The supper ended. Jesus rose from the table and proceeded to shock everyone in the room. The Apostles were stunned as their Master donned the garb of a household servant. He now wore a towel around His waist. He carried a basin full of fresh water. He bowed before each...

A woman was caught in the “very act” of adultery and brought to Jesus. She was thrown at His feet right there in the Temple, in the house of mercy. A number in the mob there had started to gather stones to throw at her. Tragically, as we read through...

Some stanzas for starters right here: The Table Is set In the presence Of enemies My enemies   The Shepherd Put it In position There   For me And For them Yes For them Too   Let them now Sit down To break the bread Of forgiveness   Take the...

“Honor your father and your mother that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you” (Exodus 20:12). Honor your father and your mother — tucked right into the Ten Commandments are these words that carry a significant God-promise. I believe that the...

“But with You there is forgiveness, that You might be feared” (Psalm 130:4). This verse defines just why we should hold God in reverence and awe. He forgives. It is the most potent and effective revelation of His power. The Lord shows mercy. In fact, He rejoices to show His...

Cast at the feet of Jesus, she was alone and in trouble.  She was surrounded by accusers. She’d been caught, witnessed in the very act of adultery, they said. Stones were in their hands, ready to be cast at her. It was what the Law of Moses prescribed, so they...

The most holy day of the year for the Jew is Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. It occurs in the midst of a 10-day period of introspection and repentance. We find the description of its religious requirements in Leviticus 16. One aspect of this celebration is the role played...

“You meant evil.” It was Joseph who said these words in the book of Genesis. After more than a decade, he finally came face to face with the brothers who had cast him into a pit and turned him into a slave. They thought to kill Joseph, but then decided...

Bill Alderson, Baltimore We are introduced to the concept of sin early in the Scriptures, in Genesis 3 with the fall of Adam and Eve. Their reaction to their sin was to hide (verse 8). Then in chapter 4, Cain has a face to face run-in with sin and his...

Bill Alderson, Baltimore One of the most recognizable of Jesus’s parables is the Prodigal Son. Most of us have heard messages on the subject of a restored relationship with the Father using this parable as its text, but what if this particular lesson was intended to address the Jews? Since...