When we look at the Passion Week, we rightly look to the work of Jesus Christ. We even focus on individuals like the disciples or Pilate. Yet, a character we rarely give any attention to is Barabbas, the man who was freed in place of Jesus. So, as we look…
Palm Sunday can sound like a joyous celebration if we tell the story a certain way. There’s a big crowd waving palm branches, shouting “hosanna.” Jesus rides in on a donkey—his triumphal entry. Then, we get our kids to relay the scene on stage at church. It’s cute and fun…
In Christ’s Words from the Cross, Charles Spurgeon talks in great lengths about Jesus’ crucifixion, including those who were crucified with him. The dying thief did the impossible that day. In front of multitudes of scoffers, he used the only part of his body not nailed to the cross (his…
Learning from ancient Christians is priceless (here’s why). But it can be difficult to find out what they each had to say about a specific passage of the Bible. For example, it wouldn’t be super easy to find commentary on the Beatitudes from a handful of church fathers. Not only…
The Bible has a lot to say about leadership – especially in the Gospels. So, study tools like the NIV Leadership Bible Notes are very helpful for processing and applying these passages to your own leadership style. In Matthew 20:20-26, Jesus makes one of the most profound statements on being…
“As soon as it was night, the believers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every…
Ever wondered if there’s more to know about Jesus’ tomb? Then let archaeology experts teach you! This blog post is an excerpt from the Zondervan Handbook of Biblical Archaeology. TOMB NEAR MEGIDDO ARE ALL TOMBS THE SAME? According to Jewish practice the body of the deceased was initially laid to…
Matthew 22:24-32 speaks on marriage at the resurrection. LET’S LEARN MORE USING THE LIFE APPLICATION BIBLE COMMENTARY NEW TESTAMENT SET In this post, we are going to walk through the commentary provided by the Life Application Bible Commentary for Matthew 22:24-32. This series does a great job including all the…
The NIV Application Commentary is a great tool for in-depth study of the Bible while ALSO helping you apply the Bible to your life. Below is an excerpt taken from the commentary on Colossians, by David E. Garland, on thanksgiving. THE IMPORTANCE OF PAUL’S PRAYER FOR THE COLOSSIANS: THANKSGIVING Paul…
SITUATION The Ephesians forgot what God did to save them and to make them a part of his Body. OBSERVATION God’s mercy plucks us from the destruction of our countless sins and places us in Jesus Christ’s righteousness. INSPIRATION When I read a verse like Ephesians 2:4, I feel I…