All four Gospels present John the Baptist as a preacher in the wilderness (Matt. 3:1; Mark 1:4; Luke 3:2; John 1:23), an oddity even in his own day. He lived in barren places, subsisting on honey and locusts. He pursued extreme humility, announcing that Jesus would grow more prominent while his own fame diminished (3:30). He considered himself unworthy even to loosen Jesus’ sandal strap (1:27).
John the Baptist fearlessly preached repentance to anyone within shouting distance, and crowds flocked to him from Jerusalem and across Judea. He attracted common people, respectable socialites, religious leaders, tax collectors and other notorious sinners, and even Gentiles such as the Roman soldiers. What was his winning message? “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” (Luke 3:7).
John the Baptist eventually offended the wrong person—Herodias, wife of King Herod (see “Hateful Herodias” at Matt. 14:3)—when he spoke against the royal couple’s incestuous, adulterous union. Outraged, Herodias had her husband arrest the prophet and pressed for his execution. The king refused, afraid to kill a man he knew to be holy and just, but Herodias eventually had her way (Mark 6:14–29).
John’s influence continued after his death. Several of his disciples became followers of Jesus (for example, Andrew; John 1:35–40). Nearly thirty years later, Paul encountered a group of John’s disciples in Ephesus (Acts 19:1–7). Jesus declared this final Old Testament prophet (considered Old Testament because he preceded Christ) to be the greatest of men (Matt. 11:11–14). By fulfilling his unique God-given purpose, he paved the way for Jesus.
More: Billy Sunday is a modern example of an man who fearlessly preached the gospel. Known for his colorful sermons and fiery personality, this former Major League baseball player was not unlike the eccentric John the Baptist. See here for an article on the life of Billy Sunday.
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• Most prominent Roman province in Palestine during the first century.
• Encompassed four distinct topographies: coastal plains along the Mediterranean Sea, southern lowlands, hill country, and desert.
• Named by the Greeks and Romans after captives who returned to the Promised Land following the Babylonian exile, most of whom belonged to the tribe of Judah.
• Under the Persians, was ruled by an appointed governor, usually a Jew (Ezra 5:8; Hag. 1:14; 2:2).
• Ceased to exist as a separate entity when Herod Archelaus was stripped of power and banished to Rome (A.D. 6).
• Annexed to the Roman province of Syria and ruled from Caesarea (see Caesarea’s profile at Acts 10:24) by imperial governors (or procurators) supervised by the proconsul of Syria in Antioch (see “New Testament Rulers” at Luke 3:1).
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Often confused with: The Old Testament prophet Elijah (see “Elijah in the New Testament” at Mal. 4:5, 6); also sometimes confused with Jesus (Matt. 16:13, 14; Mark 6:14–16).
Home: Born and raised in a Judean town but lived most of his adult life in the wilderness bordering the Jordan River.
Family: Son of Zacharias and Elizabeth.
Occupation: Prophet and preacher.
Best known for: Preparing the way for Jesus the Messiah.
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In New Testament times, there were two Galilees, upper and lower. Jesus grew up in the densely populated lower Galilee and carried out most of His ministry in its communities. As many as eleven of His twelve disciples also came from this region. (Judas Iscariot was the one obvious exception. See “The Twelve” at Matt. 10:2.)
Home to a culture that bridged the Hebraic and Graeco-Roman worlds, Galilee existed on the fringes of traditional Jewish life. As a result, Galileans were scorned by their Judean neighbors, who used the term Galilean as a synonym for fool, heathen, sinner, or worse.
Most significantly for Jesus, these neighbors were convinced that no prophet could come from Galilee (John 7:52). Yet from there a Prophet did arise. It was in Galilee that Jesus first outlined His message (Luke 4:14–19) and demonstrated its power. He performed at least thirty-three miracles in the region, and it was there that He told nineteen of His thirty-two recorded parables.
As Jesus traveled around the district, He demonstrated that His message was for everyone, including people excluded from acceptable society. His message did not start at the top and move down. It spread from the bottom up. However, there is little evidence that Jesus’ message took hold in Galilee after He left. The people largely rejected their Prophet and King, and His dire predictions about Capernaum, Chorazin, and other Galilean cities came true (Matt. 11:20–24).
More: The Sea of Galilee was no place to be caught in a storm. Sudden outbursts of violent weather occur there to this day. See “Storms on the Sea of Galilee” at Luke 8:22–25.
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• The Roman province of northern Palestine; extended from Mount Hermon in the north to Mount Carmel in the south and from the Mediterranean Sea to the Jordan River.
• Unlike Judea, remained under Herodian rule (see “The Herods” at Acts 12:1, 2) during the first half of the first century.
• Herod the Great depopulated Judea by resettling Jews in new or rebuilt cities in Samaria and Galilee.
• Galilee, meaning “Circle” or “Circuit,” was surrounded and heavily influenced by Gentiles. Jews to the south derided its population by calling it “Galilee [Circle] of the Gentiles [Nations]” (Is. 9:1; Matt. 4:15).
• Known for its prosperous fishing industry and fertile land.
• Benefited from trade as a crossroads between Egypt and Damascus.
• Galilee’s economic independence, political toleration, and religious freedom made the region a seedbed for revolutionaries against Rome. Galilean became a slur meaning “rebel” or “bandit” (see “Political Parties of Jesus’ Day” at Matt. 16:1).
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Also known as: Simon (his given name); Christ renamed him Cephas (Aramaic), or Peter (Greek), which means “Rock.”
Home: Bethsaida and Capernaum on the Sea of Galilee’s north shore.
Family: Son of Jonah (not the Old Testament prophet); older brother of Andrew; his wife traveled with him as he spread the message about Jesus.
Occupation: Commercial fisherman; later one of Jesus’ first representatives.
Best known for: His declaration that Jesus is the Christ, followed by his three denials; being given “the keys to the kingdom of heaven” by Jesus (Matt. 16:19).
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Peter the fisherman was the first person called by Jesus to follow Him as a disciple, and among the apostles he is invariably listed first (Mark 3:14–16; see also “The Twelve” at Matt. 10:2). Peter was a natural leader, and God used him to break new ground for the movement that Jesus initiated. Peter was the first apostle to …
• Recognize Jesus as the Christ (16:13–17).
• Follow Jesus in walking on water (also the only apostle to walk on water; 14:28–30).
• See the risen Lord (Luke 24:34; 1 Cor. 15:5).
• Preach Christ after the Holy Spirit’s outpouring at Pentecost (Acts 2:14–40).
• Break the barrier between Jews and Gentiles (10:1—11:18).
• Be linked to a Gospel. Papias (A.D. 125) claimed that Peter’s preaching is what inspired Mark, his interpreter (see “The Synagogue” at Mark 1:21), to write the first Gospel.
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By the time of Christ, synagogues had become common throughout Palestine. These local Jewish congregations met to read and study Scripture and to pray, emphasizing instruction in Mosaic law.
Synagogues (from the Greek sunagōgē, meaning “a leading or bringing together”) first formed during the Babylonian captivity (see “A Gift of the Exile” at Ezek. 14:1). Lacking a temple but longing for community and communion with God, Jewish captives met in local groups for worship and Torah reading. Some captives eventually returned to their homeland, where Zerubbabel rebuilt the temple and Ezra promoted prayer and study of the Law (Neh. 8), but a vast majority of the people remained in Persia. Others migrated elsewhere, notably to Alexandria, Egypt. In their homeland and beyond, the Jews continued to meet in synagogues.
Some synagogues began to function as courts that could sentence offenders and carry out scourging as punishment (Matt. 10:17; 23:34). Some also became schools where children learned to read. Synagogues everywhere became centers of Jewish community life. As these local gatherings grew, they developed an established lineup of customary officials.
• Elders were devout and respected men who regulated synagogue policies. By custom the elders were seated at the front of the synagogue (compare 23:6).
• A ruler of the synagogue, appointed by the elders, planned services and oversaw the facility. A local congregation might have more than one ruler. Jairus, who asked Jesus to heal his daughter, was a ruler (Mark 5:21–43).
• The minister cared for the sacred scrolls, tended the lamps, and cleaned the building. If elders found an offender guilty, the minister administered the prescribed lashes. During the week he taught children to read.
• The delegate was a person chosen to read Scripture, lead in prayer, and comment on the Scripture of the day. Jesus was given this responsibility in the Nazareth synagogue (Luke 4:16–20).
• The interpreter translated the Hebrew Scriptures into Aramaic, which was spoken by most of the Jews in Palestine during Jesus’ lifetime.
• Almoners were two or three laypeople who received money or other necessities for the poor.
A synagogue could not be formed without at least ten Jewish men in the community, a condition met in a great many towns throughout the Roman world. Paul found synagogues at Damascus (Acts 9:2), Salamis (13:5), Antioch in Pisidia (13:14), Iconium (14:1), Thessalonica (17:1), Berea (17:10), Athens (17:16–17), and Ephesus (19:1, 8). Whenever he entered a city to preach Christ, he spoke first in the synagogue before reaching out to the larger community.
Synagogue worship profoundly influenced Christian worship. The Jewish service began with the people reciting the Shema. Shema is the first Hebrew word in the passage, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one!” (Deut. 6:4–9). As the congregation stood facing Jerusalem with hands extended, the speaker of the day led them in prayer. At the close of the prayer, the people said “Amen.”
As the speaker stood and read from the Law, the interpreter translated the reading into Aramaic. Then a passage from the Prophets was read and translated. The speaker usually sat down during the commentary or sermon. If a priest was present, he pronounced a benediction and the people said “Amen.” Because the earliest Christians were Jews, they often followed this synagogue pattern in their own gatherings.
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Mark reports that after Jesus healed Simon’s mother-in-law, she served the people who were present in her home. Her efforts likely involved far more than cooking a meal.
Work began at sunrise in first-century Jewish homes. After a simple breakfast of curds and bread, the women walked to the nearest well or stream to fill jars with fresh water for the day’s needs.
Some of the water was used to make the daily bread. The women hand-ground wheat or barley on the family millstone, then added water and a small piece of dough from the previous day to provide yeast. Kneaded and left to rise, the dough was shaped into large, flat disks and baked in a household oven fueled by grasses and brush gathered by women and their children.
Other chores included spinning wool, weaving, making clothing and linens, mending, washing, producing pottery and other utensils for cooking, and preparing food. These tasks were essential to the family’s everyday life, and each household relied on its own labor. Women acquired the skills for maintaining their home from their mothers and in turn passed them down to their children.
Jewish culture highly valued the work of caring for children and providing for daily needs such as food and clothing. But a woman’s work was not confined to material needs. Formal schooling was rare, so a mother tutored her children in craft skills and literacy. She provided essential leadership at home, shaping her children’s cultural and religious values. She taught them to follow Israel’s customs and faith.
Women were also responsible for preparing the home for the Sabbath. They filled the lamps with olive oil, prepared Sabbath food and special treats, and collected an extra day’s water. As part of the evening ceremony, husbands recited Proverbs 31:10–31, an acknowledgement of their wives’ vital and varied work.
More: Women were the primary caregivers for infants and children. See “The Value of Children” at Matt. 19:14. The responsibilities of some first-century women extended beyond the home. Lydia was a successful businesswoman in the purple trade (see her profile at Acts 16:14), and Priscilla manufactured tents with her husband (see their profile at Rom. 16:3–5). Other women worked as wool workers, midwives, hairdressers, nurses, vendors, entertainers, political leaders, and construction workers. See “Women and Work in the Ancient World” at 1 Cor. 7:32–35.
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Jesus healed countless people whose diseases made them social outcasts. He also healed several well-connected citizens whose maladies impacted their families, friends, and employers. See “Medical Miracles” at John 9:1–41.
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Each of the four Gospel writers introduces readers to people who were significant to Jesus but were considered inconsequential by their society. The paralytic let down from the roof, for example, blended into the background until Jesus touched him. Most of the people who mattered to Jesus were not wealthy or famous. Nor were they social, business, political, or spiritual leaders. They were everyday people with problems and needs a lot like ours. Note just a few of the people we meet in the beginning chapters of each Gospel:
Matthew
• Four women touched by scandal (Matt. 1:3, 5, 6)
• A young couple dealing with a complicated engagement (1:18–21)
• Three foreigners deceived by a ruthless king (2:1–12)
• Countless baby boys who are murdered by Herod (2:16–18)
• A wilderness man who serves as Jesus’ forerunner (3:1–17)
Mark
• Four fishermen (Mark 1:16–20)
• A man oppressed by a demon (1:23–27)
• A feverish mother-in-law (1:29–31)
• Crowds of the sick and oppressed (1:32–34)
• An outcast leper (1:40–42)
• A paralytic (2:1–12)
• A despised tax collector (2:13–17)
Luke
• A barren elderly couple (Luke 1:5–25)
• An expectant young couple (1:26–38)
• A baby born amid confusion (1:57–80)
• Startled shepherds (2:8–20)
• An aged, saintly man (2:25–35)
• An elderly widow with a gift of prophecy (2:36–38)
John
• A puzzling religious pioneer (John 1:19–35)
• Two fishermen (1:35–42)
• The fishermen’s friend (1:43, 44)
• A skeptical critic (1:45–51)
• A seeker afraid to step into the light (3:1–21)
• A woman touched by scandal (4:1–42)
• A nobleman’s ailing son (4:46–54)
Scripture introduces our Savior by showing Him among crowds of common people—and with good reason. The people who are most ready for God’s help are not insulated from trouble by their possessions, status, or health. They recognize their own needs, and their brokenness makes them turn to God. In Him they find forgiveness and hope that overcomes human limitations.
The world tells us that we gain significance by lifting ourselves above others. But God wants to break that terrible bondage to self-importance. Like Jesus, we can reach out to everyday people wherever they struggle.
More: Toyohiko Kagawa, a social activist who was promoted to the high-paying job of Chief of Social Welfare for the Japanese government, made the decision to live humbly. “To work with poor,” Kagawa said, “I must be poor.” See here for an article on the life of this man who was dedicated to the cause of common people.
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The Pharisees were as intolerant as the religious legalists of the modern world, and Jesus refused to put up with them. See “Jesus Confronts the Legalists” at Luke 6:1–11.
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The men appointed to be Jesus’ disciples came from wide-ranging backgrounds. See “The Twelve” at Matthew 10:2.
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Pagan Gods in the New Testament
Name: Beelzebub
Description: A heathen god considered by the Jews to be the supreme evil spirit.
Reference: Mark 3:22
Name: Diana
Description: In Roman mythology, the goddess of the moon, hunting, wild animals, and virginity.
Reference: Acts 19:24, 27, 28
Name: Hermes
Description: The Greek god of commerce, science, invention, cunning, eloquence, and theft.
Reference: Acts 14:12
Name: Mammon
Description: The Aramaic word for riches, personified by Jesus as a false god.
Name: Moloch
Description: National god of the Ammonites, whose worship involved child sacrifice.
Reference: Acts 7:43
Name: Remphan
Description: An idol worshiped by Israel in the wilderness.
Reference: Acts 7:43
Name: Twin brothers
Description: In Greek mythology, the twin sons of Zeus.
Reference: Acts 28:11
Name: Zeus
Description: The supreme god of the ancient Greeks.
Reference: Acts 14:12, 13
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Jesus’ response to His family might sound as if He considered Himself too good to associate with them. But His intent was to distinguish between human expectations about family and the place of family within His kingdom. Rather than excusing Himself from commitments to parents and siblings, He showed that He considered obedience to God an even higher priority. “His own people” had already shown that they grasped little about Jesus or His kingdom’s values (Mark 3:20, 21). They were trapped by their own sinfulness, and they could not see that they needed God’s help.
Conflict is inevitable within families. We fight over personal values, current events, politics, possessions, sex, money, and hurt feelings. The most bitter fights often occur between husbands and wives. People who know each other intimately can find themselves feeling strangely, incredibly distant.
Families are collections of sinners, and no matter how intense their love for each other, sinners will always be themselves (1 John 1:8, 10). This has been true since the beginning of time: Scripture’s earliest families showed a bewildering array of sinful dysfunctions (see “Family Expectations” at Gen. 42:36). The God who puts us in families may have given us these stories to prepare us for the sometimes shocking pain of real human relationships. That same God also points us to better ways of living as a family.
More: To learn more about what the Bible has to say about families, see the articles under “Family” in the Themes to Study index.
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Jesus often used parables—short, fictitious stories used to illustrate moral or religious principles—to communicate spiritual truths. Sometimes His parables were extended tales with developed plots and characters. At other times they were little more than figures of speech. But they were always powerful.
Jesus was a master teller of parables but he wasn’t the parable’s inventor. Parables are also featured in the Old Testament. The prophet Nathan, for example, told a parable to King David about a rich man who stole a small ewe lamb that belonged to a poor man (2 Sam. 12:1–4). The wise woman of Tekoa told of a widow whose two sons fought until one was killed (14:5–7). Solomon told a parable about a sluggard (Prov. 24:30–34). Several Old Testament prophets filled their teachings with parables, including Jeremiah (see “The Parables of Jeremiah” at Jer. 18:1–10), Ezekiel (see “The Parables of Ezekiel” at Ezek. 15:1–8), and Zechariah (see “The Parables of Zechariah” at Zech. 5:1–4).
Parables draw in listeners with vivid, imaginative pictures. This doesn’t mean, however, that they are easy to understand. Jesus’ closest friends were sometimes baffled by His parables (Matt. 13:24–30, 36–43). Furthermore, while Jesus sometimes spoke in parables in order to reveal truth to His followers, at other times He was aiming to conceal His meaning from His detractors (13:10–17; Mark 4:10–12; Luke 8:9, 10). His method fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah 6:9, 10, enlightening seekers of truth but blinding the disobedient.
Interpreting Parables
Most of Jesus’ parables have one central point. To find that core meaning, it helps to understand what a parable meant in the context of the time in which it was told and how it relates to Jesus’ proclamation of the kingdom. After all, parables were more than mere folk tales. They expressed Christ’s view of God, humanity, salvation, and the new age that began with His ministry.
The three parables recorded in Luke 15:3–32 are good parables with which to begin an approach through historical context. Each parable deals with lost things: the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the two lost sons. The context shows Jesus telling these stories while eating with tax collectors and sinners (15:1, 2). The religious elite censured this behavior because in their view He was transgressing the Law.
In response, Jesus used a story about a lost sheep to declare that God rejoices more over the repentance of one sinner (like those gathered at the table with Him) than over “ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance” (15:7; like the religious elite who congratulated themselves on their supposed superiority). Likewise, in the parable of the lost sons, the younger son (15:11–24) is a symbol for the tax collectors and sinners, while the older son (15:25–32) stands for the scribes and Pharisees.
Parables are one of the Bible’s most engaging forms of teaching. When we struggle to understand and apply God’s truth, parables can help us see how eternal truths relate to everyday life.
More: Jesus probably spent most of His life working in His family’s carpentry business, a setting that equipped Him to present truth in terms that normal people could understand. See “Pictures of the Kingdom” at Matt. 13:1.
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Jesus commands us to be His witnesses (Acts 1:6–8), but we should not mistake that mandate as an assignment to convert others. Conversion is the Holy Spirit’s job (John 16:8–11). Our success at sharing our faith is therefore not measured by the rate of response. If that were the standard, Jesus Himself would often have been considered a failure. Many who heard Him—and even some who followed Him—turned out to be uninterested in His offer of salvation (6:60–66).
Jesus points out that people vary in their openness to accepting the truth. As witnesses we cannot change the soil in which we work. Our task is to offer good seed and work hard to nurture whatever faith sprouts up (1 Cor. 3:7–9). One of our most effective ways of doing that is by continually applying our faith in day-to-day life (Phil. 2:12, 13; James 2:14–26), putting it out there for others to see and consider (Mark 4:21–23). Even when others are not ready for a spiritual conversation, we can be sure they are evaluating our actions.
How others react to our message is between them and God, but that does not excuse us from caring about others and their responses. Scripture challenges us to love others as we have been loved—and to keep caring whatever the outcome. Our love means little if we save it for people who respond quickly and positively. Even if people are hostile to our message, we can leave it up to God to use us anywhere and anytime to reach out to anybody He chooses.
More: Scripture also urges us to work alongside the Spirit in influencing others. See “Whose Job Is Evangelism?” at John 16:8.
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Instantaneous spiritual maturity is a nice idea, but it’s not very realistic. And we shouldn’t beat ourselves up for being slow to understand how to properly live as a Christian, or for feeling intimidated by others who seem further along in their walk.
Jesus’ patience with His disciples offers some perspective. He called them to follow Him one day at a time (Luke 9:23). He also promised that at the right time the Spirit would lead them into truth that was too difficult to grasp at the present moment (John 16:12–16).
God gives us what we need when we need it, not very often ahead of time. He holds back some lessons until we become able to understand and apply them. Like the first disciples, we cannot see the end from the beginning. Faith never arrives fully grown. It begins as a little seed to be planted and nurtured (Mark 4:26–32).
More: Jesus told a parable to illustrate the way in which His followers would slowly grasp spiritual truth. See “Treasures Old and New” at Matt. 13:52.
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Gadara—a town located six miles southeast of the Sea of Galilee, east of the Jordan on the edge of the Arabian Desert—was the site of or was near the site of Jesus’ dramatic healing of a man possessed by a multitude of demons (compare Matt. 8:28–34; Luke 8:26–39). Matthew reports that Jesus healed two demon-possessed men. Mark and Luke refer to only one, possibly the more violent of the two.
The incident took place at a “necropolis,” or “city of the dead” (Mark 5:2, 3, 5). Necropolises were elaborate cemeteries near ancient cities. The Gospels say that the demon-possessed man had been driven from normal society into a miserable life in a necropolis. Such social practices still persist in the Middle East today. Several million people live in cemeteries in and around modern-day Cairo, in houses literally built on tombs.
The demons within this man identified themselves as Legion (5:9). Roman legions of between five and six thousand soldiers marched along the King’s Highway from the Gulf of Aqaba through the Decapolis and north to Syria, passing the lakeside cemetery where the man lived. Thousands of demonic spirits tormented the man day and night, as if they marched nonstop through his body.
When Jesus cast out the demons, they entered a herd of pigs that were drowned in the nearby lake (5:11–13). Some point to this scene and accuse Jesus of environmental and economic insensitivity. But to Jesus, one wounded person was worth more than a herd of pigs. He permitted their destruction in order to save the man from his hellish existence under the possession of evil spirits, showing here and elsewhere that human beings matter more than anything else on earth.
More: The region around Gadara was known as the country of the Gadarenes (Mark 5:1; Luke 8:26) or Gergesenes (Matt. 8:28). See also the textual footnotes at these verses for variants.
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• The region east of Galilee and Samaria also known as the Transjordan.
• Name means “Ten Cities.” These included (in alphabetical order): Canatha; Damascus, the chief city (see its profile at Acts 9:2); Dion; Gadara; Gerasa (modern-day Jerash); Hippos; Pella (an ancient settlement not mentioned in the Bible but a sanctuary for Christians during the Jewish-Roman war of A.D. 67–70); Philadelphia (Old Testament Rabbah or Rabbath Ammon, chief city of the Ammonites; modern-day Amman); Raphana; Scythopolis; and later, Edrei and Abila.
• Accessible by way of the King’s Highway and three other major roads, making it a major crossroads on Roman trade routes.
• Favored Greek culture over Jewish traditions.
• Visited by Jesus, who drew large crowds there, mostly comprised of Gentiles (Matt. 4:25; Mark 5:20; 7:31). News about Jesus no doubt spread quickly through the transportation links between cites of the Decapolis.
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It is often easier to look away from the world’s hurts than worry about how to make a difference, where we should start, or who most needs our help.
Jesus showed us how to manage the world’s overwhelming issues. After sailing across the Sea of Galilee, He was immediately swarmed by people vying for His attention. He encountered two critical needs: the terminally ill twelve-year-old daughter of a well-respected synagogue ruler (Mark 5:22–24) and an obscure woman suffering from chronic bleeding (5:25–28).
The ruler, who possessed obvious wealth and an abundance of connections, reached Jesus first. But as Jesus made His way across town, a woman—unnamed, unannounced, and completely unvalued by the crowd—grabbed His clothes. Reaching out and touching a rabbi was the desperate act of a woman who knew she would be forever ostracized, perpetually ill, and perhaps even die without a miracle.
The little girl had been living for twelve years (5:42), and the woman had been dying for twelve years (5:25). What would Jesus do?
Complicating the situation was the fact that the woman’s touch rendered Jesus ritually unclean (Lev. 15:25–27). He was technically prohibited from helping the little girl until the next day. But neither the woman nor Jesus gave a thought to religious rules. The woman was amazed at her immediate healing, and Jesus was aware that His power had been accessed (Mark 5:29, 30). He was able, without seeing, to distinguish the jostling of a crowd from a person who reached out in faith.
Jesus called the woman “daughter” (5:34), perhaps referring to her Jewish ancestry. But whatever His meaning, the term put her on an equal footing with the ruler’s daughter—and simultaneously showed Jesus’ sympathy for Jairus as a parent in pain. His tender words may be why Jairus continued to faithfully trust Jesus even as help for his own crisis was delayed (5:35, 36).
No individual Christian can meet all the needs of the world. But that is not what God asks us to do. Jesus calls us to respond to the individuals He puts in our way. Some may be young, some may be old, some rich, some poor, some loved, some unloved. But they are all God’s children.
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By turning to Jesus for help to save his daughter’s life, Jairus risked his job as synagogue ruler. He was well-known in his community, and people watched his actions intently. But this father was desperate, and he approached Jesus with abandon.
Jesus was a controversial rabbi. Some Jews followed Him, but many others took great offense at His teaching (Mark 3:6). As Jairus fell at Jesus’ feet, he must have known that some in his synagogue would condemn him.
When Jesus arrived at Jairus’s home, He took the ruler’s daughter by the hand. It is important to note that coming into contact with her dead body made Jesus ritually unclean. Moreover, it was inappropriate for a Jewish man, particularly a rabbi, to touch a female. But Jesus was not concerned with the letter of the Law; He was concerned with its spirit. And this little girl’s father had humbly asked for His help.
Jairus risked a prestigious career to help his beloved daughter. In response, Jesus risked His reputation as a teacher in order to bring the girl back to life. Personal crises can move us to break with tradition in order to seek help. In those moments we become extremely vulnerable and exposed to public ridicule. But often Jesus will respond lovingly, sending someone to help us in our emergency. If so many miracles happen when we take risks, why not take them more often?
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Like his earthly father before Him, Jesus worked as a carpenter. He may have continued to practice His trade even as He traveled to teach and heal.
Jesus derived no income from His ministry. Only officials of the temple, religious courts, and synagogues drew salaries. Other religious teachers were either independently wealthy or supported themselves through a trade or profession.
Jesus did receive financial support from several wealthy women (see “The Women Who Followed Jesus” at Luke 8:1–3). He was welcomed as a guest into many homes. But of all the complaints that His enemies lodged against Him—failing to keep the Sabbath, eating and drinking with sinners, making Himself out to be God—they never accused Him of laziness. His own townsfolk were amazed at His teaching because in their eyes he was “just a carpenter.”
More: One Pharisee who became a prominent Christian leader supported himself by making tents. See “Paul’s Tentmaking” at Acts 18:1–3. For more on employment while pursuing ministry, see “Professional Christian Workers” at 1 Cor. 9:1–23.
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When the Twelve returned from their tour with Jesus (Mark 6:7, 12, 30), their Master pulled them aside. He modeled a habit that many of us could stand to practice more—the habit of rest.
Given the pressure we often feel to outwork and outperform our coworkers, rest may seem like the last thing we should pursue. But God wants us to embrace His standards, not those of our culture. He values work (see “God: The Original Worker” at John 5:17 and “People at Work” at Ps. 8:6). And He also upholds our need for downtime. Rest is something God Himself does (Gen. 2:2). He also commanded the Israelites to rest regularly each week (Ex. 20:8–11).
We need to look hard at how much time we actually need to spend at work, because there are too many other important things we might be missing out on. We may find ourselves working too much not because the job demands it but because we fail to trust God to meet our needs through a reasonable amount of work. We may need to take Jesus’ advice: “Come aside … and rest a while” (Mark 6:31).
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• A town (or possibly two) located on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee (modern-day Golan Heights).
• Name means “House of Fishing.” Most citizens in New Testament times were employed in the fishing industry.
• Located near the Decapolis (Mark 5:20).
• Total population for the surrounding seaside area was greater in the first century than it is today.
• Situated near the heavily traveled King’s Highway along the Sea of Galilee.
• Hometown of several apostles: brothers James and John, Simon and Andrew, and Philip.
• Jesus denounced the town’s inhabitants for their lack of faith (Matt. 11:21; Luke 10:13).
• Possible origin of the early Christian sign of the fish.
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• A plain extending a mile from the Sea of Galilee along a five-mile section of the west shore.
• Name means “Garden of Riches.” Rich loamy soil caused figs, olives, palms, and other trees to grow well there.
• Also the name of another town on the west shore, the fortified city of the tribe of Naphtali (Josh. 19:35), which is often called by its Hebrew name: Chinnereth.
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Giving equal honor to both father and mother was required by the Law (Ex. 20:12). Indeed, the Law decreed stiff punishment for those who dishonored their parents (see “Respecting Parents” at Lev. 20:9 and “Juvenile Delinquents” at Deut. 21:18–21). Hebrew Wisdom Literature said that only a fool would disobey his mother or mock his father (Prov. 30:17). Nevertheless, the scribes and the Pharisees found a way to ignore these commands (Mark 7:11, 12). Their traditions had become more important to them than keeping the Law, even though at other times they attacked Jesus for not fulfilling other parts of the Law. No wonder Jesus called them hypocrites (7:6).
More: If your home left you with painful childhood memories, it may be hard to honor your parents. See “Respecting Your Parents” at Prov. 15:20.
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Jesus’ encounter with the Syro-Phoenician woman (compare Matt. 15:21–28) raises difficult questions about racial and ethnic attitudes. His treatment of the woman seems to contradict His image as the Savior of the whole world. Note the facts of their conversation:
The Gentile Woman … | Jesus … |
• Sought Jesus out (Mark 7:25). | • Tried to hide from her (Mark 7:24). |
• Begged for mercy for her demon-possessed daughter (Mark 7:25, 26; Matt. 15:22). | • Ignored her cries (Matt. 15:23). • Seemed to agree with His disciples that she should be sent away (Matt. 15:23, 24). |
• Called Him “Lord” (Mark 7:28; Matt. 15:25) and “Son of David” (Matt. 15:22). • Worshiped Him (Mark 7:25; Matt. 15:25). | • Said He only came for the Jews (Matt. 15:24). |
• Did not object to being called a “dog” (Mark 7:28; Matt. 15:27). | • Implied that she was a “dog” (a term Jews frequently applied to Gentiles; Mark 7:27; Matt. 15:26). |
• Asked only for the “crumbs” left over from Jesus’ work with the Jews (Mark 7:28; Matt. 15:27). | • Implied that because she was not a Jew, she was not a child of God and could not be helped (Matt. 15:24, 26). |
In the end, Jesus praised the woman’s persistent faith and healed her daughter (Mark 7:29; Matt. 15:28). But His response is still difficult to understand. The woman approached Him with immense sincerity and respect, yet Jesus rebuffed her harshly. This cannot be how God want us to treat people from other ethnic groups.
Jesus’ words may have been intended less for the woman than for His disciples. Maybe it was to them—not the woman—that He said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (15:24). They wanted Him to heal her daughter and send her away, and He may have ironically voiced their own nationalist, exclusivist attitudes, treating the woman as His disciples would. In doing so, He also demonstrated that despite continual rejection, Gentiles deeply hungered for God’s grace and power. Jesus’ affirmation of the woman’s faith and His healing of her daughter repudiated the notion that He cared only about Israel.
If Jesus were to lead us to places and people that we discount or even despise, what would He say to us? How would He shock us into seeing our own prejudices? How would we need to change to reflect His love for all the peoples of the world?
More: Jesus denounced racism and ethnic hatred wherever He found it. See “Jews, Gentiles, and Jesus” at Matt. 15:24.
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“No sign shall be given to this generation,” Jesus declared. He wanted to avoid giving in to the Pharisees’ demand for a miracle—but He had already performed plenty of miracles and would perform many more, as the following table shows.
Miracle: Healed a leper
Matthew: 8:2–4
Mark: 1:40–45
Luke: 5:12–16
Miracle: Healed a centurion’s servant
Matthew: 8:5–13
Luke: 7:1–10
Miracle: Healed Peter’s mother-in-law
Mark: 1:29–31
Miracle: Healed the sick in the evening
Mark: 1:32–34
Miracle: Calmed the storm
Matthew: 8:23–27
Mark: 4:35–41
Luke: 8:22–25
Miracle: Cast out demons and sent them into a herd of pigs
Matthew: 8:28–34
Mark: 5:1–20
Luke: 8:26–39
Miracle: Healed a paralytic
Matthew: 9:1–8
Mark: 2:1–12
Luke: 5:18–26
Miracle: Raised Jairus’s daughter from the dead
Miracle: Healed a woman’s chronic bleeding
Matthew: 9:20–22
Mark: 5:25–34
Luke: 8:43–48
Miracle: Healed two blind men
Matthew: 9:27–31
Miracle: Healed a demon-possessed, mute man
Miracle: Healed a man with a withered hand
Matthew: 12:9–14
Mark: 3:1–6
Luke: 6:6–11
Miracle: Healed a demon-possessed, blind, and mute man
Matthew: 12:22
Luke: 11:14
Miracle: Fed more than 5,000 people
Matthew: 14:13–21
Mark: 6:30–44
Luke: 9:10–17
John: 6:1–14
Miracle: Walked on the Sea of Galilee
Matthew: 14:22–27
Mark: 6:45–52
John: 6:16–21
Miracle: Enabled Peter to walk on the Sea of Galilee
Matthew: 14:28–33
Miracle: Healed the Syro-Phoenician woman’s daughter
Matthew: 15:21–28
Mark: 7:24–30
Miracle: Fed more than 4,000 people
Matthew: 15:32–39
Mark: 8:1–10
Miracle: Healed an epileptic boy
Matthew: 17:14–18
Mark: 9:17
Luke: 9:38–42
Miracle: Sent Peter to find a coin in a fish’s mouth
Matthew: 17:24–27
Miracle: Healed two blind men near Jericho
Matthew: 20:29–34
Mark: 10:46–52
Luke: 18:35–43
Miracle: Caused a fig tree to wither
Miracle: Cast out an unclean spirit
Mark: 1:23–28
Luke: 4:33–37
Miracle: Healed a deaf mute
Mark: 7:31–37
Miracle: Healed the blind man at Bethsaida
Mark: 8:22–26
Miracle: Healed blind Bartimaeus
Mark: 10:46–52
Luke: 18:35–43
Miracle: Escaped from a hostile crowd
Luke: 4:28–30
Miracle: Caused a great catch of fish
Luke: 5:1–11
Miracle: Raised a widow’s son from the dead
Luke: 7:11–17
Miracle: Healed an infirm, bent woman
Luke: 13:11–13
Miracle: Healed a man with dropsy
Luke: 14:1–4
Miracle: Healed ten lepers
Luke: 17:11–19
Miracle: Healed Malchus’s ear
Luke: 22:47–51
Miracle: Turned water into wine
John: 2:1–11
Miracle: Healed a nobleman’s son
John: 4:46–54
Miracle: Healed an infirm man at Bethsaida
John: 5:1–15
Miracle: Healed a man born blind
John: 9:1–41
Miracle: Raised Lazarus from the dead
John: 11:1–44
Miracle: Rose from the dead
Matthew: 28:1–10
Mark: 16:1–14
Luke: 24:1–43
John: 20:1–29
Miracle: Caused a second great catch of fish
John: 21:1–14
More: By definition, miracles are usually uncommon. See “Miracles Do Not Happen Every Day” at Ex. 14:21. See also “Miracles and Creation” at Is. 38:1–9 for a sample of many well-known miracles.
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Yeast, or leaven, is a powerful fungus that causes dough to rise in bread, ferments liquids into alcohol, and can cause painful infections. When Jesus spoke of yeast, His disciples struggled to understand. What was this “leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod”?
Jesus reminded His followers that He had miraculously fed thousands (Mark 8:19–21; 6:35–44; 8:1–9). But the Pharisees responded by arguing with Him and demanding a miracle (8:11). They refused to believe in Him despite His performing other miracles in plain sight. And just as Herod had done away with John the Baptist (6:14–29), these religious opponents were in league with Herod and his supporters to do away with Jesus (3:6; 12:13).
Jesus sought to warn His followers against the insidious spread of unbelief. Like yeast expanding within dough, lack of faith can permeate our lives until it breaks out in open rebellion against God. No wonder Jesus was so displeased with the disciples’ lack of perception (8:17, 18). He may have feared that the yeast of unbelief was already at work in them. They had failed to understand the significance of His feeding thousands once before (6:52). Now they were missing it a second time!
Jesus knew that danger lay ahead. Powerful enemies would seize Him, and the disciples would be severely tested. He tried to stay out of sight (8:26, 30) to avoid exposing His followers to the full force of His opponents before their faith was ready for such trials.
None of us knows what dangers await. We may be headed for trials that we could never have imagined happening to us. If we want to be ready to meet whatever challenges come our way, we must carefully guard our faith and nurture it day by day to help it grow stronger. Unbelief can creep in unawares but end up taking over if we’re not careful.
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• City on the southwestern slope of Mount Hermon in northern Palestine.
• Known as Paneas (or Panias) in New Testament times, but renamed by Philip the Tetrarch in honor of Caesar Augustus.
• Not to be confused with Caesarea, Herod’s seaport on the Mediterranean (see Caesarea’s profile at Acts 10:24).
• Perhaps the northernmost extent of Jesus’ ministry.
• High cliffs nearby housed a cave dedicated to the Greek god Pan. Other rock cuts held statues dedicated to the mythical nymphs.
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Peter’s extraordinary declaration, “You are the Christ,” was made near Caesarea Philippi, a town that had been named in honor of Caesar Augustus (see its profile at Mark 8:27). In the Old Testament era, the city had been a center of Baal-worship for the Canaanites. The Greeks later substituted their god Pan for Baal, and in time the Romans used it for worshiping their emperors. Significantly, Jesus led His followers outside Palestine to this center of pagan deities and asked them two vital questions:
• “Who do men say that I am?” (8:27; emphasis added).
• “Who do you say that I am?” (8:29; emphasis added).
The answer to the first question is easy enough. People believed that Jesus was a powerful religious leader like John the Baptist, Elijah, or the other many Old Testament prophets. Even King Herod’s counselors thought as much (6:14–16). But Peter stepped forward to answer the second question. He had finally settled in his own mind who Jesus was. “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God,” Peter confessed (Matt. 16:16; Mark 8:29).
It may be that Jesus looked at the monumental rock cliffs that rose nearby as He replied, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah [that is, Simon, son of Jonah].… And I also say to you that you are Peter [“Rock”], and on this rock I will build My church” (Matt. 16:17, 18).
Some have understood Jesus’ use of the word rock to mean the bedrock of faith, as in the faith Peter demonstrated in his proclamation that Jesus is Lord. Others conclude that Peter was the rock—the key figure on whom the church would stand, with his successors continuing that foundational role. For this reason many consider Peter the first Bishop of Rome. Others say Jesus’ choice of language is a wordplay on Peter’s name that points to Himself as the Rock on which His church is built.
The key detail to take away from this incident is that Jesus is the Christ. Standing in the shadow of a city named in honor of Rome’s emperor, Jesus was declared Someone far, far greater: the Son of God. Moreover, He was more than just the Messiah of the Jews; He was the Savior of the entire world.
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Jesus must have looked at the actions of Peter, James, and John during the Transfiguration and wondered about their fitness for leadership. But rather than replacing these followers, He continued to help them grow. He showed that over time immature people can be developed into servant-leaders. See “Unlikely Leaders” at Matt. 26:35–74 and “Discipleship Is a Process” at Luke 9:1–62.
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First-century Jewish men were allowed to divorce their wives for a multitude of reasons. Depending on which interpretation of the Torah a man followed, a wife could even be sent away for burning a meal. Women were far more restricted in their grounds for divorce. One of the few reasons considered legitimate concerned her husband’s occupation. A wife could get a divorce if her husband was a copper smelter, tanner, or dung collector—even if she knew his trade before she married—on the grounds that she could not have known how awful the smell would be.
More: How should believers today regard divorce? Is it prohibited by Scripture? See “Marriage and Divorce” at Deut. 24:1–4.
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He was young, well-mannered, well-educated, and well-off. He was sincere, honest, above reproach. He may even have had an engaging personality and a charming smile. This guy had everything—except eternal life. He could have had that as well, but he would have had to get rid of his money to follow Jesus.
Jesus said elsewhere that no one can serve both God and money (Matt. 6:24), and this man was living proof of that principle. In approaching Jesus, the rich young ruler came to a fork in the road. He had to choose whether he would serve money or serve the Lord. Apparently he chose money.
Jesus never criticized people simply for being rich. Scripture does not condemn those who possess or accumulate money. But Jesus warned people about what He called “the deceitfulness of riches” (Mark 4:19). He understood the attractive yet ultimately fatal act of substituting money for God.
Jesus perceived that tendency in the rich young ruler. The man placed far too much value on his wealth, so Jesus told him to give it away and free himself from the slavery of his riches. As far as we know, Jesus did not give that same advice to other rich people He encountered. But it was a requirement for this particular person.
There are many people today who have or who are working to attain sizable assets. Others live paycheck to paycheck and find themselves sick with envy over their friends’ or relatives’ possessions, or they have fallen into crushing debt as a result of living beyond their means. Sooner or later all of these people must ask the same question the rich young ruler asked Jesus: “What shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?” (10:17).
Jesus’ response remains the same: there’s nothing we can do, because only God can give eternal life (10:27). He gives life freely and graciously to those who follow Him (10:29, 30). But the choice to follow is especially hard for the rich (10:23). They have a competing offer, and it is highly appealing.
More: Scripture encourages an alternative to greed. See “Christians and Money” at 1 Tim. 6:6–19.
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On Jesus’ final trip to Jerusalem, a power struggle emerged among Jesus’ disciples. Hearing their Master speak of a coming kingdom, James and John were the first to try to stake out positions of power. Jesus rebuked them by comparing them to despised Gentile leaders (Matt. 10:42). People like Pilate and Augustus and their array of governors, tax collectors, soldiers, and centurions lived only for themselves. Jesus accused His disciples of acting the same way by maneuvering for position and power. The comparison must have cut them to the core. Their attitudes made them no different than people who did not know God.
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• A village near Bethany along the road from Jerusalem to Jericho (possibly modern-day Abu Dis) or perhaps somewhere between Bethany and the Mount of Olives.
• A suburb of Jerusalem.
• Name means “House of Unripe Figs,” referring to a species of fig grown there that did not appear ripe even when edible. This type of fig is perhaps what inspired Jesus’ parable of the unripe figs (Mark 11:12–14, 20–26).
• First stop on Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem (Mark 11:1; Matt. 21:1; Luke 19:29).
• A possible location for modern-day Bethphage today hosts a Franciscan monastery (see here for an article on the life of Francis of Assisi, founder of the Franciscan Order).
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A Parade for the Common People
When Jesus entered into Jerusalem, the common people had a parade. The man they celebrated came into town in a manner unlike any other celebrity they had seen. See “A Humble Parade” at Matthew 21:1–11.
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Jesus destroyed an innocent fig tree and then promised mountain-moving power to people of faith. The context of this startling event and statement is crucial. Jesus and His disciples had just entered Jerusalem, where He would soon be tried and executed. When He happened upon the fig tree, He used it as a caution for what ultimately awaits people who oppose the kingdom of God—people such as His religious opponents. Rather than bearing fruit, the nation had misused its privileges as God’s people (Mark 11:12–18).
Cursing the fig tree was not a random act of anger but a message for Jesus’ disciples. Coming events would turn against Jesus and confuse and frighten His followers. Perhaps the memory of that powerful visual would help them not to forget that they were part of a lasting, purposeful, and victorious kingdom.
As for using prayer to hoist mountains into the sea, Jesus was referring to the power of faith for people who do not misuse their privileges as people of God but promote His kingdom in this world (11:22). He did not promise us an ability to use power to our personal advantage. He instead showed the significance and power of trusting God, that as long as we pray with confidence that our prayers are heard and will be answered, God will remove seemingly insurmountable obstacles from our lives. His power will be unmistakable, overwhelming, and on our side.
More: Forgiveness also has immeasurable power. See “The Power of Forgiveness” at Matt. 9:4–8.
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The practice of taxation as it unfolded in Scripture may have originated with the custom of giving presents in exchange for protection from harm (Gen. 32:13–21; 33:10; 43:11).
In Egypt, Joseph warned that seven years of famine would follow seven years of abundance. Pharaoh consequently put Joseph in charge of raising revenue. He collected a 20 percent tax to store up food and buy land for Pharaoh, a requirement that continued not only in the time of plenty but also during the famine (47:20–26).
During the Exodus, Moses asked for voluntary contributions to construct the tabernacle (Ex. 25:2; 35:5, 21). The Law also prescribed that every male over the age of twenty was to give half a shekel for tabernacle expenses (30:11–16).
When Israel begged Samuel for a king, he warned that heavy taxes would result—10 percent of nearly everything the people produced, as well as confiscation of land and servants. “You will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves,” he warned (1 Sam. 8:14–18). His words came true almost right away.
Under David and Solomon, several taxes of money, time, and work were established: a 10 percent tax on the produce of land and livestock (8:15, 17); compulsory military service for one month each year (1 Chr. 27:1); import duties (1 Kin. 10:15); and tribute paid by subject peoples (2 Sam. 8:6; 2 Kin. 3:4). The taxes became so oppressive under Solomon that after his death they contributed to the split of the kingdom (1 Kin. 12:4).
When the Persians later took control, they established a new system. Instead of paying tribute, each province of the empire was required to collect its own taxes. Persian rulers called satraps collected taxes for their own provinces, from which they paid a fixed amount into the royal treasury. Revenues were derived from tributes, customs payments, and tolls (Ezra 4:13). Priests and religious servants were exempt (7:24). A tax was also collected for maintaining the governor’s household. Again, taxes grew so crushing that many people were forced to mortgage their fields and vineyards, and some even sold their own children into slavery (Neh. 5:1–5).
During the period between the Old and New Testaments, the Jews were first under Egyptian Ptolemaic rule (301–198 B.C.) and later under Syrian Seleucid rule (198–63 B.C.). Under the Ptolemies, taxing privileges were farmed out to the highest bidders. People came to Alexandria from the various provinces to bid for the privilege of collecting taxes from their own people. Contractors taxed up to double the amount required by law in order to turn a substantial profit. These tax collectors were even given military assistance to enforce their demands.
The same type of system probably continued under the Syrians. A poll tax, a salt tax, and a crown tax were enforced during this era. The Syrians claimed as much as one-third of the people’s grain, one-half of their fruit, and a portion of the tithes that the Jews paid to support their temple.
When the Romans captured Jerusalem in 63 B.C., they temporarily imposed a tax of ten thousand talents on the Jews. Julius Caesar later reformed the system by reducing taxes and levying no tax during Sabbath years. But this soon changed when the Herods came to power.
The Herods instituted a poll tax and a tax on fishing rights. Customs were collected on trade routes by men such as Levi (the apostle Matthew; Matt. 9:9; Mark 2:14; Luke 5:27). Capernaum may have also been a place for the gathering of port duties and fishing tolls. Some items sold for 1,000 percent above their original price because of the heavy taxation. There may have been a sales tax on slaves, oil, clothes, hides, and furs.
Over and above these taxes, the people also paid religious dues, generally between 10 and 20 percent of their income before government taxes were deducted. As a result, even the poorest of the Jews of the New Testament era probably spent between 30 and 40 percent of their income on taxes and religious dues.
More: For more on taxes in Scripture see “Jesus and Taxation” at Matt. 17:24–27.
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The poor widow in Mark 12:41–44 was so destitute that she was in danger of dying. When she deposited her last two mites in the temple treasury, Jesus announced that she had given more money than anyone else.
Jesus was indicating that giving and sacrifice are relative. To the wealthy people who strolled up to the coffers with sacks of gold coins, the widow’s contribution couldn’t have been more measly. But two mites was everything to this woman. It was “all that she had, her whole livelihood.” As a poor widow, she had no means of support and was likely unemployable. Giving all to God meant that she had nothing left for herself.
The widow’s gift was so important because God placed moral rather than economic value on her tiny offering. By giving herself entirely over to God and trusting Him to meet her needs, she showed the true condition of her heart.
More: Hudson Taylor was both a missionary and a recruiter for other missionaries to China. All of his recruits promised never to solicit money for their work but instead to trust God to fulfill their needs. See here for an article on the life of Hudson Taylor.
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Jesus’ words in Mark 13 (and Matt. 24:1–51 and Luke 21:5–36) no doubt lingered in His followers’ minds. When the disciples commented on the temple’s significance and permanence (Mark 13:1), Jesus responded by remarking how temporary such structures really are (13:2). Once the group was in a quiet setting (13:3), He then detailed the end of history as we know it. Jesus told how it was, or, rather, how it was going to be. He didn’t shy away from this difficult topic. He honestly and openly spoke of the turmoil His followers would endure (13:4–37):
• Deception, wars, earthquakes, and famines would be the beginning of their sorrows (13:5–8).
• His followers would experience testing as His witnesses before councils, governors, and kings (13:9–11).
• Family members would turn against each other (13:12, 13).
• Distress and deception would reign for as long as God permitted (13:14–25).
• Jesus would eventually return for His followers (13:15–31).
• Because His followers would not know precisely when He would return, they should patiently serve God (13:32–37).
Jesus contrasted the illusory strength and beauty of Israel’s center of worship with the faithful loyalty and service of His followers (13:2, 9, 13, 33–37). Human structures inevitably crumble and fall, but God’s righteous works last forever. His followers should therefore stand firm, serving God faithfully, not falling victim to the seductions of the world.
More: Paul echoed these points when he addressed the issue of troubled times in his second letter to the Thessalonians (2 Thess. 2:1–17).
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Radical Faith
Led naked to the gallows for his resistance to the Nazi dictator Adolph Hitler, Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906–1945) spent his final moments in prayer. A doctor who observed his execution later wrote, “I saw Pastor Bonhoeffer … kneeling on the floor praying fervently to God. I was most deeply moved by the way this lovable man prayed, so devout and so certain that God heard his prayer. At the place of execution, he again said a short prayer and then climbed the few steps to the gallows, brave and composed. His death ensued after a few seconds. In the almost fifty years that I worked as a doctor, I have hardly ever seen a man die so entirely submissive to the will of God.”
In the years that led up to World War II, few church leaders stood against the rise of Hitler and the Third Reich. Bonhoeffer could have pursued a comfortable life like so many others. His father was a prominent neurologist and his mother a teacher with aristocratic family roots. They were dismayed when their teenage son declared that he wanted to become a theologian. As a student, Bonhoeffer brought together the Christ-centered theology of Karl Barth and the concern for daily relevance that belonged to more liberal thinkers. In 1927, he completed his degree at the University of Berlin, and in 1930, he studied at Union Theological Seminary in New York City, where he began to understand the problem of social injustice and the inadequate response of the church. His year in America moved him from dealing in abstractions to a real-life faith.
The Nazis came to power on January 30, 1933, and Hitler was installed as chancellor two days later. Bonhoeffer saw a cult rising around the new leader. Jews began experiencing severe restrictions of their civil rights, and the nationalistic German Christian movement promised to exclude all “non-Aryans” from ministry. Bonhoeffer spoke against Nazi interference in the church and with others organized the Confessing Church, which in 1934 publicly declared its allegiance first to Christ: “We repudiate the false teaching that the church can and must recognize yet other happenings and powers, personalities and truths as divine revelation alongside this one Word of God …” (Barmen Declaration). While most Christians sought to avoid provoking the Nazis, Bonhoeffer declared that Christ’s followers were obligated to question the state, to help victims of injustice, and “to fall into the spokes of the wheel” of the machinery that caused injustice.
As Germany looked for a savior after the nation’s defeat in World War I and the subsequent economic depression, few saw reason to oppose Hitler’s agenda. Many Christians regarded Jews as an inferior race and their persecution as God’s will. But Bonhoeffer actively resisted Hitler, becoming a co-conspirator in plots to assassinate the Führer and overthrow the Nazis. He was arrested in April 1943 for assisting Jews and misusing his church position. Not until much later did the Nazis grasp his connection to wider plots. After incarceration in a Gestapo prison and two concentration camps, he was hanged on April 9, 1945.
Bonhoeffer was a devoted advocate of radical obedience to Christ—the kind of faith that results in observable, tangible change. In The Cost of Discipleship he rebuked the acquiescence he had observed in the church: “Cheap grace is preaching forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession.… Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the Cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.” In a letter written during his imprisonment, Bonhoeffer made this reflection on the role of the individual believer: “To be a Christian does not mean to be religious in a particular way, to make something of oneself … on the basis of some method or other, but to be a man—not a type of man, but the man that Christ creates in us. It is not the religious act that creates the Christian, but participation in the sufferings of God in the secular life.”
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Jesus wants His followers to interpret turbulent times not just in the flow of human history but even more from His kingdom perspective. As His followers, we are citizens of eternity. Our confidence must therefore be rooted in something far more substantial than our positions and achievements in the here and now. God prepares each of us for moments of deep kingdom significance as we serve the people He sends our way.
We often rely on achievements—reaching goals, acquiring possessions, climbing professional ladders—for our identity and self-worth. All is well until we lose these things. And we are often devastated to reach the top of the ladder only to realize that all the while we have been climbing toward the wrong goal.
Our culture encourages us to develop a personal sense of self-importance that is self-serving and often self-destructive. God wants to build our self-image on a far more enduring foundation. He invites us to discover our calling, which will involve serving Him in the unique places and tasks He assigns to us. Our self-worth rests on the fact that we are His children, created by Him to carry out good works as kingdom servants (Eph. 2:10). According to Scripture, our calling is …
• Irrevocable (Rom. 11:29).
• A means of sharing in Christ’s glory (2 Thess. 2:14).
• A function of how God has designed us (Eph. 2:10).
• An assurance that God will give us everything we need to serve Him (1 Cor. 1:7–9).
• Our true identity (1 Pet. 2:5, 9).
• A source of strength in suffering (2:19–21).
• Rooted in peace, no matter what our circumstances (1 Cor. 7:15–24).
• Focused on eternal achievements rather than earthly ones (Phil. 3:13—4:1).
God calls us above all else to the development of our character, service to others, and loyalty to Him. These can be accomplished no matter where we live or work, whatever our occupational status or social position. As long as we pursue these things, we can enjoy true satisfaction and significance. We can join Paul in saying, “We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Rom. 8:28).
More: Psalm 71 inspires and directs anyone contemplating how to have a meaningful, satisfying life in their later years. See also “The Art of Growing Old” at Ps. 92:14.
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What the disciples regarded as waste, the Lord received as worship. Learn more in “Waste or Worship?” at Matthew 26:6–13.
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Israel’s religious and political leaders wanted to rid themselves of Jesus, so they tried every means possible to convict Him of a crime. They paid an informant from among Jesus’ own followers, but he returned their money and declared the Lord innocent (Mark 14:43–46; Matt. 27:3–5). They orchestrated an armed mob to intimidate Jesus, but He kept His cool and restrained His followers (26:51–54). The leaders even presented witnesses to testify against Him, but the witnesses perjured themselves and contradicted each other (Mark 14:55, 56).
People tried to convict Jesus of a crime for which they lacked a shred of evidence. They failed because Jesus lived His life in plain sight. For every false accusation lodged against Him, there were countless examples of His love and moral perfection.
What signs of authentic faith do people see when they scrutinize our lives? Is it enough evidence to prove that our trust in God is real? The Bible suggests several outward marks of authentic faith:
• We display the Beatitudes that Jesus described in His Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5:3–16).
• We think with a transformed mind, we express genuine love, and we respect authority (Rom. 12:1, 2; 13:1–7).
• We overflow with love (1 Cor. 13).
• We display the Spirit’s fruit (Gal. 5:22–26).
• We imitate Christ’s humility and look out for others’ interests (Phil. 2:1–4).
• We always rejoice, we pray without ceasing, and in everything we give thanks (1 Thess. 5:16–18).
• We carry out works of faith and compassion (James 2:14–17), we control our tongues (3:1–11), and we speak wisdom (3:13).
• We hold to the truth about Jesus (2 John 4; 3 John 3, 4) and defend it (Jude 3).
As others study our lives for evidence that we are followers of Christ, how many of these marks do they see?
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If it hadn’t been for some truly remarkable circumstances, Barabbas would have remained unknown to history. He was just another one of the sicarii (“dagger-men”; see “Political Parties of Jesus’ Day” at Matt. 16:1) who assassinated Roman officials in a vain hope of driving them from Palestine.
Such men occasionally managed to gain a small following and create serious trouble. In 6 B.C., Judas the Galilean led a tax revolt, for example, but the Romans quickly executed him and scattered his followers.
The Roman authorities had arrested Barabbas and others on charges of insurrection and murder (Mark 15:7; Luke 23:19). The prisoners knew what awaited them—crucifixion, a grisly form of execution reserved for political criminals. The gruesome spectacle of nailing rebels to an upraised cross to die of asphyxiation was a decisive statement about Rome’s power and intolerance of political opposition.
But Barabbas was not to die in that way. The arrest of Jesus, the political maneuverings of Caiaphas the high priest (see “The Religious Power Broker” at Matt. 26:3–5) and of Herod and Pilate (Luke 23:6–12), as well as the custom of releasing a prisoner during Passover (Mark 15:6) combined to let Barabbas go free.
His liberty was finally secured by the cries of the mob to release him (John 18:40). Pilate found it hard to believe that the crowd actually preferred to pardon Barabbas. When they kept demanding that Jesus be crucified, Pilate asked, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests replied, “We have no king but Caesar!” so the governor released Barabbas (19:15; Matt. 15:15). How ironic that a revolutionary against Rome was released by the cry, “We have no king but Caesar!”
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Name means: “Son of Abba [Father].”
Home: Unknown; he might have been from Galilee, a seedbed for resisters against Rome (see Galilee’s profile at Mark 1:14).
Occupation: Unknown; he may have worked as a member of the Zealots, ardent nationalists who wanted to throw off Roman occupation of Palestine (see “Political Parties of Jesus’ Day” at Matt. 16:1).
Best known for: Receiving his release when the mob voted for him instead of Jesus (Mark 15:15).
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• A city on the north coast of Africa midway between Carthage and Alexandria.
• Under the Romans, capital of the province of Cyrenaica (ancient and modern-day Libya).
• Built on lush tableland 2,000 feet above sea level but only 10 miles from the Mediterranean.
• A major crossroads for trade, commerce, and tourism.
• Renowned as an intellectual center.
• In New Testament times, home to a large Jewish population (see “Scattered Among the Gentiles” at Jer. 9:16).
• Site of a Jewish revolt in A.D. 115–116, in which 200,000 people died.
• Struck by a disastrous earthquake in A.D. 365.
• Invaded by the Arabs in A.D. 642.
• A wasteland today, inhabited by Bedouins.
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As Jesus staggered under the weight of His cross, Roman soldiers drafted a man referred to as “Simon a Cyrenian.” Little is known of this man who came to the Lord’s aid, but he had likely made the pilgrimage from his home in Africa to Jerusalem for the Passover. After the dramatic events in which he played a small part, he may have stayed, like many Hellenistic Jews, until Pentecost. We know that men from Cyrene were among the crowd that witnessed the birth of the church (Acts 2:10).
We suspect that Simon became a follower of Jesus, because Mark recorded his sons’ names, Alexander and Rufus (Alexander was probably a popular name among the Cyrenians; Alexander the Great had captured the city in 331 B.C.), and Paul mentioned Rufus, along with his mother, in his greetings to the Romans (Rom. 16:13). The family was well-known to the early church.
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Roman centurions were non-commissioned officers who commanded battle groups called “centuries,” each comprising at least one hundred men. Similar to sergeants in a modern army, centurions often led Rome’s local police forces in occupied territories.
Centurions were responsible for tracking individuals who posed a threat to Rome’s security. Because Jesus drew thousands of people to hear Him, He was perhaps kept under surveillance, a possible explanation of one officer’s accurate knowledge of Him (Luke 7:1–10).
The Roman Army:
1 contubernum = 8 soldiers
1 century = 10 contubernums = 80 to 100 men
1 cohort = 6 centuries = 500 to 600 men
1 legion = 10 cohorts = 6,000 men
At the time of Jesus, Rome fielded an army estimated at five hundred thousand troops. Legions were stationed in two major Roman cities of Palestine: Sebaste in Samaria, and Caesarea on the Mediterranean. A military force was also present in Jerusalem at the Antonia fortress, guarding Herod’s temple palace. To ensure order during Jewish feasts, Rome moved additional troops into the city.
A Roman centurion and his troops were given the gruesome task of crucifying Jesus and two thieves with Him. The officer likely observed Jesus’ trial and His final march to the execution. He witnessed the crucifixion and mocking crowd. He saw the sky turn black at midday, felt the earth tremble, and heard Jesus’ final, exhausted death cry. A Gentile who probably had little regard for Hebrew religion, he was forced to conclude that the man whose death he had overseen was not only “a righteous man” (Luke 23:47) but was in fact the Son of God (Mark 15:39; Matt. 27:54).
More: Cornelius was another centurion who responded to the message about Christ. See his profile at Acts 10:1.
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The New Testament shows the popularity of the name Mary in first-century Palestine. Some examples:
• Mary of Nazareth, the mother of Jesus (Luke 1:26—2:52).
• Mary of Bethany, the sister of Martha and Lazarus (10:38–42; John 11). She anointed Jesus with perfume before His death (12:3).
• Mary of Magdala, a financial supporter of Jesus (Luke 8:2, 3) who had seven demons cast out of her by the Lord. She watched Jesus’ crucifixion and was the first witness of His resurrection (Mark 15:40; 16:9).
• Mary the mother of James and Joses. She too was present at Jesus’ crucifixion and was probably the same woman described as the “other” Mary (Matt. 27:61; 28:1) and as Mary the wife of Clopas (John 19:25).
• Mary the mother of Mark, making her a relative of Barnabas (Acts 12:12; Col. 4:10).
• Mary of Rome, known simply as a woman who worked hard alongside Paul and his companions (Rom. 16:6).
Mary was a popular name among the Jews because it was the Greek form of the Hebrew name Miriam, which was the name of one of Israel’s most famous and beloved biblical figures.
• Miriam was the sister of Moses (Num. 26:59) and one of the nation’s first prophets (Ex. 15:20).
• She, Moses, and their brother Aaron formed the leadership team that God appointed to lead Israel out of Egypt and through the wilderness toward the Promised Land (Mic. 6:4).
• Miriam displayed courage early in life when she saved her baby brother from death (Ex. 2:4–7).
• Later, after Israel escaped across the Red Sea from the Egyptian army, Miriam led the women in a song of celebration and praise (15:20, 21).
• However, on one occasion Miriam unwisely spoke against Moses. As a consequence she experienced God’s judgment by contracting leprosy. For seven days she was shut out of the camp, the time required before a person healed of leprosy could rejoin the community (Num. 12:1–15).
• While she was on “forced sick leave,” the people remained in one place until she returned to her work of leading the people (12:15).
More: See Miriam’s profile at Num. 12:1.
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The Gospel writers recorded that Jesus’ body was treated as a rich man’s might be, which is not surprising since He was buried by people of wealth:
• Joseph of Arimathea bought fine linen to wrap the body before laying it in his own expensive tomb (Mark 15:43–46; Matt. 27:60).
• Nicodemus assisted with burial arrangements and brought a hundred pounds of myrrh and aloes, costly substances used to perfume and wrap the body (John 19:39).
• Women who supported Jesus in His ministry—including Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome—prepared spices and fragrant oils to anoint the body as soon as the Sabbath was over (Mark 16:1; Luke 23:56).
More: Jesus was anointed for burial even before the crucifixion. See “Waste or Worship?” at Matt. 26:6–13. It is difficult for us to appreciate the significance that burial rituals held among ancient peoples. See “Funeral Preparations” at John 12:1–8.
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Dead people do not ordinarily rise again. Death is inevitable, and no human can avoid it. But Jesus broke that cycle. He conquered death by rising from the grave, and verified His resurrection by appearing to many of His followers. As Christians we can have hope in life after death because Jesus broke death’s bondage (1 Cor. 15:12–24, 35–58).
Jesus’ Appearances After the Resurrection
At the tomb. Early Sunday morning, Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome (Matt. 28:1–10; Mark 16:1–11; Luke 24:1–12; John 20:1–18).
Jerusalem. Jesus appeared to Peter on Sunday (Luke 24:34; 1 Cor. 15:5).
Road to Emmaus. About midday Sunday, Jesus appeared to two travelers (Luke 24:13–32).
The Upper Room. Jesus appeared to ten disciples on Sunday evening (Mark 16:14; Luke 24:36–43; John 20:19–25) and again one week later when Thomas was present (John 20:26–29; 1 Cor. 15:5).
Galilee. Jesus appeared to the eleven disciples in Galilee (Matt. 28:16–20; Mark 16:15–18). Later, He was seen by 500 followers, probably also in Galilee (1 Cor. 15:6).
Sea of Galilee. Early one morning, Jesus appeared to seven of His disciples while they were fishing and caused them to find a great catch of fish (John 21:1–23).
Location unknown. Jesus appeared to James the apostle (1 Cor. 15:7).
Mount of Olives. Forty days after the Resurrection, Jesus met with the eleven disciples, leading women, His brothers, and others, whom He told to take His message throughout the world. He then ascended into heaven (Luke 24:46–53; Acts 1:3–14).
Road to Damascus. Jesus confronted Saul of Tarsus in the middle of the day, an event that led to Saul’s conversion (Acts 9:1–9; 1 Cor. 15:8).
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When Jesus sent His followers into “all the world,” He clearly had global impact in mind. But spreading Christ’s message involves more than broadcasting a statement or set of facts.
Faith impacts the world when Christ’s followers live out the gospel, proclaiming it in their actions as well as their words. That makes our relationships of the first importance. It means that how we carry out our personal responsibilities and administer our resources deeply matters. Christ’s influence should be recognizable in our daily lives.
Christians also change the world when they band together in business and nonprofit organizations, churches, mission groups, and Christian media. As we partner with others through these organizations, we should not follow our own agenda but Christ’s agenda, working to meet the needs of the world with love, compassion, grace, mercy, patience, forgiveness, humility, wisdom, and hope.
Christ’s followers also exercise influence through advocacy. We attempt to influence the institutions and people that control society through acts as simple as voting or as complex as running for office or working to enact legislation. As nations give Christians the right to actively participate in public policy decisions, we should make the most of that right in ways that honor the Lord.
As we take Christ’s message to the world, we must understand how our world operates. See “Faith for Modern Life” in the front matter to learn more about how we can impact a world that needs Jesus.
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