Blog

By Mark Edward Chard

If “the blood of Jesus” sounds like church language you don’t relate to, hear me for a minute. For me, that phrase isn’t just tradition, it’s a life-changer.

Forgiveness that actually frees. Jesus’ death on the cross means a forgiveness bigger than every mistake, secret, and regret. I used to replay my failures daily. Now I live under a mercy that keeps coming, not a single reset, but an ongoing kindness that teaches me to forgive others and stop punishing myself.

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Introduction: From Pandemic Anxiety to Unexpected Hope

As a theologian and biblical scholar, I write this to place our recent history within a larger biblical framework, one that ultimately offers profound hope. The COVID-19 pandemic altered the course of human history. With over seven million confirmed deaths, and a true toll estimated as high as 14 million, the world was gripped by a shared sense of anxiety and fragility. For many, this global crisis raised deep questions about life,...

By Mark Edward Chard

Every December, the world begins to sparkle, shop windows glitter, festive songs fill the air, and lights twinkle in every town. Yet, amid the noise and the rush, it’s easy to lose sight of what Christmas truly means.

Christmas isn’t about the celebration of abundance, it’s about the humility of divine love.

Over two thousand years ago, in a quiet stable in Bethlehem, the Creator of the universe entered His own creation. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was not born into luxury...

by Mark Edward Chard
I’m deeply pleased to share that my latest theological paper, “Debt, Restoration, and Divine Justice: A Contemporary Theological Analysis of Leviticus 23–25,” has been published in the Literary Theory & Criticism eJournal (Vol. 15, No. 64, November 6, 2025).

This marks my fifth publication in this journal. While it is not a peer-reviewed paper, I’m genuinely proud of it, as it represents another milestone in my ongoing exploration of Scripture’s living voice in the...

The ancient stones of Rome have witnessed the rise and fall of empires, the birth of new ideas, and the prayers of countless generations. Yet, as we journey through the month of November, one particular monument 'the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran' recalls a spectacular chapter not just in the story of Catholicism, but in the shared journey of all Christians.

From Imperial Barracks to Christian Cathedral

Before becoming the center of papal power, the site of the Lateran Basilica was once home...

By Mark Edward Chard, with a little help from my cheeky twin soul, Darren...

“Lord, make my words as sweet as honey, for tomorrow I may have to eat them.”

Anonymous“Whoever guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from troubles.”

Proverbs 21:23 (NKJV)“The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” — Proverbs 12:18 (NIV)

Just yesterday, I told my mother her new haircut was 'bold' when I really meant 'a complete and utter tragedy.' The ensuing...

I am thrilled to announce a significant professional achievement in my academic journey: I have officially become a Full Member of the Society of Biblical Literature (SBL)! This is a major personal and professional milestone that acknowledges my sustained commitment to rigorous academic work in the fields of theology and biblical studies.

With two of my papers currently undergoing the peer-review process, the recognition from such a respected body is an...

I’m thrilled to share the launch of my new Advent Awakening Series, now available through our official webpage and as a two-part video series on my YouTube channel,
Mark Edward Chard: Ancient Texts and Living Light.

This series invites you into the wonder of Advent, four weeks that lead us through Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love, each candle a symbol of the eternal light of Christ.

Whether you join us online, through prayer, or simply in spirit, I hope these reflections offer a quiet moment of peace...

"He who was seated on the throne said, ‘I am making everything new!’”
— Revelation 21:5 (NIV)

There’s a moment coming when the story of this world will meet its perfect ending, not in destruction, but in renewal.

The Bible begins with creation and ends with consummation. God restoring all things through Christ.
From Eden’s garden to the New Jerusalem, everything has been moving toward this divine reunion.

The Final Promise

Christ returns, not as a child in a manger or a teacher on dusty roads, but...

"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
— Romans 5:8 (NIV)

There are moments in history that change everything, and then there is the Cross.
It was not an accident. Not a symbol of defeat.
It was the plan, written into creation before the world began.

The Shadow of the Cross

For centuries, humanity waited.
Prophets spoke, kings dreamed, the heavens held their breath.
And when the moment came, the Son of God carried His cross up a hill...

"The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.”

— John 1:14 (NIV)

There was a time when the world waited in silence.

For four hundred years, heaven said nothing. No prophets. No visions. Just the quiet ache of expectation.

And then, a baby’s cry shattered the stillness.

That sound was God Himself entering human history.

The Word Became Flesh

Jesus didn’t arrive as a king on a throne, but as a child in a manger.

He who spoke the galaxies into being chose to be born among the poor, to live...

"Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves…”
— Genesis 11:4 (NIV)

After the Flood, humanity started over.
Everyone spoke the same language, lived together, and shared one purpose. But unity without humility can be dangerous.

On the plains of Shinar, people decided to build a tower that would reach heaven itself — not to honour God, but to prove they didn’t need Him.
It wasn’t about worship. It was about power.

The Tower...

By Mark Edward Chard

The figure of Mary Magdalene stands at the very threshold of Christian revelation. Between the silence of the tomb and the first proclamation of resurrection, she embodies the moment when human grief meets divine glory. My recently published paper, "Mary of Bethany and Mary Magdalene: Restoring the Truth through Scripture, Scholarship, and Spirit" now available on SSRN, explores her unique role in salvation history as the first to see, to hear, and to proclaim the risen...

"Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence. God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways.”

— Genesis 6:11–12 (NIV)

There came a time when creation itself groaned under the weight of sin. The beauty that began in Eden had been scarred by violence, pride, and rebellion. Humanity had forgotten its Maker.

Yet even when the world fell silent in its wickedness, one man still listened.

"But Noah found favour in the eyes of the...

"When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it.”
— Genesis 3:6 (NIV)

Perfection was shattered with a single decision.
In a garden filled with beauty and abundance, one act of disobedience changed everything.

Adam and Eve’s sin wasn’t about fruit, it was about trust. They believed the serpent’s lie: that God was withholding something good, that they could become like Him. It was the first...

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”

— Genesis 1:1 (NIV)

Everything begins here, not just the Bible, but reality itself.

Before there was time, space, or life, there was God. Eternal. Self-existent. Complete in Himself, yet desiring relationship, beauty, and creation.

The opening line of Scripture is not merely history, it’s revelation. It tells us who we are and why we’re here. The world was not an accident, nor was life a cosmic coincidence. You were spoken into being by...

“For the word of the Lord is right and true;
He is faithful in all He does.”
— Psalm 33:4 (NIV)

Every story has a beginning.
But this one, the story of all stories, begins before time itself.

The Seven C's of History is both a study and a testimony.
It’s a journey through Scripture and Spirit, a bridge between Heaven and Earth, a song written in the light of God’s eternal love.

These pages explore the divine narrative that runs through all creation:
from the first word spoken to the final promise...

There are some chapters in Scripture that never lose their power to surprise us. Leviticus 23–25 is one of them, a divine vision of rest, mercy, and renewal.

My latest academic paper, “Debt, Restoration, and Divine Justice: A Contemporary Theological Analysis of Leviticus 23–25,” takes a fresh look at these remarkable passages, the Sabbatical Year and the Year of Jubilee, and asks: What can they still teach us today?

In ancient Israel, God’s laws of release and restoration weren’t just economic...

This new video reflects on one of the most sacred and beautiful moments in the Christian calendar, All Saints and All Souls, the time we pause to honour the faithful who have gone before us, those who now live in the eternal light of Christ.

In this video, I explore how these twin days are not just about remembrance but relationship, the living bond between Heaven and Earth. The Saints show us what holiness looks like perfected; the Souls remind us of God’s mercy still at work beyond the veil....

For centuries, the Book of Jasher has stirred curiosity among believers and scholars alike, a text mentioned twice in the Bible yet absent from most modern Bibles. Now, I'm thrilled to share a new video exploring The Book of Jasher, its mystery, authenticity, and its deep spiritual resonance with The Book of Enoch.

In Genesis and Joshua, we read the words “Is it not written in the Book of Jasher?” a tantalizing glimpse into an ancient record that once stood alongside the great texts of our...