Dr Paul Allen

Lyne Wallace In simple words, John gives us an important observation about the morning of the resurrection. “…It was still dark…” As always with John the words operate on two levels. Yes, it was before dawn so it was dark. John, however, was not referring to the limited number of lumens peering over the horizon. The time of day is only a servant to his greater point. The world was dark not because the sun had yet to peer over the horizon. John is not trying to describe the ordinary. The world was dark because the power of evil had if just for a moment, won the day or so it seemed. The Light of the World was extinguished, and, for all Mary Magdalene knew, that fact remained unchanged. She most likely suspected it to forever remain unchanged. Mary was beside herself in grief. Her eyes, swollen by hours of wailing, were unable to see clearly. Her wailing had drowned out both extraordinary and familiar voices. John 20 -  Mary and Jesus She watched in disbelieving horror as the soldiers...

Antonio Ciseri's depiction of Pontius Pilate presenting a scourged Christ to the people Ecce homo! (Behold the man!). (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Matthew 28:11 –15 “They took the money and did as they were directed. And this story has been spread among the Jews to this day” (v. 15). Regarding the resurrection of our Lord , it is ironic that the thing the Sanhedrin tried to prevent with the placing of a guard became the story they made up to hide what really happened. The Pharisees and chief priests had  Pilate seal Jesus ’ tomb so that His disciples would not steal His body and claim that He rose from the dead (Matt. 27:62–66). Yet when Jesus was resurrected (28:1–10), His opponents did not repent; rather, they concocted a tale of theft to deceive Israel (vv. 11–15), preferring to save face instead of admitting the truth. Many enemies of Christianity still say the disciples stole Jesus’ body and fraudulently preached His resurrection, an as...

Doubting Thomas (1621 1623) (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) “ Doubting Thomas ,” we call him. Yet the reason he doubts that Jesus has risen from the dead may have more to do with the fact that he was not present when Jesus first appeared to the apostolic band ( John 20:19 –25). Is it entirely obvious that any of the others would have fared any better if they had been absent on the critical day? Certainly Thomas does not lack courage. When Jesus purposes to return from Galilee to Judah to raise Lazarus from the dead, and the disciples, understanding the political climate, recognize how dangerous such a course of action will be, it is Thomas who quietly encourages his colleagues: “Let us also go, that we may die with him” (11:16).  On occasion Thomas articulates the question the entire band is wanting to ask. Thus, when Jesus insists he is going away, and that by now they really do know the way, Thomas is not just speaking for himself when he quietly protests, “ Lord , we don’...

Jesus with a royal purple robe mocked and beaten as the King of the Jews, John 19:2-3. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) "Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you." ( John 20:21 ) For approximately three years the disciples had followed Jesus in His travels, had listened to His teaching, and participated in His ministry. They had forsaken "all, and followed him" ( Luke 5:11 ). They had seen Him ridiculed, opposed, oppressed, suffer deprivation, and be rejected by the religious leaders of the day, as well as by most of the common folk. They had watched while Judas , a trusted friend, had betrayed Him and then had fled when the Jewish leaders and a Roman guard arrested Him. This beloved leader, for whom they had had such great hopes and in whom they had placed such great trust, had then been scourged, beaten, spit upon, lied about, and nailed to a cruel cross to die in agony and abject oneliness, even abandoned ...

Image via Wikipedia "And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus , the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you." ( John 20:26 )   Jesus, in His earthly life, was often "in the midst" of things. At the age of twelve He was found in the Temple, "sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions" ( Luke 2:46 ).  Then, early in His adult ministry, His hometown enemies at Nazareth attempted to kill Him, "but he passing through the midst of them went his way" ( Luke 4:30 ). Later, in Jerusalem , a group of Pharisees sought to stone Him, but He simply went "through the midst of them, and so passed by" ( John 8:59 ).   Finally, however, they were able to put Him to death, and as a bitter testimony of their hatred, they had Him crucified with two common criminals, "on either side one, and Jesus in the midst" ( John 19:18 )....