Understanding the Jesus of the Gospels
Sermons from the Gospels
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Luke 14: 25-33 / Offered to the Rockport PC, Port Murray, NJ Well, there you have it. If you want to be a disciple of Jesus, you have to hate your father and your mother, and your spouse and children, and your brothers and sisters, and even your life itself. You have to measure the…
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Luke 23, offered to the Harmony Presbyterian Church on November 24, 2013 There is something peculiar about the telling of the Gospel story this morning. I mean – as Luke tells it. In both Matthew and Mark at the end while Jesus is on the cross, Matthew & Mark, both in very judgmental ways, provide…
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(compiled from the texts of the four Gospels) Offered to Mt Freedom Presbyterian Church – July 30, 2000 Background: John the Baptist, the son of Elizabeth and cousin to Jesus, had been arrested by Herod, the king. Herod had John beheaded. John’s disciples took the body and placed it in a tomb. Then they went…
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Luke 13: 10-17 / Offered at Berkshire Presbyterian Church – August 24, 2025 In today’s good news story from the Gospel of Luke, we are told about the last time that Jesus is recorded as teaching in a Synagogue. It is significant that we be aware of what is going on in Jesus’ ministry because…
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John 6: 24-35 I had spent my working career as a salesman. Dirty word, I know. But I was one of the good guys. As a salesman, the question, “What have you done for me lately?” was the reality check that sales managers would use to bring a successful salesperson back down to earth. You…
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Mel Prestamo, Elder PCUSA Luke 24 What we do here at this table is an extraordinary thing. Granted the elements that we begin with are quite ordinary – common bread, grape juice or wine, ordinary plates & cups, a cloth and a wooden table. Ordinary things – “signs” Augustine would have called them. In ancient…
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Mel Prestamo, Elder PCUSA Luke 12: 32-34, Offered to the Berkshire Valley Presbyterian Church, August 10, 2025 Jesus’ comments at the beginning of today’s good news story from Luke start with the words, “Do not be afraid…for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the Kingdom.” That is the starting point isn’t it,…
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Mel Prestamo, Elder PCUSA Offered on the Second Sunday after Pentecost 2010 I did something unusual [this morning] with the readings. If you noticed I placed the Gospel text first before the Psalm followed by the readings from Acts and the Revelation of John. I did that for a specific reason. It is that when…
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Mel Prestamo, Elder PCUSA Presented during Easter Season in 1995 Last week we listened to a reading from the gospel of Luke. It retold the story of Jesus’ ascension into heaven. And if you listened closely, you know that Jesus stopped before ascending and turned to his disciples. He blessed them and as he began…
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Mel Prestamo, Elder PCUSA Taken from Luke 12: 13-21, offered on August 3, 2025, at Hilltop Presbytery Church, Mendham, NJ The Story of the Greedy Farmer [I am providing the text from the Message – of particular interest is the transcription of verse 21] 13 Someone out of the crowd said, “Teacher, order my brother to…
