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Showing posts with the label Luke

Luke Chapter 24 – Commentary and Bible Study Reflection

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Luke Chapter 24 – Commentary and Bible Study Reflection Photo by  Michael Hamments  on  Unsplash Luke chapter 24 is one of those passages that feels like standing at sunrise after a long night. The story moves from sorrow and confusion to joy and clarity, from despair at the tomb to burning hearts on the road and finally to worship and blessing at the ascension. It’s a chapter that wraps up Luke’s Gospel with hope, but it also leaves us with this strong invitation to continue the story in our own lives. I want to go through this chapter slowly, pausing on details, not rushing, because every verse here is layered with meaning. And also, I’ll share how some of these moments make me think about life, about times of doubt, memory, even ordinary things like walking down a road or sharing a meal. 1. The Empty Tomb (Luke 24:1–12) Early in the morning, the women go to the tomb. I always picture that quiet gray light before sunrise, the smell of damp earth, the heavy silence ...

Luke Chapter 20 – Commentary and Bible Study Reflection

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Luke Chapter 20 – Commentary and Bible Study Reflection Photo by  Michael Hamments  on  Unsplash Luke chapter 20 is one of those places in the Gospel where the tension is so thick you can almost smell it. Like walking into a room after two people argued and the air still heavy with unspoken words. Jesus has entered Jerusalem already in chapter 19, riding on the donkey, crowds shouting “Hosanna!” waving palm branches. The religious leaders are fuming. And now in chapter 20, it’s like the showdown begins. Question after question, challenge after challenge. Jesus doesn’t back down, though. He turns the tables on them again and again with wisdom that still leaves us kind of blinking in surprise. Let’s go piece by piece. Verses 1–8: The Question of Authority It starts with this big question: “By what authority are you doing these things?” They’re asking Jesus who gave Him permission to teach, heal, flip tables in the temple, and act like He owns the place. And honestly, ...

Luke Chapter 23 – Commentary and Bible Study Reflection

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Luke Chapter 23 – Commentary and Bible Study Reflection Photo by  Michael Hamments  on  Unsplash When you open Luke 23, you feel like the story has reached its heavy climax. The air almost thick with sorrow, tension, injustice. This chapter is one of those turning points in Scripture where history bends. It’s not just words on pages—it’s the trial, the suffering, the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. We read it and sometimes forget how brutal, how messy, and how real it was. Not a drama play, not a myth, but something that happened on a real dusty road outside Jerusalem. I’ll walk through this chapter slowly, verse by verse, then pause to reflect, sometimes rambling a little like we do in conversation, sometimes remembering how these verses feel in life’s ups and downs. If you read this like a Bible study, keep your heart open. It’s not just about knowing the facts, but feeling the weight, the hope, and the grace hidden in it. 1. Jesus Before Pilate (Luke 2...

Luke Chapter 22 – Commentary and Bible Study Reflection

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Luke Chapter 22 – Commentary and Bible Study Reflection Photo by  Michael Hamments  on  Unsplash Luke chapter 22 is one of those long chapters where the story slows down but also feels like it speeds up at the same time. You know those moments in life where everything is happening all at once—family arguments, work stress, random memories, even the smell of food cooking in the kitchen mixing with your thoughts? That’s how Luke 22 feels. It’s loaded, heavy, and yet strangely intimate too. We are stepping into the last hours before the crucifixion of Jesus. The Passover, the betrayal, the Last Supper, Gethsemane, Peter’s denial, the arrest—all packed in here. It’s like the air is tense with something about to break. Let’s walk through it piece by piece, and I’ll share reflections, commentary, and some personal notes the way I’d talk it out in a group Bible study. Verses 1–6: The Plot to Kill Jesus and Judas’ Betrayal The chapter opens straight with tension: “Now the f...

Luke Chapter 21 – Commentary and Bible Study Reflection

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Luke Chapter 21 – Commentary and Bible Study Reflection Photo by  Michael Hamments  on  Unsplash When I sit with Luke 21 open, I kind of feel like I’m staring at a chapter that doesn’t just talk about the past, but one that stretches across time, reaching into our present fears and into the unknown future too. It’s like Jesus is sitting down across the table, warning, teaching, and comforting all at once. There’s this strange mixture of tenderness and intensity in this chapter. It begins with a widow slipping two tiny coins into the temple treasury, and it ends with the Son of Man returning in power and glory. From poverty to eternity, Luke 21 covers it all. I want to slow-walk through it, verse by verse in some places, idea by idea in others, letting the smells, the feelings, and even the uneasiness sink in. Some moments in this chapter feel uncomfortably close to our world right now—wars, earthquakes, rumors, and chaos. But Jesus didn’t just warn, He also said: “Lift ...

Luke Chapter 19 – Commentary and Bible Study Reflection

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Luke Chapter 19 – Commentary and Bible Study Reflection Photo by  Michael Hamments  on  Unsplash Luke 19 is a chapter full of drama, hope, tension, and preparation. We see Jesus on His way to Jerusalem, and it’s not just a casual trip. It’s the march toward the cross, though many around Him don’t yet realize what’s about to happen. This chapter gives us pictures of transformation (Zacchaeus climbing a sycamore tree), responsibility (the parable of the minas), and also sorrow (Jesus weeping over Jerusalem). There’s also that bold act of cleansing the temple. It’s like the closer He gets to His final week, the more intense the scenes become. I want to go through this chapter step by step, but not in a stiff, academic way. More like sitting around a table with a cup of coffee and opening the Word together, pointing out things that hit me, asking questions, maybe even wandering into a small story from life that somehow makes sense with the verses. That’s how the Bible often...

Luke Chapter 18 – Commentary and Bible Study Reflection

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Luke Chapter 18 – Commentary and Bible Study Reflection Photo by  Michael Hamments  on  Unsplash When we step into Luke chapter 18, it almost feels like we’re being invited to sit down for a long, heartfelt talk with Jesus. This chapter is one of those places in the Bible where stories pile on stories, each one carrying a weight of truth, like stones in a riverbed. You can’t just glance at them and move on; you want to bend down, pick one up, and turn it in your hand to see the lines, the textures, the meaning. Here in Luke 18, we find parables about prayer, humility, riches, and persistent faith. We meet people who are desperate, people who are proud, and people who are blind—literally and spiritually. And the common thread? Jesus keeps pointing us back to the heart of God and what it really means to follow Him. Verses 1–8: The Parable of the Persistent Widow This first parable, honestly, it gets me every time. Jesus starts with a story about a widow who just refuse...