture

John 6:68, John 1:14, Matthew 7:28-29, Luke 24:32, Mark 1:27

No one can read the Gospels without feeling the actual presence of Jesus. His personality pulsates in every word. No myth is filled with such life.

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Author

Kenneth E. Bailey

Keywords

Scripture

Matthew 5:17-18, Mark 2:27-28, John 8:58, Luke 4:18-21, Matthew 5:7, John 8:1-11, Luke 24:13-27

Jesus appears in the Gospels as a theologian who begins with a mastery of the tradition and then reshapes it by offering a new vision centered on his own person.

The passion stories take up one-fourth to one-third of the total length of the four Gospels, and biblical interpreters generally agree that the material was shaped by the church’s oral traditions prio...

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Author

Craig S. Keener

Keywords

So central are miracle reports to the Gospels that one could remove them only if one regarded the Gospels as preserving barely any genuine information about Jesus. Indeed, it is estimated that more th...

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Author

Robert Karris

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In Luke’s Gospel Jesus is either going to a meal, at a meal, or coming from a meal.”

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Author

Joseph F. Kelly

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Luke had a great insight that changed Christianity. He recognized that the world would not end immediately. Jesus had died a half century before Luke wrote, and he believed that by constantly delaying...

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Reading the Gospels for the First Time

Author

Os Guinness

Keywords

Scripture

Revelation 3:15-16, Matthew 6:24, James 1:6-8, Luke 14:34-35, Revelation 2:4-5, 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, 1 Corinthians 1:18

Thomas Linacre was king’s physician to Henry VII and Henry VIII of England, founder of the Royal College of Physicians, and friend of the great Renaissance thinkers Erasmus and Sir Thomas More. Late i...

scripture guide

Scripture Guide, Matthew 26:14-27:66

Author

Stuart R. Strachan, Jr.

Keywords

Scripture

Matthew 26:14-27, Psalm 1:null

Ancient Lens What can we learn from the historical context? Betrayal and Supper Judas’ motivation for betraying Jesus is not clear in Matthew and Mark. It certainly was not the money because “30...

scripture guide

Scripture Guide, Mark 4:35-41 (Guide A)

Author

Charles Teixeira

Keywords

Scripture

Mark 4:35-41, Jonah 1:, Psalm 107:23-32, Matthew 8:23-27, Luke 8:22-25

Peter's Perspective? While this narrative of Jesus calming the storm occurs in Matthew (8:23-27) and Luke (8:22-25), Mark’s account in 4:35-41 is the fullest account of that day. This has led som...

lectionary

Fifth Sunday after Pentecost (Guide A)

Author

Charles Teixeira

Keywords

Scripture

Mark 4:35-41, Jonah 1:, Psalm 107:23-32, Matthew 8:23-27, Luke 8:22-25

Peter's Perspective? While this narrative of Jesus calming the storm occurs in Matthew (8:23-27) and Luke (8:22-25), Mark’s account in 4:35-41 is the fullest account of that day. This has led som...

scripture guide

Scripture Guide Mark 1:14-20

Author

Scott B. Bullock

Keywords

Scripture

Mark 1:14-20, Mark 1:14-20, John 3:30

John's Imprisonment, Jesus' Debut John the Baptist is as good as dead when we hear of Jesus’ splash onto the Galilean landscape in Mark 1:14. Mark tells us that Jesus arrives in Galilee preac...

lectionary

Christmas: Nativity of the Lord (Guide B)

Author

William Rowley

Keywords

Scripture

John 1:1-14, Proverbs 8:22-23, 30-31, John 20:28-29

Preaching Commentary Introduction John 1 contains some of the richest Christological passages in all of Scripture. It rewards deep meditation on its meaning. Its use as the Christmas gospel text is...

scripture guide

Scripture Guide, John 1:1-14 (Guide B)

Author

William Rowley

Keywords

Scripture

John 1:1-14, Isaiah 61:10, Isaiah 62:1, Psalm 147:1, Proverbs 8:22-31

Introduction John 1 contains some of the richest Christological passages in all of Scripture. It rewards deep meditation on its meaning. Its use as the Christmas gospel text is an opportunity to infu...

scripture guide

Scripture Guide, John 4:5-42

Author

Lisa Ann Moss Degrenia

Keywords

Scripture

John 4:5-42

Ancient Lens What can we learn from the historical context? The Samaritan Woman in a Male-Defined World In the ancient world, your place as a woman was defined by your connection to a man: Father...

lectionary

Sixth Sunday in Lent, Liturgy of the Palms

Author

C. Hassell Bullock

Keywords

Scripture

Matthew 26:14-27:66, Luke 22:3, John 13:2, Mark 14:10-11, Luke 22:3-4

AIM Commentary Ancient Lens What can we learn from the historical context? Betrayal and Supper Judas’ motivation for betraying Jesus is not clear in Matthew and Mark. It certainly was not the ...

lectionary

Third Sunday in Lent

Author

Lisa Ann Moss Degrenia

Keywords

Scripture

John 4:5-42

AIM Commentary Ancient Lens What can we learn from the historical context? The Samaritan Woman in a Male-Defined World In the ancient world, your place as a woman was defined by your connection...

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The Meaning of Easter

Author

N. T. Wright

Keywords

Scripture

1 Peter 1:3, Luke 24:1-12, Mark 16:1-8, Matthew 28:1-10, John 11:25-26, John 20:1-18, 1 Corinthians 15:3-8, 1 Corinthians 15:54-55

Here, then, is the message of Easter, or at least the beginning of that message. The resurrection of Jesus doesn’t mean, “It’s all right. We’re going to heaven now.” No, the life of heaven has been bo...

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Hell and Gehenna

Author

Matt Chandler

Keywords

Hell

The word Gehenna is used by Jesus twelve times in the four Gospels. God’s first response to the belittlement of his name is this Greek word Gehenna, which we would translate “hell.” The interesting th...

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An Attempted Refutation of the Gospel

Author

N. T. Wright

Keywords

Scripture

Mark 16:15-16, Philippians 1:6, Acts 16:31, John 1:12-13, Ephesians 2:8-9, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Romans 1:16

[In the middle of the twentieth century a] young Russian communist went to a meeting one night where he heard a Christian expounding his faith. The communist was angry. How could anyone still believe ...

scripture guide

Scripture Guide, Mark 2:23-3:6

Author

Gabe Fung

Keywords

Scripture

Mark 2:23-28, Mark 3:1-6, Acts 12:12, Acts 12:25, Acts 15:37-39, Colossians 4:10, 2 Timothy 4:11, Philemon 1:24, 1 Peter 5:13, Mark 1:14-15, Mark 2:1-22, Exodus 20:8-11, Deuteronomy 5:12-15, Exodus 34:21, 1 Samuel 21:1-6, Luke 11:37-54, Mark 2:1-17, Genesis 1:26-31, Genesis 2:1-2, Genesis 3:null, John 19:30

Context Authorship of Mark Mark’s account of the story of Jesus is commonly held to be the earliest of the four canonical Gospels. Early church tradition identifies the author as Mark (or John Mark)...

lectionary

Second Sunday after Pentecost

Author

Gabe Fung

Keywords

Scripture

Mark 2:23-28, 3:1-6, Mark 2:23-28, Mark 3:1-6, Acts 12:12, Acts 12:25, Acts 15:37-39, Colossians 4:10, 2 Timothy 4:11, Philemon 1:24, 1 Peter 5:13, Mark 1:14-15, Mark 2:1-22, Exodus 20:8-11, Deuteronomy 5:12-15, Exodus 34:21, 1 Samuel 21:1-6, Luke 11:37-54, Mark 2:1-17, Genesis 1:26-31, Genesis 2:1-2, Genesis 3:null, John 19:30

Preaching Commentary Context Authorship of Mark Mark’s account of the story of Jesus is commonly held to be the earliest of the four canonical Gospels. Early church tradition identifies the author...

scripture guide

Scripture Guide Mark 1:29-39

Author

Scott B. Bullock

Keywords

Scripture

Mark 1:29-39, Mark 1:21-28

The Fast-Paced Gospel “Immediacy” defines the Gospel of Mark’s rendition of Jesus’ ministry. Its fast pace reads like a comic strip of heroic proportions. Before one miraculous event is over another ...

lectionary

Third Sunday After the Epiphany

Author

Scott B. Bullock

Keywords

Scripture

Mark 1:14-20, Mark 1:14-20, John 3:30

Preaching Commentary John's Imprisonment, Jesus' Debut John the Baptist is as good as dead when we hear of Jesus’ splash onto the Galilean landscape in Mark 1:14. Mark tells us that Jesus a...

lectionary

26th Sunday after Pentecost

Author

William Rowley

Keywords

Scripture

Mark 13:1-8, Mark 11:, Mark 12:, Ezekiel 10:18-19, Ezekiel 11:22-23

Context In the Book of Mark Mark 13 contains the “Olivet Discourse,” also called “the Little Apocalypse.” At the beginning of this chapter (and our reading), the disciples marvel at Herod’s spectacu...

scripture guide

Scripture Guide, Mark 13:1-8

Author

William Rowley

Keywords

Scripture

Mark 13:1-8, Mark 11:, Mark 12:, Ezekiel 10:18-19, Ezekiel 11:22-23

Context In the Book of Mark Mark 13 contains the “Olivet Discourse,” also called “the Little Apocalypse.” At the beginning of this chapter (and our reading), the disciples marvel at Herod’s spectacu...

lectionary

16th Sunday after Pentecost

Author

Darren Pollock

Keywords

Scripture

Mark 7:24-37

Context This week’s lectionary text from Mark encompasses two distinct healing narratives, each of which has plenty of material for its own sermon. So the first decision for the preacher should be wh...

scripture guide

Scripture Guide, Mark 7:24-37

Author

Darren Pollock

Keywords

Scripture

Mark 7:24-37, 1 Kings 17:, Mark 16:15

Context This week’s lectionary text from Mark encompasses two distinct healing narratives, each of which has plenty of material for its own sermon. So the first decision for the preacher should be wh...

lectionary

Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany

Author

Scott B. Bullock

Keywords

Scripture

Mark 1:29-39, Mark 1:21-28

Preaching Commentary The Fast-Paced Gospel “Immediacy” defines the Gospel of Mark’s rendition of Jesus’ ministry. Its fast pace reads like a comic strip of heroic proportions. Before one miraculous...

scripture guide

Scripture Guide, Mark 4:35-41 (Guide B)

Author

William Rowley

Keywords

Scripture

Mark 4:35-41, Psalm 107:, Jonah 1:, Genesis 1:, Matthew 8:23-27, Luke 8:22-25, Psalm 74:14, Psalm 104:26, Genesis 1:21

Note: This was originally part of a guide for the Fifth Sunday after Pentecost (RCL Year B) , which includes Job 38:1-11 and Mark 4:35-11. I have adapted the discussion of each of these two...

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Biblical Mothers for Mother's Day Sermons: Go Beyond Proverbs 31

Author

The Pastor's Workshop

Scripture

Luke 1:26-38, Luke 1:46-55, Genesis 18:10-15, 1 Samuel 1:, 1 Samuel 2:, Exodus 2:1-10, 2 Timothy 1:5

We understand why Proverbs 31 gets so much attention on Mother's Day. But as we argued in the first part of this series, it isn't actually about mothers. And if you aren't careful, you...

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