Tom Wright

John the Baptist Confronts the Crowds Luke 3.10-20 A cartoon shows a sceptic shouting up to the heavens, ‘God! If you’re up there, tell us what we should do!’ Back comes a voice: ‘Feed the hungry, house the homeless, establish justice.’ The sceptic looks alarmed. ‘Just testing,’ …

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Luke for Everyone - The Preaching of John the Baptist

by SPCK - N T Wright

The Preaching of John the Baptist Luke 3.1-9 Imagine massive floods sweeping through the countryside. Ancient cities suddenly find themselves under several feet of water. People aren’t expecting it, and now can’t quite believe it’s happening. If the authorities have enough warnin…

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Luke for Everyone - The Boy Jesus

by SPCK - N T Wright

The Boy Jesus Luke 2.41-52 When I was a child, I walked a mile to the bus stop every morning, by myself or with my sister. At the other end of the trip, I walked by myself to school. In the evening, I came back the same way. I never felt unsafe, even in the dark winter days. Now,…

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Luke for Everyone - Simeon and Anna

by SPCK - N T Wright

Simeon and Anna Luke 2.21-40 I watched as the craftsman went about his task. He carefully set the lead into the window to be the framework for the beautiful glass he had been staining. Now came the moment: where before was a plain window, now there was a riot of colour and shape,…

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Luke for Everyone - The Birth of Jesus

by SPCK - N T Wright

The Birth of Jesus Luke 2.1-20 If you try to point out something to a dog, the dog will often look at your finger instead of at the object you’re trying to point to. This is frustrating, but it illustrates a natural mistake we all make from time to time. It’s the mistake many peo…

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Luke for Everyone - Zechariah's Song of Praise

by SPCK - N T Wright

Zechariah’s Song of Praise Luke 1.57-80 Many people today can’t imagine what life would be like without a television. We are so used to it telling us what to think about all the time that, without it, some people become quite worried, lost in a world of their own unfamiliar thoug…

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Luke for Everyone - The Magnificat: Mary's Song of Praise

by SPCK - N T Wright

The Magnificat: Mary’s Song of Praise Luke 1.39-56 What would make you celebrate wildly, without inhibition? Perhaps it would be the news that someone close to you who’d been very sick was getting better and would soon be home. Perhaps it would be the news that your country had e…

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Luke for Everyone - The Annunciation of the Birth of Jesus

by SPCK - N T Wright

The Annunciation of the Birth of Jesus Luke 1.26-38 Ask a newspaper editor what sort of stories will sell the most copies, and three categories come swiftly to mind: sex, royalty and religion. If they can be combined, so much the better.’ POP STAR’S LOVE CHILD’ is good; ‘PRINCESS…

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Luke for Everyone - Gabriel Visits Zechariah

by SPCK - N T Wright

Gabriel Visits Zechariah Luke 1.5-25 The capital of Ireland is the wonderful old city of Dublin. It is famous for many reasons. People go there from all over the world to stroll around its streets, to drink in its pubs, to visit its historic buildings, and to see the places made …

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Luke for Everyone - Prologue

by SPCK - N T Wright

Prologue Luke 1.1-4 ‘SPACE ALIENS TOOK MY BABY’, screams the headline. Or perhaps ‘GRANDMOTHER SWIMS ATLANTIC’. And what do people say? ‘It must be true; it was in the newspapers.’ ‘I saw it on television.’ ‘The person who told me was told by someone who was there at the time.’ W…

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Luke for Everyone - Introduction

by SPCK - N T Wright

INTRODUCTION On the very first occasion when someone stood up in public to tell people about Jesus, he made it very clear: this message is for everyone. It was a great day – sometimes called the birthday of the church. The great wind of God’s spirit had swept through Jesus’ follo…

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John for Everyone part 2 - Glossary

by SPCK - N T Wright

GLOSSARY accuser, see the satan age to come, see present age apostle, disciple, the Twelve ‘Apostle’ means ‘one who is sent’. It could be used of an ambassador or official delegate. In the New Testament it is sometimes used specifically of Jesus’ inner circle of twelve; but Paul …

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John for Everyone part 2 - The Beloved Disciple

by SPCK - N T Wright

The Beloved Disciple John 21.20-25 They came back almost in despair from the dress rehearsal. The costumes were ridiculous. The set was bizarre. The director seemed to have no real idea of how the action would work on stage. Even with an opera, where the music is what really matt…

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John for Everyone part 2 - Jesus and Peter

by SPCK - N T Wright

Jesus and Peter John 21.15-19 He had offered to help clear up after the dinner party. Indeed, he was eager to do so. We gave him a towel and he worked away with us, wiping pans and jugs. But he was still excited after the events of the day, and his mind wasn’t really on the job. …

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John for Everyone part 2 - Breakfast by the Shore

by SPCK - N T Wright

Breakfast by the Shore John 21.9-14 I don’t know much about mental health, and the therapy that can produce it. But I do know a little about the healing of memories, and the finding of a forgiveness that can go back to a buried hurt, fear, failure or sin and deal with it. I have …

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John for Everyone part 2 - Jesus on the Beach

by SPCK - N T Wright

Jesus on the Beach John 21.1-8 The level of the lake has dropped now, but you can still sense what a lovely place it is. So much water is now taken out of the Sea of Galilee, and the River Jordan which feeds it and then flows from it, that even in the fifteen years since I first …

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John for Everyone part 2 - Jesus and Thomas

by SPCK - N T Wright

Jesus and Thomas John 20.24-31 Out of my window I can see a clock. A large and famous clock, on a great public building. It’s lit up at night, and you can see it from many parts of the city. As I write this, it has just struck the hour. Consider the journey that the clock makes f…

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John for Everyone part 2 - Jesus and the Disciples

by SPCK - N T Wright

Jesus and the Disciples John 20.19-23 ‘I couldn’t possibly do that!’ He stood staring at the committee. They had just offered him, not the job he had applied for, but the one above it. The senior position in the whole division. He would be running an entire department. A huge bud…

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