1. Luther's September Testament not only shaped the reformers’ theology but also was as big an influence on the German language as Shakespeare was for English.
  2. God has a plan for this world that he put into place from eternity, a plan that is carried out in Jesus Christ and promises unimaginably great blessings for believers.
  3. God's Son comes to deal with the infestation of sin, but in an unforeseen twist of grace, he’s the only one who goes under the knife.
  4. The God who abundantly restores is still in the business of total restoration, even today. Even now the God of heaven restores dead sinners to life.
  5. False holiness is always a possession and achievement of the individual in isolation from the good of others. And so it isn’t holiness at all.
  6. Sometimes it’s important to go far away to learn of holy places back home.
  7. Christ has received the mark of law that we might be marked with the gospel, with the sign of his holy cross on our heads and hearts as redeemed children of God.
  8. This is an excerpt from “The New Testament Devotional Commentary: Volume 1: Matthew, Mark, Luke” written by Bo Giertz and translated by Bror Erickson (1517 Publishing, 2021).
  9. Martha’s pain is not met by a to-do list. Jesus’ reply is not that she should try harder or change her behavior
  10. We must be careful in how we use Bible verses to establish Scriptural truth both to others and to ourselves.
  11. God’s word is creative in both the imaginative sense and the constructive sense. It brings things into existence and displays new ideas, images, and concepts we did not previously perceive.