It seems evident, once the other Gospel narratives are taken into consideration, that several weeks had passed between the day of Jesus’ resurrection (Mark 16:14) and the time of his commissioning his Apostles (Mark 16:15-18; Matthew 28:16-17; John 21:1-14; cp. Acts 1:1-3). If all one read was Mark’s narrative, one may get the idea that Jesus commissioned his disciples on the day of his resurrection, but this isn’t so. First of all, after one’s worldview has been proved wrong, a period of adjustment must occur. One doesn’t simply jump from one belief to an opposing one without some contemplation and rearranging of one’s understanding of truth. Paul took three years from the time he persecuted believers and had a vision of the resurrected Christ to the time he began proving Jesus was the Messiah and sought to be received by the Apostles (Galatians 1:17-18). Even Peter had second thoughts after his worldview had been shattered by seeing the resurrected Christ. He was so distraught over not understanding the truth that he decided to return to his fishing business and not preach the Gospel. It took Jesus to convince him to do otherwise (John 21:3, 15-19). Read the rest of this entry »
It was Carl Sagan who popularized an idea that was formulated hundreds of years ago, probably in an effort to refute the claims of Christianity by scientists who also happened to be atheists. Sagan wrote: “Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence!” in his book: Cosmos: A Personal Voyage (1980). This is certainly a ‘high sounding’ claim, and one to which a number of folks, with whom I’ve discussed my faith, held to in an effort to detract from the witnesses, whose testimony is found in the Gospel narratives. Nevertheless, such ‘high sounding’ claims are nothing more than elitists’ bias formulated against the claims of the common man. Read the rest of this entry »
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Mark tells us: “When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary, the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint” Jesus (Mark 16:1). However, Luke doesn’t name the women, but he does tell us: “And the women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulcher, and how his body was laid. And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the Sabbath day according to the commandment” (Luke 23:55-56). While Mark tells us that the women labored “when the Sabbath was past,” Luke records that first the women did their labor and then “rested the Sabbath day, according to the commandment. So, does Luke contradict Mark or is there another explanation? Read the rest of this entry »
The text describes the day Jesus died as the preparation day (Mark 15:42). In other words, it was the day before the Sabbath. Most scholars interpret this to mean Friday, the day before the seventh day, weekly, Sabbath or Saturday, as we call our days, today. Nevertheless, this would be wrong. The preparation day was the day before the Feast Day, which was otherwise referred to as the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Luke 22:1), and it fell on the 15th day of the first month (Leviticus 23:6). It was also a Sabbath, a day upon which no servile work could be done (Leviticus 23:7). The preparation involved was all the leaven of the house had to be removed (Exodus 12:15, 19), and it had to be removed before the 15th day of the month, which made the Passover Day the preparation day. Passover Day fell on the 14th of the month, and it was not a Sabbath, for on it the Passover lamb was slain and prepared for the meal in the evening of the 15th of the month. The Gospel of John even distinguishes this particular Sabbath, from the 7th day Sabbath by saying: “for that Sabbath day was a high day”[1] (John 19:31). The Greek word used is megas (G3173), indicating the day was great in importance (viz. being led out of bondage and freed – cp. Exodus 12:17). Read the rest of this entry »
Mark tells us that there was darkness over the whole land for three hours, from the sixth to the ninth hours or from noon until 3 PM, as we reckon time today (Mark 15:33). Each of the Synoptics testify of the land being dark for three hours (Matthew 27:45; Luke 23:44), and it was predicted by the prophets that the sun would be darkened at noon (Amos 8:9-10; cp. Isaiah 50:3). When the Lord judged Egypt, just before he first took his people out of the land of bondage, he darkened the land for three days (Exodus 10:21-23). Paul likened the Law and Jerusalem to being in bondage (Galatians 4:24-25). Darkness is an allegory for the lack of spiritual knowledge, and we who know the truth have been delivered from the power of darkness and made partakers of the light of Jesus’ Kingdom (Colossians 1:12-14), and to teach the truth is to lead the blind into the light (Romans 2:19). Nevertheless, just as the Lord confronted the darkness of his day, so must we wrestle with those who have a stake in keeping folks in the bondage of darkness in our day (Ephesians 6:12). Read the rest of this entry »
When Jesus arrived at the site of the crucifixion, he was offered wine mixed with myrrh (Mark 15:23). Matthew says it was mixed with gall (Matthew 27:34). Gall was a term applied to many bitter substances, including myrrh and was an intoxicant meant to dull the pain that was about to be endured by criminals. The gesture was a Jewish one, not Roman, and probably based upon Proverbs 31:6-7. It was probably prepared by women of the city. Jesus accepted the gesture, but when he tasted the intoxicant, he refused to drink it. So, they crucified him and divided his cloths among themselves by lot (Mark 15:24), and it was the third hour (about 9 AM as we reckon time), which was the hour of prayer. Luke records the prayer: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34) but not the time, while Mark records the time, but not the prayer (Mark 15:25). Read the rest of this entry »
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Simon of Cyrene seems to have been a Hellenist Jew who either had journeyed to Jerusalem for the Passover, or had resettled there. Evidently, he became a believer, since his two sons were named by Mark, implying the church at Rome knew them. Each of the Synoptics testify that Simon was seized almost immediately by the Roman military near Jerusalem and compelled him to bear Jesus’ cross for him (Mark 15:21), evidently mocking the idea that Jesus was “King of the Jews” and was in need of a servant to carry his burden. Both Mark and Luke tell us Simon was coming out of the country (cp. Luke 23:26), implying he was entering Jerusalem from the fields or farmlands, so the fact that Simon was used to carry Jesus’ cross did not imply the Romans thought Jesus might die on the way to the crucifixion site, as is presumed by some. Read the rest of this entry »
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After Pilate released Barabbas, the murderous felon, he handed Jesus, whom he knew to be innocent, over to his men, professional military men, to the end that he would be crucified. Nevertheless, before that would occur these men would mock Jesus (Mark 15:15-16). They were professionals, and they knew how to cause their enemy to look and feel small and weak. To be mocked, then, is to receive no honor, no respect or comfort. It means all one’s closest associates had deserted him to face this hour alone. And, all the high-sounding loyalty of: “Though I should die with you, yet I will not deny knowing you…” (Matthew 26:35; Mark 14:31; cp. Matthew 26:72, 74; Mark 14:71; Luke 22:60-61) is but an echo of boisterous dinner talk, which, truth be told, has no place in reality. The professionals really know how to make one’s life appear meaningless. Read the rest of this entry »
How much did Pilate know about Jesus? Well, according to Luke’s narrative, he didn’t know Jesus was from Galilee (Luke 23:7), and when he realized he was a subject of Herod Antipas, he used Jesus as his pawn to heal the breach that had occurred between himself and Herod, when Pilate slew so many Galileans at the Passover a year prior (Luke 13:1) without consulting with him. Rome wasn’t always familiar with how local laws affected Rome (cp. Acts 13-27). It was unfriendly of Pilate to slay so many Galileans without consulting with Herod, but it was friendly to consult him about Jesus, and in doing so, Pilate healed the breach between himself and Herod (Luke 23:12). Read the rest of this entry »
Mark tells us that each Passover Pilate was in the habit of releasing one of the Jewish prisoners to the people, whomsoever they desired (Mark 15:6-8). Literally, the text says: “at a feast he released to them one prisoner” (LITV). Young’s Literal Translation has it: “at every feast…” But, why would an anti-Semitic ruler wish to do such a thing for the folks he hated? Moreover, many critics tell us there was never such a custom done for the Passover or any other Jewish Festival. Yet, that Pilate did have such a custom is witnessed to by each of the Gospel narrators (Matthew 27:15; Luke 23:17; John 18:39), and is referred to in Luke’s second work (Acts 3:14). If the custom were not true, why would each of the Gospel narratives refer to it independently, either briefly or with a few details, and why would it be referred to so early in Acts? Certainly, the narrative of Jesus’ crucifixion doesn’t demand a reference to Barabbas. So, why would the custom be mentioned, if it weren’t true? Read the rest of this entry »
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Pilate is an interesting figure both of history and in the Biblical narratives. Josephus says he replaced Valarius Gratus as governor of Jewish lands, which included Judea and Samaria. Galilee and Idumea were governed by Herod Antipas, and territories north and west of the Sea of Galilee were governed by Herod Philip, so Pilate had no authority over those Jewish areas. Pilate came to his position as governor in Jerusalem without a clear understanding in history as to when he was appointed or who appointed him. Nevertheless, scholars date his tenure of ten years between 26/27 to 36/37AD. He was probably appointed by Sejanus, Tiberius Caesar’s powerful military confidant and head of the Praetorian Guard, who by this time ruled as a virtual emperor in the absence of the semi-retired, Tiberius. Read the rest of this entry »
Originally, the Jewish authorities brought Jesus to Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea, and wanted him to condemn him to death, simply because they found Jesus guilty of a crime that demanded the death penalty, according to their own traditions (John 18:29-30). But, why the evasiveness? Why weren’t they forthcoming with the charge against Jesus for which the high council of the Jews demanded the death penalty? The reason is their verdict charged Jesus guilty of blasphemy (Mark 14:63-64; Luke 22:71; Leviticus 24:16). The problem for the Jewish authorities was twofold. First, years ago, Rome had taken away the court’s right to execute anyone (John 18:31b), and secondly, Rome wouldn’t have considered blasphemy a charge that demanded the death penalty (cp. Acts 25:16-21). Read the rest of this entry »
While it is possible for the law to be used for the advantage of evil men, if they wish to continue to prosper, the wicked cannot always operate within the law. They must use every opportunity that comes to them in order to achieve their ends. The Jewish authorities wanted to rid themselves of Jesus, because his righteous behavior was making it impossible for them to continue in their chosen way. Jesus’ itinerary for this, his final, Passover, simply, wasn’t shared with anyone. Neither was there a pattern in his visits to Jerusalem, whereby his enemies could seize him at an opportune moment, when they wouldn’t be risking so much in the presence of so many people. During his three-and-a-half-year ministry, Jesus visited Jerusalem seven times, according to the Gospel narratives. If he was in Jerusalem more than seven times during his final three and a half years, we are unable to tell, because it simply isn’t recorded in the narratives that tell us what Jesus said and did. He was there twice for Hanukkah, once for Purim, once to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles and three times to observe the Passover (first in the beginning of his ministry, then during his third year of ministry, and finally to become our Passover (1Corinthians 5:7), being crucified for our sins at the end of his public ministry in the flesh).[1]Read the rest of this entry »
We need to keep in mind that all the while the Jewish authorities were interrogating Jesus, Peter and probably Judas were in the courtyard, watching and listening to what went on just above them. The rooms, where Annas interrogated Jesus and where Caiaphas had arranged Jesus’ illegal trial with a portion of the Sanhedrin present, were in partial view and within earshot of Peter and Judas. That is, if Judas was, indeed, with Peter, who sat by the fire warming himself in the courtyard with the servants of the high priest. They probably couldn’t see everyone, but they could listen to what was said. The heads of some and the upper torso of a few others, including Jesus’, could be seen. So, the long night drew on. Read the rest of this entry »
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Probably, the greatest problem evil men have, when confronting a righteous man, is his integrity. This is especially so, if the righteous person lived a public life, whereby many are witnesses of the man’s integrity. For evil men to prosper, the righteous must be eliminated or compromised in some manner that takes away their influence with the people. Such was the problem facing the chief priests and the other Jewish authorities making up the Sanhedrin council (Mark 14:55). Knowing they couldn’t legally arrest Jesus, they sought to do so through trickery, but without arousing the ire of the people (Mark 14:1-2). Read the rest of this entry »
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