| By Andy Moyle | 3 mins 26 secs | 0 Comments
Escalating conflict and the unforgivable sin Mark gets straight down to business. In 16 chapters, he doesn’t have a lot of column inches to build the tension! To the Pharisees and even John’s disciples, following Jesus looked like an easier deal. The Pharisees had added to the once a year prescribed fast during the day […]
| By Andy Moyle | 1 min 56 secs | 0 Comments
While it was still dark… This passage shows how popular and busy Jesus was becoming and how the crowds followed Him, but what struck me most was one particular verse, Mark 1:35 says: “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary […]
| By Andy Moyle | 3 mins 30 secs | 0 Comments
The silence is broken As a teenager I once took part in a ‘sponsored silence’ event at school on a Saturday morning. The lack of conversation, for what seemed like endless hours, was very eerie and it was a massive relief when we could finally chat again and listen to one anothers’ stories. For humans, […]
| By Andy Moyle | 2 mins 2 secs | 0 Comments
Resurrection It was the biggest and most important miracle on the face of the earth. My attention goes to the first thing the resurrected CHRIST said – “Go and tell my brothers.” What a glorious progress in relationship between CHRIST and his disciples from being called friends and now brothers!!! Wait a minute! Brothers??? I […]
| By Andy Moyle | 3 mins 14 secs | 0 Comments
Dark days It was a dark day – between the sixth hour (3pm) and the ninth hour (6pm), there was darkness over the land. There’s not a lot of corroboration of that from outside the Bible – but 8th Century Syncellus cites a book from 220AD by Julius Africanus who cites Thallus from around 52AD who tried […]
| By Andy Moyle | 2 mins 32 secs | 0 Comments
The Cross Jesus before Pilate Jesus’ silence before his accusers is the best modelling of the endurance under persecution that He commands. In Matthew 10:17-18 Jesus had told the disciples “They will hand you over to the local councils and flog you in their synagogues. On my account you will be brought before governors and […]
| By Andy Moyle | 2 mins 13 secs | 0 Comments
Peter’s failure Peter’s failure is complete and utter. Having vociferously denied that he would deny Jesus, he does so, three times, including oaths and swearing to be sure. He may have imagined his boldness in the moment, standing with Christ against the Sanhedrin. Then it turns out that when a servant girl asks him if […]
| By Andy Moyle | 1 min 40 secs | 0 Comments
Betrayed! Betrayal is hard because it can only come through a friend or a loved one. It’s not an act of a stranger, a random cruelty or victim of circumstances. Betrayal can only come in the hands of the ones you love. It’s worse than rejection. Rejection opens a wound, but betrayal rubs salt in […]
| By Andy Moyle | 4 mins 13 secs | 0 Comments
When times are tough, pray! “And when they had sung a hymn…” It’s not the purpose of worship, but it does calm the soul. As Jesus and the disciples head out to the Mount of Olives, there’s a calmness to Jesus even as He predicts all his disciples will fall away at his arrest. As […]