Gospel of John: Scourge and Scorn

The entire company was kneeling, hailing Christ as King in an eerie prophecy of what will one day be fulfilled at the end of time.

Gospel of John: Bar Abbas

Pilate stood and shouted over the fray, Which of the two do you all want me to pardon and set free to you? Bar Abbas? Pilate bit out his name with a look of contempt, or Jesus who is called Christ? The comparison was obvious: Did they still want to free a villainous murderer, or would they take the nobler option of freeing this gentle holy man who had been falsely accused?

Minor Prophets: Zephaniah, Look Within

They hear the Lordโ€™s voice speaking softly, yet with such power. And as they dream, and gaze, and talk, these two young idealists are poised to change their world in a radical upheaval that would stay Godโ€™s judgement for an entire generation.

Gospel of John: What is Truth?

Jesusโ€™s spiritual kingdom of truth apparently had borders that extended far beyond Judea and even Rome. His kingdom had no borders, because every person who wanted to know the truth would listen to Jesus and become a citizen in his kingdom.

Gospel of John: Pilate’s Palace

God had prepared a day of reckoning that Pilate had no idea was coming. For him it was just another Friday. But he was instead going to experience the greatest crisis of his life, coerced into making a life-or-death decision of incalculable proportion and consequence.

Gospel of John: Lamb of God Judged

If God did not judge sin it would mean that God was indifferent to the existence of right and wrong, good and evil. But the Lord is not indifferent. God's wrath, grief, and intense pain over sin is the necessary and only right response.

Gospel of John: Private Agony

As John suffered the trauma of witnessing, as Jesus endured the ordeal of his hour and the Fatherโ€™s cup, as Peter wept bitterly, Judas also underwent internal agony. Matthew alone would tell his story.

Gospel of John: Pretrial

Before diving into the events of Jesus's trials, it makes sense to review the adjudicators, timeline, and setting,

Gospel of John: Denied Three Times

Repentance means radical, profound change by turning away from the old and entering into the new.

Gospel of John: Peter’s Sifting

Each one of us must decide: will it be the sword or the cup? Will I resist God's will or embrace God's will? The cup usually involves suffering, but the suffering ultimately leads to glory.