Part of the genealogy of Christ Ruler Priest Judge Prophet Mentioned in the Bible by name

Jesus, Emmanuel, Immanuel, Yeshua

And he shall sweep through Judah with a flood,
when he passes through, he shall reach even (up to) the neck,
his outstretched wings shall fill the breadth of your land
Immanuel (God with us)."

And she will give birth (produce; bear – Gk. tikto) to a son, and you shall name him Jesus, for he will save (rescue, deliver) his people from their sins."
[Through the betrothal, the marriage had already been formally contracted. The angel urges Joseph not to hesitate to consummate the marriage. The name Jesus comes from the name Joshua, which in Hebrew is composed of JHVH (the name of God, probably pronounced Yahweh) and Hosea, which means "one who saves." Jesus literally means "JHVH is salvation," "JHVH's salvation," or "JHVH saves/redeems."]

but did not touch (literally: know) her [they did not have marital relations] until she had given birth (Gk. tikto) to a son. And he named him Jesus.

[Our Western calendar was developed by the monk Dionysius Exiguus in Rome in 525 AD. Before that, time was counted based on major events or different rulers. However, it turned out that he was a few years off with regard to Anno Domini, which means "the year of the Lord" in Latin. Today, most researchers believe that Jesus was born sometime between 8 and 4 BC.]
Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea during the reign of King Herod [who reigned from 37 to 4 BC], wise men (astronomers – Gk. magos) from the east (the lands where the sun rises) to Jerusalem.

Jesus answered him, "Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then John consented.
[Baptism shows that Jesus is consecrated, set apart for a specific purpose, to God. Through baptism, he identifies with the sin of mankind, even though he himself is sinless. This public baptism also confirms Jesus' official ministry, which is now beginning.]

As soon as Jesus was baptized, he came up out of the water. Suddenly the heavens opened, and John saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming upon Jesus.

Then [immediately after the Holy Spirit had come upon him, see Matt. 3:16] Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert [which is at a higher elevation than the Jordan Valley where he was] to be tempted (tested) by the devil.

Jesus enlightened (Gk. phemi) him: "It is also written [Deuteronomy 6:16]:
You shall not test (tempt) the Lord your God."

Then Jesus said to him, "Goaway, Satan, for it is written [Deut. 6:13]:
You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only (only – Gk. monos) shall you serve (worship)."

When Jesus heard that John had been imprisoned, he returned to Galilee. [He went to his hometown of Nazareth, see Luke 4:14–31.]

From then on, Jesus began to preach [and continued with the same theme as John the Baptist, see Matt. 3:2] and said:
"Repent (change your way of thinking and acting),
for the kingdom of heaven (the kingdom of the heavens) is near." [The phrase "From that time on Jesus began" is also found in Matt. 16:21 and marks a shift in Jesus' life. Here in chapter four, his public ministry begins. In chapter 16, a turning point occurs and the journey toward the cross and resurrection begins.]

As he walked along the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who [later] was also called Peter, and his brother Andrew, fishing with a cast net in the lake. [This type of circular cast net, with a radius of about six meters, was thrown out from the shore or from a boat. When the net sank, it was pulled together at the bottom and caught the fish.]

Jesus traveled throughout Galilee. [At once, the first four disciples accompanied Jesus on the first of three longer journeys in Galilee mentioned in the Bible.] He taught in the synagogues. He preached the gospel (the good news) about the kingdom and healed all kinds of diseases (chronic, incurable diseases) and all kinds of ailments (temporary illnesses) among the people.
[The word gospel means good news and message of victory. The word was used in the Roman world to refer to the good news that couriers from the front lines came and read aloud in Rome after great victories.]

When Jesus had finished this discourse [the entire Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5-7], the people were amazed at his teaching (they had a sudden awakening, their entire previous worldview was challenged),

Then Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, "I want to (I desire with all my heart). Be clean." Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy.

Jesus said to him, "See that you don't tell anyone, but go and show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifice that Moses prescribed [for your healing, see Lev. 14:1–32], as a testimony to them."
[This is the first of several occasions where Jesus urges those who have been healed not to tell anyone, see Matt. 9:30; 12:16; 16:20; 17:9. Here, the reason is probably that the man should obey the law. Another reason is that the attention surrounding the miracles would lead the people to want to make Jesus king by force, see John 6:15. This happens on several occasions and forces him to withdraw to deserted places, see Matt. 12:15; 15:21.]

[In Luke's longer description of the same event, which uses 186 words compared to Matthew's 124 words, it is clear that the officer does not speak directly to Jesus but uses messengers, see Luke 7:1–10. Matthew simplifies in the same way we do today when we say that a high-ranking person is talking to someone, without mentioning the messengers and interpreters who are present.]
As Jesus was entering Capernaum, a Roman officer (centurion, leader of eighty soldiers) approached him and asked for help:

Jesus said to him, "I will come and heal him."

When Jesus heard this, he marveled [Jesus is amazed and astonished] and said to those who followed him, "I tell you the truth (truly, amen), I have not found (met/encountered) [such] great (extensive) faith in (close to – Gk. para) anyone in Israel.

Jesus said to the Roman officer, "Go, it shall be as you believe." At that moment, his servant was completely healed (free, cured).

[The following event takes place on a Saturday, after the service in the synagogue, see Mark 1:29. Jesus had his base in Peter's house in Capernaum during his active time in Galilee. Peter's wife, his mother-in-law, and his brother Andrew also lived in the house. Peter's wife accompanied him on his later journeys, see 1 Corinthians 9:5. The Hebrew name for Capernaum is Kfar Nachum. It is the same name as the prophet Nahum. The meaning is "Nahum's village" or, more literally, "the village of comfort."]
When Jesus entered Peter's house, he saw Peter's mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. [She was probably suffering from malaria; see Luke's more detailed description in Luke 4:38.]

Jesus saw that a large crowd had gathered around him, and he gave orders to cross over to the other side [of the lake].

Jesus replied, "Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head." [Jesus had a home in Capernaum, even though it was not his own. On a deeper level, this refers to the fact that our true citizenship is not here on earth but in heaven, see Phil. 3:20.]

Jesus replied, "Follow me, and let the dead [those who are still alive but spiritually dead in their sin] bury the dead [those who have died physically and are about to be buried]."
[Jewish burial took place in two stages. As soon as possible, preferably on the same day, the dead person was buried in a tomb. The family then observed a seven-day mourning period, followed by thirty days of less intense mourning. A year later, when the body had decayed, the eldest son was responsible for moving the bones from the burial chamber to an ossuary. It is highly unlikely that this man would leave his family in the few hours before his father was buried, or even in the same week, to listen to Jesus, see verse 18. Instead, the event occurs sometime after the first burial. What the man is actually saying is that he is asking for a delay of perhaps up to eleven months before he intends to follow Jesus. By repeating the same word, "death," a so-called antanaclasis, Jesus emphasizes that those who are spiritually dead are as dead as those who are physically dead. Without salvation, it is inevitable that spiritual death will be followed by physical death, while those who are alive in spirit will have life even after physical death.]

Suddenly they roared (shouted), "What do we have to do with you, Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?"

Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus, and as soon as they saw him, they begged him to leave their area.
[Mark describes the event in more detail, see Mark 5:1–20. There he also hints at the reason why they wanted Jesus to leave them, see Mark 5:16. The value of the pigs was somewhere around seven years' wages. The owners cared more about the financial loss than the fact that tormented people had been healed. The main point is that Jesus has authority over the entire spirit world, over Satan, over demons, and over everyone and everything they control. His casting out of these demons demonstrates that authority and was a foreshadowing of the final judgment of these evil spirits.]

Just then, they [four men] brought a paralyzed man on a stretcher (bed) to him [and lowered him into the house, see Mark 2:3–4; Luke 5:17–19]. When Jesus saw their [the sick man's and his four friends'] faith, he said to the paralytic, "Take heart (be glad and bold), my child! Your sins are forgiven."

Jesus saw (knew) what they were thinking and said, "Why do you harbor evil thoughts in your hearts?

[Matthew, the author of the Gospel, now describes his own personal encounter with Jesus.]
Jesus went on [from the house in Capernaum after healing the lame man] and saw a man named Matthew sitting outside the customs house. He said to him, "Follow me," and Matthew got up and followed him.
[Matthew is originally a Hebrew name (Matityahu) meaning "gift of God." He is also called Levi, which is probably his family name, see Mark 2:14; Luke 5:27. The customs station was located on the outskirts of the city, either on the trade route "Via Maris" that ran from Damascus to the Mediterranean Sea, or on the Sea of Galilee, where ships arriving from territories outside Herod Antipas' rule were subject to customs duties.
In his joy over his salvation, he threw a big party at his home, see Luke 5:29. When Matthew himself describes this, he does not include the grand details, but only that Jesus was at dinner in his house.]

When Jesus was at table in his house, many tax collectors (publicans) and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples.

When Jesus heard this, he said, "It is not the healthy (strong) who need a doctor, but the sick (weak).

Jesus answered them, "Can the wedding guests [the groom's friends who are responsible for organizing the festivities] mourn as long as the groom is with them? But the time (days) will come when the groom is taken from them, and then they will fast.
[The bridegroom was a common Jewish metaphor for God. Jesus identifies himself as the bridegroom who is with them, which is exactly what the name Immanuel means, see Matt. 1:23.]

Jesus got up and went with him, and his disciples followed.

Jesus turned around and when he saw her, he said, "Take heart (be glad and bold), my daughter. Your faith has made you well." At once the woman was well (saved, rescued, freed, secure, preserved).
[Jesus also says the phrase "take heart" to the lame man, see Matt. 9:2. This is the only occasion in the Gospels where Jesus addresses someone as "daughter." These loving words calm the woman's fear, which is described in more detail in Mark 5:33.]

When Jesus arrived at the ruler's house and saw the flute players and the crowd mourning [a loud commotion, people had gathered in the house and in the courtyard out of compassion, but also just to share food and drink],

As Jesus continued on from there [from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler], two blind men followed him, crying out, "Have mercy on us, Son of David."

When he came to the house [Peter's house in Capernaum where he was staying], the blind men came to him. Jesus asked them, "Do you believe that I can do this?" They replied, "Yes, Lord."

Their eyes were opened. Jesus sternly warned them, "See that no one knows about this."

Jesus went around to all the towns and villages.
[The Greek word for town is polis, and describes a town with walls, unlike the surrounding villages without any fortifications. Jesus went not only to the large cities but also to the smaller towns in Galilee.] He taught in their synagogues and preached the gospel of the kingdom and healed all kinds of diseases (chronic, incurable diseases) and all kinds of infirmities (temporary illnesses).

[The following teaching that Jesus gives to his disciples, verses 5-42, is the second of the five discourses that Matthew recounts.]
Jesus sent out (Gk. apostello) these twelve and commanded them:
"Do not enter the ways [area] of the Gentiles or any Samaritan city. [The Samaritans were descendants of the ten northern tribes. The Samaritan faith followed a similar version of the Torah where the site of the temple was Gerizim, not Jerusalem, see John 4:4–9.]

When Jesus had finished giving the commands (detailed instructions) [to the twelve apostles], he went on from there [presumably out of Capernaum] to teach and preach in their cities [in Galilee].
[Where did Jesus go? It is likely that he followed the twelve in a similar way to when he sent out the seventy-two, see Luke 10:1. When the apostles had finished, they returned to Capernaum and told Jesus everything they had done and taught, see Mark 6:30. Matthew does not group all events chronologically, but rather thematically.]

Jesus answered them, "Go and tell John what you hear and see:

[The people who heard John's question (see verses 2-3) may have begun to question John's ministry and everything he preached (see Matt. 3). This may have prompted Jesus to now confirm John's prophetic ministry and speak well of him.]
As they were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the people about John: "What kind of spectacle did you expect to see in the desert? A reed swaying in the wind?

[Opposition to Jesus and his disciples has grown. Despite the ridicule and contempt that believers will face, discipleship is still the only thing that can satisfy man's deepest longing. In what is obviously a public prayer, Jesus praises God in words reminiscent of Dan. 2:19–23.]
At that moment (at that time), Jesus began to speak (he answered) and said:
"I thank (praise, openly confess) you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned (know-it-alls) and revealed them to those who are like infants (immature, ignorant, helpless, unable to speak yet).

At that time [sometime when Jesus was working in Galilee], Jesus was walking through the grain fields on one of the Sabbath days.
[Sabbath is in the plural. It may refer to the regular weekly Sabbath, Friday evening to Saturday evening, or one of the high Sabbaths that begin and end the feasts. This event probably took place on the way to a meeting in the synagogue on a Saturday morning or during one of the holidays surrounding the weekly festival of Shavuot, since it was harvest time, see Lev. 23:21.]
His disciples were hungry and began to pluck ears of corn and eat.

Jesus, knowing this [their intention to get rid of him], withdrew from there. Many followed him, and he healed them all. [The Greek word for heal is therapeuo, which describes a gradual improvement leading to complete healing.]

But Jesus understood their thoughts and said to them:
"A kingdom that is divided (because of internal strife) will be destroyed, and no city or house (family) that is at war with itself can stand.

[This is the third of Jesus' five discourses that Matthew includes in his Gospel. The discourse contains eight parables:
1. The parable of the sower (verses 3-9) – explained (verses 18-23).
2. The kingdom of heaven is like wheat and weeds (verses 24-29) – explained (verses 36-43).
3. The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed (verses 31-32).
4. The kingdom of heaven is like leaven (verse 33).
5. The kingdom of heaven is likened to treasure in a field (verse 44).
6. The kingdom of heaven is likened to pearls (verses 45-46).
7. The kingdom of heaven is likened to a net (verses 47-48) – explained (verses 49-50).
8. The parable of the master of the house (verse 52).
Of the six parables about the kingdom of heaven, the first begins with the sowing of good wheat and evil weeds. The last one is about the harvest at the end of time, when the righteous are separated from the wicked. The four parables in between probably describe the time between sowing and harvest. Jesus explains the first two and the seventh parable in detail. The others must be interpreted, both from the context and in light of the parables that have been explained. When well-known symbols from the Old Testament are used, their traditional interpretations carry extra weight in understanding them. This is especially true here in the Gospel of Matthew, since it is aimed at Jewish readers. If Matthew did not consider it necessary to explain the symbols, they were probably well known.]
That same day, Jesus went out from the house [Peter's house in Capernaum] and sat by the lake.

Jesus spoke all these things to the people in parables; he did not speak to them without using a parable.

Then he sent the people away and went into the house [presumably Peter's house, where Jesus lived while he was working in Galilee].
His disciples came to him and said, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field."

"Have you understood all this [all these parables about the kingdom of heaven in chapter 13]?" They answered him, "Yes, Lord."

When Jesus had finished these parables [in chapter 13], he left the place. [Jesus was on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee, not far from Capernaum.]

They took offense (rejected his authority; he became a stumbling block). Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor (without honor, respect) except in his hometown and in his own family (his own house)."

At that time, Herod the tetrarch heard about Jesus. [Herod Antipas was one of Herod the Great's three sons. He ruled over Galilee and Perea, the areas where Jesus ministered.]

John's disciples came and took his dead body and buried it. Then they went to Jesus and told him what had happened.

When Jesus heard this [the news of John the Baptist's brutal death and that Herod Antipas thought Jesus was the resurrected John], he left by boat for a lonely place where they could be by themselves.
[They rowed north from Capernaum along the coast to stop somewhere outside the town of Bethsaida, see Luke 9:10.]
But the people heard about it and followed him on foot from the towns [along the road from Capernaum to Bethsaida].

When Jesus went ashore [in a place that would normally have been relatively deserted], he saw a large crowd. He was deeply moved with compassion for them and healed those who were sick.

Jesus replied, "They don't need to go away; you can give them something to eat."

At once, he firmly urged (he had to persuade and almost force) the disciples to get into the ship (a larger boat) and go ahead of him to the other side, while he sent the people home.

Just before dawn (during the fourth watch of the night – sometime between three and six o'clock), Jesus came to them, walking on the lake. [Job 9:8]

But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Take heart (be of good courage), it is I (it is me). Do not be afraid."
[The phrase "I Am" is the same one God uses when he reveals himself to Moses, see Ex. 3:14.]

He said, "Come!"
Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water, coming toward Jesus.

Immediately Jesus reached out his hand, caught him, and said, "How little faith you have, why did you doubt (were you losing your faith, were you torn between two opinions)?"[That statement may seem strange. Compared to the other disciples who remained in the boat, Peter had great faith! The word oligos can mean small, but also short-lived. The compound word oligo-pistis describes Peter's faith as small or rather short-lived. The problem Jesus addresses is Peter's unstable faith, which has high peaks and deep valleys. First he thinks Jesus is a ghost, then he walks on water only to doubt again and begin to sink. The word for doubt here is edistasas, which is only used here and in Matt. 28:17.]

Then Pharisees and scribes from Jerusalem [where the highest religious elite was gathered in the Sanhedrin] came to Jesus and said:

Jesus said,
"Are you also [indoctrinated in the same mindset as the Pharisees and] without understanding (unable to draw your own conclusions)? [Jesus urges his disciples to use their intellect.]

Jesus left there [from the city of Capernaum, in Galilee, where he lived during his active period] and withdrew to the area around Tyre and Sidon. [Two coastal cities along the Mediterranean Sea located in Phoenicia, present-day Lebanon, about 50 miles northwest of Capernaum.]

Then Jesus answered her, "O woman, your faith (perseverance, trust) is great. Let it be done as you wish."
[The woman repeats her request for help and kneels before Jesus. There are two different words for dog in Greek. Here in verses 26-27, the usual word for a wild dog, Gk. kyon, see Matt. 7:6, is not used, but rather a diminutive form kynarion, which describes a smaller, domesticated family dog. It also becomes clear in the description that they are in the home and eat under the children's table. The Hebrew word for dog is kelev, which literally means "like a heart" and faithful. Jesus has compared the Jews to lost sheep and little children, see verses 24 and 26. Jesus does not compare the woman to an unclean wild dog, which was otherwise a common insult and would be very derogatory. Nevertheless, it still requires great faith and humility on the part of the woman to accept being likened to the family dog, which is lower in rank than the children.
Jesus' statement is the crescendo and climax of this passage. It is also reinforced by a chiastic pattern around the expressions great/little faith, which has its center here:
Matt. 14:31 "How little/short-lived is your faith" – addressed to the disciple Peter.
Matt. 15:28 "O woman, your faith is great" – addressed to a non-Jew and a woman!
Matt. 16:8 "How little/short-lived faith you have" – addressed to the disciples.]
At that moment, her daughter was healed (cured).

Jesus left that place [Tyre and Sidon, see verse 21, and moved eastward via Decapolis, see Mark 7:21]. He walked along [the eastern side of] the Sea of Galilee and then up a mountain [a hillside] where he sat down.

Then many people came to him, bringing with them the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute, and many others, and they laid them at his feet (in quick succession), and he healed them.

[This is the second miracle of the loaves mentioned in the Bible; earlier in the spring, Jesus had performed a miracle of the loaves for 5,000 Jews on the western side of the Sea of Galilee, see Matt. 14:13–21. Now Jesus is on the eastern side of the Sea of Galilee after a trip outside the Jewish areas, starting at Tyre and Sidon and then back via Decapolis, see Mark 7:31. Many people had come out from towns and villages and followed Jesus, and it is now already the third day. They probably had enough food for a day or so, but were more concerned with being healed and hearing Jesus' teaching than with their everyday needs. A few weeks had passed since the last miracle of the loaves, which took place at Easter when the grass was green after the rains, see John 6:10. At this time of year, most of the grass is burnt away and the temperature is well over thirty degrees during the day, and Jesus cares about the well-being of the people so that they will have the strength to walk home in the heat.]
Then Jesus called his disciples to him and said: "I feel compassion for the people, for they have now been with me for three days (remained; they are still with me) and they have nothing [left] to eat, and I do not want to send them away hungry because they may become [completely] exhausted [and collapse] on the way [home]."

Jesus asked them, "How many loaves do you have?"
They replied, "Seven, and a few small fish."

Jesus said to them, "Be on your guard (beware) against the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees."
[Leaven is bread dough containing yeast and lactic acid bacteria. Fresh yeast was not usually used; instead, a piece of leavened dough saved from the previous baking was kneaded into the new dough, which was then left to rise. Just as leaven affects the whole dough, false teachings affect the whole congregation, see 1 Corinthians 5:8.]

Jesus noticed what they were talking about and said, "Why are you discussing that you have no [physical] bread? What short-lived (little) faith you have!

Jesus came to the area around Caesarea Philippi.
[A pagan area north of Galilee. Here is one of the headwaters of the Jordan River, overlooking a steep cliff with caves where, among other things, the idol Pan was worshipped. The largest cave was popularly called the gate of hell and was considered a portal to the realm of the dead.]
Jesus asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?"

Then Jesus answered him, "Blessed (happy, blessed) are you, Simon, son of Jonah. Flesh and blood (any human being) has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.

Then he gave a strict order to the disciples not to tell anyone that he was Jesus the Anointed One (Messiah, Christ).

[This event takes place six months before Jesus' crucifixion. During the more than two years he has been with his disciples, Jesus has only mentioned his death three times, but now he begins to teach them about it again, bringing it up eleven more times.]
From that time on, Jesus began to explain to (show) his disciples that he must go (depart/leave) to Jerusalem and suffer greatly at the hands of (endure many sufferings from) the elders and chief priests and scribes [i.e., the council, Sanhedrin in Jerusalem, which consisted of high priests, scribes, and elders of the people] and [that he must] be killed (taken away, slaughtered) and on the third day rise (be resurrected/raised) [again].

Then Jesus said to his disciples:
"If anyone wants to follow (walk behind) me
he must deny (completely reject; say no to; renounce) himself [his own agenda]
and take up his cross
and follow me (be/walk with me on the road) [become my disciple].
[Jesus had previously spoken of 'taking up one's cross' in connection with discipleship, see Matt. 10:38. Now the words become even more real for the disciples, see Matt. 16:21; 20:20–23. At the end of the verse, the Greek has another word for following (namely akoloutheo), which means to walk the same path as or walk together on the road with.]

Six days later, Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother John up a high mountain where they could be alone (in seclusion).
[According to tradition, it is Mount Tabor, but it is more likely that it is Mount Hermon near Caesarea Philippi, which is the last place Jesus visited, see Matt. 16:13. It is likely that Matthew is referring to how Moses went up Mount Sinai and after six days saw God, see Ex. 24:15. Jesus is the second Moses spoken of in Deut 18:15 and the one who fulfills Moses' calling.]

Then Peter began to speak, saying to Jesus, "It is wonderful (good, glorious) to be here! If you want, I will make three tents. One for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."
[In Luke 9:33 it also says that "Peter did not know what he was saying." It is possible that he is referring to the Feast of Tabernacles, Sukkot, which is celebrated in the fall. During this festival, huts with roofs of leaves are built under the open sky to commemorate the Israelites' journey through the desert after their exodus from Egypt. According to Jewish belief and tradition, the festival is also associated with both the coming of the Messiah and the beginning of the Messianic age, see Acts 3:21. These connections to messianic expectation are clear when Jesus visits Jerusalem during Sukkot, see, for example, John 7:2, 27, 31, 40–42.]

But Jesus came and touched them and said, "Get up and do not be afraid."

When they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one except Jesus.
[Throughout the Bible, important events have taken place on mountains. On Mount Moriah, Abraham is led to sacrifice Isaac, who is a picture of Jesus. Moses receives the teachings and commandments on Mount Sinai and Elijah sacrifices to God on Mount Carmel, etc. On this mountain, the disciples now saw Jesus conversing with Moses and Elijah, who represent the Torah and the prophets. The fact that it is a conversation shows the harmony that exists between the original and the renewed covenant. Finally, the disciples see only Jesus, a clear image of Jesus as the one who fulfills the teachings and the prophets, see Matt. 5:17.]

As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, "Tell no one what you have seen until the Son of Man has risen from the dead."

He replied [and confirmed their doctrine based on Mal. 4:5]: "Elijah will come and restore (reestablish) everything.

Then Jesus answered [addressing the crowd and the disciples], "O faithless generation (a generation that does not want to believe), how long shall I be with you? [It is not unlikely that the associations go to the Israelites who wandered in the desert and lost their faith and instead worshipped the golden calf when Moses went up on Mount Sinai.] How long shall I be with you? How shall I bear with you?"
[He now turns to the boy's father and says:] "Bring him to me."

Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him, and the boy was healed at that moment.

Later, the disciples came to Jesus privately and asked, "Why couldn't we drive out the demon?"

He replied, "Because of your unbelief. Truly I tell you (I speak the truth to you), if you have faith like a mustard seed [the smallest of all seeds, see Matt. 13:32], you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."
[Jesus now illustrates his teaching by using the mountain, at the foot of which they stand, as an image of far greater and impossible problems and difficulties than casting out a demon. It is not the size of faith that is decisive, but the attitude, the willingness to believe as opposed to apathy and unwillingness. In the parallel passage in Mark 9:24, the boy's father offers a simple prayer: "Lord, I believe! Help my unbelief." Faith like a mustard seed is a persistent faith; it continues to grow and does not give up, and it is nourished by God's word and prayer.]

When they were gathered again in Galilee [back near Capernaum, see verse 24], Jesus said to them, "The Son of Man will be handed over to men,

He replied, "Yes." When Peter was back home [in the house], Jesus asked him before he had a chance to say anything, "What do you think, Simon? Do earthly kings demand customs duties and taxes from their sons or from others?"

Peter answered, "From others." Jesus said to Peter, "Then the sons are free.

[This is the fourth of Jesus' five discourses that Matthew includes in his Gospel.]
At about the same time [that Jesus spoke to Peter about paying the temple tax in a supernatural way, see Matt. 17:25–27], [the other] disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who, then, is the greatest (has the highest rank; is most important) [in comparison with others] in the kingdom of heaven (the kingdom of the heavens)?"
[Based on the parallel passage in Mark 9:33, Jesus asks them what they have been talking about on the way. The answer is delayed, but finally they sheepishly admit that they had been discussing who was the greatest. This time it was specifically about Peter's position in relation to the other disciples. The internal ranking was a recurring topic of conversation. It is brought up again in Matt. 20:20–28 and just before Jesus' death in Luke 22:24. The entire passage (verses 2-18) is Jesus' answer to the question of who is the greatest. The greatest in the kingdom of heaven is like a weak and vulnerable little child who needs the Father's protection.]

Then he [Jesus] called a little child to him, placed the child among them

Jesus answered him, "I tell you, not up to seven times, but seventy-seven times." [The expression "seventy-seven" can correspond to the number 490 or 77. Regardless of how it is translated, both numbers represent unlimited forgiveness!]
[The number "seven," mentioned by Peter, and Jesus' answer "seventy-seven" bring to mind the Book of Genesis, where both numbers are mentioned in the story of Cain, the brother murderer. His descendant Lamech had inherited Cain's propensity for violence and was also boastful and driven by a desire for revenge. If anyone hurt him, he would take revenge "seventy-seven" times, see Gen. 4:15, 23–24. A Christian should therefore be as inclined to forgive as Lamech was to take revenge. Just as Lamech wanted the punishment to exceed the crime, forgiveness should far exceed the crime.
The number 490 also brings to mind the Jubilee year. Forgiveness should be like one big Jubilee year where everything starts over again! There are three Sabbaths in the Books of Moses: the day of rest, the year of rest, and the Jubilee year. Every seventh day, people should rest from their work. Every seventh year, the land should rest, see Lev. 25:4–5. Both of these sabbaths were temporary, but every 49th year, after seven sabbatical years, is a jubilee year. Then the earth rests, slaves are freed, everyone regains their property, and all debts are forgiven, see Lev. 25:10–16. Ten times forty-nine speaks of unlimited forgiveness.]

When Jesus had finished this discourse [on forgiveness, see previous chapter], he departed from Galilee and entered Judea from the other [eastern] side of the Jordan.

Then Jesus said, "Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven (the kingdom of the heavens) belongs to such as these."

He asked, "Which ones?"
Jesus replied,
"You shall not murder [Ex. 20:13],
you shall not commit adultery [Ex. 20:14],
you shall not steal [Ex. 20:15],
you shall not bear false witness [lie in court] [Ex. 20:16],

Jesus replied, "If you want to be perfect [and truly love your neighbor as yourself, as the man claimed he did, see verse 19], go and sell what you own and give to the poor. Then you will have treasure in heaven. Come, follow me." [Such an outward action would require an inner transformation. Jesus knew where the man's heart and treasure were: in his wealth, see Matt. 6:21.]

Then Jesus said to his disciples, "Truly I tell you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven (the kingdom of the heavens).

But Jesus looked at them and said [then replied]: "For (close to; among – Gk. para) people this is impossible [human strength cannot save, see verse 25], but for (close to; with) God all things are possible (all things/things possible)." [The Greek preposition para describes someone/something that is right next to, with, among, or alongside. See also Mark 10:27; Luke 1:37; 18:27.]

Jesus answered them, "I tell you the truth, when everything is restored (born again), the Son of Man will sit (down) on his throne of glory (honor, praise). And then you who have followed me will sit on twelve thrones and judge the twelve tribes of Israel.

[Jesus and his disciples are in the Jordan Valley, near Jericho, see verse 29. Jesus now predicts his death and resurrection again. He began to speak more openly about this, see Matt. 16:21; 17:22. Thematically, this is related to how "the last shall be first, and the first shall be last." Jesus, the firstborn of creation, see Col. 1:15, would be treated as the lowest of all criminals and crucified, but then rise again and be set above all other names, see Phil. 2:5–11.]
As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside (to speak to them privately). There, along the way [as they walked forward], he said to them:

Jesus replied [now addressing James and John], "You don't know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I am going to drink?"
They replied, "Yes, we can."

Jesus called them [all] to him and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them (exercise oppressive dominion), and those in high positions (powerful) use their power to oppress them (they rule as tyrants over the peoples).

There [between the old city of Jericho and the new Roman Jericho] two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!"

Then Jesus stopped and called them to him and asked, "What do you want me to do for you?"

Then Jesus was filled with compassion for them and touched their eyes, and immediately they could see, and they followed him.

[This event marks the beginning of the last week of Jesus' active ministry. It was spring, and all the Jews were going up to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. Jesus and his disciples also went up. On the way there, they had passed through the region of Pereen east of the Jordan River, and then came to the city of Jericho. They had walked the last stretch towards Jerusalem and were now in the village of Bethphage, which literally means "fig house".]
When they [Jesus, the disciples, and the crowd of people who were on their way to celebrate the Passover] approached Jerusalem and came to [the village] Bethphage near the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples

Then the disciples went and did as Jesus had commanded them.

The people answered, "This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee."

[It was already late when Jesus rode into Jerusalem. He saw everything that was going on there and then left Jerusalem to spend the night in Bethany, where he spent the nights, see Mark 11:11–12. Matthew, in his more thematic presentation, does not include this but continues with the main theme of Jesus entering the temple. This also fulfills Mal. 3:1, where the Lord will suddenly come to his temple. Jesus also begins to fulfill Zechariah 14:21, which states that there shall be no "merchants" in the temple.]
Jesus went to the temple [the next day] and drove out all those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.

and said to him, "Do you hear what they are saying?" Jesus replied, "Yes, have you never read the words: 'You have made the voices of children and infants a song of praise to you'? [Ps. 8:3]

Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth (truly, amen), if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what happened to the fig tree, but you will also be able to say to this mountain [and Jesus now takes as an example the Mount of Olives where they are]: 'Get up and throw yourself into the sea [the Mediterranean Sea]', and it would happen.

Jesus replied, "I also have a question for you, and if you answer it, I will tell you by what authority I do these things.

Therefore, they answered, "We don't know."
[The Jewish leaders were stuck in a dilemma of their own making. However, they do not ask, "What is true?" or "What is right?" but rather, "What is safest for us?" Not taking a stand is the path often taken by hypocrites and those who simply follow the prevailing opinion. Neither Jesus nor John did so, see Mark 12:14; Matt. 11:7–10. Jesus refuses to play their game.]
Jesus said to them, "Then I will not tell you by what authority I do these things."

Which of these two did the will of his father?"
[It is noteworthy that the second son says "sir" and not "father." This is an allusion to the high priests' wrong attitude toward God. Instead of a child's love and close relationship with his father, they were full of flattering false humility.]They answered, "The first."
Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, tax collectors and prostitutes will enter the kingdom of God before you.

Jesus said, "Have you never read what is written in the Scriptures [Ps. 118:22–23]:
The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
The Lord has done this,
and it is marvelous in our eyes.
[The cornerstone is the first stone in the building, to which all the other stones are aligned.]

[This is the third parable that Jesus gives in response to the questions of the religious leaders when he was teaching in the temple during the last week of Passover, see Matt. 21:23–46. In the previous two parables, Jesus confronted the religious leaders with the fact that they had not been faithful to their mission. Here, in the last parable, Jesus shows them that they will also lose the privilege of serving in God's kingdom.]
Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying:

Jesus knew (noticed, recognized) their evil (ugly intentions) and said, "You hypocrites (who pretend you want answers), why are you trying to trap me? [If Jesus answered "yes," it would anger the Jews who hated the Roman occupation, while a "no" could lead to prosecution for rebellion against the Roman state.]

Jesus answered them, "You are wrong (have strayed from the truth) because you neither understand (know) the Scriptures nor the power of God.

He replied:
"You shall [selflessly and generously] love the Lord your God
with all your heart,
with all your soul,
and with all your mind (intellect – Gk. dianoia)."
[The quote is from Deuteronomy 6:5. The commandment involves the whole person. The Hebrew text quoted contains a series of nouns and ends with an adverb (which specifies the only adjective in the source text and verse) – thus, 'your strength' can therefore literally also mean your abundance or your passion. Matthew and Luke translate it with the Greek word for mind, see Luke 10:27, while Mark uses the Greek words for both mind and strength, see Mark 12:30, 33.]

[Before the Pharisees had time to leave, after three attempts to trap Jesus with questions, Jesus takes the initiative and raises the core question: Who is the Messiah? Christ is the Greek transcription of the Hebrew Messiah, which means "the Anointed One."]
While the Pharisees were gathered there, Jesus asked them a question,

Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, saying:

[This is the fifth and last of the five discourses that Matthew includes in his Gospel, see Matt. 5–7; 10; 13; 18.]
As Jesus was leaving the temple [temple area] and walking away, his disciples came up and pointed out (wanted him to admire) the temple buildings [the architecture and grandeur of the buildings].

He replied, "Yes, you see all this, don't you? But I tell you the truth, not one stone here will be left on another; everything will be destroyed." [Jesus predicts the destruction of the temple, which occurs in 70 AD].

Jesus answered them:
"Be on guard (be careful) so that no one deceives you.

When Jesus had finished his speech [answering the questions about the last days, see Matt. 24:4–25:46], he said to his disciples [as they sat on the Mount of Olives on Tuesday afternoon]:

They planned (deliberated together on various options for) how they could arrest Jesus secretly and kill him.

[Matthew does not specify exactly on which day Jesus was anointed. It may have been two days before Passover, see verse 2, or before the entry into Jerusalem, see John 12:1–8. It may have been breakfast, early lunch, or supper, see Matt. 22:4; Luke 14:12. Regardless of when, the event fits in thematically here to describe how Jesus is being prepared for the cross. The feast is at the home of a man who had suffered from leprosy, which was a severe skin disease. It is clear that he was no longer sick, because if he had been, no Jew could have been in the same room without becoming ceremonially unclean. It is likely that it was Jesus who healed him. Simon was a very common name in Jesus' time, and this Simon is not mentioned anywhere else in the Bible. The siblings Martha, Mary, and Lazarus also lived in Bethany.] Then Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper.

But Jesus knew [what the disciples had said to each other and directly to the woman] and said to them, "Why are you bothering (harassing, blaming) the woman? She has done a good (honorable, beautiful) deed for me.

Now, before (the first) [feast day of] the Feast of Unleavened Bread [when bread was baked without yeast to commemorate the exodus from Egypt], the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover meal (Pesach)?"

The disciples did as Jesus had commanded and prepared the Passover meal.
[There are different views on whether this is a traditional Jewish Seder meal eaten on the evening of the 15th of Nisan, or a meal on the evening before. John writes that it takes place "before," see John 13:1. The disciples also believe that Judas is going out to buy something for the feast, see John 13:29. Matthew uses the Greek word protos in verse 17, which can mean "before" the feast or on "the first" day of the feast. See also 1 Cor. 5:7 where Jesus "is the Passover lamb."]

While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had blessed it, he broke it and gave it to the disciples, saying, "Take, eat; this is my body."

Then [as they were walking out of Jerusalem via the Kidron Valley toward Gethsemane], Jesus said to them: "This night you will all fall away (take offense, abandon me) because of me, for it is written:
I will strike (kill) the shepherd,
and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.
[Jesus quotes freely from Zechariah 13:7.]

Jesus said to him, "I tell you the truth, this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times."

[Gethsemane, which literally means olive press, was a walled olive grove at the foot of the Mount of Olives. The place, with one or more olive presses, was well known to Jesus and his disciples. Perhaps they even knew the owner. It is no coincidence that it is in this very place – where olives are pressed and crushed – that Jesus is tested and pressed to the utmost.]
Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane. He said to [eight of] his disciples, "Stay here [at the entrance to the garden] while I go over there and pray."

Immediately Judas went up to Jesus and said, "Greetings, Rabbi (my teacher)," and kissed him intensely.

One of those with Jesus raised his hand and drew his sword. He lunged at the high priest's servant and cut off his ear.
[It was Peter who struck the servant named Malchus, see John 18:10. Peter probably did not aim for the ear but for the throat, but Malchus ducked so that only his ear was hit. The physician Luke also describes how he was healed by Jesus, see Luke 22:51. The fact that only John mentions the names of those involved may be because he wrote his gospel after Peter had already died. The other gospel writers had to be more cautious. They did not want to reveal Peter's name because it could have legal consequences for him.]

Then Jesus said to him, "Put your sword back in its place. All who take up the sword will die by the sword.

At that moment Jesus said to the crowd, "You have come out with swords and clubs to arrest me as if I were a criminal (a robber who robbed and attacked people). Day after day I sat in the temple teaching, and you did not arrest me.

[The Sanhedrin, the highest decision-making body among the Jews with 71 members from the Pharisees and Sadducees, was wholly or partly gathered at the home of the high priest, waiting for Jesus to be brought there, see verse 3. The council could never bring charges on its own initiative; only if witnesses came and requested that their case be heard would the matter be taken up. That is why someone had to denounce him, and testimony against Jesus was also needed.]
Those who had arrested Jesus took him to the high priest Caiaphas, where the scribes and elders had gathered.

The chief priests and the whole council [Sanhedrin] sought to find false testimony against Jesus so that they could condemn him to death,

But Jesus remained silent [Isa. 53:7]. The high priest said, "I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Anointed One (Messiah), the Son of God."

Jesus replied, "You have said so. But I tell you, after this you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven."

[Matthew describes two events happening in parallel. While Jesus is being interrogated in one of the rooms by the highest Jewish leaders and confesses himself as the Son of God, Peter is asked a few simple questions by a lowly servant girl, and he denies Jesus.]
Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard [warming himself by a fire with the servants of the house and the temple guards, see John 18:18]. One of the maids came up to him and said, "You were also with Jesus from Galilee."

He went out to the gate [the main entrance to Caiaphas' house]. There another woman saw him and said to those standing nearby, "This man was with Jesus of Nazareth."

Then Peter remembered what Jesus had said [in verse 34]: "Before a [single] rooster crows, you will deny me three times," and he went out and wept bitterly.

Early in the morning, all the chief priests and elders of the people decided that they would kill Jesus. [For a death sentence, two trials were required, one day apart, so this was a short but necessary meeting.]

[Matthew now returns in his narrative to Jesus standing before Pontius Pilate in Antonia Fortress just north of the temple area. His main goal with the interrogation is to see if Jesus has broken Roman law, i.e., if he has attempted to seize power from the emperor.]
Jesus was now brought before the governor [Pontius Pilate]. The governor asked him, "So you are the king of the Jews?" Jesus replied, "You say so (those are your words, not mine)."

When the people had gathered, Pilate asked them, "Which one do you want me to release, Jesus Barabbas or Jesus who is called the Anointed One (Messiah, Christ)?"

But the chief priests and elders persuaded the people to ask for Barabbas to be released and for Jesus to be put to death.

Pilate asked them, "What shall I do then with Jesus who is called the Anointed One (Messiah)?" They all answered, "Crucify him!"

So he released Barabbas, but had Jesus flogged and handed him over to be crucified.

Then the governor's soldiers took Jesus to the residence (the praetorium) and gathered the whole battalion [a Roman cohort consisting of 600 soldiers, see Acts 10] around him.
[The praetorium was the Roman name for the officers' quarters and barracks with the barracks yard. There were two Roman residences in Jerusalem, Antonia Fortress and Herod's palace. Pontius Pilate lived in Antonia Fortress next to the temple area during his visits, and Herod Antipas lived in his palace in the western part of the city during his visits. Jesus was interrogated by both of these men, who were enemies but became friends on this day, see Luke 23:12. This probably refers to Antonia Fortress, where Pontius Pilate was located.]

Above his head they placed his accusation (the reason for his death sentence), which read:
"This is Jesus [of Nazareth],
King of the Jews."
[The four Gospel writers all mention that the sign read "King of the Jews." However, they choose to include different parts of the introductory words. This is not a contradiction; rather, together they give the full picture. The sign probably had the following text: "This is Jesus from Nazareth, King of the Jews," which is the sum of Mark 15:26, Luke 23:38 and John 19:19.]

When the Roman officer (centurion) and those who were guarding with him saw the earthquake and what happened, they were completely terrified and said, "This was truly the Son of God!" [The military rank of centurion refers to an officer who has eighty soldiers under his command, and he was the one in charge at Golgotha.]

0

In the evening, a rich man from Arimathea named Joseph, who had also become a disciple of Jesus, came.
[He had not yet openly confessed this, see John 19:38, probably because he was a member of the Sanhedrin, see Mark 15:43. He was born in Arimathea, which means "high place" in Hebrew and was a Jewish city, see Luke 23:51. The city is often identified with the birthplace of the prophet Samuel, Ramatayim, northwest of Jerusalem, see 1 Sam. 1:1. Ramatayim is translated into Greek as Armathaim, which is similar to Arimathea. The detail "rich man" confirms the prophecy from Isa. 53:9.]

Joseph went to Pilate and asked for Jesus' body, and Pilate then gave orders for it to be handed over.

The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had arranged to meet them.

This is the beginning [the starting point of my account] of the gospel (the good news, the message of victory) about Jesus the Anointed One (Messiah, Christ), the Son of God.
[The four gospels all have different starting points – beginnings. Matthew starts with Jesus' genealogy from Abraham. John goes back to the eternal Word that was in the beginning. Mark and Luke begin with John the Baptist. Luke starts with his birth, while Mark starts with his ministry.]

Now, at that time, Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized in the [river] Jordan by John.

Now, after John had been imprisoned [in the fortress of Machaerus on the eastern side of the Dead Sea by the Roman governor Herod Antipas, who was responsible for Galilee and Perea], Jesus came to Galilee and preached the gospel (the good news) of the kingdom of God.

Jesus said to them, "Come and follow me. I will make you [teach you to become] fishers of men!"

"What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are – the Holy One of God!"

But Jesus rebuked him (gave him a stern warning): "Be quiet! Come out of him!"

Deeply moved with compassion, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him [which made Jesus ceremonially unclean] and said, "I am willing. Be clean!"

When Jesus saw their faith [the faith of the lame man and his friends], he said to the paralyzed man, "My child (Gk. teknon) [emphasizing that he belongs to the family], your sins are forgiven (removed)."

In his spirit, Jesus knew immediately what they were thinking in their hearts, and said to them, "Why are you thinking all these things in your hearts?

When Jesus was at table in his house [presumably Levi's house in Capernaum], many tax collectors and sinners shared the meal with Jesus and his disciples. Many of them followed him (were among the larger crowd of people who followed him and were called his disciples).

When Jesus heard this, he said to them, "It is not the healthy (strong) who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."
[Just as it is natural for a doctor to be among sick patients, Jesus is close to people who have realized that they are not righteous but know that they are sinners and need repentance. Luke's rendering of the same quote makes it clear that it is a matter of turning away from the path of sin when one accepts Jesus' invitation and wants to become his follower, see Luke 5:32.]

Jesus answered them,
"Can the wedding guests [the groom's friends who are responsible for organizing the festivities] fast while the groom is with them? As long as they have the groom with them, they cannot fast.

Then [because of the Pharisees' plans to kill him], Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the [Galilee] Sea. A large crowd from [the nearest towns and villages in] Galilee followed him. Also from [the southern regions] Judea,

[Even though the man is under the influence of demons that have insinuated themselves into his personality, he has free will. He sees that his deliverance is in Jesus.] When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell down before him (in worship)

and roared (shouted) in a loud voice, "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? [The phrase, which literally means "what do I have to do with you," can mean "leave me alone" or "don't bother me."] Have you come here to torment us before the time?"

He gave them permission. Then the unclean spirits came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the herd rushed down the cliff into the lake. About 2,000 pigs drowned.

When they came to Jesus and saw (looked closely at) the man who had been possessed by the legion sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, they were afraid.

But Jesus did not allow it, saying, "Go home to your family, your relatives, and your countrymen, and tell them everything the Lord has done for you and how he has had mercy on you."

The man went away and proclaimed throughout the Decapolis (the area of the ten cities) all that Jesus had done for him, and everyone was amazed (surprised, shocked).
[The formerly demonized man now becomes the first Gentile evangelist mentioned by Mark. The Decapolis was a region consisting of ten loosely connected cities east of the Jordan River and the Sea of Galilee. They had been freed from Jewish rule in 63 BC when the Roman general Pompey conquered the area. Pigs were sometimes used as sacrificial animals in pagan temples. The worst example in Jewish history was when Epiphanes desecrated the temple in Jerusalem and sacrificed pigs on an altar to Zeus in 167 BC.]

When Jesus had returned by boat to the other side of the lake [presumably back to Capernaum], a large crowd gathered around him where he was by the lake.

She had heard about Jesus and approached him from behind in the crowd and touched his clothes. [She touched the tassel on his robe, see Matt. 9:20; Luke 8:44.]

At the same time this happened, Jesus knew that power had gone out from him, so he turned to the crowd and asked, "Who touched my clothes?"

But when Jesus heard their words, he said to the synagogue leader, "Do not be afraid (stop feeling fear and anxiety), continue to believe (just believe)!" [Jesus urges Jairus to maintain the same faith he had from the beginning when he came to Jesus, see verse 23.]

Then Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not despised (but honored, respected), except in his hometown and among his own family (his own house)."

The apostles [which literally means "the sent missionaries"] gathered around Jesus [probably in Capernaum] and told him everything they had done [how they had cast out unclean spirits and healed the sick] and everything they had taught [what subjects they had discussed].
[Jesus had sent the twelve disciples out on their own for the first time. Two by two, they had gone around the villages and towns of Galilee, see verses 7-13.]

When Jesus went ashore [in a place that would normally have been relatively deserted], he saw that a large crowd was waiting for him. He was deeply moved with compassion, for they were like sheep without a shepherd. [Later that day, there were 5,000 men, plus women and children, see verse 44, so perhaps several thousand were already gathered there.]
He began to teach them many things (many different subjects and areas).

He said, "Let the children eat their fill first. It is not right to take the bread from the children and throw it to the tame dogs (the little dogs)."

[This is the second miracle of the loaves. Earlier that spring, Jesus had performed a miracle of the loaves for 5,000 Jude on the western side of the Sea of Galilee, see Mark 6:30–44. Although Mark does not specify where the second feeding miracle takes place, it is likely that Jesus is somewhere on the eastern side of the Sea of Galilee. The phrase "at that time" links the event to Jesus' journey outside the Jewish areas to Tyre and Sidon and then back via Decapolis, see Mark 7:31.]At that time [when they were on the eastern side of Lake Galilee], a large crowd had gathered again, and they had nothing to eat. So Jesus called his disciples to him and said to them,

Jesus, well aware of this, said to them, "Why are you discussing whether it was because you did not bring bread? Have you not yet understood and comprehended anything? Are your hearts so hard (locked in such stubbornness)?

Jesus went with his disciples to the villages in the vicinity of Caesarea Philippi [a pagan area just over 25 miles north of the Sea of Galilee]. On the way there, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say I am?"

Six days after this, Jesus took Peter, James, and John with him and led them up a high mountain, alone in seclusion.
[The Bible does not specify which mountain this took place on. They had recently been in Caesarea Philippi in the north, see Mark 8:27, and afterwards it is mentioned that they are in Galilee, see Mark 9:30. The two most common alternatives suggested by Bible scholars are the high mountain Hermon in the north, not far from Caesarea Philippi, or Mount Tabor in southern Galilee, which can be reached in four days from Caesarea Philippi.]His appearance was transformed before them,

Then Elijah appeared to them with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus.
[Six days after Peter's words that Jesus is the Messiah, see Mark 8:29, three of his disciples see how Jesus' human nature fades and his divinity shines through. Moses and Elijah represent the Old Testament. Together, they confirm that Jesus is the one who fulfills the teachings (Torah) and the promises of the prophets.]

Peter answered [even though no one had asked him, he interrupted their conversation] and said to Jesus, "Master, it is good (wonderful) for us to be here. Let us make three huts [he was probably referring to the huts that were built during the celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles], one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."

Suddenly, when they looked around, they saw no one except Jesus.

Jesus said to him, "If you can (have the power and ability) [to do anything], say it." All things are possible to (all things are possible for) those who believe.

Now when Jesus saw that a large crowd of people were running toward them, he spoke sternly to the unclean spirit (demon) and said to it, "You mute and deaf spirit (demon), I command you to leave him and never enter him again!"

But Jesus took him firmly by the hand and began to lift him up, and he got up.

But Jesus said, "Do not stop (forbid) him! No one who performs a miracle (powerful deed, mighty wonder) in my name can immediately afterward speak ill of me.

But Jesus [did not begin to argue, as their rabbis did, about the circumstances under which divorce was permitted, but] said to them:
"Because your hearts are so hard, he gave you that commandment.

When Jesus saw this [from inside the house where he was, see Mark 10:10], he was upset (he felt deep pain and anger because something wrong was happening), and said to them, "Don't stop the children from coming to me, because God's kingdom belongs to people like them.

Jesus answered him,
"Why do you call me good?
There is no one good except one,
and that is God!

As Jesus looked at him, he felt deep love (which was selfless, giving) for him and said, "One thing you lack (one thing remains; prevents you from reaching your goal – Gk. hustereo), go and sell everything you own and give the money to the poor, and you will receive treasure (wealth) in heaven. Then come and follow me (walk the same path that I walk)!"

Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it is for the rich (those who are wealthy) to enter the kingdom of God!"

The disciples were completely astonished (puzzled) by his words [wealth was a sign of God's favor according to Jewish tradition]. Jesus said to them again, "My children (family members), how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God [whether you are rich or not].

Jesus looked around at them and said, "Humanly speaking, it is impossible, but together with (beside, in the presence of) God it can happen, for everything is possible together with God."

Jesus replied:
"I tell you the truth (truly, amen):
Anyone who has left
houses [plural], brothers, sisters, mother, father, children, or lands
for my sake and for the sake of the gospel

Now they were on their way up to Jerusalem. [They are probably on the east side of the Jordan River on their way to Jericho, see verse 46.] Jesus went ahead of them [determined to go to the cross], and they were terrified (almost in a state of panic) and followed him in fear. Then he took the twelve aside again and began to tell them what was going to happen to him:

But Jesus said to them, "You don't know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism [of suffering and death] with which I am baptized?"

They replied, "We can." Then Jesus said to them, "You will drink the cup I drink, and you will be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with.

Jesus called them [all twelve] to him and said, "You have seen how those who are considered leaders of the people act as lords over them, and those in high positions use their authority over the people.

When Bartimaeus heard that it was Jesus from Nazareth, he began to shout (again and again), "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me (show me grace and compassion, at once)!"

Jesus stopped and said, "Call him here!"
They called the blind man and said, "Take heart (be calm)! Get up! He is calling you!"

He threw off his outer garment, jumped up, and came to Jesus. [Bartimaeus leaves everything he has, unlike the rich man, see Mark 10:21.]

Jesus asked him, "What do you want me to do for you?"
The blind man answered him, "Rabbouni [Aramaic word meaning 'my great Master'], let me regain my sight."

Jesus said to him, "Go [you are free to go wherever you want], your faith has healed (saved) you." Immediately he received his sight and [did not go back but] followed Jesus on the road.

They [the two disciples] answered as Jesus had instructed them, and they were allowed to go.

They brought the colt to Jesus and put their outer garments on it, and he sat on it.
[In biblical times in the Middle East, the horse symbolized war and the donkey symbolized peace. The entry into Jerusalem is a sign from Jesus that he is a king, but not a political or warlike king as many had imagined. Matthew, who writes for Jewish readers and often links events to prophetic predictions, also includes a reference to Zechariah in his account of the entry. "Behold, your King comes to you humbly, riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden," see Zech. 9:9; Matt. 21:4.]

Jesus entered Jerusalem, went into the temple area, and studied in detail everything that was going on there. [He saw how people were buying and selling, using the temple area as a shortcut between the city and the Mount of Olives, see Mark 11:15–16. However, he waited until the next day before doing anything about it.] It was already late [and the city gates were about to close], so he went [back] out to Bethany with the twelve. [Martha, Mary, and Lazarus lived in Bethany. Jesus often stayed with them when he visited Jerusalem.]

[The tree had not spoken verbally to Jesus, but had nevertheless communicated a false message that it had figs, so] Jesus answered the tree and said, "Never again shall anyone eat fruit from you!" His disciples heard this.
[The fig tree is created to bear fruit before it produces leaves. This fig tree had broken his command and was hypocritical, pretending to have something it did not have. The fig tree is often a symbol of the nation of Israel. Both this event and the next one, when the temple is cleansed, are two highly symbolic acts.]

When they came to Jerusalem, he entered the temple area and began to drive out those who were selling and buying in the temple area. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches (chairs) of those who sold doves.
[Visitors who came to the temple could exchange their local currency to pay the temple tax and buy sacrificial animals in shops outside the temple itself, see Deut. 14:26. When the business of exchange offices and animals moved into the temple, it disrupted the teaching of the rabbis, see Luke 2:46. Since non-Jews were not allowed to enter the inner court, they were confined to praying in the outer court, and the selling disturbed their prayers, see Isa. 56:7.]

Jesus answered them:
"Have faith in God (hold fast to God's faithfulness)!
[Literally: "have faith/faithfulness in/from God." The Greek is ambiguous, the word God is in the genitive, which means that the phrase can also be translated: "Have God's faith/faithfulness!"]

Jesus replied, "I have a question for you. Answer it, and I will tell you what authority I have to do this.

Therefore, they answered, "We don't know."
[The Jewish leaders were stuck in a dilemma of their own making. However, they do not ask, "What is true?" or "What is right?" but "What is safest for us?" Not taking a stand is the path often taken by hypocrites and those who simply follow the prevailing opinion. Neither Jesus nor John did so, see Mark 12:14; Matt. 11:7–10. Jesus refuses to play their game.]

Then Jesus said to them, "Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and to God what belongs to God!" They were completely speechless before him (they lost their composure, stood as if petrified, and marveled at him).
[Man is created in the image of God, see Gen. 1:26–27. Just as the coin was stamped with the emperor's image and belonged to him, man bears God's image in his heart and belongs to him.]

Jesus answered them [the Sadducees, see verse 18]: "Is it not here [in the following two points] that you are mistaken (going astray)? [Yes, it is!] It is because you do not understand (know) the Scriptures [which teach about the resurrection] nor the power of God [which can raise the dead].

Jesus replied,
"The most important (first) commandment is this:
'Hear, O Israel!
The Lord our God, the Lord is one (the only one).

When Jesus heard that the man answered wisely (sensibly, insightfully), he said, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." After this, no one dared to ask him any more questions.

When Jesus was teaching in the temple, he asked, "How can the scribes say that the Anointed One (Messiah, Christ) is the son of David?"

Jesus sat down opposite the temple treasury [in the women's section of the temple where there were thirteen trumpet-shaped containers, all for different charitable purposes] and watched as people put money into it. Many rich people put in large sums.

Jesus answered him, "You see these great buildings. Not one stone will be left upon another; all will be thrown down."
[Jesus predicts the destruction of the temple. Jesus utters these words in the spring of 30 CE, exactly 40 years before Titus besieges Jerusalem a few days before Passover in 70 CE, only to burn down the temple four months later on Tisha B'Av, the 9th day of the Jewish month of Av (which falls in July/August).]

Jesus began to speak to them:
"Be on guard (be careful)
so that no one deceives you!

But Jesus said, "Leave her alone! Why are you bothering (worrying) her? She has done something good (honorable, beautiful) for me.

While they were reclining at the table and eating, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me."

While they were eating, he took a whole loaf of bread (a round unleavened cake), praised (gave thanks to) God and blessed it, then broke it and gave it to them, saying:
"Take, eat, this is (represents) my body."

Then [as they walked out of Jerusalem via the Kidron Valley toward Gethsemane], Jesus said to them: You will all fall away (take offense, abandon me), for it is written:
I will strike (kill) the shepherd,
and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.
[Jesus quotes freely from Zech. 13:7.]

Jesus said to him, "I tell you the truth, this night, before a [single] rooster crows twice [as a warning of what is about to happen], you will have denied me three times."

Jesus said to them, "As if I were a criminal (a robber who robbed and attacked people), you have come out with swords and clubs to arrest me.

[The Sanhedrin, the highest decision-making body among the Jews with 71 members from the Pharisees and Sadducees, was wholly or partly gathered at the home of the high priest, waiting for Jesus to be brought there, see Matt. 26:3. The council could never bring charges on its own initiative; only if witnesses came and requested that their case be heard was the matter taken up. That is why someone had to denounce him, and testimony against him was also needed.] They brought Jesus to the high priest [Caiaphas, see Matt. 26:57]. There all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes gathered together.

The chief priests and the whole council [Sanhedrin] sought false testimony against Jesus so that they could condemn him to death, but they did not succeed.

Then the high priest stood up among them and asked Jesus, "Are you not going to answer their testimony against you?"

Jesus answered, "I am. You will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power [the place of honor and power, Ps. 110:1] and coming with the clouds of heaven [Dan. 7:13]." [The expression "I Am" alludes to how God chooses to present himself, see Ex. 3:14; Mark 6:50.]

When she saw Peter sitting there warming himself, she looked at him closely and said, "You also were with that Nazarene, Jesus."

Immediately after this, a rooster crowed a second time. Then Peter remembered what Jesus had said to him: "Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times." He broke down in loud tears [and went outside, see Matt. 26:75].

Immediately at dawn [at sunrise, six o'clock in the morning], the chief priests held a meeting together with the elders and the scribes and the whole council [Sanhedrin]. They bound Jesus and took him away and handed him over to Pilate, the [Roman] governor.
[Pontius Pilate was responsible to the Roman emperor for the regions of Judea and Samaria and lived in Caesarea on the Mediterranean coast. Since Jerusalem was part of his territory, he was stationed there during the Jewish holidays so that he could quickly quell any unrest and uprisings among the Jews. He and his wife probably lived in Antonia Fortress, which is located adjacent to the temple area in the northwest corner. During the festival, the Roman governor Herod Antipas was also in Jerusalem. He was responsible for Galilee and Perea.]

But Jesus did not answer a single question, and the governor was very surprised. [Normally, the accused would defend himself with Eastern zeal.]
[During the interrogation with Pontius Pilate, it emerges that Jesus is from Galilee. Pilate then sends Jesus to Herod Antipas, since Jesus had been most active in his territory. There Jesus is interrogated and then sent back to Pontius Pilate, see Luke 23:1–12.]

Pilate, wanting to do what the people demanded, released Barabbas. He had Jesus flogged [whipped so that the skin on his back was torn] and then handed him over to be crucified.
[Jesus was falsely accused of the same crime that Barabbas was guilty of. Bar-Abbas, "the son of the father," was acquitted, while the Son of God was executed. The point is clear: Jesus is the one who takes our punishment upon himself in exchange for our freedom.]

At the ninth hour (three o'clock), Jesus cried out in a loud voice [and quoted Ps. 22:1 in Aramaic, but with some Hebrew features]:
"Eloi, Eloi, lema sabaktani?" This means:
"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

But Jesus cried out in a loud voice and gave up his spirit.

Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council [member of the Sanhedrin], who was also waiting for the kingdom of God, came there. He took courage and went to Pilate and asked for Jesus' body.

He said to them, "Do not be afraid! Jesus, whom you seek, Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified, has risen. He is not here. See, here is the place where they laid him!

Behold, you will conceive (Gk. sullambano) [Luke uses a medical term, be impregnated in the womb] and bear (bring forth – Gk. tikto) a son, and you will name him Jesus.

When eight days had passed and he was to be circumcised, he was given the name Jesus, which the angel had given him before he was conceived in the womb.
[The naming was part of the Jewish ceremony of circumcision of a boy. It took place in the family home. More details are described when John the Baptist went through the same ritual, see Luke 1:59–66. The name Jesus is derived from the name Joshua, which in Hebrew is composed of two words. The first part is Yahweh, which is the name of God, and the last part is Hosea, which means ’one who saves, redeems’. The name Jesus literally means “God is salvation”.]

Guided by the Spirit, he came to the temple. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do with him as was the custom according to the teaching,

When the feast days were over and they went home [probably already after the first three days of the Passover, which were the greatest], the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem [to continue listening to the teaching for the remaining days of the Passover]. His parents did not know it,

Jesus continued to grow in wisdom and age (mentally and physically) and in grace (favor, good pleasure) before God and men (spiritually and socially).

Now when all the people were baptized (Gk. baptizo), Jesus also was baptized, and when he prayed, the heavens opened,

[Luke often portrays events from Mary's perspective. He describes the angelic visit to Nazareth, her song of praise and the journey to Elizabeth. The Greek word huios, which ­is used before each name in the family tree below, is a general word for kinship that can be translated: son, grandson or son-in-law. The second name in the genealogy, Eli, could thus be Joseph's father or his father-in-law. The presence of the Greek definite genitive form tou in front of all the names except Joseph's may indicate that he is mentioned only because he is married to Mary.
The family tree has 77 names that can be divided into eleven groups with seven names in each. In addition to the literal meaning, there can be a deeper meaning in names. The meaning of the last ten names from Adam to Noah form a sentence that speaks prophetically about Jesus! It is important to emphasize that word symbolism is not an exact science, see Rev 7:4–8 for more information.]
Jesus was about thirty years old when he began his ministry [Num. 4:47 states that a priest should be 30 years old when he enters the ministry]
It was believed (the general opinion was) that
he was the son of Joseph,
son-in-law of Heli [Mary's father],

son to Jose,
son of Eliezer,
son of Jorim,
son of Matthat,
son of Levi,

Then Jesus, filled (and led) by the Holy Spirit, returned from the [river] Jordan and was led by the Spirit around in the desert (wilderness)

But Jesus answered,
"It is written [Deut. 8:3]: Man will not live by bread alone."
[Matt. 4:4 has the full quote that man will not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.]

Then Jesus said to him,
"It is written [Deut. 6:13]: You [singular] should worship the Lord your God, only (Gk. monos) him you [singular] should serve (worship)."

Jesus answered and said to him, "It is said [Scripture says in Deut 6:16]:
You [singular] should not test (tempt) the Lord your God."

Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and word of him spread throughout that region.

"Stop (let us alone)! What do you have to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, O Holy One of God."

But Jesus forbade him (gave a stern rebuke): "Be quiet! Come out of him!" ­The demon threw the man down in their midst and came out of him without hurting him.

When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus' knees and said, "Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man."

so also [equally speechless were] James and John, ­the sons of Zebedee, who were companions of Simon.
Jesus said to Simon: "Do not be afraid, from now on you will catch (spare, free) people." [The word "catch" literally means to catch alive, save and spare lives. Whoever is 'caught' by Jesus receives new life. The word is only used here and in 2 Tim. 2:26, where it is used of people held captive in the devil's snare. Both Peter and the devil capture people, but Jesus' servants "capture" to free and the devil to bind to do his will.]

Once when Jesus was in one of the [Jewish] towns [somewhere in Galilee, see Luke 4:43], a man came who was full of leprosy. [The Greek word leprosy is a ­general term for various skin diseases. Most biblical scholars believe that it is not the leprosy that exists today, also known as Hansen's disease] When the man saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged him, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean."

When they could not get in with him because of all the people, they went up on the roof, removed the tiles, and lowered him on his stretcher right in front of Jesus.

But Jesus knew their thoughts (and inner reasoning) and said to them, "What are you thinking in your hearts?

Jesus replied, "It is not the healthy who need doctors, but the sick.

Jesus answered them, "Have you not read [in 1 Sam. 21:1-9] what David did when he and his men [fled from Saul to the city of Nov, where the tabernacle was at that time, and] became hungry.

Then he said to them [all who were gathered there in the synagogue, but especially the teachers of the law and the Pharisees]:
"I want to ask you a question:
Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath,
or to do evil,
to save life,
or to destroy life?"

They were filled with senseless hatred (madness, insanity without logic) and discussed among themselves what they should do with Jesus.

When he heard about Jesus, he sent some of the Jewish elders [the Jewish leaders in Capernaum] to ask him to come and save his servant's life. [Here, the preposition dia is used before the Greek word sozo, which means both healed and saved. The preposition, which means "through," reinforces his desire for his servant to be "through-healed," i.e., completely healed at once.]

They came to Jesus and pleaded with him earnestly, saying, "He is worthy of having you do this for him,

Jesus then went with them. But when he was almost at the house, the Roman officer sent some friends to say, "Lord, don't trouble yourself. I am not worthy to have you come under my roof.

When Jesus heard this, he marveled at him (Jesus is amazed and surprised) and said to the people who followed him, "I tell you, not even in all Israel have I seen such great faith."

So he answered, "Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed (healed), the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the good news preached to them [Isa. 61:1].

Then Jesus said to him, "Simon, I have something to say to you."
He replied, "Teacher, say it."

When he saw Jesus, he cried out with a loud voice, fell down before him, and said, "What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me!" [The phrase is literally "what have I to do with you," and can mean "leave me alone" or "don't bother me."]

Jesus asked him, "What is your name?"
He replied, "Legion," for many demons had entered him.
["Legion" means thousands and is a Latin loanword for a large army. A Roman legion consisted of over 6,000 men. The term suggests both that the man had a large number of demons and that their nature was violent and warlike.]

They went out to see what had happened. They came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone out sitting at Jesus' feet, clothed and in his right mind. They were terrified.

The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying,

"Go back home [to your house, your family, your relatives, and your countrymen] and tell them everything God has done for you." He went away and told the whole town what Jesus had done for him.

When Jesus returned [to Capernaum in Galilee], the people welcomed him with joy, for they were all waiting for him.

Then a man named Jairus, who was a leader of the synagogue, came forward. He fell at Jesus' feet and begged him to come to his house,

Jesus [stopped and] asked, "Who touched me?"
[Several of those around him probably replied, "It wasn't me."] When they all denied it, Peter said, "Master (Gk. epistates), [who did not touch you?] The crowd is pressing in on you from all sides."

But Jesus said, "Someone touched me [in a special way], for I felt [healing] power go out from me."

Jesus heard this and answered him [the synagogue ruler, see Mark 5:36]: "Do not be afraid (stop feeling fear and anxiety), continue to believe (just believe), and she will live again." [Jesus was on his way to the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. On the way there, they are delayed by the crowd and by a woman being healed. Jesus urges Jairus to keep the same faith he had from the beginning when he came to Jesus, see verse 41.]

As the men were about to part from him, Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us make three shelters, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." He did not know what he was saying.
[Although this event probably takes place in the spring, Peter makes connections to the Feast of Tabernacles, Sukkot, which is celebrated in the fall. During this festival, people build huts with roofs of leaves under the open sky to commemorate the Israelites' journey through the desert after their exodus from Egypt. According to Jewish belief and tradition, the festival is also associated with both the coming of the Messiah and the beginning of the Messianic age, see Acts 3:21. These connections to messianic expectation are clear when Jesus visits Jerusalem during Sukkot, see, for example, John 7:2, 27, 31, 40–42.]

As the voice faded away, Jesus stood there alone. The disciples kept quiet and did not tell anyone at that time what they had seen.
[Peter writes about this experience on the mountain more than 35 years later, see 2 Peter 1:16–18.]

Jesus replied, "You faithless generation (a generation that does not want to believe), which is completely corrupt! [It is not surprising that the associations go to the Israelites who wandered in the desert and lost their faith and instead worshipped the golden calf when Moses went up on Mount Sinai.] How long shall I be with you? How shall I bear with you?"

While the boy [together with his father] was coming [to Jesus], the demon threw him down and shook and tore at him. But Jesus spoke sternly to the unclean spirit and healed the boy and gave him back to his father.

Everyone was amazed (overwhelmed) at God's great power (greatness, majesty). [The people understood that what Jesus had done was from God. The word "power" describes God's majesty. Apart from Luke, only Peter uses this word, see 2 Pet. 1:16.]
While everyone [the whole crowd] was amazed (began to speculate on the reason for Jesus' actions), he said to his disciples [as they walked through Galilee, see Mark 9:30]:

Jesus knew what they were thinking in their hearts. He took a child and placed it beside him

But Jesus said, "Stop hindering him. Whoever is not against you is for you."

Jesus replied, "Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."
[At first glance, the answer seems unrelated to what the man said; he wanted to follow Jesus! But God looks not only at the outward appearance but at the heart, see 1 Sam. 16:7. It seems that the man did not really know that discipleship would mean giving up comfort and material security.]

Then Jesus said, "Let the dead bury their dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God."
[Jewish burial took place in two stages. As soon as possible, preferably on the same day, the deceased was buried in a tomb. The family then observed a seven-day mourning period, followed by thirty days of less intense mourning. It was not until a year later that the eldest son was responsible for moving the bones to a so-called ossuary. It is highly unlikely that Jesus would have met this eldest son in the few hours before his father was buried; instead, it was sometime after the first burial. What the man is actually saying is that he is asking for a delay of perhaps up to eleven months before he intends to follow Jesus. By then it is too late, Jesus has already risen and this mission is over.]

Jesus replied, "No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God."
[Here we see another similarity with Elisha's calling, where Elijah allowed him to say goodbye to his family, see 1 Kings 19:20. But here we see that Jesus' calling is more radical than that of even the most radical prophet of Old Testament times.]

Determined to justify himself, he asked Jesus, "Who then is my neighbor (fellow man)?" [According to the Jews, only their own countrymen were considered 'neighbors.' Jesus' answer had convinced the man that he was not living up to the commandment.]

Jesus took up the discussion [shifting the focus from being questioned to leading the conversation] and replied:
"A man [a jew] was traveling from Jerusalem down to Jericho. He was attacked by robbers who took his clothes and beat him, then left him there half dead. [Jericho is a city 30 km northeast of Jerusalem. The road between these cities stretches through mountains and desert with an elevation difference of over 1,000 meters. It was not uncommon for gangs of robbers to operate in these areas.]

He [the scribe, see verse 25] replied, "The one who showed mercy (grace) to him." Then Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise (act in the same way)."

Jesus replied, "Do you think that those Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this?

When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, "Woman [not a harsh address, but filled with respect and tenderness], you have been freed from your illness,"

But the synagogue leader, upset (angry) that Jesus healed on the Sabbath, said to the people [but directing his criticism at Jesus]: "There are six days on which work should be done; come and be healed on one of them, and not on the Sabbath."

Jesus asked the teachers of the law and the Pharisees, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?"

and cried out, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us [have compassion and heal us]!" [The lepers followed the commandment in Lev. 13:46 and lived outside the village.]

Jesus asked him, "Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine?"

But Jesus called them to him and said, "Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them! The kingdom of God belongs to such as these.

Jesus replied, "Why do you call me good? No one is good except God.

When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "One thing you still lack (missing – Gk. leipo). Sell everything you have and give [distribute the money] to the poor. Then you will have a [rich] treasure in heaven. Then come back and follow me (become my disciple)." In Mark 10:21, it says how Jesus looked at him with love.

Jesus saw that he was deeply saddened and said, "How hard it is for the rich (those who are wealthy) to enter the kingdom of God.

They told him that it was Jesus of Nazareth who was passing by.

Then he cried out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me (show me grace and compassion)."

Then Jesus stopped and commanded them to bring the man to him. When he came, Jesus asked him,

Jesus said to him, "Receive your sight; your faith has healed (saved) you."

Zacchaeus wanted to see who Jesus was but couldn't because of the crowd, since he was short. [Sometimes the people around Jesus can block his view.]

When Jesus came to that place, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, hurry down, for today I must come and stay at your house (stay there overnight)."

Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this family, because he too is a son of Abraham,

They led it to Jesus, and after throwing their cloaks on it [to make a saddle], they helped Jesus up.

Then Jesus said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things."

Jesus answered them:
"The people of this world (sons of this age) marry and are given in marriage.

While he was still speaking, a crowd [Roman soldiers, see John 18:3, and temple guards, see Luke 22:52] came. It was led by Judas, one of the twelve. He went up to Jesus to kiss him.

Jesus said to him, "Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?" [The customary greeting at that time with a kiss, which expressed respect and reverence, became here a sign of betrayal.]

Then Jesus said, "Let them go as far as they want [to capture me]." [In Matt. 26:52–53 there are more details. Jesus tells Peter to put his sword back and that all who draw the sword will be killed by the sword. He also mentions that he could call on more than twelve legions (which was more than 72,000) of angels, but that he must allow himself to be captured so that the prophecies would be fulfilled.]
Then he touched the servant's ear and healed him. [The contrast is unmistakable – Peter draws his sword and wounds, Jesus touches with his hand and heals.]

Then Jesus said to those who had come out against him, the chief priests and the commanders of the temple guard and the elders, "Do you think I am a robber (violent man, revolutionary)? Is that why you have come out with swords and clubs?"

When Herod saw Jesus, he was very happy. He had long wanted to meet him, for he had heard much about him and now hoped to see him perform a sign. [Some spectacular miracle that proved he was sent by God. Herod had previously wanted to meet Jesus, see Luke 9:7–9.]

Pilate spoke to them again, because he wanted to release Jesus.

He released the man who had been imprisoned for insurrection and murder, the one they wanted, but handed Jesus over to their will.

As they led Jesus away [toward Golgotha], they seized a man, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in [to Jerusalem] from the country. They put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus.
[According to Roman law, government officials could force anyone to carry their luggage and equipment for a Roman mile (1.5 km), see Matt. 5:41. Simon was born in the city of Cyrene in North Africa. Since he is named (along with his sons Alexander and Rufus, see Mark 15:21; Rom. 16:13), he was probably a follower of Jesus when the Gospels were written.]

Jesus turned and said to them, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.

But Jesus said [the verb form indicates that Jesus says this repeatedly]: "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." When they [the soldiers] had divided his clothes among themselves, they cast lots for them [Ps. 22:19].

Then he said to Jesus, "Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom." [Other manuscripts have "come with your kingdom."]

Jesus replied, "Truly (Amen), I say to you [I promise you with certainty], today you will be with me in paradise."
[Gk. paradeisos is of Persian origin and describes a landscaped garden or park. It is a peaceful and joyful place and is used in the Greek translation of the Old Testament to refer to the Garden of Eden, see Gen. 2:8. The word is used three times in the New Testament. In 2 Cor. 12:4 it describes the "third heaven," and in Rev 2:7 it refers to the restored Garden of Eden. The criminal's repentance in the last moments of his life allows him to look forward to eternity with Jesus.]

And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, he said, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." [Here Jesus quotes the opening verse of Ps. 31:6 from a confident psalm by David.] When he had said this, he gave up his spirit (literally: he breathed out) [in a final powerful exhalation, see also Matt. 27:50; John 19:30].

Joseph went to Pilate and asked if he could take care of Jesus' body. [He wanted to give him a proper burial.]

and when they entered, they could not find the body of the Lord Jesus anywhere.

While they were talking and having a lively discussion with each other, Jesus had come near them and was walking with them,

He asked them what had happened, and they replied, "What has happened to Jesus of Nazareth. He was a prophet and proved it by the mighty things he did and said before God and all the people.