Early on Friday morning of Holy Week, after being dragged around all night, falsely accused, beaten, and convicted by the high priest, Jesus was handed over to Pilate, the Roman governor, under false charges. Pilate asked Jesus if he was the king of the Jews, and Jesus responded, “You have said so” (Mark 15:2, ESV). […]
MAUNDY THURSDAY: THE LAST SUPPER
Mark documented the events of that Thursday evening, the night Jesus was betrayed. Jesus sent his disciples into the city to arrange the Passover meal. They were told to find a man carrying a jar of water and follow him to the place where they would stay for the evening. This mirrors the story of […]
WEDNESDAY: THE PREPARATION FOR JESUS’ DEATH
On Wednesday of Holy Week, Mark shows us how several storylines begin to intersect. The construction of this narrative is significant. It starts and ends with the religious leaders plotting to kill Jesus, but it focuses on a genuine act of worship by an unnamed woman. Her story has been preserved for thousands of years […]
TUESDAY: THE LESSON OF THE FIG TREE
On Tuesday morning, as they were heading back into the city, the disciples saw that the fig tree Jesus had cursed had withered and died. Jesus’ response to them was very cryptic. Was he teaching his disciples how to move mountains? Or is there a deeper meaning? The lesson of the fig tree is a […]
MONDAY: THE CURSING OF THE FIG TREE
Mark specifically records that Jesus returned to the temple the next morning after the Triumphal Entry. As he traveled along, he was hungry and saw a fig tree in the distance, full of leaves. It looked good from far away, but when he got closer, he noticed that it had no fruit. The next line […]
Palm Sunday: The Triumphal Entry
Dear Fellow Christ Followers, I want to invite you to walk with me on a journey with Jesus during His final week. In the daily blog posts that follow, we will be exploring the Gospel according to Matthew as we reflect on the events leading up to Jesus’ death on the cross and subsequent resurrection. […]
Daily Readings for Holy Week from the Gospel of Mark by Adam Miller
Mark’s Gospel opens at a rapid pace. One of his favorite words is “Immediately.” There is no birth narrative. No genealogy. No temptation in the wilderness. No turning water into wine. Jesus is introduced at his baptism, and immediately afterward, he begins calling his disciples. The first half of the book has Jesus instructing his […]
LESSONS FOR THE DISCIPLES ON SUFFERING AND SERVICE: By Adam Miller
The middle of Mark’s Gospel has Jesus turning his attention to Jerusalem and the mission of the cross. Three times Jesus told his disciples that he was going to suffer, die, and rise again, but they could not comprehend what he was saying. This section begins and ends with Jesus healing blind men. These are […]
A WINTER UPDATE: By Adam Miller
This winter has been a doozy. We have had snow just about every weekend, which makes holding regular Church services a challenge. However, despite all of the storms, we have not had to cancel any of our worship gatherings. It is a good thing too, because we have had visitors every Sunday. People are still […]