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MARK THE PEOPLE’S BIBLE COMMENTARY - ‘UNCLEAN! UNCLEAN!’
MARK THE PEOPLE’S BIBLE COMMENTARY - ‘UNCLEAN! UNCLEAN!’
by BRF - Dick France
‘UNCLEAN! UNCLEAN!’ MARK 1: 40-45 The man’s complaint may not have been full-scale ‘leprosy’ as we use the word, but it would be an unpleasant skin-disease which was regarded as infectious, and therefore made the sufferer ‘unclean’…
John The People's Commentary - Your Brother Will Rise Again
John The People's Commentary - Your Brother Will Rise Again
by BRF - Richard A. Burridge
Your Brother Will Rise Again It would probably have been a two day journey back across the Jordan to Bethany, a small village on the edge of Jerusalem. Jesus’ delay of two days plus the journey means that when he arrives Lazarus is not only dead and buried, but has been in his to…
John The People's Commentary - A Samaritan Woman at a Well
John The People's Commentary - A Samaritan Woman at a Well
by BRF - Richard A. Burridge
A Samaritan Woman at a Well This gospel‘s geographical setting moves between north and south, from Jesus calling disciples in Galilee (1:43) and the wedding in Cana (2:1) to the temple in Jerusalem (2:13) and Nicodemus’ night visit (3:1)…
Mark The Peoples' Bible Commentary - "Not So Among You"
Mark The Peoples' Bible Commentary - "Not So Among You"
by BRF - Dick France
The two ‘Sons of Thunder’ (3:17) have appeared from time to time along with Peter as the small group with whom alone Jesus has shared and will share some of his most private moments (1:29; 5:37; 9:2; 14:33). The three of them with Andrew were the first disciples called to follow …
John The People's Commentary - I Am the Bread of Life
John The People's Commentary - I Am the Bread of Life
by BRF - Richard A. Burridge
I Am the Bread of Life After the miraculous feeding and Jesus walking on the water and the discussion about bread, attention is now focused on Jesus by his direct claim, ‘I am the bread of life’ (6:35). Since the gospels are a form of ancient biography, the focus will be constant…
John The People's Commentary - Feeding the Five Thousand
John The People's Commentary - Feeding the Five Thousand
by BRF - Richard A. Burridge
Feeding the Five Thousand Jesus’ miraculous feeding of a vast crowd is such a well-known story. This is the only miracle narrated in all four gospels—indeed, it is the only incident from Jesus’ ministry before his last week which they all include. The Synoptic gospels each descri…
Mark The People's Commentary - An Abortive "Retreat"
Mark The People's Commentary - An Abortive "Retreat"
by BRF - Dick France
An Abortive “Retreat” This is the only time in Mark’s Gospel that the Twelve are called ‘apostles’. The word means ‘those sent out’, and it describes well the experience they have just shared as Jesus’ emissaries. But having been ‘sent out’, they now return and report back to the…
John The People's Commentary - Eat my Flesh and Drink my Blood
John The People's Commentary - Eat my Flesh and Drink my Blood
by BRF - Richard A. Burridge
Eat My Flesh and Drink My Blood The debate between Jesus and the crowd since the miraculous feeding and walking on water has been exploring the text, ‘he gave them bread from heaven to eat’ (6:31). Like a rabbi preaching on the text, Jesus has taken each word or phrase in turn. F…
JOHN: The people's bible commentary - Returning to the Father
JOHN: The people's bible commentary - Returning to the Father
by BRF - Richard A. Burridge
Returning to the Father Throughout these farewell discourses, Jesus has been preparing the disciples for his departure. He has made it increasingly clear that there will be a major division after he has gone. On his side there will be those who remain in his love and in the Fathe…
JOHN: The people's bible commentary - Jesus Prays for His Disciples
JOHN: The people's bible commentary - Jesus Prays for His Disciples
by BRF - Richard A. Burridge
Jesus Prays for His Disciples Having prayed to be with God in glory, Jesus turns to pray for his disciples who will be left behind. They are only a small frightened group, who still do not really understand what he is saying. At one level, it is not much to show for the fruits of…
Mark The People's bible commentary - Getting Rid of the Son
Mark The People's bible commentary - Getting Rid of the Son
by BRF - Dick France
GETTING RID of the SON In the last study we heard Jesus’ claim, by implication, to divine authority for what he was doing. Now the same claim is made, this time in the form of a fictional story with a transparent meaning. His opponents know exactly what he means (v. 12), but they…
JOHN: The people's bible commentary - The KING is CRUCIFIED
JOHN: The people's bible commentary - The KING is CRUCIFIED
by BRF - Richard A. Burridge
The KING is CRUCIFIED Through these seven balanced trial scenes, Pilate moved from mocking Jesus to a grudging respect for his kingship while “the Jews” rejected the rule of God, preferring Caesar. Now Pilate ‘hands him over to them’, using the word for ‘betray’, after the action…
JOHN: The people's bible commentary - REBUKES and Denials
JOHN: The people's bible commentary - REBUKES and Denials
by BRF - Richard A. Burridge
REBUKES & DENIALS The scene has moved from the garden to the house of Annas, the old high priest. We have seen that John is building the tension by oscillating between events out in the courtyard and the preliminary hearing taking place in the house.
JOHN: The people's bible commentary - JESUS before the HIGH PRIEST
JOHN: The people's bible commentary - JESUS before the HIGH PRIEST
by BRF - Richard A. Burridge
JESUS before the HIGH PRIEST Jesus was taken into the house of Annas, but before we could learn what happened, we were taken out into the courtyard to see how Peter was admitted and his first quiet denial of Jesus. We know from Jesus’ warning to Peter that two more denials are to…
JOHN: The people's bible commentary - NO KING BUT CAESAR
JOHN: The people's bible commentary - NO KING BUT CAESAR
by BRF - Richard A. Burridge
NO KING BUT CAESAR Pilate had thought it was all over; Jesus had been whipped and the idea that he was a king duly mocked, so everything was all set for his release, when those wretched religious leaders brought the gods and their offspring into it! Unsettled by this mention of s…
JOHN: The people's bible commentary - Are You King of the Jews?
JOHN: The people's bible commentary - Are You King of the Jews?
by BRF - Richard A. Burridge
ARE YOU KING of the JEWS? The trial oscillates between Pilate’s own interrogation of Jesus inside and those outside the headquarters. The first three scenes develop the theme of kingship, starting with Pilate’s questions.
JOHN: The people's bible commentary - The TEACHER is TAUGHT HEAVENLY THINGS
JOHN: The people's bible commentary - The TEACHER is TAUGHT HEAVENLY THINGS
by BRF - Richard A. Burridge
The TEACHER is TAUGHT HEAVENLY THINGS After Jesus’ comparison of the Spirit with the wind, poor old Nicodemus has to ask for yet further explanation (3:9). As ‘a teacher of Israel’ (3:10), he should have known the old prophecies about God giving his people ‘a new heart and a new …
JOHN: The people's bible commentary - The King's Last Words