The Jordan Valley

Take Heart (He Has Overcome)

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 (NIV) Jesus uttered these words during his final hours on this earth. The disciples had gathered with him to celebrate the Jewish festival of…

The Keys Of The Kingdom

Seldom people are encouraged to help others constantly, but many discontinue doing good to others because of not getting a pleasant response. It can happen that the person whom we had helped might end up being our enemy today. Or the people who derived benefits from us to reach a higher level would have forgotten us.

Mighty Men Over God – 2 Samuel 23-24

Mighty warriors were in high demand in Israel’s formative years. Both David and his predecessor Saul prioritised the recruitment of not just able-bodied men in their army but valiant men whose gallant acts would have fueled the urban legends in Israel. The author closes out the book by paying homage to David’s Mighty Thirty and recounts their triumphs on the battlefield and their extraordinary accomplishments. However, David’s over-dependence on his valiant warriors becomes a stumbling block in his journey with God as his foolishness causes the death of multitudes in his country.

Riches: Sign Of Salvation?

Despite the teachings through the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, the idea of connecting worldly blessings to spiritual blessings continues. James criticized the shepherds for giving importance to the wealthy group in the synagogues and the churches. Some affluent Corinthian Christians abused the Lord’s Supper by marginalizing poor Christians.

Looking Back at the Life of David – 2 Samuel 22

The book of Samuel is bookended by two completely different people and their respective songs of praise. While their lives served a distinct purpose in furthering the plan of God, their song of praise was similar in its content as the God of Hannah is the same as the God of David. King David had…

God Protects All His Bones – Psalm 34:20

Believing in what Jesus did for us on the cross, we became God’s legitimate children and heirs to inherit His Kingdom. The devil does not tolerate our freedom in Christ Jesus and always tries to bind us again with the cords of sin. After luring us to sin, he gives us a feeling of guilt…

A Brutal End to a Long-Standing Feud – 2 Samuel 21

The Author Seems to believe that God was waiting for the blood of Saul’s descendants and for them to be buried before blessing the harvest of the Israelites. God’s grace is often mistaken for the cause of one’s blessing or more often the end of one’s suffering.

Do Not Be Provoked – Psalm 36

While Bible scholars consider Psalm 18 as the Psalm during the old age of the Psalmist, scholars attribute Psalm 36 to the young David. David was introduced as “the servant of God” in these Psalms. Because in both of these Psalms, David stopped listening to the provoking noises and started listening to the soothing voice…

A Revolt Quashed – 2 Samuel 20

On the road from Jordan to Jerusalem, the tribes of Judah and Israel clashed over their respective claims over David as their king. The other tribes had taken offence when their king yet again sided with his own tribe. Among them was Sheba, son of Bikri, who was the most vocal in expressing his disdain…

Thanksgiving

We thank God at the end of every year and celebrate it as a well-known and well-accepted festival. The scripture tells us to thank God in all things and all the time. Thanking God only during specific occasions throws light on our ignorance of His protection that is with us every nanosecond. When we thank…

The Road Back Home – 2 Samuel 19

Now that Absalom had died, the growing consensus among the tribes of Israel was to bring back David to Jerusalem as their king. They recounted the great feats of David and the countless times he had rescued them in battle. They had a rosy memory of his time as king and remembered the days of…

A Rest That Holidays Cannot Give

We understand the literal meaning of “Rest” as a break from our routine work. Everyone needs rest, and we look forward to the weekends. We think that the holidays would refresh our minds to work better as we need a break from time to time to rejuvenate ourselves. Practically speaking, we are not taking rest…

A Bittersweet Victory – 2 Samuel 17:24 – 19:8

After crossing the Jordan, David finds shelter in the town of Mahanaim. This is the same place where Ish-Bosheth, Saul’s remaining heir, found a safe haven from David after the death of his father and brothers on the battlefield. And now David was looking at the same town to provide him refuge against his own…

Vindication In His Righteousness – Psalm 35

This imprecatory Psalms of David motivates people to ask God to take revenge on their enemies. It persuades people to rejoice in the fall of their enemies more than they enjoy their salvation. While choosing an advocate, one should go by their experience because experience makes the advocate understand the client’s case and the opponent’s…

The Noise Drowning The Voice – 2 Samuel 16 & 17

On his road to his exile, David was met with many familiar faces. People he had helped had seen his sudden downfall as their opportunity to do something in return for their king. Ziba, the loyal servant of Saul also came out with supplies for the king and his men. He had a string of…

The Rise Of Absalom – 2 Samuel 15

Only a short time after his return from his exile in Geshur, Absalom had assembled a small army of men for himself. Chariots and men would run ahead of him as he travelled throughout the land. To the onlookers, Absalom seemed to have an impressive security detail provided to him by the king like the…

The Parable of the Ewe Lamb

This Parable was part of Nathan’s message that the Lord had sent for king David. Not only did he covet and forcefully took another man’s wife he even had Bathsheba’s husband killed off on the pretence of war (1 Samuel 11). Uriah was not just any other man, but part of David’s thirty, he was…

The Prodigal Son Returns – 2 Samuel 14

After exacting his revenge on his elder brother Amnon, Absalom went into a self-imposed exile in the neighbouring kingdom of Geshur. Even after the heinous murder of his elder son, David still longed for Absalom, and Joab who was the closest confidant of the king knew about it. He concocted a story which was reminiscent…

Humbling Ourselves

John the Baptist desired that God must increase, but he must decrease. How far do our desires comply with John the Baptist? Even if we want to reduce ourselves, the humiliation attached to it does not allow us to accept our decline. We thereby resist our willingness to decrease ourselves and fight against our decline….

Quiz – John 20 & 21

Test your Bible knowledge with this quiz about John’s account of the Resurrection and the aftermath

Revenge Has No Expiration – 2 Samuel 13

As punishment for his sins of rape and murder, David had already lost a son but soon, the crimes he was guilty of would befall his children. Amnon was David’s eldest son, who was born to him through Ahinoam. He would have been next in line to succeed after his father as the king of…

An Encouragement To The Desperate – Psalm 34

The title of this Psalm suggests that David wrote this Psalm after he pretended to be insane and escaped from the kingdom of Achish (Abimelek). Whenever we face critical situations, we lie instead of facing the truth. God expresses His displeasure about our lies in the book of Isaiah (Isaiah 28:15, 18&19) and speaks about…

Quiz – John 19

Test your Bible knowledge with this quiz about John’s account of the Crucifixion and Burial of Jesus

The Sword Will Never Depart From David’s House – 2 Samuel 12

The Lord sent Nathan to deliver his rebuke to David as the latter had gone away from the fold of God. God does not send the prophet to David immediately after his grievous sin, but after some time had passed and the child had been born to Bathsheba. David would have least expected this visit…

A Comeback Story Of Fear

Many children of God still live in fear despite being delivered from the clutches of fear. To come out of this fear, we should be aware of the tricks of the evil one. Looking at the Old Testament, we see people living in terror all the time. Knowing how God has delivered us from those…

Quiz – John 18

Test your Bible knowledge with this quiz about John’s account of the Trial of Jesus

David Displeased the Lord – 2 Samuel 11

During the Spring time, when the farmers of the land would neither sow nor harvest their crops, the kings would utilise this downtime and go off to wars to invade new territories. This was the war season for Israel and their neighbouring countries, as the conflict with the Ammonites was escalating rapidly. The Israelites had…

Through the Lens of the Creator – Psalm 33

During the period of this Psalm, there was hardly any written script to tell of the wondrous creation of God. Yet the Psalmist tries to capture the creative power of God by seeing all that has been created. The Psalmist unveils the creative hands of God in every visible object and attributes the power of…

A Seat at the Table – 2 Samuel 9 & 10

David’s kindness to the sons of his allies proves almost detrimental to his own ambitions. While the one who was lame, subdued himself to David for a seat at his table but the one who had an army of his own looked at David’s offer of peace with suspicion. The latter’s arrogance resulted in a…

The Victories of King David – 2 Samuel 8

This chapter focuses on David’s victories over the neighbouring territories and subsequent extension of the borders of his kingdom. The author’s intent does not seem to be to record the military conquests of David and his army in chronological order but is to evidence the overarching theme of the entire book that God was with…

The Road Map

A roadmap is a strategic plan that defines a goal or desired outcome and includes the necessary steps or milestones to reach it. It is a high-level document that helps articulate strategic thinking—the why—behind the goal and the plan for getting there. Among various roadmaps, the visionary roadmap visually represents the changes happening within us…

House of David – 2 Samuel 7

Chronologically this chapter would have been best suited to read after the next chapter’s events which recounts David’s victory over the neighbouring countries. After David had secured his capital, brought the Ark of God to Jerusalem and built himself a luxurious palace with the choicest wood, he wanted to build a House for God to…

The Chosen People

We feel happy and proud when we understand that we are God’s chosen people. Feeling optimistic about this privilege leads to pride. Pride secludes us from the rest of the world, and we restrict the grace of God within a narrow circle of our fellow believers. The scripture tells us that pride goes before the…

The Missing Piece – 2 Samuel 6

David had garnered the support of all the tribes of Israel, had Michal (his first wife and Saul’s daughter) back in his corner and had even seized the fortified hill city of Jerusalem. The next logical step for him was to retrieve the Ark of God from Kiriath Jearim and secure, both his political and…

The Confession – Psalm 32

Confessing sin is the outcome of trust. If we confess our sins, it implies that we trust God. Trusting a person will give us the confidence to tell them everything. A genuine confession is the first step towards receiving forgiveness from God. Confession replaces our guilt with peace. But people hesitate to confess their sins…

The Fortress of a Socialite – 2 Samuel 5

After the death of Abner and Ish-Bosheth, the elders of the tribes of Israel came to meet David at Hebron to ask him to be the ruler of their land. David was thirty-seven years old at this time and had been serving as the king of Judah for seven years by now. But now the…

Aleichem Shalom!

“Shalom” is a salutation by Jewish people at the time of the meeting or parting, that simply means “peace”. In response, people will say “Aleichem shalom”, meaning “to you, peace,” while the literal meaning of Shalom is tranquillity and the absence of agitation, spiritually it explains the divine peace that passes all understanding. As a…

A Blood Soaked Transition – 2 Samuel 3&4

As the war between the respective camps of David and Saul waged on, the house of David grew stronger day by day. By this time, David had been married seven times and had an heir through each of his six wives who were currently with him (2 Samuel 3:2-5). On the other side, Saul had…

Love The Lord – Psalm 31

It is unclear as to when David wrote this Psalm because of his amalgamated expressions. David was a fugitive most of his life and even amidst his trouble, he often found peace in the presence of God. Jesus said to Martha, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory…

The Mighty Have Fallen – 2 Samuel 1&2

After defeating the Amalekites, David and his men returned to the city of Ziklag which was burned to the ground. Two days later, while they were plotting their next move and possible place of relocation, a man arrived from Saul’s camp with his clothes torn and dust on his head. It is obvious that this…

From the Courts to the Cross – Mark 15

named,Perhaps the fastest trial in the history of the Roman government, as the unprecedented nature of events left the Jewish rulthe Roman government and the followers of Jesus in utter disbelief. Early in the morning, the entire body of the Sanhedrin gathered and made plans to kill Jesus. They bound Him up and took Him…

A Thorn in our Flesh – 2 Corinthians 12&13

In the final defence of his authority, Paul painfully shares a personal out-of-body experience. He speaks about himself in the third person, lest anyone would think he was boasting about his experiences in Christ. I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in…

Extolling God – Psalm 30

Our church services begin with the Praise and Worship session wherein we enthusiastically praise God with meaningful songs and vibrant music. The worship team motivates others to worship actively. People also are inspired by the worship team and look for churches where worship is active and attractive. People believe that worshipping creates an atmosphere to…

Super Apostles – 2 Corinthians 10&11

In the last section of his letter to the Corinthians, Paul changes his tone from the theme of the earlier part of the letter, as he seeks to confront the ‘Super Apostles’, who were tarnishing all the good work done by him in the province of Achaia. He withdraws his claim of not indulging in…

A Lacuna We Never Realize

None of us can say that we have received answers to all our prayers and solutions for all our problems. When our difficulties persist, sicknesses linger and people come against us, our faith shatters. We often think as the Psalmist, that I have kept my heart pure in vain and washed my hands in innocence…

Made Rich through Christ’s Poverty – 2 Corinthians 8&9

A passage that is quoted often before the time of giving in our Sunday services, Paul’s challenge to the Corinthian church has been used as a template to inspire and encourage the practice of tithing. However, Paul’s emphasis seems to be on the transformation of the heart and understanding the commitment that the church had…

An Unceasing Prayer

People prefer to watch television for hours together and are reluctant to spend time on prayer. While watching the television, even the thoughts about the inevitable pending jobs do not disrupt us. At the same time, we allow our thoughts to disrupt our prayers. Thoughts like, did we close the windows of our car, switched…

Godly Sorrow – 2 Corinthians 7

After writing the severe letter to the Corinthians that was full of rebuke, Paul was troubled, especially when his companion Titus was held up in the Achaia province. Upon successful reunion with his protege, Paul finally found peace as Titus recounted the kindness that was shown to him by the Corinthians. Hearing reports that the…

Vanity and Idolatry – 2 Corinthians 6

As the Church in Corinth started growing in numbers, the people started to think that they were impervious to the sins of the world around them. They thought that they were immune to the pagan ways of their city, but slowly that fallacy caught up with them as they fell prey to their own vices….

The Voice Of The Lord – Psalm 29

Most of David’s Psalm has three parts. The first part describes his helpless situation, the second talks about his approach to God, and the third is all about praising God because of the answers he received. Praising God comes out of our hearts when we enjoy His presence and protection. Unlike other Psalms, this Psalm…

A New Creation – 2 Corinthians 5

Tents were the earliest form of shelter for the early Israelites. Noah, Abraham and even Moses all lived a nomadic existence and depended on tents to protect them from the harsh weather. Later on, tents became obsolete as Israelites started moving into cities and into houses made of stone. No one desired to live back…

Rhetorical Prayers

A rhetorical question is asked merely for effect where no answer is expected. The statement contains our preconceived notions, posed in the form of a question. Likewise, most of our prayers are rhetorical. Once a preacher called the believers to pray for rain in their territory as the land was battling a severe famine. Many…

Death & Life – 2 Corinthians 4

Paul heard that his opposers were also tarnishing his name and the credibility of his gospel. Defending the integrity of his message, Paul wrote this section of his letter to the people of Corinth. Unlike the other preachers who peddled the word of God to make a name for themselves or to extract monetary benefit…

Quicksand

Quicksand is common and found most often where freshwater meets saltwater. It is a fluid made of sand mixed with water or air. It changes its viscosity in response to stress or vibration, making it easier to sink but harder to escape. The ground looks solid, but if we walk on it, the sand begins…

A Veil That Covers our Hearts – 2 Corinthians 3

With the rise of false preachers and deceitful messengers, the church in Jerusalem (which was the base for all missionary journeys) started issuing letters of recommendation to all its patrons about the ministers they would send to them. Paul himself would use such letters to introduce his associates when he would send them to a…

God is My Rock – Psalm 28

The Psalmist compared the sturdy character of God with a rock in some Psalms. The Old Testament writers also perceived God as Rock, as they enjoyed His protection all through their journey. People compare the sturdiness of God to a rock, but God compared the unshakable faith of Abraham to a rock (Isaiah 51:1-2). People…

Captives in Christ’s Triumphal Procession – 2 Corinthians 2

Paul did not want to go to Corinth immediately after sending the letter full of rebuke at the hands of Titus. He was not sure how the church at Corinth would react and wanted to give them time to process and act on his rebuke. He says that he had confidence in the people to…

Self Appraisal – Psalm 26

When looking at our appearance in the mirror, we ask ourselves if we look good. If not, we try to make ourselves more presentable by making a few adjustments to our hair or clothes. The scripture reminds us of our negligence in complying with the truth, compared to the promptness of correcting our untidy hair…

The God of All Comfort – 2 Corinthians 1

Regarded by most Bible scholars as the fourth letter that Paul wrote to the Corinthians, it serves as an affirmation to its readers who had heeded to Paul’s harsh rebuke in the preceding letter. Paul also wanted to prepare the hearts of the congregation for his next visit and remind them of the commitment they…

Land Of The Living – Psalm 27

The tone of this Psalm reveals that it was a prayer during a hostile condition. The authors of the Old Testament used the term deliverance to describe how God saved them from the hands of their enemies. After the enemies of Israelites drowned in the Red Sea, Moses and Israelites sang how God became their salvation….

A Tale of Two Kings – 1 Samuel 30 & 31

In the finale of the first part of the book of Samuel, David and Saul are involved in two distinct wars that are running in parallel. While David and his men were trying to retrieve their belongings from the Amalekite raiders, Sauls’s army was taking their last stand against the fearsome Philistine forces at Mount…

A Fact Check

There is a common belief among the believers of Jesus that following Jesus’ teaching is a difficult task. Many people accept difficulties as part of a believer’s life and think that the more they suffer in this world, the greater will their reward be in heaven. Many elders teach others that following or serving Jesus…

A Disguised King, A Baffled Necromancer and A Dead Prophet – 1 Samuel 28

As the Philistine army gathered their forces against the Israelites, Saul was perplexed and could not even decide his next move. The realisation that the days of his reign were numbered was dawning on him only now. When Samuel had prophesied about this day, he did not understand but seeing the enemy at his doorstep,…

God Who Cares For Us

We love one another and take care of them. We love our children, and we give them all they need. We love to take care of the sick and the poor and feel proud to stand with them during their helpless situation. Yet, our resources are limited and we cannot go beyond that to help…

The Philistine Forces Assemble – 1 Samuel 27&29

David knew that Saul would not give up chasing him till he had caught and killed him. So he fled to the Philistine territory and took shelter with Achish, the king of Gath. When Saul found out, he gave up searching for David and turned his attention to the growing forces of the Philistine army…

Teach Me Lord – Psalm 25

Learning is a lifelong process. A famous and universally accepted quote says, “What one knows is only a handful, whereas the unknown is the size of the world.” How much you learn is like a handful of sand in the world, and you still have a whole world to study. We should not stop learning,…

A Partridge in the Mountains – 1 Samuel 26

After a brief moment of respite, Saul resumed his hunt to capture and kill his predecessor David. As David was traversing through the desert of Ziph, the natives were informing Saul about his every move. Saul went down to the desert, with three thousand of his troops and made his camp on the hill of…

Fool, Foil and Follies – 1 Samuel 25

Sandwiched between the two assassination opportunities of Saul that were presented to David, his encounter with Nabal and Abigail shows us a different side of him. Samuel was the one true ally that David had by his side as it was he who had anointed him as the king of Israel. After his death, David…

From Evildoers Come Evil Deeds – 1 Samuel 23 & 24

David and his men were hiding in Judah when word came to them that the Philistines were raiding the threshing floors of Keilah. Even though strategically Keilah was part of Judah, its close proximity to Philistine territory made it a frequent target for looters who would raid the town during the harvest season. When David…

A Not So Holy Mission – 1 Samuel 21 & 22

David was now officially on the run as Saul had placed an open bounty on his head. He went to Nob, a town just a few miles northeast of Jerusalem to meet Ahimelek, the priest. After the destruction of Shiloh, the town of Nob had taken its place as the religious capital of Israel, housing…

A Sworn Friendship – 1 Samuel 20

After evading Saul and his men at Naioth, David returned to Jerusalem to meet Jonathan. He narrated all that he had been through over the last few days and how Saul tried to kill him. While Samuel believed David when he told him the same account, Jonathan found it hard to believe that his father…

The Plot to Kill David – 1 Samuel 18 & 19

The tales of David’s conquest of the giant spread throughout the land, garnering the love and respect of all the people of Israel. Even the soldiers in Saul’s army respected David as he led them in countless battles, and with God by his side, they would always come out victorious. The admiration for David was…

The Powerful And Active Prayer

When scripture talks about the power in the prayer of a righteous person, we inadvertently misunderstand that the prayers of the sinners are powerless. When we receive answers to our prayers, we think that we are righteous and are overwhelmed with joy and embrace pride. We attribute our righteousness as the sole cause for the…

The Stone Is Mightier Than The Sword – 1 Samuel 17

One of the most popular narratives in the Bible, the battle between David and Goliath has made its way into pop culture and is often referred to in sports when an underdog beats the defending champion. But what the world does not realize, something that Goliath and the Philistines learned the hard way, David was…

Time To Move On – 1 Samuel 16

After the fallout with Saul, Samuel had shut himself in his hometown of Ramah and spent his days mourning for the king of Israel. Though their relationship was going through a rocky patch, Samuel had played an important part in Saul’s life and in the transformation of his heart. Saul even started prophesying soon after…

The Parable of the Wise and the Foolish

As Jesus was warning His followers about the times of tribulations that were fast approaching, He encouraged them saying that the Holy Spirit will always be by their side throughout the ordeal. When they would be dragged to the synagogues and courts and be on trial before the authorities, they need not worry about what…

Obedience Over Offerings – 1 Samuel 15

The failure to follow instructions had already put Saul in hot water as God did not respond to him either through the prophet or through the Urim and the Thummim. Saul was also on the outs with Samuel but after some time had passed, Samuel came to Saul with a message from the Lord. This…

The Parable of the Ten Minas

On His final trip to Jerusalem, Jesus visited several towns and villages along the way, teaching and healing those who came to Him. His ministry was gathering steam as more and more people started following Him. Jesus’ popularity drew such large crowds that when they were passing through the ancient city of Jericho, a tiny…

Panic Sent By God – 1 Samuel 14

Now that the relationship between Saul and Samuel had deteriorated beyond repair, he appointed himself a priest from the family line of Eli. Ahijah was the priest who had accompanied Saul’s army in their pursuit of the Philistines and was wearing the ephod that housed the Urim and the Thummim. Saul needed a man of…

The Parable of the Wedding Banquet

The Pharisees and the teachers of the law were questioning Jesus’ authority after he had caused a ruckus in the temple. His condemnation of turning the temple into a marketplace was directed at them as they were the ones who had allowed the sellers in the temple. Thereafter, they desperately looked for opportunities to seize…

Blessed Are The Meek

The terminologies used in the Bible mostly appear to be the same as defined in the dictionary. But in the real sense, the scripture conveys an idea just opposite to the perceptions of this world. Despite Jesus telling us that “blessed are the meek,” we still believe that the people who have influence, wealth, muscle…

The Parable of the Lost Sons

As Jesus was gaining more followers each day, the Pharisees and the teachers of the law sought to use His popularity against Him. They started murmurs about how Jesus was mingling with the wrong crowd and that His followers were nothing but prostitutes and tax collectors, sinners that He should not be associating with. In…

The King of Glory – Psalm 24

We are aware of the truth that the glory belongs to the Lord. Even after knowing this, do we attribute the glory to God or give it to something else that dominates our lives. In the days of David, Kings were the glorious people on the earth, and David was also one of them. Despite…

The Parable of the Unknown Hour

When Jesus prophesied about the day of the lord and the abomination that causes desolation the disciples were curious to know when would these things come to pass. Like students who constantly ask the invigilator for the time remaining during their examination, we too want to know the exact time of our lord’s coming. We…

To the Ends of the Earth

“You will be my witnesses to the ends of the earth,” Jesus told these words to a group of people who knew nothing about geography, as most of them were fishermen who depended for their livelihood on the nearby sea. They were uneducated and did not know how to articulate their thoughts clearly. Moreover, they…

The Parable of the Labourers in the Vineyard

Once a rich man had come to Jesus asking what he must do to “gain” eternal life. We know that we cannot do anything to gain eternal life or even our salvation as it was freely given to us. But the rich man was persistent and Jesus’ standard answer of following the commandments did not…

With Swords and Clubs – Mark 14

After finishing their meal, Jesus and the disciples sang a hymn and left for a place called Gethsemane. Jesus had come to the earth to accomplish the will of the Father and His ministry of more than three years was culminating to this very day. His soul was overwhelmed with sorrow as the hour of…

The Parable of the Vineyard and the Tenants

After Jesus had cleared the temple of the various merchants, He called out the Jewish leaders for turning the house of the Lord into a den of robbers. This did not sit well with the chief priests and the teachers of the law, as they started looking for ways to kill Him. They questioned the…

Our Shepherd – Psalm 23

This is probably one of the few chapters from the Bible that we know by heart. But do we actually know what it means or is it just part of our Sunday school memories? I am not sure that even King David understood it completely as he was simply writing about his life experiences. But unbeknownst to him, God was using David to give us the greatest assurance that we would ever need that He is our Shepherd.

A Teaser Of Crucifixion – Psalm 22

This Psalm portrays the crucifixion of Jesus that occurred centuries after its writing. It is bewildering how David, a Jew by birth, foresaw the Roman practice of killing the criminals by hanging them on a tree. The capital punishment of crucifixion had come to vogue in Rome long after the death of David. Yet this…

The Parable of the Seeds

Both Matthew and Mark have placed the Parable of the Sower right after the arrival of the family of Jesus, who came to one of His gatherings to try and put an end to His mission (Mark 3:21). The Jewish leaders had already made up their minds about Him and now His own family was…

The Valley Of Death…

We are striving hard to survive among various challenges in this earthly life. While we face trouble in our jobs, diseases or arguments with our loved ones, we stop trusting God and trust every other resource of this world. In this pursuit, the thought of ending our lives frequently comes to mind. When we forget…

The Parable of the Wineskins

The sequence of events that lead up to Jesus narrating the parable of the Wineskins is found in all three synoptic Gospels. There is some ambiguity when it comes to who originally questioned Jesus but this is one of the rare events that was captured in the same chronological order by all three writers. According…

From Caterpillar To Butterfly

Seeing a bunch of caterpillars crawling on the ground, I often used to wonder how does this ugly creature transform into an eye-catching colourful butterfly. People love catching the beautiful winged insect and try to keep them in the palm of their hands but no one wants to touch a caterpillar. God cleanses us by…

The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant

Found only in the Gospel of Matthew, the Parable of the unmerciful servant, was Jesus teaching His disciples on how to deal with each other’s transgressions with patience, and above all being able to forgive each other just like the Father forgave their sins. The disciples were worried about who would be the greatest in…

The Last Supper – Mark 14

The proximity of the Passover festival temporarily halted the plans of the chief priests and the teachers of the law from scheming and how to secretly arrest and kill Jesus. They were afraid that the capture of Jesus during the time when Jerusalem was already flooded with tourists from the surrounding states, would only diminish…

Give In, Not Give Up

The world quotes Jesus word’s for turning the other cheek when facing an enemy or persecutor but no one wants to adopt it. Resistance and retaliation appear to be defensive weapons but did not help in defending but ended up avenging ourselves and others. Jesus teaches us not to resist the evil person, which means…

The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector

The story of the Hare and the Tortise is a beloved childhood memory that taught us the contrasting approaches of two different creatures towards the same end goal. Everyone loves an underdog story and while no one expected the underdog to win, the persistent tortoise beat the arrogant hare in the foot race. Moral stories with two polar opposite characters, usually have the underdog come out in a good light. However, when Jesus started the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector, no one could have imagined the underdog to end up as the one being ‘Justified’ by God.

From The Author’s Desk – Psalm 21

The author captures the responses to the prayers that people had lifted up in the previous Psalm for their King. Are we aware of the changes that God made in the lives of the people for whom we prayed? Often, we do not even remember what we prayed and for whom we prayed. Even if…

The Parable of the Audacious Friend

One day, the disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray. They had heard that John (the baptist) had taught his disciples to pray and perhaps wondered why Jesus had not done the same, not realising that Jesus is the answer to all our prayers. So Jesus taught them a prayer which we now…

The Temple – Mark 13

Having established how the teachers of the law devoured the house of the widows but enjoyed the adoration from the elite (Mark 12:39-40), Jesus presented them with an example of what is God looking for in His people. While in the temple, Jesus was observing the crowds putting money into the collection boxes. The wealthy…

Trusting God – Psalm 20

Do we trust God? When we say we trust God, inadvertently, our priorities override our trust in God. When we face catastrophes or unpredictable situations, we wonder why bad things happen to us. And when diagnosed with some terminal disease, we question God did this happen to us. Asking such questions seems natural but in…

The Parable of the Shrewd Manager

Found only in the Gospel of Luke, Jesus narrated the parable of the lost son (prodigal son) and the parable of the dishonest manager (shrewd manager) one after the other. But while the parable of the prodigal son is well known for its theme, the lesser-known parable of the shrewd or dishonest manager has people…

Evidence Gathering – Mark 12

The Law of the LORD – Psalm 19

While people are desperately searching for God, they do not realise that His every creation reflects His power. But with modern innovation, people do not find the time to admire the beauty of nature. Innovations are the outcome of one’s inspiration from nature. However, people do not give any regard to nature but are crazy…

The Parable of the Good Samaritan

Found only in the Gospel of Luke, this Parable on the surface might seem like a tale of brotherly but it has a deeper message behind it.

A Grand Entrance – Mark 11

As Jesus and His disciples approached Jerusalem for their final trip to the hill city, they came to the familiar town of Bethany on the Mount of Olives. This was a regular halt point for the group as it was home to many of Jesus’ close followers. While preparing to head for Jerusalem, Jesus asked…

Mission Accomplished

What are our accomplishments? Are we accomplishing someone else’s mission or our own? If someone else is selecting our mission, what are we achieving in our lives? Our education major is not selected by us anymore but is dictated by the market demand or maybe our college guidelines. Our jobs have no relevance to our…

Seizing the Opportunity – Mark 10

Jesus was teaching in the region of Judea as the Pharisees were looking for an opportunity to trap Jesus. They knew about Jesus’ closeness with John the Baptist, who was killed for speaking out against the extramarital affairs of king Herod. They wanted to use this opportunity to try and get Jesus to speak against…

Excited Not Exhausted – Psalm 18

Often, we are tired of our lives and are drained of all our energy to fight our battles. If metabolism is the chemical reaction in the body’s cells that change food into energy, worshipping God is the spiritual reaction in our soul that changes the word of God into energy. Glorifying God does not mean…

Quiz – John 13-17 (The Last Supper)

Test your Bible knowledge with this quiz about John’s account of the Last Supper

The Diagnosis of Sin

With the advancement of medical sciences, diagnosis and subsequent treatment have become quite easy. But in the olden days, people did not have these facilities to identify the specific reason, yet they received healing. It might be because of the pure air quality and organic yields. In this modern age, the air quality has become…

The Naming Ceremony

We consider the naming ceremony as a sacred event and believe that choosing the correct name, brings blessings and success in the lives of our children. As a result, choosing a name has now become even more complicated, as people think that the prosperity of their children depends on their name. Some people name their…

The Transfiguration – Mark 9

Almost a week later, Jesus took Peter, James and John and went up to a high mountain. When they were all alone, His appearance transfigured before their very eyes. His clothes became the brightest shade of white, unattainable by any of our earthly dyes. Definitely nothing close to what the disciples could have imagined as…

A Search Warrant – Psalm 17

Transparency at every step is imposed by many Government Departments especially, with the law-enforcing departments to curb corruption and injustice. Moreover, the adoption of automation in departments dealing with civil welfare has restricted Government officials from showing favour to someone out of turn because of political pressure or bribery. At the same time, people have…

The Incarnation

Christmas celebrations include singing carols, baking cakes, decorating our houses and of course lighting up the Christmas tree. The children enact the nativity play as we remember the sequence of events that occurred during the birth of Jesus. While we sing the famous carol song “Joy to the world,” can we see the present world…

Quiz – The Original Christmas Story

A quiz about the events leading up to Jesus’ birth, His exile and return to Israel

Children Of God

According to the Gospel of John, by receiving the Son of God, whom the Father had sent, we have become the children of God. The Gospel explains this further, as children born not of natural descent, a human decision, or a husband’s will, but born of God (John 1:13). Even the children of natural descendants…

The Contentment – Psalm 16

This idiom, “a contented mind is a perpetual feast”, tells us the benefit of contentment. King Solomon recorded a similar theme in a different way saying that the cheerful heart has a continual feast (Proverbs 15:15). The cheerfulness of our heart depends on the fulfilment of our heart’s desires. If our cheerfulness is the outcome…

Who Holds our Future

We all know that our future lays in the hands of our Sovereign God. The psalmist even wrote that “My times are in your hands” (Psalms 31:15), and Paul brought out the fact that God has marked out His people’s appointed times in history along with the boundaries of their lands (Acts 17:26). Our God…

The Survival – Psalm 15

While reading this Psalm, we should go back to the Old Testament times where people were afraid of God, and they did not even pronounce the word Yahweh, but only wrote it down to express His name. When the chief priests entered into the inner room with the blood he offered for himself and for…

The Night is Coming….

In the beginning, God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light amidst the darkness. From where did this darkness come? Does it exist on its own or is there any other power than God has that has birthed it? The Gospel of John explains the role of our Sovereign God in creating all…

The Beginning – John 1

The Gospel of John does not share any similarities with the other Synoptic Gospels, but this unique account of the life of Christ has a completely different purpose. Written by most probably John, the disciple, during the latter half of the first century to a predominantly Gentile audience of the Greco-Roman city of Ephesus, its…

The One After John – John 1

The conversation between the other John and the Jewish leaders where he denied comparisons to three of the most famous Old Testament figures.

The Lamb of God – John 1

The ministry of Jesus spread through people sharing their personal experiences of their encounter with the Messiah. Even today, in a world filled with countless religions and distractions, the work of God continues through the personal testimonies of people who have experienced Christ in their lives.

Surveillance – Psalm 14

This Psalm focuses on the unceasing surveillance of God on each one of us, whoever we may be or wherever we are. In public places, we often find stickers informing us that we are under surveillance. Surveillance cameras are used to deter people from anti-social elements such as shoplifting or attempting to escape from prison….

The New Wine – John 2

Two days after gathering His disciples, Jesus arrived at a wedding in a place called Cana in the region of Galilee. During the festivities, Jesus’s mother brought a matter of concern to Him saying that the wedding party had run out of wine. Of all the requests brought before Jesus, this would have been the most trivial of the lot.

The New Temple – John 2

Jesus did not answer their demands by giving them a sign immediately but foretold about His own death and resurrection that will be the ultimate sign of His authority given to everyone.

The Light – John 3

Everyone knows John 3:16 by heart but the next verse is equally important, for Jesus did not come to condemn us but save us. If he wanted to condemn us for our wrongdoings, He would have brought the day of judgment upon us but rather He came with the sole intention to be an atonement for our sins.

The Living Water – John 4

The living water represents His Spirit in us who gives us the joy that comes from knowing that our sins are forgiven. The joy in our hearts that gives us a new life, a new beginning with the knowledge that the slate has been wiped clean. That is what Jesus has to offer.

The Savior of the World – John 4

Quite ironical that the Jews , through whom the salvation was to come rejected the Messiah but the ‘pagan’ Samaritans were the first to proclaim Jesus as the Savior of the world. Jesus revealed His true identity in this Samaritan town, something that He would not do in the Jewish towns.

The Healer – John 5

During one of Jesus’ trips to Jerusalem, He encounters a man sitting by the poolside at Bethesda waiting for healing when the Healer himself came to him.

The Son of God – John 5

Once again Jesus had riled up the Jewish leaders simply by giving a man the ability to pick up his mat and walk as they started questioning His authority.

The Bread of Life – John 6

Just like satan blinded the eyes of those disciples who abandoned Jesus that day, he is doing the same even today for the believers who are satisfied with eating the symbolic bread and wine and will never desire to taste the Bread of Life.

The Son of David – John 7

Jesus came alone to Jerusalem and stood out in the crowd, He did not wait for the consensus to be formed about Him before He spoke out against the leaders. By the power of God, He took a stand against the leaders who had diluted the Gospel and made it a religion. Are we waiting for a consensus in our lives or are willing to stand out for God?

The Great I Am – John 8

Jesus saved the adulterous woman from being stoned and did not condemn her. But now the crowds had picked up the stones once again, this time, to kill Jesus.

The Man They Call Jesus – John 9

While the Pharisees were focused on their quest to crucify the Messiah, Jesus continued to walk on the path that God had set before Him, touching yet another life on His way to Calvary. As Jesus and His disciples were walking the streets of Jerusalem, they saw a man who had been blind from birth. The disciples could not help but pass judgement and wanted Jesus to weigh in on who is responsible for this man’s condition, his parents or he himself.

The Good Shepherd – John 10

Jesus deemed the pharisees guilty of sin as they were not blind but refused to change their ways. Another argument between Jesus and the pharisees ensued ending up with Jesus revealing another aspect of His identity by comparing himself to a shepherd.

The Resurrection and the Life – John 11

The raising of Lazarus would be a precursor to His own resurrection from the grave on the third day. We have read that He had raised at least two people from the dead but they had not been in the grave for four days. The disciples and the Jews gathered around this tragedy, would soon be the witnesses to Jesus’ big reveal, that He indeed is the Resurrection and the Life.

The Intimate Friend – John 12

The festival of Passover was approaching and the hill city of Jerusalem would soon see an influx of pilgrims to the holy land and its neighbouring towns. Jesus also made the trip to Judea one last time, just six days before His crucifixion. On His way to Jerusalem, He visited His followers in the nearby town of Bethany where He had raised Lazarus back to life.

The King of Israel – John 12

Jesus did not have a large following in Jerusalem but His followers were those who had seen him in their own hometowns and were in the city just for the festivities. It is very easy to get swept by the atmosphere of our surroundings and people started joining in the chants even though many of them would have only known hearsay about Christ and not realized His true purpose.

The Servant King – John 13

Jesus has one last meal with His disciples before His arrest, followed by a lightning-fast trial that would lead Him to the cross the very next day. But His work among His disciples was not done, as He continued to enlighten them with His teachings during what is now known as His Last Supper.

The Betrayed – John 13

In rejecting Jesus as the Messianic King, the Jewish leaders proved that they did not understand the very scriptures they were reading and teaching others. Satan had blinded their eyes in the name of religion and in their efforts to hold on to their traditions, they failed to accept the greatest Gift from God. Jesus wanted to highlight His rejection to prepare the disciples for the persecution that was coming their way.

The Comforter – John 14

The Vine – John 15 & 16

After answering the questions and doubts that the disciples had brought forward, Jesus uses the illustration of a vine and its branches to help the disciples understand how they are connected to the Father through Him. Throughout the Old Testament, illustrations involving vine usually denoted the Israelites and their failure to comply with God’s instructions….

The Glorified – John 17

While the other Gospel writers have focused on the events that took place in the Garden, John takes a step back and tells us the events before they reached the Garden. Jesus’ longest recorded prayer came just moments before His capture as He prays for Himself, for His disciples and for everyone who will ever…

The Arrested – John 18

After finishing His prayer, Jesus left with His disciples and crossed the Kidron valley. Here, there was a garden where Jesus would often meet with His disciples. Judas, who knew about this place, brought with him the chief priests and Pharisees, along with a detachment of soldiers to the garden where Jesus and the disciples…

The Sin Bearer – John 19

Pilate made one last attempt to convince the Jews as he found no basis for a charge against Jesus. But the Jewish leaders insisted that Jesus had broken their laws by claiming to be the Son of God. Pilate who did not know what to make of this case was even more afraid now and…

The Messiah – John 20

Often we are reduced to our basic understanding of who Christ is. We are not able to fathom the extent of His power when we experience His wondrous works in our lives. Some even try to rationalise His supernatural intervention using medical sciences, their good fortunes and even their wit that gave them a way out of their problems. Mary and the other women who witnessed the empty tomb would have often heard Jesus talk about this day, but when the day finally arrived they were puzzled.

The Epilogue – John 21

Peter and John were the two disciples who experienced Jesus’ trial up close and were also the first of the disciples to reach the tomb of Jesus only to find it empty. Perhaps this is why we are given a short epilogue at the end of John’s account to tie up the loose ends with…