Mark 15:42-47; Matthew 27:57-61; Luke 23:50-56; John 19:38-42; Matthew 27:62-66; Mark 16:1-8; Matthew 28:1-7; Luke 24:1-12; Mark 16:9-11; John 20:1-18; Matthew 28:8-15"Up from the grave he arose!" This classic line from a hymn embodies the end of the Gospels. Jesus was crucified and rose from the dead on the third day. This extremely familiar fact is the most significant event in human history. Je...  Read More

Mark 15:21-24; Matthew 27:32-34; Luke 23:26-31; John 19:17; Mark 15:25-32; Matthew 27:35-44; Luke 23:32-43; John 19:18-27; Mark 15:33-41; Matthew 27:45-56; Luke 23:44-49; John 19:28-37 Have you ever been yelled at? Have you had to stare at the anger on someone’s face while harsh words flew out of their mouths? If you have been there, know you are not alone in that experience. As Jesus hung on the ...  Read More

Mark 15:2-5; Matthew 27:11-14; Luke 23:1-12; John 18:28-40; Mark 15:6-15; Matthew 27:15-26; Luke 23:13-25; John 19:1-16; Mark 15:16-20; Matthew 27:27-31 Jesus' last twenty-four hours on Earth were a long, tedious, winding road. He moves from a final Passover meal with his disciples, to a wrestling match of prayer in a garden, to his arrest and abandonment by most of his disciples, to a trial by th...  Read More

Mark 14:53-65; Matthew 26:57-68; Mark 14:66-72; Matthew 26:69-75; Luke 22:54-65; John 18:25-27; Mark 15:1; Matthew 27:1-2; Luke 22:66-71; Matthew 27:3-10 How committed are you to the truth? If you are ever sworn into a court case, you will be forced to swear that you will tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. This should not be a mindset only for a courtroom but for all of li...  Read More

John 18:1-2; Mark 14:32-42; Matthew 26:36-46; Luke 22:39-46; Mark 14:43-52; Matthew 26:47-56; Luke 22:47-53; John 18:3-24 Doing what God asks is not always easy. Obedience may take us into persecution, rejection, difficulty, or hardship, but it is always worth it. Jesus found himself at a crossroads in the Garden of Gethsemane. He asked that the Father might take his cup (a symbol of wrath) from h...  Read More

John 15:18-17:26 There are moments in life when we feel unloved, unappreciated, hurt, or mistreated by others. Jesus speaks to many of these issues in John15:18-16:5a. He tells his disciples hatred from the world will come. They should not be surprised when they are mistreated, because this is the same way they treated Jesus. In these moments we may be tempted to repay hatred with anger or evil wi...  Read More

John13:31-38; Mark 14:27-31; Matthew 26:31-35; Luke 22:31-38; John14:1-15:17 What are the last things you would want to teach before you die? Are there certain messages you would want to convey to friends or family? As Jesus approached his death, he had a few final instructions for his disciples. First, he promised them they would always be with him. Jesus used the image of a palace with sets of r...  Read More

Mark 14:1-2; Matthew 26:1-5; Luke 22:1-2; Mark 14:10-11; Matthew 26:14-16; Luke 22:3-6; Mark 14:12-16; Matthew 26:17-19; Luke 22:7-13; John13:1-17; Mark 14:17-26; Matthew 26:20-30; Luke 22:14-30; John 13:18-30 No one wants to be a servant; everyone wants to be the boss. This is true in our world and even more so in the Roman Empire. To be a servant was demeaning and looked down upon, but Jesus rad...  Read More

Mark 13:32-37; Matthew 24:36-51; Luke 21:34-38; Matthew 25:1-46 A common error people have made throughout the centuries is thinking they know exactly when Jesus will return. Several years ago, a few billboards were purchased throughout the US claiming that May 21, 2011, would bring the return of Jesus. Like all previous predictions, this one was a failure. Instead of trying to figure out an exact...  Read More

Mark 13:1-23; Matthew 24:1-25; Luke 21:5-24; Mark 13:24-31; Matthew 24:26-35; Luke 21:25-33 If we looked around our homes, we may find several unfinished projects. Things we have started but never got around to finishing. We learn from our reading today that Jesus’ work is similarly not finished. Jesus accomplished everything necessary for our salvation, but we still await the ultimate healing and...  Read More

Mark 12:28-34; Matthew 22:34-40; Mark 12:35-37; Matthew 22:41-46; Luke 20:41-44; Mark 12:38-40; Matthew 23:1-12; Luke 20:45-47; Matthew 23:13-39; Mark 12:41-44; Luke 21:1-4 Whitewashed tombs. This term is used to describe anyone who externally looks great but whose heart is corrupted by death and sin. We see this reality in Jesus’ conflict with the religious leaders. The religious elite failed mis...  Read More

Matthew 21:28-32; Mark 12:1-12; Matthew 21:33-46; Luke 20:9-19; Matthew 22:1-14; Mark 12:13-17; Matthew 22:15-22; Luke 20:20-26; Mark 12:18-27; Matthew 22:23-33; Luke 20:27-40 Everyone loves a good story. We lean in and listen whether the story is of a galaxy far, far away, two sons, a vineyard owner, or a wedding banquet. Jesus took the mundane of life and used it to teach spiritual lessons. Ever...  Read More