After telling his disciples that they should love one another, Jesus began preparing them in John 15:18-16:11 to be hated by the world. Even so, he sent them out to be witnesses for him, but not on their own. He also promised to send the Holy Spirit to be the witness who would convince the world about the truth of the gospel.
We need to look again at the familiar story of Jesus’ birth to see the many connections with past promises and their coming fulfillment.
The parable of the workers in the vineyard reminds us that entering the kingdom of God is not about our work but God’s generosity.
One of the most difficult parables to interpret is in Luke 16:1-17, which relates the underhanded dealings of a dishonest manager who got fired...