While Jesus was masterful at sermon illustrations (in His case, often through parables), the apostle Paul wasn’t half bad either. In 2 Timothy 2:3–7, he uses a series of three illustrations to show his protégé, Timothy, what it means to be a pastor and a Gospel minister:

As the Gospel of Luke begins, its author declares his intent to compile “an orderly account” of Jesus’ life and ministry so that anyone who reads it “may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.” When we open its pages, this is exactly what we find. Tracing Jesus’ …