At the crucial moment of Jesus' trial, the Roman Governor Pontius Pilate proclaims Jesus’ innocence, but Luke tells us that “with one voice they cried out” (Luke 23 v 18) for Jesus to be crucified. Who are the “they”? It’s the chief priests, the rulers and the people—everyone else.
They all cry out together. This is a universal, unanimous verdict from people of every walk of life and social class. Everyone cries out: “Get rid of Him!” Five days previously, crowds had hailed Jesus as a king; now, crowds are calling for His blood.
In Acts 3 v 13-15, Peter places the blame squarely on the crowd. Speaking to the men of Israel, he says:
The God of our fathers has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. You killed the author of life.... continue reading
More than an Example
When we think about what Jesus endured in the Garden of Gethsemane for us, we see a wonderful (and challenging) example of how we ought to live. We see that we should pray when we are facing difficulties. We see that we should obey even when we are facing a great cost. As we see Jesus waking up His disciples and encouraging them to pray instead of blasting them for failing to keep Him company, we see that we need to be patient with those who let us down.
Jesus is a fantastic example for us, in fact the best example ever. But if that’s all we take away from this passage, we have completely missed the point—because Jesus doesn’t kneel there in that garden primarily as your example. If you walk away from these verses thinking that you just need to try harder so that you live like Jesus, you will be absolutely crushed. You cannot do it.... continue reading
Find out more about Is forgiveness really free? by Michael Jensen, and other books in the Questions Christians Ask series.
Children are full of questions. Sometimes their questions are endearing; often they’re annoying. But when it comes to the Bible, our children’s questions should encourage us; it shows they’re thinking. Maybe Easter is a time of year that gets children you know asking: How do we know Jesus really rose from the dead? It’s an important question. After all, Paul wrote that “if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith” (1 Corinthians 15:14).
It’s a question that Inspector Smart, detective with the Jerusalem Bureau of Investigation, sets out to answer in two exciting new storybooks for children, written by Tim Chester and Michael Tinker.
Inspector Smart and the case of the Empty Tomb by Michael J Tinker is a colourful illustrated book for 4-7 year-olds. Inspector Smart is given a puzzling new case; Jesus has died and been buried in a cave, but now his body has gone. Smart sets out to find out what’s happened by interviewing Bible characters such as the Roman Centurion, Mary Magdalene and Thomas.... continue reading
Do you want to get your church reading more? Do people pass by your bookstall (if you have one) without a second glance? Do your brothers and sisters struggle to find the time or motivation to read?
The Good Book Company is here to help…
I am a member of a church that wouldn’t consider itself a reading church. Yes we have had a bookstall for many, many years, but it isn’t in a prominent position and can be easily overlooked. Once upon a time we also did regular book reviews from the front but that too dropped off.
So how do you get a non-reading church like that to a place where books and resources are of interest? Well, this is how my church did it.... continue reading
Making sense of the Law
Do you struggle with the Old Testament? In particular what do you make of the Old Testament laws? What about “make tassels on the four corners of your cloak”? (Deuteronomy 22:12). Or the instruction to stone a rebellious son? (Deuteronomy 21:21) Should we just pass over these passages, and be a little embarrassed that they exist in our Bibles?
Paul Barker – minister, author and teacher - has written a new book Teaching Deuteronomy designed to help pastors and bible teachers in the developing world to faithfully explain and apply these difficult scriptures. It is part is part of the Good Book Company’s Pray, Prepare, Preach series.
In it, Paul provides a useful checklist when looking at Old Testament laws and how to work out their application in today’s world: What is the reason for each law? Try to think, “What is the reason for the law?” Some laws may have the reason to love your neighbour. Some are about worshipping only God. Some are because the people of Israel must be different from other nations. Some laws are about safety. Some are about fair justice. Some protect the poor. It is not always easy to find the reason for a law. What is the reason for the law that you shall not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk? It is hard for us to know. But probably the reason is to stop the people of Israel following the behaviour of people of other religions.
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As churches throughout the country prepare to get into high gear for their Easter outreach, a report by the Bible Society offers some sobering perspectives on how we need to share the good news today. The study revealed a generation of children with little knowledge of the most important stories forming the basis of Christianity, and parents who often knew little more. The poll of 800 children between the ages of 8 and 15, and 1100 adults found that:
Lent is nearly upon us and my preparations are going well. The batter (shop bought to avoid the colossal lumps of previous years) is in the fridge - my lemon and sugar are at the ready. And, because I like slightly savoury pancakes too, the bacon, maple syrup and strawberries have been purchased as well (really, try it, I was skeptical at first but it’s a great combination!). I love the food of Shrove Tuesday. I enjoy my feeble attempts that unfailingly result in mangled pancake adorning my kitchen floor. I even quite enjoy laughing at the smoke that billows around the rest of my home in the wake of overheated oil…
But no matter how much I enjoy them, pancakes provide nothing of lasting value. Some giggles, a few moments of culinary delight, a minor elevation in cholesterol levels and a large pile of sticky washing up is hardly a recipe for overwhelming edification. In order to prepare for a meaningful Easter, my passion needs to be focused elsewhere.... continue reading
This week sees the launch of our exciting new product, The Third Day - a graphic realisation of Luke 22-24.
Today, we bring you a glimpse of the behind the scenes process with a look at some of the character development sketches ... Enjoy!
