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Weekly Bible Study Resources

Bible Characters for Your Weekly Bible Study

Compiled by Lt Gen C. Norman Wood, USAF (Ret)

For week of April 16 - 22, 2012

SUBJECT: PROBATION AFTER DEATH

Tatham, Julie Campbell, “Beyond Death—What and Where?,” Journal, Vol. 90 (May 1972), p. 245.

--John Dryden wrote in the seventeenth century:Death in itself is nothing, but we fearTo be we know not what, we know not where.

--Although human beings seem to die, somewhere in each of us is the hope of immortality.• And there is the conviction that our happiness or misery in any possible afterlife is dependent

on our good or bad behavior here.---What we fear, perhaps, is not so much passing through the portal called death as

becoming “we know not what” in another world “we know not where.”--So the “what” is the real, eternal, though unseen by you.

• And the “where” is here, right in your own consciousness. Governed by your Mind, God, you’re always in full control of your own destiny and have nothing to fear here or hereafter.

RESPONSIVE READING: Jesus speaks with Thomas and the other disciples about the Comforter (John 14: 1-6, 19, 27-29)RELATED SCRIPTURE: Ex 33: 18-23; Acts 1:8,18; 10:30TIME LINE: Thursday of Passion Week, 30 AD at Jerusalem

“This discourse [chapter 14] explores what it means for Jesus to go away and come again. His return is understood in several ways.” (Theological Bible Commentary)

“This [I am the way…,v.6] is the sixth ‘I AM” statement of Jesus in John.” (MacArthur Bible Commentary)

“In the hour of sorrow for the disciples, [Jesus] promised a unique kind of peace that is different from the world’s peace [v.27]: My peace: This peace would calm troubled and fearful hearts.” (King James Bible Commentary)

“True love would cause the disciples to rejoice because [Jesus] is going away [I go away, v.28]. This departure would bring glory to Christ and would enable the Holy Spirit to come.” (Ibid)

PrayerfulLiving.com Weekly Bible Study resources http://www.csdirectory.com/biblestudy/nw-index.html1

Bible Characters for your weekly Bible study — April 16 - 22, 2012

Thomas[Tom’uhs] (Heb. “twin”)

“Thomas is another of the apostles who is virtually ignored by Matthew, Mark, and Luke, and he is mentioned only three times in John.” (All the People in the Bible) One of the twelve disciples; he is "named in all lists of the twelve, but a major character only in the gospel of John." (Oxford Guide to People & Places) "He was also called Didymus (John 11:16; 20:24), which is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew name. All we know regarding him is recorded in the fourth Gospel. From the circumstance that in the lists of the apostles he is always mentioned along with Matthew, who was the son of Alphaeus, and that these two are always followed by James, who was also the son of Alphaeus, it has been supposed that these three, Matthew, Thomas, and James, were brothers." (Baker Encyclopedia)

Little is known about Thomas’ activities after the crucifixion of Jesus. "In the New Testament we hear of Thomas only twice again, once on the Sea of Galilee with the seven disciples, where he is ranked next after Peter (John 21:2), and again in the assemblage of the apostles after the ascension (Acts 1:13). The earlier traditions, as believed in the fourth century, represent him as preaching in Parthia or Persia, and as finally buried at Edessa." (Ibid) Thomas is one of the small group of disciples who go fishing and then see the risen Lord. He “was on the Sea of Galilee with six other disciples when Jesus signaled to them from the shore and told them where to cast their net (John 21:2). Thomas was also with the other disciples in the Jerusalem upper room after the Ascension of Jesus” (Who Was Who in the Bible)

“He is most commonly remembered as the “doubting Thomas” who refused to believe in Jesus’ resurrection until he saw the scars and was invited to place his fingers where the nails were driven and his hand into Jesus’ side (John 20:24-29). The story stands as a paradigm for all Christians who are called to believe in Christ without having seen him or having been granted tangible proof of his existence (v.29).” (HarperCollins Dictionary)

“Should Have? Could Have?,” Monitor (20 September 1996), p. 17.

--Have you ever had the feeling you’ve missed the boat or that you’ve let some opportunity slip by without taking advantage of it?

• It’s a sinking feeling to think “Gee, why didn’t I do that?”--Often when we let an opportunity pass, it appears gone forever.--So how do you put your talents to work?

• By starting to acknowledge whatever is already good in your life, and seeing it as coming from God.

---Saying things like “I should have” or “I could have,” from a standpoint of regret, is a waste of time.

• Jesus said, according to the book of John, “In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you” (14:2).

---Here is a thought-provoking assurance that God gives us infinite opportunities.

Cameron, Jean E., "John 14:1-3," POEM, Sentinel (15 April 1950) p. 634.

I prayed for home. And in my quiet thoughtTruth's angel whispered, Lo, man is not doomed

To wander or to wait unsatisfied.Then in my heart the Master's message bloomed,

Your Father's house has many mansions and

PrayerfulLiving.com weekly Bible Study resources http://www.csdirectory.com/biblestudy/nw-index.html2


The Christ goes to prepare a place for you!I saw my home spacious beautiful

With all things needful, warm with welcome too.

But yet more lovely was the light that shoneTenderly from the final promise sweet

That where I am, there ye may also be.It’s impossible to live alone!

Mind's infinite idea dwells completeWithin His ceaseless, pure activity.

SECTION I: Jesus and the lawyer: the way to inherit eternal life (Luke 10: 25-28)PARALLEL GOSPELS: Matt 22: 34-40; Mark 12: 28-31TIME LINE: The Year of Opposition and Development (Jesus’ 3rd year of ministry) Nov-Dec 29 AD in Perea.

“a certain lawyer”

“Both Mark and Matthew have this story later, with variations in detail. For Luke the story illustrates how the wise and prudent miss what babes know. The lawyer’s question is about eternal life, not the greatest commandment, and he is led to answer it himself.” (HarperCollins Dictionary)

The lawyer, v.25 is “a scribe who was supposedly an expert in the Law of God. Aside from one usage of this word in Matthew (22:35), Luke is the only one of the Gospel writers who uses it.” (MacArthur Bible Commentary)

Kreutziger-Herr, Prof. Annette (Berlin, Germany), “When you lose someone you love…: Life means movement,” Sentinel, Vol. 107 (8 August 2005), p. 16.

--There is a parable that Jesus told that is dear to me…while I was struggling with the unexpected death of a close family friend….--What Jesus taught a questioning man 2,000 years ago became a powerful lesson for me, showing me how we can continue to love and walk with our friends after they have passed away.--This story is embedded within a dialogue between Jesus and “a certain lawyer.”

• The lawyer has asked Jesus what he need to do in order to inherit eternal life.---Jesus, having referred the lawyer to Scriptural law, receives this answer from his

questioner: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself.”

• Jesus’ response is straightforward and clear: “Thou hast answered right: this do and thou shalt live” (see Luke 10).--That seems to me the greatest lesson of all: The love that goes deeper and deeper—that reaches beyond material existence into the realm of Spirit—is the love that overcomes death.

Allen, Jean Hazel, “Eternality Of Life,” POEM, Sentinel, Vol. 75 (23 June 1973), p. 1064.

It cannot beThat life shall cease for us and leave no mark

In passing—nothing but a fearsome, starkVacuity.

So frail a premise would consign to earthThe majesty of Mind, and make of Truth



A mockery.

Man, the reflection of the infinite,Knowing no death, walks ever in supernal light

eternally.

SECTION IV: Jesus with Peter, James, and John at the Transfiguration (Mark 9: 2-9 Jesus)RELATED SCRIPTURE: Ex 7: 20; I Kings 17: 1; Matt 10:2; 26:37; Mark 5:37; 13:3PARALLEL GOSPELS: Matt 17: 1-9; Luke 9: 28-36TIME LINE: The Year of Opposition and Development (Jesus’ 3rd year of ministry), 29 AD, on Mt. Hermon [some scholars suggest Mt. Tabor, although it is not as high]. Written c. 50-60 AD.

The dramatic elements help us understand the Transfiguration, especially as it reveals the glory of Christ. It occurred in a dramatic setting (a high mountain) at a dramatic occasion (when Jesus was praying [Luke 9:29]) during a dramatic hour (at night). Darkness heightened the drama of Jesus’ shining face and dazzling clothing.

“Matthew and Mark place the Transfiguration ‘six days’ after Jesus’ promise (v.1); Luke, no doubt including the day the promise was made and the day of the Transfiguration itself, describes the interval as ‘about eight days’ (Luke 9:28).” (MacArthur Bible Commentary) “The seventh day is Sunday and so this glimpse of glory is also a resurrection story.” (On Your Mark) "The precise reference to the amount of time elapsed [six days, v.1] is unusual for Matthew. It seems he is carefully connecting Jesus' promise in 16:28 with the event that immediately follows." (MacArthur Bible Commentary)

“Matthew specifically adds this feature [his face did shine, v.2], another explicit allusion to Moses (see Moses in Exod.34:29-35; Rev.1:16; 2 Cor.3:18).” (People’s NT Commentary)

“The fact that the ancient fuller [v.3] (one who bleached cloth) had a low place in society may have led both Matt. and Luke to change the figure of speech to ‘light’ (Matt 17:2) or ‘dazzling’ (Luke 9:29).” (Interpreter’s One-volume Commentary)

"Peter wished to prolong the stay of the heavenly visitants, and offered to build them temporary houses [v.4 three tabernacles] on the mountain for their accommodation." (Dummelow Commentary)

“It is debated whether the command [hear ye him, v.5] refers to the passion announcement or to Jesus’ ethical teaching. It would probably not [have] occurred to Matthew to make such a distinction. Jesus’ teaching concerns God’s will for him and for his followers.” (Interpretation series: Matthew)

“This [till the Son of man were risen from the dead, Luke v.9] looks to the time when the true nature of Jesus’ messianic mission will be evident to all, namely, that [he] has come to conquer sin and death, not the Romans.” (MacArthur Bible Commentary)

“Peter, and James, and John”

Peter, James, and John are credited with an especially close relationship to Jesus, and were regarded by the evangelists as the most important of the 12 apostles. These three were alone with him on more than one important event. They were "often called the 'inner circle.'" (King James Bible



Commentary) They “are later to be pillars of the Jerusalem church, and here they are symbolic of that church’s inability to perceive the true nature of Jesus.” (Interpreter’s One-volume Commentary)

According to both Mark and Luke, only Peter, James, and John and the parents witnessed the raising of Jairus’ daughter. Then, in the presence of these five whose faith he could trust, Jesus commanded the child to get up.

“Jesus has taken Peter, James, and John off to pray.” (On Your Mark) "Peter, James, and John, who accompany Jesus [at the Transfiguration] ([Matt] 17:1), match Moses' three companions, Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu (Exod 24:1,9)." (Eerdmans Dictionary)

“It may be of symbolic significance to Matthew that the three apostles—Peter, James, and John—reappear together with Jesus only in Gethsemane, where their master wrestles with his fate.” (Interpretation series: Matthew) Jesus said, “my soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even unto death” (Matt 26:38). Jesus then asked them to stay with him, to keep awake, and to “watch” with him, that he might have their support in his challenge.

“Elias with Moses”

As the disciples watched their Master being transfigured before their eyes in dazzling glory, two men, Moses and Elijah (v.3), became also visible. Moses and Elijah "represent the Law and the Prophets, respectively, both of which foretold [Jesus'] death, and that is what Luke says the three of them are discussing (Luke 9:31)." (MacArthur Bible Commentary)

“The presence of Elijah and Moses with Jesus is not explained by Mark.” (Interpreter’s One-volume Commentary) “By portraying Moses, Elijah, and Jesus as talking together in a scene of transcendent glory, Matthew confirms his view that Jesus is in continuity with and the fulfillment of God’s work as represented by the Old Testament.” (People’s NT Commentary) “Another more plausible, possibility is that they represent the 2 official witnesses to the Messiah, mentioned in Rev. 11:3-6, where vs. 6 identifies them figuratively as Elijah (I Kings 17:1) and Moses (Exod. 7:20). (Interpreter’s One-volume Commentary)

Mason, Frank E. (CSB and Assistant Pastor), “The Transfiguration,” Journal, Vol. 6 (October 1888), p. 331.

--The Transfiguration of our Lord and Master occurred on or near Mount Hermon. Though it is not positively known that this mount was the place of the sacred vision witnessed by Peter, James, and John, yet many eminent Bible scholars and commentators, whose judgment is generally accepted, refer to Mount Hermon as the probable site of this remarkable manifestation. --As the exact locality of the Transfiguration, however, is unknown, there is more or less conjecture concerning it. --Mount Hermon is the highest mountain in Syria. It belongs to the Anti-Lebanon range, and is forty miles north of the Sea of Galilee, and thirty west of Damascus. The ruins of an ancient temple are still visible on its southern promontory.--Peter, James, and John, from the spiritual height they had attained, saw Jesus anew. Heretofore, like the other disciples, they had looked upon him as human; now they saw him in his immortal manhood. --Moses and Elias were representatives of the Law and Prophets, the acknowledged teachers of the Jewish race. Moses represented the Law, Elias the Prophets. Thus the Law and the Prophets pointed, as with outstretched fingers, to Jesus. Moses signified moral courage, rightful determination in the face of all danger, boldness of purpose.



--Elias prophesied his own culmination in John the Baptist, the type of purity. These two, whom the disciples beheld, represented degrees leading to the perfect idea of God: First, Moses, or moral courage; second, Elias, or purity; third, Jesus, the perfect idea of God.

Knott, Mrs. Annie Macmillan (CSD, Lecturer, Assistant Editor, Associate Editor, Trustee, Bible Lesson Committee, and Director), EDITOR’S TABLE, Journal, Vol. 33 (September 1915), p. 367.

--IN the gospels we are told that on at least two occasions the divine Spirit testified to Jesus' spiritual Sonship, the first occasion being at his baptism by John in the Jordan.

• We are also told that at the transfiguration this again occurred in a way which is most significant.

---It would seem that Peter, James, and John were advancing spiritually, so that they were able to see for a few brief moments a vision of reality, of eternal being, when Moses and Elias talked with their Master,—when at the midnight hour they were almost dazzled by the light which came not from sun, moon, or stars.

• We shall be helped to understand this experience better if we ponder these words by our Leader on page 266 of Science and Health: "Man is the idea of Spirit; he reflects the beatific presence, illuming the universe with light. Man is deathless, spiritual….He does not cross the barriers of time into the vast forever of Life, but he coexists with God and the universe."

“Islam and Christianity,” Monitor (16 November 1998), p. 23.

--According to the Islamic Calendar, Rajab 27, 1419…marks the anniversary of the ascension of the Prophet Muhammad into the Seven Heavens and his return to earth. Muhammad had traveled from Mecca to Jerusalem. Muslims believe that he prayed with the prophets Abraham, Moses, and Jesus near the area of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. He ascended to heaven to speak with God, from the rock inside The Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, and returned to earth the same night. This occurrence is called Isra al Mi’raj, or the ascent of the Prophet Muhammad. Among religions there are sometimes comparable events, though there may be different understandings of them.--This commemoration is reminiscent of the biblical account of Jesus’ transfiguration, observed by Peter, James, and John. In this experience, Jesus spoke with Moses and Elijah. God spoke aloud and said of Jesus, “This is my beloved Son: hear him” (Mark 9:7)--In an age of increasing religious stridency, human doctrines would eclipse divine revelation.

SECTION V: Mary and Martha notify Jesus of Lazarus’ illness; Jesus comes and raises Lazarus from the sleep of death (John 11: 1, 3, 4, 17, 39 [to 1st.], 41-44)RELATED SCRIPTURE: Mark 5: 39; John 5: 25, 28, 29TIME LINE: The last months (just prior to Passion Week), 30 AD at Bethany.

“As chapter 11 begins, Jesus stands in the shadow of facing the Cross. The little time that he had in the area beyond the Jordan came to an end. John picked up the story after [Jesus] moved back into the area of Jerusalem and [his] death on the Cross was only a few days away.” (MacArthur Bible Commentary) “The first episode (11:1-44) is the climatic event of the public ministry of Jesus: the raising of Lazarus.” (HarperCollins and Interpreter’s One-volume Commentary)

“The drama enacted between Jesus, Martha, Mary, and Lazarus is the final great word/sign event of the “Book of Signs. It shares many of the narrative patterns set elsewhere in the [Fourth Gospel]: the conjunction of Christological claim with enacted sign; the contrast between obtuse male disciples and paradigmatic women disciples; the growing anger of hostile opponents who refuse to see, reaching its climax in their deadly response (11:45-57).” (Eerdmans Commentary) “…it is the seventh and most important sign, since it directly foreshadows Jesus’ own death and resurrection.” (Oxford



Commentary) “The miracle does not require touch but is a perfect example of the power of the Word in action.” (Eerdmans Commentary)

“The setting for this miracle is described [vv.1,2). Lazarus had become ill; his sisters Mary and Martha send to [Jesus] for help.” (King James Bible Commentary)

“Jesus’ initial response to the request to come and meet his friend’s need might appear callous [v.4], but it shares the same sentiment as his initial reply to his mother’s approach at Cana (2:4).” (Eerdmans Commentary)

“In Bethany Jesus first meets Martha, v.17, the four days Lazarus has been in the tomb prove according to Jewish conceptions that the soul has definitely left the body.” (Oxford Bible Commentary)

“This [if thou hadst been here, v.21] was not a rebuke of Jesus, but a testimony of Martha’s trust in [his] healing power.” (MacArthur Bible Commentary)

“The voice of omnipotence speaks [Lazarus, come forth, v.43] and the dead responds.” (King James Bible Commentary)

“Lazarus comes out of the tomb [v.44] still wrapped in the linen strips that had been bound about his body. But beneath them he is alive, and needs only to be released.” (Peake’s Commentary) “Jesus’ opponents, aware only of the miracle, begin setting the final mystery in motion by plotting his death.” (Theological Bible Commentary)

Lazarus(See 1.15.12 notes)

Mary of Bethany[Mair’ee] (Gr. Maria or Mariam; Heb. Marah “bitter” or “grieved,” or Miryam, “rebellion”)

“Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, appears in three stories in the New Testament.” (All the People in the Bible) She “ is frequently remembered as she is depicted in Luke’s very short exemplary story, or confused with either the anonymous woman penitent who washes and anoints Jesus’ feet in Luke 7:36-50 or the famous disciple and witness to the resurrection, Mary of Magdala.

“Luke’s story appears to pit Martha and Mary against each other.” (Women in Scripture) Mary and her sister Martha appear in Luke as receiving their friend Jesus in their house "whenever he came up from Jerusalem, particularly for the Passover festival." (Who's Who in the New Testament) "As with Martha, we know nothing of Mary’s family background. Martha was probably older than Mary since the house is referred to as Martha’s; but she could have inherited it from an unmentioned husband [maybe Simon, the leper]." (Who Was Who in the Bible)

According to Luke, when Jesus visited their house in Bethany, Mary sat at Jesus’ feet and listened to his teachings while Martha worked in the kitchen. Mary sat listening eagerly for every word that fell from the divine teacher. When Martha complained that Mary was no help, Jesus gently rebuked Martha. She had chosen the good part, the “one thing needful.” "In John’s version Mary anoints Jesus’ feet with costly ointment and wipes them with her hair, while Martha serves (12:1-3).” (HarperCollins Dictionary)

“The next time we see Mary is at the raising of Lazarus. When they heard that Jesus was coming, Martha ran out to meet him, and Mary stayed at home (John 11:20ff). Martha met Jesus on the road, and he asked for Mary.” (All the People in the Bible) “Without doubt both Martha and Mary



loved their brother Lazarus, but we do not read of Martha weeping when death claimed him We have mention only of Mary’s tears.” (All the Women in the Bible) Mary’s grief was deeper, but less active than Martha’s. "Mary's role in the dialogue with Jesus prior to the resurrection of Lazarus is less significant than that of Martha (John 11:1-40)." (Anchor Dictionary) "When Jesus reached the house, after Lazarus had been 4 days dead, Mary at first 'sat in the house' (John 11:20 RSV), but afterward was summoned by Martha to meet the Lord who had called for her (v.28)." (Westminster Dictionary) Her first thought when she saw Jesus in whose power and love she had trusted was one of complaint. But the great joy and love which her brother’s return to life called up in her more than compensated for her previous grief.

Following Lazarus’ resurrection, Mary showed her gratitude by anointing Jesus’ feet with “a pound of very costly oil of spikenard” and wiping his feet with her hair. Judas called this anointing extravagant, but Jesus answered, “Let her alone; she has kept this for the day of my burial.” Jesus called Mary’s unselfish act “a memorial to her.”

Martha[Mar’thuh] (Aram. “lady, mistress”)

“Martha, identified as the sister of Mary, tends to be remembered primarily as she is depicted in Luke’s very short exemplary story.” (Women in Scripture) Martha and Mary also appear in John’s Gospel (John 11:1-12:8) and live in Bethany near Jerusalem. “The setting of Bethany whose distance from Jerusalem is correctly given in John 11:18 as fifteen stadia (c. 3 kilometers) from Jerusalem, as been ascertained by modern excavations.” (Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels)

Martha is the sister of Mary and Lazarus of Bethany. "Martha is named first, before Mary and Lazarus, as loved by Jesus (11:5)." (HarperCollins Dictionary) The three were tenderly attached to Jesus, but Mary and Martha expressed their love for him in different ways. Martha loved him and desired to make him comfortable and show him respect in her house; she was one of Jesus’ best loved disciples. “The character portrayal of the sisters in Luke and John are strikingly similar.” (Interpreter’s Dictionary)

While Martha busied herself making Jesus comfortable and cooking for him in her home, Mary listened intently to his teaching. Martha tried to have Jesus rebuke Mary for not assisting her to attend to his external wants, but Jesus explained that Mary’s deeper hunger for spiritual fellowship were more important than concern for his external honor. Jesus recognized that Martha was working for him, but he reminded her that she was permitting her outward activities to hinder her spiritually.

“Martha is even more prominent in John’s narrative. John 11:1-12:19 forms a unit bound together by references to the persons of Martha, Mary, and Lazarus. The section opens with the introduction of Lazarus as being from ‘Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha’ (11:1). The author goes on to identify Mary as ‘the one who anointed the Lord’(11:2), apparently expecting the reader to know both the anointing story and the names Mary and Martha. The progress of the story is explained through the relationships between Jesus and the three, but the emphasis is placed on Martha: ‘Jesus loved Martha and her sister and their brother Lazarus’ (11:5).” (Women in Scripture) “When Lazarus died it was Martha who ran out to meet Jesus on the way (John 11:20). While she rebuked him for not coming earlier, she nonetheless showed her faith in stating that she knew he could still help them.” (All the People of the Bible) Both sisters were sincere believers, but it was Martha who made the confession of faith. “In John 11:21-27, Jesus led Martha from an inadequate to a lofty confession. Faced with the realities of death, Martha, however, later doubted (John 11:39).” (Holman Dictionary)



“It appears that Martha was the head of the household, indicating that she was probably the oldest of the three.” (All the People in the Bible) The house where Jesus was received is called Martha’s, and the supper that was given to him at Bethany, at which Lazarus was present and Martha again served, where Mary anointed his feet was at the house of Simon the leper. Accordingly it has been suggested that Martha may have been the wife or widow of Simon.

"Many of the traits attributed to Martha by the evangelists correspond to those of deacons in early Church communities. Her portrait could be cited as a precedent for women deacons." (Anchor Bible Dictionary)

Bergenheim, Richard C. (CSB, Editor-in chief, Director, and Contributing Editor, and President), “The road to Bethany,” Journal, Vol. 111 (October 1993), p. 6.

--Few things present as great a contrast as Jesus’ thoughts and his disciples’ thoughts as they walked back to Bethany, near Jerusalem, to the home of Mary and Martha and their brother Lazarus. (See John 10:39-11:44)--The disciples had been informed that Lazarus had died.

• A short while before, they had had to flee from a mob in Jerusalem that had tried to stone Jesus to death.

---Now Jesus was returning, and they were certain that this time he would be killed.• Gloom and fear haunted their footsteps.

--Jesus had given his disciples reason for hope, but his words were incomprehensible to them.• He informed his followers that he was going to Jerusalem to awaken Lazarus. He assured

them that nothing could interfere with his fulfilling his spiritual mission.

Jackson, Myrtle Strode, “Mary of Bethany,” POEM, Journal, Vol. 34 (January 1917), p. 547.

Upon a vine clad terrace, in one deep nicheThat fallen stones had made within the wall,Sat Mary; her head heavy with hours of leaden thought,Drooped wearily upon her hands; her dreamy eyesMisty with unshed tears gazed out beyondThe blue horizon of the distant hillsIn dull despair. The Master had not come!Four days, four nights, and yet he had not come!Oh, she had watched it seemed a thousand yearsThat pathway from Judea! Her straining sightReeled inward, dazed and dizzy as she gazed,And her acute ears caught, between the soundsOf wailing and of mourning in the house,The falling of a pebble with sharp pain.No sound could voice the wailing in her heart,Though Lebanon itself should echo it; no tongueCried to her Master as her spirit criedIn speechless pleading hour after hour.Lazarus, their joy, their sun, their all was dead!....

Bouvy, Johanna Maria Christina, “Martha and Mary Questions,” Journal, Vol. 65 (October 1947), p. 473.



--When [Martha] went to meet Jesus on [the] occasion [of the death of her brother], she greeted him with the statement (John 11: 21,22): “Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.”

• Instead of being careful and troubled, she was certain; she understood that every problem laid before Jesus would be solved.

---How much she had grown!• Reassuringly the reply came, “Thy brother shall rise again.”

---Through Martha’s higher understanding of Jesus’ real being—as not just an honored guest but the Messiah—she was prepared to behold Lazarus’ resuscitation.

• Is not this rapid progress in the unfoldment of spiritual sense an encouragement to all of us who may feel the Martha questions rising in our consciousness?

Brandner, Harper, "Listeners at Bethany," POEM, Sentinel, Vol.57 (24 December 1955), p.2268.

The listener's who stood in sorrow's gloomHeard Jesus thank his Father and demand,"Take ye away the stone." Before the tombThey heard him call to Lazarus, bound handAnd foot, "Come forth." They saw the dead appearAnd heard the words, "Loose him, and let him go."How many of the fettered, standing near,Were also loosed from bonds, we do not know,But those who were receptive gained in thoughtAn impetus to rise from lethargy,To cast off bindings that false concept wrought,And stand forth newly vivified and free.

We are at Bethany in that same hourWhen we perceive Truth's resurrecting power.

Flavin, Patrick L., “’Loose him’,” POEM, Journal, Vol. (January 1999), p. 34.

Clingingwith ancient strength—gossamer webs in small

corners of thought—cloth and napkinclaim man’s obedience.

The Christcommands, “Loose him,

and let him go,” dissolvingerror’s strong hold, and lifting thought to

know man’s obedienceTo God.

SECTION VI: The trial before the Sanhedrin and the call to Pilate to “let him be crucified” (Matt 27: 1, 2, 22)PARALLEL GOSPELS: Mark 5: 1-5; 12-15; Luke 23: 1-4; John 18: 28-38; 19: 1, 6TIME LINE: Good Friday



Matt 27:1 "When morning came." The Sanhedrin waited until daybreak to render its official verdict (cf. 26:66), possibly a token nod to the rule against criminal trials at night." (MacArthur Bible Commentary)

“The Sanhedrin could not lawfully execute Jesus without the consent of Pilate [v.2] (John 18:31), and Pilate was not likely to regard seriously the purely religious charge upon which Jesus had been condemned.” (Dummelow Commentary) “Before Pilate, Jesus again does not defend himself; he has no need to plead for his life. Pilate’s form of justice includes releasing whichever prisoner the crowd chooses. The choice between Jesus and Barabbas may symbolize the eventual choice between the way of the cross and armed resistance to Rome (27:15-23).” (Theological Bible Commentary)

“Matthew’s account of Jesus’ second interrogation and condemnation by Pilate (27:11-26) repeats the themes of the first, especially that Jesus is innocent and voluntarily dies according to God’s will expressed in Scripture.” (Eerdmans Commentary) “In verse 19 [Matthew] inserts an anecdote about Pilate’s wife, who, like the Gentiles of the birth narrative (2:12) is warned (by God) in a dream.” (Interpretation series: Matthew)

The Sanhedrin pressed “earnestly to have Jesus crucified, v.22,23.” (Matthew Henry Commentary) “Though Pilate says ‘see to it yourselves’ (v. 24), in fact Pilate hands Jesus over to his own soldiers (vv. 26-27).” (Eerdmans Commentary)

“The story of the hearing before Pilate raises almost as many historical problems as the account of the Sanhedrin. That there was some Roman involvement in the trial and death of Jesus seems undeniable: at the very least we have to explain the fact that Jesus was crucified, and crucifixion was a Roman punishment, reserved primarily for political rebels.” (Oxford Commentary)

Pontius Pilate(See 2.26.12 notes)

McLaren, Mary Pride, “Would You Crucify the Christ?,” POEM, Sentinel, Vol. 50 (7 May 1948), p. 238.

He said, “Supposing you were there today,Would you demand the Christ be crucified?”

In thought I stood within the hall of judgment,And saw it filled with forms and swaying massesCrying aloud, “Crucify him, O crucify!”I saw the rabble of a hidebound creed—The Pharisee, the Sadducee, the scribe—The pride, hypocrisy, and vengeance which theyStood for, demanding that the healing ChristBe slain, and Barabbas-thoughts set free instead.Would I be partisan of greed and hate?Or would I stand with the eternal ChristAnd claim the goodness of the Son of God?

He said, “If you would not crucify the Christ,The true idea of God, which voices only good,Then you must welcome in all thoughts of love,Forgiveness, kindness, and a sweet compassion—Stand fast beside the Lamb of God, His image,



Deny all thoughts that would dethrone perfection,Put not the robber, evil, in his place."

I said, "I love the Christ immaculate…."The tumult stilled, the evil accusations ceased.My selfhood, real and radiant, free and good,Shone forth. With joy and glad acclaim the healing

came.

Dunbar, Rosalie E., Ph.D (Managing Editor, News & Special Projects Editor, and News Editor), "If it hadn't been for Pilate…," Journal, Vol. 124 (April 2006), p. 12.

--To get ahead in Rome, you had to know the right people.--Now known to Christians as the man who condemned Jesus to death, Pilate was a fairly ordinary Roman civil servant. When he took up the Judean post as governor in about AD 26, he unwittingly became a key player in the world's most important trial.--That Pilate had a kind of diplomatic "tin ear" became apparent almost instantly.--Like any governor, Pilate would have moved around his province, and it's likely that he had heard of Jesus before he had to stand in judgment of him. From Pilate's words as recorded in the Gospels, it seems clear that he felt Jesus was innocent. Yet there's no doubt that the political pressure on him to crucify Jesus was intense.--One wonders what Pilate thought about the resurrection stories that came later?

The resurrection appearance to Mary Magdalene (Mark 16: 9, 10)RELATED SCRIPTURE: Luke 8: 2; 24: 7, 10PARALLEL GOSPEL: John 20: 2, 18TIME LINE: The Resurrection, Sunday, April 9, 30 AD, in Jerusalem

“As already noted, Mark’s text as we have it ends at 16:8.” (Oxford Bible Commentary) "It is almost universally believed by scholars that the original ending of Mark consisted of only the first eight verses of chapter 16." (On Your Mark) “The external evidence strongly suggests that these verses [9-20] were not originally part of Mark’s Gospel. While the majority of Greek manuscripts contain these verses, the earliest and most reliable do not. A shorter ending also existed, but it is not included in the text. Further, some that include the passage note that it was missing from older Greek manuscripts, while others have scribal marks indicating their passage was considered spurious.” (MacArthur Commentary) “Internal evidence points definitively to the conclusion that the last twelve vv. are not by St. Mark.” (Dummelow Commentary)

“The traditional ending of Mark, the so-called ‘Long Ending,’ tells of Jesus’ appearance to Mary Magdalene, of her report to the unbelieving disciples, of a later appearance to the eleven, and of the commission to evangelize.” (Eerdmans Commentary) “The appearance to Mary Magdalene (16:9,10, who is described here in terms found only in Luke 8:2 as ‘the one from whom he had cast seven demons’) reflects Matt 28:9,10; John 20:11-18.” (HarperCollins Commentary) "Mary Magdalene was probably given the privilege of being first to witness the resurrected Christ because of her unreserved dedication." (King James Bible Commentary)

“10. She went] cp. Lk 24:10 John 20:18. As they mourned and wept] cp. Lk 24:17. The author of the ‘Gospel of Peter’ (150 AD, or earlier) must probably be added to the early witnesses to these twelve vv., for he writes, ‘And upon all these things we fasted and sat mourning and weeping night and day until the Sabbath…But we, the twelve disciples of the Lord wept and were grieved.’” (Dummelow Commentary)



Mary Magdalene(See 2.26.12 notes)

Skidmore, Sydney T., “He is Risen,” POEM, Journal, Vol. 11 (June 1893), p. 132.

NOW flees the night across the hills,For ravening spite and fateful wills

Have wrought Love's saving wonder. Lo;The sepulcher’s supernal glow; for He

Is risen….

And as the crowding years shall swellThe ever widening Principle,

That Life is all, and death is naught,So grows the Symbol into Thought; that He

Is risen.

So rise we from the cerementsOf bloodless stupor, dormant sense,

Of narrow creed, and rock bound wrong,Into life's rhythmic pulses strong; for He

Is risen.

Howe, Edna H., "The Risen Christ," Sentinel, Vol. 35 (15 April 1933), p. 645.

"Joy to the world, the Lord is come,Let earth receive her King;

Let every heart prepare him room,And heaven and nature sing."

--So have we gratefully sung of that transcendent demonstration of God's immortal law of life and love known to the world through the appearing of the Messiah. The full import of the Master's life and works, including his great demonstration known as the resurrection, is made clear in Mrs. Eddy's definition on page 593 of "Science and Health wit Key to the Scriptures":"RESURRECTION. Spiritualization of thought; a new and higher idea of immortality, or spiritual existence; material belief yielding to spiritual understanding." This gives us a scientific, practical understanding of divine possibilities, and in the light of it Christian Scientists remember with new inspiration and revelation the experience of the Master.--It is simple logic to say that an effect is like its cause; it is reasonable to believe that man is like God, the Mind which created him.--Students of Christian Science are deeply grateful for the light which Mrs. Eddy has shed for them on the life and ministry of Jesus, and on his resurrection from the belief of so-called life and death in matter. The constant inspiration and encouragement of her revelation and her example go before them, leading onward toward the practical realization by all humanity of "this risen Christ."

The resurrection appearance to the disciples, including Thomas (John 20: 19, 20, 24-27, 31 these)RELATED SCRIPTURE: Luke 24: 39; I Cor 15: 4PARALLEL GOSPELS: Matt 28: 1-6; Mark 16:9, 10TIME LINE: The Risen Savior, 30 AD



"The resurrection is the necessary end to Jesus' story." (Oxford Bible Commentary) “John’s resurrection narrative combines materials related in all three of the other Gospels with stories unique to itself, resulting in some awkward transitions. Mary Magdalene is a central figure (though the ‘we’ in v. 2 is a reminder of the other women present in the tradition, and it is she who first encounters the risen Lord and bears the good news to others, becoming an ‘apostle to the apostles.’” (Theological Bible Commentary)

In verse 19, “the Greek word [for the doors were shut] indicates the doors were locked for fear of the Jews. Since the authorities had executed their leader, they reasonably expected that Jesus’ fate could be their own.” (MacArthur Commentary)

“Attention now turns to Thomas (20:24), apparently absent during the initial giving of the Spirit.” (Eerdmans Commentary)

“In the most common traditional understanding, Thomas has been blamed (as ‘doubting Thomas’) because he insisted on seeing for himself rather than believing the apostolic testimony.” (People’s NT Commentary)

“Thomas has already been portrayed as loyal, but pessimistic. Jesus did not rebuke Thomas for his failure, but instead compassionately offered him proof of [his] Resurrection [vv.24,25].” (MacArthur Bible Commentary)

“The author’s written composition [these are written, v.31] mediates the living voice of Christ that appeared in history and generates and strengthens faith.” (People’s NT Commentary)

Thomas/Didymus(See Responsive Reading, above)

Cunningham, Jean Margaret Munro, “’In the midst,’” Sentinel, Vol. 26 (17 May 1924), p. 747.

--In the gospel of John we are told of two occasions when, after his resurrection, closed doors proved no barrier to Jesus. On the second occasion, Thomas, the doubter, was with the other disciples. We read in John, “Then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.”--Jesus standing “in the midst” in the dignity of holy calm, made no effort to impress the beholders with his power.

• His quiet words brought peace.---He had not knocked.---He did not say, See what I can do.---He did not upbraid the disciples for having the doors shut, though had their spiritual

faith and expectation been stronger than their fear they might have left them open.• He simply made his own demonstration of reaching “the midst,” and was free to express the

love with which his God-filled consciousness was over-flowing.

“Doubting Thomas,” The Mail and Express, New York, City, Sentinel, Vol. 1 (11 May 1899), p. 8.

--It is he who is responsible for most of the religious difference of the day.• He is so talkative, this questioning Thomas.

---For the last decade “critical doubting” has been the shortest road to notoriety—which is the mere space of fame, to be sure, but is valuable commercially.

• The endless questioning whether there be punishment in a mature world; the prattle about “higher criticism” that had been on Thomas’s tongue with little study as to what it means, except a



general aspersion of the Scriptures; the utterance of postulates followed by long statements of conclusions to these loud-sounding subjunctives—all this process is bearing fruit.--Let [us] grasp the old Bible in firm hands and preach it cover to cover….

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

The Bibliography is provided only in the first Sunday’s Lesson each month.

*The weekly Bible Lessons are made up of selections from the King James Version of the Bible and the Christian Science textbook, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science.

The Golden Text this week is from the Contemporary English Bible (CEB).


format - csdirectory.com · web view“this [i am the way…,v.6] is the sixth ‘i am”...

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