The Bible in Context
Les Bridgeman Are you a good listener? Listening well is one of the hardest things to do. My goal below is to try and listen well to the Bible, LGBTQ people, and scientists, while providing resources for further study. But why bother listening to all of these voices? We should listen for two reasons. First, we should … Read more
Jesus was frequently misunderstood. On many occasions, his listeners failed to comprehend what he was saying or misinterpreted his words. After his resurrection, they also failed to recognize him. Here’s a list of examples in the Gospels. When Jesus was twelve years old he said to his parents, “‘Why were you searching for me? . … Read more
The four Gospels end with an explosion of life. The angel announces, “He has risen!” Mary Magdalene says, “I have seen the Lord.” And the disciples declare, “We have seen the Lord!” Life bursts forth from the tomb. After Good Friday and Holy Saturday comes Easter Sunday. According to Luke, after Jesus died, he appeared for 40 … Read more
You are probably aware of Good Friday and Easter Sunday, but have you heard of Holy Saturday? According to Mark’s Gospel, Jesus died Friday afternoon at 3 p.m. Since the Sabbath is Friday at sunset to Saturday at sunset, the day of rest would have begun shortly after Jesus breathed his last. For Jews, all … Read more
Jesus experienced an incredible amount of agony before he died. Here’s a list of what he endured, primarily from Mark’s Gospel. He was betrayed by one of his disciples with a kiss. He was “deeply distressed” and “overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death” while praying. He told his disciples to “keep watch” but … Read more