The Best News Ever Heard Mark 16:1–7 You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen. Mark 16:6 The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the best news the world has ever heard because it is true; it came after an apparent defeat; it proves many important things; and finally, it calls for a…

The Offered Pardon Mark 15:6–15 Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas. Mark 15:15 Suppose word had come to Barabbas that he was now free and that another prisoner, Jesus, would be dying. Suppose he replied this way: “What you are telling me cannot be true. It may apply to someone else,…

Blessings and Persecutions Mark 10:17–31 Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time . . . with persecutions. Mark 10:29–30 Christ’s words to…

Jesus’s Compassion Mark 8:1–10 I have compassion on the crowd. Mark 8:2 The story of Jesus feeding the four thousand contains a lesson for anyone who feels that God has forgotten him or her. Do you feel that way? If you do, notice Jesus, out of compassion, had initiated the matter of feeding the people….

How should we celebrate Sunday?

The Great Commission Matthew 28:16–20 Go . . . and make disciples of all nations. Matthew 28:19 Notice that the word all occurs four times in these verses. 1. Jesus possesses all authority. This is no weak authority, because the one who spoke it is no weak master. He is the risen Lord, and “all authority in…

See the Grave Matthew 28:1–10 Come, see the place where he lay. Matthew 28:6 Think for a minute about why we should see the grave and how we may profit by it. First, we see the grave that we might understand the condescension of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ is not just…

The Burial’s Significance Matthew 27:57–61 [Joseph] laid [the body] in his own new tomb. Matthew 27:60 Jesus’s burial has theological significance for us. This point strikes us when we study what is said about the grave in the Old Testament and about the burial of Jesus in the New Testament. Old Testament texts speak of…

Passing Responsibility Matthew 27:11–26 I am innocent of this man’s blood; see to it yourselves. Matthew 27:24 Pilate was trapped by his own scheming. He had miscalculated. But his stubborn character still came through. He was caught, but he did not want to be defeated by the Jews’ religious rulers whom he obviously despised. “Then…

Judging Jesus Matthew 26:57–68 He has uttered blasphemy. What further witnesses do we need? Matthew 26:65 Jesus’s claims matched what the Old Testament taught about the Messiah. 1. The Messiah was to have been born in Bethlehem, as Jesus was (Micah 5:2; Luke 2:1–7). 2. The Messiah was to be virgin born, as Jesus was…