Category Archives: Bible

Father Abraham: Having a Candid Conversation

Posted on December 23, 2024 by Don Merritt

After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram.    I am your shield,    your very great reward.” But Abram said, “Sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer … Continue reading →

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I Am the Way

Posted on December 23, 2024 by Don Merritt

John 14:5-14 In essence, this is Jesus‟ “final briefing” to His disciples. Judas is gone, they were shaken by his betrayal and Jesus opened this chapter with words of comfort, followed by Him telling them that He was about to … Continue reading →

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I AM the Gate

Posted on December 22, 2024 by Don Merritt

John 10:1-18 Introduction This passage is figurative. (John 10:6) There are 8 components of the extended metaphor in this section: The shepherd is the caretaker and owner of the sheep. The sheep (flock) are the animals that the shepherd loves and cares for. The thief is … Continue reading →

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I AM

Posted on December 21, 2024 by Don Merritt

“Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” John 8:58 This verse comes at the end of a rather long discussion between Jesus and the Jewish leaders that began with the validity of His testimony, and moved to … Continue reading →

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Bonus Post: The Passion Narrative

Posted on December 20, 2024 by Don Merritt

Matthew 26:1-28:20 This final section of Matthew’s account of Jesus is quite interesting for several reasons and is deserving of a little extra background information. To begin, it is comprised of three parts, the first of which runs from 26:1-56 … Continue reading →

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Predictions of Desertion

Posted on December 20, 2024 by Don Merritt

Matthew 26:31-35 In the entire series of events beginning with the plot of Judas and ending with his suicide, the disciples aren’t portrayed in a very flattering light, but Jesus isn’t surprised by any of this, in fact He predicts … Continue reading →

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Father Abraham: Warrior

Posted on December 20, 2024 by Don Merritt

Genesis 14 Abram remained conscious of God’s promises; he remained in Canaan and prospered. Lot saw a financial advantage and left Canaan to live on the Jordan plain, taking up his headquarters in Sodom, a town filled with wickedness against … Continue reading →

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The Last Supper

Posted on December 19, 2024 by Don Merritt

Matthew 26:17-30 This passage opens with Jesus giving instructions to the disciples about the arrangements for the Passover meal that remind us of His instructions to them in 21:1-3 about the arrangements for His entry into Jerusalem. After everything had … Continue reading →

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Father Abraham: High Ground Reclaimed

Posted on December 19, 2024 by Don Merritt

Genesis 13 After leaving Egypt Abram and his party returned eventually to Canaan where they settled and tended to their herds of livestock; Abram became quite wealthy. After some time, it became clear that the herds had grown to the … Continue reading →

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The Pace Picks Up

Posted on December 18, 2024 by Don Merritt

Matthew 26:1-16 We have now begun the final section of Matthew’s Gospel. I don’t want to interrupt the narrative of Matthew’s story, so I will compile a Bonus Post with the background on this section, which is quite interesting. I … Continue reading →

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