Earlier in John 10, Jesus depicts himself as the good shepherd who willingly lays down his life for the sheep. He warns that one must enter the sheepfold by the gate,...

By the time we arrive at Joppa and the story of faithful Tabitha, the signs and wonders of Peter and the apostles are known widely. When Peter is in Jerusalem, people...

Readers tend to focus on what Psalm 23’s Shepherd does for us—with good reason! The Shepherd provides for our needs; guides us into places of peace, safety, and prosperity; and leads...

Sheep heavily rely upon their vision. The placement of their eyes enables a wide field of sight for them to scan their surroundings quickly for any surprises, particularly predators. Since their...

Reading John 21 from start to finish reveals a theme that one might otherwise gloss over: Before Jesus tells Peter to feed his sheep, Jesus feeds his sheep. In yesterday’s reading...

The New Testament intentionally affirms the bodily and physical—as opposed to the merely spiritual—resurrection of Jesus. In John 20:24-31, Thomas touches the risen Lord in order to verify the bodily nature...

Christ’s sacrificial death culminates with a focus on worship in today’s passage. In response to the Lamb’s sacrifice, the elders fall down and worship. This act helps us understand the true...

Jesus is praised and worshiped because he is the God who is the Lamb. The concept of praise based upon God’s sacrificial death as the Lamb constitutes an unexpected radical revelatory...

The psalmist exclaims: “You . . . clothed me with gladness” so that “my glory may sing your praise” (esv). God clothes sinners with gladness to sing praise to God because of God’s own glorious...

Verse 16 of our reading reiterates the idea of embodied evangelism, the suffering to which God is calling Paul for the sake of the gospel. God calls Paul to a cruciform...