Mark 15:21-26 Was Simon of Cyrene Jewish, African, a Greek, or some combination of all three? We cannot be sure. Did he carry Christ’s entire cross, as tradition holds; or just the crossbeam (Latin, patibulum) as was a common Roman practice; or merely an upright torture stake (Greek, stauron) as Mark records? It’s difficult to […]

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Mark 15:16-20 Mark 15 offers some oft-overlooked insights into the roles that non-Jewish political and military actors played in Christ’s trial and execution. The soldiers mentioned were probably local Gentile recruits. They likely served as a personal bodyguard for Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea. Many were present for Christ’s arrest in Gethsemane and […]

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Joshua 24:11-16 I just want to get this out there: You can have your cake and eat it, too!  Why have a cake if you can’t eat it! Let the people say, “Amen!”  The point Joshua was making in Joshua 24, however, couldn’t be more true and necessary, then and now. When it comes to […]

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John 3:16-21 Have you ever been in a dark room with a black light? It can be eerie and ethereal. Can I just say, “The lint!” Wearing a dark shirt into a room of black lights will ignite every speck of lint and more. Previously unknown “matter” is suddenly magnified in the glow of a […]

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1 John 4:1-6 Have you ever heard someone say, “I’m just not a good test taker”? The implication is that a person can become paralyzed when it comes to putting knowledge to pencil and paper during tests.  The same thing can occur when someone is confronted with questions or statements which contradict Scripture. Bible content […]

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Mark 15:9-15 The only recorded voice of defense on Jesus’ behalf was Pilate. The person who washed his hands of any responsibility for Jesus and turned Him over to be crucified was also the lone voice who questioned the intentions of the crowd. Mark informed us that Pilate knew “it was out of self-interest that […]

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Mark 15:1-8 One of the amazing facts of Scripture are the many Old Testament accounts which predict the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus (Isaiah 7:14; Isaiah 53, Psalm 16:10, and so on). Symbolism also plays a huge part in the gospel story. For example, Mark 15 refers to Barabbas. In Aramaic, Bar-ab-bas means “son […]

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Mark 14:60-65 There is a temptation for believers in our Christian-critical culture to stay close to the home fires rather than stepping out into a cold, unaccommodating world to show and share the Good News of Jesus. It’s never been easy to step outside our comfort zones to obey the “go” of the gospel.  Wouldn’t […]

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Mark 14:53-59 I love a blazing fire on a wintry day. HIt’s hard to leave all that and go back out into the cold, isn’t it?    Mark 14 finds Peter nestled up to a fire on a cold night. Simultaneously, Jesus was enduring the worst humanity could dole out: mockery, torture, lies. All were ravenous […]

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Jeremiah 32:33-41 Jeremiah 32 begins by describing the citizens of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem who had turned their backs on God. They were people who had not listened and would not receive instruction. They had done abominable things and been sent into exile for a time. But then God gathers them, settles them […]

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