At the time when Jesus was born Palestine was part of the Roman Empire, and ruled by Herod the Great. Herod was an Edomite, and considered himself a Jew, but his commitment was disputed by the Jewish leaders, partly on the grounds of his lifestyle. It’s possible that Herod had up to ten wives and over 15 children at the time.
Read More worship, angel, dreamThis account of the 12-year-old Jesus is not found in any of the other gospels. In the story we see Mary and Joseph’s commitment to their faith as they went to Jerusalem for the Passover every year. Though this was required of every Jew, few could afford the finances and time to make the trip.
According to the Mishnah, the first major work of Rabbinic Judaism, Jesus’ religious instruction would have become more intense at the age of 12.
Read More parents, Passover, learningJohn the Baptist was both the fulfillment of prophecy (v 3) and a prophet himself (v 11). His attire, diet and lifestyle link him to Elijah (2 Kings 1:8) and his words to the Pharisees and Sadducees, – “You bunch of Snakes!,”” – link him to Jesus (Matthew 23:33).
John’s call to repentance was heard and heeded by many.
Read More Holy Spirit, repentance, baptismMark starts his book by declaring, “This is the good news about Jesus Christ.” There is no birth narrative here but instead there’s the birth of a literary genre—the gospel (from the old English “god-spel”—“good news”).
There is so much meaning packed into the first two sentences of Mark.
Read More Scripture, language, communicationJesus comes to the Jordan River where two events occur that mark the beginning of his public ministry. First, Jesus is baptized. Given John’s vocal teaching of repentance and baptism, why did Jesus submit to a baptism of repentance? He was sinless. Secondly, why did the Holy Spirit come down to him like a dove during his baptism only to then whisk him “right away,” as Mark puts it, into the desert where Satan tested him for 40 days?
Read More Satan, anointing, testingLeprosy, the law, and loquaciousness—these are just three of the things Jesus was dealing with in this short six-verse story.
The law strictly prohibited anyone with leprosy approaching anyone else.
Read More compassion, powerThis account of the 12-year-old Jesus is not found in any of the other gospels. In the story we see Mary and Joseph’s commitment to their faith as they went to Jerusalem for the Passover every year. Though this was required of every Jew, few could afford the finances and time to make the trip.
According to the Mishnah, the first major work of Rabbinic Judaism, Jesus’ religious instruction would have become more intense at the age of 12.
Read More parents, Passover, learning