Latest Commentaries

Mark 15:39: The Centurion's Confession. Standing directly in front of Jesus, a centurion sees the way Jesus breathes His last and declares: "Truly this man was the Son of God!" The centurion’s confession is especially significant in Mark's Gospel because a Roman soldier recognizes the identity of Jesus as the Son of God after witnessing how He faithfully suffers and dies.

Mark 15:38: The Temple Veil is Torn in Two. A supernatural sign immediately follows Jesus's death. The veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom, signifying that Jesus's sacrificial death had removed the barrier separating sinful humanity from holy God. Mark briefly records this powerful sign, while Matthew provides an expanded account of additional supernatural phenomena that accompanied Jesus's death.

Mark 15:37: Jesus Dies on the Cross. After suffering on the cross for approximately six hours, Jesus utters a loud cry and breathes His last. Jesus's death fulfills Old Testament prophecy, completes His mission as God's Servant, and makes the Gospel possible.

Mark 15:35-36: The Bystanders Mistake Jesus's Cry for a Call to Elijah. Some of the bystanders misunderstand Jesus's anguished cry to God and mistakenly think He is calling for the prophet Elijah. Someone runs to give Jesus sour wine from a sponge placed on a reed, while the bystanders wait to see whether Elijah will come to take Jesus down from the cross.

Mark 15:34: Jesus Cries Out, "My God, My God, Why have You forsaken Me?" At the conclusion of the three hours of crucifixion darkness, Jesus exclaims: "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" His words quote Psalm 22:1, which prophetically describes the Messiah's suffering, death, and ultimate vindication. His outcry also provides the Gospel's clearest glimpse into Jesus's spiritual suffering as He bore the sins of the world and endured separation from God.

Mark 15:29-32: Jesus Is Mocked on the Cross. Jesus is mocked by those passing by, the chief priests and scribes, and even the men who were crucified beside Him. His mockers challenge Jesus to prove that He is the Messiah by saving Himself and coming down from the cross. Ironically, Jesus does not save Himself because He is the Messiah who came to save others by faithfully remaining on the cross and giving His life as a ransom for many.

Mark 15:11-15: Pilate's Judgement. The chief priests stir up the crowd to demand the release of Barabbas and the crucifixion of Jesus instead. Pilate repeatedly questions the crowd about what Jesus has done to deserve death, but they shout all the more for Him to be crucified. Wishing to satisfy the crowd, Pilate releases Barabbas, has Jesus scourged, and hands Him over to be crucified.

Mark 15:8-10: The Third and Final Phase of Jesus's Civil Trial Begins. Mark describes Pilate's second attempt to release Jesus by means of the customary Passover pardon. As the crowd asks Pilate to release a prisoner according to his custom, the governor offers to release Jesus, whom he knows was handed over by the chief priests because of envy. Mark highlights Pilate's political awareness while setting the stage for the crowd's demand that Barabbas be released instead.

Mark 15:6-7: Mark's Interjection about "the Passover Pardon." Mark interrupts his narrative of Jesus's civil trial to explain Pilate's custom each year at Passover of releasing one prisoner favored by the people. The prisoner who is put forth as an alternative to Jesus is Barabbas, an insurrectionist and murderer.

Mark 15:2-5: Pilate Investigates Jesus. Pilate questions Jesus about the charges brought against Him. The chief priests are harsh in their accusations, and Pilate gives Jesus an opportunity to counter their accusations, but Jesus remains silent, to Pilate's amazement. The First Phase of Jesus's Civil Trial: Jesus's Arraignment before Pilate

1 Corinthians 15:58 records Paul's conclusion to his lengthy defense of the resurrection of the dead, that Jesus did raise to eternal life and will raise believers too after we have died. In light of this, we should be solid and consistent, producing and over-producing good works of obedience to God, remembering that there is a purpose and a reward to living this way, when Jesus comes into His kingdom one day.

1 Corinthians 15:54-57 reflects on Old Testament prophecies and shows that when believers are resurrected and given eternal bodies, God's promise will be complete that no one will die again, nor will we sin. We will live, thank God, forever and in perfect joy and obedience to God, victorious at last over the pain and temptations of this life we will have then left behind forever. This is possible because of Jesus the Messiah, our Savior and King.

1 Corinthians 15:50-53 shows that one of the reasons for the resurrection of the dead (Paul is arguing against the false teaching that there is no resurrection) is that we cannot live and serve in God's kingdom in our current state. We have weak human bodies that decay and die. We will be made eternal to thrive in God's future kingdom. Paul reveals how this change will occur when the angelic trumpets sound, and Jesus raises the dead, and in a split second we will receive resurrection bodies and will live forever.

1 Corinthians 15:45-49 continues to demonstrate how our resurrected bodies will be different than our current bodies. Adam was born from dust, made into a soul that was alive. Jesus, through His death and resurrection, is a spirit who gives us eternal life. First we are born on this earth, made of dust, and then when we are resurrected we will be given spiritual bodies (real bodies, but eternal and heavenly, not earthly). On this earth, we are born from its materials, and were made for this environment, but in our resurrection, we will be made for a heavenly environment and purpose.

1 Corinthians 15:39-44 distinguishes different types of bodies in creation. Humans are different from land animals, and from birds, and fish. There is a different kind of body, one created in heaven, which is different than our earthly bodies built of dust. Just as the sun and moon and stars are all observably different, our future resurrected bodies will be different than our current bodies. We are currently in bodies that will decay and die, sown like a seed into the grave, and God will raise us into something new, strong, and eternal.

1 Corinthians 15:35-38 addresses the false teaching that believers won’t resurrect by anticipating a counterargument. Paul states what the false teachers will say––they will ridicule the idea of resurrection, implying it is unnatural. Paul points to nature to show how God created seeds to go into the ground, dry up, and then burst forth with life. Something small dies, and then something new and different comes from it, bigger and better than before. We are all like individual seeds who will receive new bodies.

1 Corinthians 15:33-34 exhorts the Corinthians to repent of sin and abstain from the bad influences in their midst. Some have been falsely teaching that this life is all there is and that we are not resurrected to eternal life. If that's true, there is no point in living for Christ and rejecting sin. But this is a lie leading to sin; believers will be raised to eternal life and we will be accountable for what we did in this life. Therefore, stay away from deceptive people encouraging sin. The way the Corinthians have been living is shameful and ignorant.

1 Corinthians 15:29-32 contrast the truth of resurrection and Jesus coming to rule the earth with the false teaching that there is no bodily resurrection and that death is the end. If this life is all there is, why do the Corinthians put their lives at risk practicing Christianity and being persecuted? What's the point of that? Paul points to his own daily suffering for Jesus, that it is silly for him to stand for Christ against the hostility of the world, if we are not resurrected to eternal life in the end. We might as well live for the pleasures of the day before the finality of permanent dark death.

1 Corinthians 15:25-28 shows that Jesus will rule the earth to the point of total victory; all of His enemies will be defeated. The last enemy is Death. Paul, combatting the lie in Corinth that there is no resurrection, shows that Death is something outside of God's original design for creation, and that when Jesus reigns on earth, Death, which doesn't belong in His perfect kingdom, will be discarded for those who believe in Jesus. We will live eternally with our King. Thus creation will be in harmony with its creator again, as Jesus redeems it, and submits to God the Father, and God dwells among His creation according to His perfect design.

1 Corinthians 15:23-24 shows the order of resurrections: Jesus was the first to resurrect to eternal life, and believers in Him will also resurrect when He returns to earth, and then the age will end, and Jesus will submit His new earthly kingdom to God the Father after casting down the sinful earthly kingdoms.