When Jesus announces the betrayal by Judas at the Passover, He alludes to Psalm 41:9. The one who dipped his hand with me in the dish, Jesus says, betrays Him; centuries earlier, David had written, “My close friend, in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted up his heel against . . . . Continue Reading »
Given its prominence in the NT, it’s striking that the LXX rarely speaks of “breaking bread.” One of the few times the phrase occurs is in Jeremiah 16:7, where, strikingly, it is joined to a statement about a “cup of consolation.” Broken bread and cup is . . . . Continue Reading »
Matthew 26:17-19 is a chiastically ordered pericope, centered on Jesus’ announcement that His “time is at hand” and that He intends to do the Passover. A. Disciples approach: prepare pascha ? B. Jesus commands: Go to city C. My time is at hand; do pascha B’. Disciples did as . . . . Continue Reading »
My co-pastor Toby Sumpter wondered whether Matthew was up to something in describing the first day of the feast as the “first of unleavened” ( te prote ton azumon , 26:17). It seems so. The other gospels don’t use the same phrase; Mark says “first day” and . . . . Continue Reading »
Through much of Matthew’s gospel, Jesus is surrounded by multitudes who marvel at His teaching and works (5:1; 7:28; 9:8; 12:23; 13:2; etc.). They marvel all the way up to His battles in the temple (21:46; 22:33). The last time He teaches a multitude is in chapter 23 (v. 1). After . . . . Continue Reading »
To head off the possibility that the disciples will steal Jesus’ body, the priests and Pharisees ask Pilate for a guard at the tomb (Matthew 27:62-65). If the disciples are successful, “the last deception will be worse than the first” (v. 64). It’s a familiar phrase: . . . . Continue Reading »
After Jesus’ Passover with His disciples, they leave singing for the Mount of Olives. Last time they were on the Mount, Jesus predicted the destruction of a temple. His return to the mountain marks the initial fulfillment of that prophecy: Jesus is the temple, torn down and raised . . . . Continue Reading »
Matthew 26:31-75 is organized mainly as a series of small chiasms The first is in verses 31-35: A. Jesus predicts the fall of the disciples, based on Scripture, vv 31-32 B. Peter protests, v 33 C. Jesus predicts Peter’s triple denial, v 34 B’. Peter protests again, v 35a A’. All . . . . Continue Reading »
Responding to Sinclair Ferguson’s defense of infant baptism in Baptism: Three Views , Anthony Lane attacks the use of “sign and seal” as the “controlling framework” for one’s theology of baptism. He points out that for Ferguson the “proper” . . . . Continue Reading »
The notion that salvation is illumination is often criticized for being too intellectualist. Jaroslav Pelikan sums up the criticisms of Athanasius’ use of this image by saying “the impression was almost unavoidable that the enlightenment given in salvation applied primarily to the . . . . Continue Reading »
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