“After this, Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took the body of Jesus.” (John 19:38) In spite of his role in the crucifixion story, we don’t know much about Joseph of Arimathea. The Bible has very little to say about him. But what it does record is a story of a miraculous transformation. We do know that he was […]

“Wisdom is with aged men, and with length of days, understanding.” (Job 12:12) When I was in the hospital in 2008, I had some unfinished business to conduct from my bedside and asked my secretary to request a visit from several of the county commissioners for whom I worked. One of the commissioners who came to see me is a pastor and one of the wisest public officials with whom I have worked over the last 38 years. When he entered my room and took a seat, he […]

“Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.” (Matthew 1:23) I have a coworker whom I see almost every day. He often comments about my devotion and asked me recently to deal with a spiritual question that has bothered him for many years. “One week,” he said, “I want you to tell me why God had to resort to such extreme measures to save us. I mean if he really is so […]

“Jesus wept.” (John 11:35) We all know it as the shortest verse in the Bible. But it is long on what it tells us about the character of Jesus, both as the Son of God and as the Son of Man. The setting is in a small town, Bethany, located just two miles east of Jerusalem. Jerusalem, or anywhere near it, was not the safest of places for Jesus to show up. Word about his miracle-working power was spreading through the region like wildfire. The Pharisees were threatened […]