A Perfect Gift for Fathers
Prayers to Father God for Dad

Mark’s narrative of the resurrection has long puzzled many interpreters. After witnessing the most glorious and significant event in the course of human history, the women who came to anoint Jesus’ body “went out and fled from the tomb” because they were “trembling and bewildered” and they “said…

Two disciples came to claim the body of Jesus for burial (John 19:38–42). Mark mentions one of them, Joseph of Arimathea. He was a secret disciple because he feared the Jews (V. 38). This kept him from making an open stand for Jesus, at least until Jesus’ trials. He was a minority…

Crucifixion was a very barbaric form of death invented by the Romans for slaves and those who rebelled against the Roman authorities. Thousands of criminals were crucified on the cross, and this sight would have been familiar to many in the first century. When Jesus invited His disciples to take up…

The cross Jesus carried to Golgotha was too heavy, so Simon of Cyrene was asked to help Him (Mark 15:21). This encounter with Jesus changed his life. Simon was a Jew and a native of North Africa who probably had just arrived in Jerusalem for the Passover. He was the father of…

When the religious leaders brought Jesus to him, Pilate was not too convinced that their charges were political in nature. He suspected the matter stemmed from their envy of Jesus.

Nonetheless, Pilate allowed himself to be swayed by them. When the religious leaders tried to corner him by saying that he was no friend…

The story of Peter’s denial is carefully crafted in Mark’s Gospel. Jesus’ interrogation by the high priest (Mark 14:55–65) is sandwiched between the two narratives of Peter following Jesus at a distance and his denial of Jesus (vv. 53–54, 66–72). This structure contrasts Jesus’ bold response in affirming His messianic identity with…

When others throw allegations at us, our natural human tendency is to be defensive. We want to prove our innocence. But Jesus refused to answer all the allegations during His trial. It was not until the high priest, Caiaphas (Matthew 26:57, 63–64), asked if He was the Messiah that He finally broke…

In His final moments on earth, Jesus struggled in deep anguish in the garden of Gethsemane. As He looked west from the garden, He would see the temple in all its beauty. There, thousands of animals were sacrificed every year, their blood staining the altar. But the blood had no real power…

Passover was a major festival observed by the Jews to commemorate God’s deliverance of His people from slavery in Egypt (Exodus 12–13). During New Testament times, the celebration of the Passover generally involved the practice of drinking four cups of wine in between meals, to recall the promises of God in…

In the Old Testament, the Mount of Olives (a hill lying east of Jerusalem) is associated with sad events. David fled from his son Absalom and wept as he climbed up that hill (2 Samuel 15:30). King Solomon built altars, shrines, and high places for the worship of Chemosh…