When Christ celebrated the Passover with His disciples, He gave thanks for the cup and they all passed it around and drank from it. He then told them, “This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many” (Mark 14:24). He said a lot with those words! I want to say somethingContinue reading “Blood, Covenant, And Jesus”
Category Archives: Opening the Bible
The Day Has Arrived
In the confirmation hearings for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson this week, she was asked if she could provide a definition for the word woman. Jackson demurred saying, “I’m not a biologist.” There’s a lot to unpack here—confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominees have sadly regressed to the opposing party using the occasion to air theirContinue reading “The Day Has Arrived”
Go And Do
I have two Swiss army knives. A small one is on my keychain. It has a knife blade, a blade that is a file (with a notch on the end so you can also use it as a screwdriver), and a tiny pair of scissors (which is what I use the most). A larger versionContinue reading “Go And Do”
The Return Of Jesus? (2)
Understanding that the language being used in Mark 13 is figurative rather than literal clears up a lot of confusion commonly associated with the chapter. It frees us up to move on to an examination of the central points of Jesus message. To set the scene, Mark shows us the disciples in awe over theContinue reading “The Return Of Jesus? (2)”
The Return Of Jesus? (1)
I remember a church I attended not long after I became a Christian many years ago. They had a class in the auditorium that did a verse-by-verse study of every book in the New Testament. Well, almost every book. When they finished Jude, they passed over Revelation and restarted in Matthew. My guess is thatContinue reading “The Return Of Jesus? (1)”
That’s Just Not Right!
The word indignant is a strong term. We use it when we are not only upset about something, but when whatever we are disturbed about has exceeded the reasonable boundaries of bad. In other words, it is so glaringly wrong that we are personally offended by it. It is the difference between someone making aContinue reading “That’s Just Not Right!”
Jesus And The Little Children
Here’s some verse from Mark 10:13-16. Jesus And The Little Children Little children were being brought to Jesus, It’s a glorious scene to savor. They wanted the best for them as every parent does, So they came seeking His favor. The disciples were stewing in their own juices they were, Arguing who was greatest andContinue reading “Jesus And The Little Children”
The Showdown On Spiritual Authority
The issue in Mark 11:27ff is one of spiritual authority and leadership. It was close to Passover and Jerusalem was overflowing with pilgrims who had come up for the feast. Jesus and His disciples were there. He had gone into the temple and disrupted the corrupt merchandising that was going on. Israel’s leaders were threatenedContinue reading “The Showdown On Spiritual Authority”
Receiving The Kingdom Like A Child
“Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” Wessel and Strauss note that the phrase, “Truly I tell you,” is used by Jesus 13 times in Mark’s gospel. It functions as a signal to let us know that something important is aboutContinue reading “Receiving The Kingdom Like A Child”
The Glory Of The Cross
Mark tells us in 8:31-32 that Jesus “began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law and that He must be killed and after three days rise again. He spoke plainly about this . . .”Continue reading “The Glory Of The Cross”
A Taste of Grace with Bruce Green 