It’s time for Jesus to go to Jerusalem the last time. This is His final road trip, and He doesn’t waste it. He works all the way there. We are coming down to the culmination of Jesus’ work on earth. Something that surprised me is where He starts from. We are told that He withdrew […]
Jesus is in the region of Judea on the other side of the Jordan. He went here after nearly being stoned. This is His last confrontation with the Pharisees, prior to going to Jerusalem. I discovered that things are out of order again; at least it looks like that to me. These events look like […]
We come to the story of Jesus’ friend, Lazarus. “If You would have been here, he wouldn’t have died” comes from both sisters. But Jesus has other plans. The resurrection of Lazarus is the final straw for the Pharisees. “If He keeps performing signs like these, EVERYONE will believe in Him and we will lose […]
Jesus comes to the Feast of dedication; also known as Hanukkah. During this feast, He is very busy. Healing two times on Sabbaths and riling the religious leaders. During His final visit to Jerusalem for the Feast of Dedication, Jesus really steps on toes. This is the beginning of the Pharisees dogged determination to see […]
Today, Jesus is invited to dine with a lawyer from the crowd. While He is there, He is an ungracious guest, as He says things that offend the host. When reading this story, I had to chuckle. As Jesus is ‘offending’ the Pharisees, the host speaks up. “Don’t You realize that you are offending me […]