John had baptized many people who had repented and believed his message that the Messiah would soon appear. When Jesus came to be baptized, John didn’t yet realize that He was the Messiah, so it wasn’t for that reason that he was hesitant to baptize Jesus. He must have been hesitant because, when he compared himself to perfect and sinless Jesus, his own sinfulness was evident. That is why John suggested that Jesus baptize him! This reveals to us that Jesus had a reputation of being a very holy person, which we would have expected anyway since we know Jesus never sinned.

It was right after John baptized Jesus that John saw the Holy Spirit descend upon Him in the form of a dove. God had foretold John that when he saw that happen, it would reveal the person who was the Savior. Can you imagine how John felt at that moment when Jesus came up out of the water? His own relative, the most holy person he had ever met, was actually God’s Son! For thirty years Jesus had kept it a secret! From then on John began to tell everyone that Jesus was the Son of God. The secret was out!

John also understood something about the main reason why Jesus became a man, because he began referring to Jesus as “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). For thousands of years the people of Israel had sacrificed lambs during every Passover, just as God had commanded. But those lambs only served to prefigure Jesus, who would die for everyone’s sins, not just covering them, but, as John said, taking them away. If you are a believer in Jesus, you should know that He has taken away your sins. In God’s eyes, you aren’t just a sinner who was found guilty and then forgiven, you are a new person who has been declared “not guilty”! Wow!

Q. Why didn’t John call Jesus “Lord” when he objected to baptizing Him?

A. Because John didn’t know at that point that Jesus was Lord.

Q. Why do you think Jesus wanted to be baptized by John like everyone else?

A. It couldn’t have been because Jesus needed to repent like everyone else, because He was sinless. Jesus told John that He should be baptized in order to “do everything that is right” (Matthew 3:15). Some people (including myself) think that Jesus was baptized as a way of foreshadowing His death on the cross. Picture it this way: Thousands of sinful people being baptized in the Jordan River, washing their dirty sins into the water, and then Jesus, who was clean and sinless, going down into the water and coming up with everyone’s sins on Him. That is what happened on the cross, when Jesus took the sins of the world on Himself and suffered as our substitute.

Application: Once we realize and believe, just as John the Baptist did, that Jesus is the Son of God, we need to tell other people, especially those who are searching for the truth. 

On one of the occasions when Jesus appeared to the eleven disciples in Galilee, He told them what He wanted them to do for the remainder of their lives. It would be their job to make disciples of all the nations. The Greek word translated “nations” could be better translated, “ethnic groups,” which is a group of people who are distinct from other groups by virtue of their culture, circumstances, language or the location where they live. For example, many Americans think that all Chinese people are part of the same ethnic group, but there are many different minorities living in China. America itself is made up of many ethnic groups, and God wants us to make disciples among them all. In order for that to happen, someone from one culture has to purposely cross over a cultural line, showing love for people who are different. At present, there are thousands of ethnic groups in the world without a single Christian among them. No one is trying to reach them with the good news of Jesus Christ. If a person within one of those un-reached groups wanted to find out about Jesus, he would have to cross a culture to find out. Our prayers and money should be directed toward those un-reached groups of people. And if God sends us to one of them, we should go.

Notice also that Jesus doesn’t want just converts made; He wants disciples. Disciples are true believers in Christ; thus they are obedient followers. Jesus said they should be baptized, which would be the first indication of their true faith, and that they should be taught to obey His commandments. Of course, one of those commandments which they should teach their disciples was the commandment Jesus gave for disciples to make disciples. Every true believer in Christ should be doing what he can to make disciples. That is not a job that God has given only to pastors.

From Mark’s Gospel we learn that there should be certain supernatural signs that follow those who believe. Jesus listed five. The first one is that they will cast out demons in His name. Every believer has the authority to cast out demons if the need arises.

Second, Jesus said that believers would speak in new tongues. According to the pattern found in the book of Acts, speaking in tongues is something every believer should expect to experience when he is baptized in the Holy Spirit.

The next sign Jesus mentioned was the safe handling of poisonous snakes. He certainly did not mean that Christians should pass around poisonous snakes during church services, because that would be the same as testing God, and there is no record of such a thing being done by the early church in the book of Acts. However, Luke did record that Paul was once accidentally bitten by a deadly snake and suffered no harm. That is more likely the kind of thing Jesus had in mind. He knew that snakes might bite those who would be carrying the gospel to remote places.

The fourth sign Jesus mentioned is probably in the same category. Jesus promised no harm to believers who drank poisonous liquids. As they take the gospel to other places, believers might accidentally drink something poisonous, or unbelievers might intentionally poison their water. In those cases, believers could claim Jesus’ promise.

The fifth sign that should follow believers is the healing of others as they lay their hands upon them. This does not mean that every single sick person upon whom a believer lays his hands will be healed. But it does indicate that God wants to use all believers in healing others. In the context of Jesus’ command to preach the gospel to everyone, this fifth sign should also be considered an aid to effective evangelism. Divine healing can get people’s attention to listen to the gospel. We read in the very last verse of Mark’s Gospel that God worked with the first disciples by confirming their words with miraculous signs. No doubt many of those signs were the five that Jesus listed, and the record of the book of Acts proves this to be so.

Q. Jesus promised His disciples that He would be with them always, even to the end of the age. Soon after He made that promise, He left them to sit at the right hand of God the Father. Did He break His promise?

A. No, Jesus didn’t break His promise. He only departed physically. However, spiritually He now lives within every believer. That is why Paul wrote, “I myself no longer live, but Christ lives in me” (Galatians 2:20). Besides that, God is omnipresent, which means His presence is everywhere. In that sense, Jesus is always with us as well.

Q. In Mark’s Gospel, we read that everyone who believes the good news about Jesus and is baptized will be saved. Does this mean that a person who believes in Jesus but who dies before being baptized goes to hell?

A. No, it does not. However, it does indicate to us that true believers in Jesus will want to obey Him, and since He commanded all who believe in Him to be baptized, people who profess to believe in Him but who refuse to be baptized prove their faith is not genuine.

Application: As believers, our job is not just to wait for the time we’ll go to heaven but, our job is to work for Jesus, helping to expand His kingdom. Are you doing something to help?

Jesus appeared to His disciples enough times over a period of forty days that all of them became convinced that He had risen from the dead. They were not just having visions, and no one was impersonating Jesus. The apostle Paul informs us in his letter to the Corinthians that Jesus once appeared to over five hundred people at one time (see 1 Corinthians 15:6)!

First, it was Jesus’ plan that His disciples would soon begin to take the gospel to the whole world, and He wanted them to begin in Jerusalem and Judea. Because most of the people living in those places were Jews, it was important for Jesus’ disciples to understand the many messianic scriptures in the Old Testament so they could prove that He was the promised Messiah. Jesus said that there were things written about Him in Moses’ books, the first five books of the Bible, as well as in the books of the prophets and Psalms. He then opened their minds to understand those many scriptures.

Second, it was important that Jesus’ disciples proclaim the message Jesus wanted proclaimed. So He made it very clear to them. They should tell people that He had suffered, died and risen three days later. Now, forgiveness of sins was being offered to anyone who would repent of his sins, and believe in Him. That is the message Jesus still wants us to proclaim.

Finally, Jesus knew His disciples needed supernatural help to be successful in proclaiming the gospel and making disciples. So He promised to send them the Holy Spirit so they would be filled with power. Just a few days later, the Holy Spirit came suddenly upon one hundred and twenty of Jesus’ disciples, and they all began speaking in foreign languages, speaking of the wonderful things God had done. This was a sign that got the attention of a lot of people in Jerusalem, and as a result, three thousand people turned to the Lord, many of whom were foreign visitors. This miracle of speaking in other languages was also probably a reminder to Jesus’ disciples that the Holy Spirit was being given to them because God loves every different ethnic group, and God wants the gospel taken to all of them.

The story of Jesus’ life and ministry certainly doesn’t end with His ascension into heaven. In fact, Luke began the book of Acts by stating that his Gospel was only an account of everything Jesus “began to do and teach” (Acts 1:1, emphasis added). Jesus continued to work after His ascension by using His people. Jesus is still working today through everyone who believes in Him, and the most wonderful thing in the entire world is to be used by God.

Q. Jesus’ disciples asked Him, “Lord, are you going to free Israel now and restore our kingdom?” (Acts 1:6). What were they hoping for and why were they hoping for it?

A. It was foretold in the Old Testament that a time would come when the Messiah would rule over Israel on David’s throne. During that messianic age, Israel would become an exalted nation, but when the disciples asked Jesus their question, Israel was under the domination of the Roman Empire. Because the disciples believed that Jesus was the promised Messiah, they expected that Jesus would soon usher in the promised age. Jesus, however, knew that the kingdom age was still a long time away. There was still much to be done before then. Because Jesus’ kingdom was not a political but a spiritual kingdom, it was first necessary that people submit to Him, the King. That would occur as the disciples proclaimed the gospel. Then, according to God’s predetermined plan, Jesus will one day rule the world from Jerusalem.

Application: Two angels promised Jesus’ disciples that He would return to the earth just as He had departed from the earth. That promise hasn’t been fulfilled yet, or you can be sure we’d know it! But it will come to pass! We should live every day of our lives in anticipation of that day.

Luke tells us that, after His crucifixion, Jesus appeared to His disciples from time to time over a period of forty days, talking to them about the Kingdom of God (see Acts 1:3). Soon after His second appearance, Jesus’ disciples left Jerusalem at His orders and went back to the region of Galilee (see Matthew 26:32; 28:7,10; 28:16).

Three years earlier, Peter, Andrew, James and John had left their fishing nets on the shore of the Sea of Galilee to follow the man who did miracles. Now, back in Galilee, Peter decided to go fishing again, and six of Jesus’ disciples joined him.

After fishing all night and catching nothing, at dawn, Jesus appeared on the shore. The disciples didn’t recognize Him, either because He was too far away, or because God supernaturally prevented them from recognizing Him, just as He had done with the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. However, once they followed His simple instructions and succeeded in catching an amazing quantity of fish, they realized who He was.

Peter may well have had a flashback of his other miraculous catch of fish three years earlier when he first encountered Jesus. This new catch was perhaps a sign that was intended to assure him of Jesus’ love, regardless of the condemnation he still felt in his heart for denying his Lord.

Remember that Peter had previously boasted that even if all the other disciples deserted Jesus, he would not, even claiming his willingness to go to prison and die if need be (see Matthew 26: 33-35; Luke 22:33). It was a claim that he loved the Lord more than the others. But his actions proved that his love wasn’t nearly as devoted as he’d thought.

Apparently during the other times that Jesus had appeared when Peter was present, the issue of what Peter had done had not been raised. Peter hadn’t confessed his sin, and Jesus hadn’t mentioned it either, waiting for the appropriate time. He wanted to be alone with Peter so as not to humiliate him. And He first wanted Peter to be assured that His love was unchanged. Peter had to be confronted, but Jesus didn’t want the confrontation to crush him. Peter already felt condemned in his heart for what he’d done. He probably wondered if his relationship with Jesus could ever be the same. Would the Lord ever trust him again, or use him in the ministry? The very fact that he had decided to go fishing may have been an indication that he was considering returning to his old vocation, thinking he had disqualified himself for the Lord’s service.

So after a breakfast of fish and bread that Jesus prepared and served, again demonstrating His undying love for the disciples who deserted Him, Jesus privately asked Peter a question, to which He, of course, already knew the answer. “Do you love me more than these?” (John 21:15). What were the “these” Jesus was referring to? Probably the other disciples. Jesus was asking, “Do you still claim to love Me more than they do?”

Peter’s response, “Yes, Lord, you know I love you” (John 21:15), is better understood if we know something about the original Greek language in which he and Jesus conversed. The word Jesus used that is translated “love” is the word agapeo, which is a deep, self-sacrificing love. Peter responded by using the Greek word phileo, which is a lesser love of friendship. Jesus asked Peter, “Do you still believe that you love Me with a love that is more self-sacrificing than the other disciples?”

A few days earlier, Peter would have responded with a proud, “Yes!” But now he realized that Jesus knew him better than he knew himself. With a sigh of acknowledgement, he replied, “Yes, Lord, You know the truth. I’ve proven that my love for You doesn’t go beyond the love of friendship.” Peter had confessed his pride.

But Jesus didn’t condemn Peter as Peter was condemning himself. He knew Peter loved Him more than what Peter now thought. He’d left everything behind to follow Jesus and had repeatedly obeyed Him for three years. Wanting Peter to know that He still believed in him and still had a plan to use him, Jesus replied, “Then feed my lambs” (John 21:15). Jesus was saying, “It isn’t My plan for you to be a fisherman for the rest of your life, because I’ve called you to serve Me.”

Jesus then asked Peter another question: “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” (John 21:16). He again used the word agapeo, but didn’t add the “more than these.” This question and its related commandment are perhaps an indication that Peter had indeed decided to quit the ministry. Jesus wanted Peter to realize that he couldn’t do that, regardless of whether his love was the agape or phileo kind. Peter’s answer was, again, self-condemning: “Yes, Lord, You know that I obviously only possess a phileo love for You.” But Jesus believed Peter’s love was greater than that, and He wanted Peter to believe it too, and so He commanded him, “Take care of my sheep” (John 21:16). Jesus was saying, “Your evaluation of yourself doesn’t matter; only Mine does. I believe in you, and to prove it, I’m entrusting My very own sheep to your care.”

Finally, Jesus again asked Peter if he loved Him, but this third time, Jesus used the word phileo. Jesus, of course, didn’t now doubt that Peter possessed a phileo kind of love for Him. Rather, He was trying to help Peter understand himself. It grieved Peter that Jesus had questioned his phileo for Him, and he objected to the question. “Lord, You know everything,” he replied. “You know I phileo You,” defending and yet still condemning himself. The hurt Peter felt at the question would help him to see that he did possess a heart-felt devotion for Jesus. And again, Jesus wanted him to realize that He knew Peter better than Peter knew himself. Jesus’ evaluation is all that matters, and His faith in Peter was unchanging. “Feed my sheep,” Jesus commanded him.

Concluding their conversation, Jesus, the One who knew that Peter would deny Him three times, the One who knew Peter better than he knew himself, also knew how Peter would die. And in his death, Peter would prove his agape love for his Lord. So Jesus told him how he would glorify God by martyrdom, conveying to Peter that his past failure had no bearing on his future.

In the process of a few days, Peter had gone from overestimating his love to underestimating it. Just as Peter’s appraisal of himself a few days before had been wrong and Jesus’ appraisal had proved to be true, now, again, Peter’s appraisal was wrong, and Jesus’ would prove true. Peter’s pendulum of perception had swung from pride to self-condemnation, but Jesus realigned it.

Q. Jesus gave Peter three commandments in today’s reading: 1) Feed my lambs, 2) Take care of my sheep, and 3) Feed my sheep. What do you think He meant?

A. Lambs and sheep represent those who believe in Jesus, some spiritual babies and some more mature in their faith. Feeding them is symbolic of teaching them the Word of God, and taking care of them represents a concern for their wellbeing, spiritually and in every other way. Jesus needs those in His body who will do just that, and He calls certain individuals for that purpose.

Q. Because of what Jesus said to Peter about John, many thought that John wouldn’t ever die. Why did they misunderstand?

A. Because they added to what Jesus actually said, making an assumption. We should be careful that we don’t make the same mistake, as Christians are often known to do.

Application: Jesus believed the best about Peter in spite of his failures. And He lifted Peter out of condemnation, showing him mercy and giving him hope for the future. Jesus also knew the sins and mistakes you would commit before you committed them, but He still loves you. And He doesn’t want our failures to be stumbling blocks. Rather, He wants them to be stepping-stones. The answer to all our problems is gaining Jesus’ perspective.

Matthew, Mark, Luke and John all record the story of Jesus’ resurrection, and when we read them without careful comparison, they seem to be contradictory. However, upon closer examination, we see that all four Gospel writers told different details of the same event, and the four accounts can be reconciled.

There were at least three women, and Luke indicates that there were more (see Luke 24:10), who had agreed to meet together to anoint Jesus’ body at daybreak on the first Easter Sunday. They apparently did not all arrive at the tomb at the same time, and it seems that Mary Magdalene, either alone or with two other companions, arrived first while it was still dark (see John 20:1). Sometime before they arrived, however, an angel had moved the stone from the tomb’s entrance and sat upon it, paralyzing the Roman guards with fear. When Mary and her companions arrived, the angel had disappeared, but it’s very possible that the Roman soldiers were still lying unconscious on the ground. If that was the case, Mary may have assumed that they’d been killed.

Upon discovery that the stone had been rolled from the entrance to the tomb, Mary, apparently by herself, ran to tell Peter and John, while her companions remained at the tomb. They entered it and immediately saw an angel, who said to them, “Don’t be afraid! … I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He has been raised from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come; see where his body was lying. And now, go quickly and tell his disciples he has been raised from the dead, and he is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there. Remember, I have told you” (Matthew 28:5-7). The two women immediately ran from the tomb to find the disciples.

Shortly thereafter, a second group of women arrived and found the same scene. They entered the tomb and immediately noticed Jesus’ body was missing and wondered what had happened. But suddenly, two angels appeared to them, clothed in dazzling robes. The women were terrified and fell on their faces to the ground, and the angels said to them, “Why are you looking in a tomb for someone who is alive? He isn’t here! He has risen from the dead! Don’t you remember he told you back in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and that he would rise again the third day?” (Luke 24:5-7). That second group of women also fled to tell Jesus’ disciples.

By that time, Mary Magdalene had found Peter and John, and told them, “They have taken the Lord’s body out of the tomb, and I don’t know where they have put him!” (John 20:2). Both men immediately ran to the tomb and, upon entry, saw the linen cloth that Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus had wrapped around Jesus’ body lying there. It was an empty cocoon, and John realized then that no one had stolen Jesus’ body! He had been raised from the dead. Peter, however, still had doubts (see Luke 24:12). They then went back to where they had been staying, while the other disciples were also being informed of what happened by the women who had seen the angels.

Shortly thereafter, Mary again arrived at the tomb and stood weeping at its entrance, still clueless about what had happened. Finally, she also stooped and peered into the tomb, and saw two angels sitting at the head and foot of where Jesus’ body had been lying. This time, either the angels didn’t appear as majestic as when the first women had seen them, or Mary was so emotionally distraught that what she was seeing didn’t fully register in her mind. They asked her, “Why are you crying?” and she responded, “Because they have taken away my Lord and I don’t know where they have put him” (John 20:13). But they didn’t respond to her because the Lord Himself wanted to tell her the good news.

Mary glanced over her shoulder as she was still stooped down at the tomb’s entrance and saw someone standing behind her. He, too, asked her, “Why are your crying? …Who are you looking for?” (John 20:15).

Thinking He was the gardener, Mary said, “Sir, if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him” (John 20:15).

Jesus then said, “Mary!” She turned toward Him, and realizing who He was, embraced Him, hardly believing what was happening. Jesus told her, “Don’t cling to me, for I haven’t yet ascended to the Father. But go find my brothers and tell them that I am ascending to my Father and your Father, my God and your God” (John 20:17). And so she headed back to Jerusalem to tell the disciples the good news. Apparently, on her way, another woman joined her, and Jesus appeared to them both. As they clasped His feet and worshiped Him, He instructed them to tell His disciples to go to Galilee where He would appear to them (see Matthew 28:9-10).

Unfortunately, none of the disciples, with the exception of John, believed the reports of any of the women. They were still mourning and weeping (see Mark 16:10-11) when they should have been rejoicing! But they, too, would soon be convinced that Jesus had been raised from the dead!

Q. Jesus had told the repentant thief that they would be together that very day in paradise. But, three days later, Jesus told Mary that He had not yet ascended to the Father. Did Jesus lie to the repentant thief?

A. No, Jesus never lies. He told His disciples that He would spend three days and nights in the heart of the earth (see Matthew 12:40). Considering other scriptures, it is thought that there must have been a place called Paradise in the heart of the earth where Old Testament saints went when they died. It is also thought that Jesus emptied that place when He ascended into heaven. Now, when a Christian dies, he goes to heaven.

Q. The Jewish leaders bribed the guards to spread the story that the disciples stole Jesus’ body while they were asleep. What makes that story so difficult to believe?

A. First, why weren’t the guards awakened when the stone was rolled away? Second, what were they doing sleeping, when Roman law would execute guards if they were caught sleeping while on duty? Third, if they were sleeping, how did they know what had happened?

Application: Jesus’ resurrection was more than just a miracle. It was God’s ultimate proof that Jesus is the Messiah and Son of God, and a sign to us that the penalty for our sins has been fully paid and accepted by God.

Both Jesus and the angels who appeared to various women on the first Easter morning had told them to tell Jesus’ disciples to go to Galilee. There He would appear to them. However, because virtually none of the disciples believed the report of the women, none of them left Jerusalem for Galilee. Jesus was going to have to convince them personally that He had risen from the dead.

So Jesus appeared to Peter, although we don’t know any details of that appearance. Next, He appeared to two of His disciples as they journeyed to Emmaus, a village about seven miles from Jerusalem. God prevented them from recognizing Him at first, and Jesus pretended not to know anything about what had happened in Jerusalem over the past few days. They expressed their sadness about Jesus’ death, explaining that they had hoped He was the Messiah, and were wondering about the reports of His resurrection. Finally, quoting many scriptures, Jesus explained to them that the Old Testament had predicted the Messiah would suffer just as He had, and that He would be resurrected. How privileged they were to be a part of that Bible study! It began to dawn on them that the reports they’d heard about His resurrection had to be true, because that was what God had foretold.

The moment God opened the eyes of the two disciples to realize that it was Jesus who was with them, He disappeared. Filled with joy, they hurried back to Jerusalem to tell the eleven disciples and other followers of Jesus what had happened. When they arrived, they were immediately told that Jesus had appeared to Peter! As they related their experience, Jesus appeared to them all!

Jesus’ appearances were not visions, or just pictures in the people’s minds. Jesus was actually present physically when He made His appearances. He was able to appear and disappear at will and travel from place to place instantly and invisibly.

When Jesus appeared to all His disciples, it frightened them terribly because they thought they were seeing a spirit or ghost. But Jesus proved to them that He really was there in a physical body by allowing them to touch Him, and by eating a piece of fish in their presence. When they realized it was really Jesus, they were elated!

Thomas was not present at that gathering, and when he heard the report, he became suspicious that someone who was impersonating Jesus had deceived his friends. How did they know it was really Jesus they had seen? Two of the disciples spent several hours with Him without recognizing Him. Perhaps it was someone who just looked very much like Jesus.

They probably told him that they were sure it was Jesus because He showed them the nail prints in His hands and the wound in His side. So Thomas stated that he would not believe Jesus was alive unless four conditions were met. First, he had to see Jesus for himself. Second, he had to see the nail marks in His hands. Third, to be certain those nail marks weren’t just painted on His skin, he had to put his finger in the holes. Finally, to be sure the wound in Jesus’ side wasn’t also just the work of an artist, he had to put his hand in the spear hole.

The next time Jesus appeared to His disciples, Thomas was with them, and for several reasons he was immediately convinced that Jesus was alive. First, the doors were all locked, so there was no way for an impersonator to gain entrance. Second, Jesus suddenly appeared right in their midst. He didn’t walk in from another room. He was suddenly there. Third, Jesus instructed Thomas to put his finger in the nail holes and his hand in the wound in His side. If He was an impersonator, He was collaborating with the other disciples, because at least one had informed Him of Thomas’s previous words. Otherwise, this person was obviously the all-knowing Lord.

The evidence was overwhelming, and Thomas confessed that Jesus was his Lord and God.

Q. Thomas has been nicknamed “Doubting Thomas” for obvious reasons. However, was Thomas any more a doubter than the rest of the disciples?

A. Not really. The biblical record indicates that none of the eleven, with the exception of John, believed the women’s reports of Jesus’ resurrection, and John believed only because he personally saw the empty cocoon of Jesus’ body wrappings. Furthermore, John recorded that when Jesus first appeared to all the disciples, He showed them the wounds in His hands and side, an obvious attempt to convince them that it was really He they were seeing (see John 20:20). So it’s really unfair to label only Thomas as one who doubted.

Q. Is there any reason to be glad that Jesus’ disciples were so doubtful?

A. Yes. Their skepticism provides fuel for our faith. Because we know they weren’t easily convinced, we are all the more certain that their testimony of Jesus’ resurrection is the truth.

Application: Jesus promised, “Blessed are those who haven’t seen me and believe anyway” (John 20:29). Although we, unlike Thomas and the rest of Jesus’ original disciples, haven’t actually seen Him after His resurrection, our faith can rest firmly in the testimonies of those who have seen Him, especially since we know that they weren’t easily convinced themselves. We’re blessed!

When people were nailed to a cross in Roman times, all of their weight was suspended on the nails through their wrists and hands. The muscles in their arms and legs were severely stressed and soon became exhausted, resulting in the dislocation of shoulder bones and a tightening of the rib cage. This made breathing a difficult task, and victims would find themselves attempting to hoist themselves on the nails from which they dangled in order to get enough air into their lungs to stay alive. Because the Jews didn’t want three crucified men screaming outside the city walls on a special Sabbath, they requested that Pilate order their legs broken. This would make it impossible for the condemned men to exert any pressure from their legs to hoist themselves for air, and they would quickly die from lack of oxygen.

Pilate granted their request, but when the soldiers arrived to carry out their gruesome task, they found that Jesus was already dead, so there was no need to do to Him what they did to the other two men. This fulfilled what God had spoken to the people of Israel, forbidding them to break any bones of their Passover lambs. As the Lamb of God, none of Jesus’ bones were broken either.

One of the soldiers, however, did thrust his spear in Jesus’ side to make certain of His death, and John, an eyewitness, said that he saw blood and water flow out. Modern medical authorities tell us this indicates that a ruptured heart was the actual cause of Jesus’ death. This incident also offered further proof that Jesus was the Messiah, as it fulfilled a scripture in the book of Zechariah that foretold the Messiah would be pierced (see John 19:37).

Joseph of Arimathea, a member of the Jewish council that condemned Jesus, but one who had not agreed with the council’s decision, requested Pilate’s permission to take Jesus’ body down from the cross. He and Nicodemus wrapped Jesus’ body with a long linen cloth along with about seventy-five pounds of embalming ointment made from myrrh and aloes. Jesus’ body looked like a mummy. Then they placed it in Joseph’s own tomb that had been cut out of rock, like a small cave, and rolled a large stone, also specially cut for the tomb, across its opening. According to other Gospel accounts, a number of women who had come with Jesus from Galilee, including Mary Magdalene and another woman named Mary, watched as Jesus was buried, planning to return at a later date with other spices and perfumes to anoint His body.

By requesting a guard to be stationed at Jesus’ tomb in order to prevent His body from being stolen, the chief priests and Pharisees actually helped authenticate Jesus’ resurrection. Had there been no guard posted, they could have easily claimed His disciples stole Jesus’ body, a simple task to accomplish if there was no guard to prevent it. However, since there was a guard posted, they had to concoct a less believable story, claiming that Jesus’ disciples were able to roll away a large stone and steal Jesus’ body without waking sleeping soldiers, who by Roman law would have been executed for falling asleep while on watch!

Q. Some skeptics have theorized that when Mary returned to Jesus’ tomb on Easter morning, she mistakenly went to the wrong place, finding an empty tomb that was not the one in which Jesus had been buried. How do we know that theory is false?

A. First, because Mary saw exactly where Jesus was buried, and so did a number of other women who returned together on the first Easter morning. If Mary was mistaken, so were the other women. We also know, according to John’s Gospel, that Jesus’ tomb was very near the place of His crucifixion, making it highly unlikely for Mary and her companions to make a mistake. Others visited the empty tomb also, and no one suggested that they were at the wrong place. Finally, if anyone had wanted to disprove the fact of Jesus’ resurrection (and many did), all they would have needed to do was locate the actual tomb, roll away the stone, and pull out Jesus’ dead body. But no one ever did because there was no doubt His body was gone, which is why the Jewish leaders had to make up a story to explain where the body went.

Q. Why do you think that Christians often refer to the day of Jesus’ death as “Good Friday”?

A. Although the events that surrounded Jesus’ death were not good at all, and although Jesus suffered immeasurably, and although His death was a sad thing to His first disciples, we now know that Jesus died for our sins on the cross. And that is the best thing that has ever happened to us!

Application: Although Jesus’ body was dead, His spirit was very much alive. He waited for three days in paradise for the moment when He would be reunited with His resurrected body and walk out of His tomb. The world was in for a shock!

According to John’s Gospel, Jesus initially carried His own cross on the way to Golgotha, but at some point the Roman soldiers forced a man named Simon, visiting from northern Africa, to carry Jesus’ cross. Due to His physical condition, Jesus must have been unable to carry it Himself. Remember that He had endured several beatings and had been mercilessly whipped by the Roman soldiers, no doubt losing lots of blood.

Once at Golgotha, just outside the walls of Jerusalem, Jesus was offered wine mixed with bitter gall by the soldiers. It would have considerably lessened the excruciating pain He was about to suffer, but upon tasting it, Jesus refused to drink. Because He was paying for our sins, Jesus knew that it was God’s will that He suffer to the full degree. So He refused what would have made Him less conscious as the nails were pounded through His wrists and feet.

The soldiers then stripped Jesus of His clothing so He was completely naked, nailed Him to the cross as it lay on the ground, and then raised it upright. Amazingly, according to Luke’s Gospel, Jesus prayed that His Father would forgive the soldiers because they didn’t know what they were doing (see Luke 23:34). To them, Jesus was just one more condemned criminal. It was their responsibility to remain stationed at Golgotha until all the condemned men were dead, lest someone rescue them from their fate. In some cases, it took days for people to die by crucifixion. Jesus had been so abused prior to being crucified that He died in six hours.

John reported in his Gospel that as the four soldiers waited for death to claim its victims, they divided Jesus’ clothing into four shares. However, because His robe was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom, they didn’t want to tear it. So they drew lots to decide who would get it. This fulfilled exactly what David had predicted in Psalm 22:18: “They divide my clothes among themselves and cast lots for my garments,” proving again that Jesus was the Messiah.

John also reported that the words on the sign posted above Jesus’ head which read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews,” were Pilate’s idea and were written in Hebrew, Latin and Greek. Normally, the crimes of crucified individuals were written on signs above their crosses so that everyone would know why they were being executed. The leading priests complained to Pilate about the sign, requesting that he change it to read, “He said, I am King of the Jews'” (John 19:21, emphasis added). But Pilate refused. It was his small way of showing his contempt for them and to gain some revenge for the way they had pressured him into condemning Christ.

Many people came to watch Jesus hang on the cross. Some came because they loved Him and others because they hated Him. Those who loved Him may have been hoping to witness His being miraculously delivered. According to John’s account, two of those people were Jesus’ mother, Mary, and His one disciple, John, who were standing together. Apparently, Jesus’ stepfather, Joseph, was dead by this time, and Jesus was concerned for His mother’s wellbeing. So He said to His mother, “Woman, he is your son,” referring to John. And to John, Jesus said, “She is your mother” (John 19:26-27). From then on John took Mary into his home to take care of her. This was before any of Jesus’ brothers believed in Him, and so it’s probable that after they became believers they took responsibility for caring for their own mother. It also indicates that Jesus’ four half-brothers may have alienated themselves from their own mother, perhaps due to her faith in Jesus. Jesus had predicted that families would be divided over Him, and His own certainly was.

According to Matthew and Mark’s accounts of Jesus’ crucifixion, the two thieves who were crucified on either side of Jesus mocked Him. However, Luke reveals that after almost three hours of hanging on a cross, one of the thieves had a change of heart. Perhaps he was moved to repentance by witnessing Jesus’ prayer for the forgiveness of those who crucified Him, and that he did not return the insults of the many who mocked Him. Jesus loved those who hated Him. The one thief realized that Jesus was an extraordinary person, obviously innocent and holy, and came to believe that He really was the Messiah. He rebuked the other thief for mocking Jesus, saying, “Don’t you fear God even when you are dying? We deserve to die for our evil deeds, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong” (Luke 23:40-41). Then, without shame, he asked the Lord, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom” (Luke 23:42). Jesus promised him even more than he asked for, saying that they would be together in paradise that very day (see Luke 23:43).

Q. Is it possible for a person who has led a sinful life to be saved right before he dies and go to heaven?

A. Yes, and the one thief on the cross is proof. Because salvation is a gift of God’s grace, people can be completely forgiven at any time in their lives, even with their last breath. God’s mercy is amazing.

Q. The one thief was saved by God’s grace by means of his faith. But like all authentic faith, his had corresponding actions. Can you list any of his actions that proved his faith was genuine?

A. First, he openly confessed that he was a sinner, which is the first step toward salvation. Second, he stated his belief that Jesus was innocent and unworthy of death, defending Him before the other thief. Third, without shame he looked to Jesus as the source of salvation and publicly asked him for it before a hostile crowd.

Application: Those who hated Jesus also made a point of coming to see Him as He hung on the cross. The chief priests and teachers of the law who had condemned Him stopped by to mock Him, calling for Him to come down from the cross if He was actually the Messiah. Unknowing, in their mocking, they declared the reason for His death, saying, “He saved others…. but he can’t save himself!” (Mark 15:31). The only way we could be saved was if Jesus didn’t save Himself.

Although it was now noon, the brightest time of day, we read that there was darkness until Jesus died at three o’clock. We are told very little in the Gospels of what happened during those three hours, but many think that was the time when God’s wrath fell upon Jesus in a way that is unimaginable to us. Near the end of that three-hour period Jesus cried out, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46). This gives us some insight into Jesus’ emotional state. He felt utterly abandoned by the One with whom He had shared intimate fellowship from eternity past. To Jesus, it hurt more than the nails pounded through His wrists and feet. We must remember, however, that the Father had a reason for abandoning His Son. God forsook Jesus so He could accept us.

Some of those who were nearby heard Jesus’ cry, and mistakenly thought He was calling for Elijah. According to John’s Gospel, at about the same time Jesus also declared that He was thirsty, so one of the bystanders offered Him some sour wine in a sponge. The rest waited to see if Elijah would come and save Him.

After He drank from the sponge, Jesus said only two other sentences from the cross, probably one right after the other. The first was, “It is finished!” (John 19:30), a phrase that can also be translated, “It has been paid in full!” When Jesus died, the full price had been paid for the sins of humanity. Potentially, everyone could be forgiven.

The last thing Jesus said from the cross was, “Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!” (Luke 23:46), after which His body immediately died and His spirit departed. But that was not all that happened. As Jesus cried out His final words and then expired, there was an earthquake and that split rocks in the immediate vicinity. Some tombs even opened, and the bodies of many holy people were resurrected. What they saw terrified the Roman soldiers standing guard, to the degree that they exclaimed, “Truly, this was the Son of God!” (Matthew 27:54). Jesus’ birth, life, and death were like no other. But the biggest surprise was yet to come in three days!

Q. Some teachers say that Jesus became a spiritual child of Satan on the cross, and, after He died, He went to hell to suffer for three days for our sins. From what we’ve read yesterday and today, how do we know those two things aren’t true?

A. We know that Jesus wasn’t a spiritual child of Satan, as unsaved people are, because He spoke to God as being His Father right before He died. We know that Jesus didn’t go to hell where unsaved people go when they die, because Jesus told the repentant thief that they would be together in paradise that very day.

Q. We read today that the veil in the Temple was torn in half, from top to bottom, just as Jesus died. What do you think that signified?

A. The Temple curtain that was torn divided the holy place from the holy of holies, which only the high priest could enter once a year, and only with great precaution. God’s holy presence remained there, and no human being could get near it without dying. When it was torn, it obviously signified that there was no longer a barrier between God and man, and that through Jesus’ substitutionary sacrifice, people now have access to a holy God.

Application: Jesus’ crucifixion had been predicted by David in Psalm 22, written hundreds of years before Jesus was born. By inspiration of the Holy Spirit, David wrote, “My God, my God! Why have you forsaken me? … Everyone who sees me mocks me. They sneer and shake their heads, saying, Is this the one who relies on the Lord? Then let the Lord save him! If the Lord loves him so much, let the Lord rescue him’…. My life is poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart is like wax, melting within me. My strength has dried up like sun-baked clay. My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth…. My enemies surround me like a pack of dogs; an evil gang closes in on me. They have pierced my hands and feet…. They divide my clothes among themselves and throw dice for my garments” (Psalm 22:1,7-8,14-16,18). This is further proof that Jesus was the Messiah, and that it was God’s plan for Him to die on a cross.

John the Baptist was the greatest evangelist who has ever lived, and today the world needs more evangelists who will imitate him. An evangelist’s job is to preach the gospel, and that is what John did. He told people that the Messiah whom they had been waiting for was about to appear. They should get ready for Him by repenting, which means to stop doing what they knew was wrong and start doing what they knew was right.

John was called by God to do his job, and he was specially anointed by the Holy Spirit to preach powerfully. John told the people the truth, and he didn’t water it down. First, he told them not to trust that they were saved just because they were descendants of Abraham. Sometimes people think that they are saved because their parents are saved, but God has no grandchildren, just children!

Second, John warned the people that they were sinners who were in danger of suffering God’s judgment. If they didn’t repent, they would perish in hell. That is the truth, and truthful evangelists will warn people about hell.

Third, John told them that if they truly believed and repented, their lives would show it. People who didn’t change weren’t really saved. People who keep on sinning just as they did before their so-called conversion won’t get into heaven.

John used examples that the people he was preaching to could understand. Most of the people were farmers, so John compared Jesus to a farmer separating the chaff from the grain. The farmers in John’s day used a tool that looked like a big fork, which they would shove into a pile of wheat cuttings and then throw them up into the air. The wind would blow the chaff away (the part that couldn’t be eaten), and the heavier grain would fall into one pile below. John said that Jesus would be doing the same thing, only with people instead of grain. He would separate believers from nonbelievers, and just like the farmer who burns up the chaff, Jesus would cast the unbelievers into hell. The believers, however, Jesus would gather into His “barn,” bringing them into heaven. Everybody is in one of only two categories: grain or chaff, believers or nonbelievers, hell-bound or heaven-bound.

John didn’t preach using only general terms that people could interpret any way they liked. He told people specifically what they should do. If they were sincere about repenting, they would quit acting selfishly and start considering others, treating them just like they wanted to be treated. John told the people to share their belongings and food with the poor, to do their work honestly and to be content with their wages.

John was also a very humble man. Although God used him in a mighty way, and Jesus later stated that he was the greatest man who ever lived, John considered himself unworthy to be even a slave of Jesus. He knew that Jesus was a million times more important than he, and it was his job to point people to Jesus. If only every evangelist today was like John!

Many people who heard John preach were convicted of their sins, and John told them that they should be baptized in the Jordan River as a public testimony of their repentance. When someone believes in Jesus, he should be baptized as soon as possible, and he should do it in front of other people. Jesus commanded those who believe in Him to be baptized (see Matthew 28:19), and so when someone who claims to be a believer in Jesus refuses to be baptized in obedience to what Jesus commanded, we know he really doesn’t believe that Jesus is the Son of God. When new Christians are baptized, they are making a public declaration that they have become followers of Jesus and that they are turning away from sin. Have you been baptized yet? If you are a believer in Jesus, you should be baptized as soon as you can.

Q. We read today that Herod had John the Baptist put in prison. Could that Herod have been the same Herod who ordered the killing of the baby boys in Bethlehem?

A. No, he died when Jesus was very young. This Herod was one of his sons, and he was evil like his father.

Q. Have you become a follower of Jesus yet? Becoming a follower of Jesus begins with repentance, and if you have never yet repented of sin, you haven’t begun following Jesus. If you have already become a follower of Jesus, what changes were evident in your life after you repented?

Application: As followers of Jesus, we should be living lives that are different than those who are not saved. The things we say and do should make us stand out from people who are not followers of Jesus.