Jesus in Context

Whatever You Ask in My Name

Jewish Religious Practice

Jesus promises to act in response to prayer offered in His name so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

Scripture: John 14:13-14

If You Love Me, Keep My Commandments

Discipleship

Jesus teaches that love for Him is expressed concretely through keeping His commandments.

Scripture: John 14:15

Judas's Silver and the Potter's Field

Commerce and Money

Judas returns the thirty pieces of silver, the chief priests refuse to place the blood money in the treasury, and the money is used to purchase the Potter's Field.

Scripture: Matthew 27:3-10

Jesus Is Silent Before His Accusers

Law and Justice

Jesus refuses to answer the accusations brought against Him before Pilate, behavior that causes the Roman governor to marvel.

Scripture: Matthew 27:12-14; Mark 15:3-5

Pilate's Wife and Her Dream

Historical/Cultural Context

Matthew uniquely records that Pilate's wife warns him to have nothing to do with Jesus because she has suffered in a dream concerning Him.

Scripture: Matthew 27:19

Pilate Washes His Hands: Bloodguilt and Responsibility

Law and Justice

Pilate publicly washes his hands while declaring himself innocent of Jesus' blood, followed by the crowd's declaration accepting responsibility for that blood.

Scripture: Matthew 27:24-25

The Barren Fig Tree and Three Years Without Fruit

Agriculture

Jesus describes a landowner who repeatedly seeks fruit from a cultivated fig tree but finds none.

Scripture: Luke 13:6-9

The Bent Woman: A Daughter of Abraham

People and Groups

Jesus heals a woman who had been bent over for eighteen years and identifies her as a daughter of Abraham.

Scripture: Luke 13:10-17

Tell That Fox: Jesus and Herod

Language and Idiom

Jesus responds to a warning about Herod Antipas with the striking expression, 'Go and tell that fox.'

Scripture: Luke 13:31-33

Hospitality Without Expecting Repayment

Social Convention

Jesus challenges the normal reciprocity of social meals by telling His host to invite people who cannot repay the invitation.

Scripture: Luke 14:12-14

Excuses at the Great Banquet

Social Context

Guests invited to the great banquet excuse themselves because of property, oxen, and marriage obligations.

Scripture: Luke 14:15-24

Counting the Cost: Builder and King

Historical/Cultural Context

Jesus illustrates deliberate discipleship with a builder estimating the cost of a tower and a king assessing whether his army can face a stronger force.

Scripture: Luke 14:28-32