The words, “And it was night,” aren’t just telling time. John’s Gospel opens by celebrating the light that “shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it” (1:5). Only...

Do these Greek pilgrims find what they were looking for? John doesn’t answer that question. All we know is that they want to see Jesus and that their coming marked the...

I would guess that Mary has not planned to break open her perfume jar that evening. She may be saving it for her wedding night or as financial security for her...

As Jesus enters the city, the crowd begins to throw their cloaks on the ground to make a carpet as if for a royal procession. They take up the joyful song...

The Gospel of Luke has a long section, chapters 10–19, in which Jesus makes slow progress toward Jerusalem. Along the way he tells stories, heals the sick, and speaks to crowds....

I remember more than a few Sunday school lessons that contrasted various Greek words for love, like philios (fraternal love) and eros (romantic love), with agape, the love of Christian caring....

Paul’s letters are not abstract theological treatises but practical communications meant for a particular place with a particular context. We do not know the exact details of all the situations to...

Psalm 118 is like a biblical greatest hits playlist; it contains many lines we sing or pray in worship. Beginning at the first verse, “O give thanks to the Lord, for...

Both Jesus and the Servant face scorn and suffering with the help of God. The Servant has had his ear opened in a receptive posture to receive the word, which he...

In four different passages in the book of Isaiah, the prophet speaks of the Suffering Servant (42:1-4; 49:1-6; 50:4-9; 52:13– 53:12). We understand the Servant as a universal figure standing for...