Luke starts Luke 1 stating that he had "carefully investigated" matters so that Theophilus could "know the certainty of the things he had been taught". An angel of the Lord told priest Zechariah that his wife Elizabeth would have a son whom they should name John, who will minister "in the spirit and power of Elijah... to make ready a people prepared for the Lord". However John doubted this as they were advanced in years and without children, so Zechariah was struck dumb for his unbelief, but his wife did become pregnant. After this the angel Gabriel went to a virgin called Mary and told her that she was going to have a son who should be called Jesus and who will reign over the house of Jacob forever... and all this will be by the power of the Holy Spirit... and he will be the Son of God... for nothing is impossible for God. Mary went and visited her relative Elizabeth and her baby John leapt in her womb and she blessed Mary. Then Mary sang: "My soul praises the Lord... for he has been mindful of my humble state... the Mighty One has done great things for me... he has performed mighty deeds... he has filled the hungry with good things... he has helped his servant Israel". So Mary stayed for 3 months at Elizabeth's. Then the time came for John the Baptist to be born whom family members wanted to name after his father, but through Elizabeth's insistence and Zechariah's confirmation their son was named John, and immediately his voice returned as he praised God. Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied: "Praise be to the Lord... because he has come and redeemed his people... he has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of David... to remember his holy covenant... to rescue us... and to enable us to serve him... and you my child will be called a prophet... and you will prepare the way for the Lord... to give the people the knowledge of salvation... to shine on those living in darkness". And John the Baptist grew, became strong in spirit and lived in the desert".
Tuesday, 18 August 2026
Another Gospel finished
I have now completed my writing of the synthesis of Mark's Gospel meaning that I have finished 973 chapters of the Bible, 41 books, and 82% of scripture. Now it's on to Luke which is the largest book in the New Testament in number of words and verses, though not in the total number of Chapters. Luke also wrote the Book of Acts which I have yet to cover.
Mark 16 (résumé): The Resurrection
On the Sunday morning after the crucifixion bright and early 3 women went to the tomb where they saw that the large stone had been rolled away from the entrance and they saw a white-robed young man sitting inside. He told the women not to be alarmed because Jesus had risen from the dead, so he told them to go and tell the disciples that Jesus will meet them in Galilee, and the women fled trembling and bewildered!
(The final part of Mark 16 from verses 9-16 is not in the most reliable early manuscripts)
When the disciples heard that Jesus was alive they didn't believe it. Then Jesus appeared to 2 on a country road, but when they told the disciples they didn't believe them either, so when Jesus appeared to them eating later on he rebuked their lack of belief. Then Jesus said to the disciples: "Go into all the world and preach the Gospel.... and signs will follow your ministry such as the driving out of demons and speaking in new tongues... and picking up deadly snakes and being unharmed when drinking poison... and healing the sick". Then Jesus was taken into heaven and the disciples went out preaching with signs following.
Monday, 17 August 2026
Mark 15 (résumé): Jesus before Pilate + the Crucifixion
"The Sanhedrin turned Jesus over to Pilate... he asked are you the king of the Jews and Jesus answered yes... so Pilate gave the people a choice of a popular release of a prisoner between Jesus and criminal Barabbas and the people chose to have Barabbas released and Jesus crucified... then the soldiers led him away and put a crown of thorns on his head... saying hail, king of the Jews... and mocking him... and they took Jesus to Golgotha where they crucified him together with 2 robbers... and everyone mocked Jesus saying he saved others but can't save himself... and between the 6th and 9th hour there was a total eclipse of the sun at the end of which Jesus asked God why he had forsaken him?... then with a loud cry Jesus breathed his last... and the temple veil was torn from top to bottom... and the nearby centurion said surely this man was the son of God... and many women watched at a distance... and Pilate gave Jesus' body for burial to Joseph of Arimathea... and he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb where he buried Jesus... and Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid".
Mark 14 (résumé): Jesus anointed at Bethany and the Lord's Supper
Mark 14 relates how in Bethany a woman poured lots of expensive perfume on Jesus' head much to the criticism of the disciples for "wasting money which could have gone to the poor". However Jesus halted the criticism saying she was in fact preparing him for his burial and her beautiful gesture would always be remembered. Then Judas Iscariot agreed betrayal terms for Jesus with the chief priests! Next Jesus celebrated the Last Supper with the disciples and Jesus predicted his betrayal by one of the 12. Then Jesus broke bread and said: "Take it, this is my body". He then shared the cup saying, "this is the blood of the covenant which is poured out for many". Then they sang a hymn and went to the Mount of Olives. Jesus predicted the falling away of all the disciples, but Peter swore allegiance which Jesus contradicted saying Peter would deny him three times before the cock crowed twice. Then they went to Gethsemane where Jesus went to pray having Peter, James and John near at hand. Jesus battled with the stress of his imminent death and prayed that "if possible the hour might pass from him". 3 times Jesus withdrew for agonizing prayer only to find the disciples sleeping on his return. Then Judas appeared with a motley crowd to arrest Jesus and Judas kissed Jesus as the sign to the mob that he was the one they wanted. They took Jesus before the Sanhedrin but the witnesses against him didn't agree. The High Priest asked if Jesus was the Christ and he said "I am". "They all condemned his as worthy of death". They spat on Jesus and punched him, and then the guards took him and beat him. Peter, meanwhile, was below in the courtyard and 3 times he was questioned as to his links with Jesus which he denied... then the cock crowed twice... and Peter broke down and wept.
Mark 13 (résumé): Signs of the End of the Age
Then Jesus said of the temple that "not one stone would be left on another". When, asked by some of the disciples, what will be the signs of this happening? Jesus told them to watch out for fraudsters... and "there will be wars and rumours of war... earthquakes and famines... be on your guard... you will be flogged in the synagogues... you will stand before governors and kings... and the Holy Spirit will give you what to say... brother will betray brother... all men will hate you because of me... when you see the abomination of desolation flee to the mountains... it will be dreadful for pregnant women... there will be days of unequalled distress... and if the Lord didn't cut short those days then nobody would survive... false Christs and prophets will appear... and the sun will be darkened and the stars fall... then men will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory... and he will gather the elect from the four winds... learn the lesson of the fig tree and know that summer is near when the twigs are tender and the leaves appear... and this generation won't pass until these things have happened... no one knows the day or the hour... be alert... keep watch... for you don't know at what time the owner of the house will return... so don't let him find you sleeping!
Mark 12 (résumé): The Parable of the Tenants
With the Parable of the Tenants a landowner rented out his vineyard and at harvest time he sent servants to receive his part of the fruit, but the tenants beat them up! This sorry scene was repeated many times so the landowner decided to send his own son as he felt surely they would respect him... but they killed him! So the owner of the vineyard, said Jesus will kill the tenants for: "The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone!" Then the Pharisees and Herodians sought to trap Jesus on the question of tax asking if we should pay tax? Jesus said "give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's". Then came a question from the Sadducees about what would happen to a woman in eternity who had had 7 husbands. "Whose wife would she be at the resurrection?" Jesus replied none of them, because in eternity "we will be like the angels". Next came a question from a teacher of the law concerning the most important commandment which was to love God with everything, said Jesus, and love your neighbour as yourself. Then Jesus pointed out that David declared in Psalm 110:1 "The Lord said to my Lord... how then can he be his son?" So Jesus is asking how the Messiah can be merely David's son when David himself calls him his Lord? Finally Jesus talked about offerings at the temple. A poor widow gave 2 coins which was all she had and so gave proportionally more than the rich that gave out of their wealth.