Praise God or Fear God? After Jesus performs a miracle—healing a paralytic man—the people were fearful of God, yet full of praise at the same time (this precise wording is not apparent in all translations—see the New Living Translation or the Amplified Bible). Although it seems like a paradox to simultaneously fear God and praise […]
Jesus is sleeping in a boat; the disciples are crossing the lake. A major strong whips up and the disciples are overwhelmed—remember that several of them were fishermen, so it must have been a bad one to scare them. In a panic, they wake up Jesus. He says, “You have little faith; why are you […]
When, Not If In the book of Matthew, chapter 6, there is a word that is interestingly repeated by Jesus. It is the word when: “When you give to the needy…” [Matthew 6:2]“When you pray..” [Matthew 6:5 and 7]“When you fast…” [Matthew 6:16] Notice that Jesus doesn’t say if you give, if you pray, or […]
An Example of Obedience in the Life of Joseph Four times, Joseph received instructions from God: 1. An angel appeared to Joseph in a dream and instructed him to go ahead and marry Mary (Matthew 1:20). 2. Later, an angel spoke to Joseph in a dream, warning him of the threat on Jesus’ life and […]
That statement catches many Christians (that is, followers of Jesus) off guard. It is easy to label Jesus, since he is the impetus for Christianity, as a Christian, even though his time spent on earth was as a Jew. Indeed, he was born a Jew, into a Jewish culture, and had a clear Jewish lineage. […]
The “Holy of Holies” (also called “the Most Holy Place” or “the Holiest of all”) was the innermost part of the tabernacle and later, the temple. It was so sacred that only the high priest could enter it and then only once a year. When Jesus died, the veil (which was very thick, more akin […]
Peter cried when he realized he had denied even knowing Jesus. [Mark 14:72] What makes this even more ironic is that earlier that same day he pledged his support to Jesus, claiming to be willing to die with him. [Mark 14:31] For most people, admitting that we “know” Jesus is a relatively easy thing to […]
In Matthew 14:14-20 there is the dramatic account of Jesus’ s miracle to feed 5,000 people. This event is also recorded in Mark 6:31-44, Luke 9:10-17, and John 6:1-14. The people have been with Jesus all day; they are hungry and without food. Jesus asks how much food is available; the report is merely five […]