Why was Resurrection on “the Third Day”? Two Insights
Christians scratch their heads over Jesus’ being raised “on the third day.” Doesn’t Sunday comes only two days after Friday? And what’s so significant about the “third day” anyhow?
Articles
New Light on Jesus’ Last Week, Part I
As we read the story of Passion week, we often bump into scenes that don’t quite make sense. A few pieces of historical data can shed a lot of light on this story.
Jesus’ Messianic Claims: The King of Isaiah 53
What we find confusing about Jesus’ claims to be the Messiah is that he often combines them with another prediction: that he must suffer and be rejected and killed. How could Jesus connect the Suffering Servant with these prophecies of a glorious king?
Jesus’ Messianic Claims: Very Subtle, Very Jewish
Jesus doesn’t seem to describe himself as the exalted Messiah that we find in the rest New Testament, until you read his words in their Jewish context.
Jesus’ Bold Messianic Claims (with Video!)
Yesterday I spoke on “Jesus’ Bold Messianic Claims” at a conference at Narkis Church in Jerusalem, Israel. You can watch the video below. My talk is about a half hour. (Note: The embedded video has now been fixed! – Sep. 1 2017) I share some of the story about how I got interested in the […]
The Messianic King … Your Thoughts?
The title “Christ” or “Messiah” refers to God’s “anointed one.” Overall, the prophetic imagery is that of a king, although prophets and priests were anointed too. (For more, see What does “Christ” Actually Mean?) In our modern world it’s hard to grasp what awe and worship kings inspired, and why Israel desired one so much. […]
The Advantage Women Had in Biblical Times
When we read our Bibles, we usually assume that the women of the Bible had few options. Relative to men, they always got the low end of the stick on everything. Is that really true though? Believe it or not, women in the Bible actually did have one advantage over men, and it explains some […]
“Believe in Christ” – It’s Not What You Think
What do we need to believe to be saved? What if we can’t be perfectly sure of the absolute accuracy of every biblical document that has been preserved? Are we in trouble? I’ve seen a lot of folks get tied up in knots over this. I’d like to suggest that there’s actually a simple answer, […]
What does “Christ” actually mean?
What does it mean to speak of Jesus as the “Christ”? This word is one of the most important, basic words in a Christian’s vocabulary. But it isn’t until you dig into the Bible’s ancient context that you that see its surprising imagery and some of its most important implications. First of all, the word […]