Joseph knew that Mary’s expected child wasn’t his. Under Mosaic Law, pretending otherwise would result in God’s punishment of the Israelite nation. An angel came to reassure Joseph of God’s blessing. An angel also appeared to Zechariah, who doubted the message that his wife, Elizabeth, would bear a son in the couple’s old age. It seemed impossible! Zechariah lost the ability to speak until the day he named their baby in accordance with the angel’s message. The child became John the Baptist. In His ministry, Jesus offered to tell rel

Mary believed the angel Gabriel’s message that she would give birth to the Son of God. On the other hand, incredulous Pharisees and scribes denied that Jesus could forgive the sins of a small group rewarded for their faith when they lowered a paralyzed man through the roof to ask for healing. Jesus then instructed the man to walk home with his stretcher in hand, showing undeniably the power of His words. The Lord compared the generation around Him to people refusing to respond either to a mournful dirge or dance music. Advent invites the fait

Walking along the Sea of Galilee, Jesus invited Peter, Andrew, James, and John to become Apostles. They left their boats then, but Scripture tells of future fishing trips. People can do the will of God anywhere, among anyone they meet, and anytime in prayer. After all, Jesus’ ministry combined teaching, having heart-to-heart talks, healing, and praying to the Father. After giving the Twelve authority to proclaim the Kingdom of heaven and to cure sickness in body or spirit, Jesus sent them forth. The Lord provided a solid foundation and wants

Two small coins placed by a poor widow into the Temple treasury hardly seemed worth a glance, but the Lord saw the offering of all that she had. Jesus said that the richly adorned Temple itself would fall, and so it happened when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem in 70 A.D. The Gospel of Luke, probably written ten to twenty years later, gives historical context to Jesus’ sacred teachings but reminds the faithful that much about God’s plan remains hidden. God has not revealed when Jesus will come again. The timing doesn’t matter anyway. Calam

Filled with symbolism during persecution of the early Church, the Book of Revelation admonishes lukewarm Christians to become fervent in good works, acceptance of the Word, and repentance. People told a blind, roadside beggar to stop shouting for Jesus to have pity on him, but Jesus called the man over and cured him. A wealthy tax collector named Zacchaeus climbed a tree to get a look at Jesus. After calling him down from his perch, Jesus went to Zacchaeus’ house, telling the disgruntled crowd that He came to seek the lost. Under Mosaic law,

In a rare display of fury, Jesus made a whip, slashed it around, and overturned tables to drive merchants out of the temple area. Asked for a sign, He said that if people destroyed the Temple, He would raise it in three days. Bystanders thought He meant the building. He meant His Body. Some Pharisees asked when the Kingdom of God would come, and Jesus said they stood in its midst. The Lord’s ministry had its up’s and down’s. He cured ten lepers, but only one returned to give thanks. Jesus instructed the Apostles, privileged in their calli

In a parable, invited guests made excuses not to attend a feast. The host then had a servant gather people off the street—the poor, crippled, and blind who would gratefully attend. Jesus welcomes anyone to come to Him. He also searches for the lost and rejoices to have repentant sinners with Him. Another parable described a rich man’s wily steward who reduced the amounts on promissory notes to earn the gratitude of debtors who might later help him out. The Lord knows about kindnesses offered without calling in a chit and rewards such genero