Opening and closing the Kingdom of Heaven The free offer of the gospel The necessary word of warning
Despised and rejected by all The wickedness of the Jewish Council The weakness of the disciple Peter The wiliness of the Roman Governor Pilate
People of God, Take comfort in Jesus! This message of comfort: Affirms God’s covenant love Declares God’s gracious pardon
God hates idolatry God’s word of judgement concerning idols God’s anger towards those who stop his spokesman God is a God of mercy and grace
God’s gracious rewards Limited 'rewards' for the faithless Valuable rewards for the faithful in this life Valuable rewards for the faithful in the next life
God of small beginnings God stirs up Cyrus God moves His people God returns a remnant
God’s beloved Son is sent to a fruitless vineyard A challenging question A personal revelation A fearsome and wonderful future
A visible sign - Jesus heals Bartimaeus A poor blind man meets Jesus A pool blind man has faith in Jesus A poor blind man receives healing grace
Counting the cost Jesus Counts the cost Counting the cost for Jesus The stakes are high
The righteous curse of God The mountain of curses The man who became a curse The God who is just and merciful