So if you faithfully obey the commands I am giving you today–to love the LORD your God and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul–then I will send rain on your land in its season, both autumn and spring rains, so that you may gather in your grain, new wine and oil. I will provide grass in the fields for your cattle, and you will eat and be satisfied. Deuteronomy 11:13-15 Often when I read the Bible, I ignore what time of year events take place. Sometimes this is because the passage doesn’t mention it. […]
Author Archive: Brian Johnson
A Tale of Two Gates
David was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned forty years. 2 Samuel 5:4 I remember seeing from Tel Azekah a few years ago a new excavation at a site called Khirbet Qeiyafa. It has received quite a bit of press the last few years. I was excited to visit it a couple weeks ago. Khirbet Qeiyafa is situated overlooking the Elah Valley (where David fought Goliath) in the Shephelah (foothills). There are two gates through the city walls, making many think it may be Biblical Shaaraim (Hebrew for “two gates”) (Joshua 15:36, 1 Samuel 17:52). What […]
The Empty Tomb
But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. For if […]
Crucified
Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 1 Corinthians 1:22-24 In a burial cave north of Jerusalem, an ossuary (bone box) was found which included the remains of a heel bone with an iron nail through it, indicating the deceased has been crucified. Crucifixion was a horrible way to die. The Romans perfected this torturous method of execution. While we look today for […]
Unleavened Doritos
On the fifteenth day of that month the LORD’s Feast of Unleavened Bread begins; for seven days you must eat bread made without yeast. Leviticus 23:6 We stopped at some grocery stores while in Israel for food. Chips always make a good snack while on the road, and we found a bag of Doritos with the logo transliterated into Hebrew. The packaging, while written in Hebrew, was otherwise recognizable. However, there was something a little odd: a tag stuck to it. My limited Hebrew was enough to translate the largest words: “kosher for Passover”. These chips are unleavened! When the […]
The Case of the Missing Figs
Early in the morning, as he was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered. Matthew 21:18-19 Continuing to think about Holy Week, this is my thought to ponder for today: What’s the deal with Jesus cursing the fig tree? While he goes on to talk about faith, but I want to focus on the tree itself. Figs ripen during the summer. Why would […]
House Cleaning
Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it a den of robbers.’ “ Matthew 21:12-13 Let’s continue to think about Holy Week in Jerusalem. After Jesus’ triumphal entry, he went up to his Father’s house, the Temple. The Temple Mount is still present today, although parts of the platform have been rebuilt. Despite still being revered by the […]
Entering Jerusalem
 I rejoiced with those who said to me,  “Let us go to the house of the LORD.” Our feet are standing  in your gates, O Jerusalem. Psalm 122:1-2 Today is Palm Sunday, remembering when Jesus entered Jerusalem. We entered a couple days ago by car, frenzied by the traffic and a malfunctioning GPS. Jesus entered much more gracefully and confidently on a colt. As I look around the city, I can point where the events of the week took place. This day kicks off 8 days of remembrance, similar to other 8 day festivals in the Biblical […]
Lakeside View
 Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the lake, and a large crowd from Galilee followed. Mark 3:7 Excuse me for bragging, but this has been our view out the back of our hotel room the last couple days: When we think of Jesus withdrawing to the lake, it often conjures up having a cabin by a remote lake. It’s a place to get away from the busyness of life in order to relax. That’s the opposite of Jesus’ retreat. He surrounded himself with the people who need him. The crowds came from miles around to hear him teach and seek […]
The Snowy Mountain
 The heavens are yours, and yours also the earth;   you founded the world and all that is in it. You created the north and the south;   Tabor and Hermon sing for joy at your name. Psalm 89:11-12 Most visitors to Israel see Mt. Hermon from a distance. Today I actually got to see it up close. The mountain sits at the northeastern most point of the country and is by far the highest. With a ski resort, it appears to be quite the attraction year round. We took a ski lift up for a panoramic view of the region. […]