Peace Be with You! Today’s passage: John 20:19–20, along with Mark 16:14 and Luke 24:36–43 Focus verse: Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” (John 20:19) Having spent several days focusing on Luke’s account of the pair of disciples who travel to Emmaus, we segue from Luke’s gospel back to […]
…and the Mysterious Stranger Today’s passage: Mark 16:12–13 and Luke 24:13–18 Focus verse: As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them. (Luke 24:15) John doesn’t mention that two of Jesus’s followers make a trip to Emmaus. While Mark mentions this briefly, Luke gives us […]
Who Will Roll Away the Stone? Today’s passage: John 20:1, along with Matthew 28:1, Mark 16:1–3, and Luke 24:1 Focus verse: Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb. (John 20:1) With the Sabbath over, Mary Magdalene can again do manual labor. She returns […]
He Has Risen! Today’s passage: John 20:1–18 Focus verse: Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” (John 20:18) Jesus dies. His body is prepared for burial and his human shell is placed in a tomb. A large stone seals the entrance. But this isn’t the end. In many […]
Read What Scripture Says about Jesus’s Resurrection Happy Easter! And Happy Resurrection Day! Today is the time when we remember—and celebrate—Jesus overcoming death and rising from the dead. Each gospel account of Jesus in the Bible tells us about Easter: Matthew The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that […]
Today’s passage: John 20:1–18 Focus verse: Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” (John 20:18) Although Mary Magdalene shows up in each of Jesus’s four biographies, we know little about her. What we learn from Scripture is that Jesus casts seven demons out of her. Though people debate […]
Supernatural Encounters May Be Scary The Book of Mark wraps up with three women going to the tomb of Jesus to anoint his body. They are Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome. They approach the tomb preoccupied, wondering how they will roll the stone away to gain access. As it turns out, […]
Jesus Elevates the Standing of Women and Treats Them as Equal to Men As the book of Matthew winds down, we see in chapter 28 that Jesus rises from the dead, appears to his followers, and ascends into heaven. As he arises, he leaves us with the Great Commission: to go throughout the world and […]
Two weeks ago I encouraged you to have a Bible reading plan for the new year—and I felt a bit guilty for saying it. This wasn’t because I gave bad advice, but because I hadn’t yet figured out my own plan. I try to never tell someone to do something that I won’t or don’t […]