Author: londavis@hotmail.com

New Series: Great Quotes

One of my favorite things to read is a great quote. In fact, I like to keep them written down in a notepad. Here’s one I came across: “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is today.”

This idea of collecting quotes has inspired a new series of daily thoughts. Over the next few weeks, I’ll share a meaningful quote from each of the individuals who helped author the Bible. The Bible was written by about 40 people over a span of 1,500 years, including Moses, Joshua, Matthew, Mark, and many others. This series will be a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the wisdom of these writers and perhaps even add their words to your own collection.

For today, I want to share a quote from Zechariah, a prophet from around 520 BC. He encouraged God’s people to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem. It is found in:

Zechariah 7:13
“Just as I had called and they would not listen, so when they called I would not listen, says the LORD of Hosts.”

I love this thought because it reminds us that God desires a real relationship with us. He isn’t a genie in a bottle that we can summon when it’s convenient and then set aside. When we listen to Him when He calls, He promises to listen to us when we call.

Understanding this truth can transform the way we pray, read the Bible, and worship.

I’m Lonnie Davis, and these are thoughts worth thinking.

More About Jesus #6

He Did Much with a Little

You remember the story of Jesus feeding the 5,000 followers. In just a few words: Jesus fed a crowd of over 5,000 with just five loaves and two fish. Moved by compassion, He blessed the food, multiplied it, and provided more than enough for everyone. The miracle revealed His divine power, taught trust in God’s provision, and pointed to Him as the Bread of Life.

No story of the life of Jesus would be complete without a look at this story. Of all the miracles Jesus did, this is the only one that all four of the Gospel writers told. What was so great about it?

First, Jesus fed 5,000 people with just five loaves of bread and two fish. We would not even try such. That many people would require thousands of loaves and hundreds of pounds of fish!

Second, because of the great lessons it still teaches us: 

It teaches that God can do much with a little. The disciples doubted how such a small amount of food could feed so many (Mark 6:37). Yet, when they obeyed Jesus and trusted Him, they witnessed the impossible. This should encourage us to rely on God’s power rather than focusing on our limitations.

It teaches that great things begin with gratitude. What did Jesus do before he fed the crowds? He blessed the food. When you don’t have enough, thank God for what you do have. If you call on God in gratitude, he will work wonders.

One last interesting note: Jesus didn’t feed 5,000. It was many more. The Bible says that he fed “About five thousand men were fed, in addition to women and children.” (Matthew 14:21). He fed 5,000 men plus the women and children!Maybe it was 10,000 who were fed. No one knows! 

God always does more than we even know.

I’m Lonnie Davis and these are thoughts worth thinking.

More About Jesus 

For three years, Jesus ministered to all who wanted to hear God’s Word.  

His ministry was very localized. Most of His teaching took place in the area around the Sea of Galilee, with Jerusalem only 70 miles to the south. Samaria lay between these two places. If you had been in these areas, you might have seen or heard of Jesus. His worldwide fame began only after His death and resurrection, spreading through the teachings of His apostles and disciples.  

Jesus was a master teacher. As such, He often used stories to illustrate His lessons. We call these stories parables. One smart person described parables as earthly stories with heavenly meanings. For people who often could not read or write, these stories made it easier to remember the lessons He taught.  

Jesus willingly taught everyone. He taught Jews and non-Jews, also called Gentiles. He taught men and women, the rich and the poor. In fact, it was often the poor who were first drawn to Him. When He met the Samaritan woman at the well, she was shocked that He spoke to her—a Samaritan—and surprised that He would teach a woman.  

During His ministry, He spoke 30-40 different parables. He performed about 37 miracles. His first miracle was turning water into wine, but he even raised people from the dead. He performed his miracles by the power of the Holy Spirit.

These are just a small part of His story. For a truly meaningful experience, read the first four books of the New Testament. They share His life and teachings in vivid detail.  

I’m Lonnie Davis, and these are thoughts worth thinking.  

Young Jesus

You probably know the familiar details about the youth of Jesus—born in a manger, visited by shepherds and Magi. But the most significant glimpse we have of His young years happens when He is twelve. Luke 2:41 tells us, “Every year His parents went to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover.”

Picture Mary, Joseph, and Jesus walk 15 miles a day for the 70 miles. They were with extended family and neighbors, sharing stories, singing psalms, and anticipating the worship and celebration in Jerusalem. It was more than a journey; it was a spiritual pilgrimage, full of reverence and joy.

The trip to Jerusalem must have been exciting, but the return took an unexpected twist. While traveling in a caravan, Mary and Joseph assume Jesus is with them. By evening, probably as they set up camp, they realized He was missing. After walking back another day to Jerusalem, they spent a third day searching through the 225 acres of the city and the 35 acres of the temple. Finally, they found Him in the temple, sitting with the teachers, listening and asking questions (Luke 2:46). Jesus wasn’t just listening—He was actively engaging in deep discussions. Verse 47 says, “Everyone who heard Him was amazed at His understanding and His answers.” Of course, they were. He was only twelve years old. 

Then comes one more striking detail: Luke 2:52 says, “Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.” This means He was well-liked by His neighbors, giving us a glimpse of the kind of young man He was—wise, kind, and deeply respected.

I’m Lonnie Davis, and these are thoughts worth thinking. 

Have you ever wondered what Jesus really looked like? While we can easily find statues of Julius Caesar, Jesus remains a visual unknown. This isn’t by accident. During his time, Jesus wasn’t a celebrity like Caesar, and even if he were, Jewish cultural practices strictly forbade creating human images, rooted in the commandment against “graven images.”

Our modern curiosity about Jesus’s appearance reached a fascinating peak in 2001 when the BBC produced a groundbreaking documentary. Experts analyzed a first-century Jewish skull and archaeological data using forensic reconstruction techniques to create a remarkably human portrait. The result? A broad-faced, large-nosed man who looked distinctly different from Hollywood’s romanticized depictions.

The Bible itself offers tantalizingly little information. The prophet Isaiah provides the most telling description, suggesting Jesus was remarkably ordinary: “He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him, nothing in His appearance that we should desire Him.”

Archaeological and cultural evidence paints a more nuanced picture. Jesus was likely a Mediterranean man with olive-toned skin, dark hair, and a beard—standard for Jewish men of his era. Contrary to popular artistic representations, he probably wore his hair shorter, as longer locks were considered unusual for men at the time. He was probably about 5 foot, 5 inches, average for the time. He likely weighed about 130-150 pounds.

Jesus’s true significance lay not in how he looked, but in what he represented—a divine presence that transformed hearts and challenged societal norms.

In the end, Jesus’s appearance reminds us that his true impact comes from character, not physical beauty.

—Lonnie Davis

What language did he speak?

It is probably surprising to Americans that Jesus was certainly multilingual. He spoke two or more languages during his lifetime in Palestine. While there has been debate among scholars, the consensus is that Jesus primarily spoke Aramaic, the common language of Roman Judaea at the time of Jesus.

The movie about Jesus, “The Passion of the Christ,” was filmed in the Aramaic language and had English dubbed for those of us watching.  It was the native tongue of Galilee, where Jesus grew up and spent most of his time preaching. The Gospels provide evidence of Jesus using Aramaic, such as his last words on the cross: “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?). This suggests that Aramaic was his everyday language, particularly when addressing common people.

However, as a Jewish man, Jesus would have known Hebrew, the language of the Scriptures. The Gospel of Luke mentions Jesus reading from the scroll of Isaiah in the synagogue, which would have been in Hebrew. Jesus probably used Hebrew in theological discussions with religious leaders and when quoting from the Old Testament.

A possible third language was Greek, the common language of the Roman Empire. It was widely spoken in Palestine. Given Jesus’ interactions with non-Jewish people and his debates with educated religious leaders, it’s probable that he also spoke Greek.

The language Jesus spoke is not a salvation question, but in our quest to know more about Jesus, it is of interest.

I’m Lonnie Davis and these are thoughts worth thinking.

More About Jesus

When I was about nine years old, I had a conversation with a man in my neighborhood who had been drinking. He asked me, “Do you know who Jesus is?” I gave him a simple answer. He looked at me and said, “You’re really smart.” Looking back, it didn’t mean I was particularly smart; it just showed that I had a basic understanding of who Jesus is. 

Let’s dive into some things about Jesus you may or may not have heard before.

When was Jesus born? 

As I write this it is the year 2025 AD. I used to think BC stood for “Before Christ.” Right! I also thought AD meant “After Death,” as in after Jesus died. Wrong! AD actually stands for Anno Domini, a Latin phrase meaning “in the year of our Lord.” This refers to the time starting from Jesus’ birth.

If AD begins with Jesus’ birth, you might assume Jesus was born in the year 1 AD. That’s not quite right. Based on historical evidence, Jesus was most likely born between 4 BC and 6 BC. This timing lines up with the reign of King Herod, who died in 4 BC and while Jesus was alive.

How did we get this wrong. A monk came up with the AD/BC system in the 6th century, but he made some mistakes when calculating the year Jesus was born. We’ve just gone with his system ever since.

Does it really matter if Jesus was born in 4 BC or 1 AD? Not at all. What truly matters is that He was born. That’s the most important part of the story!

I’m Lonnie Davis and these are thoughts worth thinking.

Meeting Judas 

There were twelve original apostles. Many can name Peter, James, and John without much trouble. But after those three, the names blur for many—except for Judas. His name is unforgettable, and not in a good way. Calling someone a “Judas” today is an insult everyone understands. 

So, who was Judas Iscariot, the man whose name became a byword for betrayal? 

Judas was one of the twelve apostles handpicked by Jesus. Matthew, Mark, and Luke all include him on their lists, but interestingly, they always place him last, almost as if they hesitated to write his name. 

Let’s begin with his name. “Judas” comes from the Hebrew name Judah, a name that once carried honor. But Judas tarnished it forever. His last name, Iscariot, likely refers to his hometown of Kerioth, a village in Judea.  

Judas wasn’t a passive member of the group. In fact, he held an important role: treasurer of the disciples. He managed the ministry’s money bag, which reflected a degree of trust. Yet, John’s Gospel reveals a darker truth—Judas was a thief who would help himself to the funds (John 12:6).  

When Judas betrayed Jesus, it was for 30 pieces of silver. This payment carries significant meaning in Scripture. It was the price of a common slave. Exodus 21:32 reveals that 30 pieces of silver was the compensation owed if a slave was killed by an ox. After Judas returned the silver to the chief priests, they refused to take it back, declaring it blood money. (Matthew 27:3–6).  

Judas sealed his betrayal with a kiss—a customary greeting in that time and still practiced in some cultures today. 

After Jesus’ arrest, Judas was consumed by remorse. In his despair, he ended his own life by hanging himself. Judas’s story is a sobering one. It reminds us of the dangers of misplaced priorities, the weight of unrepentant sin, and the eternal consequences of our choices. 

I’m Lonnie Davis and these are thoughts worth thinking.

Today’s Scripture is 1 Samuel 25:3.

“His name was Nabal, and his wife’s name was Abigail. She was an intelligent and beautiful woman, but her husband, a Calebite, was harsh and evil in his dealings.”

Nabal, though wealthy and powerful, is not the main focus. Instead, we meet Abigail, his intelligent and beautiful wife, married to a man described as both harsh and foolish.

When Abigail spoke to King David, she described her husband plainly: “My lord should pay no attention to this scoundrel Nabal, for he lives up to his name: His name means Fool, and folly accompanies him.” Her words, while direct, were truthful and intended to save him. She brought provisions to David and his men, atoning for Nabal’s insult and averting disaster.

Though we see Abigail’s intelligence and wisdom, it is her courage that saves the day. She courageously acted to protect her husband, while he was at home, drunk and oblivious. The next morning, when she told him what she had done, he was overcome with shock and died ten days later. Shortly after, King David, impressed by her wisdom and character, and no doubt by her beauty, made Abigail his wife, elevating her from a rich fool’s wife to a queen.

Abigail’s life is a great story. She acted decisively, trusting that doing the right thing would yield the best outcome. It still does.

I’m Lonnie Davis and these are thoughts worth thinking.

Our text for today is from Second Timothy 1:5:
“I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am convinced is in you as well.”

These words, written by Paul to Timothy, are all we know about Lois and Eunice. Yet, they reveal so much.

Having preached many funerals, I’ve stood at gravesites in a variety of places—some were beautifully maintained parks, while others were little more than neglected fields. Over the years, I’ve enjoyed reading the epitaphs on headstones, which often provide glimpses into lives once lived.

Here are a few famous examples:

• Merv Griffin, TV talk show host: “I will not be right back after this message.”
• Frank Sinatra, singer: “The best is yet to come.”
• Martin Luther King Jr.: “Free at last, Free at last, Thank God Almighty I’m Free at Last.”

If I were to imagine an epitaph for Lois and Eunice, it might read, “Gone, but not forgotten.”

Though these two remarkable women eventually left this world, the faith they instilled in Timothy ensured their legacy lived on. Their sincere faith became a part of Timothy’s life and ministry, impacting countless others.

I don’t know how the world will remember me, nor what might be written on my headstone. But like Lois and Eunice, I hope to be remembered for the faith and love I pass on to my children and grandchildren—those I send into a future I will never see.

I’m Lonnie Davis, and these are thoughts worth thinking.