Latest Commentaries

The Great Commission (continued) Jesus commissions and commands His disciples to make more disciples of all nations. They are to accomplish this by going to the nations, baptizing new disciples in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and by teaching new disciples to do the things Jesus commanded them. The Great Commission ends with Jesus promising to be with them until His return.

The Great Commission Jesus begins His Great Commission of His disciples by declaring that all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Him.

Jesus’s sixth resurrection appearance. The disciples obey Jesus’s command and proceed to Galilee. They see Him there and worship Him, but some were doubtful. 

The Resurrection Coverup Some of the soldiers who ran away from the tomb report to the chief priests about the angel who rolled away the stone. The priests confer with the elders and together they devise a scheme to cover up the resurrection. They bribe the soldiers with a large sum of money to tell the lie that Jesus’s disciples stole His body by night. The religious leaders assure the guards that they will keep them out of trouble if Pilate hears of their desertion or failure. 

Jesus’s Second Resurrection Appearance Jesus meets the women after they reported to the disciples about the angel and the empty tomb. They fall to the ground in worship of Jesus, clinging to His feet. He encourages them to not be afraid and tells them to instruct His disciples to leave Jerusalem for Galilee where they will see Him.

The Women’s Resurrection Report The women rush from the empty tomb and find the disciples. They report what they saw and heard from the angel—that Jesus has risen from the dead, and His message to meet Him in Galilee.

The Angel’s Announcement to the Women at the Empty Tomb  When the women arrive at Jesus’s tomb, they find it empty. An angel addresses them stating that the reason Jesus is not here is because He has risen. The angel invites the women to see the empty tomb for themselves. He charges them to inform the disciples about what they have seen and to remind them of Jesus’s message to meet Him in Galilee. 

The Opening of Jesus’s Tomb Matthew reports accompanying signs of Jesus’s resurrection: a severe earthquake, an angel of the Lord descends from heaven, and the stone sealing Jesus’s tomb is rolled away. The Roman soldiers guarding Jesus’s tomb were terrified and became like dead men at the sight of this brilliant and powerful angel. 

End of the Sabbath Once the Sabbath is over, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary come to visit Jesus’s grave.

John begins the prologue to his Gospel with a sublime statement about Jesus’s divine identity. It reflects fundamental principles from the Genesis account of creation expressed in terms taken from the Arché Principle of Greek philosophy. 

Paul urges his readers to walk in righteousness and light, and to separate themselves from those in the church who work against the will of God. God has called believers to be set apart from the world, to live in step with His design as sons and daughters.

Paul appeals to the Corinthians to hear him: he has held nothing back in his openness and love for them, but the Corinthians have not reciprocated in the same way.

Paul continues in the defense of his ministry to the Corinthian believers. Rather than draw attention to his competence as a preacher, teacher, or writer, he lists his qualifications in terms of what he has and is going through to fulfill his calling as an apostle of Jesus Christ. He becomes vulnerable and open to his church, again declaring his love and affection for them.

Another judge, named Shamgar, delivers the nation from its enemies in a remarkable and unconventional way. His story is brief, yet it encapsulates the cyclical theme of Judges: God raises up unlikely individuals to deliver His people in times of need.

Ehud’s daring assassination of King Eglon of Moab serves as a turning point in Israel’s struggle against Moabite oppression. Ehud’s escape and the ensuing victory illustrate both his leadership and the divine deliverance of Israel from their enemies.

In response to Israel’s cry for help, God raises up Ehud, a Benjamite, as a deliverer. Using a clever and daring strategy, Ehud assassinates Eglon, the oppressive king of Moab, motivating Israel’s return to the Lord.

The Israelites fall back into sin, prompting God to strengthen Eglon, the king of Moab, who allies with Ammon and Amalek to defeat Israel. The Israelites are subjected to eighteen years of oppression under Eglon’s rule.

In response to Israel’s cry for help, God raises up Othniel, who delivers the Israelites from the oppression of Cushan—rishathaim. Empowered by the Spirit of the Lord, Othniel leads Israel to victory and ushers in a period of peace that lasts forty years.

The Israelites once again fall into idolatry, worshiping the Baals and Asheroth. As a result, God allows them to be oppressed by Cushan—rishathaim, the king of Mesopotamia, for eight years.

God allows certain nations in Canaan to continue to exist. This is an opportunity for Israel to grow in its faithfulness and learn how to defend itself. But these nations become a snare to Israel as they intermarry with the Canaanites and adopt their idolatrous practices.