Understanding the Jesus of the Gospels

Sermons from the Gospels

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Tag: jesus

  • WHO DO YOU SAY THAT I AM?

    Matthew 16: 13-20, offered to the Mine Hill Presbyterian Church, Mine Hill, NJ, August 23, 2026 Mel Prestamo, Ruling Elder, PCUSA There are a couple of things going on in today’s Gospel story that I would like to get into with you today. First, Matthew tells us in verse 13 that Jesus had gone to…

  • Jesus and the Canaanite Woman

    Matthew 15: 21-28 Offered at the Long Valley Presbyterian Church, August 16, 2026 Mel Prestamo, Ruling Elder, PCUSA First off, let me confess to you, I have dreaded preaching on this story in Matthew’s Gospel – this meeting between Jesus and the Canaanite Woman. Because, it had long been my misunderstanding that Jesus was being…

  • A Farmer Went Out…

    Matthew 13: 1-9, 18-23 Offered to the Community Presbyterian Church of Chester, NJ on July 12, 2026 Mel Prestamo, Ruling Elder PCUSA When I saw the lectionary for today, I thought to myself, “Oh, good! This is a Gospel passage that almost explains itself.” But as I sat down to read it, I found myself…

  • The Voices of Jesus

    Matthew 11: 16-19, 25-30 – Offered to the Clinton Presbyterian Church of Clinton, NJ Sunday July 5, 2026, by Mel Prestamo, Ruling elder PCUSA The Voices of Jesus Today’s lectionary is one of several disjointed discourses recorded by Matthew. In 11 chapter, Jesus is teaching as he travels through villages in Galilee. Matthew gives us…

  • Pentecost – The Age of the Holy Spirit

    Act 2: 1-21, Offered to the Minehill Presbyterian Church of Minehill, NJ on May 24, 2026 Mel Prestamo, Elder PCUSA There is a lot happening in this second chapter of Acts – and I think it is important for us to look at it in a step-by-step fashion so that we can see how the…

  • “Thus Far and No Farther”

    Mel Prestamo, Ruling Elder, PCUSA Offered to the First Presbyterian Church of Franklin, NJ on May 17, 2026 Before we get into today’s lectionary, I want to tell you about a small book that I read recently. The book entitled “Season’s Greetings: Christmas Letters From those Who Were There,” written by Ruth Boling. In it…

  • If It Were Not So…

    John 14: 1-14 Offered to the Community Presbyterian Church of Chester NJ, May 3, 2026 Mel Prestamo, Ruling Elder, PCUSA In these center chapters of John’s Gospel, John is recounting the discourses in which Jesus had spent much time trying to prepare his disciples for what was coming. And what was coming was going to…

  • Bewilderment, Confusion, and Doubt

    Luke 24: 13-35 Offered to the United Presbyterian Church of Alpha, NJ on April 19, 2026 Mel Prestamo, Ruling Elder PCUSA We have here in Luke’s Gospel what Bible Scholar William Barclay calls one of the more extraordinary and immortal short stories of the Bible. In the Contemporary English Version, Chapter 24 of Luke’s Gospel…

  • Thomas was the First

    John 20: 19-31 Offered to the congregation of the Long Valley Presbyterian Church, Long Valley, NJ April 12, 2026, by Mel Prestamo, Ruling Elder PCUSA This passage from John begins the story of the culmination of Jesus’ first day being resurrected as the Christ [the Chosen One] of God. Previously, his body has been taken…

  • Jesus On The Edge

    Luke 17: 11-19 Mel Prestamo, Ruling Elder, PCUSA Offered to the Wharton Hungarian Church on October 9, 2022. Recently as we have been going through the Gospel of Luke, as we follow along the Lectionary for this year, we have been treated to some of Jesus’ most well know parables and stories. However, today’s text…