Thematic Bible: Zealous


Thematic Bible




And He replied to them, "Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I had to be in my Father's house [i.e., the Temple]?" Verse ConceptsGod, Fatherhood OfBusynessNecessityChrist, Character OfHelpful ChildrenFervourInteraction Of Father And SonWhy Do Others Do This?Businessfatherhoodteenager

Then Jesus' disciples remembered that it was written [Psa. 69:9], "Enthusiasm for Your [i.e., God's] house [i.e., the Temple] will consume me." Verse ConceptseagernessOpposition, To Sin And EvilSpirit, Emotional Aspects OfChrist, Character OfProphecies Concerning ChristFervourPeople RememberingThe Disciples ReactionsStatus Of The TemplePassion


But I considered it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow-worker and fellow-soldier, and your messenger [to me] and minister to my needs. For he longed to see all of you and was very distressed because you had heard that he was sick. And indeed, he was [so] sick that he almost died, but God had pity on him, and not only on him but also on me, so that I would not have one sorrow on top of another. read more.
So, I am all the more eager to send him to you people, so that when you see him again you will be glad, and that my sorrow will be lessened [i.e., in knowing that you are relieved to see that he is well again]. So, you should welcome him in [the fellowship of] the Lord with great joy, and regard such people with honor, because he almost died for the work of Christ, risking his life to provide me with what you were not able to.

Epaphras, who is one of you [See 1:7; 4:9], a slave of Christ Jesus, sends you his greetings. He always struggles in his prayers on your behalf so that you will remain mature and be fully convinced [that you are living] by all that God wants [for your life]. For I testify about Epaphras, that he has worked hard for you, and [also] for those people in Laodicia and Hierapolis. [Note: These are towns close to Colosse].

But I thank God for putting the same concern [that I have] for you in the heart of Titus. For he not only accepted our urging, but being very diligent himself, he went to you of his own accord [i.e. Titus had wanted to go to Corinth even before being urged to].

And I cried bitterly because no one was found who deserved to open the book or to look inside of it. Then one of the [twenty-four] elders said to me, "Do not cry; look, the Lion from the tribe of Judah, the Root of King David, has gained the victory, so He can break the seven seals on the book and open it."

Tychicus will tell you all about my affairs. [Note: This man probably delivered this letter as well as the one to the Ephesians. See Eph. 6:21]. He is our dearly loved brother and faithful minister and fellow-slave in [the service of] the Lord. Verse ConceptsGood FriendsFaithfulness, Examples OfLoyaltyTelling Of People's Situations

But [instead], they went all over the district telling people about Him. Verse ConceptsFameMaking Christ KnownSpreading StoriesSpreading The Gospel

Then the neighbors, who had seen the man begging previously, said, "Is not this the man who [used to] sit there and beg?" Other people said, "[Yes], that is him," while [still] others said, "No, [it is not]; he [just] looks like him." The man said, "I am the one, [all right]." So, they said to him, "How was your sight restored, then?" read more.
He answered, "That man called Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes; then He said to me, 'Go to Siloam and wash [yourself].' So, I went and washed and my sight was [miraculously] restored." Then the people said to the man, "Where is he?" "I do not know," he replied. [So], they brought the man, who had been blind, to the Pharisees. Now it was the Sabbath day when Jesus had made the mud and restored the man's sight. So, the Pharisees also asked him again how his sight was restored. He said to them, "He put mud on my eyes; I washed [myself], and [now] I can see." Some of the Pharisees then said, "The man who did this is not from God, because he does not observe the Sabbath day. But other people said, "How could a man who is a sinner do such [miraculous] signs?" And the people were divided among themselves [over the issue]. So, they said to the [former] blind man again, "What do you have to say about the man, since [you say] he restored your sight?" The man replied, "He is a prophet." But these Jews [i.e., Pharisees] did not believe that the man had been blind and had received his sight back until they called his parents and asked them, "Is this your son, whom you say was born blind? How [is it] then, that he can now see?" His parents answered, "We know this is our son and that he was born blind. But as to how it is that he can now see, we do not know; and we do not know who restored his sight [either]. Ask him, for he is old enough and can answer for himself." His parents said these things because they were afraid of the Jewish authorities who had already decided that anyone who confessed Jesus to be the Christ would be expelled from the synagogue. So, his parents said, "He is old enough, ask him." So, they called the [former] blind man a second time, and said to him, "Give honor to God [Note: In Jewish idiom this phrase meant "Tell the truth." See Josh. 7:19]; we know this man is a sinner." So, he answered, "I do not know if he is a sinner or not. But one thing I do know; I used to be blind, but now I can see." The Pharisees said to him, "What did he do to you? How did he restore your sight?" He answered them, "I just told you, but you would not listen. Why should I tell you again? Do you men want to become his disciples, too?" Then they began ridiculing him, saying, "You are his disciple, but we are Moses' disciples. We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this man, we do not [even] know where he came from." The man replied, "Is not that strange! You do not know where he came from and yet he restored my sight! [Note: The next sentence may be the beggar stating the Pharisees' argument. See verse 24]. We know that God does not listen to sinners [i.e., when they pray]; but God does listen to the person who reveres Him and does what He wants. It has never been heard of, since the world was created, that anyone has restored sight to a man born blind. Unless this man came from God, he would not be able to do anything [like this]." They replied to the beggar, "You were born entirely in sins [i.e., you have been a sinner all your life], and you are [trying] to teach us?" Then they threw him out [of the synagogue. See verse 22]. [When] Jesus heard that they had thrown the beggar out, He found him and asked him, "Do you believe in the Son of man?" He answered, "Who is he, sir? [Tell me], so I can believe in him." Jesus said to him, "You have seen Him and He is the One who is talking with you." And the man said, "Lord, I believe." And he knelt in front of Jesus [i.e., in reverence].

So, the woman left her water jar and went back into town and told the people [there], "Come [and] see a man who told me everything I ever did. Can this be the Christ?"

One of the two men who had listened to John and had become a follower of Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. The first thing Andrew did was to find his own brother Simon and say to him, "We have found the Messiah (which means Christ [i.e., God's specially chosen one])."

[Then] on the next day He [i.e., Jesus, but some think it refers to Peter or Andrew] decided to travel into Galilee, [and there] He found Philip. Jesus said to Philip, "Become my follower." Now Philip was from Bethsaida, Andrew's and Peter's home town. [Note: This town was on the northwest shore of Lake Galilee, a few miles from Capernaum]. [Then] Philip found Nathaniel [i.e., the same as Bartholomew. See Matt. 10:3] and said to him, "We have found Him, the one Moses wrote about in the law; and the prophets [also wrote about Him]. [He is] Jesus from Nazareth, the [step-] son of Joseph."


"Return to your house and tell people about the great things God has done for you." So, he went on his way, proclaiming throughout the whole town [i.e., Gerasa. See verse 26] the great things Jesus had done for him. Verse ConceptsExperience, of Godevangelists, identity ofTestify On God's BehalfFervourZealousness, Examples OfChrist's WorkTelling Of JesusFamily And FriendsGod Turning Bad Things Into Good

Then Jesus ordered the people [who witnessed the miracle] not to tell anyone [about it], but the more He urged them not to, the more widely they publicized it. Verse ConceptsUnwise ZealGrowth In ProclamationChrist Concealing ThingsSpreading StoriesChrist's Orders