John’s Testimony “No man ascended to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man” (John 3:13). by Douglas Rawson Four Passover seasons occurred during our Lord’s earthly ministry. These occurred in 30, 31, 32, and 33 AD. These Passovers are found in John 2:13, John 5:1, John 6:4, and John 11:55. Here we consider the first Passover, recorded in John 2:13. This was not the first of all Passovers for Jesus, for he would have observed many […]
The Middle Passovers “There was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem” (John 5:1). “The pass‑over, a feast of the Jews, was nigh” (John 6:4). by David Rice All four Gospels narrate the experiences of Jesus in a generally sequential fashion, but not entirely. Matthew sometimes aggregates subjects by topic. For instance, his account of our Lord’s Great Prophecy in Matthew 24 joins things together that apparently were said on three separate occasions, as reflected in Luke chapters […]
Deferring Death Until the Time Appointed “After these things Jesus … would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him.Now the Jews’ feast of tabernacles was at hand. … then went he also up unto the feast …but as it were in secret” (John 7:1, 2, 10). by Paul Lagno The fourth Passover season of Jesus’ Ministry brought his public ministry to an end. Jesus’ post-resurrection appearances were only to the disciples, exhibiting his glorious change of nature. The […]
The Brotherhood of the Cup “There is no greater love than this — that a man should lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13, Phillips translation unless noted). by Timothy Krupa The term “friend” is one of the language labels given to a relationship between two individuals. That label describes how they feel and behave toward each other.That term is also scriptural, and therefore deserves some consideration. In John 15:15 Jesus said, “I shall not call you servants any longer, […]
A Vital Christian Grace “Serving the LORD with all humility of mind” (Acts 20:19). By Stephen Jeuck Humility is regarded by God as an indispensable quality of character required of every footstep follower of Christ, if they are to prove faithful to their vow of consecration. The Apostle Peter wrote, “Be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time” […]