Throughout the old covenant, priests were necessary to represent the people before God and make atonement for sin. However, past priests were not sinless, and so could not fully pay for the sins of their fellow man. Jesus WAS perfect, which is why he was the perfect priest and sacrifice, to atone for our sins and represent humanity. Fully God & fully Man!

Christ’s arrest and betrayal remain some of the darkest accounts we read in the Scripture. The sinless Savior experienced rejection at the hands of His closest friends, knowing the darkness of death He would soon encounter in the hours that followed.

The time came nearer for Jesus and His disciples to celebrate Passover together. Christ knew the betrayal would take place soon, yet He earnestly desired to break bread and recline at the table with His closest friends. He was aware of the suffering that was soon to come, too, yet He still took to the cross for our salvation.

The Gospels shared the recount of Christ’s anointing in the last days before Passover. As Christ, His disciples, and friends all gathered to remember what God had done for His people so long ago. During this time, Mary anointed Jesus in honor of what Jesus was about to do for us.

In this passage we look at taking action. Jesus shares a parable demonstrating being doers of the Word rather than mere hearers. We get to see how different servants in this story are faced with choices after their master gives them instructions.

The Pharisees and Sadducees showed an unloving nature. Jesus warned these religious leaders against making so much of themselves that they were blind to their own need for a Savior.

The Pharisees and Sadducees had heard and witnessed so much about Jesus but were determined to be the ones to put Him in His place. They sought to do so by means of their own worldly wisdom, however, they weren't able to because their wisdom was flawed.

Jesus continued to fulfill the Old Testament requirement for the coming Messiah. The crowds were welcoming of Jesus and his disciples as they hoped that He would be the long-awaited King. However, most would miss Christ’s purpose to not merely sit on an earthly throne, but to save the world by creating a way to have a restored relationship with God.

Jesus had a specific purpose in everything He did. However, He was not always understood by his disciples. Jesus took time to explain His parables and we see this when Jesus talks in Matthew 13 about God’s Kingdom.

Jesus shared parables to emphasize his message to those around. It is from these parables we can see God’s heart and who He cares for. As we read Luke 15, we see how God’s love is shown to the world.

In Matthew 6, Jesus spoke during the Sermon on the Mount of several actions that true and genuine belief will produce. Jesus speaks of giving, prayer, fasting, and holding a right perspective. He emphasized the subject of faith and works so we can have a right perspective in both areas of life.

The beginning of The Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5 contains what we often call the “Beatitudes.” In these passages we get to see from Jesus’ perspective of the world and how we should live our lives with character.

Through Jesus’ miracles of feeding the crowd, we find the gospel message: rest your heart to feast on Jesus and you will live. (John 6:51). Only in Christ will we find forgiveness, satisfaction, and life eternal. We can turn to Jesus and be reminded that in Him we have all we need.

When someone you know is sick, how do you respond? Do you press in with compassion and prayer, offering to take a meal? are you temped to withdraw and leave their needs to others? In today’s passage, we will see Jesus repeatedly draw near to people in their time of need.

When Jesus calmed the storm, we read that His disciples experienced tremendous fear. Their fear was so great, they believed they would perish in the storm. Yet, Jesus experiences the same violent storm and rather than quake in fear, He slept.

Faith is a common theme throughout the Bible. We may not find the word faith on every page, however, in nearly every description of what God expects of His people, there is at least an indication of faith. In this lesson we take a close look at what faith is!

The ultimate example of God's love is Jesus, who said "Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another" (John 13:34). God is love, and God is loving. As we grow, may we remember this more often in our lives. Lord willing, others will see Him through our reflections of His love.

Jesus met a Samaritan woman at a well and told her that whoever drinks from the water He gives will never be thirsty again. This led to the woman realizing that Jesus offers something better than physical water; He gives us Himself. Jesus gives the Holy Spirit to everyone who comes to Him by faith. We can worship Him as Lord and Savior wherever we are because He loves us so much.

Nicodemus was a Pharisee who studied the scriptures in the time of Jesus and wanted to know more about Him. While meeting, Jesus said some confusing things that Nicodemus didn't understand yet - because he knew God, but not yet that Jesus was fulfilling His plan. Jesus hinted that He would be saving us all from our sins on the cross and giving us new life - and told Nicodemus that God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son for us!

When Jesus first began calling disciples, He used two words: "Follow Me." He didn't say "clean yourself up" or "work harder." The call to follow Jesus is a call to our souls to find rest. He invites us to be with Him and enjoy Him. Let's look at the story of Jesus calling the disciples.