Highlight Jesus often made claims that ruffled people’s feathers. In this particular passage, Jesus confesses He is the bread of life, the Son of God who came from Heaven. And the people did not like that. They pulled the classic small world card - “I know your parents (v. 41-42).” They knew Joseph and Mary, and would have remembered Jesus growing up with his family.  Read More

Highlight This is the only glimpse of Jesus as a boy. Scholars have a few different ideas as to why Luke added this story in his Gospel - to show Jesus’ comfortableness in the Temple, with the language of God as “Father,” Jesus’ awareness of who He is. But another importance this story points out is Joseph and Mary’s fidelity in holding true to all of the Jewish laws and customs.  Read More

Highlight Joseph’s role as “father” to Jesus was to protect his family. After the visit from the wise men, an angel warns Joseph to flee to Egypt in order to protect Jesus from King Herod. Joseph’s immediate action is to safeguard his family and specifically Jesus. “So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt” (v14). Scholars note that this phrasing of “the child” first is not typical. But it highlights the choice Joseph made to trust in God’s plan and protection of their - God’s and Joseph’s - son.  Read More

Highlight Luke was a doctor, a close friend of Paul, and a Gentile Christian. While writing his letters, he focused on an audience that was like him - a gentile. Luke is the only Gospel writer to include world history events in his account. By doing so he authenticated the events that happened.  Read More

Highlight Out of the four Gospels, Matthew and Luke are the only two to give accounts of the birth of Jesus. Mark and John jump right into the action of Jesus’ ministry. But Matthew and Luke take the time to set the stage for their audiences. Matthew focuses on Joseph and Luke focuses on Mary, because they were writing to two different audiences.  Read More

Welcome to Week Five of the Dark Horses: Overlooked Heroes Reading Plan! This reading plan is designed to partner with Compassion Christian Church’s sermon series of the same name, which you can find information about right here. A unique, and perhaps unexpected theme of the historical accounts compiled in the Bible is what appears to be God’s particular affinity for the underdog. Throughout Scripture we see God choose unlikely people to become His primary tool to impact the outcomes of seismic events in Israel’s history, and in turn the history of our world.  Read More