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Did Jesus lead the first youth group?

The Bible can be a complex thing, with many interwoven connections not always immediately apparent, linking topics and themes together across the ages. One such intriguing relationship lies between Exodus 30:14 and Matthew 17:24–27, offering valuable perspectives on the age dynamics among Jesus’ disciples with a hidden clue in the brief encounter about paying temple tax. Exodus 30:14 — The Age of Accountability Exodus 30:14 establishes a significant criterion for temple tax payment: “Everyone who is numbered, from twenty years old and over, shall give the offering to the Lord.” This biblical guideline sets what might be considered a standard for...

The Coming Kingdom of the Son of Man

The importance of context of what's being said, and to whom, in Scripture. I came across this image the other day (in the header above; see larger here) that links together three parts of Matthew’s Gospel to highlight the connection which many often miss, or read as separate events. I like the image because it shows that when Jesus spoke these things, he would have been saying them directly to the disciples and others who were listening to his teaching, and not in some cryptic, ambiguous dictation to a prophetic scribe, devoid of all context and meaning to those around him at the time. Update Feb 2017: I am adding some additional information to this to dis...

The Coming of Jesus: The Olivet Discourse – Part 1

...with the disciples pointing out how grand the temple was and Jesus saying to them that it "all will be thrown down". The temple was (and is) a big deal the Jewish people, so understandably, the disciples were concerned and wanted to know more about when it would be destroyed. Matthew 24:3 When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” (cf. Luke 21:7; Mark 13:3-4) It's important to note here that the disciples rightly ask about the end of the age – not the world. I believe a lot of the confusion on this (and...

The Coming of Jesus: The Olivet Discourse – Part 2

...Welcome to Part Two of the Olivet Discourse! It’s been a while, so we’ll pick up right where we left off with Matthew 24 verse 15 onwards, after a small recap of the chapter so far. The Olivet Discourse begins with the disciples admiring the architecture of the temple in Jerusalem. Jesus responds to this by telling them that it will all be thrown down and destroyed, to the point that not one stone will be left on another. Later on, when they are sat on the Mount of Olives, Jesus’ disciples come to him and ask “when will this happen?” and “what will be the sign” that all of this is about to commence? If we look at the accou...

Jesus, Yahweh, And The Power Over The Storm

...ob 9. The disciples, engulfed by a fierce storm, turn to Jesus in their desperation. His response is both commanding and comforting — He rebukes the wind and commands the sea to be still. The immediate ceasing of the storm astonishes the disciples, prompting them to question His true identity, sensing and realising there’s more to Jesus than meets the eye: “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” Jesus Walks on Water: Matthew 14:22–33 The connection between Job 9:8 and Jesus’ divine nature is further emphasised in the account of Jesus walking on water. Matthew 14:22–33 describes this extraordinary event: And early in the...

Horus, Jesus, and Egyptian Mythology: Separating Fact from Fiction

...ad twelve disciples, there is no evidence in ancient Egyptian mythology that suggests Horus had a group of close followers or apostles. Instead, Horus was worshipped by the people of ancient Egypt, and the pharaohs considered themselves to be the embodiment of Horus on Earth. This connection between Horus and the pharaohs should not be mistaken for having disciples in the same way that Jesus did, since no one literally followed Horus and he didn’t teach anybody. The idea of Horus having disciples is likely a modern reinterpretation of Egyptian mythology, influenced by false parallels drawn between Horus and Jesus. The Death and Resurrection of Horus? One of...