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John the Apostle records four resurrection appearances of our Lord. The first was to Mary Magdalene, who was weeping in the garden over the mistaken notion that Jesus’ body had been stolen – to her, Jesus was obviously still dead. It wasn’t until Jesus called her name that she recognized Him as…

Early in my pastoral ministry, one of the charter members of the congregation I was serving died unexpectedly just a few months after my arrival. He had served that church faithfully for nearly 30 years as treasurer, and in his memory, his family purchased new offering plates inscribed with his…

Failure is one of the few experiences that we all have in common. All of us are bound to fail at some point. While the attempt to prevent failure is wise, the illusion that we can control all the variables is foolish. Failure is a human reality. Wisdom recognizes that openness to failure is one of…

“I am the resurrection and the life” (John 11: 25). Someday there will be a resurrection for every Christ follower. Someday the dead will rise from the dust. Someday heaven will come to earth as every knee bows and tongue confesses that Jesus Christ is Lord. Someday… We all have hopes for someday…

One of the more interesting biblical puzzles involves the account of the resurrection in the Gospel of Mark.  Among the ancient versions of Mark that still survive, there are several different endings, most of which read like a more brief version of the other gospels. Several women find an empty…

Resurrection follows death. While this observation might seem like an unnecessary exercise in the obvious, we would do well to remember that the obvious can also be overlooked or, in some cases, conveniently forgotten. When it comes to the celebration of the Resurrection, we can be an impatient…

As important as the concept of resurrection is to the New Testament and Christianity, it is surprising to find that the Old Testament has very few references to this belief. According to scholars like Robert Martin-Achard, this owes in part to the ancient Israelite understanding of what the good…

Holiday seasons are times to contemplate future plans while looking back on past experiences. In fact, the Advent itself serves to help us maintain a spirit of reflection. As healthy as that may be, there comes a point when we need to think ahead, not look back. God's Word recounts an angel…

Four percent of the world’s trade passes through the Panama Canal, but market goods are not the only thing moving through the country. According to Amable Polanco, Panama JESUS Film Country Coordinator, “…everything goes through the Canal, including different beliefs.” Over 4 million people reside…

“Are you sure it’s a Christian church?” It was strange hearing my exact thought come out of someone else’s mouth, but this man said the same thing I was thinking. It was the early evening of Easter Sunday, and I found myself in the produce section of our neighborhood grocery store. I had just…