In Matthew 16:21-23, Jesus foretells His death and resurrection, and after that, he teaches His disciples about “taking up your cross and following Jesus”. So what did Jesus mean by saying in Matthew 16:24, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”? Jesus is teaching two …
Why did Moses create a bronze snake for healing (Numbers 21:4-9)?
In Numbers 21:4-9, we read the account where the Israelites set out from Mount Hor by the Red Sea to go around the land of Edom, but the people became impatient and spoke out against God and Moses. They complained about not having food and water, calling the food they had worthless, and loathing it. …
How do we do greater works than Jesus (John 14:12)?
The teaching in John 14 comes after Jesus completes His public ministry, predicting one of the disciples will betray Him and foretelling Peter’s denial (John 12:36 to 13:38). So, Jesus now encourages His disciples by asking them not to be troubled by these events. He will be going away to prepare a place for them …
What does Hebrews 6:1-3 mean?
The primary audience for the book of Hebrews were the Jews who had converted to Christianity but did not have a complete understanding of the person of Jesus Christ. The emphasis on the Levitical priesthood, sacrifices, and a lack of reference to the Gentiles allows us to come to this conclusion. You will also notice …
What is “Agape” love in the Bible?
Love is a central theme in the Bible, and it is essential to understand what it means. Two main types of love are described in the New Testament (Phileo and Agape), whereas in English, different kinds of love are expressed using the single word ‘love‘. To better understand “Agape” as used in the New Testament, we …
What does it mean to “Fear the LORD”?
Throughout scripture, we are commanded to “fear the LORD”. What does it mean to fear the LORD, especially for redeemed believers in a relationship with Christ? Verses such as 1 John 4:18 says, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has …