Character in Context

Episode 144: Mark 72 The Ninth Hour and the Centurion’s Declaration

There is far more to the account of Yeshua’s/Jesus’s death than meets the eye. We’re going to be talking about the Tamid offerings and their timing, the cosmic event language in Matthew and Mark concerning the darkness and the torn veil, and the importance of the Centurion’s declaration that, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”

Transcript https://theancientbridge.com/2022/07/episode-144-mark-72-the-ninth-hour-and-the-centurions-declaration/

Episode 143: Mark 71 Save Yourself!

This week we will continue with Yeshua/Jesus in the background as the world takes center stage against Him. This week is very context heavy, from the proposed location of Golgotha, the properties of myrrh, the rights of Roman soldiers, the hours of prayer, the controversy of cross vs tree vs stake, to the importance of the titles King of the Jews and King of Israel.

Episode 142: Mark 70 The Mockers, the Passerby, and Where Do We Fit in?

Something that generally goes unnoticed in chapter fifteen is that Yeshua/Jesus has ceased to be the main character, replaced by a multitude of “they” references. He is no longer the actor but the acted upon. What does this have to do with the forces of chaos, evil, sin, and death? And where exactly did the crucifixion take place?

Episode 141: Mark 69 Pilate, Barabbas, and the Pawn

So, at long last we are beginning the most harrowing chapter of the Gospel of Mark—chapter fifteen. Chapter fourteen ended with a condemnation of death, but one without any teeth because the power over life and death in Judea belonged entirely to Pontius Pilate, who was so cruel that he managed to achieve modern war criminal status during peacetime and even the Romans couldn't deal with him anymore. It is here that Yeshua/Jesus becomes a mere pawn in political power games—or so it seems.

Episode 140: Avoiding ”Torah Terrorism”--a beginner’s guide to not destroying your witness

When I wrote The Bridge: Crossing Over into the Fulness of Covenant Life, it was for the purpose of bringing people together who didn't understand one another. On one hand, we had the burgeoning "Torah movement" of Christians who were discovering the delights of the Sabbath and Festivals, and the benefits of eating cleaner and on the other hand we had their families who were taught that this was legalistic. And no one was really behaving themselves or really listening and so people got needlessly angry and when people are angry, they are very likely to believe the worst about one another. And so they did--and we all forgot that we were saved at the Cross and not when we came to a certain level of knowledge. I gave a talk like this a couple of months back to an online group and I am recreating it from my notes today. My notes will be in the transcript at www.theancientbridge.com but it will not be the usual full transcript. 

Episode 139: Firstfruits and the Resurrection--The Foundation of Our Faith

HE IS RISEN! Although we take it for granted, it was very controversial among both Jews and Gentiles--but why? We will look at this obscure day on the Biblical Calendar, what it meant in the first century, and why Yeshua's fulfillment of it is the most important event in the history of the world. We'll also talk about why it is the foundation of our faith and what it means to live in belief and why so many of us really don't. 

Episode 138: Mark 68 The Oath, the Curse, and the Denial

This is our last encounter with Peter in this Gospel and what a horrible end it is. Of course, we know the other side of the story, but in the Gospel traditionally credited as being Peter’s recollections he makes no effort to paint himself as a great hero of the faith or to restore his reputation--instead, it paves the way to tell the greater story of the One who did not fail and led the Greater Exodus promised by Isaiah. As we finish up chapter 14 this week, we are going to come face to face with our own frailty as well as his, and especially as it compared to the parallel account of Yeshua’s/Jesus's trial.

Episode 137: Mark 67 The Kangaroo Court?

Now that the controversy over the status of the hearing itself has been covered, let’s look at another big scholarly debate—what exactly triggered the blasphemy charge? It isn’t as obvious as it may appear once we take extra-biblical accounts from that same time period into account.

Episode 136: Mark 66 The Trial: Sanhedrin or Beit Din?

Before we go forward with the trial, we need to talk about the difference between the sort of Sanhedrin Josephus chronicled during the first century, and the more Biblical Beth Din described in Mishnah Tractate Sanhedrin. The difference is extremely important for understanding exactly what was going on and whether it was a Kangaroo Court or not.

Episode 135: Mark 65 The Kiss and the Falling Away

As the prophecies begin to come true, the disciples are shocked and scattered—and probably more than just a bit crushed to discover that Yeshua won’t be leading a Messianic uprising after all.