As his enemies close in, and death draws near, Jesus protects his disciples and readies them to run. However, there one more element of preparation he needs for himself and them: prayer. So they walk to Gethsemane, a place where
Hit the shepherd
Jesus has his death on his mind because it’s so close now. But he’s also concerned for his disciples. They need to understand that he will be hit hard, like the shepherd of Zechariah 13. When that happens they will
A new Passover [2]
On the evening before he dies, Jesus shares an intimate meal with his disciples. It begins as a Passover, but feels like no other Passover meal his team have ever had, as the threat of his death hangs over the
A new Passover
For centuries Israel has celebrated the Passover, a festival which looks back to the grief-filled night in Egypt when God redeemed the nation from violent slavery. Now Jesus will celebrate it with his twelve disciples. But he’s aware that everything
Perfume of death
The time has come for Jesus to die. Now the forces of evil, which he has been so powerful against, will be allowed to do their worst. It begins with the scheming, greedy crooks up at the temple being ready
Look up!
Jesus is preparing his disciples to stand firm in the catastrophe which is coming to ancient Israel, especially Jerusalem and her temple. They must see, in those future days, that he has ascended to rule from above and is building
Getaway
From Jesus’ ascension until just before the fall of Jerusalem his followers must testify to Israel: tell of what God has done through his Son whom they killed. Some will believe and be saved. But many won’t and the formal
Future worries
In stress-filled times our minds can be disturbed making our responses unreliable. Jesus knows that the four disciples who ask him about the future face just this danger. They have heard him predict the fall of Jerusalem’s temple, which means
The resurrection principle
Once the disciples recognised Jesus as the Christ, God’s king, he began to tell them of his impending death. He also assured them that this will work out for glory, since the Father will raise him back to life. But
Big men, little woman
Jesus has silenced his opponents. But he will not be silent. Instead, he asks questions about the legal experts. Why do they struggle to see the most important commands? It’s not because they lack in intellect or knowledge. Their problem